Review - Ministry of Alien Relations by Rebecca Cohen

Devlin works for the Ministry of Alien Relations in London, a secret government office that deals with aliens from other planets. Devlin manages a team that looks after the settlement of refugees from other planets. It’s not very glamorous, but it’s less dangerous than being out in the field chasing down illegal beings from other planets. There’s a high-profile embassy from the Chroalian system visiting Earth. Normally, Devlin wouldn’t be involved in such things, but it’s the summer holidays and the ministry is short-staffed, so they’ve asked Devlin to look after the ambassador’s son, Zal. The two males feel an instant attraction to each other, but Zal will only be on Earth for two weeks. Getting romantically involved would be a very bad idea.

Thanks to the “Men in Black” movie franchise, the basic plot of this story is familiar territory. However, this is less of an action movie and more of a romantic comedy. You could think of this as a science-fiction version of the holiday romance story. As in most versions of this kind of tale, what’s meant to be a casual fling develops into something deeper, leaving the two main characters trying to figure out how they can stay together despite conflicting demands pulling them apart. The solution to their dilemma is kind of given away by the series title.

Devlin seems like the very definition of “mild-mannered.” His even temper is probably what makes him very good at his job, but it clearly causes some people, including his ex-boyfriend, to under-value Devlin. Devlin is definitely the underdog you want to get what he truly deserves.

Zal is an interesting complement to Devlin. They aren’t opposites. Devlin and Zal have many things in common, but have distinct personalities that makes you think they really could make a go of it as a couple, if they can find a way to be together. There’s an exuberance to Zal that makes him quite charming. He might seem to be shallow to some, at first, but he displays a great deal of empathy, especially when dealing with Devlin.

“Ministry of Alien Relations” is available from Smashwords or see BookBub for other online sources.