Editorial Review from Kirkus
It’s an enjoyable romp, with Verena as the requisite wisecracking, insightful sidekick; Susan as an uptight figure who’s more needy than she knows; and Richard as a Lothario who’s a good—and profoundly embarrassed—guy at heart.
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Editorial Review from Booklife/Publisher’s Weekly
“No etiquette book could tell Susan how to handle this unusually uncommon situation,” Harte writes at the moment everything goes awry in this unexpected, intergenerational comedy of clashes and connections on a Connecticut weekend in the summer of 1992. Susan is a bestselling romance novelist who doesn’t exactly know when she drifted apart from her daughter, Emma—maybe it was when Emma started lying, when her teen angst tugged her toward risky drugs and frisky men, or maybe it happened quietly, over years. Either way, Susan’s goal for the perfect Fourth of July weekend at her estate: get her daughter back. But when Emma, now 25, arrives with a much older beau in tow, Susan is jolted by a past she’s never quite forgotten. As Emma introduces the polished literature professor Richard, all Susan can see is the twenty-year-old boy she once loved and lost—the one who got away.
With that delicious setup, Harte draws sharp parallels between past and present, weaving together the tender flashbacks from Susan’s torrid affair with Richard in France in 1966 and the relatable comic tensions of a weekend derailed by his return. As other friends arrive, with baggage and judgments, frank talk of politics and changing times, the gathering becomes ever messier, as does the tension between Susan and Emma, especially as Susan plots to help Emma discover an age-appropriate partner. The novel is at its most evocative when navigating fragile mother-daughter dynamics. Harte sensitively explores how a mother’s regrets and desires can shape a daughter’s life in ways that can be destructive to both.
Smart, surprising romantic comedy of mother-daughter conflict in 1992. __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Editorial Review from Midwest Book Review
Original, exceptional, and deftly crafted, Fireworks on the Fourth by Kate Harte is a fun and fascinating read from start to finish and will be of special interest to fans of contemporary romance stories… especially and unreservedly recommended for personal reading lists and community/public library Contemporary Romance Fiction collections …
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Reviewed by Jon Michael Miller for Readers’ Favorite
Kate Harte’s Fireworks on the Fourth is a sophisticated, sexy, comedy romance set mainly in a Connecticut estate over the July 4th weekend in 1992. The date is specific because the novel contrasts two specific generations, the sixties and the nineties.
Kate Harte’s novel is thoroughly delightful. She kept me on my reader’s toes regarding who knows what about whom. The daughter and lover (possibly father) show up at the mother’s estate for the holiday, and it takes a friend of the mom and a plethora of shenanigans to manage the “situation.” Can it, in fact, possibly be managed at all? I kept turning the pages, greatly enjoying the witty prose, peppered with allusions to classical history and literature, and contrasting the elders’ culture with that of the youngsters, particularly involving sexual mores and behaviors. I became immersed not only in the challenging and often hilarious plot, but in the author’s lively prose. If you are prepared for a complex but stimulating and enjoyable read, do not miss Kate Harte’s Fireworks on the Fourth.
Reviewed by Keith Mbuya for Readers’ Favorite
The sharp and lively conversations, dripping with wit, sarcasm, banter, and tension, gave depth to the cast’s conflicts, intricate emotions, and complex traits, allowing me to connect with them. I was enveloped in a whirlwind of intellectual sparring, family drama, sensual escapades, secrets, adventure, and more. __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reviewed by Manik Chaturmutha for Readers’ Favorite
Fireworks on the Fourth offers strong storytelling, emotional resonance, and originality. It’s ideal for readers who enjoy family sagas, mother-daughter dramas, or literary fiction with psychological depth.
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Reviewed by Elijah Brent for Explore Authors Magazine
The story is splendid with a writing style that hooks the readers until the very last page… With the great character work, the emotional beats, the humor, and a great conclusion, Fireworks on the Fourth earns an emphatic recommendation from me.