CRAVING CONSTELLATIONS (The Aces #1) by Nicole Jacquelyn

The next book in the series will focus on Grease – no cliffhanger as each book deals with a different character

Reviewed by Jenny

Well, didn’t this book just tick the boxes. All I knew going into Craving Constellations was that it was it was based around a Motor Cycle Club….I’m badly craving my SOA fix so I thought “yeah, why not”.

‘That was the best thing about this club and something I’d always craved growing up. You might fuck up, but the brothers wouldn’t ever act like you weren’t welcome. They’d punish you, but then it would be over, forgotten. You’d be back in the fold.‘ – Dragon

Whilst I may not have had any preconceived ideas about what to expect from Craving Constellations, I will say that anything I may have expected was exceeded. I loved this book.  In theory, yes it’s a biker book, but it went deeper than that and dealt with so much more. This book elicited intense emotions from me, I loved the setting and I loved the humor and interactions between the guys in the club.

“You really asking me about where I put my dick? Want to get a latte and fuckin’ gossip, too?” – Dragon

My heart was racing in anticipation from the first page and I believed and felt every single little thread of emotion this author put into her story.  I felt, believed it and, for the time I was consumed in this book, I lived it.

“He was like a wounded animal, and I was the hunter who’d wounded him.” – Brenna

I was ducking and diving through the pages and I reveled in twisting my way through the angst, the drama, the love, the pain, the freaking hot steamy sex, the violence and the absolute rawness of it all.  No, it definitely wasn’t always pretty.  In fact there was a time or two I felt darn right uncomfortable, a time or two I was bloody angry, but geez if there weren’t also those time when my heart melted, when I shed tears and times when I thought my heart would leap right out of my chest. I was unprepared for the level of emotion it would elicit.

“I hated him, and I loved him at the same time, but mostly, I wanted to be able to take away the agony I saw on his face.” – Brenna

Five years ago Brenna and Dragon shared a night of forbidden passion that not only seared their hearts and souls to one another but would result in decisions being made that could destroy them both.  One night would fuse them, five years later the result of that night of passion and claiming would erupt into a love story borne of warmth and tenderness, coldness and violence, raw passion and desire, played out amidst chaos and mayhem, all in equal measures.

‘How many times had I dreamed of this? It was both a nightmare and a fantasy.’ – Brenna

I envisaged having a hard time believing the intensity of the feelings Dragon and Brenna would experience for one another after just one night, but believe it I did. I didn’t just believe it, I felt with every fibre of my being.

“I knew what I needed to know. We were his. It was as terrifying and simple as that.” – Brenna

Brenna, the daughter of Poet, the VP of Aces MC Club puts Dragon, a recent recruit in the club, at risk when she is overcome with passion after Dragon makes a move on her.  It’s a unspoken rule that no one touches the club “Princess”  – yet unfortunately for Dragon he has no idea who she is and Brenda doesn’t plan on sticking around for him to find out. Dragon feels an extreme level of lust towards Brenna and is drawn to her in so many ways.

“It was like she was one of those sirens who lured men to their deaths.”  Dragon

Tough yet vulnerable Brenna leaves the safety of The Aces to start a new life. To leave the only life she has known and to escape the chaos and madness surrounding Aces Motorcycle Club.

‘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.’ – Brenna

Brenna wants a life that doesn’t involve the day to day violence that has become her way of life at the Club.  However, life didn’t go as planned for Brenna and after a five year absence she returns to the MC Club seeking refuge from an abusive marriage that has left both her and her little girl Trix scarred and fearing for their lives.

“They were shrinking. Right in front of my eyes, my beautiful girls were pulling into themselves – as if they would disappear if they could just get small enough, quiet enough, still enough.” – Dragon

Dragon knows nothing about Trix’s existence until he claps eyes her the day of Brenna’s return. Looking into the face very much like his own, Dragon knows this is his daughter, and this man, who has never known the love of a family outside of the club, is gutted that he’s missed out on so much of her life.

“Fuckin’ gone for five years. No one hears from you. Now you come back and I find out you had my daughter and didn’t tell me. FOR FIVE FUCKIN’ YEARS.? – Dragon

But Brenna is harbouring other secrets that, when revealed, killed me. As did Dragons reactions to them.  I felt both love and anger towards this strong, gorgeous, powerful alpha male. My feelings were so torn at one point and I was so angry I thought I would never get over it, but get over it I did.  As I said, this story is raw and not always pretty.  That’s not to say I condoned his actions because I didn’t, but the author did such a brilliant job of making me understand him, of making me feel for this conflicted man that I ended up judging the situation in the context of the whole story. As I said, I was pissed off with Dragon at the time, but I moved on and I came to understand and love this  complex man who could show anger, love, pain, hurt, violence and kindness at the flip of a coin.

“In my head, I reminded myself that he was taken, but I couldn’t get over the feeling that he had always been mine.” – Brenna

Now, if I thought the beautiful interactions between Brenna and Trix melted my heart,  then the scenes between Dragon and Trix were my undoing.  This rough, hard, filthy mouthed man would become putty in the hands of this adorable and enchanting child. Each mesmerising scene would just melt me further. And the dance scene….wow! I was a complete gonner there. Just beautiful.

“They were the most beautiful things I had ever seen in my entire goddam life, and they were worth every fuckin’ bruise I had.” – Dragon

Dragon’s POV’s  allowed me such an insight into this complex man and I relished every second I was inside his head.  He may speak a little monosyllabic, but when he did have something to say, boy did he say it.  There was no second guessing what was on Dragon’s mind but during those times when he felt so conflicted, seeing inside his head really did serve to help me understand him on another level and I really did need those insights.  Oh and Dragon buddy…you can call me Mama any day…..swooooon.

“I know, baby. I know you needed control. But with me, you aren’t gonna get it.” – Dragon

Little Trix.  Well, this child stole my heart. I ached for her and I loved her to pieces. I just wanted to pick her up and give her a huge Jenny hug.  I adored this child and she stole every heartbreaking and heartwarming scene.

“I can’t believe you had my baby. She was all curled up in here, and I never saw it.” ……….”This is all I’ll ever see, Brenna. This is all I get. Let me look.”  – Dragon

So much happened in this story and I was completely and utterly riveted to every crazy moment. I devoured this book in one sitting and I eagerly await the next installment which I believe will be Grease’s story.  Every character in this book has a story to tell and I hope we get to hear them all.

I loved the epilogue but I did find I wanted more.  Craving Constellations was a heart stopping, temperature rising, angst inducing, emotional, gritty, raw, real and steamy hot read.  Sign me up for more!!!!  A fantastic debut novel from Nicole Jacquelyn which was beautifully written, flawlessly edited and one I didn’t want to end.  Oh….and I’ll never be able to listen to Radioactive again without blushing…. 😉

Jenny: 4.5 Stars

 THE ACES MC SERIES by NICOLE JACQUELYN

♥ CRAVING CONSTELLATIONS – BOOK ONE
Our Review
AMAZON US || AMAZON UK || AMAZON AU

♥ CRAVING REDEMPTION – BOOK TWO
Our Review
AMAZON US || AMAZON UK || AMAZON AU

♥ CRAVING ABSOLUTION – BOOK THREE
Our Review
AMAZON US || AMAZON UK || AMAZON AU

♥ CRAVING RESURRECTION – BOOK FOUR
Our Review
AMAZON US || AMAZON UK || AMAZON AU

way