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.

This was a good read - I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

I did enjoy this but not as much as I enjoyed Lunar Love. I found this to be a bit too cheesy at times, although I really loved the overall concept of the novel.

Red String Theory is a great collaboration between science, art, and romance. I also loved the idea of fate that is interwoven throughout the novel. From the concepts of Rooney's Red String Girl art displays to the acronym for a NASA mission, fate is all around. The fact that Rooney and Jack met is in itself fate.

If you're looking for a steamy romance, this is not the book. If you're looking for a novel full of great connections and heart, Red String Theory is definitely for you. Did this book also make me crave dumplings and ice cream? Yes it most definitely did. From Rooney and Jack to their family and friends, the characters in Red String Theory are extremely lovely. I just want to get together with these people if they were real, because I think we'd have a great old time.

Thank you to Forever for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

I received an E-Arc from Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review.

I was still reading this when the book came out on January 9 2024. I could not stop reading it. It's a must read! You definitely want to pick this book up if you like rom com that's fast paced and tests the theories of fate!

Fate. Life. Love. All those things can throw you in a whirlwind in this story. I really enjoyed how Rooney and Jack connect in so many different ways. They understood each other so well. While those feelings were there they had other goals in mind but do they succeed? Does life get them to where they want to be? 

Each moment had a spark which I loved. I loved their adventures that they had together. You could also see confidence merging from Rooney and Jack as they are together. They make each other strive for the better. I loved that. 

I will say that Rooney's mom, Wren is funny. Oh and I will say that the NASA bit was fascinating to me. 

Such a sweet story that I enjoyed a great deal. It took me a little while to read due to the fact life got in the way but once I got the time, I could not put it down. I had to know what was going to happen: Will they be together? Will they get their goals that they want? Will fate be nice?

Go get this book today to read if you like sweet romance with a touch of fate!

Artist Rooney Gao, guided by the belief in the red string of fate, encounters Jack Liu, a seemingly perfect match. Yet, Jack, a skeptic, challenges destiny after a magical New York night. As their connection faces uncertainty, Rooney must persuade Jack to take a leap of fate for a chance at true love.

“May fate bring us close enough to choose.”

This cozy, literary romance will warm your heart with true delight. It has sweetest micro-tropes: walking around NYC in the winter, the Hollywood sign, art installations, jazz music, adopting a cat, lanterns, and late night dumplings. The feel of this book reminded me a lot of “A Winter in New York” by Josie Silver because of its unique blend of a serious tone with enchanting elements. I learned so much from the Asian-American representation and loved the heartwarming meaning of Jack and Rooney’s connection.

Thank you @readforeverpub & @netgalley for the eARC 🥰 I’ve never read such a cozy romance with depth. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Perfect for you if you like:
Enchanting fate elements
Exploration of cultural legends
Heartwarming and cozy romances

Similar to:
A Winter in New York by Josie Silver
Hello Stranger by Katherine Center
The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner (I have not read this)

⛔️closed door romance (kisses only)
⚠️abandonment

Would recommend for fans of…
🧣 “Invisible String” by Taylor Swift
🧣 Jen DeLuca’s Well Met series
🧣 Space!

I LOVE romance novels that explore fate, whether it’s a meet cute that seemed predestined or a preexisting connection the characters aren’t aware of until the final chapter. Nothing can beat that!

My love of those tropes is what drew me to Red String Theory, a new romance focusing on an artist and a NASA scientist who decide to test fate after a chance encounter in NYC. Unfortunately, this was more of a like than a love for me.

What I did enjoy was all of the descriptions of food, art, and the NYC/LA settings. And, getting to learn about NASA’s artistic programs was also really interesting. In terms of the romance, Rooney and Jack were really cute and I was rooting for them, but something about their connection just didn’t land. There’s a bit of insta-love in their story, and because they fell so fast, we never got to see the chemistry between them develop (which is honestly my favorite part of romance novels).

That being said, I think readers who are looking for a sweet romance with no steam and two adorable leads who are growing as individuals, and as a couple, will find a lot to love about this one.

Red String Theory is out now. Thanks to Forever and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘠𝘶𝘦̀ 𝘓𝘢̂𝘰, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬."

I really loved this book! I've actually always loved the Red String of Fate theory, which I learned about when I was younger and has always kind of lived in the back of my mind.

Like Rooney, I was lucky enough to find my stringmate - we met in 7th grade, when he moved from New Jersey to PA. We had a lot of classes together throughout middle and high school, and graduated together in 2009. After graduation, we remained friends on Facebook, but didn't really talk or hang out or anything like that. Despite our 10 year high school reunion, that remained the case for about 12 years.

Flash forward to 2021, I take a leap of faith and decide to message him and see if he wanted to grab dinner sometime (after he liked a couple of my Facebook pictures 😅)... and he said yes. Now, almost 3 years later, we have a 1.5 year old, a beautiful home, and an even more beautiful relationship.

He lived in Baltimore for awhile... I was engaged to another guy and dated a few others... we went in so many different directions, but we still ended up together, where we're meant to be. ❤️

Thank you to @readforeverpub / @grandcentralpub and @netgalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for this review!
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#bookstagram #booksta #books #booksbooksbooks #avidreader #ilovereading #thetwistedlibrarian #professionalbookworm #redstringtheory #laurenkungjessen #book6of2024 #whatsnikkireading #fate #stringmates #asianamerican #redstringoffate #netgally #foreverpublishing #grandcentralpublishing

If You are looking for a sweet read, that makes you think about fate and if you enjoyed the movie Serendipity I highly recommend you pick this one up. I found the characters relatable and I really enjoyed their character growth as they explored what fate and facts/science meant to each other.

This story follows Rooney, who is an artist that believes in the Chinese legend that everyone is tied to their one true love by the red string of fate. Enters Jack, he is perfect. smart, successful, handsome, and after one wonderful night in New York night, all signs point to destiny.
Only he doesn’t believe in fate, as he feels strongly that there is always a choice to shape one's path. His career at NASA reinforces this as everything they do is based in facts and tests. After their magical date on a wintry night in New York, it seems as though they could be destined to remain estranged forever... until an opportunity presents itself for them to reconnect.

I really enjoyed the way the fate theory was juxtaposed with the logical side; I thought it was well-executed, especially considering the connection to Chinese culture. It got me thinking deeply about both aspects. I also liked how the characters' development and growth came through when they had in-depth conversations about their theories, the believes that were instilled from those around them or from experiences, and when they were vulnerable and shared their feelings with each other.

The only down side for me was the pacing I found the middle dragged on a bit personally. I just had a hard time picking it up after a certain point and that could have been just me as my mood shifted, but the ending picked up again and I overall enjoyed it.

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the advanced copy.

I loved Lauren Kung Jessen’s debut Lunar Love so I was delighted to receive a copy of her sophomore novel to review. (And on that note, I’m very excited about Yin Yang Love Song coming in 2025!)

In this story Rooney and Jack, an artist and a scientist, meet in New York City during Lunar New Year when Rooney’s art exhibit about the myth of the red string of fate isn’t going as planned. Over the course of the evening, the two follow where fate leads them… until it separates them. What happens when they are brought together again?

Red String Theory ties together (pun intended) Rooney and Jack’s different views on fate and free will, art and science, recklessness and planning in a lovely story filled with fresh dialogue and memorable scenes. You’ll fall in love with these characters but be warned - they are always eating wonderful food so make sure you have snacks to hand (and if you want to try out recipes of some of the foods they eat, they are provided for you in the book).

This book was wonderful!! I couldn’t put it down. It was such a fun story to read, I loved the characters and how they show their passions. The combination of love and culture is written really well and I loved reading it! You can’t go wrong with art, outer space, and fate! I really enjoyed the dialogue between characters in this book as well.

LKJ has the most lovely writing style that makes you feel like you’ve been wrapped up in the coziest and warmest romance story. Her characters are real and genuine, and the plot is always filled with heartfelt moments that make me want to hug my book (or Kindle hehe) 🫶🏼

Read Red String Theory if you like…
🗽 Long walks around NYC
🍨 Red bean ice cream
🖼️ Big art installations
🍵 Iced matcha lattes
🥟 Late night dumplings
🏮 Lantern festivals
🔭 Space related puns
🐈 Cats named Sprinkles
✨ Finding magic in the everyday
🎷 Jazz clubs
👴🏼 Marine obsessed grandpas
♥️ Falling in love

This is a book I will treasure, and I can’t wait to come back to it time and time again. May your time with Rooney and Jack be as lovely as it was for me 🫂

Red String Theory by @laurenkjessen was so charming and sweet - from the first installation we experience, Rooney’s work has so much special meaning and value(and it’s just like an artist to undervalue their work like she does too) From her hand knit wardrobe, to the pet portraits, I could feel her artwork coming to life in my head (to the point where I needed to make my own string art piece to honour the book itself - I don’t tend to rate books on a star scale, but I can say this one sits among the stars in many different ways!)

Rooney’s ability to see the whimsy and fantasy in the world mixed with Jack’s scientific approach made them a dynamic pair that could challenge each other, and brought out each other’s best. This sweet romance had anticipation that kept me awake and listening late into the night, and I loved the cameo from Lauren’s previous book as well! The threads of fate keep bringing people together!

The magic mixed with the science of the universe made this one extra special to me, and I’m excited to continue to read more of her work in the future! That’s two home runs for me in Lauren Kung Jessen books 🤗

Read if you like:
🌏 Asian American Characters
✨ Fate
🎨 Artist FMC’s
❤️ Romance
🔀 Opposites Attract
🧼 Clean Romances

If you love books that explore fate and love this one will be for you!!!

This book takes the look of fate from Rooney’s perspective mixed with looking at it in a more theoretical way with Jackson.

Rooney is outgoing and funny and jokes quickly with those around her not knowing strangers, while Jackson is her opposite and introverted and needing plans in advance and fearful of making friends with his coworkers.

I love how they are so different yet, compliment each other so well and connected in a way that was organic and set the stage for their story to play out so beautifully!

If you are looking for a romance to add to your list- I would recommend this one for an adorable romance without spice.

Thank you so much forever pub for my ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Opposites attract as an artist and a scientist try and test out fate and determine if the other holds their string. I connected with the story because I am a firm believer in fate playing a part in life.

I liked that the couple met and were pulled apart right away and spent part of the book dreaming about the other. It added a little more to me rooting for them. And I loved the Easter egg from Lunar Love (but it is not necessary to read it before reading this one).

What I always gain from books with multiracial characters is they showcase their culture and I get a glimpse into their world. I especially loved the lantern lighting and Jack’s perspective as a scientist and the environment.

As I switched back and forth from the audio and the book, I loved how the audiobook was constructed. Usually you have each narrator narrate their part in a dually narrated audiobook, but in this one, when a conversation happened, instead of the narrator of that chapter doing a voice for the other character, both narrators voiced the conversation so you hear the two voices you’ve grown to associate with the characters. Yu-Li Alice Shen and Andrew Grace do a terrific job of bringing Rooney and Jack to life. Capturing her free spirit and his scientific reserve and doubt.

Quick Summary: A romantic chances, choices, and fate love story

My Review: Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen is a deeply touching novel that serves up feelings of joy, wonder, hope, and happiness.

About the Book: Two strangers are brought together in a most peculiar way. They strike up a conversation that leads to further connections. Although space, time, and human error present challenges, love ultimately triumphs in the end.

My Favorite Dialogue:

“What if you spend your life chasing your lantern and it ends in a fiery crash?... Was the search worth it?”

“If you knew where your lantern was going, would it be as beautiful of a journey? I like to believe it would lead you to the right spot at the exact moment of where you’re meant to be.”

My Final Say: Oh, the sheer beauty found in the words of this book...I delighted in all of it. There were hidden messages, wisdom nuggets, and meaningful metaphors everywhere. Gems in plain sight were sprinkled throughout Rooney and Jack's story. The Red Thread of Fate/The Red String Theory tied this romance up perfectly.

Other: This book gave me pause, in a good way. It reminded me of some of my favorite movies - An Affair to Remember, Serendipity, The Lake House and others. Yes, they are different, but the common theme is that of paths crossed, inevitable reunions, personal sacrifice, and character growth. It also came across like many of my most beloved K-dramas and C-dramas. I could see it translating well into a movie. I'm also certain that an audiobook would bring this story to life even more.

Special Note: I loved how the various relationships were depicted. I also appreciated how each lead had a seasoned individual to help them see beyond the obvious.

* I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Rating: 5/5 ⭐
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Status/Level: 💛

Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Forever (Grand Central Publishing)), and to NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to review this amazing work of fiction. The words that I have voluntarily shared are my own.

I’m so bummed about how much I disliked this book. All of the jokes felt so corny and forced. I also felt the idea about her buying back the video of her birth and her mom being completely unsympathetic so weird. The FMC seemed a bit delusional and it seemed like the MMC was just humoring her.