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

I finished "The Other Side of Now" and while it captured my attention and imagination, I felt a bit let down at the end since I wanted the fairy tale ending and I got a version of the Nicolas Cage movie "The Family Man" another great story with an ending while not bad was not the fairy tale ending, I would have preferred. So I give it 4 Stars for a great story that while not a bad ending just not the one I would have preferred.

Thank you St Martin’s Press for the free book! #SMPPartner #SMPRomance #TheOtherSideOfNow #PaigeHarbison All opinions are my own.

“I now know the depth of my pain and, finally, I can begin swimming toward the surface. I never need to go that far again”

On the outside it appears that Meg has everything she could have ever wanted. She stars in a hit tv show and is dating Hollywood’s latest heartthrob but deep down she knows that it’s all fake and she longs for a change of scenery so shortly after her thirtieth birthday she decides to take a trip to Ireland, where she and her best friend Aimee had always dreamt of visiting. When she arrives at the small little village nothing is making sense. The townsfolk treat her like someone they know, her appearance has changed, her phone suddenly holds thousands of pictures of her life in this town that she doesn’t remember ever taking and Aimee, who she lost in a tragic accident years before is alive and well.

This is one of those books that I know will stay with me for years to come. The story that Paige Harbison has created is just magical with so many amazing layers and nuances. The small town Irish vibes and alternate timelines come together beautifully. I was hooked right from the very first page. At it’s heart The Other Side of Now is about learning to live in the moment instead of trying to hold on to every spark or panic about the time that is slipping away. You just have to be.

Meg burrowed her way into my heart and the idea that the people we’ve loved and lost are out there in the universe somewhere happy and living a different life is kinda perfect.

Read if you like:

Magical Realism
Alternative Timelines
Friendship
Small town Irish setting
Representations of grief

What a great book! I docked one star because I wish the language was a little cleaner, but I loved the story. An unhappy TV star named Meg, full of regrets and unresolved trauma experiences a time loop and a "what if" version of her life. It's something we all think about, wondering if the road not taken was the better path. Meg learns much about herself and others, forcing the reader to also get introspective. Happily, I came out the other side more than satisfied with my life choices. And, happily, the book had a terrific, unpredictable ending. Win, win! The audio is also excellent, performed by the author, who does a bang up Irish accent.

I really liked this! When I read the premise I was immediately interested as I lost my best friend 11 years ago. And the dedication had me tearing up on the first page, so I think I was right to feel pulled to it. This definitely leans more women’s fiction than romance, but I was very much invested in the relationship between Meg and Cillian. Their connection and chemistry was great and I only wish we got a little more of it.

That said, the focus was really on Meg coming to terms with decisions she’d made in the time since her friend, Aimee’s, passing as well as the circumstances of her death. Her time spent in the alternate reality allows her to process through feelings she’s long pushed down and make some decisions about how she wants to move forward. I related to the longing of a relationship lost and the sentiment that there is truly no replacing those deep connections, but that we can nurture new bonds. I loved the ending because it gave hope without tying up everything.

Parts of this reminded me of The Holiday (and after seeing the acknowledgements that was purposeful) and What’s in a Kiss by Lauren Kate. If you like magical realism, grief representation and personal journeys, check this out!

Rating - 4.5 stars rounded off to 5

Magical yet so realistic, hopeful and life-affirming!

Basically my kind of read!

Thanks NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the invite to read this ARC!

Synopsis-

The leading Hollywood TV show actress Lana Lord (original name Meg Bryan) has the most perfect life she could ever wish for. But she knows deep down that her glittery, glamorous life is shallow, fake like her name and just a facade created by her world. On impulse to getaway, she books a trip to a quaint little Irish Village of Avalon, a place she and her childhood best friend Aimee, always dreamt of moving to. But the ground beneath her seems to have shifted, time just warped, as she’s no longer Lana, but Meg in this new reality of hers and everyone strangely seems to know her. What’s more she isn’t a stranger to Avalon but a resident, who has been living a very real life here. What’s happening to Lana and how will she decipher everything the universe seems to be throwing at her?

Review -

Typically, I am someone who struggles with magical realism/time travel concepts in books. But the transition of Lana’s life into Meg’s happens so naturally, that I didn’t bat an eyelid or flinch at the sudden shift of direction the narrative was headed in. It also helped that I went in blind into the book.

As we get to know Meg in her Irish life, we realise there is so much backstory and events from her past to unpack. The storyline delves into her difficult experiences and struggles, the beautiful friendship she shared with Aimee - inseparable as they were as teens, Meg’s loss, grief and how she buried her trauma deep within to build herself a new life, using pretence as her weapon.

I loved the author’s use of the ‘sliding doors’ concept as she transforms Lana into Meg. I was completely rooting for Meg, while she tried to grapple with her new existence, her history unfolding, discovering one of the hardest truths of her own life which she wasn’t able to perceive as Lana, finding her true calling and most importantly learning to live, love and grow.

#TheOtherSideOfNow is a thought provoking read that brims with hope, creates a glimmer of joy albeit bittersweet, fills the reader with positivity, possibility, love and upliftment with its tenderly, delicately crafted ending.

Highly recommend if these themes with a hint of magic and fantasy are your cup of tea!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read The Other Side of Now. I had heard such glowing praise for this book that I requested it immediately, without even reading the blurb.

At first, I was a bit apprehensive when I realized the story leaned into magical realism, a genre I don’t typically gravitate toward. But I was quickly swept up into the story. This is a beautifully written story about grief, love, friendship, and discovering what truly matters in life.

I especially appreciated the "moral of the story" and found it thought-provoking. The partial setting in Ireland was an added bonus. I loved the small town charm and I wanted to move there immediately.

I absolutely loved the ending. It was so satisfying.

Paige Harbison takes her main character on a journey of discovery. Meg Bryan has made her dream come true .. she has made it big in Hollywood as actress Lana Lord. She has a big, beautiful home, a TV hit series, and a relationship with the latest heartthrob in Hollywood .. all she is missing is her best friend Aimee, who died in a tragic car accident. It is Lana thirtieth birthday and in need to invigorated her spirits books a Airbnb in Avalon Ireland .. a place both she and Aimee planned to move to. The cottage she book is exactly what she expect but what she did not expect was that everyone knew her .. as Meg Bryan. All are so nice to her with the exception of that hot bartender Cillian. But the shock comes when she see a reflection of herself .. no bleach hair, it’s her real nose and wait – lines on her face. Even more astonishing her best friend Aimee is alive, married with children and wants nothing do to with Meg.

Despite everything Meg has come to realize there is one thing this life altering time travel has afforded her – to reconnect and repair her friendship with Aimee.

The Other Side of Now was not quite what I was expecting .. simply it was an unexpected, delightful read. I thoroughly enjoying watching Meg engineer opportunities to reconnect with Aimee, find a new friend in Kiera and reconnect with Cillian. But more so it was her journey of self-discovery of what was important to her, what no longer matter, learning to deal with grief, loss and forgiving herself and deciding to do what makes you happy. 4..5 stars

Thank you, Paige Harbison, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was released on June 3, 2025.