OK, this is a debut novel, so its lack of mature plotting is to be forgiven. But what is very commendable are the mature themes - because this novel touches the sex themes in the Christian way, with both honesty and sassiness. I could not applaud this fresh approach more!
Sarah, the main character, has started to live again after a painful divorce with a career in novel writing. Steamy novel writing (this kind, yes) - and they are big hits with her face recognizable from national news. Then she becomes a Christian and meets a soulmate in - a pastor of her church. Yeah. So how to evolve to become more honourable person for God, her church and everybody else judging her/admiring her novels/making money out of her? How to face the brokenness of marriages and the need (known to her very personally) to restore these marriages (broken many times sexually, too)? And - how to honour her relationship when both she and her guy are too well aware of their mutual attractivity and desire for each other?

Yay for Christian author to address these issues. Ms Turner is not the first not the most complex writer in this area (I adore Julie Lessman for this approach), but her using the modern, relatable topics, open approach and sass in high doses makes her work a breath of very fresh air!!! I have grinned much and I had some food for thought, too. I will follow her work from now on!

As I age, I am finding that I am becoming extremely picky about the novels I read. I don't seem to enjoy many of them anymore. Usually the first few pages are enough is to inform whether I should continue reading or not. Maybe I need books with older protagonists?

Unfortunately I found that The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck is one of those that did not grab me.

Perhaps younger readers would enjoy it.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It has so many funny parts. I couldn’t put it down. It’s unique and yet focuses in struggles between men and women. Definitely recommend this book!

Overall, it's clear that Bethany Turner has talent as a writer. I'd like to see some improvements in plot/pacing and characterization, but her prose has promise.

<b>First</b> issue was pacing, and I think this was my main gripe. Turner chooses to show us the before and after but none of the extra parts that play into Sarah's huge turnaround. The moment where Sarah says she trusts God when having coffee with Piper is literally less than a paragraph. It comes out of left field and Sarah isn't really even seeking God at the moment; she's vaguely curious about why Piper is different. So we have a huge moment that's supposedly a catalyst for the entire rest of the book, a change that's so huge that Sarah can't even write the same books she wrote before--and it's less than a paragraph? Make me <I>feel</I> it, Bethany! I'm not asking for a blow-by-blow salvation plan, but I sure want to know what drew her, what changed her, how she felt, how her heart did a total about-face in a moment's time. Don't tell me--show me. This is the biggest of several such examples throughout the book.

<b>Second</b> issue was believability. Sarah just had so major a life change that she can't do anything the same way again. However, her publisher is super chill and is fine with her suddenly changing genres after forcing her to complete a world tour to promote her brand? Hm...yeah, no. (Also, why did she complete the tour if she hated the old stuff so thoroughly?) But this major life change is only referred to obliquely. There's nothing about suddenly falling head over heels for Jesus, nothing about devouring her Bible page after page, nothing about signing up for every last Bible study in town with the same zeal she showed of joining every single book club in town. If she wasn't doing these things, how did she suddenly conclude that erotica was wrong? Is she actually that much in love with Jesus--in which case we'd see a lot more of her drive in pursuit of a closer bond with Him--or is she binding herself to cheap rules of legalism?--in which case where is she hearing the idea of such a complete change in just one area of her life? Again, I'm missing the tug of what Sarah is <I>feeling</I> and instead I'm being told what's going on and expected to believe it at face value.

<b>Third</b> issue is characters. Piper is like quicksilver. I don't know her. I don't know her tug on Sarah. I don't even know if she's single, married, dating, or anything in between. One of my favorite things in books is the bond of best friends, but here we have a "best friend" who went three years without contact of any sort, who lives her own ephemeral life and pops up when needed to give a word of advice or share a cup of coffee and gossip. It takes until about 30% of the way in before we even hear that she intends to go on a date with someone. She seems to have read "The Thorn Birds" before; why was she okay with reading a book based on fornication but not an erotic book on the same subject?

Then Ben isn't much better. He loves his daughter to the moon and back. He grieves his wife. He wants to kiss Sarah. He'd have sex with Sarah if he didn't have beliefs holding him back. But <I>why</I> is he so attracted to Sarah? They don't talk about a ton of stuff. Who is Ben the man? Why his passion to preach? What does he do in his spare time? Seems he did nothing much before he met Sarah except weep for his wife and love on his daughter. He's two-dimensional: handsome and deeply in lust with Sarah.

<b>Fourth</b> issue is just that the book doesn't really know what it wants to be. It's a lot of talk and not much depth. While I didn't enjoy all the sex-sex-sex stuff, that isn't my main objection, though I do think readers should be aware that there's a lot of content. The humor wasn't funny--actually, I found it rather offensive that Sarah and Piper would die laughing over the nicknames Sarah had for the group, such as "Boob-Job woman" and "Botox"...Sarah didn't know better but Piper should have had a thought for some kindness. These ladies, after all, are supposed to be friends of Piper's, at least on a superficial level. It seemed that the sex talk was more "Oh, look how racy I can be" and covered a number of major plot and characterization flaws with the noise and excitement of being different. To me it was mainly a lot of page real estate devoted to one topic without having a foundation of strong story narrative to back it up.

Thanks to Revell publishers and netgalley for a free copy to read. A positive review was not required. Except for Revell or netgalley, this review may not be quoted without written permission. Copyright 2019 to Hannah Gridley <spoiler> I don't wish a sentence or two to be quoted out of context, after having seen some such quotes online. Thanks!</spoiler>

I loved the voice and thought the premise was unique. At times it seemed slightly sarcastic but nothing mean spirited. I wish there were more books in the Christian market that were upbeat, contemporary and with such a fun voice.

I really, REALLY loved this book. I'm a fan of the 'double life' aspect of novels and had been waiting for this novel as soon as I heard about its release.

After separating from her cheating husband, Sarah Hollenbeck is rebuilding her life, and trying to find herself again after years of being a trophy wife. She joins a book club, and finds herself writing a romance novel. The novel is so steamy that she soon finds herself with a huge book deal and numerous fans. However, through a friend, Sarah decides to become a Christian, and is aware that her raunchy books may not be too acceptable in church, especially when she meets her handsome and lovely pastor. Sarah is leading a second life, but with new faith and some new decisions, it's only a matter of time before the truth will have to come out.

Before I continue, I just need to mention something, as I notice that many of the reviews here are from readers of Christian literature. I am not. I didn't go looking for Christian novels specifically; this book was featured on a chick-lit site I frequent. Personally, I'm agnostic, with an interest in Christianity so I am happy to try out new reads that carry a religious theme.

However, one of the things I loved most about this novel was that despite the fact the main character becomes a Christian, this novel is in NO way preachy, or overly-focused on God. It's a book that anyone can enjoy. Yes, Sarah chooses to accept God into her life, but the focus is on Sarah and her new journey, the secret she is trying to conceal, and the obstacles she faces. It's such a great balance. The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck is a wonderful read whether or not you are personally religious, and one I would highly recommend. It's refreshing, funny, romantic, slightly scandalous, enlightening and a wonderful tale of friendship, faith and embracing new challenges.

I had high hopes for this book because it's a fun premise, but it was a little slower than I would have liked. The style of writing feels autobiographical or like it's written on a journal. Which also means it's in 1st person. Unfortunately, I wasn't expecting that, and so it was hard for me to get into the book. But this is just my opinion. Others may love that style. I give it 4 stars because it's well written for the genre, even though it's not my personal favorite. I'd still be willing to try other stories by this author.

Strong debut from Bethany Turner. Secret Life is both funny and heartwarming.

What a fun read....I loved this story...absolutely had me in stitches...Sit back and enjoy this novel...a treat for you!

The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner is the author's debut novel. What can I say about this novel? It's absolutely amazing! Bethany has a great talent for characterization with real, flawed characters that aren't perfect at all. It is not conventional Christian fiction in any way, which is what I loved about it. The characters and their problems kept unfolding at a steady pace and it was really hard to put the book down. I highly recommend this book and can't wait to read more from this author. Don't miss this one! Such a fun read and one of the best I've read in a long time. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher. These opinions are entirely my own.

I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t get pulled into the story. I wish success for the author and publisher.

This book was sweet, funny and had me in form the first page. I couldn't put it down!

From trophy wife to divorcee, Sarah Hollenbeck is searching for something but doesn’t know what. She believes it is validation for her writing, until one of her book club friends leads her to the Lord. Becoming a Christian is both wonderful and awful. Wonderful because she loves the acceptance she feels and awful because, up to now, she has made her very comfortable living writing steamy romance under her pseudonym, Raine DeBourgh.
Her first day in church, Sarah makes an immediate connection with a man in the hallway. She’s never had such a strong reaction to any man on first meeting him. All indications are that he feels exactly the same way about her. Their attraction is “off the charts.” She is a little horrified, then, when the worship service starts and her new crush gets up to deliver the sermon. She feels like she can never live up to his pastoral purity but Ben convinces her that, he may be her pastor but he’s still just a man.
As Sarah and Ben get to know one another, her secret life becomes an issue with Ben’s congregation. Can they really accept her tithe when they KNOW what kind of books she writes? And, is she really pastor’s wife material??? (Because, these two have chemistry that jumps off the page – there’s no doubt that marriage is going to be their next step.)
I LOVED this book!! The main character, Sarah, could have been writing humor books judging by her voice in “The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck.” It was so fun to read about how she convinces her publisher to let her give Christian publishing a go. It made me wonder if some of the authors I currently love (that I know wrote for the secular market at one time) had much the same conversations with their completely clueless agents when they got saved and made the switch. Bethany Turner’s first foray into the contemporary romance genre wins on so many levels, in my opinion, and it made me think about the many ways I judge people on what I know of their pasts. I think Ben’s response to Sarah’s fear gets to the heart of the book: “Our past shapes us and our past prepares us but our past does not define us.”
If you are looking for a new author to check out, I highly recommend Bethany Turner. I know I couldn’t put it down!

The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck is both Bethany Turner’s debut novel as well as my debut for reading and reviewing a Christian Romantic Comedy. For a debut novel, the author has managed to write an adorable love story, with realistic characters that you want to befriend, who are battling real life issues such as divorce, falling in love, grief, the physical temptations of relationships, etc. I loved the plot of the hugely successful erotic romance writer, Sarah, becoming a Christian and no longer feeling she could continue writing the type of stories that brought her fame and fortune. I loved the main characters, Piper, a fellow book club member who introduces Sarah to Christianity and who ultimately becomes Sarah’s best friend. And I loved Ben, the sweet, understanding, handsome pastor who Sarah falls in love with.
So why did I only give a 4 -star rating? There were a few things that bothered me about the story but not enough to ruin the story for me. The main thing being, the newness of Sarah’s conversion and the swiftness the relationship with Ben falling for her seemed unrealistic to me. I’m not sure a pastor would move that fast, especially once the “scandal” came to light. All in all, this is a cute story that will make you laugh, give you some shivers, and make you feel like you are spending time with friends.
*This title was provided to me through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

First, a note from me: generally, I do not include any spoilers in my reviews. If you haven’t read the book, consider reading it before reading my review, because this review is a little different—more like a one-sided book club discussion, though I still strove to avoid spoilers.

Our mutual writing friend is correct. Bethany (the author) has a strong writing voice. You’ll feel as if you’ve drifted back a few years to when Chick Lit was popular. The story is written in first person, but the tense keeps shifting from past to present. This is rather jarring and may have been worked out in the editing phase, along with multiple uses of the cliché “couldn’t/can’t help but.” (I read the ARC—advanced reader copy—version.)

As you'll see in the summary, the MC (main character) begins the story as a writer of steamy romance novels. Then, she becomes a Christian. This is a great premise for a book, and it’s what kept me reading. If you’re a writer, you’ll relate to the writerly side of this story, in some ways. However, there were some unrealistic elements where publishing was concerned. The MC had zero experience in writing novels, but she instantly became hugely successful. Also, the MC bragged at being one to single-handedly revolutionize the CBA book marketplace with her writing. That hit me as self-serving.

There are some offensive elements at the beginning of the story, before the MC is born again that had me checking on the name of the publisher because I couldn’t believe we’d see those elements in a CBA book. I wonder if they were reworked in the final version. Though those words may have been in keeping with a non-Christian character, those types of elements almost deterred me from reading on.

The MC is “falling in love with the pastor,” (see summary), so wouldn’t she be deeply ashamed of having written erotica? Wouldn’t she feel disqualified from having a relationship with a pastor and being taken seriously by his flock and/or his family, and especially himself? She might even feel humiliated after writing porn. At the very least, apologetic. Instead, her switch to writing a wholesome genre was treated with lack of believability, as if her erotica publisher, with whom she was still under contract, would permit a change in genre to something wholesome and less lucrative. Also, somehow the pastor knows exactly who she is as a porn writer... The fact that he knew her pen name seemed odd to me too. Why would he know the names of erotic fiction authors (and still be an honorable pastor)? And why wouldn't this stand between them? The book’s summary even mentions church members reading erotica and blushing. There seemed to be an assumption that all Christians read the type of books she wrote before she got saved, that there was no shame in that, and that readers would accept that as fact. This struck me as hard to believe.

The main character is a growing Christian, but we immediately read Christianese while in her POV, and we don’t get to witness her character growth/arc. Instead we have lip service about the Christian way to think. That seemed like another missing element.

Since we’re in first person, we had deep POV potential, but we were kept at a distance and ended up with some leaps in logic, which were jarring.

There’s a secret in the story and when we learn the answer we’d been left in the dark so much that we may not care. If there had been development of the involved party, we might have cared, but as it was, I didn’t recall mention of the involved person. So, it didn’t impact me.

Overall, the conflict and setup had big potential, but the follow-through had many missing elements, in my opinion. I respect the author, but this book (in its ARC form) wasn’t for me. Still, I wish this author and her publisher the best.

I should have read this book a long time ago! I truly loved it! But alas I had to wait til the whole world was talking about it and then I was swamped at work. But I've read it now and all I want to know is when she is going to write another!!!

I have to admit at first I wasn't sure how she was going to pull off the premise of the book. I mean former steamy novel writer and a pastor? How is this not going to be cheesy? Well Turner completely blew me away!

There were so many fun parts in this book. A lot of them weren't even huge parts but they were so fun. I loved the kissing scenes! But what I really loved was that there was no pretending that kissing doesn't lead to other things! I really loved that both characters knew they had temptation and worked hard to avoid it!

One of my favorite parts was how later in the book Turner revealed more about the first time that Ben and Sarah met. I melted hearing more about that morning. It was just so sweet. But no spoilers - you have to read the book!

Turner also did a wonderful job with the conflict in this book. There were a couple of things that she came up with that honestly surprised me as much as a suspense novel would have. I enjoyed those surprises and was glad that I was so wrapped up in the story that I wasn't trying to figure them out.

Overall this was a fun read. It has some serious moments so I don't want you to think it is a fluff novel - because it isn't - but it really is a fun book.

I received a copy of this from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions in this review are my own.

Sarah Hollenbeck writes erotic romance fiction (under a pen name). Her novels haven't reached the 50 Shades of Grey level of sauciness, but it's close. She's still under contract with her publisher, and she's expected to turn in the hot material that has made her popular over the years. The problem? She's a born-again Christian, and she's hit a fork in the road. To be risqué or not to be risqué, that is the question. Will she continue to write the novels and reconcile with the fact that they go against her values and beliefs, or does she leave it all behind? If she breaks her contract with her publisher, she may close doors to her writing career, a career she stumbled upon by accident, but one that has reaped financial rewards...

Many readers shy away from Christian Fiction. They think it might be too preachy or too narrow-minded, or whatever other preconceived notions they may have surrounding Christians. These novels are like any other. The characters are real and they experience conflict and everyday afflictions like all characters. This is a great example of a well-written Christian novel featuring a flawed, everyday character. I related to her conflict, because I experienced something similar years ago, back when I wrote adult (erotic) romance novels. I also love the snappy humor. Bethany Turner's wit reminds me a lot of Loralai Gilmore. Give The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck a whirl. You won't regret it. I give it four out of five caramel frappuccinos.

I’ve read a lot of books this year—some good, some great—but few that I want to read again. Right. Now. The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck is one I want to read again.

Sarah McDermott divorces her high school sweetheart-husband after he cheats on her, and goes back to being Sarah Hollenbeck. Only she has no idea who Sarah Hollenbeck is, because she’s been the trophy wife for so long. She joins a book club, writes bad poetry, quits book club, and writes a naughty novel under the pen name of Raine de Bourgh. The novel goes immediately to the top of all the bestseller charts, as do the two sequels (because, donchaknow, that’s what happens to all debut novelists? Not).

And then Sarah Hollenbeck becomes a Christian. She realises she can’t write naughty novels any more. Instead, she joins her one remaining friend at church, where she immediately develops an inappropriate crush on the first guy she meets. Who happens to be the pastor. The married pastor. With a daughter. Oops.

Fortunately for Sarah, the pastor turns out not to be married but widowed (fortunately for Sarah). Ben is somewhat taken aback at the thought of dating the notorious Raine de Bourgh, but he copes (lol). It’s interesting to watch their relationship unfold, because Ben’s first marriage was everything Sarah’s wasn’t.

Sarah decides to write Christian fiction, so reads some of what’s on sale:

"The books I read didn’t feel realistic. At least, they weren’t my reality. Then again, my reality was messed up, so maybe I wasn’t the best judge."

Sarah goes on to make another point that’s recently come up in my reading: how the women in the books don’t seem to feel desire or temptation. Yes, I’d noticed that as well. In fact, I’ve read Christian romances where the hero and heroine had all the romantic attraction of siblings (that has even more of a yuck factor than a sex scene). I don’t want lots of hot-and-heavy in Christian fiction, but there needs to be some sexual attraction. Otherwise it’s not realistic.

Recommended for fans of contemporary romance with humour, from authors such as Kara Isaac, Beth Troy, Becky Wade, and Melissa Tagg.

Thanks to Baker Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Not your usual light romantic comedy for sure, but one filled with truth and grace. A very honest, down to earth story with a diary feel to it as Sarah lets the reader in on her personal transition from a trophy wife to divorcee to successful novelist to baby Christian in love. It is a romantic story with frank and honest discussions about her struggles that come with each stage, especially in the area of physical desires that come with an adult relationship. This would be a better read for mature readers, especially ones who desire to live in obedience to God's plan, and don't mind mentions of sex.
Piper is a great example of a friend who speaks the truth in love. I enjoyed being a fly on the wall to their conversations over coffee. The humor and fast pace of their interactions were fun to read. She is a true friend. The reminder that God works all things together for those who love Him, and that He doesn't hold our past against us when we become new through faith, were uplifting themes. All of Sarah's references to the Sound of Music were funny as she tried to figure out what direction to go. I liked how there were more solid faith discussions later on. The topics of infidelity, grief and finding identity in Christ were dealt with well in the characters' struggles.

Recommend for mature readers looking for a contemporary story with humor and honesty. Fans of Beth Moran, Sandra Bricker, Courtney Walsh, and other Christian romances with more weight will probably enjoy this one. 4.5 stars