Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was really sweet, and the book was pleasantly cuter and cozier than I anticipated! It made me wish I could also just slip away to such an idyllic town and live there with my dog (and cat)!

In this story we follow Meg as she wakes up in an alternate reality where she resides in a quaint Irish village after attending the school of her dreams there. Her best friend is still alive; she never becomes a famous actress; her ex is a hot bartender; she still has her real nose!! Meg frantically seeks out her best friend in this new reality, only to find out she and Aimee are not even on talking terms. Will Meg be able to mend this relationship before it’s too late and before her own reality catches up to her?!

This was a bittersweet story about second chances, about finding your true self again, and about the love that’s never really gone. Having never dealt properly with her grief, I loved getting to see Meg given the opportunity to reconcile with Aimee as well as come to terms with her loss. I was overall very satisfied with how everything wrapped up.

There were a few things that were a miss for me in the book. One of it being Meg telling everyone and (literally) their mothers about her situation. Instead of a magical secret kept between a few people, everyone was in on it. There were also quite a bit of telling and not showing in the story. For example, on one page Meg was booking her overseas trip, by the next page she’s already waking up outside her air bnb. We’re told she took the flight but everything was glazed over so quickly, and I wasn’t a fan of that.

Despite a couple misses, I would definitely still recommend this book to my friends!

To be honest, I don't even recall requesting this book on Netgalley, but it seemed to have magically ended up on my shelf. I'm so glad it did! I love a good time travel type of story, and this was no exception. I definitely expected it to be more romance, but that was simply a misconception on my part and not any of the blurbs I read. The first 25% of this book was super strong and I totally adored it. While I liked the pop culture references, they were ad nauseum. The middle/end was a little slower for me and we hurtled towards the ending rather quickly, but I really enjoyed the end. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Many thanks to the publisher, Paige Harbison, and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book hit me in the heart in the best way. The Other Side of Now is a beautiful, emotional journey through grief, healing, and second chances. I found myself completely drawn into Meg’s story—her pain, her confusion, and ultimately, her growth. The alternate reality concept is handled with such heart and depth, it made me think about the “what ifs” in my own life. Harbison’s writing is honest and moving, I really liked it! Highly recommend 4/5

This novel was so, so sweet. I loved the idea of the Sliding Doors storyline. I loved the idea of living the what-if life and seeing what stayed the same and what changed. I loved how awesome the characters were and how sharp and funny and joyful the dialogue was.

This novel will keep you smiling from beginning to end. It's really impossible to put down because the characters give you so much joy that you want to come back to them again and again. Loved it.

with gratitude to netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

This was an emotional and excellent read. The characters have depth and flaws. The way it is written left me turning page after page.

Meg Bryan, who now goes by the stage name Lana Lord, is on a successful if not particularly critically acclaimed TV series. She has money and fame, and, if she’s hungry all the time, surely that’s a small price to pay for becoming an actress like she always dreamed about. But on her 30th birthday, she decides she needs a break from her life, and decides to visit Avalon, Ireland. It’s where she and her best friend Aimee wanted to attend theater college, but when Aimee didn’t get in, Meg stayed behind and went to a state school in Florida with her. Except Aimee died in a car accident.
When Meg arrives in Ireland, she meets good-looking bartender Cillian, and her new friend Kiera explains he’s mad at her for breaking up with him. In this alternate life, she’s twenty pounds heavier, hasn’t had a nose job and other work done, and Aimee is alive, although also mad at her. Meg needs to find out why as she enjoys food and life again and finally looks back at events she tried hard to run away from.

This is a fun read that makes you think about the paths in life we don’t take.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES JUNE 3, 2025.

One of my favorite movies is Family Man. I love any sort of time travel/alternate lives type of story. I thought the storyline was really well done and didn’t leave any holes that I noticed. I thoroughly enjoyed it! And now I want to move to a quaint town in Ireland 💚

4⭐️

This started out pretty slow for me and I am not here for the “I’m famous, woe is me trope”, but the last third really got me. Emotional. Reflective. Heavy at times. A backdrop of a Nancy Meyer’s’ movie, but make it sad-girl sappy with an addition of magical realism.

Lots of pop culture references, which flowed seamlessly and elevated the story rather than feeling like mid attempts by the author to connect with the reader. Meg and Aimee were relatable right down to being middle-school girls watching The Notebook and Titanic just to cry with each other.

I think I would’ve preferred more romantic undertones, but in the end that’s not what this book is. It’s “something about friendship. There are too many romances”. In the end, I grew to appreciate that.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars. This probably not a popular viewpoint but it’s an honest one! I got about 60% of the way through this book and skipped to the end - which is something I rarely do! While I love the “sliding doors” concept of the novel, I found it too predictable and too sweet - felt like more of a Hallmark card movie than a book I wanted to read. Nothing in the epilogue came as a surprise or an unexpected twist that wanted me to go back and see what I missed. This was my first read by Paige Harbison and maybe I’m in too dark and twisty of a space to appreciate this book at this time. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

This was a really interesting take on sliding door fiction, which is something I already enjoy as someone who loves an alternate timeline but can't stomach a lot of sci-fi jargon. Emotional & full of grief, while also being hopeful, with a charming small town setting.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was interesting and different. Parts of it really drew me in, while other parts were a bit repetitive and drawn out. I really enjoyed the ending though.

Overall, it’s an entertaining read and definitely a nice take on the Sliding Doors trope.

I had to DNF this one because of where I am emotionally right now, the idea of losing a friend is too hard for me even with a parallel universe that I maybe get her back. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Paige Harbison, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Other Side of Now in exchange for an honest review
First of all , the cover is stunning and honestly, it perfectly hints at the emotional and slightly surreal journey inside.
I’ve been reading more books with a paranormal twist lately 👻 and though I was skeptical at first, this one really drew me in. Meg’s story, from Hollywood glam 🌟 to a quiet Irish village 🍀 and a completely different version of her life,is gripping, emotional, and thought-provoking.
At its heart, this is a story about friendship, grief, and second chances and I loved how it explored those themes in such a meaningful way. The idea of reconnecting with someone you thought was lost forever? It gave me chills.
The Other Side of Now is touching, reflective, and just a little bit magical ✨ Out June 3, 2025 — don’t miss it! 📚

Well written and some very emotional parts that had me feeling teary. Sometimes the pop culture references were obnoxious but I understand since the main character is an actual Hollywood actress. I was worried near the end about what parts of her experience she would get to keep or if she could even stay in this alternate reality, and the ending was bittersweet, since it was kind of open ended and hinting at possibly starting that new relationship. I loved that she got to face her grief, although I’m still a bit confused as to what caused this experience for her. And if there’s an alternate world where another Meg is back in Avalon after trying to live her Hollywood dreams, or if it’s just gone.

Meg Bryan has a hit role on a television show and has everything she's always wanted, or does she? When she books a last minute trip to Ireland, specifically the town where she and her childhood friend had planned to go to college, her whole life turns upside down.

In Ireland everyone seems to know her and she has a whole alternative life. This well written sliding doors tale is full of lovely characters and life lessons and I was really rooting for Meg to be able to put those lessons learned from this experience to good use. I was looking forward to seeing how the author was going to resolve Megs two realities and I was very pleased with the results.

Thank you to net galley and St. Martins Press for the e galley in exchange for an honest review.

I was on the fence because alternate realty books don't always work for me, but The Other Side of Now was fantastic!

Ahhhh I LOVED everything about this book!

Meg Bryan (yes, BRyan—not Ryan!) is semi-famous actress Lana Lord best known for her part on a hit TV show. She’s living the glamorous Hollywood life, but after a star studded birthday party, she’s hit with the realization that this perfect life feels... empty. In a spontaneous moment, she books a trip to Ireland to visit the quaint village where she and her best friend once dreamed of going to college—before tragedy changed everything.

But when she arrives, Meg is stunned to find that not only does everyone in the village seem to know her, but her best friend—the one who died a decade ago—lives just down the street. As Meg tries to make sense of this unexpected “quantum leap,” she also has to make the most of this second chance with someone she never stopped missing.

I fell in love with the characters, the charming village, the deep sense of nostalgia, and the beautiful heart of this story. It’s cozy, moving, and filled with a touch of magical realism that made it feel like a warm hug.

10/10 recommend if you're in the mood for something magical, heartfelt, and just downright wonderful.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 rounded up!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great heavy hitting magical realism story that includes many subjects such as second chances, multiverse concepts, destined love, dealing with forgiveness and grief, finding onself again, and set in a small quaint town in Ireland (which made me want to go back even more!).

I also loved the little nostalgic pop culture references the author would throw in throughout the story. The characters were all fantastically built, and you felt the connections between them. The story makes you wonder about the different paths you could have taken in life and what life could those decisions have formed. Would they be better? Worse? While also making you feel grateful for where you are now.

The ending wrapped up well and was emotionally enrapturing. I am interested to see what this author has in store and highly suggest to grab this off the shelf once it releases, just be ready to grab a couple of tissues!

The Other Side of Now is an emotional, thoughtful story that gently explores grief, healing, and second chances. Paige Harbison takes a deep, personal look at what it means to lose someone and how life slowly moves forward—never the same, but still meaningful.

The main character’s journey feels very real. You can feel her pain, confusion, and slow steps toward hope. The story mixes sadness with moments of warmth and light, showing how even after loss, there are still reasons to keep going. It’s not a heavy book, though—it’s written in a clear and easy style that makes the hard topics feel understandable and human.

If you like books that deal with emotions, family, and finding new beginnings after something hard, this is a beautiful and comforting read.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This was such a lovely read! I really liked the touch of magic and the whole “what if” vibe. It’s emotional without being too heavy, and the Irish setting gave it such a cozy feel. A bit slow in parts, but overall really heartwarming and sweet. I’m glad I was able to read the ARC. Thanks Netgalley!