Review: Red String Theory

Just a date . . . or a twist of fate?

When it comes to love and art, Rooney Gao believes in signs. Most of all, she believes in the Chinese legend that everyone is tied to their one true love by the red string of fate. And that belief has inspired her career as an artist, as well as the large art installations she makes with ( obviously ) red string. That is until artist’s block strikes and Rooney begins to question everything. But then fate leads her to the perfect guy . . . Jack Liu is perfect. He’s absurdly smart, successful, handsome, and after one enchanting New York night—under icy February skies and fueled by fried dumplings—all signs point to destiny. Only Jack doesn’t believe. And after their magical date, it looks like they might be lost to each other forever . . . until they’re given one more chance to reconnect. But can Rooney convince a reluctant skeptic to take a leap of fate?

• Title: Red String Theory
• Author:  Lauren Kung Jessen
• Publisher: Forever
• Publication Date: January 9, 2024
• Genre: Romance 
• Targeted Age Range: Adult
• Content Warnings: parental abandonment (recalled), trespassing, absentee parenting (recalled), death of a loved one
• Rating: ★★★★

Last year I read and loved Lauren Kung Jessen’s debut novel, Lunar Love (my review), so I was very excited when I saw that she’d have a new book out in the beginning of 2024. I absolutely LOVED Red String Theory — Jessen is quickly establishing herself as a romance author whose work I will eagerly await and make sure that I have a copy in hand on the pub date. 

Fate vs. Free Will is always something that has completely fascinated me — are we always destined for certain things to happen in our lives? Will they happen no matter what path we take, or can one choice take us in a new direction? These are questions that Red String Theory asks, and it asks them well.

New York City based artist Rooney Gao is a strong believer in the Red String of Fate; so much so, that she’s centered her entire art career around it and shares her work anonymously as Red String Girl. Los Angeles based NASA engineer Jack Liu does not believe in fate, but he can’t deny the pull he feels towards Rooney when they first meet at a print shop. Their paths cross again later that night at a party, and after releasing a Chinese lantern together, they decide to follow it around the city and see where it takes them. The lantern leads them on a magical night filled with adventure and the promise of something more — however, after a missed digit in a phone number, Rooney and Jack have no way of contacting each other. As it turns out, luck (or maybe fate…) is on their side and they’re given a second chance to change their story.

While instalove is not a trope I typically enjoy (in fact, I really hate it), the slight instalove aspect of this story really didn’t bother me. Maybe it’s because it was tied to the Red String of Fate theory, or maybe it’s just because Lauren Kung Jessen’s writing is so fun, but I did feel the connection between Rooney and Jack right away. I loved reading about their adventures around New York City, and I absolutely loved their banter and dynamic. 

Something in particular that I loved was that although Jack didn’t believe in fate the way Rooney did, he never once made her feel silly or ridiculous for her beliefs, and she didn’t berate him for not believing in fate the way she does. I loved the discussions that they had and how they listened to one another and even tried to see from the other’s point of view. That maturity and open communication, which was present from the beginning, was something that I think made their dynamic really special because it was clear that they respected one another. I loved the fate tests that they created and the adventures that they resulted in. 

We all know I love a good family dynamic and I was so charmed by Jack’s relationship with his Gong Gong was so beautiful — I could’ve read an entire story just about the two of them, which is how I felt about the relationship between Olivia and her Pó Po in Lunar Love. Jack’s parents were absent at best, so it was wonderful to see that he still had a parental figure in his life with his grandfather. 

Red String Theory is like being wrapped in a warm hug while listening to Taylor Swift’s invisible string and Timeless on repeat. There really was something so magical about this book — I just found it to be incredibly touching! I definitely didn’t think that I would cry while reading Red String Theory, but I actually found myself tearing up multiple times and shedding some tears. This book just felt like a warm hug, and if you’re looking for something to give you the Hallmark vibes (affectionate), you should definitely check this one out!

Links for Red String Theory: Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop