Dual POV
Alexa, play "Invisible String" by Taylor Swift.
This is a beautiful contemporary romance novel and is my first book from this author. I'll have to check out her debut novel, "Lunar Love" next!

Jack and Rooney are multi-dimensional characters that bring out the best in each other. There is no smut in this book, which I am totally okay with. To be honest, I can't entirely imagine them getting down and dirty. They seem too innocent for that. They seem like the old couple that you see on a park bench or at a restaurant that you wonder what their story is and how long they've been together! <3

I absolutely love Rooney's belief in fate and Jack being more skeptical. It was definitely interesting to see their journey as they learn more about each other.

The narrators for Jack and Rooney were also lovely!

This was absolutely delightful. It had me smiling throughout and tugged at my heart strings at some points. This is just a perfect recipe. FMC who is an artist who is very into fate + MMC who is a scientist and very logical = super cute rom-com. The audio narrators did such an amazing job bringing this story to life.

@HachetteAudio #RedStringTheory #NetGalley

Red String Theory- When a person is born, an invisible, red string is tied to them, connecting them through time, space, and circumstances, with their soulmate on the other end.

Rooney Gao has been living and breathing art since the moment she was born, the only thing stronger than our love of the arts is that fate. A strong believer in the Chinese legend of the red string. She believes that her faded made is out there, they are just waiting for tangled strings to unwind and find each other.

On the other side (figuratively and literally), scientifically minded, Jack Lou believes in theory, reason and logic.

When a magical day in New York City brings both local, Rooney and west coast visitor, Jack together in multiple locations and ways, even Jack can’t help falling under the sway of the red string theory.

But is their string strong enough to keep them together from across the country and when their jobs get in the way?

The sweet romance was an absolute delight, and I think fans of Abby Jimenez will love this one too! I absolutely loved how Lauren Kung Jessen we together both the artistic and scientific world in parallel as she create a world where both Rooney and Jack can live at the end of their strings together.

I had the absolute pleasure of listening to the audiobook narrated by Yu-Li Alice Shen and Andrew Grace. Their seamless narration captivated me. The narration brings these characters to life, creating an immersive listening experience that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant. The dual narrators complement each other beautifully and do an excellent job portraying not only the characters but the spirit of them as well.

Overall, I was very impressed with this book and I will be definitely keeping an eye out for more from Lauren Kung Jessen!

Thank you to Hachette Audio (Forever) and NetGalley for my advanced listening, copy. Ions are my own.

Rich in Chinese culture and with Lauren's signature charm, RED STRING THEORY at once educates readers on the red string of fate legends of Chinese mythology while also being a lighthearted and lovable rom-com. It follows Rooney Gao, artist and firm believer in the red string of fate: that her one true love is out there, at the other end of her string. She creates bold art featuring the red strings of fate under the pseudonym "Red String Girl." One day, one of Rooney's most ambitious projects to date is tragically (and IMO, cruelly) destroyed. On that same day, Rooney runs into out-of-towner Jack Liu (who is a freaking Engineer for NASA, no big deal) and they share a pretty magical evening. Unfortunately for Rooney, she realizes too late that she mis-typed his number in the text she sent to his (at the time dead) phone before they parted. Rooney spends the next several months trying to find Jack, who does the same, even while thinking that Rooney chose not to text him. 

Fate, of course, has other plans, and Rooney and Jack are thrust together again.

This book was absolutely adorable. Lauren truly has such a way with witty banter that is so charming and so easy to fall into. I was lucky enough to receive an audiobook from NetGalley and read this book in one afternoon, because I couldn't stop listening! I love that Lauren so expertly incorporates food in her books in a way that will leave you DROOLING, and I'm sure my favorite local Chinese restaurant appreciates her for that, too, because they will be getting ALL the orders from me over the next few weeks. I also love how Lauren always includes mixed-race characters. While I'm not mixed-race, some people very close to me are, and I'm always so thankful to see that often-overlooked representation on the page. 

I also loved both audiobook narrators, and the way the audiobook was recorded. In Rooney's chapters, the male narrator spoke any time Jack was speaking, and in Jack's chapters, Rooney's narrator spoke for her. It isn't something I remember experiencing in an audiobook before, and it was a nice experience that I hope to see (okay okay, hear!) more often!

Seriously, if you want a cute, low stakes rom com that will have you grinning from ear to ear, RED STRING THEORY is the book for you! Fans of LUNAR LOVE will also particularly love a cute little cameo, but you didn't hear that from me!

I just truly adored every aspect of this book!!! From the fate aspect, to the culturally diverse representation, to the STEAM feature. Lauren Jessen is a master at bringing real, raw, and relatable characters to life. Rooney and Jack are so perfectly imperfect. Their relationship had so many great elements of mystery, authenticity, and fun. I loved the little fate challenges and how they both accepted each other for who they were.

I really enjoyed the audio version. The dual character narration along with dual POV really brought the book to life!

Lots of tear filled, heartwarming, and chills-inducing moments. I found myself so emotional reading this book. If you believe in the red string theory or in fate playing a pivotal role in life, you'll LOVE this one!

Interesting concept but I felt no chemistry between the main characters; they seemed to just be going through the motions. Was it fate that they seemed to settle for each other? I loved the science in this and the slivers of Chinese tradition and culture but not much else. Even when Rooney is trying to be spontaneous and impulsive by redecorating a famous landmark, this has already been done before so not quite as spontaneous as it could have been. I really wanted to love this but it seemed so mechanical and rote. Even the narration seemed monotonous and lackluster. This just was not for me.

I really enjoyed Red String Theory. No sophomore slump in sight for Lauren Kung Jessen. I’m certainly a fan and will read any of her future releases. I really liked the characters and the storyline, definitely would recommend to romance readers.

The audiobook was excellent and I would absolutely recommend this format. It was really well done and I enjoyed the narrators.

❤️ROONEY & JACK❤️ As if this book couldn’t get any better…this audiobook came into my possession and it’s PERFECTION! The narrators bring life into an already beautiful story and I was able to easily listen to it at 2.5x which is one of my top priorities in a great audiobooks!!! I was swooning even more at the audiobook than the book (which was already SWOON CITY, USA). The fated mates troupe is my favorite new favorite troupe! This author is officially on (and has been on) my auto-buy/auto-read list! THIS WILL BE A COMFORT READ/LISTEN FOR ME FOR YEARS TO COME! Also I need these two narrators (Yu-Li Alice Shen and Andrew Grace) to narrate every book I read for the rest of my life…THEY WERE EXQUISITE!

⭐️THIS AUDIOBOOK IS OUT NOW⭐️

5⭐️

Special thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Audio and Forever Pub for the ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

#redstringtheory #laurenkungjessen #hachetteaudio #foreverpub

This was very cute and sweet! I loved the overarching theme of fate and choice and how Rooney and Jack represent both sides of that debate.

Their meet cute and day exploring NYC together was SO CUTE! I was super invested right away and was excited to see how they would find each other again.

Read this for:
- Slow Burn
- Dual POV
- No Door/Closed Door
- Workplace Romance
- Opposites Attract
- Mixed Race MC

This did take me longer to read than I expected - I think the middle got a little slow for me and there was quite a bit "will they, won't they that I don't always have a ton of patience for.

I really liked the narration by Yu-Li Alice Shen and Andrew Grace. I always prefer dual narration and this was even better because even in Jack's POV, Rooney's voice is narrated by Yu-Li Alice Shen (and vice-versa)! I think this added so much to the story and felt like a little movie in my head. It also really helped both characters come to life for me.

Thank you to Hachette Audio and Netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

For all of my Asian lit/asian romance lovers….
Rooney believes in fate and signs. In particular she believes in the ancient Red String of Fate. Where someone somewhere is destined to be your partner and you are each tied to each other with an invisible red string. This STEM based romance with Asian representation, and its characters were so easy to love! Super cute romance that revolves around Chinese traditions and folklore. Both Rooney and Jack are extremely likable and you’re rooting for them to find each other.
I received the audiobook, and the two audiobook narrators, Yu-Li Alice Shen & Andrew Grace, have the perfect voices. Smooth like honey.
Side notes- there is a mention of characters from Lunar Love, while it’s not required or part of a series if you want to read in order I would suggest reading Lunar Love first.
Red String Theory -Low steam factor, and with references to Serendipity, it’s hard not to see this as a Chinese based version. 😍
Thank you to NetGalley, Lauren Kung Jesse, and Hachette Audio for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

So glad I picked this up when I was cozied up during a snowstorm! Talk about fate, it was so charming and like a warm hug.

Rooney and Jack’s introduction was so good, reminiscent of a Nora Ephron movie, those nights where you stay up talking life with friends and the anticipation of something good.

I loved the exploration of fate versus choice. I would say I fall more on Jack’s side, believing more in choice and science. All of the NASA plot points were so cool to me. But I thought Lauren Kung Jessen wrote about art and fate so well, and there were thought provoking lines about both fate and choice.

The narration was really well done! I thought the voices suited the characters wonderfully and that made it easy to listen to and follow along. I loved that when another character spoke in a chapter from a different character’s perspective, the voices were easily identifiable.

Thank you Hachette Audio for the copy through NetGalley!

I was absolutely enthralled by this book and loved every minute of it. It's about the balance between fate and choice, and also about the intersection of art and science which is a topic very very close to my heart. I have never been to New York, but the setting felt real and familiar anyway. I *have* been to Los Angeles, and again the setting felt real and familiar. I went to college for science, and ultimately transferred to study art, and married someone who studied science and engineering. All that to say, I very strongly identified with Rooney and that made her journey to discover herself as an artist and falling for NASA engineer Jack feel all the more personal to me.

This also reminded me of the romcoms and romantic drama movies I loved so much as a teen. The one I kept going back to as I read was Notting Hill. This book is not as emotionally devastating as that movie, but it still packed an emotional punch and I did shed a few tears as Rooney and Jack fought against everything dragging them together.

I was completely invested in the story as it played out, and Rooney and Jack, and to a lesser extent the supporting characters, felt like real people - like friends. All of the metaphors about space and the universe were very apt and I felt Rooney's struggle to define herself and her identity as an artist, and Jack's struggle to break out of his safe controlled life.

I didn't want the story to end; I would have loved for the book to be twice as long as it was.

The audiobook was excellently performed. I couldn't stop listening and finished this book in two days. I kept finding excuses to do things that would allow me to go back to listening. Both narrators did an excellent job voicing the characters and bringing them and their emotions to life.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Forever for providing an early audio copy for review.

This was such a cute love story. The whole red string idea of fate was interesting to read about. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who reads romance.

Premise - can an artist who believes in fate and an excessively rational scientist be soul mates?

I don’t know that I believe in fate, I fall more on Jack’s side than Rooney’s, but this was a very sweet love story that didn’t veer too far into the schmaltzy. Some things didn’t feel really thought out (the stakes are she needs money to buy her birth video because she doesn’t want to be known for that… but also her mom was able to buy it all along? And she intentionally becomes an artist and does a whole red string schtick, when she could have easily avoided the public eye in any other profession?). Still, I enjoyed it at a four star level, not just a three!

Thanks, NetGalley and Forever, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I was so excited for this book, I unfortunately DNF'd at 50%. I really like Rooney, but I struggled to connect with Jack and found him a bit boring. There also was very little chemistry between him and Rooney. I may pick up again, but overall I just wasn't excited to pick this one up.

I did enjoy the audiobook narration though!

Thank you, Forever Pub and Hachette Group.

Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen
Genre: romance
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Format: audiobook

WOW THIS WAS ADORABLE!!

Read this if you like…
- opposites attract
- Invisible String by Taylor Swift
- sweet, closed-door romances
- lovable characters
- Asian-American rep
- dual POV romance
- great audiobooks
- Sarah Adams

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, dual point-of-view romances are superior!! Especially when on audio! A critique I usually have of dual POV audiobooks though is when the male narrator does the FMC’s voice as whiny or high-pitched, but that was not the case in this audiobook - the narrators did all of their respective gender’s dialogue!!! So all of the female dialogue was done by the female narrator and all the male dialogue was done by the male narrator. AMAZING.

Although Lunar Love wasn’t my favorite (3 out of 5 stars for me), I loved the Bennett and Olivia cameo! It was also fun to learn about a new tradition during these scenes. I think I identified more with the tradition that was at the center of this novel more than this author’s last one - I had never heard of the red string theory, but I loved it. I really appreciate when a book exposes me to different cultures and traditions.

I highly recommend this book to all my romance lovers!!

A huge thank you to Forever and Hachette Audio for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review! Red String Theory is out everywhere now!

This was absolutely the best! The plot was adorable! I LOVED the dual narrators for the dual POVs. I loved how the couple connected. absolutely everything I want from a romance here!

Red String Theory is an utterly charming romance between a free-spirited artist and a NASA engineer. Rooney and Jack meet by chance in New York multiple times in one day. They end up spending a magical evening together. They lose touch, unable to find each other, but feel altered by that night.

Rooney very much believes in fate and serendipity, while Jack is more science-minded and believes our actions solely dictate our lives. They eventually connect again and though they are very different, they see the beauty in the other person and how they are.

The novel is told in dual perspectives, which I really liked. Rooney and Jack are so adorable and likeable. Each on the cusp of furthering their professional careers. The audiobook narration is perfect, with two narrators that fit so well for the characters. I really enjoyed this romance and getting to know Jack and Rooney.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ebook and audiobook ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you Forever Publishing for this gifted ALC! All opinions are my own.
Spice: None. Sweet Romance

What to Expect:
✨opposites attract
✨Serendipity vibes
✨duet narrations on audio
✨themes of fate versus science

🫶🏽What worked for me
Serendipity is one of my most favorite classic rom coms and this gave me ALL the vibes 🥹 Jack and Rooney are adorable together right from the start and I loved all the little signs that so clearly showed they were string mates! The fact that they tied science into the conversation made me love it even more. I liked Lunar Love, but Red String Theory was magic!

🤷🏻‍♀️What didn’t work for me
At first I thought Jack's reasoning for the third act break up was a little weak but it was better explained as each character spent some time apart so this wasn't really a big deal.

🎧Audio Review
The duet narration was PERFECTION! Yu-Li Alice Shen voiced Rooney and Andrew Grace voiced Jack throughout the entire book, regardless of who's POV the chapter was following. I WISH all audiobooks were recorded this way. Highly recommend this format!

I loved that this audiobook was duet narration. Both narrators did an amazing job of bringing all of the characters to life. It felt like I was listening in on Rooney and Jack's conversation, and it added so much to my overall enjoyment of the book.

Rooney and Jack are opposites, but they eventually come together to find that they have some things in common. They meet one day in New York and spend hours together. They go on an adventure in the city, and then, Rooney gets Jack's number. However, the phone number doesn't work. Both of them try to search for each other, but they come up empty. Until one day, Rooney goes to LA to work on an art project for NASA, and she finds out that she will be working with Jack.

Both characters try to stay away from anything romantic because they are working together, but will their platonic friendship stay platonic?

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an ALC of this book.