Johnny has everything going for him. Life has never been easy on Shannon. The first time they meet is her first day at this new school, and he accidentally kicks a ball to her head. And he is mesmerized, but doesn't want to do anything about it, because he is almost 18, and she's only 15...
This opposites attract, forbidden, sports romance is book 1 in the Boys of Tommen series. I've heard so many good things about it. And I was reading and reading. And it's a very, very big book. And I was thinking the start was slow... Turns out the entire thing was slow. Whole book could've been half the length, maybe then I would've liked it. But this was soooo slow and going around in circles, and despite all of it, there was no character development. Maybe my expectations were way too high. And how many times do you have to tell us that the girl is tiny? She's tiny, we get it. Maybe if you would have mentioned it a little less, the book would have been like a 100 pages shorter. But when Johnny and Shannon meet first, I started swooning. But then I started cringing. I can't believe how much they infentilized Shannon, but then kept on saying how mature she was. And yet she was acting like a child all the time. My heart kept on breaking for her over and over again. I liked how Johnny always stood up for Shannon and was intrinsically a good guy, his instant attraction to tiny child-like Shannon came out of nowhere and made me cringe. I couldn't really root for then. I absolutely adored Joey and Shannon's friends, way more then I even liked Shannon and Johnny.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Easily one of my favorite books that I have read this year. What a beautiful, sad story. I want to hug and protect Shannon and her family. They just have it so bad…truly awful home life. Johnny and his friends are angels. I love seeing Johnny and Shannon’s relationship grow. It’s so adorable but also the foundation is so strong, considering how young they are it is so impressive how much they support each other.

It’s very dark at times. Not in a dark romance way but the topics are very sensitive. Please check trigger warnings.

The found family aspect of this book is excellent. One of the best I’ve read.

I am often intimidated by long books. I am really glad I didn’t let the length of this book scare me off. Because of the length of this book, you really got to the heart and soul of Johnny and Shannon. There was time for character development and then an emotional rollercoaster. The author has a special way of writing that draws you in and keeps you engaged. I have middle school aged kids so the characters and their struggles are things I could potential face with my own kids soon. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series!

I truly didn’t want this book to end. I love when books focus on the characters, relationships, family dynamics, and friendships. This book had all of that and more. This is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. I can’t stop thinking about it and after I finished the book I immediately wanted to reread it. I also loved that this book was a slow burn. I definitely recommend this book. You won’t be able to put it down. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the arc of this book.

This series actually blew me away.
I normally hesitate to read books where the characters are in high school. However, I’m glad I read them cause they were absolutely incredible.
Be warned, they are LONG! These took me a second to get through, it felt like a long-term commitment.
Shannon and Johnny are everything, I love them, and I love recommending this book to people because it’s definitely an emotional rollercoaster.
This is your sign. Buy these books. You need these books.

5★

-found family
-emotionally heavy
-shy girl & popular guy
-boy obsessed

okay i want to start this off by saying that these books are HEAVY. their emotional rollercoasters. you’ll be laughing one minute and crying the next. please check triggers before reading, if you have any!

johnny & shannon are quite literally everything
these books are perfection. and i know everyone who’s experienced johnny & shannon know how special their connection is and how special they are as individual characters as well. johnny is popular and funny but also so dedicated to his passion he can’t see anything else. until shy, quiet, little shannon comes along. shannon is the epitome of strong. she has been through it and still perseveres!

not only are johnny & shannon everything but this whole series in generally is so beautifully written. it’s cheesy at times, it will make you cry laughing and it will make you feel emotionally unwell but these characters are a family. the found family vibes are so strong and you know it’s an amazing universe when people are already rooting and begging for side characters stories!

i don’t want to write to much else because you really should go into these books blind. just know you won’t regret it! if you’re thinking about reading these books, do it!

Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh is an engrossing and emotionally rich tale that follows the lives of Johnny Kavanagh and Shannon Lynch. Johnny, a rugby star with hidden challenges, and Shannon, a girl with a troubled past, form an unlikely bond. Chloe Walsh masterfully portrays their friendship, chemistry, and the obstacles they face.

This book stands out for its sensitive exploration of tough themes like bullying and healing. It's a story of resilience, hope, and human connection. The writing is engaging, and the characters are relatable. "Binding 13" is a must-read for those who enjoy contemporary romance with a touch of realism, offering a beautiful message of strength and healing.

This is a story that will have you invested in its characters and has a lot of heartbreaking and heartwarming moments. There were some things I liked and disliked about the story but overall, it was a good read. There were times when I felt absolutely devastated for Shannon's character, what she went through and everything she had to deal with, especially with her parents. I liked Johnny although there were times when I thought his response to things seemed a bit much at times. However, the angst, love and support between the two of them was sweet and I look forward to reading the next book in this series. I do recommend readers take notice and heed to the author's warnings regarding this book because this is a story that may not be for everyone.

Thank you Bloom Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

I love this book so much. I didn't expect to but I did. Shannon is just in need of a lot of therapy and Johnny is... Well johnny. I love this book though overall.

This one is hard for me to review! I understand why people love it - the angst is top tier for sure, but oof - the bullying and subject matter (check the trigger warnings before reading) were a lot. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart (which is apparently me) and got to be too long and repetitive for my liking. That said, I did love the slow burn and development between Shannon and Johnny! This is not your typical high school romance by any means and I love the connection that builds between them in this book. While it wasn’t my absolute favorite, did I devour it within a couple of days? Yes. Did I need to read book two as soon as finishing this? Also, yes.

3.75⭐️ I went into this book with high anticipation and already loving the series--so much so that I bought all four books without even having read the first one yet, and I am happy to say that it did not disappoint! Although Johnny, Shannon, and the other characters kept this book very entertaining and gave me a sense of nostalgia throughout, I rated Binding 13 a 3.75 because there were some points in the book that were very repetitive and the book was a lot longer than it needed to be. However, I do appreciate that the author went into detail throughout the book about what our main characters have been through, and what they are currently going through while maintaining that spark of innocence and new love. Please check triggers if you are thinking of reading this book.

Thank you so much to Chloe Walsh and Bloom Books for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review. Binding 13 is set to republish on November 28, 2023!

4.5 stars

I was skeptical when I found out this book has a high school setting, but the writing is so beautifully done. It didn't feel overly young. A poignant and heartfelt story. How can one book be both heartbreaking and heartwarming in the same breath? Chloe Walsh did that. I also would like to note that I loved how we got two playlists, one for Johnny and one for Shannon. I also loved how a glossary and name pronunciation was provided since there are a lot of Irish names and slang used. I still think about Johnny and Shannon and their sweet, pure love all the time. Binding 13 is worth every page. I cannot wait to continue the series.

I am so excited to see this series being traditionally published!!! Binding 13 is one of my favourite books, and Johnny and Shannon’s story broke my heart and put it back together again. I not only loved the main characters, Johnny and Shannon, but also their relationships with family and friends which add to how heartfelt this story feels. While this story definitely has some parts that are hard to read, it is well balanced with the lighthearted moments that the characters have. This book is one of my favourite romance books of all time and I can’t wait to finish the series and get all of the character’s stories!