I have seen this book around Booktok for awhile but wasn't really sure if I'd ever get it. I added it to my wishlist anyway and Sam @ Fictionally Sam actually got if for my birthday! I of course knew I had to read it in 2025 and when it was picked as book of the month in a discord server called Hopeless Romantics I finally had an excuse to start it.

Binding 13 is a story about fifteen years old Shannon. She has been bullied her whole life both in school and at home. She was scared 24/7 until her mother finally gets her transferred to a different school. There she meets Johnny, rugby player who accidentally hurts her on her first day at the new school. 

Johnny felt like girls were only a complication he didn't need in his life. He had sexual relations with girls of course but he didn't do girlfriends and he was determined to just be friends with Shannon. She was only fifteen when they met afterall while he was almost eighteen years old. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't keep away from her. He was doing just a little things for her, like making sure she wasn't bullied and gave her rides to home. 

I liked and hated the slow burn romance. I think it was great for their growth but ta the same time I wanted to shake Johnny for being in denial for his feelings. He was so protective of her and didn't want her to be with anyone else but kept saying they're just friends. He taught her to trust someone outside of his family and she taught him that there was more to life than rugby. He might love the sport but it wasn't all he was.

It's unsual for me to like the family bonds or even friendships in books. I'm very peculiar on the kind of relationships I like but this book hit on both counts. The relationship Johnny shares with his best friend? Amazing. How about his parents? Amazing. The relationship between Sharron and her siblings? Amazing, except we don't really know anything about Darren.

At this point Darren could burn for all I care. I can't believe he just left his siblings to that situation. I'm still thorn about Shannon's friendships. They just don't hit the same as Johnny's. Lizzie just isn't around and I hated when Claire told things about Johnny and Shannon to those girls after promising not to tell anyone.

I loved how close Joey and Shannon are but I think I'm going to love his possible friendship with Johnny and Gibsie even more. I mean that car ride scene alone was just-- I have no words for the possibility of those three being friends.

All in all I didn't want to put this book down at all but the slow burn almost killed me. This was like the definition of slow burn and it was so angsty. I don't know how I will survive the second book. I'm not really sure if the other couples can hit the same as Johnny and Shannon's so far but I think I'd give them a try even just for tiny crumbs of these two. That's the kind of hold these two had of me despite of barely being anything besides friends.

I recommend getting the second book before starting this book as this does end in a cliffhanger.