This was such a beautiful and very authentic second chance love story. I really appreciated how real the characters felt. They are both flawed but ultimately still make you want to root for them. It was such a fantastic exploration of the ways that our own insecurities and assumptions can get in the way of our own happiness.

The premise started out being cute but honestly it just didn't work for me. I felt like not much had changed between the main characters in the eight years since they got divorced and their relationship still seems more toxic than healthy. So overall it was just hard to root for them. I will say that second chance romances rarely work for me so this may be a better read for people who love that trope.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. The author did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! I would highly recommend it!

I loved the premise of this book. It all seemed to be a great idea but it was really slow to get moving for me. I wish we would have gotten more of the backstory POV of Miri and Leo to really get the second chance romance flutters ourselves. Overall, I think this was an okay book, but maybe not the book for me.

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

This book was published by St. Martin's Press, which is unfortunately being boycotted. If the boycott reaches a resolution, I hope to come back and review this book.

First time to play the lottery and she wins the big pot. Now why can't that happen to me?? Even with a financial adviser she randomly writes checks and commits funds. And the whole married thing adds to the story. Interesting but really not my cup of tea.

Synopsis:

Miriam Butler's life is going nowhere when she finds herself the winner of a Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot. Her estranged husband shows up to claim his share of her winnings. Leo Vaughn hasn't had a conversation with his wife in 8 yrs. When she calls, she offers him a lump sum to finally sign the divorce papers and be done for good. But that's the last thing he wants, so he offers a proposition of his own, one that won’t cost her nearly as many millions, but will buy him the time to do the one thing he’s been hungry to do since he left -- win her back.

Review:

I liked the concept of winning the lottery and the money impacting your relationship - because I feel like that would definitely happen. In fact there's a whole tv show dedicated to lottery winners and how they can lose their money really quickly because of friends and family asking for a handout! This second chance romance showed that love is more important than any amount of money. I did find the story a bit slow and the characters didn't really draw me in, but overall it was an OK read.

I loved Bet On It, so when this book came out, I knew I had to read it. @jodie_slaughter's writing makes characters feel real. You feel part of their emotions and world when you’re reading, and I love that.

Play to Win is a well written tale of young love which was full of angst, emotion and second chances that evolved into a beautiful HEA that made me literally swoon and sigh. I laughed. I cried. I loved this story. #NetGalley

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

I enjoyed the writing of this book. It was smooth and easy to read. I loved the idea of a lottery win and making sure her estranged husband doesn't get money he isn't entitled to getting.

Unfortunately, the miscommunication in the book was prevalent to me and this isn't a book I loved.

Play to Win is a heartwarming story that surprises with its tender exploration of a marriage long forgotten. Miriam Butler's average life takes an unexpected turn when she wins the lottery and finds herself face-to-face with her estranged husband, Leo. What happens next is a delightful journey of rediscovery and second chances as Leo seizes the opportunity to win back the love he thought lost. With newfound wealth and old wounds, the story unfolds with charm and sincerity, reminding us that sometimes, life’s gems lie in forgotten bonds that never truly broke. Play to Win is a beautiful yet relatable reminder of the power of love to overcome even the greatest of odds.

Voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of NetGalley, the Publisher, and the author, Jodie Slaughter.

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.