Craving Constellations (The Aces, #1) - Nicole Jacquelyn Craving Constellations has everything that I love about MC books: the gruff, macho biker with a soft and sexy side, hard-as-nails heroine, and edgy, gritty action. How is it, that someone can make decision after decision attempting to get away from their past and somehow end up right back where they started?Brenna has spent the past five years running from her life as princess of the Aces Motorcycle Club. Her father, Poet, is Vice President of the club and she has never wanted that life. She wanted the American dream with a normal husband. I wanted a husband who paid taxes and would take his car to a mechanic for routine maintenance. he wouldn't get his hands dirty, wouldn't raise his voice, and wouldn't carry a gun.The husband she chose, Anthony, was all of those things and more. He was a violent, cruel, evil man who used every opportunity to beat Brenna senseless. Confused, lost, scared, and suffering from unfathomable grief at an earlier traumatic event, Brenna bides her time until the moment she can leave him, with her daughter in tow. After selling her car on Craigslist and finding another to replace it, she heads out for her hometown of Eugene, where her father and the MC are. She knows that if she can just get back there that they will keep her safe. She never thought she'd ever have to go back, but she has no other choice. She's terrified to go there because that's where Dragon is. Her daughter's real father. And another man she's been running from. I'd never imagined the world I chose would be far worse than the one I had left.Being accepted back into the folds of the club isn't easy. She abandoned them, disrespected the brothers and shamed her father. The clubs President gives her one hell of a talking to. This is her last chance. If she leaves again, she will lose the protection of the club. Even worse than the shame of her father and the club members is the rage directed at her by Dragon. Even though they only spent one night together five years ago, he's been the only thing keeping her going. Dragon was beyond angry that she deserted him and kept his daughter from him. Her secrecy and deception reflects badly on him as well and he must suffer for sleeping with a member's daughter, even though he didn't know at the time. As the attraction between rekindles, will the other secrets Brenna's hiding keep them from finally being together? Can she handle going back to the MC life? And will her ex finally let things lie? This was one of those books that I knew I would immediately connect only a few pages in. I could feel that toe-curling anticipation that you get when you're reading a really good book. I literally didn't want it to end. I wanted to prolong that feeling. The Aces MC was portrayed as really authentic to me. Just enough information and action without being over the top or fake. I felt the connection between the members, it was real to me. I cannot wait to read more stories about this club. Brenna was amazing. She was real. She made a lot of bad decisions but she owned up to them in the end. She was strong and tough, a great mother, and sweet. Some of my favorite lines: My daughter has a mother. She is not and never will be yours. You stay the fuck away from her. And if I ever see you look at her again the way you were earlier, I'll fucking cut your eyes out with a dull spoon.***I was the princess of the Aces MC, and I had the bloody knuckles to prove it.Dragon is one of my all time favorite characters...ever. I think I may have cast him as one of my favorite book boyfriends in the throes of reading as well. There's something about a rough, tough man who has to be hard but also has the ability to melt panties and be incredibly sweet that always endears me. --Sidenote, he hits her once after a pretty heartbreaking admission. Like Lahn in The Golden Dynasty by Kristen Ashley, I found this to be a tough pill to swallow. Especially considering the fact that her husband was violent. However, I found his apology and actions afterward warranted forgiveness, just wanted to give ya'll a fair warning, because I know most don't like that. I'll leave it up to you to see how you feel about this particular event when you read.--Once he made up his mind that Brenna was it for him, he drops his current old lady and moves in with Brenna and her daughter Bellatrix "Trix" (which is a freaking cool name) that means "female warrior". His entire attitude towards his daughter is what got me. He was so freaking sweet that I was swooning the whole time. Great fathers do it for me, too. There's a scene where he first sees Brenna's stomach for the first time, stretch marks and all, where he just sits and stares at her. She's uncomfortable because she obviously doesn't have the same body after having had a baby, but he doesn't let her cover herself. And he says: “I can't believe you had my baby. She was all curled up in here, and I never saw it." He shook his head. "This is all I'll ever see, Brenna. This is all I get. Let me look.”He killed me there; I was his. Dragon was also incredibly dirty and dominant. I ate that up, let me tell you. Her husband being a douche didn't lead to her having such a healthy view about herself (not in anyway that put me off, it was the perfect amount of understandable self doubt). He quashed those feelings pretty quickly. It's the hottest thing I've ever seen watching you take me. Not sayin' you're a bump on a log, for fuck's sake. You trust me to give it to you. You know I will, and you let me do it. I know you haven't been with many men, but let me tell you, that ain't how it usually is. You're so fuckin' sexy layin' there, sayin' my name, makin' those noises you make. Wouldn't trade that for anything.I cannot wait to read the next book from this debut author. Highly recommend! “I knew it was going to be a process for us to put things behind us, but I was willing to be patient. When I looked at him, I saw everything I wanted. That was enough.”6 stars Casting: Cover model for BrennaDragon