Binding 13 (Boys of Tommen, 1)

The *Boys of Tommen* series is everything I want in a romance and then some. Emotional, addictive, beautifully written, and completely unforgettable. From the very first book, I was pulled into the world of Tommen College and didn’t want to leave. These characters feel *real*—flawed, vulnerable, and deeply human. The friendships, the family dynamics, the love stories, and the personal struggles are written with so much care and intensity that it’s impossible not to get attached. The romances are slow-burn, heartfelt, and emotionally raw, with chemistry that leaps off the page. What truly sets this series apart is the emotional depth. It doesn’t shy away from heavy topics, and it handles them with honesty and sensitivity. I laughed, cried, and had to put the book down multiple times just to breathe. The writing is immersive and powerful, making you feel every high and every heartbreak right alongside the characters. If you love character-driven romance, found family, emotional storytelling, and books that stay with you long after you finish, this series is a must-read. The *Boys of Tommen* has officially earned a permanent place on my favorites shelf, and I will recommend it every chance I get.

Binding 13 completely took me by surprise. I went into it expecting a cute romance, but the story is so much deeper. The characters feel real, their emotions hit hard, and the slow-burn chemistry is perfect. Johnny and Shannon’s connection is soft, innocent, protective, and honestly addictive.

I am absolutely blown away. This book was very well written and made my heart bleed for these kids. Shannon is so shy and timid and she has every reason to be . Johnny is brave and responsible but he always has a soft spot for Shannon. I love thst the author doesn't shy away from hard topics. My only truly hard spot for this book is that they're teenagers. Although I remember what its like to be a teen in love, I have a hard time reading about some of the spice. I love the chemistry between the two main characters. Their friendship and blossoming romance was so sweet. I did find some phrases a little repetitive and felt like there was a little too much back and forth. Overall I loved it. The ending had me gasping.

😮‍💨this is normally my end of year style book. I’ve randomly ended every year for the last 3 with an emotionally gut wrenching novel and rarely get one during the year. It’s never planned just always works out that way…until now. The previous reviews tried to warn me, to give me some clue as to what to expect but I was still not ready. I didn’t realize it was only half of book one as I did a review of the audible version last night but so glad I was too tired to do so in kindle as I wasn’t finished. This story gutted me. I want to sit here and rage and sob and whole ALL those babies in my arms and tell them it will be okay! I wasn’t even “into” this genre right now but audible warned me the books were leaving on the 1st and had been on my TBR for a LONG time so figured it was now or never. So glad I took the plunge as I WILL be purchasing the physical copies of this series ASAP. A young adult (w/adult themes) story that captured my heart right away and hasn’t let go. It’s not only our leading characters: Johnny and Shannon, oh no! We have a strong supporting cast to get to know and love too! The banter between the boys is so freaking funny I belly laughed most times. These boys are more than just “lads”, they are brothers. I can’t wait to read each individual story. All in all I really can’t say much about this series without giving something away. I can said read it, the blurb on the back doesn’t do it justice. This is my 1st book by Chloe Walsh also but will not be my last. I’m running to get the next book to see what happened as this one ended on a massive cliffy.

If it was possible to rate this book higher than 5 stars, I would, because all the other books that I’ve previously rated 5 stars have now been put to shame. I don’t know how I can even begin to possibly explain how much I loved it. I’m left speechless but yet have so much to say… does that even make sense? Probably not, because I’m wrapped up in so many emotions right now and my thoughts are a jumbled mess… This story is not your typical teenage angst drama with the standard hot and cold, back and forth plot line dealing with the romantic relationship of the main characters. That kind of story line has been played out so many times and to be honest, I’m so over it. It’s hard for me to put into words, but Binding 13 didn’t even feel like a story. It felt like real life that I had a front row seat to witness. Everything was so gradual but hooks you from the very first page. It’s a slow burn, one that heated my bones, singed my heart and seared my soul. The innocence, the emotion and the purity of the storytelling, where it is all about the story, was done to perfection, but also kept light-hearted with all the hilarity, banter and awkward teenage moments that had me in tears from laughing. Chloe Walsh has never disappointed with her amazing storytelling skills, her phenomenal writing, characters and her ability to captivate her readers and pull them into her books. And that’s exactly what she did here, but added so much more depth and raw emotion than she ever has before. She created a whole new cast of characters that were so thoroughly fleshed out that you can’t help but to submerge yourself into their lives, understand their thoughts and their feelings, and watch them grow day by day. Johnny, Shannon, Gibsie… all of these characters caressed my heart and gave it one hell of a smile. They are definitely unforgettable, especially Gibsie. That kid was a barrel of laughs and his banter kept this story fun during moments of conflict. Johhny stole my heart and ruined me for all other book boyfriends. (Sorry to my other book boyfriends because I’ve just broken up with ALL of you.) The way he would fiercely defend and protect Shannon had me completely swooning and melted the ice from my cold heart. He was so sweet, so gentle and kind with her, but he was still all alpha in all the ways that mattered. Shannon’s character may have seemed fragile, and yes, she absolutely was fragile, but that girl had strength… because how can you not be anything but strong when you keep taking beatings day after day like she has dealing with bullies and an abusive parent? Ever so slowly, Johnny brings her out of her shell and her character ended up growing the most in this book. Now, here’s the part where I’m going to warn you, but not to scare you away… this book is HUGE. The length of this book is over 225K words. I’ll admit, the page count did frighten me at first, but once I started reading I was glued. Work, kids, husband, housework were ignored because I couldn’t peel my eyes away from the pages for a second, and now I’m regretting not savoring it a bit longer. I actually wanted it to be longer, but never fear! It wouldn’t be a true Chloe Walsh book without a cliffhanger, which means I get more of Johnny and Shannon in the next book in the series, Keeping 13. I get to see their love blossom and grow because these two are the forever kind of love, the love you live and breathe for. The epic kind of love. “I think I need you for keeps.” “I think I need you for keeps, too.”

this book is SOOO good

Libro ameno y facilita el habla en ingles

I just spent the last 10h reading it in one sitting and now I’m wrecked. Sure, plenty of cliché stuff but the pining! God the pining in this book made scream and giggle like a lunatic. Everyone was saying this is good, but this beyond good. It’s “you-will-inhale-it-like-a-drug-addict” good. It had no business sucking me in like it did. It’s hands down the best sports romance I’ve read (I’m sorry Elle Kennedy, I’ve betrayed my hockey origins), and a great romance altogether. The characters? Felt like real people with real struggles, with real emotions and relationships, not that cheap, shallow stuff you get half the time. I’ll be, in fact, pulling an all nighter to read book 2!!!

— 5 ★’s ❝Ciao, Shannon❞ ❝Ciao, Johnny❞ Ok, andiamo con calma. Un respiro bello profondo… 😮‍💨 okay così. Bene, oggi vi parlo di un libro che mi ha fatta 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦 💖. Era da tanto che non leggevo un romance così bello. Che mi prendesse così tanto. Per farvi capire, quando ero a scuola 🎒 il mio unico pensiero era di tornare a casa 🏠 e continuare questo libro 📖. Può sembrare un macigno di libro, ma non lo è assolutamente. Senza nemmeno accorgertene vieni risucchiato da questo universo 🌌. La cosa che secondo me ha fatto acquisire punti sono: • I personaggi, che sono ben caratterizzati, dal primo all’ultimo. Comparse comprese. Il mio preferito, potete capire anche da soli, è Gibsie☝️. Non ho mai riso così tanto per un libro grazie a lui. • Il tema dell’abuso familiare, che è stato (purtroppo) trattato alla perfezione in questo libro. Mi sono sentita costantemente male per Shannon, fino alla fine del libro💔. Anzi, 𝘀𝗼𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘁𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼 alla fine del libro. Johnny invece è la rappresentazione perfetta del ragazzo ideale 💘 che cercavo nei romance da molto tempo. È il perfetto equilibrio tra il tipo possessivo e dolce🫂 Sono anche così felice che in questo libro non ci sono state cose non dette 🙌, a parte il fatto del padre. Entrambi non lasciano questioni in sospeso, e se accade comunque non dura a lungo. Cosa che nei romance 𝘊’𝘌̀ 𝘚𝘌𝘔𝘗𝘙𝘌 🙄 𝘤𝘶𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭. Per chi se lo stesse chiedendo, il libro 𝗻𝗼𝗻 contiene scene spicy 🌶 e si concentra molto di più sull’innamorarsi innocentemente 🥰. ++ Se ti è piaciuto 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗲, 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗲 e stai cercando qualcosa con lo stesso sfondo, te lo consiglio al 100% 🔥.

I had no idea how much I was going to like this book. It’s an entire universe, one big family of friends and brothers and sisters, and in the middle of it all are Shannon and Johnny and their life-changing hardships. From the very beginning, I was drawn into their world and couldn’t put the book down. Chloe Walsh has a remarkable talent for creating deeply emotional and compelling stories. The characters felt so real and their struggles so poignant that my heart broke, beat, and sang for them all along. Shannon's and Johnny's journey through their personal and shared challenges was both heartbreaking and inspiring. The way the author builds the relationships among the characters creates a sense of belonging and warmth. It’s not just about the romance between Shannon and Johnny; it’s about the whole network of friends and family supporting each other through thick and thin. Their world feels alive, vibrant, and full of genuine connections. The emotional depth of this book caught me by surprise in the best possible way. I was completely invested in their story, and by the end, I was desperate to know what happens next. I can’t wait to read book 2 and continue this amazing journey with them.