PLAY TO WIN
Jodie Slaughter
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St. Martin's Griffin
7/11/23
Fiction / Romance
Paperback, 320 pages
"This contemporary romance set in the South is an immensely sexy and emotionally tender story about second chances, community, and family. Although it’s a stand-alone novel, it takes place in the same town as Slaughter’s previous rom-com, Bet on It; both first-time readers and her fans will enjoy."
-Library Journal (starred review)
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A sizzling romance where a winning lottery ticket is meant to be a new start but instead becomes a second chance at love.
Miriam Butler’s life is going nowhere in the slowest, most excruciating way possible. Stuck in the same low-paying job she’s had since she was sixteen and spending every night sleeping in the spare twin bed in her mother’s house, her existence might be hilarious if it wasn’t so bleak. One trip to her favorite corner store upends everything when she finds herself the winner of a Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot. Unfortunately, not even life-altering roses come without their painful thorns. Hers just so happen to be in the form of an estranged husband who has the right to claim his share of her money.
It’s been eight years since Leo Vaughn has had a conversation with his wife. When she calls out of the blue, practically begging him to come back to Greenbelt, the last thing he expects her to tell him when he gets there is that she’s come into a whole heap of money. She offers him a life-changing proposition of his own. Take a lump sum, finally, sign the divorce papers, and be done with her for good. But, a forever without her is the last thing Leo wants. So he gives 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.
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Hello Dear Readers,
Writing Play to Win was absolutely a labor of love. This book is full of big moments and big emotions that I sometimes struggled to put names to while writing. In the end, I succeeded because of the presence of Miri and Leo in my heart and my desire to tell their love story in a way that felt real and genuine. This book is about a lot of things; the ways poverty can change you; the ways wealth doesn’t. It’s about family, reconnection, forgiveness, anger, and love.
Jodie Slaughter
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Food plays a pivotal role in every part of life. I am immensely honored that The Book Club Cookbook has invited me back to talk a bit more about some of Greenbelt’s best eats.
My suggested menu is a combination of dishes that are seen throughout the book. I refer to this as “A perfect food day in Greenbelt,” planning out an entire day of delicious, filling food featured in Play to Win.
Breakfast: Of course, we’ve got to start with breakfast – the most important meal of the day. It seems fitting that we’d start our food journey in the place where Miri and Leo started their marriage at the Morningside B&B. Like any bed and breakfast worth its salt, Morningside has one incredible breakfast buffet. And whether you’re gearing up for a day of romantic bliss or bickering with your estranged husband in one of the rooms upstairs, Morningside’s biscuits and sausage gravy are the perfect thing to fill your belly and sustain your stamina.
Lunch: It wouldn’t be a day out in Greenbelt if we didn’t take a stopover at Minnie’s Diner for some good eats. Last time, we focused a lot on the peach cobbler, this time, we’re taking a sharp left turn. A bologna sandwich and chips may not be the fanciest or most obvious option, but it’s Leo Vaughn’s go-to, which means it’s worth trying on principle. Minnie’s sources their bologna locally, fries it just until the edges get crispy and curl up and then sandwich it between two pieces of white bread with mayo —or mustard if that’s what you’re into. It’s the type of lunch someone might eat when they need something cheap, hearty, and delicious.
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Dinner: Admittedly, this dinner combined with everything you've eaten throughout the day would probably infuse a food coma. But sometimes, that’s exactly what you need. If there was anything worthy of making it happen, it was Miri’s mother’s fried fish, only served on Tuesday nights. A plate of cornmeal-covered fried catfish with a side of steamed vegetables and cornbread, it’s the type of meal that just melts your heart. The only thing on this menu that is made in a family home by the hands of a loving mother, Patrice Butler’s fried fish might be the shining star of the entire book. To me, this meal is a perfect encapsulation of what food can do: feeds. nurtures, and provides even when those concepts feel scant everywhere else.
To drink: It's only fair that I provide two drink options. In a small South Carolina town, there’s no way around being offered a few refreshing glasses of sweet tea. Ice cold, sugary as can be, and all too familiar. There isn’t a single character in this book who would turn down a glass.
The second, if you’re feeling spicy, also includes sweet tea, with the surprise addition of vodka. This is a signature cocktail in the Palmetto state. While it may sound strange if you’re not used to it, think about it this way—you get all the benefits of the sweet tea with all the danger of the vodka. Who wouldn’t want to try that at least once?
-Jodie Slaughter
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