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

I was really looking forward to reading this, and was very excited to be approved for it. I have to say that my expectations did fall a little short, because I found this book very jumbled and confusing with all of the characters. Maybe it was the writing style, or maybe it was my mood when I was reading it, but I could not keep up with who was who. It also wasn’t much of a thriller to me, but more of a drama, which I don’t mind, but I went into it, expecting a thriller. I did enjoy the setting, however. And I will definitely read more by this author, but this definitely was a little disappointing.

I went into this hoping for a dark thriller-type storyline. This plays out more like a domestic suspense mystery. It was good, just a lot going on. A terrible fire tears through a small town and 4 women's lives are torn apart. There are a lot of characters. Now, the characters are well drawn, just difficult to keep up with who was doing what to whom. There are time jumps as we learn how this is all playing out. It did turn out pretty interesting once I started making the connections. 5 stars for the atmosphere! I swear I could smell smoke! The second half is really good! I think this would play out very well as a limited series or something like that.

I went into this hoping for a dark thriller-type storyline. This plays out more like a domestic suspense mystery. It was good, just a lot going on. A terrible fire tears through a small town and 4 women's lives are torn apart. There are a lot of characters. Now, the characters are well drawn, just difficult to keep up with who was doing what to whom. There are time jumps as we learn how this is all playing out. It did turn out pretty interesting once I started making the connections. 5 stars for the atmosphere! I swear I could smell smoke! The second half is really good! I think this would play out very well as a limited series or something like that.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Ellie Banks and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Canary Street Press for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Instagram and various other retail and social media sites upon publication.

When a fire destroys a small town, what is left when the survivors begin to pick up the pieces?

I went into this expecting a thriller but got more of a domestic drama that unfortunately didn't quite work for me. I did not feel invested in any of the characters (except maybeee Morgan) and the stakes didn't feel very high given that half of the characters were presumed dead already. I also didn't care for the writing style, which contained a lot of repetitive, short sentences, and a ton of trail-off stream-of-consciousness sentences ("I just....*totally new non-sequitur sentence*"). These types of sentences were realistic to how many people do speak, I suppose, but in book format it was very stuttering and distracting to read. There were some good reflections on female relationships, but they were mostly delivered through cheesy dialogue. The "twist" at the end was rushed and a little unsatisfying. Overall, I don't think this is one that will stick with me.

CW: fire death and injury, sexual assault, infidelity

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy of this book.

I love a good mystery and this new genre from romance author Maisey Yates, writing as Ellie Banks, does not disappoint. With some strong need to know themes, intrigue, a little danger, and romance, it’s a winning combination for a perfect read.

2.5/5 stars! The premise of this story set the stage for an edgy and dark thriller, but the story didn't read this way. It felt like a confusing mishmash of a few different stories that didn't come together cohesively. I think individually the characters were well-developed but it took me half the story to figure out who was connected to who and there were too many time jumps. Just left me bored and not invested in the story.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

So much going on in this book...almost too much. Storyline was good.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

One Little Spark reads like a soap opera turned TV mini series, on fire with vivid characters, before and after events and smoking mysteries waiting to be uncovered. Who's missing and presumed dead after a fire ravages a small Oregon town? Who's left to pick up the pieces of adultery, lost love and new life?
Ellie Banks reimagines a real life fire that destroyed a town near her with simmering emotions, tainted mysteries and a determined FBI agent bent on finding the truth among the ashes.
A great summer read.

After a devastating fire tears through their quaint little neighborhood four women find their quiet little lives completely up turned. Secrets that were meant to never see the light of day suddenly make an appearance, along with other mysterious happenings and things take a turn these women never planned or saw coming. It leaves them wondering if they ever really knew the people they were living next to at all...

One Little Spark is an exciting little page-turner that is bound to keep your eyes glued to the pages from start to finish! With secrets, lies, suspense and drama on every page it's hard not to get wrapped up in this one, once I started it I couldn't put it down! Highly recommend!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, via NetGalley request, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

3.5 ⭐️

From the Publisher’s Synopsis: Before the fire, it was the perfect place to raise a family. An idyllic community where neighbors knew one another… or so they thought…

My sister lives outside of Portland, Or. and was a mere mile from the mandatory evacuation zone in 2020. She sent ominous photos of the ashy skies, with their orange glow. So, when I saw this book, I could picture Tenmile Oregon and imagined another JUICY neighborhood story.

But, that isn’t how this one reads- it’s actually a more quiet story of four women who pick up the pieces of what is left after tragedy sparks the revelation of secrets which had remained hidden until the fires.

The four women who live there, discover that nothing is what it seems, and nothing will be the same.

Jenna Abbot decided to give $5 to a homeless woman, across the road from a gas station where she had stopped for gas. That decision took her just far enough away from the gas pumps that ignited when the Emergency Alert System failed, and the fire reached the gas station. Her husband is missing.

Chelsea Goddard, would have been at her home which was destroyed if there hadn’t been a water leak at her in store in Old Town Tenmile, a strip of historic buildings built in 1880 that were somehow spared. Her brother is missing.

Morgan White, 19, was awoken by labor pains, and left for the hospital before the fire took her home. The father of her baby is missing.

Alexandra Coleman, stuck in traffic abandoned her car and unknowingly ran into the path of the flames. Her husband is one of the missing residents as well.

An estimated 2600 homes and 30 businesses were lost.

When the book opens, it jumps back and forth in time, from THE DAY of the fire, to a year LATER and then to a year BEFORE the fire, and back again, and I was struggling to get my bearings and keep track of how the women were connected to one another.

Here’s a cheat sheet:

Ryan was Jenna’s husband, who left her when his mistress, Brooke became pregnant. He is also Chelsea’s brother. So that’s one missing guy.

Alex, is Jenna’s best friend, who is married to Paul-the other missing husband-
So, it’s two guys missing-not four.

The confusing beginning and a lot of telling instead of showing, didn’t initially hook me.

But, once I had the connections straight, and the mystery of WHO set the fire kicked in-the pace picked up. The second half was far more engaging and the revelations were realistic.

The four women were well developed, and I enjoyed reading about the personal growth they experienced after the fire, despite what they learned about their relationships with the missing men.

I am rounding down because three time jumps was one too many, creating confusion and uneven pacing, but ultimately I ended up enjoying the story.

Ellie Banks is the pseudonym for New York Times bestselling author Maisey Yates, who has written over one hundred novels, including those in the genres of domestic suspense, romantic westerns and multigenerational family sagas. She resides in the Pacific Northwest.

Expected publication date: May 23, 2023.

Thank You to Canary Street Press for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

One Little Spark by Ellie Banks is a gripping story full of secrets, affairs, lies and smoke.

Ellie Banks writing is atmospheric, and really draws you in from the start.
These four characters are very complicated, and their experiences really intrigued me.
OLS is a character-driven, atmospheric novel in which I thought was a fun and exciting book.
Well written with twists and turns and a mystery that kept me glued to the pages.
Banks did a great job with this fascinating debut.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Canary Street Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this e-ARC. I really enjoyed this book from Ellie Banks, it wasn't something that I would normally gravitate towards, but I loved every minute of the ride. Formal review will be available on GoodReads, socials & Amazon.

One day in Tenmile, Oregon, a horrible fire breaks out despite an alert system just being put into place. The story follows four women a year after the fire as they deal with the fallout.

This one wasn't my favorite, I think mostly because of the writing style, which is a personal preference.

One Little Spark was......okay but the tone and voice of the writer read like it was for a too mature for her age young girl who secretly checked out this book behind her mom's back because she knows that there will be some sexy scenes....and soon enough, she will know exactly what pages those sexy scenes are on.

Does that make sense?

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The title really explains what the entire book stands for and what goes on with each of the women featured in the story. I predict that this will be on many people's TBR lists! Well written and mysterious - giving it four stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

One little spark. That’s all it takes. The title is a metaphor for every underlying event happening in this book, as well as the larger event of the fore that has consumed the town! The book is told from the perspective of three characters whose lives and histories are even more intertwined than they think. This book has a little of everything and I couldn’t put it down! I will be searching for more titles from this author whose writing is descriptive and character development rich and entertaining! Thank you again for the advance copy of this book!

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

This was so good! So many secrets. So many twists. I fell in love with the characters and they were multi dimensional and felt raw and real. Perfect atmosphere and mystery elements, and that plot twist? Wow. It was done so well. I can't believe this is a debut because this was that good.

If everyone can please proceed to stand up and clap.....

This book deserves a standing ovation and I am SO here for it.

One Little Spark is going to blow up the internet on May 23, 2023. There is no way you will be able to contain the buzz that is about to surround this sure to be bestseller.

I cant even tell you what I thought I was going to read compared to what I actually did read but I can tell you, this book is one that I will never be able to stop talking about and it deserves every bit of the hype it is about to get..

Here we go...

One Little Spark had me addicted to each turn of the page. I was squealing in delight as each secret was revealed . I was completely consumed and transported straight into the book. The characters came alive before my eyes and I felt every emotion they felt. The narration was executed with perfection and the plot twist was not only incredible but believable to! When everything came together I was left in sheer disbelief with my jaw on the floor.

How the heck is this a debut?

Ellie Banks, you clearly know what you are doing when it comes to delivering a bestseller!

5 stars 5 stars 5 stars!

Teaser :

Before the fire, it was the perfect place to raise a family.
An idyllic community where neighbors knew one another…
or so they thought.

Jenna Abbott’s life went up in flames even before the fire started in Tenmile, Oregon. She was still coping with her husband's affair—and the revelation that he got a much younger woman pregnant—when the fire finally died down, and Ryan was among the missing.

Chelsea Goddard still can’t explain how her estranged husband got back to Tenmile from out of the country the day of the fire, and she also can’t shake the nagging feeling that the secrets they’ve kept between them for the last twenty years might just be the tinder that made it all burn.

Morgan White knew getting involved with a married man was wrong, even before she got pregnant. She might be the only one who knows the truth about some of Tenmile's leading citizens…but people would have to stop treating her like a pariah to hear it.

Alex Coleman doesn’t remember anything from that fateful day, why she was found wandering on a rural road or why she has dreams of standing on scorched earth, holding a book of matches.

For four women, when the flames finally burn out, what’s left behind will be even more devastating than the fire itself…

Big Thank you to Ellie Banks, Canary Street Press and Netgalley for trusting me to read this incredible debut in exchange for an honest review.

Placeholder. Will update when the Harper Collins union new contract is finalized. Thank you again to the publisher for the copy.