This book was an okay read for me. There were times I found it to be a little slow, and other times I found the pacing to be just right. I couldn’t connect on a deep level with the characters, though I wanted to. The history was solid, and I would try another of Miller’s books.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story is set during the Civil war in Washington, Union territory. With men gone to fight, women went to work at jobs to support them. In this case, at an armory, making ammunition. It's interesting to learn how bullets were made, and the process. Clara is a young girl who works in the armory and is befriended by another girl and her brother. Clara and her mother live at a nearby boardinghouse. Her father was killed in battle, her brother hasn't been heard from. I've read other stories of war time; this has an interesting perspective. Christian values are a part of Clara and Joseph's lives, and their strength is built upon it. People you would be glad to call friends. Well told and twisting story, unfolding historical events as though you're there
I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#ASingleSpark #NetGalley

This book was okay but a little dry for historical fiction. I found the characters to be very stiff and unrelatable. It was interesting from a historical point of view. Just not for me unfortunately

Mini Review: This was a well written Historical Christian Romance! The love story was sweet, and I enjoyed how it all wrapped up! If this book sounds interesting to you, I would definitely recommend trying it!

Overall, a good character-driven novel about the Northern "home-front" and the worry over saboteurs in the arsenal. No wonder; the work with live explosives meant that the tiniest mistake would cost dozens of lives. Added to that was the worry that saboteurs would sneak in and manage to damage the munitions at the point of their origin.

I really liked Clara and Joseph and found it easy to care about them, both individually and as a couple.

Bea and Jeremiah...way to go on complex character motivations and desires. We know all along that they aren't trustworthy, but Clara is still kind to them no matter what; all the way up to their big moment and sudden twist of destiny, they remain complex instead of being faceless clowns of badness. I loved the reality of this portrayal.

While the story does slant heavily to the Union, I really appreciated that Southerners weren't blanket-vilified but were shown with some other depths. The only historical thing that raised my ruffle was the unnecessary slur that Mosby might have had a connection to sabotage, which the author herself refutes in the afterword; why name a name if it's obviously inaccurate? There are lots of names to use without slapping at a name of a gentleman respected by both sides.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free reading copy. A favorable review as not required.

A Single Spark is exactly what I would expect by Judith McCoy Miller. I loved every single page of this book. It was great!
Five stars.

A five-star Civil War book??? I’m completely stunned right now. This genre is so very tricky for me. They’re generally overly melodramatic and not my style. But this one… This one hit the spot precisely. The perfect amount of drama and surprises and twists that all felt completely natural to the plot of the story. Characters I could stand behind and believe as realistic and true Patriots. I loved that this book featured an arsenal factory. I’ve never read about one of those before, so that was a real treat! It seemed very well researched as well, so I felt I learned a lot about how the factory worked while I was reading. The fact that spies were involved was another organic aspect of this story. I’m sure both sides of the Civil War used spies to garner information about the enemy, as most wars have done in America’s past. All in all, this book was a complete joy to read, and I can hardly wait to get a hard copy.

Another good book by this author. I always love the historical details she incorporates into her books, and this one. Reading about the Washington Arsenal was interesting and made a different setting from many other books. There’s a twist or two in this storyline that is surprising. The storyline takes its time to build, but it’s worth it to keep reading to the end.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

A Single Spark
by Judith Miller

Bethany House

Bethany House Publishers
Christian
Pub Date 02 Jun 2020


I am reviewing a copy of A Single Spark through Bethany House publishers and Netgalley:




For fans of Francine Rivers, Janette Oke, Gilbert Morris and Lauraine Snelling, if you’re like me you’ll love A Single Spark set in civil war era Washington.





Clara McBride goes to work work in the cartridge room at the Washington Arsenal, the city's main site for production and storing of munitions, because she wants to do her part for the war effort. It is here she is given the chance to train new employees as well as form a couple of them. Everything seems to go well, especially when one of the supervisors shows interest in her.







Lieutenant Joseph Brady is assigned a supervisory position at the Washington Arsenal when an injury prevents him from being able to lead troops to battle. Clara has caught his eye, but he is fighting for increased measures to prevent explosions in the factory as well.






After multiple shipments of Washington Arsenal Cartridges fail to fire, everyone who works there becomes suspect of sabotage. Will the love between Clara and Joseph survive both pressure and suspicion.




I give A Single Spark five out of five stars!



Happy Reading!

I love historical fiction books that give us glimpses into unconventional jobs and professions for women in the 1800’s. I must say, Judith Millers did an amazing job researching for this book set in the Civil War, Allegheny Arsenal and John S. Mosby, but I felt that something was missing. That emotion that makes me care for the characters.

The beginning was very slow and I struggled to get into the story. The book is set in Washington D.C in an ammunition laboratory where women are employed to make ammunition for the Union Army. Clara, our main character, is employed there, and we see how life for women working those arduous fast-paced works of concentration and precision were for them. It was truly interesting.

It is at the ammunition laboratory that Clara meets Luitenant Joseph. Joseph is a wounded soldier that has been given the task to administrate the work of the laboratory now that he can’t be sent to war. He oversees the overall performance of the lab and instantly becomes smitten with Clara.

And, yeah…Well, don’t know…

The problem for me with this book was the characters. Clara was to ”robotic” for me. I couldn't feel anything for her and her relationship with Joseph. It was stale. No chemistry at all. Nothing. Nada.

It was like they liked each other but didn’t like each other and then they talked to each other like they were mere acquaintances.

But then Joseph professed his love in his head and it sounded like he knew her for centuries (when in reality he had just talked to her like for a week) and then the words that came out of his mouth didn't quite match with his head…

Clara was exactly the same. For a second I thought she was just marrying for convenience because I think she had this idea in her head that she would ”grow” to love him…I don’t know 😂

I ended up feeling that the secondary characters were much more developed than the main ones.

I will say, there were plot twists that I didn't see coming at all! That picked up the story at the 60ish percent mark, and it helped me finish the book : )

But, if you like Civil War fiction you might like this book! It has some pretty cool insights into how labs worked, and I for one got my little nugget of knowledge from the read!


Cleanliness: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 (non-descriptive kisses)

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5

Characters: ⭐️⭐️ 2.5/5

My personal rating: ⭐️⭐️✨ 2.5/5

This book was a great read - written during the civil war time period - it was well written, with well developed characters and a unique storyline.

This book is set Washington D.C. in 1862 at the beginning of the Civil War, Clara McBride works at the Washington Arsenal - they make the cartridges that go to the union troops. This is something that you forget had to be done by hand - and very carefully.

Joseph is protective of Clara as they work together to try and find out who is sabotaging the cartridges.

The author seemed to do a great deal of research to make this as realistic as possible

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for allowing me to read this story.

A Single Spark by Judith Miller

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

______________________________________________________________________________
Story Notes

Judith Miller presents readers with a new story based during the beginnings of the Civil War that includes history, drama, intrigue and a quiet love story that will weather some tough storms.

I’m so glad I finished this book. I say that because when I first downloaded the ARC it would not keep my place and I had to swipe through to the page that I had been on before every time I came back to read. I almost got too frustrated to finish but the story turned out to be so good, I needed to know what happened. It begins in August of 1862 with a young woman named Clara McBride, a civilian worker at the Washington Arsenal. Clara is one of many workers who prepare and pack ammunition cartridges that will be sent to the front lines of the Union army. She is proud of her work and that she is able to support those who are battling for the safety of their families. She works under the supervision of Lieutenant Joseph Brady, a man she has come to admire for his kindness and ability to keep his employees meeting the necessary quotas. She is asked by Joseph to train a new employee, one Bea Hodson, who quickly becomes her friend. Joseph also tells Clara that he would like to court her if she is agreeable, but not until after an ordered trip to Allegheny Arsenal to see why how they are able to meet higher quotas. She is thrilled at this news of courtship but saddened that they must wait for a time. But Clara determines to put their time apart to good use by helping Bea learn all the aspects of packing cartridges. She also meets Bea’s brother Jeremiah, who is also recently been employed by the arsenal. Bea and Jeremiah are fairly kind people but they seem to have a great interest in the workings of the arsenal, which strikes Clara as odd but not unusual for non-military persons. Joseph meanwhile begins his observations of the Allegheny Arsenal and learns a great deal. While they seem to be able to meet higher quotas, there also seems to be a lack of safety precautions for the workers. It will prove to be a tragic lack of precaution when the arsenal laboratory explodes one day, killing 70 civilian workers. Joseph is sick over the loss but determines he will not be so lax when it comes to his workers. His return to Washington brings much needed changes for the better at the arsenal and also allows he and Clara to get to know one another better. As they grow closer together, there will be many challenges to their future, including each of them learning to trust the other with their deepest secrets. And when problems begin appearing at the arsenal, they will need each other more that ever if they are going to stay safe from those responsible. Who is behind all the trouble and why are they causing it? Can Clara and Joseph trust anyone working at the Arsenal or are there those close to them that require their suspicion? They will have to puzzle things out quickly if they are going to save their own lives and the lives of those fighting on the front lines. I’m always a fan of historical books, even when there is a good bit of fiction attached to them. This story illustrated how things might have been during that time for the workers at the arsenals. War promotes spies, intrigue and danger in a variety of ways that may be less than obvious. I loved how Ms. Miller crafted a story that didn’t give away all the secrets but released them a little at a time so as to keep you reading. While my frustration with the book was from its inability to stay on a page, I loved the actual plot and the characters. I did think Clara was a bit too naive when it came to Bea and her motives for asking Clara to do things. Common logic should have made her more suspicious and cautious in sharing information or requesting help for someone she didn’t really know all that well. I also though that Joseph seems a little apathetic when it came to his gut instincts. He couldn’t allow himself to fully suspect anyone and that made me want to slap him a couple times. But overall, I really liked how everything played out and how everyone ended up. There was plenty of light tension, good conversation and nice romance to ensure that this was a book I enjoyed. I will recommend this book to others who enjoy historical fiction. I have no doubt they will enjoy it as I have.

I received this temporary complimentary E-book from Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley in order to provide a fair and honest review. I will receive no fiscal compensation for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

As a lover of the Civil War (we reenact it and I met my husband doing so) I always pick up new books that happen during those years. This book was a fun and fast read.

Within A Single Spark we meet Clara who works in an arsenal helping to make the cartridges that go out to the Union soldiers. She secretly likes her supervisor Joseph Brady who is an army man with an injury from battle so he can no longer fight. When he makes it known that he returns her affections they begin to court.

Newcomers to the arsenal in a brother and sister bring out some changes and new friendships that aren't what they seem. When things start to happen at the arsenal that aren't safe can Joseph and Clara find out who's behind it before it's too late?

A part of the book that I really enjoyed was Clara's relationship with her mother. They have a wonderful and strong relationship. Clara helps her mother with her seamstress business when she can and they truly love each other and care for each other.

I highly recommend this book and hope you read it. It has some mystery and suspense but nothing that is going to have you watching over your shoulder while you read. Plus it has some nice clean romance.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

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About

A Single Spark by Judith Miller
On June 22, 2020 By lakesidelivingsiteIn Christian Fiction, Historical Fiction

A Single Spark, by Judith Miller, takes place during the Civil War in the Washington DC area. While soldiers are fighting the war, civilian are working at arsenal plants to make the ammunition. Joseph was injured during Bull Run and now oversees part of the plant. Clara lost her father during Bull Run. She works at the plant while her mother sews dresses for the wives of officers. Clara has become friends with co-workers Bea and Jeremiah, who repeatedly ask her for favors.
The plants are dangerous places to work as just one spark could set off a fire that could injure or kill workers. Joseph is involved with trying to find those who could be trying to sabotage the ammunition.
I loved this story. I appreciate the historical aspects as well as the realistic points the author makes about the important role civilians, especially women, have during the war. Some of the things that stand out in my mind for this story are the lengths each side would go to. Even after being injured, Joseph continues to work for the war efforts. He endures much pain to do so. And the danger those from the south put themselves in to sabotage the ammunition.
This story is very well written with few characters. The characters are well introduced strong characters. I enjoyed the friendship and budding romance between Clara and Joseph and Clara’s mother’s strength and determination. But, my absolute favorite character is Clara’s landlord. She encourages Clara’s and Joseph’s friendship to get help from Joseph to make repairs to her home.
I received an e-book copy of this book from Bethany Publishing through NetGalley. This is my honest review.
Print length: 352 pages
ISBN: 9780764235290
Judith Miller is an award-winning, best selling Christian author that writes of history, romance and mystery.You can learn more about her and other books she has written at: http://judithmccoymiller.com/
Some places this book can be ordered are:
https://www.christianbook.com/a-single-spark-judith-miller/9780764235290/pd/235295
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-single-spark-judith-miller/1133988300
https://www.amazon.com/Single-Spark-Judith-Miller/dp/076423529X

A Single Spark by Judith Miller explores what life was like inside an arsenal making ammunition during the Civil War. Clara McBride is training new employees on the process, and her life is going well. It gets even better when the new supervisor, an injured veteran, Joseph Brady, shows a romantic interest in her. Yet, all is not well as there is a traitor in the arsenal intent on hurting the war effort. Will Clara and Joseph discover this plot before it is too late?

The time is during the Civil War and the place is the Washington Arsenal in Washington, D.C. In A Single Spark by Judith Miller, Clara McBride is helping provide for her and her mother while also helping the North’s war effort. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Joseph Brady is tasked with improving the arsenal’s production and uncovering a potential spy.

Clara simply wants to work. And do her work well. After her father’s death in the war and with no news of her brother, she wants to help as much as she can. Lieutenant Brady not only sees her skills in the Armory, but also wants to get to know her personally. A situation she readily agrees to.

Joseph really likes Clara, but worries his wounds, inflicted at the same battle in which her father died and the reason he is stationed at the armory, will mean the end of their relationship. He struggles to sleep, to walk. But he is good at his job and his commander trusts him.

I have not read a Judith Miller novel before and found A Single Spark more sweet romance than suspenseful. There is a mystery to solve, but it is not a heart-pounding one. This take was unexpected for me, but a pleasant change of pace. I could greatly relate to Clara and her ability to see good in everyone and Joseph was a real hero. I wanted to see them succeed and the suspense came from worrying for their safety.

While a wartime setting doesn’t sound like a beach read, A Single Spark stays light enough that it makes for a good summer read. It touches on some of the political challenges of the Civil War, but briefly and not too deeply, other than explaining the Clara, Joseph, and the bad guy’s motivations.

I enjoyed A Single Spark. I especially liked that the story circled around an armory. That uniqueness and the lovable characters made this a delightful story. And – the title is perfect!

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I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley in order to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Single Spark had a lot going for it. I don't always enjoy reading about the Civil War period, but the description seemed to go in a completely different direction than the issues I usually have with the time. I've been branching out more and more with my historical fiction reads, and I really liked the unique idea of reading about the Arsenal, the women who worked there, and the idea of creating ammunition that would be used in the war. So many unique things. The caution needed in such a job due to the extreme danger of explosions.

Clara is easily likable. She's well versed in different areas of the ammunition creation process in the Arsenal. She has a working history with Lt. Brady, but until he's sent on a mission to learn from a more productive arsenal, the two haven't had much a personal relationship. Clara has a history and I wouldn't say that she was a flat character, but her history and person could have been fleshed out a little more. I felt like Judith McCoy Miller spent more time delving into who Joseph was and how his experiences have crafted who he is currently. But the relationship between Clara and Joseph felt a little flat to me. I think the biggest problem for me was a lot of telling and not a lot of showing. The characters certainly spent time together, but we didn't get to see too much depth between them leading up to the level of relationship they claimed to be at.

I find that I often struggle with books where the villain (or one of the villains) narrate. I understand that these characters have a unique perspective, but I tend to struggle through their sections of the book. At times, I actually found Bea's sections more interesting than the other narrators (Joseph and Clara), but that was a little bit due to not completely knowing which direction Bea was going to go. I found her big villain revelation speech at the end of the book to feel a little out of character. So much of Bea's sections included a mix of espionage combined with self-preservation, but I felt like all of that blew with the wind when Bea had the opportunity to gloat rather than attempt to save her skin.

Favorite quotes:
-"Decision making can be a lonely and crushing business."

-"You want to see only good in [...], yet she truly isn't deserving of your unwavering loyalty."..."The Bible says a friend loves at all times. We don't get to pick and choose when that is convenient." "But we do get to choose the company we keep."

A Single Spark was one of those books that focused more on the plot than the romance. I've mentioned before that this isn't wrong, but it just isn't my personal reading preferences. I would rather read a book driven by a relationship than some elaborate plot. The romance certainly fell flat for me. I also felt the dialogue was stilted at times. I feel like A Single Spark could have benefited more from showing versus telling when it comes to the relationship, and similarly, could have used a little less description of the ammunition creation process. A Single Spark gets 3 Stars. It wasn't bad, but I did feel a little disappointed that it wasn't as good as I hoped. Have you read A Single Spark? What did you think? Let me know!

# A Single Spark # by Judith Miller is an historical Christian fiction book . The story takes place during the Civil War. in Washington, D.C. The reader will step into the work room where the weapons ( cartridges) were made for the war. The work stations had rules and order to get the production done. There were lots of demands on those who worked there. The two sides in the Civil War ( North and the South) each competed with each other during the war. The book gives insight into what it took to keep the war going. The themes of the book are honesty vs. dishonesty, love. The book has Christian values weaved into the story. Thank you to the publisher , netgalley, the author for allowing me to read and review this book. The opinions are my own

Set in Washington D.C. in 1862 at the beginning of the Civil War, Clara McBride works at the Washington Arsenal where ladies are responsible for making cartridges that will be sent to the front for use by the Union troops. Lt. Joseph Brady is the new person in charge of the cylinder room where Clara works. Bea Hodson is a new trainee, and her brother Jeremiah works in the warehouse. When strange things begin happening at the Washington Arsenal, Joseph and Clara put their heads together to try and discover who is behind the possible sabotage and sparks begin to fly between them not just at the arsenal.

I found this book quite interesting as I never even thought about how the cartridges were made and what was involved. This was actually dangerous work as all of the employees (mainly female) involved in each step were dealing with gunpowder which was also stored at the arsenal. There was actually an explosion at another arsenal where 75 people died, and it was ignited by a spark from a wagon wheel running across some gunpowder that had not been cleaned up properly.

Clara and Joseph were well crafted characters who were realistic and believable. Joseph was such a sweet hero with his protectiveness toward Clara, yet at the same time he respected her opinions and ideas. Clara saw the best in everyone even when Bea continued to use her for her own needs. Bea and Joseph kept just enough clues going to suspect they were villains but never certainty that they would get caught. Miller, as always, includes a faith thread that appears throughout the story line.

The historical research is evident throughout the story, and the notes included at the end of the book gave even more information about the arsenals and the role they played in helping the Union win the Civil War.

Excellent historical fiction that will please any reader who enjoys books set in the Civil War period.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

“Clara McBride carefully counted ten cartridges before dividing them into a double stack of five.”

Opening line of “A Single Spark” by Judith Miller
“A Single Spark” by Judith Miller is set in the American civil war at an ammunition factory. I found the back cover gave a little too much a way for me as it takes quite a while before there is an illusion to sabotage. The majority of the book is dedicated to the relationships of the workers at the factory as well as the process of production and it’s dangers.

It is well written and if you enjoy learning about history through novels, this is one for you. There is a lot of carefully researched detail and Judith brings this to life through the story. For me, it was a little much as I enjoy a bit more of a pace to a story and a little more intrigue.

Whilst this one wasn’t quite my cup of tea, I have to give it four out of five on the enJOYment as I did find it interesting and had to know how it would resolve!