Redeeming 6

Boys of Tommen #4

by Chloe Walsh

He's underwater, but she'll pull him out, whatever it takes. With his world unraveling around him and pressures rising at home, Joey Lynch's life has never been in more turmoil. Desperate to prove himself worthy of the only person he's ever put his trust in, Joey fights hard to save himself from his addiction, but the odds are stacked against him. Day by day, the water is rising. Giving into his demons would destroy everything he's worked for—but soon, even love doesn't seem like enough to reach the surface. Unwilling to give up on her best friend, the boy she's fallen for, Aoife Molloy fights back against Joey's self-destruction with everything she has. But she's drowning, too, in this world she doesn't understand, with only her fiery heart to guide her. As circumstances change and unexpected hurdles rise between them, hearts will break and mend and break again. All the while, Aoife refuses to turn her back on Joey—because he's always had hers, too. In the end, it will be up to both of them if their hearts are worth healing and their love is worth saving.

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Sports, Found Family

766 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 24, 2023

About the author

Chloe Walsh is the NYT and USA Today bestselling author of The Boys of Tommen series, which exploded in popularity on TikTok, Goodreads, and Amazon. She has been writing and publishing New Adult and Adult contemporary romance for mature audiences for over a decade. Her Tommen series has been translated into multiple languages around the world, finding bestselling success in several countries. Chloe focuses heavily on the mental health dynamics of her characters, shining a light on important, real-life topics that are close to her heart. Heavily influenced by her own real life experiences, she pens tearjerking, and often harrowing narratives, giving another perspective to, often, unspoken everyday issues. Chloe hails from West Cork, Ireland, where she continues to reside with her family.

Represented by Caitlin Mahony of WME - for business queries contact: [email protected]

Reviews

[brooke (hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars ✰

i have a lot of mixed feelings about this book but i still somewhat enjoyed it!! aoife girlies are going to come for me for this one but my main issue with this book had to do with how her character was written idk why i just couldn’t connect w her in this book, also i could never forgive her for saying:
”i handled it. shannon’s grand.” “i wasn’t worried.” about her, at least. WHY WOULD U EVEN WRITE THAT IT WAS UNNECESSARY. don’t get me started on the way she constantly made joey feel guilty for having sex with other girls before her like babes he owes you nothing you weren’t even together at the time, and there was literally more to story so stfu pls.
— at times this book had me crying my eyes out, other times i was screaming at my book. but let me say this book was absolutely soul crushing. i literally don’t know what to do w my life now - i have this empty feeling in my chest currently.
— joey ilysm you deserve the world and nothing less. having to go through the things he did at such a young age was heartbreaking, but he still managed to always put his siblings first even while he was suffering from trauma and addiction. THIS HURTS SO FUCKING MUCH ❤️‍🩹

okay i’m just going to jump right in w my rant bc i have SO MUCH TO SAY. be advised it contains spoilers below so don’t come for me pls 💀 okay lets start this off with:
— i felt like the whole book was rushed!! i rly wanted to see more of joey and aoife navigating through life being new parents and their struggles, i wanted to see how aoife was struggling to adjust to motherhood. a 4 months later epilogue and it’s not even from their pov is all we get like bffr. also i rly wanted to see more of joey’s time at tommen. this book should’ve been the aftermath of him leaving rehab and his recovery moving forward.

— why was aiofe’s trauma overlooked?? like she clearly needed therapy from all the shit she went through, especially bc of that disgusting pos teddy. no but honestly why would you put in an attempted r@pe scene but not expand on it further?? like all she did was cut her hair bc of it are you fucking serious.. using this as a plot point and overlooking it is SICK. i hate how it just got brushed over quickly and forgotten even tho it was TRAUMATIC FOR HER, she didn’t even get to overcome it and still had to see him all the time. was this not a plot device to make joey relapse?!? i was so close to dnfing right here just bc of how unsettling it was.

— why is aoife so codependent on joey? i understand how she felt the need to protect joey bc he had no one else but i found it a bit too much and territorial and that ultimately ended up being why she lost herself at times. i wanted to see her go from “i need him” to “i want him, but it’s okay to be on my own sometimes” especially when joey was in rehab. why is it made out to be like her whole world only revolves and exists for joey. i hate how she constantly suppressed her own feelings bc she felt the need to always help him. i wish she focused on herself bc she was struggling too. space was needed between them so she could start putting herself first and get the help she needed, she had to heal and grow for her baby. ik joey was was going through his own stuff, but so was aoife. her character development was non existent.
like i love aoife, especially in b/k13 but why was her character set up to be slandered in her own book 😭 i also desperately needed that aoifeshannon close bond bc them two would’ve been unstoppable 💅🏼

— WHY WAS JOEY AND SHANNON’S TRAUMA COMPARED CW? pls don’t tell me it wasn’t bc it was, MULTIPLE TIMES. it was made out that joey had it worse compared to shannon. um we’ve read b13 and we saw her almost die, so why tf are you minimising her trauma?? truly insensitive i think. it was not a fucking competition, they were BOTH abused and they BOTH suffered.
”everyone is looking at shannon and i get it, i do, but what about joe?” cw you’re truly evil for that, honestly, you can fuck right off.

— cw desperately needs an editor or if she already has one, a new one. someone should’ve sat down w her during the editing process and gone through what needed to be fixed, starting off with the spelling errors and cutting out parts that were unnecessarily dragged out. you can tell this book was rushed so it would get released quicker.

— i wanted this book to move forward, i didn’t like how it was focused on the events from b13/k13 timeline, maybe she should’ve added b13 into s6 bc this book was way too long and repetitive. it was like reliving the past but from new perspectives. yeah we got some new events but it was literally at the 80% mark but it still didn’t feel like enough…i needed more. this book is over 1000 pages wouldnt you think it would’ve been split into 50% past & 50% future 😭😭

— the pregnancy trope didn’t work for me.. sorry not sorry, it added nothing to the story. joey deserves to live a happy life kid free bc that man has been a dad since the age of 12!! GIVE THAT MAN A BREAK IM BEGGING.

— yeah the ending was cute but it wasn’t my fav. we barely got anything of them being truly happy at the end lmaoo idk it finished too quickly for me.
was anyone else disappointed over the gender of their baby or was that just me. like it felt evil hasnt that man been through enough already 😭

i’m not going to let the negative parts overrule bc i still adored this book with my whole ass heart—from the johnnyshannon crumbs we got to clairegibsie and gibsie helping aoife out when she needed him was just so pure to see. i loved the found family trope in this book sm, the bond between them all has me crying rn

okay lastly i just want to talk ab joeylizzie MY LOVES. their friendship means the world to me. it was the best thing we got from this book imo. she saved his life and i never want anyone to talk down on her ever again. we riot at dawn if anyone talks shit ab her. but them being friends is something i never knew i needed 🫠🫶🏼
— also, paul the prick redemption arc, who would’ve thought, not me.

[SK (Back for good this time? We'll see) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars✨

This book hurt. I ugly cried so much. The characters moved on, but what about me? I need therapy after reading this book cause right now, I feel like my heart has been ripped out and smashed into pieces and everyone expects me to be fine... 😭😭

Tbh R6 is FARRRRR from a perfect book. There are a lot of issues with this book. Yet I had such an amazing time that I am willing to bump up the rating to five stars. Heart over rationality🤦‍♀️

I love Joey and Aoife so much. They have been through a lifetime worth of trauma tbh. I got no words to describe the pain, they have been through. Together and alone. I love the undying and unconditional love they have for each other. It's like I saw them grow up and become such beautiful adults, my heart is full just by thinking about it.

Joey is the best person at heart. I haven't seen someone as strong as him in a contemporary romance book. He tries so hard in each and every thing. I just love him so much. Aoife, is no less. The zeal and the strong will she has, might be considered immature and stubborn but sometimes people need someone like her in their lives. The love and stability she provided in the midst of a storm, was everything to see.

Coming to the issues (which I clearly am willing to overlook cause of the characters and my attachment to them)-

1. The book did not need to be that long. It could have been wrapped up with an equal impact within 600 pages. The back and worth between Aoife and Joey got repetitive and it dragged.

2. I was not expecting the book to be so much in the past. I was hoping this book will show more of Joey and Aoife after the events of K13. Yet, about 80% of the book is prior to that.

3. Am happy that Joey got therapy. But you know who else needed that? Aoife. She was such a stronghold in Joey's life. She lost herself. She forgot how to love herself, she became fully dependent on loving him that she denied herself care. Am all for Aoife loving Joey, these two are perfect for each other but she needed to be loved too. Something deeply traumatizing happened to her and she needed help!! She was a teen herself.

Apart from these three issues, everything wrapped up pretty smoothly. I was bawling my eyes out the whole last 25% of the book. It is such a heavy read y'all.. I feel like I can't move on just like that. S6 and R6 makes B13 and K13 look like puppy dog love and a light read, which in no way means belittling the trauma there, but this is REALLY HEAVY. I loved that there were Johnny and Gibsie moments to keep me sane.

I still believe B13 is the best one so far but this one comes pretty close despite its flaws. I will take a good break before jumping into Taming 7.


~•~•~
Idk if am more scared of getting my heart broken or of the fact that this BOOK IS 900+ PAGES?! 😅😅😅

[Clace · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.45!

“He sort of lives in his own world."
"She clearly lives in that world with him.”

I knew Joey's were going to be heartbreaking but tbh Saving 6 wasn't heartbreaking for me, it was more fun because it focused more on Joey and Aoife's relationship but this one?? so damn heartbreaking. I was on the verge of tears and that is honestly the biggest achievement that you can get from me. It was sooo sad like I felt so much for Joey and so much Joey. For me, Redeeming was more fast paced than Saving and I went through this book relatively faster and I was more invested in this book than I was in Saving. Joey and Aoife's story was so compelling that anyone who reads this will prolly end up loving it. I had some problems with this book so I wouldn't give it five stars but it was close to it

Joey, I loved him so much!! He deserves everything and I hated how much he suffered, like he did not deserve that. A BIG FUCK YOU TO TEDDY AND MARIE LYNCH . His life could have been so much better and reading the events of b13 and k13 from his perspective were even more heartbreaking and uffff I knew that one scene from Shannon's pov in k13 would fuck me up from Joey and Aoife's pov and I was so right because that was so heartbreaking and I was dreading it. I loved how Aoife and the kids were the only string that kept Joey in track, that protected him from jumping off the cliff. He loves so much for a person who gotten none and he tried so hard to stop and to listen to Aoife and AHHHHH I actually wanted to scream because it got so frustrating to read because I did understand him but I also deserved Aoife and she didn't deserve that but I loved how he went to rehab, how he got therapy and I just know that Joey would be the best baby daddy. That one Joey and Lizzie scene near the end made my heartbreak and I need LIZZIES book like I kid you not, I just wanna know her story :(

“When I was with her, I felt like I was drowning and breathing all at once.”

Aoife, although I wasn't a fan of her storyline, I really liked her character, how she was an anchor for Joey. How she was able to pull him back from the dark side. I loved how strong she was, how she dealt with every situation she was in and to be that young and in the position and where everyone would ask you to abort the child instead of listening to you, I could feel Aoife's frustration radiating through the page. Her relationship with Casey was so strong and I loved the bond, I hated her brother so much like I hate how he made her life so much difficult, I HATED HIM SO MUCHHHHHH. Gibsie in this book was so sweet, I loved how he gave Aoife the money with no questions asked and I loved how she could rely on him but I loveeeeed how much Aoife fought for Joey, how she did everything, had to suffer so much :( I just think she deserved wayyyy better than what she got. That house burning scene from Aoife was extra extra extra heartbreaking.

“Hey, stud.” “Hey, queen.”

Aoife and Joey, were amazing together, they have been through everything. The pain that these through went through. The obstacles that they had to go through. These two simply had me in a chokehold, I love them so much it's not even funny. They were made for each, the unconditional love that they had for each other, the way they understood each other so well and I just know that if Joey didn't get Aoife or if Aoife didn't get Joey they both would've remained single for the rest of their life because there just perfect together and there is no one after them. Like when I think of couples who were meant for each other and Joey and Aoife would be the ones that came to my mind. They are perfect for each other.

“Because when you hurt, I hurt. When you burn, I go down in flames with you. We’re entwined, Joe. We’re mirrors. Don’t you get that by now?”

WHAT I HAD PROBLEMS WITH:

- I wanted more from Joey and Aoife's attending Tommen arc AND I DID NOT GET MORE OF IT!?!? I hate that so muchhh because (which brings us to out second point) this book was very unnecessarily long so instead of the filler scenes we could have gotten Aoife and Joey at Tommen or literally events that were not in b or k13 and Istg I would have loved it sooo much but ofc she doesn't give it to us cuz she's a devil.

- The smut?? There were so many back to back smut chapters like i think there were 9 scenes within the span of 100 pages?? like what was happening there.

- Aoife deserved therapy as well, she went through so much!!!! it felt as if her trauma was overlooked but she went through so much this book especially the whole teddy thing and how she was pregnant and running around trying to find Joey not to mention when she saw the burned house and thought Joey was inside?? Yeah therapy was definitely needed and it could have been addressed through that but it didnt happen.

- I hate surprise pregnancy and I hated it here because I loved how well Joey and Aoife were going and I hated how much problems it caused and honestly I was talking to Hoda about this and JOEY LITERALLY DESERVES SOME PEACE with Aoife because he literally raised his siblings since the very startttttttttt, he deserved to have some time with Aoife.

- Darren, I hate his character, there came a point where I thought I understood him but then he started treating Aoife like shit and I was like nah this bitch and his raggedy ass is not getting away with this.

“Long after his mother was lowered into the ground, and the other Lynch children had dispersed, Joey continued to stand vigil, still trying to protect her, even in death.” 3 my heart :(

Overall, I still ended up liking this a lot but this could have been much better!! I would say it's the best book in the series but it could have easily been five stars! because it had so much potentiall....literally everything that I mentioned above also like everyone says Chloe does need an editor
____
Where do I get more 🫴🏻 gimme more 🫴🏻
__
I think this may get me out of my slump and I loved Joey's first book so much, I have high hopes but if it doesn't work I'll go read a novella 🤸🏻

[Emmy Rosam · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Finders keepers, Joey love. You’re mine now..”

I am DISTRAUGHT!!!

[isy · Rating 5 out of 5]

petition for Chloe to write a book 57482647354263728 more pages of just joey being happy

[kendyl ʚ♡⃛ɞ (hiatus)]

❥07/23/24
𝓅𝓇𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌:
i am so broken beyond repair. rtc🥺

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️/5!!!!!!! NO WORDS. NO MFFF WORDS.

JOEY AND AOIFE FOREVER.

THIS SERIES OWNS A PART OF MY SOUL.

[Phuong ✯ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chloe Walsh didn't promise too much when she said that Saving 6 was fluffy compared to Redeeming 6 🤩 y'all i want to die, but at the same time this book brought me back to life. i can hopefully write a review soon when i can stop crying 😭

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars

So. First and foremost. I LOVE Joey and Aoife- they are so relatable and you just want to squeeze them make everything better for them.

With Binding and Keeping I definitely felt the pain and anguish but with these two omg. Hearing things from Joey's POV was so utterly heartbreaking. Like, just rip my heart out and put it in the blender. I was so torn up for him and for Aoife.

Just when you think you have seen the ugliest side of the Lynch parents. Redeeming was like - hold my beer. I was at a loss for words with what happens in this book from Joey and Aoife's POV.

No doubt the story is fantastic and heart wrenching but damn, Chlo- please, get an editor.

𐙚“He sort of lives in his own world."
"She clearly lives in that world with him.”ཻུ۪۪♡.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆

𐙚“You can have whatever you want from me," he whispered, thrusting deep inside of me. "It's yours." Dropping down on an elbow, he leaned in close and crushed his lips to mine. "Because I'm only doing life for you.”ཻུ۪۪♡.

Ugh, I love them!

#AoifeSupremacy 💖

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

[Yana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating this book any number is already doing it a disservice. There is simply no number high enough that can express how I feel about this book. This was the BEST written piece of literature to ever exist and I swear you cannot convince me otherwise.

[benedicta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love you, it's ruining my life 🥺🎶 5 emotional stars 💫 I'm still surprised at how fast I flew through this

I spent so long trying to push her away that when I stopped, it was so easy. Being with her was like breathing. I didn’t know I needed the air, but I knew that I would die without it.

There’s so much I want to say to you. So much I want to apologize for. I know that writing this down looks like I’m taking the coward’s way out, and you’re absolutely right. I am a coward, but then again, I’ve always been weak when it came to you. But I’m not doing it anymore. I’m not taking you down another day. I refuse to. Besides, I’ve done enough of that shit to last a lifetime.

Joey and Aoife are not what they each need, but the way whatever they have is so beautiful yet messy 😭 Joey with track marks, Joey with a black eye and a bloody shirt, Joey on a bridge, Joey trying to get through the flames, Joey on his way to Aoife, Joey shipping himself to rehab- the growth ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹 these characters can't catch a break.

I can't believe how good the humor managed to be because I was crying really hard for my babies 🥺 I'm ready to see them happy and in good health ❤️❤️ and so I don't have to deal with all these complicated feelings and I've been waiting forever, Taming 7 here I come 🏃🏽‍♀️

[Matilda · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.75 stars 🫣

this is the review that’ll ban me from ever joining a future chloe walsh arc group but i’m not going to take it back



note: we’re all entitled to our own opinions, so don’t even think about being a bitch about mine 🫶🏻

i’m giving this book 2 stars for joey, johnnyshannon, and gibsie only. for me, these characters are the shining stars of this whole series. i felt like the first half of the book was insanely boring but it started to pick up at the halfway mark

💫 spoilers below 💫

JOEY
i feel like he is one of the most dynamic characters in this series. his physical and substance abuse was very accurately portrayed. if there’s one thing chloe walsh knows how to do, it’s how to make a character as miserable as possible

to be honest, i felt like joey was done very dirty in all 4 books. although i adore shannon and will defend her to my last breath, i felt like she was purposely blind toward anything joey-related. i never realized how bad joey’s substance abuse was until his books because it felt like she ignored it...

i always felt like shannon thought about herself more often than joey. for example, when he left before the fire and she told him “what about me?”…no babe, what about HIM. no one ever took into account what joey went through his entire life and they used his protectiveness and selflessness for their benefit...

the pregnancy trope is rarely entertaining and this was another prime example. chloe should have never forced joey’s character to have to endure a child (a boy to top it off) before he was ready to be a parent. joey only cares about pleasing aoife and it showed when he was asked about the pregnancy.

i’m also glad it was addressed that joey was raped by danielle, multiple times at that. that part bothered me in S6, especially after the scene where aoife catches them during the new year’s eve party.

AOIFE
for me, she is by far the worst character in this series. i thought aoife was a sweet, quiet, and giving girl in B13 & K13, but she turned out to be vain and selfish. i fully appreciated the sacrifices she made for joey. she ALWAYS had his back when no one else did and never for one second made me doubt her love for him (in a way)

i’m sure some people don’t mind her constant comments about her own conceited personality, but it’s just never cute to me when you brag about yourself.

honestly, her love for joey was a curse. she was an enabler through and through. her willingness to ignore joey’s drug abuse when it was in the early stages only hurt him further. and i know i’m gonna get a lot of hate for this opinion, but i genuinely believe it

Giving him a pass and turning a blind eye to things that I knew were wrong. Things that I knew could destroy him. Because the fear I had of losing him was too great.

it was inner thoughts by aoife like the one above that showcased her behavior. you willingly giving him a pass because you don’t want to lose him??? i felt like aoife’s character development went backwards between S6 and this. she somehow got more immature with age and it triggered me beyond belief.

another issue i had with her was her selfishness (and not only towards joey). this needs to be listed in a list form because of how many examples there are:

➟ after shannon and joey are nearly beaten to death by their dad, aoife notes in her head that marie (their mother) only visited shannon. now, i hated marie’s actions with every fiber of my being, BUT for aoife is say something like this—

I understood that Shannon was in a bad way, Nanny had told me that she had a collapsed lung, but Joey was hurt, too, dammit.
He had a fractured skull for fuck’s sake!

i understand what she’s feeling to an extent because we all know marie treated joey horrifically throughout the series, but in no way is a pneumothorax in the same acuity as a few hairline skull fractures. shannon suffered an immediately life-threatening injury…joey didn’t 🫣 js

➟ another example is when marie asked joey to watch sean because she picked up an extra shift and aoife was celebrating the fact that joey originally rejected her request—

“No, I can’t,” Joey replied slowly. “Sunday is my only day off and I’m spending it with my girlfriend.”
Ha-ha-ha-ha! Giving her a sweetly smug fuck-you smile, I leaned up on my tip-toes, and pressed a kiss to her son’s cheek.

i’m sorry hun, but joey has actual responsibilities and unlike you, who got everything handed to her, joey needs to take care of his siblings because he’s all they have. for her to celebrate that brief moment was very self-centered 😬

➟ there was also the time joey had to defend shannon and he showed up at aoife’s house with a bruised face…

“Don’t worry,” he was quick to placate. “I handled it. Shannon’s grand.”
“I wasn’t worried.” About her, at least.

i’m sorry but this is your boyfriend’s sister…the same girl that you said in S6 was now your friend and you show absolutely ZERO concern for her???? the vibes are off with this girl. making aoife show zero concern for shannon was the complete wrong thing for CW to do here

➟ i’m not even gonna get into the fact that she hid her pregnancy from joey for weeks because she was too chickenshit to say anything

➟ or the way she begged joey to come home from rehab because he thought it was a good idea to stay a little bit longer. HOW IS SHE NOT ASHAMED OF HERSELF

chloe really tried to make me feel bad about aoife's life just because her dad was cheating on her mom 🧍🏻‍♀️ also the way this “plot” was left unresolved was crazy…all we learned is that tony cheats but trish still loves him 🫥

also, she had no right to bring up joey's previous sex life multiple times when she dated paul for 4 years just to make joey jealous 🥱

when aoife titty fucked joey after nearly being raped by teddy to make him feel better…all i can say is BOMBASTIC SIDE FUCKING EYE 👁️👄👁️

in all honesty, it too made me uncomfortable when aoife would have sex with joey while he was high off his mind and couldn’t consent when he didn’t remember full on conversations the next day

PACING
first off, this book was 300 pages too long. it would have made more sense if the repeat scenes from B13 & K13 were cut down to better fit the book. rereading scenes from joey’s perspective added nothing to the story imo.

to add to that, the fact that only the last 20% of this book had completely fresh content that had no connection to B13 & K13 was criminal.

NICKNAMES
NOTHING WILL EVER BEAT “hi johnny” “hi shannon” AND THIS BOOK PROVED IT. i like the “nice legs” thing joey said to aoife but when they started calling each other stud and queen, i wanted to throw this book into a landfill

“Hey, stud.”
“Hey, queen.”

just found a quick and easy way to empty my stomach 😍🤢 the worst is when joey would randomly call her queen during intimate conversations 😖

SMUT
CHLOE PLEASE NEVER DO THAT AGAIN 😍 i originally refused to read this series because of the lack of intimate scenes between johnny and shannon and here i am getting upset that there were too many sex scenes in this…#characterdevelopment

conclusion
overall the story felt…incomplete, which was so upsetting because joey and aoife deserved an amazing story…sadly CW wasn’t able to give us (or me at least) the story they should have gotten. i’m still looking for the “HEA” we were allegedly given and i can’t seem to find it

anywho, i want to fuck john🧎🏻‍♀️
edel is the sweetest human 🥹
gibsieclaire needs to hit or it’s over 🏃🏻‍♀️

i’d rather have a john and edel book than a hughielizzie or feelycasey book

on to the next i guess 🤧

boys of tommen
↠ #1 binding 13 — 5 stars
↠ #2 keeping 13 — every star in the universe 💫
↠ #3 saving 6 — 4 stars
↠ #4 redeeming 6 — 1.75 stars
↠ #5 claiming 10 — tbr

[⚔Irunía⚔]

protective big brother joey i've seen. and now i need my fix of daddy joey 🌚

[EmBibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ‘ride or die’ stars

Here’s a short story about how this book literally fixed my eyes (and ruined my life)⬇️

My eyes have been hurting me for a while. They were burning and felt so freakin dry. The doctor said that it’s nth serious just eye dryness from the weather or whatever and gave me eye drops to lubricate it. The thing is they’ve been so freakin dry, there’s no moisture in them. No water. I’ve been so physically incapable of shedding a tear. Imagine my surprise and everyone else around me when they saw me being a walking sobbing mess. I’ve been crying nonstop for like two days. You don’t understand, I cried y’all. I CRIED. So long story short; this book has broken my heart but healed my eyes condition.

I’m still not fully healed and I’m not sure I’m stable enough to put my thoughts into a decent review, but here are some random thoughts to explain how this book made me an unstable mess.

“Because in this version of forever, we get the happy ending, Molloy.”

Joey was messed up. I just can’t put myself in his place. Carrying the weight of the world. Always the protector. He couldn’t catch a break. It was a hit after a hit with him. He was breaking my heart. Hearing his thoughts was messing with my head so bad. I just wanted to hug him and protect him from the whole world. I love him.

Aoife was Aoife. She is a fighter. She didn’t give up on Joey when everyone gave up on him. She was his protector with only the thought of him on her mind. When no one bothered to think or care about him, she had to take that job! Nobody would’ve been able to handle what that girl had to handle. The way she reacted to everything? It was real! It didn’t bother or annoy me because that’s just naturally her. I loved her vanity. I loved the way she loved and cared about Joey. I loved her.

Joey and Aoife deserve the world!! The amount of tears I’ve shed for these two?? I could hear my own heart break for them. It was all too much! But you know what? My babies are fighters. Those two were real. Their struggles were real. Their reaction to everything was real and freakin understandable. I want to protect them from everything and everyone.

Gibsie and Claire-bear. Gibsie and Claire-bear. Gibsie and Claire-bear. Gibsie and Claire-bear.
I couldn’t mention them enough. I’m not sure I’m even slightly ready for Gibsie and Claire’s book. Honestly, I’m pretty sure I’m gonna embarrass myself by how I’d react when I finally have their book in my hands!

All the “Hey stud/Hey queen” moments? The “nice legs” comments even in the saddest times? The time he spent in rehab? I loved to see that.

Lizzie and Joey are the friendship I didn’t see coming, but so glad we had!😭

The first time Mammy K made an appearance!! I was screaming!! Thank you Edel for taking Joey’s side. For loving him the way he deserves to be loved. I need Edel and John’s own book so freakin bad!! Chloe Walsh please make it happen!

I’m so freakin nervous about the next book. I’m scared of how the whole Hughie/Lizzie situation is gonna work out (Katie is such a sweet person ugh), but I’m sure that CW would make it work in such a devastating way. I need to have faith.

This book left me so emotionally drained and I don’t know what to do with my life anymore. I’ve been listing to family line on repeat. The song just fit perfectly! And no I’m not okay.

#1 Binding 13 ~ 5 stars
#2 Keeping 13 ~ 5+ stars
#3 Saving 6 ~ 5 stars
#4 Redeeming 6 ~ 5 stars

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Joey sweet child o’ mine, I can’t wait for you to meet mommy K. She’s gonna shower you with all the love that your poor excuse of a mother was incapable of giving you. All the love you deserve and more.

[Ri ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾ stars

“Ride or die, Joe.”
“Ride or die, Molloy.”

This book wrecked my heart, shredded it in pieces, devasted my soul and mind. I will never be same after reading Joey and Aoife's epic and unforgettable love story. They will stay forever in my heart and soul.

If I could describe what heartbreaks and devastation feel like, I'll tell you to read this book. If I could tell you what true and all consuming and emotional love feel like, I'll tell you about Joey and Aoife's love story. If you ask me if soulmates are a real thing, I'll tell you about Joey and Aoife. If you ask me the meaning of hope, I'll tell you about Aoife's love for Joey because her love is the definition of love that can bring someone back to life, love that breathes life and hope into someone who is constantly dying every day, every minute of his life. Aoife's love is the ray of sunshine, a spark of hope that gives Joey a million little reasons to survive, live, and fight for himself and for her.

He exhaled and whispered, “I’m really fucking drowning here, Aoife.” “Don’t worry, Joe. I won’t let that happen,” I replied, nuzzling his nose with mine. “I won’t let your head go under.” “Promise?” I leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I promise.”

➸ Joey Lynch

With every page, every word, I fell for Joey Lynch a little bit more. I can never get over his story, the things he's been through, the monsters he fought in real life and inside his head everyday of his life. It was heart-rending in the worst way possible. I have never seen devastation in real life but Joey is the definition of it in every manner possible. My heart hurts for him, my heart beats for him, my heart loves him. He failed again and again but he also proved and redeemed himself again and again and he finally got his second and last chance. Joey was in a dark phase here, he couldn't fathom the idea of being alive because he was tired of his life. He was tired of living for other people, his siblings and nobody saw what he was going through all alone except Aoife. She was his hope his entire life and she brought him back to world again and again with her love, trust and believe in him. Joey was broken by his mother. She couldn't love him the way he deserved to be loved and it just breaks my heart because he is the sweetest and most thoughtful person ever and he deserves the world. He was the worst version of himself here, repeating mistakes, falling into old patterns, did so many horrible things to himself and hurt Aoife countless times but he also fought for her everyday. What really broke my heart was how he didn't believe in his own capability to get better. He was lost all the time and he missed so many things about Aoife's pregnancy. He fought so many inner battles, real ones, but he found his courage to fight for his love and his little family, started living for himself but also for them and that's all that matters. His character development wasn't done magically and he still has a long way ahead for redemption but I just know he's going to build an epic future for himself and his little family.

“Something about this girl settled something deep inside of me. I couldn’t understand it, much less explain it, but when I was with her, I felt like I was drowning and breathing at once. I felt like I was riding this thrilling wave, and it didn’t matter if I fell or not because I could only land on softness.”


➸ Aoife Molloy

Aoife was incredible in this book. She presented the definition of a strong and brave woman with an altruistic nature. All the horrible things she went through, all the heartbreaks she endured, she did all with a head held high and that's just amazing. I haven't seen anyone love the way she loves Joey. If it were someone other than Joey I'd be calling her a stupid fool for losing herself in loving a man this way. She brought all her love and life in one person because she saw something in him that was blinded to other people. It was so beautiful and selfless as much it was heart-rending to see her go through all the horrible things because she loves him. I saw people blaming her for the things she did, decisions she made but she was right all along. She was scared of pushing him to another deep end by telling him about pregnancy because he was in a dark phase. She gave him many chances to redeem himself and he still fucked up but she never gave up on him even when he gave up on himself and that's just admirable. I love her so much for that. Aoife will always be my favourite girl in this series. She possess strength and unwavering commitment that's so hard to find in a female protagonist. She's a woman of her own, always stood for what's right and always stood up for Joey against everyone in the world. And I also liked when she tried to put herself first in here when she needed that. She also showed insecurities related to her body changing due to this new phase in her life and her future on hold and my heart broke for her because she deserved the best but also loved how she made the best out of that situation even when she was all alone, but not once she blamed Joey because she knew how much he was hurting himself and her by succumbing to his addictions. She is an inspiration.

“I was in love with him. The boy he used to be. The man he had become. All of his versions. I loved them all.”


: ̗̀➛ Joey and Aoife

“Hey, stud.”
“Hey, queen.”

Joey and Aoife. Aoife and Joey. You can't separate them from each other. They are what soulmates looks like, feels like. The way they love each other is beyond this universe. I can't even imagine going through this many struggles and heartbreaks and still be in love with other person. But they say love is beautiful and voilent at the same time. It makes you but it destroys you in other ways. Love is never perfect and what they have is raw and messy but also unforgettable, irrevocable and mesmerising. Aoife was breaking her heart everyday for the boy she loved for years and yet she couldn't stop loving him, believing in him because she knew he is worth all the heartbreaks and devastation he is causing her. I can never imagine that kind of love for myself but I also want it for me because to be loved the way they love each other and to love the way they love is just something you only get to have once in a lifetime.

“Please just… please keep loving me.” “Always, Joe,” she breathed against my lips. “Always.”

“What if I can’t get better, Aoife?” he choked out, holding onto my body for dear life. “What if this is who I am?” “Then you’ll still be stuck with me,” I told him. “Because I love you, stud. In all your shapes and forms.”

There were hard decisions to make, selfish and heartbreaking ones, and Joey and Aoife went through hell in this book to finally get to their happy and hopeful chance at life. What really broke me was how much they hurt each other and yet kept coming back to each other because they didn't know what life meant without loving the other person. Joey so desperately wanted to heal but he couldn't because of the horrible people in his life and Aoife did everything in her power to give this boy her everything but it wasn't enough for Joey. Together they weathered the storm of destruction and darkness and they came out of it alive and together, with scars that will heal with time, love and trust. Perception is everything when it comes to understanding Joey and Aoife's love story. Some would say they are moving towards a destructive path and some would say they are healing together to have a chance at a peaceful and happy life. Me? I love the bones of them. I am so happy that they finally have the family they deserves and are surrounded by so much love and joy. It healed my broken heart.

“I’ll never leave you on your own again,” he vowed, wrapping both of his arms around me. “I will never fail you again.” I could hear the sincerity in his voice, and I needed so badly for him to be right about this. For him to stay. “It’s my turn, Molloy.” He kissed my hair. “To look after you.”

“Every part of me loved every part of her. The good, the bad, and the ugly.”

Reading about Joey and Mammy K relationship in this book was everything. Mammy K is the best! They opened their door for Lynch siblings and gave Joey a chance at fighting for his future. She treated him the way he deserved and though Joey doesn't treat her like a mother because he never had any but Edel always treats him like a son and that's just so comforting and beautiful.

“I’m not your boy.” “And I already told you that we’re keeping you.” She chuckled. “Finders keepers, Joey love. You’re mine now.”

Redeeming 6 deals with some heavy topics so please read trigger warnings before reading this book. This book was a dagger straight to my heart. I couldn't stop crying for hours because of the torrent of emotions crashing through me. Chloe was very blunt with this story, she never tried to dulcify anything related to Joey and his depression and drug addiction. Everything was on-page and some scenes were so raw and heart-crushing that I couldn't breathe through my tears. That's how much devastation this book caused me. But looking back at it right now, I know every tear I shed for him was worth it because Joey Lynch is worth everything in this world. He is priceless.

I loved how we got to see Joey's rehabilitation journey and to understand his past and his present better. It was an important part of his story and Chloe did an amazing job at writing about it. I am finally at peace knowing he is happy and is living his best and happy life with the people he loves and the family he deserves. I am already missing them and I already want to reread these books! I just want to inject his books so I can never get Joey and Aoife out of my system. At this point, you can call me a brainrot and that's what I have become.

“It was her. It always had been. It always would be. The girl from the wall.”

“Still?”
“Then. Still. Always.”

————————
I love joeyaoife with every atom of my being. You guys have no idea how much I adore them. I am already missing them and planning my reread of their books lol 😭 also how the fuck do I have 800+ highlights in my kindle 😭 anyway rtc!
————————
yes i am depressed and sad and heartbroken after the ending of saving 6 but i need to know what happens to Joey and Aoife 😭 just praying for their happy ending and my sanity and fragile heart 🙏🏼

[Uswah · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. JUST WOW. 🥹🥹

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m absolutely obsessed with Joey Lynch and Aoife Molloy. They’ve captured my heart! 😤

Yes, I’m satisfied with the ending 🥹 after experiencing all the pain 😭—and it was more than just pain. 😭

~‼️Spoilers ahead (maybe)‼️~

My heart broke in so many scenes, especially during the " Him or Us " moment 😭, and as Joey's situation got worse and worse 😭. I felt his struggles deeply 😭, and the physical and mental pain he endured was incredibly hard to witness 😭. Aoife's unwavering support for Joey during his toughest moments brought tears to my eyes 😭. Joey's attempts (iykyk) and the comparisons he faced 😢, particularly when Aoife referred to him as " Him " 😭, were gut-wrenching. Also, when Joey called his siblings “ my kids ” 😭—that one was so painful to read, omg- 🫠

But my baby Joey never backed down 🥹. He tried so hard, even when it became really difficult for him 😭. That’s when Lizzie came into the “picture” and quickly stole my heart 🥹🫶.

Aoife Molloy is such a strong character 👀🥹🫡. (Mammy’s a fighter, indeed.) It was so hard for Aoife when Joey went to a rehabilitation center, but she never backed down 🫡.
It was a joy to see Joey there for Aoife and AJ🥹🫶.

And, Shannon’s POV 🥹🥹 helloooo!? soooo sweet🥹🫶 OH. EM. GEE!!!

Chloe Walsh, you completely changed me!! Yes, Laura Jane, you were right when you said I wouldn’t be the same after reading this series 🤧🥹. My only regret is that I didn’t start reading it sooner. But hey 👀—better late than never!!!🫂

If I have to choose one book from this series, I’m choosing this one without any doubt! 🩵🩷🩵🩷

Laura Jane, it's been wonderful sharing my thoughts with you about this series, and here’s to hoping more! 🥹🫶 The same goes for you, bestie—feel free to share your thoughts as well! 🫶🌷

I want to start Taming 7 now, but exams are just a few days away 😢. I’ll dive into T7 after my exams. In the meantime, I’ll read other books. 🫶

Trillions of stars!!!!!!!!✨

_____________________
Pre-Read

YESSS… Redeeming 6 Here I Come!!! 🩵🩷🩵🩷

[shei · Rating 3 out of 5]

—— 3.5 ✰ stars.

’Because in this version of forever, we get the happy ending, Molloy.’

・❥・ Mood of the book:
: ̗̀➛ Angels like you by Miley Cyrus
: ̗̀➛ From a Lover’s Point of View by Zach Bryan
: ̗̀➛ Paralyzed by NF
: ̗̀➛ Medicine by Daughter
: ̗̀➛ I Can Fix Him (No I Really Can) by Taylor Swift

It feel so strange to write reviews again after a month hahaha but!!!! Here we are. I want to warn you that this review is solely MY OPINION, and I have seen reviews from other people with the same opinion being attacked, so if you comment, please be respectful.

OK PHEWWWWW enough of the serious bullshit.

My feelings about this book are very contradictory, I had my doubts about whether it was going to be a 5 ✰ stars., but I certainly didn't expect it to turn out to be a 3 ✰ stars. As I already said in my review of Saving 6, despite connecting a lot with Joey as a character, the romance has failed to move me. I could fill a raft with all the tears that came out of my eyes, but not one of them was because of the romance between Aoife and Joey.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, I will briefly explain the book without spoilers and then, in an explicitly marked area, I will continue the review with spoilers.

'But every time you snort a line or pop a pill, you're playing Russian roulette with your life and my heart'

•┈••✦ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕 ✦••┈•:

Without going into spoilers, this book continues the relationship between Joey Lynch and Aoife Molloy as a couple and their families, during the events of Binding and Keeping 13.

I must add once again, that you should always, always check the list of trigger warnings, since this book is about abuse, drugs, mental health and a long etcetera, it is not a YA book even if people insist on categorizing it as such.

•┈••✦ 𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈✦••┈•:

Chloe Walsh's writing is simple, so it's not difficult to navigate a 900+ page book, it's addictive and fast. But when you least expect it, she throws phrases at you that take your breath away, and that, with a knife stuck in your heart, you would feel less pain.

Regarding the pace of the story, the rhythm of the story itself does not go so fast, but I repeat, this has not bothered me because both the story and the author's way of writing it is super addictive, but it felt a bit repetitive in some points.

•┈••✦ 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 ✦••┈•:

It's very difficult to talk about the characters in the fourth book of a series, so I'll simply highlight my spoiler-free opinion of them in THIS specific book.

Both Joey and Aoife are extremely flawled characters, and at first, that was what I liked most about them, because I felt they were relatable, but, in this book I couldn't connect with Aoife at all.

'Joey Lynch and Aoife Molloy; both full of flaws and humanly imperfect and yet so undeniably perfect for one another.'

*:･ﾟ｡ 𝑱𝒐𝒆𝒚 𝑳𝒚𝒏𝒄𝒉 *ੈ✩‧₊˚

'The worst shit gets in my life, the louder the voice gets, louder and louder and louder, until it's literally screaming in my head, and I can't focus on anything other than doing the one thing that I know that will quiet it down'

This boy has my heart, I will be, from today until forever, Joey Lynch's defender. Did he fucked up? Oh yes, but, to be honest, who wouldn't? Joey's point of views were devastating, his life is hell, and his head a death trap. The number of times I have cried in this book just reading how he felt, how depression eats him up inside and makes him feel empty, feelingless, wrong.

'Addiction was a consequence of being raised by street thugs and dealers, where the only substitute available for a mother's love came in the form of a line of cocaine'


The way he takes care of his siblings, as an older sister, will always be what I like most about him, he would give everything for his siblings, despite all the demons that live in his head, he always manages to be their guardian angel of his brothers.

'She thought she was the weakest link in the family chain, when it couldn't be further from the truth. My sister was titanium'

Even though this duet wasn't my favorite, I would recommend it just for seeing the world through Joey's eyes.

'Joey had somehow managed to survive his childhood and early teens by replacing the lack of his mother's affection with the warm, enveloping embrace of ecstasy, and his father's constant stream of mental gaslighting and physical abuse with the mind-numbing dexterity of opioids '


*:･ﾟ｡ 𝑨𝒐𝒇𝒊𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒚 *ੈ✩‧₊˚

Phew ok, here comes the problem, if you read my old reviews, you can see how I LOVED Aoife, but in this book, I couldn't stand her. I can't go into the details of why, but I think his character has taken many steps backwards. The Aoife from Binding and Keeping 13 is not this Aoife, and they are on the same timeline.

In defense of Aoife I have to say that her life is not easy either, and that she is a very strong and brave woman, that not everyone would endure what she endures, and that, in the vast majority of situations, she is a safety net for Joey, but she has had certain behaviors that I can't ignore.

Listen girls, self-confidence, it's sexy, it's hot, never stop, but vanity?? No. That's a hard pass for me, sorry. Aoife has too much vanity for her own good, it seems like it was her only characteristic, how pretty she is, the body she has, that everyone wanted to sleep with her was the only thing that mattered to her.

•┈••✦ 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 ✦•••:

’Loving your son is effortless,” I cut her off by saying, pushing my damp hair out of my eyes. “It's getting him to love himself that's the hard part.”

And here's my other big problem, I'm sorry, but I don't connect with them as a couple at all, I'm not saying that I don't ship them together, but that their romance doesn't awaken any kind of feelings in me.

Their romance is clearly codependent, the obsession they have for each other doesn't convince me, Aoife doesn't see beyond Joey, only Joey matters, and she gets angry and jealous of Joey's brothers in my opinion, in how Joey treats and gives everything for them, even though he also gives everything for her, she may not have more responsibilities than simply school and work, but Joey does, and the number of times she encourages Joey not to come home with his brothers, or when he keeps comparing Joey's and Shannon's traumas trying to make it look like Joey's are worse, trauma is trauma, there is no comparison.

Aoife was also completely obsessed with Joey's exes, and had ridiculous tantrums about Joey having been with other women before them. Girl, you're ridiculous.

THE SMUT GAVE ME A LOT OF CRINGE BYE. I wanted more smut in Binding and Keeping 13, but this... Chloe, save it next time.

Thank you for reading this far, from now on, the content of the review will have spoilers, if you want to see the previous reviews of this series, scroll down all the way.

•┈••✦ 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔 ✦••┈•:

'Because when you hurt, I hurt. When you burn, I go down in flames with you. We're entwined, Joe. We're mirrors. Don’t you get that by now?'

'You've got a beautiful mind, Joey Lynch, and a wonderful heart. You can beat this. You just have to want to. It's half the battle.'

'Yeah, well, I've been fighting for so long, I don't know how to take my finger off the trigger'

•┈••✦ 𝑺𝑷𝑶𝑰𝑳𝑬𝑹𝑺 𝑨𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑫 ✦••┈•:

Sorry, but I hated the pregnancy trope. I don't like it when in romances, especially with toxic couples or very difficult situations, authors drop the pregnancy bomb as the reason why the couple succeeds. In this case, Aoife's pregnancy is used as an excuse for Aoife not to leave Joey and to give Joey a supposed reason to go to rehab, when I think it would have been much better for him to find that strength in her, in his desire of living and his brothers, in addition, I found it very uncomfortable since Joey repeats throughout the four books of this series that he DOES NOT WANT to be a father. LET JOEY BREATHE DAMMIT.

This whole book seemed so dragged out, and just at the moment when it's supposed to be expense in a matter, that is, in Joey's rehabilitation process, it ends too quickly, there are so many topics left to deal with him, and I know that the series is not over and that we will see more of them, but I expected much more from that process and the couple's time with the baby.

The relationship of the main characters is extremely codependent, Joey tries to leave Aoife on multiple occasions, but she does not let him go, but then she complains about what she has to go through because of him, I repeat that Aoife has an iron will, but she kept boasting, once her pregnancy began, that she had limits and boundaries, but she never showed it.

Aoife's fat-phobic and conceited comments ruined the book, constantly comparing non-thin women to whales or not worthy of being called sexy, like, she needed others to emphasize that despite being fatter, she was still sexy, like a fat or curvy woman couldn't be sexy.

Aoife's continuous attacks on Joey and how she tried to make Joey feel guilty for having had sex with other girls, when they were not together and she had another boyfriend just to make Joey jealous, if she wanted to reserve her virginity for "the one" which by the way seems like a very retrograde and sexist concept to me, good for her, but she was more worried about her not being Joey's first than about him being practically raped by Danielle.

Teddy's attempted rape of Aoife is dealt with terribly, it literally matters for 50 pages and it's over, apart from Aoife blaming Joey and using his feelings to hurt him, Chloe Walsh simply shouldn't have included it.

Finally, the continuous comparison that Aoife made between Joey and Shannon, 'everyone is looking at shannon and I get it, I do, but what about Joe?' Girl, there are no comparisons, each and every one of those brothers has been through hell, I know Joey is the man you love, but stop.

ᝰ.ᐟ𝓹𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭:

23/04🦋: EEEEEEE. I’m conflicted as fuck. rtc I guess 🙃 but the stars are for Joey and Joey only, and maybe Gussie 💛

19/04🦋: Listen; if this doesn’t get me back into reading again and out of my slump im jumping off a cliff.

I’m back (?) hopefully (?)

[౨ৎ˖ ࣪⊹ hanah ౨ৎ˖ ࣪⊹ · Rating 5 out of 5]

₊⊹⁀➴ 5 star
aoife, the woman u are. i admire u since i could NEVER be u.

[aleerless · Rating 5 out of 5]

i feel like i've been hit by a truck

[Marianna Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Hey queen.
Hey stud.”

6 magnificently painful stars. I genuinely am incapable of forming the right words to properly describe how incredible and honestly life changing this book was. I’m not the same person I was before reading Joey and Aoife’s story, they are forever etched in my heart and I know I will be thinking about this book everyday. Though so incredibly emotional and painful, this has to be one of my favorite books of all time. What that says about me… idk. But don’t be fooled it is not for the faint of heart. Chloe Walsh has a way of connecting you so deeply with her characters that you feel every single emotion they go through, it’s hard to believe they aren’t real.

Joey and Aoife are the definition of soul mates. Their love is stronger than anything I’ve ever read and were absolutely without a doubt, made for each other. The SHIT (to put it lightly) that the two of them went through together and separately in this book shattered my heart on multiple occasions. But their love for each other never faltered in the face of so much destruction. Theyre my babies and must be protected at all costs after what they went through, they deserve the world and them some.

“I’m the girl who wholeheartedly wants you. I’m the girl who wholeheartedly loves you. The hurler. The mechanic. The boy. The protector. The asshole. The lover. The addict. All of your versions. All of your shapes and colors. I accept them all.”

Joey has always been the protector, masking his fear, depression, trauma, and addiction to be the caretaker to his family. Until Aoife came along with her unwavering support and endless love, the first person Joey let in, and ultimately the one that saved him in the end. What Joey went through was incredibly difficult to read and never failed to leave me choking on my tears. I have so much love for his character, and will never be the same after reading his story. Aoife’s strength never failed to amaze me. She never backed down and was the only constant in Joeys life when he lost himself, you could feel her unrelenting love emanating off the pages.

Reading the events from Binding 13/Keeping 13 from Joeys POV hurt 10x more. But I loved seeing everything unfold through his eyes. He was always the rock that held everyone together in Shannon’s eyes, he was the father they never had, and he made a damn good one at that.

The relationship unfolding between Joey, Johnny and Gibsie is EVERYTHING!! I would die for those three and cannot wait for Gibsies book!!!!

How do I continue on? This series is absolutely in my top 3 series of all time and I never want it to end. I feel empty. I could read about these characters forever and never get tired of them. Nothing compares and I cannot recommend these books enough.

[Belle₊˚⊹♡ (semi-hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

(spoiler~free🐵♥️)


And my favorite book out of this series goes to-
🧎‍♀️‍➡️👑
This is definitely on my top 10 favorite books this year, no joke 😭😩

THIS BOOK.
Had me sobbing, laughing, sobbing again, actually shaking, then back to sobbing while reading 🤭

The amount of deep deep HATRED I have for Teddy Lynch is insane, like litterally WTH?😦🤢

He litterally put EVERYONE that stepped foot into that house the worst hell they’ve ever been in, this book fueled my anger for him tbh! 😭🙏

But anyway-

Joey Lynch.
The MAN that you are, he’s actually the most down bad most strongest person I’ve ever read,
AND MS QUEEN HERSELF
AOFIE MOLLOY
How much RESPECT I have for her? Like yes mother we love you 🩷🩷 🫡

The amount of hardships they go through is insane, the amount of struggling and pain they both endure throughout this book was so painful to read but all so satisfying to see with their ending!! 😭🩷🩷

The LOVE that they have is REAL and sometimes was painful to read at times tbh 🥲💔

They are there for each other through thick and thin, the ending for this book was all we needed and more 🫂

I’m so not ready for Taming 7 and Releasing 10..
I truly don’t know how it can get more painful than this but I am so submersed into this world I can’t leave it!! 😭🩷🩷


💘Rating: 5/5 (perfection)
📚Age Rating: 16+
🔥Spice: 4/5 (the amount of spice this book had caught me off guard 💀)



🎧Songs:


~Like him~Tyler the creator, Lola Young

~Iris~The Goo Goo Dolls

~Cardigan~Taylor Swift

~This is me trying~Taylor Swift

~Flicker~Niall Horan

~Memories~Conan Gray

~I Love You, I’m Sorry~Gracie Abrams

~Renegade~Big Red Machine, Taylor Swift

~I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)~Taylor Swift

~Look After You~The Fray

~Fade into you~Mazzy Star

~this is me trying~Taylor Swift

~Sad Beautiful Tragic~Taylor Swift

~Creep~Radiohead

~All I Need~Radiohead

~Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus~Taylor Swift

~Haunted~Taylor Swift

~When You’re gone~The Cranberries

~This is what the drugs are for~Gracie Abrams

~The Only Exception~Paramore

________________________________

(SPOILER QUOTES ⬇️🎀🎀)







💌Favorite Quotes:


~“𝙄'𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙄'𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪.
𝙄'𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙧. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙘. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙮. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 *𝙨𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩." 𝙎𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙄 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙙,
"𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙨. 𝙄 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙡.”

~ "𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙚, 𝙅𝙤𝙚?"
"𝙔𝙤𝙪," 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣𝙡𝙮.
"𝙄 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙈𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙮."
"𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚" 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙡𝙮, "𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚."
𝙃𝙚 𝙨𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙮.
"𝙒𝙚'𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧𝙨, 𝙅𝙤𝙚,"
"𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙. 𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪."

~ "𝘽𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙚, 𝙈𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙮."
"𝙄𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙮?"
"𝙄𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙮.
"𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪." 𝙃𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝘼𝙅'𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙡𝙨.
"I’ve 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝘼𝙤𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜."

~ "𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙤𝙠𝙖𝙮, 𝙅𝙤𝙚," "𝙄 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪."
"𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨,"
"𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙞𝙩. 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙮, 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙩, 𝙄'𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪."
"𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧, 𝙬𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙈𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙮."

___________________
🖤🥍Preread:

There is NO time to recover I NEED to read Redeeming 6 RN. 💥🏃‍♀️💨
I Have a feeling I’m gonna be destroyed just like the other 3 books I read in this series but omg these books are so addicting- 🧍🏻‍♀️
Wish me luck.. 🤞🏻🥲

[veerali · Rating 4 out of 5]

౨ৎ ⋮ "Ride or die, Joe."
"Ride or die, Molloy."

⊹  🥽  ᨘ໑  ▸ tropes

⤷ friends to lovers
⤷ grumpy x sunshine
⤷ high school
⤷ dual pov
— TW: physical and verbal abuse, suicidal ideation and attempt, drug addiction, substance abuse, child exposed to r*pe, depression, death, teenage pregnancy, PTSD, parental infidelity, and arson.

the best part about being a reader is the power to imagine and transform words into vivid images in our minds. there are books that can be incredibly frustrating, and others that leave a profound impact on our hearts, making it difficult to recover. they can make us question our very existence and leave us feeling lost once we've finished reading them.

it's 3 am and i'm typing this, feeling the weight of this book on my heart. saying goodbye to my babies, joey and aoife, feels unbearable. i know i'll revisit this book in the future, but for now, my heart is heavy.

it's kind of ridiculous and dramatic, but i can't stop myself from saying all this lol. anyways moving on to the review.

౨ৎ ⋮ Because I'm only doing life for you.

one aspect of this book that really resonated with me was joey and aiofe's relationship. it's a poignant reminder that even two imperfect people can form a beautiful connection. throughout the book, we witness numerous highs and lows, underscoring the reality that love doesn't serve as a panacea for life's struggles. while it can offer solace during difficult times, it can't mend something that's irreparably broken.

joey, a character who endured a premature journey into adulthood, was deserted by the one person who had been his rock, leaving him enveloped by darkness. in his solitude, drugs became his sole refuge. it was aoife who emerged as a beacon of light in his abyss, fundamentally altering his world. yet, amidst her steadfast support, joey continued to grapple with finding his true self. despite his ongoing inner struggle, there was solace to be found in the presence of aoife.

౨ৎ ⋮ I spent so long trying to push her away that when I stopped, it was so easy. Being with her was like breathing. I didn't know I needed the air, but I knew that I would die without it.

when i dove into this book, i thought it would be a tearjerker. little did i know it would be a total emotional rollercoaster. the beginning was a bit of a snooze fest, and i almost gave up, but hey, i'm not a quitter. and boy, i am glad i stuck with it. it just kept getting more and more intense.

after finishing saving 6, my heart was shattered, but when i read redeeming 6, it felt like it crushed my already broken heart into even smaller pieces. it seemed like all the fragments of my shattered heart were scattered across the pages. however, slowly, it started to mend my heart, beating at a slower pace and eventually giving it back to me. i know i'll never be able to move on from this book, and i'll hold it close as i drift off to sleep from now on.

there were a lot of times where i had to put the book down and taking a breather because I just couldn't stop sobbing.

౨ৎ ⋮ "All flowers bloom, Joe, even the late ones." I told him. "And sometimes, it's the late blooming flower that makes the biggest impact."

just a little heads up: this book ain't flawless. sure, it had me pulling my hair out at times, but like i always say in my other reviews, if a book can make me ugly cry, it's already a 4 or 5-star winner.

✶ so what I didn't like about this book was how CW ruined aoife's character for me. now i know that there are a lot of readers who root for her but sadly she couldn't be my favorite fmc.

"Don't worry," he was quick to dismiss it. "I handled it. Shannon's grand".
"I wasn't worried." About her, at least.

now why would you put it that way?

✶ aoife needed to stop with the guilt trip about joey's past. i really loved how casey set her straight - joey's all about aoife now, so she needed to get over it.

✶ so many parts were just brushed off like dust on a shelf, as if aoife's trauma was no big deal. two measly pages dedicated to her struggles, and then poof. it's all magically resolved? yeah, right.

✶ this book seriously dragged on, it felt like i was stuck in a loop with all the repeated parts from b13 and k13.

even though there were so many flaws, i over looked them and gave this book four stars only for joey.

౨ৎ ⋮ "Because in this version of forever, we get the happy
ending, Molloy."

⊹  🥽  ᨘ໑  ▸ overall ratings

⤷ binding 13 — 5 stars
⤷ keeping 13 — 3.75 stars
⤷ saving 6 — 4 stars
⤷ redeeming 6 — 4 stars
⤷ taming 7 — tbr

[ˋ✧*⁀➷ ʙᴇᴛᴛʏ (Levi Ackerman's wife) · Rating 4 out of 5]

i fucking love this fanart 😂🫶


ˋ✧*⁀➷ 4 stars

alexa play the scientist by coldplay:

don't be fooled by my 4 stars, because the feelings were so intense that it deserves all the trillion stars in the sky. i might have heaps of problem with this duology, but i'm dead serious when i say i love these characters to death. and don't you ever doubt this series's capability to make you bawl your eyes out.

“Because in this version of forever, we get the happy ending, Molloy.”

[bruna]

➸ on pause at 9%
[i will probably get back to it someday.]

─────────────────────

﹙ ➷ pre–read: ﹚

i’ve been putting off reading this one for over a year because i wasn’t mentally ready for the emotional damage that it would cause me — but since the next book is coming out soon, i decided to be brave and finally read it. i’m lowkey scared, but here we go. <3

[Lolina ⋆ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, this is awkward and I'm disappointed. -=-1.5 stars-=-

You don't understand how badly I wished the first 75% just didn't happen, or at least was more condensed. It was legitimately a repeat of B13, and a whole lot of unnecessary drama that we already went through in S6, that I quite frankly didn't care about.

AND THE PREGNANCY TROPE?!?!? Someone, I'm BEGGING you, someone PLEASE explain to me the reason for having the pregnancy trope for JOEY OF ALL CHARACTERS. Was it to make sure that Joey was never allowed to truly be free and have an actual life?? Was it to force him to go from one forced parenting role to another?? Is he just destined to change diapers for the rest of his life?- Because those sound like really poor excuses to me. ESPECIALLY, considering that the pregnancy wasn't even brought up for the majority of the book. Aoife at one point literally forgot she was pregnant and that was my breaking point.

It makes absolutely no sense for Joey to have a baby on the way. He's been through so much, and to be frank, that ending that he got was so unbelievably heartbreaking. That's not a HEA, that's just him being put into another situation that he never truly got the choice to be in. It's the way he said he would rather lay on the highway than have a baby 🤩. It feels like such a cop-out of a way to force his character to become better, and was so unbelievably unfair to him as a person.

My favorite parts of the book were in the last 15% where we acc got some new content, where Joey heals privately at rehab. You don't understand how badly I wanted more scenes like that, bc those were the scenes that I was expecting to read about. I wanted to see him heal more 😭🥹🙏. But as nice as those scenes were, they still didn't make up for the hundreds of pages of filler that we already knew about 😭.

And Aoife. The way I hated her in this one 😭. The way she would constantly judge Joey, make him hate himself because of her being on and off with him, and constantly requiring his attention despite knowing he had responsibilities was unfair. It was so cruel to him. She managed to make every single moment that she had no right to comment on about herself. The ending of this book was so unbelievably unfair to Joey, and just straight-up convenient for Aoife.

And the gender of the child was a violation as well lmao 😭😭. I'll never get over the 'happy' ending of the book being Aoife not knowing what to do with the kid, and Joey happily changing the baby's diaper- it's not cute that he's such a good parent, it's sad. It would've been cute for him to have been able to live responsibility free, and just experience life as a child for the first time.

It sucks to give a book that I've been anticipating for so long this low a rating, and even start to really dislike characters that I cared for (Aoife), but here we are. Joey deserved better and I'll leave it at that.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️ my favorite in the series, hands down & top three books I've read this year.

"Hey, stud."
"Hey, queen."
😭😭😭

I am wrecked. When I tell you, this book will have a special place in my heart forever - I am not exaggerating. There are things in this book that were so incredibly healing for personal reasons and I found myself SOBBING at times. The amount of heartbreak I felt reading this was insane. Joey & Aoife are everything 🥹 Their love is unmatched.

I will never forget this.

Also, if you're on the fence because of the ages.. PLEASE don't let that stop you. This will be series that I will forever think about.

[♡karabear♡ (semi-hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will freaking love this book and series forever and ever!! joey and aoife make my heart so full!! I will have this whole series tattooed embedded into my heart bc its everything I could ever want and more!!

🥂 to the bittersweet heartbreaking series that made me love sad books for the first time ever....I love you joey lynch you could never be your father ❤🧡

rtc!!

[carolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

₊˚⊹ ᰔ "I don't deserve your forgiveness," he replied, voice thick and gruff.
"But I will earn it. Because whatever comes our way, from here on out, I'll be right beside you." He nuzzled my nose with his before pressing a kiss to my lips. "Because in this version of forever, we get the happy ending, Molloy."

When I finished this book, I spent some time staring blankly at a wall, tears running down my face, wondering how the hell I was going to move on. Dramatic, I know, but this book did something to me, it made me feel things I didn't know I could feel, it left an imprint on my soul in a way that very few books have. And now I feel like a part of me is missing, these characters gave me something precious, but they also took something away. A piece of my heart was left behind, hidden in the pages of their story.

Reading redeeming 6 felt like someone took my heart out of my chest, stomped on it, crushed it between their fingers, smashed it to pieces, and then tried to put the pieces back together so it would fit back into my chest. It was a painful, agonising experience. This book hurt so damn much, it's one of the most painful, soul-crushing, devastating books I've ever read in my life. Reading Joey and Aiofe's story, experiencing everything they went through, was pure torture. My heart broke for them and I sobbed so many times, it felt like someone was cutting me in half.

I can't even begin to explain how deeply connected I feel to Joey and Aiofe, to say that I love them is not enough. Their story changed something in me, they touched me in a way that very few characters have, and I'm forever ruined by them. Just as their lives are intertwined, I feel as though my life is intertwined with theirs, and there's a bond between us that will never break.

Redeeming 6 takes place in the same timeline as Binding & Keeping 13, so some of the events we see in those books, everything involving Joey, is covered in this book. If my heart ached for him in those books, it was completely shattered here. It explains everything that happened to Joey so well, all the times he went missing and all the breakdowns. The facade he put on to pretend that everything was fine is ripped away and we get to see how completely broken he really is.

╰┈➤ Joey Lynch

Joey, my Joey. Words are not enough to tell you how much I love him, how proud I am of him. Joey is too good for the world, he has a heart of gold, a heart filled with so much love. It physically hurt me to read his pov, because if he wasn't doing well in the previous book, he's crumbling in this one, barely holding himself together. If it wasn't for Aiofe, I know Joey wouldn't have survived. He'd be lying in a ditch somewhere, overdosed. She was the only one who saw the real him, who saw all his parts and accepted them and loved them.

₊˚⊹ ᰔ "I'm not another girl who needs something from you. I'm the girl who wholeheartedly wants you. I'm the girl who wholeheartedly loves you. The hurler. The mechanic. The boy. The protector. The asshole. The lover. The addict." Sniffling, I added, "All of your versions. All of your shapes and colors. I accept them all."

The portrayal of addiction was so realistic. Chloe wasn't afraid to show all the ugly, raw, disgusting parts. It was devastating, it hurt so much to see Joey fall deeper and deeper into his bad habits, to see how addiction slowly took over his life, consumed his soul, until he was nothing but a shell. And he kept justifying his vices, finding excuses, looking for ways to reassure himself that it was the only thing that could help keep his demons away. I hate his parents so much, I don't care that Marie was also a victim, she was the one who hurt him the most. I said this in my review for saving 6, but Marie was the one who broke Joey's soul. He loved her so much, he did everything for her, and she never loved him the way he deserved. She only called for him when she needed rescuing, she never treated him like a son. She didn't deserve him at all. I hate the way his parents got into his head, how they made him feel useless and undeserving of love. How they made him feel like he'd never break out of that cycle, that he'd be doomed to repeat their mistakes forever.

₊˚⊹ ᰔ "The worse shit gets in my life, the louder the voice gets, louder and louder and louder, until it's literally screaming in my head, and I can't focus on anything other than doing the one thing that I know that will quieten it down."
"Self-medicating." She swallowed deeply. "Losing yourself"

Joey's journey in this book was so painful, but also so beautiful to follow. He almost gave up, he got to a point where he didn't see why he should keep trying when it felt like he was ruining everything and everyone around him. The fire scene and the bridge scene crushed me, I can't even describe how I felt when I read them. But that moment was necessary. And what happened after that slowly put my heart back together. It just saddens me how rushed everything was after that, I know this book is big, but I wish it was even bigger. I wanted more, to see Joey adjusting to his new life, to his new family, to get more light-hearted, sweet moments.

₊˚⊹ ᰔ "Nobody who knows the real you could ever hate you," I whispered, wiping a tear from his cheek. "If you could only understand how much you mean to those children, how much they adore you, appreciate you. If you could only see yourself through their eyes..." I exhaled shakily. "You are so important to so many people."

╰┈➤ Aiofe Molloy

What a queen! Aiofe is an icon and I'll always love her. I admire her so much, she's so strong and brave. What she went through, what she saw? Anyone else would have broken down, left and never come back. But she stayed, she never left Joey. And yes, there were times when their relationship was so unhealthy, when Aiofe's love for Joey clouded her judgement and she let him slip back into his bad habits because she thought that was the only way to keep him in her life. But it was that love that saved him, and I'm so glad she never gave up on him and never stopped loving him.

₊˚⊹ ᰔ "No. You don't get it. You are the love of my life," I bit out, catching his chin and forcing him to look at me. "What I feel for you? How deeply I love you? It's fucking insane, Joe. So, yeah, I'm going to do the right thing for you every time, whether that pisses you off or not, because I want you here with me. On planet earth. For a long time."

My only complaint about the book, apart from the rushed ending, is that Aiofe didn't shine as brightly as she should have. For the most part, she didn't feel like a main character. I love Joey so much, and focusing on his story was so important, but Aiofe is wonderful, she's one of the best female characters I've read about, and she deserved to stand on her own and not just be a side character in Joey's story, especially since she's the main character in his life. I feel like Aiofe has so much potential that hasn't been explored. She's an eighteen-year-old girl whose life has been turned upside down, and I think more time should have been spent exploring her feelings and her traumas. Yes, because she goes through something horribly disgusting in this book and it is barely touched on.

I feel so connected to her, like her mother said, she's so warm, she's got a beautiful light in her. She's so kind and loving and resilient and I wish she'd been given more focus.

₊˚⊹ ᰔ "You are warm, Aoife. That poor boy never stood a chance with you, did he? Not when everything he's never been given flows from you like a waterfall."

╰┈➤ Joey & Aiofe

₊˚⊹ ᰔ "Then let me be very clear about it," he replied, reaching up to cup the side of my face. "It's you,
Molloy." He tipped my chin up, forcing me to look at him. "It's you."
"Don't say it if you don't mean it."
"It's you," he repeated gruffly, fingers tightening on my waist. "I pick you. Every single time."

My ride or die. Stud and queen. Nice legs and nice everything. I love them unconditionally. Their love is so strong and raw and real. I love finding couples that make me believe in soul mates, in the notion that if you're lucky, there's someone out there whose fate is intertwined with yours. Joey and Aiofe really are mirrors, what one feels, the other feels. Their connection is so strong and so deep that it can be felt in everything they do and say. Their love can conquer anything and that is exactly what happens in this book.

₊˚⊹ ᰔ "We're mirrors, Joe," I told him, taking his hand and placing it on my cheek. "Everything you feel for me is reciprocated. It's mirroring back at you."

I love that nothing in this book is romanticised and we see that love, no matter how powerful, is not enough to cure addiction or depression. Joey tried to get clean for Aiofe, but it didn't last long because these things don't work that way. He couldn't rely on Aiofe to help him get better, he needed professional help. She wasn't supposed to fix him. But she loved him through it all, and that was the greatest help she could give him. She was his guiding light through the dark path he had to walk before he could get better. Their love never changed, even with everything they went through - all the painful moments, all the times they were hurting - their love remained the same. It even got stronger. And that's why no one could ever make me doubt their love for each other.

₊˚⊹ ᰔ "You hurt yourself and that's the same thing," I choked out. "Because when you hurt, I hurt. When you burn, I go down in flames with you. We're entwined, Joe. We're mirrors. Don't you get that by now?"

I felt their connection from the first moment they met in saving 6, I could almost see the a thread tying their souls together. They have so much chemistry and the tension between them is so fiery. I love their banter and how they tease each other, there were scenes in this book that made my heart soar. Their love was so intense sometimes that it hurt me, but it also healed me.

₊˚⊹ ᰔ "All those years back when we were in first year." His lips brushed mine once, twice. "I've loved you since then." Another kiss. "From the first time I laid eyes on you, sitting on the wall with your blonde hair blowing around your face." His tongue snaked out, teasing mine. "I just didn't know it then."

I won't go into detail about these characters, but I must profess my undying love for Edel, John, Trish, Tony, Johnny, Shannon, Lizzie, Claire, Gibsie, Casey, Taghd, Ollie and Sean. I love them so much and they were amazing to Joey and Aiofe. A special shout out to Lizzie and Gibsie for what they did, I don't think they know how much they helped Joey.

I never know when to shut up when I'm writing reviews for books I love, so this is already so long, but I'll just say one more time that this book means the world to me. Joey and Aiofe have become one of my favourite couples of all time and I'll never forget their story. I look forward to catching any crumbs I can from them in the next book. Hopefully Claire and Gibsie's book will be set in the present timeline (I’m so excited to read their book!).

₊˚⊹ ᰔ It was her
It always had been.
It always would be.
The girl from the wall.

[gabi⋆˙⟡♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

30.10.2024

I can't stress this enough but reading the lasts chapters felt like seeing the light at the end of the fucking tunnel. And yup, i cried tears of blood with this one.

“I love you. I've spent a third of my life loving you, Aoife Molloy, and I don't plan on stopping.”

book playlist

• innocent by taylor swift (aoife's thoughts on joey)
• bloodline/place in me by luke hemmings (joey to aoife about his worries)
• i should hate you by gracie abrams (aoife to joey when he's at his worst)
• lover of mine by 5sos (joey to aoife after hitting rock bottom)
• look after you by the fray (joey, aoife and Aj's song)
• iris by the goo goo dolls (this is THEIR official song)

02.11.2024

This review will have spoilers, if you haven’t read this book and plan to, you’re warned ⚠️❗

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Reading this really lets u know how shielded Shannon was from all the bullshit going on at the Lynch's household. It breaks your heart and then puts it back together in the most beautiful and poetic way possible.

⋆˚࿔ aoife: 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ we saw a glimpse of how strong-willed she is in saving six, but in this one she took it to another whole level. I suffered so much for her, i put myself in her shoes and it was SO devastating how she just wanted Joey to do better, to GET better bc she actually needed him not just for her but bc of their baby. And it was so heart-wrenching seeing how much hurt she had to go through because of Joey's struggles.

“Because when you hurt, I hurt. When you burn, I go down in flames with you. We’re entwined, Joe. We’re mirrors. Don’t you get that by now?”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

We saw her fight EVERYONE who would doubt Joey and we saw her BELIEVING in him and always having faith in him getting better and coming back for them, for their family and for their futures. I loved seeing her standing up for Joey in front of Marie and Darren.

“I know what you are, Marie. I see right fucking through you.

You've spent years getting into Joey's mind, twisting his thought process and fucking with his confidence. Convincing him that he's the second coming of his father. That he's dangerous, and a liability, and a disappointment!

You broke him, Marie. You have damaged Joey deeper with your words than his father ever has with his fists.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

And let's not even get into the SA part... reading that was incredibly sickening, i felt so miserable about it bc no person on earth should have to go throught that but then it was also so traumatic to see the aftermath for aoife and joey's relationship, bc he blamed himself for not being there for her and feeling like he put her in that situation and then she was just seeing Teddy in Joey briefly after it happened, like i was just crying and wanting to throw up atp.

“I hurt her and she hurt me, it was what we seemed to do, but she couldn't look at me now without seeing my father, and all I could see in this moment when I looked at her was my mother.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Aoife was the savior in this book, because she didn't give up on Joey, not once, not when everything and everyone was asking her to. She simply kept fighting and persevering, and for that, I LOVE HER IMMENSELY.

“He had never felt more detached from me.
I knew he was still in there, though.
My Joey was still inside the person strung out next to me.
And I loved him enough to keep fighting for him.
Even when he'd given up on himself.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

⋆˚࿔ joey: 𝜗𝜚˚⋆ he's the reason i spent 80% of this book ugly-crying and suffering. Joey's one of the most complex main characters I've read in my life and when I say I could not stop thinking about him... I mean it. I was not able to concentrate in other stuff bc I was just wondering when was he going to have his happy ending. My only purpose reading this was seeing him and Aoife healed, happy and together.

“You can't tell me what to do, Joe, you don't own me."

"Well, that's bad fucking luck on my account, because you sure as shit own me!"

"Why would you say that to me?"

"Because it's the truth."

"Since when?"

"Since I was twelve.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

It was breathtaking to see Joey's devotion to Aoife and how much he loved her to the point of feeling like he only lived for her, and that there wasn't much else in his life that gave him a purpose to exist.

“You can have whatever you want from me," he whispered, thrusting deep inside of me. "It's yours." Dropping down on an elbow, he leaned in close and crushed his lips to mine. "Because I'm only doing life for you.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

But at the same time, he had demons in his head fighting him more and more and making it difficult for him to move forward and improve. Watching him self-destruct broke my heart into a thousand little pieces and the last straw was knowing what he was about to do while his house was burning down, all because Teddy finally got into his head and convinced him that they were the same person and that Aoife and their baby would be spared a lot of suffering without him in their lives.

Honestly... I was lost for words and couldn't believe what I was reading and the pain that was going through my soul and heart.

“I'm sorry, queen. For the lies I've told. For the names I've called you. For the times I've made you cry. For every ounce of shit I've put you through. For leaving you alone in this.

Tell them I was sorry.
Tell them I loved them.
Tell my son that I loved him.
Tell yourself that I loved you most.
I'll be seeing ya, Molloy. xx”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Moving to the positives happy parts... Edel and John Sr were the true MVP's. Like, there's no other way to put it.

They saved the Lynchs children, in more than one way, they gave all of them a second chance in life, in every way they could, and it touched me A LOT. Once again, reading the Kavanaghs take them in was like seeing the light in the midst of darkness.

And to witness Joey not only willing to receive the help they needed but also ASKING for it, left a warm sensation in my heart because my baby Joey healed and he was getting more open with people who showed they cared.

“We want to keep you! All five of you. Especially you.”
She smiled down at me.
“I think I want you the most.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

「 ✦ 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 ✦ 」

OKAAYYYYY sooo i didn’t finish this book… This book FINISHED ME! There are honestly no other words to describe what happened here.

Joey and Aoife will forever haunt my heart and thoughts and I don’t think I’ll ever forget them because this was too much, in the best and most heart wrenching way possible.

I am so happy they got their happy ending, and I know they will face a lot of challenges... Joey's an addict and always will be. But seeing the determination in him after he spent time in recovery, made me feel so confident about how they'll do in the future.

“I'm going to take care of you, because I love you.
Because I think you're sexy as fuck.
Because you're my queen.
And because everything I have, everything I am, I owe to you.”

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

22.10.2024
pre-read

i'm SO ruined and fucked up.
there's no way i'll go through this without ending up bathed in my own tears.

[Erika Braga · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 MILLION STARS ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


REREAD REVIEW 2025 ⬇️

💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔
“I never knew devastation until he walked into my world and gave me a glimpse into his. I never knew demons until I stood beside him and watched him battle monsters more frightening than my imagination could ever concoct. I never knew heartbreak until he decimated my heart by decimating his body. I never knew hurt until he walked away from me. I never knew. I never ….”
💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💔

Ok this is my reread as I mentioned before, so I’m prepared for Lizzy’s book, even though I hate her. And before everyone get the pitch forks let me explain why I hate her, the reason is that I am SO FREAKING protective of Gibsy and the way she was the she devil towards him it rubbed me the wrong way, he was a child suffering the most heinous abuse and she attacked him. So idk how I’ll feel about her book……
But back to Joey, this book brings me ALL THE EMOTIONS KNOWN TO MEN, in one moment I hate Joey and I think he is so mean to Aiofe and almost instantly I am crying over him because he has such a hard life. Joey is my ABSOLUTE favorite character since I first read Biding 13 and it wasn’t even his book, but I already loved him, so when I say I hate him sometimes it’s literally in a loving way because sometimes we hate even people we love. And Aiofe is the absolute QUEEN in this series, no female character comes even close to her, she is funny, loyal, fierce and brave, reckless with a flare for the dramatics, she is just perfect. Rereading this book made me realize HOW MUCH I actually detest Darren, what a self absorbed piece of shit. I also remembered how much I also hate Marie the same amount I hate the father because she was almost worst than the father towards Joey, the way she never showed him an once of love and respect made me loath her. Another thing that i remember is how much I liked Casey, she was such a ride or die friend to Malloy. Another thing that I was so rudely reminded is HOW FUCKING PAINFUL THIS BOOK IS 😩😭😩😭😩😭
Omg I WAS CRYING THE WHOLE TIME, because I already knew what was going to happen so I was crying before the fact in anticipation, during the fact and after as I was thinking about it. Another thing that I loved remembering was how Johnny is A KING an the whole family was saved literally and figuratively because of him and I love his love for baby Sean and vice versa. I loved how AMAZING Adele is with Joey and John is too, but the mother love Adele shows to Joey is so touching because he never had. 💔 I also really like Aiofe’s parents but no parent in this series compares to momma and daddy Kavanah!
Joey is such a broken tormented tortured soul that you can’t helped wanting to wrap him up in a blanket and love him like a baby😭 he breaks my poor heart💔
So all and all I do have a very hard time reading books with domestic abuse and addiction because it hits to close to home have lived through this with my parents, so it truly affects me because I see so many scenes that was actually real for me and not only fiction, but here comes the beauty of reading because bringing such raw emotions to life is an art. So now I’ll reread Taming 7 ❤️

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

FIRST REVIEW A YEAR AGO ⬇️


“I want you to love yourself enough to stop destroying yourself.”🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

“Because when you hurt, I hurt. When you burn, I go down in flames” ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

“Don’t worry, Peter Pan. I’ll be your Wendy.”
💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

“Return my grandson’s heart to him, and he’ll start living again.”❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

“Thanks for my baby, queen. You still take the air clean out of my lungs.”❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I love when I am proven wrong about a book 🙏🏻
I thought, what else can Chloe write and why it would take almost 800 pages ? Honestly I couldn’t see it and since I didn’t love Saving 6 I was truly doubting this book was going to be any good. But boy oh boy I was proven wrong and I LOVED it !
This book is not for everyone, it is SO EXTREMELY SAD, I swear to God it’s sad from page 1 to 700 ! I don’t like to read sad books, it makes me depressed and well “sad” ….. I try my best to avoid them, I can deal with sad moments in books and it makes the book even more beautiful and better, but I draw a line in books that are completely sad but I lost a bet and I had to read the whole Boys of Tomem series and thank goodness I lost because it is a great series.
This book deals with heavy domestic abuse, trauma, violence and drug abuse. None of this topics are done in a light way, the author dives deep into and it’s SAD. I cried countless times reading and countless time thinking about it. Joey was always my favorite character since he first appeared in Binding 13 and he was barely there. Now I can say that I don’t think any character in this series will ever top him. Johnny is up there with him but Joey has the whole suffering lost boy going for him and it’s IMPOSSIBLE not to fall completely in love with him. He is raw, stubborn, has a tendency to violence, mouthy and headstrong. But he is also loving, loyal, beautiful, a great brother and even better father and an amazing boyfriend/husband when he is finally good. The poor thing is so traumatized by both parents and their life situation that he can’t see a way out, he has no hope, no aspirations, he doesn’t believe he has a future and he doesn’t believe in himself, he thinks everything is his fault and he is shattered. Seen him trying everyday and literally slowly losing his mind is the saddest thing I’ve ever read 🥺
Aiofe Molloy is a bubbly gorgeous amazing girl who’s dead set in saving Joey. She loves him in a way that makes your heart break. She believes he is worth it, she KNOWS he is worth it. She wants to give him hope, love, attention and lighting the load of his issues for him, but it’s not as simple as she though and when she learns the depth of his problems she is completely heartbroken 💔
They go through soooooooooooo much, many times I was almost cheering for her to get away from him cause he was self destructing and bringing her with him. But at the same time I was imploring her to never leave him and help him. Joey shatters your soul and disintegrates your heart…… 😭😭😭😭
Aiofe and Joey are definitely SOULMATES ❤️ their story is sad but the most beautiful one.❤️❤️❤️❤️
I am not say everyone should read this book because it’s definitely a trigger for many people, but I know that if you do you won’t regret because it’s BEAUTIFUL beyond comprehension. I still can’t believe I loved it so much, to me this is one of the books that will be FOREVER in my top 10 list. I still think that this series should’ve been classified as a Dark Romance cause the topics are definitely heavy and dark. Over all I don’t think any book in this series will even beat this one.🖤