A Hidden Affair: A Novel [Hardcover]

Pam Jenoff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 6, 2010

PAST WARS, PAST LIVES, PAST LOVES . . . CAN WE EVER REALLY LET THEM GO . . . AND SHOULD WE?

 

Ten years ago, U.S. State Department intelligence officer Jordan Weiss’s life was turned upside down when she was told her college boyfriend, Jared, drowned in the River Cam. In a shocking discovery, though, she realizes that things weren’t as they seemed and that she had been lied to and betrayed by those closest to her. Reeling from the shock— and the knowledge that Jared is still alive—Jordan resigns her State Department post and sets off in search of answers. Traveling to Jared’s last known whereabouts on the French Riviera, she encounters Nicole, a mysterious woman who flees after refusing to disclose what she knows about Jared.

 

Following Nicole across Europe, Jordan soon discovers that she is not alone in her pursuit— Aaron, a handsome and enigmatic Israeli, is chasing Nicole for his own cryptic reasons. Though distrustful of each other, Jordan and Aaron join forces on a journey that takes them half a world away, and only steps ahead of grave peril.

 

As Jordan draws closer to finding the answers that have eluded her for a decade, larger questions remain: Can she reconcile her attraction to Aaron with her unresolved feelings for Jared, the only man she ever loved? Will the truth be too devastating to handle or finally set her free?

 

Will she have a chance at happiness at last? Thrilling, romantic, and impossible to put down, A Hidden Affair gives us a brave and relentless heroine who never gives up on her search for the truth.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

What kind of man could fake his own death and then, for more than a decade, let his loved ones suffer? After such a betrayal, what woman would want him back? Meet erstwhile Cambridge University sweethearts Jared Short and Jordan Weiss, whose star-crossed odyssey continues in Jenoff's intriguing sequel to Almost Home. Following Jordan's discovery of Jared's apparent survival--and her own narrow escape from enemies still out to silence him--the plucky young diplomat chucks her State Department commission to seek closure. But instead of answers, what lies ahead on a perilous chase stretching from London to the Aegean are more conundrums. Along the way, Jordan encounters Ari Bruck, a seductive mystery man who might be a Mossad agent, and Nicole Short, an elegant blonde who apparently runs in the same circles as Jared. Despite some lazy writing and less than convincing plot elements, this thriller should keep romantic suspense fans hooked until its explosive climax.
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From Booklist

Jenoff picks up the story of federal agent Jordan Weiss from Almost Home (2009), after she has a bombshell dropped in her lap. Her college boyfriend Jared Short, dead for ten years, is not dead at all. He faked his death and went on the run because he discovered something he should not have ––threads of a secret plan that stretched across Europe and even into the U.S. State Department. Now that she knows he's alive, Jordan only wants to see him again. So she drops off the feds' radar, and uses gut instinct and a few scant clues and hints to try to track Jared down. Jordan crosses Europe following his last known connection, a mysterious woman named Nicole, who is also being tailed by Ari, an enigmatic private investigator, on suspicion of forgery charges. As Jordan and Ari follow the trail across the Mediterranean, they unveil a grand conspiracy in this dramatic, sweeping, and exciting sequel. --Hilary Hatton

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Atria Books (July 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416590714
• ISBN-13: 978-1416590712
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #224,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Pam Jenoff attended George Washington University, Cambridge University in the U.K., where she received a masters in history, and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. A former Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army and State Department officer, she lives in Philadelphia, where she works as an attorney.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Our love affair is a wonderous thing." Song lyrics, October 7, 2011

By 

michael a. draper (Guilford, CT) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: A Hidden Affair: A Novel (Hardcover)

"A Hidden Affair" describes how strong a woman's love can be for the man who promised to marry her, and how enduring that love can be.

Jordan Weiss is on a mission. She has resigned from the U.S. Dept. of Intelligence and is searching for her college boyfriend, Jared Short, in Monaco.

Jordan has an old address and when she finds it, she observes a young woman, who she learns is Nicole Short. Nicole is entering the same building that Jordan is watching and when she follows Nicole and asks her if she knows Jared, Nicole is evasive. When Jordan returns to ask more questions, Nicole has fled.

Jordan meets and Israeli named Aaron who is also following Nicole. He suggests that Jordan and he join forces. They do so and eventually develop a romantic attachment for one another while maintaining a professional mistrust.

Interestingly, we learn of wine making in the area and that wine was used as currency during WWII. There is a good description of events as the Nazis demanded the best wine and the locals attempting to deny the Nazis' of this treasure. What happens to the true vintage of wine becomes part of the mystery.

Jordan Weiss is a strong character and a good match for Aaton but she continues her search of Jared even though events prove that he didn't deserve her devotion.

Pam Janoff writes an interesting story that is well worth reading. With some of the action in places like Monaco, I would have enjoyed more description of the setting.

The historical premise of the novel is riveting and even the minor characters are completely realized.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable and satisfying conclusion, September 19, 2010

By 

Christine - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Hidden Affair: A Novel (Hardcover)

I remember reading Almost Home, the prequel to A Hidden Affair, when it came out, and as soon as I was done, I emailed the author to find out if there would be a sequel. Almost Home was well-written, suspenseful, and a great story. A Hidden Affair did not disappoint. I do wish I had re-read Almost Home first to refresh my memory, but the author did a pretty good job of repeating the key facts. It was a very quick read and I enjoyed the closure of the ending. The book also made a part of WWII history that I was completely unaware of before a key plot point (I can't say more without giving it away. Now I want to know more about that as well!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars intriguing romantic espionage, July 10, 2010

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Hidden Affair: A Novel (Hardcover)

At Cambridge University Jared Short and Jordan Weiss were lovers until he accidentally drowned. At least that is what Jordan thought. When the U.S. Foreign Service diplomat learns the truth that her grief for years was for a sham, she needs to know why he faked his death. She leaves the State department to pursue the truth while someone wants her to be silenced on this matter.

Jordon follows leads that take her to Nicole Short who apparently knows Jared and where to find him, but conceals everything. She follows Nicole, which takes her to widower Ari Bruck, whom Jordon believes is an undercover Mossad field operative also interested in Jared though not revealing why. Distrusting each other in spite of their attraction, they agree to team up in search of the elusive Jared as clues taken them all over France from the Riviera to the wine country and onto the rest of the continent.

A Hidden Affair is an intriguing romantic espionage starring a brave female who seeks the truth about the only man she thought she loved until her attraction with Ari. The pair shares in common grief; hers is for her college lover who allegedly drowned in the Cam and his for his late wife and daughter. Filled with twists, fans will want to know what happened to Jared. With a tie to vanished rare wine lost in WWII that enhances the exciting story line, A Hidden Affair is a super thriller.

Harriet Klausner