If you’ve spent any time on BookTok or scrolled through the romance community on Goodreads, you’ve seen that green and white cover. It’s everywhere. Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh isn't just a book; it’s a marathon. At over 600 pages, it’s a chunky monster of a novel that follows the absolute wreckage of two teenagers in Cork, Ireland. Most people see the rugby ball on the cover and think they’re getting a lighthearted sports romance about a popular jock and a shy girl.
They’re wrong.
Honestly, it’s more of a survival story that just happens to have a high-stakes rugby backdrop. Set in the mid-2000s—a time of flip phones, lack of social media nuance, and very specific Irish subcultures—the story introduces us to Shannon Lynch and Johnny Cronin. It's raw. It's gritty. It’s frequently devastating. If you’re looking for a "cute" read, put this back on the shelf and grab something else. But if you want a story that actually understands the weight of trauma, this is the one.
The Shannon Lynch Factor: Why This Isn't Your Typical Romance Heroine
Shannon Lynch is a character that stays with you long after you close the book. When we meet her, she’s a shell. She’s been relentlessly bullied at her old school, but that’s not even the half of it. The real nightmare is waiting for her at home. Chloe Walsh doesn't shy away from the horrific reality of domestic abuse, and Shannon’s life is defined by the constant need to hide, to be invisible, and to protect her younger brothers.
She’s tiny. She’s quiet. She’s basically a ghost in a school uniform.
Most romance novels give the "shy girl" a secret spark or a hidden sass that comes out in chapter three. Not here. Shannon is profoundly traumatized, and Walsh writes that with a painful level of realism. Her growth isn't a straight line; it’s a jagged, messy crawl toward feeling safe. When she gets hit in the head with a rugby ball in the opening scenes, it’s the catalyst for her meeting Johnny, but it’s also a metaphor for her life: things just keep hitting her, and she’s just trying to stay standing.
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Johnny Cronin and the Burden of the Golden Boy
Then there’s Johnny.
Johnny "Thirteen" Cronin is the guy everyone wants to be or be with. He’s a rugby prodigy. He’s rich, he’s handsome, and he has a supportive family. On paper, he should be the most annoying, privileged character in the book. But the genius of Binding 13 is how Walsh deconstructs the "Golden Boy" trope. Johnny is under an impossible amount of pressure. Every adult in his life sees him as a meal ticket or a trophy. His body is literally breaking under the physical demands of his sport, and he’s terrified of what happens when the cheering stops.
What’s interesting is how he reacts to Shannon. It isn't "love at first sight" in the cheesy sense. It’s an obsession born out of a protective instinct he didn't know he had. He sees someone more broken than he is, and for the first time, he stops worrying about his own stats and starts worrying about another human being.
- The Rugby Setting: It’s not just a backdrop. The culture of Tommen College is visceral. You can smell the mud and the liniment.
- The Friendship Group: Gibsie (Gerard Gibbins) is arguably the best side character in modern romance. He provides the desperate comedic relief needed in a book this dark.
- The 2005 Vibes: No iPhones. Just MSN Messenger, Nokia bricks, and the specific isolation of being a teenager before the world was constantly connected.
Why the 600+ Page Count Actually Matters
People complain about the length. I get it. We live in the era of 200-page novellas and fast-burn romances. But Binding 13 needs that space. This is a slow burn in the truest sense of the word. Johnny and Shannon don't just jump into bed; they barely know how to talk to each other for the first third of the book.
The length allows Walsh to build the atmosphere of the Lynch household. You need to feel the dread that Shannon feels every time she hears a door open. You need to see the repetitive nature of her days to understand why she’s so hesitant to trust a guy like Johnny. If this book were 300 pages, the ending wouldn't land. The payoff in the final chapters—which, fair warning, is a massive cliffhanger—only works because you’ve spent ten hours living in Shannon’s skin.
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Common Misconceptions About the Boys of Tommen Series
A lot of readers go into this expecting a dark romance (the kind with "toxic" heroes and questionable consent). That’s not what this is. While the subject matter is incredibly dark—abuse, bullying, self-harm—the relationship between Johnny and Shannon is actually quite tender. Johnny isn't "dark." He’s a teenager trying to be a man in a world that only cares about his left foot on a rugby pitch.
The "darkness" comes from the external world, not the internal relationship. This is an important distinction for readers who are sensitive to specific triggers.
The Realistic Portrayal of Irish Working-Class Life
Chloe Walsh is an Irish author, and it shows. The slang, the rhythm of the dialogue, and the social hierarchies of Cork are spot on. There is a specific grit to Irish contemporary fiction that often gets lost in "international" versions of these stories.
The book tackles the class divide without being preachy. Johnny comes from "The Hill," the wealthy area. Shannon comes from a place where survival is the only priority. This gap isn't just about money; it’s about the safety net. Johnny has one; Shannon is falling through the air. Seeing them bridge that gap is one of the more satisfying elements of the narrative.
Why You Can't Stop at Book One
You basically have to treat Binding 13 and its sequel, Keeping 13, as one giant novel split into two parts. You will finish this book and immediately want to scream because of the cliffhanger. It’s one of those endings that makes you want to throw your Kindle across the room, but only because you’re so emotionally invested in these traumatized kids.
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The series continues with other characters, like Joey (Shannon’s brother) and Aoife, but the foundation laid in this first book is what keeps the fandom alive. The community around these books is intense. They call themselves the "Tommen squad," and they’re defensive of these characters for a reason. They feel real.
How to Approach Reading This Book
If you’re planning to dive in, don't rush it. This isn't a "read in one sitting" kind of vibe unless you have a very free Saturday and a box of tissues.
- Check the Trigger Warnings: Seriously. This isn't a suggestion. The domestic violence scenes are graphic and upsetting.
- Pay Attention to the Side Characters: Every person introduced, from Claire to Gibsie to Lizzie, has a role to play in the later books. Walsh plays the long game with her character arcs.
- Listen to the Playlist: Music is a huge part of the atmosphere. The mid-2000s alt-rock and indie vibes really help set the tone of teenage angst and Irish rain.
- Don't Expect Resolution: Remember, this is part one. The "HEA" (Happily Ever After) doesn't happen here. You’re in the trenches for now.
The nuance of the brother-sister bond between Shannon and Joey is perhaps the most moving part of the whole story. Joey is a tragic figure in his own right, acting as a shield for Shannon at the cost of his own soul. It’s a messy, complicated family dynamic that feels far more authentic than the "perfectly supportive" or "perfectly evil" families we usually see in fiction.
Binding 13 works because it respects the pain of its characters. It doesn't use trauma as a "quirk" to make a character interesting; it shows the long-term, grinding psychological toll of living in fear. And yet, somehow, there’s still hope. There’s still Gibsie making stupid jokes and Johnny Cronin refusing to walk away. That balance is why people are still obsessed with this book years after its initial release.
Actionable Next Steps for Readers
- Secure both books: Do not start Binding 13 without having Keeping 13 ready to go. You will regret it at 2:00 AM when you hit the final page.
- Track the Timeline: Because the book is so long, pay attention to the dates at the start of chapters. The story moves slower than you think, covering only a few months of real-time.
- Join the Community: Look up the "Boys of Tommen" tags on social media. The fan art and theories help bridge the gap between books and provide a bit of much-needed levity after the heavier chapters.