RATING: 4/5 STARS

I love alternate reality stories, so was eager to read THE OTHER SIDE OF NOW. This was an enjoyable read that follows our main character through a "what if" situation. I recommend it for the small town vibes and fans of The Midnight Library or The Seven Year Slip.

Set in Hollywood and the small Irish small town of Avalon, actress Lana Lord goes on a dream trip only to arrive in a town where everyone knows her by her real name Meg Bryan. A "sliding doors" finding yourself story, Meg tries to figure out what happened and what happens next, especially when she finds her best friend Aimee is still alive in this version of her life.

Unfortunately, this book dragged on and felt repetitive at times. The romantic subplot was a slow burn and takes a back seat to the main plot. Once we got to where I knew it had to shift, it was compelling to see what happened next, but I wish we had had more time at the end.

This women's fiction novel covers themes around:
💚 Friendship - as a teenager and adult
💚 Small town life (in Ireland!)
💚 Hollywood (lots of LA references)
💚 Grief and forgiveness

Open Door (one scene)

2.5 / 5 stars

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC!

This was such a beautifully written story. I loved the characters (even when Meg was hating herself) and the plot was so sweet. I loved the magical elements and how realistic it was despite the shift in timelines. The fortune teller predicting Meg’s two lives was such a great detail that helped set this book apart from others. I also loved the dynamic of Meg being famous vs an ordinary girl, and both versions of herself hunting for a dream she hasn’t decided on yet. I’m so happy so found Cillian (and Keira) again in the end, and ended with even more true friends. This was a fun and touching read that I really enjoyed!

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I truly loved this book. I will admit the beginning g really just throws you into the story and withholds some information so I was a bit confused but the author does a great way of making sure you eventually get all the answers to your questions.

The characters were lovable. Avalon was enchanting. Hard topics like grief and friendship were handled so well.

I love when stories keep me entertained but ultimately remind me to be present and enjoy life- Meg’s story definitely did that for me.

I loved this book. The protagonist is tired of her life in LA as an actress and decides to go to Ireland where shew wakes up in an alternate reality -- the path she didn't choose, but she still remembers her LA life. Heartbreaking.

An excellent, emotionally up & down fantasy novel based on a parallel universe. I found this an intriguing idea and had a lovely time in Meg's worlds.

Stopping at a Palm Reader at a Carnival while in their teens, BFFs Meg & Aimee are given different futures. Meg has 2 life lines when one splits just at her palm, indicating she will have 2 different lives, depending in which way things go. As a successful soap opera actress under the name of Lana Lord, Meg takes a vacation trip to Ireland to visit the arts school she didn't attend, but had always planned to. Arriving at Avalon cottage she enters a different world and finds herself in a rocky relationship with pub owner Cillian (Sil Ian) . Will Meg ever get back to her LA life? Can she stay in her Irish life?

Definitely worth the reading time.

I absolutely love when a book uses magical realism well, and The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison does exactly that. This story is emotional, funny, and an absolute joy to read — the kind of novel that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

We first meet Meg Bryan when she and her best friend Aimee visit a psychic who predicts two life lines for Meg and a tragically short one for Aimee. Fast forward a few years, and Meg seems to have everything she ever wanted: a leading role on a hit TV show, a relationship with Hollywood’s latest heartthrob, and a glamorous lifestyle under her stage name, Lana Lord. But beneath the layers of makeup and fame, her happiness feels as fake as her Hollywood persona.

After a small breakdown at her thirtieth birthday party — a party that should have been a celebration — Meg decides to leave everything behind and spontaneously book a trip to a quaint village in Ireland. This village was once a shared dream between her and Aimee, before an accident took Aimee’s life a decade earlier.

What Meg discovers in Ireland, however, is something she never could have imagined: an alternate version of her life. One where her hair is its natural colour, her nose is her real nose, and her phone is filled with pictures of a life she doesn’t remember — including a grumpy (but very attractive) bartender named Cillian, who seems to know her very well. And most shocking of all, Aimee is alive, but wants absolutely nothing to do with her.

The way Harbison reveals Meg’s alternate life is beautifully done. Meg’s sense of déjà vu with the townsfolk, her slow realization of the depth of her history with Cillian, and her desire to repair her broken relationship with Aimee are handled with so much heart. I especially loved how the romance with Cillian is sweet and enduring without ever taking away from Meg’s personal journey. (You’ll have to read it to find out why their story feels so special.)

One of the absolute highlights for me was the theatre production that Aimee is writing and directing. As Meg becomes involved in the play, secrets about their past begin to unfold. Opening night gave me absolute chills — it’s so emotionally charged and layered with meaning that I found myself tearing up more than once.

Final Thoughts:

In The Other Side of Now, Paige Harbison has crafted a gorgeous, moving story about second chances, friendship, and the lives we could have lived. I’m already excited to dive into more of her books. It’s such a treat when an author leaves you wanting more.

4.5 stars out of 5

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Meg takes a trip to Ireland to the village her and her best friend Aimee, who passed, dreamed of living. When she gets there everything is different. She is not a famous actress and her best friend is alive. This book takes Meg through a different version of her life. I thought the message of this book was inspiring with the idea of living without regrets. The characters were all likable and I was fully invested in all of their decisions. It was a surprisingly touching book.

This was completely and utterly lovely. Paige Harbison did an exceptional job of building a beautiful world full of characters that feel real and lived in. I understand Meg's despair at losing Avalon because I felt it myself. Harbison's writing is charming and I am already eagerly awaiting her next book.

I kept calling this a “What If” book but then quickly realized there’s a better term “Sliding Doors” this trope is one of my absolute favs and The Other Side of Now will be one I think about often.

Meg always wanted to be a star and now that she is, is she really happy or is it all fake. After a small meltdown at her own birthday party she books a trip to a small village in Ireland… a place where her and her old friend Aimee were supposed to experience together at a younger age but never got the chance to. When she arrives the town is welcoming. So welcoming as if Meg has been there for years.

What unfolds felt very special. A story about friendship, second chances, forgiveness and grief. The backdrop of a small village in Ireland was absolutely wonderful to journey to each evening. And Meg was a lovely protagonist to follow. I had to know how this was all going to end and stayed up way too late to read one of the most hopeful endings. Truly magical!

Thank you St. Martins Press

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ A moving mash up of grief, self-discovery, and second chances, The Other Side of Now follows Meg, an actress who wakes up in a life where her best friend is still alive.
Set in an Irish village, (love me an Ireland backdrop)
the story mixes emotional depth with a sparkle of surreal magic. Thoughtful, bittersweet, and perfect if you loved and craved more of “The Midnight Library” vibes in a fresh story .

The Other Side of Now explores some compelling themes, and while it has its strong moments, parts of the story felt a bit too superficial for me. The pacing dragged in places, and there were stretches where I struggled to stay fully engaged. That said, I did enjoy the ending—it wrapped up in a way that felt satisfying and gave the story more emotional weight. Overall, it wasn’t a perfect read, but it had its moments, especially toward the close.

This was such an interesting read for me because I spent the first 40% certain I would DNF if I heard another LA-based pop culture reference that literally sounds like it was coming straight from a NYT article (that is to say the references felt very heavy-handed at times) and because of that I found myself skimming over almost any being made.

But somewhere around the 50-60% mark, I found myself very endeared to the musings on grief, friendship & even love (Honestly, Cillian’s fine self kept me reading for much of that early portion also!) and I really do think the ending stuck the landing in terms of tying together both of Meg’s lives & her “lessons”, I really did feel the same sense of impending doom she was feeling towards the end (Though, that was probably because I hated Old life Meg a lot…and not just because her life was a series of LA recommendations you would get from an out of touch influencer)

It was pretty easy to understand the connection between her grief & her decisions after Aimee’s passing though which made it easy to sympathize with her when necessary so despite the issues I had with the writing, it was still a pretty fluid read!

3.5!

The over all message of this book is great.

I agree with some other reviews that parts are just a bit too superficial. Probably meant to be funny, but I wasn’t able to perceive a few comments that way. I really did enjoy the book and would still recommend it!

I'll be honest - I was a little put off by all the really judgey Angeleno cliches but this book was just sooooo good that I'll forgive them all.
Starting off, the plot is such an interesting one: a different version of you; what life could have been had you made a different decision; exploring the 'what if'. It was a bit hard for me to gauge Lana (Meg) at first because she was seemingly complaining or complicit with her life though she claimed to be satisfied. Then I realized it's because she doesn't even know what makes her happy anymore; the thing you worked so hard to achieve doesn't actually bring you the satisfaction you thought it would, partly because the cost of the achievement continues to rise.

Meg's journey throughout the book was relatable and raw. I thought I would have a hard time connecting with her as a character, but the way the author wrote Meg made it easy - her doubts and insecurities were just so real. I loved the way the author utilized microcosms. The characters, especially Keira and Maureen, were great but the whole of Avalon was really amusing. Truly her growth was heartening and inspiring.

The author's description of places, decor, memories, etc. were so immersive, it felt like I was right there, with them.

Last - thank goodness for the epilogue! I was very heartbroken with the ending of the story - though I found it realistic. Loved the ending of this book.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I loved the overall message of this book. There’s not always just one version of yourself and you can strive for different things at all points in your life. But that heartwarming sentiment was buried under poor storytelling and bad character development. Meg Bryan was possibly the most insufferable FMC I’ve read about in a while. Constantly name dropping celebrities, talking about how famous she is, the work she had done on her face and her extreme dieting (which I couldn’t tell if she loved or hated as much as she mentioned it.) Saying things like “if they really need me to lose the weight that badly, I’m sure they can get their hands on a few syringes of Ozempic.” That’s a direct quote. The type of person to shit on something to seem cool but in reality loved it. Her journey of self-discovery here was a flop. A large part of this book was supposed to be Meg grieving over the loss of her best friend and getting a second chance at repairing that relationship but that also felt like an after thought. Another part, at least I thought, was supposed to be her romance with a grumpy Irish bartender. This was not a romance. There was nothing romantic about this whatsoever except for maybe when they banged about 80% in. The epilogue was cute and saved it a bit but, overall disappointing.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book surprised me in the best way. I think the cover is misleading – to me it looks like a sci fi adventure [because of all the sand maybe? And yes, I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover]. It is beautiful and eye-catching artwork, and it obviously depicts the ‘sliding doors’ plotline, but fails to capture the joy and fun. ‘The Other Side of Now’ is sweet and fun; but also thoughtful and emotionally satisfying.

This book is part magical realism/alternate reality, part romance, and 100% a love story about the bonds of friendship. It is also a gentle exploration of buried trauma, loss and healing. It never gets too heavy though– the writing style is light and engaging, and the story is filled with enjoyable pop culture references and humor. The characters are all well-defined and extremely huggable. And the gorgeous setting left me with an overwhelming desire to book my own getaway to a quaint little cottage in a small town in Ireland. Finally, I think the plot was perfection – an intricate ‘sliding doors’ plot that addresses all the little questions and details and delivers the most satisfying ending.

I loved reading this book. Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. With a pub date of June 3, it's a perfect summer/beach read.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

I couldn't pull myself away from this book!!! The butterfly effect has always fascinated me and this whole concept of the multiverse are topics I can spend hours talking about I'm definitely going to be recommending this book to everyone I around me!