The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison - Book Review

Publication Date: 03rd June 2025

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

3.7 Stars 

One Liner: Heartwarming! 

Meg Bryan, aka Lana Lord, is a household name after her hit TV show and her relationship with Hollywood’s latest heartthrob. However, her perfect life comes at a great cost. After a small breakdown on her thirtieth birthday, Meg goes on an impromptu trip to Ireland, that one place she and her best friend Aimee wanted to visit. An accident claimed Aimee’s life a decade ago, and now Meg makes the trip alone. 

However, Meg seemed to have traveled into an alternative universe where she is not a celebrity. The hot bartender is apparently her ex, and her bestie, Aimee, is alive but not talking to her for some reason. Now, Meg has to figure out how and why she broke up with her ex and what happened between her and Aimee. As she navigates through her new life, Meg realizes what she remembers about her past isn’t the complete truth. And soon, she has to decide on her future. 

The story comes in Meg’s first-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

Firstly, I’d tag this women’s fiction or contemporary fiction with a touch of romance. The focal point of the book is Meg’s acceptance of the past and her growth in the present. 

The book starts with a prologue that gives us an insight into the MC’s relationship with her bestie. Then, we jump to the present timeline. 

I like the sliding doors/ alternative setting that occurs pretty soon. No need to wait for it to happen. This gives the MC and us enough time to get used to the shift, dig through the past, and peel her character’s layers. 

The side characters, especially Kiera and Cillian, are terrific. They brighten up the story when it starts to feel repetitive. The bestie, Aimee, is interesting, though I wish to know more about her. 

The first-person POV works for the plot. It has dry humor and a bit of forced humor as well. The first is good, the latter isn’t, but the overall effect is nice. The MC has enough flaws, but is also a nice person, which we can see in her voice. However, it also feels quite YAish, even though she is 30. Maybe because the author is a YA writer, and this is her first adult novel. 

The pacing is uneven thanks to the repetition in the middle. Maybe some of it was necessary, though I feel this could have been used to add some depth to the bestie’s character. 

The ending is more on the line of women’s fiction. It is hopeful and positive, but not fully rounded. Still, it works for the storyline and leaves the reader with a smile (that’s job done right). 

Given the premise, there are many references to Hollywood, celebs, movies, and related drama. Not my jam, exactly. If you enjoy this, you might like the book more. 

The acknowledgments section at the end was fun to read. The author’s natural style did drip a lot into the main character’s voice, but it worked here. 

To summarize, The Other Side of Now is a heartwarming story about grief of losing a loved one, trying to find oneself, making friends (found family), and learning that life goes on. 

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley