Hidden Affections by Delia Parr

From the Bethany House website:

A Tale of Unexpected Romance

Betrayed by her husband, Annabelle Tyler wears the burden of legally being a divorcee, a difficult position for an upstanding young woman to find herself in. While attempting to start a new life for herself, an unexpected turn of events once again has Annabelle married--this time to Harrison Graymoor, the most eligible, yet elusive, bachelor in Philadelphia. Harrison assures her that he will secure an annulment immediately, unaware that the constable has sent word of the marriage to the press in Philadelphia. And here things continue to go awry. Harrison's past, a philanthropic cousin with his eye on Annabelle, and the appearance of Annabelle's ex-husband threaten the tentative relationship growing between Harrison and his "wife." For two individuals set against marriage, there are certainly a lot of second thoughts regarding the one forced upon them.

How could you not want to read a book with a first line like... “Annabelle Taylor may have hoped she would marry again someday, but she never dreamed she would be wearing handcuffs during the ceremony when she did.” ?  Annabelle’s story is this – she marries a man , who after a week, leaves her only to return months later with the news that while he was away, he had divorced her and married a wealthier woman.  She is left with no option but to leave her hometown in disgrace and look for employment elsewhere. This is where chapter one begins.  Through a series of unfortunate and stressful events she again finds herself married to a man who has no interest in marriage.  This time, it is she who keeps her past a secret.  As they spend more time together, Annabelle and Harrison form a guarded friendship. 

There are many interesting characters in this book, and I think for me the most memorable, other than the two main characters, was Irene,  the housekeeper.  She dispenses wise counsel, offers a shoulder to cry on and at times is comically manipulative, in her own loving way.  Her faith is evident in her life.

The setting was also very intriguing as most of the story takes place in a country home inspired by an historic home now located in the Philadelphia Zoo.  You can read more about it here : http://www.philadelphiazoo.org/about/AboutZoo/Zoo-History/The-Solitude-House.htm

I won’t give away the outcome, but I will tell you that many times while I was reading , I wished I could reach into the book and grab these two folks and give them both a good shaking! 

This was a very enjoyable and easy book to read. If you’re looking for a book with deep, profound lessons and doctrinal statements, this isn’t for you. But, if you are looking for a book with enjoyable characters, interesting historical settings from a Christian fiction point of view then you will want to read this.

Read the first three chapters here:

http://www.bethanyhouse.com/Book.asp?isbn=978-0-7642-0672-6

 I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House  through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”