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.

YOU NEED TO GO IN BLIND NO SPOILERS NO HINTS, JUST OPEN IT UP AND READ ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL COULD NOT PUT THIS DOWN. I haven't read anything by this author before but boy does she pack a pinch, but how to give a review without spoilers, hard but not impossible. To say I loved this book is an understatement, It has ripped my guts out shattered my heart had me biting my nails with anticipation and bawling like a baby all in one phenomenal read. I LOVED SHANNON, I wanted to crawl inside this book just to hold her and shoot everyone else. Johnny well he is the hero and what a hero he is, his friendship with Gibsie is down right hilarious and I can't wait for his story. Shannon's life reads like a horror story from start to finish. I am now completely absolutely obsessed with waiting for book 2. Had I known this was going to end on a cliffhanger I wouldn't have bought it, Sadly I would have missed out on this extremely good read, its well written it flows well its a long story which I loved you could really get your teeth into the characters, then bam we get that horrifying ending, I NEED the next part NOW!!! I literally hate waiting for a book to continue very rarely does the anticipation warrant the wait, so I am either going to forget or its out really soon, Chloe Walsh please when is book 2 out ?? The story of Shannon is heartbreaking, its set in Ireland which I loved. A lot of fabulous additions to the book her brother Joey I loved, Claire all characters introduced that you know are going to get their own story. I will giving nothing away about the plot like I say go in blind, it is a YA but I am 53 and I loved it. I just wish it hadn't ended on a cliffhanger...

Here we go. I caved. This damn book has been stalking me like a debt collector—TikTok, Instagram, bookstore tables, probably carved into the bathroom stall at my local coffee shop—everywhere I turned, it was there, whispering read me. I wasn’t going in with high hopes though. Hyped books usually leave me yawning into my coffee and regretting my life choices. Our FMC, Shannon, is an innocent 15 year old girl, heavily bullied, and switching schools. Our MMC, Johnny, is 17. Let’s just say I wasn’t thrilled about signing up for a “romance” with literal teenagers. But fine, moving on before I start a whole rant about it. Their “meet-cute”? Johnny knocks her out. Literally. And yeah… okay, it was kinda cute. From there, he’s curious, then full-on obsessed and that's when he spirals. One minute he’s doting, the next he’s glaring like she ran over his dog. He’s obsessed, confused, hot and cold in a snap of a second, basically has the emotional stability of a grenade with the pin halfway pulled. Rugby’s supposed to be his whole life, but Shannon’s the wrench in his perfectly rage-fueled machine. But he can’t stay away. He is in Shannon’s corner in every situation, he is protecting her the best he can, and yet she still shows up with bruises. What Shannon needs though is more than his protection in school. Romance-wise? Barely there—and thank god for that. This isn’t really a love story, it’s a slow-burn crush buried under enough trauma to keep a psychiatrist in business for decades. Most of their moments are PG-13—stolen glances, awkward car rides, hallway eye contact—but the real punch here isn’t in the kisses, it’s in the gut-wrenching reality. This is a book about survival. About how far you’ll go for your dreams, what you’ll sacrifice, and how long you can keep living in fear before it breaks you. It’s about family—how they’re there when they shouldn’t be, and absent when they damn well should. One page gives you warmth and hope; the next rips it away and leaves you staring into the void wondering why you’re crying over fictional people. And then there’s Gibsy. Johnny’s loudmouth weird-as-hell best friend. He is the real MVP. Always checking in, cracking jokes, always showing up, HE IS THERE for Johnny. He is exactly the kind of chaos and love you want when life’s circling the drain.This man’s comedic timing is sharper than Johnny’s temper. Honestly? I was more invested in Gibsy (and Claire) than the actual MCs for a good chunk of the book. I went in expecting overhyped fluff. I came out gutted, pissed, and unexpectedly attached. This book doesn’t hurt you in the swoony-romance way—it’s raw anger, frustration, heartbreak, and survival sewn together with moments that keep you holding on. The romance is just background static; the real story is pain, fear, loyalty, and the will to keep fighting when everything’s stacked against you. Yeah. I’m hooked all right… PS, Can we talk about the miracle economics in this book? Family of six kids (number seven incoming), mum works as a hospital cleaner, dad’s an unemployed drunk, and yet somehow they can manage to send their only daughter to a fancy private school? That’s sorcery.

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 never write reviews, but felt compelled to tell everyone how brilliant this storyline is and how well written it is. I will admit, I was dubious at first, as I quickly realised this was about school age children, that along with the size of the book, I didn't think I would be able to get through it, it took me around 2 chapters and that was it, I was in love with the characters. So much so, I stayed up through the night as I couldn’t put it down and finished it at 6am the following morning! I then realised there was a 2nd book of Shannon and Johnny’s story, I then ordered it straight away (whilst also thinking I should maybe take a break as it kind of did consume my life a bit!) the only problem is, although I prefer reading a physical book over a Kindle book, I couldn’t wait 3 days for delivery of the 2nd book, so found myself cancelling the order and ordering the Kindle edition instead!

Such a good book, I didn’t want to put it down! Gibsie is hilarious. It’s a story that makes you want to scream at the characters, Shannon and Johnny to stop ignoring their feelings and Shannon to speak up about her dad. Such an emotional story

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

Loved it from start to finish! Just couldn’t put it down, bring on book 2, even got my mom to read it and she loved it!

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.