I had a fun time reading the fun banter between Duffy and Connor. With Duffy being an expert in the Minneapolis Coyotes football team, the relationship between them was funny to read and incredibly charming. I liked reading this for it’s lightheartedness yet when it came to serious moments, I greatly appreciated Lynn Painter’s writing.

Book: First and Forever by Lynn Painter
Series: Standalone
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
(Thank you Berkley Romance and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review)
Tags: Adult, romance, sports, closed door, banter, fake dating
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Kobo | Barnes and Noble | Thrift Books | Abe Books
Read: May 11, 2026 to May 14, 2026

A football star and a diehard fan entangled in a PR stunt—that only one side knows is fake—might be the right play in this new romantic comedy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lynn Painter.

Duffy Distefano loves three things: her dad, the family cat, and Minneapolis Coyotes football. So when she gets booed out of a game and becomes the internet’s villain, she is distraught—and disgruntled. All she did was shove Coyote Carl away when he made a move on her, but everyone else just saw a woman attacking their team’s beloved mascot. 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 their PR nightmare, he thought that meant saying a few words on the team’s behalf. Instead, he finds himself in a highly amusing verbal sparring match with a recently wronged fan on live TV. Duffy pelts him with fiery jabs but is also clearly diehard about the Coyotes—color him intrigued…and attracted.

The interview instantly goes viral, and the public is obsessed with them. A strong push from the Coyotes’ PR team to ride the wave results in Connor asking Duffy out. Despite his distaste for PR stunts, he’s surprised to discover being with Duffy is much easier than he thought, and somehow it doesn’t feel fake to him. Harboring 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.

Spoiler Free Review

Thank you to Berkley Romance for inviting me to read the eARC of First and Forever! I had a fun time reading the fun banter between Duffy and Connor. With Duffy being an expert in the Minneapolis Coyotes football team, the relationship between them was funny to read and incredibly charming. I liked reading this for it’s lightheartedness yet when it came to serious moments, I greatly appreciated Lynn Painter’s writing. Just from the start of the book when they first met, I liked how easygoing the start of their relationship was. And although Duffy was reserved at first, she was still willing to be open and get to know Connor and vice versa.

What I enjoyed about Connor as a main character was how much of a sweetheart he was. I liked that he took the time to listen to Duffy and I found myself really enjoying his point of view a lot. I especially enjoyed how much he liked Duffy. Having read a lot of sports romances, it’s always a refreshing read when one or both of the main characters realize their feelings.

Connor and Duffy were a great pair in First and Forever and I loved reading their romance. I liked that it was a closed door romance and sometimes you just need a change of pace.

Thank you again to Berkley Romance for inviting me to read the eARC of First and Forever!

I hope you guys have a great day, please like and comment down below if you enjoyed this book as well or if you plan on reading it!

Loves,

Honey Roselea Reads