Starred review from January 10, 2022
Lotz (Missing Person) impresses with this witty and gentle sci-fi tale of love across the multiverse. In 2019, 45-year-old freelance editor Nick Belcher’s nasty email to a nonpaying client accidentally ends up in 39-year-old wedding dress upcycler Bee Davies’s inbox, and their ensuing correspondence sparks immediate attraction. When Nick’s moribund marriage ends suddenly, he and Bee decide to meet in person—but when they can’t find each other at their meeting place, they realize they live in slightly different universes. Nick’s world has no Tinder and Donald Trump is not president but rather convicted of ecocide, among other changes. As they can’t be together, they hatch a plan for the next best thing: each finding the version of the other in their own world. Bee manages to connect with Nick’s doppelgänger, a successful author, but the Bee in Nick’s world is already married to a millionaire. Nick holds out hope when he senses not all is well in her marriage—before a dangerous possibility of bridging the glitch between worlds upends everything. 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. Agent: Oliver Munson, A.M. Heath Literary.
Starred review from September 1, 2022
Lotz's (Missing Person) latest offering is a treat for listeners looking for romance with a side of science fiction and fantasy. This meet-cute romance follows freelance editor Nick Belcher and dressmaker Bee Davies who meet when Nick's angry email rant mistakenly lands in Bee's inbox. What follows is a seemingly familiar romance, until Nick and Bee decide to meet in person, and they realize that the universe has literally stacked the deck against them. This audio, skillfully narrated by Olivia Dowd and Clifford Samuel, is the story of surmounting impossible odds in the name of love. It is both charming and hopeful, without being saccharine. Dowd and Samuel capture the characters' witty repartee and their tragically deep connection. The chemistry between the narrators is undeniable and will stick with listeners long after the story's close. The audio's only drawback is that much of Nick and Bee's communication is conducted via email, and the repetitive reading of the email addresses grows tiresome. VERDICT A highly enjoyable story of genuine connection, with a lovely, genre-bending twist.--Anna Clark
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