Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ALC. This was a fun listen. I'm a huge gambler so loved that aspect of it. I didn't really like the characters together and thought Miriam could do so much better. Overall an ok read.

This is a second chance love trope that begins when Miri, who is broke and divorced and lives with her mom wins the lottery. The only problem is that her estranged husband may claim some of her money if he was to find out. Miri calls him up seeking a divorce but he ends up coming to town facing her for the first time in 8 years.

The author was witty and it translates into her work and the narrator was amazing. However, the lack of communication between the main characters was driving me insane. This book could have been about 100 pages if they just had a grown up conversation. I am still looking forward to reading more from this author though.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for the ARC copy!

I enjoyed Bet on It - the first Jodie Slaughter book I read - so I was looking forward to another fun, flirty romance, but sadly, this was a bit disappointing. It's a second-chance romance, which I normally love, but very little actually happened (in terms of plot) and there wasn't really enough of a redemption arc for the eventually HEA to feel satisfying.

Leo's motivations for leaving also didn't seem to hold up under scrutiny. From Miri's perspective, he left when things got tough because they didn't have enough money. When we hear it from Leo's side, though, he says left because he didn't want to be a burden on Miri. But by leaving, he ended up putting more financial pressure on her, because she didn't have a second income to support their family? Perhaps I missed something, but the reasons for their separation felt a bit...contrived.

Miri stayed angry with Leo for the first half of the book (understandable), but then forgave him very quickly, which seemed at odds with how hurt she'd been. It also didn't feel like they had a thorough discussion about Leo's actions and what they were going to do going forward to ensure that they had a healthier, stronger relationship. I ended up feeling disconnected from their romance because we got a lot more telling than showing and I didn't really get any chemistry from them. I enjoyed seeing Miri use her winnings to support her friends and family, but at times the narrative became very repetitive and left me feeling dissatisfied.

Cute story about winning the lottery and how it changes ones life -- especially the psychological shift of no money to millions.

Not the biggest fan of the love story line but the friends, the dynamics of the families, all the layered conversations that happened were lovely representations of the different battles the characters faced.

#arc
#netgalley
#playtowin

Jodie is a SPICEY author and there are always a couple scenes in her book that make my face turn red! It takes a bit for her to get there but the build ups are great. The small town setting helps keep the drama flowing and a little bit of humor moves it along as well. Overall I’ve really enjoyed this series.

🌀Synopsis
Miriam wins the lottery but she doesn’t tell many people about it. She doesn’t want people to treat her differently but she does want to help change some lives.
She helps her friends out and gives them some money. She’s also determined to help her mom have a better life. It’s always been just her and her mom and now she’s ready to help her mom take it easy since she’s always worked hard to provide for her daughter.
The only piece of the puzzle that doesn’t seem to be fitting quite right is her ex husband- Leo. They married young and things didn’t work out quickly, so they separated pretty early on. Now it’s been 8 years and he’s back in town.
Not only is he back though, he’s back to prove he can be the husband that she deserves for him to be.

✨Book Review✨
Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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This book started off so strong and I really really loved it. As it continued it got a little sexual and repetitive for me, but I would still recommend it to anyone who likes fairly spicy rom coms. I did really love the mentions of therapy and the importance of strong friendships in the book.

This was an enjoyable fairly steamy romance. The one who got away, will they, won’t they got a little frustrating but as romances do, it has its HEA. The narrator helped set the scene for a struggling town in South Carolina. I would read more by this author.

This was not what I was expecting. It started a little interesting but then got boring. I didn’t care for the story nor did I connect with any of the characters.

On a whim, Miriam decides to buy a lottery ticket that ends up winning her the $250 million jackpot. Unfortunately for her, her estranged husband is entitled to his share of the winnings so she tries to make a deal with him--he finally signs over the divorce papers for a piece of her prize. What she doesn't expect is for him to decline both and then refuse to leave town. I loved Miriam and how strong, independent, and caring she was. I loved that she took her newfound fortune and helped those around her. What I didn't love was Leo... He skips town because he doesn't believe he's good enough for Miriam, but then, after 8 years and not reaching out to her himself, he is all of a sudden determined to win her back? That bothered me and I think my dislike for him affected how I connected with the romance.

I was such a fan of “Bet on It” I was so excited to revisit our friends in Greenbelt, South Carolina. This is a second chance romance in which Miri, wins the lottery but discovers that her estranged husband Leo would also be entitled to half of her winnings. She calls him back and makes him a deal to ask for a divorce but Leo sees this as an opportunity to try to win back Miri’s heart.
I really felt that the author did a wonderful job of giving us the best and the worst of Miri and Leo’s relationship and really showing us the pain that happens when relationships fall apart. This wasn’t an easy read. The characters really went through so much emotional heartbreak to get to their happy ending and the author did a wonderful job guiding the reader on this journey. Sometimes it was so personal, that my heart ached for Miri and I felt like I was invading her privacy.
The journey back to each other was so satisfying overall. Such a great second chance romance.
Also bonus points for the wonderful friendships and personal growth in this book as well. The story was extremely well rounded. I very much enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed this narrator ! She really brought these characters to life, as well as the humor!

This was a sweet second chance romance. ⁣
Second chance is actually a top fave of mines because of the angst. I live for the angst. This had some but I would’ve loved a little more. I felt like Leo’s reason for leaving years ago was very immature and I guess that was the point but it still annoyed me.⁣
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I adored Mari’s relationship with her mum and appreciated her sort of keeping Leo from a distance. I feel like if they had both communicated better years ago and communicated their needs they could’ve avoided the missed time.⁣
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It was fun that Mari won the lottery and the steam and chemistry that I love was still there.⁣
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 3.75ish

Miriam has never had a lot of extra money laying around, but when she suddenly wins the lottery, her entire life is about to change. Based on the guidance of her lawyer, she reaches out to her husband, whom she has been separated from and hasn’t spoken to in eight years. She’s ready to offer him a portion of her winnings in exchange for signed divorce papers, but Leo would rather find a way to win her back.

I thought this was a unique premise and a lottery win is always a fun start to the book. I was intrigued by Leo and Miri’s history and how a lottery win might bring them back together. I didn’t love their backstory and all of the communication issues and poor choices they clearly had in their past, but did love seeing them fix up Leo’s aunt’s house and learning about all of the history they shared. Leo and Miri also had great chemistry that clearly did not go away with time and distance.

I enjoyed Lacy Laurel's narration of the audiobook and think it added to the story in this case.

Thank you to SMP Romance, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the advance copies.

3.5 Stars I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by Lacy Laurel. The narration was very good. The different characters were easy to differentiate.

The story was about Miri winning the lottery and then looking up her husband who had walked out on her 8 years ago. That seemed like an awfully long time apart for a husband and wife to then start working on getting back together. The romance just seemed to need more. I would have liked more of them really getting to know each other again. Overall it was a fun read with lots of quirky family and friends to fill out the story.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter was a fun read about a second chance romance.

They found “the one” as children but weren’t quite prepared for what that meant as young adults. Fast forward nearly a decade later, and reuniting presents new challenges.

It was an interesting take to include how a breakup can affect those around the couple as well and how they would be weary of the second chance at first.

Thank you Jodie Slaughter, NetGalley, and MacMillan for allowing me to enjoy this ALC.

I enjoyed this author's previous book Bet On It and was excited for Play to Win. I like marriage reconciliation in books but thought this book was just okay. This is a second-chance romance where the leads are reunited after FMC wins huge on the lottery and decides she wants a quick divorce. I didn't find the couple particularly likeable, especially after learning about what led to their estrangement - I don't feel the MMC truly redeemed himself.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ALC

The description sounded fabulous and like it’d be a fun read. A rags to riches for someone who truly needs and deserves it. A new start so to speak. It started out interesting and then for me, took an unappealing turn. She hasn’t heard from her estranged husband for 8 years and now all of a sudden he wants back in her life and the money has nothing to do with it? He wasn’t likable, was incredibly disingenuous and I found it difficult to metabolize that the author would create a character that had potential to stand on her own or at least be strong and stand up for herself and yet let her get zero answers as to the last 8 years and the why of them. I also found both of them to be incredibly immature. Disappointing at best for me, except for the narration and surprising as I have enjoyed other titles by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the ebook and the audiobook to review. I really enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook so I preferred that format, though checking spelling of character names in the ebook was helpful. However, when the perspective was the main MC, I felt like it would be better if there were a male narrator as I got a bit confused.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. Miri was a likable character, Leo was as well, for the most part. I enjoyed the estranged marriage premise and the fact that Miri winning the lottery spurred their relationship to get back on track. The reason I reduced a star was the sex scenes were a little more than I prefer. I know this is just personal preference. Other than those scenes, I completely enjoyed the book.

Mary's life is changed in the moment she buys a winning Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot ticket. Now not only does she have more money than she can imagine, but she's going to have to finally divorce her estranged husband. Leo doesn't want to take Mary's money, but he doesn't want to sign the divorce papers either. This was a super fun second chance romance that focused not only on the two main characters figuring out their relationship, but also their relationships with their families. I thought this book did a good job of forcing the characters to grow and deal with the consequences of the choices they made when they were younger.

I thought the narrator did a great job with Mary's voice.

I just reviewed Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter. #NetGalley

I enjoyed this story of Miriam and Leo's second chance at love. There was great humor, romance, and a little spice. It had a fun and unique plot with hilarious secondary characters (looking at you, mom). This is a perfect read for a rainy day.

3.5 stars!

"Play to Win" by Jodie Slaughter is mostly a delight. It's a lovely, spicy story that feels authentic and has some good comedic elements. I enjoyed reading about Miriam (Miri) and Leo's second chance at love after an eight year hiatus from each other (that was instigated by Leo). To me, the motivation behind his wanting a separation was clear in the story, albeit one that necessitated another conversation to avoid any miscommunication. Unfortunately, that's not what happened, and Miri has been rightfully angry ever since. When she wins the lottery, she is encouraged to seek a divorce. Leo has other moves: winning Miri back after all these years. These characters feel lived-in and well written. I did wish there had been more time/pages for readers to deeply feel and connect to the rekindling of their relationship a little bit more. The spicy scenes are soooooo good. Jodie Slaughter sure knows how to light a fire in someone's belly because WHOA! This is just a fun piece of escapism that will make you long for the day when you'll win the lottery. I did find the middle to be a little slow moving. I could have used a bit more conflict (I pretty much always assumed Leo and Miri were going to work out their issues). Finally, I thoroughly enjoyed Lacy Laurel's audiobook narration. I do wish it had been a dual perspective audiobook narration, but Laurel does a good job differentiating between characters and bringing them to life.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jodie Slaughter, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.