Lauren Kung Jessen's warmhearted second novel, Red String Theory, interweaves a quirky opposites-attract love story with musings on fate, the power of decisions, and which of many possible roads leads to true love. Installation artist Rooney Gao, known to the public as Red String Girl, believes in fate. She's long hoped to find her "stringmate," the man at the other end of the "red thread" that ties soul mates inextricably to each other. NASA engineer Jackson Liu believes in experiments and provable outcomes, but he finds himself drawn to Rooney when they meet by chance in Manhattan. As they chase a Chinese Lunar New Year lantern through the city, both of them wonder if this meet-cute could possibly be the connection they've each longed for.
Kung Jessen (Lunar Love) alternates between Rooney's and Jack's voices, showing them to readers through each other's eyes. Rooney, though talented, has always struggled to escape the shadow of her artist mother's notoriety, while Jack, the son of two traveling scientists, has always wanted his parents to choose him over their work. When Rooney gets tapped to be NASA's artist-in-residence in Los Angeles, the two are thrown together again. With help from a charming ensemble cast, including Jack's ice-cream-loving grandfather and a cat named Sprinkles, they must decide what they truly want--and whether those desires include each other.
Packed with New York City magic, delicious slow-burn romantic tension, and mouthwatering descriptions of dumplings, Red String Theory is a cozy, delightful love story and a meditation on choosing optimism and love. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams