2.5 Cute premise, but the plot just wasn't fleshed out well. As soon as I was finished, I forgot the characters' names. I think it was fine for a quick read, but I wasn't touched by the characters, or their love story.

The payoff to sign divorce papers story line kind of threw me for a loop because my initial thought was that someone else needed to claim the ticket. LOL I personally wouldn't have gone through the drama of calling up my long lost ex. This, along with a few other things made this story-line a little less cute.

Play to Win starts off with an interesting premise, a lottery win brings an estranged couple back together, but the details of the plot didn't keep me interested. The length of time they went without speaking to each other made it hard to believe that they should get back together at all. I wasn't rooting for the couple, so it was hard to stay interested.

This one took me while to complete,not because of any fault with the story line but because of my preference for text to speech novels that I can listen to while commuting and this ARC lacked that functionality on my kindle.The main characters' unplanned and sometimes unwelcome journey to each other was slow and angsty with real and deep-seated emotions. Flashbacks to past memories helped to shine a light on why Miri and Leo are in their present predicament and the possible reason for the flip flopping decision making moments.The supporting cast of characters, namely the townsfolk had distinctive roles that play and significantly influenced the direction of Leo and Miri's life.Through Miri's generosity of heart and emotional care ,and despite the impact a substantive change in her outlook could have made,this book concluded in a good place .Would definitely recommend this book provided by Netgalley for my unbiased review.

The storyline was interesting but personally could not see staying married to someone for so long when you’re estranged, it didn’t seem very believable. I enjoyed the book overall, it was a good pace up until the end where it felt rushed and ended rather abruptly. Overall enjoyed it but it doesn’t need a reread, 3/5 stars

Ugh I wanted to love this. I loved her last book. But the plot was just not believable and kind of boring. I really had to push through to finish.

DNF @ 20%

This is disappointing. I was hoping to love this one as much as this author's previous book Bet on It, but unfortunately, I was just bored reading it. I can also tell that I'm not going to enjoy the relationship dynamics so I'm just going to put this one down and hopefully this authors next book will work better for me.

I love a good second-chance romance, and Jodie Slaughter definitely did not disappoint! I loved the beautiful characters that felt like friends and family by the end of the book; this is a true summer romcom that pairs well with a mango marg and a sunhat.

Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter, was one of my favorite books of 2022, so I was so excited to read Play to Win, the second book in the series. Though the content of this book is different from Bet on It, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and it followed the same theme of real people dealing with real issues. Miriam suddenly wins the lottery and now has all the money in the world, and all of the problems that come with it, including dealing with her estranged husband Leo. Leo loves Miri but doesn’t feel adequate and now this one in a million chance is bringing them back together.
This book was a great mix of romance and drama. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to read about how this newfound money would change the lives of Miri and Leo, as well as their joint life as a couple. I appreciated the mix of narratives from Miri and Leo, as well as the stories of the people in their lives including Walker and Aja from Bet on It. This romance novel explores the paths that one can take when internal and external expectations put pressure on one’s relationship. It was a slow burn, but I relished the opportunity to see how Miri and Leo grew and found their way back to each other.
This is another hit for Slaughter! I am looking forward to continuing to read her work in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

This one was just okay for me? The unique plot premise had me hoping for so much more! For a romance to really work for me I have to really connect with the characters and I really struggled to get there with both Miriam and Leo unfortunately! I will say that the 🌶️ and the writing were top notch though and I gave the audio a try as well and the narration was excellent!

Miriam is unlucky in love but found herself lucky in the lottery. After winning the Mega Million lottery, she is in a unique position. Her estranged, but not divorced, husband Leo is entitled to half her winnings even though they haven't interacted in years. This is a cute, second chance romance. I liked learning the backstories of the characters and their relationship.

Thanks NetGalley for a copy of this arc! This review is being written after Play to Win’s publication date, but better late than never!

This is the story of Miri and Leo - a second chance romance featuring a huge lottery win and a lot of unresolved feelings.

Overall, it was an enjoyable story that definitely captured some good Southern vibes. I definitely enjoyed the slow burn and looked forward to how the story would play out. The romance didn’t hit me in the gut as much as I would have hoped, but this book surely had a lot of great elements that made it a read I would recommend to friends!

I love a second chance romance so much and I fell in love with Slaughter's writing reading her debut so I was fully prepared to adore this book, however, it just slightly missed the mark for me. I loved the premise of a lottery win forcing second chance connections, but the character development wasn't enough to have me convinced they would work long term. I did thoroughly enjoy the representations throughout this book and the commentary Slaughter placed within the representation. I wish this had a little more hard-hitting feeling, but overall, Slaughter delivered a delightful and impactful second chance romance stressing the importance of mental health and real world problems.

Cute second chance romance and plot. The ancillary characters and storylines were a little more enjoyable, as the male lead was hard to root for and felt the relationship was quite unhealthy.

That’s a lot going on in the story, but it blends together and unfolds seamlessly. The romance here is gentle and tender. I found this really adorable.

This book was quite the surprise to me. I very much enjoyed the read by Jodie Slaughter. If you love romance and comedy you will absolutely enjoy this book.

This was a sweet read and very enjoyable!! I love the idea of reconciliation here and the fun twist that brought them together! There was some "miscommunication" which isn't my favorite but it was handled well!

I’d first like to thank NetGalley for the Arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book follows Miri and Leo, an estranged married couple who go through a journey trying to find their way back to one another. In the beginning of the story, Miri decides to play the lottery on a whim, and is left shocked when her numbers get picked. Miri then chooses to reconnect with her estranged husband Leo, to offer him a lump sum of her winnings as well as a divorce. After their first time seeing each other after 8 years, and Leo being back in town, they are forced to decide what their future will look like, and whether or not they will be in each other’s lives anymore.

When I first began this book, I was extremely confused on why Leo left in the first place. The book switches between Miri and Leo’s perspectives, and Leo loves Miri deeply. I also found it easy to empathize with Miri who was left in a state of confusion as she tried to figure out how she felt towards her husband. The idea of Miri and Leo still being married after being estranged for so long was something that frustrated me as I read through the story, which is why my rating isn’t higher. The story was well written, easy to read, and did have me laughing. I am definitely interested in reading some of Jodie Slaughter’s other books!

What happens when you win the lottery and you have to tell your estranged husband? Find out in Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter which comes out tomorrow, July 11th!

I like this book and found it easy to binge read, but I was honestly hoping for more of a redemption arc for these characters and their love story. The plot concept had such potential (a drastic life change forces two lovers to reconnect), but I think it could’ve been better executed.

One of my favorite tropes is marriage in crisis, but this one just didn’t fully hit the mark for me. I know that relationships are complicated and I appreciated how this story showed the realities of that, but I just couldn’t understand certain characters' actions and couldn’t forgive them for it. Plus I could tell if I liked the side characters because they were actually decent people or disliked them because they let the two main characters act like fools.

However, if you read Slaughter’s previous book, BET ON IT, you will appreciate returning to the same small town of Greenbelt, South Carolina.

While some might like this book, this marriage in crisis lottery romance missed the mark for me.

*I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion.

such a cute and adorable book!! loved the vibes and the concept🫶🏼 the mains characters had good chemistry. i had a good time reading this!!

I am participating in the St Martin’s Press boycott. I will not publicly be reviewing this title until St. Martin’s Press addresses reader concerns. I was sent an arc from the publisher and all thoughts are my own, honest opinion.