When disillusioned TV Star Meg goes to Ireland for some time off, she finds herself landed in an alternate reality where her childhood best friend is alive, but they're no longer friends at all.

This was a very engaging, bittersweet tale about the roads not taken, female friendship, and life (dis)satisfaction.

While there are definitely some heavy, emotional moments, they were balanced well with the moments of levity found in the book's humor and romance subplot.

I wasn't sure how things were going to wrap up, but I was happy with the direction the author took it.

I've read a few 'sliding doors' books, and I think this one might be my favorite! This was not necessarily my usual kind of read, but I'm really glad I picked it up.

Thank you to SMP & NetGalley for letting me read and review this!

This book had a very sliding doors feel to it and I absolutely loved it. Absolutely magical with wonderful characters!

Overall enjoyable and easy read. I feel like the last 20 percent of the book was pretty rushed and I wish we had gotten more time with Cillian and Kiera at the end. They both seemed to have some deja vu and I think it would have been interesting to get a little more of the IRL story with them.

A little bit of magical realism, sliding doors-ish, nostalgia, romance, small town, Ireland, lovable dogs, healing, drama but in a good way, a love of theater, honesty, laughter, crying, beautiful female friendships. Basically, it ticks all the boxes. Loved reading this novel and didn't want it to end.

Thank you, NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a delightful read. While there are several reviews identifying the sliding-doors-esque vibe, it is not quite that. It is not quite standard time travel either. Rather, our heroine Meg gets to see what happens had she made a different life choice when she was 18 years old than the choice she made. Come for plot, but stay for the funny writing, the beautifully rendered friendship at the heart of the story, the lovable side characters (Keira!), the steamy romance, and the insider takedown on the excesses of Hollywood. This is Harbison's adult debut - eagerly watching for what she does next. Highly recommend for lovers of romance, "what if" stories, and yes, time travel. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the DRC.

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this advanced copy ❤️

If you loved The Seven Year Slip or Sliding Doors then this one is for you!

Synopsis: Meg, a seemingly successful actress wants to get away from it all so she travels to Ireland, the place she and her late best friend Aimee always dreamed of as teenagers. Upon arriving in the quaint little village of Avalon, Meg finds herself in an alternate reality where she never became famous and Aimee is alive, but their relationship is strained.

This story gave me all the feels. It’s tender, magical, and bittersweet. It’s a story of friendship, second chances, grief, and forgiveness. I laughed and I cried.

Get your holds in for this sweet read that’s sure to be a hit this summer!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I am a sucker for time travel-type books ever since watching Sliding Doors. I really enjoyed this novel as it had elements of romance, humour, friendship, and alternate universes. I appreciated the pacing for explaining what really happened in the past, and I liked that the ending allowed for possibilities.

Thank you so much, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the ARC!

I just finished reading The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison, and wow—what an incredible read! I love a story with a touch of magic, and in this case, it’s a mysterious, multidimensional journey that completely hooked me from the start. I devoured this book.

While this isn’t primarily a romance, it’s a deeply moving story about friendship, grief, and life after loss. The novel follows Meg Bryan, a TV star who, on her 30th birthday, decides to take a solo trip to Avalon, Ireland. That’s when the magic happens. Instead of traveling back in time, Meg seemingly steps into a parallel universe—one where she’s reunited with her best friend, Aimee, whom she lost in a tragic car accident over a decade ago.

During this one week in Avalon, Meg is forced to confront her past and truly grieve the loss of Aimee, something she has been avoiding or denying for years. The storytelling is compelling, with an addictive flow that makes it impossible to put down. As the week comes to an end, you can’t help but wonder: Will Meg get to stay in this new reality, where she’s found happiness among both familiar and new faces?

And the ending? Perfect. I loved every bit of it. This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite reads of the year so far, and I highly recommend it!

I really enjoyed this one. It will stick with me for a while as it was very thought provoking. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

A beautifully written and emotional story about grief, healing, and self-discovery. Paige Harbison crafts a compelling narrative with a haunting yet hopeful atmosphere, weaving past and present seamlessly. While the pacing felt slow at times, the heartfelt characters and poignant prose made it a rewarding read. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the ARC!

Aimee and Meg are high school besties. What could be more fun than visiting a fortune teller?
Well, Meg got a reading and Aimee was refused by the fortune teller.
Can one small decision change your life?
A multilayered story, friendship, second chances, grief and much more.
Some magical realism, time travel.
Story that kept me engaged from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book.

“*Do I keep a diary or something?” I ask, thinking that would be incredibly useful.*

*“As far as I know, you buy a new one every time you get a good idea or read something about gratitude journaling, then you either don’t write in it until you think the idea is fully baked, not wanting to waste any pages, or you write in it for about seven pages and then never touch it again. Then you need a new one the next time you have a good idea, since the other one is sullied.”* - I don’t think I’ve ever felt *so* seen in my entire life.

*friendship
*slow burn
*second chance
*found family
*destined
*Ireland setting

Meg Bryan is about to live her second life (according to the fortune teller she and her best friend went to during a childhood fair).

*The Other Side of Now* is so engaging and well written; it pulled me right in and kept me turning the pages while I laughed and cried. I loved the characters, I loved the setting, I loved this story ❤️

Whole heartedly recommended!



Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC

This was absolutely lovely, heartbreaking and bittersweet, and also so different from everything else I read recently.

Ultimately, this is a story about grief, which in the end makes you believe that after loss, everything might not be the same, but it *will* be ok.

I loved the characters: Meg and Aimee had depth, there were great conversations and an amazing balance of drama and comedy.

I left a lot of “Lol”, “meeeee”, and occasional “😭😭😭” notes, and made a ton of highlights which is also not typical for me. Paige Harbison created very relatable characters I could imagine being friends with, so it was also very hard to let them go at the end of the book.

As for the story, I honestly didn’t know I could cry so much: last time I had so many tears about a book, Dumbledore died when I was 14, and now I’m nearing 30.

I really wish I could say more without spoiling the plot, but this goes on my list of books to recommend to others. Really loved it. No remarks.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC!🤍

Omg!!! This book is soooo good! I went into it blind and holy it was amazing!! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc!! Loved loved loved!!! 🥰

If you can let go a bit and lean into this being incredibly far fetched...you will LOVE the story!
I definitely struggle with suspending reality, but I did enjoy this all around!

This might be my favorite book of the year!

I always love a good Sliding Doors story and "The Other Side of Now" is just perfect. It's a story about friendship, love, grief and what-ifs.
The book is beautifully written and its characters Meg, Kiera, Cillian, Aimee and of course the city of Avalon and its inhabitants will stay with me for a long time.
I envy anyone who still gets to read this book for the first time and I'm sure they will love it as much as I did.

This was so satisfying, I absolutely inhaled it and loved every minute of the reading experience. Harbison did something special with her Sliding Doors premise. And the ending: chef's kiss. Very much looking forward to more from this author!

A very sweet story of grief and the paths not taken. I especially adored the side characters of Kiera and Cillian. The setting of Avalon was lovely (I always love an Irish setting), and the fish-out-of-water magical-realism experience is one of my favorite to read about. This will be perfect for fans of books like The Good Part by Sophie Cousens (an all-time favorite of mine).

The only thing that took me out of this story was the incessant name-dropping...it makes it feel like this story won't be timeless. But the message itself SHOULD be timeless - this is a book about feeling your feelings in all of their messy glory.

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

I adored this book and everything about it. The characters were perfect and I am ready to move to Avalon. This somehow feels entirely relatable and real while telling what should be an impossible story. I flew through this in one day and raced to the end but am so sad to leave this story behind. Will be thinking about Meg, Cillian, Aimee, and Kiara for a while!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the #advancereviewcopy

Release Date: June 2025
Genre: Romance, Magical Realism

Summary: After finding her famous boyfriend alone with another girl in their California mansion, Meg questions her luxurious lifestyle, and impulsively packs a bag and heads to Ireland on a solo trip. The kicker is that she’s going to the county where the famous acting school is that she and her late best friend were supposed to have attended together. When she arrives, she’s transported to another life, one where her best friend is still alive! Treading lightly as Meg tries to convince everyone who seems to know her that she is a famous actress from California, Meg questions her life again. Is this the life she should have lived?

My Thoughts: Loved this! I was drawn in from the beginning and the grip grew tighter the more the story progressed. The characters ALL had depths and severed a meaningful purpose in driving the story forward. I read this fast! I kept wanting to read because I just needed to know if Meg would be ok!

The ending was super sweet and as I read the last page, I already yearned for more.

Five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️