Review: Red String Theory

Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5 stars 

I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review 

He's out there somewhere in the city. 

As an artist that keeps her identity anonymous because she doesn't want her famous mother to garner her any advantages, Rooney is still searching for her defining artistic moment. Known as the Red String Girl because of her incorporating her love of the story of the Red String of Fate, a red string connects you to your soulmate, Rooney has just been contacted by NASA to work with them on a project melding her art with introducing a new mission to the public. It will hopefully bring the exposure she's been wanting for her art career but also money that she desperately wants, to buy back a video of her birth that her mother filmed as an interactive art piece. The new job would also come with working close with the mission liaison, who just so happens to be the man she thought could be her red string soulmate when they had a serendipitous night six months ago in New York City. Jack has been wondering why Rooney never called and when his subconscious thoughts that she could maybe be Red String Girl turn out to be true, he's both relieved to have found her again and scared that his career could be damaged if they don't keep things professional. 

“We do have each other's phone numbers. Let's see where that takes us,” I say, feeling hopeful. 

Red String Theory was a story that constantly discussed if fate, destiny, and chance are in play in our lives and had me searching for the “A Novel” on the cover. (It wasn't there but romance genre readers will know what I'm saying here and there were discussion questions in the back) Told in alternating first person present point-of-view chapters (I did struggle with the povs sounding in the same voice), Rooney and Jack meet early in the story and have a first night together that lasts about the first 30%. They read sweet and compatible together but differ on their thoughts of fate, Rooney the artist believes in fate and Jack the NASA systems engineer thinks it more chance and self-determination. They spend the night only giving their first names and not talking about their jobs but instead come up with “tests” to see if fate can be measured and therefore exist. 

And then I have to ask. “Why did you kiss me?” I whisper. 

It was a beginning that did draw me into their story as a couple but then when Rooney accidentally gets Jack's number wrong, they lose their way to keep their connection after they separate the next morning. The story then jumps six months and we get them meeting up again with the NASA job connection. The rest of the story, 350ish pages, is then a lot of hashing and rehashing if fate exists with both Rooney and Jack both thinking they should back away because they don't want to damage their careers. I mentioned looking for the A Novel on the cover because, while I don't think the language completely drifted to lit fic, the tone and conversations between the characters had some of that vibe and in the second half it did start to have moments that felt overwritten; if you like to wallow in it, this has the page count for you. For me, this felt very drawn out and lit fic airy, but newer published romance genre has seemed to be moving in this direction, so, closed door, a few kisses, newer romance readers may enjoy this more. 

One of us is going to have to make a decision. We can't risk leaving this up to fate. 

The ending did deliver a little bit of the characters choosing each other, which I want to feel even in a fated mates story. The personal issues with Rooney wanting to feel like she made a career on own also get worked through, although the whole thread with her birthing video never felt quite fitted in right to me, but I loved the character of her mother and actually would love to read her story. Jack had a little bit of his own family issues but, like in real life, there wasn't a definite resolve to them but more of a kind of made it to an understanding. These two did have sweet moments but I started to get a little sapped wading through the rehashing fate conversations.

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50%

It's stories like these that make me emotional but also kind of freak me out. Jack's Gōng Gong wasn't even supposed to be at the shop to receive his future wife's call. If he had never covered for someone, he may never have met Jack's grandma. And then Jack wouldn't be here. It's downright scary sometimes how close we are to alternate life paths without even knowing. It's a story that reminds me how powerful the red thread can be.

Real life stories of chance or the burnt toast theory always fascinate me! 

Reading Update: Page 1

 

Combating the Monday blues with chicken tacos and this contemporary romance that releases this Tuesday! 

Do you believe in fated love? Rooney does, her art is inspired by the legend of the red string of fate, a red string that connects you to your soul mate. 

Jack doesn't believe. After a night of all signs pointing to destiny, it suddenly looks like they may never see each other again. 

But with one more intervening of fate, can Rooney convince skeptic Jack to take a leap of fate? 

Second chance romance getting helped out with fate! 

Red String Theory by Lauren Kung Jessen preorder (Jan. 9th) link

Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos recipe

I loved this one! You put the chicken in the slowcooker for this one, so not a ton of effort.

Review: Lunar Love

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. 

Of course the founder of our new competition is a Rat, my exact opposite sign. 

Olivia is poised to take over her Pó Po's Chinese zodiac matchmaker business, Lunar Love, from her aunt when she learns that an entrepreneur has developed an app called ZodiaCupid. It's taking the same business of matching people by their Chinese zodiac animal signs but also using an algorithm. Lunar Love has started to struggle with people wanting fast and easy and Olivia is instantly upset at this new app, what she sees as cheapening a system that is very near and dear to her heart and taking potential business away from her. 

Many moons ago, I did love being in love. I used to fall in love easily. Too easily. Now I know better. I’m wiser. More careful. 

Told in first person point-of-view and present tense, Lunar Love, was a story of rivals-to-lovers and opposites attract. I have a personal problem of it being more difficult for me to fully connect with characters and a story that uses first person pov with present tense, so my overall feelings are colored by that, if other readers have no such problem, their enjoyment would probably be more. With Olivia leading readers, we see that she's nervous but ready to take over Lunar Love and even though her life revolves around love, she definitely takes a more pessimistic view of her personal love life. It's alluded to and then fully revealed why at around midway, that Olivia has been burned before. The situation involved her best friend Colette, a guy Olivia set Colette up with, and an opposites attract guy Olivia was dating. It reaffirmed that only compatible signs should be matched together to Olivia. Olivia also has the habit of meeting someone and then playing out how the relationship would go, in a negative light, as their animal sign traits would have them clashing. Olivia is that character that believes in love, was burned by it, and now is scared to ever put herself out there. 

“You pick a match for me, and I’ll let my algorithm pick one for you, and we’ll see who finds love.” 

Bennett O'Brien comes into the picture with one of the best meet-cutes I've ever read, they negotiate and flirt over a pork bun and vanilla roll!, and the reader can feel the instant sparks. I will say, with this written all from Olivia's pov, I still felt like Bennett's feelings and thoughts came through in a way that, I the reader, could “see”; I didn't feel like I didn't know where Bennett stood at all times. Olivia learns who Bennett is and decides to game the system on ZodiaCupid and get a date with him, thinking to hide her identity to get insider knowledge of her competition. They go on a couple dates where their chemistry is still evident but Olivia lying for nefarious reasons will have the reader feeling more for Bennett. The jig is up around 35% and Bennett reveals some secrets of his own. With their identities known, a bet gets made and we have Olivia and Bennett trying to find each other love. 

I grip his hand tighter and pull him closer. Our cheeks graze as I bring my lips up against his ear. “I hope you’re ready to fall in love.” 

They show up at each other's dates and it's obvious that Bennett isn't fully into this because he has feelings for Olivia. Olivia struggles to get past her feelings about being burned and we get some push and pull moments. Around 70% the bet gets called off and Olivia tentatively seems to be coming out of her protective shell but the author gives us that 3rd act break-up and the last 20% has Olivia working through her emotions, Bennett delivering a public act of love, and a sad event that probably puts a dent in calling this a rom-com. 

Because compatible or incompatible, we’re all just trying to love and be loved, however that might look. 

With this being told in first person pov and present tense, characters other than Olivia didn't shine as well for me, Bennett being the exception. Olivia's relationship with her grandmother delivered some emotion and who she had the best scenes with, other than Bennett. Olivia's sister and work employees Alisha and Randall felt too much to the side of the story, instead of in it and didn't add those dimensions and layers I would have liked. This was also a few kisses only romance, so you're going to have to get your sparks from conversation, Olivia and Bennett do have fun, cute, and some sparking chemistry through their by-play. If you don't struggle with pov and tense choices like I do, this would be a solid debut to pick-up, especially with that very charming and fun meet-cute.

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Reading Update: Page 1

 

Some early afternoon tacos and a debut rom-com to get me through this hump day. 

🌮📖 

Olivia is taking over her grandmother's matchmaking business when L.A.'s most eligible bachelor develops an app that takes her Pò Po's traditional Chinese zodiac approach and makes it about "animal attraction". 

Bennett believes traditions are meant to be broken, so these two make a deal, find a match for each other and whoever falls in love loses. 

I can feel those rivals-to-lovers sparking emotions heating up! 

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen preorder (Jan 10th) link

Cool Ranch Chicken Tostadadillas with Honey Lime Crema recipe