This book was not what I was expecting from the description. I expected a thriller and didn't find the book to be that at all.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

One Little Spark is a compelling read for fans of domestic suspense and thriller genres. It will make you think about what you would do in similar situations, and how you would cope with loss and trauma. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story with strong characters and a shocking ending..

Very interesting read! The book pulled me in from the start and I wanted to see how it ended. Try it and see if this book is for you!

THIS WAS SO GOOD! I found this to be so detailed, descriptive and thorough in its character development. I found it twisty and engaging throughout.

This was a hard book to get into. There are multiple POV's and different timelines. This added to a lot of confusion in the beginning. After the halfway point I got into the story but I felt it was to late by then.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was a first for me from this author and i really enjoyed it! I would recommend to my friends.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book. While convoluted throughout, I was able to piece everything together in the end. I am not a huge fan of the cheating trope which is found in this book. I found parts of the book to be drawn out for no reason, but the parts that weren't were quite entertaining. I loved that this book was set in the PNW as that's where I'm from

Thank you to Net Galley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of One Little Spark by Ellie Banks

*Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!*

I love the premise of this story. Domestic suspense is a sub-genre that I often gravitate towards. And I think that overall this was done really well!

The beginning of story was a bit confusing.. We are immediately thrown into the story right as the fire started. There are a lot of characters with a lot happening. I found it a little difficult a certain points to figure out where everyone fit. But I once I reached the 50% mark it all fell into place. The second half of the book was so thrilling and I couldn't wait to see what happened next!

I like that even through this very tragic and life changing event, all of these women were able to find growth and come out better on the other side. For example, Jenna . She finally realized that in the end, Morgan was also a victim in the situation. While sure, they were never going to be best friends, she didn't have to waste her energy blaming Morgan for the downfall of her marriage. Jenna was empowered to see her own worth and realize her husband was just a not a great husband.

Overall I really liked this story, a perfect summer read for fans of Big Little Lies and Cruel Summer!

This was strange. I liked the women. They were all relatable. I did not at have any sympathy or compassion for Ryan, however. Like he just stumbled into a teenage girl. I think the author handled it well, I just really did not like him at all.

Anyway, I loved Jenna. She reminds me a bit of my friend Angel, who I do think can fix and do everything.

Also I love that all our gals were getting it. Good for them.

The people in this story had a lot of growth and it was nice to read about

I guess this one didn't fully work for me because it is a lot of dialogue. I think 90% of the book is dialogue. And I admire the ability to write it but I kept getting distracted and not finishing the book.
It would probably make the best movie ever.

I love the ending.

Thank you HTP and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Loved the cover and the concept for this one. My first from this author.

The narrative style did not do this book any favors. It is back and forth so much, and there's so many characters who are connected in different ways.....too difficult to keep track of. Had my interest been kept better perhaps the characters would have been easier to follow.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

When the small Southern Oregon town of Tenmile Creek suffered a devastating fire, a criminal investigation ensues as it’s been determined that it was human caused. Twenty-six hundred home, thirty businesses and five lives were lost in the blaze and thirteen remain missing. When the flames burn out the secrets left behind are more devastating than the fire. A group of life long friends are cut to the quick. Jenna, Alex and Chelsie have lost a great deal in the fire. Jenna and Chelsie have both lost their homes and Alex and Jenna’s husband’s (Paul and Ryan) are both among the missing. Told in different voices in three timelines, this book was a slow burn, that once ignited was hard to put down. Before the fire, Jenna’s husband Ryan left her after years of marriage. His affair with a young woman was hurtful and Jenna is still picking up the pieces just as the fire takes even more. Alex finds herself burned and wandering after the fire carrying a book of matches, not remembering a thing. Chelsie has distanced herself from her husband, Mark, blaming the chasm on him, but she has secrets of her own. When an old flame of Alex’s shows up to investigate for the FBI, things really pick up. Was the fire a reminder, a reset? The houses that burned were filled with pain, pain that’s about to come to light. Could the secrets they’ve kept burn down their lives? The fire wasn’t the real issue, just the perfect kindling to burn everything and reveal the secrets that have been well hidden. It only takes a spark to get a fire going! Thank you to Cranberry Street Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I was excited to read this book! It fell a little flat for me, unfortunately. There were a few too many characters for me to easily follow through the story. The back and forth timeline was done well and kept the story moving. This one was more of a domestic suspense than a thriller in my opinion. Overall it was was a good read.

Decent little suspense story. A lot of back and forth on who dunnit. There were a lot of characters involved and a lot of various time flashbacks that made me stop quite often to remember who was who and how they were all connected. Good read overall.

I was expecting a thriller but this one didn’t feel very thriller-ish, more like a domestic drama. The author’s writing style is fine but the book felt so slow.

This was a little hard for me to really get into. There was a little too much going on with who was who and the time jumps, going back and forth, left and right, I feel like I sprained my neck. It felt like it was not fully put together yet. That said, had this been crafted a bit more, I would have enjoyed it better. It wasn't a bad story and the writer is good don't get me wrong, it just isn't the book of the year. It's okay for a filler and that's still okay. Three Stars.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC.

This moves back and forth in time and between four women to tell the story of what happens when a town goes up in flames. Jenny, Chelsea, Morgan, and Alexandra are all at different places in their lives when tragedy strikes. There are secrets, lies, and problems with men (lots of problems with men). The plot doesn't strike any new notes but the women are interesting and you'll find yourself rooting for them. Know that the writing is not smooth but it's designed to be a page turner. Thanks to Netgalley for the ArC. A good beach or travel book.

ONE LITTLE SPARK – Ellie Banks
Canary Street Press
ISBN: 978-1-335-60097-4
May 23, 2023
Contemporary Fiction

Tenmile, Oregon – Present Day

An idyllic community goes up in flames and the lives of four women are changed forever. How they—and the community—rose from the ashes one year later is the story told in ONE LITTLE SPARK.

Jenna Abbott thought she had the perfect marriage to her doctor husband, but it fell apart after learning he had cheated on her—and his girlfriend was expecting his child. On the day of the fire, Ryan is one of those missing and unaccounted for. Did he perish in the fire? But life has moved on around her. As a woman in her forties, Jenna didn’t expect that a younger man would show interest in her. Should she put the past behind her?

Chelsea Goddard is Ryan’s sister, and she feels like she is living on the edge. She had been estranged from her husband, Mark, but he mysteriously returned to town on the day of the fire. Is there a connection? Why is their estrangement still hanging between them?

Morgan White is the young single mother of Ryan’s baby. On the day of the fire, she went into labor. She tried to locate him but couldn’t. Luckily, because she was in the hospital, she wouldn’t have been home before her home burned to the ground. Relations are understandably strained between her and Jenna despite their children sharing the same father. She is an outcast in the town she has grown to love.

Alex Coleman hasn’t told her friends Jenna and Chelsea that she has no memory of the day of the fire. Did something happen to cause her memory loss? Is it related to the fire? Morgan’s uncle, Cody, was once part of Alex’s life in high school, but he left town after she married Paul. Now Cody is back as an FBI agent to investigate the mysterious origins of the fire. As they reconnect, Alex wonders if she should tell him about her memory lapse—and the letters she’s receiving with no return address that enclose mementos of her past. Is someone trying to play with her mind?

ONE LITTLE SPARK hops around quite a bit from character to character and from the present day to the past. At times it wasn't very clear as to who is who, and how they are related to others. Tenmile is a small community where everyone knows one another, but as we soon learn, there are secrets that may shock others if exposed. The underlying mystery and what makes this a page-turner is wondering how the fire started and if one of the protagonists, dead or alive, started it.

Meanwhile, there is growth going on for Jenna and Alex as they start new relationships. For Chelsea, she knows that she is not her mother’s favorite. That is (or was) reserved for Ryan. She sticks close to Jenna, but as much as they’re good friends, she can’t tell her about the secret she has buried all these years. Will it come out in ONE LITTLE SPARK? Jenna should hate Morgan, and probably did for months, but she has to admire the young woman for her tenacious spirit and gumption. Morgan’s daughter is Jenna’s children’s half-sister. Will there be an attempt to bridge a relationship with them? Alex is the one whom readers will wonder how she is connected to the fire. Will her memories come roaring back and help Cody discover the truth? What about the items that were sent to her? What role do they play in her lost memories?

ONE LITTLE SPARK is an intriguing read as it jumps from one character to another and deepens the suspense. Will everything get resolved by the end? It’s an emotional and suspenseful read you don’t want to miss.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today