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Tales of Dunham #1
The Proviso
280,000 words (730 pages) plus
100 pages of bonus material (Vignettes & Outtakes)
Knox Hilliard’s uncle killed his father to marry his mother and gain control of the family’s Fortune 100 company. Knox is set to inherit it on his 40th birthday, provided he has a wife and an heir.
Then, after his bride is murdered on their wedding day, Knox refuses to fulfill the proviso at all. When a brilliant law student catches his attention, he knows he must wait until after his 40th birthday to pursue her—but he may not be able to resist her that long.
Sebastian Taight, eccentric financier, steps between Knox and his uncle by initiating a hostile takeover. When Sebastian is appointed trustee of a company in receivership, he falls hard for its beautiful CEO. She has secrets that involve his uncle, but his secret could destroy any chance he has with her.
Giselle Cox exposed the affair that set her uncle’s plot in motion—twenty years ago. He’s burned Giselle's bookstore and had her shot because it is she who holds his life in her hands. Then she runs into a much bigger A man who takes her breath away, who can match and dominate her, whose soul is as scarred as his body.
Knox, Sebastian, and Three cousins at war with an uncle who will stop at nothing to keep Knox’s inheritance. Never do they expect to find allies—and love—on the battlefield.
This file was revised on May 12, 2013 to include the Vignettes & Outtakes and to update the cover.
100 pages of bonus material (Vignettes & Outtakes)
Knox Hilliard’s uncle killed his father to marry his mother and gain control of the family’s Fortune 100 company. Knox is set to inherit it on his 40th birthday, provided he has a wife and an heir.
Then, after his bride is murdered on their wedding day, Knox refuses to fulfill the proviso at all. When a brilliant law student catches his attention, he knows he must wait until after his 40th birthday to pursue her—but he may not be able to resist her that long.
Sebastian Taight, eccentric financier, steps between Knox and his uncle by initiating a hostile takeover. When Sebastian is appointed trustee of a company in receivership, he falls hard for its beautiful CEO. She has secrets that involve his uncle, but his secret could destroy any chance he has with her.
Giselle Cox exposed the affair that set her uncle’s plot in motion—twenty years ago. He’s burned Giselle's bookstore and had her shot because it is she who holds his life in her hands. Then she runs into a much bigger A man who takes her breath away, who can match and dominate her, whose soul is as scarred as his body.
Knox, Sebastian, and Three cousins at war with an uncle who will stop at nothing to keep Knox’s inheritance. Never do they expect to find allies—and love—on the battlefield.
This file was revised on May 12, 2013 to include the Vignettes & Outtakes and to update the cover.
Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2008
12 people are currently reading
518 people want to read
About the author
Moriah Jovan
18 books86 followersMORIAH JOVAN writes what her imaginary friends tell her to write. Thus far, they have shown up in the novels Dunham, The Proviso, Stay, Magdalene, Paso Doble, We Were Gods, Black Jack, Lion’s Share, 1520 Main, Twenty-dollar Rag, and Black as Knight, published by B10 Mediaworx. They will, most likely, continue to order her around until she hits on the right drug and dosage. Fortunately, her husband is very understanding of all the other people in her life.
Moriah has been doing this self-publishing thing since 2008 and has the war wounds to prove it. She’s a fair-weather Chiefs and Royals fan, half-assed planner, avid cross stitcher, dilettante crafter, and aspiring odalisque. She regularly thumbs her nose at her to-do list as if it has any authority over her at all. Her goal is to finish all the craft projects she has begun in her life.
All of them.
Moriah has been doing this self-publishing thing since 2008 and has the war wounds to prove it. She’s a fair-weather Chiefs and Royals fan, half-assed planner, avid cross stitcher, dilettante crafter, and aspiring odalisque. She regularly thumbs her nose at her to-do list as if it has any authority over her at all. Her goal is to finish all the craft projects she has begun in her life.
All of them.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 19, 2010
It is ironic that one of Ms. Jovan's central characters is constantly informed by his family that "he always does things the hard way." The author does also.
She writes well. Her plotting is excellent as is her character development. But she has clearly picked out the hardest row to hoe.
Jovan has written a Latter Day Genre book that is looking for a genre. It will piss off just about anyone who wants to read the same book over and over again, with only a different title to differentiate each one on the bookshelf.
Readers looking for bodice ripping will find it too churchy. The churchy crowd will be way too upset at the steamy bits. The Ayn Rand freaks will be confused that that this bunch of Objectivists are waxing nostalgic on wanting to rejoin the authoritarian culture that they have run away from.
While the book is steeped in Mormonism, it is about the culture not the creed. It also makes for a wonderful backdrop not unlike the wonderful life-style shift with the Amish setting in Witness.
I am a guy. I don't read romance genre literature. The last book I read was about the massacre in Tiananmen Square. I was introduced to this book through a weird series of events, but I read every word. And I look forward to reading the next in the series.
Well done, Moriah Jovan.
She writes well. Her plotting is excellent as is her character development. But she has clearly picked out the hardest row to hoe.
Jovan has written a Latter Day Genre book that is looking for a genre. It will piss off just about anyone who wants to read the same book over and over again, with only a different title to differentiate each one on the bookshelf.
Readers looking for bodice ripping will find it too churchy. The churchy crowd will be way too upset at the steamy bits. The Ayn Rand freaks will be confused that that this bunch of Objectivists are waxing nostalgic on wanting to rejoin the authoritarian culture that they have run away from.
While the book is steeped in Mormonism, it is about the culture not the creed. It also makes for a wonderful backdrop not unlike the wonderful life-style shift with the Amish setting in Witness.
I am a guy. I don't read romance genre literature. The last book I read was about the massacre in Tiananmen Square. I was introduced to this book through a weird series of events, but I read every word. And I look forward to reading the next in the series.
Well done, Moriah Jovan.
October 14, 2009
This book is amazing. The author uses standard romance novel tropes without twisting them or apologizing for them, but this doesn't feel like a flat seen-it-a-zillion-times romance; far from it. The characters are the most complex characters I've read about in a long time, and the plot was so intricate that trying to figure it out felt overwhelming at first.
October 14, 2011
This book killed me. A heavy, layered, family drama/romance, I read it once, sobbed through the climax, then turned to the beginning to read it all over again. A third reading this week reminded me why I loved it so much--Jovan's characters are bigger than life, but flawed enough to be relatable. I want to go to Kansas City and seek them out--or at least find Jovan and take her out for drinks.
September 28, 2011
Well, I bought this and Stay on a whim yesterday, and have stayed up until almost 4 am to finish reading both.
That should say everything. =)
Looking forward to reading more of the Dunham series.
That should say everything. =)
Looking forward to reading more of the Dunham series.
May 25, 2011
This books moves at a slower pace than I'm used to but it's been a long time since I picked up and read a lengthy, layered story that delves into the details of the characters. (Again, that traditional publishing thing.) As I read it and sometimes got annoyed with the slow pace, I remembered that I loved Shogun - and if you've read Shogun you know how involved that story is! And this story takes the time to acquaint you with the characters.
There are some authors I read more for the characters than the stories they write. At this point, I'm going to say Jovan is shaping up to be one of those. Don't get me wrong - I liked the story. But I love the characters. I would so be on board to read a book about Sebastian raiding a company, especially if there was a murder mystery involved. Oh hell - I'd like a book about Sebastian breaking legs during his younger years as a loan shark. I also salivate a bit contemplating the possibilities of a Grisham-like novel about Knox's trial of the serial killer, Parley - and what happens after.
The Proviso is a competent storytelling that leaves you wanting more of these characters and their stories and the stories of the other characters who populate the book. You will laugh. You will cry. I'm not giving away the ending. You may start reading and not be able to put the book down. Or, if you read like I do, you will meander through the first two-thirds and then not be able to put it down until you finish the last one-third.
Jovan does a really good job of interweaving the stories of the 3 main characters and keeping the story line timely and interesting while doing it. I was willing to suspend my problems with parts of the story line because overall I enjoyed it and - as stated above - I love the characters. If a plot based on a proviso stating an heir-apparent must do this thing or that thing in order to inherit is a contrivance, it's an acceptable one in exchange for getting to know these characters. Because this story isn't about the people who set the proviso in motion, we may never know their motives - and it really isn't all that important because in my opinion this is a character-driven story. Any story about religion, money, politics and sex is about entanglements, complications, lies, deceit, manipulation, good and evil - and this The Proviso delivers in spades while delving into the human side of the main characters. My favorite part of the cover says what this story is really about: "...embroiled as they are in their war, the last thing they expect to find on the battlefield is love."
And yeah, there's sex. Don't read the book if you have a problem with graphic sex. It's not like the author is trying to sneak it in there - it says right there on the cover there's sex. What I found interesting is that sex almost becomes its own character in this book, and the different ways its used to express the characters. This is something I haven't seen before in books that include sex - it was there just because people expect it to be (romance) or to titillate readers and draw a certain demographic. In The Proviso it's there because sex is part of being human and part of what makes these characters tick.
Religion. This is the first book I've ever read that included Mormon religion, culture and characters that I felt were real. There are believers and non-believers, active and lapsed. There is some discussion about the Mormon religion and (gasp!) not a word about polygamy! Yeah, over a hundred years after the LDS church stopped officially practicing polygamy, finally someone writes a story with Mormon life and culture and doesn't include polygamy. Imagine that. I wouldn't classify this as "Mormon literature" by any stretch, however, so don't let the inclusion of religion deter you from reading the book - or alternatively, don't buy the book thinking this book is about Mormons. The author happens to be Mormon, many of the characters happen to be Mormon - there's nothing more to it than that. The Proviso is most definitely not about Mormonism.
Bottom line? Big thumbs up for this first novel by new author Moriah Jovan.
There are some authors I read more for the characters than the stories they write. At this point, I'm going to say Jovan is shaping up to be one of those. Don't get me wrong - I liked the story. But I love the characters. I would so be on board to read a book about Sebastian raiding a company, especially if there was a murder mystery involved. Oh hell - I'd like a book about Sebastian breaking legs during his younger years as a loan shark. I also salivate a bit contemplating the possibilities of a Grisham-like novel about Knox's trial of the serial killer, Parley - and what happens after.
The Proviso is a competent storytelling that leaves you wanting more of these characters and their stories and the stories of the other characters who populate the book. You will laugh. You will cry. I'm not giving away the ending. You may start reading and not be able to put the book down. Or, if you read like I do, you will meander through the first two-thirds and then not be able to put it down until you finish the last one-third.
Jovan does a really good job of interweaving the stories of the 3 main characters and keeping the story line timely and interesting while doing it. I was willing to suspend my problems with parts of the story line because overall I enjoyed it and - as stated above - I love the characters. If a plot based on a proviso stating an heir-apparent must do this thing or that thing in order to inherit is a contrivance, it's an acceptable one in exchange for getting to know these characters. Because this story isn't about the people who set the proviso in motion, we may never know their motives - and it really isn't all that important because in my opinion this is a character-driven story. Any story about religion, money, politics and sex is about entanglements, complications, lies, deceit, manipulation, good and evil - and this The Proviso delivers in spades while delving into the human side of the main characters. My favorite part of the cover says what this story is really about: "...embroiled as they are in their war, the last thing they expect to find on the battlefield is love."
And yeah, there's sex. Don't read the book if you have a problem with graphic sex. It's not like the author is trying to sneak it in there - it says right there on the cover there's sex. What I found interesting is that sex almost becomes its own character in this book, and the different ways its used to express the characters. This is something I haven't seen before in books that include sex - it was there just because people expect it to be (romance) or to titillate readers and draw a certain demographic. In The Proviso it's there because sex is part of being human and part of what makes these characters tick.
Religion. This is the first book I've ever read that included Mormon religion, culture and characters that I felt were real. There are believers and non-believers, active and lapsed. There is some discussion about the Mormon religion and (gasp!) not a word about polygamy! Yeah, over a hundred years after the LDS church stopped officially practicing polygamy, finally someone writes a story with Mormon life and culture and doesn't include polygamy. Imagine that. I wouldn't classify this as "Mormon literature" by any stretch, however, so don't let the inclusion of religion deter you from reading the book - or alternatively, don't buy the book thinking this book is about Mormons. The author happens to be Mormon, many of the characters happen to be Mormon - there's nothing more to it than that. The Proviso is most definitely not about Mormonism.
Bottom line? Big thumbs up for this first novel by new author Moriah Jovan.
February 16, 2013
A thorough workout for my mind and libido. Very earthy. What's surprising, it introduced me to the LDS Church in a way it was acceptable for me as an agnostic and actually encouraged me to read up on this movement so that I'd better understand the way they view the world and have a respect for their beliefs. The Rand-ian world view of main protagonists was the absolute bonus.
Want to read
February 15, 2016Knox Hilliard's uncle killed his father to marry his mother and gain control of the family's Fortune 100 company. Knox is set to inherit the company on his 40th birthday, provided he has a wife and an heir, but he never really wanted it in the first place. Now, after his bride is murdered on their wedding day and his backup bride poses such a threat to their uncle that he's tried to kill her--twice--Knox refuses to fulfill The Proviso at all. Then he meets a woman he may not be able to resist long enough to keep her safe. His cousin, notorious and eccentric financier Sebastian Taight, would have raided the company long ago simply to destroy his despised uncle. For Knox's sake, he did nothing--until their cousin Giselle barely escaped assassination. The gloves come off, but Sebastian may have jumped in too deep, as the SEC steps in, then Congress threatens to get involved. Giselle Cox struggles under the weight of having exposed the affair that set her uncle s plot in motion--twenty years ago. As Knox's childhood sweetheart, she's also the most convenient way for Knox to inherit. Their uncle has twice tried to eliminate her, leaving her bankrupt and hoping to get through Knox's 40th birthday alive. None of them want the company, but two people have been murdered for it and Giselle is under constant threat because of it. What they want now is justice, but as embroiled as they are in their war, the last thing they expect to find on the battlefield is love.
March 28, 2013
This book is long, but it's so good! Ah the tangled webs we weave!! The story of Knox, Sebastian and Giselle is quite complex. The Proviso has interfered with the lives of these three cousin almost all their lives. Knox has lived his life under the microscope and his actions have had consequences affecting those he holds dear. He has lost so much and fears what could happen when he falls in love because of the proviso. Giselle lost her business and almost her life and now longs to find her soul mate. Sebastian lives dual lives that of a corporate raider and an artist who also longs for true love. Wow!! Each character is so complex- they are flawed, human, they go through a range if emotions that draw a reader in. Eilis, Bryce and Justice were also amazing. They fought and got what they desired, but not without setbacks. They each grew and learned from their mistakes. The incorporation of the Mormon religion was great because it showed each character's internal struggles and made them more poignant. I really enjoyed this well written story and became completely immersed in the lives of it's key players. This book has it all love, religion, art, action and violence. I can't wait to continue on with the series!!
September 4, 2012
Loved, Loved, Loved. There is just so much I love about this book, I could not get enough. Its fast paced, pay attention especially in the beginning. Fascinating plot, or plots I should say. This book could have easily been three separate books. I get that the profanity ties into the plot but I still think that it was overdone in the first quarter of the book. This author knows how to lead the reader, develop the characters and their interaction and write so that the reader can actually visualize it happening as if they are right there. I will definitely read more of this author and series. I couldn't put it down yesterday.
December 28, 2011
I have become a fan of Jovan's work after picking up number 3 in this series, Magdalene, which is still my favorite, but this is probably my second favorite. It sets up all the big names that you will see in the future books. The power couples that you will become very fond of and intimidated by :-)
I love picking up a book by Jovan because I know I will be enthralled for a month since her books are long but never lose their pacing. And her richly described characters never go flat. A must read!
I love picking up a book by Jovan because I know I will be enthralled for a month since her books are long but never lose their pacing. And her richly described characters never go flat. A must read!
July 24, 2014
More like 3.5-3.75 stars, but I'm rating down due to unnecessary length.
I didn't find this as engaging as I found Paso Doble but liked the characters just fine. I just couldn't believe everyone's casual attitude towards Fen's multiple murder attempts. And I think a good deal of the impact was lost because 3 couples was one too many. For me, it would've worked better over 2 books, with Justice and Knox's story split. I'll read the next in the series, though. Just not right away.
I didn't find this as engaging as I found Paso Doble but liked the characters just fine. I just couldn't believe everyone's casual attitude towards Fen's multiple murder attempts. And I think a good deal of the impact was lost because 3 couples was one too many. For me, it would've worked better over 2 books, with Justice and Knox's story split. I'll read the next in the series, though. Just not right away.
dnf
October 3, 2013This book will quite likely hold the distinction of "fastest book sent to my DNF list" for the rest of time. The prologue, such as it was, was so ridiculous I haven't enough words to express it all. I made it about two paragraphs into chapter 1 and realized that this book and I were NEVER going to work out.
Gah. I have never been so irritated by so few sentences. If The Proviso hadn't been free, I'd be asking for a refund from Amazon.
Gah. I have never been so irritated by so few sentences. If The Proviso hadn't been free, I'd be asking for a refund from Amazon.
October 17, 2013
I got this in a GR First Reads drawing, and what sounded good turned into a terribly tedious read for me. I found myself scanning large parts of the book just to get through it. It was just too TOO for me. Very slow paced. I guess I can see why many of the people who read it liked it, but it was just totally not my kind of book. I hate giving a bad rating to a book that was given to me, so I'll just say that while it was definitely not my cuppa....it might be yours.
July 9, 2013
I enjoyed this whole series of books. I loved Knox from day one. He is a very strong willed character that not only knows what he wants but has the patience to wait for it. This book has very strong ties to the LDS community. If you have any objections to the mormon religion then it is not a book for you to read. I found it interesting and it gave me a different perspective on their religion.
July 15, 2012
I'm still trying to decide what I think about this book. If I could sum up how I feel after reading this in one word I would say perplexed. There was something about it that was great and something about that just left me confused. But that can be a good thing. At least it wasn't predictable!
August 25, 2016
I really wanted to like the book but it felt like it was too drawn out. After about half way through the book and just kinda fell out of rhythm with the story and found myself wanting to fast forward through it.
March 15, 2010
This book is so good! Amazing characters. Wonderful plot! Well written. I can't say enough about it all.
July 20, 2012
Great story. Loved how the characters were connected and the many layers between all of the supporting characters. Looking forward to reading the second book, Stay.
September 7, 2012
This book is a brain itch...love it!
August 3, 2012
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!!!
IT WAS NICE AND LONG AND ALL QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP WHILE READING WERE ANSWERED IN THE END IT WAS A GREAT READ... ENJOY
IT WAS NICE AND LONG AND ALL QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP WHILE READING WERE ANSWERED IN THE END IT WAS A GREAT READ... ENJOY
August 28, 2012
This was just wierd and a adictive. I could not put this 800+ page turner down.
April 9, 2013
Slooooooooooowwwwwwweeeesssst book ever. If I could give it a negative star I would. Save your time, do not read this book.
July 23, 2013
Excellent, no other words to describe this book!!!!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews