Do you believe in fate?

That’s the central question for the characters in Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen [Buy Bookshop Amazon LibroFM].

Rooney is an artist hiding her identity behind her anonymous work. She’s known as “Red String Girl” instead of her real name because she was born as art to a famous artist. Rooney believes that fate connects everyone to their soulmate by an invisible string, aka a stringmate, and her art is a bit of an expression of that belief. So, one night in New York while her display is up, she meets Jack and thinks there might be something there. But a typo in his phone number leaves her with no way to contact him and a block on her creativity.

Jack also can’t figure out how to contact Rooney again. Weeks later, NASA brings back its artist-in-residence program and Jack is selected as liason between the scientists and the artist. He’s shocked to find that Red String Girl is Rooney and now they are working together on the west coast. But that professional relationship means any shot at a personal one is now much more complicated.

Red String Theory is a cute story. I read it partially with a physical ARC and partially with an audiobook and I think I enjoyed the audio version slightly better. There are two narrators for the alternation chapters, but they also utilize both actors for conversations, which is a little bit different than other audiobooks and I enjoyed it. There are also a few sound effects involved, so it was nice.

I also really enjoyed the chapter in the middle that served as an epilogue of sorts for Lunar Love [Buy Bookshop Amazon LibroFM], so it was nice to get that little peek in on Olivia and Bennett’s life.

I don’t have too much to say about the writing or anything. I read part of this with a physical book and listened to part on audiobook, and both were enjoyable. It’s a cute story and nothing specific stood out, good or bad. It’s worth picking up if you’re looking for a book by a diverse author or looking for something with touches of Chinese American culture.

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