Title: Conviction
Series: A New World Book Two
Author: M.D. Neu
Genre: sci fi
LGBTQ+ Category: LGBT/Gay
Publisher: NineStar Press
Pages: 260
Reviewer: Kel Johnson, Paranormal Romance Guild
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About The Book
A little blue world, the third planet from the sun. It’s home to 7 billion people with all manner of faiths, beliefs and customs, divided by bigotry and misunderstanding, who will soon be told they are not alone in the universe. Anyone watching from the outside would pass by this fractured and tumultuous world, unless they had no other choice.
Todd Landon is one of these people, living and working in a section of the world called the United States of America. His life is similar to those around him: home, family, work, friends and a husband.
After the attack on San Jose, Todd is appointed to Special Envoy for Terran Affairs by the nentraee, a position many world leaders question. Undeterred Todd wants to build bridges between both people. However, this new position brings with it a new set of problems that not only he, but his new allies Mi’ko and Mirtoff must overcome. Will the humans and nentraee learn to work together despite mistrust and threats of more attacks by a new global terrorist group, or will the terrorists win? Will this bring an end to an already shaky alliance between nentraee and humans?
The Review
This is the second book in the A New World series and it’s pretty interesting. Even though I haven’t read the first book I was able to follow this one, for the most part, and understand what was going on. Reading the first one would have allowed me to know some of the characters better but even without having that, I still got to know the characters fairly well.
Todd is thrown into circumstances he doesn’t feel qualified to do. He’s become the liaison between Earth and the aliens that have come to Earth. It isn’t easy for him and you feel for him, trying to balance how each side feels towards the other. People on both sides make it even harder for him, wanting him to do things he doesn’t feel comfortable doing or outright not wanting to deal with him at all. His struggles are real and you want to just hug him and help him, tell him it’s going to be okay and, eventually, it is. It’s painful to watch him struggle but it just adds to the story.
Mi’cin, the alien that Todd ends up falling for, is a bit of an ass at first, but the more time he spends with Todd, the more he realizes the human isn’t bad and after time, he finds that he’s falling for Todd and tries to show him. Unfortunately, Todd is still grieving the death of his husband and Mi’cin and his people have different ideas on how to show someone they care about them. It takes Todd awhile to even realize he has feelings for Mi’cin and that they’re reciprocated. They do eventually figure things out and you can’t help feeling happy that they’re finding each other and making each other happy.
There are villains in the story in the form of a radical group of humans who want the aliens gone. They go so far as trying to kill members of the Council to try and scare them off and I found myself truly hating them and wanting them to get what’s coming to them. They’re horrible human beings and even though some of them end up where they belong, not all of them do and you worry about what’s going to happen in the future, if they’re going to continue their reign of terror or if they’re going to just hide in the shadows. Either way, you’re glad they’re stopped, even if you’re sure they’re going to return.
The romance in this book is very slow and it’s nice. There’s no jumping into bed with each other right away, there’s no instant love. It’s a slow burn and I like those kinds of stories. You get to watch the couple grow together, falling more and more in love and their relationship feels more real that way. The action in the book is good, there were a few times that I held my breath, hoping that someone would survive, or not, and being unable to stop reading until I found out for sure.
If you liked the first book, you’ll like this one and if you haven’t read either of them, I’d suggest doing that.
The Reviewer
Hi, my name is Kel and I’ve been an avid reader since I was a kid. I could always be found with a book in my hand, reading, even when I shouldn’t have been. I enjoy spending time with my family but as my boys are now older, I decided I needed a change in my life, and I have gone back to school to get a new degree. It’s challenging but a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to graduating. I have previously written manuscript submission reviews for Dreamspinner Press and I have also written reviews for The Novel Approach. I try to write in-depth reviews that discuss the things that I found enjoyable about a book and those I didn’t. I know not everyone likes the same things but if I can help someone find a new book, a new series, or even a new author to enjoy, that makes my day.
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Thank you for taking time to read the book and provide the review. I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you get the opportunity to read some of my other works.