The Other Side of Now

With its Irish setting, romance, friendship and the promise of poignant grief scenes, I had wholeheartedly expected to love this book ... but unfortunately, this was a miss for me.

First let me say that I enjoyed how Harbison explores loss and her idea that we could have the chance to take a different route in life - a do-over, if you will. And the Irish small-town vibe with its colourful locals was a wonderful setting. 

But there were a few things that didn't work for me. 

Time sliding/magical realism - this is not a subgenre I often read. In theory it was an interesting way to handle grief, but the execution of it was weak, leaving readers not really understanding how it happened. 

We slip from the life of actress Lana Lord to her life before she became famous - when she was just Meg. She explores the life that got away - the life where her best friend Aimee is still alive. Sounds touching but I never connected with Meg who was self-centred and a bit obnoxious with her constant name dropping.

Romance: I liked the chemistry between Meg and the hunky Irishman but felt like we missed out seeing how their connection developed because it had already happened in an alternative time. 

Overall, I liked the intent of this book, but felt its execution was weak. But I'm in the minority with this book so if you love lots of pop culture references, small-town Ireland, slooooow burn poignant moments, a titch of spice within a story that asks the question 'What if ..." as it explores friendship and loss, then this book will be your jam.  

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to St Martin's Press for the complimentary digital copy of this book that was given in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 2.5 stars

Author: Paige Harbison

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Type and Source: ebook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: St Martin's Press

First Published: June 3, 2025

Read: June 1-3, 2025

Book Description from GoodReads: 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 the layers of makeup and hairspray, her happiness is as fake as her stage name, Lana Lord. Following a small breakdown at her thirtieth birthday party, she books an impromptu trip where she knows the grass is greener: Ireland. Specifically, the quaint little village where she and her best friend Aimee always dreamt of moving—a dream that fell apart when an accident claimed Aimee’s life a decade ago.

When Meg arrives, the people in town are so nice, treating her not as a stranger, but a friend. Except for the (extremely hot) bartender giving her the cold shoulder. Meg writes it all off as jetlag until she looks in the mirror. Her hair is no longer bleached within an inch of its life, her skin has a few natural fine lines, and her nose looks like… well, her old nose. Her real nose.

Her phone reveals hundreds of pictures of her life in this little town: with an adorable dog she doesn’t know; with the bartender who might be her (ex?) boyfriend; and at a retail job unrelated to acting. Eventually, she comes to accept that she somehow made a quantum slide into an alternate version of her life. But the most shocking realization of all? In this life, her best friend Aimee is alive and well…but wants nothing to do with Meg.

Despite her bewilderment, Meg is clear-eyed about one thing: this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reconnect with her friend and repair what she broke. She finagles an opportunity to act in the play Aimee is writing and directing and as the project unfolds, Meg realizes that events as she remembers them may not be the only truth, and that an impossible choice looms before her.