Genre 📚: Adult Contemporary, Romance
Tropes 💁♀️: Sports romance, Football fan x Football player, Fake dating/PR stunt
CW ⚠️: Dementia, loss of a loved one, grief
Rating ⭐️: 3/5
In First and Forever, Duffy and her family are all about their city’s football team, the Coyotes — it’s their LIFE. So when Duffy shoves the team’s mascot (after the asshat made a move on her) and she becomes hated overnight, she has to fix it. She goes on a talk show to set things straight, and at the same time, the Coyotes’ star tight end Connor Cunningham is there for damage control. People immediately clock their chemistry, including Connor’s PR team. His PR team then pushes him to take advantage of the opportunity and take Duffy out on a date. Play it up and get the fans even more excited.
This book really hit the ground running, starting right at the talk show interview and introducing us to our soon-to-be couple. Much like the fans, I was locked in on them and wanting to see where their relationship would go. And it didn’t take very long for them to develop feelings, since they had a natural ease and comfort to their dynamic. It was instalovey, for sure, as are most of Lynn Painter’s adult romances. But the instalove was done in such a way that, reservations be damned, it still managed to sweep me off my feet. The power of the fake dating element is simply too strong for a weak soul like me. 😂💕
**Much thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. First and Forever will be released on May 12, 2026.
Sara Bechtol 