I love a book by Jodie Slaughter. They are such fun and the characters are so incredibly likable. This was a joy from the very beginning.

I received a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

3 stars!

I think I'm really realizing what I do and do not like in contemporary romance and unfortunately it is not this. I didn't love the way the two characters got together. Additionally, I didn't really feel like much happened in the entire book and I was just waiting for them to get back together as opposed to feeling excited by other subplots.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

It has been over a years since I read “Bet It On” by Jodie Slaughter and I must say that “Play To Win” is an awesome read. This is the 2nd book by Jodie Slaughter that I have the pleasure of reading and this one is definitely a winner. This an entertaining read with its share of drama; witty camaraderie, great characters and plot that held me captive. Miriam has been in the same dead-end job since she was sixteen years. Since her estranged husband Leo walked away from her she finds herself back home with her parents sleeping her twin bed. Miriam has just hit the Mega Million Lottery Jackpot. It has been over eight years since she has had a conversation with her estranged husband Leo. All Miriam wants is for Leo to sign the divorce papers or does she; and she will give him his share. Leo has other plans he wants Miriam back in his life and according to Leo she doesn’t even have to give him half of her winnings of which he is entitled to; he just wants her back . Miriam has a big heart and I don’t know if I would’ve did what she did when it came to my estranged husband. You go Miriam a lady gotta do what a lady has to do to get what she wants.

Will Leo be able to win Miriam back, is there a second chance in store for Miriam and Leo?

I received an ARC via NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

There are some books you know will be your next 5 star and some books that won't. I can honestly say this book wasn't for me. I found myself wishing the plot went in a different direction and not caring about the couple at all.

Thought the premise was adorable - and the fact he wants her, not the money. But conveniently, he wants her back right as she calls him to tell him she’s come into some money. Rubbed me the wrong way from the start, but figured I’ll give the book a chance. But, it still stunk. The MMC was kind of just blah and I can see why our FMC had an estranged marriage in the first place. If only he’d granted the divorce and she could have moved on! Writing style was good, and Jodie’s first book was great, but this one just didn’t work out for me. Still a good one overall! Thanks for the opportunity to read!

I finally got around to reading this after really enjoying Bet On It in 2022. This book definitely stands alone and is an extremely steamy second chance romance. Would definitely recommend if you like messy family dynamics!

What a cute story! I normally don’t always love second chances but this was so sweet and wholesome. I mean, there were definitely still some spicy scenes, but the way the man went about getting his woman back * chefs kiss*

Miriam's life is stuck--she sleeps in a twin bed in her mother's rundown rental house. On a whim, Miriam decides to play the lottery at the corner store, and she wins several million dollars. After consulting an attorney, she learns that despite the fact that they have spent the last 8 years separated from each other, her estranged husband, Leo, is entitled to half of the winnings. In an effort to not lose half of her fortune to a man she hadn't spoken to in nearly a decade, Miriam calls and begs Leo to come to their small town. A proposal is made and divorce papers are drawn up, but Miriam isn't the only one looking to win. Leo realizes that he still loves Miriam and intends to win her back!

Who doesn't love a second-chance romance?! This book was a little slow to start, but I really enjoyed it overall.

4 out of 5 stars.

I received a free ARC from St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley; and I am voluntarily leaving an unbiased review.

A quick read with an interesting premise — though a bit unrealistic. It didn’t quite work for me but I can see why others would enjoy it.

Marriage is hard. Being married young is hard. Being married young and broke...well that is just hard times a thousand.

Jodie Slaughter does a wonderful job depicting true human emotions and the complexities of love and relationships. Miriam and Leo have been together since they were kids. They married young, and while they loved hard, they fought just as hard. When you are so young, it is hard to talk about things you need or bother you. People often choose to shut down or run away. This happens both in Miriam and Leo's case, she shuts down, he runs away.

When Miriam wins the lottery, she should be floating on cloud nine, without a care in the world. She can help her and her mom get out of the dilapidated house (run by a horrible landlord), help her friends/community, and overall just breathe. There is one small problem...she is still married, and Leo would get a bunch of her money if he found out. She reaches out to get him to divorce her, but can that happen? What about the love that is deeply rooted in them?

This is not your traditional romcom, as the topics it touches on some hard topics. I appreciated that though. While "fluffy" romances are a favorite of mine, I also love a love story that hits closer to reality.

Really cute second chance romance. I
Thought the dual POV worked well here and felt like the lottery aspect of the storyline added a unique quality and context to the story. Miri felt very relateable and her struggles with navigating life, newfound wealth and feeling undeserving at times are all things many people struggle to navigate. Leo was great as the love interest here and his commitment to getting Miri back shined through and I was definitely rooting for it.

The spice here was really good, whew!
My only complaint is I wanted more of Leo and Miri being together.

All and all a very unique and low stakes romance read

Thank you St. Martin's Press for a copy of Play to Win!

"Miriam Butler’s life is going nowhere in the slowest, most excruciating way possible. Stuck in the same barely-paying job she’s had since she was sixteen and spending every night sleeping in the spare twin bed in her mother’s house, her existence might be hilarious if it wasn’t so bleak. One trip to her favorite corner store upends everything when she finds herself the winner of a Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot. Unfortunately, not even life-altering roses come without their painful thorns. Hers just so happen to be in the form of an estranged husband who has the right to claim his share of her money."

This was a fun, light read! I love it when romance also has great secondary relationships - like the MC has great friendships, parent-child relationships, etc. I did like the MC's other relationships more lol and I ended up not caring much about the MMC lol. This was quick and easy and got me fantasizing about winning the lottery!

This is an entertaining romance set in the same town as Bet on It. When Miriam wins the lottery, she ends up in an interesting situation with her estranged husband. It's an interesting second-chance romance with colorful and enjoyable characters.

The heat was sweltering in the little house, the box fan doing next to nothing to cool the place down. She fanned herself as she watched the local news station on the television and listened to her momma hum as she stirred something simmering on the stove. She gripped a paper in her hands and watched a woman on the screen call out random numbers… and then her world turned upside down.

Play to Win is a second chance romance following Miri who has just won the lottery and has no idea what to do with herself. The last thing she expects is for the love of her life to walk back into her life.

This was a cute romance and I was glad to have dual POV between Miri and Leo to get both of their perspectives. It was fun to see them reconnect, but also see how they grappled with the past and worked to move forward. I haven’t read a second chance romance between a married couple, so that was a nice change.

If you’re a fan of second chance romances then check out this book!

Do you ever fantasize about winning the lottery even though you never buy a ticket?

Or is it just me?

In Play to Win, Miriam's life is changed when she wins the Mega Millions. Suddenly she sees a way out of the life she has been living in her hometown where she is barely making ends meet and sharing a rundown rental house with her mom. There is only one problem... there is someone who might be able to claim half of her money and she hasn't seen him in 8 years. So Miriam finds herself calling up her estranged husband Leo and asking him to come back to town. When he arrives she offers him a deal. She will give him one large lump sum of money if he agrees to sign the divorce papers, but Leo makes a counteroffer because he isn't ready to let go of their marriage and has a plan to win Miriam back.

This was the first book I've read by Jodie Slaughter and the premise sounded fun and promising. I love a second chance romance, especially stories that features reconciled marriages. Unfortunately, this book wasn't it for me. I found the pace to be pretty slow until the end and I just wasn't feeling Miriam and Leo. 8 years have gone by since he walked out and I don't feel a big enough connection is revealed to help Miriam get past that hurt, despite his attempts to reconcile. They have an intense physical attraction, but I couldn't buy into a deep emotional one.

I did enjoy the secondary characters and the friendships and family relationships featured, but it was a miss for the romance for me.

This was a cute story. A lot more women's fiction than romance to me. Besides when the spice hits 🥵, which honestly I could have done with out.

A light rom com that is a super quick read. It had its laugh out loud moments. Little spice but that's not a bad thing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review..

I looooved this book. Jodie is one of my auto-buy authors, and I love a second chance romance so much! I felt very connected to the characters and loved the plot and the pacing of this book.

After reading absolutely falling in love with Jodie Slaughter’s debut, I couldn’t WAIT for her second book, and it did not disappoint. This second chance, estranged marriage was PERFECT. The tension and undeniable chemistry between them had me on the edge of my sweet. The sweet moment mixed in with the gut wrenching heartbreak these two felt over each other, and the vulnerability they each had to open themselves up to for a chance at love, and hurt, once more was so soft and sweet. Slaughter is officially an autobuy author for me and I hope book 3 is another friend in this friend group, because I’m not ready to say goodbye to these characters and this town yet!

You would think winning the lottery would make anyone happy, right? Yeah, but for Miriram she doesn't know what to do, especially after having to contact now her estranged husband (yeah especially since she actually needs to divorce him so that he's not after her money. But for Leo her estranged husband of eight years, he want this opportunity to earn her trust and to show her that he is enough for her. You can tell the pain the breakup that they each went through and how the other people influenced them.