So last year, I reviewed Slaughter's Bet on It, the book preceding this. It was a book that I connected with quite a bit, especially as a Black fat woman. In the review, I made a not-a-joke about if Miri got her own book, I'd preordered as soon as they dropped the link.
WELP, I guess St. Martin liked my review because I woke up one morning, with the ARC waiting in my email. Screaming and bad karate moves of joy might have happened.
This book focuses on Miriam "Miri", the lovely nail tech from the last book. Miri and Leo were high school sweethearts who married young. After a big argument, Leo left and they haven't seen each other in about 8 years. The fact that they still haven't divorced each other has never been a big issue for them.....Until Miri wins the lottery for over 200 million dollars and he has a chance at getting half of the money.
This book didn't win me over like Bet On It did. Don't worry, this isn't a case of having too high of expectations for the sequel. Instead, it's the nature of the romances themselves. With Bet On It, we got to see the romance bloom from the start. With Play To Win, we come into Miri and Leo's story with 20+ years of history deep. Unfortunately, Slaughter often tells us rather than shows us what makes that chemistry and history. It made the romance feel a bit shallow to me.
It's a shame too. This is a slow-burn romance! This would have been a great time to show us the ghosts of Leo and Miri of yesteryear that haunts them, to see the angst rather than just be told of the aftermath. The first half of the book felt repetitive to me, especially whenever Miri and Leo talk.
That said, I'm not entirely sure if that was accidental. Once we get into the second half, both characters have moments of clarity and finally get out of their own way. It's like weights have been lifted from their shoulders and they can truly move forward. (Honestly, as someone the same age as the leads, the idea of learning to get out of your own way hits a little too close to home. How dare?)
So if the romance didn't quite work for me, what did? The familiarity and sheer Blackity Blackness of this book. I mentioned in my review of "Georgie All Along" how much I hate it when writers don't nail their pop culture references and Slaughter didn't miss!
At one point, Leo goes to a skating rink with his nephews and meets Miri there, and immediately, Chance the Rapper's Juke Jam started playing in my head. It transported me to going to the rink with my big sister and her friends. The rink is the modern equivalent to regency people going to pump rooms for the "water".
Another moment came as a conversation about toxic heteronormative and a character sums it up as a "Big piece of chicken type of man" and gosh, that takes me back. Seriously, these parts just feel so familiar and gentle to me. I'm envious of how Slaughter's writing captures these moments.
For me, the book shines when Leo and Miri interact with secondary characters. Not only does it give some humor, but it's also when they both hit their breakthroughs about their choices. It's these moments that enable Leo and Miri best moments, honestly.
Overall, I enjoyed this book more when it focused on friendship and community than the romance itself. Still, this was a very gentle and healing read for me. I give it 4 stars.
TW: Sexual content, abandonment, poverty-based trauma.
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