First and Forever – 5/5 ✩
First and Forever by Lynn Painter is about football super fan Duffy Distefano and tight end Connor Cunningham who meet in the midst of a PR nightmare. They instantly hit it off, yet they end up entangled in a fake dating scheme. So, where does the scheme end and where do real feelings begin?
I think it’s safe to say, that much like how Duffy is a football super fan, I am a Lynn Painter super fan. I’ve read each and every Lynn Painter book and I sat down and read this one in one sitting. I simply could not put it down.
If you love banter, then this is the book for you. Very few authors can do banter like Lynn Painter and I sat there laughing the entire time I was reading. I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face (except for those couple scenes where I couldn’t keep the tears at bay, iykyk).
Something else Lynn does really well is write men who fall first and fall HARD and this book was no exception. I loved how goofy Connor could be, but also how much he was willing to work to win Duffy’s heart and how the two of them together were able to match each other’s snark and affection.
Truly, I loved every moment of this book. It ranged from scenes with light banter to conversations that really tugged at the heartstrings. I also thought it was very special how important both of their families were to them and how they were able to share that with each other.
My ONLY piece of criticism is that I wish we got to see a little more of their relationship on the page without their families being there too. It’s clear how much these two care about each other and it’s clear when their relationship progressed, but I also wanted to see just more of them on the page together.
Regardless, I LOVED this book and it’s easily a 5/5 ✩ novel for me. I truly can’t wait for this book to hit shelves and for the world to become engrossed in Duffy and Connor’s love story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the uncorrected ebook file in exchange for an honest review!
Anchored Musings 