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Playing for Keeps

Kindle Unlimited

$2.99

Jason Bradford is about to do the one thing that he swore that he would never do, he’s about to fall in love in this romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author R.L. Mathewson.

Haley Blaine was done with being the world’s biggest pushover and it was all thanks to the incredibly handsome man living next-door determined to make her life a living hell. After he’d finally pushed her too far, Haley decided to take matters into her own hands, and now…

She was terrified of falling for the one man that was guaranteed to break her heart.

The last thing that Jason expected was for his incredibly shy neighbor to lose her goddamn mind and attack him with a hose, but now that she had, he couldn’t help but notice just how well she fit into his life. He liked having her around, loved the way that she felt in his arms and-

He was about to lose his goddamn mind.

She could do so much better than him…

Which meant that it was time to show her that this was anything but a game before it was too late.

Welcome to the Neighbor from Hell series.

Reviews for Playing for Keeps

So far I have read this book 3 or 4 times. I love the ridiculousness the cuteness the hilariousness of these characters. This story was well written with a charm that brings me back to read it again and again.
Jason and Haley are the first couple of this series and you will see them here or there in the following books in this series.
I bought the Audible which is excellent and adds to the story. There are sexy scenes, funny scenes and a HEA. Enjoy!

-Mommarachel

I have read every one of these books & I laugh through most of each book. I LOVE THIS SERIES. I am waiting for the next one to come out next month. I can’t wait for it to purchase it.

-PAM

I originally read this book back in 2012 or 2013. Honestly, I devoured all I could from the author after that and I still clearly recall this book.
Have been listening to it on Audible and rereading it when not listening this week because I seriously LOVE this story. It’s hilarious, spicy, and heartwarming when everything works out in the end.
I seriously have had this bookiverse in the back of my mind for years. It is so worthy of the revisit.

-BookBoleyn

I LOLed so many times my husband wants to have me committed! I love the characters and find them relatable and at the same time so amazingly original! Can’t get enough of it and read it in 2 days might need to take a lesson from the book when dealing with a husband who can be a huge pain in the butt and won’t listen when he’s in head. 😉

-Sarah Padgett

Hands down, one of THE best books I’ve read this year. I haven’t laughed so hard while reading a book in a while. This book was nothing short of amazing.
I don’t even know where to start. Maybe with the fact I’ve never read anything from this author before. Why? Possibly because I’m brain damaged or something. There’s really no other reason for me to not have read this series.
The characters were fabulous. I LOVED Jason. He was such a jackass and such a damn turd but you can’t help but love his antics and in turn, him. Poor Haley. I felt so badly for her. I just wanted to go kick Jason’s ass for her. I want to go into everything that happened within these pages so that you can see why it was so awesome but I can’t. I can’t steal that first-read-magic from you. I’ll just say this … Jason meant to make Haley’s life hell and Haley figured that ignoring the issue would make it go away. It reminded me of elementary school. Every girl had that one dude in class who would not leave us the hell alone and we would try everything within our powers to get him to stop because we just didn’t understand why it was happening. Boys seem to like to irritate and tease the ones that they like … that’s all I’ll say.
The sparks were just flying between these two characters on every single page. It was a great thing to experience because it made for such a light-hearted and fun read. Unfortunately, I was an idiot and blew through this book entirely too quickly. That’s easy to do when the plot seems to be written so effortlessly and the characters are so captivating.
Here’s the deal, if you like romantic novels that are sweet and funny and you like plots that move along at an exciting pace or if you just like a good book, this is the one for you. I’m a big fan of this author and I can’t wait to read more books in the series. Absolutely marvelous.

-Julie

When Haley catches her obnoxious neighbor and fellow teacher, Jason, ripping out her tulips, it’s the last straw after quietly tolerating him the last five years. Chased into her house by a swarm of bees, the close proximity forces their first real conversation where each realizes they share a love of sports and sarcasm.
Jason and Haley quickly bury their feud and a beautiful entertaining friendship ensues as Jason’s many quirky habits are revealed, one being his obsession with eating everything in sight. He’s determined to make Haley his protégé, calling her his little grasshopper (Karate Kid), so she quits dating losers and players like him. His childish, spoiled Mama’s boy antics grow on Haley as she sees what a thoughtful, tender person he is beneath. It’s absolutely adorable watching the transformation of their relationship and there’s many laugh out loud moments finally ending in several chapters of hot nights.
Thanks to for this great recommendation. I can’t wait to read more of this Neighbor From Hell series.

-DreaDamara

Every time I read this series, I am laughing!! I love the love stories, but the characters are hilarious!! I have them all and wish there were more. I have read them numerous times. Thank you for the wonderful reads!!

-Demetrice Watts

OMG!!! I don’t think 5 stars are good enough for this book! I had such a good time reading this one I actually bought the remaining books in the series as soon as I finished the sneak peek for the second one. No joke. It’s that good.
I loved how Haley started out as such a quiet, introverted woman but because of Jason, she was able to emerge from her shell and show the world what an outspoken woman she was on the inside. It was amazing to watch her transformation. It also helped LOADS that she’s a Yankee fan like me (lol)
Jason was hilarious too. He was the absolute WORST neighbor! He was the total opposite of Haley, but then again opposites do attract. It also helped that he’s also a Yankee fan (how awesome is that!) I loved the fact that him being around Haley so much made him change his womanizing ways and turned him in to the perfect book boyfriend (even though he had me rolling my eyes throughout the book). He makes me wish I could meet someone like him… Minus the awful neighbor part anyway. (lol)
It was so easy to become immersed in the story. It was like being a fly on the wall… I felt so deeply for both Haley and Jason. I hope the rest of the series is just as good (or better than) this one, and from that little sneak peek of book 2, I feel like they will be.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ONE!! I guarantee you won’t regret it!

-Skbgirl

This book had me laughing out loud on so many different occasions. What more can I say…it’s totally hilarious. Jason starts out as the neighbor from hell, but he soon wins his little grasshopper over, with his quick wit and quirky little smiles. The chemistry between these two seemed so real and not forced like in so many other stories I’ve read in the past. And the grandmother cracked me up too, probably because I had a grandmother just like her myself, so she was easy to relate to..
The whole story just seemed to flow so easily. And what I liked the best of all…is that all the characters were so believable too. Jason has his friends, one is happily married, while the other one is nothing but a man whore. And let me tell you- his whole family is a total hoot too. Haley has her friends too, but they are just a bunch of snobs just like her whole family, well except for her grandmother that is. I fell in love with her right off the bat when she left that snobby family of theirs, and went back to Haley’s house to have a real down home backyard B.B.Q.. Needless to say from then on, she kept me laughing throughout the whole story.
If you’re looking for a light comedy read with a little romance thrown in, then this is a book for you.
Would I recommend this book? Yes, most definitely. I was so impressed by this book, I’m off to see what else this author has written.

-CINDY F.

Haley and Jason’s story is fantastic! It’s a sweet enemy to lover story with enough snark to keep you entertained. I highly recommend this book if you love HEA stories!

-Bonnie’s mom

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