The Other Side of Now

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.

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy The Other Side of Now here – it’s available as a hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.

The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison
Audiobook Narrator	Paige Harbison
Audience	Adult
Genre	Science Fiction; Women’s Fiction
Setting	Ireland; Florida; California
Number of Pages	320
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	2025
Publisher	St. Martin’s Press

Official Summary

A hilarious and heartfelt novel about how loves and lives are never truly lost, for fans of Rebecca Serle and Taylor Jenkins Reid.

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, her happiness is as fake as her stage name, Lana Lord. Following a tiny nervous breakdown at her thirtieth birthday party, she books an impromptu trip to Ireland. Specifically, to the village where she and her best friend Aimee always dreamt of moving.

When Meg arrives, the people in town don’t just recognize her, they seem to know her. She quickly—reluctantly—realizes she has somehow slipped into an alternate reality. One where she did move to Ireland as a teenager, one where she never got famous, and—most shocking of all—one where Aimee is alive and well.

She just wants nothing to do with Meg.

Despite her bewilderment, Meg is clear-eyed about one thing: this is a once-in-two-lifetimes chance to reconnect with her friend and repair what she broke . . . or else risk losing Aimee all over again.

About the Author

PAIGE HARBISON is the author of three YA novels, the first of which was published in 2011 when she was just nineteen years old. More recently, she’s worked on several celebrity projects as a ghostwriter. The Other Side of Now is her adult debut. A woman of many talents, she’s also a visual artist, records music with her brother (band name: Thalo), hosts and produces the podcast Nameless Best Friends, and has a solid social media presence, amassing millions of views on her one-minute-movies. She lives in L.A. with her partner, Richie, and their dog Tarot.