⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Released June 3rd, already out now!

What if Sliding Doors was written by a woman with a trauma therapist, a deep desire to escape Instagram, and a very complicated ex-best friend? This book is Fleabag Season 2 energy meets the early 2010s Tumblr dream of moving to a small European town to “find yourself,” except it’s actually about grief, regret, and how the stories we tell ourselves can quietly ruin our lives.

Meg Bryan, stage name Lana Lord, America’s hottest emotional disaster is spiraling. Thirty, flammable, and famous in the way that makes you Google “how do I cry less,” she’s got a hit show, a glittering PR relationship, and absolutely no idea who she is. So she does what any of us would do with a platinum Visa and a dissociative episode: books a flight to Ireland.

Except she doesn’t just go to Ireland. She quantum-leaps into another version of her life—one where she never became famous, never lost Aimee, and (terrifyingly) maybe never self-destructed. Her nose is un-snapped. Her highlights are gone. She owns cardigans. She has a dog. And most haunting of all? Aimee is alive… and wants nothing to do with her.

This is an existential audit disguised as commercial fiction. It’s about the permanence of shame, the myth of reinvention, and what it really means to say “I’m sorry” when the person you’re apologizing to has absolutely no obligation to let you try again.

I loved it.

TLDR:
If you’ve ever rehearsed an apology you’ll never get to give, if you’ve ever been haunted by the life you almost lived, if you’ve ever looked in the mirror and thought, “God, I miss who I was before I started performing myself,”, this one’s for you.

Big thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. Still emotionally hungover.

I great beach read and tale of “what if”. It grabbed my attention from the very beginning. Would recommend it.

✨ Imagine waking up in a cozy Irish village with your OG nose, a mysterious new boyfriend, and a second chance with the best friend you lost ten years ago…
💫 Reasons to Read
Alternate Timeline
Meg wakes up in a parallel version of her life where she’s not famous—but her best friend Aimee is still alive, and nothing is quite what she remembers.


Past vs. Present
The contrast between Meg’s glamorous Hollywood persona and her simpler Irish village life forces her to confront who she’s really been all along.


Emotional Healing
Through theatre, memory, and reconnection, Meg starts to unearth truths about her grief, her identity, and what she’s willing to sacrifice for love and friendship.
If you think this book sounds a lot like the movie Sliding Doors, then you are right. In fact they make mention of this in the book itself. While my reasons make it sound like it’s really heavy, it’s not - for most of it. I love the characters in the irish village of Avalon, so much so that when we are in the part of the story that does not include them, I am a little devastated. Without giving away the ending, let’s just say it hit me very solidly, but satisfying.

I absolutely loved this book. Time travel stories are always a favorite for me, and this one pulled me in right away. What starts as a vacation to Ireland quickly turns into something so much more, as Meg finds herself dropped into an alternate version of her own life.

As she begins to live out the path she almost took years ago, Meg is faced with everything that could have been—the love, the loss, and the quiet moments of joy she didn’t know she was missing. I loved the way this story explored the idea of second chances and what it really means to feel content in your life.

The characters were easy to root for, the message really landed for me, and the Irish setting made it even more immersive. also alternatedI listening to the audio version and the accents added such a great layer to the story.

This book had me from start to finish. I’ll definitely be recommending it to anyone looking for a thoughtful, heartfelt, and slightly magical read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my review copy.

The Other Side is a heartwarming story about love, friendship, loss, and second chances. I loved the nostalgic feel and all the fun pop culture references. The different settings — LA, Ireland, Florida, and London — added so much charm and depth.

It beautifully explores the idea of how one choice can change everything and how it’s never too late to be happy. The story is touching, thought-provoking, and full of quiet magic. The ending gave me goosebumps — a perfect finish to an unforgettable journey.

3.5 stars
Thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book dragged a little bit in some places but overall this was a very enjoyable and emotional read. The story focuses on Meg who in a moment of realizing she is very unhappy decides to take a trip to Ireland and winds up in an alternate reality where she is living through the road not taken. The book has a bit of everything, it's both emotional and humorous, and while dealing with some heavier subjects, the story kept building with an interesting pay off at the end. Looking forward to other books from this author.

"Do you ever get dejà vu?" What would your life be like if you'd taken a different path? That is the premise of this creative and surprisingly enjoyable read. The main character, a famous actress, takes a trip to Ireland, where she had planned to attend college years ago. That plan never came to fruition after the death of her best friend. When she wakes up and looks in the mirror, all the 'improvements' she had made to herself were gone. Even more odd, as she explores the town, everyone greets her by name. She soon learns that her best friend is alive and living in the town. I would have liked a little editing in the middle of the story--it got a little slow--but otherwise this was such an entertaining read!

Book Review 🕰️

The Other Side of Now by Paige Harrison
What if you could step into the life you almost lived? That’s the irresistible premise of this magical, emotional, and deeply heartfelt read that I absolutely adored.

Meg Bryan has the kind of life people dream about—fame, fortune, a glamorous relationship. But under the surface, everything is quietly falling apart. When she escapes to a small Irish village, hoping to clear her head, she doesn’t just find peace… she finds herself in an entirely different version of her life. One where she never became famous. One where her best friend Aimee is still alive. One where everything is both familiar and completely foreign.

And maybe… one where she gets a second chance.

This story is tender and magical, filled with emotional depth, nostalgia, grief, healing, and that ever-haunting question: What if things had gone differently? The setting in Ireland felt dreamy with cozy pubs, small-town charm and the characters were layered and real in the most quietly powerful way.

It’s rare to find a book that blends heartbreak and hope so seamlessly. But this one did. And maybe I’m biased because the main character and I share a name (😅), but Meg’s journey felt so personal.

For anyone who’s ever wished for a do-over, or longed to reconnect with someone they lost—this one’s for you and currently out!

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review 💕

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
OH MY GOODNESS. What an incredible read—I need this to be a movie immediately.

This book follows Meg Bryan, also known as famous actress Lana Lord, who finds herself thrown into an alternate reality on her birthday. She books an Airbnb in the city where she once planned to attend college—before life took a different turn. When she arrives, she steps into a world where she didn't lose her best friend in a tragic car accident, she's in an on-again, off-again relationship with a swoon-worthy bartender, and she’s anything but famous.

From the very first page, I was hooked. I had no idea how it would all come together in the end, and I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough. The way Paige wove the two realities together was both unexpected and satisfying. And the depiction of friendship? So beautifully done. I was completely invested and thoroughly moved.

Magical Surrealism
Forgiveness & Grief
Friendship & Found Family
Slow burn

4.5 stars!!
Such a fun read! Just imagine waking up in a different life. And meeting all new people and not wanting to go back to your other life. I really enjoyed reading this story. It makes you wonder what would happen if you’d have made different choices while growing up.

I love a good magical realism book, particularly one with a 'sliding doors' theme and this totally delivered: Meg (aka 'superstar' Lana Lord) is transported to a different life where she's not a TV star, she's met the love of her life, and her best friend is still alive. She grapples between the life she could have had and the life she currently has and it is SO good. 4.5 / 5 stars.

What I love about this is how relatable Meg is: dealing with grief, running away, hiding herself in current lifestyles. She's very modern but not shallow, which is a hard balance to pull off. In the alternate timeline she's finally able to go through all the stages of grief instead of just sitting in denial and deal with her own feelings of guilt and shame. Watching her and Aimee interact in the new timeline is really precious, but so is her balance with Kiera and Cillian. The banter is adorable, the chemistry is delicious, the ridiculousness of the sliding door story is fully embraced and not ignored. It is playful and serious at the same time.

I also loved that there was never really a 'choice' between the two worlds: Meg was not supposed to stay in the alternative life, but merely use it as a jumping point to finding herself and dealing with emotions. I LOVED the ending, which I won't spoil, which tied everything back together. It was a beautiful way to push personal growth without having it feel cheap.

Overall, I adored this. Great characters, beautiful emotional development, and a fun take on a familiar story.

This book was so good. Magic realism, romance and female friendship. Highly recommend!! I love the side characters and the Ireland setting.

This is a charmer with depth and sincerity that snuck up on me. It’s got Sliding Doors vibes with a cozy Irish setting and romantic sparks 🍀

Meg Bryan is a famous television actress with a glamorous life who, thanks to some inter-dimensional magical realism, finds herself living in an alternate reality. She’s softer and more true to herself in this other now, with a quieter life and deeper roots, but both versions of herself long for something else.

I loved how this heartfelt story explored with humor and grace how we figure out how to, and choose to, live in the moment. Great summer read - highly recommend 🍀

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy of this book!

This book made me laugh, cry, and want to hold everyone I love really close. Meg Bryan is a mid-level actress who feels dissatisfied with her life. On a whim, she decides to take a vacation to Avalon, Ireland, where she and her best friend Aimee wanted to go to college and study acting. Neither of them ended up going there, and shortly thereafter, Aimee tragically died. When Meg arrives in Avalon, she realizes something strange: somehow, some way, in this world Aimee is still alive, and Meg herself has apparently lived in Avalon the last decade. But in this world, Meg and Aimee aren't talking, and nothing makes sense.

Probably most people wonder about the roads not taken in their lives, and this book takes that question head on while simultaneously being an extremely entertaining and emotionally fulfilling story. Meg is one of the more endearing protagonists I've come across: she's very self-aware while also being deeply in denial about some important things, she has a huge heart but lots of walls, and she fucks up and then tries to fix it. Following along as Meg tries to process her grief about Aimee's death while Aimee is seemingly alive in front of her in this weird world is both heartbreaking and lovely, and I loved Meg's reflections on who she's become since that huge loss. There's also just an absolutely gorgeous love story that is the subplot to the main story of Meg and Aimee, and it made me squeal with excitement and glee. Meg also reacts how I would react if I woke up seemingly in an alternate reality: she freaks out, worries she's in a coma or has had a mental breakdown, and then tells her best friend because she can't not. It's relatable and hysterical and done very well.

Sometimes the books I really love are the hardest to write reviews for because it's difficult to explain that feeling you get when you're reading and the book just really hits you. I had that several times while reading this book, maybe because at its heart this book is really about figuring out what really makes you happy and going after it, and that resonated with me a lot. There's a lot of discussion about what it means to have a small life or a big life, what it means to stay in one place for a while or go somewhere else to find what you think you're looking for, and what makes life worth living. But it's not heavy handed or schmaltzy - it feels natural. I love a book where I feel like the protagonist is my friend, and Meg is my new best friend :) Read this book, you won't regret it!!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

Oh my godddd I loved every second of this story. Lana Lord is a Hollywood actress who is miserable in her perfect movie star life. Having regrets of not going to her dream college in Ireland after losing her best friend to a car accident, she books a flight to see what she missed out on. Upon arrival to her Airbnb she finds that the people there know her, as Meggie, her real name, Lana Lord doesn’t exist, and her childhood best friend is still alive. A little sliding doors type of story with big feelings and wonderful, joyful characters. Highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It is a great book if you like a like a “sliding door” story. What happens if you can see what your life would’ve been like if you made other choices? It’s a very fun concept. I enjoyed the Ireland parts. I did not feel connected with the main character Meg. I think that kept me from loving the book as much as I would’ve. I did like the part where her friend who had died is still alive and in the other storyline, it was clever, and I’d read other books by this author but I feel like we needed to like Meg for the book to really work and I didn’t

The Other Side of Now had a great premise with a great set up, but at times did not have the best execution. When Meg boards a plane to Ireland from her crazy Hollywood life, she finds out she's been transported to a alternate life timeline where she lives in the quaint village that she always dreamed of living and going to school in. She learns a lot about her life and learns that her best friend Aimee is still alive in this timeline. I loved the growth of Meg throughout and the reflection on her life she made. I wish there would have been more development on her relationship with Cillian. Overall this book tackles some tougher themes while also having some humour and lighthearted moments sprinkled throughout. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was completely blown away by The Other Side of Now! Thanks to St. Martin's Press for my advanced copy of this wonderful book that came out last week.

This book looks at the what if I had taken that path in life...I'm generally not a huge fan of magical realism or alternate universes but I decided that between the Irish setting and a few rave reviews I wanted to try and I fell in love with this book!

Meg isn't the most likable character at first but I grew to love her, especially in Ireland as she worked her way through everything. This book is so multi-layered with friendship, love, grief, what if and did I choose the right path? I loved the Ireland parts and seeing Meg connect with what she wanted in life.

I'm struggling to put into words my feelings for this book. The ending was beautiful. This book makes you think about your alternate life path and was so well written.

The audiobook was fantastic - I didn't want to stop listening and was glad I had a long car ride so I didn't have to. I love that Paige was the narrator too and she did an amazing job!

Highly highly recommend listening to this amazing book!! I've been telling everyone how much I love it for the last few days!!!

<b>2.5 STARS</B> With its Irish setting, romance, friendship and the promise of poignant grief scenes, I had wholeheartedly expected to love this book ... but unfortunately, this was a miss for me.

First let me say that I enjoyed how Harbison explores loss and her idea that we could have the chance to take a different route in life - a do-over, if you will. And the Irish small-town vibe with its colourful locals was a wonderful setting.

But there were a few things that didn't work for me.

Time sliding/magical realism - this is not a subgenre I often read. In theory it was an interesting way to handle grief, but the execution of it was weak, leaving readers not really understanding how it happened.

We slip from the life of actress Lana Lord to her life before she became famous - when she was just Meg. She explores the life that got away - the life where her best friend Aimee is still alive. Sounds touching but I never connected with Meg who was self-centred and a bit obnoxious with her constant name dropping.

Romance: I liked the chemistry between Meg and the hunky Irishman but felt like we missed out seeing how their connection developed because it had already happened in an alternative time.
Overall, I liked the intent of this book, but felt its execution was weak. But I'm in the minority with this book so if you love lots of pop culture references, small-town Ireland, slooooow burn poignant moments, a titch of spice within a story that asks the question 'What if ..." as it explores friendship and loss, then this book will be your jam.


Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to St Martin's Press for the complimentary digital copy of this book that was given in exchange for my honest review.

🚪 Book Review 🚪

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication: June 3, 2025

Rating: Not for me

When I read the synopsis about magical realism and alternate timeline plus grief- I was sold! However, I really struggled with this writing style. I found there was too much descriptive language and it took me out of the story. For that reason, I ended up DNF-ing.

For fans of:
🚪 First person POV
🏡 Magical realism
🚪 Alternate reality
🏡 Healing from grief

✨ What to read next? ✨
🌟 Midnight Library by Matt Haig
🌟 Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah