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

Well that ended way cuter than I anticipated. I was a bit put off at the beginning. As someone who has spent lots of time in Ireland, the descriptions of it felt (and still do feel) overly simplistic and like they were written by someone who has never actually been to Ireland. Once I got past that though, the book is a really sweet look at the ways we hold ourselves back and make life choices that we don’t even realize we’re making. The spicy scene felt out of place- not really spicy enough to be worth rereading but just spicy enough to distract from the plot. Not ideal. Overall though a really enjoyable cozy read.

Unfortunately I couldn’t get into this one - but I think this was more a me problem than the book. I truly think this will be a hidden gem that most will love.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eARC!

I absolutely loved this "alternate reality" book. It had everything - friendship, humor, grief, delicious romance, and with a speculative twist that had me engaged and on the edge of my seat to see how it all played out. So original! I've read most of her mom's books (Beth Harbison) and talent definitely runs in this family.

I didn’t know what to expect when I received an invitation from the publisher to read this as I’ve never read anything by this author. I can honestly say that I was completely and pleasantly surprised by the story of Meg, aka Lana Lord (her stage name). Unsatisfied with her artificial feeling life as a TV star on a wildly successful series, she takes a solo trip to Ireland to clear her mind. This is where things get strange. She walks into an alternate version of her life, quite different and refreshing from life in LA.
I enjoyed this so much as it combines a magical quality to a contemporary romance/fiction novel. The characters were interesting and at times humorous and truly authentic to the setting. I see more books by Paige Harbison in my future. Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this advanced copy.

The Other Side of Now by Pauge Harbison is in my opinion a women's fiction with female friendship as the cornerstone of the story. Lessons of starting over and those individuals in your that make it easier and worth moving forward. An encouraging novel for the Summer as an adventure.

4.5⭐️

Wow. Who knew I could feel both so hopeful and gutted from one book?

It was both lighthearted and thought provoking, funny and gut wrenching. I was absolutely gripped by the story line and tore through the pages to figure out how we could come to a satisfying end. Don’t worry, you’ll love how Paige Harbinson wrapped up this unforgettable story.

Highly recommend adding this breath of fresh air to your summer tbr!

Thank you to Paige Harbinson, St Martins Press and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Meg Bryan lost her best friend Aimee in a tragic accident as a teen, causing her to run for Hollywood and never look back. She reinvented herself as Lana Lord, star of the hit tv show Brilliance. Meg’s thirtieth birthday doesn’t go exactly as planned, so she impulsively books a trip to the quaint Irish town she’d always wanted to visit. When she arrives, everyone seems to know her. One look in the mirror convinces Meg that she’s in another dimension, and to her great shock, in this one, Aimee’s alive.

This one took me by surprise with how much I loved it! Alternate timelines/sliding doors stories can be really hit or miss for me, but this was a huge hit!

I love how Meg was able to use her time in the other now to really understand her life. She was introspective and willing to dig deep to figure out why she was unhappy in both timelines, and how she could fix it.

This is a really beautiful story about grief, and forgiveness, and hope, and the way life doesn’t always go as planned. There is a romantic subplot that I also loved, but it definitely isn’t the focus of the book.

Suddenly she's on the road not taken

Lana Lord is living the life she's dreamed about and worked so hard to achieve. She has a lead role on a major TV show, a decidedly healthy bank account, and a heartthrob boyfriend (who is second generation Hollywood royalty) with whom she lives in his Hollywood mansion. She has come so far from where she started when she was Meg Bryan in a small Florida town, a theatre kid through and through who desperately wanted to leave her small town behind and lead a Big Life. She fled from home when her best friend Aimee died in a car crash when they were in college, something for which Lana/Meg blames herself...but look at her now! Of course, rumor has it that her show is about to be cancelled and she has a funny feeling that her boyfriend is cheating on her...but more to the point, she's not happy in her life. Like, not at all. On an impulse she rents a cottage in the town of Avalon, Ireland, the same town that houses a famous school of the arts that she and Aimee had planned to attend. Only Aimee didn't get in, and they had sworn that either they both went or neither went, so they ended up at a Florida college instead. When Lana arrives in Avalon, however, it is clear that something strange is going on. People seem to know her and call her Meg not Lana, including Cillian the hot but grumpy bartender at the local pub and Kiera who acts like she's Lana's...well, Meg's...best friend. Its almost as if this is the life that Meg would have had if she had broken her promise to Aimee and gone to the Avalon School of the Arts after all. And in this life....Aimee is still alive. The longer Meg (and she definitely feels like Meg here) stays in Avalon, the more she wants to stay and lead THIS life, not go back to Hollywood...but she has a funny feeling that that isn't how whatever this is works. Can she stand to lose Aimee all over again, and exchange happiness for the pretend life she left behind?
The Other Side of Now is part time=slip, part rom-com, and part journey of self-exploration. Meg and the people of Avalon are relatable, lovable characters who find themselves in a situation that none can explain, not all can believe, yet they go along with because...why not? It;s funny, occasionally snarky, and full of friendship and loyalty and more than a smidge of heartbreak. Most readers can look back on their lives and find a moment (and maybe even more than one) where a particular choice, event or circumstance forged a certain path forward in their life. What might their life be like today had things gone a different way? Would they be happier, or would they still pretty much be where they are now? This is a very enjoyable read, one that at times made me laugh out loud and at others tugged a bit at my heartstrings, a 4.5 ⭐️ read rounded up to 5. Readers of Jilly Gagnon, Rebecca Serle and Ashley Poston should give this a spin (especially if they have a margarita or a pint of red ale at their side). My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me access to this addictive read in exchange for my honest review.

(Actual: 4.25⭐) This read was a true surprise for me in the best of ways! While it for sure sounded like something that would be right up my alley right off the bat – what with its unique premise, magical realism elements and use of the parallel timelines/sliding-doors tropes – I honestly was still blown away by how much I ended up loving it! I think what I liked the most was how Harbison approached the heavier topics such as grief and the loss of a loved one; it was very well done and I'm certain a lot of people will be able to really connect with Meg in some way or another as she navigates these two different paths she finds herself at a crossroads with. Overall highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this -- I'm a sucker for a "Sliding Doors" story! More than that, though, I loved the characters. I felt connected to them, and became extremely invested in their lives.

I do wish there had been a *tiny* bit more of the Lana Lord timeline, and a bit more of Meg's too -- perhaps a day trip with Cillian or Kiera, just to get used to that reality.. And of course, <maybe spoiler> I was hoping for a different ending. I guess I just thought there would be more of a choice for Meg, given the fortune teller's reading. All things considered, though, it ended in the best way possible. (Thanks epilogue!)

I've not read Harbison's YA novels, but I will definitely be interested in reading more of her adult works.

4.75
MY HEART. This was so, so good.

Let me be honest. I put this one off, there was a part of me that was a little skeptical, but / was wrong. This was an emotional, heartfelt story full of healing and love and I cannot scream it loud enough- YOU WANT TO READ THIS!
The Other Side of Now had me hooked from the first page. We follow Meg Bryan, also known as Lana Lord, famous actress, who is living the life she always dreamed she would have. She has a hit TV show, a famous, good-looking boyfriend, plenty of money but also a fake nose, a body starving for carlos and a lack of real friendships. After a mini emotional breakdown at her 30th birthday party, she packs her bag while her guests are still downstairs and buys a plane ticket to Ireland. Ireland - the place her best friend Aimee always wanted to be but lost the chance when her life was taken in a tragic accident a decade earlier. What happens when she arrives in a small village in Ireland, will completely change the course of her life. She is no longer Lana Lord, in fact, Lana doesn't exist. Meg finds herself with a healthy body & her real nose, surrounded by friends who are like family, close relationships she hasn't had since her best friend died, a sweet dog who no one can resist, a boyfriend (off and on) who is head over heels for her and most importantly, her best friend Aimee, who is alive.

I loved everything about this story- magic realism, alternate realities, parallel universes. If you had the opportunity to live out a version of your life where you could fix what was broken, find clarity and healing, find friends you didn't realize how much you needed, would you take that chance? The hard thing with this is always the ending- will Meg be able to stay in this new life, or will it be taken away from her- will she end up back in her reality as Lana Lord, being unfulfilled in life and love and without her best friend?

So many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Paige Harbison for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Paige Harbison, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an ARC of The Other Side of Now! All opinions are my own.

This book is very nearly perfect. I absolutely inhaled it and felt the full spectrum of emotions as I watched Meg experience love and loss and found her way back to herself. TOSON deals with a lot of heavy topics and emotions, but also felt so healing. After crying my way through the last few chapters, I recommended it to four friends within five minutes of finishing it. Absolutely a favorite and a book I'll be thinking about for a while!

POV: single first person

You can expect: actress FMC, self discovery, magical realism, bartender MMC, friendship, alternate timeline.

Rep: anxiety, panic attacks, grief

Spice: 2/5

CW: disordered eating, death of a friend in a car accident, mention of a bad drug trip.

On her 30th birthday, Hollywood actress Lana Lord impulsively escapes to a quiet Irish village in search of peace. Instead, she discovers an alternate version of her life, where villagers know her as a local, and her long-lost best friend is still alive. Author Paige Harbison tells a poignant story of second chances as the two friends reconnect. The Other Side of Now is a must-read for fans of magical realism, Irish scenery, and anyone who's wondered, "what if?" (Recommendation will be sent to subscribers of WordSmarts.com email newsletter)

Read if you like magical realism, Ashley Poston, Emily Stone, or Jenny Bayliss.

I was given the chance to read this book and chose to simply because a character had my same name (same spelling!) - but joke is on me because turns out, it was a heart warming read!

While there is romance - it takes the back stage to the friendship between Meg and Aimee. As kids a fortune teller tells Meg her path splits in two directions and is startled by what she sees on Aimee's palm. Life changes for these girls and they are no longer in each other's lives.

Years later, Meg finds herself suddenly in a different life as if time changed and she chose a different path... and Aimee is there.

4⭐

I randomly saw a post about this book being available on NetGalley and for some reason, I requested it. SO so glad I did!! This book ended up having such a deep impact. It’s a story of having a second chance to meet with a loved one, of misunderstandings and confronting reality. LOVED how even though there is a deeper message to the story, it is full of lighthearted moments and humor. Although I often found myself smiling, I also teared up on the latter part of the book. I really liked how the “time travel” was done as well as how the ending wrapped up. Highly recommend the audiobook, which is narrated by the author! I listened to the second half of the book and she brings the emotions to life! My favorite book of June so far!

One of my best friends died in a car accident when we were 19 & 20.

This was an emotional read for me. This is beautifully written. I ate it up, compelling and quick— perfect for summer reading. I love the type of friend Kiera is. I also love the focus on contentment and being present in our lives while grappling with grief. Just very well done.

Spice: 🌶️ open door scene in chapter 19 that I skipped.
Very strong language in some emotional moments. The points could have easily been made the same without them.

The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison is an endearing novel of a womanwho doesn’t know what she wants when she seemingly has everything. Meggie Bryan is known around Hollywood as Lana Lord and she is a star. It is her birthday at her boyfriend’s fabulous Hollywood home and she just can’t do it. She buys a plane ticket to Ireland, writes a note, and is off. Upon arriving she hires a taxi to take her to her rental and promptly falls asleep. When she awakes she is truly Meggie again, not Lana. She doesn’t even look the same, the Hollywood Botox and surgeries are gone. The cottage is perfect, but she is hungry so she sets off to see if she can find some food. She finds a pub where the kitchen is closed but the bartender says he’ll fix her something. He’s very nice and very hot and he seems to know her. She runs into a woman there, Keira, who seems to know her, too. This is all very odd.

I don’t know if this is a dream, a portal into a parallel universe, or a bad trip, but this sojourn in Ireland awakens the real Meggie. The Meggie that would have been if she hadn’t run when her best friend, Aimee, died in a car wreck. Heck, Aimee’s even there, with a husband and kids. She falls in love with Cillian, the bartender, although apparently she was in that timeline. Meggie faces some hard facts about herself, and better yet, returns home and does something about her problems. She become the person she was and that she still wanted to be. Some surroundings she recognizes, some she does not. It’s a fun read. A romance, of sorts. Interesting story. Good characters. Moving. Interesting. The ending is worth it all.

I was invited to read The Other Side of Now by St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #PaigeHarbison #TheOtherSideOfNow

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the review copies of The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison.

This novel feels less like a traditional “sliding doors” story and more like drifting through a dreamstate—a kind of modern-day Christmas Carol that meditates on grief, memory, and the possibility of self-forgiveness. The premise is compelling and full of thematic promise, especially in how it grapples with personal loss and emotional reckoning.

And yet, I never fully connected with the journey. The story felt more suited to a novella or extended short story; the pacing and structure left me more invested in the ending—and the awakening it suggested—than in the journey that led there. What stuck with me was the idea of a character on the edge of change, not quite transformed, but finally open to it.

I found this to be a great character driven story. The story was well developed. Will be recommending to others.

I absolutely loved this book!

It reminded me of one of my favourite books, The Good Part by Sophie Cousens. What I loved about both that book and The Other Side of Now was the tender love story between two people, where one remembers their history and is deeply in love with the FMC, while she re-learns how to fall in love with him. This made me swoon so much. Cillian is so devoted to Meg, it was so bittersweet to read. I think this kind of romantic plot really elevates the story to such emotional heights.

What I really connected with in The Other Side of Now, compared to The Good Part, was the codependency of friendship and traumatically losing that sacred friendship. The author uses so much relatable nostalgia surrounding a childhood friendship. It reminded me of my own friendships. The good, the bad, and the ugly fallouts. The chapter with the play really made me cry, it was so intense.

I really appreciated how this author approached this topic of restlessness in one’s life. Thinking back on the past and wondering what like would be like if you’d chosen a different path. I liked the magical realism aspect a lot and it didn’t feel forced or cheesy. I liked that Meg confided in her new family in Avalon, despite not knowing anyone really. While The Good Part had a cute kid helping the FMC, this book had literal golden retrievers that made an outstanding running joke within the book. But these characters in Avalon were also so endearing! I love Keira! She was hilarious but also such a steadfast and loyal friend. I teared up when Meg had to return to her old life. But was over joyed when Keira came back!
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Thank you so much for letting me read this ARC! It was such a treat!