Thank you to the author, publisher and @NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

If you like the movie Serendipity, all things fate related and maybe a little bit of space and stars, then Red String Theory is for you!

Jessen just has a way with words that I adored in Lunar Love and RST just continues that love affair.

I also loved all the STEM representation! Nerds for the win 🤓 Both of these main characters are just fantastic and I enjoyed reading about them ♥️ The whole book was just a warm, cozy hug full of loving feelings!

While I had problems connecting with the characters in both this and Lunar Love, what I love about these books is the multiracial Asian Americans featured. Rooney is a biracial Chinese American, like the author. Jack is Chinese, Japanese, and white. I won't speak for multiracial people, but I presume when you "pass" for one ethnicity, oftentimes your other one gets ignored. Much like the "one drop" rule.

My problem with these novels is I don't wholly believe in Chinese superstitions or astrology, and they play in heavily in these stories. That's not to say I didn't enjoy myself. I did. I'm not sure why three star ratings are so anathema to people. Three stars means I liked it. You should worry if I go lower.

Rooney is an artist living in New York, who makes art anonymously, in part because her mother is a famous artist. This, I liked, because it's quite hard to find Asian Americans in the arts. How many of us are doctors, lawyers, or accountants? I'm an accountant, so I should be the last to judge...

Jack is a scientist at NASA. I should totally have the hots for him, but he just fell a little short for me. While I won't say I was in love with Rooney, at least her personality was rooted in something. I didn't quite feel the chemistry, but neither did I with Olivia and Bennett, who make a small cameo.

As a Los Angeles transplant, I did enjoy the sites of the city. Lauren was right on the money with traffic. Who in their right minds would invite someone to the beach at sunset? With this traffic? From the eastside? No way.

The Red String Theory is a delight to read. This is a fun and interesting twist of the Instalove trope. What happens when you there's love at first sight, but life has beat you up a bit so far seems as foreign as space should be. Jack and Rooney try to follow social rules while struggling will the pull of chemistry and when you're life changes in an instant.. “May fate bring us close enough to choose.”

This was a sweet, cozy read about second chance-love, focusing on fate, science, and choice. I loved reading a romance with diversity, and learning more about other cultures.

Rooney is a bubbly Chinese-American artist whose art and inspiration are centered around the Chinese legend of the red string of fate. In a meet-cute, she meets Jack, a successful and kind Chinese/Japanese American NASA Scientist who believes in evidence, science and facts.

While I thought the meet-cute was fantastic and sucked me into the story, I felt like the book was heavy on the philosophy and felt like it dragged in a few places. While I really enjoy romances that are a bit more serious and less fluffy, it felt like the two MMC’s lacked the chemistry and tension since their initial meeting, which was a big missing piece for me.

I think if you’re looking for a well-written, charming and cozy romance without the witty banter, chemistry and lots of tension you’re going to love this one. It is really different from any other romance that I’ve read, I just am not sure it was for me!

Red String Theory
Lauren Kung Jessen
4 stars

📍wintery NYC + warm LA setting
🗣️ Jack and Rooney, dual POV
☁️ he’s a NASA systems engineer, she’s a visual artist.. and they’re about to work together
🍿 lots of fun, descriptive (+ iconic) settings while testing fate, I kept picturing this as a movie
💫 navigating fate, destiny, and free will
🦋 this book will thaw your existential dread this winter!!

After loving (& honestly still squealing over) Lunar Love last year, we now have Red String Theory! We also get a cameo from Olivia + Bennett🥰 This was such a fun read especially with the specific food mentions and the recognizable locations. While I enjoyed so much of this book, I did find the middle a bit repetitive and our two MC’s voices hard to differentiate between the two POVs. It did feel like Rooney’s voice was more prominent than Jack’s which made me want to know more about him.

Love this Lunar Love/Red String Theory world we’re in but now.. we NEED a Gōng Gong spinoff!! His love story with late grandma, his life now making ice cream in his nautical-themed home, anything! This sweet & wise grandpa is giving main character energy🪼

3.75

Gosh, I wanted to like this one more. I got a little tired of the story and felt like it moved so slow. It was pretty repetitive with the talk of fate - with Rooney believing in it and Jack not believing. I did like how art was intertwined with science; and how Rooney found inspiration.

This is a no-low steam (like just some kidding) romance. It’s sweet and fun. I would still recommend it too.

Red String Theory blends art, science and romance pretty seamlessly! At some points I was a little glazed over at the science talk, but I can imagine that it would be more appealing to someone who was into that sort of thing. The romance was cute, and the main female character was both relatable and unique. I will definitely read more by this author! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc.

DNF. Too much space talk. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my review.

Thanks to Forever for the copy of this book!

Lauren Kung Jessen has a way of writing the sweetest relationships. Rooney and Jack are very different, but their puns, spirit of adventure, and love of learning and discussing make them work so well together. The dichotomies in this book were fantastic - feeling versus fact, science versus art - and they really made the story special. I love how Lauren made the opposites come together and overlap to create a unique narrative about fate. This story is a slower-paced romance, and I suggest taking your time and absorbing all of the wisdom woven into this book.

huge thank you to the publisher for both the arc and gifted copy of red string theory!

this was such a cute, fun romance focused on finding your soulmate through the lens of chinese folklore—the red strings of fate. rooney is an undercover artist known as red string girl, who’s trying to break free of her famous artist mother’s shadow & reclaim her identity. jack is a systems engineer at nasa who is highly logical; he is a strong proponent of choice. when these two collide one fateful night in new york, they’re both left wondering why their paths have crossed.

i enjoyed red string theory for its deep look into cultural identity, fate vs. choice, & familial relationships. rooney & jack are such opposites in both their philosophies & upbringings, but their core trauma is essentially the same. i loved the scenes with jack & his gong gong, & rooney & her mom—bridging the generational gaps is definitely in from now on 😤 also, seeing them both take deeper looks into themselves in efforts to heal before committing to each other was what made this book for me!

read this is you like:
📌 serendipity
📌 biracial representation
📌 🌶️-less romance
📌 banksy
📌 space nerds

I really had to slow down my reading on this book to make it last it was so perfect. I barely have any notes. First, I really enjoyed getting to explore Chinese customs and holidays through Lauren’s books. Added bonus of space and NASA in this one.
Rooney and Jack were everything. A most important component of a romance book to me is being able to feel the couple falling in love, and I absolutely could in this one. I was rooting for them so hard from the beginning. The dreaded third act breakup was even logical and necessary. Truly, no notes, it’s going to be hard for this book to be topped.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 352 / Genre: RomCom

Rooney Gao is a creative artist and free spirit who believes in the Chinese legend that true soulmates are tied together by the red string of fate. Jack Liu is a smart, sensible systems engineer for NASA, who believes in facts, figures, and by-the-book testing. But on one magical night in NYC, was it fate or coincidence that brought them together?

I absolutely loved how these two met. Their special first night in NYC was so fun and magical. And I enjoyed the slow burn of their budding relationship as you get to really know these characters. But toward the end—all the non-stop dialogue about their feelings and why they work and don’t work got a bit repetitive for me. Other than that though, I really enjoyed this romcom.

Thank you @NetGalley, @ReadForeverPub, and @LaurenKJessen for the advanced copy of this book.

My heart. My whole heart. This is an instant favorite. I loved the philosophical banter between Jack & Rooney as opposites - engineer vs. artist, predictability vs. adventure, plans vs. fate, and yet how they complimented each other so well. I think it's possible to believe in signs and also want to have control in life, so it was easy to relate to both characters and their dispositions. For a closed door book, I felt intense sparks between these characters as their chemistry was out of this world, pun intended. Plus, Jack rescues a cat named Sprinkles and makes his own ice cream -- swoon.

If you enjoy Serendipity, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, or just believe in signs like seeing 11:11, I really think you'll enjoy Red String Theory. Thank you Netgalley & Forever for the ARC.

This book was not only beautifully written, but the characters made me want to chase after my own lantern. I never heard of the Red Thread of Fate before, and the concept of fate (or coincidence - depending what you believe) warmed my heart and at times, made me both happy and sad!

HIGHLY recommend!

Lauren’s last book, Lunar Love, was one of my favorite ARCs from 2023, so obviously I was incredibly stoked to get to review its follow-up for 2024! (loved that we get a little peek back at Liv & Bennett!!) This def isn’t a spicy read per my usual MO, but I was more than okay with that since we get that slowwwww burn between Rooney and Jack, starting between their one-night past to their working partnership months later. The ins-and-outs of fate and coincidence has always interested me, so the subject matter was just beyond captivating. It’s always such a thrill seeing culture that I grew up with in written word, especially in something happy-go-lucky and not education-based haha. I really enjoyed Red String of Fate ❤️

Red String Theory is about an artist who infuses the Chinese mythology of the red string of fate into her art and uses it as a way to interpret her world and her life. Rooney and Jack's story was so adorable and I loved all the instances where their lives overlapped and entangled

This is a book that mixes science and magic. It was a good contemporary romance that asked the age-old question of is it fate or is it just a coincidence?

The book was a little slow for my taste, but I always enjoy reading about the Chinese American culture.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, all words are my own.

3.5 stars, rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was sweet and blended art and science in a very lovely way. The heroine, Rooney, is an artist who focuses on large public installations made of string. She meets the hero Jack on one magical night in New York City, but a phone number mixup means they’ve lost their chance at love.

Until five months later, fate brings them back together again. Jack is a NASA scientist who’s trying to raise his social profile at the office, so signs up to lead their artist-in-residence program. Rooney is the artist selected, and as much as they try to keep things professional at first, we all know how that goes. This was very low steam, kisses only.

I liked the characters of Rooney and Jack a lot, and they had good chemistry that was a mix of compatibility and magic. The book also asked interesting questions about fate and whether there’s truly one right person for all of us.

Where the book fell a little short for me were some of the plot elements, they were so far-fetched as to be distracting. Rooney is trying to raise money to buy back a video of her own birth, which her mom sold as art. And the denouement art installation that gives her a big break seemed implausible, both in scope and the perceived impact.

Overall though, an enjoyable read!

Overview: Rooney, an artist based in NYC who creates artwork under the guise of Red String Girl, encounters a visiting NASA engineer named Jack multiple times within the same day. They end up spending a memorable night together touring the city, only to lose touch unintentionally…until Red String Girl is selected to be NASA’s artist-in-residence in LA. Who will she be working with? Jack.

Thoughts: Is your life pre-determined or is it the result of one’s own choices? As a former New Yorker who misses all the amazing food there, I believe it was pre-determined that I would love this book! Based on Lunar Love, I had a feeling I would like Kung Jessen’s next book, and was not disappointed to see that she has once again introduced well-developed characters who bond over food and Asian culture (and even includes a special cameo!).
What I didn’t expect was a thought-provoking romance with philosophical discussions between Rooney, a free-spirit who believes in fate, and Jack, a self-professed control freak who argues that choice is what guides one’s life. The “opposites attract” trope is well-executed here, as I loved how their personalities complemented each other. My only complaint is that I would have loved to see them become a couple earlier in the book!!

Take-home message: Red String Theory is a cute gem with a unique premise that will make you ponder what role fate has played in your own life. This clean slow burn romance features mixed race Chinese-American leads who find themselves drawn to each other despite their opposite personalities and backgrounds.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever for this digital ARC!

In Brief
In her sophomore novel, Jessen brings mixed race Chinese American characters back to the forefront, exploring the Chinese culture on American soil, particularly the idea of the red thread of fate that forever links lovers from lifetime to lifetime. Rooney is an artist living in NYC who loves the idea of the red thread of fate so much that she makes art with red string. Jack is a JPL scientist who is practical and scientific in every aspect of his life, finding mundane explanations for everything. Despite their differences, they’re continually drawn to each other, enjoying a night of adventure in NYC before being separated. Fate has plans for them, unexpectedly tossing them back together in LA, but with a twist. Now back in the same city, their circumstances are a little different and daylight throws a bucket of cold water on what they could have had. Still, they’re drawn together, even if their different stances on the red thread of fate might threaten to keep them apart. Red String Theory is a sweet romance that leans into the idea of lovers finding each other in life after life, but Rooney and Jack strike a perfect balance between keeping the old world idea and bringing in a more American way of looking at love, echoing the perfect balance this story strikes between it’s mixed race Chinese American characters and a way of life that blends Chinese tradition and American sentiments.

Extended Thoughts
One of the things I loved most about Lunar Love, Jessen’s first novel, was that it features mixed race Chinese American characters. The other thing I loved was that it was set in and around LA. Red String Theory, despite starting and ending in NYC, featured both of the things I loved from the author’s first book. While I’m not mixed race Chinese American, I grew up thinking I may as well have been. Despite my best efforts at reading books with more traditional Chinese American characters, I just could never identify with them. The characters in Lunar Love and Red String Theory, though, have been a completely different story. I love these books because, for the first time, I find myself reading characters I could completely identify with.

Red String Theory is a sweet romance that pairs a very artistic Rooney, who also happens to be the daughter of a famous artist, with very scientific and practical JPL scientist Jack. They’re complete opposites, but of course they worked perfectly well. They meet by chance at the end of the Chinese New Year celebration, during the Lantern Festival, thanks to printing mishaps. Fate continues to throw them together, going as far as having them release a lantern together during a massive party and then, later on, having an incredible night of adventures even though they differed on their belief in, or lack of, the red thread of fate. But, after that one wonderful night, a mishap with a phone number separates them. Fate, though, has other plans, bringing them together in LA when Rooney becomes JPL’s artist in residence, with Jack acting as her liaison. No matter how drawn they are to each other, though, they now have a working relationship and their differences might now be too great.

I adored Rooney and Jack. Rooney felt like the quintessential artist, creative with a bit more of a free spirit than normal. She was a ton of fun, but also had a serious streak to her. Life was clearly very interesting for her as the daughter of a famous artist, but I loved her unerring belief in the red thread of fate. She loves it so much that her art is comprised entirely of using red thread. I loved how she really leaned so hard into it and her heritage, and it was so sweet reading about her and her Americanized mother learn more about their culture together. Jack felt more stereotypically Asian to me with parents he can never seemingly please no matter how hard he tries. He’s Rooney’s exact opposite: practical to a fault with an explanation for everything. It makes sense, though, because he’s a scientist who takes his science extremely seriously. Unfortunately, it leads him to not having much of a life, so I really enjoyed his journey. It was wonderful to watch him grow, even if it was because he was chasing a promotion. They both have interesting relationships with their parents, but also have people in their lives who care about them. Rooney’s best friend and Jack’s grandfather were fantastic, and I really enjoyed spending time with Jack’s co-workers. It was a lot of fun seeing Jack open up and get to know them.

Their romance was very sweet, but also a little prickly at times. It was so much fun watching them together. I never really felt sure where they were going at any one point, and their fundamental differences when it came to the red thread of fate broke my heart a little. Red String Theory really leans into the idea that lovers will find each other over and over in each life. I can see how someone who may not be familiar with this idea might have some difficulty buying into it, but, luckily, that’s what Jack is for, because he holds the idea that what does it matter if two souls aren’t tethered together by a red thread. I loved how he just wanted to be chosen for himself, and not because he’s at the other end of someone’s thread, as Rooney believes. It was a little tough at times to see how different their ideas on this were because it always seemed to make them feel an ocean apart no matter how perfect they were for each other. So watching their romance bloom and grow was absolutely beautiful because they had to learn to accept other ideas alongside their own and really come to understand each other.

Red String Theory wasn’t quite as peppered with Chinese customs and traditions as I expected, but I really enjoyed what was there. Unlike in Lunar Love, there were more things that were unfamiliar to me, so I liked learning a little more about things I wish had been a part of my life. I loved that Rooney and her mom were trying to pick up Mandarin and cooking Chinese dishes together. They were fun bonding moments, and the changes their relationship underwent was also a lot of fun, and I liked that I could identify with both of them. But the big tradition, outside of the Lantern Festival that opened and closed this novel, was a special ceremony that occurs at a child’s first birthday. Not only was this fascinatingly new to me, and made me which I’d gotten to do this, but it also brought back Lunar Love‘s couple. I loved seeing them again, even if I struggled to see them in the couple I’d read about in the previous book, but I do love it when past characters return.

Even though Red String Theory opens and closes in NYC, the story is also set in LA with trips to the Kennedy and Houston Space Centers. I enjoyed visiting the space centers with Rooney and Jack and, really, half the fun of this book was all the art and space that it brought in. It was fun to see them blended together like this. But the LA parts will always have my heart. I loved that JPL came to life to me because it’s one of my family’s favorite places to go. I’ve been so many times that just reading those parts made me feel like I was there again. The story also took me to the Huntington Library and Gardens, another special place to me, as well as the beach and traffic. I love how LA just came to life to me in this book, and it was so much fun for me to return to places I love all from the comfort of my couch.

Red String Theory is a lovely romance that blended art and science, finding a perfect harmony just as the artsy Rooney and scientific Jack find a way to come together. I loved that they felt real to me and that they both had needs and wants they had to figure out how to bridge in order to be together. Their adventures in NYC and LA were a lot of fun. Even though the middle felt a little slower to me, this novel really opened and closed well, and half the time I didn’t even notice the slower middle because I had so much fun exploring LA. with them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.