One Old, One New features two books – one old, one new, which are connected in some way. Today I am featuring two books by Lynn Painter.
Published by Berkley on May 12, 2026
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
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.
After an unfortunate dust-up with the Minneapolis Coyotes mascot, Duffy needed to rehab her image. She appeared on a morning talkshow to make amends with the general public, but they also invited the Coyotes' tight end, Connor, to appear. People LOVED the energy between these two, and a PR stunt was born!
This book leaned in hard to its rom-com label, and I loved it! It was fun and sweet and surprisingly, low drama. I adored both Duffy and Connor and loved them together. Connor was way too charming, but he was also lonely as a new transplant who was slowly losing his beloved grandfather. Duffy was not new to grief and loss with the year anniversary of her mother's death quickly approaching and her father facing a serious health challenge.
Being together made it better for Connor and Duffy. They had each other to lean on, but they also had a great escape in one another. A big thing for Duffy was securing that second date. She always found herself in the friend zone. She was hoping for more this time, and I was right behind her with my fingers crossed. This union made me smile. They were both so kind and generous while also being honest, and their banter never failed to make me smile.
I adored Duffy's dad. He definitely could be one of my family members. I did wish we got to know her brothers a bit more, but Painter can do that when she gives each of them their own book. (Right, Lynn?). The family were just so present for each other. That is one of the greatest gifts in life.
Overall, I had a wonderful time watching this fauxmance turn into something real.
*ARC PROVIDED BY THE PUBLISHER
Published by Simon & Schuster on September 30, 2025
Age/Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating:
Goodreads
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Better Than the Movies Lynn Painter comes a heartfelt and banter-filled “feel-good rom-com” (School Library Journal) about childhood sweethearts whose icy reunion in their hockey-loving hometown unexpectedly thaws when they fake a romantic relationship.
Growing up, Dani couldn’t help but follow around the adorable son of her mom’s best friend. Funny, kind of nerdy, and a little soft, Alec was always down to hang with Dani when they were little. From play dates to sneaking into movie theaters, Dani and Alec were inseparable. Until Dani moved away. Alec promised they’d stay in touch—except, they didn’t.
Flash forward and Dani is back in Minnesota for her senior year, she and her mom living with her grandfather. Dealing with the fallout of her parents’ devastating divorce, Dani wouldn’t mind a nerd-out with the cozy and comforting Alec (and maybe a chance to confront him on his MIA status for all these years). But teenage Alec is nothing like the kid Dani remembers. He’s a hockey star in a town where hockey players are worshiped as gods. Dani’s place as his shadow has been taken up by drooling female fans…and he loves it.
Dani is resolved to ice out her former best friend until an unlikely series of events brings them together—and forces them to fake being a couple. Once stuck together, the former childhood sweethearts begin to reconnect, unearth complicated family secrets, and face their true feelings towards each other…including the real reason Alec has been pushing Dani away all these years.
Alec and Dani looked forward to their month together each summer. Over the years, their friendship grew into something special, but after a falling out between her father and grandfather, a chasm grew between Dani and Alec. Following her parents' divorce, Dani was now going to call Southview home, but things were still tense between her and Alec. When they find themselves in a bind, Dani agrees to fake date Alec, but will this lead to mending the broken bridge between them?
Lynn Painter's young adult romances are always fantastic, and Fake Skating is a stellar example of why.
- An incredible small town setting
- Friends-to-fake-to-more romance
- Characters with SO MUCH history
- A grumpy and lovable grandpa
- Fun and loyal friends
I really enjoyed watching this whole story unfold even if I thought Dani and Alec should have confronted the past a bit sooner. Regardless, I still adored their love story and both their personal journeys. Dani had some healing to do in order to trust again, while Alec had the whole weight of the world on his shoulders and was ignoring his dreams for what he thought others wanted and expected from him. These two won me over, and I had to root for them. I was so thrilled with the ending Painter gave them, too. Not gonna lie, I did shed some tears as I read this one. Overall, this was another hit from Painter!
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