About this Book

Everyone has a secret or two, a part of their life they would rather not share with the rest of the world.

But for Jonathan Daugherty, his secret was so life-altering and relationship-ending that he fought to keep it hidden at all costs. And it did cost him. His secret kept him from contentment, peace, and the possibility of being known and loved for who he truly is. That’s what any secret addiction can do-but in particular a sex addiction.

After his wife finally discovered his secret, their marriage appeared to be over. In Secrets, Jonathan honestly and courageously shares his story of addiction to pornography and how he lost everything to it.

But that’s not how the story ends. While Jonathan struggled, someone else was at work-his heavenly Father. At the lowest possible moment of his life, God stepped in and brought him hope and healing. This is a story of both loss and redemption that gives hope to anyone who has ever experienced the power and struggle of addiction and its life-destroying effects.

Addiction doesn’t have the final say over Jonathan’s life or in his marriage. The God who finds the lost, heals the sick, and brings life from death has the last, victorious word.

-A courageous, honest and open account of life as a sex addict and how sex addiction destroys marriages.

-A life-affirming and personal story of recovery and redemption that will inspire readers.

-Offers hope to all who struggle with pornography and sex addiction.

-Each chapter includes a “Living in the Light” section designed to equip and help readers find freedom from addiction.

-Suitable as a study for support groups of addicts and those who care about them.

My Review

While I think this book is quite earnest and written with great intentions, it just didn’t seem powerful enough to tackle the weighty subjects it addresses. It is an interesting read and as a testimonial it might have some benefit but I just kept waiting to be taken to the dark places. I needed to feel the painful crawl out of the pit of despair and the slow process of knitting a life and spirit back together. The author skimmed the surface with occasional attempts to reach deeper but there always seemed to be a wall we were not permitted to peek around.  

One confusing aspect was the book was identifying the overall theme. It jumped back and forth between discussions of the evils of pornography, issues of death, marriage infidelity, the inability to truly embrace the college Christian life and possible mental illness.  There was never a resolution to any of these issues only a Fairy tale ending wrapped up in a bow. I never felt I truly knew this man, his struggles and his triumphs. I am happy he seemed to find a peace with his past but I would have appreciated it more if I knew the darkness of that past a bit more intimately. 

The author does warn us in the introduction of his dry sense of humor peppered through the book.  I didn’t really much evidence of this and feel perhaps he uses this to keep his readers at a distance.  I don’t doubt he is man of faith but perhaps his story is one best served as an oral testimony in conjunction with his family mission group. It just didn’t translate to the written page well. It is a quick read that you could recommend to christian and non christians as a beginning witness tool but a more mature Christian is going to want more.   

*I was graciously given this book to review by the publisher.  The opinions are my own*