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Autumn Dove
Romance novel.
478 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
Sylvie F. Sommerfield
35 books28 followersAka Sylvie Sommerfield.
In 1978, Sylvie Sommerfield's husband challenged her to write a "better" romance novel, than the ones she eagerly devoured. She accepted the challenge. And now the six-time grandmother has written many historical romance novels, which have sold into the millions of copies.
In fact, John Sommerfield had to retire from his successful career as an investment funds manager to run the business side of Sylvie F. Sommerfield Enterprises.
Some of her books, with western themes, all published by Zebra, include Moonlit Magic, Tame My Wild Heart, Captive Embrace, Savage Rapture, Savage Kiss, Wild Wyoming Heart and Autumn Dove.
In 1978, Sylvie Sommerfield's husband challenged her to write a "better" romance novel, than the ones she eagerly devoured. She accepted the challenge. And now the six-time grandmother has written many historical romance novels, which have sold into the millions of copies.
In fact, John Sommerfield had to retire from his successful career as an investment funds manager to run the business side of Sylvie F. Sommerfield Enterprises.
Some of her books, with western themes, all published by Zebra, include Moonlit Magic, Tame My Wild Heart, Captive Embrace, Savage Rapture, Savage Kiss, Wild Wyoming Heart and Autumn Dove.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 28, 2021
This review is of “Autumn Dove”, a standalone from January 1989 by Sylvie F. Sommerfield.
Starting in 1865, on the Kansas/Colorado border, readers meet Zachary Hale Windwalker, the hero of the book. Zach, who is half-white and half-Cheyenne, is trying to discover who is running guns to the plains Indians and stirring them up to fight the whites who come into the area. Meanwhile, back in Washington, D.C.,Tara Montgomery, 19, the heroine of the book, has just lost her parents in a carriage accident. With nowhere else to turn, she decides to go west to live with her brother David, a soldier stationed at Fort Lyon. She signs on to a wagon train, which Zach is leading. He doesn’t want her there, for several reasons, which are quickly revealed.
As the train makes its way west, Tara and Zach become lovers, but also at odds with each other. The wagon train makes its way to Fort Lyon, where Tara discovers David isn’t there; he’s on assignment from the Army. We also learn a bit more about Zach; his mother, Karolyn, who was white, was a teacher. She fell in love with Zach’s father, Waiting Wolf. When Karolyn passed, Waiting Wolf married a Cheyenne woman, Singing Grass, Zach’s stepmother, and they had a son, Zach’s stepbrother, Little Raven. Little Raven soon gets into trouble sneaking into the fort; he and Zach are arrested and sentenced to hang. They escape as Zach takes Tara hostage. Readers also meet Tara’s older brother, David, 25. David has issues he’s trying to resolve in his life as well. (He’s in love with a Cheyenne woman, Small Fawn. He doesn’t know how his parents-he doesn’t know they’re dead-or Tara will handle this news).
In the end, the gunrunner is caught, David marries Small Fawn, and Tara and Zach have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: The best part of “Autumn Dove” is the second half of the book. It is here that Tara and Zach realize that they love each other and she is able to get him to let go of some of his bitterness regarding his treatment at the hands of white people.
Downside: In order to get to the second half of the book, however, one has to go through the first half, and the first half is...meh. There is no emotional juice here, at all. There is also no character depth or development. Mrs. Sommerfield never made me care about any of the characters, beyond the fact that they were in the book. It feels very much like Mrs. Sommerfield fell into the “Readers Are Supposed to Care” trap. In “Autumn Dove”, Mrs. Sommerfield believes Readers Are Supposed to Care because: 1. Tara lost her parents and has to go to live with her only other relative, David, her brother. 2. Zach is hurt by being shunned by whites for being half-white, half-Cheyenne. 3. David is concerned about being shunned and his life because he is in love with Small Fawn. It is possible I COULD have cared about any or all of those things, if Mrs. Sommerfield gave me a reason to do so. She didn’t. The ending of the book is highly disappointing, not to mention boring.
Sex: Multiple love scenes involving Tara and Zach, and one involving Small Fawn and David. None of these love scenes are exciting, interesting or hot. These love scenes have all the heat of cold water.
Violence: Assault, attempted rape, battery, kidnapping, and “off-screen” killings. The violence is not graphic.
Bottom Line: Mrs. Sommerfield tilled this ground-and in a much better way-in her earlier book, “Savage Rapture”. “Autumn Dove” is a major disappointment.. 2.2. Stars.
Starting in 1865, on the Kansas/Colorado border, readers meet Zachary Hale Windwalker, the hero of the book. Zach, who is half-white and half-Cheyenne, is trying to discover who is running guns to the plains Indians and stirring them up to fight the whites who come into the area. Meanwhile, back in Washington, D.C.,Tara Montgomery, 19, the heroine of the book, has just lost her parents in a carriage accident. With nowhere else to turn, she decides to go west to live with her brother David, a soldier stationed at Fort Lyon. She signs on to a wagon train, which Zach is leading. He doesn’t want her there, for several reasons, which are quickly revealed.
As the train makes its way west, Tara and Zach become lovers, but also at odds with each other. The wagon train makes its way to Fort Lyon, where Tara discovers David isn’t there; he’s on assignment from the Army. We also learn a bit more about Zach; his mother, Karolyn, who was white, was a teacher. She fell in love with Zach’s father, Waiting Wolf. When Karolyn passed, Waiting Wolf married a Cheyenne woman, Singing Grass, Zach’s stepmother, and they had a son, Zach’s stepbrother, Little Raven. Little Raven soon gets into trouble sneaking into the fort; he and Zach are arrested and sentenced to hang. They escape as Zach takes Tara hostage. Readers also meet Tara’s older brother, David, 25. David has issues he’s trying to resolve in his life as well. (He’s in love with a Cheyenne woman, Small Fawn. He doesn’t know how his parents-he doesn’t know they’re dead-or Tara will handle this news).
In the end, the gunrunner is caught, David marries Small Fawn, and Tara and Zach have their Happily Ever After.
Upside: The best part of “Autumn Dove” is the second half of the book. It is here that Tara and Zach realize that they love each other and she is able to get him to let go of some of his bitterness regarding his treatment at the hands of white people.
Downside: In order to get to the second half of the book, however, one has to go through the first half, and the first half is...meh. There is no emotional juice here, at all. There is also no character depth or development. Mrs. Sommerfield never made me care about any of the characters, beyond the fact that they were in the book. It feels very much like Mrs. Sommerfield fell into the “Readers Are Supposed to Care” trap. In “Autumn Dove”, Mrs. Sommerfield believes Readers Are Supposed to Care because: 1. Tara lost her parents and has to go to live with her only other relative, David, her brother. 2. Zach is hurt by being shunned by whites for being half-white, half-Cheyenne. 3. David is concerned about being shunned and his life because he is in love with Small Fawn. It is possible I COULD have cared about any or all of those things, if Mrs. Sommerfield gave me a reason to do so. She didn’t. The ending of the book is highly disappointing, not to mention boring.
Sex: Multiple love scenes involving Tara and Zach, and one involving Small Fawn and David. None of these love scenes are exciting, interesting or hot. These love scenes have all the heat of cold water.
Violence: Assault, attempted rape, battery, kidnapping, and “off-screen” killings. The violence is not graphic.
Bottom Line: Mrs. Sommerfield tilled this ground-and in a much better way-in her earlier book, “Savage Rapture”. “Autumn Dove” is a major disappointment.. 2.2. Stars.
February 18, 2009
This was the first ever trashy romance novel I read! I still remember when my teacher caught me reading it in my 10th grade English class after a test. He was so happy to see a student reading without prompting. Little did he know what I was reading!
May 29, 2025
Tropes
🪶 Wild West
🪶Only one horse
🪶Life or Death
🪶insta love
🪶found family
🪶she rescues him
🪶stubborn love
🪶Native American tribes vs white military
🪶on the run
It’s 1856, around the Kansas and Colorado border. Tara, our FMC, has recently lost her parents in a carriage accident and her only surviving family member is her brother stationed at a Fort. Our MMC is Zach, aka Wind Walker. He’s half indigenous, half white, and is a wagon guide. While the romance to me was meh, the story was incredible. If you want an epic western, alongside some steamy romance, this one’s for you! This story also *briefly* follows three other couples who were lovely touches to the storyline. They also provided character development for our FMC and MMC and general plot development.
Tara and Zach’s relationship was interesting. While they had chemistry, they had quite a bit of miscommunication. It seemed like when Zach didn’t want her, she wanted him, and vice versa, up until the last 100 pages. While I liked them and their relationship, the writing is more plot heavy than character heavy. I am okay reading romances that are plot heavy, but it just made it to where I didn’t feel much emotion wise for our hero and heroine.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read! My favorite thing was definitely the found family aspect. If you like found family alongside an epic western, this book is for you.
🪶 Wild West
🪶Only one horse
🪶Life or Death
🪶insta love
🪶found family
🪶she rescues him
🪶stubborn love
🪶Native American tribes vs white military
🪶on the run
It’s 1856, around the Kansas and Colorado border. Tara, our FMC, has recently lost her parents in a carriage accident and her only surviving family member is her brother stationed at a Fort. Our MMC is Zach, aka Wind Walker. He’s half indigenous, half white, and is a wagon guide. While the romance to me was meh, the story was incredible. If you want an epic western, alongside some steamy romance, this one’s for you! This story also *briefly* follows three other couples who were lovely touches to the storyline. They also provided character development for our FMC and MMC and general plot development.
Tara and Zach’s relationship was interesting. While they had chemistry, they had quite a bit of miscommunication. It seemed like when Zach didn’t want her, she wanted him, and vice versa, up until the last 100 pages. While I liked them and their relationship, the writing is more plot heavy than character heavy. I am okay reading romances that are plot heavy, but it just made it to where I didn’t feel much emotion wise for our hero and heroine.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read! My favorite thing was definitely the found family aspect. If you like found family alongside an epic western, this book is for you.
July 28, 2025
I read this book over 20 years ago and it was one of the best romance books I've read. It's still on my bookshelf today!
February 19, 2008
This book is just amazing. The passion and romance in it is so real. I wish I could write a novel with as much love and passion and culture as this book had. It's a great read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews