Long-time listeners (or newbies playing through past episodes--hiiii!!) will remember our chat with Lauren Kung Jessen, where we playfully chastised her for not warning us that we should go into LUNAR LOVE with snacks on deck.
I knew better for RED STRING THEORY.
Rich in Chinese culture and with Lauren's signature charm, RED STRING THEORY at once educates readers on the red string of fate legends of Chinese mythology while also being a lighthearted and lovable rom-com. It follows Rooney Gao, artist and firm believer in the red string of fate: that her one true love is out there, at the other end of her string. She creates bold art featuring the red strings of fate under the pseudonym "Red String Girl." One day, one of Rooney's most ambitious projects to date is tragically (and IMO, cruelly) destroyed. On that same day, Rooney runs into out-of-towner Jack Liu (who is a freaking Engineer for NASA, no big deal) and they share a pretty magical evening. Unfortunately for Rooney, she realizes too late that she mis-typed his number in the text she sent to his (at the time dead) phone before they parted. Rooney spends the next several months trying to find Jack, who does the same, even while thinking that Rooney chose not to text him.
Fate, of course, has other plans, and Rooney and Jack are thrust together again.
This book was absolutely adorable. Lauren truly has such a way with witty banter that is so charming and so easy to fall into. I was lucky enough to receive an audiobook from NetGalley and read this book in one afternoon, because I couldn't stop listening! I love that Lauren so expertly incorporates food in her books in a way that will leave you DROOLING, and I'm sure my favorite local Chinese restaurant appreciates her for that, too, because they will be getting ALL the orders from me over the next few weeks. I also love how Lauren always includes mixed-race characters. While I'm not mixed-race, some people very close to me are, and I'm always so thankful to see that often-overlooked representation on the page.
Seriously, if you want a cute, low stakes rom com that will have you grinning from ear to ear, RED STRING THEORY is the book for you! Fans of LUNAR LOVE will also particularly love a cute little cameo, but you didn't hear that from me!
And, best of all, RED STRING THEORY is out now! Grab your copy here or here, get a steaming pot of dumplings, and settle in for Rooney and Jack's adorable love story!
Love and midnight dumpling runs,
Mandy
Disclaimer: I received an audiobook copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, and have voluntarily written this review with my honest feedback. If you purchase a copy using my Bookshop.org affiliate link above, I will receive a small commission and you'll support local indies! If you purchase a copy using my Amazon affiliate link above, I will receive a small commission which I will use to justify my literary addictions and to spoil my dogs (probably).