Your ‘Boys of Tommen’ Couples Guide: Who’s Together in the Books?
Honestly, it’s a great time to be a romance reader. We’re being absolutely spoiled when it comes to book-to-screen adaptations, from Off Campus to Heated Rivalry and everything in between. Next up? Chloe Walsh’s beloved Boys of Tommen book series.
Set in Cork, Ireland, these coming-of-age romances are deeply emotional and unapologetically character-driven, tackling themes of trauma, grief, abuse, healing, and first love with remarkable sensitivity. The series follows rugby star Johnny Kavanagh, Shannon Lynch, the endlessly lovable Gibsie, and their close-knit group of friends as they navigate life at the prestigious Tommen College and all the joys and heartbreaks that come with growing up. Think all the swoony romance and emotional angst of your favorite sports romances, just swap the ice hockey for rugby.
For now, only the first two books, Binding 13 and Keeping 13, are being adapted by Prime Video. But if the series is a hit (and we have every reason to believe it will be), we have a feeling it won’t be long before the rest of Tommen’s unforgettable couples make it to our screens, too. In the meantime, Swooon has your full breakdown of all the Boys of Tommen couples, their appearances in the book series, and more. (Warning: Boys of Tommen spoilers ahead!)
Johnny Kavanagh & Shannon Lynch
Book(s): Binding 13, Keeping 13
Appearances: Saving 6, Redeeming 6, Taming 7
Who’s playing them in the TV show? Conor Sánchez and Nancy Surridge
Amazon MGM Studios
Johnny Kavanagh has everything going for him. On the rugby pitch, he’s a force to be reckoned with, and with a professional career within reach, his future seems all but guaranteed. The only thing he never saw coming? The shy new girl who quite literally crashes into his life.
Johnny first meets Shannon Lynch when she transfers to Tommen College. Running late for class, Shannon cuts across the rugby pitch to save time, only for Johnny to accidentally knock her unconscious with a wayward kick. It’s not exactly a storybook meet-cute, but it marks the beginning of one of romance’s most beloved love stories.
As the two grow closer, Shannon slowly lets Johnny into her world. Behind her quiet exterior, she’s hiding unimaginable pain, desperately trying to keep the abuse she suffers at home and the relentless bullying she faces at school a secret from him. But Johnny is determined to be there for her, no matter how long it takes to earn her trust. After her parents die, she and her siblings are taken in by Johnny’s family.
Johnny and Shannon later get married and have children, making them the only couple readers get to glimpse in their happily-ever-after future.
Joey Lynch & Aoife Molloy
Book(s): Saving 6, Redeeming 6
Appearances: Binding 13, Keeping 13, Taming 7
Who’s playing them in the TV show? James O’Donoghue and Sophie McGibbon
Amazon MGM Studios
Next, the spotlight shifts to Shannon’s older brother, Joey Lynch. Plagued by self-loathing and carrying the weight of his family’s survival on his shoulders, Joey is constantly torn between his fierce sense of responsibility and the addiction that threatens to consume him. Angry at the world but endlessly devoted to the people he loves, he’s one of the series’ most heartbreaking characters.
The one bright spot in Joey’s life is Aoife Molloy, the daughter of his boss. Ever since they met on their first day of secondary school, Aoife has been determined to break through the walls Joey’s built around himself. Joey, convinced he’s beyond saving, refuses to let her get too close, but Aoife isn’t the type to give up on someone she loves.
Their romance is a delicious slow-burn, friends-to-lovers story, complete with plenty of good-girl-meets-bad-boy tension. While their books were published later in the series, Joey and Aoife’s story runs parallel to, and often before, the events of Binding 13 and Keeping 13, offering us a deeper look at everything happening behind the scenes for these two.
Gerard “Gibsie” Gibson & Claire Biggs
Book(s): Taming 7
Appearances: Binding 13, Keeping 13, Saving 6, Redeeming 6, Releasing 10
Who’s playing them in the TV show? John Hewson and Amelia May
It took a while to get the Gibsie and Claire book we’d all been waiting for, but it was more than worth it. Gibsie has always been the group’s comic relief, delivering some of the series’ funniest moments with his quick wit and endless jokes. But beneath the humor lies a young man carrying deep emotional scars, using laughter to mask the trauma he’s spent years trying to outrun.
Then there’s Claire, Shannon’s best friend and one of the few people who truly sees through Gibsie’s carefully crafted façade. He’s always been one of her older brother’s friends, but to Claire, he’s always been so much more than that. She sees the vulnerable side of Gibsie that no one else does and refuses to stop believing in him, even when he struggles to believe in himself.
Their friends-to-lovers romance is one of the most emotional in the Boys of Tommen series, but their journey isn’t over just yet. Their story is set to continue in Healing 7, which is expected to be released in 2026.
Hughie Biggs & Lizzie Young
Book(s): Releasing 10
Appearances: Binding 13, Keeping 13, Saving 6, Redeeming 6, Taming 7
Who’s playing them in the TV show? Alex Young and Indy Lewis
Claire’s brother Hughie has always been the quiet, dependable anchor of the friend group, especially when it comes to supporting Gibsie. Calm, loyal, and endlessly patient, he’s the kind of person everyone leans on, but beneath his steady exterior, he’s carrying struggles of his own.
Lizzie, meanwhile, has always felt like she was “too much.” Diagnosed with bipolar disorder at a young age, she’s spent much of her life feeling out of place, whether with her family, her friends, or her wider community. Yet despite everything, she and Hughie share a profound soul-deep connection that’s impossible to ignore. However, trauma from Lizzie’s past leads her to push him away and even betray him.
Releasing 10 gives context to their childhood, but their story is far from over. It will continue in Claiming 10, which is expected to be released in 2026 and should catch up to them as adults. We’re hoping for some resolution from these two.
