What an original take on a romance! I loved Rooney's art and her ideas on fate. The love story between the two MCs was completely believable and fun to read about.

Unfortunately there were a couple of things that rubbed me the wrong way and lowered my rating a bit. The relationship between the parents was one of them, and I don't want to reveal more than that. The main issue I had was the sheer child extortion that Rooney underwent as a baby. She had no say in her birth being published as art. It really bugged me, especially since the mother never admitted that it was a selfish thing to do to reach fame. This could just be a newfound pet peeve of mine.

I enjoyed the other aspects of this romance enough that I will continue to read books by the author. I have enjoyed her other books a lot more. It was a very original story and enjoyable, minus those couple of instances mentioned above.

I was an instant fan of Jessen's work after reading her book Lunar Love. I really enjoyed learning more about Chinese legends and different parts of that culture. I also love a rom-com so this was just the perfect blend of good things wrapped up in to a book that I really enjoyed! I look forward to reading more by Jessen in the future.

I so wanted to love this book. Learning about the Red String of Fate was so interesting, and Jackson and Rooney were great individual characters, but for no romance to happen in a romance until almost the end of the book just didn’t work for me. I felt there was too much repetition of each character talking about their work. I would have loved for that time to have been spent maybe diving into Rooney’s mom’s story a bit more and Jackson’s family more. The MCs just didn’t have the chemistry I was hoping for.

I loved this book so so much! It was swoony and romantic which I've now come to associate with this author. I love the Chinese-American culture that is artfully woven into the story. I love the idea of fate in a contemporary romance - can't recommend this enough!

The title and lovely cover art grabbed my attention right away,. When I think of “the red string of fate” it instantly brings to mind some of the most epic and “meant to be” love stories of all time. This is an engaging tale that I recommend for anyone who savors a happily ever after wrapped in a fanciful story. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Every book by Lauren Kung Jessen is a five star book! Adore her storytelling, how she creates world connections with people in small ways. Each moment in her books are full and intentional. I love how Lauren takes moment in her books to teach us about her culture and give us real world moments we can connect too. Red String Theory delivered and recommend to everyone to read!

DNF. I tried a few times, even by audiobook, to get into this one and I couldn't. Very unrealistic and said the word "fate" way too much. Plot honestly didn't not make much sense at all either and I didn't care for nor connect with the characters.

This was another DNF for me. I just didn't love the plot and characters enough to keep reading it. I loved Jessen's first book but this one didn't suck me in like the other one did.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Red String Theory by Laura Kung Jessen was such a captivating and heartfelt read! I was really drawn into the story of fate, love, and the invisible strings that connect us all. The characters were incredibly well-developed, and I loved how their relationship unfolded.

The book features several romance tropes, including:

- Fate and destiny
- Slow burn romance
- Opposites attract
- Found family
- A touch of magical realism

I really enjoyed the way the author weaves together themes of destiny and choice. The writing style was fluid and immersive, making it easy to get lost in the world the author created.

While there were a few moments where I wished for a bit more pacing in the middle, overall, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book. It’s a beautiful exploration of how we’re all connected, and it left me with a warm, hopeful feeling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Well written, likable and realistic characters. I really enjoyed getting to know everyone and I especially loved the sneak peak back into Lunar Love. The Chinese folklore was fun as well. What threw me was that boom all of the sudden we're in love. Maybe I needed more steam??

I really enjoyed this sweet, wholesome, lovable contemporary rom-com! I love the juxtaposition used in the book by focusing on both science + fate; FMC, Rooney, is a string artist while MMC, Jack, is an engineer at NASA.

Great representation of Asian culture throughout the book with a strong focus on Chinese-American customs. And a beautiful love story, of course. Take note that it is definitely a more tame/wholesome romance, which really worked for this story.

This is the second book I've read by Lauren Kung Jessen, and I can certainly say I'm a fan!

This book has been on my Netgalley for a bit and I haven’t picked it up. I haven’t been into romance in a minute, so I’m not the right person to review it anymore.

I was a fan of Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen, so I was delighted to receive an advanced copy of Red String Theory. It's an own voices novel that introduces the concept of the red string of fate from Chinese culture and mixes love and logic together with a splash of magical realism.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

I was one of the first people to read and review her first book, her second has been just the same level of amazing. Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen is a captivating and thought-provoking exploration of love, destiny, and the invisible connections that shape our lives. The novel follows two characters whose lives intertwine through the concept of the "red string of fate," a symbolic thread that binds soulmates. Jessen weaves a beautiful narrative that challenges the idea of love at first sight while delving into the complexities of relationships, choice, and self-discovery. With poignant moments, lush prose, and an exploration of both the magical and realistic aspects of love, Red String Theory is a deeply reflective, enchanting read that stays with you long after.

I don't read romance much but Lauren Kung Jessen is becoming a favorite quickly. I love the realistic characters she creates A LOT. Very much liked the Art and Science angles here.

A wonderful story!! I ended up listening to the audio book and thought the narration was fantastic and really helped to draw out the emotional elements of the story, as well as the humour.

This was my first book by Lauren Kung Jessen and will definitely not be my last!!!

Another winner from @laurenkjessen 🫶🏻 The fact that I finished reading this during my move back to LA…FATE 😜 At first glance Rooney and Jack are opposites, even their take on fate couldn’t be more different, but if you look a little closer we start to see they have more connections than expected. I loved the different adventures/fate tests they embark on and how their red string keeps them finding their way back to each other. This book also made me really crave some ice cream! Can’t wait for Lauren’s next book 🙌🏻

This was a great opposites attract story with a cultural spin! I love the Asian representation of this book

The characters spent so much time apart initially it was difficult to read this or stay invested in it as a romance.