“Truth was, he didn’t know who he was if he wasn’t hers in some way.”

I was thrilled to return to the world of Greenbelt, SC to read about Aja’s friend Miri and her mysterious long lost love, Leo. Miri buys herself a lottery ticket after a long day digging a hole and is shocked to discover she’s won over $200 million. Beyond getting her mother taken care of, her first concern is tracking down her long absent husband to make sure he won’t try to sue her for half the winnings.

Miri is such a vivid and clearly drawn character, but I had a hard time understanding Leo’s motivations for why he left, and especially why he stayed away when he so clearly adores his wife. I loved reading about her struggles to figure out how to use the money best, since after she takes care of her mom, her best friends, Leo’s family, the church, she’s angry she can’t feel calmer and happier. An extreme look into how money can buy security but it takes a while to overcome a lifetime of scarcity mindset.

Greenbelt remains a fun setting for Jodie Slaughter’s tales, the diner, roller rink, and church all prominently featured. I’m also hoping for more books in this series (Jade the football coach, yes please!) and seeing how the investments Miri makes change the tenor of Greenbelt.

Second chance romance isn’t my favorite trope, but I appreciated the bones of the story. Fans of Xeni by Rebekah Weatherspoon should check out Miri and Leo, to see how love can endure even in an extreme windfall situation.

*** I received an ARC from NetGalley and am posting my honest review***

If you loved It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey, this is a must read book!!

Once again, Jodie Slaughter delivers!! She is fantastic at writing strong women who don’t immediately ignore men’s mistakes just because of love, and at writing strong bisexual women who are confident and unapologetic with their sexuality. I also appreciated the double epilogue, it was something I didn’t know I needed until she gave it to me. The South Carolina, small-town vibes are so easy to visualize with her fantastic writing, and it just adds to the charm of this book.

Thanks so much NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advance read in exchange for this review.

Miri is barely making enough money to survive. She decides to play the lottery and wins! 220 million is now hers! Well, except she is married. She hasn't seen her husband in eight years! She offers him a lump sum to get divorced, but he only wants her. He wants to win her back.

This is one of those books that I really wanted to like more than I actually did. I loved Miri. She was amazing. However, I thought she was better than Leo and did not need him. I didn't fall for the romance in this book. Like other reviews, I think this book expected the reader to rely on nostalgia to root for the couple, but I didn't think that was there. It's still a quick read if that is what you are looking for!

Play to Win is the story of Miri and Leo. They were childhood best friends who grew to be each other's first loves and then husband and wife. They didn't have a happily ever after. Leo up and left her without a reason eight years ago.
Miri would like to say she was over him, but the truth is that she isn't. She is working hard to get by while living in her childhood home with her mom. Her mom always plays the lottery and tells Miri to stop at the lucky store to buy her ticket. On a whim, she spends what little money she has to play her own numbers too. Her numbers are all important dates that have to deal with Leo.
Then, she realizes she won the lottery. Two hundred and twenty million dollars. She cannot believe it. But while discussing the process with her new financial advisor, she realizes that Leo can sue her for half of the money, because they are still married. She calls him after getting his number from his sister. He drops everything and comes home immediately. When she tells him about the money, he doesn't want any, he wants her.
What ensues is an excellent story about loving and accepting yourself in order to truly love someone else. This story was gripping and lovely, I highly recommend it!

I think this was really cute, but I didn't feel the chemistry between our main characters. I am okay with second-chance romance, but I don't think this one was for me. I did enjoy Bet On It, but this one wasn't to my liking. It may be for someone else, but sadly I may not be the target audience for this romance genre.

Ahhhh this book was so freakin adorable! It was funny, charming, compelling, and romantic and I didn’t want it to end!

This was such a cute rom-com. I loved the Mari and Leo and all the other characters. The relationship between Mari and her mom was amazing. I always appreciate the discussion on therapy and mental health. The story made me laugh out loud a few times and get teary eyed. I enjoyed this book.

It was an estranged wife/husband second chance romance.

It was cute but Leo was annoying, im not sure I saw the chemistry between them. I think the FMC was super strong but I didn't see her really caring that much about him and I know that she was guarding herself and such but it felt more like just a physical reaction towards him than an emotional one. I'm not sure how they reconciled.

This book has a lot going for it! I loved Miri and watching her come to terms with winning the lottery and wanting to give back to the people who have helped her. I also love that she is a s confident bisexual Black woman. I really liked the depiction of small town South Carolina, where everyone knows everyone’s business, and I adored several of the side characters. Miri’s mom in particular was a highlight.

That being said, I think this falls into the trap of so many second chance romances where the reader is expected to root for the couple based on a nostalgia. While I could understand the mindset Leo was in that caused him to leave, I never felt like I could confidently root for them because we never really got to see them in love until the epilogue. Though I did appreciate their conversation when they decided to try again talking about how “traditional” marriage with the gender roles that implies isn’t what they want/need/expect from one another.

If you’re looking for a short, fun, Black love romance, I recommend you check this out!

I adored this book! Miri's huge, unimaginable lottery win and the sudden life changes and quandaries that come with it, including what to do about her estranged husband, make for a unique and compelling read. I'm a big fan of second chance/marriage in trouble romances and a small-town setting so immediately knew I wanted to try this one. I haven't read any Jodie Slaughter books before, but I've clearly missed out and will be reading through the others, especially Aja and Walker's book since hearing bits about their relationship intrigued me. Getting to know Miri and Leo and their friends and families made me want to know more about each character's story and the small-town dynamics felt real and nuanced, which isn't always the case in romance books. I'm so looking forward to reading more from Jodie Slaughter in the future!

A second chance romance my heart needed. When Miri and Leo see each other again you could just feel all the emotions dripping from the page. Two people who married really young but whose love has lasted through it all. I really loved the way Miri and Leo both came to realizations about emotions and their well being and what they both needed to make it work. This almost read a little more like women’s fiction because there was just a lot of work and emotions Mari had to work through and a lot more involvement from side characters and their relationships.

When Leo decided to use the whole “let me fix this up” to stay and win Miri back i swooned. I loved seeing them back together and fall deeper in love.

My only critique would be that a lot of time was spent with other characters instead of between them two and for a second chance romance I felt that I needed more scenes with them together.

A great romance!

Miriam won a lottery and realizes that she still hasn't finalized her divorce. She asks her ex-husband Leo to sign the divorce paper but he just wants to get back together.

Love the romance and the chemistry. Wasn't sure about Leo inititially but he grew on me. The ending was wonderful, sweet and tender. Really enjoy it.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book concept was great and the first half of the book hooked me, Miri winning the lottery and dealing with the aftermath of going from nothing to everything overnight was deftly portrayed. Having lived in SC, the portrayal of rural life in smaller towns was spot on. It’s rare to see a book portray regular people living a regular life. Even with Miri winning the lottery, that was a background plot and didn’t overshadow how the people of Greenbelt live. A+ all sound.

Where the plot started to fall flat for me was Leo coming back into town. The book, like a lot second chance romances depend on the audience to feel a nostalgia that we don’t. There is very little dialogue of substance between Miri and Leo throughout the second part of the book outside of how attracted they still are to each other. And that’s fine but even in a light hearted romance, those tough conversations need to happen on page, multiple times in this case because Leo walked out eight years ago. That’s a long time with zero explanation or him reaching out. The saving grace was that the author has very lovable secondary characters who help fill the gaps. Leo and Miriam expressed their feelings to family and friends so we at least had that. Just wished they spoke to each other more.

Overall, a good read and funny. Just wished it had more umph in the emotional department to make me think Leo deserved a second chance. 3.5 stars

Stunning, tender, and heatbreakingly sweet. I loved this book so much!! Jodie Slaughter has a knack for writing emotionally fraught stories without leaving me a sobbing mess because the conclusions are so indescribably mushy and sweet. I loved Miri and Leo. I loved seeing Aja and Walker get featured from the last book. I loved everything about this book!!!

This was a fun read! Definitely a romcom, so if you’re into those, look no further. The humor was spot on, and I enjoyed reading a second chance at love between Miriam and and Leo. If you want a cute summer read this is the one for you.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this next installment!
It has all of my favorite tropes in one book!
Second Chance Love✅ Small Town ✅
I was very skeptical about Miri and Leo coming back together, but by the end of the book I was rooting for them!
Slaughter did another wonderful job of crafting these characters and making them real people who we can relate to and work to forgive (Leo) 😂
Their chemistry was so real, and I enjoyed how she addressed how one couples separation affects other relationships (friendships and family).
It was also nice to see Aja and Walker again ❤️
Definitely laughed and cried with this one!