Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

I absolutely loved this one. When I read the premise, I knew I would enjoy, as I do with all alternate realities, fate vs. choice stories. I’m sure I will be reading more of this author in the future! Her voice as the narrator perfectly fit her writing and made her main character come alive. The secondary characters were engaging, and I could THROW MY PHONE across the room when I thought I wouldn’t have Cillian and Keira in the book any longer!!!!! I also love Ireland, and this book fully captures the essence of the country. Technically, this is a 4.5 star rating cause I can’t get behind classifying this as a romance. While a romance is in the book, it’s way more about friendship and processing grief and self-actualization. Yes, easier to market and get in the hands of readers as a romance, but just know, the ending is not a stereotypical romance ending, but it’s still so good.

I received an audiobook from NetGalley for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book so much more than I was expecting too! I finished the book within 24 hours, I needed to know what was going to happen.

I was intrigued by the story and how this spit timeline would work. I honestly didn’t think it was going to work out. But the idea of what if I had followed a different path how a life look if I would’ve done that instead of this was refreshing to see.
The character growth from page one to the last page was incredible. You could really Megs growth. I recommend!!

The prologue of THE OTHER SIDE OF NOW by Paige Harbison sets up an encounter with a fortune teller, who hints at her life line diverging into two paths.

With that framing in reader’s minds, we move to modern day. A famous actress leaves California suddenly and escapes to an Irish village to nurse her wounds; she steadily becomes attached to the place and the people there as she reflects on what could have been, had she attended college abroad. Our protagonist also finds herself confused with the reality around her.

This is a powerful examination of friendship, family, grief, and paths not taken. Fans of THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY and those curious about parallel universes will be drawn to this title. I feel lucky to have encountered it, as it was a welcome companion in this stage of life, while I reflect on choices made and not made and if there is something else I ought to be doing.

The author narrates the audiobook, and she does an exceptional job. I always appreciate authors narrating their memoirs, but admittedly the results can be mixed with fiction; I am delighted to share this was wonderfully executed and it was a delight to listen. Harbison is skilled with conveying a range of accents and is a natural storyteller who quickly drew me in.

(Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.)

Thank you to Net Galley for an advance audio copy of this read. Narrated by the author, this is a perfect summer "sliding doors" trope novel. Romance and second chances abound in this tale where the protagonist finds everything in her life has changed from that point one summer where as a teen she and her best friend visited a fortune teller. Now she is looking at 30 and has the chance to take another path with her friends, family, career, and romantic life.

First and foremost, the happiest of pub days to both #hestodiefor and #theothersideofnow !!

The Other Side of Now by @pharbeaux was fantastic!! I loved the cozy setting, the focus being equally on friendship, self reflection and romance. I loved the hilarious people of the village and honestly it didn’t end how I expected and I loved it! Highly recommend!!

He’s to Die For by Erin Dunn was less fun for me. I may be the outlier on this one but it fell flat as I didn’t feel a bit connection to the characters. It was said to be for fans of the Charm Offensive which I LOVED so it might when just set it up too high in my expectations. It’s a not for me but maybe others will love it!

Thank you @macmillan.audio for the audio of both books. Cillian and his accent with live on in my mind rent free!

Thank you @stmartinspress for my physical copy of The Other Side of Now! I loved curling up on the couch with it!

5 stars!! This was a heart-warming and thought-provoking story of a famous actress named Meg Bryan (but goes by the stage name of Lana Lord), who is living her dream life. She is acting on a popular soap opera, dating a Hollywood heart throb and living what she thought would be her best life. Except her best friend, Aimee, is not in it. She lost her friend in a tragic car accident a decade earlier. She feels numb and lost in her life and although outwardly, she has it all, she feels like she has lost all of the parts of her that truly matter. Meg knows she needs to change something, but she’s unsure of how to find herself again. She remembers a pivotal moment in her life when she passed up the opportunity to go to her dream school, Avalon University, in Ireland. Meg decides she needs a break and time to rediscover herself, so she hops on a plane to Ireland to visit the school and place she missed out on years ago. Is this where her life went off track?

As she arrives in this beautiful, cozy small town in Ireland, she feels immediately at home. But is she a little too at home? Everything seems very personalized to her. She looks in the mirror and realizes she looks very different… more natural, more like her old self before she had Botox and work done. She has a body that hasn’t worked out for hours every day and starved, but feels taken care of in other ways. She meets new friends in town and it seems that they already know her. Everyone calls her by her real name, Meg or even Meggy. She begins to experience a completely different version of her life, one that even has her best friend, Aimee, back in it.

This story has the perfect balance of emotional depth and humor. I found myself laughing out loud at times and then taking a deep breath at other parts as my heart broke for characters in the story. This story addresses the question of- What would life be like if you got everything you think you want? And if given the chance, would you choose something different in the end?

I listened to this story on audio and I absolutely loved this audiobook!! Paige Harbison, the author, narrates this audiobook and she is incredibly talented as a narrator! I listened to the audiobook and was so impressed with the narration, I went back to check out who narrated it so I could listen to other audiobooks with her narration… and found out it was the author herself!! She uses a full range of unique voices, including Irish accents and even with the accents, the characters each have distinction and really come alive. I loved this audiobook so much and found myself completely immersed in the story. I highly recommend listening to this book on audio.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Paige Harbison for the digital ALC in exchange for an honest review. It was a delightful experience!

I ended up listening to this book in one day. The narration was fantastic and held my attention the whole way through. I was worried with the alternate life reality storyline would throw me a bit...they typically do not work for me, but this one was really well written and once I got use to the flow of the book, I was all in. This book has friendship, love possibilities, grief and humor all in one. I even enjoyed the ending, as hard as it was. I rated this a 4 star book on my Goodreads and other socials.

This book. Wow. I did not expect it to give me all the feels that it did.
I honestly can't describe how I feel right now. I just want to cry. Having lost my college best friend almost 2 years ago, the pain was brought to the surface while listening. I could feel Meg's pain a little more because of my own loss. It didn't end how I expected but what a beautiful way. I loved this whole book.

Paige did a fantastic job narrating her own book. I will read/listen to any of her work!

Meg Bryan lives in a world where she is a famous actress with a bit of emotional baggage from losing her best friend when they were teenagers. Looking for an escape, she booked a last-minute flight to the small Irish town where she and Aimee were supposed to go to college.....only to find herself in a reality where she did just that.

I absolutely loved this book. Could not hit pause, blew through it in a day. I am a sucker for an alternate universe novel and, being a member of the dead best friend's club myself, I couldn't resist this one. It was everything I wanted and more. I loved all of the characters, all of the settings, and this one did a great job of avoiding the "it was all a dream!" thing AND the "the best parts of both worlds magically came together" thing I find in so many alternate live books. The way it transitioned to reality was great, the ending was satisfying and cute but not cheesy and uncanny, just really perfection. I would LOVE to see this made into a movie.

This one deals with love & heartbreak in a way that is inciteful and sad without being overwhelming so it will go over really big with fans of Taylor Jenkins Reed. "The Other Side of Now" will definitely sit next to TJR's "Maybe in Another Life" on my favorite books list!

I really loved the magical realism of this book, and the alternate realities was a super interesting concept. I also loved how this book explored grief - both the grief of losing someone and the grief of what you might have missed by the choices you make in life. I loved how full this novel is - with romance, exploration of life and grief, and then the sense of found family is really incredible.

A heartfelt concept with a dose of magical realism, The Other Side of Now asks what it might be like to get a second chance at friendship, fame-free. I really liked the premise—slipping into an alternate life where the things you lost might still exist—but the execution didn’t quite grab me the way I’d hoped. The emotional beats are there, especially around grief and regret, but overall it felt a bit uneven. A solid read for fans of “what if” stories and second chances, just not one that fully pulled me in.

If you are looking for an emotional story that explores themes of friendship and self discovery this is the book for you. Our main character, Meg, starts off the book with a negative outlook on not just her life but the world. Yet, when something goes “wrong” on her vacation to Ireland she finds the answers to her life and purpose. The writing in this story played a huge part into how emotionally invested the reader gets into her life and her outlook on things. I really enjoyed the theme of friendship and how there are ups and downs that will create a story. I also really enjoyed the self discovery that Meg goes through and what it takes for her to get there. I even found myself feeling similar things to her and connecting to her ability to find her way no matter what. The narrator of the audiobook version did an amazing job portraying the characters and especially Meg and what she feels and the actions she takes.

THE OTHER SIDE OF NOW is a fun, rompy read that I would recommend pairing with a pool, a cocktail, and nowhere to be :)

I just finished listening to THE OTHER SIDE OF NOW by Paige Harbison. I loved this one! Such a thoughtful, well-told story about grief, identity, and second chances. The author narrates it herself—which is usually a gamble—but she absolutely nails it! I was totally pulled in by the storytelling and the emotional layers. If you like books with a bit of magic and a lot of heart, this one’s for you.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are entirely my own.

A great book of friendship, finding your happiness in life and the question of what if things turned out a different way. With a touch of magical realism, Meg experiences how her life may have turned out had she made different decisions and through that she faces some truths and finds happiness. Meg is a little insufferable at times but I really enjoyed the story. Audio was read by the author - she's a great narrator too! Thanks Macmillan Audio for the copy!!

The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison is a breathtaking, heart-squeezing story that will make you laugh, cry, and question everything about second chances. Meg Bryan seems to have it all: a hit TV show, a Hollywood heartthrob boyfriend, and fame — yet her life feels empty and staged. After a breakdown on her 30th birthday, she impulsively escapes to Ireland, landing in a small village she once dreamt of with her late best friend, Aimee.

But this isn’t the Ireland Meg expected. She wakes up in an alternate version of her life — one where she’s her true self, not her Hollywood persona, and where Aimee is alive… but wants nothing to do with her.

This story blends magical realism and emotional truths beautifully, weaving humor, nostalgia, and deep grief into a stunning narrative. The writing is immersive and heartfelt, and Meg’s journey toward healing feels raw and real. I loved every page and found myself giggling, tearing up, and cheering for her all at once.

I feel like I'm in the minority here, because when I think about this book and how it made me feel—honestly, I just feel meh. I never connected deeply with the characters or the story. My interest stayed on the surface, and I kept waiting for that emotional hook that never came.

I’d heard so many glowing things about The Other Side of Now, so I was really excited to receive an advanced copy of the audiobook. Unfortunately, it never turned into the incredible reading experience I was hoping for. I didn’t care much about the characters or their journeys, which made it hard to stay invested.

That said, I’m also not the typical audience for magical realism or the sliding doors vibe—where one decision leads to an alternate version of a life. It’s a concept that can be powerful in the right hands, but it doesn’t always work for me. Especially when the explored paths are ultimately pulled away again, often landing us right back where we started. I know that’s part of the message, but for me, it left things feeling a bit hollow.

Still, I know this book has resonated deeply with other readers and listeners, and I can absolutely see why it might strike a chord. It just didn’t land for me in the way I’d hoped. I’m clearly an outlier on this one.

I thoroughly appreciated this book, particularly the audiobook version, which featured an excellent narrator whose tone and pace I found engaging. The storyline was equally enjoyable, and I must admit that it evoked strong emotions in me, reminiscent of a personal experience from my high school days when I lost friends in a car accident. I was impressed by the author's writing style and look forward to exploring more of her work.

4.5 stars rounded up.

I LOVE a good magical realism novel and I can't recommend this new book by Paige Harbison enough! If you're looking for a feel-good story with a dash of adventure, mystery, and romance, this one's for you.

I do want to give a warning that The Other Side of Now covers some difficult topics, particularly grief and trauma. When the book starts, Meg is living in LA as a famous actress. To escape the limelight, she books a getaway to a small town in Ireland, where she had initially planned to attend college, until those plans were derailed by a personal tragedy. However, when Meg arrives in Ireland, she suddenly finds herself thrown into a parallel universe in which she did go there for college and remained afterward. What follows is a thoughtful, witty, and heart-wrenching tale of all the "what ifs" we ask ourselves about how our choices can drastically alter the outcome of our life.

I particularly recommend this book for those who enjoy:

*Found family
*Fate
*Friendship
*Second chances
*Small town setting
*Dogs as a character

Lastly, I have to give a special shout-out to the author, who narrates the audiobook herself. It mustn't have been easy to master all those different accents, but she made it look easy!

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to give this audiobook an advance listen. I really enjoyed the narration, but the plot left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. I would love to read something else by this author in the future though!