Genre: contemporary romance
New York & California

Rooney Gao is a mixed race Chinese American artist working anonymously trying to make her own path in the art world separate from her mother’s name. This is hard because Wren Gao gave birth to Rooney as a part of an art installation and Rooney will forever be “that baby” even nearly thirty years later. Rooney, under her working name Red String Girl, has been working on an installation in New York called Entangled, showcasing red string and the interplay of fate and human connection. She meets Jack Liu, an engineer at NASA, while waiting on prints for her exhibition, and a spark of connection makes her take a risk to spend an evening taking an adventure with him around New York. When he leaves, Jack tries to give her his phone number, but it’s not right, and they make valiant efforts to find one another, but it doesn’t work…until Jack is assigned as liaison to the NASA Artist-in-residence program, and Rooney is selected as the artist. It’s clear their chemistry is as strong as ever, but is it because of fate or because of choice that they can or cannot be together?

Red String Theory is a sweet contemporary romance. The emphasis on soulmates and fate using cultural ties is really lovely, building Rooney as an ultimate romantic and idealist grounded in her Chinese heritage. While the romance is obviously the major plot, Rooney’s relationship with her mother is an equally important component of the story. Wren has been the constant in Rooney’s life, despite Rooney’s fraught relationship with the video of her birth. But it’s mother Wren with her life experience and her grounding in reality while also being an artist who helps shape Rooney’s perspective.

For those who know me, you’ll be surprised that I thought a book written in first person present tense worked so well. Lauren Kung Jessen is a strong enough writer that the prose never feels clunky, and we see the right amount of inner monologue for Rooney and Jack. This does feel more like Rooney’s story than Jack’s. Though Jack is on his own path as a hero, Rooney’s growth and interpersonal relationships drive the narrative.

I really enjoyed Red String Theory, and it’s the perfect read for the upcoming Lunar New Year or for anyone who loves soulmates or fated mates with an extra dash of sweetness. It’s closed door, but I found that didn’t bother me at all as Kung Jessen tells Rooney and Jack’s love story (but I certainly wanted them to get over it and just kiss again!!).

This book was so sweet and swoony and truly got me in my feels! I love the idea of the red string (hello invisible string) and how fate plays a factor in life. Rooney and Jack were the perfect counterparts and from their first interaction to their last I knew I would not forget this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rooney and Jack meet - is it by chance or fate? Could Jack be the man Rooney's red string is attached to?

This was a really sweet take on chance vs fate and what it means to find true love. It isn't always easy or perfect timing. Rooney and Jack were perfect for each other from the beginning and I loved reading their story as they figure out if/how to be together.

This is a follow up to Lunar Love but can also be read as a stand alone. Recommended!

Whether you believe in fate, destiny, serendipity or science, this dual POV, opposites attract, star crossed lovers insta romance was utterly delightful!! Another hit from author Lauren Kung Jessen, I adored Chinese American installation artist, Rooney and NASA scientist, Jack and their journey to a HEA!

The two meet in NYC and have an epic first date together only to separate without a way of contacting one another. Luckily, they find themselves brought back together when Jack unknowingly commissions Rooney (the 'Red String Girl') to collaborate on a project for NASA in LA.

Exploring the Chinese legend that everyone has a fated love in the universe that they are tied to by an invisible red string, Jack and Rooney test each other's beliefs in fate vs choice and find they have more in common than originally thought, including cloud watching, food and life goals.

Perfect for fans of authors like Roselle Lim and the movies, Letters to Juliet or Serendipity and good on audio too. This book was the feel-good read I didn't know I needed and I can't recommend it enough!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: kissing only

Oh boy, I am such a fan of Lauren Kung Jessen, but this book was not it for me. So I will try to be as objective as possible, but I’m so sad this was a disappointment. This review will contain spoilers so warning!

One thing I love about Jessen’s writing is her quirky characters. I loved Lunar Love and the two main characters. However, these characters in this book were too quirky for my taste. While you have to take into consideration that she was writing about an artist and artists’ minds are more ‘out there,’ Roo’s personality and actions were a little random for me. I mean, the plot of this book was that Roo could earn enough money to buy back the video of her being born that her mom recorded to make herself famous… a little much even for an artist. The plot just did not make sense and there were, in my opinion, a LOT of random occurrences thrown in there.

The other thing I love about Jessen’s writing is her homage to Chinese culture. Being of Chinese decent myself I love learning more about my heritage and the matchmaking history surrounding the Chinese culture. That’s why I loved Lunar Love. But this red string theory was too much. Instead of sprinkling in Chinese culture knowledge within the book like she did for her precious one this was THE MAIN concept of the book. The two main characters talked about fate in every single chapter of this book. It got a bit much and a bit cheesy. It didn’t seem like a respectful way to spread Chinese culture it felt likeJessen was twisting it to make it her own concept over and over again in the book. They did fate tests, string tests, fate string tests, just to see if they were meant to be and in the end when the string test didn’t work, they decided to be together anyway… don’t you think that it kind of said “oh well poo you” to the rest of the book???

Those were my two main concerns with this book but (respectfully) here were my others:
- the two main characters fall pretty hard for only knowing each other for 6 hrs
- IT IS SO OBVIOUS THAT SHE IS RSG FROM THE START. Like don’t wear read string for every outfit and stand by your exhibit if you don’t want people to know?
- They take an adventure which is cute but go to VERY RANDOM PLACES and blames it on fate? Like they meet at a print store, meet again at someone’s party, follow a lantern, end up in a hotel just to use their warmers, go to time square, go to a dumpling place, and then part ways and they blame it all on fate? This may not be a problem as much as it was just really random and I wanted to point it out.
- kinda a BIG coincidence that NASA wanted to pair up with a string artist??
- the plot started at page 100… very slow beginning
- cloud watchers club… really??? Iykyk

Thank you to NetGalley and Lauren Kung Jessen for the advanced copy.

Rooney Gao believed in fate, but Jack Liu believed in science. Chance encounters brought them together one day in New York. Who knows what would have happened if Rooney didn't enter his phone number wrong. Rooney's belief in the Theory of Fate of the Chinese culture extended to her clothing and art choices. Her latest installation included a series of string art displayed publicly. She believed everyone had a stringmate. When Rooney and Jack meet again, he makes some surprising discoveries that may or many not feed into the whole stringmate theory. I enjoyed reading this book, especially for the fact that the author included pieces of Chinese culture. The theory of fate, the significance of the color red, the food, the traditions. It gave me a window into a culture I am familiar with but still have much yet to learn.

I received an advance copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

There is something about a book by Lauren Kung Jessen that is just so deeply comforting. If I’m looking for a novel where I just KNOW I’m going to love the main characters, get immersed in the story, and feel completely uplifted at the end, I’m going to reach for one of Lauren’s. Red String Theory is a dreamy, romantic book about an artist guided by fate who meets her perfect match in a skeptic who doesn’t believe in destiny. It takes place at NASA so there are literal planets aligning and stars shining down on Rooney and Jack, and you feel the magic on every page. I highly recommend this beautiful book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Red String theory is such a sweet, treasure of a book. I loved the connection to this Chinese proverb. This is my favourite way I’ve read about soulmates (aka stringmates) in the last year.

Lauren has done an amazing job with the character development. As a half Chinese girly I loved the biracial representation so much. I felt like I could really see myself in Rooney beyond this because she’s so relatable. I love how optimistic, witty, free-spirited, passionate, and genuine she is. Jack is sweet, logical, gives us STEM representation, and every bit Rooney’s opposite in such a complementary way. I found myself connecting with each of their points of view on the fate vs choice debate at times. I definitely feel life is a blend of fate and choices. We get dual POV which is an instant yes for me.

It does feel a bit instalove but I didn’t mind even though that trope normally isn’t my forte. We get some second chance action and workplace romance. It’s a meet cute, slow burn and clean. I really appreciated their banter and it really had me smiling and kicking my feet the whole way through.

The interconnection between art and science was fabulous. So many aspects of Chinese/Chinese American/Canadian culture was interwoven in and I loved how intentional and thoughtful they were. I enjoyed every minute reading this romcom. Truly and adorable read, quick read, that gave me all the sweet serendipity vibes.

I’m grateful to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for an eARC copy for a candid review.

Thank you to Forever publishing and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest feedback!

Red String Theory is a charming rom-com about two star-crossed lovers, a woman whose life is guided by her belief in the red-string of fate finds her perfect match—but his skepticism about true love puts a knot in their chances.

I adored this book! The dreamy first “date”, the BANTER, the discussion of fate and science, and the FOOD! 🥟. It is the perfect winter romance.
🏮FMC String Artist with a strong belief in Red String Theory of predetermined fate
🏮MMC NASA science engineer with a strong belief in choice
🏮NYC and California cross country settings
🏮Dual POVs
🏮Chinese-American cultural and food emphasis
🏮Endearing secondary characters (family and friendships)
🏮Second Chance romance
🏮Closed door 🚪

Lunar Love was one of my favorite books of 2023 so Red String Theory was highly anticipated, and it did not disappoint! I love this gem of a book!

Rooney believes in the Chinese Red String of Fate. Jack believes we all make choices. Can these two opposites test the theory of fate once and for all?! ❤️

I love the way this book connects science & art and fate & choice. Rooney & Jack are the perfect blend of sweet & hilarious, with banter that had me smiling to myself and laughing out loud. As I was reading, I felt like I was exploring NYC, NASA, and even their own beliefs with them. This is such a unique love story brought to life. 🥰

Read for:
✨ Fated mates
🫶🏻 Opposites attract
🚀 Art meets science/NASA
💕 Serendipity vibes

Also, make sure you are following @laurenkjessen! She is so kind and fun (& a Swiftie! 🤩) and I love connecting with her! She is definitely an auto buy author for me now!

Thank you so much to @netgalley & @readforeverpub for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

So excited to have had the opportunity to read this ARC. This was a wholesome rom com type story of two star crossed lovers - Jack and Rooney. Jack an engineer who is a firm believer in science, reading data and free choice. Rooney is an artist, a free spirit, and is all about signs and fate. Do you believe in fate? I loved all the Chinese / Chinese American references from food, to language, to cultural festivals and to Rooney wearing red all the time. Funny story, my mom one bought me two weeks worth of red clothing for good luck. Read this one if you like second chance romance / opposites attract / science vs fate / great banter / story set in NYC and LA / ice cream and dumplings / snow globes and art / artists. I definitely recommend this read - I liked it a lot. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love fiction books that include real life history or legends because then I could spend an absurd amount of time googling and learning something I was unfamiliar with. The New York/LA backdrops were great helped set the setting for the characters. The journey between Rooney and Jack was swoon worthy, the amount of times they met in a single day is quite frankly fate even if Jack doesn't acknowledge it.

Red String Theory by Lauren Kung-Jessen is an electric & refreshing romance that will make you believe in love & just might make you believe in fate. A chance encounter leads two strangers on one unforgettable night that changes their lives forever.

This is the type of story that gave me that butterfly feeling as I read. It left me with hope & that makes this story a gift.

This is the second Lauren Kung-Jessen book I’ve read & I will continue to read everything they write. The connections& the chemistry this pair had was undeniable. The quick banter was there right from the begin & it had me grinning as I read.

Red String Theory is perfect for fans of..
❤️Opposites Attract
❤️NASA Engineer Meets Artist
❤️Forced Proximity

If you are looking for a captivating beautiful novel that you won’t want to put down, I highly recommend Red String Theory!


Massive thanks to NetGalley & Forever Publishing for the gifted copy, which I voluntarily read & reviewed.

I will post on my social media soon & add links once I do.

Rooney is a strong believer of fate, so much so that she created an art installation to represent the Chinese legend that everyone is connected to their true love by the red string of fate. The day of her installation, she meets Jack and spends the most perfect day with him. But when the phone number he gave her was actually a wrong number, she begins to question that belief in fate. Until they are somehow reconnected months later for work.

I loved this story and the way it makes you think about fate. The juxtaposition of Jack’s science mind and Rooney’s strong belief in faith, and how their beliefs shaped their lives was so interesting. As was watching how they began to understand each other’s views the more time they spent together. I loved them as a couple and thought they complimented each other perfectly. Also, the way Chinese culture was seamlessly woven into the characters and the story was perfectly done.

Thank you to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy.

✨ fate vs science
✨ Chinese mythology
✨ set in NYC
✨ opposites attract
✨ red bean ice cream

Rooney, an artist and Jack, an engineer are opposites in their passions and beliefs. They meet one day in New York City and against all odds, run into each other again that night. They end up having a spontaneous whirlwind date night exploring the city. They have deep meaningful conversations about fate, destiny, and more. Despite their differences, there's an obvious connection between them. Before going their separate ways, Rooney gets Jack's phone number but there's a mix up and without knowing many personal details, they seem to be lost to each other forever. Or will fate intervene and bring them back together?

I'm definitely more of a Jack but I loved creative and hopeful Rooney's character. I loved the descriptions of her art and her complex relationship with her mom. My favorite character was Jack's grandpa who loves to make ice cream. The author included a recipe for red bean ice cream at the end. I have it saved and hope I'll be brave enough to try and make it one of these days!

The romance was lacking something for me in the chemistry department. I'm not sure if the burn was too slow or if lacking spice affected my feelings. I did like them as a couple but I just wish there would have been more sparks between them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Red String Theory by Lauren Kong Jessen
Contemporary romance. Alternating 1st person POV. Own voices.
Rooney Gao believes in Fate, specifically the Red String of Fate, and signs of destiny. She creates art based on that belief. She meets Jack Liu at a print shop and gives him her red scarf that she’s been making. They meet again later that evening and launch a Chinese lantern and then chase it around New York City. They’ve decided not to talk about work and instead have an adventure that lasts the night. They fall a little in love but end up losing each other to technology. Six months later Rooney gets a job with NASA and once again finds Jack. Maybe this time they can change their ending.

Rooney believes in Fate. Jack believes in choice. How do they reconcile their beliefs?

Charming and romantic with underlying messages of self confidence and openness.
It was a fun journey following Rooney and Jack as they fell for each other both the first night and later as they are working together. It’s sweet and just a bit adorable. I love New York and it’s never ending spin of life and clearly Rooney loves it as well.
Wèishéme shì wǒ? = Why me? This is a mandarin saying but both characters are of Chinese descent. Rooney uses this phrase several times in the story and I found it fitting in a profound way.

A Readers Guide and questions at the end along with a couple of recipes including Red Bean Ice Cream.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Y’all know Lunar Love was a favorite of 2023 so I had to check out Red String Theory by @laurenkjessen

In this charming rom-com about two star-crossed lovers, a woman whose life is guided by her belief in the red-string of fate finds her perfect match—but his skepticism about true love puts a knot in their chances.

Just a date . . . or a twist of fate?

First of all the meet cute for Jack and Rooney had me feeling all nostalgic for the movie Serendipity. Did you watch that one? So good! I totally related to Jack’s strait laced/rationale way of thinking. 🤣 It was so interesting to see how Rooney loosened him up and showed him how fate can also intervene. The way their personalities complimented each other was just the sweetest. I also enjoyed learning a bit about space. 👩‍🚀 Did you know the sunset on Mars is blue?!?!

One of my fave parts is the little nod to Lunar Love… Olivia & Bennett forever 💕

Overall this was a sweet serendipitous read! Thank you @readforeverpub for the complimentary copy!

What a cute thoughtfully written book. If you like the movie Serendipity then you should read this. In my opinion it is that movie as a show POV book within Chinese-American culture.

Jack is a NASA scientist who believes in facts and choices. Rooney is an artist who believes in fate and a one true love. They meet for one amazing evening no and then fate keeps them apart until she is chosen for NASA’s artist in residence program.

I enjoyed seeing these two interact and how she helps Jack broaden his scope, try new things and evolve into someone other than a doormat. Rooney was so carefree and Jack grounded but inspired her in good ways.
Loved the Chinese-American culture in this book from stringmates to lantern and baby choosing ceremonies to food. Jack and Rooney each represent a different take on how they both raised Chinese-American but differently. It fit them well not like checking boxes to make it fit. So well incorporated! I also really enjoyed how the author incorporated science and fate and how it all intermingles. Sounds quite complex yet simple at the same time.

Thank you to Forever Publishing via NetGalley for the arc of this cute book!

This was a cute rom-com about two individualized who cross paths whose lives become intertwined by by the red string theory of fate. Rooney our FMC= wants to set her own path in the world as an artist (separating herself from her famous artist mom) who believes in Red String Theory. She meets Jack our MMC-he is smart and successful but does not believe in Fate (Red String Theory). Their fateful first encounter has them enjoying an adventuress night out in New York only to end up being unsuccessfully able to reconnect immediately after. Until an opportunity presents itself for both of them to reunite- that will test both of their beliefs in the red string theory.

This book was enjoyable to read and I do like that that it is dual POVs. I really connected with Jack's character as a person that is also not always convinced of beliefs in fate and is logical. I understood where he was coming from and his hesitations not only with pursuing his feelings for Rooney. Overall I felt that his character had a lot of growth.

I found this book a little slow at the start, but stick with it, it’s totally worth it. Once we got to Rooney and Jack’s night in NYC, I was hooked on the story. And so mad when they lost touch.

The chemistry is real, the romance is sweet. All of those aspects of the book are great. But there’s a lot more going on here, and it really gives the story so much depth. It’s not about art vs science. Jack’s work at NASA and rooney’s art installations show how they blend beautifully.

The main conflict here is fate versus choice. What we believe. How that colors our perceptions and relationships and even our fears. In different moments, I found myself agreeing with both Rooney and Jack, which maybe was the point. Sometimes life isn’t black and white, and what we believe can evolve just like anything else.