Dark Space (Dark Space #1) by Lisa Henry

 Brady Garrett needs to go home. He’s a conscripted recruit on Defender Three, one of a network of stations designed to protect the Earth from alien attack. He's also angry, homesick, and afraid. If he doesn’t get home he’ll lose his family, but there’s no way back except in a body bag.

Cameron Rushton needs a heartbeat. Four years ago Cam was taken by the Faceless — the alien race that almost destroyed Earth. Now he’s back, and when the doctors make a mess of getting him out of stasis, Brady becomes his temporary human pacemaker. Except they’re sharing more than a heartbeat: they’re sharing thoughts, memories, and some very vivid dreams.

Not that Brady’s got time to worry about his growing attraction to another guy, especially the one guy in the universe who can read his mind. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s just biochemistry and electrical impulses. It doesn’t change the truth: Brady’s alone in the universe.

Now the Faceless are coming and there’s nothing anyone can do. You can’t stop your nightmares. Cam says everyone will live, but Cam’s probably a traitor and a liar like the military thinks. But that’s okay. Guys like Brady don’t expect happy endings.

Dark Space is the second book I have read by Ms. Henry and I enjoyed it immensely. Although it didn’t affect me as strongly as Bliss did, I’m actually quite relieved by that fact because the plausibility of that book freaked me out. As I find it much easier to dismiss the idea of aliens (and by dismiss I mean pretend they don’t exist, not deny their existence), I was able to immerse myself within the world she created for Brady and Cam and experience it right along with them.

I really liked Brady and that he was a survivor. No matter what was thrown at him, he kept moving forward regardless of his fear and there was a LOT for him to be afraid of. Although there were times his fear of a situation was nearly crippling, he did what he had to do and, despite his low opinion of himself, he was quite adept at letting his instincts lead him when they should. Were it not for Brady’s instincts, Cam would not have survived his return from their alien enemy. That Brady’s instincts not only saved Cam’s life but also forged a telepathic connection between the two men made for a really interesting twist to the story. Brady had a front row seat to some of Cam’s best and worst memories and their being forced to live together to insure Cam’s continued survival meant they learned a lot about themselves and one another. We quickly learn that Cam is gay and Brady finds Cam’s memories both disconcerting and arousing. Until Cam, Brady had never been attracted to a man and he was at a loss as to whether the attraction was real or a by-product of their connection. Fortunately Brady did not ponder that fact for long and the reader is treated to some hot man-on-man action.

Because Brady had a very fatalistic attitude when it came to the Faceless (the alients) and their impending arrival, he considered any relationship between him and Cam as temporary. This mindset enabled him to give all of himself to Cam – after all, you can’t suffer a broken heart if you’ll be dead soon. His attitude and their shared connection caused Brady to fall for Cam quickly, even though he knew Cam was hiding something from him. And when the secret Cam was keeping was revealed, I was just as surprised as Brady was, but not nearly as surprised as I was by what Brady endured after that. If anyone had a right to feel like the universe’s toilet, Brady did. The best part of Dark Space is that while the book had a satisfying conclusion, it is only the conclusion for this chapter of Brady and Cam’s lives. Ms. Henry left the story open for the next book without leaving readers dangling from a cliff. I, for one, cannot wait until the next book in the Dark Space series is released so I can find out what happens next to them.

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