A Chat With May Williams || TEMPTED BY ADAM || Book Review

Adam Gable has one idea in mind when he moves to Cape Charles, Virginia, after the long years of WWII -- build a business handcrafting wooden boats and forget the loss of his brother in the war. Rescuing the lovely Shelby Stanton when her auto gets loose on the ferry gives him another interest, but she's second to his boat. Shelby, a local reporter, plans to leave this little town where everyone knows her as a war widow. But she has one assignment left: interviewing Adam as a local veteran resuming civilian life as a businessman. One conversation and a boat ride on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay should give her a great story and answer her question: Are her feelings for this handsome former Coast Guard officer real? When the water sizzles with their attraction, Shelby finds her answer.  But with Adam pouring all his time and money into his boat, how will Shelby tempt him away?

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I'd like to welcome May Williams to the Snarkology today. Her historical romance, TEMPTED BY ADAM, is a wonderful story set in a small Chesapeake Bay town following World War II.

Hi May! What does your writing space look like?

I write in a space that is also my sewing room, but my desk faces out a window. Behind me is a terrible mess of fabric, thread, and half-done projects, but my view out the window is perfect for a romance writer. I can see our local police and fire stations.

How long have you been writing?

I started romance novels about seven years ago, but didn’t get serious about publishing until 2010. I published my first book in 2011 and my seventh book comes out in March.

How do you come up with your book titles?

I can never name a book until it’s written. I call the file by the main character’s name until after it’s done. Then, my critique partner and I share a bottle of wine and come up with a title.

Do you have a favorite character from your books? Who is it and why?

I think my favorite character is Ella Harwich from my March release called Riveting His Attention. Ella is fun, a little capricious, but she has a single-minded determination to win her man. She was a delight to create.

Tell us something strange or interesting about yourself. 

I’m the youngest of four sisters. Consequently, I’m quick in the bathroom and I get women. Despite the thousands of miles that separate my sisters and me now, we keep in touch nearly daily.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three modern conveniences would you take with you?

I don’t think I could live without my Kindle anymore. I use it constantly. The other items would have to be kitchen related. Food is important so may be a microwave (assuming this island has power) and a blender. I might as well make tropical drinks if I’m going to be in that latitude.

Quick quiz:

• Favorite food? Mac and cheese
• Favorite color? Green
• Favorite animal? Dogs
• Biggest pet peeve? People who drive with their parking lights on – They’re called parking lights for a reason.
• Dream car?  I love American muscle cars like Mustangs. 

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Excerpt:

She stuffed her pencil through the rings of her steno-pad and checked the camera. Three exposures left, and she wanted something a little less formal.

“I need a couple more shots. Let’s make these less businessman and more boatbuilder. What do you usually wear to work in? Certainly not a tie and jacket.”

“Overalls.” He gestured to a worn, blue garment hanging on a peg.

“Would you mind?”

“Nope. I prefer it.” He shed his jacket and tugged on his working clothes over his dress pants and white shirt.

“You better lose the tie and roll up your shirt sleeves to hide them,” she said. He did as she asked, turning to her for approval when he was done. His white collar stuck out from the overalls. Giving him the camera, she reached around his neck, tucking in the collar as her hands moved toward the front. Smoothing the last edges of the shirt to the inside, her fingers lingered on his chest for a second longer than they needed to. She forced herself to take a small step back. “There. Now you look like a working man.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Sure. Suits you.” She kept her answer light, realizing she was stepping into dangerous territory for some reason.

Review by Melissa Snark:

TEMPTED BY ADAM is a historical romance themed around the concept of love being the gateway to redemption in addition to second chances. Set immediately following World War II, the novel has a gentle tone and nostalgic atmosphere. This is one of those rare instances where the lovely cover truly captures the essence of the story. While I'm not really familiar with the Chesapeake Bay region, the setting was well described in a way that created sensory richness. Likewise, the author does an excellent job of capturing the feel of the time period. Speech, clothing, and cultural attitudes feel authentic.

My favorite aspect of the story was the heroine, Shelby, who is a war widow and a reporter for a small newspaper. I loved her fierce independence and self-possession, especially living in an era when individuality was not necessarily a trait encouraged in women. She's courageous in her willingness to forsake social conventions and risk her heart for the sake of finding love again.

Adam, a former Coast Guard officer, embodies the idealized masculine traits of his era. He is hardworking, determined, ambitious and competitive. While admirable, his strengths are also his flaws. Much of the conflict that initially keeps the hero and heroine apart is due to Adam's old fashioned ideas about economic differences between men and women, and also how much wealth a man should have to be able to afford a wife. They both also lost someone they loved in the war, and so survivor's guilt plays an important role.

I loved the initial reluctance of the couple to be together despite their mutual attraction. Their flirtation heightened the romantic tension. Love scenes were a couple notches above sweet but not quite into the heat levels I'm accustomed to seeing in more contemporary novels. I enjoyed the details provided about sailing and ships, and really appreciated the author's attention to family relationships. I cheered Shelby when she acted as a peacemaker between Adam and his estranged parents. I cared about the characters and what happened to them, and found the HEA-ending to be absolutely satisfying.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Wild Rose Publishing

Author Bio:

Although May Williams lives in a small town on the shores of Lake Erie, she’s always mentally traveling to different times and locations. Books have been leading her to faraway places since she was a child. Today, she shares her old farm house with her husband, two children, four cats, and an oversized dog. She enjoys sewing historical costumes, running, reading, and planning the next trip.

Visit May Williams:

Email: author@maywilliams.com

Website

Twitter:  @maywilliams2

Goodreads