When I stumbled upon this title I was immediately interested due to the magical realism elements it described. What I later realized as I was reading it is that this book was so intoxicating I could not put it down. I love a great book that truly sucks me in and makes me wonder what I would do if I were in the shoes of the protagonist and this book did just that for me. A woman with the opportunity to see her life through a different lense, a different setting and a new path to journey on. Make mends that she feels need to be explored and new connections that will forever change the projectory of her story. I felt so compelled by this story and what the author was trying to get across in this novel. This was so well written and it evolved so well. I truly felt this story with all its depth and enjoyed the fact that the author herself narrated It. This book was phenomenal and I will be recommending it to literally everyone. I laughed and I cried while I read this book and that to me is a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listeners copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

SO GOOD. I loved this book so much that I'll even forgive the author for throwing shade at Love is Blind (but seriously, how dare you). I'm always drawn in by books that focus on how one's decisions can affect the total outcome of their lives, so it's no surprise that I loved the premise of this book. It was so fun while also having sad and emotional aspects to it. Meg was such a great character and I appreciated how a big factor of the book was her identifying her own flaws and doing everything she could to improve on herself. The character growth was top notch thanks to this.

I loved the small town setting and the side characters were all so great. The relationships in this book were the real winner - the main characters had great biological families, but the book also had a found family aspect, which I loved. I loved Meg's relationship with Killian (swoon) and if I could jump into the pages and pull out Kiera to be my IRL best friend I would do it in a heartbeat. This book had me laughing out loud many times and I'd be lying if I said I didn't totally tear up at the end. The way everything wrapped up also made my heart so happy. Prioritize this book!!

I'm sometimes hesitant when I see that the author is the narrator, because if they're not a professional voice actor then what are we doing here? So happy to report that Paige did an AMAZING job here. She was so good! You could tell she read it exactly as she wanted it to be heard and her reading added so much to the experience. Definitely recommend this audiobook!

The Other Side of Now is a sliding doors style exploring two ways Meg's life diverge based on a decision she made around 18. I like Paige Harbison's writing in this and will check out future books, but I didn't feel like The Other Side of Now offered a different enough story from other sliding doors/alternate reality books.

SHORT SYNOPSIS:
Meg Bryan (nope, not Meg Ryan) seems to have it all—she’s the star of a hit TV show, dating Hollywood’s golden boy, and living the dream. But when it all starts to feel wrong, she impulsively books a trip to a small town in Ireland—where she and her best friend Aimee should have gone to college… before Aimee died and Meg chose fame instead.
Only when she arrives, everyone in town already knows her—and acts like she’s lived there for years.

MY THOUGHTS:
What a delightful surprise this book turned out to be! I’m a total sucker for magical realism and sliding doors storylines—and THE OTHER SIDE OF NOW delivered that concept with so much charm, depth, and heart.

I adored watching Meg rediscover what really matters—real friendships, true love, and a chance to reconnect with the life (and best friend) she lost. The Irish setting? Pure cozy magic. And don’t even get me started on Killian—the literal definition of an Irish book boyfriend. Their romance was *chef’s kiss*.

Meg’s character arc was so satisfying to watch unfold, and the final chapters hit me right in the feels. I flew through the last 50 pages, heart in my throat. This is one of those stories that makes you want to hug the book when you’re done.

WHAT YOU’LL FIND:
✨ Sliding doors / alternate timelines
🇮🇪 Cozy Irish countryside vibes
💔 Grief, healing, and forgiveness
💞 A swoony, heartfelt romance
👯‍♀️ Found family + friendship
🌟 Second chances in the most magical way

I am a huge fan of magical realism and loved the way this story explores two timelines of one life. I think the author did a wonderful job narrating these characters who came to life so well through narration. It didn't take me long to fall in love with the alternate timeline, and I was kept on my toes not knowing what the outcome would be. I ended with lots of feels and you bet there were some tears shed along the way.

Meg Bryan, hollywoods latest heartthrob, seems to have it all. But after a breakdown at her 30th birthday party, Meg books a ticket to Ireland, where her and her best friend Aimee had always dreamt of going. Through a cosmic twist, Meg has the opportunity to reconnect with her best friend and truly assess her life.

This is an alternate universe, magical realism book of friendship and second chances. Offering a heart felt look at what could have been, I loved that the deeper themes were wrapped in some humor and lighthearted moments. I enjoyed all the characters who were well developed and came across on the page as truly enjoying and caring about each other. I did this as an audio book and loved the narrator and the Irish and American accepts. Overall a great way to spend a long drive this weekend.

Macmillan Audio ALC
What a fun and fresh take on on the sliding door trope. Meg is feeling just content in her life and decides on a whim to go to Ireland, except she end up in a version of Ireland where she already exists. I thought this was such a good exploration of grief and identity. Meg had to take the time to reflect on who she was and who she became and who she wants to be in the future. The cast of characters here was so supportive, and I loved how they were richly developed. It was fun to spend a lot of time with them and watch them come around Meg as she felt so discombobulated. I was a bit hesitant on the audio because I saw the author was narrating, which sometimes works for me and other times doesn’t. But for this novel, it worked excellently. She captured the characters so distinctly. Her Irish accent was so enjoyable to listen to. I think she really did a great job with adding a richness to the story with her narration and with writing such a reflective, tender book.

The Other Side of Now is Paige Harbison's adult debut, and the first of her books I've read.

Content warnings include explicit sex (but no cringey or disrespectful language that I can remember), alcohol use, extreme dieting and body alterations to fit Hollywood standards of beauty, and death.

While the driving force of the story is Meg's discontent and restlessness in her story-opening timeline, the book isn't entirely heavy. Fun ingredients include mentions of The Phantom Tollbooth—my favorite children's book of all time, Hallmark movies, The Killers song Mr. Brightside, and the movie The Holiday. There are loyal and lovely dogs in both universes. As is often the case, I found humor to be the best part of the book—with Irish timeline friend Kiera as the star of the show, in my opinion.

The writing evokes great emotion—often wrenching or desirous. By the end of the story, Meg gains perspective and maturity. We can assume a happily-ever-after, though it's not explicitly stated.

The author narrates the audiobook edition, which is usually a deal-breaker for me. I was grateful that it didn't diminish my enjoyment. 3.66⭐

This narrator who is also the author was insufferable. She was pitchy and tone deaf. She made the character even more obnoxious than she was written and I had to DNF this because of her. This is definitely not one I’d love on audio. I’d be willing to try a physical copy though

First a huge thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to review! I have read a few in this niche of alternate reality realistic love kind of stories lately and I almost gave this one a 3 star. I thought at first that the characters were great but that the plot alternately dragged slow and boring and rose high with quality and interest, but I kept going back and back for the ending. I must have relistened to it about five or six times. This is a masterpiece of dealing with grief, sense of identity and the constant what if of the lives we lead nowadays. In the age of virtual reality and swiping right or left before even hearing a word from someone’s mouth, this is a great testament to the power of gratitude and acceptance. Bravo!

Magical realism done right!

Tagged as time-travel, but it's more "what if you were suddenly living your what if life?"

What if the worst thing in your life never happened?
What if fame and fortune disappeared in an instant? Would that be a great loss or an unexpected gain?
What if a place you've never been and people you've never met started to feel familiar...to feel more like home than your actual home?

Is there no going back to your original life (which no one believes you had)? Or will your new life abruptly fade out, like a cancelled TV show that ends on a cliffhanger?

This book has humor, heart, and the slow burn suspense of not knowing how it will end. Bonus: the romantic element was swoonworthy, rather than making me want to gag.

I normally don't like when an author narrates their audiobook unless it's a memoir. But Paige Harbison does an excellent job, even better than some voice actor pros.

4.5⭐s rounded up.

ps: Shout out to Paige Harbison's brother whom she mentions in her acknowledgements. Read your sister's book, dude.

"The Other Side of Now" by Paige Harbison is one of the most comforting and heartfelt books I’ve read in a long time. The characters feel so real and familiar—it’s like spending time with people you love. While the magical element wasn’t fully explained, everything else flowed so beautifully that it didn’t take away from the experience. I especially appreciated how it centers friendship—something that’s often overlooked—and explores the complexity of maintaining those bonds in such a charming and impactful way. Closing the final chapter felt like saying goodbye to my favorite people. I can’t wait to read more from Paige Harbison!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and alc.

I thought this was a fun and unique novel. I loved how the author was the narrator of this book. I thought Meg was a very well developed main character. The only reason I am giving this book four stars instead of five is that it took me a minute to get into the story. I would've also possibly enjoyed seeing a different ending for the story, but that is just me.

THE TOP 3 REASONS I ADORED THE SOON TO BE RELEASED "THE OTHER SIDE"
1) Has a great prologue! Very lyrical in pacing, and gives us a glimpse of the main character with her best friend from their youth. It perfectly captures a teenage experience at the carnival with a fortune teller and sets the stage for the rest of the book

2) Seamlessly moves through multiple genres. A touch of YA in the prologue. Hollywood chick lit in the beginning when the main character is an actress on a prime time soap opera. A blend of chick lit and women's fiction in the middle as the main character exists in an alternative version of her life where her best friend didn't die, but where the main character's memories are of the version of her life without her bestie. And finally, full women's fiction at the end as the main character is back in her main version of life and healing to become who she was in the alternate version. And of course, there's a touch of romance with an Irishman!

3) The author writes with humor, creativity and depth all at the same time!


BONUS reason - the author narrated it and did an AMAZING job with the various accents and bringing each character to life.

This is a lovely sliding doors story. Meg is a successful Hollywood actress, starring on a hit show, dating a handsome leading man, yet she is not happy. In an effort to try to find what is missing, she books a trip to Ireland to visit the village that was once the center of her dreams. When she was a teenager, she and her best friend Aimee dreamed of going to college there but that didn’t work out and Aimee died in a car accident. When Meg arrives in Ireland, something strange happens and everyone in town seems to know her personally, not as a famous person, and this version of her has a job, a dog, friends and a handsome ex-boyfriend. She is shocked to learn that Aimee is also alive and living in the same town. Determined to make up for lost time with her friend, she throws herself into life here and hopes that she can stay in this idyllic town forever. This was frequently funny with lots of quippy dialogue but it deals with some really heavy stuff particularly around grief. Meg is on an emotional journey that felt very true to life and raw and real. I was worried about how this was going to end - sliding doors is always tricky that way - but by the time we got to the end I thought it was wrapped up absolutely perfectly. I adored the audio and it definitely enhanced my reading experience. It is read by the author, who not only inhabits Meg’s voice perfectly but also does a fantastic Irish accent for the Irish characters. Like Meg, you won’t be able to help falling in love with this Irish town and your time there won’t feel long enough

I’ve heard people say “I wish I could read that again for the first time,” and never really understood what that feeling was. I get it now.

Officially my new favorite book (formerly The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by TJR).

This book had everything I’ve ever wanted — humor, emotion, magic, well-written characters, strong relationships, impactful arcs… tragedy, persistence, grief and healing.

I loved the banter and the audiobook, narrated by the author, is a work of art in and of itself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan publishers for the ARC of this incredible story.

This was a delightful, thoughtful, imaginative, funny and heartbreaking read. I loved it. Meg Bryan, stage name Lana Lord, is an actress of a popular television program called Brilliance. She is at a crossroads in her career and decides to take a break from work, assistants, and boyfriend to rent a VRBO in Ireland for one week during a hiatus. Once she gets there things go a little bit sideways. All the townsfolk seem to know her as Meg and apparently Lana Lord has never existed. She has crossed an unseen barrier to another parallel existence where she can be herself without exterior fluff. The most amazing thing about this 'sliding door' existence is that her best friend Aimee who died as a teenager in 'Lana's world' is now alive and thriving in 'Meg's world'. Meg has a chance to reconnect and salvage her friendship with Aimee and heal old wounds. She also connects with a handsome pub owner and develops a great friendship with a local girl Kieran. What I really liked about this story was not just the romance aspect of the story but the honoring of the strong bonds of friendship between women. This just hit home for me and I absolutely loved it. The writing is fabulous and the narrator of the audio version I listened to was the author herself!!! I cannot say enough how exceptional she was. Totally amazing. Do yourself a favor and give yourself a treat and read this book. You will not be disappointed. I LOVED the audio book version. Highly recommended. 5 solid stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of The Other Side of Now, by Paige Harbison.

I really enjoyed this story as it follows a Hollywood starlet, Meg Bryan, as she wakes up in an alternate reality. Her Hollywood life seems picture-perfect but it is quickly evident that Meg is unfulfilled and she books a flight to Avalon to explore a town she once dreamt of going to. Upon arrival, Meg realizes she has woken up in an alternate reality. A reality in which her best friend isn’t dead. Meg starts to unfold an ideal life, full of friends and love, and wonders why she would take that for granted in her alternate life. I loved her comical friend, Kira, in the alternate reality. I’m always hesitant with alternate reality books, wondering how they are going to wrap up in the end but this is a beautiful story exploring what’s truly important in life, and reminding us that it’s never too late to make up with long-lost friends. The narration was done by the author herself, which I am always a fan of. Paige does an excellent job narrating the book! I loved this story, it flowed really well once it got going, and would recommend it to a women’s fiction fan, like myself!

I am a big Paige Harbison fan. Her latest, The Other Side of Now, was a great listen. It' s available next week.

A delightful, funny, suspenseful and emotional book that answers questions like, “What would my life be like if I would have traveled down the other road instead of the one I chose.”

Meg is a Hollywood television star who is not satisfied with her life but wonders what her life would have been like if she had chosen a different path after high school. Booking a plane ticket to Ireland on the spur of the moment, she flies to the small Ireland village that her and her high school bestie always dreamed of. When she enters the town, she also enters a completely new life where she has existed since high school along with her best friend, Amy, who is now alive.

This book has the feel of a light and fluffy book, but when you begin reading you discover life lessons that I will not soon forget. It was a wonderful story that was very creative and one that I very much enjoyed. The author read the audiobook and did a fabulous job, even with the Irish lilt. I also loved hearing her Acknowledgments at the end. The author seems very witty and fun.

I will highly recommend this book by Paige Harbison to my reading buddies. Thank you, Net Galley and Macmillan Audio, for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley #TheOtherSideOfNow @MacmillanAudio @Macmillan.Audio