Review by ianb - Keeping 13

ianb 's review for:

Keeping 13 by Chloe Walsh

4.0

emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Welcome to Book 2 and after the Cliffhanger from Book 1 I know that I needed to just dive into Book 2 but this dint stops the heartbreak that I experienced while reading this one as its very much a story that breaks you and then in its own way puts you back together.

Heartbreaking, soul-crushing, profound but above all an unforgettable and a beautiful story. Johnny and Shannon have officially been through hell together. Now they're on the road to recovery. With her dad out of her life, Shannon feels like she can finally have her chance at being happy. But when her past starts to make things difficult, her hope starts to fade just as quickly as it occurred.

Johnny refuses to let anything come between him and Shannon. She makes him feel—and that's not something he wants to lose. He understands that Shannon has been through a lot and will continue to struggle, but he is going to make sure she understands he's here for keeps. Just like he knows she is.

I consider myself in the camp of not really knowing how to feel after finishing this one, there were so many dark and heavy topics in this book and Chloe didn't hesitate to show us the raw, realistic and blatant vulnerability in this book. But Chloe did create a beautiful and genuine found family that brought out the best in each of them.

I enjoyed the journey that Shannon went through she came out of her shell a lot more in this book and she is trying to let other people in her life, and I liked how she's not lying to anyone even when it goes against her surviving nature. She stood up for herself against her family and her bullies when it was needed. She's so precious and strong and resilient and maybe she doesn't know it yet, but she is a survivor through and through who did everything in her power to climbed back up on her feet.

This must be one of the most healing romance stories that I have read but they are heavy books and at times I wanted nothing more than for the pain to stop. Chloe has this way of giving characters a happy ending but along the way we see that a lot of work has gone into making them the couple that they are and that they are still continuing to work on things is a testament to the real nature of the writing style.

Content Warnings