Book Review: Red String Theory

• Publishers: Forever (GCP) | Hachette Audio
• Publication Date: January 9, 2024
• Author: Lauren Kung Jessen
• Narrators: Yu-Li Alice Shen; Andrew Grace
• Genre: Romance | Multicultural Interest
• Page Count: 352

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Blurb

Just a date . . . or a twist of fate?
 When it comes to love and art, Rooney Gao believes in signs. Most of all, she believes in the Chinese legend that everyone is tied to their one true love by the red string of fate. And that belief has inspired her career as an artist, as well as the large art installations she makes with ( obviously ) red string. That is until artist’s block strikes and Rooney begins to question everything. But then fate leads her to the perfect guy . . . Jack Liu is perfect. He’s absurdly smart, successful, handsome, and after one enchanting New York night—under icy February skies and fueled by fried dumplings—all signs point to destiny. Only Jack doesn’t believe. And after their magical date, it looks like they might be lost to each other forever . . . until they’re given one more chance to reconnect. But can Rooney convince a reluctant skeptic to take a leap of fate?

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My Thoughts & Opinions

I absolutely loved Red String Theory! Author Jessen has done it again, but in a much more profound way. To me, Red String Theory was so much better than the first novel, Lunar Love. And perhaps it was due in part to the narrators of the audiobook. Narrators Shen and Grace did a superb job in capturing the essence of the characters by projecting the personalities, inflections, and emotion in their narration. But the narration just enhanced the already fully developed characters that Jessen cast in her novel.

Red String Theory was much more than a romance. It contained elements of humor, love, as well as unfeigned sincerity. I loved that the romance aspect was wholesome and clean. A welcome change from steamy lit romance novels. I also enjoyed the showcasing of cultural traditions that were passed on through generations.

Overall, Red String Theory is a novel and audiobook not be be missed. Author Jessen should be on every romance fan’s radar. Five exceptional stars.

I received a physical ARC from Forever (GCP) and was also invited to listen to the audiobook from Forever (GCP) through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

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DRC Review: Familia

• Publisher: Kensington Books
• Publication Date: December 26, 2023
• Author: Lauren E. Rico
• Genre: Multicultural Interest
• Page Count: 320

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Review

As part of a research project for a potential magazine article, Gabby DiMarco submits to a DNA test just to see if there could be the remote possibility of discovering a distant cousin. But Gabby already knew that the existence of any relative would be next to impossible. But miracles sometimes happen. And to Gabby’s surprise, a 50% familial match is revealed — a potential sibling.

Dumbfounded by the discovery of a potential sister and receiving a message from a Isabella Ruiz claiming to be her sister, Gabby becomes determined to clear up any misunderstanding or mixup on the gene pool data.

However, once realizing that she may have a potential magazine headliner, Gabby rushes off to Puerto Rico to meet with Isabella to uncover the truth behind Isabella’s claims. But what both Gabby and Isabella discover is a history that goes deeper than any of them could imagine.

I wasn’t impressed with the cover of the novel. But Familia turned out to be one of the best women’s fiction/multicultural interest novels that I’ve read in 2023.

The story unfolds through multiple points of view and dual timelines. I loved how the layers of the story got revealed with mini cliffhangers in between chapters. Familia combines snarky humor, mystery, and heartfelt emotion into a complete package. Familia is a novel that had me racing through the chapters to find out what happens next.

The characters in the novel are well developed. So much so that they felt like family. I especially loved the two main characters of Gabby and Isabella. Their snarky sense of humor and sister-like banter really brought the story to life. The other players in the story added depth and dimension to an already enjoyable plot. And the insertion of Spanish phrases throughout just added to the narrative and realism of the characters.

Overall, I loved everything about Familia. The humor, the mystery, the emotions and family. Five over the top stars.

I received a DRC from Kensington Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

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DRC Review: The Cowboy Whisperer

• Publisher: Forever (GCP)
• Publication Date: November 28, 2023
• Author: Sabrina Sol
• Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Multicutural Interest | Romance
• Page Count: 320

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Review

Veronica de Valle, a champion show jumper has just recovered from a debilitating injury and is ready for a comeback. Her goal was to qualify for the Olympics in equestrian (show) jumping. The plan was to train at a remote ranch and money was no object. After all, her father Enrique de Valle was a suave and well to do businessman.

It was Enrique’s idea to have is daughter train secretly and hidden from the public eye at Rancho Lindo – a family owned ranch set far enough away from the city so that Veronica could concentrate on training without distractions. Or so Enrique thought.

Tomás Ortega was the stable manager at Rancho Lindo. And even as his family needed the sizable income from the de Valle’s, he just couldn’t stomach the idea of a spoiled city girl staying at their ranch and having his whole family bending over backwards to accommodate Veronica’s needs. That is until he met her.

The Cowboy Whisperer is the second installment of the Rancho Lindo series. However, I had no problem reading it as a standalone. And it appears that each novel could be read in any order.

The story follows the enemies to lovers and fake dating tropes and I just loved how everything came together for a wonderful, feel good story.

The primary characters of Veronica and Tomás were nicely developed. Their individual personalities shined through in the novel with their banter and introspective thoughts. I didn’t care for Veronica’s father, Enrique, but that soon changed at the end when his paternal instincts kicked in over his business instincts.

There are quite a number of Spanish phrases and food references throughout the novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed them. But this may pose a distraction for some readers. But I found them to lend some credibility to the familial ties in their Latino culture.

Overall, The Cowboy Whisperer was a very enjoyable romance worthy of five stars.

I received a DRC from Forever (GCP) through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

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DRC Review: Rumi — Poet of Joy and Love

• Publisher: NorthSouth Books
• Publication Date: March 5, 2024
• Author: Rashin Kheiriyeh
• Genre: Children’s Fiction | Children’s Nonfiction | Multicultural Interest
• Page Count: 40

⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Review

I loved the beautiful illustrations in the book. The story, not so much. I expected more poetry or philosophical phrases that could be instilled in the young ones, but there wasn’t much.

Although I appreciated the history of Rumi as outlined in the book, I don’t think children would value it as much. And I got the sense that some things got lost in translation since the writing was a little haphazard.

Overall, I found Rumi to be a likable read. Five stars for the illustrations. Two stars for the story, for a three star average.

I received a DRC from NorthSouth Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

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