The Soulmate Equation (29 page)

I
T CERTAINLY WASN'T
intentional, in an era where the word of scientists seems to be continually disregarded, to write a book about the power of data, but here we are. Although we conceived of the idea before the pandemic fully hit, we wrote it during our respective states' shelter-in-place orders, and this book will forever hold a sacred place in our hearts for the distraction and joy it brought us during such a dark time for the world. There was nothing about the process of writing this book that wasn't escapist and rewarding, and for this reason (and about a million others) we are so incredibly privileged to do this.

We are also grateful for the group of spectacular people we not only get to work with but who've been our ride-or-die team this past year. We've taken turns propping each other up, which is the best possible scenario in a crappy year such as this. Before 2020, our love ran bone-deep, but the devotion now runs DNA-deep: Holly Root and Kristin Dwyer, we are your forever ride-or-die. Beyond what you've done for this book, what you give us daily as
friends and colleagues is invaluable and we cherish both of you. Kate Dresser, your capability and warmth has kept our careers and spirits alive even when the world was (sometimes actually) on fire. Thank you for always being present—both emotionally and professionally—responsive, enthusiastic, and reassuring. We are the luckiest authors. Jen Bergstrom, thank you for always believing in us and, specifically, for believing in this novel. Your decision to put us in hardcover still makes us glow inside. We've been through every step of our career with you, and that means the world to us. Rachel Brenner, you are always a bright spot even on the crappiest days. Thank you for hustling, but also—and we mean this with our deepest sincerity and gravitas—thank you for always,
always
being willing to crack a dad joke.

To our entire Gallery team—Molly Gregory, Aimée Bell, Jen Long, Abby Zidle, Anne Jaconette, Anabel Jimenez, Sally Marvin, Lisa Litwak, John Vairo, the Gallery Sales team and foreign rights group:
WE ADORE ALL OF YOU A WHOLE LOT.

The primary setting of the book, namely the apartment complex, is based on a real place! A place that is truly beloved to me (Lauren), in fact, and is owned by my much-adored aunt and uncle, Sharon and Clayton Haven, who retired, sold their house with a million stairs, and made the dream a reality, living at the apartment complex with my grown cousins and their families. We took some fictional license with the setting so that it worked for Jess and Juno, but in most ways our descriptions of the apartment complex are based on reality, and you can find more about this place in an
LA Times
story from February 15, 2019, entitled, “3 Generations in One Apartment Building? That Was the Grandparents' Idea.” My aunt and uncle are
two of the most precious people on this planet, and I am indebted to them not only for too many wild nights to count but for their enthusiasm, for their support, and for modeling a sense of adventure that has driven them for their entire lives. They find joy in everything; it's so inspiring (example: Unc was seventy-five when he had the pleasure of seeing a reader ask us to sign her boobs, and I can still hear his laugh). You would have a hard time finding two more curious, thoughtful, and open souls in this world. S&C, I love you madly.

Thank you to Keith Luhrs, Iqra Ashad, Erica Lewis, and Rebecca Clark for your scientific expertise and for reading the manuscript. For something entirely theoretical and probably scientifically impossible, you helped us get as close as we could. It goes without saying that any remaining errors are ours and ours alone.

To our bookish friends who have been in it with us this year, we heart you so much. If we are ever thriving, it is because our community is strong and powerful and loving: Kate Clayborn, Kresley Cole, Jen Frederick, Cassie Sanders, Sarah MacLean, Rebekah Weatherspoon, Sally Thorne, Sarah J. Maas, Jen Prokop, Leslie Philips, Alexa Martin, Sonali Dev, Gretchen Schreiber, Alisha Rai, Christopher Rice, Jillian Stein, Liz Berry, Candice Montgomery, and Catherine Lu.

We've been cooped up with our families for eight months by this point so there's nothing we can say here that we haven't said (or shouted)… except maybe this: there have been challenges, and there have been victories, but none of the low points were ever because our love faltered. For that we are very lucky indeed. We love you, R, C, K, O, V.

This section of the book would be remiss if we didn't mention
Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, and Jeon Jungkook. BTS has been a brilliant ray of sunshine in this gloomy, tragic year, and we adore the members as if they were our own family. Enough said. ARMY knows how it is, and we purple you.

To all of the librarians, booksellers, readers, and our beloved members of CLo and Friends: we hope when this note reaches you that you are safe, secure, well-fed, deeply loved, and know that when you read these words we are speaking to you. Thank you for picking up our books, but more importantly, thank you for being the bedrock of a community that, without you, would crumble. In all sincerity, we write to make you happy. We hope we succeed.

And, finally, to each other we say: You are my best, and here you are my only. And look… we just wrote a book about soulmates. Funny thing, that.

CHRISTINA LAUREN
is the pen name of writing partners/best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, the
New York Times, USA Today
, and #1 internationally bestselling authors of twenty-seven books, including the Beautiful and Wild Seasons series,
The Unhoneymooners, Twice in a Blue Moon, The Honey-Don't List,
and
In a Holidaze
. Find them at
ChristinaLaurenBooks.com
or @ChristinaLauren on
Instagram
and
Twitter
.

FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR:
SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Christina-Lauren

SimonandSchuster.com

@GalleryBooks