Overall this was a fairly enjoyable read. There were parts in the middle that seemed a bit slow on occasion but in general, I enjoyed it. Cute and quirky with a lot of self-introspection.

The Other Side of Now explores grief, memory, and second chances in a heartfelt and emotional way. When Meg and Drew meet after the loss of their spouses, what starts as a support group connection gradually turns into something deeper. But the story isn’t just about moving forward—it's about the weight of the past and the complications that come with love, loss, and letting go.

This was a tender, slow-burn novel that really leaned into the emotional complexity of its characters. I appreciated how the author didn’t rush their healing or connection—it felt authentic. Some parts were a bit slower-paced for me, but overall, it was a moving look at rebuilding life after tragedy. If you enjoy character-driven stories about love and resilience, this one’s worth picking up.

1st person single point of view, magical realism, contemporary story with some romance. I really enjoyed the premise and the author's writing style. I found the one sex scene unnecessary though. Not because I'm a prude, but because it was a lot of telling and no showing. It was somehow explicit but not and didn't work for me. Regardless, this had heartwarming and heartbreaking moments along with humor and friendship. Though it deals with some grief it is very cozy. I thought this was a perfect length read with a satisfying ending (epilogue).

5 stars. 10 stars. Infinite? Stars.

I’m actually a little pissed at myself for waiting so long to read this book, because it was absolutely incredible. It was enchanting, and not just because it had to do with the space time continuum.

Have you ever felt that sense of deja vu? Where you feel like you’ve been there before, but maybe in a different life or timeline? If the answer is yes, this book is for you.

Meg Bryan, aka Lana Lord, is a semi successful actress in a soap opera in Hollywood. After a tragic accident in her teen years, she left her hometown in the dust, vowing to never go back. Yet, even as she’s living out her dreams in LA, she brings to feel like she’s missing something, needing more out of her life. So, she books a trip to a small town in Ireland, Avalon, where she had always dreamed of going to school with her best friend.

As soon as she steps foot in the door of the Airbnb however, she immediately steps into an alternate timeline, where she is different, with different friends and different problems she’s running from.

I laughed. I cried. I got goosebumps. This book is immediately a Top 10 book of the year for me.

Meg Bryan is better known as Lana Lord, actress with a leading role on a TV show and dating a Hollywood heartthrob. After a small breakdown on her thirtieth birthday, Meg books herself an impromptu vacation to a small town in Ireland, where she and her best friend growing up, Aimee, always dreamed of moving. Meg left that dream behind a decade ago, after Aimee’s death. When Meg arrives, she is shocked to discover people treating her like they know her and that when looking in a mirror, she has lost her bleach blonde hair and nose job. Her phone is even full of pictures suggesting she has a life here in Ireland. Most surprising of all, Aimee is alive and living in Ireland, yet wants nothing to do with Meg. Meg may not know what is going on, but she is sure of one thing: She wants to reconnect with Aimee, fixing whatever broke between them.

I loved all the characters in this book; they were complex and loveable. While the story has its heavy elements, it also has plenty of light moments to balance it out. This book is categorized as a romance, but that is just one of many threads in the book. I recommend checking this one out, especially if you enjoy AU stories!

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Oh my heart. The Other Side of Now is the kind of book that wraps itself around you like a cozy sweater on a rainy day in the Irish countryside — and yes, that’s exactly the vibe this story delivers. It’s tender, nostalgic, and quietly magical in a way that made me laugh, cry, and want to hop on a flight to Ireland immediately.

The story follows Meg Bryan, who’s told as a child that she’ll live two lives. Now, years later, she’s starting over — and that “second life” prediction begins to feel eerily accurate. What unfolds is a beautifully layered journey of friendship, second chances, and the kind of found family that finds you when you need it most. It’s a slow burn in the best way — both in romance and emotional depth — with moments that feel so real and raw you’ll want to hug the book to your chest.

I adored Meg. She’s flawed, funny, and fiercely relatable, and the people around her feel like real souls, not just side characters. And don’t even get me started on the setting — the Irish charm practically leaps off the page. You’ll want to sip tea at the local café and walk the cobbled streets with Meg and her crew.

This book is about destiny, yes — but it’s also about the choices we make, the people who help us heal, and the beautiful messiness of life itself. If you’re a fan of stories with heart, humor, and a touch of fate, The Other Side of Now absolutely deserves a spot on your TBR. ❤️

Paige Harbison explores how our lives would be different if we had made slightly different choices in a very literal, fun way. THE OTHER SIDE OF NOW is a fun, well written book that’s full of magical realism, romance, friendship and humor. It reminds me of the Nicolas Cage movie Family Man, where a person is switcherooed into a life they could have had.

I enjoyed the beginning and ending of this book more than the middle, which I found to be a little repetitive. Overall, however, this is a sweet book that also made me think, and I enjoyed it very much. I will be checking out Paige Harbison’s other works immediately!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early digital ARC of THE OTHER SIDE OF NOW in exchange for my honest feedback.

The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison

I truly love a sliding doors concept - who wouldn’t want a peek into a life where you followed a different road or made a different decision! So this book was right up my alley, and I honestly loved how it was explored and explained in this book.

Meg is a successful tv star, but is simply unhappy and unsatisfied with how her life turned out. After booking a last minute trip to Ireland she finds a life not explored. Everyone knows her and she has an entire history and life that she knows nothing about. I appreciated that romance was just a side storyline. This book was more about friendships, decision making, trauma, self assessment and acceptance. The character growth and lessons were so well thought out.

I really enjoyed it.

4.5⭐️ This book was everything I was hoping for and more!

I love some magical realism in a book, and it was done beautifully here. The time travel/alternate reality plot was engaging and easy to follow, and I loved how it enhanced the story. The small Irish town setting was so cozy, and I loved the side characters we got there.

While this is a romance, it was also so much more than that. We had grief, friendships, finding yourself, and love. The emotions that Meg was going through were easily felt through the page, and there were times I was tearing up. Though there were heavy moments, there was a lot of levity as well. I found myself laughing and smiling just as much as I was getting emotional.

This book was such a pleasant surprise, and I can’t wait to read more by this author.

Meg has a life that others envy: she stars in an extremely popular show, she is dating a well-known heart-throb, and she should be on top. When she breaks down at her 30th birthday party, she does something wild, she books a week long trip to Ireland, to the town she and her best friend swore they would live in together. But once she arrives something strange happens: everyone in town already knows her. And they don't know her by her stage name, but instead her true name. She has a life there, a life that started when she attended college in Ireland as planned. To make things even stranger, Aimee, her childhood best friend, is still alive in this town but they are not speaking. Meg is given a second chance to make things right with Aimee, but how long will this last? Navigating through her alter self's friendships and relationship, Meg learns what is really important in life.

Do not enter this book without a box of tissues handy. And do not mess about with a half-full box of scratchy tissues. You want the super soft ones and a lot of them. Paige Harbison is able to bring the grief out so strongly in this novel. I ugly cried, and then I cried some more. When I think about this book I tear up. The emotional depth is drowning. But I also laughed. The characters are funny and flawed and so very human. Every character felt real, every character felt like someone I could meet in real life.

I highly recommend this book. It was beautiful and wonderful.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own!

I totally adored this book even though it really destroyed me. Can you imagine waking up one day and discovering that the life you had lived up to that point was altered in such a way that you knew no one in the pictures in your phone and nothing about the life you are now living? That is exactly what happened in this book.

Meg is thrown into a life that would have happened if she had chosen a different path at a specific time. She meets a man that she obviously has a past with, but gets to fall in love with him for the first time all over again. That's the part that did me in. She also has the chance to repair things with her best friend.

This was such an emotional book. It would have taken me a while to shake it, but I loved it so much that I don't want to! I'll definitely be looking for more from this author.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital copy. All thoughts are my own.

3.75 stars

As teenagers, best friends Meg and Aimee dreamt of moving to Ireland and attending a performing arts school. Tragically Aimee died in an accident and years later Meg is now 30 years old and the star of a hit tv show. Wanting an escape from what on the outside looks like a picture perfect life, she books a trip to Ireland. And here is where things take an unusual turn, Meg has stepped into a bit of an alternate life situation. Here in Ireland, she’s just a local and not a Hollywood star. Sound confusing? Don’t worry, the story is easy to follow.

So yes, the whole alternate reality thing going on allows the author to explore the subject of grief. It’s not all sad though as a romance is thrown into the mix. Meg’s struggle to cope with her friend’s death at such a young age is really what sticks out and made it a good read. Some touching moments that pulled the heartstrings.

I love the premise of this story: Famous actress visits Ireland to escape the stress of daily life and ends up transported to a quaint village where everyone knows her! The setting was described so vividly that this truly felt like an escape.
Where it fell short was with the constant introspection and inner monologuing done by Meg. It started to get repetitive, and the writing in these sections left a lot to be desired.
I also felt like the ending was anticlimactic.
Overall, great premise, lacking in execution.

Wow, this book was such a pleasant surprise! I am not typically a fan of fantasy, but this one was so well written that it worked for me. To outsiders, Meg has everything - she is a famous actress, in a relationship with a famous actor, beautiful and surrounded by friends. But she is not happy. When she books a last minute trip to Ireland, she finds herself in a small town where everyone knows and loves her - including her best friend from childhood who passed away. Meg gets to see what life may have looked like if she made different choices along the way. The story flowed so seamlessly, the characters were amazing. Everything was well developed and well written. The story was incredibly engaging and I did not want to put this down. It was emotionally realistic and I enjoyed watching the characters grow and change. I got lost in Meg's world - and wanted to jump in and join her. Be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster ride - I grabbed the tissues often!

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

I loved this book. Romance, friendship, fame, an exquisite Irish setting, and even a multiverse! This book had something for everyone and I couldn’t put it down. I was totally invested in the characters, relationships, and whether or not Meg was in some elaborate dream world.

Do you ever wonder about the road not taken? For so many, there’s a single moment or a single decision that is so utterly profound that it is literally life changing. For Meg, when she’s had enough of her fame-fueled life in LA and finally decides to check out the quaint town in Ireland where she thought she would go to college but ultimately passed up, exploring that road not taken is exactly what happens when she wakes up in Ireland. She’s suddenly transported into the life of the Meg who DID decide to go to Ireland all those years ago. And the Meg that lives in Ireland isn’t the same person who lives in LA. Which is the real one?

I loved that this book explores the “grass isn’t always greener” premise and also the butterfly effect. I also loved Meg’s character growth, her self reflection, and the emotion that poured out of every page. It’s so easy to take our blessings for granted and The Other Side of Now was a beautiful reminder of just how green our grass is.

This one cannot be missed. Thank you to St. Martins Press for the copy!

I’m a person who’s obsessed with time and reality and the butterfly effect of everyday life decisions. This is what drew me to Paige Harbison‘s adult debut, The Other Side of Now.

Over a decade after losing her best friend, Meg Bryan is a successful actress, but she’s not happy. Nothing in her life is real, from her stage name to her face to her relationship with her boyfriend. When she turns 30, Meg abruptly books a trip to the village in Ireland where she’d once planned to go to school. But when she arrives, Meg quickly finds that she’s stepped into a different version of her life, one where Aimee is alive and they both still live in Ireland. And nearly as quickly, Meg realizes that she’s happier in her life here, if only she can figure out a way to stay.

What I Liked:
- Parallel universe. Look, I *love* anything related to parallel universes, alternate realities, and so on. In The Other Side of Now, Meg finds herself in a different life that’s fuller (friends, an on-again-off-again boyfriend), though more quaint than the life she’s been living (here she’s not a famous actress anymore). Despite the other Meg seeming to be dissatisfied with life in this Irish village, this Meg is much happier in this timeline she’s stepped into. But is she doomed to be unhappy whichever timeline she’s in? Always missing something?
- Focus on friendships. Late in the book, one of the characters makes the rather meta comment about wanting to write a story about friendship because there are already so many romances. Indeed, although this book has a cute love story on the side, it’s primarily about two friends who were each other’s worlds but have now lost each other. Meg’s friendship with Aimee is the core of this novel, but friendship overall is a vital theme. Kiera is certainly a worthy friend, too!
- Grappling with grief. The other core theme is grief. In the “real” life that Meg’s been living, they both stayed in Florida and Aimee died all too young. Meg shut down after that. Upon finding Aimee alive and well in this alternate Ireland, she fears what losing her best friend again will do to her. This aspect of the story will probably bring some tears to your eyes.
- Cillian. The romance isn’t the main point of the book, but it’s a good runner-up! I love Cillian and his relationship with Meg, troubled as it’s been up to this point. Thankfully, they aren’t problematic to each other; the issue lies in Meg’s bigger goals.
- Longing for more in life. In both timelines, Meg wants what she doesn’t have. She has fame and fortune, but longs for connection. Or she has a life filled with loving people, but longs for an acting career. Some people are hard-wired to want big things in life. At what point do we take stock of what we do have and find contentment? These are big questions I think about a lot, and they’re discussed so well here.
- Ireland and small-town community. I loved getting to know the group of friends Meg has in her Irish life. Especially after what Meg had gone through, it was such a wholesome change of pace that did a world of good for her.

Final Thoughts
The Other Side of Now was such a fun yet emotional book that made my whole world slip away while reading it. With the alternate reality theme, I knew the story was hurtling toward something that would rip my heart out, but I loved how everything came together in the end. This has been one of my favorites books so far this year, and I’m excited to read more from Paige Harbison.

Lana Lord has it all. She has a leading role on a hit TV show, is in a relationship with Hollywood’s latest heartthrob, the body people pay a lot of money for, and the money to have anything else she wants. Except, that her real name is Meg Bryan and what she wants most is for her best friend to still be alive and for life to have gone differently! Mid-breakdown at her thirtieth birthday party she decides to take a small hiatus from life and visit the small Irish village where she almost went to college, with her friend Aimee. Once she arrives she steps into a strange alternate version of her life where she did in fact come here for college and hasn’t left. Now she has a whole life with genuine friends, a semi-stolen dog from her long term on again off again relationship, and her best friend, Aimee, is still alive. But even in this alternate life, things aren’t all rainbows and roses! As she gets to know these new people, and herself, she must take a good look at who she has become, and how she got to where she is.

I enjoyed the way this story progressed. I think it made some great points with having Meg have similar issues in both storylines, they just manifested differently. Once she was able to pick up on those and work through them, we saw a lot of growth in her. She did take a while for some, but then again, she was thrown into a crazy experience! As the story progressed I really wasn’t sure how I wanted it to end, or how the author could even end it well. But somehow, she did!

This book was published today! If you like fun love stories with twists you won’t see coming, with growth, and genuine friendships, pick it up today at your favorite book buying location!
Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my review!
#NetGalley #TheOtherSideOfNow

As a giant fan of This Time Tomorrow and Sliding Doors-esque books, I adore it when an author gets it exactly right. And that's what happens here.

At the same time a testament and examination of grief, trauma, and choosing a path for yourself, The Other Side of Now broke my heart and then pieced it back together again.

It's the story of Meg Bryan, working as an actor in Hollywood under the name of Lana Lord. On her 30th birthday, she decides she is going to go visit Ireland, the place where she and her best friend Aimee had long planned to attend drama school before tragedy struck and Aimee died. When Meg gets there, things are a bit odd as everyone seems to know her, but not as Lana. She has a strange sense of deja vu, and realizes that she's not the same person she was when she left LA, she's entered some sort of parallel life. And in this life, Aimee is still alive.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author, who infused the story with so much warmth, humor, and heart. The magical realism is perfectly portrayed in this novel, it's a part of the narrative but only as a framework. I laughed, cried, and connected fully with the characters.

If you're looking for an emotional, heart filled read, then this is an ideal choice.

If you don’t cry at least twice while reading The Other Side of Now, then you have no soul and should probably get that checked out.

This book is a masterclass in emotional whiplash. One minute, you’re snort-laughing because our main character, Meg Bryan—sorry, Lana Lord (yes, really)—is spiraling at her own Hollywood birthday party like a champagne-soaked tornado. And the next minute? BAM—she’s in Ireland, casually quantum-leaping into a softer, sadder, realer version of her life where her skin isn’t airbrushed, her nose is original, and oh yeah—her dead best friend is alive but not speaking to her. Because trauma, baby!

Seriously, the emotional range of this book is bananas. One chapter you’re side-eyeing hot, grumpy bartender with a brooding past (standard literary requirement), and the next you’re clutching your chest, whispering, “I didn’t sign up for this level of FEELINGS.” The alternate reality angle is done so well you start questioning your own life choices. Should I have moved to a tiny Irish village? Should I have a dog I don’t recognize? Have I been emotionally neglecting my dead/not-dead best friend?? These are the questions this book makes you ask, all while somehow making you laugh through the heartbreak.

Meg is a mess—but in the best, most cathartic way. Watching her unravel the mystery of this alternate life is like peeling back the layers of an onion that’s been dipped in glitter and shame. She’s selfish, she’s flawed, she makes questionable choices with men and hairstyles—but she tries. And that’s what gets you. That, and Aimee. Oh Aimee. If you don’t cry at that scene—you’ll know the one—you might actually owe the universe a refund for your soul.

The writing is heartfelt without being sappy, funny without being forced, and just grounded enough that the quantum-leap premise doesn’t feel like a fever dream. It’s like Rebecca Serle, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and the ghost of your unresolved emotional baggage wrote a book together in an Irish pub.

By the time you reach the ending—an absolutely gut-punching, warm hug of a finale—you’ll be emotionally wrecked in the best way possible and ready to spiral into your own alternate timeline fantasy. Preferably one with a dog, a second chance, and slightly better life choices.

Five stars. Two emotional breakdowns. One magical trip to Ireland that’ll make you believe in friendship, forgiveness, and the power of a good pub.

I am in a real whimsical reading stage right now, and I do not hate it. And whew did this one get me in my feels... in all of the good ways.

Meg Brady, known to the world as Lana Lord, appears to have it all - she's the lead on a cult tv show. She's dating heartthrob and soon-to-be Marvel superstar Grayson. And yet on her 30th birthday she spirals and books an impromptu trip to the tiny Irish town, Avalon. Meg sees this as looking at the road not taken - studying theatre in Avalon ad been her teenage dream that she shared with her best friend, Aimee.

But once she arrives, it seems like everyone knows Meg. She can't wrap her head around it, and yet everything seems a bit better here.

Y'all know I keep these spoiler free so I won't share more - but I really enjoyed this one. Premises. like these often fall flat for me, but it worked so well here with author Paige Harbison's writing and character development. I truly wasn't sure how it was going to end, and I found myself both sniffling and smiling as I finished Meg's story. A lovely story of friendship, grief, growth and finding yourself.

Happy Pub Day, Paige Harbison!! And thanks to St Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC!