3rd time reading, 5 stars again. This book has to be one of the BEST things I have EVER read in my ENTIRE LIFE. It will forever have a place in my heart. It has first love, bullying (not from the MMC), abuse, funny teenage moments, and so much more. I love that not only does Chloe Walsh develop Johnny and Shannon’s relationship perfectly, but she does the same for the side characters. Like with Aoife helping out Shannon and Joey. Gibsie’s crazy shenanigans with changing everyone’s contact in Johnny's phone, vomiting everywhere, and almost burning his face off trying to cook. Gibsie going off on a tangent trying to prove that a word exists or Gisbie getting worried that Johnny hasn't been “treating” himself 🤭🤣. And she does it spectacularly. Like, there CANNOT be one person who says they don't like Gibsie. Or even Claire, or Lizzie. Or Johnny's mom, Joey, and the little bit we see of Johnny's dad. I genuinely loved every aspect of this book. Y’all, Gibsie is something else. The scene with Brian? 🤣🤣. When he becomes self conscious about Lizzie’s comment of his rugby-shaped head 🤣🤣. But I’m loving the Gibsie and Claire scenes. Like how he says she’s so beautiful and he’s going to marry her one day 😭😭. How he easily lets himself into her house. How excited they were to see each other after the rugby game 🥹. And then their flirting. I CANNOT wait for their book. I will turn into the most annoying person alive reading their book 🤭.

Johnny is easily one of the best MMC’s ever written. Like how is Johnny so sweet, kind, and thoughtful to Shannon on just the first day he met her 🥲. Like not only is he mesmerized by her on that first day, but it’s the day that changed everything for the both of them and he protected her and cared for her since. And I love that Johnny never misses when Shannon has a new bruise on her body. He ALWAYS notices, and he’s always outraged and demands an answer.  Poor Johnny, all he wants is to know who’s doing it so he can fix it but she won’t tell him 😭. I seriously love every interaction with them. Like it was the cutest most perfect thing when Sookie scared Shannon and she climbed up Johnny's body and wrapped her arms and legs around him and wouldn’t let go 🤣🤣. Y’all, if you didn’t know, there’s an extended chapter of the cinema scene in the bloom book edition !! It was so cute. He held her hand, they sat in a couples booth, and had her legs on his lap 🥹. And he didn’t deny when his friends saw them and said he was on a date with his girlfriend 🤭. Then, the moment we all knew Johnny was whipped was when it’s pouring rain, Shannon’s shoe gets drenched with water and she loses it. So Johnny picks her up, puts her in the car which his mom is driving and goes back into the pouring rain to get her shoe back 😭😭. And then it’s so amazing that Johnny and Shannon’s instincts are on point. Like Shannon knew that if and when she got home, nothing good would happen. And Johnny knew that anytime Shannon leaves his side, nothing bad is going to happen. Like his mind and gut is screaming at him to bring her back 😭. I’m not ready to reread Keeping 13, iykyk 😢.

Favorite quotes/scenes:

Johnny and Shannon

“Jesus, this girl was beautiful. I’d noticed it earlier of course. She had a striking look about her. But now, seeing her up close like this and being able to count the freckles on her face—eleven by the way—it was hitting home just how striking she was.”

“I had this crazy urge to google eye color charts just so I could figure out the fucking color blue in her eyes. I would do that later, I decided. Creepy or not, I needed to know.”

"She was nice to think about. She was fucking beautiful. Her voice. Her hair. Her smell. The way she spoke. Every single part of her."

“Could you stop staring at her for five fucking minutes and pretend to be listening to me. Seriously, lad. It’s getting creepy, and you’re putting me off my food.”
“I’m not doing anything.”
“No, you’re not doing anything. You’re only mentally undressing her in your head.”
“I am not.”
I was. I so fucking was. Christ, was I that obvious?
“Yes, you are that obvious.”

"I hated humans. They were such a disappointment. And to think, god switched dinosaurs for man. He must be raging." (Shannon and I are one and the same with this statement)

“Give me a name. And I’ll take care of it.”
“What—no! I’m grand. I have allergies.”
“Me too. To assholes and bullshit. Now, tell me who made you cry and I’ll fix it.”

“God, he was just so beautiful, it was painful. Everything about Johnny Kavanagh was pure perfection. He was big and strong, and his face? Oh god, his face was the best face I had ever laid eyes on.”

“This girl is different. This one is for keeps.”

“Where are we heading?” (Joey)
Straight to your house because I wanna fuck your sister (Johnny)

"She was fucking perfect. I was so caught up in her that I could have sat there all night, just being with her."

“I was thoroughly addicted to every single thing about the girl and it had nothing to do with the physical—and the physical was pretty fucking perfect.”

“Because you’re beautiful. Inside and out.”
“I am?”
“Everywhere.”

"I carefully scrolled through his playlists and almost had a heart attack when my eyes landed on the one named Songs for Shannon. There were love songs. These were all love songs. Saved to a playlist with my name on it."

“I was starving for her and everything she was. Every part of her. Inside and out. I wanted to fight all her battles. I wanted to give her all her smiles and make her laugh and snatch her away from the rest of the world and keep her all to myself. I just wanted her. For keeps.”

"I already felt like I was drowning with her. That's how consumed I was in this girl. That's how much I loved her."

"I think I love that girl."
"Well, who's this girl."
“She's a river. I'm keeping her, Da."
"Okay, son. You keep the girl."
"She makes my heart go, like, whoa."
"Is that right?"
"So bad, Da. Boom, boom, fucking boom. All the time."

“I’m gonna sail my boat down her river. My dick boat.”
“Can they knock him back out? He’s going to give me a stroke with all this talk.”
“It’s okay, Ma. I’m gonna keep her, too. Make all my babies with her because my balls work—and Da says I can pull my dick again. Woo!”

“Tell me you’ll have my babies.”
“Johnny—“
“Just tell me you will. Just say it, Shannon! Please! I can’t take it.”
“Sure? Whatever you want, Johnny.”
“Gibs. Did you hear that lad?”
“I sure did, bulldozer.”
“Didn’t I do good, Da? See? I found her!”

"I think I need you for keeps."
"I think I need you for keeps, too."
"You are so pretty. That very first day. Boom.
"Boom?"
"Boom."

"Who's making you sad? Tell me, baby."
"Nobody, Johnny."
"You lie and it hurts my heart. All those marks. It hurts when I know someone's hurting my Shannon."
"Johnny—"
"Who's hurting you, baby? I'll fix it."

Gibsie

“<Look at her, Johnny. Look at how beautiful that girl is. Christ, it might be that sunshine hair, but I swear she glows.” (Gibsie)
“Don’t even think about it.”
“I won’t—for now. But I’ve got a feeling that I’m going to marry her.” (Gibsie)

“Just answer me one question and I’ll drop it. Are you fucking yourself?”
“Go fuck yourself!”
“I do. Three times a day. Can you?”
“Yeah, I’m not listening to this.”
“Better out than in, lad. Practice makes perfect. Let me know how it goes.”

“And does Hotel Gibson come with good reviews?”
“It comes with cock, Claire-Bear. An unlimited supply of five-star cock.”
“Say it louder. I don’t think everyone heard you.”
“It comes with cock, Claire! My cock.”
“Fuck your cock.”
“Of course, you can. But here’s not really the place.”
“I don’t know why I’m friends with you. You’re so inappropriate.”
“You are friends with me because you love me. Because I’m the only one that makes your cheeks turn pink in more ways that one.”

-"Yeah, well, I don't have a rugby shaped head. Do I?"
"No, Gibs. Your heads not shaped like a rugby ball."
"Really? Because I weighed like twelve pounds when I was born, and my Mam's always bitching to her friends about how I wrecked her with my big head.'
"It's a perfectly normal head, Gibs. Very circular."
"Not too big?"
"You grew into it. Fits you fine now." (Gibsie and Johnny)

“And you’re the one who told me to be her friend.”
“Well, I was wrong. You can’t do it. It’ll never work. Give up now. 
“Yes, it will. It has to.”
“Why does it have to work?”
“Because I need her—Because I want to keep her in my life.”
“You want to keep her, period. Because you are ass over tit in love with that girl.”