Play to Win, the newest novel from Jodie Slaughter, was a cute and fun romance, perfect for Summer. It follows Mira, a woman struggling with life in general in South Carolina, who wins the lottery and then tries to fix her life. While I love a second chance romance, and this book definitely met that standard, I will confess it loved a tiny bit slow for me. Overall though, the book was well-written and I would definitely recommend it for a lazy summer day!

Special thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an advanced reviewer copy to me in exchange for my honest review and opinion!

Jodie Slaughter created a sizzling second chance/marriage in trouble romance with Miriam and Leo. Miriam is struggling in life, stuck in an underpaid job, and living with her mother. Her life changed overnight after winning the Mega Millions Lottery, and one of the biggest hurdles to her enjoying her new life is her estranged husband who has a right to claim some of the money. After receiving an unexpected call from Miriam, Leo hurries back to Greenbelt hoping that Miriam wants to give their marriage a second chance, not realizing she wants him to sign divorce papers and name his price.

I loved Bet on It, and Jodie did not disappoint with this follow-up in the small town of Greenbelt. I absolutely devoured Miriam and Leo's story. Miri is one of the best female main characters that I've read in a long time. She is unapologetically herself and doesn't apologize for it. She also has such an amazing group of friends that defend her in every way. Leo struggles with the expectations of masculinity that he was raised with and how that impacted his marriage with Miri. The tough topics were handled well and the writing was very fluid and satisfying.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this one! Miri takes a chance and buys a lottery ticket never expecting to win. But that is exactly what happens. She learns that her estranged husband may have a claim to her winnings so she needs to deal with that situation once and for all. I had a great time getting to know this cast of characters and couldn’t wait to see how things would work out in the end.

I liked Miri and Leo a lot and I could tell that the chemistry between them was still very much alive. I feel like eight years seems like a very long time for them to be apart to have any hope for a reconciliation but I was excited to see them give it a try. It takes a long time for the romance of the story to fully kick in but I was eager to see how things would develop.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrator did a great job with the story. I think that this is the first time that I have listened to Lacy Laurel’s narration and I wouldn’t hesitate to listen to her work again in the future. I thought that she had a very pleasant voice and that the character voices that she used helped to bring the story to life. I do believe that her performance only added to my overall enjoyment.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought that the characters were very well done and I loved the overall premise. I would love to read more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a review copy of this book from St. Martin’s Griffin and Macmillan Audio.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of PLAY TO WIN by Jodis Slaughter. This book started really strong, I loved the concept of the FMC winning the lottery with the numbers all related to her estranged husband, who she now needed to reconnect with because of all her new money. But things kind of seemed to fall apart by the end, including an extended epilogue that felt super unnecessary. I think once the two MCs got together in the same place, there didn't seem to be much keeping them apart and a lot of the tension just vanished, especially when the main reason they broke up was money related and...that was obviously not a factor anymore. So, it didn't quite live up to what I hoped it would be, and I think I enjoyed Slaughter's previous book a bit more.

Miri wins big in a mega millions lottery the very first time she plays, in a whim no less.
It forever alters her life, but not the way she expected.
I like how she was generous with her money and didn’t flaunt it. However, she should have chosen the 30 year payout, in my opinion, because she sacrificed money with choosing the lump sum.
My favorite was Leo. I liked his attitude about husband roles, but wasn’t crazy about how he left Miri.
I liked his persistence and diligence in winning her back.
It’s a cute read.

Overall, this one was okay for me. It didn't knock me out, but it was still a good book. Admittedly, second chance romance isn't my favorite romance trope so I wasn't hooked right away. This does make for a good summer romance read.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 7/11/23
Genre: romcom (second chance, spicy)
Quick summary: Miriam is down on her luck until a $220 million lottery win changes her life overnight. The trouble is - she's still married, so ex Leo is entitled to half. But he doesn't want the money - he just wants her back.

This book takes place in the same setting of Greenbelt, GA as Slaughter's first book BET ON IT, and I love this small town! Everyone knows everyone's business, and when Leo shows up to win Miri back, everyone has an opinion. I really liked Miri's support network of family and friends, including Aja from BET ON IT. Leo was a tougher sell for me - it was hard to understand why he wanted Miri back in the first place.

Normally I love second chance romance, but this book had the same issue as Emily Henry's HAPPY PLACE for me - I didn't feel like I cared enough about the central couple to really root for them. I also wanted more humor - that was what really made BET ON IT a fave for me.

However, if you love steamy small-town romance, you might like this one more than I did as there's plenty of spice!

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and Macmillan Audio for my e-ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was meh for me. It was very very slow going. I had a hard time rooting for Miriam and Leo. Normally I love second chance romance books but this one just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review

Miri's hit the jackpot. Literally. She's won so much money that she and the people she loves will never have to worry about money again. There's just one snag. Her husband. Leo walked out the door eight years ago and hasn't been back since. And she needs a divorce so he can't sue for half.

I really enjoyed this. I immediately fell into Miri's story, and then Leo's. The way they feel about each other, and the conflict Miri feels about her feelings is palpable. Their history is so complicated, but they're still so gone for each other. The LONGING. The WANTING. The DESIRE. It's a slow burn (there are only three love scenes in the book, though they're all FIRE), but it is smoldering.

One of the great things about this book was the community. There's the friend group that we met in Bet On It, but there's also Miri's family and Leo's family. Everyone is there to talk sense into the couple and make (loving) threats on behalf of half the couple. The family makes this book soar.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.25 stars

Play to Win is a unique spin on second change romance/marriage in trouble.

When Miriam Butler wins the Mega Millions lottery, she’s forced to confront the biggest ghost from her past—her estranged husband, Leo. And, while he’s finally ready to fight for their relationship, Miriam is convinced that it’s over. Will they have a second chance at love, or is this the catalyst they needed for things to finally come to a conclusive end?

I greatly enjoyed the tropes in this book, and how resilient Miriam is as a character. Leo has to do some work with a capital W to earn back her trust, and I was there for it. Author Jodie Slaughter ensures that the groveling is proportionate to the offense, which is integral in any second chance tale. And I loved the world building and community that Slaughter has created, first in Bet on It and continuing in this novel.

I also appreciated the bi rep as well as the discussions about the impacts of systemic racism to the Black community. That’s why books are great; I can read about characters outside my lived experience and gain more of an understanding of something, and I can also connect to their humanity and the universal emotions that all humans experience. That’s the marker of a great book, and this one is fantastic.

Thank you to St. Martin’s and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I loved Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter so I was incredibly excited to get to pick this up and I was not disappointed! Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

Quick Synopsis: Miriam has never played the lottery a day in her life, despite her mother and auntie’s obsession with it, so she’s incredibly surprised when her first time, selecting numbers that mean something to her, she wins $220M. One problem however is that in the state of South Carolina, spouses are entitled to half the winnings and Miriam never took the time to divorce her long-time love, Leo, despite their estrangement. Now is the time, however, and Leo doesn’t want the money, but he does want his wife back.

Trigger warnings: marriage in trouble, men being stupid

What I liked:
-I love the whole premise. It isn’t high stakes, people aren’t terribly greedy about the whole thing, and it’s nice to see how Miriam chooses to spend the money intelligently.
-Leo doesn’t want the money except to help his family, pay off their mortgages and loans, set them up for college, etc.
-I love how much effort Leo puts in. He has to grovel and boy does he.
-There’s a great representation of how hard it is to be broke. To really have to pinch pennies constantly and then to have money and be able to afford things that were previously unfathomable.
-I loved Leo and I loved these two together. This is a fabulous second chance romance.
-We get to see Aja and Walter again and I LOVED that.
-The spicy scenes were spicy. Slaughter turned up the heat in comparison to Bet on It and I am here for it.

What I struggled with:
-This is idealistic to say the least. When it comes to money in that quantity, people get weird and greedy. So the fact that she didn’t really deal with that was odd to me.

I read this on both audio and physical and recommend both.

Similar to Bet on It, this was a fun, quick read. Miri is a character you root for, as a chance for a different kind of life trajectory heads her way and shakes everything up.

Miri has to come to terms with a lingering bit of her past that's been unresolved - her not-really-a-marriage-anymore to move forward.

It's fun to see this continuation and meet new characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press.

Miriam's life takes a shocking turn when she buys a lottery ticket on a whim and wins big. She realizes she needs to come to an agreement with her estranged husband, Leo, who could sue her for half her winnings. She proposes he accept a lump sum payment in return for signing divorce papers. But Leo doesn't want her money or a divorce—he wants her back. Can he prove he's no longer the naïve kid who broke her heart?

I'm surprised that this is described as a rom com. The tone is really the opposite of that. It's angsty and intensely emotional, with a good bit of steam in the second half. The author does a great job of developing the characters. I feel like there was the potential to do more with the plot—for instance, to use the lottery money to create experiences for the couple to reconnect. Instead, they were mired in old ruts and struggling to break free. That's a valid choice, but it resulted in a slower pace than I like. If you prefer character-driven, steamy contemporary romance, this novel is for you.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I enjoyed this author's previous book and had high hopes for this one, but I struggled with it. This book features a second-chance romance where the leads are reunited after the heroine wins the lottery and needs a speedy divorce. The concept of a lottery win bringing a couple back together did not sit right with me, and I hoped the backstory would provide clarity and remedy this feeling. Unfortunately, it did not.

Overall, I had trouble rooting for the leads as a couple because the hero did not do nearly enough to redeem himself IMO.

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

2.5 stars

Has a great premise, but just like with the first book, it didn’t keep my attention. I don’t think this author is for me.

(3.5 stars, rounded up to 4)

This book started off good. I liked the idea of winning the lottery when you are struggling to meet ends meat but then the husband had to show up.

I did not like Leo. I kept rooting for divorce the whole time. I really didn’t like how all of their problems were solved after one conversation. HE WAS GONE FOR 8 YEARS!!! One conversation doesn’t fix that.

The only reason I rounded up & not down is because of Miri. I really liked her character & was rooting for her, despite the fact that she made a stupid choice keeping her husband.

This was good, the pacing was a little off but I guess it makes sense with this couples situation, enjoyed the commentary on how poverty isn’t something that you can shake off but something that sticks with you. Loved the representation of Leo’s sexuality. Love how confident Miri was but not so much that she didn’t know when she needed help. Loved her mom as well and Leo’s sister! It was a good time.

And Jodie did it again!!!! The first book I read from her was Gem and I knew I will like this one too I had a feeling!!! You can say it’s book 2 since there is a crossover with the characters from Bet on it, which I loved, but it can be read as a standalone as well.

Anyway let’s get down to the good stuff, we have Miri who out of straight luck wins the lottery (I wish it was me!!!) but she finds out that she has to make sure that her husband, who has been estranged, doesn’t decide to sue her for half or all of it, she was annoyed by that, and so was I! When she calls him and he comes running thinking this is a reconciliation meeting, he was in for a rude awakening.

They were married so young but so in love, at a time where no one had faith in their marriage. He up and left and didn’t even give her an explanation as to why. That broke my heart but we get to hear his side of the story and I totally understand, but he could’ve done it differently. This second chance romance was awesome, and the steamy scenes did NOT disappoint. We got a ton of emotions, acknowledging mistakes, not giving up, forgiveness, and moving on.

Miri was an awesome character to read,
very strong, and inspirational, her mom reminded me of my own. There was a lot of “YASSSSSSSSS” in this book. A must read for sure.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Unfortunately I didn't love this as much as the first book in the series, but it was an interesting and emotional second change/marriage in trouble story. Jodie Slaughter always has great character development, and this was no exception.

This was a decent story but it didn't reach me emotionally like a great romance novel does.

When Miriam wins the lottery she must reach out to her estranged husband to make a deal so he doesn't claim half of her winnings. Leo has been away for eight years but is willing to come when Miriam calls and is hoping to reconcile. I found Miriam's actions and words contradictory to each other and never felt a strong connection between her and Leo.

Still, I'd recommend this novel for romance readers who like the second chance trope.