Review: Taking the Heat

Title: Taking the Heat

Author: SD Hildreth

Published: 3-23-15, Eralde Publishing

Genre: Contemporary, Erotica

       5 Hearts

Blurb

Cambio Todelli is a former Marine.
He is also Italian, muscular, and simply gorgeous.
He is a walking aphrodisiac with a romantic heart, a caring soul, and an extremely short fuse.
When he saved me from a certain trip to prison one day, I knew he was "Toad", the Sergeant at Arms for the Selected Sinners MC, I could read the patches on his cut...

But I had no idea he was broken.
Sydney Shephard has no family, no home, and no job.
She is homeless, penniless, an orphan, and living in her car...
Despite everything being against her, she's the happiest woman I've ever seen.
And the most beautiful.
The day I pulled her out of a bad situation, she got a second chance in life.
Now I want a chance at her.

But she only does relationships, and I don't do relationships.

Stand-Alone, HEA, No cheating. Selected Sinners MC Romance Book II.

*NOTE TO READERS* This book is a stand-alone love story and the second book of a series. No other book is required to tell THIS tale. It does contain explicit language, sexual situations, and the intricacies of being in an Outlaw Motorcycle Club. All sexual partners in this MC Erotic Romance are over the age of 18. Stand alone love story. HEA. No cliff hanger.

Review

Yes!  So happy this second book in the Selected Sinners MC series held more true to an MC book.  Book 1 was ok. I liked it.  It just didn’t have an MC feel to it.   Book 2—had me crying within the first few pages, dammit!  From there, we got to see the meaning of brotherhood, MC rules-written and understood, violence, sex, and back history on prominent members.  I am totally on board to ride this series out now.  Thank you Scott for letting us see more of what it means to be a Sinner.

Toad, or Cambio Todelli, is a broken man.  He is a veteran, suffering from PTSD, and emotionally detached from everything.  Inside he struggles with survivor guilt.  It moves him to do heroic and kind acts while still keeping his tough guy image.  He feels violence is acceptable if deserved.  For a long time he has not felt worthy of anything good for himself. 

“Both of us acted not for reward or recognition, but out of a natural desire to be kind.”

Then he meets Sydney.  Also with a traumatic past but much more willing to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I admire her stamina to improve her situation no matter how small the steps or how tiny the change.  Toad helps her to get back on her feet again.  They become friends and slowly reveal bits of themselves. 

Sydney: “You know,  …. If you have two broken cars, or two broken toys, you can take the two broken objects and make one working one?  Like use the pieces from one to fix the other? ……. Well, …… as individuals, we’re both broken.  I think together, maybe we’ll make a complete, unbroken us.”

Toad: “It makes sense.  You know, what you said a second ago,” I paused and raised my hand to my chin. 

               
 “Unbreak me, Sydney.”

Together, Sydney and Toad begin to heal.  It was easy to feel the love growing between these two.  Wonderful main characters.  I was thrilled to see the guys from the author’s MMA series show up in this book.  Awesome to catch up with Ripp and Dekk and A-Train!  Also loved Toad’s BFF, Otis.  A great friend and quite the character.  Cannot wait to see his book! 

This can be read as a stand alone.  Be sure to check out other books by this author.  You will be blown away by his diversity in subject matter! 

About the Author

Scott Hildreth is a very analytical sort who bases his beliefs on statistics he compiles in his head. Often going as long as a month without so much as a single sip of water, he drinks coffee as if it were the lifeblood of his writing. 

Scott fears flying, clowns, and amusement park rides. Tall and lean with a cleanly shaven head and covered in tattoos, he doesn’t blend in well. After reading his writings, this makes perfect sense. His vibrant characters, backstories, and plots, although always relatable, generally stand out as much as he does. 

Willing to discuss matters at length most people shy away from, Scott’s writing has revolved around such subjects as domestic abuse, suicide, alcoholism, drug abuse, cancer, divorce, homosexuality, religion, and lack thereof. 

Born in San Diego, California, Scott now calls Wichita, Kansas his home. He is a proud father, and lives devoted to the love of his life, Jessica. When he isn’t writing, he may be found on his motorcycle or in a local coffee house. 

Scott's novels include Broken People,
Undefeated, Unstoppable, Unleashed, Unbroken, Baby Girl - Ruined, Baby Girl -
Owned, Baby Girl - Loved, To the Depths of Hell, The Alpha-Bet, Finding Parker,
Karter, Confessions of a Smut Author, When It All Began: A Jessie Jayne Novella,
Making the Cut: Selected Sinners MC Book I, Taking the Heat: Selected Sinners
Book II and now his newly released Threefold.