Just One Spark

by Brandy Bruce

The last thing Jason Garcia needs is another distraction. After burning out on computer programming, he feels at the back of the line when it comes to getting his life on track. He rediscovered his passion for cooking and decided to make a life change, but every step forward has resulted in two steps back.

Switching careers and moving from the suburbs back to the city was only the beginning. Now Jason needs to dive in and focus on his professional goals. A relationship is the last thing he's looking for. There will be time for that when he's older.

But when one night of celebrating goes a little too far, Jason finds himself faced with more than just distraction. His future changes in a blink, and it's time to reevaluate all those dreams he's been chasing.

Life gets in the way of goals. And a hectic work schedule is stopped short by loss. Everything he knew about himself is thrown into question as Jason struggles to meet the challenges he's facing. But if there's one thing he does know, it's that backing down is not in his nature and giving up isn't an option.

282 pages, Paperback

First published May 8, 2022

About the author

Brandy Bruce was scribbling stories in purple spiral notebooks at the age of 12. She traded in notebooks for a laptop and now writes romance novels. Having worked as a book editor for a traditional publishing house for more than a decade, Brandy is thrilled to work in an industry she loves. She's currently a freelance editor, a writer, a wife, a mother to three fabulous children, and she's someone who really loves dessert. Brandy makes her home in Virginia with her family. She's the author of After the Rain, Looks Like Love, The Romano Family Collection, and the award-winning novel The Last Summer.

Reviews

[Suzan · Rating 5 out of 5]

“When you have a family like ours, there’s always a place to land. Whatever situation we find ourselves in, we have people to call.”

This was such a wonderful and heartfelt story of faith, family, and food. Brandy’s writing was beautiful, articulate, and so real and honest that I couldn’t put it down, and devoured it in one day.

Jason has switched careers and is focusing on his profession as a cook. He’s not interested in a romantic relationship, but after a night of celebrating and a one night stand, his future instantly changes, and he struggles with a new reality, and the possibility of lost dreams.

What I loved:
*The pain of family that hurts you, the beauty of family that never will.
*The truest friends are there for you during the good and bad times.
*God turning mistakes into blessings
*Jason’s and Carmen’s growth arc
*Male perspective on an unplanned pregnancy
*Food as part of family gatherings, traditions, expressions of love and comfort
*Closed door/fade to black
*Forgiveness of others and self
*Mexican culture
*Strong sense of place
*Baby names
*Funny delivery room scene
*The ending

This is my first book by this talented author and I look forward to reading her other works. Do yourself a favor and check out Just One Spark. It’s currently free through KU.

Many thanks to the author for a gifted copy!

[E.A.]

I loved how family truly was at the heart of this book. Family born and family made. Reading Just One Spark drew me in like a hug from a loved one and caused me to care as if the characters were really a part of my own inner circle.

I felt deeply for Jason and every emotion he had—even the ones he didn’t want to have—and I felt the author did a great job of communicating a guy’s thoughts in a realistic way. I was rooting for him through the whole book! I also appreciated the candor with which Bruce tackles tough topics in the book and how she brought in real characters in real situations.

Just One Spark will play tug-of-war with your emotions even as it warms your heart to second chances and the reality that one mistake doesn’t have to be the end of good things.

—-

Thanks to the author for a copy to review! All opinions are my own.

[Toni Shiloh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been waiting for Jason's story since I read The Last Summer. I love these group of friends, the trials they go through, and the triumphant ending. None of their lives are perfect but Jason's story really hit that thought out of the ballpark. Reading his struggles, the thoughts he had, I could totally relate. I was rooting for him to find his way the entire time and the ending was absolute perfection. Another great read by Brandy Bruce.

[Suzie Waltner · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Brandy Bruce is one of those authors who tugs and yanks at reader’s emotions in her books. They aren’t easy reads, but they are richer for the experience the reader takes along with the characters. Just One Spark is Jason’s story and is no exception.

I have mixed emotions about this book. On the one hand, it’s gritty, it’s raw, it’s real. Jason has found himself in the messy, muddy world of consequences for his sin. He is struggling with so many things in his life—his relationships, his future, his job.

And that’s where I got annoyed with him too. He was so focused inwardly that he failed to see the hurt he caused. He failed to look toward the One who saves. He was so mired in his pity that he got stuck there. Even when his friends and family came alongside him, he remained there for much of the book.

But isn’t that how we live our lives sometimes? We are so blinded by our circumstances or our situations, so paralyzed by our consequences that we hide from God instead of running to Him? He knows our sins. Nothing is hidden from Him, but in our shame, we turn from the light of hope.

I did enjoy catching up with the group of friends I met in The Last Summer. And the end of Just One Spark is perfect, giving us closure, letting us know that despite the rocky and rough road each of these friends has traveled, everything will be alright.


Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive or negative review. All opinions are my own.

[Nehemiah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book sparked something deep inside of me. A flicker of gratitude for raw, relatable characters and the sketch of a Savior who steps into the messiest parts of our lives without shrinking away in horror or shame. Too often Christian fiction is a tidy, presentable package full of pharisaical perfection. Another reviewer mentioned her disappointment because of the characters' views in this book on premarital sex, a statement followed by her emphasis that God's views on sex haven't changed regardless of the current cultural climate. Here's what I've learned about God. He loves and uses men like David, a character in the Bible guilty of instigating not only the murder of an innocent man but of having an affair with a married woman. An omniscient God sees the mistakes we are going to make long before we make them and still, somehow, calls us closer to him. In spite of our fallacies, he chooses us for his family. I once heard a pastor say that God no longer sees us through the lens of our life's lowest moment (once we've entered into a relationship with him), but instead he sees us through the finished work of his son Jesus. He goes on to point out that God sees every dry season of faith we experience, and sometimes it is in those chapters, where the climate of our lives seems to shift uncomfortably, that he is preparing the soil of our hearts by breaking it, to stimulate new growth and maturity. This book is a comforting reminder that God sees something of value buried in each of us even when others don't--including ourselves. Our souls are no less beautiful to God when they've been battered. The Bible repeatedly shows us that God is attracted to the broken and unfit of our society. He seeks out the ones most in need of saving. I have loved this series so much partly because it's shown me different aspects of who God is... and how he can show up in our lives when we least expect it. This is a read I highly recommend, along with the author who penned it.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is exactly the kind of love story I enjoy reading. Real characters, real problems, and real relationship development. It’s a sweet and comfortable read that feels more like making friends than it does reading fiction. You’re rooting for the characters from the very beginning.

I love the angst and the stubborn will to stay apart, like two magnets destined to meet. I love the supporting characters and the sense of family that draws these characters together. This story is just beautifully organic and I loved every bit of it!

I definitely need to go back and read more of Bruce’s work!

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading The Last Summer and After the Rain, I knew I wanted more from this group of friends, and this beautiful book did not disappoint! Jason Garcia will easily work his way into your heart. His growth and vulnerability make him one of the best male characters I’ve read in a long time. So if you love contemporaries about family and friendships that last the test of time, this book is for you.

[Amica Alleyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved book three of this series. Rarely do we see the male perspective on these topics. Also enjoyed seeing the friend group together.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great continuation of the series on a group of friends in Texas. Love that it was set in Houston. Showed many aspects of Mexican-American life in Houston, but contrasted with scenes of a traditional
Life in Mexico. Sweet, feel good story, especially on the power of friendship.

[Abby | abbyadores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just One Spark is a sweet, emotional, and heartwarming book full of family, friends, and romance.