Another 5 Star read from Lauren Kung Jessen!

In this follow up novel - once more this author does a beautiful job integrating and educating on cultural values and top tier romance.

"To some, like you, life is the sequence of choices you make when you decide how to live it. Small decisions add up. For others, it's the individual moments that have meaning. Both are right."

In this romance... our leads have opposing views on this. Rooney believes in fate, while Jack believes in choice. How does this impact their journey?

The way that fate is described and written about in this one really made me DEEPLY think. I LOVE when authors are able to provoke such reactions from me. Red String Theory will have everyone wondering more about their own lives once they are through with this one. 10/10 recommend checking this author out and experiencing her brilliance!

This book was just “meh” for me. I felt like I was reading it because I had to finish it instead of reading it because I wanted to finish it. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was.

Fate brought me this beautiful rom com that easily has become my most favorite closed door romance novels that I have read in a long time.

The book follows two Chinese American protagonists who meet through a string of fated events. This book is charming and playful. I smiled the entire time I read it and that smile is lingering. And, even though this is a closed door romance, let me tell you the sexual tension is hot. I savored every morsel.

The book was released in January 9, 2024 and I simply cannot recommend this book enough.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and the author Lauren Kung Jessen for giving me this ARC.

This was the sweetest, slow-burn romance! I loved Jack and Rooney and how their relationship unfurled amidst the magic that is fate and Rooney's belief in string mates--two people, soulmates, connected by a single piece of red thread that are destined to be together and Jack's belief in science, theories, facts, and choice NOT fate. It was interesting to see how the two were so different yet the same, how they complemented the other, and how they seamlessly blended their individual interests of art, fate, science, and choice together. If you're looking for a sweet read, look no further!

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own.

Reasons why you should read Red String Theory:

- You enjoy supporting Asian American authors.
- You prefer closed door romances.
- You love themes of FATE, second-chance romance, and star-crossed lovers.
- You are intrigued by the Chinese legend of the red string of fate.
- You appreciate a cute romcom with dual POV.
- You liked Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren and Invisible String by Meg Jones.
- You liked Serendipity (movie with John Cusack)

If you resonate with any of the above…definitely add this one to your TBR! If you didn’t get a chance to read LKJ’s 2023 release, Lunar Love, that’s OK. There are some references to that story, but this book can be read as a standalone.

I received a review copy from the publishers. All opinions are my own.

You rarely find a story that you can relate to. Red String Theory was one of those books for me. The integration of romance and science is my ideal combination.

Another joy of this book was the growth of both of the characters. Jack became less logical (which I need to do regarding all types of relationships), and Rooney was able to see things more rationally.

I can only hope that one day I can find my stringmate.

Super sweet and endearing second novel from Lauren Kung Jensen! I love the fate vs science themes going on in the novel and Rooney and Jack were so heartfelt.

I think it was a little cheesy, but aren’t all romance novels?

Loved the feature from Olivia and Bennett too from LKJ’s first novel.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I love the idea of the Red String of Fate and how all of Rooney's art installations related to it. I also really liked learning about some of the traditions that I'd never heard of before.

Jack and Rooney are perfect together. They each bring out different things in each other that the other needs. Especially Jack who started the book very controlled and not spontaneous in the slightest and by the end he changes himself for the better with Rooney's influence.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved this book! It was so sweet and heartwarming, and really made me smile. I loved the characters and the development they had by the end. The pacing of the book was great, although sometimes I felt like the descriptions and explanations of fate and red string theory were a little redundant. Overall a great read!

Thank you #partner @readforeverpub @netgalley for my #gifted galley of Red String Theory!

I absolutely adored Lunar Love, and I'm so happy to report that Lauren Kung Jessen's sophomore novel, Red String Theory, hooked me as well!
Rooney is an artist who believes everyone is tethered to their one true love, their soulmate, by the Red String of Fate. When she meets Jack, a NASA engineer, at a New York City printing shop, she secretly hopes that fate has brought them together, and when they cross each other's paths again later that day at a lantern ceremony, her hope morphs into belief. But logical Jack believes in choice over fate. Can Rooney convince him that they are meant to be and that he is her stringmate, or will their connection unravel?

This was the sweetest romance! I loved how Rooney and Jack met - it felt very Serendipity to me, and the fact that they bumped into each other again the same day, were paired at a lantern ceremony, and followed their lantern's path together was charming and chill-inducing!
I'm a big believer in fate and a hopeless romantic, but also appreciate science, so the fact that Red String Theory pulled together the themes of science, art, mythology, and fate brought joy to my heart. I loved that Rooney was the ying to Jack's yang; the romance to his logic; the fanciful to his straight-and-narrow. They truly brought out the best in each other, and watching them work through their own emotional baggage alongside one another while learning how to be together was heartwarming.

If you appreciate star-crossed lovers, lovable characters, science, art, and Chinese mythology, this one is for you! It would make a great Lunar New Year read, and is the perfect read to pick you up, warm your heart, and put a smile on your face!

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.5 ⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Contemporary romance📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
A sweet and wholesome read

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Themes of fate vs choice
Closed door romance
Alternating POV
Own voices
Second chance romance
The book Soulmate Equation
Romantic comedies

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
All the cultural representation
STEM rep

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
A little slow but it did help build the tension

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:
★ “To some, like you, life is the sequence of choices you make when you decide how to live it. Small decisions add up. For others, it's the individual moments that have meaning. Both are right.”
★ “May fate bring us close enough to choose.”

Such a sweet read about fate and romance. I love how the MCs get involved in each others interests and how they’re also both trying to make their own way in their professional work. Really enjoyed this read, it helped to melt my cynic heart!

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and Forever/Hachette Audio for the gifted e-book/audiobook! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Star crossed lovers, multicultural cast

Loved this book. It's cute, funny, and sweet. I received both the audiobook and ebook. I ended up ditching the audiobook because the male narrator was way too robotic to me. There was no chemistry in the audiobook. The book, however, reads much smoother. The characters are more likable. I highly recommend this!

Freaking PERFECTION. 10/10. This was just so so good. I couldn’t get enough of it and wanted a thousand more pages of this.

The meet cute and first 20% of the book really hooked me, I was invested.

Rooney, a string artist hoping for her ‘big break’, and Jack, a NASA engineer, meet by chance (or is it fate?) in NYC and spend the rest of the day/night together.

They lose touch only to reconnect 6 months later.

Self-exploratory journey that looks at fate vs. choice and how different people believe in it.

Want to know something funny? I learned about this book because I read about the Red String of Fate legend in a YA book. I actually went to go look up more about it and I found this book. And I had already read Jessen’s debut book, so I just went ahead and added it because I knew I was going to want to read it lol

So I thought Lunar Love was just ok. I wanted more of them together. So when I listened to this one, I was so happy to see them have so much more time together. And even though they were both on opposite sides with their beliefs, I thought they were the cutest! I think that may have been because of Rooney. She was so cute and she was an artist. I love the way the author incorporated the actual string and the theory into their love story. It was so original and so authentic. I also loved the way they got together. They may have had different beliefs, but it seemed like they were just explaining the same thing, but through their own eyes. It absolutely gagged me that they were basically just describing the same events, but in different ways. When they finally came together to compromise and let the other in, they created magic. And I LOVED that.

The plot of this one moved much faster in than the previous one. And there was much more going on too. I guess it was because it was art, but I was so invested. I’m not an artist, but I wish I could have seen her art. (I actually read another book last year that had red string out in public and I’m glad to have this good representation now.) And I loved how daring she was too. She didn’t immediately start out that way, but she worked up to it and even for that small thing, I was impressed.

The characters in this are also a big part of why I enjoyed this. Her mom was hilarious! I don’t think I would have enjoyed her art as much (because WEIRD) but I’m still all for creative expression lol Jack’s grandfather was also an absolute delight. The other minor characters were also good. And that’s how I knew that I was hella into it. Liv and Bennett were also there! I was glad to see the new things they had going on in their lives. It was super cute.

This book was so cute. I was not expecting to like this one as much as I did. I was fully expecting to read another book like the last. But it was really that and so much more. I hope you’ll go pick up both of them!

An artist and an engineer meet and spend a magical night exploring New York City together before going their separate ways. He ends up back in California while she continues her life in New York. When their paths next cross, they still feel that gravitational pull between them, but circumstances keep them from pursuing a relationship. Are they truly connected by the mythical red string of fate if there are obstacles that keep them apart? Can they trust their love for each other?

Lauren Kung Jessen writes such cozy love stories. I adored watching Jack and Rooney fall in love in this one and watching them both grow as individuals as well. The grand gesture at the end warmed my heart.

I especially enjoyed the discussions of and meditations on fate and free will throughout the book. Rooney feels strongly that she and Jack are tied together by that red string. Jack feels like life is a series of choices.

I wish I had a wise Gōng Gong in my life to dispense wisdom and help guide me like Jack does. This quote especially stuck with me:
“‘The only difference between fate and free will is perspective,’ Gōng Gong says. ‘To some, like you, life is the sequence of choices you make when you decide how to live it. Small decisions add up. For others, it’s the individual moments that have meaning. Both are right.’”

If you’re a fan of all those small moments that add up to a big love in a romance, this one is for you.

I received an advance copy of the ebook from Forever and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Red String Theory is a delightful book to read and includes art, space, magic and romance . They keep avoiding a relationship and in the end they realize what their true feelings are for each other. Gravity keeps pulling them together and they keep trying to move in opposite directions. Rooney and Jack are great characters and I highly recommend this book and also her first book Lunar Love which carries characters from that first book into her second novel. Bravo Lauren and look forward to reading your third novel in the future.🙋‍♀️🇨🇦❤️👏👏👏📚

This was such a fun story! I enjoyed the discussion of fate and art throughout the story! The concept of the romance in this one is so interesting and it kept me engaged the whole story! I enjoyed learning about the asian-american culture throughout the book!I loved Jessens writing style and will definitely be checking out her first book! This is a great no steam romance!

The narrators in this one were fantastic! I really liked how they would switch between the narrators during conversations! It made it feel so much more real and authentic.

If you are looking for a sweet rom-com about fate that tasks place in both the STEM and art worlds than this is a great pick!

Red String Theory was very cute! Rooney and Jack meet by chance and then their paths keep crossing - is it fate or choice that keeps bringing these two together? That is the question they keep asking themselves. Rooney is an artist and believes that her "stringmate" is out there and she just needs to let the signs led her to them. Jack, a systems engineer at NASA needs more concrete evidence for all decisions he makes. Despite their differences, these two have great chemistry and you're rooting for them the whole book.

I liked the coast to coast setting, combination of the art world and NASA and the couple as they were easy to root for. Something about this book was harder for me to read I'm not sure if it was the style or the space talk or the fate theories that went over my head but I feel like I definitely missed some of the nuances of the story.

That being said I still really enjoyed the story and would go back and try this author's first book.

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