Book Info
Released: February 26 2019
Series: Neighbor from Hell #10
Format: eBook
“Mathewson seems happy to recycle her previous books rather then trying for something new.”
~ Under the Covers
I found it a real struggle to be honest with myself about this book. I have been a fan of R.L. Mathewson for a very long time. I remember picking this series up before there were even proper covers and falling head over heels for Mathewson’s irreverent and cheeky style. But as the years have trundled on I have come to a bit of a harsh realisation, which I have avoided directly facing for a while. R.L. Mathewson is a bit of a one trick pony. All the books in her series follow a certain formula which makes each installment almost identical. Especially the more recent books in this Neighbor from Hell series.
Of course, you could probably say this about most authors. But, with the Neighbor from Hell series it’s almost impossible to avoid. It’s the same story line with the same jokes from the same character types over and over. It’s a combination that I seem to enjoy, as even though I knew what was coming, this book still made me laugh and I still liked it. I just didn’t like it as much as the previous book, or the book before that and certainly not as much as the first few books in this series where it was all fresh and new.
Will I stop reading this author? I am not sure, as I stated I still liked The Promise, but there was also a lingering sense of disappointment. Mathewson seems happy to recycle her previous books rather then trying for something new, and if that’s the case then I would probably be faced with less disappointment if I just reread the books I already own. 
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About R.L. Mathewson
Before I tried my hand at writing I was a receptionist, cafeteria worker at the college I attended, museum worker, bellhop, and about a dozen other different things that are pretty embarrassing so we're just going to skip over those things and pretend that they never happened ;D
I can't just sit around with nothing to do while I try to be deathly silent so that I don't wake up one of my children and send them into a blood curdling screaming fit. So, to fill the time I started to read again. When I was in school I was a bookworm, but got away from it as I grew older. I was drawn back into my love of reading by Julia Quinn's What Happens In London. It was a wonderful, witty book and I fell instantly in love with romance novels.
Some of the romance novels that I read were great and I couldn't get enough, I started to play with the idea of writing a book. Several months later I finally gave in and tried. For four months straight I worked day and night until finally I finished my first book. Then of course I re-read what I wrote, cringed and deleted the entire book and started over again.
After reading an article about self-publishing I knew that was the way I wanted to go. I like the freedom to write what I want, when I want and publish a story that I hope others will enjoy reading. It gives me a great deal of freedom and allows me to retain full control over my work, which of course allows me to set the prices of my books and make them affordable for everyone 🙂 Which of course is the reasoning behind the $0.99 price tag for my books.
That's how I became a writer and why I self-publish. Well, that and I'm pretty laid back and don't want to be hassled with contractual obligations. That would just cut into my writing time, time with my kids, reading time and my hot cocoa addiction. Yes, I am thoroughly addicted to hot cocoa and if you're interested in experiencing the perfect cup of cocoa you can find the recipe for my cocoa somewhere on my author blog.
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Annnnnd I will stop myself there, before I start waxing lyrical about my love of historical romance and fantasy as well; no one needs to know about my elf fantasies. As you can tell, I adore and day dream about most romance genres, and my three big loves are 1) reading about romance 2) writing about romance and 3) talking about romance with my gals. Which, is why I love Under the Covers so much, I get all my bookish needs satisfied and don’t get judged when I talk about my favourite characters like they are real people. Which they are right?
- ARC Review: The Cabin on Souder Hill by Lonnie Busch - November 16, 2020
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- ARC Review: Bound by Shadows by Kathy Lyon - November 12, 2020
The predictability and recycling of stories is unfortunate and disappointing. However, if it’s a repetitive storyline you like, at least you know you’ll enjoy it, just maybe spread them out by a vast amount of time.
Totally agree.
Playing for Keeps was my first and only book from this author. I found it very boring,
Thanks for this review..
Thanks Suzanne for the review
Thanks for the review, I’ve enjoyed her previous books.