Review & Giveaway - - First and Forever

First and Forever

by Lynn Painter

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: May 12, 2026

Reviewed by PJ

Duffy Distefano loves three things: her dad, the family cat, and Minneapolis Coyote football. So after she gets booed out of a game and becomes the internet’s villain following an awful encounter with the team’s beloved mascot, she is disgruntled, to put it mildly. Eager to clear the air, Duffy agrees to an interview on a hit morning show. She doesn’t expect a co-guest to join her—especially not the Coyotes’ star tight end.

When MVP Connor Cunningham gets tasked with damage control to help his team out of a PR nightmare, he finds himself in a highly amusing verbal sparring match with a recently wronged fan on live TV. The interview instantly goes viral, and the public is obsessed with them. Despite his distaste for PR stunts, a strong push from the Coyotes’ PR team to ride the wave results in Connor asking Duffy out. But he quickly discovers being with Duffy is much easier than he anticipated, and somehow it doesn’t feel fake to him. This secret can only blow up, but all he knows is that if he messes things up with Duffy, it’ll be the greatest fumble of his life.

Oozing with chemistry that feels like fireworks and banter that makes you swoon, Lynn Painter delivers her signature blend of heart and humor in this love story that you won’t soon forget.

PJ's Thoughts:

First and Forever is my first book by Lynn Painter. I see all of you out there shaking your heads at me, muttering "first book?" and wondering what rock I've been living under. My only excuse is the tried (but true) too many books, not nearly enough time. I can assure you that after reading this book I will not be using that excuse again. Lynn Painter is now firmly placed on my "must buy, must read" romance list.

I love a book that pulls me in from the get-go and keeps me engaged until the final page, especially if it also gives me well-developed characters who leap from the pages straight into my heart. Characters like Connor and Duffy. I adored them. Their chemistry is top notch, with sparkling banter, plenty of laughs, swoony romance, and emotional underpinnings. There's more than fun and games with these two. I laughed with them, cried with them, and kept eagerly flipping the pages of their story from start to finish.

As a sports obsessed only daughter with multiple brothers and a mischief making father, I especially enjoyed Duffy's family dynamics in this book. I don't know if Painter has brothers but she hits those sibling/parent and sibling/sibling dynamics on the head. It's like she created those characters just for me. 

I loved not only the interactions among the members of Duffy's family but also between Connor and her family. The fan-"boying" over Connor by all of them was an absolute treat. Then there's Connor's own family relationship and Duffy's response to it. It made me want to give them all a big hug. 

If you enjoy contemporary romance bubbling over with humor, heart-tugging emotion, swoony romance, fake dating, and a cheer-worthy happy ending, I recommend picking up a copy of First and Forever by Lynn Painter. It's a keeper. 

Have you read Lynn Painter? 

Do you have a favorite Painter book you recommend? (I'm ready to dive into her back list)

What are you currently reading? 

One randomly chosen person posting a comment before 11:00 PM (Eastern), September 18 will receive a print copy (with sprayed edges) of First and Forever.

*U.S. only

*Must be 18