A review by bribreez
Redeeming 6 by Chloe Walsh

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

5⭐️

*Check Trigger Warnings before reading 

Joey and Aofie were the perfect match for each other, but even with all the love they had for each other, there was still a lot of things they had to overcome. From Joey’s struggles with addiction, his home life being unstable, and generally taking on the role of being a parent to his younger siblings, once again Joey Lynch had the weight of the world of his shoulders. Aofie being the great girlfriend that she was, tried her best to always be there for Joey, but even she had her moments when she couldn’t help Joey because, Joey would push her away in order to protect her. Chloe Walsh continued Joey and Aoife’s story in a heart wrenching moments that spanned over the course of this book, as well as illustrating some unexpected surprises that took me completely off guard. An emotional, angst filled romance that shared its highs and lows, Joey and Aoife’s story wasn’t over, but there was more to be discovered before they reached their happy ending.

As I was reading this book, I came to the realization that both this book and the last basically took place during the events in, “Keeping 13” and “Binding 13”. So, while everything that was going on with Shannon, the events in this book (and the last) revealed all that Joey and Aoife had been dealing with in their own lives, and relationship. From the last book, I completely adored both Joey and Aoife and that love for them grew in this book. Joey and Aoife had a lot of their plates when it came to the looming future in front of them with almost being done with secondary school, but to Joey that was the last thing he was thinking of when he had bigger things to worry about. The one thing I knew going into this book was that, it was going to have even more heartbreaking moments especially knowing what was bound to come. In the other hand, this book also completely caught me off guard with an unexpected trope that dare I say, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it…

If I thought the last book was filled with highs and lows, this book took the cake when it came to the rollercoaster of emotions that went down with Joey and Aoife. As if life couldn’t get any worse, Joey’s struggles with addiction came back with a vengeance as he self destructed, and Aoife had reached a breaking point in seeing all the ways that Joey was acting and how it affected their relationship. Relationships are never easy, but when it came to Joey and Aoife’s, those two really had their fair share of ups and downs. I honestly felt really bad for both Joey and Aoife, but more so for Aoife as her life started to change in a specific way she didn’t expect, as well as how Joey inevitably hurt her by his actions. I think the way Chloe Walsh wrote Joey and Aoife’s story truly illustrated the struggles both of them faced, but also in how Joey and Aoife weren’t by any means perfect. 

I could appreciate the raw and emotional impact this story had, and seeing the trajectory the story went into had me fully immersed and quite honest on the edge of my seat at all times. Like I’ve said before, Joey and Aoife’s story as well as the previous books in this series haven’t been an easy walk in the park. On the contrary, this story showed all the heartbreaking moments that occurred in Joey and Aoife’s story from Joey’s fight with addiction and drug abuse, to Aoife’s specific predicament, the ongoing abuse within the Lynch household, and even more as the story continued. Aoife and Joey went through so much that many teenagers their age shouldn’t have to go through, but unfortunately did. My heart broke for Joey and Aoife on multiple occasions, and my biggest hope for them throughout the book was just to see them come out on the other side stronger and hopefully leave behind all the pain in the distance. I would once again urge readers to check the trigger warnings before reading, and be mindful while reading because, the topics discussed in this book aren’t light nor are they to be taken lightly. 

THE WAY I DEVOURED THIS BOOK IN TWO DAYS FLAT JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS BOOK! I did not expect to fall in love with Joey and Aoife’s story this much, but with the way their story unraveled, the character development in Joey’s story arc, and seeing Aoife and Joey go through such a tumultuous journey it was the kind of book where I didn’t lose interest at any point while reading. Initially, this book introduced a surprise trope thank wasn’t sure about, but the more I read, the more I realized how perfectly it fit into Joey and Aoife’s story. Aoife and Joey were always meant to be together and despite all the hardships they faced, they ended up coming out of it stronger and overcame big obstacles most teenagers their age don’t normally face. Aoife and Joey made me fall in love with their personalities and how their banter was always so entertaining to me, and also how their love also held a great friendship. When it came to seeing the rest of the characters play a more prominent role in Joey and Aoife’s story in this book namely seeing Johnny’s parents, it filled my heart with so much warmth and appreciation. For the longest time, Joey and his siblings lived in constant fear and abuse at the hands of their father, but by the time the story ended, all of the Lynch kids, and Joey were living a much happier, healthier, safer, and loving life with the Kavanagh’s. This book truly capitulated my love for Joey, Aoife, and honestly made me appreciate the entire series even more! This story ended on the perfect note with Joey, and Aoife, and if you’ve read this book you’ll know exactly what I mean by how sweet and loving the epilogue showed the happiness that it exuded. 
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