The book arrived in my mailbox beautifully packaged with rose petals. The feminine touch was evident! The cover of the book was delicate and yet intriguing. I’d promised to review the book, but now I was anxious and eager to read it.
Ashley Weis wrote Exposed: A Novel
Weis does an excellent job of portraying the pain, hurt and all the powerful emotions every woman experiences when she discovers porn in her marriage. As the reader I felt the hurt, the anger and the bitterness.
While Ally was busy dealing with her broken marriage, a young girl named Taylor was unknowingly growing up too fast, trusting in promises of fame and fortune, and giving herself away to be loved. As Taylor’s photo shoots become the very drug Ally’s husband craved, she found herself becoming a broken, worn out-woman longing for hope, love and help from God. Being a porn star wasn’t at all what she dreamed of being, but it was all she was until God gave her a gift growing within her womb. Would she ever be able to love and protect this child? Who would raise this baby?
Weis’ writing is fast-paced, emotionally charged and raw. The images created are vivid, the scenes are realistic, and the story is captivating. I didn’t want to put it down. Sometimes the story became so painful I wanted to stop reading… but couldn’t. I had to read to the end.
Dealing with pornography from both angles – the betrayed wife and the porn star – Weis captures the struggle with the industry as well as with the effect on marriages. With the use of fiction, she gives structure to the healing process and hope to those who are caught in the mess of porn in their own lives.
I highly recommend this book to those who want to better understand what a woman goes through when porn affects her marriage, as well as to those who love a tightly written, emotionally-raw read.
Ashley Weis has a ministry to help women in the shadows of pornography at www.morethandesire.com. You can purchase Exposed: A Novel
Because of the widespread use of pornography both by church members and non-church members, I have invited Ashley Weis and sex addiction counselor Gerry Pettyjohn to discuss the book and the effect of pornography on wives. Click here to listen to this informative interview.
Ashley and Gerry would love to answer your questions about pornography, steps to healing, protecting your kids from porn or other related questions. Please leave a comment here with your question or send an email with “Exposed Questions” in the subject line. You will either receive a personal email response or we will discuss the questions in a future call.
Everyone who leaves a comment or posts a question will be entered to win a copy of Ashley’s book Exposed: A Novel. Give away deadline is Friday, July 1st at midnight.
Thank you so much Amy for being brave enough to share your walk of discovery pain and forgiveness, and for sharing the skills trained in you by God that enable others to also overcome the sin of pornography. I myself was shocked and gutted to discover my husband had looked up porn whilst we were travelling with friends interstate for a wedding. He told me he was angry at me and wanted to punish me for not spending quality sexual time with him and instead spending my time with friends. It shook my world and broke my heart, my husband was broken at the pain he had caused me, but I felt in very unfamiliar territory and was shocked that this could happen in a Christian marriage. When we were intimate proceeding the discovery I found it hard for the first few months to not get the visual image out of my mind, but gradually as God healed my heart things have improved . Thank you for the filter you advised Besecure.com, and best wishes for your future books
Thank you for sharing. So many times, men are made to feel ashamed of this sin, and the wives as well. Drug and alcohol addiction is terrible, but seen almost as a ‘norm’ in our society, while this topic is often swept under the rug. Satan continues to reign when it is dark-here’s to letting the light shine on it to begin healing and loosening the grip of sin.
Sounds like a GREAT book, I can’t wait to get one and read it. Thank you so much for writing it Ashley!
To say I was shocked when I found out my husband was viewing internet porn is not a strong enough word…to find out he had been viewing it for over 20 years, and I never had a clue during the almost 10 years we’ve been together, well, I was completely devastated. I have always struggled with low self esteem and this situation sent me spiraling lower than I though possible. I know we are supposed to find our self-worth and beauty through God’s eyes…but I want to be the most beautiful woman in the world to my husband…I want to be the ONLY one he sees and the ONLY one that matters…and I don’t want to feel like I’m being unfavorable compared to these unrealistic, flawless, airbrushed images that I can never even come close to looking like. People who think porn is victimless are crazy….and men who believe that viewing porn isn’t cheating need to think again…if the Bible says that lusting and having a mental affair are the same as physical adultery, there you go! The pain of this situation has been unbelievable…but we are both committed to our marriage and with God’s help we will make it through this and start healing…
Hi Anonymous,
I just want to encourage you that the emotional pain you are feeling is normal and God will sustain you through the shock, anger and sorrow. In my experience as a sex addiction counsellor, I am always amazed at the tremendous resiliency women have when dealing with their husband’s addiction. The exposure or disclosure of sexual betrayal is like a bomb exploding in your soul. It is traumatic. Most of your behaviors and emotions following exposure or disclosure will resemble the behaviors of post traumatic stress disorder. To deal with the pain, I suggest you get help. Do not try to do this alone. Having another person(s) (such as a counselor) to talk to will help you process the emotions, refine your behaviors so they are not dysfunctional, and help you set boundaries that are necessary for your unique situation. When BOTH husband and wife work hard at a recovery process, it is astounding what God will do in their marriage. The marriage ALWAYS becomes better afterwards. Praise God for his miraculous and mysterious ways!
I have been dealing with a husband who is addicted to porn and other internet sexual activity for 16 years. I know too well the pain and thank God that Ashley was brave enough to write such a book. I am sure it is wonderful and would love to read it. God Bless you all!
I found out about my H secret life 3 yrs ago. I was so lost & angry. I hated my H for doing this to our marrige. He took my dream away. I didn’t understand why. Thru alot of counseling & my H changing we are in a better place. Do i still have hard days.. Yes,but they are getting better. I have read Exposed &
loved the book. Along with Asley’s web site.
I look forward to reading your book.
Thankfully, our church has preached on sexual addiction and has a ministry for men seeking sexual purity. My husband of 20 years, having overcome other addictions before our marriage, is now being transformed from the inside-out by this ministry of other men who (I’m told) come together to confess, cry and pray for one another. My husband is establishing authentic relationships with these men, and, with me. This is an extremely painful paith, especially as he prepares his “full disclosure”. Yet this is the paith for which God now walks with us on.
We can run but we can never hide from the ONE who desires to carry us through. Still, sure wish he had run to God over 40 years ago, when he choice to anesthesize painful situations with porn.
God has proven Himself to be faithful to me through it all and now my husband is also finding Him to be faithful.
Stay focused on the God of all creation and HIS powerful ability to use this pain for His Glory.