Lulu and Kai were next-door neighbors. Until one day, Kai was whisked away to South Korea to become a K-pop singer. Lulu hasn’t heard from Kai, whose stage name is Kite, in years. When his band Karnival announces he will be taking a break for health reasons, the last thing Lulu expects is to see him back in her neighborhood. With the help of an adorable kitten and meddling best friends, will Lulu and Kite find their way back to friendship and maybe more? 

Fireworks is an extremely cute and lighthearted romance. Alice Lin does an amazing job of incorporating LGBTQ+ representation into the novel. Lulu is bi, with additional LGBTQ+ representation casually worked in throughout the story. I enjoyed how Lulu’s identity is still vitally important, but not necessarily the focus of the romance. Instead, Kite and her friends accept her unconditionally and instead focus on the perils of dating a K-pop star. 

Fireworks does not shy away from how invasive fandom can become, creating many obstacles for Lulu and Kite to work through. The ending felt a bit rushed, I wanted to have Kite and Lulu work through more of the challenges between them. Fireworks is a charming and endearing romance! Fans of K-pop, YA contemporary, and lighthearted summer romances will enjoy Fireworks. This is the perfect book for younger YA readers who have wondered what it might be like to date a K-pop star. 

Thank you to Alice Lin, Underlined, Random House Children’s, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.