In First and Forever by Lynn Painter, Duffy Distefano has a sinking feeling that her love of numbers–she’s an accountant–her family, and football will 
be the only true loves of her life. Because every relationship she’s had since she began dating has ended up in the friend zone. All of them. So, after Duffy is humiliated at a Minneapolis Coyotes football game when the mascot grabs her inappropriately and she knocks him down, she tries to do damage control on a local morning TV show. They somehow neglect to tell her that the team’s MVP tight end would also be on air with her. The gorgeous, talented, huge, stylish Connor Cunningham. Duffy nearly loses her mind when they get set up on a date together. While she’ll admit she loved giving Connor a hard time on stage, she has no idea if they have anything at all in common. Aside from football. But she’s happily surprised when they have a phenomenal time. And it has her wondering if their attraction could actually be real.
‘I, Duffy Distefano, had been friend-zoned by every man who’d taken me out since high school.
Literally.
Every. Single. One.’
Connor is not a huge fan of the business and PR side of being a football player. He lives to be on the field and to make sure his family back home is taken care of to the best of his ability. But he’s not going to lie: Duffy is not only a riot with her sassy comebacks but she’s also very, very attractive. So, against his better judgement at listening to the management team instead of his own head, Connor goes on a date with Duffy. Talk about sparks! He’s nearly addicted to their connection right away. And as he plans the perfect follow-up dates, hoping to get to know feisty Duffy even better, he revels in her close-knit family. Her brothers and father are hilarious but also completely welcoming. Something Connor has been missing with his family on the West coast. But when the truth about a few things comes out, things he failed to mention to Duffy, their newfound relationship is on very shaky ground. Can he save it all by offering up the full truth? Or will Duffy push Connor away for good?
“You are all I can fucking see, all the time, even when I’m alone,” I admitted. “You haunt me, Distefano.”
“You kill me when you say things like that,” she said quietly, almost like she was worried. “How am I supposed to keep my wits about me when you use those words?”
FIRST AND FOREVER was a sports rom-com that had me grinning wildly and laughing out loud at the highly entertaining banter between accountant Duffy and VIP tight end Connor. But I should have expected it. I’ve come to count on Lynn Painter’s ability to take me out of the daily grind and lose myself in her romances, watching her totally relatable characters fall in love–and live through some memorable predicaments like Duffy went through. (The football team’s mascot might have been involved in some of those shenanigans…twice)
“With you, it’s forever.”
But it was the combination of Duffy’s down-to-earth family and Connor’s thoughtfulness that really won my heart over. It’s not that the family scenes took over the story. It was more that they showed a side of Duffy the outside world didn’t get to see. To Connor, she was a smart-alecky fan who loved to bust his chops about his performance on the field–something he 100% enjoyed. But with her family, Duffy was protective, kind, caring, while still keeping her awesome three brothers and her even more awesome father in line. And Connor was there for every moment of it, even helping out when things went wrong.
TROPES/VIBES:
💞 Fake dating
🏈 Sports romance
📺 Viral meet-cute
💬 Entertaining banter
🤍 Clean romance
🔥 Sizzling chemistry
CW: View Spoiler »
The fake dating aspect was both complicated and very interesting, the way Painter wove it into each decision both Connor and Duffy made–although they did so for different reasons. But they had the type of relationship that was founded on friendship, even if Duffy hated the whole “friend zone” aspect, given her past dating history. In this case, though, it meant she and Connor had a place to fall back on when things turned tough. They could meet each other where they were at that very moment. And it was ultimately what helped bring them closer, allowing them to reach for a HEA that was as sweet as it was satisfying.
FIRST AND FOREVER was a fun, flirty romance that combined sparkling banter, emotional vulnerability, and one of my favorite fake dating twists. This was the kind of story that delivered all the swoon, tension, and heartfelt payoff I love.
QOTD: Duffy and her family were football fanatics. Is there a sports team or even a hobby or activity you and your loved ones are huge fans of?
Book Info:
Publication: Published: May 12th, 2026 | Berkley |
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.
Please leave a comment