Wifey in the Making

Hardcover
$27.00 US
| $37.00 CAN
On sale Sep 29, 2026 | 240 Pages | 9781496746924

It’s the thrilling, gritty tale fans of superstar Kiki Swinson’s nationally bestselling urban lit novels have been waiting for—the story of how Kira, an impressionable teen, emerges from poverty to become the fierce, indomitable criminal known as Wifey. But learning the streets has a cost that could break her faster than make her . . .

Growing up in a housing project in Portsmouth, Virginia’s poorest neighborhood, 18-year-old Kira is tired of living with constant violence, no money—and even less hope. Still, she has a dream: to open her own hair salon. But that will require cash she won't get working 9-5 . . .

Kira knows better than to fall victim to the local drug dealers, pimps, or stick-up boys. Her solution—go into business for herself with several illegal side hustles. And with help from best friends Buffy and Katrina, she quickly aces everything from fencing expensive department store merchandise to ripping off drug dealers so skillfully they never know they've been robbed. Plus, selling drugs soon gives her all the cash she needs to quit.

But for Kira, breaking the law is now a special rush she can’t—and doesn’t want—to shake. As she gets in deeper and deeper, dating bad boys and learning all their tricks, she's fast finding ruthless rivals, vicious enemies . . . and shattering tragedy. Soon, the losses and arrests pile up, and it might take more than even Kira has to escape the consequences . . . and survive to come out on top.
Praise for Kiki Swinson

"Pitch-perfect dialogue, juicy sexual trysts, cold-blooded betrayal, and ruthless violence mark this suspenseful fast-moving tale that is topped off by a shocking epilogue." —Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW on The Score

"Swinson delivers another strong, fully dimensional lead character in Misty, who begins as an ordinary career woman and ends up in even deeper trouble with each wrong choice." —Booklist on The Black Market

"National bestselling author Swinson is back, with a new novel packed with suspense, intrigue, and brutally memorable characters, all portrayed through the lens of gritty Southern life. You'll keep flipping pages to see how the story's heroine faces a succession of harrowing adventures as she fights desperately to keep herself, and those she loves, alive." —The Grio on The Safe House
Kiki Swinson is the national bestselling author of over 30 novels and short stories. A star of the street lit genre—crime novels in an urban setting—Swinson’s works feature resilient women making tough, and sometimes not quite legal, decisions to survive. Her novels, inspired by her experiences and a five-year stint in federal prison, have sold over 1 million copies. She completed her first novel while incarcerated and her second novel, Wifey, became the first book in one of today's best-selling street lit series. A native of Portsmouth, Virginia, and a former hustler's wife, Swinson resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Visit her online at KikiSwinson.net. View titles by Kiki Swinson

About

It’s the thrilling, gritty tale fans of superstar Kiki Swinson’s nationally bestselling urban lit novels have been waiting for—the story of how Kira, an impressionable teen, emerges from poverty to become the fierce, indomitable criminal known as Wifey. But learning the streets has a cost that could break her faster than make her . . .

Growing up in a housing project in Portsmouth, Virginia’s poorest neighborhood, 18-year-old Kira is tired of living with constant violence, no money—and even less hope. Still, she has a dream: to open her own hair salon. But that will require cash she won't get working 9-5 . . .

Kira knows better than to fall victim to the local drug dealers, pimps, or stick-up boys. Her solution—go into business for herself with several illegal side hustles. And with help from best friends Buffy and Katrina, she quickly aces everything from fencing expensive department store merchandise to ripping off drug dealers so skillfully they never know they've been robbed. Plus, selling drugs soon gives her all the cash she needs to quit.

But for Kira, breaking the law is now a special rush she can’t—and doesn’t want—to shake. As she gets in deeper and deeper, dating bad boys and learning all their tricks, she's fast finding ruthless rivals, vicious enemies . . . and shattering tragedy. Soon, the losses and arrests pile up, and it might take more than even Kira has to escape the consequences . . . and survive to come out on top.

Reviews

Praise for Kiki Swinson

"Pitch-perfect dialogue, juicy sexual trysts, cold-blooded betrayal, and ruthless violence mark this suspenseful fast-moving tale that is topped off by a shocking epilogue." —Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW on The Score

"Swinson delivers another strong, fully dimensional lead character in Misty, who begins as an ordinary career woman and ends up in even deeper trouble with each wrong choice." —Booklist on The Black Market

"National bestselling author Swinson is back, with a new novel packed with suspense, intrigue, and brutally memorable characters, all portrayed through the lens of gritty Southern life. You'll keep flipping pages to see how the story's heroine faces a succession of harrowing adventures as she fights desperately to keep herself, and those she loves, alive." —The Grio on The Safe House

Author

Kiki Swinson is the national bestselling author of over 30 novels and short stories. A star of the street lit genre—crime novels in an urban setting—Swinson’s works feature resilient women making tough, and sometimes not quite legal, decisions to survive. Her novels, inspired by her experiences and a five-year stint in federal prison, have sold over 1 million copies. She completed her first novel while incarcerated and her second novel, Wifey, became the first book in one of today's best-selling street lit series. A native of Portsmouth, Virginia, and a former hustler's wife, Swinson resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Visit her online at KikiSwinson.net. View titles by Kiki Swinson
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