I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. A cute fun Romcom. I loved the humor and second change love in this book.

I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley, the FierceReads team, and the author for sending me an e-arc of this book to read and review.

Play to Win is Jodie Slaughter's upcoming rom-com about a marriage-in-trouble/second chance romance between Miriam and Leo when they're forced to come together after 8 years of silence when Miriam wins a multi-million lottery.

I LOVED Jodie Slaughter's previous release, Bet On It, that follows some of Miriam's friends (they are seen as a couple in Play to Win) so I was ecstatic to pick this up and see the romances and lives of the side characters. Marriage-in-trouble and second chance romances are some of my favorite tropes so layering that with a sudden inheritance of a life-changing amount of money, I just knew the stakes and the tension would be high. Boy, were they high. Miriam and others were NOT going to letting Leo forget or waltz back into their lives after he left them in the dust 8 years ago. They were very clear on making sure he understood that he had a lot of time and hurt to make up for. I was hooked in the first chunk, there was just so much going on in the aftermath of it all that I was anxious but excited to see what would happen with the characters. Despite these aspects usually being a formula for a story I'd love, I really struggled with this story. For starters, if you are looking for romance or smut, this is not the book. Most of the romance that happens is quickly shut down and the romance doesn't really happen to the very end of the book. Miriam is constantly going back-and-forth on what she wants to do and what she thinks is right. An understandable internal conflict for her situation but frustrating and honestly got a bit old and repetitive after so long. There were many of the necessary conversations about their relationship and how their actions and behaviors not only hurt each other, but themselves and those around them. There was also brief mentions of attending therapy (which I would've loved to see more of!!) and how a quick change in one's financial situation and life may need time for them to adjust to and accept,

Overall, the story was enjoyable and peaked my interest but started to lose it towards the end. I loved the conversations regarding sexuality and identity, financial status and mental health, and family relationships. The story was exciting and promising but I left feeling like something was missing or needed more. Maybe Miriam making up her mind and being with Leo sooner? More on page therapy discussion or representation? Maybe more time spent with Leo and Miriam, less with them and the side characters? I'm not quite sure, 3.5 stars.

When Miriam wins the lotto, all her problems will be solved.... right?
Not so, it would appear. While money does help lessen some burdens, money certainly cannot buy happiness. Upon winning, she must contact her husband, Leo, who she has not spoken to in almost 8 years. Legal proceedings must occur, but will their love also proceed?
This book is a cute rom-com, with a focus on black women's lives. "Play to Win" is a quick read, but with his moments of seriousness in the mix.
If you're looking for a "What if" book, I highly suggest this one.

Thank you to @netgalley for an E-ARC. Play to Win comes out July 11, 2023!

Jodie Slaughter did it again! This is the second book that I’ve read by her and I truly enjoyed it. Miri was such an in depth character. I felt like I knew her personally. This book had me really rooting for Miri and Leo. I did find it a little interesting that the two could go multiple years apart with no contact and come back together shortly after, but the story line between them was good. I would’ve loved to know a little more about their past before diving into their current situation. Jodie does a great job of brining up important topics in such a graceful way. She touched on mental health and Miri talked opening about her mental health in the book. Even mentioning needing to find a counselor. As a counselor myself, I LOVED that! Overall it was a great read!

<i>I received this title as an ARC on Net-galley in exchange for a honest review. Thank you publisher for the copy!</i>

<b>The Good</b>
I love the concept of winning the lottery paired with a second chance romance. I've come to like the angst of this trope. I loved the setting and characters of this book. They felt like real people in a real small town with heart and history connecting them.

<b>The Bad</b>
The amount of sexual conversations/banter between Leo and Miri didn't endear me to their relationship at all. The story says they've been broken up for eight years and instead of focusing on that the dialogue is them flirting and leering at each other. I didn't feel a connection between them or why they really loved each other. Leo leaving for 8 years should have had a deeper emotional effect on their relationship than it did. Leo's explanation and excuses were ridiculous and irredeemable in my opinion. I didn't want them to be together even when Miri finally wanted him back.

<b>The Rating</b>
I give this book a <b>1/5🌟 rating.</b> I liked "Bet on It" by this author so I was excited to read this book but it was a big disappointment.

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3.5 ⭐️
The premise of this book drew me in. Black love, second chance, winning the lotto, what more could you want? What ended up feeling lack luster was the middle. The drama felt repetitive with no forward movement or progression in the plot. I love seeing Black characters taking center stage in this book. Let’s promote more Black authors and Black characters!

Special thanks to Net Galley for sharing this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter
This book is set in the same town, with some of the same characters as Bet on It, but you can read it as a standalone.

Jodi Slaughter writes excellent characters, full of emotion, and who are so very wonderful. This book has all the feels! And an excellent dose of steam!

I absolutely love that this story begins and ends with Miri digging a hole.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was really excited to see this one as a read now, as I had a couple of people recommend it to me. Typically I am hit and miss with romcoms, as some hold my attention, others do not. I was a little disappointed in this one. It was a slow read for me and I am not sure if it was my mood or the book. I wanted more happening between the characters. Maybe more drama or spice or something, but I felt it fell flat. I also think that it was missing some important conversations. You can’t just have a second chance romance without addressing the reasons it didn’t work to begin with. I wanted more of this, and I think it fell flat here. This may be one I revisit in the future, but for now it was a miss.

this book was okay it was mid at best wasnt bad but it was good. it was okay. i wanted more but it never came.

1.5/5 stars rounded up.
Initially this book pulled me in, with Miri winning the lottery. She has to get into contact with her husband who she’s been deforested from for 8 years. Leo wants to work through the problems for a second chance but Miri isn’t sure that’s what she wants.

About 40% in, I already felt bored and I was skipping over paragraphs unintentionally to read the dialogue. I felt like it was extremely slow and struggled to get through the rest. I almost dnf’d it but stuck through.

Also, I’m still confused as to why Leo left in the first place. I wanted to know more about Miri and Leo’s love but I didn’t get that.

Overall, I did really like idea of this story. The writing was very well done but it wasn’t for me. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins for this arc of Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter!

Play to Win is a romance novel, but the love you'll enjoy is as much for the family and friends who round out the story as for Miriam and Leo, our two protagonists. You're rooting for everyone in Greenbelt to find a win. Slaughter gives you a real sense of place and makes you want the best for Miriam, even as she puts Leo through his paces. Is he deserving of her? Will giving him a second chance make her happy? You have to read to find out!

I had to DNF. The story just felt so wash, rinse, repeat and both characters weren't engaging enough for me to invest in their reunion. Great premise though.

Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter (coming out 11 July 2023): I liked reading this three-pepper book because I liked the idea that someone poor could win the lottery on her first-bough ticket (Jennifer E. Smith's Windfall does something similar) and not have the $220 million change her life in any negative ways. Slaughter creates a nice balance of showing the main characters (MC) with their family and friends and creating a compelling reason why the MCs struggle to believe they can make things work.

As far as the tropes:

second-chance romance
enemies to loves
winning the lottery
small-town romance

So if you want a book where they're pining for each other physically but perhaps carrying too much baggage to make a go of things, you could give this one a try.

Overall: 3 stars

Overall: 3 stars

Jodie Slaughter does it again! Another fun, sexy, beautiful book with incredible mental health and queer rep. There's nothing I love more than estranged spouses trying to make it work, and Slaughter really made me root for these two.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jodie Slaughter hit it out of the park again with this story! I absolutely loved the continuation into the universe and seeing familiar characters, all while learning more about these MCs. The storyline was so fresh and interesting and I found myself thinking of this book when I couldn’t be reading it. I hope she does more books in this universe asap!

This is my first ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) and I was so excited to get it because I really enjoyed the first book in the series “Bet on It” where a couple meets at church bingo (I’m obsessed with bingo).
This is the second book in the series and Miri’s story, taking place four years after the first book.
Miri one day when buying her mom her usual Mega Millions ticket, for the first time ever, also picks herself up a ticket.
And you’ll never guess what happens!
Actually… yes you will cuz it’s the premise for the book. She wins! 220 million dollars.
(Side note: there is a rather large plot hole here. While in South Carolina who won the money can be kept private, where the winning ticket was bought is public info and always carried on the news if it was local for a lot of money. There was a town in South Carolina that tore itself apart, because a billion dollar winner was bought there and it ended up not even being a local but a passerby on the way to a wedding that bought it. Just saying the town would know someone had won the lottery. But I digress.)
Miri’s financial advisor tells her that her estranged husband, who she hasn’t seen or spoken to in eight years, could be entitled to half of her winnings. He suggests she offer him a lump sum and some divorce papers to protect her winnings.
When Leo’s wife he hasn’t seen or spoken to in eight years calls him back to town he thinks it’s to reconcile. He is there in a flash, but floored when she offers him a bribe to divorce her. Instead of taking the money he asks her to help with a project that needs doing and it buys him time to do what he’s been too scared to do for too long, win her back.
I really enjoyed this small town second chance romance (those are two of my favorite tropes). What ultimately tore them apart in their youth had been poverty and societal expectations around gender norms. Hard headedness and shame kept them apart. There undeniable pull to each other is what ultimately brings them back together.
I would have liked a little more groveling on Leo’s end, but by no means necessary. Obviously, I’m not as good of a person as Miri.
I really love a non-alpha male MMC. Which this book provided. I loved it. I’ll probably re-read at some point, this has me re-reading “Bet on It” and I’ll defo be going on in the series.
**the last chapter says it’s in Miri’s POV but it does seem to be in both… also the MMC is described as having a beard in the book, but doesn’t on the cover**

Loved the premise of Play to Win. The characters were fun and interesting, but the overuse of bad language left me just liking the book when it could have been a better book without turning my off.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

We have all wondered what we would do if we won the lottery? For Miri, this was exactly what happened. Then the reality of having to deal with her estranged husband set in.

I enjoyed this book, but thought that it moved a bit quickly. I enjoyed Miri and Leo and wanted them together in the end, but thought it was a bit unrealistic. I know that love may never leave but some things are unforgivable. I’m glad Miri gave him hell thought at first.

Aside from Miri’s relationship with Leo, I liked that Jodie addressed that depression still exists even if you do or can have it all. Miri had won the powerball and with all of the options she now had available to her she still wasn’t happy. I think that this painted a more realistic picture of what life could be like for someone who was once broke and is now richer than they’ve ever been.

Overall, I would recommend Play to Win!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

Thank you netgalley and St. Martins Press for sending me this book.The childhood second chance love story of Leo and Miri is impossible to not fall in love with. I was rooting for them the entire time! Jodie Slaughter really took her time wrote a beautiful story. However, I didn't enjoy the over sexual openess of Miri. At times it seemed forced like she was confused. But their love story over shadowed her sexual awareness. Worth the read.

The lottery opens up many opportunities, I think she makes smart decisions and is mature about her winnings and I was shocked that he was just as mature which I think is convincing as far as his determination to not only win her but show his true love for her. Pretty good second chance, their attraction was obvious, although I wish they'd been more romantic interactions to build upon the rekindling of their relationship as a couple.