excellent follow up.

Happy Independence Day - Michael Rupured

Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Terrence is a law student, and wants to change the world. Visiting bars that openly serve gay men leads him to meet Cameron. But Cameron runs from Terrence every chance he gets. Until Cameron meets a lady who whoops him upside the head and makes him see who he really is. He just needs to be with Terrence one time, before he disappears.

This is the second in the Philip Potter series I've read, but it is book 3, I think. There is one I have still to read so am reading them out of order. I don't think it matters too much, though.

Terrence is in New York, studying pre-law and has a wide and varied circle of friends. They spread time at the Stonewall Inn, which is a bar run by the Mafia catering for openly gay/lesbian people along with those who colour between the lines. Cameron catches his eye, but runs away all the time. Cameron does have good reason though. Being bait for his Mafia boss' blackmail scam has jaded the man. He knows he doesn't have long left, he is, after all, getting old, but Cameron also knows he needs to get away, before he is made gone and ends up at the bottom of the river with concrete boots.

I really enjoyed this book, but not quite as much as No Good Deed, and I the only reason I can maybe pinpoint, is the crime/thriller element is not here. Its based around the Stonewall Riots of June 1969, the run up and the few days after.  So there are are murderous thoughts from some people, but none that take flight. We get how one police officer feels before and after, how two amazing women stand up to the police, how people watching nearby felt. Its very deep, in the emotions that run through it, and I did like that.

Its also a little steamier than No Good Deed, not too much, still very mild, but in keeping with the fact that, times they are a-changing, if albeit slowly.

As well as Terrence and Cameron, we get Philip Potter, and George, his lover; we get Harold and Abigail;  we get several other characters too and it gives a huge amount of insight into what happened at Stonewall Inn that fateful night.

It took a long time for things to start moving but many believe this event was the birth of the modern LGBT movement.

As I said, I enjoyed this read, but not as much as No Good Deed, but it still gets....

4 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**