Thank you @readforeverpub for a copy of this sweet romance. I love the start of this story with the chance meeting with Rooney and Jack and their one day in NYC. They meet up again a year later to work on a project that mixes science and art. I love how the story of fate and science is woven throughout the story. Their banter was great and I love seeing both of their growth journey. It was also fun to see Bennett and Olivia make an appearance in this too.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I really liked Lauren Kung Jessen’s debut this past year, so I was eager to see what she’d have to offer with her second book, Red String Theory. And while I was impressed with the concept, exploring the idea of soulmates from a Chinese cultural context, the book didn’t do a ton of the heavy lifting to make me feel that the central couple actually fit together.
I did like how both leads grappled with the concept, with Rooney believing in it, yet also struggling with the concept of fate dictating her life in other areas, and Jack being more cynical. On paper, both of them come from perfect contrasting places to help inform the other’s worldview. But I often felt like there wasn’t so much at stake for me to really care for them being together or not. I wasn’t expecting world-ending stakes, given the genre, but given they’re pitched as soulmates and “star-crossed lovers,” I wanted a bit more to the conflict than the sole focus on their contrasting perspectives. Their romantic chemistry was also rather lacking, and while I don’t mind it being closed-door, low-heat, that doesn’t equal “no heat,” which is what we got here.
This more introspective take also drew out the romance, making it very much a slow-burn. And there’s a couple of time jumps, which didn’t help in maintaining my investment either. While I liked the subtle way it incorporated the Chinese mystical elements, it lacked the “magic” I really need from a romance.
While I was underwhelmed by this book, there’s a lot of potential here, and I’m hopeful for Lauren Kung Jessen’s future releases. If you’re in the mood for a lower-heat slow-burn contemporary romance that explores Chinese mysticism and its role in the modern secular world, I do recommend giving it a try to see if it works better for you.

I personally loved this book with my whole entire heart. This was my first time reading Lauren's work and it absolutely won't be the last.

This was truly such a joy to read. The entire book surrounds themes of fate with the contrast of timing. As someone who is an incredibly nostalgic person and who strongly believes in fate within the universe, I felt the novel was so heartwarming and hopeful.

Lauren's writing is truly fantastic!!! Her dialogue is so funny, witty and perfectly encompasses the participation of fate within the first meeting between Rooney and Jack. Their whole friendship had me smiling so hard and giggling the entire time. I loved the differences yet similarities between Rooney and Jack. I loved their constant support and positivity on their respective lives.

I also just LOVED all of the space, artistic, and cultural representation throughout the book. It made for a fun time reading and I truly felt transported in their world.

Also they literally only kiss twice and the tension was personally everything to me!

Overall, this is moving up to one of my favorite reads of the year!

Thank you Lauren Kung Jessen, Forever, and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a sweet romance! Rooney and Jack were precious. I loved their first night in New York together and how they continued to see each other in the most unlikely of circumstances. Rooney’s belief of stringmates and the Red String of Fate was so awesome. She has held on to this belief and hope since her mother first taught her about it, and she has used this in her art and hope for a future relationship. Jack is full of facts and puns about space and has a desire for control in all aspects of his life. After he meets Rooney, she turns his world upside down! I loved it. They see each other for who they are.

I also loved all of the moments at NASA! So many cool places that Rooney got to experience with Jack.

A solid second book from LKJ! I really enjoyed the premise of the book; a unique take on fate and how its intertwined with science and art. Jessen's writing is great here and while it was a little too slow burn for me, I did like Rooney and Jack together. Their late night in NYC was adorable and could easily be featured in a romcom. Excited to see what Jessen puts out next!

I ate this up!!! I am not a big fate believer in real life, but in a book?! I can not get enough!

Rooney was such an easy character to fall in love with and root for, and Lauren writes with such care and humor that I could not put this book down.

I enjoyed Lunar Love, but I LOVED Red String Theory. This was the perfect rom-com for me.

Just like Rooney, I’m obsessed with the idea of fate and serendipity, especially when it comes to love or relationships in general. The idea that someone is destined to be your soulmate? The person at the end of your (invisible red) string? It just sounds magical and scary. I love it. Like yes, it’s almost impossible to achieve, like the odds are almost zero but you never know, right? I loved this book so much. I love how it tackles identity and the skepticism of the red string theory. I love how Rooney and Jack may have different beliefs and perspectives about love but they still understand and respect each other’s beliefs and feelings. And most importantly, they try to understand each other. I love Lauren Kung Jessen’s books, it always makes me feel hopeful. I’m excited to read more of her future works!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Do you believe in fate? What happens when an artist believing in fate meets a scientist who doesn’t believe in fate? What are the odds of them finding each other again and again? Is that fate? Are they string mates according to the Chinese legend which states everyone is tied to their true love by the red string of fate? This book will take you through fate, art, science, Chinese traditions, and above all a sweet love story that will warm your heart.

The story revolves around Roony an artist, who strongly believes in the Red String Theory which has inspired her to become an artist, an artist who uses red strings for her installations. She’s desperate to make a journey for herself to stop being overshadowed by her world-famous artist mother. Jack however doesn’t believe in fate. He’s a NASA scientist and relies on facts. He’s smart, handsome, and successful but not very social and is struggling towards building a successful career. They accidentally meet which unravels a series of events that ripple through making them meet each other again. This makes Roony question whether Jack is her string mate while Jack is trying his best not to fall in love with her. But they both keep falling for each other leaving us to wonder whether love is truly a work of fate.

Lauren’s stories are full of warmth and sunshine and make me feel like I belong. This one left me tearful and I cried when I finished. The character development, deep conversations, the settings, the uncertainty of fate, and love were beautifully woven together. I love how the story dives into Chinese culture and loved learning about it all. It made me think about life, fate, and decisions in a way I somehow never thought of before. The ending is so dreamy and heartbreaking at the same time. Beautifully written! What can I say except that I’d keep thinking about this book for a long while to come.

Readforever team, thank you so much for my ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I only liked her first book, Lunar Love, but this one looked good. Unfortunately, I just don't think I was in the right mood to read a romance and couldn't really make it through this. Will hopefully pick this back up later

This was a sweet and thoughtful book. I'm a huge fan of Lauren Kung Jessen and this one did not disappoint! I loved Rooney and Jack's characters. It was nice to see Rooney bring out Jack's personality and be more bold and brave. I think my favorite character was Rooney's mom Wren. She was funny, wise, and full of life!
I think my only complaints were the pacing was slow in the middle. I wanted a little more spark and romance. I also didn't fully understand how Rooney wanted to buy back the video of her birth. I understand the want but not enough to pay tens of thousands. I felt like maybe there needed to be more in it, including more about her father. My other issue was I wish Jack had more on the line. It was really nice to seem him grow as a character but it just didn't feel like there was enough risk with his working and potential relationship with Rooney.
Otherwise the book was very light, inspiring, and warm. I highly recommend it and this author! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the chance to read it!

Rooney Gao has set up an art installation in Washington Park called Entangled. It has to do with the red string of fate. She happens upon Jack at the print shop and they have a meet cute. Later he happens upon the art installation and writes a note to add to the installation. Then they happen to meet again at a Lantern festival party. It ends up being a fantastic night walking around NYC.

I really enjoyed this book. I laughed out loud and cried. I loved learning more about Chinese traditions. I loved Rooney her way about art and life. She brought such joy to the page. A wonderful fantastic book.

What a delightful rom-com and follow up to Lunar Love (which I LOVED). Red String Theory explores questions of fate versus choice and the ways that your perspective in life can influence your beliefs on love. Rooney and Jack were a wonderful and endearing pair, with really powerful chemistry and fun dialogue that had me smiling the whole time. This book also had a wonderful cast of secondary characters that really contributed to the story like Talia, the best friend, and Wren, the mom. I would definitely recommend this to anyone!

Read if you like: Serendipity & Before Sunrise - this book is a perfect mixture of those two movies. Rooney aka RSG aka Red String Girl is an artist based in New York who works on creating anonymous live experiences/exhibits in the city. Rooney believes in signs and fate, and one night fate leads her to meeting Jack Liu, a science based engineer who works at NASA and lives in California. On their one night together in NYC they walk around the city, talking about everything (romantic). Jack doesn’t know that Rooney is Red String Girl, the artist who set up the exhibit he visited earlier in the day. As their thread starts to unravel, fate (or if you ask Jack, coincidence) causes them to meet again in LA.

There’s SO much to this story. It’s a bit slow paced, but there are layers to this story that made it so great. I loved all the fate talk, and the balance with science talk. I loved how Rooney and Jack built their relationship, and just how this story unfolded. Lauren must have done SO much research to write this story, and it was such a treat.

Rooney Gao is a (struggling) artist in New York, known anonymously as "Red String Girl" for her guerrilla-like art installations. One Lunar New Year night, she meets Jack (a NASA engineer from California). While initially attracted to each other, both have very different opinions about fate and science and choice. Were they destined to meet that night or did a series of choices lead them there? Rooney, a true romantic believes in soulmates and the red string of fate connecting them, while the more practical Jack believes making his own fate and not leaving things up to chance but choice. I enjoyed the progression of their relationship and Jessen's writing continued to shine.

"Red String Theory" was whimsy and magical- Lauren Kung Jessen's successful attempt to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump (in my humble opinion) and I will find myself reading all of her future novels, like a gravitational pull.

side note: as an Asian-American girlie in California, I love any time she mentions cities like Alhambra, Pasadena, and Glendale or our dreaded freeways and small CA quirks (the 405, iykyk 😂)

I felt like the magic aspect didn't really work in this book and I had a hard time wrapping my head around the red string aspects of the book even though that's what the whole book is about. Overall, I had a very hard time getting through this book and if I wasn't being offered a galley, I don't think I would have finished it.

I am still grateful to netgalley and the publisher for offering me a company in exchange for an honest review on the book.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I expected to unfortunately, it took me quite some time to get through it. There’s plenty of debate between fate and choice throughout the book, and I can see why many readers would love it. There’s plenty of cute moments and the characters are endearing, however I just couldn’t feel a strong connection to the story.

When spirited artist Rooney runs into stoic engineer Jack not once but twice in New York they spend an unforgettable evening challenging each other and their life philosophies. After typing his number incorrectly Rooney is afraid she will never see Jack again. But when Jack suggests Red String Girl be NASA’s new artist in residence he has no idea Rooney will come back in his orbit. After the shock of seeing each other again Rooney and Jack decide they should keep things strictly professional. But the more time they spend together the more Jack and Rooney can’t seem to deny their chemistry. As they push each other both professionally and personally they must decide whether to leave their relationship up to fate or to be practical about things.

I adored Lauren Kung Jessen’s debut Lunar Love, but this second story I feel is even more spectacular and shows her growth as a writer. Officially an auto-buy author for me!

I love the premise of a romance between one person who strongly believes in fate and another who is very science oriented (and both make their living in part defending their beliefs). Red String Theory brings these two people together in such a beautiful way over the course of year. Set in both NYC and LA, the book is also a love story to Manhattan which, as a lifelong New Yorker, I thought was so well done. Lauren Kung Jessen keeps getting better and I can't wait to see what she delivers next!

Thank you x 10000000 to Forever Publishing for this ARC for my honest review.

"Red String Theory" by Lauren Kung Jessen is an absolute gem! I can't express how much I adored this book, it's a solid 5-star masterpiece that had me completely enthralled. The crazy adventures that Rooney and the gang embark on while she searches for artistic inspiration are nothing short of exhilarating. And the best part? Watching Jack fall head over heels in love was an absolute joy!

What really struck me was the author's skill in seamlessly weaving Chinese culture into the narrative. It was not only cool but also an incredible opportunity to learn and appreciate something new. The concept of being tethered to our one true love by the red string of fate was not just a plot device, it was a heartwarming and poignant theme that ran through the entire story.

Rooney and Jack's connection, rooted in the belief of the red string, is simply enchanting. Their chemistry leaps off the pages, and I couldn't help but swoon during their romantic escapades, particularly that magical New York night under the icy February skies, fueled by fried dumplings.

The ups and downs of their relationship kept me on the edge of my seat, and I couldn't wait to see how they would overcome their obstacles. The book is a beautiful exploration of love, art, and destiny, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who craves a captivating, heartwarming, and utterly delightful read. "Red String Theory" is a book that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page. Trust me, you won't want to miss out on this amazing literary journey!

Tropes:
Workplace Romance (sorta)
Fighting Fate
Grumpy/Reserved x Sunshine/Dreamer
Art x Tech

"Red String Theory," readers are taken on a journey that explores the compelling connection between love, art, and the mysterious red string of fate. Protagonist Rooney Gao firmly believes in the ancient Chinese legend that binds individuals to their one true love through an invisible red string. Inspired by this belief, Rooney, an artist, creates magnificent art installations using the very essence of this legend—red string. However, when a wave of artist's block unexpectedly washes over her, Rooney finds herself questioning the foundation of her artistic and romantic convictions. Enter Jack Liu, a seemingly perfect man who captures Rooney's heart with his intelligence, success, and undeniable charm. Their initial encounter in the enchanting ambiance of New York City, amidst icy February skies and the delightful flavors of fried dumplings, feels like a sign from fate itself. Yet, to Rooney's dismay, Jack remains skeptical about the idea of destiny and the red string that supposedly binds them. With their paths seemingly diverging, it appears as though they may be destined to lose each other forever. However, in a twist of fate, Rooney and Jack are granted another opportunity to reconnect. Determined to bring Jack back into her life, Rooney is faced with the daunting task of convincing a skeptic to take a leap of faith and embrace the belief in their intertwined destinies. Will she succeed in persuading Jack to join her in embracing the red string theory, or will their connection be forever severed? "Red String Theory" delves into the profound exploration of love, artistry, and the enigmatic power of fate. Lauren Kung Jessen masterfully weaves a narrative that not only captivates readers with its tender romance but also prompts introspection about the role of destiny in our lives. Through Rooney's journey of self-discovery and her pursuit of Jack, Jessen raises thought-provoking questions about the influence of belief systems, the nature of signs, and the boundaries of love. Jessen's writing effortlessly conjures vivid imagery, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the enchanting world she has created. The author's portrayal of Rooney's creative process and her art installations, constructed with meticulously woven red strings, adds an additional layer of depth to the story. The symbolism of the red string serves as a beautiful metaphor for the invisible threads that connect us all, reminding readers of the interwoven tapestry of human relationships. "Red String Theory" is an engrossing tale that will appeal to lovers of romance, art, and the mysteries of fate. Lauren Kung Jessen's skillful storytelling and her ability to interlace profound themes with heartfelt emotions make this novel a compelling read. As readers follow Rooney and Jack's journey, they are reminded of the importance of remaining open to the signs and connections that life presents. By the end, "Red String Theory" leaves us pondering the intricacies of love, art, and the remarkable power of believing in the red string of fate.