Caroline McGill

The Real

I am not a fan of anthologies. I always feel as if I've been cheated out of a couple of good stories while other stories shouldn't have even been in the same space. GUNS & ROSES does little to change my opinion, as some of the stories leave me wanting more, while others are in need of repair.

To begin, I believe that someone may need to revisit what a foreword is meant to do for a book. As a reader, I've found that a foreword introduces you to what the story, or in this case, stories will cover. This foreword, in my opinion, is simply a head nod from Jaquavis Coleman, another author, to Caroline McGill. I could see where this could be beneficial in maybe a blurb or an acknowledgement, but it failed to welcome me, the reader, into the book.

HAPPY ENDING by Caroline McGill introduces readers to Butterfly and Storm, sister-friends that have lived through very extreme circumstances. While Butterfly is a very beautiful woman, she lacks confidence in self. When she meets Rah, she's found a man who promises her the world. Unfortunately, she's forced to work to provide the good life. When Rah's selfishness is finally too much for Butterfly, she leans on Storm for support. A survivor, Storm refuses to play by anyone else's rules. When she opens her door up to Butterfly, she hopes to encourage her friend to try life on her own terms. When Storm is faced with her past, she finally has a chance to make those responsible for her outcome pay. Will she?

HAPPY ENDING is definitely a cautionary tale, as the story states. At the conclusion, I found myself wondering about others and feeling unfulfilled. I feel like Caroline left me wandering in the streets to navigate alone.

PG-13 by Erick Gray allows readers to glimpse the inside of a killer, PG, who has been putting in work since he was a young boy. Now a grown man, his skills are sought out in the streets of New York. With a war brewing, business is blooming and PG's side is winning. A night cap, PG meets Rose, and his black heart is starting to believe that there may be hope for him. Out on a long distance job, PG finds one of the reasons for his encased heart, and seeks to rehabilitate himself. What PG learns in the aftermath could be detrimental to his health.

PG-13 was just average. The story has the potential to be bigger, but I felt as if the author forced readers to settle.

BEDROOM BEAST by Miz tells a story of curious obsession. Candy is that boom, bang, pow! Not only is she able to drive the men crazy, but she has the women checking for her as well. After a jealous bout, Candy's man, Jay, was sentenced to prison. When he realizes that Candy left him for dead, he spends his jail time telling anyone who will listen all about how Candy played him. Determined to get payback when he's released, Jay can't wait to see Candy again.

A night out, Candy meet's Justice, another admirer, interested in getting better acquainted. Used to having the upper hand, Justice is warned to be careful when playing with Candy. Will he regret not heeding the warning?

Pretty girl, bad body, jealous rage and the story ends. I've never read anything else by Miz, but based on this, I doubt that I will. So many things in the story just don't add up.

CLUB FANTASY by Raheem "Bounty" Hoyte is the invitation readers need to enter into the world of uninhibited sex, BDSM and power. While most girls' mothers are teaching them how to behave like young ladies, Sanaa's mother, Patra, was teaching her about the power that women hold and how to control it.

As the owner of CLUB FANTASY, Sanaa made it her business to fulfill everyone's fantasies, especially her A-list clientele. The more money her VIP's have, means that much more fulfilling their fantasies can be. What Sanaa doesn't know is that someone is running their mouth about everything that takes place inside her club. When a deal is struck, Sanaa's freedom is put in jeopardy and they want all of the information she has in order to save herself. Is she willing to sell out the ones who put her on top?

While CLUB FANTASY is interesting as it deals with flesh peddling, I was not amused at the author's obvious use of celebrities with name changes. I felt like he used his platform to call certain people out and it distracted from the story rather than enhanced it. The ending is somewhat jumbled. I don't want to ruin it, but it doesn't play well with the details.

NASTY by Justin "Amen" Floyd is just that, NASTY! If you've always wondered about how someone becomes a porn star, well get ready as K-Nasty shares her life and experiences, blow by blow (pun intended).

K-Nasty became curious at an early age. She developed and mastered seduction and soon K-Nasty was using her talents freely. Ridiculed about her skills and usage in high school, K-Nasty set out to prove to others that she not only loved her job, but was a real star.

During the process of the interview, it's obvious that the reporter, writing the article, is intrigued and dying to test out K-Nasty's "skills." Will she grant him a starring role?

I'm okay with real sex, and even some porn, but it's parts of this story that are just too much for me. I like that its heavy on detail, as it helps lead the story in the right direction. I think that this is another story bustling at the seams to tell you more.

While I did NOT love this book, I can tell you that some of the stories are hot and steamy enough to keep you flipping the pages.

Reviewed by: Crystal… (meer)