I think for a second chance romance there needed to be more back story or building of the relationship to help me understand how and why these two got back together. I wish there had been more growth from both but particularly the MMC

I really enjoyed this book but must admit it simply couldn't win over my whole heart. That's because while I found the story concept fun, I just simply couldn't shake the fear I had that, money being the stressor that it is, would be the final nail in this couple's coffin, so to speak. So actually, this book caused quite a war to wage between my hopeless romantic heart and my jaded mind. I was hoping for some magic moment to happen that would make me a believer but alas it was not to be. Still, the writing was good and the characters likable. It was a pleasant way to get my read on, but it didn't give me the feels and swoon that I longed for.

This is my second Jodie Slaughter book and I can now say I am a fan. She’s consistent with the fun storylines, second chances at love, HEA, and SPICE! Don’t let the cover fool you, it’s the ones you least expect that will give you that little bit of extra.

My only complaint was the length of some of the chapters. There were very short chaprers (which I love) and some unnecessary long ones. Thankfully the story went at such a fast pace that it made it tolerable.

Thanks so much NetGalley, SMP and SMP Romance for the ARC! Book is available now.

Nope. This one didn’t work for me. Totally unrealistic. No memorable characters or moments. Mari and Leo are both toxic and need prayer. It appears nothing has changed in 8 years so how is this suppose to work now? Oh yeah…that mega millions jackpot. Blah.

Miriam is stuck in a rut and can’t seem to get out of it. Living at home with her mother and working the same job that barely pays her bills, her life doesn’t seem that great. That is until she stops at the corner store she usually frequents and, on a whim, plays a Mega Millions lottery ticket. That lottery ticket is the sole winner of the jackpot—over $200 million. Overnight, Miriam’s life is changed. But there is a downside to her winnings. Miriam finds out that her ex-husband (never divorced) is legally entitled to a portion of her winnings—if he doesn’t accept the offer of a divorce and a legally binding document with a payoff. When Miriam calls Leo (her ex) and asks him to come home, he is curious. They haven’t spoken in eight years. When Miriam presents Leo with the divorce papers, he counters with another offer. Let him win her back and use the money she would have given him to help out members of his family that need it. But Miriam is still hurt over Leo leaving and hesitates to let him back in. Will Leo be able to win Miriam back? Or will he have to sign the divorce papers and let the love of his life go?

Play to Win was several rom-coms on a limited time Read Now on St. Martin’s Press NetGalley page. Unlike the cozy mysteries I downloaded earlier this year, I read the blurbs before deciding to read them. This book’s blurb caught my attention because, in a way, it reflected my life. So, I downloaded it. Also, what figured into my decision was that I wanted to know what Miriam would do with the money she won. I am glad I read it because this was a sweet book.

Play to Win had a medium-to-fast storyline. The pacing of this storyline did fit it. The author was able to zip through some of the background noise and keep me focused on the storyline. Also, there was no lag in this book, which I appreciated.

Play to Win takes place in the fictional town of Greenbelt, South Carolina. This town is a small town with all of the small-town trappings. Everyone was in everyone else’s business. What I liked is that the author chose to showcase this but keep it in the background. But, on the same page, because it was a small town, I was surprised that Miriam could keep her lottery-winning under wraps.

The main storyline of Play to Win centers on Miriam, her winning the lottery, Leo, his attempts to win her back, and what she does with the money. It was a well-written storyline that kept me glued to the book. I became invested in the plotline and the characters. I am hoping that the author does another book in this universe!!

I was surprised by how much I connected with Miriam and loved watching her character grow throughout the book. She came across, at first, as a bit prickly, but as the book went on, that went away. Her astonishment over winning the lottery was perfect, and I loved how she was paying it forward. I did get a little irritated with how she treated Leo. But, there was no background about their relationship until well past the middle of the book (but not quite at the end). I wouldn’t have been so grumpy with her actions if it had been given earlier. Because once it was explained, I was furious on her behalf.

I liked Leo, but I felt he laid it on too thick with Miriam once he was back in Greenbelt. I understood why he was doing it, but at the same time, I was like, “Back off.” His past actions were directly influencing how Miriam felt about him. Once the author explained what happened, I was so mad at him. He took the coward’s way out. But, the good thing is that he understood what he did was wrong, that his way of thinking might be a little outdated, and that he was willing to do whatever it took to make it up to Miriam.

The romance angle of Play to Win was well written. The author did a great job with the second-chance romance trope. I loved that Miriam wasn’t easily won over and that Leo had to work to regain her trust. Also, he had to go through her friends and mother to romance her. That scene with Miriam’s mother (in the church basement) was pure gold. While I knew this was a romance, and there would be a happy ending, there was a point in the book where I didn’t think it would happen. And that, my friends, is one of the many things that made this book for me.

Miriam and Leo had insane chemistry, and I was waiting for it to combust. The author took her sweet time having them get together. The sex scenes were hot but graphic. I liked that the author was picky about when Miriam and Leo would have sex. It was a couple of times before they got back together, and once at the end of the book.

The end of Play to Win was everything I hoped and wanted it to be. I liked seeing Leo and Miriam get their happy ending. The author was able to wrap up all the storylines in a way that satisfied me. I smiled when I stopped reading, and I typically don’t do that.

I recommend Play to Win to anyone over 21. There is graphic sex, language, and mild violence.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Jodie Slaughter for allowing me to read and review Play to Win. All opinions expressed in this review are mine.

On a whim, Miriam decides to buy a lottery ticket that ends up winning her the $250 million jackpot. Unfortunately for her, her estranged husband is entitled to his share of the winnings so she tries to make a deal with him--he finally signs over the divorce papers for a piece of her prize. What she doesn't expect is for him to decline both and then refuse to leave town. I loved Miriam and how strong, independent, and caring she was. I loved that she took her newfound fortune and helped those around her. What I didn't love was Leo... He skips town because he doesn't believe he's good enough for Miriam, but then, after 8 years and not reaching out to her himself, he is all of a sudden determined to win her back? That bothered me and I think my dislike for him affected how I connected with the romance.

Love a book about the lottery and what you do or don't do to draw attention to yourself. Miriam is just trying to survive when she wins the lottery. Which makes her have to call her husband to make a deal with him or get a divorce. Mostly so that she doesn't have to split the money with him after he left her out of the blue years before. But being back together and able to talk about what broke them apart brings feelings back.
Loved the bi rep and the familial acceptance. There is such a stigma about bi sexuality especially if you end up in a hetero relationship. It doesn’t just disappear. I think there's even demi rep but not exactly recognized. I feel demi and ace are getting more rep lately and I love it.
This was a great second chance romance and she made him work for it.

Thank you stmartinspress for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

I really enjoyed this second chance romance, where the female MC wins the lottery and needs a divorce from her estranged husband. The small South Caronlina town and the people are interesting and made me laugh out loud several times. This book takes place after the author's previous book (Bet on It) and there is some character crossover, but it stands alone. (Regarding the content - there is an abundance of f-bombs, and there are some very spicy open door scenes). Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance digital copy!

This was a sweet second chance romance. ⁣
Second chance is actually a top fave of mines because of the angst. I live for the angst. This had some but I would’ve loved a little more. I felt like Leo’s reason for leaving years ago was very immature and I guess that was the point but it still annoyed me.⁣
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I adored Mari’s relationship with her mum and appreciated her sort of keeping Leo from a distance. I feel like if they had both communicated better years ago and communicated their needs they could’ve avoided the missed time.⁣
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It was fun that Mari won the lottery and the steam and chemistry that I love was still there.⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Miriam has never had a lot of extra money laying around, but when she suddenly wins the lottery, her entire life is about to change. Based on the guidance of her lawyer, she reaches out to her husband, whom she has been separated from and hasn’t spoken to in eight years. She’s ready to offer him a portion of her winnings in exchange for signed divorce papers, but Leo would rather find a way to win her back.

I thought this was a unique premise and a lottery win is always a fun start to the book. I was intrigued by Leo and Miri’s history and how a lottery win might bring them back together. I didn’t love their backstory and all of the communication issues and poor choices they clearly had in their past, but did love seeing them fix up Leo’s aunt’s house and learning about all of the history they shared. Leo and Miri also had great chemistry that clearly did not go away with time and distance.

I enjoyed Lacy Laurel's narration of the audiobook and think it added to the story in this case.

Thank you to SMP Romance, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance copies.

This second chance romance was entertaining at times, but the story was a little dry for me at times, too. I loved the thought of Miri winning the lottery and her taking care of her people! She made sure she helped her friends and family out with her winnings. Miri seeks out her estranged husband Leo to ask for a divorce after 8 years once she wins the lottery. Leo comes running when she calls, and he is surprised when he finds out what and why she called him to meet after 8 years.

Moving through this story, I almost forgot that she had won the lottery mid way through the book. I was interested to see how Miri would come to her HEA in this one. I did like the premise of the book and seeing what she did once she won this huge lottery. It had me thinking what I would do if I won as much as she did...

another new author for me and yet another author that i’m immediately obsessed with!!! i loved everything about this. the characters, the writing style, EVERYTHING!! second chance romance is always one of my favorites! miriam and leo have my heart forever!

Thank you to Jodie Slaughter, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an ebook advanced copy of Play to Win for me to read and review. This is the second book by Jodie Slaughter that I've read and this one met all my expectations! It was filled with sassy, snarky, big personalities that excellently complemented the softer, more vulnerable side of the main characters. I loved that even though this wasn't part of a series with her previous novel, this story took place in the same town and included many of the same characters as Bet on It. This gave the story an extra bit of charm for me and it went perfectly with the slow burn, second chance love story of the two main characters. There were a couple of inconsistencies that gave me pause when reading but overall I truly enjoyed this story and flew through it so fast! I definitely recommend this for any reader who enjoys contemporary romance.

This was sooo cute !!! The dynamic in this story flowed so well .🥰

Perfect in my Summer Romance list , I felt like I was a part of the story, getting lost between the pages …. Thank you for this arc.
#netgalley

Included as a top pick in weekly July New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

Thank you to St.Martin’s Press and Netgally for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This rom-com follows the story of Miri and Leo who get a second chance to try to make it work. Leo and Miri are married but have not seen or spoken to each other for 8 years. This little fact was simply bazaar on my opinion.

After Miri wins the lottery she is advised to contact Leo and file for an official divorce to protect her winnings.

Once Leo returns to their small town they both slowly realize that they are still in love with one another. As much as Miri tries to be headstrong there is just something about the love her and Leo share.

The description sounded fabulous and like it’d be a fun read. A rags to riches for someone who truly needs and deserves it. A new start so to speak. It started out interesting and then for me, took an unappealing turn. She hasn’t heard from her estranged husband for 8 years and now all of a sudden he wants back in her life and the money has nothing to do with it? He wasn’t likable, was incredibly disingenuous and I found it difficult to metabolize that the author would create a character that had potential to stand on her own or at least be strong and stand up for herself and yet let her get zero answers as to the last 8 years and the why of them. I also found both of them to be incredibly immature. Disappointing at best for me, except for the narration and surprising as I have really enjoyed other titles by this author. This was just not for me.

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

DNF @ 20%

This is a tough one for me, because I REALLY wanted to like this book. I loved the author's previous book, Bet On It, but unfortunately Play To Win didn't quite hit the mark for me. It was really slow going, and I found myself taking huge breaks every few pages. It just didn't capture or hold my interest.

As with most books I DNF, just because I didn't finish it doesn't mean I think it's a 'bad' book. It just wasn't for me. But that doesn't mean it can't be for you! If you like (or think you may like) this book, I'm thrilled!

I enjoyed this book. It was an interesting read . I found that I was able to read quickly and enjoyed the pacing and premise of the book. I would recommend to others.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was sweet, fun, steamy and kept me reading. I enjoyed this book and will look for more books by this author.