First and Forever - Review

First and Forever

By: Lynn Painter

Expected Publication: May 12, 2026 by Berkley

320 pages

Genre: Adult, Contemporary

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--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.

First and Forever feels like it's inspired by T. Swift and T. Kelce. I'm not a fan of either by the way. And I will say that I liked First and Forever more than what I know of the other two. For one, Duffy is just a football fan, not a celebrity. Yet she has an incident with the team mascot that makes her a viral celebrity. Connor is a football player celebrity. The two have a brief encounter on a talk show and have a flirty banter. Connor and his team's PR people push him to ask Duffy out on a date. He does. And he finds that he's enjoying himself.

Duffy is a non-celebrity, and she is intimidated by the negative attention she's gotten from the mascot incident. And so she is hesitant to accept a first date with Connor. Yet she goes and does enjoy herself as well. The two keep getting deterred from a second date. And I have to say that I never understood the point of the fake dating for her father's sake, given they were already headed in the direction of real dating. It was just an unnecessary plot point if you ask me.

First and Forever was a fun book that didn't feel high-stakes to me. Most of the spicy action was off-page, which I did appreciate. Language, however, was very much on-page. So many unnecessary f-bombs. I just don't understand why this is present.

First and Forever was a sweet read without much required from me in the form of investment. It was fine. I read it quickly. But I don't think it'll be a book I remember very well in the coming months. First and Forever gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read First and Forever? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for Trust Fall

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Trust Fall

By: Lynn Painter

Expected Publication: September 29, 2026 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

416 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies, Lynn Painter, comes a rags-to-riches rom-com about a small-town girl whose family inherits a fortune and moves to New York City, where she meets a big-city boy hiding an explosive secret.

Julia is just a small-town girl from Nebraska who loves her peaceful life. But when her elderly next-door neighbor—who just happens to be a secret multi-millionaire—leaves everything to Julia and her family after his passing, Julia is swept away to live in a historic brownstone in New York City and attend an elite private school for the super-rich.

It should be a dream come true. Wrong. Julia doesn’t fit in at her new school; worse, she’s failing. Enter Damion, the mysterious and handsome tutor who will get Julia back on track. Except Damion has a secret. He is the great-nephew of the man who left everything to Julia’s family. Damion doesn’t buy for a second that the person who was like a father to him would leave his home to strangers. And he’s determined to prove it.

To uncover the truth, Damion schemes to earn Julia’s trust. Not an easy task with Julia unsure about this rich boy with a rebellious personality. But the more time Damion spends with Julia, the more his plan begins to backfire. Because he is falling for the enemy—and the enemy is falling for him.

As Damion and Julia figure out where they belong, can they see past their differences and act on their feelings, or will the trust Damion has worked so hard to gain fall apart?

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

April & May 2026 EOM Wrap Ups

April

I read 5 books (not including children's books).
Manners Made Easy for the Family: 365 Timeless Etiquette Tips for Every Occasion by June Hines Moore
It's in His Kiss (The Bridgertons, # 7) by Julia Quinn
Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, # 0.5) by Suzanne Collins
On the Way to the Wedding (The Bridgertons, # 8) by Julia Quinn
Winterborne Home for Vengence and Valor (Winterborne Home for Vengence and Valor, # 1) by Ally Carter

I reviewed 4 books (not including mini reviews of children's books).
Bloodsinger (The Fire That Binds, # 2) by Juliette Cross
A Deal with a Debutante (London's Most Eligible, # 1) by Chelsea Bobulski
Brimstone (Fae & Alchemy, # 2) by Callie Hart
Stranger Things Have Happened by Kasie West

Other Posts:
Sunday Post - 04/05/26
Sunday Post - 04/19/26
Sunday Post - 04/26/26
Can't Wait for North Country by KA Tucker
Can't Wait for Storm Breaker (Storm Breaker, # 1) by Nisha J Tuli
Can't Wait for Tempest (The Lyrian Sea, #1) by Victoria Aveyard
Homeschool Friday - Be Kind

May

I read 11 books (not including children's books).
Fallen City (Fallen City Duology, # 1) by Adrienne Young
Thorns and Fire (The Ashes of Thezmarr, # 2) by Helen Scheuerer
Ten Boys Who Used Their Talents by Irene Howat
First and Forever by Lynn Painter
The Spare's Season of Light (Brides of the Regency, # 3) by Isabel Jacobs
Daggermouth (Daggermouth, # 1) by HM Wolfe
Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature by Rachel Williams
Rise of the Earth Dragon (The Dragon Masters, # 1) by Tracey West
The Answers Book for Kids Volume 7 by Ken Ham
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman
A Founding Mother: A Novel of Abigail Adams by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

I reviewed 4 books (not including mini reviews of children's books).
The Duke's Bargain by Megan Walker
A Fortunate Miscalculation (A Gentleman's Gamble, # ?) by Karen Thornell
The Last Page by Katie Holt (DNF @ 45%)
Seek the Traitor's Son (The Burning Empire, # 1) by Veronica Roth
Fallen City (Fallen City Duology, # 1) by Adrienne Young

Other Posts:
Sunday Post - 05/03/26
Sunday Post - 05/10/26
Sunday Post - 05/17/26
Sunday Post - 05/24/26
Ten Authors I Wish Were Still Publishing New Books
Top Ten Favorite Books by My Top Ten Favorite Authors
Can't Wait for The Stranger I Love (Runaway Brides, # 1) by Anneka R Walker
Can't Wait for Igniting Lies (Burning, # 1) by Rebecca Donovan
Can't Wait for Miss Beresford and the Beast (Daughters of Somerset, # 1) by Mimi Matthews
Can't Wait for Deceptive Inheritance (Remnants of the Lost, # 1) by Jennifer Anne Davis
Homeschool Friday - The Bad Seed
Homeschool Friday - Gus Loses His Grip
Homeschool Firday - If You Give a Dog a Donut

Goals:
I'm a few days ahead on my Bible-in-a-year plan.
I've read 71 out of 110 books (including children's books).

Sunday Post - 05/31/26

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ The Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~this meme was inspired in part by ~ In My Mailbox~ It's a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

Monday was Memorial Day here in the US. I spent the morning helping my brother-in-law and sister-in-law weed my mother-in-law's flower beds. We spent the day with family. Thank you to anyone who has had family members give their lives for our country and our liberties. We don't take those sacrifices lightly. Tuesday, we spent the day at my parent's house. I also got groceries. Wednesday was a normal day. Big Girl and I went to Wednesday night church. Thursday was a mostly normal day. The Big Kids had martial arts that night. Friday, I took the kids to the shoe store. They all needed shoes of some kind. We stopped in at Pet Smart just to look at the animals they had in store. And two of my kiddos used their own money to buy gifts for our dog. We grabbed CFA on our way home from that. Saturday, I decided to go to Auburn to visit my niece and her kids at the giant park. We happened to also meet another friend from church there. We stopped by BK on the way home from that. We listened to an audiobook, Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman. We started another audiobook on the way home, but didn't finish it.

THE PAST WEEK

Monday: Review of Fallen City (Fallen City Duology, # 1) by Adrienne Young
Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Books By My Top Ten Favorite Authors
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Deceptive Inheritance (Remnants of the Lost, # 1) by Jennifer Anne Davis
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Coat of Many Colors

UPCOMING THIS WEEK:

Monday: April & May 2026 EOM Wrap Ups
Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday?
Wednesday: Can't Wait for Wednesday
Thursday: Reivew of First and Forever by Lynn Painter
Friday: Homeschool Friday - Clifford's Manners

NEW BOOKS:

No new books this week.

That's it for my shelves and recaps of my past and upcoming week. What did you add to your shelves this week? Any bookish news you want to talk about? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - Coat of Many Colors

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

Coat of Many Colors

By: Dolly Parton

Illustrated By: Brooke Boynton Hughes

Publication: October 18, 2016 by Grosset & Dunlap

32 pages

Genre: Children's, Picture Books, Level-2, Music, Poetry, Family

Source: Personal Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate link. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Dolly Parton lends the lyrics of her classic song "Coat of Many Colors" to this heartfelt picture book for young readers.

Country music legend Dolly Parton's rural upbringing in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee provides the backdrop for this special picture book. Using lyrics from her classic song "Coat of Many Colors," the book tells the story of a young girl in need of a warm winter coat. When her mother sews her a coat made of rags, the girl is mocked by classmates for being poor. But Parton's trademark positivity carries through to the end as the girl realizes that her coat was made with love "in every stitch." Beautiful illustrations pair with Parton's poetic lyrics in this heartfelt picture book sure to speak to all young readers.

We've had Coat of Many Colors for many years. But when I was going through our collection to find level-2 books for my son to read, this one was on the list. He read it recently, and there were a few words he needed a little prompting with, but overall, he read this book without any issues. I was surprised when he picked this one to read, as I don't think of it as being a "boy" book. But I find that when I give him free rein to choose as he will, sometimes he will surprise me. But doing so always makes for less tension. Forcing him to read daily has shown dividends in reading progress. He's reading quicker, more confidently, and overall better in only a few weeks' time.

Coat of Many Colors is a book based upon Dolly Parton's song of the same name. It's the story of a coat her mother made her out of pieces of rags they were given. Her family was poor, and she needed a coat. A neighbor gave them a box of rags, and her mother sewed a coat for her out of the rags. While she was sewing, her mother told her the Biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colors that his father gave to him as well. Dolly felt loved and rich in her coat. Yet when it was time to go to school, other kids made fun of her homemade coat. In the book and song, Dolly says that it didn't faze her. She couldn't understand why others would think she was poor when she loved her coat and knew that her mother sewed it with love. Yet in the author's note at the end of the book, she talks about how vividly she remembers the bullying from other kids about her coat and that she doesn't think she healed from the pain until writing the song. She writes that she hopes this story helps one child feel less alone and others to see how bullying is hurtful.

I talk frequently in these reviews about how I appreciate a story with a moral. This story is a great one. It shows that we can feel loved, rich, and happy despite what others may say about us. It shows that bullies are missing some key points. It shows that we can choose happiness and joy despite how others treat us. Coat of Many Colors gets 4 Stars. Have you or your child read Coat of Many Colors? What did you think? Let me know!