First and Forever by Lynn Painter
First and Forever by Lynn Painter
Somehow, this was my first ever Lynn Painter novel and I know I will be picking more of hers up now, since I enjoyed this one! The meet-cute was funny and I enjoyed how the main characters’ humor was very similar and gave some great banter between them.
I’m always a bit wary of sports romances because sometimes the celebrity falling in love with a very random stranger is quite far-fetched. Plus, it’s so hard on the partner to be thrust into a spotlight they are not ready for. I enjoyed that Connor is very early in his career and trying to gain his own footing with being famous because it makes sense that he and Duffy can then handle everything together.
I will say that I was a bit disappointed in the secondary characters as they felt a bit flat at times. Also, the expectations of Duffy’s father for her and some of his meddling is a bit too much when he seems to be completely hands off with her three brothers. How is he great in certain ways and then gives into a double standard so much? It didn’t seem to fit some of his personality at times so it became a bit frustrating, especially one of his meddling moments at the end seemed very rude.
The fact that the dad, brothers and even best friend are barely in this book actually helped me enjoy the couple so much though since it was really focused all on them. I loved that Connor understood Duffy so quickly and understood what types of things she’d actually enjoy on a date or as a present because it showed how much they truly got each other and were meant for each other. They clicked so well and I was so happy for them.
There were some very silly moments in this book as well, so it was definitely a rom-com. I wouldn’t go into this expecting a lot of emotional depth. But I really enjoyed the characters and the silliness and am looking forward to more of Lynn’s books!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
Synopsis: 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.