3.5
This was an ode to friendship. Meg is a famous movie star. Things quickly change overnight as we get a wink of magical realism and Meg now lives an alternate life that she may have actually lived. We then see how she traverses this life, how she interacts with those around her, the connections she makes.

This was a fun book, but also a contemplative book about the precious lives we each have and live. Love those you have in your life.

I felt like it had a little bit of a slow down in the middle with not a lot of surprises for the reader. I feel like I've read this story before (similar to an Ashley Poston book).

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC.

Have you ever wondered what a parallel life would look like? If you had the chance to experience it, would you?

The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison offers you the chance to see what that experience could be. You are introduced to Meg aka Lana Lord who is a star on a television show, she grow up wanting to be a actor but when it feels like her world isn’t going how she plans she decides to leave. That action of traveling to Avalon puts into her parallel life.

Personally, this book read as a journey of self discovery for Meg, a chance to get a better understanding of the different pieces of who a person is and how when combined something wonderful can come to light. I enjoyed how it all came together and the fact that the author narrator the story created a sense of really being in her thought process of creating these characters.

Thank you Netgally and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

This was an interesting story. I’m not sure if I would call it time travel or just a really long dream. Strange? Definitely! The main character finds herself in an alternate reality.
I have to be honest: I didn’t like the first couple of chapters. In particular, I didn’t like the main character, Lana. I almost stopped listening to the book. However, I generally follow a one-hour listening rule before I DNF (do not finish). I think it might have been intentional that the reader wasn’t supposed to like Lana—she didn’t really like who she was either.
Once the book moved to Ireland and Lana became Meg, I started to really enjoy it. I liked that Meg (Lana) saw her past mistakes and wanted to make things better in this new life, however long it might last. She genuinely tried to be a better person. Most importantly, she focused on her best friend, Aimee, and wanted to fix whatever had gone wrong between them.
The author, Paige Harbison, does a wonderful job narrating her own book, especially with the Irish accents.
This book is perfect for readers who enjoy stories about the road not taken—the "what ifs" of life and the beauty of second chances. If you love reading about the importance of friendship and the value of making sacrifices for the people you love, then this book is for you. It would make a wonderful summer read.

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.

Audiobook:
The author narrates her own book, which is not common for novels, but she does an excellent job! She perfectly captures Meg’s personality and vivacity, making her feel so much more real. Whether it’s moments of humor or scenes that could make you cry, the narration elevated the story even more.

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.

The premise behind this book is really interesting and I think the author delivered on it very well. I loved the epilogue. I loved the main characters personal growth journey and where she ended up.
The author narrated it, which isn’t always my favorite for fiction books, but she did ok.
Overall it was a lighthearted read about some heavy topics.

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.

I absolutely loved this book and it honestly exceeded my expectations. The perfect story for all those "what if" thoughts we sometimes have in life. I couldn't put the book down. The narrator was wonderful and I loved the Irish accents! This book was also super cozy and it made me reflect a lot on grief, friendship, and being happy with who we are. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

The Other Side of Now was my first book by Paige Harbison and it is easily one of my favorites for 2025! I was immediately drawn to the characters and felt connected to everything Meg (aka Lana Lord) was experiencing. When the paths of LA and Ireland cross, Meg is torn between the life she knew and the life she is living. Aimee and Meg have a friendship that is connected by grief and loss. One that goes deeper than Meg realizes. One that will make her look deep inside herself and question what fate has chosen for her.

I enjoyed the characters of Killian and Kira and how they intertwine with Meg's life in Ireland. Two lives, two paths, and a fate that I didn't see coming.

Time travel and fantasy are not my normal genre, but The Other Side of Now is a must read!
I look forward to seeing what Paige Harbison writes next!

I listened to the audiobook in conjunction with reading the book. Paige did an amazing job narrating! Her pace and fluctuations were wonderful and made listening so easy.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC of this book and audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

A phenomenal book about a woman who’s been given the chance to explore what life would be like if she’d chosen an alternate path. This lit my heart on fire ranging in emotions from laughing to actually sobbing at one point. It’s one of those precious stories you have no clue how it will end and can’t stop reading into the wee hours to find out. If you get a chance to read it, pick this one up - it’s the best sliding-doors/alternate reality I’ve read yet (and I just adored its small town Irish vibes!☘️) 5 stars — Pub. 6/3/25

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Pub Day to this PHENOMINAL read!

This will DEFINITELY be one of my favorites of the year!

I loved the premise, the characters, how it ended, just ALL OF IT! I really will miss Meg, Kiera, Cillian, and Maureen so very much.

I was also very pleasantly surprised by @pharbeaux's narration! She really, really brings the story to life and does accents very, very well!

I really don’t want to give much away with this one but…if you are a fan of magical realism and stories with love, loss, and healing as its cornerstones, read this one!

5 stars

THE OTHER SIDE OF NOW left me incapable of writing a simple review. So here are some thought fragments popping into my head:

➛A favorite of the year
➛Deep, heartfelt, poignant, emotional
➛BUT also funny and joyful
➛Beautifully written and perfectly executed

Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you’d made one choice over another? Taken a different path at one of life’s crossroads? Said yes to something scary? This story takes this premise and runs with it in an unforgettable, relatable, totally believable way.

I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by the author. Honestly, that made me hesitate. It’s rare for an author to narrate their own novel, and even rarer when they do it well. No worries here. Paige Harbison absolutely nails the performance. Seriously, how does one person have so much talent? I highly recommend the audio experience.

*Thanks to Macmillan Audio (#MacAudio2025) for the free audiobook download!*

Read by the author, The Other Side of Now is a beautifully written, emotionally resonant novel that explores love, loss, and the power of second chances. Paige Harbison crafts a compelling narrative with authentic characters and heartfelt moments that linger long after the final page. It's a moving, hopeful story that reminds us it's never too late to start again.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this digital audio e-arc.*

Paige Harbison’s The Other Side of Now serves up a hearty helping of magical realism, grief, and second chances, all set in an Irish village so charming it practically hands you a pint and a therapy session.

Our lead, Meg, is a struggling actress who’s basically a walking existential crisis. She gets a supernatural do-over to experience a life where she chose a different path and her late bestie is still alive—which is either the sweetest nightmare or the most emotionally manipulative wish fulfillment imaginable. Either way, it was fun to read and hard to put down.

The emotional depth? Spot on. The setting? So cozy I wanted to crawl inside the book and rent a thatched cottage. The character growth? Satisfying like a slow clap at a community theater play.

But let’s be honest: we’ve seen this “alternate timeline where things could have been better” plot before (hi to every movie that’s ever wondered what happens if you don’t miss the train). Still, Harbison keeps it fresh with raw emotions, well-drawn friendships, and just enough heartache to make you question every life decision you’ve ever made—while still somehow keeping it hopeful.

It loses a star because some parts leaned a bit too hard into Hallmark holiday special vibes. I half expected a golden retriever to show up and solve everyone’s emotional baggage..

When Meg and Aimee are teens a fortune teller tells Meg that she has two separate life lines and then looks at Aimee’s palm and is so upset by it that she doesn’t even tell her fortune. Years later Meg is on a hit show, has a gorgeous, famous (but cheating) boyfriend and has achieved her dreams. Except Aimee is dead and she feels entirely unfulfilled. She books a trip to Ireland where the university she wanted to attend is located (but she stayed in Florida because Aimee didn’t get in). When she arrives she is no longer her present self - her plastic surgery is reverted, she is no longer painfully thin, her Wikipedia page doesn't exist and everyone in the town knows her well, including Kiera (apparently her best friend since she and Aimee are estranged) and her on and off again love Cillian. Is this her reality where Aimee is alive and she is in love, or is it all a dream and her reality will come crashing back at any moment?

Some books just hit you at the right moment, this one is one of them. I love the sliding doors concept (always have) - Meg is living the life that she would have had if she had gone away to school. I loved all of the characters in the quirky Irish town (Cillian was just swoony) - they were all fun and funny. The ancillary characters plus Meg’s journey to understand her life choices and her discomfort in her life made this a great read. The audio was a 🧽🧽🧽🧽🧽 (5 sponges - would do chores to keep listening) however, I preferred to be completely immersed in the story so I read as much as I could. This is just a truly enjoyable read that I was sad for it to end.

4.25 stars

Thank you to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for the ALC to review

I really enjoyed this for the sliding doors/road not taken concept, and for the characters. It was equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful with a bittersweet ending.

Meg Bryan, who hilariously had to change her name to make it as an actress, wakes up one day living an entirely different life. She doesn’t know how or why it’s happened or how long it will last, and it’s forcing her to face what she likes and doesn’t like about her life.

I really enjoyed the audiobook. It kept my attention and had me rooting for the MC. I highly recommend this book for someone who likes magical realism with this concept!

The what-ifs of life, author Paige Harbison approaches this in the most delightfully, captivating way possible. I loved the characters, the personalities, the break in the lives and the realizations and themes dancing throughout.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book caught me off guard in the best way. What starts as a glamorous Hollywood unraveling quickly turns into something deeper—an exploration of identity, friendship, and the impossible question of what if?

Meg (or Lana, depending on which life she’s in) wakes up in a version of her life where she never became famous—but her best friend Aimee is still alive—I expected a fun alternate-universe escape. What I got was something richer. 🌀✨

The village in Ireland is cozy without being cliché, and the people feel real—especially the grumpy bartender love interest (classic, but earned) and Aimee, who is complicated in a way I didn’t expect. The tension between them isn’t just about the past, but about how people change and how grief can calcify over time. Their dynamic carried the emotional weight of the book, and it really stuck with me.

There’s a touch of romance, yes, and a sprinkle of magical realism, but at its core, this is a story about reckoning—with choices, with loss, and with the person you thought you’d become. I finished the last page feeling a little raw, but also weirdly hopeful. ❤️

If you like books that play with time and memory, this one belongs on your shelf!

Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for this advanced reader digital copy.

Pub Date: 6/3/25

Thank you to Paige Harbison, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. ♡

₊˚⊹⋆ first thoughts: the idea of parallel universes in books is always so cool to me, so i'm excited to see how lana/meg's life plays out when she realizes she is now not a famous actress but is living a life in ireland.

₊˚⊹⋆ final thoughts: oh my goodness. the way i want to cradle this book and keep it with me at all times. this was by far a top 3 read for me this year. 6 stars! i laughed, i cried, i questioned, i screamed. i could not stop thinking about this book since i have finished it and even now i cannot wait for it to come out on june 3rd so i can get a physical copy!!!! paige has beautiful written grief and longing and the essence of friendship in this book so well. i genuinely loved this book so much i am lost for words.
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Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

This book was not what I expected it to be. But in a good way. If I were to sum it up in a sentence, it would be It’s a Wonderful Life meets A Christmas Carol meets Brigadoon for Millennials. Funny enough, all three are referenced, but to avoid spoilers I won’t say what piece of them specifically this remind me of.

If we had to give it a genre, I’d say magical realism is probably what fits best, but to me it reads like lit fic.

An emotional exploration of loss and guilt and learning to live in the aftermath. At its heart are big questions. Is the grass greener? Would you make a different choice if you could?

The majority of the plot takes place in Avalon, Ireland and I don’t think the name was unintentional. A emotional, beautiful, absorbing read that I made my way through in a day and absolutely worth adding to your TBR.

In something highway, unique for fiction the author was also the narrator of the audiobook. I think this is wonderful when it’s done because the author will know exactly the new ones intended for every word. And Paige Harbison is an excellent actor who has me invested in every character we met.

The Other Side of Now:⁣
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Thank you @macmillan.audio #MacAudio2025 and @stmartinspress for my gifted copy! ⁣
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“Because it was too hard to see my world for its good when its bad was so much louder and more distracting.”⁣
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My favorite kind of magical realism is a timeloop or sliding door. It itches that curiosity of “what if?” The Other Side of Now is a sliding door with Meg or Lana (depending of if she’s famous TV star, or just shop worker in Ireland). This book tackles the “what ifs” or a “simple” life, and how it can be so much more that what we think it is now. ⁣
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There’s a lot of discussion of grief and loss, and I found it to be perfect. This book showed Lana what it would be like without all of Hollywood’s pressures of being thin, plastic surgery, etc and I really felt it was done it a great way. ⁣
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The author, Paige Harbison, narrated the book and I truly enjoyed the audio. I remember thinking I wasn’t going to like this book, but once that first chapter hit on audio, I could not stop listening. It sucked me in the best way, and is one of my favorite books of the year. It gave really great perfection and left me with a lot of thinking. ⁣
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Also, this books gives a good 90s/2000 movie vibe with New Radicals playing in the background as the credits roll. Seriously. ⁣
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Out June 3rd.