Binding 13 and Keeping 13 by Chloe Walsh (Boys of Tommen)
Boys of Tommen is one of my most anticipated reads this year, but for some reason, I kept pushing it further down my TBR for two reasons: firstly, I read mixed reviews about it, and Iโm scared to find out which side of the coin Iโll end up on, and secondly, these books are long ๐ฅฒ
After finishing Binding 13 and Keeping 13, Iโm so happy to say that these two books took me on a wild emotional ride, making me giggle one moment and cry the next ๐ฅน There are themes that may be hard for some, so itโs recommended to check trigger warnings before reading. These two books are around 1.3k pages combined (on Kindle), so itโs a lengthy read. I struggled a bit at the beginning of Binding 13 because thereโs a lot of inner monologue versus dialogue, but as the story picked up, it became difficult for me to put the book down. It didnโt feel like I had hundreds of pages left.
โ๐ฏ๐, ๐ฑ๐๐๐๐๐.โ โ๐ฏ๐, ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐.โ
โ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐ฑ๐๐๐๐๐.โ โ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐.โ
I never knew words as simple as โhiโ and โgoodbyeโ could make me so happy and sad at the same time. There may be a lot of painful moments in these books, but they also tell the story of how love can save us from our demons and tragedies, and how love can lead us to people who will protect and stay even at our worst. That being said, Johnny and Shannon will always have a special place in my heart from here onwards โค๏ธ
BINDING 13
He wants to save her. She wants to hide. She's damaged. He's determined. Fate brought them together. Love binds them. Johnny Kavanagh has everything going for him. On the rugby pitch, he's a force to be reckoned with, even plagued with a hidden injury. Everyone knows he's heading straight for the topโbut that means there's no room for mistakes or distractions. Not even the shy new girl at Tommen College, the one with the sad eyes and hidden bruises. He needs to stay focused, keep his cool, and not let anything get in the way of the bigger picture. Except before he knows it, this lonely girl has become his only picture. Life has never been easy for Shannon Lynch. Bullied and tortured, she arrives at Tommen College mid-way through the school year praying for a fresh start and desperate to shake off the demons that plague her. But when she meets the notorious Johnny Kavanagh on her first day, her plans to keep a low profile are at serious risk. As they fall into a complicated friendship and grapple with their undeniable chemistry, hidden pain and complicated secrets threaten to be their undoingโbut Johnny won't give up on Shannon. No matter what it might cost them both.
KEEPING 13
The epic and unforgettable love story that began in Binding 13 continues with the follow-up in this duology, Keeping 13, from international bestselling and TikTok-phenomenon Chloe Walsh.
Falling in love was the easy part. What comes next is the test . . .
Johnny Kavanagh has been living a different life since his injury sidelined him. He's never known life without his beloved number 13 jersey, and he feels lost. Luckily for him, there is a mysterious girl who is now taking up most of his thoughts.
Shannon Lynch has always been good at keeping secrets. She has realized that evil men aren't only in stories. They are very real. After her traumatizing trip to Dublin, she is trying to find a way to protect her little brothers above all else. She is beginning to revert to her old self, hiding away so that she can try to contain the few scraps of her future she has left.
There's only one boy who can pull her out of the shadows into which she is retreating. The boy who owns her heart. But what she doesn't know is that secrets are about to be revealed that could change lives forever. Will Johnny and Shannon's love survive?