Saving 6 by Chloe Walsh offers a powerful, emotionally charged glimpse into the life of Joey Lynch—a boy caught between childhood and adulthood, survival and collapse. Fans of the Boys of Tommen series will recognize Joey and Aoife from earlier books, but here, we’re invited to truly understand them—especially Joey—as they navigate trauma, first love, and the harsh realities of growing up on the fringes.

Joey’s story is incredibly raw, and it’s hard not to feel deeply for him as he tries to protect his family while battling his own demons. Aoife is a bright spark in his world, and her persistence and compassion give this book a dose of hope and light that balances out its darker moments. Their friendship-turned-romance is both tender and complicated—Walsh writes their dynamic with real emotional depth.

That said, Saving 6 had big shoes to fill following Binding 13 and Keeping 13. While this book adds nuance to the world Chloe Walsh has built, it does feel overly long at times—especially for readers who are already familiar with these characters. Some parts could have been tightened or condensed, perhaps even adapted into a novella, without losing the story’s impact.

Still, this is a meaningful and heartbreaking story that will resonate with readers who appreciate character-driven narratives and aren’t afraid to sit with the tough stuff. Walsh continues to shine in her ability to write complicated, vulnerable young people with authenticity and care.

A must-read for fans of the series—just be ready to have your heart tugged.

Chloe Walsh knows how to make her characters seem like real people. The amount of pain that I feel on behalf of these characters is overwhelming at times. Please, be mindful of any triggers that you may have before going into this book because Chloe does not shy away from difficult topics. While, this book may seem daunting in its length, I would not remove a single page. Everything has its place in this story and when you are reading it you forget how long it is. Seeing as this takes place alongside Binding 13 it is interesting to see some of the same storylines through other perspectives. This book really has so much depth in its portrayal of romantic and platonic love. Joey and Aoife's love is so pure that you can't help but feel everything with them. Shannon and Joey's relationship was built upon and it's so painful seeing how Joey is doing everything he can to protect Shannon.
I do believe that even though this series follows teenagers it belongs in the NA or adult category due to its subject matter.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ahh Joey and Aoife’s book! I love this series so much but Joey’s story is definitely so good! Dare I say they are my favorite’s!

Saving 6 takes you back before Binding and Keeping 13. Joey’s life has never been easy, none of the Lynch kids lives have. He is so broken and feels like he has to put his family before himself and protect them instead. He then turns to drugs and just wants to lose himself.

Then he meets Aoife Molloy. Beautiful sunshine girl with confidence and a great personality. She is the kind of girl who doesn’t care what anyone else thinks of her. She sees Joey and is intrigued by him and wants to figure him out.

Their story is so absolutely beautiful. This was a life changing God Tier book for me!! Can’t wait to continue reading this series and falling in love with all of the characters.

If you’re looking for a lighthearted, feel-good romance, Saving 6 is not that book. Chloe Walsh delivers an emotional gut punch with this one, and honestly? It hurts, but in the best way.

This book follows Joey Lynch, a boy drowning in trauma, and Aoife Molloy, the girl who refuses to let him sink. Joey’s life is pure chaos—an abusive home, a quick temper, and way too many demons to count. He’s the kind of character you just want to wrap in a blanket and protect from the world. Aoife, on the other hand, is fire and determination. She sees past Joey’s walls and isn’t afraid to call him out, which makes their dynamic so addicting.

The writing? Gritty and immersive. The Irish slang and cultural details make everything feel so real. The romance? It’s slow-burn, angsty, and full of tension. Their chemistry is chef’s kiss, but the story is heavy. There’s abuse, addiction, and heartbreak, so definitely check content warnings before diving in.

Saving 6 will wreck you in the best possible way. If you love intense, emotional reads with messy, complicated characters and a romance that hurts, you’ll love this one. Just be warned, it ends on a cliffhanger, and you will need the next book immediately.

Chloe Walsh is really taking over the reading world. I loved getting to see Joey and Aoife’s point of view after being introduced to them in Binding 13.
The characters are wonderfully flawed, and the story is deeply emotional with heavy themes, pulling you in from the start. You will not want to put this down.

Chloe Walsh represents Europe just right. I love that she is such a well-rounded writer and Saving 6 is another proof of that. Her books hurt, but you love every second of it.

Chloe Walsh...I'm going to need therapy after reading your books (though I mean that in the best way possible). If you're looking for an emotional read that you'll think about for the rest of your life, do yourself a favor and read SAVING 6!

Oh I knew this book would hurt, but I didn't anticipate just how much I would grow to love Joey and Aoife. Chloe does such an incredible job of creating emotion within her stories and tugging on your heartstrings. I really enjoyed going back in time and watching Joey and Aoife get to know each other from day 1. This book was such a whirlwind of emotions, and despite its length it actually did not feel that long to me. I cannot wait to read Joey's next book, although I'm worried that one will hurt even worse

Thank you Net Galley for providing an eARC for an honest review.
This book was so good. It had me laughing and crying. It feels like you are watching this happen and you as the reader come to care so much about Joey and Aoife. I don’t really have much more to say because I am speechless and heartbroken. Can’t wait for Redeeming 6!!

The obsession with Chloe Walsh continues with this book. A new couple to focus on in one of my favorite worlds. Chloe Walsh truly knows how to completely break your heart and piece it back together but make you love the entire experience along the way.

Another book and set of characters I fell head over heels in love with. This series is both incredibly fun and incredibly heartbreaking. But I truly have enjoyed every second of it. My head and heart hurt but in Chloe Walsh I trust.

*Thank you Netgalley and Bloom Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

The obsession with Chloe Walsh continues with this book. A new couple to focus on in one of my favorite worlds. Chloe Walsh truly knows how to completely break your heart and piece it back together but make you love the entire experience along the way.

Another book and set of characters I fell head over heels in love with. This series is both incredibly fun and incredibly heartbreaking. But I truly have enjoyed every second of it. My head and heart hurt but in Chloe Walsh I trust.

*Thank you Netgalley and Bloom Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I knew Joey’s story was going to hurt but not this much. His family’ life is a mess, he’s struggling to protect his siblings from one of the only 2 people in the world he should never have to protect them from. Aoife trying to create a safe space for Joey to land amongst it all and to love him through everything, well everyone eventually reaches their breaking point no matter how much love is there. I can’t wait to see what the next book unravels

UUGGHHHHH..
I truly thought Johnny & Shannon were my roman empire. I adored them, i loved their story. I loved their characters. I loved their growth. I adored Johnny’s parents. I didn’t see what could top them.

BUT THEN WE GOT AOIFE & JOEY’S STORY.
I adore Aoife. To be clear - i adored her in books 1 and 2, but we truly get to see her sassy, confident, bad ass personality in this book and i just truly adore her. BUT MAN IS SHE BREAKING MY HEART.
“Because I feel like i’m dying when i’m with you, and I feel like i’m dead when i’m not.” DAGGERS INTO MY SOUL.

I was so happy that we went back in time - i was hoping we could see their backstory and how we got to where they were. I truly adore Joey even more than i did before too. He’s so broken and i love what Johnny’s parents did for him in book 2 even more now. He needed another Tony and more people making him believe he was worth it.

Shannon broke my heart even more in this book.

I am obsessed.
Are these books for everyone? Absolutely fucking not. Am i absolutely obsessed with them and the characters and their stories? Absolutely fucking yes.

Chloe Walsh creates such an emotional, powerful story with her Boys of Tommen series, but Joey is extra special. He was personal to me as an older sibling who is crumbling under the pressure of trying to be everything for too many people. His story is heartbreaking but inspiring, and Walsh presents it in a way that's not only moving, but with enough humor that balances the dark with a bright light that makes the characters that much more real.

This was another flawless installment in the 'Boys of Tommen' books by Chloe Walsh. This book as the first two had me in a chokehold and I did NOT want to put them down! My heart ached for Joey and what he had to go through and struggled to understand as I've had a hard life, but it was never nearly like this. I was so worried after Shannon's books that I I wouldn't be interested in Joey's books, but I was captured from chapter one. Aoife is an amazing character that I felt so understanding with! Her never give up, never back down personality coupled with her never take no for an answer! She was incredibly strong and such a beautiful example of a support person for someone in Joey's position. I also truly enjoyed seeing the siblings more in the writing as I really do like Ollie, and Sean's characters, not to mention that Tadhg's real spunky personality. The only thing I'm upset about it is how little time I had to read it in the last week and that it took me as long to finish it as it did.

I am 75% through the book and I loved it so far…. Unfortunately due to my mental health and the heavy content in the book I have had to take a break from this book. But i already know it’s going to be just as good at the other books in the series

This is one of my first series I think I have been able to easily give all of the books a 5 star easily. Joey and Aoife have my heart.

This series is absolutely amazing.

I wish that I could read every book from this series for the first time, again. Chloe Walsh can bring out a full range of emotions, and the depth to this story will have you on a roller coaster of a ride; be prepared for heart racing, as well as ugly cries. Aoife and Joey’s strength and resilience will make you want to cheer for them from start to finish; everything they endure just reinforces and develops how much they mean to each other. While being heart breaking at times, this story brings such joy. I’m envious of anyone that gets to experience this with fresh eyes; my first time through was an incredible adventure.

Amazon and Goodreads for posted reviews.

I will be posing on my social media when I am finished the series.

Joey and Aoife's first book is a great start to their story!! I found this to be more of a setup novel - it kind of catches us up to everything we already know about the couple from the first two books. It gives a ton of context and history about their relationship. I know everything we learned here is going to make their next book so much more emotional. They had a lot of growth in these first 5 years covered, but still so much more needed to get to a healthy place in their relationship. I loved how Aoife never gave up on Joey and goes after what she wants. It was also so fun to see all the little moments from Binding 13 from a different perspective! I think Redeeming will be even better!

“I adored his sharp edges and I loved his broken pieces.”

I knew after I read Binding and Keeping 13 that the next two books (Saving + Redeeming 6) would be so emotional. And I was still just so unprepared for it!!

Joey and Aoife may be my favorite couple of the series. Joey is a god tier character for me. The bad boy who secretly has a heart of gold? ✔️ Protective older brother energy? ✔️ Broken and misunderstood? ✔️ Possessive boyfriend? ✔️ He is truly one of the most complex characters I’ve ever read. My heart broke over and over for him.

And don’t get me started on my girl Aoife!!! My blunt, say what’s on your mind QUEEN. The way she stood by Joey but also accepted none of his bullshit.

I loved their friendship and how solid it was prior to starting their romantic relationship. The loyalty between them 🥺 the communication even when it was hard 🥲

”I feel like I’m dying when I’m with you. I feel like I’m dead when I’m not.”

The ending 😭😭 I simultaneously can’t wait and am so nervous for Redeeming 6.