The Other Side of Now

Do you enjoy sliding doors type stories where the MC gets to explore what their life would’ve looked like had things played out differently?  In this interdimensional take on that type of story, Meg Bryan discovers what life would’ve been like if she hadn’t abandoned her dream to attend school in Ireland to stay close to her best friend Aimee, who is later tragically killed in an accident.

Now a famous actress going by the stage name Lana Lord, she decides on her thirtieth birthday to book a trip to the “one that got away” - which in this case is Avalon, Ireland. When she gets there she finds that everyone knows her, she has a different best friend Kiera, an on-again/off-again relationship with bartender Cillian and weirdest of all? Aimee is there.

The story explores her journey of healing from her grief over losing Aimee in her “real” life, opening herself up to living life in the ‘now’, instead of in the past and letting go of regrets. These are all topics that I normally enjoy and connect with, yet here’s the big problem:

I never really connected with Meg.  I felt oddly detached from her and frankly, found her a little obnoxious, which is a bad place to start when you’re trying to build the sympathy that the story requires. She comes across as a bit shallow with her frequent name dropping of celebrities, brands and places. The author’s L.A. connections show, but it feels like insider speak that kept me alienated. 

I also didn’t feel the chemistry between Meg and Cillian. He seemed mature and balanced, while she felt too much like a YA character masquerading as a thirty-year-old. Harbison’s switch from the YA market to this adult debut show with lines like:

“Plus, how completely special it is for a guy that hot to not be a total f*ckboy.”

“Our lips collide again, messily but in a hot way.”

“I should not have been surprised that he has a great d*ck.”

I feel like we are discovering or inventing sex for the first time.”

Do adults talk like this? Maybe some do, but my eyes got tired of rolling.  

Here’s what I think would’ve improved my experience:  I should’ve just read it without the audio. The author narrates it herself and her voicing of Meg made her sound younger, more sarcastic and melodramatic than I prefer. If I’d pictured my own voice for Meg, I think it would’ve softened the edges of her personality. 

Those things aside, I did enjoy the setting and characters of Avalon, especially Kiera and Cillian, Meg’s grief journey, as well as the ending, so there were likable aspects, but I really wanted to love it like the majority of others have. 

Perhaps in another dimension I do?

★★★

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and author Paige Harbison for this digital ARC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC to honestly review. It’s out now.