Play to Win by Jodie SlaughterI received Play to Win from GoodReads Giveaways. Thank you to GoodReads and to St. Martin’s Press for the review copy of Jodie Slaughter’s Play to Win.
In Jodie Slaughter’s Play to Win, Miri’s life is not what one would call easy: her husband ran out on her eight years before, she lives with her mother in a rundown rental, and her job at the nail salon just covers the bills. When she wins a big lottery, an enormous lottery, she knows that her life is going to change, but she does not anticipate that her estranged husband will be the largest part of that change. A financial advisor tells her that her husband has legal rights to the money, and suggests that she reach out to him with divorce papers and a fixed amount of cash. And so Miri asks the man who tore her to shreds back into her life and even offers to pay him.
Leo, he ex husband, on the other hand, has spent the last eight years acting as the guilty dog he is, not moving on from their marriage, and wallowing in his own atrocious actions, too terrified to do anything about it. When Leo gets the call from Mira to come back, he cannot return to her fast enough.
With Leo back in town, and the immaturity and money woes that stifled the relationship of their younger selves, the couple might have a second chance. If Leo can step up. And if Miri can forgive.
Play to Win is a sweet love story that revolves around both romantic love and self-love. Part of both Mira’s and Leo’s journey is figuring out how to forgive their younger selves and make better decisions. For Leo, this also means healing relationships with family and friends that were collateral damage of his fleeing his marriage. For Miri, this means deciding what she wants and finally giving herself what she needs.
As the two make chess moves back and forth--Leo trying to convince Miri that he is worthy and Miri trying to determine if Leo is worthy--there is a whole supporting cast of family and friends in their small community who are eager to assist Miri and Leo through their journey.
Play to Win has some spice, but it is more focused on the romance and community than it is on spice. With Leo back in town, he must ingratiate himself back into his sister’s and her family’s life, his old school friend’s life, and Miri’s mother’s life. The apologies he must make, and the hurt he caused that he must confront create an emotional core for the novel. It also gives the novel some weight, as the rest of the cast are not merely onlookers, but also have their own stake in the couple as well as desire to see them happy. This is not to say that Miri and Leo make choices based on what other people want them to do, but just like in life, those around us want happiness for us, and our relative happiness has an impact on their lives. It is in large part the ensemble cast that makes Play to Win easily imaginable as a movie.
Would I teach Play to Win? I must admit that this is unlikely--as a romance, Miri and Leo are fine characters, but they don’t stick with me as much as other characters have. The romance is not epic and even the lottery ticket is not handled in an extravagant way. Not bad for a beach read or to take on a plane, but there would be no guilt in leaving it for the next person.
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