Playing with Fire

by Kiki Swinson

In this, page-turning prequel to the Playing Dirty and Notorious duology, national bestselling author Kiki Swinson never lets up with her high-octane depictions of striving and scheming in the Dirty South, taking readers on a wild ride to the early days of Yoshi Lomax, when she was an ambitious law student making her way in the privileged circles of academia.

The perfect storm . . .
Young, irreverent, and reckless, Yoshi is struggling to make good at her prestigious college and keep her demanding mother off her back, while living the good life with her peers. But between the overwhelming workload and hostile professors, she’s on the verge of flunking out. Yet that’s the least of her troubles when her roommate, Gia, winds up in a coma, and Yoshi finds her diary—and a library’s worth of shocking, extremely valuable secrets . . .

The perfect edge . . .
For the school’s elite-of-the-elite students, their perfect transcripts, priceless connections, and endless entitlements are fueled by an all-consuming round of drug deals, sex, trading favors—and killer leverage. And in spite of her idealistic friend’s warnings, Yoshi is convinced she can handle it all . . .

The perfect trap . . .
Until Yoshi discovers that every little lie, dirty secret, and easy betrayal is hiding a secret even she isn’t willing to keep. Now with everything she cares about on the line, she must make a wrenching choice that could cost her more than her life . . .

Genres: Fiction

257 pages, Paperback

Published March 28, 2023

About the author

Kiki Swinson was born and raised in Portsmouth, Virginia. She discovered her flair for writing after completing her first novel, Mad Shambles, while serving a five-year sentence at a federal prison.
After being released in December 1996, Kiki later went on to self-publish Mad Shambles. Her passion for writing didn't stop there. Writing feverishly into the wee hours of the night, she completed her second novel, Wifey, which was published by Melodrama Publishing. After the success of Wifey, Kiki penned the sequels I'm Still Wifey and Life After Wifey, as well as The Candy Shop and A Sticky Situation.

Reviews

[Ebony · Rating 1 out of 5]

Playing with Fire was terrible. Rape is not a plot a device. Detailing rape page after page after page is a clear signal that an author doesn’t intend to tell a thoughtful story. The characters and the descriptions are thin. 66% of the book is dialogue before anything interesting happens. The entire story wraps in a paragraph of confession. The machine that promotes black books is fundamentally flawed. It wasn’t the reviews that got me to read this one, but I liked the book’s cover when I saw it at the library. Foiled again. Save your time and your soul. Leave this book on the shelf.

[Coffee&Books]

And we are done. Sexual assault at 36% and I nope out right there. I also don’t wan to read college age characters.

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly this book was probably a work Kiki penned while locked up. She found the old manuscript and said 'hey another hit!' Wrong!! There was way too much dialog that repeated the same scenes over and over. Also, there were minor inonsistencies at the beginning when Yoshi found Gia's diary. Gia said she texted Scott 50 times. Texting wasn't out in '92. Even the review on the back was talking about another book! Editors dropped the ball on this one.

[Teaguem2005 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah, definitely not feeling "early" Yoshi. I can see the "pre" gangster in her but if I had read this one first I probably would not have ever read the other books to be quite honest.

The repetition of story telling was odd to me. The plot of the missing girl and how Yoshi "solved" the crime was a bit much. The entire rape and aftermath was unpleasant. Penny was annoying.

I simply cannot recommend this book at all.

[Denise Gilliam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was pure fire from page one. Yoshi was a good girl just wanted to go to school and because a positive person. It’s so sad that her mom treated her. I know a lot of us females could feel her pain about her mom.
Jessica was a sweet girl trying to do the right thing and Gia my heart goes out to her and Jessica. I knew it was something to Penny she asked a lot questions. This book was so good I could tell the whole book but I don’t wanna spoil it for anyone so read it you won’t be disappointed trust me on that.

[Untamed Publishing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Playing with Fire found Yoshi Lomax in dire situations as females she was connected to continued to come up missing. The sordid tale of heinous crimes mixed with privilege was prevalent throughout this read. We appreciated the fact that the author was willing to take the story where it needed to tackle those important issues that our society as a whole is faced with today.

While the central theme kept us enthralled, there were times when the story fell flat, and the secondary story of Yoshi and her mother was a let down in the end with this narrated rushed closure, after it had been built up nicely. With the exception of one key character, it was rather predictable which took some of the luster away. With a little more work, this story has great potential.

Thank you NetGalley and Dafina Books for this book in exchange for a review.

[Shannan Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book in my opinion. With a cast of characters that deal with the unthinkable that will have you wanting more. Yoshi dealt with so many things in this story. It was an exciting and fast paced read and it got me out of a reading slump another book put me in. And I was not ready for the twists and turns throughout the story. I can't wait for the next book.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scrolling through my kindle often I end up going into books blind as I have so many on there and I can't remember what they are about, just that they must have sounded good at the time when I originally got them. Some have been misses, but others hit. Playing with Fire by Kiki Swinson is a prequel to a Duology that she released. I haven't read any books by this author before but I am now interested in checking out the duology as I would love to see this character in the present time and see what her life is like now and how her past and what she went through in this book impacted her. In Playing with Fire, our main character Yoshi Lomax is studying Political Science and knows her way around the law. She is a college student and has her fair share of drinking and partying and doing drugs with her roomies. That is until one year over break, a domino effect of incidents will change Yoshi's life for good. The first is meeting Penny at the school and learning that a college girl who looks similar to her has gone missing and no one has found her yet, the second thing is that while Yoshi is back home with her mum and step-dad she learns that one of her roomies Gia has overdosed on drugs. Yoshi heads back to the hospital, only to be blamed by Gia's parents for being a bad influence on her daughter - yet it was Gia who introduced Yoshi to drugs. The next incident is Yoshi at a party where she finds herself being a victim of sexual assault and of course, when she tries to report it this leads her to be judged, assaulted even more, and then in the end to top things off her other roommate Jessica goes missing and things don't look positive. Playing with Fire has everything from drugs, overdoses, death, and murder as well as sexual assault and domestic violence. I have to say at the end of this, I was surprised that Yoshi managed to get through the year as personally if I suffered all this, I'd be curled up in a ball and wanting to shut away the world. Playing with Fire by Kiki Swinson was one of those diamonds in the bookshelves of random reads.

[Kelsie Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Playing With Fire is an outstanding multicultural thriller from bestselling author, Kiki Swinson. This is a prequel to her Notorious duology, which I haven’t read…yet.

Yoshi Lomax is a college student at a prestigious southern university. She’s in over her head in more ways than one. Can she regain control of her life before she’s completely off the rails?

Kiki Swinson is a gifted author of multicultural fiction, and she shows her ability in this prequel. She grabs the reader’s attention and easily keeps it throughout. In fact, I was halfway through this one before I raised my head. I couldn’t seem to put it down. And didn’t; not until I finished it. Yoshi is an interesting character. She’s biracial, which may or may not be part of her issues. She seems to be younger than her years and somewhat naïve, but I like her anyway. Some of the writing, narrative and dialogue, seems a little stilted, but I still couldn’t put it down, and it didn’t slow down the story or my reading. Overall, this is a great read, though I did deduct a star for the sometimes, in my humble opinion, stiffness. I give Playing With Fire 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys good fiction with a mysterious twist.

My thanks to Kensington Books, Dafina, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

[Devyn Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so… this book. This book right here.

It wasn’t terrible — but it also wasn’t giving what it thought it was giving. For a book this short, it somehow dragged on like it was being paid by the hour. SIX days of my life. Six. And yes, I sped the audio up to 2.0x just so I wouldn’t start screaming into the void.

And let’s talk about Yoshi.
I have never wanted to reach into a book and shake a character so badly. Sis stayed in “professional victim mode” like she was auditioning for an award. Even when she actually was the victim, I still wanted her to do… anything else.

The plot had potential — genuinely. But instead of diving deep, it doggy-paddled on the surface and left me feeling like I ate a snack when I wanted a whole meal.

Overall? I’d give it 3 stars… It’s a solid “read it if you’re bored but don’t blame me” type of recommendation. Not a complete waste of time, but definitely not something I’m shouting from rooftops. More like a polite shrug in book form.

[Kiera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yoshi Lomax is a young, naive college student who at times acts emotionally younger than she is. She is relatable though and likeable, and I quickly got absorbed in her story, kind of reminded me of someone I knew in college.
I love me some Kiki Swinson, and I’ve been known to shut down everything until I’ve read the last page. This book is a bit slow to start at first, but it picks up quickly. There were a couple parts that I thought were kind of dragging a bit, and so I gave the book 4 stars. I’d recommend the book to anyone who likes their fiction with a few twists and turns. The book was enjoyable from beginning to end, and I’m looking forward to her next book.
Thank you to Dafina, Kensington, and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. This review is my personal rating of the book.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read other books by this author and, they are usually better.
The premise is good. Yoshi's early years in college. She has two roomies named Gia and Jessica. There is a bit of mystery.
There is a lot going on. Her relationship with her mom, Gia, Jessica, rape on college campus...
Since the charcters aren't fleshed out? It's not explained why her mother is the way she is.
The reactions and conversations don't flow like they would in these situations (or at all) either.
If the charcacters were fleshed out ( and not just popping up) and maybe a little more info given, you would care what happened to Gia and Jessica. It's told rather than you reading about it as everything unfolds.
You can easily skip this.

[Marion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Playing with Fire has a good storyline…a little bit of hood mixed with a little bit of privilege. Yoshi Lomax finds herself in the middle of everything in spite of trying not to be. When your friends start to disappear, and die, it stands to reason that the law is going to start to give you the side-eye. I wish that the storyline could have been fleshed out a bit more. It felt rushed in places, and I don’t think full advantage was taken of the story possibilities. However, with that being said, I still found it to be a good read. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

[Antonietta tesfaye · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry but this book is a mess! Can we please stop normalizing drug abuse? We become so desensitized and expect it to be the normal and still be successful. It was difficult to relate to the character. And then when something out of her control happens to her, it becomes a minor sub storyline. It just felt that the important things and tragic things that were happening took a backseat to self indulgence. My questions were not raise and answered. I understand it's a pre-Qual but it should keep me satisfied and wanting to continue.

[Vnunez-Ms_luv2read · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had such high hopes for this book. The author is usually a very good author to read, but, this book fell very flat. The book did not flow, it made no sense in some parts and just seemed rushed. I could not get into this book. I wish it was better as I had high hopes for this book. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book for my honest review. Receiving this book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

[ReadnliftwithShar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge fan of this author but this book wasn’t her best work. I liked the fast pace of the storyline but I really felt like the book was very inconsistent. There was a lot of moving parts and different storylines happening and I didn’t feel that I had closure in the end. The plot twist of Penny being an undercover was different and I liked that part but the story as a whole wasn’t fleshed out.

[Anna Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was so much going on in this book and Miss Kiki covered all bases. I hate the relationship that Yoshi and her mom has. I think mothers and daughters should be very close. Gia should have talked to somebody about everything she was going through. She would have had a better outcome. I was delighted to find out that Tyler wouldn't keep getting away with everything he's done to females. Great book! Check it out!

[Kelvin Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Playing with Fire" (2021) by Kiki Swinson is advertised as page-turning, fast-paced, and high-octane, but the first half moves very slowly. The novel features two storylines: A female college student’s dorm roommate is rushed to the hospital due to a drug overdose, and the same college student is victimized at a frat party. The second half picks up. The overuse of profanity caused me to care less about the characters. Staci Mitchell’s narration is effective. Recommended.

[Ranie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, shockingly disturbing acts of such vile, utterlly brutal, and unbelievable deadly behaviors against innocent young female students, who just wanted to be loved!

This story is quite captivating with realistic emphasis focusing on the violence that occurs on college campuses. The book was overwhelming emotionally, terrifiedly twisted, and filled with numerous factors of suspense and high anxiety.

Highly recommended

[Danielle Seay · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was decent but didn't make up for the consistent misuse of words. It was actually distracting through the entire book, and interfered with the meaning in parts. One small example was the repeated use of "sarcastically" when there wasn't any sarcasm in the dialogue. Just little stuff like that (not the AAVE, just the misuse of words) really spoiled what should have been an enjoyable read.

[Joi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my least favorite Kiki swinson book. There were so many mistakes, and I just wasn’t as connected to it as I usually am. I’ll pick up another book by this author but I’m kind of side eyeing her now.

This is about Yoshi Lomax, she’s a young woman in college. Females start going missing around campus and Yoshi sets out to figure out what’s going on, by any means necessary.

[Takara Wigfall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so surreal and mysterious. It really allowed you to tap into the life of what it’s like having racial stereotypes within your school experience. How ever it showcased domestic violence and how difficult it can be to find the truth in situations. As soon as I opened the book I was pulled in and it took no time to finish this quick read.

[Jess Webber · Rating 2 out of 5]

so much potential

Loved the plot idea, but writing was very childish, characters boring and underwritten, and plot line could’ve been expanded drastically with more derail. Whole book seemed generic and rushed.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Playing with Fire by Kiki Swinson was a real disappointment. It felt like a story written by a high school student for a creative writing class. The characters were shallow, the students clichés, and it felt like there was no real focus for a storyline. I would not recommend this book.

[Elizabeth virgin · Rating 4 out of 5]

it took awhile

So it took me so time to really get into this one. But let me say this, once I really got started and got over the boring parts with her mother. I couldn’t stop reading it. Kiki Swinson snatched my undivided attention once again.

[Amber Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book started off a little slow. I didn’t really get into it until after 100 or so pages. Once the story built I was definitely on the edge of my seat however that was all the way at the end of the book. Overall Kiki has become one of my favs and I will always support BLACK GIRL MAGIC ♥️

[LaGina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiki is not only a hometown author for me but she is a great story teller. It is so awesome to read her stories. It makes one wonder if she has experienced this or just a great story teller.

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

edge of your seat susepnse

[Jennifer Osman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good. There are shocks and twists to this. 💜

[Tiffany Clark · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story has potential but unfortunately I had a hard time getting through this book. The story line of Yoshi and her mother was very rushed and left a lot unfinished. Without including spoilers, I also didn't necessarily like how a certain event was handled, it was made serious but at the same time the response just rubbed me the wrong way. It could have just been how the author was trying to set the tone but it didn't connect well with me. The pacing was also off and I felt like we got to the conclusion a little too quickly. Again, the actual storyline does have potential and that's what kept me interested to the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dafina Books for the ARC in exchange for my review.