Playing for Keeps

By: R. L. Mathewson

Narrated by: Fran Jules

Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Done with being the world's biggest pushover, Haley decides that things are going to change starting with the aggravating neighbor who has too much charm and not enough restraint. What she didn't expect was to be sucked into his world, but Haley has a game plan and she won't let herself forget just what the bad boy next door is capable of.

The last thing Jason expected was for his little shy neighbor to go Rambo on him over some ruined flowers. After he decides to take her under his wing he can't help but that notice that she fits very nicely in his life. Now the only left is to convince her that this is anything but a game.

©2011 R.L. Mathewson (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Silly

After a battle over property lines that results in getting swarmed by wasps, Haley and Jason find friendship and eventually love. Of course, the fun part was the in between. With lots of LOL bits and plenty of sweet moments too, you get a great little romantic comedy. It reminded me a lot of Wallbanger, in formula. Enemy neighbors to good friends to love and a HEA. I really liked the epilogue too! One thing did kind of bother me though, how in the hell is Jason not fat!

“How dare you touch my cookies, you bastard!” Jason said in utter disgust before popping the cookie into his mouth and heading back to his house.
“Damn those looked good, too,” Brad grumbled.
Haley sighed. “Don’t worry I have a second plate on my counter.” The words were barely out of her mouth when Jason abruptly changed course and headed towards her house.
“Well, there was,” she said, watching Jason walk into her house like he owned it. A minute later he walked out of her house, carrying both plates and the gallon of milk she had in her fridge. He headed back to his house, but not before he glared at Brad. “You cookie thieving bastard,” they heard him mutter.

DNF

Immature characters, cliches abound, and I just can’t be convinced to give a crap about them. These two are more like high schoolers than anything.

Ending ruined it for me

I was ready to love this book, but the final 1/3 of it totally ruined it.

A+ rating...

My Review:
Overall.... 4.75
Performance... 5.0
Story.... 4.75

Okay, I heard ALL the many, many raves about this book when it came out and bought it...but just never read it. But when I saw it on Audible, I decided that would be a good way to delve into this new to me author.

OMG, listening to this book on audiobook could not have been a more perfect experience. The story is funny and sweet and romantic. I'm a huge friends to lovers sucker and this story was a perfect example of why I think that trope works so incredibly well. On top of that, the narrator was incredible. I loved her voices and inflections for all the characters. I seriously cannot imagine a single way this story could have been told better. It was just so freaking good.

I love that these two have lived next to one another for 5 years, but have been pretty much enemies...until Haley hits the wall of what she will accept...and then an amazing friendship blossoms from that. I like how they transitioned from friends to lovers...it was such a natural progression for the two of them. I ADORED and continually giggled about Jason's obsession over food and then to see his father...OMG, seriously rolling on the floor.

I cannot rave enough about just how good this book was. I listened to it easily in two days and then immediately downloaded book #2...and yes, the review is coming for that one too. Same narrator, same amazing story telling. I think I just found a new author to stalk. Now if only all her books were available as audiobooks...

Broad strokes good, small holes sink the ship

Overall the concept and story had some very touching and good points. It was really the small things that hurt my overall enjoyment of the book. The biggest sin is that the characters are just way to immature, the girl is 29 and the man 31 and they act like two teenagers. Their humor is also along those lines, and those jokes are very repetitive. The brownies and baked good joke runs throughout the book, and honestly by chapter 8 it was getting old, by chapter 12 I hated it. Calling her "grasshopper" also, gets old, it was kind of humorous at the start but when you using it against your girlfriend who is only 2 years younger, it just sounds weird. Also, the three stooge act with Jason's friends was stupid… and repetitive again. Also, the other males and females that keep jumping at the two main characters and no one believes they are dating the whole book, also gets again, repetitive. The book is mainly just to long winded, repetitive and predictable.

I expected a story about personal growth, where Hailey is the shy, skittish, slightly immature girl and her mature neighbor helps her grow as a person. After the first few chapters, it becomes just a generic love story.

Narrator too boring for me

I love the Neighbor From Hell series, they are hilarious. The Bradford men remind me of my own husband who is all about himself except for his family. Haley is this sweet, shy thing who doesn't want attention drawn to her in a bad way. Jason is this guy who is apparently built, sexy and doesn't care what people think of him because he thinks he is the greatest. They are polar opposites and they attract. Jason brings out the boldness in Haley and she brings out the sweetness in Jason. They are a perfect match. The only thing that I had a problem with was that the narrator sounded bored. She didn't do the story justice. I read the story before listening and was disappointed in the performance. She sounded too monotone, almost robotic like.

kinda formulaic, and TONS of tropes

ok, if I never hear the pet name "grasshopper" ever again it will be too soon. they are fighting, flirting, working, cooking, making out... grasshopper this and that... got to the point I forgot the FMC's first freaking name.

Beyond that it wasn ok. kinda boring really, you could see the stupid mistakes coming a mile away... HELLO, COMMUNICATE already!!

Sophomoric

The storyline and dialogue are too campy and shallow. Author writes overly dramatic situations just to create a “story.” Narrator’s male voices all sound like adolescents.

Good overall, but definitely too much fat shaming

Good story, steamy scenes, great performances, but why all the fat shaming?! It seemed like every other page someone was talking about not wanting to get fat or how he ate so much it was so surprising he wasn’t fat. The only time the fat shaming enhanced the story was around Hayley’s family, otherwise it came across annoyingly shameful.

Bana"Just a good book"

Cute story, some pretty funny parts. The food thing is funny A bit far fetch.