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Playing With Fuego
Daphne Maddox passed up a plum corporate job in Boston to follow the love of her life to Miami. Three years later—the girl and her dreams long gone—Daphne is eking out a living as a coordinator for a nonprofit home builder. Heaven help the next woman who dangles empty promises.
Maribel Tirado León’s “anger issues” have earned her community service on Daphne’s jobsite, and their mutual misery draws them together. Daphne can’t help her fascination with the exotic Mari, who moves in the powerful circles of the white-hot Latin side of Miami.
Yachts on Biscayne Bay, glitzy clubs in South Beach… Mari’s access to money seems endless. But just when answers might save her wary heart—questions are the last thing on Daphne’s mind.
Maribel Tirado León’s “anger issues” have earned her community service on Daphne’s jobsite, and their mutual misery draws them together. Daphne can’t help her fascination with the exotic Mari, who moves in the powerful circles of the white-hot Latin side of Miami.
Yachts on Biscayne Bay, glitzy clubs in South Beach… Mari’s access to money seems endless. But just when answers might save her wary heart—questions are the last thing on Daphne’s mind.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 2012
6 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
K.G. MacGregor
37 books330 followersA former teacher and market research consultant, KG MacGregor holds a PhD in journalism and mass communication. Infatuation with Xena: Warrior Princess fanfiction prompted her to try her own hand at storytelling in 2002. In 2005, she signed with Bella Books, which published the Goldie Award finalist Just This Once. Her sixth Bella novel, Out of Love, won the 2007 Lambda Literary Award for Women's Romance, and the 2008 Goldie Award in Lesbian Romance. In 2009, she picked up Goldies for Without Warning (Contemporary Romance) and Secrets So Deep (Romantic Suspense).
Other honors include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Royal Academy of Bards, the Alice B. Readers Appreciation Medal, and several Readers Choice Awards. An avid supporter of queer literature, KG currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Lambda Literary Foundation.
KG MacGregor divides her time between her homes in Miami and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. When she isn't writing, she's either on a hiking trail, a golf course, or if she's really lucky, a cruise ship.
Other honors include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Royal Academy of Bards, the Alice B. Readers Appreciation Medal, and several Readers Choice Awards. An avid supporter of queer literature, KG currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Lambda Literary Foundation.
KG MacGregor divides her time between her homes in Miami and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. When she isn't writing, she's either on a hiking trail, a golf course, or if she's really lucky, a cruise ship.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 2, 2021
I went into this book knowing that those on my friend and following lists didn't particular like this book. But, eh, I like MacGregor. Book looked interesting enough. Still took me years to attempt to read it, though.
Book is a solo POV book about a New England woman who moved to Miami with her lover because her lover got a job in Miami. Then they split apart, leaving Daphne Maddox having to cover the entirety of the crushing mortgage (). All of that happened before the start of the book (except for the spoiler, which happened at the end of the book, so don't . . . um .. . read the spoiler). So, while the book is about that woman, Daphne, it is also more about her developing a relationship with one of the people helping on a house rebuild due to a court mandated thingie.
I do not really understand the relationship between the main character and her girlfriend, Mari. It basically seemed to be: she's hot, I'll do whatever she wants to keep her, though I keep thinking she's using me or something like that. We don't see the other side since this is a one person point of view book, so no idea what Maribel Tirado León sees in Daphne. Daphne is a whiny, complaining, bitch. There was zero chemistry on display between Daphne and Maribel.
I was having trouble with the book and the relationship before that massively stupid plot involving "the law" started. Bloody stupid plot line from beginning, middle, and end. And Daphne really acted super bloody stupid from beginning to end about the matter.
Rating: 1.75
October 2 2021
Book is a solo POV book about a New England woman who moved to Miami with her lover because her lover got a job in Miami. Then they split apart, leaving Daphne Maddox having to cover the entirety of the crushing mortgage (). All of that happened before the start of the book (except for the spoiler, which happened at the end of the book, so don't . . . um .. . read the spoiler). So, while the book is about that woman, Daphne, it is also more about her developing a relationship with one of the people helping on a house rebuild due to a court mandated thingie.
I do not really understand the relationship between the main character and her girlfriend, Mari. It basically seemed to be: she's hot, I'll do whatever she wants to keep her, though I keep thinking she's using me or something like that. We don't see the other side since this is a one person point of view book, so no idea what Maribel Tirado León sees in Daphne. Daphne is a whiny, complaining, bitch. There was zero chemistry on display between Daphne and Maribel.
I was having trouble with the book and the relationship before that massively stupid plot involving "the law" started. Bloody stupid plot line from beginning, middle, and end. And Daphne really acted super bloody stupid from beginning to end about the matter.
Rating: 1.75
October 2 2021
December 28, 2015
My BS alarm was in hyperdrive on this novel.
The love scenes were incredibly steamy, but the story was just meh and then became bonkers at the end with such a build up to nothing.
Author still wrote well, but the plot...
The love scenes were incredibly steamy, but the story was just meh and then became bonkers at the end with such a build up to nothing.
Author still wrote well, but the plot...
August 20, 2025
I enjoyed this, because I particularly like seeing a flawed main character grow. While it was tough going at first and I'm sure it put off some readers, if you hang in there, the characters grow and I found a lot to like about them. I recommend this if you are looking for something different. It's not a pure romance, with some business related plot elements, and that makes things more interesting to me. It took me a long time to finish because of the challenge of not really liking the flawed main character in the beginning. At the end of the day, I was glad I came back and finished.
April 24, 2014
Thankfully, the second half of the book was better than the first. The constant Cuban/Latin/Hispanic bashing at the start was a bit of a turn off. This book had plenty of promise, however fell short IMHO.
3.5 stars.
3.5 stars.
November 13, 2012
I feel that the humor in this book is a little like works by Saxon Bennett.
June 6, 2014
I enjoyed most of this one, except for the IRS subplot. Really annoying the way they wrapped it up.
January 11, 2014
Love KG but didn't like this one.
THe story felt forced and not very realistic.
THe story felt forced and not very realistic.
April 17, 2023
Wow! I'm usually not one for stories written in first person, but Playing With Fuego did everything right! Daphne's inner voice is a fantastic vehicle from which to witness her mental meanderings and growth. Mari is hot and sultry, sweeping Daphne (and the reader) into a whirlwind of new experiences, forcing a new outlook on previously engrained attitudes. Brilliant!
I have to mention Daphne's silent wit...dear god, it's hysterical.
And the twist...Out of bounds!
And Daphne's decision to fight back...Epic.
And like Miami, this book pulses! Bright lights, night life, and heat.
Read. This. Book.
I have to mention Daphne's silent wit...dear god, it's hysterical.
And the twist...Out of bounds!
And Daphne's decision to fight back...Epic.
And like Miami, this book pulses! Bright lights, night life, and heat.
Read. This. Book.
October 2, 2020
This is the most hilarious book this author has ever written. It’s a delicious, leisure reading, to get some stress out of your system, to learn a few things about another culture in the process. I loved seeing Elena Diaz again. She is a character from Malicious Pursuit (my favorite book from this author).
November 18, 2012
The beginning was very off-putting with Daphne's persistent judgmental attitude, but I put that down to a starting point for personal growth. It was still hard to read.
Then came the drawn out bit, or maybe it just feels drawn out because it doesn't hold me. I'm halfway through, and I've given up on it and gone back to reading the fan-fiction I was reading before I bought it.
Maybe I'm just trying to recapture the magic of Worth Every Step and Sea Legs.
This is a great disappointment, because KG MacGregor was one of my Trusted Authors. Authors whose books I'd usually buy without checking reviews first. It's a short list and getting shorter.
Then came the drawn out bit, or maybe it just feels drawn out because it doesn't hold me. I'm halfway through, and I've given up on it and gone back to reading the fan-fiction I was reading before I bought it.
Maybe I'm just trying to recapture the magic of Worth Every Step and Sea Legs.
This is a great disappointment, because KG MacGregor was one of my Trusted Authors. Authors whose books I'd usually buy without checking reviews first. It's a short list and getting shorter.
February 10, 2013
I was surprised by the comments about life in Miami and the Latin community style of life there ... It seemed more like a banana republic than an USA town. Romance was nice, but the final turn of the plot was not very consistent... As a matter of fact, neither the beginning when a white Porsche parks in front of our very-blonde & baby-blue-eyes dyke and a-very-hot-and exuberant-millionaire-Latin-femme-dyke gets off. It is also hard to believe the plain acceptance of their love by the very traditional and very catholic family of the Latin girl.... However, it is a three stars reading and a good choice if you are looking for an easy and humorous book.
May 15, 2013
I was a little put off by Daphne's attitude at the beginning, but it really allows you to see the journey the character has made by the end the story. Just the right amount of humor with many unexpected twists and turns thrown in.
December 10, 2013
3.5 stars. A sweet book if a little predictable
December 20, 2014
Terrific story. What you expect from this multi award winning author.
December 21, 2014
I've just started reading this book and I'm enjoying it very much. I recommend.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews