As romance readers and SF fans, the synopsis for this book really appealed to us. And the setup is definitely cool and interesting! Bee and Nick fall in love through a misdirected email. When they finally decide to meet, it turns out that they are actually in parallel universes. Here's where the novel takes a bit of a turn. A romance reader might expect the characters to focus on getting their Happily Ever After. An SF reader might focus on what the existence of parallel universes means. Instead, Lotz tries to straddle the difference between the two as Bee and Nick embark on Project Doppelganger: they will each search out the "double" of the other in their own universe.

As the book progresses, Project Doppelganger takes some dark turns. Bee and Nick have to come to terms with their doubles' life circumstances. As they begin making physical connections with their "in-universe" soul mates, they continue their correspondence. It's pointed out several times that their cross-universe communication seems to be rather ... hmmm ... self-absorbed, so the quantum mechanics or philosophy involved in getting messages from a similar world are largely glossed over. And that HEA? Well, it's up to you to decide just how "happy" it really is.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

An astonishing blend of Sci-Fi and romance fiction that stirred up many laughters and tears. Nick in a rage writes an angry email to one of his clients who has not paid for his editing and ghostwriting services. Serendipitously, the email gets misdirected to Bee. Nick and Bee hit it off and after some time in email exchanges they are finally ready to meet in person. They both make plans to meet under the clock at Euston Station. Of course, their meeting does not go according to plan. After assessing their conversations and finding several "red flags" it points to both living in parallel universes. A genuine connection between the pair, will their "impossible" love story be made possible?

A gentle love story with a twist. It was a pleasant surprise how much I got immersed into the story and its characters. The time-glitch love story had me engaged until the end. It was a perfection in pacing with no room for dull moments. The characterization is deserving of praise. The protagonists Bee and Nick felt real and relatable. I especially appreciated Nick's characterization. I love the fact that Sarah Lotz chose to compose older protagonists. Through Nick, Lotz explores the experience of failure from their dream and facing one's fear by persistently pursuing their passion. In a society heavily reliant on digital technology, success stories are spotlighted and the conversation in failure and one's interpretation when faced with adversity greatly lacks. This is just one of several key examinations the author deftly engineers oscillating between sharp social commentaries and capturing the essence of humanity with rhythmic ease. 

I enjoyed the speculative genre but I think the character-driven aspect of the story is what made it shine. It is a very human story taking place in a complicated alternate reality. Quantum physics is a complicated subject matter, but this did not hinder my reading experience. Suspend your beliefs. Go along and enjoy the ride. Filled with eccentric and witty characters, a sweeping romance and thought-provoking elements that are masterfully crafted. Lotz delivered an intelligent and uniquely addicting novel that brought a smile to my face. 

Thank you to NetGalley, Ace and Berkley Publishing Group for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story was a bit of a pleasant surprise for me because I thought it was going to be a dud and it ended up being much more intriguing and engaging than I originally expected it would be. It's a story about two people, a guy, and a girl and their paths cross via an e-mail sent to the wrong e-mail address. Bee and Nick end up constantly communicating via their e-mail thread/chat and they get to know each other and then become attached and start to fall in love with each other.
This book threw me because all I was expecting and thinking was going to happen is the same old kind of rom-com type story, which I don't always like, but this was so much better. This had elements of sci-fi/a little fantasy all entwined with a rom-com storyline in a type of a contemporary setting. It had me thinking and lost in thought examining things in life and the story wondering if the ideas in this story were plausible or possible and I concluded that some of it was plausible but not all of it is possible, not likely anyway.
I've been trying to think about how to review this to portray how good it is, but the more I'm writing the review, the more I realize I can't adequately portray it. Also, I can't say too much about it because a lot of what I think and want to say could ruin it and give some twists, etc. away that make it better to enjoy the story if you don't know when you're going in. So, yes this is a book that I think is probably best to go in blind to enjoy it the best. If you want to know the summary then check it out on Goodreads here, www.goodreads.com/book/show/58575269-the-impossible-us.
Go check it out and read it, you won't be disappointed and you'll find yourself thinking a lot about things that come out of the left-field from the story in the books. Thanks so much to Berkley Publishing Group/Berkley and NetGalley for letting me read and review this fantastic read. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This will be posted on my website, www.annettemwebber.com, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Instagram.

Such an original book! I loved the premise of it and the book truly delivered. I laughed a lot, I was sad by the situation the protagonists find themselves in, but the book also made me think about other worlds and time dimensions.
I don't usually read this genre, not sure how to describe it, but I'm very glad that I read this book. At the core this book is about love and finding your soulmate in the most weird and unexpected form, don't want to give out too much here and spoil the story.
I loved the main characters and their quirkiness, especially in an impossible situation, and especially I love the ending, I thought it was the perfect one for the story.

I don't want to say too much about this book. I think it's one you just have to go in as blind as you can. I don't want to give anything away.

I was a little worried when I saw this was a sci-fi book. That is one genre I usually can't get into...but let me tell you, I was hooked reading this book. There are parts that I didn't fully agree with and I was just shaking my head at Nick and Bee. There were parts that made my heart feel full, but parts where my heart broke. I was a roller coaster of mixed emotions. 

This book also made me think about my life and the decisions I've made. What life would have been like if I chose something else. Let's just say that didn't help my "roller coaster ride". I love books like that though, ones that make you feel all the feels....even if you didn't want to feel those feels. 

I thought the characters were great. I loved the banter between Nick and Bee. I think the author did a great job at bringing the characters to life. You could feel their feelings. I loved Nick, even if he was a mess of a character at times. He was true to himself. 

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. Book comes out 3/22/22. If you like romance with a dash of snarky commentary and sci-fi this book is for you.

If you are tired of the same old drab Rom-Com stories, be sure to check out The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz. It is quirky, fun and a breath of fresh air in a tried-and-true genre.
Neither Nick nor Bee considers themselves good at relationships. Bee was involved in a disastrous relationship years ago and now prefers only one-night stands. However, recently that also has not been the best experience and she is thinking that it is time to swear off men altogether. Then there is Nick, the self-proclaimed failed writer who appears stuck in a marriage that is unfulfilling and disappointing for both himself and his wife.
Then it all changes when a misdirected email sent by Nick ends up in Bee’s Inbox. They start a lively back and forth banter that they both look forward to because they know they will never have to meet. However, they did not plan for the ease in which they can “talk”. It is like they have known each other all their lives and they just get each other. Maybe they are the perfect match.
Putting their doubts aside, they decide to meet at the train station. Call it a twist of fate but they never meet up because it is “impossible”. IKR!?! How can it be impossible??? I hate spoilers and I refuse to do them. Therefore, you will need to read the book to find out the impossible. BTW, don’t read the book blurb because that has the spoiler I am trying to avoid.
Obviously, I loved the originality of the story. Just when I thought there could be nothing all that new and fresh in this genre, someone comes along and just blows it out of the water. For this reason alone, you should read this book!
Another reason to read this book is the great characters. They were both so very imperfect, yet that endeared them to me. Yeap, I totally fell in love with them and wanted everything to work out. So much so, that I kept imagining ways that their relationship would work.
Throw in a fast-moving plot and a few twists and you have the reasons for my five-star rating. This story took me be surprise, not only in the inventiveness, but in the quality of plot and character development. I need to add this author to my must-read list.
I loved this book and am looking forward to reading more by this author. Great pick for Rom-Com and Contemporary Fiction readers. Be sure to check out this little gem!
I received a free copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Nick and Bee happen to e-meet after she receives an email he intended for someone else. Love at first exchange brings these two closer than either thought possible and they are just what the other needs as their lives feel like they are crumbling. When they decide to meet it’s discovered they live in alternate universes and strike a plan to meet each other’s likeness in their own world. The story is charming and funny in parts. I loved the characters and how they grew, together and individually, from beginning to end.

An impossible love story with a twist you didn't see coming! And I don't want to spoil anything for you so my review will be short and sweet! I really enjoyed The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz. Bee and Nick meet over a mis-addressed email. They start chatting more and more, developing a friendship, but could it be something more? Due to the major twist in this story, it can never be! Ughh! I wanted them together so badly but that's what makes this a great read. The Impossible Us is released today! Definitely get yourself a copy!

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for my advanced readers copy of The Impossible Us in exchange for my review.

*4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account*

"PROS: Our sex drive gelled...he could cook...was a caffeine psychic...he encouraged me...always smelled nice...he made my life easier.
CONS: He Wasn't Nick!"

If anything, the mind bending romantic comedy The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz proves you love who you love and it isn't always easy to explain and isn't just about compatibility. But it is definitely about timing and chemistry.

Nick and Bee meet online when he sends her a cursed filled ranting email for a customer who hasn't paid him. She lets him know he has the wrong person and through some hilarious banter they become friends and soon realize they want more and decide to meet. She will wear her red coat to stand out. He will have on his tweed jacket to feel like a distinguished writer. She texts him she is waiting...he texts her back so is he...they are both where they are suppose to be but don't see each other. How? Why? WTF???

To say this writer surprised me is an understatement. When I understood what was going on I was not only stupefied but very curious where it would lead me. Though there are many characters and sub plots to follow it is worth it. If you love the romance of The Time Traveler's Wife and the drama of Outlander this is their grandchild.

I recommend going in blind because as everything unfolds it brings such a feeling of wonderment for your enjoyment. This author kept me entertained every moment from the chapter movie titles like "Notting Hell," "Say Anything (Or Rather Don't), to Nick's love for his dog Rosie, shared love for David Bowie and witty chemistry.

With nods to iconic romances like An Affair To Remember and Casablanca this clever writer played with my emotions and broke my heart a few times but I will say that when I read the last page I was moved to tears flowing over my smile.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Two people meet via a misdirected email. They correspond and develop a connection until they decide to meet IRL. However, it turns out that they are in alternate universes, not even on the same plane of existence. They know they are soul mates but understand that there's nothing to be done. Nothing, that is, until they decide to find their alternative self in each of their worlds.
I thought this was a wonderful story and couldn't put it down. The concept was unique and really made the reader think. Lovely strong characters that were extremely likeable.

Impossibly Charming

In this funny and poignant novel, two strangers learn that their soul mate might be both as close as breath and as distant as a star, from British Fantasy Award recipient Sarah Lotz.

Bee thinks she has everything: a successful business repurposing wedding dresses, and friends who love and support her. She’s given up on finding love, but that’s fine. There’s always Tinder. Nick thinks he has nothing: his writing career has stalled after early promise and his marriage is on the rocks, but that’s fine. There’s always gin. So when one of Nick’s emails, a viciously funny screed intended for a non-paying client, accidentally pings into Bee's inbox, they decide to keep the conversation going. After all, they never have to meet.  

But the more they get to know each other, the more Bee and Nick realize they want to. They both notice strange pop culture or political references that crop up in their correspondence, but nothing odd enough to stop Bee and Nick for falling hard for each other. But when their efforts to meet in real life fail spectacularly, Bee and Nick discover that they’re actually living in near-identical but parallel worlds. With a universe between them, Bee and Nick will discover how far they’ll go to beat impossible odds.

Sarah Lotz has written something entirely original and a story that keeps you completely on edge as far as the ultimate fate of the romance between Bee and Nick. It is incredibly brilliant, impossibly charming, and wonderfully written. 

Part of the beauty is how well the characters are written. Both Bea and Nick are complex but far from perfect. Yet, it is the dialogue between them, the emails and their interactions with their respective worlds that makes the plot so charming. I especially love the different perspectives from the main characters and how their friends react. The emails between them adds to the charm as well as you get a peek at their conversations with each other.

The plot, one where the romance takes place between dimensions, is incredibly unique. The thrilling part is how the pair, Bea and Nick, deal with the impossibility of being together and how they maneuver around the respective counterparts in their worlds. And every time you think there might be a chance for them to be together in some way, there is another obstacle. So the thrill is in how or if they will manage to cross the divide of alternate dimensions to be together or if they will be separated forever. 

Sarah Lotz does an excellent job of keeping readers guessing for the entire novel, right to the very end. I won’t spoil that but I will say her writing is engaging, her characters impossibly charming, and the story riveting. I couldn’t wait to read it and I truthfully wouldn’t mind reading it again.

Rating: 5 out 5 alternates

"I now understand why desperate people find religion, or end up believing in aliens or conspiracy theories. Because sometimes the rational answer doesn’t cut it. Sometimes you have to look outside the box. And my hope-desperation twofer had led me way outside the box, all the way to a Willow Green allotment in fact, where, God help me, I was waiting to meet a bunch of people who even the most charitable among us would label 'raging nut-job weirdos.'"

You think your relationship is complicated? You have no idea what complicated is. Nick and Bee, now that is a truly complicated pairing. Guy sends a flaming message, raging about (and to) a client who has not paid for editing/ghost-writing services, and it somehow gets misdirected. Woman checking her e-mail receives said message and responds with great, subdued humor. And we have achieved our rom-com meet cute.

Obviously the pair hit it off, as messages go zooming back and forth across the wires, ether, or whatever, and we get to the big Deborah Kerr/Cary Grant rendezvous scene. As this is London instead of New York, it is set under the large clock at Euston Station instead of at the top of the Empire State Building. And, well, as one might expect, it does not come off as planned, putting a huge dent in the “rom.” Pissed, Bee is about to write it all off when her bff convinces her to keep an open mind, and a good thing too. Turns out, her correspondent had indeed shown up, well, in his London, anyway. The two have somehow been the beneficiaries of a first-order MacGuffin, well a variant on one, anyway. Nick and Bee, while they may be able to exchange messages, are actually living in parallel universes. So I guess that makes their connection more of a meet moot?

Still, the connection, divided as they are, is real. They try to figure out what to do. And that is where the next literary angle comes into play. Sarah Lotz adds into the mix references to Patricia Highsmith’s (and Alfred Hitchcock’s) Strangers on a Train. But not for the purpose of knocking off each other’s unwanted spouse. (Although now that you mention it…) If they can’t be together, maybe they can use their insider knowledge to find their side’s version of each other. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy tries for very similar girl? I mean really, what would you do if you found the one, but were precluded by the laws of physics from realizing your dream?

Lotz has fun with literary/cinematic references, even beyond the two noted above. There is a Rebeccan mad mate, chapters with titles like Love Actually and One Wedding and a Funeral, and on. This is one of the many joys of this book. Catching the references, the easter eggs deftly scattered all about. Cary Grant’s Nickie in An Affair… is Nick here. Rebecca of the story of that name is Bee in one world, Rebecca in another.

There are lovely secondary characters, Bee’s bff, Leila, is the sort of strong supporting sort a fraught leading lady needs. Nick engages with a group of oddballs who have some off-the-grid notions about space-time, and what rules should apply when contact is achieved. There is a grade-A baddie in dire need of removal, a harsh landlady, some adorable pooches, and a very sweet young man.

Another bit of fun is the repeated presence of David Bowie references, including an album you have never heard of.

There is some peripheral social commentary as Nick and Bee compare the worlds in which they live, what programs have been enacted, which politicians have gained office, or not, where the world stands with global warming, things of that nature. These offer food for thought, actually more like dessert to go with the main course of the romance.

Time travel romances have made an impressive dent in our overall reading time. The Outlander, and The Time Traveler’s Wife pop immediately to mind. Other stories have been written about people communicating over time, but this is the first use I am aware of that makes use of parallel universes as an impediment to true love. You do not want to look too closely at the explanation for the whole parallel universe thing. Just go with it. suspend your disbelief. In fact, send it off for a long weekend to someplace nice.

Lotz has done an impressive job of delivering LOLs and tears all in the same book. I noted seven specific LOLs in my notes, and I expect there were more that I failed to jot down. On top of that, we can report that copious tears were shed. No count on that one. So Lotz certainly delivers on the feelz front.

Bee and Nick’s relationship may be insanely complicated, but there should be nothing complicated about your decision to check this one out. The Impossible Us is not only very possible, but practically mandatory. This is a super fun read that you should find a way to make happen for you, whether or not you have a tweed suit, a red coat, a rail station with a large clock, or a dodgy internet connection.

Review posted – March 18, 2022

Publication date – March 22, 2022

I received an ARE of The Impossible Us from Ace in return for a fair review in this universe. My much more successful self in that other place will have to handle the review on his side. Thanks, folks. And thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.

For the full review, with links and images, please see this review on Cootsreviews.com or on Goodreads.

Wow, the premise of this book was literally out of this world. I don’t want to spoil the book! I don’t read much fantasy and I wasn’t sure about this one, but I had received a widget and started reading. By the time I finished, I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days.
The book asks “how far would you go for true love?”, and the answer will surprise you. Can love really conquer all?

The relationship between the two main characters, Bee and Nick, is very real, from the high to the lows. I was rooting for them through the entire book! I highly recommend this book, 5 stars.

Synopsis:
“In this funny and poignant novel, two strangers learn that their soul mate might be both as close as breath and as distant as a star, from British Fantasy Award recipient Sarah Lotz.
Bee thinks she has everything: a successful business repurposing wedding dresses, and friends who love and support her. She’s given up on finding love, but that’s fine. There’s always Tinder. Nick thinks he has nothing: his writing career has stalled after early promise and his marriage is on the rocks, but that’s fine. There’s always gin. So when one of Nick’s emails, a viciously funny screed intended for a non-paying client, accidentally pings into Bee's inbox, they decide to keep the conversation going. After all, they never have to meet.”

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I think this book might be for a slightly older audience (I’m in my early 30s). It’s nominally a sci-fi romance, but reads more like a Nicholas Sparks or Jane Green or even Nick Hornby novel, with the sci-fi part more as a framework than a focus. This means that the romance is sort of insta-love-y while somehow feeling very slow-paced at the same time. It dragged quite a bit for me, and I suspect other millennials and/or readers of contemporary romance would feel similarly, but if someone is looking for a romance with the calmer, slightly sadder vibe of 90s-era literature, I’d say this would be perfect.

The Impossible Us is the story of an email somehow sent to the wrong person, (or was it?), and a romance bridging a parallel universe. This was cleverly done and will keep you intrigued until the end. I love anything time travel related so for me this was a great read.

THE IMPOSSIBLE US by Sarah Lotz is a unique and sweet sci-fi love story that had me hooked from the very beginning. This is so not the type of book I usually read, but I went into it with very little idea of the storyline but with my mind open to something different. Nick is a failed writer, with a dead-end marriage that is bringing him down. Bee is a successful designer of re-purposed wedding dresses, but she has had her share of disastrous relationships and is ready to swear off love for good. Nick and Bee meet online when a scathing email Nick meant for someone else ends up in Bee’s inbox. Amused, Bee replies and so begins a back and forth dialogue that draws them both in. They find an ease and comfort in their banter that neither has found in their lives. After some time, they decide to meet in person, but that meeting goes spectacularly wrong. I don’t want to say much about why so as to avoid spoiling what comes next, but it is at times heart-wrenching, funny, sad and suspenseful. It is a story that kept me engaged right up to the very end. I really enjoyed this original, entertaining and compelling book and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a chance to read and review an early copy.

Take an email banter-filled romcom and cross it with Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter, and you’ll arrive at this “Quantum Anomaly” romance. You must be okay with alternate reality/parallel universes and British slang. (I am!) If so, dive in. Impossible Us was an engaging story with likable characters and a unique premise.

Look for it next week! (US Pub Date 22 Mar 2022)

Thanks, Berkley Publishing Group, Sarah Lotz, and NetGalley, for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz is about two people who fall in love. Long-distance relationships are generally harder to maintain. The question is: at which point do you give up cities, states, countries, or worlds?

Nick sends an angry email to his client. The email accidentally arrives in Bee's inbox. Bee just so happens to reply to Nick. The romance starts to build.

Email after email, the two learn about each other. After some confusion, the two come to the revelation that they exist in separate worlds.

The two hatches a plan to find their alternative selves. It sort of works. You can't beat the real thing.

An incredible brilliant long story short, eh, no spoilers here.

The story was funny, the characters were interesting, and the pace was right. The idea of a book written in emails is unique. The format wasn't wonky at all.

It is one of the best books I've read in a while.

At this point in Bee’s life at age thirty-nine, she has given up on love and settled for the meaningless one-night stands of Tender. Bee’s business of repurposing wedding dresses, and not always for a happy reason, is an interesting metaphor for her take on relationships as well. When she receives a vitriolic, but amusing email from an irate writer to a deadbeat client, Bee is more intrigued than insulted. Nick, who authored the email, is living his life in the doldrums too. Middle age is not setting too well for him with a marriage on the rocks, a mostly stuck writing career, and unproductive days spent in a haze of booze and smoking.

Bee and Nick begin a correspondence that not only entertains them, but wakes each one up to the potential life still has in store. As the weeks progress and despite small red flags starting to amount, Bee and Nick decide to meet up in a dramatic rom-com fashion, only something goes very wrong. When they finally realize the impossible has happened that they are living in parallel universes with some intriguing differences, Bee and Nick embark on an effort to find their own doppelgangers in each other’s parallel world.

The whole time Bee and Nick are pursuing their other selves, they maintain the email emotional affair keeping everything they know about the situation under wraps for the most part. They basically have a four-way relationship with each other and their physical, but not necessarily mental, doubles. Things get very complicated on both ends especially since a lot of lying is going on by Bee and Nick.

I feel conflicted about this story because of Nick and Bee’s behavior. This book is definitely not your average romance or fantasy tale and certainly proposes an intriguing idea of parallel universes. While the writing is quite clever and often amusing in places, Nick is essentially cheating on his wife though her behavior is questionable as well. Bee does something similar with the “Nick” in her world which adds some disagreeable elements to the story. Nick and Bee consider what they are doing as infidelity as well, and yet, continue on that path. Cheating and subterfuge between couples rarely ends well and is quite an issue to overcome since it plays throughout the story. Readers will have to decide how they feel about this vexed issue for themselves.

Gorgeous and sweet and funny, The Impossible Us is the story of Bee and Nick.

Bee's life is full of work she loves and a social circle that is always there for her.

Nick is sinking under the weight of a failing marriage and a writing career that has slid from promising to fading. At least gin is always there for him.

A chance online encounter leads to trading emails, which may lead to more...no matter the universe between their two worlds.

Lotz's characters are beautifully flawed and artfully drawn. I could read about Bee and Nick forever.



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