Teenage Meg and her friend Aimee visit a fortune teller who refuses to tell Aimee her future but tells Meg that her life will have two paths. Aimee tragically lost her life in an accident. Meg, now known as famous actress Lana Lord, decides to go to Ireland for her 30th birthday. When she arrives, she quickly realizes everyone knows her, but not as Lana Lord. As Meggie, a resident of the town with connections to everyone. But most importantly, Aimee is still alive.

The idea of a Sliding Doors type of story, where a parallel timeline can exist, is one of my favorite tropes. I love the way the author did this one. The characters and setting were so fun and memorable. Meg's journey back to herself was one that I'm glad I experienced. The author narrated the audiobook, and I think that made the experience even better because she lived and breathed the characters. This is a great read!

TW/CW: Language, drinking, drug use, eating disorder, fat shaming, death of friend, grieving, graphic sex scenes, mourning, depression, anxiety

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
With a leading role on a hit TV show and a relationship with Hollywood's latest heartthrob, Meg Bryan appears to have everything she ever wanted. But underneath the layers of makeup and hairspray, her happiness is as fake as her stage name, Lana Lord. Following a small breakdown at her thirtieth birthday party, she books an impromptu trip where she knows the grass is greener: Ireland. Specifically, the quaint little village where she and her best friend Aimee always dreamt of moving—a dream that fell apart when an accident claimed Aimee’s life a decade ago.

When Meg arrives, the people in town are so nice, treating her not as a stranger, but a friend. Except for the (extremely hot) bartender giving her the cold shoulder. Meg writes it all off as jetlag until she looks in the mirror. Her hair is no longer bleached within an inch of its life, her skin has a few natural fine lines, and her nose looks like… well, her old nose. Her real nose.

Her phone reveals hundreds of pictures of her life in this little town: with an adorable dog she doesn’t know; with the bartender who might be her (ex?) boyfriend; and at a retail job unrelated to acting. Eventually, she comes to accept that she somehow made a quantum slide into an alternate version of her life. But the most shocking realization of all? In this life, her best friend Aimee is alive and well…but wants nothing to do with Meg.

Despite her bewilderment, Meg is clear-eyed about one thing: this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reconnect with her friend and repair what she broke. She finagles an opportunity to act in the play Aimee is writing and directing and as the project unfolds, Meg realizes that events as she remembers them may not be the only truth, and that an impossible choice looms before her.
Release Date: June 3rd, 2025
Genre: Magical Realism
Pages: 320
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Love writing style
2. Funny parts
3. Kara - can she be my friend?
4. Ending was beautiful
5. So many great quotes to live by

What I Didn't Like:
1. More man focused than friend focused at times
2. Women aren't allowed to eat on books

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

I hate when books over state that women don't eat. What's the point? This coming after Meg is told she needs to lose more weight after already dropping weight. Things like this in books are what tell women that eating is bad. You never read in books about men not eating and people pointing it out as much as it is pushed in books about women's pov's. Oh, but luckily we have a man that knows her better so she is given permission to eat. *rolls eyes*

Oh my goodness there were parts of this book that made me laugh so hard.
“In my life, my real life, I weigh like twenty pounds less and I’ve had some work done. Not a lot. But enough that I can say with one hundred percent certainty that this is not the face I had when I woke up yesterday.
”She laughs. “In my real life, I too am about twenty pounds thinner.”She then shakes her fists at the heavens. “God, won’t you wake me up from this nightmare?”


So Meg finally gets another chance to see Aimee (at the party) and she walks off with the bartender. I thought Meg would went to visit more with Aimee since she missed her so much but I guess one coffee hang out and 10 minutes talking at a party is all she needs for her friends death in another world. Meg has no idea how long this will last that she is here and able to see Aimee, but instead she is choosing to hang out with this man. Sigh.

God, of course Killian is perfect. From head to head *wink wink*

Loved this!
“You’re not on the outside of your life looking in. Everyone isn’t off having some perfect moment and you’re left out of it. You’re alive right now. Whether your real life is back in California, or it’s here, or if it’s on Pluto, it doesn’t matter. You’re here right now. I wish you didn’t feel like things were such high stakes. You can be happy, you know. Look, let’s say you’re right, that girl there is on the outside, yeah? Everyone’s inside enjoying the film, and she’s in the hall.”He shrugs against me. “She could walk in. And maybe the happiness is closer than she thinks.”

That's how I feel at times.

Look I was 100% team Aimee until Aimee starts being so mean to Meg for no reason. We then find out she's mad because in the other world that she does not believe that Meg is from she is dead. Um okay. She then confessed that she actually got into the art school and lied to Meg. So Meg did not go to her dream college because Aimee wanted to stay with her boyfriend. Aimee was worried she would make fun of her for not going and rather deal with that small thing she totally uprooted Megs life. So, I'm over here confused how Aimee has the gall to even be mad at Meg.

Great now I am crying at work.

The scene where Meg has to admit outloud that Aimee is dead tore my heart apart. Seriously... My god. I was crying so hard.

Awe poor Meg maybe it was good that she admitted that Aimee was dead because it got her out there living. I mean was Meg even living before or just existing. Now she is having a life and it seems like the universe is rewarding her by giving her Killian and Kara back into her life.

Final Thoughts:
From the moment I started this to the moment I finished it I was invested and loving the book. It deals with some heavy subjects and really punches you in the gut with facing your fears of losing someone.

I wanted so much for Meg to have a happy world where Aimee lived with a husband and kids. Where Meg got to see her alive and loved not dead in hers.

I'm telling you that scene where they were on stage and "acting" out the part of Aimee being dead made me ugly cry at work. The author did a fantastic job at dealing with grief and the way we can just keep moving on pretending it never happened. If we pretend doesn't that mean it's not real? That is the problem Meg had when she won't admit Aimee is dead. She took off and never even stayed for the funeral.

I only had one issue. The relationship with Killian muddled the message for me on this book about friendship. Not every book needs a romance. I wanted the book to be about a lost friendship and not about a found love. The message at the end when Meg finds Killian made it almost feel like you can replace the grief and death of that person with the love of another one and I don't think that's always right or healthy. Couldn't Meg just work through some stuff and that he the ending? Why the romance?

All and all though this was a gut punching story that I freaking loved. It was beautiful. The quotes in it about having to move on were so good. You can't let death hold you back but moving on doesn't mean forgetting someone either.

IG | Blog

Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Before Lana Lord became a rising star in the Hollywood, she’s just a regular woman named Meg Bryan who lost her best friend Aimee more than a decade ago. Wanting a little break from her current life, she booked a trip to Avalon, Ireland, a place where she dreamt of moving. But when she arrived there, something strange happened. It seemed like “Meg” has always been living there, and “Lana” doesn’t exist.

Despite her confusion, she immediately settled in, following her “Meg” routines and leaving her “Lana” life (literally) behind with the help of her best friend, Kiera. Turned out, she loved that life. Everything was perfect, and most importantly, Aimee wasn’t dead. She started to get too comfortable and dreaded the possibility that she’d be forced to return to her “Lana” life.

I enjoyed this so much. It’s cozy, reflective, a little bit emotional, and also hopeful. I loved the characters but especially Kiera. She’s such a diva lol. Props to Meg for handling everything so well because if it were me, I’d actually go insane after all that.

This was an incredibly moving and fun read. I fell into the story and was immediately taken with it. At no point was I bored or uninterested. I loved the “time travel” aspect and character arcs. It was believable and out of this world. I also LOVED the ending. I imagine it would have been very tempting and easy to give readers a very obvious ending but sometimes doing the harder thing means we end up in a better place. Just like this book. Also, I cried.

This book was so unexpected. It was an honest reflection of grief, avoidance, and what could happen if one life choice was made differently. I was unsure about this one but after the second chapter I was completely hooked.

This story is a great look at friendships, romance, and exploring the "what ifs" of life.

This book is an absolutely beautiful story and I think everyone should check it out!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was both familiar and entirely new. Its hands were in so many genres - part romance, part sci-fi, part magical realism, part emotional trauma and recovery. And overarching above them all is the theme of female friendship, and the different stages your friendships can morph into as you go through life together. It is not a beach read, but I do highly recommend this book for all!

Best friends Meg and Aimee go to a fortune teller. She tells Meg she has two lifelines. She sees something in Aimee’s that upsets her. The girls go on their way, not really thinking anything about it, until years later when their paths take a collision course.

If you enjoy the premise of an alternate universe or magical realism, then this book is for you. The jump from one universe to another happens quickly, which threw me off at first. Once I was all in, it took off. Meg wasn’t my favorite in the beginning, but her character development was full circle and I came to understand and appreciate her journey. The supporting cast added so much to this story. At times I was moved to tears, and found the ending totally satisfying. Well written, this story will give you a lot to think about. New author for me, I look forward to reading her again.

Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

A funny, warm-hearted book about friendship, loss, and second chances, as an unhappy Hollywood star finds herself in an alternate reality where she made different choices for her. There are sad, serious undertones related to grief and suppressed emotions, but this is lightened by silly, sweet moments of connection and joy. Definitely recommended as a summer read!

4.25/5 stars

I enjoyed this story about Meg, a movie star who becomes a bit disillusioned with her life and impulsively takes time off to fly to Ireland where she and her childhood best friend had planned to attend college before tragedy struck and her life went in a whole new direction.

This is an alternate reality story. One of those "What ifs" stories that presents both a current life and the road less taken. It was done well, both realities were entertaining and lent an authenticity and empathy towards Meg's crisis and decisions. I also became easily engaged with the supporting cast...friends, boyfriends, and community members.

I'm looking forward to reading more from Harbison.

My sincere thanks to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing the free early arc of The Other Side of Now for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Grab your highlighter (physical or digital) as The Other Side of Now is filled with memorable lines, book references, and an emotional playlist that runs the gamut from 2000s music to the Beatles. This is a book for both BookTok book lovers and traditional book lovers as it uses a familiar wormhole trope, which is both funny and thought-provoking.

My To Be Read list and now my To Be Listened To list grew by leaps and bounds by reading this book. It was a thoughtful touch at the end to include a list of music mentioned in the book. The pop culture references are a bonus and a great part of the story. The main character, an unhappy actress, who became Lana Lord, as she suppresses the real life Meg Bryan (yes, she knows it sounds like Meg Ryan, hence the need for the stage name Lana Lord) to make it in Hollywood. The author cleverly introduces music and artistic references to gently lead Lana back to Meg.

Lana has not only botoxed her forehead - she's botoxed the free spirit of Meg and is just going through the motions and weeding through the trappings of a TV star's life. She eats nothing, has a fake nose, a fake boyfriend set up by a PR firm, and she even has a fake birthday party, where she is miserable.

The birthday party is the lightning rod to inspire her to take a spur-of-the-moment vacation to a small town in Ireland, Avalon, a dream of her high school days. Avalon is the home of a college with a legendary acting program. Meg had been admitted, but she chooses not to go there and instead stays in her home of Florida to go to a state school with her best friend and surrogate sister, Aimee. We don't know why this decision is made, and how it impacts Meg's life. Details of Lana/Meg's life unfold little by little, and this process keeps the reader thoroughly riveted in the story. You've got to keep on reading to find out what will happen.

This "vacation" doesn't become a vacation, though. What happens to Lana/Meg in Avalon keeps you vigorously page-turning to the end. The writing is authentic to someone being lost and wanting to change their path in life, but it also shows that even in a "bad" life, you have good things that you've experienced that help you through to a better path. The characters in both the Lana/Meg world are funny, relatable, and I wish I could have more time with all of them. A sequel to this book could work. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing as there was a beginning hook, a well-thought-out middle, and a substantial, unexpected ending. The trope has been done a lot, but the ending and the story are modern and fresh. I am grateful to have received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press.

I was excited for this book because I thought the premise seemed pretty cool. I liked the story at first but as I kept reading I found myself less and less interested. I wasn’t a fan of the bestie info dump. I also wasn’t all that big a fan of the romance. I guess this book just wasn’t for me. 2.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

Meg Bryan (stage name Lana Lord) is a big name actress on a successful TV show and dating one of Hollywood's biggest actors. She has achieved her childhood dreams. On the night of her 30th birthday party Meg can't help but feel something is missing. She decides to book a trip to Ireland, a place she and her childhood best friend, Aimee, said they would always visit but never did. When Meg gets to Ireland she finds herself in a sort of alternate reality. She appears as her 30 year old self without the Botox, cosmetic procedures, and Hollywood weight loss. Meg in this reality has a completely different life and relationships. The real kicker is that Aimee, who died a decade ago, is actually still alive and living in the town. Meg has the chance to reconnect with Aimee and discovers what life could have looked like had she made different decisions as a teenager.

The best emotion I can use to describe this book is heartwarming. The town of Avalon is cozy, full of characters you would expect to find in a small town community. Meg falls right into the friendship she has with Kiera, her best friend in that reality. Cillian, Meg's ex/boyfriend, is the likable love interest you would expect. I do wish we had gotten more of Cillian. Yes, this book was had some romance between Meg and Cillian, but the story was more about the love and relationship between best friends and romanticizing your own life. Meg has the opportunity to learn what really makes her happy and fulfilled. Can she make changes so she ends up living a life she truly wants? I did love the ending of the story. I could have read another 50 pages in the epilogue. I would definitely read more from Paige Harbison.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I am always in for any “sliding doors” trope, so I had to read this book. Really enjoyed the premise and how the author weaved themes of regret, grief, and love. I had tears towards the end of this book at the power of everlasting friendship. As someone who always thinks of the “life not led” this book was so interesting to me. It was propulsive and I couldn’t put it down! Note for language and one open door scene that is skippable.

Magical realism is a genre we really enjoy. Yes you have to suspend your disbelief and just go with it but that’s what we love about it.

The Other Side of Now is a book that asks what if? What if you made a different choice? What if déjà vu and gut feelings is just our soul remembering our other lives/timelines? The possibilities are endless and this is where magical realism shows its magic!

Meg has a once in two lifetimes opportunity to reconnect with her best friend when she finds herself in an alternative version of her life, a life where she chose to go to Avalon.

This desire to see Aimee again is what drives the story, but it’s her personal growth that kept us reading. Meg was not handling her life well and it’s like the universe gave her a chance to see what if? but more importantly to heal. And also let go of the guilt and pain and embrace who she really is.

There’s a little bit of romance that made our hearts happy. Who doesn’t love an Irish bartender with a heart of gold? Cillian was the perfect man to show Meg she can love. And we can’t forget about Keira! She was a fantastic and understanding friend. They were both welcomed characters to the story. Also, that ending! It’s nearly perfect! (we’re greedy and want more 😂)

The Other Side of Now is a funny, heartfelt, pull at your heartstrings, make you believe in second chances read that we can’t stop thinking about. It’s Paige Harbison’s first adult book and we look forward to reading more from her.

Read if you like:
▪️Alternate realities/timelines
▪️Second chances
▪️Magical realism
▪️Found family
▪️Irish countryside

I was unexpectedly taken in by this adult debut. I read the synopsis and was intrigued, but assumed it would be a pretty run of the mill "girl gets to experience what life would be like if she chose path B instead of A," It certainly was that, but it also ended up being a pretty profound conversation about grieving that I wasn't altogether prepared for. I think some will complain that the romance is weak, which is a little true, but it is so far from THE key to the story that I didn't mind at all. And that resolves itself nicely too!

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

Lana Lord aka Meg Bryan NOT Meg Ryan, has everything she's always wanted. She's famous, she is on a hit TV show (well kinda a hit) and she has a boyfriend that is...also okay...oh and did I mention she has BAD panic attacks frequently? Oh and it's been a decade since her best friend, Aimee, died, but she has thought of her everyday since. So yeah her life really hasn't turned out that amazing. With the realization that everything has come to a head she books a flight to Avalon, Ireland; but thing is when she gets there everyone knows her...as Meg, not Lana. Lana doesn't exist. Never did. How? The show?
Through this experience she learns that maybe the grass isn't always greener on the other side...aka her previous life vs what her life COULD have been.

I honestly didn't know what to expect from this book, but wow. I loved it. I was rooting for the story to end one way, but I am very satisfied with the ending. I would love to see a sequel maybe, for me thats one way I know I love a book. Sometimes some books are great how they are as standalones, but then there are some that I would love a continuation of 🥰

If you are a millennial as well you'll love the nostalgic references! Go read this like...yesterday!!

**Thank you to NetGalley, Paige Harbison, and St. Martin’s Press for a free ebook ARC copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

This book broke me. I absolutely loved it. I really don't have words to describe how much. Unfortunate since I'm trying to write a review! Ha. If you loved Rebecca Serle's In Five Years or Matt Haig's The Midnight Library you will love this one. All the stars.

I am a huge believer in multiple universes and I really love reading books that have that as their plot line. I was very excited when I read about The Other Side of Now since the entire premise is an alternate universe.
I love the relationships Paige Harbison crafted. The friendships were so real and so deep and they truly jumped off the page.
I really wasn’t a fan of the last quarter of the book, though. It felt sloppy and rushed and it seemed to cheapen the rest of the beautiful book.
At the same time, I was left with wanting more. I know we are following famous Meg Bryan as she’s in the life that could have been, but I found myself wondering about Alternate Meg and if she was suddenly in Famous Meg’s life and what she thought of it. I would have loved an extra chapter after the epilogue letting us see how that Meg fared, a la Helen in Sliding Doors.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this. The Other Side of Now hit the shelves on June 3rd.

Meg has been living as actress Lana Lord since she ran off to LA following the death of her best friend ten years ago. After learning that the tv series she is in may be cancelled and her 30th birthday party, she decides to run away for a week, and is drawn to a rental in the town in Ireland where she had really wanted to go to college, but did not due to her best friend not getting in. What follows is a really unique experience. This is a well written book that I really enjoyed.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this one and was torn between a 3 and 4 star before ultimately landing on 3. I really loved the fact that this sliding doors type story centered itself around friendship, rather than romance, and watching the main character struggle to come to terms with and accept her grief was really moving.

However, I did not love the romance aspect in the book. Cillian was simply too perfect and seemingly had no real flaws which made her Irish life feel too much like a fantasy than an actual other life she could have been living. I also felt the ending was a bit anticlimactic, which left me feeling like the book I read was perfectly fine and good, but not a new favorite.

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