Bethany Turner writes with honesty, humor, and wisdom. She's able to openly talk about realistic themes without being vulgar or making the reading feel uncomfortable but also without trying to soften the struggles, the pain and how we easily we can mess things up just because we are human.
And from the first page, the author beautifully composed a story of grace and growth, full of characters that will make you laugh, want to strangle them some (many) times, as well as fill your heart with compassion.

After divorcing her cheating husband, Sarah somewhat accidentally winds up writing a romance novel. Two more novels follow.

After Sarah admits her real name in a moment of weakness, she just as suddenly becomes a born again Christian.

Soon she falls for the new pastor. Needless to say, her past as a romance novelist is not an easy thing for a pastor to deal with the repercussion of.

Even though Sarah has changed her life, others aren't as forgiving of her past.

Funny at times, kind of sweet. A little bit overly so, I guess. I'm not someone familiar with Christian fiction, so maybe that's on me. It just didn't love it.

I got to read an early edition on NetGalley.

Although funny at times I was not crazy about this book. I did not particularly enjoy the main character and there wasn't much depth to the book overall.

While I loved the authors style and the subject, I felt like there could of been a bit more to the story. At times, it seemed a little rushed. I look forward to reading more of Bethany's books though!

What a fun and fresh comedic voice! Bethany Turner's debut kept me laughing all the way through. My only complaint is the insta-love and lack of romantic buildup, but overall a very strong start to Ms. Turner's career. I look forward to her next offering.

I really enjoyed how different this book was from your typical Christian romance book. The author went where most don't...having the main character's journey be from steamy romance author to new Christian falling for her pastor. I thought it was well written and an engaging story. Some parts and lines had me laughting out loud. My only caution would be that I would not recommend this book for young teens, since it does often center around the topic of sex.

This is not your grandmother’s (or even your mother’s) Christian fiction. The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck is a book for the new generation of readers.
As Sarah’s story unfolds on the pages, I laughed. She’s got a subtle sarcastic streak that resonated with me, but it’s her naivety when it comes to the Bible and Christianity that endeared this character to me. I mean, her confusion about Mary Magdalene along had me laughing out loud. And then there’s Sarah’s agent who bases Christian fiction on his understanding (mostly given to him by Sarah) of The Thornbirds. Throw in all the pop culture—movie and music—references and the book just got better and better.
Sarah’s journey of becoming a Christ-follower is followed quickly by meeting and falling in love-at-first-sight with a man whose first desire is to do God’s will—a pastor, for goodness sake—and my heart melted a little along with a loud sigh that sounded an awful lot like “awww.”
But Sarah and Ben’s journey is not without challenges, disagreements, misunderstanding, and even a bit of scandal. And plenty of sizzle!
Bethany Turner delivers it all in fresh, fun, and fulfilling package. With humor, heart, and heat, The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck should jump to the very top of TBR lists everywhere. If this is what Turner debuts with, we’ve got great things to look forward to from her.

***I receive complimentary books for review from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

DNF - I understand that some readers might think this is a funny book with Sarah and her witty friend Piper who keep making each other laugh in their conversations as if it was a tennis match. However - for me - reading how these two can humour themselves didn't make me laugh. Sure, there were some comical scenes, but I just couldn't get over the fact that this book is about Sarah. And even at 32% I was still unaware about her mousy friend's situation. Was Piper married and/or did she have a job? Anything more than that flat character that Sarah turns to with her troubles or insecurities.

What a fantastic debut novel from Bethany Turner. Fresh, honest and truly, a bit steamy. I wasn't sure this was a book that I would enjoy as I read the first few pages but the refreshingly honest approach to a brand new life in Christ and the struggles that soon ensue was fabulous. The style of writing was so unique but literally drew me into the pages of the story. It was funny and intriguing at the same time. Highly recommended.

I heard so much buzz about this book, I was anxious to read it. I was very disappointed. Written in the first person, the main character takes off like someone who is highly caffeinated and everything happens boom, boom, boom! I nearly missed her conversion. Sarah Hollenbeck writes very steamy novels until she comes to Christ, and decides to clean her act up. She goes to a new church, bumps into a hunky man in the hallway, who is the pastor, though she doesn't know it, and almost immediately she begins to yearn for him. As does her for her. Most of the book is spent with these two thinking about sex, mostly Sarah. I was very put off by this. I don't mind edgy Christian, but this is not edgy. This is just silliness. I was very disappointed.

Wow,wow, WOW! THIS IS GOOD STUFF! I opened up this book expecting a cute contemporary romance, but this book put into words some very real struggles that many authors avoid in the Christian fiction market.
We are introduced to Sarah, who having been betrayed by love, turns to writting explicit romance novels. She comes to know the Lord, and is now conflited by how she will keep the contract with her publisher and not go against her new faith. She walks into (literally) the new pastor at church and is instantly drawn to him.
While this may sound as cliche as Christian romance gets, hang on to your hats!
This is not one of those books where the couple keep secrets right from the beggining then it blows up from their own doing. I loved how the author had the couple be open with each other, and tackle life issues with honesty. Issues like rules in dating, divorce, temptations, and loss.
She not only tackled this with solid biblical backing but with laugh out loud humor as well. She made her point that love stories can have tension without being trashy, passionate but pure, and sexy without smutt. There are a handful of authors in the Christian market that can write tension and develop a story well. This author is definitely one to watch.
I highly recomend this for anyone who is ready to read something refreshingly new.
I received this book through Netgalley for my review.
P.S. Bethany Turner of you are reading this Please, PLEEEEEEASE write Piper's story next, I am daydreaming about how you could bring that Austen critic her true love.

This was an interesting book, because you know it's fiction, but it's written so 'everyday,' and it follows an author-based story line, so it makes you wonder whether this is a true story or not. (Or at least, based on true events.) I could definitely see it being made into a movie. You will laugh, you will get angry, and you will cry along with the characters...and at some points, you won't even be sure of how it will end. I look forward to seeing more from this author...or her nom de plume...and possibly more of Sarah's story in the future!

Turner writes with a strong first-person voice that will keep readers involved in the protagonist's life. It owns moments of insightful spark, particularly through the voice of Sarah's best friend, Piper. Through the friendship, Sarah is encouraged to make difficult decisions rooted in her new-found faith. In the particularly difficult life-moments, Piper is a refreshing force that doesn’t shy away from wise counsel that is delivered, often, with wit and sass.

The story is also novel in its incorporation of full-disclosure in a romantic relationship. In the world of fiction, relationship plots are often furthered by hidden facts and agendas, relying significantly on misinterpretation and poor assumptions that occur between the love interests. Turner does not fall into the same traps, but spends her time writing two characters whose aim is to have a healthy (albeit super-fast) romantic relationship.

Where the story struggles is in its ultimate aim. I found The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck to see-saw between several different purposes. In parts of it, we see moments of a romance between new-Christian Sarah and Pastor Ben. We also feel drawn into what might be considered a women’s fiction story, as Sarah contemplates all the implications of her faith and what that means for the actions she takes in life. Finally, the story also reads like a discourse on what Christian fiction romance should be – without sex, without foul language but with hints of the sexiness that is present in real life.

While all those aims are admirable (and each has some very successful moments in the novel), incorporating all three into the story ultimately resulted in a less than fluid story. There are gaps where added information could have made it more of a women’s fiction story (more details on Sarah’s conversion, her dive into the world of romance writing, her moments of pulling away from Ben, etc). There are moments where we lack dialogue that would help with the romance (often, the first-person voice of Sarah summarizes feelings instead of demonstrating the action that led to them). And there are also moments when the criticism of Christian fiction takes on a bit of a blog-like rant as the characters “teach” readers what Christian romance fiction should be.

In the end, The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck provided shining glimpses of beauty. Its aim for authentic truth amid authentic struggle is both admirable and worthwhile. It will find a following with those who know the struggle of trying to honor Christ in a passionate relationship, and her humor and wit will delight romance readers. Turner has a voice that makes her one to watch as she continues to hone her craft.

Hilarious. Honest. This novel takes everything you think you know about Christian fiction and totally shakes it until you have something so wonderful, delightful, surprising, and authentic, something that captures the agonising (and sometimes embarrassing) beauty of life and love.

Newly divorced, Sarah Hollenbeck turns to writing to fill the gaps in her life. When poetry doesn't work out, she tries romance. And surprisingly has huge success. Now a hugely successful author of three very steamy romances, her life is again shaken when she becomes a born-again Christian. Trying to reconcile her life and writing with her newfound faith, everything becomes more complicated when she meets and falls in love with Ben Delaney - her pastor.

The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck is written almost as if Sarah is sitting with you, a dear friend, and taking you into her confidence, sharing with you her story. The book begins just after her divorce and explains everything, from the first few lonely months, to her transition to writing, the rise of her success, her conversion to Christianity, and her falling in love. It is all written in this conversation, recollection-like format. It does seem like a lot of telling rather than showing, but it works incredibly well for the story. Not only does it give the reader a clear view of everything that has happened to Sarah, but it also explains her personality. It lets readers get inside her head - a truly hilarious place to be.

At first, Sarah is lost, hurting, and totally judgmental. Through her story it is so very easy to see the development in her character. While her decision to become a Christian might be sudden, the changes I could see over the course of this story were not so dramatic. She isn't suddenly less judgmental, but she makes an effort to not be quite so closed minded. And slowly, gradually a complete change is made, all seen through the little things, all displayed through her consistent sense of humour and a unique Sarah-ness that is hard to put into words. The book doesn't tell us how Sarah becomes a Christian, instead this book shows Sarah becoming a Christian.

With such accuracy, this novel captures that wonderful journey of faith, life and love. I loved that it never shied away from some tough topics. Everything from divorce, sex, dating, adultery, death, churches, and family are up for honest and open discussion. It is real! Never sanctimonious or perfect in its unattainability. There are also heaps of various literature and movie references (a lot of which, apart from the Sound of Music ones, went totally over my head).

There are so many, many things I loved about this book. The friendship between Sarah and Piper really shines. Piper is the one to confront Sarah on the atrocity that is her poetry. Piper is the one to lead Sarah to Christ. Piper is there for Sarah through all the bumps of new Christianity, with love, understanding, brutal honesty, and really good humour. This book also carries strong themes of family, grief, and relationships. And then there is the romance.

Ahhhh, the romance. Wow. Ben and Sarah connect from the minute they meet. Literally. It might seem sudden, insta-love like, but there is absolutely no denying their chemistry, connection, or the time and effort they put into their relationship on a soul level. I loved that their passion was never brushed over. I loved that they talk about their desire, that they actively put into place plans to ensure they stay within the boundaries they have set. It's not easy and they don't portray it as such and that makes it all the more real and relatable to the average human. But their romance is so incredibly sweet.

At times I found myself rereading lines a couple times just to soak in the sheer brilliance of it all. I adored this book. Upfront, honest, and so very hilarious, it was a delight to read. I can't wait to share this with my friends, with readers who love modern, clever, and funny Christian romance. I also can't wait to read whatever Bethany Turner next gifts us readers - it is sure to be just as surprisingly wonderful. But for now, I will content myself with rereading this delightful novel.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.