A review by youshouldreadthisif
Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter

emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 
I am a lover of second chance romance, and I enjoyed the conflict that Slaughter had Miriam and Leo work through to earn their reunion. However, given the severity of their break-up and the length of time they went sans communication, they progressed into the inevitable flirting and reminiscing a smidge too quickly (literally their second interaction) for my liking. I would have preferred a bit more of the un-sexy tension between their reunion and the commencement of the sexy tension, but it’s a fairly minor quibble given how much I enjoyed the book overall. 
 
But where this book really shined for me is in its depiction of the small town setting and the lives of people who grew up in such a place and never left. There are POC, there are queer people (including the FMC, who is bi). There is some discussion of the wealthy white people who seem to control the town, but the focus is very much on the lower income population. It’s not even remotely a romanticized portrayal of small town life. Incessant gossip and inevitable run-ins at the Piggly Wiggly included. Perhaps one of my favorite things about this book is Slaughter’s thoughtful consideration of socioeconomic pressures on the town’s Black residents, specifically the significance of home ownership as a critical source of (generational) wealth. Also, I really enjoyed that she leans into an exploration of how poverty has impacted the characters’ lives in ways big and small, and I especially enjoyed how it influenced the decisions they make and how they make them. 
 
The discussion between the friend group about having to remind themselves that they’re not broke anymore and the habits that they have regarding money because they’ve been poor for so long. And Miri’s longing to own a dog but not getting one because she knows she can’t afford the adoption fee, the food, the vet bills, etc…ugh it hit home for me. For these characters, money solves a whole lot of their problems, but not all of them. And it doesn’t erase the trauma of poverty.