Amazon Prime Free Trial
FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button and confirm your Prime free trial.
Amazon Prime members enjoy:- Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
- Unlimited FREE Prime delivery
- Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
- A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
- Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
Important: Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.
$17.00$17.00
Ships from: Amazon.com Sold by: Amazon.com
$7.84$7.84
Ships from: Amazon Sold by: Jenson Books Inc
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Audible sample
The Impossible Us Paperback – March 22, 2022
Purchase options and add-ons
"An utterly delightful epistolary romance....The Impossible Us is that rare 'I laughed, I cried' book."—The New York Times
Nick: Failed writer. Failed husband. Dog owner.
Bee: Serial dater. Dress maker. Pringles enthusiast.
One day, their paths cross over a misdirected email. The connection is instant, electric. They feel like they’ve known each other all their lives. So they decide to meet.
While Nick buys a new suit, and gets his courage up, Bee steps away from her desk, and sets off to meet him at a London train station. With their happily-ever-after nearly in hand, what happens next is incredible and threatens to separate them forever.
As their once in a lifetime connection is tested, Nick and Bee will discover whether being together is an impossible chance worth taking.
- Print length496 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherAce
- Publication dateMarch 22, 2022
- Dimensions5.44 x 1.05 x 8.21 inches
- ISBN-100593436776
- ISBN-13978-0593436776
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently bought together
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
- That’s the thing about unconditional love, you can’t overestimate how grounding it is.Highlighted by 16 Kindle readers
- You always read about people ‘lighting up’, but when he saw me, as banal as it sounds, that’s how I’d describe it.Highlighted by 9 Kindle readers
- Cue years of guilt for that, because just as she was getting her spark back, pancreatic cancer came knocking.Highlighted by 4 Kindle readers
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Fun, heartbreaking, and eminently readable all at once. Bee and Nick’s emails are witty and romantic, while their supporting characters are entertaining in both worlds. Lotz manages to combine romance and science fiction into a book that will produce laughter and tears...A thought-provoking and clever genre-bending blend of romance and science fiction."--Kirkus (starred review)
“Lotz perfectly balances the heavy with the light, and creates a feeling of genuine connection between her protagonists. The eccentric side characters and strong humor meshes nicely with the earnest, tender romance. The result is simply delightful.”--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Have finished reading The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz and it is indeed amazing…Ingenious and beautifully executed.”--Jill Mansell, New York Times bestselling author of And Now You’re Back
"Clever, unexpected, and delightfully twisted—in other words, the perfect love story. The Impossible Us is built on brilliant concept that pushes at the boundaries of convention—and the laws of physics. I loved it in this dimension, and if there are versions of me in alternate dimensions, I'm sure they loved it, too."--Margarita Montimore, USA Today bestselling author of Oona Out of Order
"An absolutely addictive read, perfect for fans of Katie Khan. I was swept away by Bee and Nick’s impossible love story...and I was utterly hooked from the start. A story that is funny, sweet and full of twists that made it genuinely unputdownable."--Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne
"It blew my mind. It deserves to be one of those cultural touchstones that people bond over for years to come."--Laura Pearson, author of I Wanted You to Know
"I loved everything about it. The zingy dialogue, the romance, the suspense...It’s a love story of the greatest kind."--Gillian McAllister, author of That Night
"It is amazing, never ever ever in my life have i wished I'd written a book so much. I am bawling. Bawling. An actual masterpiece. There will not be a book I love more in 2022."--Anstey Harris, author of The Museum of Forgotten Memories
"It knocked my socks off! Such a ridiculously clever, hilarious read with characters so real, I'll never forget them. One of the best, most original love stories I’ve ever read."--Jessica Ryn, author of The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside
“My mind is officially blown . . . What a book! The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz is incredible - breathtakingly original, clever and unputdownable.”--Sarah J. Harris, author of The Color of Bee Larkham's Murder
"A ripping clever story with so much damn heart. I loved it."--Lauren Beukes, international bestselling author of The Shining Girls
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
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.
BEE
It's astounding how many red flags there were, right from the start. Strangers on a Train was just the first of many. Would things have been different if we'd been less complacent and picked up on them? Maybe. Maybe that would simply have fast-tracked us into the craziness to come. Maybe one of us would have assumed the other was delusional and walked away. Then there's this: I still don't know what made me check that old Gmail account that day. I hadn't used it for weeks. And who answers random e-mails from strangers? (Idiots, that's who.)
N.B. was the one who got back in touch first (), but I was the one who instigated the next step, nudging us from being little more than strangers swapping silly banter into something deeper. It wasn't intentional. At that stage, I wasn't daydreaming about moving to Leeds, reading the Sunday papers in bed, and going for long walks on the moors (or wherever people walk in Leeds). But right from the start, there was no doubt that N.B. and I had a good thing going: an instant ease between us, a lack of judgment that was both fun and freeing, and an unspoken pact to avoid thorny topics or anything too personal-no relationship or sex stuff.
Which I suppose makes it ironic that the seeds of the next step were planted while I was on a date with another virtual stranger. I did a fair bit of that back then, rarely going any further than a one-night hookup. My best mate, Leila, said I was addicted to the roulette wheel of the dating app, the thrill of discovering if it would land on Oh Hell No, Maybe, or Shag. "Classic commitment-phobic behavior," she'd say whenever she found out that I'd swiped right again. "Using mindless sex with strangers to fill a hole." (Leila never missed an opportunity for a double entendre. She was also right.)
The date ("Matt 36") had suggested we meet in one of those new hedge-funded bistros in White City, a choice of venue that should have set alarm bells ringing the second the text came through. Faux animal heads on the walls, vintage oils customized with spray paint, leather-clad booths designed with Instagram rather than comfort in mind, and staff dripping with ironic tattoos and smugness. We hadn't texted much beforehand-I'd been swamped with work, he said he hated online correspondence-so apart from the fact that he had crap taste in restaurants, I knew little about him. His profile pics had all the hallmarks of being professionally shot, and his three-line bio was as noncommittal as they get: Strong. Silent. Secure in myself. Not that I was anyone to judge. My profile-Funked up. Have soul. Bring snacks.-was both shite and trite, and I only used it because it made Leila crack up.
I'd arrived early, hair still damp from the shower, and picked out a booth that gave me a clear view of the entrance. Despite the nervousness I always felt whenever I dipped a toe in Tinder's fetid waters, I was in an upbeat mood that evening. I'd delivered Ms. Peach's dress the day before (yes, in peach, and yes, asymmetrical, a nightmare to seam), and she'd shared pics of her wearing it on a girls' night out (#transformation). She looked happy-triumphant, almost. For her the dress was a symbol that she'd left behind a marriage that had run its course, and it made all the hoops I'd jumped through worth it (and yes, I did feel guilty for whingeing about her). I considered forwarding the link to N.B., but as she'd name-checked me, it would be the work of seconds for him to find out exactly who I was, and I was reluctant to mess with our Strangers on the Internet shtick.
Matt 36 was only five minutes late, arriving as I was midway through my second "chocalottini." On first impression, he was a definite Maybe: a faint trace of a Geordie accent; resembled his profile pics to a surprising degree; ordered a JD on the rocks, so wasn't a health freak. It went downhill from there. After a polite laugh when I joked about the grimacing elephant head stuck above the bar, he launched into a monologue about the drop in London's property prices, and kept ricocheting back to the subject. Rationalizing that the babble was a sign that he was as nervous as I was didn't help-that meant two-thirds of his bio was bullshit.
Product details
- Publisher : Ace (March 22, 2022)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 496 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0593436776
- ISBN-13 : 978-0593436776
- Item Weight : 12.8 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.44 x 1.05 x 8.21 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,073,290 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #7,762 in Contemporary Fantasy (Books)
- #16,634 in Romantic Fantasy (Books)
- #21,434 in Contemporary Women Fiction
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Sarah Lotz is a novelist and screenwriter with a fondness for the macabre. She is the author of The Three, and lives in Cape Town with her family and other animals.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers enjoy the plot and find it surprising with lots of twists. They praise the writing quality as good and the book as a fun read. Readers also appreciate the well-developed characters.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the engaging plot with its surprising twists and turns. They find the book escapist, well-written, and clever. The concept is fascinating and they describe it as a great summer romance read.
"...The story is very clever in the author's hands. The comic interplay between the two main characters is truly, honestly laugh-out-loud funny...." Read more
"Great characters, funny, warm, and surprising plot. I want to go back and read it again. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author." Read more
"...I couldn't put it down. It's fun to read. The plot is very creatively written." Read more
"...Great Characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story lines involved." Read more
Customers enjoy the writing quality. They find it well-written and a good read.
"...But...getting sucked into the great writing and well-defined, very human lead characters gives the reader confidence we're in good hands...." Read more
"...I'm glad I did because it ended up being a very good story and a satisfying read. Why didn't I like it at first?..." Read more
"This is a good read, folks. You may or may not bawl your eyes out at the end. Bravo, Ms. Lotz." Read more
"Well written, fascinating concept... I'm pretty sure I already lived this story but my memories were wiped when I integrated into this timeline...." Read more
Customers enjoy the humor in the book. They find the characters engaging and the plot surprising.
"...Well...it's both romantic and a comedy...but so much more. The story is very clever in the author's hands...." Read more
"Great characters, funny, warm, and surprising plot. I want to go back and read it again. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author." Read more
"Just finished "The Impossible Us". I couldn't put it down. It's fun to read. The plot is very creatively written." Read more
"Great, fun read. I just had to keep reading to see the next twist or turn...." Read more
Customers enjoy the characters' development. They find them funny, warm, and surprising.
"...But...getting sucked into the great writing and well-defined, very human lead characters gives the reader confidence we're in good hands...." Read more
"...The correspondence is usually entertaining, and it succeeds in developing the characters enough to carry the story...." Read more
"Great characters, funny, warm, and surprising plot. I want to go back and read it again. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author." Read more
"...Great Characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story lines involved." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2022I was very hesitant to take this on. I got the impression the book would just be some silly rom-com-ish tale. Well...it's both romantic and a comedy...but so much more. The story is very clever in the author's hands. The comic interplay between the two main characters is truly, honestly laugh-out-loud funny. I won't give anything away because the 'reveal' of the story's twist at around the 1/3 mark could have caused some readers to choose not to suspend disbelieve. But...getting sucked into the great writing and well-defined, very human lead characters gives the reader confidence we're in good hands. I'll follow these characters wherever they may go. Such a great find!
- Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2022I was going to stop reading about 15% in, but decided to give it a little more time. I'm glad I did because it ended up being a very good story and a satisfying read. Why didn't I like it at first? Because of my pet peeve: parenthetical remarks! There are at least 2 per page. I don't understand why authors use them. They do not add anything to the story: not needed info, cuteness, wit, humor or whatever the author thinks they add. They are only irritating. You have to stop reading the sentence, read the parenthetical remarks, then go back and read the sentence again because you forgot what was being said. Please stop doing this.
If it's worth saying, then include it in the narrative.
Having got that off my chest, I'm glad I continued to read. This story was very innovative and I couldn't stop. Ironic but true. I found Impossible Us impossible to put down. I just did not read the stuff in the parentheses. Sorry. This author is otherwise very good and I would read more of her books.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2024This is a good read, folks. You may or may not bawl your eyes out at the end. Bravo, Ms. Lotz.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2022Spoiler near the end.
I've been searching for novels with parallel-world themes. This is not really sci-fi, it's more like fantasy as it doesn't get into the pseudo-science/theoretical aspect of parallel worlds at all. Then again, the main characters are a dressmaker and a novelist. No physicists or physics enthusiasts in sight, whatsoever.
I was disturbed by the email formats, it would have been helpful if in addition to the email addresses, the names of the characters were added because there were times when one would send an email in succession and you couldn't tell who was emailing. NB and the other email address look alike. Couldn't they have added each other's emails to their address books?
I was disappointed that the Berenstain folks did not have much of a role beyond essentially saying that others have experienced it, and then threatening the guy, Nick, from exchanging world-altering info with Bee. I would have loved for there to be a scene with Henrietta where she brings Nick somewhere as part of a study on parallel worlds. But nope. This novel doesn't touch the science.
It also seemed like different chapters were written by different people. Sure, that probably was intentional seeing as we are supposed to be reading from the perspectives of two people after all. The Bee chapters were hard to push past, with all the excessive run-on sentences. Also, not funny or uplifting at all. Not once did I chuckle or feel great while reading it. There was only one Nick chapter near the end which was actually readable that made me wonder if someone else wrote that one.
Much of the book is spent with the two trying to have relationships with their alter-versions with the weak premise that they are "essentially the same people". I think it would have been better spent investigating this mesh, what could have happened, so they could be together. But again, this does not touch the science. Dumb people have other priorities.
I did whimper near the end when they finally meet. But what happens to the consciousness of Nicholas? Does that get shoved away or do they mesh? What happens when Nick-Nicholas dies? Does he move on to another Nick so they become triple minds in one head? The novel does not touch the science.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2022Nick is an underemployed free lance writer who is unhappily married and about to be divorced. Bee runs a successful business that reworks wedding dresses into new fashion. When Nick fires off an ill-advised email to his client, blasting him for nonpayment, an error in the address takes the message to Bee. And so, the friendship (and romance) begins with an unlikely correspondence via email. The twist is that they live in the same year but in parallel universes with significant differences. This book does deal with some serious issues, including, for example, suicide and domestic abuse. The correspondence is usually entertaining, and it succeeds in developing the characters enough to carry the story. There are doppelganger versions of the romantic partners (and all of the other characters) living in each of the alternative universes. I found that to be unsettling and more challenging than a time slip where one person steps into another time and place.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2022Great characters, funny, warm, and surprising plot. I want to go back and read it again. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2022Just finished "The Impossible Us". I couldn't put it down. It's fun to read. The plot is very creatively written.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2022Great, fun read. I just had to keep reading to see the next twist or turn. A time altered romance that seems impossible (so suspend some or that and enjoy the read). Great Characters, and I thoroughly enjoyed the story lines involved.
Top reviews from other countries
- GracieReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Almost Impossible to review
Why? Because coming to this book cold is the best way to fall in love with it. To be fair if I did spoiler the first twist it wouldn't ruin it, but hitting it yourself is too delightful to take away from future readers. This book is so many things and goes in so many directions but that aside it is about love. It made me laugh, it brought me close to tears and it grabbed me so hard I'd have finished it in two sittings if I hadn't been so exhausted that I fell asleep the night before last night before I picked it up. Sarah Lotz is a wonderful writer, this is a truly special book and I can hardly wait to read more by her. This is romance but not as you know it and so much more besides.
- mocReviewed in Spain on August 23, 2023
4.0 out of 5 stars Unputdownable
Bought the book to read at the beach during the summer holidays.
Easy to read... and not a standard love story.
The ending was a bit foreseeable but I really enjoyed the book (and finished it very quickly)!
I recommend it greatly.
- mrlsReviewed in France on July 10, 2022
4.0 out of 5 stars Sf romance.. not so usual..
I chose that book from a "best sf 2022".
I first thought I might had made a mistake as no sf was in sight.
But then it came.. no space opera.. no alien fighting.. but a well written book with pure English for a change..
A fresh and romantic sf breeze.
Merci Sarah.
- HeatherReviewed in Australia on February 7, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars A very well written, intriguing and engrossing read!
NO spoilers! (in case you were wondering…)
Like at least one other reviewer, I’m glad I didn’t know too much about this story before I read it, as part of my enjoyment was definitely discovering the various plot twists and turns.
As a lifelong avid reader, this is now one of my favourite books - and that’s out of literally thousands.
These are the main reasons I liked it SO much -
1. Sarah Lotz’s writing style - the flow, the descriptions of people, places and events, word selection and usage, etc, etc, etc! - the whole “package” just fits together seamlessly, (so excellent beta reading and editing too!)
2. The plot is imaginative, interesting and has depth.
3. The characters are well developed and nuanced.
4. The way in which Sarah includes so much detail, yet it never felt overwhelming or tedious.
Instead, it meant I wasn’t left wondering, “Well, what happened to …?.”, or, “Why didn’t they ask that?, as I often am, because Sarah didn’t miss a beat.
5. Being surprised, which I rarely am with plot twists.
I think this would be wonderful as a TV series - though not a movie as there’s too much to cover. I would love to read a sequel though…..!
Hope you enjoy it too - happy reading!
- Butters StotchReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 22, 2024
4.0 out of 5 stars A Nice Read
I enjoyed this as I love real stories with a touch of sci-fi thrown in. Not talking all that space star wars type stuff but just a nice twisty mystery. A romance with a bit of a difference. Definitely light summer reading.