Binding 13: Epic, emotional and addictive romance from the TikTok phenomenon (The Boys of Tommen)

It takes quite a bit for me to want to re-read a book, it doesn't happen often - quite the opposite, yet I keep coming back to this one. For me, a successful book is good story, good characters, good writing, and it has to make me FEEL. If it has all of those elements, which let's face it, is sadly rare, then I'm gone hook, line and sinker. This series - Shannon, Johnny, Gibs, Claire, Joey, Mammy K, all of them, is unlike anything I've ever come across before. It is so good, that even though I know what's going to happen, I Feel everything these books evoke just as much each time I read them. I cry with them, rage with them, rejoice with them, grieve with them, laugh out loud at the humour and the antics they get up to (especially Gibs - hands down funniest book character I have ever had the pleasure of coming across). I'm not sure I've ever had that from one book before. Shanon may come across as a bit doormat-ish at the start, but peel back those onion layers, and you find the heart of a fighter, an incredibly strong girl who doesn't even know it herself. Johnnys the definition of overthinker; a strong, good guy with so much commitment, dedication & passion for the things he fights and cares for. I loved these two. This absolute gem of a book, and series, is so unlike anything I've ever come across before, and I know for a fact that I'll still be coming back time and time again because they are "bleeding brilliant". If you're looking for a beautifully written, heart wrenching, hilarious book with dark secrets, characters so seemingly real that it's almost seems plausible that one could bump into them in Ballylaggin, and want one hell of a book hangover, then do yourself a favour and read these pronto.

This book CONSUMED me. I'm not joking when I say 600 pages were not enough pages for these characters. More over Mariana Zapata, we have another slowburn queen I'm town. (Don't worry, I still love Mariana!!). This book tells a story of Shannon and Johnny, who live and go to school in Cork, Ireland. Shannon was severely bullied in school, where it got to the extent that her mother had to take her out of school and pay to send her to a private school. Here, Shannon meets Johnny, the popular boy who is the captain of the rugby team and has unlimited fangirls following him. When Johnny accidentally knocked Shannon out with a stray rugby ball, everything changed for these characters. Johnny becomes protective of Shannon and Shannon for the first time, feels safe! There are a lot of triggers warnings with this book, so PLEASE read them before diving into this book because it can be tough! Being from Ireland myself, I understood the slang and banter between the characters. There is a glossary at the start just for your FYI. OK, so the characters- Johnny and Shannon - come from completely different worlds, but they find each other, and it works. They are what each other didn't know they needed. The vulnerability and strength Shannon has broke me!! The protective and passion Johnny has powered me! Even though these characters were 15 and 18, I didn't care! I usually don't read YA or teenage love, but this book was perfection!! The plot! This book is 100% of a slow burn! That being said, every interaction, every chapter, was important and needed in order to showcase these characters and show their story and growth! This book does end on a cliffhanger, so bring on the next book!! I'm ready to dive me! I need everyone to read this book so I can talk to them about it!!!! I could write an essay of a review for this book, and it wouldn't cover how much I loved it. The banter, the vulnerability! I don't think I've ever read a book that had me gripping the book, in shock, sadness, or laughter all in one chapter! It was amazing

Wow. What an emotional rollercoaster the last 48 hours have been. I put off reading Binding 13 for so long, unsure if it could live up to the hype. Now I get it and honestly I’m glad I waited. I didn’t think a high school romance this long would grip me the way it did, but Chloe Walsh completely proved me wrong. Despite the school setting, it never felt immature. The story dives deep into trauma, mental health, love, and survival, with a level of emotional intensity that kept me hooked. Even at nearly 800 pages, I flew through it. There was a stretch around the 500-page mark where the emotional push-pull got a bit repetitive, but by 700, I was right back in it and completely invested. The characters are where this book shines. Gibsie is a standout, hilarious but clearly hiding his own pain. I know there’s more to him than the funny best friend but I just can’t work it out! And Joey. Oh, Joey. His pain was so overlooked. He’s trying so hard to hold it all together, to protect his family, to be everything for everyone and you can see it’s slowly breaking him. My heart ached for him with every chapter. He deserves peace more than anyone. Shannon’s journey was heartbreaking and beautiful. Watching her slowly find her voice and begin to trust again was powerful. Johnny loyal, protective, and emotionally raw felt like the anchor she needed. He wasn’t perfect, and that made him all the more real. Binding 13 is about so much more than young love, it’s about healing, loyalty, friendship and surviving what life throws at you. I cried, laughed, got angry, and fell in love with every page. Now excuse me while I go dive into Keeping 13, because I am not done with this world yet.

arrived super fast. loved the book and the series in general. I would most definitely recommend this one to everyone. and LOVE these UK covers!!

This is the best book I've read this year! I literally sat through the night and read it till 05.30am.... The only issue I had was that the kindle version had SO MANY words missing that I had to keep re-reading sentences to make sense of them.

What an unbelievable book !! Never has a book changed my way of thinking or brought back things id not thought of in years. Wow .... Just wow

Oh My God ! Mrs Walsh you have some explaining to do leaving us on a cliffhanger like that ! I screamed at my kindle ! This book is something else ! I have been through every emotion possible, I have laughed I have sobbed this book is everything ! Shannon - oh sweet sweet Shannon, the world dealt you an unreal bad hand of cards for such a lovely little soul, you just want to cuddle her and protect her at all costs ! Well that’s where Mr Rugby comes in Johnny and Shannon turns his world upside down but she don’t even know ! He becomes so attached and protective of Shannon to the point he doesn’t understand what’s going on with himself (his falling for her) but he won’t admit it and tell Shannon this. The relationship building was incredible, you wanted to shake Johnny and tell him just to kiss the girl most way through the book 🤣 you just know these are going to make the cutest couple ever ! Gibsie ! - oh Gibsie you are hands down one of my favourite book characters ever ! You don’t give two tosses about anything and the things that come out his mouth is priceless. Gibsie is that best friend we all want and need ! Just hurry up and tell Claire how you feel and stop messing about ! I can’t get over this book ! I was hooked from the beginning I would recommend this book to everyone who wants a book you can get totally lost in, you get emotional attached to characters and you will go through every emotion possible from chapter to chapter ! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Would give it so many more stars ! 5 is certainly not enough for this amazing book ! Now to start number two I need answers and I need to know what’s next !

I cant put into words how phenomenal this book was. I loved everything about it. From the first page of Shannon powerful intro into her life in ireland, I was hooked....and you will be too. The book tackles themes of abuse, love, dreams, injury, sports and so much more that its just perfect. The characters are also so well fleshed out and complex that I just loved everything about it! I listened to the audio first then this.. and was transfixed. Im afraid im obsessed with this world and never want to let it go

this book is SOOO good

The last thing I expected was to love this book as much as I did, and for this book to destroy me more than anything else I’ve ever read. I am not sure why I thought this was YA? Maybe because the characters are in high school but the more I read, the more this book is definitely not YA and definitely not for the faint hearted. This story and I presume the rest of the series tackles some HUGE topics and themes that are quite difficult to read about. I do think it handled the topics of family violence and child abuse very delicately whilst also not trying to downplay the seriousness of it. What I loved is that Chloe Walsh sprinkled enough humour into the dialogue of this story to break up this challenging themes so it didn’t feel so overwhelming to read about. Trust me, it isn’t all dark and gloomy in this world. I felt like it was a very nice balance without taking away from how bad abuse can be and the dark reality of it. This felt less romancey and more of a character study in the same way of Magnolia Parks. I felt like this story, whilst definitely being a romance between Johnny and Shannon, was more about these people as characters and their unique experiences that actually aren’t as unique and otherworldly as they think. It was about finding safety and security in a life where you are anything but. The romance just added to Johnny and Shannon’s connection, but I think it went beyond that. I initially thought that Johnny had a saviour complex, and I think he thought he did too, but as the story moves and he learns more about Shannon, he realises she cannot be saved but just needs someone to keep her safe. It’s a safety complex, rather than a saviour, and as Johnny learns that, the story gets better. Fair warning, this man talks about his genitals A LOT, especially in a book where they kiss once and right at the end. Nevertheless, I do think it aided in lowering the seriousness of the book and making it more friendly and appealing for people to read. However, I did get tired of hearing about this man’s genitals. I also did feel, at times, they were immature but then I had to self correct and remember that I too was 16 once and acting like this. I’m in too minds. I was also sick of hearing about HOW SHORT SHANNON IS. I loved the set up for the rest of the characters and how each person gets their moment but it is focussed on Johnny and Shannon. I love these two and I love that their story is a slow burn, broken into two parts marked by a big shift in their lives. I LOVE this structure. The set up of the rest of the characters was a perfect way to slowly introduce the rest of the series too, so 5 stars there. I also love that Chloe Walsh has the perfect balance between showing and telling. So much happens on the page (I mean, this book is like 700+ pages) but so much happens off the page as well and that makes it even better to read. Some of the writing is a bit cringey and the internal dialogue does get exhausting after a while, especially when it’s “I shouldn’t do this” *proceeds to do it*, but I can let it slide because they are young, in love, and navigating a world so foreign to them. Overall, loved this and very excited for the rest of the series. I’m already halfway through Keeping 13 as I write this.

Bra engelsk bok

I completely get the hype now. These books are so good. The characters are written in such a way that they feel so real and so present and just reading about their lives is so engaging. Like, the plot is good and interesting but ultimatly its just about normal people’s lives and yet is so captivating. And it’s not even just the main characters - I love all of them and they’re all so well written. It’s amazing how the author is able to capture the presence of these characters so simply and effectively. The book is over 600 pages and the plot is even a bit on the slower side and yet not once did I feel like it was too long. I couldn’t wait to jump right in to the next book. Nothing is rushed and the characters feelings are developed so well. It didn’t feel forced or drawn out. I wouldn’t even say this is the best written book I’ve ever read but something about it just works SO well and its so good. The strength of these books is the characters 100%

You literally can’t stop reading this book. It is so good and raw. Loved it and I would recommend it.