Red Dove of Monterey

Old California #1

by Stephen Bly

The first book in a new series by the author of the "Heroines of the Golden West" series. Alena is a confident entrepreneur in a man's world who meets a rancher with a tragic secret in his past. They're both about to find their inner peace, their calling, and romance in Old California.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Westerns, Historical Fiction, Romance, Christian

216 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1998

About the author

Stephen Bly (August 17, 1944 - June 9, 2011) authored 100 books and hundreds of articles. His book, THE LONG TRAIL HOME, (Broadman & Holman), won the prestigious 2002 CHRISTY AWARD for excellence in Christian fiction in the category western novel. Three other books, PICTURE ROCK (Crossway Books), THE OUTLAW'S TWIN SISTER (Crossway Books), and LAST OF THE TEXAS CAMP (Broadman & Holman), were Christy Award finalists. He spoke at colleges, churches, camps and conferences across the U.S. and Canada. He was the pastor of Winchester Community Church, and served as mayor of Winchester, Idaho (2000-2007). He spoke on numerous television and radio programs, including Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family. He was an Active Member of the Western Writers of America. Steve graduated summa cum laude in Philosophy from Fresno State University and received a M.Div from Fuller Theological Seminary. The Blys have three sons: Russell (married to Lois) and father of Zachary and Miranda (married to Chris Ross) and mother of Alayah, Michael (married to Michelle), and Aaron (married to Rina Joye) and father of Keaton and Deckard. A third generation westerner, Steve spent his early years working on ranches and farms.

Reviews

[Joleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking through Overdrive books and came across Red Dove of Monterey. It's an older book (written in the 90's) set in pre-statehood California (probably 1840's or before), by an author I'm not familiar with. Since I grew up in Monterey I thought I'd see how it was described from the time when it was owned by Mexico and inhabited by mostly Mexicans and Indians. Many places described in the book I am familiar with, so that was fun.

Some spoilers below...

The two main characters are not from Mexico.
- Alena Tipton is a redhead from Boston, who came to live with her father in Monterey, who sold hides. He had died two months before leaving Alena with no family here, and she took over his business. She's very close to the locals, one family in particular has taken her under their wings.
- Wilson Merced was from Missouri, escaping a terrible event, living on his "rancho" in a remote part of Northern California near the Sierra Nevadas. Alena's father is the man to whom Wilson sold his hides.

Many Californios (yes, that's what they called the native California Mexicans) were making a trip to San Juan Bautista for a fandango/fiesta in honor of Alena, La Paloma Roja de Monterey (red dove of Monterey), who seems to be loved over many miles.

As Alena traveled to the fandango, two son's of the woman who has become like her mom, ask who she will dance with. This starts the young men performing horseriding and roping competitions, both funhearted, but at the same time serious. Made for fun reading.

Once there, more competitions are performed which brought many to an arena for some daring stunts as well as typical fights from that era (cock fights and a competition with a bull. There was a strange competition where they put a bull and bear put together in the arena to see who survives. Nothing too gory, but it was horrifying to Alena. This is where she gets to know Wilson better as he saves a little Indian girl who is in the path of the charging bear who got out of the arena.

Many other things happened in the story, but I don't want to give it all away.

I liked: The true to life way the Californios were described, and the interaction, or non-interaction with the Indians. I liked the descriptions of the geography I'm familiar with. I liked the fun everyone had, kidding, lighthearted insulting and puffing themselves up to impress Alena. I liked the way much of what needed to be told was detailed in conversation. I liked the way Maria had a mission to be a light of Christ because of a verse she's committed to. I like the way Wilson is a man of great integrity who truly lives his faith.

What I was "meh" about:
- The cover. By the look on Alena's face I thought I'd be reading a book about a soiled dove set in Monterey. Thankfully it was not. It's just a unfortunate picture that looks like she's ticked.
- The way people fell in love in 2 or 3 days. I personally don't get that, but I suppose it happens...or at least it's what they think is love.

All in all, even though it was a bit old fashioned, I liked it. It was like a clean Western, which is my favorite kind.

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I would describe this book as a western-type Christian romance.
The characters were enjoyable and different, for the most part anyway. I did get a little tired of some of them and the way they acted, but nothing really irritated me. The setting of Alta California back in the 1830s was quite unique and fun. There was love, and excitement, but there was also some animal fights (not too descriptive, but I didn’t care for it), and some brothers doing crazy things to impress someone. Since this takes place in California before it became populated by Americans, there are mostly catholics and talk of the missions and padres. It didn’t bother me, because that was the setting at the time. And of course there was a bad guy and guns and that sort of thing. Nothing descriptive.
The romance wasn’t bad. Nothing that made me cringe, but some of it felt a little overly dramatic. Oh well. I still enjoyed the story.
I did like that this was clean. And now I want to read book 2 and find out what happens next.

[Taylor Hewitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Shelly Dabbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting story. Good characters, great story, & history. Tells you a lot about what California was like before it became a state. Enjoyed it.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romance and adventure in Old California. Alena is determined, but no more so than a man who refuses to enter two-story buildings. A little on the mature side for Bly's works.

[Malia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as funny as Bly wrote before, but passable.