Ahhh I could go on about this book!! I loved this little rom-com, the second chance in this book was just perfect! It was so humorous as well! I love fun, happy reads and this did it for me! If you're looking for a fun, summer, light-hearted rom-com this is just perfect! The only part that was not my favorite was I didn't feel connected to Leo enough to feel like he deserved a second chance! I would've liked the author to get us more emotionally connected to him so we could see why he deserved a second chance! Other than that this was a cute rom-com!! thank you Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review!

Miri just won the lottery, which is the answer to her dreams and the solution to so many of her problems- except one: her husband Leo. He walked out on her eight years ago and never came back.

But now with her jackpot win endangered due to Leo’s right to legally claim half of the winnings, Miri’s forced to track him down and finally ask for the divorce they’ve both been putting off.

Miri thought she’d never get over her heartbreak and she never wanted to see him again, but when she sees Leo back in their hometown of Greenbelt, South Carolina, she can’t resist falling for him again despite serious and deep-seated reservations. Leo, as handsome as ever, and with hard-won maturity and wisdom, is determined to gain Miri’s forgiveness and her love once more- this time forever.

This contemporary romance set in the South is an immensely sexy and emotionally tender story about second chances, community and family.

Although it’s a standalone novel, it takes place in the same town as Slaughter’s previous romcom, Bet on It, which both first time readers and her fans will enjoy.

I really liked the concept of this book, but overall it didn’t hit all the marks for me. I felt like the dialogue felt flat, and the characters didn’t feel relatable. I don’t care about any of Miri’s friends and felt like they weren’t even important, even though they were in there quite a bit. Even Miri’s mom felt flat to me. I didn’t really connect with any of them. I wasn’t sure if it was hours, days, or weeks in between chapters sometimes. There are some steamy scenes and they are very, verrrry descriptive. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it.

Towards the end, it felt like every chapter was the same (Leo/Miri thinking about the other person and how they feel -> Leo/Miri talking to a friend or family member and their love life comes up instantaneously -> “you better not hurt her!”/“you need to forgive him or figure it out!”/“this relationship changed all other relationships in your life!” -> Leo/Miri thinks about their relationship again, chapter over.

Overall it was a cute story line but it didn’t really do much for me. 2.5/5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC!

I received an uncorrected digital copy of this title through Netgalley. My thoughts are own.

Play to Win is a spicy romance about a woman (Miri) who wins A LOT of money in the lottery, and her estranged husband (Leo) who'd left because he felt like he was holding her back. She contacts him because she's told that, to protect herself, she has to tell him about the winnings and work something out. Her call is the push he needs to return to their small town and earn her love and trust back.

The book, beyond having a large number of Black characters, including the leads, also has LGBTQ rep -- particularly B, more B, and G. Our heroine is sexually experienced, puts a priority on sex, and isn't shamed. The hero reads as demi -- he doesn't want to sleep with someone he doesn't care about, and Miri is the only woman he's ever loved. The heroine reads as plus-size and very sexy.

I just love a book where a hero doesn't care about a heroine's body count or that she's sensual even without him!

If you want to read about all the cool things Miri does with the money, that's not at all the focus. She helps her friends, she gives some to the hero early on -- he's not there for the money! -- but is really figuring out what the money means to her, having been poor all her life, and how she feels about it. Her biggest splurge is going to an animal shelter, which I completely get! The epilogue has a little more fun spending.

Oh, and there's a home reno!

Miri and Leo actually don't have as many scenes together as you might assume. She has her mother and her friends to vent to, and he has his sister and friends, and they talk to these people a lot in lieu of togetherness, largely because Miri is wary.

I think there's an implication that they spend more time together than is on page because she says Leo calls himself a coward a lot. He does, but it's internal dialogue, or while talking to people who aren't Miri. I'm going to take that as them talking more.

I like that Miri has to do work on forgiving Leo, that she knows how he hurt her, and what his leaving did, and doesn't trust him. She also wants to do work on herself, and the book shows her seeking therapy.

Leo's journey is good, but sometimes feels a little repetitious, and there are things I wanted to see covered that weren't. The repetition is in how many times he thinks back on himself as a coward, but vows to himself to do better, as well as how many of Miri's loved ones threatened him only for him to act humble, and them come around. A couple scenes with his sister that could have been cut in half where she hits him with how his leaving town hurt more than Miri. That's important for her to say -- and his friends says it as well -- but it feels like they're covering the same ground.

Leo had left Miri because he felt he was keeping her down and poor, but it's still a horrible thing to do, even though they were kids. And his leaving her didn't exactly make her richer -- at least not for 8 more years when the numbers she played all related to him. I think the author treats it as a horrible thing to do. He clearly realizes it too. But I really wanted more about how his thoughts evolved, and how her winnings figured in.

Her winning could have reinforced his old sense of shame at not feeling like he was the provider, but that doesn't seem to happen. So are the winnings a relief to him? To know she has a safety net? I don't know. And I wish I did, because I like Leo but a portion of my brain still thought his leaving her, at least for that long, was approaching unforgivable. If I understood more of his thoughts and evolution, it would have added that little something extra. How exactly did he grow into a man who wanted to stick around?

I was invested though. The characters were great, including the secondary characters. I think small town life was handled well. There were lots of funny moments. And I believed Miri's complicated reactions to her winnings. You don't become a new person, and the money anxiety you've carried all your life doesn't melt away. I like that before she was comfortable spending on herself, her first impulse was to be generous to her friends.

Oh, and I enjoyed that an early scene that read as just a slice of life came around to enrich -- no pun intended -- later, to put a bow on the whole story.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book so much, it was so relatable. Miri and Leo married so young, when times got hard for them, Leo ran! For 8 years he ran like a coward, they are still married just separated. Current day Miri wins it big with a lottery ticket. She offer Leo money in exchange for a divorce. My guy Leo had other plans that didn’t include Miri’s money.
I love the idea of this book that money can’t buy happiness. There was a theme of sex positivity and being accepted by the entire community. I will be checking out more from this author.

3.75 / 5 stars

I was so happy to get to read another of Slaughter's books, I really enjoyed reading Bet On It and was happy to reenter the same world. I really enjoyed all the plot and characters, I found the plot to be very interesting because of her winning the lottery and how she uses that money to help those around her. I felt there was a little bit missing when it came to their chemistry, there was a lack of showing how their relationship came to be justifying their love. I also found it a bit abrupt with the ending and how he had not done that much to reconcile their relationship other than say how much of a coward he had been over and over.

I would love to see a story about Miri's mom and her first love, I am here for the bisexual representation!

After having read Bet On It by Jodie Slaughter last year, I was super excited to pick up Play to Win! Within the first few chapters, the tension and yearning between Miri and Leo was so palpable and really set the tone for the rest of the story. Jodie Slaughter's writing style is so beautiful and made me root for Miri and Leo so hard, while also empathizing with each character individually. My heart broke for Miri, who felt completely discarded after Leo left her 8 years ago. At the same time, I was losing my mind watching Leo pine for Miri and desperately show her his love to win her back for good. His determination was admirable, and I'm glad Miri held her ground for as long as possible before deciding to trust him again.

The other topics of the novel, such as familial relationships and sexuality/identity were very interesting to follow along and added great depth to the plot. I look forward to reading Jodie Slaughter's future work! I'd rate this 4.25 stars rounded up.

3.5 Stars. I really loved Bet on It so I jumped when I saw Play to Win available to request on Netgalley. I love Jodie Slaughter's writing and this small town, hope to read another couple fall in love in this town! I devoured this and really enjoyed it but I felt like something was missing, like there was something edited out that would give me more context to Leo and Miri's past. Less "spice" than Bet on It and more emotional but I am a sucker for second chance romances. The lottery was so secondary but I did have a fear that there would be a mix-up and the money would disappear (thank you for not doing that, Jodie Slaughter!).

I would have appreciated more insight into the time before Leo returns, what happened in his life. I couldn't get behind his logic for leaving so long but I suppose the longer he was gone, the more difficult it was for him to come back. It was clear when he started working on the house what he wanted, even if he didn't see it himself at first. I wanted him to be more intentional about getting her back, to grovel more. Eight years is such a long time to stay away, to not explain anything about your time away and behave like it shouldn't have been so complicated for her. Just didn't see enough remorse from him. The "revelation" for him of how his actions affected Miri? It shouldn't have taken him 8 years AND a confession from Miri to have figured that out. I liked that everyone made up and live moves on but there just needed ... something?

I enjoyed this book very much. It was an innovative take on a romance. It showed that not every love story is straight forward. Love is messy. Love hurts. Love makes mistakes and forgiveness is hard. I enjoyed the fact that the female was the aggressor in sexual situations. She was more experienced and was not demeaned for this in any way. Her prowess actually brought their relationship to new heights and the male partner was open to learning and allowing her to lead. The lottery winnings played an interesting role in this romance. It was refreshing to see a complicated take on winning the lottery and how it affects the recipient. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. Romance lovers will be excited to have this novel in the world come July 2023.

Since her husband abandoned her eight years ago, Miri has moved on. She still lives in the same city, struggling to make the same ends meet, but when it comes to her not so ex-husband, she’s content to keep him locked in the past. That is, until she wins the lottery.

When Leo Vaughn ran out on his wife all those years ago, he knew he was doing the right thing, but when she calls him years later and offers him money and a divorce, he has a choice to make. He can make good on the leaving he did, or he can finally try to make things right.

When I read Bet on It, I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and the world of small town South Carolina, so I was super excited to read Play to Win and get to see more of the characters I already knew and loved. While I’m not sure they can measure up (in my mind) to Aja and Walker, I still really enjoyed both characters. Even though Miri wasn’t necessarily sure of her feelings throughout the novel, she was someone who was sure of herself: in her personhood and in her sexuality. Even though he annoyed me at first, Leo grew on me, and we LOVE a man who pines.

I found myself really loving some lines in this book, even though they may have seemed a bit innocuous. They just really reminded me of things I or my family would say, and I found myself smiling and laughing and just feeling really seen. That drove the book home for me.

We all wish we got to have do overs every now and again in this life. If you like lovely characters, second chances, and a little bit of spice, you’ll find it all in this book.

A winning lottery ticket is meant to be a new start in life, but instead becomes a second chance at love in this rom com!

I started out absolutely LOVING this book! It kept me cracking up, I loved the characters. Leo, our male main character, became one of my all time favorite book boyfriends! Even though he was far from perfect, he was so devoted to her! The couple’s past, since this is a second chance romance, was so real. And although, Leo made some big mistakes in the past, he grew a lot, and I still rooted for them to work everything out and get together. I loved the relationship between Miri, our woman main character, and her mother! (I actually would love to see Miri’s mother and *you know who* get a book👀) And I was also pleasantly surprised that this book had bisexual representation! The first half of this book was so funny and cute, I loved it!!

But the second half felt like a completely different book. It wasn’t cute or funny anymore. It went from our characters having all these cute moments, to just them thinking about each other, but barely interacting. They sorted through the same thoughts over and over again. His feeling like “I hate myself for hurting her, but I have to get her back.”, and her thinking “I love him, but he hurt me and I’m scared.” And though those thoughts should definitely be had in a novel like this, I don’t think they should’ve been had repeatedly for like 40% of the book. That made the last of the book drag for me.

I’ll be giving it 3.5 stars because I loved the first half of the book so much! Also, there are characters from Jodie Slaughter’s other book, Bet On It, that make appearances in this book. I haven’t read Bet On It and still read this one with no problem, so it can be read with no prior knowledge!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this arc. All opinions are my own.

I thought the premise of Play to Win sounded like fun—a woman wins the lottery and restarts her connection to her husband who she hasn't spoken to for 8 years. On getting into it, though, I didn't love these characters or the story, sadly. I think this book has promise for other audiences, so I'm glad others can enjoy it soon!

Play to Win is a second chance romance, which I typically love, but this one fell flat for me. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Miri and Leo, and just didn’t find myself rooting for them or caring much about what happened between them.

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martins Griffin for the AEC in exchange for my honest review! Play to Win will be released July 11th.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

I loved this! I loved this book included conversations about important topics that are relevant IRL, I loved our main female character, I loved the second chance romance, loved the spice, and I can't get enough!

A lottery win and a second chance romance? Yes please.
This was fun, the right amount of 🌶️, and overall a fun read!

"He wasn't the most religious man, but he felt the need to repent for his wrongs against her."

Play to Win is a feel-good second chance romance set in a small town in South Carolina. Miriam wins the lottery and must call up her estranged husband, Leo, after 8 years to ask for a divorce that neither of the individuals truly want. The story follows the couple as they navigate their way back to each other.

I flew thorugh this book because the writing is very simple. It's definitely a cute story that discusses a lot of topics that are relevant in today's society, such as sexuality, poverty, separation, etc. Jodie Slaughter definitely knows how to create a strong, unapologetic female protagonist-- Miriam and Patrice had me laughing up a storm.

I feel like this book discussed a lot of topics without fully delving into those themes. For example, it's mentioned pretty early on the Miriam is bisexual and throughout the book we see hints of her sexuality-- kissing her best friend and exploring her peferences during her separation-- but it felt like the topic was never fully explored. Even Patrice's story felt super random and almost like "fluff," which was a bummer because this topic could've been pivitol for Miriam's storyline.

The book relies on nostalgia to shape Miriam and Leo's love story, but it just isn't there. I hink this book would have benefitted from a prequel that discussed Leo and Miriam's history because without that history, I wasn't motivated to root for their happy ending together. Overall, I would probably rate this book anywhere from 1.5-2.5 stars.

This is my second Jodi Slaughter book and she definitely has a specific style. This book is set in South Carolina with a diverse cast of MCs and secondary characters, forming a support network offering solid advice along the way. I love second chance romance, but this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Nostalgia just wasn’t enough for me to root for these two.

Miriam and Leo are childhood best friends, high school sweethearts, and now estranged spouses. Miriam is working the same job she’s had since she was a teen and living in the same childhood bedroom. One trip to the corner store and she wins the mega million lottery. 220 million later, there are some hard decisions that will need to be made by both Miriam and Leo.

Play to win was an okay read; I think I would give it 3.5/5 stars. It is a second romance between Miriam and Leo. Miriam, at the beginning of the book, doesn't have enough money to pay her bills but wins millions in a lottery. She goes to a financial advisor and realizes that she has to contact her husband, whom she hasn't seen in 8 years, about the money. Leo comes back, and Miriam offers him a sum of that money if he signs off on the divorce.

I really liked the lottery plot and all the coming of terms of Miriam winning I thought that was fun to see. I liked Miriam and Leo and was looking forward to seeing more of their falling back in love and what happened that made them estranged. Unfortunately, I didn't get that which was a little disappointing. I just didn't see an emotional level to their relationship and the love they had a first. Even after reading the book, I'm not sure why Leo left in the first place.

Overall this was a good and fun read. I liked the community aspects, supporting characters, and the close-knit family.

Thank you, St. Martins Press and Netgalley, for this arc for an honest review.

This book was beautiful. Melancholy, heart wrenching, and ultimately joyful. I went back and forth between wanting to hug and wanting to shake the main protagonists through most of the book. In the end, I fell in love with them and this story.

I would definitely recommend this read.

I requested to read and review this book for free from St. Martin Griffin, an Imprint of St. Martin Publishing Company. This is a story about forgiveness, love and self worth. Characters Leo and Miri have loved each other since they were kids. But can love young last. Does past rules on marriage are they right for now and everyone or can they change. Can marriage rules change depending on the length of marriage. And its true money doesn't buy happiness but it can help in other areas. Can love find a way back to couples or when trust is broken is it to much. Forgiveness is an important thing but needs to be done when the person is ready for it. This book is for a mature audience and can be read anywhere.