Red String Theory

October 9, 2023
Jessen (Lunar Love) impresses with this surprising and sophisticated contemporary romance. Professionally, sculptor Rooney Gao goes by “Red String Girl,” hoping to make a name for herself in New York City’s art world independently of her mother, a famous performance artist. Now her art installation in Washington Square Park—which plays on both string theory and a Chinese myth that two people fated to fall in love are tied together with red thread—may be Rooney’s big break. Jack Liu, a systems engineer at NASA, has just been passed over for a promotion when he runs into Rooney and her art installation—though he doesn’t realize the two are connected. The pair meet again at a Lantern Festival party, leading to a night of deep conversation and unexpected romance. When Jack takes on a new role as a liaison for NASA’s artist-in-residence program, he picks Red String Girl for the residency—and is shocked to be reunited with Rooney once more. Inextricably drawn to each other, the duo run several “fate tests,” trying to determine if fate or choice rules their lives and their budding relationship. It’s unusually cerebral for a romance, marrying a believable love connection with a thoughtful meditation on how humans make meaning in life. The result is smart, sensitive, and striking. Agent: Ann Leslie Tuttle, Dystel, Goderich & Bourett.

November 1, 2023
Fate intervenes after two strangers spend a perfect, snowy evening together in New York City. Rooney Gao and Jackson Liu are opposites in almost every way. Rooney, an up-and-coming artist and hopeless romantic, believes in--and has been inspired by--the Chinese legend that everyone is tied to their soulmate by an invisible red thread wrapped around both of their ankles. Jack lives his life by the numbers. As a systems engineer at NASA, he's had little time for romance, let alone the idea that true love exists. That all begins to change when, after a chance meeting at a Lantern Festival party, Rooney and Jack spend a perfect night together exploring the streets of Manhattan. Their chemistry is palpable from the moment they lay eyes on one another, but any chance of consummating a new relationship is thwarted when Jack accidentally gives Rooney the wrong phone number after they exchange a heartwarming kiss. In a twist of fate, Jack and Rooney are given a second chance months later when their jobs reunite them. As they spend more time together, it becomes increasingly clear that they're meant to be, but, of course, love never comes easily. For someone who believes in fate and chance, Rooney seems frustratingly determined to keep things as by-the-books as possible so as not to risk losing Jack again, and the book is hindered by a general lack of spice despite Rooney and Jack's undeniable chemistry. Despite this, Jessen's second romance novel is delightful, inducing squeals and sighs in equal measure. A lighthearted slow burn that's full of hope and heart.

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November 3, 2023

Rooney Gao believes in the red string of fate, a Chinese legend that says each person is fated to have one soulmate, tethered together by red string. Her artwork is comprised of red string from small portraits to large installations. Then Rooney meets straightlaced Jack Liu, visiting New York City from Los Angeles, when they are paired for the Lunar New Year lantern celebration. Together, they chase their lantern as it floats throughout the city. Rooney believes that Jack might be her soulmate, and while Jack firmly rejects the notion of fate, the night is so magical he shares his phone number with Rooney. After Jack leaves, Rooney realizes she has the wrong number, and each is lost to the other. But fate intervenes when Rooney is hired as a visiting artist, with Jack as her liaison, but it's difficult to keep a professional distance when both want nothing more than to get back the magic of being together like they were on the Lunar New Year. VERDICT In Jessen's enjoyable latest (after Lunar Love), readers will cheer Rooney's beliefs about fate, as it's obvious these two are destined to continue their adventures together.--Eve Stano

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