Impossible, also titled The Impossible Us, is a novel by British author, Sarah Lotz. It’s a missent email that puts Nick Belcher in touch with Bee Davies, but they quickly have each other’s measure and the silly banter they swap is fun. They bond over everyday nonsense, there’s a natural spontaneity to their exchanges: somehow they just connect.

And, as is often easier to do with strangers, they share things about themselves that they might not have done in person. Bee has a successful business repurposing wedding dresses to order, and often ends up being part tailor, part therapist during client fittings.

Nick considers himself a failure: a failed writer, teacher (confirmed by his continued misuse of personal pronouns, I/me) bread-winner, and husband. He has a sinking freelance career editing self-published novels, and the only thing he’s OK at is being a step-dad and dog owner. But together, they’ve managed to, as he puts it, “lance some inner emotional boils”.

They agree to be Strangers on the Interweb, initially as DB and Bee. Eventually, they progress to first names, and then a series of small occurrences sees them deciding to meet, at midday, under the clock at Euston Station.

They both turn up, but can’t find each other, despite descriptions, messages assuring each other they are right there, calling out, waving. Mobile calls don’t connect. Eventually, a very disappointed Bee decides Nick has been scamming her and blocks him. Nick, heart-broken, realises he’s been ghosted.

And that’s where it should end. Except…

Except some things about their conversations have Nick puzzled. Clutching at straws, he ends up meeting with a bunch of very strange individuals calling themselves the Berenstain Society. Nick is highly sceptical of their theory, and later, when he and Bee reconnect, they agree the whole thing is funhouse-mirror weird.

Much more can’t be said without massive spoilers, but the four hundred-plus pages fly by with twists and surprises keeping the reader enthralled. Th characters are much more than one-dimensional; the dialogue is smart and snappy; and the plot is clever and imaginative. A very entertaining romcom.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harper Collins UK.