First and Forever

by Lynn Painter

REVIEW POSTED ONLINE: AUG 16, 2026

Duffy gets invited to a morning show due to a recent incident involving a beloved football mascot. There she meets tight end Connor Cunningham to talk about what happened, but instead finds herself flirting ruthlessly with the football giant. Could a celebrity finally be the one to break her friend zone curse?


AUTHOR: Lynn Painter

PUB DATE: MAY 12, 2026

GENRES: Romantic Comedy, Sports Romance, Contemporary Romance, New Adult

CATEGORIES: Football, Fake Dating, Celebrity


REVIEW

What I Liked:
I thought it was great that Connor recognized that Duffy was more of a tomboy and embraced it. The way he came up with gifts and dates she would actually enjoy rather than what would be typically expected when first dating was swoon-worthy. Duffy's dad was a hilarious side character even though he faces serious health conditions in the story.

Fair Warning:
Reading First and Forever is almost like sucking down an entire pixie stick all at once. Connor is one of the sweetest, most thoughtful book boyfriend's I've ever read. He's not 100% perfect to the point of being unbelievable, but it's a close thing.

Overall:
If you're in the mood for a super cute sports romance, give First and Forever a try. Football lovers will be able to immediately relate to Duffy and her family who are all die hard fans of the local professional team. While I've seen it labeled Adult Fiction, I would say it's more of a New Adult with two early twenties main characters still very much trying to figure out their lives and neither having much experience falling in love.

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Heat Index: 🔥🔥 (2/5)