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Mountain Women #7
Fools for Love
In "Fools for Love," the seventh book of the Mountain Women Series, May Rose faces a summer of overwhelming obstacles.Her dearest friends are tangled in a complicated love triangle, and a competitor threatens the success of the boardinghouse. But these troubles pale in comparison to the tragedy of a drowned woman, the reappearance of a man with a deadly vendetta, and a flood that threatens to wash away everything May Rose holds dear.Amidst all the chaos, will May Rose find the strength to protect her family, her friends, and the life they’ve built in Winkler?Find out in this gripping tale of love, loss, secrets, and the unwavering spirit of the women of the Mountain Women Series. Start reading now.–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––READERS ARE HOOKED ON THE MOUNTAIN WOMEN ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Wonderful! I’ve anxiously awaited each new sequel to “Mountain Women” since the first. Again, I’ve not been disappointed. The story continues, with many changes along the way… Another wonderful sequel to “Mountain Women” - I thoroughly enjoyed each word, Carol Ervin!” –Goodreads Reviewer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Loved this series! Learned to care about and love these people in this series; never wanted a book to end. I highly recommend! Fools for Love by Carol Ervin, Book Seven of the Mountain Women Series. I can’t believe I haven’t read every book in the series; each one is great… Carol Ervin writes multilevel great fiction with hints of actual historical events… I gave it five Amazon stars because of the very rich, strong characters. The number of characters should not daunt readers. All characters contribute. Characters and the “nostalgia factor” lead me to highly recommend this novel.” –Goodreads Reviewer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Mountain Women series, 8 in all, described the trials and tribulations of a mountainous, coal mining town. Really enjoyed the mountain women series by Carol Ervin. The reader is transformed into the tiny mountain town of the 1880 era. All characters leave you as though you know them as family! The stories are fiction, but intertwined with actual historical events.” –Goodreads Reviewer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “ ALL the books in this series were wonderful. if you want to get involved in early 1900's up to 1925 read this series.” - Goodreads Reviewer⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Love Carol [Ervin’s] Work! Ms. [Ervin] is a masterful storyteller! She has a knack for getting the reader involved in her characters and storyline!” –Goodreads Reviewer
- GenresHistorical Fiction
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 5, 2018
About the author
Carol Ervin
24 books118 followersI’ve been lucky. Years ago, I wanted to live on a farm, and my husband said “Let’s do it.” When personal computers were introduced, I wanted to know about them and have one, and lucky me, the school where I taught offered a course in Basic. When we bought our first computer, I discovered the writer’s best friend--word processing. (Before that, I could not write without crossing out most of a typewritten or handwritten page, and progress seemed impossible.) When I wanted to shift from teaching to writing, the first Macintosh computers came out, and I was lucky enough to offer, along with technical and business writing, the first “desktop publishing” in my county. And when finally I had the leisure to give a lot of time to a novel, my husband didn’t merely tolerate my commitment, he encouraged it.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 23, 2018
Wonderful!
I’ve anxiously awaited each new sequel to “Mountain Women” since the first. Again, I’ve not been disappointed. The story continues, with many changes along the way. May Rose has become very critical, selfish and self centered, which surprises me after the rough years she’s experienced in life. I perhaps feel she should be more understanding of others. Maybe it’s just middle age, lack of hormones, whatever, but this new dimension to her character just makes the writing more true to life, she’s like so many other women I’ve known of that age! I’m sure you’ve known some too, they go around constantly with a scowl on their face, looking for an opportunity to criticize others.
The rest of the characters are exhibiting changes too, not all of them bad ones. Wanda has surprised me in this go round. I’m beginning to worry about Will, he’s one of my absolute favorites. A new character, Minnie, gets introduced into the story this time. I like Minnie. May Rose is very suspicious and not at all friendly towards Minnie at first, but that changes as time goes along. I thought I’d figured out the true relationship between Virgie and Glory, but I was mistaken. Now they’re each set on new paths in life, but still maintaining their independence.
There were a few tense moments, and I was really afraid tragedy was about to wreak havoc on my beloved characters, but once again their resilience and strength has shown just what they can face down and push through. Another wonderful sequel to “Mountain Women” - I thoroughly enjoyed each word, Carol Ervin!
I’ve anxiously awaited each new sequel to “Mountain Women” since the first. Again, I’ve not been disappointed. The story continues, with many changes along the way. May Rose has become very critical, selfish and self centered, which surprises me after the rough years she’s experienced in life. I perhaps feel she should be more understanding of others. Maybe it’s just middle age, lack of hormones, whatever, but this new dimension to her character just makes the writing more true to life, she’s like so many other women I’ve known of that age! I’m sure you’ve known some too, they go around constantly with a scowl on their face, looking for an opportunity to criticize others.
The rest of the characters are exhibiting changes too, not all of them bad ones. Wanda has surprised me in this go round. I’m beginning to worry about Will, he’s one of my absolute favorites. A new character, Minnie, gets introduced into the story this time. I like Minnie. May Rose is very suspicious and not at all friendly towards Minnie at first, but that changes as time goes along. I thought I’d figured out the true relationship between Virgie and Glory, but I was mistaken. Now they’re each set on new paths in life, but still maintaining their independence.
There were a few tense moments, and I was really afraid tragedy was about to wreak havoc on my beloved characters, but once again their resilience and strength has shown just what they can face down and push through. Another wonderful sequel to “Mountain Women” - I thoroughly enjoyed each word, Carol Ervin!
March 26, 2018
Loved this series!
Learned to care about and love these people in this series; never wanted a book to end. I highly recommend!
Learned to care about and love these people in this series; never wanted a book to end. I highly recommend!
April 7, 2018
Fools for Love by Carol Ervin is Book Seven of the Mountain Women Series. I can’t believe I haven’t read every book in the series; each one is great. If I only looked at the title of this book, I would not have selected it. There is some saying about a book and its cover which had no applicability for me when I saw the author name. Carol Ervin writes multilevel great fiction with hints of actual historical events. A point that will not apply to every reader; her stories evoke nostalgia. In this book, readers look at the town of Winkler and surrounding area in 1920. For me, it could have been rural Indiana in the 1950s. Nostalgia cuts more than one way. I don’t look back and recall unpleasant experiences. My grandmother served as a filter for my childhood experiences. In this novel, the “grandmother” is May Rose. In later years her children might think back fondly on activities surrounding the canning of vegetables. It is lengthy, time-consuming and necessary work if a family wants to have diet variety in winter when there may not be money for travel to a neighboring town to purchase food. May Rose made some of the activities fun for her children. As did my grandmother for me. And we think back fondly to childhood experiences. This is one of many examples.
The reason the title Fools for Love is a good choice will not be clear until the reader is well into the novel. This is not a spoiler and not a surprise. To know the reasoning behind the following quote, you will have to read the novel. It is worth it. Luzanna is commenting on a difficult decision she must make regarding a possible life partner. She will make a choice but she is not sure that choosing a partner is superior to living alone. “That’s it.” She sat with her elbow on the table and her forehead bent to her hand. “I’m a fool for sure.” “No more than any of us.” Glory, Wanda, Virgie, Alma. Rona. Me.” (loc 3969-3972). This quote describes the situation of seven principal characters. Readers will note that all of them are female. Logically, there are men involved and yes, Ervin describes them as well. This quote appears at the 90% location marker. The reader can feel comfortable in agreement because the reader knows why this is true for each character.
Another feature of this series is the number of characters. Ervin gives a five-page listing of characters important in this novel and another page of characters referred to but not appearing in a principal role. Here comes the nostalgia again. In my late teens, my grandmother would describe a great number of characters that made up our family tree. Connections were linear and generational, just like in this novel. As mentioned, I have not read every book in the series so I looked over the pages before beginning reading. And I discovered another reason Carol Ervin is such a good writer. It was not necessary for me to preview the character pages. The characters, not the author, presented themselves in ways that I knew how they were related without returning to the references. Admittedly, I could not read this novel when tired or when thinking of something else. If I did so, I would get lost but then I just reread the recent reading. I found this to be a demonstration of strong writing craft.
My favorite genre is horror. In this novel, there are two depictions of horror without using offensive (or any) sexual terms. There was only one incident using a term related to physical violence; it was not offensive. The first horror story relates to Milton Chapman. For a complete description of all its terrible details, the reader must read an earlier novel from the series. But even in this novel, several characters recall a good portion of the horrible life Rona went through previously. Rona appears in this novel with a few surprises that May Rose did not want to hear. Milton is absent. Ervin suggests and teases us about the second horror story that seems to be inevitable. Minnie, a possible competitor to May Rose and her boarding house, might have a problem with her husband, Robert C. Cottonwood. This is a horror story hinted at and is one of the anecdotal nuggets that make this a worthwhile read.
Ervin develops powerful characters in conflict, some of them unable to affect their outcomes. The situation of Grace Margaret Graves might bring tears to a reader's eyes. Price Loughrie drinks his way through life and might evoke sympathy. Or maybe the reader will give him a pass due to his involvement in one of the novel’s historically accurate events, Matewan.
This novel is 226 pages published in March 2018. It sells for USD 2.99 on Amazon. I read it on Kindle Unlimited for free. I gave it five Amazon stars because of the very rich, strong characters. The number of characters should not daunt readers. All characters contribute. Characters and the “nostalgia factor” lead me to highly recommend this novel.
The reason the title Fools for Love is a good choice will not be clear until the reader is well into the novel. This is not a spoiler and not a surprise. To know the reasoning behind the following quote, you will have to read the novel. It is worth it. Luzanna is commenting on a difficult decision she must make regarding a possible life partner. She will make a choice but she is not sure that choosing a partner is superior to living alone. “That’s it.” She sat with her elbow on the table and her forehead bent to her hand. “I’m a fool for sure.” “No more than any of us.” Glory, Wanda, Virgie, Alma. Rona. Me.” (loc 3969-3972). This quote describes the situation of seven principal characters. Readers will note that all of them are female. Logically, there are men involved and yes, Ervin describes them as well. This quote appears at the 90% location marker. The reader can feel comfortable in agreement because the reader knows why this is true for each character.
Another feature of this series is the number of characters. Ervin gives a five-page listing of characters important in this novel and another page of characters referred to but not appearing in a principal role. Here comes the nostalgia again. In my late teens, my grandmother would describe a great number of characters that made up our family tree. Connections were linear and generational, just like in this novel. As mentioned, I have not read every book in the series so I looked over the pages before beginning reading. And I discovered another reason Carol Ervin is such a good writer. It was not necessary for me to preview the character pages. The characters, not the author, presented themselves in ways that I knew how they were related without returning to the references. Admittedly, I could not read this novel when tired or when thinking of something else. If I did so, I would get lost but then I just reread the recent reading. I found this to be a demonstration of strong writing craft.
My favorite genre is horror. In this novel, there are two depictions of horror without using offensive (or any) sexual terms. There was only one incident using a term related to physical violence; it was not offensive. The first horror story relates to Milton Chapman. For a complete description of all its terrible details, the reader must read an earlier novel from the series. But even in this novel, several characters recall a good portion of the horrible life Rona went through previously. Rona appears in this novel with a few surprises that May Rose did not want to hear. Milton is absent. Ervin suggests and teases us about the second horror story that seems to be inevitable. Minnie, a possible competitor to May Rose and her boarding house, might have a problem with her husband, Robert C. Cottonwood. This is a horror story hinted at and is one of the anecdotal nuggets that make this a worthwhile read.
Ervin develops powerful characters in conflict, some of them unable to affect their outcomes. The situation of Grace Margaret Graves might bring tears to a reader's eyes. Price Loughrie drinks his way through life and might evoke sympathy. Or maybe the reader will give him a pass due to his involvement in one of the novel’s historically accurate events, Matewan.
This novel is 226 pages published in March 2018. It sells for USD 2.99 on Amazon. I read it on Kindle Unlimited for free. I gave it five Amazon stars because of the very rich, strong characters. The number of characters should not daunt readers. All characters contribute. Characters and the “nostalgia factor” lead me to highly recommend this novel.
January 30, 2024
It's been a long time since I read a series of books, that as I finished one, I was ready to read the next. This author and these books are throughly engaging. The characters are real. The plots are real. The situations are real in a world I've never read about...coal country, mountain towns,poverty and women's issues in years past. You won't regret starting this series...you won't want to put them down!
December 9, 2018
Mountain Women series, 8 in all, described the trials and tribulations of a mountainous, coal mining town.
Really enjoyed the mountain women series by Carol Ervin. The reader is transformed into the tiny mountain town of the 1880 era. All characters leave you as though you know them as family! The stories are fiction, but intertwined with actual historical events.
Really enjoyed the mountain women series by Carol Ervin. The reader is transformed into the tiny mountain town of the 1880 era. All characters leave you as though you know them as family! The stories are fiction, but intertwined with actual historical events.
February 25, 2021
Review from a coal camp kid
I am a West Virginia coal camp kid, now this is written before my time , this still rings true from my days. It is so good to follow these people on their journey. They become almost like family.
I am a West Virginia coal camp kid, now this is written before my time , this still rings true from my days. It is so good to follow these people on their journey. They become almost like family.
February 28, 2024
Wanda
Who knew Roger, Minnows husband was none other than one Cotton? He finally got what he deserved from Wanda. Of course Price knew he just couldn't get it all out what was scrambled in his brain. A great flood and a fire got rid of the boarding house competition.
Who knew Roger, Minnows husband was none other than one Cotton? He finally got what he deserved from Wanda. Of course Price knew he just couldn't get it all out what was scrambled in his brain. A great flood and a fire got rid of the boarding house competition.
October 20, 2020
ALL the books in this series were wonderful. if you want to get involved in early 1900's up to 1925 read this series.
December 20, 2020
Still enjoying the series.
October 6, 2022
Love Carol Kevin's Work!
Ms. Irvin is a masterful storyteller! She has a knack for getting the reader involved in her characters and storyline!
Ms. Irvin is a masterful storyteller! She has a knack for getting the reader involved in her characters and storyline!
May 9, 2023
Another great one by Carol Ervin
A wonderful story with a great ending, thank you! I can't wait for the next one! They're all so entertaining
A wonderful story with a great ending, thank you! I can't wait for the next one! They're all so entertaining
December 6, 2023
Fabulous!!! On to the next in the series.
March 9, 2024
Great series
Loving this series. Will be sad when completed and time to move on. Well off to start the next book!
Loving this series. Will be sad when completed and time to move on. Well off to start the next book!
May 19, 2024
Compelling characters
Carol Ervin has a mastery of storytelling. The story hooks you from the beginning. Jump in and enjoy a magnificent time.
Carol Ervin has a mastery of storytelling. The story hooks you from the beginning. Jump in and enjoy a magnificent time.
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January 3, 2019I enjoy this series
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews