Sonia's Reviews > Playing for Keeps

Loved the romantic tension and humor!!

New 2022 review below my 2015 review

This is my first neighbor from hell book and I'm so in love with this writer. I loved the humor and the romantic tension, the angst and the way the characters developed their relationship. Haley and Jason were hilarious and made perfect sense. I'm so glad I bought the next books in the series so I can continue reading it!

4.5 stars NEW REVIEW:

Haley (29) and Jason (31) are neighbors, and she can’t STAND him. Not only that but… they work together… at the same school… in the same department. At first, it was nice when she bought her new house at 24 and he moved in soon after. But then, all the annoying things started to happen- like his loudness, no respect for boundaries, and rudeness. Five years pass and he continually sabotages all her attempts to sell her house. The last straw for her is when he starts pulling out her grandma’s tulips from the ground; all hell breaks loose and they end up disturbing a bee hive lol. As they run for safety, chemistry ignites 😉.

Jason SABOTAGING Haley’s potential dates was everything 😂. This man gave no f’s about saying she’s crazy or not all there to any interested man 😈. Even when she comes home from a momma’s-boy date and he’s tied up on her bed waiting for them to get there had me cracking up- his comment about having extra lube for the three of them made that momma’s boy run for the hills (right after he tells his momma about her 😂💀). That’s when things really take off for them. Jason wants her- and no other man’s gonna have her.

I love all the cuddling scenes. Their intimacy and closeness began way before they took things to another level. Sure- they started losing sleep lol but it showed that their connection goes beyond skin-deep. They connected and bonded and got to know each other organically 🥰. Sigh. He calls her MY LITTLE GRASSHOPPER 🥺❤️. Annnnnd he’s protective of her, especially when it comes to her cold-af family (except her grandmother- she’s amazing).

And then the steamy scenes 🔥. She kisses him; when he stops the kiss (she runs away) and he goes after her, his DIRTY mouth came out to play- and I was done for 🔥🥵. This food-obsessed man knows how to please his woman, and she pleases him right back 😉. Although they take things “slow,” I was turning pages like crazy at all the tension.

I loved it the first time I read this and I still love it now. Even how he’s made to grovel got me swooning because he doesn’t give up- and then she has to grovel back 😬😅. He could’ve suffer more though 😂 but this is me being petty 😅. Either way, I Loved it ❤️

⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing/owd (in the traditional sense)
-OMD- the h almost goes on dates and goes on a momma’s boy date. There are other men that are interested in her, which causes he H to get jealous but she never looks at any of them.
-her family wants her to be with a childhood bf (who’s a hoar). She’s never interested
-there’s a b of a OW that tells the H something to cause drama between the H and h.
-h is a surprise v/H has been around but hasn’t had any in a long time. He never brings woman to his house (so the h is the only one to ever sleep at his house or his bed 🥰❤️)
-no condoms/he’s never forgotten to wear one before
-HEA/epilogue/10 years later