Love & Gunplay

Purple City #0.5

by K'wan

After news of the attempted murder of his estranged fiancee, Gucci, Animal has two things on his mind: love and gunplay.With the help of his mistress, the deadly Red Sonja, Animal manages to elude his captors in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, and washes up on the shores of Miami, Florida. He's one step closer to home, but it may as well have been a world away. Animal is still a wanted fugitive, and getting to New York undetected proves to be trickier than he thought. This all changes when he meets an old friend of Red Sonja, a New Orleans refugee named Diamonds.Diamonds promises to provide Animal with safe passage from Miami to New York and all the firepower he will need to settle his blood debt, but he also brings something far more valuable to the table, the name of the man who shot Gucci. Diamonds holds the key to unlocking the mystery of what really happened that tragic night in Harlem, but the information comes at a price.Animal finds himself swept up into a deadly game of cat and mouse set in the glamorous Miami underworld of sex, drugs, and violence, where cash is king and death is always lurking. His only ally is a mysterious stripper named Reign, who harbors a secret of her own that threatens to change everything.

Genres: Audiobook

101 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 23, 2012

About the author

In 2002 K'wan hit the scene with his debut novel Gangsta, under Triple Crown Publications. It was the first novel released by the budding house and would eventually become the building block for what is now a multimillion dollar company. What started as a therapeutic release went on to become a part of urban-lit history and an Essence bestseller, as well as drawing rave reviews overseas.
After penning his second novel, Road Dawgz (2003), K'wan drew the attention of St. Martins press. The literary powerhouse quickly signed K'wan to a multi-book deal, the first of which being Street Dreams (2004). In 2008 he received the Black Author of the year award from Black Press Radio for the novella Blow.
Since his insertion into the publishing world K'wan has been featured in Vibe, Pages, King, Felon, Big News, The Library Journal, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Press, Clutch and most notably Time Magazine, to name a few. He was also interviewed by MTV News for a feature on Hip-Hop fiction, and a guest on Power 105s morning show as well as NPR (national public radio). In addition to being an accomplished author, K'wan is also a motivational speaker, mentor to at risk children and the C.E.O of Black Dawn, Inc.
K'wan currently resides in New Jersey where he is working on his next novel.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/kwan

Reviews

[Demetrius]

It was nice to read about Animal's madness in Florida.

4.5⭐️

[Jordan]

I liked this one. It was really short. It highlighted a single incident in Animals story. If I had known this wasn’t exactly a standalone I would not have read it, but I’m glad I didn’t. I been struggling with K’wan but I’m really interested in reading his entire catalog. I have an issue where I just can’t read books in or related to a series out of order. I tried to start the animal series and like a few other K’wan books, I lost interest and dnf’d the book (don’t fight me ok?). But this short made me like Animal and made me want to get to know him as a character.

[Dia]

Great, great, great read. I am Sooo anticipating 10-2-12
#TEAMANIMAL

[Tamara Ramirez]

Great book as always! I love K'wan's books especially Animals story line. I listened to this audiobook while walking and I loved every minute of it. It is a short story but never the less extremely enjoyable. I can't wait to read what happens next!

[La]

With some of the series overlapping, which Ibreally dif because I'm nosy, I'm missingnparts of the story. So this calls for more reading. All and all Animal is still a beast. Business as usual. All the other things going on has my eyebrow (right one) quirked. Looking forward to all that coming full circle.

[Diane Rembert]

Animal has escaped from the hold of Big Dawg in Puerto Rico, and finds himself in Miami. Trying to get back to the wounded Gucci, he goes thru Hell to get there. Although shorter than the others, this is an excellent read!

[Carol Hornsby-mccoy]

Anything with animal in is worth reading. Sad he's up against his brother, but "all is fair in Love and war". However this book started out with same reading as one of K'wan books where the two sisters helped them but the younger one gets killed. Yes it was Purple City!!! What is this????

[Page Turner]

This was a good read but didn't live up to the expectations I had for it I think because I loved the Animal series so much. Animal was his usual vicious self however, and the plot thickened a lot. Trust no one.

[Samantha Tyler]

Very good read. I am Teamanimal.

[Amyr]

official, kwan is a beast with this urban fiction thing. i really appreciate his skill. inspirational!

[Deedee Henson]

No explanation needed

[Brittney G]

Cool

[Dyisha Allen]

Great read...

The first book that I have read in one night, and it was a great read. My man Animal and Ashanti are my favorite characters and I love the story line.

[Yolanda Knight- Palmer]

I'm hooked on this series, plse get your copies to this series. Excellent Read.

[Cherise Fisher]

Awesome short book!

[Danielle Bigsby]

Yassssssss! The dots between Diamonds and Animal were finally connected for me as I'm not an ebook reader and I'm so glad! Awesome, Awesome read and as always, K'wan delivers!!!

[K2]

“We came up from New Orleans when the Government tried to wash it off the map and blame it on God”....🧐 This is a GoodRead

[Anniee Bee]

Hey, hey, my favorites 😁💚 #annieethebookiee is back with another book review. This time, I’m diving into the urban fiction world with Love and Gun Play by K'wan. While it's an older title, this gripping story still packs a punch and kept me hooked from start to finish.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Love and Gun Play delves into the gritty lives of characters caught in a whirlwind of street life, love, and dangerous decisions. K'wan's writing is raw and unapologetic, painting vivid pictures of the highs and lows of a world where loyalty is as valuable as survival. What I appreciated most was the mix of intense action and emotional depth. The characters are well-developed, with complexities that tug at your heartstrings.

What stood out was how K'wan blended love and violence seamlessly. The title isn't just a clever hook—it truly encapsulates the unpredictable nature of relationships when life is ruled by guns and survival instincts. The romantic angles within the chaos made for an intriguing, fast-paced read. You never know who’s going to make it out alive, and that uncertainty kept me turning the pages.

While the book is full of suspense and tough decisions, it’s also a story about survival, trust, and the kind of love that’s often tested by the harshest circumstances. K'wan’s characters are flawed yet relatable, making it easy to invest in their journeys, whether they’re navigating romantic entanglements or trying to escape the streets.

If you enjoy urban fiction with a blend of romance, action, and drama, Love and Gun Play is definitely worth revisiting. It may be an oldie, but it’s a classic that has remained relevant in the genre.

[Porsha]

This was a quick little read. It served as an update and filler to the events after Animal left San Juan. Animal arrives in Miami on a pit stop to his final destination...New York. While in Miami, trouble finds him and so does death. Diamonds and his crew of misfits is featured in this story and you can read more about them in Diamonds series and Purple City Tales. King James, Lakim, Ashanti, and Zo have their own issues in New York with a young bull name Terror and somebody has got to solve that problem so the heat can die down long enough for the cash flow to start coming in. Lastly, I’m finally catching the bread crumbs and it feels like a light bulb turning on each time. This character G feels like someone I know very well lol and whom I have a feeling I will run into again

[S. Reid]

I LOVED THE BOOK BUT WAS A LITTEL PISSED OFF AT ANIMAL FOR BEING UNFAITHFUL TO A BEDRIDDEN GUCCI WHEN HE WAS SUPPOSE TO BE ON HIS WAY TO GETTING BACK TO HER UPON LEARNING FROM RED SONYA THAT SHE HAD BEEN SHOT!
WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF HAVING ANIMAL CHEAT IF THE CHICK HE CHEATED WITH WASN'T GOING TO BE A PART OF THE FUTURE STORY LINES?! THIS WAS WHY I DIDN'T GIVE IT 5 STARS!
DESPITE THIS, IT WAS A QUICK READ!

[Ann Merriweather]

I absolutely love this series. I know already that the next book, will be lit, because Reign is going to go after Animal, for Unique's death. I would also like to know where this book, fit into the Animal series???

[Courtney C]

A short read with lots of errors. 2 story lines in 1?
I wasn’t sure if i wanted to read the next book in this trilogy after getting through this book BUT the way the book ended i might be interested in the next book

[Courtney]

This was a fast paced booked that focuses on three main characters and the criminal acts they are forced to commit!

[Carrie Campbell-jones]

Love it!! I just love it how K’wan interweaves his stories! You meet the characters again and again and the revelation of the relationships are exposed!! Great storytelling!!

[Zeynab Murad]

What is going on man

[ChloeShondra Robertson]

I love Animal and glad to read something about him again. It seems like it would be part 2 and I was looking but nothing yet.

[Jodi Blake]

Real gangster intro to the series. I hope it gets more crazy

[D Marie]

Second time reading this book

It’s just as good as the first time I read it. I am a huge K’wan fan and I love the squads from NY but the more I re read his books, I realize the crews from Cali and Miami are my favorites. They break up the monotony in NY and it’s a breath of fresh air.

[Vivian R. Marshall]

Love & Gunplay: A Novelette

I love all of the books that are connected to the Animal Series. The books have many characters with history and a lot of things going on. The books capture your interest and a person keeps reading. Excellent series! I can't wait for the release of Animal IV: Last Rites. I'm simply captivated by K'wan's books for many different reasons.

[Anissa Sheppard]

Animal finds himself in Miami at the mercy of Diamonds. Red Sonja helps him get there after helping him escape from Puerto Rico. But before Diamonds helps him, first he needs a favor.