⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

5 stars! Spoiler-free.

Quite honestly, I loved this book.

Just a couple thoughts on the top of my head are that firstly, it's a little wattpad-dy. The whole dynamic between nervous, shy, abused, bullied little Shannon as compared to caring, fearless, rugby player Johnny is just too stereotypical in my head.

​

I did love how this book had multiple plots. I love it when romance is a sub-plot and there's a bigger picture, which was wonderfully demonstrated in this book.

​

Note: This story is not a happy one. It includes a lot of dark themes, including violence, gore, and abuse. Even as someone who reads dark romances without batting an eye, reading this book made me very emotional. This book doesn't end on a HEA (happy ever after).

​

PLOT/CHARACTERS:

Set in Ireland, Shannon Lynch lives with her five brothers in an abusive household. Her father comes home drunk and beats his wife as well as the kids, and Shannon and her older brother Joey do their best to protect themselves, their mother, and their three other little siblings. Shannon enrolls into a new school since she was bullied at her last one. On her first day at this new school, a rugby ball is kicked at her head, and she has a concussion. The person who kicked the ball at her, Johnny Kavanagh (an older student by a few years), is extremely apologetic and sits by her side until Shannon's mother arrives. While Shannon is concussed, she reveals alarming details of her life to Johnny, who only grows more concerned about her living situation. He decides to pay more attention to Shannon and her life to make sure that she and her family are okay. Shannon and Johnny become friends over time, and they both fall in love with each other. Of course, there are so many obstacles in the way, many of which Shannon cannot avoid, such as Johnny's older age, his aspirations to pursue football the following year in a likely distant location, and (of course) Shannon's living situation with her abusive father.

​

A perfect sequel to the first book in the series. Ideally, I would've wanted more Gibsie, but we don't always get what we wish for. Hopefully the next two in the series have some more scenes with him. Can't wait! This series is officially my second favorite of all time.