𝘚𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 6 is Joey and Aoife's story of love and acceptance in the widest of situations.

Joey's story is an intimate expanse of the person he's been forced to become and he is entirely precious to me.

I didn't think he would endear himself to me so much when I was reading Binding 13 but he inevitably has. And Aoife is his ray of sunlight. She brings him up when all he wants to do is disappear. Their banter was top notch and they gave me all the happy, sweet flutters.

Also I fully thought Tony would be absolutely against Joey for his daughter as does happen often in a boss's daughter trope but their bromance was hilarious and heartwarming!

- ~ -

3.97 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

I absolutely enjoyed this book!
I enjoyed getting to know and then following all of the characters, seeing how they all worked together.

Thank you Bloom Books and Netgalley.

I love this book. I just cannot even begin to express how I feel. This is one of those books that if I try to discuss I'm just gonna need to spoil the whole thing. That's how good it is.

Just when I thought this series couldn’t get anymore heartbreaking, I relived the whole story again, but from Joey’s perspective. This series is one of the most beautifully devastating portrayals of love I have ever read, and I will spend the rest of my life thinking about this story.

Being a large quantity reader there are very few characters that will stay with me for weeks, months, and years to come.

Johnny and Shannon from Binding & keeping 13 instantly became two of those few, and now Joey & Aoife have positioned themselves right along side them.

While these stories are heavy, heartbreaking and dark at times. The journey you take with them will have you wondering and wishing you knew what they are up to days after the books are closed and the final chapter are read.

I am SO EXCITED to dive into the rest of the boys of tommen series & have already cleared a room for the characters that are sure to take up space and live rent free within my mind for years to come 🥰

The Boys of Tommen Series. Is a very heavy, emotional, series with a twist of light hearted banter, between the siblings and Aoife. I knew from reading Binding and Keeping 13, that Joey was going to have his own hard struggle within his family’s toxic dynamic. I typically don’t love going flashbacks. But with Joey’s story, getting to see him meet Aoife, and reading him through the years, it was needed and I loved it. I love Aoife’s character, and how for once you have the FMC trying to save the MMC.
I recommend you read Binding and Keeping 13 before this (which is is sisters, Shannons book). Those books were both 5 stars for me as well, and it gives you a different point of view of their toxic life. Yes, these books are long. But they are so worth it. If you like the found family trope, The Boys of Tommen series is one of my favorite found families. Make sure you have are Redeeming 6 readily available, you’ll want to read it immediately!

I got a copy in exchange of my honest review (thanks Netgalley and the publishers)

This book is great, I felt every emotion while reading this. I wanted to strangle Joey's mother a couple of times.

I feel for Joey, all he suffers and still he is there for his siblings ALWAYS.

As the book kept going I HATED his mother more and more.

Was Paul really necessary for 4 years?? Ahh I felt keeping him as a boyfriend (with the cheating and the name calling) was not needed.

I get Joey is sooo broken but Aiofe lets him walk all over her.

Here's hoping for the next book.

love Joey with my entire soul. I love him because he loves his siblings. I love him because he wants to get better. I love him because even though he has had so much trauma and he could leave he doesn't for his siblings. And I love Aoife for loving him because of those reasons.
Aoife and Joey are perfect for each other but not in the way Johnny and Shannon are each of the couples have there own special things they do and why they love each other which is was makes both of their stories so beautiful. love this series and I will cry for these characters over and over again.

Many thanks to Bloom Books and Netgalley for providing me the eARC in exchange for my honest review! This title will be released on February 20, 2024.

Book: Saving 6
Author: Chloe Walsh
Series: Boys of Tommen #3 (but could be read as a first book in a duology)
Main Couple: Joey Lynch & Aoife Malloy
Setting: Southern Ireland, 1999-2004

We got glimpses of Joey, his protectiveness over Shannon, his brokenness, and his pain in the 13 duology. Here we go back in time with a slightly younger Joey when he first started secondary school.

~~~ "Too bad I was headstrong and incessantly reckless with my heart. Too bad I was determined to care about him regardless." -Aoife

It was puppy love at first sight.💕 While Joey spends years trying to resist giving into his feelings for Aoife, we get some great banter, best friendship, and mutual pining. (It’s pretty remarkable how long they stay apart and how much self-control they have—considering they’re high-schoolers and the feelings are mutual.) Since this is such a long and angsty book, I’m glad Chloe Walsh wrote the front half with so much lightness and fun for the couple. This book also has some of the most beautiful picture-perfect moments between the “friends.”

~~~ “'You shouldn’t settle for comfortable, Molloy. You shouldn't settle for anything less than be in love to the point of madness'." -Joey

Aoife is feisty, vibrant, knows that she wants Joey, but is the boss’s daughter. She’s persistent and burrows her way into his life. Although it was super annoying that she kept a jerk boyfriend, I liked that the author wrote Aoife as not just boy-obsessed but also genuinely curious about him as a person. She has reasons to be cynical with love but doesn't shy away from her feelings as she and Joey get closer over the years. When she sees his darkness and finds out about the ugly inside his home, she doesn’t run.

~~~ “I wasn’t afraid of Joey. I was afraid for him.” -Aoife

I was a bit of hesitant about how much this might retread events we’d already seen from Johnny & Shannon in the previous books, but no worries! As this starts earlier in the chronological timeline than the 13 books, there’s very little recycled material. Near the end, what few revisited scenes we do get feel new. Saving 6 is an entirely fresh look at Joey’s school days, fight for survival, and experiences in the dysfunctional Lynch home. The family dynamic seems even more emotionally complex for Joey than it is for Shannon. Joey bears so much responsibility in the family and suffers not only his father’s overt abuse but also his mother’s berating and dependency. I think Binding and Keeping 13 focused a lot on the physical abuse and terror in the Lynch home; in Saving 6, I was struck even more by the extremely cruel and messed up things both parents say. Be prepared to have your heart ripped out!

"I don't see a future for us, but that's not because I don't want one with her. It's because I don't see a future for myself, period." -Joey

All the stars! In my opinion, Chloe Walsh’s writing and romance in this book is even better than in the Johnny and Shannon books. She has created such a real world with writing that provides a visceral experience. I am beyond excited to read Redeeming 6 and highly recommend Saving 6 and the BoT series.

**Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review**

Tropes/Themes:
-MF contemporary romance
-Friends to lovers
-Opposites attract
-Hurt/comfort
-Soulmate energy
-Sports (hurling)
-Slow burn
-Set in Ireland in the early 2000s
-Book #3 in a series (ends in a cliffhanger, contains spoilers from previous books)

I don’t know what to say…this book gets all the stars. It was tragically beautiful and so painful. Is this book ridiculously thick? Yes, but I was obsessed with every second of it.

Joey and Aoife have my entire heart…even though I’m sure they’re going to keep finding ways to break it. These two are true soulmates, two beautifully broken characters desperately fighting their way back to each other. All of the events here happen concurrently with those of the previous two books, so I would HIGHLY recommend reading those first. I can’t wait to dive right into the next book and see all of the new ways Chloe Walsh can hurt me.

Please note - This book is SUPER heavy and deals with a ton of triggering content. I’ve included a list below of the CWs that stood out to me, but be mindful and do your research before diving in.

CWs for child abuse, domestic violence, alcohol abuse, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, rape (not involving FMC), toxic little men, complicated family dynamics, loss of a loved one, bullying, infidelity, and more.

(4.5) My heart is in pieces on the floor. Oofta this one hurt for so many reasons. I was a bit hesitate going in purely because I loved Johnny and Shannon and was nervous to shift to different characters but I am so so so glad Walsh gave us this book about Joey and Aoife. It is full of so much pain, emotion, turmoil, and heartbreak in a way that you don’t expect from a romance book. That being said, I would say romance is the undertone to this story. It’s still there, and it’s powerful and beautiful but it’s not the focus. The things both of these characters go through is something no child should ever have to deal with. It’s heavy and it’s emotional and it’s not pretty, and neither is their reactions. But all of that is what made this feel so real and raw as we follow their journey over multiple years. Joey, my sweet broken boy, wow am I glad to have been able to be inside his head. The things he thinks and feels and the things he goes through, all of it just so hard hitting. I don’t want to make it seem like this is just some dark book, there is a lot of light and hope and love too, I just think the harder stuff is what really impacted me here. And the way Aoife loves him is so powerful, she truly is a rock. And reading the acknowledgments made it hit even harder. I’m so thankful Walsh gave us these two, even though it wasn’t always the plan. It was much needed and I can’t wait to read the second part to their story.

I do want to emphasize yet again that this is ABSOLUTELY NOT A YA BOOK!!!!! I do not understand how it’s being classified this way, I do not care how old the characters are. This is not a book that should be read by anyone under the age of at least 18. I will include triggers below.

Triggers:
Child abuse, domestic abuse, sexual assault, mention of suicide, drug abuse, blood

I knew Joey's story would kill me. Joey Lynch is the boy who looks after everyone but himself. He selflessly steps up, taking on the role of caregiver to his younger siblings, when his older brother leaves him with the mess that is his home life. Teddy Lynch (his father) is the devil incarnate, hell bent on making his family's lives miserable. But Joey Lynch loves hard and fights harder.

Aoife is bold and bossy and not afraid to fight for what she wants. I loved the way she stood up to Teddy. She is the only one fighting for Joey, even as he drags her down into his darkness. In real life (and in fiction) this kind of relationship is obviously unhealthy and toxic, but Walsh does such a good job of showing the complexities of such a relationship. It is not black and white. Especially not for a couple of teenagers falling in love for the first time.

Something about this series is just so compelling to me. These books are VERY long, but every interaction packs a punch, and makes me care so deeply about the characters.

P.S. I loved the little Johnny & Gibsie cameo. I missed them in this book! 😭

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.25 stars

This book was heart wrenching. I have not read the previous books in this series, but after reading this one I cannot wait to read the rest of them. I did not expect this book to take place starting in 1999 and then jumping but it worked for this book.

4.25⭐️ rounded up

Synopsis: Joey Lynch has spent his whole life picking up the pieces of his failing family. His older brother leaves Joey to take care of his siblings. Aoife Molloy is his boss's daughter and his classmate. Aoife and Joey strike up a complicated friendship because he refuses to let her get close, but Aoife wants to uncover his secrets. After years of friendship, they finally decide to get into a relationship, but Joey's demons and duty to his family still exist. His demons may be to much for their relationship to withstand.

This series has me in a choke hold and I love Joey and Aoife more than I thought ever possible. The amount of times the book made me cry is insane. This book is ridiculously long and normally I wouldn't have followed through but Chloe Walsh has me sucked in every single time. I couldn't put this book down even if I tried.

Things I liked:
-Short chapters
-Dual POVs, same scene from both POVs in some points
-Emotional destruction

My only complaint is pacing inconsistency. Some spots where fast and some where slow. There was not really a middle ground for it.

I loved this book! Saving 6 is part of a series called Boys of Tommen. They take place in Core Ireland in the early 200's. I felt compelled to read the first two books Keeping 13 and Binding 13 sin the series as well. ( Not as an ARC but I purchased them myself. The things I loved the most were the characters. The author Chloe Walsh is gifted on really letting the reader into the characters heads. Joe and his sister Shannon have a very difficult Homelife and it's heartbreaking to read about but also very compelling.
Saving 6 is the Story of Joey Lynch. The second oldest brother/child in the Lynch family. The parents are very abusive and the responsibility of looking after the children usually falls on Joey because his older brother doesn't live at home anymore. This is difficult for him because he is a young man with his own goals and aspirations and also because he too is the victim of abuse.. Joey meets Aoife Molley on his first day of secondary school and this book tells the story of their developing friendship and love. It's a difficult read at time because Joey and his siblings go through so much abuse and neglect at the hands of his parents and Joey copes by doing drugs.
The only hesitation I have with this book or all of them is that they are listed as YA. They are very sexual and I am not want my own children reading them. I feel that the emotional and dramatic connection between the characters could be shown without so much sexual innuendo. Not sure it's always necessary. Other then that Chloe Walsh is a very talented writer and is able to draw a reader in from the first page.

Don’t mind me, just sobbing and completely OBSESSED with this series. Joey and Aoife FOREVERRRRRRRRR.

Chloe Walsh is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! This was so good and I'm amazed at how deep I sunk my teeth into this book!

Chloe Walsh never misses. I love this series! Johnny is my fav but Joey's story is so heart-wrenching. Reading his perspective and life story was so interesting.

In Chloe Walsh's "Saving 6," readers are immersed in a compelling narrative that delves into the themes of resilience, redemption, and the profound impact of human connection. At the center of the story is Joey Lynch, a young boy burdened with the responsibility of holding his fractured family together. Walsh's poignant storytelling skillfully unfolds Joey's journey, from his early years as a protector for his siblings and mother to the challenges he faces as a teenager, toeing the line of addiction.

What makes "Saving 6" truly shine is Walsh's ability to create authentic characters with whom readers can empathize. Joey's internal and external struggles are portrayed with depth and nuance, making his evolution from a protector to a young man grappling with life's complexities all the more impactful. The novel's emotional resonance is heightened by Walsh's vivid prose and keen understanding of human nature.

Enter Aoife Molloy, a vibrant and self-assured character who becomes a catalyst for change in Joey's life. Their friendship, though complicated, is a testament to the transformative power of genuine connections. Walsh masterfully weaves the threads of Joey and Aoife's lives together, creating a tapestry of emotions that keeps readers engaged throughout.

As the narrative unfolds, the secrets and mysteries surrounding Joey's life come to light, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the plot. Walsh's storytelling prowess is evident as she navigates the complexities of addiction and familial duty, making "Saving 6" a compelling exploration of the human experience.

"Saving 6" is not just a story of survival; it's a celebration of strength, hope, and the healing nature of connections. Chloe Walsh's novel is a triumph of storytelling, showcasing her ability to craft a narrative that is both heart-wrenching and uplifting. With its well-drawn characters, evocative prose, and a plot that keeps readers guessing, "Saving 6" is a beautifully crafted tale that leaves a lasting impression. This novel is a must-read for those who appreciate stories that delve into the complexities of life and the enduring power of hope.

A thick romance book always intimidates me so I want kind of skeptical but as usual, I left this book feeling the same way I felt when I read the other two-I wanted to engulf these characters in the biggest hug. Especially the characters in this book, it was more emotional than the 13 duology.