Double Dare

2-2.5 stars**Fair warning, I'll probably let a couple spoilers out in this review**So...I found this addition to the series to be disappointing. At first, I thought Darrin and Marybeth were alright but by the end, I really didn't like Marybeth at all. The story was disjointed and confusing and I just wasn't very happy with what was done with the plot.Marybeth works as a construction foreman (or should I say foreperson) at the Bradford construction company. When Marybeth was 15 she found out that she had medical issues that kept her from having kids. This caused her to lose her focus and she ended up dropping out of high school and dropping out, getting her GED later. Marybeth has known the Bradfords since she met Darrin the day her family moved next door to his.Darrin is a Bradford and works for his uncle's construction company. Darrin and Marybeth met when they were only 7 years old. Darrin told her the first day they met that he was going to keep her and they were best friends ever since. Darrin always meant for them to become more than friends when they got older but the timing never seemed right and when it should have been, Darrin just couldn't get up the nerve to tell Marybeth how he felt about her.The story starts out when Darrin and Marybeth meet as kids and skips forward a few times to show them together as friends until current time. TBH, this caused me some confusion because there are things that get mentioned and then we never hear about again (and it seems like we should have). When we get to current time, we find out that Darrin and Marybeth have been sleeping together for the last 6 years. There's also an indication that Marybeth has just broken up with a boyfriend and Darrin sees this as a good time to make his feelings known. Whether Darrin and Marybeth were sleeping together while she was dating this other guy is never really explained...I'm hoping not... Darrin and Marybeth seem to care about each other as friends but I never really got the "deep love" feeling between them....most of their interactions (through pretty much the whole book) seemed to be more along the lines of how badly they can torment each other.Darrin and Marybeth have a thing between them were they always accept each other's double dares so Darrin tries to use this as a way to get Marybeth to marry him but it doesn't work out very well so he has to find other ways. The thing is, Marybeth never told Darrin about her not being able to have kids and keeps pushing him away because of it. He doesn't understand why she's pushing him away and lying to him. They even get married part way through the story (another disjointed part of the story that caused more confusion than clarification) and Marybeth is still lying to Darrin and treating him like crap! Even after they're married, Marybeth doesn't care about what Darrin wants and almost risks her life over her medical issues, telling him he has no input and it doesn't concern him. Now I don't care how much she's supposedly doing this for Darrin's good, she was being a horrible bitch. I lost all respect for Marybeth by the time the story ended...I'm glad Darrin got his HEA but I kind of wish it hadn't been with Marybeth.Overall, this was a disappointing story. Obviously, I didn't like Marybeth...her inability to care about anyone but herself and her own feelings made me lose all respect for her. Uhg! Darrin was a bit of an idiot at times but he was the typical Bradford and was a good guy. He definitely made mistakes but he made them with the best of intentions...the Bradford men just tend to mess things up with their lady loves and have to work to make things right. The story...well most of it was confusing and disjointed and while I enjoyed a few parts, the majority of it left me feeling frustrated more than anything else.* note - I listened to the audio version of this story and the narrator did a very good job.

I only give this two stars because I ultimately like the previous characters and am glad they continue to be apart of this book series but these two characters in this book suck!! Darrin and Marybeth are awful and I couldn't read fast enough to get it over with!! I hate liars and lying by omission is just as bad!! This story is completely ridiculous and most of all you just can't condone either characters reasoning for the lies and hatefulness that they throw around constantly! I will be honest, it appalls me that a female character would be portrayed like this! She's awful, it is never ok to be a selfish, lieing cow! You can't call someone your best friend and then withhold critical information from them for years and years knowing they love you and are expecting things to work out! It's ridiculous to even think that she could be upset with him for being mad....although him being so dumb as to demand for her to marry him or else is equally stupid!!I could go on and on but the main jist is skip this stupid book because it will just piss you off!

This book wasn't bad but it wasn't very good either. Like always, Ms. Mathewsons writing style was great and her characters were nicely fleshed out. However, these two characters drove me crazy. All they ever needed was to sit down together and have a sincere, honest, heartfelt conversation. Instead they both acted like children, and dishonest ones at that. It was very annoying, all the back and forth. Yes, as other reviewers stated, the book was a bit disjointed, but I didn't have any trouble following long. It was all the fighting, arguing, avoiding, and bribing that got to me. Add in the fact that they'd been in love since childhood but still had relationships and sex with others for years, before getting together, which I absolutely HATE, and this book is by far the worst in the series so far. I greatly enjoy the Bradfords, for the most part, but this is the second book, out of six, that I had to read about relationships with others while in love with each other. If they continue along this line I will have to discontinue reading this series, as much as I enjoy the writing and majority of the characters.1 star - Awful! Want my money back!2 stars - Bad but not horrendous.3 stars - Decent/Good4 stars - Really good!5 stars - Excellent! Definitely recommend!

I anxiously awaited this latest edition of the Neighbor from Hell series and was greatly disappointed. It seemed all the good parts got skipped over. The premise was good with the best friends since seven turning into lovers, but there was no development of the relationship at all. We were just told it began six years prior. It felt like we just should have know them already, which we did some from the most recent book about Danny, but not enough to warrant the relationship just being there. It spent a great deal of the time referring to the general characteristics of being 'Bradford' over and over again.I think it made too big of an issue out of Marybeth's condition as well. Endometriosis is a serious condition and too dangerous to wait for that many years after the diagnosis at fifteen to have the final surgeries that she had. When it is as severe as her's was presented, it also usually has a lot of abdominal pain and sex is painful. Medicine may have helped for a few years, but most likely not for fifteen years.Let me stress that I have loved the other books, but this story just left me looking for a real story. There were also lots of typos and left out words, especially in the later chapters almost like there was a hurry to finish and no time to edit, and lots of instances of verb tense and noun verb agreement errors. All in all, I will still read the next NFH book, but can't really recommend this one highly.

Wow this book really was heart-breaking and uplifting all at the same time. This book kind of overlaps with the previous book as both these characters are introduced to us in The Game Plan.Mary Beth and Darrin have been best friends and inseparable from the day she moved in next door when she was seven, growing up together they have always double dared each other to do things that they know the other will hate. Their love is a pure love that has grown over the years and Darrin called dibbs on Mary Beth years ago she was made to be his. Its years later and although they are not officially in a relationship they really are but Darrin is frustrated that she won’t commit to him and doesn’t understand why. He is determined to make her hips and to give her everything that she could ever want.Mary Beth has always loved Darrin Bradford no matter what she says but knows that she can’t keep him especially with the secret that she has been keeping from him since she was fifteen. She knows that their “Relationship” is the worst kept secret ever but with her worsening condition she knows that she can never give Darrin the one thing that he craves and tries to let him go. Darrin isn’t going anywhere she is the only thing that he has ever wanted and although it breaks his heart he will never leave her all he has to do is convince her that together they are invincible.These two characters love each other fiercely and to distraction I love their banter and bickering and honestly cannot wait for the next instalment of the Bradford men and their next lot of antics. But this book made me think to and I could see where Mary Beth was coming from, I just wanted to hug her and Darrin. Great story and just loved these two.

Although this book still contains a lot of humour it's more serious than the rest due to the subject matter.Darrin Bradford, aged 7 took one look at Marybeth as she moved into the house next door and dibs. Even going so far as to give up his dessert to his brother to make sure he got to keep her. And he has been in love with her ever since.He wants to marry her but she keeps saying no to being married, to being a wife and to having children.Darrin believes he can change her mind. He just needs to convince her and he comes up with plan to do just that. But what he doesn't know is that Marybeth has a secret that will stop her from being with the man she loves.You will need tissues on standby for this one. Enjoy peeps 😉

Although this book made me laugh out loud in places, there were times when I almost gave up reading it because I found the character of Marybeth really irritatingly selfish. Also some of the jokes that she and Darrin played on each other were extremely juvenile and may have been funny if you were under 12, but even then it would have been doubtful.If it hadn't been for the involvement of the other Bradford characters I would have given up reading it.It's a shame because I loved the other books in the series.

I really like how the stories evolve through out this series, although the books can be read alone the characters from each book pop in and out of each novel entwining the family bond. This book just like the others is based on another member of the sexy and lovable Bradford family and ties in nicely with a neighbour from hell book 5. Following another member of the Bradford family Darrin and his best friend marybeth.I thought the series would get boring and feel repetitive being about the same family from different character perspective but the writer is very clever and easily spins new angles but most importantly keeps humour sex and romance alive through out. These are some of my favourite books by far and I usually stick to paranormal romance, fantasy or science fiction.

just downloaded this ebook and read it in like six hours, so what can I say about it......I have to say although I really enjoyed double dare, it was not my favourite book in the series, I felt it was missing something.Don't get me wrong the book had the usual Bradford charm, and you got to see again some of your favourite Bradfords from the other books, however I did find the book a little frustrating at times, it like com on marybeth, get it together, I mean I am not totally heartless that I did not feel for what she is going through but man is she stubborn, more stubborn than Darrin. I also felt the book in some places was a little repetitive.But overall I did enjoy the book, so I would give this book four stars.