First and Forever, Lynn Painter (Review by Sara D’Onofrio)

Lynn Painter is one of the best romcom authors in my opinion. The sarcastic banter and subtle flirting are written in a way that seems effortless, even though I’m sure it’s not. In my opinion, because the author makes it seem so effortless, it makes the connection more genuine between the characters. The sarcasm throughout this whole book was like it was taken straight out of my attitude on a daily basis and I loved every second of it. I enjoyed how Duffy was so unapologetically herself. Even though she could have pretended to be something that she wasn’t to impress Connor, she still stayed her stubborn, quirky, and blunt self. I have had a lot of books lately where the female main character is annoyingly self-deprecating. All she does the entire book is talk badly about herself and describe how unworthy she thinks she is, and it becomes more frustrating than anything. It was SO refreshing to have a female main character maybe have a smidge of self -doubt but also know that she deserved more and not constantly put herself down. And Connor Cunningham… I mean come ON. He seemed too good to be true the entire time, and I was dreading the moment when the other shoe dropped. I was so pleasantly surprised that the shoe stayed firmly in place the entire book. He was funny, sexy, thoughtful, and created a safe place for Duffy to just be herself. I do wish there would have been more sexual tension, or the author wouldn’t have made it quite as closed door as it was. I have a feeling Connor would have been even more swoon-worthy with small look behind that door. I really enjoyed the book though! It was a fast read and kept me interested the whole time!