The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz #bookreview #romance #scifi #fantasy
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Title: The Impossible Us
Author: Sarah Lotz
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: March 22, 2022
Page Count: 492
My rating: 4 stars
About the book:
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 has disintegrated, 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. Now to beat impossible odds they’ll have to face impossible choices—and their worlds will see unthinkable consequences…
Find this book online:
Excerpt:
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Listen you tight-fisted pea-brained grouse-shooting tweedy twat, you may own half the fucking countryside but you don’t own me. You think I like hounding you? You think this is fun for me? But if you think I’m just going to lie back and let you screw me over like you no doubt screw over everyone who comes into your entitled orbit of damp lolling spaniels, vintage Land Rovers and Eton-induced PTSD then you’ve got another think coming.
DO THE RIGHT THING FOR ONCE IN YOUR BADGER-BAITING FOX-SLAUGHTERING LIFE.
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Hi.
You might want to double-check the recipient address. Far as I know, I’ve never owned a Land Rover & have definitely never been to Eton (don’t have the right equipment). Or is this a fiendishly creative scam & you’re using my response to embed malware? If so, you got me. Enjoy!
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Gawd. I’m so bloody sorry. Using a new account and mis-copied the address. Angry fingers. Thanks for replying and letting me know. Sorry you had to read that, whoever you are.
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
TBH almost didn’t reply, but that was some impressive Malcolm Tucker-grade cursing you did there, & I was intrigued. Did the intended recipient kill your cat or something?
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Worse. Didn’t pay me for work owed. That’s the toned-down version believe it or not. Took out all the “C” words at the last minute. There were a lot of those.
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
What kind of work? You don’t have to answer obvs, I’m killing time. Don’t usually strike up conversations with complete strangers
I swear!
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
You deserve an answer-I did unintentionally call you a twat. I’m a freelance editor and my tweedy arse of a client commissioned me to edit his novel. Ended up rewriting the thing, pretty much from scratch. Sent it to him 2 months ago. No feedback. No payment. Nada.
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Very sorry to hear that. What was the novel about? The Girl in the Grouse Shoot?
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
HA! Close! You really want to know?
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Sure. You’ll be saving me from the perils of online shopping. I’ve already bought a duvet cover with David Bowie’s face on it that
I don’t need.
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
You can never have too much Bowie. I’d sleep under him and I’m as straight as they come. Crime novel. Not a bad plot. The remains of a body are unearthed on a country estate. Turns out to be a violent hunt saboteur who went missing in the 80s. Narrated by a landowner who may or may not have killed him . . .
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Well don’t keep me in suspense. DID he kill him?
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Yeah. Accidentally on purpose. Like you do when you have guns to hand and the underclass try to mess with your blood sports. Supposed to be morally ambiguous but not sure I pulled that off. Hard to get a reader to root for a main character whose idea of a good time is killing baby animals.
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Is it autobiographical? If so, you might want to tone down that message . . .
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Wouldn’t put it past him. Nah. That’s not fair. Said he didn’t do that kind of thing anymore.
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
What kind of thing? Hunting or murder?
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Both (I hope). Thing is, despite the tweedy twatness, I quite liked him when we met. Old bugger, generous with the booze, lives in one of those crumbling stately homes straight out of a period drama about emotionally stunted aristocrats. Said he wanted to write a novel before he died but “didn’t have the time.” They always say that. Worked my arse off on his manuscript, sent it to him and apart from a “thanks, will read asap” haven’t heard a word.
But you don’t want to hear all this.
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
I share your pain. Nonpaying Clients From Hell are the freelancers’ curse.
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Spoken like a fellow sufferer. What field are you in?
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
If I told you, I’d have to kill you.
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
You’d be doing me a favor the way things are going. If you’re an assassin I might commission you. Only . . . can I pay you in installments?
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Ha ha. Nothing that exciting. I’m in fashion. Kind of.
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Kind of? Tell me more. Just so you know, my idea of fashion is trousers that aren’t covered in dog hair.
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
I’m more of a glorified seamstress. Have a small business repurposing wedding dresses.
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
What do you repurpose them into? Shrouds? Doilies?
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Sorry. That was rude. I’m a dick. It sounds cool. And e-friendly.
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Feel free to take the piss! I do it all the time. Hmm. Shrouds. Hadn’t thought of that. Could start a new line: “Till death us do part.”
I repurpose them into whatever the client wants. “Give the most expensive dress you ever bought a new lease of life” kind of thing. Get a lot of divorcees actually.
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Aha. A “fuck you ex-husband/wife” dress?
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Exactly. Waiting for a client to pitch for a fitting right now. She’s a bit of a pain in the arse TBH, which is why I was self-medicating with Bowie merchandise.
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Tell me more. Misery loves company.
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
She can’t make up her mind. Been back 3 times. “I’ve been thinking, can it be asymmetrical? With a peplum? With a jacket maybe? Can we do it in black? No, scratch that, peach?”
Listen to me, whingeing to a stranger. I sound like a total cow. She’s got every right to be fussy. She’s the one paying.
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
It’s easier to whinge to a stranger and you’ve already listened to me going on about my own shitty client. Hold on. BRB.
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Sorry had to let the dog out. When she needs to go she needs
to go.
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
What type?
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
A shit I think.
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
V funny. What type of dog!!!
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Mongrel. Like her owner. Let me know if you need me to write Ms. Peach a strongly worded e-mail. I’ll even throw in a few “C” words for free.
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
And I can help you out by badly altering your client’s tweedy suits.
We could be a low-rent version of Strangers on a Train!
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Strangers on a Train?
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
The novel? You MUST know it! Movie as well. 2 strangers meet & then decide to kill each other’s enemies or whatever. Patricia Highsmith.
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
AH-I know it as Crossed Lines. Must have read the US version. Sometimes they change the titles.
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
You’re in the US?
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Nah. Way more glamorous. Leeds.
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
OK the client’s just texted & is on her way. Let me know how it goes with Tweedy Twat, stranger. I have to know how it ends. Also, not for me to say but might be best if you did tone down that message. Never show them that they’ve got to you.
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
You’re right. You did me a favor by intercepting it. And let me know how it goes with Ms. Peach.
Shouldn’t we introduce ourselves?
From: Bee1984@gmail.com
To: NB26@zone.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
I’m Bee. You’re N.B.
Strangers on the Interwebs. That way if we ever need each other, we’ll have plausible deniability
She’s here! Wish me luck.
From: NB26@zone.com
To: Bee1984@gmail.com
Subject: What the HELL is wrong with you?
Ok Bee. And thank you. You pulled me out of a dark place today. You really did.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission.
The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz is a romantic science fiction fantasy story. The story in The Impossible Us is one that is told by changing the point of view between the characters in the book. It’s also one that is partly done in epistolary style with email correspondence between the characters.
Nick has a client that hasn’t paid their bill so he shoots off an email trying to chase down his money but instead of his client’s mail it ends up in Bee’s. Bee can’t help but reply to the random sender but she never expects to strike up a friendship with a man she knows nothing about.
As Nick and Bee go about their daily lives vowing not to give out personal details about one another they both can’t help to imagine their new friend. When the relationship is better than all her random Tinder dates Bee suggests meeting but somehow the two can’t find one another at the designated spot and soon realizes they are worlds away.
I’m usually a bit hesitant to pick up books dealing with multiverses as some can be really confusing but I sure was glad that I decided to take a chance with The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz. I’m not sure all science fiction fans will be thrilled because this one is more heavy on romance and lighter on the sci-fi side but I found it to be incredibly engaging being a lover of both genres. I couldn’t help but want to get to know both characters and root for them and their love story and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough when learning of their dilemma. The only thing I would change is take out the political jabs as I read to escape that type of attitudes from either side but otherwise I’d say take a chance on this one if a romantic sci-fi sounds fun.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
About the author:
Sarah Lotz is a novelist and screenwriter based on the Welsh borders. Her novels include the bestselling The Three and Day Four, both of which are currently being adapted for television. Learn more at sarahlotz.com.
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