3.5⭐️

An absolutely endearing story with a dash of swoon and stardust. I adored Lunar Love and was so excited to dive into Lauren’s newest novel. The topics of art and space were beautifully intertwined with discussions of fate, choice, family, and love, and Lauren painted stunning visuals against the backdrops of NYC and LA. Lauren gives a fun, while honest and vulnerable peek inside the creative process - the observations, relationships, moments, and beauty in even the smallest of places that spark inspiration.

This exploration of fate and choice was well balanced and was wonderfully represented in Rooney and Jack’s characters - Rooney being more spontaneous, creative, and believing in signs, whereas Jack was more matter of fact and believed “you make your own fate.” In peeling back their layers, there was such tenderness and vulnerability in how Rooney and Jack approached life and love. It was wonderful to witness their growth and how they, in time, were able to reach a place where they took chances on the unknown - people, opportunities, and their hopes and dreams - and became active participants in their lives, not fearing but enjoying the magic that transpired.

While the burn and overall pacing might have been a tad too slow for me personally, this was still very sweet and I loved the message of family, possibility, and love.

If you loved Lunar Love as much as I did, you will absolutely adore Red String Theory! It's very similar in themes as to the movie Past Lives, so if you liked that, too, you'll love this book! It's so hard not to fall in love with these characters because of her writing. You can feel the chemistry between the characters just leap off the page!

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher's for this Advanced Readers Copy of Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book! Here is my honest review:

If you’re a fan of romantic comedies and slow-burn romances, this book is for you.

Red String Theory follows optimistic struggling artist and New Yorker, Rooney Gao, who sets out to buy back a video of her birth that has been sold as a work of art. She is an idealist who believes in fate and the Red String Theory which inspired her latest art installation, Entangled. She meets Jack Liu who’s in town for work and these two instantly connect, despite seeming like complete opposites at first. Their connection really shines in their endless banter and how they open themselves up to the other’s mindset.

I love how their relationship plays out. Their dynamic reminds me a lot of my favorite romcoms - no drama, just factors in their lives pulling them apart and fate (and their choices) bringing them back together. There were moments where I basked in their connection and other times where I wanted to shake them both but I suppose that is what kept me invested in their story.

Another thing I appreciated was the lovely relationship between Rooney and her mom. As an Asian-American myself, it was refreshing to see a healthy mother-daughter relationship in which both are honest and communicative with each other as well as equally proud of their culture and actively practicing the language together.

Although this took me a while to read, I’m glad I read it and would recommend this to my friends who also enjoy a good romcom.

"Red String Theory" by Lauren Kung Jessen is a heartwarming rom-com that revolves around the concept of fate and the red string of destiny, telling the tale of two star-crossed lovers.

Rooney Gao is an artist who finds inspiration in the idea that everyone is connected to their true love by the red string of fate, a Chinese legend. Her art installations often revolve around this theme. However, when she faces a creative block, she begins to question the very beliefs that have driven her career.

Then, fate intervenes, and she meets Jack Liu. Jack appears to be the perfect man – smart, successful, handsome, and charming. Their initial encounter during an enchanting night in New York seems like destiny itself. But here's the twist: Jack doesn't believe in the concept of fate. After their magical date, it appears that their paths might never cross again. However, the universe gives them one more chance to reconnect.

The story explores the clash between a firm believer in fate and someone who's skeptical. It's a delightful exploration of love and destiny with a lighthearted touch. Rooney's determination to convince Jack to embrace the idea of fate makes for an engaging and heartwarming narrative. Their journey is not just about the possibility of love but also the possibility of changing one's beliefs.

"Red String Theory" is a charming and entertaining read that will resonate with fans of romantic comedies. It captures the essence of the red string of fate concept and the idea that sometimes, love has a way of finding us even when we're skeptical. Readers who enjoy stories of serendipity, fate, and the magic of unexpected love will find this novel a delightful and heartening addition to their reading list.

Pub date: 1/9/24
Genre: romance, ownvoices
Quick summary: Artist Rooney believes in the concept of soulmates connected by the red string of fate. When she meets Jack, they'll test the theory that the string may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.

I loved Lauren Kung Jessen's previous book, LUNAR LOVE, and the concept of the red string is a great basis for a novel. As an art history fan, I enjoyed Rooney's large-scale art installations and her struggle with artistic inspiration, as well as living in the shadow of her famous artist mother. Scientist Jack provided a nice counterpoint to Rooney, setting up discussions of fate vs. choice. This one was a little too much of a slow burn for me to love it as much as LUNAR LOVE, but clean romance fans will likely enjoy this one!

Thank you to Forever Publishing for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had such a cute plot. I loved the idea of fate and the red string theory. As an asian american, seeing this culture and visibility is so rewarding and inspiring. I loved all the interactions between Rooney and Jack. This was such a slow burn, however, the chemistry was a little bit of a let down for me. It read more as YA than romance and I was hoping for more progression in their relationship. I did enjoy the epilogue and all the character growth.

This book is a cute cozy romance and will be perfect for those who don’t want any spice or open door scenes.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 stars

As a Chinese person myself, I actually never heard of the Red String Theory, so that's why I wanted to pick it up. We follow Rooney Gao (an artist) and Jackson Liu (a NASA scientist based in California). The two protagonists meet in New York City where Rooney is holding an outside art exhibit depicting the red string theory. Jack doesn't quite believe in fate being that he's a scientist and only sees the world through facts and data. However that same day, they bump into each other and end up spending the night hanging out.

Is it fate? Maybe. Jack gives Rooney his number, but as expected, the number is wrong, so they lose communication after Jack leaves New York City to return to California for his job. Five months later, they bump into each other yet again when Jack accidentally hires Rooney for a NASA/artistic program. (Context: Rooney is an anonymous artist, so Jack thought he was hiring this anonymous artist.) Fate has brought these two back together again, so will they or won't they end up together?

General thoughts: I really liked the concept of this book. Normally I'm more like Jack where I don't quite believe in fate, but sometimes I do wonder if something like a red string attaching you to your person is a real thing. Sometimes I think about that with my current partner. I love the incorporation of Chinese culture and family dynamics since we need more diversity in books! It also goes back and forth between Jack's and Rooney's POV so you get to see them work through their feelings and such. However, I wasn't a huge fan of Jack and Rooney as a couple. There is nothing wrong with them; it's just that I didn't connect with them.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it to people!

Rooney and Jack are such sweet characters! I love the fate vs choice theme that is woven so well into the plot. My favorite part was the clear communication between the main characters. No miscommunication happening here!! Red String Theory is a clean romance and imo the perfect lighthearted read 😊

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an ARC in exchange for an honest review! Pub date Jan 9, 2024

When it comes to love and art, Rooney Gao believes in signs. Most of all, she believes in the Chinese legend that everyone is tied to their one true love by the red string of fate. That belief has inspired her career as an artist, as well as the large art installations she makes with red strings. That is, until artist’s block strikes and Rooney begins to question everything.

But then fate leads her to Jack Liu, who is perfect. He’s absurdly smart, successful, handsome, and after one enchanting New York night, all signs point to destiny. Only Jack doesn’t believe. After their magical date, it looks like they might be lost to each other forever, until they’re given one more chance to reconnect. But can Rooney convince a reluctant Jack to take a leap of fate?

Rooney and Jack are perfect for each other. I love the dichotomy of her faith in legend and tradition and his being grounded in science and free will. The battle of the ages! Beautifully written with wonderfully relatable characters, I really enjoy reading novels that are from different cultures from mine. It was delightful watching Rooney and Jack connect!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

Red String Theory is a delight to read. The dialogue is fantastic. I loved everything about this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

3.5 stars. I’m an outlier here, but I didn’t really connect with this book which meant it took me a while to get through. That said, it was unique and I believe others may easily find themselves endeared to it.

Rooney believes in signs and fate, particularly in the idea of love and having a ‘stringmate’ destined for her. Jack is a practical thinker who believes in choice over fate and relies on science and fact to guide him. The two of them have a chance meeting and their lives intertwine over time in a way that leads to possibilities that have both questioning all they thought they knew.

There is a lot of deep thought debating the idea of fate vs. choice throughout this book. I appreciated the unique story being told here and the concept of Jack’s scientific job at NASA melding with Rooney’s artistic endeavors. I’m all for something standing out and flexing creativity. However, I struggled with the pacing and had a hard time feeling engaged in the story. While I appreciated the ways Rooney and Jack’s interactions had them questioning the concepts they’d always subscribed to in life, I didn’t really feel a strong connection between them until maybe the last 15% of the book.

I can see the beauty in this story and really enjoyed the conclusion, I just had to work pretty hard to push through and get there.

Thank you to to NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I really loved the author's first book, "Lunar Love" so I was overjoyed to see the ARC of "Red String Theory" available to read! The book is a cute story and great for fans of romance books with great meet cutes. If you enjoyed "Lunar Love" you will enjoy this book as well and need to add it to your "to read" list ASAP! The NASA and space details in the story are so fun and you can tell a lot of research went into the character of Jack to make sure everything was accurate involing his job at NASA. I learned so much in this book between that and learning about the red string theory. The book goes back and forth from the 2 main character's perspectives which I really enjoyed instead of just reading the story from one side. I loved the little connection to "Lunar Love" as well (you do not need to have read "Lunar Love" to read this book though). I love this book so much and I can't wait to see what the author writes next!
Hightly recommend this book, especially if you are looking for a cute, lighthearted romance!

Lauren Kung Jessen has lovely writing. I really enjoyed her MC, Rooney. Unfortunately, this book didn’t grab me. I feel like the pacing was a bit slow for me. But I know the romance community will DEVOURE this one!

This book had outer space and what was essentially fated mates and I’m obsessed! Two books in and Lauren has become an auto read author. The way she fuses the love story with culture is beautiful.
It was the ultimate slow burn but it was the most fun to read. Swoony and sweet!

I'd love to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance at this super clean, super cute story about fate, science, and love.

Since becoming a new fan of Chinese dramas (cdramas) I've become exposed to the 'red string' tale. It's sweet, and I love that the author used it as the basis of her story. We have two characters - one who believes in the power of 'fate' and the other, a worker at NASA, who believes in the power of science. Can these two people fall in love? Can they allow both of their 'studies' influence the other?

I loved Jack and I loved Rooney. Little did I know this was in the same universe as the previous book, Lunar Love, but it is! So you do get to see where that couple ended up. While I found that book to be not so good in the execution (enemies to lovers), this one was perfect. There was no 'beating around the bush' so to speak, you had two people who liked one another but due to their past and experiences with the loved ones in their lives, they cling heavily to their beliefs (fate and science / fact).

This book would make an EXCELLENT adaption for cinemas. While reading it I kept picturing Yang Yang as Jack and Bai Lu or Lusi as Rooney. I really am glad I gave this author another chance, and I hope people pick the book up to not only support her but feel that a romance book can be as sweet without sex scenes or heavy petting.

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

Personal review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A sophomore novel from Lauren Kung Jessen, author of Lunar Love, a book of the month romance favorite- this book was well written, and so fun to read. Full of culture, character development, art, and science - I really enjoyed every aspect of this novel. Starting in New York City where Rooney, the freelance artist and firm believer in fate, meets Jack, the NASA scientist, and a firm believer in that. They meet over the Chinese New Year and suffer the trope of a missed connection. But fate brings them back together in Hollywood, as a forbidden love. This book was magical, adorable, light, and fun! Thank you @netgalley and @foreverbooks for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: When it comes to love and art, Rooney Gao believes in signs. Most of all, she believes in the Chinese legend that everyone is tied to their one true love by the red string of fate. And that belief has inspired her career as an artist, as well as the large art installations she makes with (obviously) red string. That is until artist’s block strikes and Rooney begins to question everything. But then fate leads her to the perfect guy . . . Jack Liu is perfect. He’s absurdly smart, successful, handsome, and after one enchanting New York night—under icy February skies and fueled by fried dumplings—all signs point to destiny. Only Jack doesn’t believe. And after their magical date, it looks like they might be lost to each other forever . . . until they’re given one more chance to reconnect. But can Rooney convince a reluctant skeptic to take a leap of fate?

Rooney is and artist who believes her life is guided by fate. Jack works for NASA and believes that you decide your destiny. They run into each other and what follows is the most beautiful love story.

I loved the Chinese American representation and the description of their traditions. This was such a beautiful love story!! Jack and Rooney were lovable and relatable.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

AAHHHH THIS WAS EVERYTHING!!!
As someone who loves the concept of fate and soulmates, this book was such a perfect read that captured literally every single thought I have on the subject.
"Red String Theory" was my first Jessen book, and let me tell you her writing style did not disappoint. She writes beautifully. Characters, and places, took life in front of my eyes so easily, that I was so transported into this world and just couldn't stop reading, I really enjoyed how clever she was in dropping casual signs of Rooney and Jack being somewhat connected, like her Mars painting or his project casually being named FATE. Their love story was overall so dreamy. It was the perfect balance of puns, and bickering, but also deep conversations and confessions. I loved how they complimented each other, but still found a way to meet in the middle for the sake of their relationship - COMMUNICATION IS THE KEY!!!. The dialogues weren't the usual cliche-filled romance novel type of interaction, which I really appreciated.
ANYWAY, "Red String Theory" captured my heart, and now I'm just here waiting for my Jack to casually bump into me so that we can live our universe-fated romance.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!

I absolutely adored this book. Not only did it have great characters, who I loved following in their personal journeys as well as their one together, but it had so much more. This story had beautiful imagery that transported you to the places in the book. I felt like I could truly see the beautiful art that Rooney makes. The descriptions in the book were so rich that I felt like I was in the simulated gravity along with Jack and Rooney. I loved the themes it explored about fate and choice, and how so much in our lives may happen by chance, but we can make meaning from it. I absolutely adored the science in this book as well because it brought a little something extra for me, especially since I’m a science teacher who loves all things mentioning science. I have so many quotes I loved from this book, I swear I highlighted so much of it. I am happy to say that Lauren’s second book captured my heart even more than the first, which I didn’t think was possible. Also I loved the special reference to the first book in there too, so that was an added treat. I could keep going, but I’ll wrap it up with this: if you’re looking for a beautiful story that explores the idea of love & fate with two smart, funny characters then this is your next read.