The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck

This was a fun read about a writer who wrote steamy romance before she became a believer. Now she is trying to write a cleaner novel while falling in love with the new widowed pastor she just met. ( )

Surprisingly witty and humorous, but open to some steam in the romance department. I thoroughly enjoyed this page turning adventure where a non-Christian suddenly discovers faith, and embraces it in every way. Told in the first person, Sarah truly reveals her deepest thoughts and desires, and lays them out in a truthful and amusing manner. I loved the fact that I could just relax with this book and relate to her life stories. Great story of love and new found faith. ( )

The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck, a novel by Bethany turner, tells an unconventional story. Sarah, newly divorced, finds she is quite good at writing steamy romance. She was so good at it that she penned a trilogy which made her very wealthy. Soon after, she found faith and her life became very interesting, especially after she fell in love with her pastor.
This is a witty, funny, poignant and heartfelt story. It is well written and readers will laugh, smile and remain engrossed throughout the entire story. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through LibraryThing. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. ( )

A light, enjoyable read-- I especially liked the character of Piper, and Sarah's dilemmas.

The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck is the first book I’ve read by Bethany Turner, and it won’t be the last! I could not put this story down once I started reading.

Sarah Hollenbeck is a successful and famous steamy romance writer. But when she dedicates her life to Christ, she has to figure out how to mesh her old life with her newfound faith. Along the way, she starts crushing on her pastor, and the crazy happenings just go on from there!

I really liked this book for several reasons. The first is that it was a new and plausible story. The premise of the story was something I have not encountered in Christian fiction before. I think it is also something readers can relate to; it’s a real life situation. There may not be a story exactly like this one, but I’m sure there are people out there who encounter many of the same problems the main character deals with once they find Christ.

The second reason I liked Bethany Turner’s novel was the humor. I found myself laughing at several hilarious lines numerous times throughout. What made some of the humor the most funny, though, were the mentions of other pop culture books and movies. Jane Austen and her novels are included several times in the storyline—much to the chagrin of one of the characters.

The combination of real-life drama, scripture, and relatable characters is what makes this story so worth reading. If you enjoy captivating, romantic reads, you should definitely give The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck a shot! ( )