Have you ever been sold on a story's concept alone? If so, then allow me, a good reader, to shine a light on the romance Love Me Knot by Sophia.
Summary
What if you could see fate right in front of you? What if you knew true love existed? Most would probably find that a blessing, but it's a curse for our main heroine Avery. Ever since she was little, she could see the red string of fate that connects people to their soulmates. However, at the cost of seeing her severed string, leaving her to think she's destined for a life of little love. Yet when she sees two men who share her exact situation, they all realize destiny has left them at a crossroads.
Characters
Avery: Our main mc, Avery, has been a hopeless romantic for years. Due to seeing the strings, Avery is often pretty nosy in relationship drama and is a fan of romances in any medium. However, upon meeting others who share her path, she becomes far more flighty, anxious, and mature. What she once viewed as a curse is now a blessing.
Noah: Another stringless individual, Noah took the news of finding another like him harder than Avery. Like her, this new development makes him more timid and rigid. However, beyond all his social awkwardness, Noah does have a hint of bluntness that leaves much to be desired.
Hayden: Noah's roommate Hayden seems to be the character who knows the most about the strings. Not wanting to be defined by them, Hayden actively seeks out relationships with other tied people, even knowing how that story ends. Underneath his relatively carefree, sly, flirtatious, and charismatic nature, though lies a man who wants to find love genuinely. P.S. I'm team Hayden all the way, though.
Overview
Before getting into the plot, stuff might as well get this out of the way. Presentation-wise, Love Me Knot has excellent art. Every character has very smooth yet the same simple designs as I'm watching fashion models in motion. That being said, for comedic purposes, some charming chibi designs. And for more dramatic moments, expect a lot of really cool background effects and objects to give a more rosy vibe. Combine that all with the frankly gorgeous fashion sense of the main characters, and we got ourselves a pretty read with concise chapters to binge.
Now I'm going being honest here. I was pretty much hooked on Love Me Knot by the premise alone . I would say that it's the most exciting romance I've read since Lore Olympus, so it was no wonder why I'd kept it in mind since the original canvas version in 2018. Either way, the unique take is much appreciated.
I've always hated any story that features a particular relationship, achievement, or ability as something "meant to be." Primarily, implying that a character's success was destiny can take away from agency and tension from previous engagements. However, if said destiny was to have a dark twist behind it, now we are cooking for some exciting drama.
With multiple characters having the strings, many of the series gets devoted to characters philosophizing about them. This naturally causes many interesting week-to-week theories and questions for the character. It also makes them well established and human, for as opposing as their ideologies about them are, you can clearly how deeply not knowing the truth behind them affects them. They have natural worries, fears, and motivations that eat them up, but they are their antagonists at the end of the day.
Ironically, though, that's what makes the strings narratively so perfect. Because that makes our stringless characters more like us in a way. While I still don't personally have a significant other, I at least know well enough to say this. I know love can sometimes be a whirlwind, one that sends you on cloud nine or one's that sends you plummeting.
It can be fast, fun, slow, deep, and everything. Either way, it's a development where you have to put the courage to love yourself enough for that step. It can be gambling, I've known from personal experience. So to have a story with a cast of people who feel clueless, scared, unsure of such intense passion but still try and find nonetheless has made me feel more seen than I've felt in a story for a long time.
Epilogue
Overall, Love Me Knot is probably one of the top romance recommendations in this series. It may be a love triangle that hasn't had too much happens, but the questions and messages it brings up are too tantalizing not to resist. Plus, this is probably the best time to read it with the short chapters, slow updates, and recent season one finale. Either way, it's a story of vulnerable people trying to find love, and I feel like that's enough.
Still, between this series and summer coming. I'm going to keep on trudging along. I've never felt more inspired or like a better writer until now. So let's ride this high and decide where the spotlight takes us next.