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Destination Funeral: A Novel
"Fun and sexy." ―People
"Paige Harbison is one of the funniest writers working today." ―Bustle
A fresh take on Groundhog Day meets the magical escapism of One Italian Summer in this heartfelt and hilarious novel following a friend group so damaged that only a funeral could bring them back together. This program is read by the author.
When Babe—the complicated, magnetic matriarch of their teenage summers—dies, four estranged friends return to sleepy Mercy Island, a storm-swept stretch of coastal Georgia, summoned by the reading of her will.
Didion arrives at the timeworn pink house to find the friends she never thought she’d see again—along with the tensions, attractions, and unfinished business that once bound them together and broke them apart.
What should be a brief weekend of small talk quickly unravels when they wake up and discover...it’s Saturday. Again. And again. And again.
Trapped in a time loop with no end and no instructions, they’re forced to confront the betrayals, breakups, and buried truths that shattered them all those years ago. Because maybe, just maybe, an endless weekend is exactly what they all need to save their own lives.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press
"Paige Harbison is one of the funniest writers working today." ―Bustle
A fresh take on Groundhog Day meets the magical escapism of One Italian Summer in this heartfelt and hilarious novel following a friend group so damaged that only a funeral could bring them back together. This program is read by the author.
When Babe—the complicated, magnetic matriarch of their teenage summers—dies, four estranged friends return to sleepy Mercy Island, a storm-swept stretch of coastal Georgia, summoned by the reading of her will.
Didion arrives at the timeworn pink house to find the friends she never thought she’d see again—along with the tensions, attractions, and unfinished business that once bound them together and broke them apart.
What should be a brief weekend of small talk quickly unravels when they wake up and discover...it’s Saturday. Again. And again. And again.
Trapped in a time loop with no end and no instructions, they’re forced to confront the betrayals, breakups, and buried truths that shattered them all those years ago. Because maybe, just maybe, an endless weekend is exactly what they all need to save their own lives.
A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press
Audible Audio
First published July 21, 2026
About the author
Paige Harbison
9 books779 followersA little bit about me...
I grew up in the Washington D.C. area, raised by a musician and a writer. I graduated high school early, and went to college in St. Augustine, FL. Then, between Freshman and Sophomore year, I wrote my first novel. Everything in my life changed when, the following semester, I signed my first contract at age nineteen.
I transferred schools three times for fun, and changed my major from Theatre to Painting in order to accommodate my new career. I graduated early from Towson University and continued to work on my first three published novels, all YA: Here Lies Bridget, New Girl, and Anything to Have You.
Throughout the next decade I worked as a bartender and ghostwriter, traveling as much as I could, living it up in the name of book inspo.
At the start of the pandemic, I moved with my family to Palm Springs, CA and finally slowed down enough to start thinking about my own next chapter, which led me to leave the service industry, take some opportunities in film and TV, and start work on my next book.
I am now based in Los Angeles, California, where I live with my dog, Tarot, my partner, Richie, and the 12-9000 uninvited spiders that live in and around our home.
I grew up in the Washington D.C. area, raised by a musician and a writer. I graduated high school early, and went to college in St. Augustine, FL. Then, between Freshman and Sophomore year, I wrote my first novel. Everything in my life changed when, the following semester, I signed my first contract at age nineteen.
I transferred schools three times for fun, and changed my major from Theatre to Painting in order to accommodate my new career. I graduated early from Towson University and continued to work on my first three published novels, all YA: Here Lies Bridget, New Girl, and Anything to Have You.
Throughout the next decade I worked as a bartender and ghostwriter, traveling as much as I could, living it up in the name of book inspo.
At the start of the pandemic, I moved with my family to Palm Springs, CA and finally slowed down enough to start thinking about my own next chapter, which led me to leave the service industry, take some opportunities in film and TV, and start work on my next book.
I am now based in Los Angeles, California, where I live with my dog, Tarot, my partner, Richie, and the 12-9000 uninvited spiders that live in and around our home.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,024 reviews
July 18, 2026
I am a huge fan of The Other Side of Now & was beyond excited to receive an ARC of Destination Funeral. These two books share multiple similarities. This one felt heavier to me. Much heavier. & it lagged a bit in the middle. I ended up setting it down, taking a break, and coming back to it. So glad I did. Despite a plot that centers around grief, there were definitely moments of joy as well. Second chances, growth, redemption, and, best of all, happy endings.
Pick this one up if you like:
🔮Magical realism
🌊Small town coastal settings
❤️Second chance romance
🧑🧑🧒🧒Found family
🔁Dual timelines
🦫Groundhog's Day-esque time loops
Paige Harbison's writing is exquisite. She manages to make you tear up one minute and laugh out loud the next. Poetic, deep, humorous, relatable. All the things! It's also worth noting--she does an amazing job of narrating her audiobook as well!
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for advance copies in exchange for my honest review.
3.75/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️
Publishing 7/21
Pick this one up if you like:
🔮Magical realism
🌊Small town coastal settings
❤️Second chance romance
🧑🧑🧒🧒Found family
🔁Dual timelines
🦫Groundhog's Day-esque time loops
Paige Harbison's writing is exquisite. She manages to make you tear up one minute and laugh out loud the next. Poetic, deep, humorous, relatable. All the things! It's also worth noting--she does an amazing job of narrating her audiobook as well!
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for advance copies in exchange for my honest review.
3.75/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️
Publishing 7/21
July 24, 2026
4.5⭐️
Hey Siri play Call Your Mom by Noah Kahan
Something about me - I LOVE a story with a complex unlikable characters. They’re so much more interesting and the character development is so satisfying! Add found family in the mix and a setting I dream of visiting, and I’m a happy gal.
Paige is such a force to be reckoned with. Her writing style and the way she combines humor with emotionality in her writing is why I love reading!!
This NEEDS to be adapted.
Hey Siri play Call Your Mom by Noah Kahan
Something about me - I LOVE a story with a complex unlikable characters. They’re so much more interesting and the character development is so satisfying! Add found family in the mix and a setting I dream of visiting, and I’m a happy gal.
Paige is such a force to be reckoned with. Her writing style and the way she combines humor with emotionality in her writing is why I love reading!!
This NEEDS to be adapted.
June 29, 2026
What a beautifully complicated story. Paige’s ending had me crying, reflecting, & feeling so grateful for the people in my life. I loved uncovering the layers of each character & the reminders about love, friendship, forgiveness, & the people who shape our lives. Also, love some magical realism! I thought the Groundhog Day trope would get annoying, but it had me racing to finish the book to see where things would end!
August 3, 2026
Ughh this was such a good book. I’m not usually a Groundhog Day lover but this was perfectly done.
The authors note was unbelievable raw and beautiful. Paige is beyond talented and I can’t wait to see everything she accomplishes.
The authors note was unbelievable raw and beautiful. Paige is beyond talented and I can’t wait to see everything she accomplishes.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was a strange reading experience for me because it felt like it needed two separate reviews.
On one hand, we are trapped inside Didion’s head for the entire book, and she is not an easy character to sit with. She is self righteous, self centered, and often deeply unkind. She is a bad friend to Matt, a bad friend and ex to Austin, and a bad sister to Sammie.
There were long stretches where I genuinely did not like her, and because we never get another perspective, there is no relief from that voice.
At the same time, the more the story unfolds, the more you understand why she is the way she is. Her childhood, her mother’s behavior, and the way responsibility was pushed onto her at a young age explain a lot. It makes her understandable, but not necessarily sympathetic. I could see the damage clearly, but I still struggled to excuse the way she treated the people around her.
The family dynamic was especially frustrating. The favoritism toward Sammie, the way their mother forced Didion to grow up too fast, and the resentment that festered between the sisters all felt painfully real. None of them were good to each other, and while that honesty worked, it also made the emotional payoff feel unearned by the end.
This is not a warm, nostalgic, coming of age story. It is not a comforting reunion tale. While the book ultimately lands in a place of reconciliation, it felt too neat for the amount of harm that had been done. Too many betrayals were brushed past, and too much pain was resolved simply because time forced them together.
That said, I do think this book will resonate deeply with a specific kind of reader. If you are someone who feels guarded, unlovable, or shaped by past hurt in ways that make connection difficult, you may see yourself reflected here. That recognition can be powerful, even if it is uncomfortable.
In the end, I did not love this book, and I did not hate it. It just was not for me. But I can absolutely see how it might be exactly right for someone else.
On one hand, we are trapped inside Didion’s head for the entire book, and she is not an easy character to sit with. She is self righteous, self centered, and often deeply unkind. She is a bad friend to Matt, a bad friend and ex to Austin, and a bad sister to Sammie.
There were long stretches where I genuinely did not like her, and because we never get another perspective, there is no relief from that voice.
At the same time, the more the story unfolds, the more you understand why she is the way she is. Her childhood, her mother’s behavior, and the way responsibility was pushed onto her at a young age explain a lot. It makes her understandable, but not necessarily sympathetic. I could see the damage clearly, but I still struggled to excuse the way she treated the people around her.
The family dynamic was especially frustrating. The favoritism toward Sammie, the way their mother forced Didion to grow up too fast, and the resentment that festered between the sisters all felt painfully real. None of them were good to each other, and while that honesty worked, it also made the emotional payoff feel unearned by the end.
This is not a warm, nostalgic, coming of age story. It is not a comforting reunion tale. While the book ultimately lands in a place of reconciliation, it felt too neat for the amount of harm that had been done. Too many betrayals were brushed past, and too much pain was resolved simply because time forced them together.
That said, I do think this book will resonate deeply with a specific kind of reader. If you are someone who feels guarded, unlovable, or shaped by past hurt in ways that make connection difficult, you may see yourself reflected here. That recognition can be powerful, even if it is uncomfortable.
In the end, I did not love this book, and I did not hate it. It just was not for me. But I can absolutely see how it might be exactly right for someone else.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was amazing. I'm only giving it four stars because of one thing that left a sour taste in my mouth. Is it a new story that has never been done before? No. Did I love it? Absolutely. I loved how everything wrapped up beautifully, and I loved seeing how the sisterly bonds were mended. Even if we think our parents might love the other sibling more than us (sometimes that's true, and sometimes it's not), we always have a place in their hearts. I can't believe this is only my second Paige Harbison book because now I adore her.
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕮𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝕯𝖔𝖔𝖗 𝕸𝖔𝖉𝖎𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
SKIP CHAPTER:42
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
I already started reading this, and I have VERY good feelings. Thank you, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley, for offering me this eARC 🩷🩵💛
Find my review on Instagram
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕮𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝕯𝖔𝖔𝖗 𝕸𝖔𝖉𝖎𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
SKIP CHAPTER:42
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
I already started reading this, and I have VERY good feelings. Thank you, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley, for offering me this eARC 🩷🩵💛
Find my review on Instagram
July 21, 2026
Me on This Book in Eight Ironic English Words: Doesn’t blink at self-immolation, but can’t forgive trauma. 🤷🏽♀️
(Seriously: this is not how codependence works.)
Rating: ⭐⭐
“He goes on, talking about his love of formulaic romances and holiday movies and I listen absently, jiggling my foot, feeling very aware of his slow, unhurried fifteen-miles-an-hour crawl. He’s matching the island’s pace. This is the kind of place where dogs run off-leash and children chase rogue soccer balls into the street while parents call perfunctorily from their front porches to look both ways, not really that worried. Outdoor cats live twenty years.” p. 16
In Short: The descriptive writing is lovely and creative. That in itself kept me interested. I also really love how honest the first-person narrator is about her own motivations and judgments.
The estranged-sister relationship is so familiar to me, and its depiction feels healing in a way. If you’ve ever been estranged from a family member, you might have the same reaction.
The plot depends on a Groundhog Day-style time loop. I almost never like this trope because, I mean, sometimes the execution of a technique is so good that it defines the technique. Hence “Groundhog Day time loop.” It simply cannot be bested. Attempts are most often silly.
I don’t think the execution here is silly. A group of people looping together is an interesting variation, and I was into it. But honestly, it becomes repetitious. That happens in time loops when there isn’t enough distinction between the loops. For a really good execution of this trope, I recommend the horror film Triangle.
A man trying to redeem his soul falls deeply in love? Awesome. (And Groundhog Day.)
A group of young people searches its shared and personal histories for meaning and connection? Omg, every loop is the same.
So. Much. Eating. Omg.
Absolutely not the right plot for a time loop.
One thing I thought I really liked was the representation of trauma and PTSD:
“I wish again that I could stuff it all down, not care. Let bygones be bygones. Water under the bridge. Not talk out the details. It doesn’t matter how much I want that, because I can’t do it. The sadness and anger from all those years ago lives in me like an anvil. Heavy, immovable, weighing me down, and present in every step I make. It’s time to finally split open my flesh and remove it. Even if it kills me.” p. 312
The book isn’t generous about trauma. It’s realistic. It shows the gritty side of living with a mind you can’t all the way trust, and I’m always grateful for nuanced characters with mental challenges.
Edit: I hate when I have to do this.
Never freaking mind.
Because of course it becomes a story in which everyone blames the traumatized person for EVERYTHING.
God. Ugh. Terrible ending.
And the problem isn’t simply that the ending is unkind to the FMC. It contradicts a pile of evidence the novel has already delivered about her reliability and the labor she performs for everyone else. It understands that trauma shapes a person’s judgment, relationships, and ability to let things go—until that understanding would require it to recognize codependence as a system rather than an individual moral failure.
Apparently the story can look directly at self-immolation, suicide, and “compassionate death,” but trauma is where its compassion runs out.
Preread: Nice descriptive writing. I hope the pace picks up a little.
Edit: It didn’t for me, unfortunately, but I think that was partly a matter of taste.
Literally.
So much food in this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! 📚
Content Warnings:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
death of a parent/grandparent, funerals, inheritance/estates, romanticizing suicide, ableist language, implicit ableism, estrangement, food, meat-eating, gaslighting, suicide, “compassionate death”/eugenics
(Seriously: this is not how codependence works.)
Rating: ⭐⭐
“He goes on, talking about his love of formulaic romances and holiday movies and I listen absently, jiggling my foot, feeling very aware of his slow, unhurried fifteen-miles-an-hour crawl. He’s matching the island’s pace. This is the kind of place where dogs run off-leash and children chase rogue soccer balls into the street while parents call perfunctorily from their front porches to look both ways, not really that worried. Outdoor cats live twenty years.” p. 16
In Short: The descriptive writing is lovely and creative. That in itself kept me interested. I also really love how honest the first-person narrator is about her own motivations and judgments.
The estranged-sister relationship is so familiar to me, and its depiction feels healing in a way. If you’ve ever been estranged from a family member, you might have the same reaction.
The plot depends on a Groundhog Day-style time loop. I almost never like this trope because, I mean, sometimes the execution of a technique is so good that it defines the technique. Hence “Groundhog Day time loop.” It simply cannot be bested. Attempts are most often silly.
I don’t think the execution here is silly. A group of people looping together is an interesting variation, and I was into it. But honestly, it becomes repetitious. That happens in time loops when there isn’t enough distinction between the loops. For a really good execution of this trope, I recommend the horror film Triangle.
A man trying to redeem his soul falls deeply in love? Awesome. (And Groundhog Day.)
A group of young people searches its shared and personal histories for meaning and connection? Omg, every loop is the same.
So. Much. Eating. Omg.
Absolutely not the right plot for a time loop.
One thing I thought I really liked was the representation of trauma and PTSD:
“I wish again that I could stuff it all down, not care. Let bygones be bygones. Water under the bridge. Not talk out the details. It doesn’t matter how much I want that, because I can’t do it. The sadness and anger from all those years ago lives in me like an anvil. Heavy, immovable, weighing me down, and present in every step I make. It’s time to finally split open my flesh and remove it. Even if it kills me.” p. 312
The book isn’t generous about trauma. It’s realistic. It shows the gritty side of living with a mind you can’t all the way trust, and I’m always grateful for nuanced characters with mental challenges.
Edit: I hate when I have to do this.
Never freaking mind.
Because of course it becomes a story in which everyone blames the traumatized person for EVERYTHING.
God. Ugh. Terrible ending.
And the problem isn’t simply that the ending is unkind to the FMC. It contradicts a pile of evidence the novel has already delivered about her reliability and the labor she performs for everyone else. It understands that trauma shapes a person’s judgment, relationships, and ability to let things go—until that understanding would require it to recognize codependence as a system rather than an individual moral failure.
Apparently the story can look directly at self-immolation, suicide, and “compassionate death,” but trauma is where its compassion runs out.
Preread: Nice descriptive writing. I hope the pace picks up a little.
Edit: It didn’t for me, unfortunately, but I think that was partly a matter of taste.
Literally.
So much food in this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! 📚
Content Warnings:
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
death of a parent/grandparent, funerals, inheritance/estates, romanticizing suicide, ableist language, implicit ableism, estrangement, food, meat-eating, gaslighting, suicide, “compassionate death”/eugenics
February 3, 2026
Oh my god. Where do I even begin? This is easily one of my favourite books I’ve read in a long time. I could not put it down… and when I did, I was just thinking about when I could pick it back up again.
I loved the nostalgic vibe and how beautifully the setting was written. It genuinely felt like I was right there on Mercy Island. Every character had their own quirks, baggage, and issues, and somehow they all blended together perfectly. The dual timeline was SO well done too - you don’t fully know what happened between everyone at first, and each chapter feels like another little puzzle piece clicking into place.
Destination Funeral by Paige Harbison follows a group of old friends who’ve drifted apart over the years but are brought back together on a beachy island for the funeral of the woman who basically defined their teen summers. They’re already navigating awkward reunions and unresolved history… and then things get weird. They end up reliving the same day over and over. Being stuck like that forces them to finally face all the messy stuff they’ve been avoiding - hurt feelings, breakups, secrets, regrets - and decide whether they can actually move forward instead of staying stuck in the past (literally and emotionally).
This book gives Elin Hilderbrand vibes but set in the South, with a little sprinkle of magic and some spice… and honestly? I am HERE for it. Pre-order this one. I’m telling you now - this is going to be the ultimate summer long-weekend read. Grab a red solo cup of rosé on the beach and thank me later.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own!
I loved the nostalgic vibe and how beautifully the setting was written. It genuinely felt like I was right there on Mercy Island. Every character had their own quirks, baggage, and issues, and somehow they all blended together perfectly. The dual timeline was SO well done too - you don’t fully know what happened between everyone at first, and each chapter feels like another little puzzle piece clicking into place.
Destination Funeral by Paige Harbison follows a group of old friends who’ve drifted apart over the years but are brought back together on a beachy island for the funeral of the woman who basically defined their teen summers. They’re already navigating awkward reunions and unresolved history… and then things get weird. They end up reliving the same day over and over. Being stuck like that forces them to finally face all the messy stuff they’ve been avoiding - hurt feelings, breakups, secrets, regrets - and decide whether they can actually move forward instead of staying stuck in the past (literally and emotionally).
This book gives Elin Hilderbrand vibes but set in the South, with a little sprinkle of magic and some spice… and honestly? I am HERE for it. Pre-order this one. I’m telling you now - this is going to be the ultimate summer long-weekend read. Grab a red solo cup of rosé on the beach and thank me later.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the review copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own!
July 25, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an ARC of Destination Funeral in exchange for an honest review.
The Goodreads description of this book tells you everything you need to know about the plot—it’s pretty close to perfect—so I’ll jump directly to my thoughts.
The Other Side of Now was one of my favorite books of 2025, so I went into Destination Funeral with high hopes. I was not disappointed. Once again, Ms Harbison has hit a sweet spot blending a time loop storyline with a moving story of friends and family trying to reconnect after years of hurting each other, intentionally and unintentionally. Didion is an interesting main character; she’s flawed, has hurt and been hurt by others, but she’s still a good person you’ll be rooting for. And I enjoyed the time loop plot device, the way the characters slowly accepted their predicament and the whole ‘we are stuck here until we fix whatever in our lives made this happen’ but then still had no idea what they needed to change or address to find their way to Sunday. The story is well paced, delivering backstory and context in small, organic doses, and balancing humor, romance, and emotional drama as the story unfolds. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Highly recommended.
P.S. A word about the audiobook, which was narrated by the author. She’s a great performer, and does a nice job with the four main characters (two male, two female, and one with a soft Texas twang) as well as the side characters. I was surprised to learn she’d only previously narrated one other book (her adult debut), though I’m unsurprised to learn she’ll be narrating a book for a different author later this year. She’s good.
The Goodreads description of this book tells you everything you need to know about the plot—it’s pretty close to perfect—so I’ll jump directly to my thoughts.
The Other Side of Now was one of my favorite books of 2025, so I went into Destination Funeral with high hopes. I was not disappointed. Once again, Ms Harbison has hit a sweet spot blending a time loop storyline with a moving story of friends and family trying to reconnect after years of hurting each other, intentionally and unintentionally. Didion is an interesting main character; she’s flawed, has hurt and been hurt by others, but she’s still a good person you’ll be rooting for. And I enjoyed the time loop plot device, the way the characters slowly accepted their predicament and the whole ‘we are stuck here until we fix whatever in our lives made this happen’ but then still had no idea what they needed to change or address to find their way to Sunday. The story is well paced, delivering backstory and context in small, organic doses, and balancing humor, romance, and emotional drama as the story unfolds. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Highly recommended.
P.S. A word about the audiobook, which was narrated by the author. She’s a great performer, and does a nice job with the four main characters (two male, two female, and one with a soft Texas twang) as well as the side characters. I was surprised to learn she’d only previously narrated one other book (her adult debut), though I’m unsurprised to learn she’ll be narrating a book for a different author later this year. She’s good.
July 21, 2026
Saturday Saturday Saturday Saturday.
What a wild ride of a book. While it's deep and raw, its beautiful and airy at the same time. This was a lot packed into one book. I couldn't imagine having to relive that day on repeat but I loved the reasons behind it and what came from repeating it constantly. Such a beautiful read with important life lessons along the way. The narrator (which is also the author by the way) truly did this book justice, it kept me intrigued and wanting to see what would come of the constant Saturday.
I received this ARC audiobook from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio to listen/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully listening to this audiobook.
What a wild ride of a book. While it's deep and raw, its beautiful and airy at the same time. This was a lot packed into one book. I couldn't imagine having to relive that day on repeat but I loved the reasons behind it and what came from repeating it constantly. Such a beautiful read with important life lessons along the way. The narrator (which is also the author by the way) truly did this book justice, it kept me intrigued and wanting to see what would come of the constant Saturday.
I received this ARC audiobook from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio to listen/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully listening to this audiobook.
August 3, 2026
2.5 stars.
A mashup of the movies Groundhog Day and The Big Chill.
When four estranged friends are thrown back together again by the funeral of a very significant person from their lives, they are forced to examine their pasts together; including all the hurts, betrayals, and outcomes.
It's Saturday, the day before the funeral. And then it's Saturday again when they wake up, and then Saturday again the day after that, followed by, you guessed it, Saturday once again. After days and days of resentment, frustration, and recrimination they bring it all out in anger and pain and come up with, "None of us are good at being friends anymore." I could have told them that on Day One! Isn't that why they were estranged?!
The Saturdays become interminable as this foursome wallows in their distress from the past, and their fight to figure out that they are anything but perfect and destined to live all their messy lives together after all.
I truly enjoyed this author's first adult fiction novel, The Other Side of Now. However, I'm sad to say that this one missed the mark for me. It's a lot of drama and talk therapy. To be honest, I couldn't wait for it to be over.
Many reviewers saw this differently than I did and I encourage readers to check out their reviews. My sincere thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
A mashup of the movies Groundhog Day and The Big Chill.
When four estranged friends are thrown back together again by the funeral of a very significant person from their lives, they are forced to examine their pasts together; including all the hurts, betrayals, and outcomes.
It's Saturday, the day before the funeral. And then it's Saturday again when they wake up, and then Saturday again the day after that, followed by, you guessed it, Saturday once again. After days and days of resentment, frustration, and recrimination they bring it all out in anger and pain and come up with, "None of us are good at being friends anymore." I could have told them that on Day One! Isn't that why they were estranged?!
The Saturdays become interminable as this foursome wallows in their distress from the past, and their fight to figure out that they are anything but perfect and destined to live all their messy lives together after all.
I truly enjoyed this author's first adult fiction novel, The Other Side of Now. However, I'm sad to say that this one missed the mark for me. It's a lot of drama and talk therapy. To be honest, I couldn't wait for it to be over.
Many reviewers saw this differently than I did and I encourage readers to check out their reviews. My sincere thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 29, 2026
When Babe - the complicated, bewitching matriarch of their teenage summers - dies, both of her daughters and two of their friends are summoned back to Mercy Island for the reading of her will.
The four estranged friends reunite for what should be a brief awkward weekend when they find themselves in a time loop reliving Saturday over and over and over again. With this occurring they are forced to confront the betrayals, breakups and buried truths that destroyed them many years ago.
Filled with romance, grief, magical realism and family dynamics this character driven novel is a great read.
Love the cover!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
The four estranged friends reunite for what should be a brief awkward weekend when they find themselves in a time loop reliving Saturday over and over and over again. With this occurring they are forced to confront the betrayals, breakups and buried truths that destroyed them many years ago.
Filled with romance, grief, magical realism and family dynamics this character driven novel is a great read.
Love the cover!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
July 25, 2026
Didion and Sammie's mother, Babe, passes away on Mercy Island, at the family's beloved home, Birdsong. Didion has been mostly estranged from her mother and sister for some time, but she returns home for the funeral. There she also finds her childhood friends, Austin and Matt.
It is soon revealed that Babe's will stipulates that the foursome will have to spend the funeral weekend together at Birdsong -- no phones allowed -- if they want to inherit the house. Didion can't think of anything worse, but she reluctantly agrees. They spend a painful, resentful Saturday together, only to wake up and discover... it's still Saturday! Again and again.
The Groundhog Day aspect is cute and whimsical; much of the story itself is not. Didion is such an unlikable character that you find yourself having very little desire to spend one Saturday with her, let alone infinite ones. She carries a grudge against everyone--some of her anger against her late mother, who was rather tough on her, was justified, but still. This girl is angry and mean. Said anger extends to her sister, her friend Matt, and her once boyfriend, Austin.
Since most of the plot involves these characters stuck at Birdsong, rehashing old gripes, it gets a bit stale. We do get flashbacks to beachy summers past--some happier, some not--giving us a chance to learn a bit more about our characters. And yes, again, there's a reason for some of the bitterness. But while the story can have its light and funny moments, I often found this more of a rant rather than an enjoyable, magical tale.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in return for an unbiased review.
It is soon revealed that Babe's will stipulates that the foursome will have to spend the funeral weekend together at Birdsong -- no phones allowed -- if they want to inherit the house. Didion can't think of anything worse, but she reluctantly agrees. They spend a painful, resentful Saturday together, only to wake up and discover... it's still Saturday! Again and again.
The Groundhog Day aspect is cute and whimsical; much of the story itself is not. Didion is such an unlikable character that you find yourself having very little desire to spend one Saturday with her, let alone infinite ones. She carries a grudge against everyone--some of her anger against her late mother, who was rather tough on her, was justified, but still. This girl is angry and mean. Said anger extends to her sister, her friend Matt, and her once boyfriend, Austin.
Since most of the plot involves these characters stuck at Birdsong, rehashing old gripes, it gets a bit stale. We do get flashbacks to beachy summers past--some happier, some not--giving us a chance to learn a bit more about our characters. And yes, again, there's a reason for some of the bitterness. But while the story can have its light and funny moments, I often found this more of a rant rather than an enjoyable, magical tale.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in return for an unbiased review.
June 26, 2026
3.75 ⭐️
I enjoyed this one and could relate to the main character through her experience of losing her mother. This story showed how each character was dealing with their own struggles, and the family dynamics were complicated. The siblings didn’t get along in the way you might expect, and their mother played a significant role in shaping those relationships over the years.
This was an emotional and thought-provoking story that explored grief, family, and change. Watching Didion and the other characters come to terms with their new reality and navigate a future they never could have prepared for was both heartbreaking and meaningful. Overall, I enjoyed this book, would recommend it, and would definitely read more from this author.
I also had the opportunity to listen to the ALC, so I did an immersive read with this one. The author narrated the audiobook herself and did an amazing job bringing the story to life. She perfectly captured the characters’ pain, frustration, grief, and the complicated dynamics they faced. Her narration helped me fully immerse myself in the story and feel as though I was right there on Mercy Island with the characters. I highly recommend the audiobook.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
I enjoyed this one and could relate to the main character through her experience of losing her mother. This story showed how each character was dealing with their own struggles, and the family dynamics were complicated. The siblings didn’t get along in the way you might expect, and their mother played a significant role in shaping those relationships over the years.
This was an emotional and thought-provoking story that explored grief, family, and change. Watching Didion and the other characters come to terms with their new reality and navigate a future they never could have prepared for was both heartbreaking and meaningful. Overall, I enjoyed this book, would recommend it, and would definitely read more from this author.
I also had the opportunity to listen to the ALC, so I did an immersive read with this one. The author narrated the audiobook herself and did an amazing job bringing the story to life. She perfectly captured the characters’ pain, frustration, grief, and the complicated dynamics they faced. Her narration helped me fully immerse myself in the story and feel as though I was right there on Mercy Island with the characters. I highly recommend the audiobook.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
June 9, 2026
how cute is this cover!! this is my second book by this author, and while I didn’t love it as much as the first one because everyone was so messed up and annoying, I still consider her a must read author for me now. I’m just a magical realism girly ~
June 27, 2026
Destination Funeral is a heartwarming story about learning to let go of the past in order to embrace the future. The time-loop premise, where the main character relives the same day over and over until important life lessons are learned, adds an engaging twist that keeps the story moving while allowing for meaningful character growth.
The emotional journey is the highlight of the book, with themes of forgiveness, healing, and second chances woven throughout. Watching the protagonist slowly change with each repeated day makes for a satisfying and uplifting read.
While a few sections felt a bit repetitive—which is understandable given the nature of the plot—I would have liked a little more depth in some of the supporting characters. Even so, the story delivers a heartfelt message and leaves readers with a sense of hope.
Overall, Destination Funeral is an enjoyable and touching novel that reminds us that sometimes we have to confront our past before we can truly move forward.
The emotional journey is the highlight of the book, with themes of forgiveness, healing, and second chances woven throughout. Watching the protagonist slowly change with each repeated day makes for a satisfying and uplifting read.
While a few sections felt a bit repetitive—which is understandable given the nature of the plot—I would have liked a little more depth in some of the supporting characters. Even so, the story delivers a heartfelt message and leaves readers with a sense of hope.
Overall, Destination Funeral is an enjoyable and touching novel that reminds us that sometimes we have to confront our past before we can truly move forward.
April 6, 2026
Destination Funeral follows Didion, Sammie, Matt, and Austin reuniting together for a weekend at Mercy Island in Didion and Sammie’s childhood summer home-Birdsong, in order to attend the funeral of Babe (their mother).
I was frustrated at first with this book, mostly because it was told only from the perspective of Didion, our main character, and some chapters also being told through the lens of an omniscient narrator. Seeing things only through Didion’s perspective was difficult because she wasn’t a particularly likable character-however, I did find that throughout the book I found her to become more relatable, particularly with her difficult relationship with her mother. I didn’t particularly like the trope of her working at a chef and hating it (maybe I’ve watched too much of The Bear). I loved the magical realism aspect of the book, and the whimsy of the world of Mercy Island, which gave off cozy Gilmore Girl vibes. Giving 4 stars because it was a fun read and I enjoyed it, but I feel like things wrapped up too quickly in the end, and the damage from years of being bad friends to one another, not speaking to one another, the way Austin treated Didion (terribly), was suddenly repaired and after a few weeks of “groundhogs days” and one big talk, they all lived happily ever after. I also wish we got a bit more background on some of the characters. Johnny Hart got so much hate and the only real explanation (prior to the fight and the accident) they gave was that he was just this awful guy who Sammie kept going back to. All in all it was a fun read.
Thank you so much NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!
I was frustrated at first with this book, mostly because it was told only from the perspective of Didion, our main character, and some chapters also being told through the lens of an omniscient narrator. Seeing things only through Didion’s perspective was difficult because she wasn’t a particularly likable character-however, I did find that throughout the book I found her to become more relatable, particularly with her difficult relationship with her mother. I didn’t particularly like the trope of her working at a chef and hating it (maybe I’ve watched too much of The Bear). I loved the magical realism aspect of the book, and the whimsy of the world of Mercy Island, which gave off cozy Gilmore Girl vibes. Giving 4 stars because it was a fun read and I enjoyed it, but I feel like things wrapped up too quickly in the end, and the damage from years of being bad friends to one another, not speaking to one another, the way Austin treated Didion (terribly), was suddenly repaired and after a few weeks of “groundhogs days” and one big talk, they all lived happily ever after. I also wish we got a bit more background on some of the characters. Johnny Hart got so much hate and the only real explanation (prior to the fight and the accident) they gave was that he was just this awful guy who Sammie kept going back to. All in all it was a fun read.
Thank you so much NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!
February 28, 2026
Heyyy why do I want to cry
”’You all get one big spell in your life.’
‘One big spell?’ Sammie repeated.
Babe nodded. ‘That’s right. One time in your life, you will get to ask the ancestors for one thing you really want. It has to be really big, though. Because it’s the only one you ever get.’”
“‘I think it actually makes sense,’ I call out, over the loud, loud rain. ‘Like, of course we’re here.’”
“It’s terrible to be world-endingly livid and have to get in something as silly as a golf cart.”
“Is being capable of greatness necessarily an indication that you should grasp it?”
This book was exactly (maybe exactly not) what I needed while feeling closed in by the 55 feet of snow that sits outside my window. Within the first 25 pages, I was Googling Mercy Island, desperately hoping it wasn’t a fictional location (spoiler: it is (mostly I think because no actual location could live up to its literary experience)).
Don’t get me wrong - Didion immediately grated on my nerves and I was ready to accept that she was just going to be unlikeable. But the more the story unfolds, the more I became invested in her character arc, and all the characters around her. This book brought me to almost tears because 1. I want so badly to have Babe’s home, 2. This made me discover some things about my own feelings with my day-to-day life that many of the characters reckoned with themselves, and 3. It was a touching story about sisters and moms and love.
”’You all get one big spell in your life.’
‘One big spell?’ Sammie repeated.
Babe nodded. ‘That’s right. One time in your life, you will get to ask the ancestors for one thing you really want. It has to be really big, though. Because it’s the only one you ever get.’”
“‘I think it actually makes sense,’ I call out, over the loud, loud rain. ‘Like, of course we’re here.’”
“It’s terrible to be world-endingly livid and have to get in something as silly as a golf cart.”
“Is being capable of greatness necessarily an indication that you should grasp it?”
This book was exactly (maybe exactly not) what I needed while feeling closed in by the 55 feet of snow that sits outside my window. Within the first 25 pages, I was Googling Mercy Island, desperately hoping it wasn’t a fictional location (spoiler: it is (mostly I think because no actual location could live up to its literary experience)).
Don’t get me wrong - Didion immediately grated on my nerves and I was ready to accept that she was just going to be unlikeable. But the more the story unfolds, the more I became invested in her character arc, and all the characters around her. This book brought me to almost tears because 1. I want so badly to have Babe’s home, 2. This made me discover some things about my own feelings with my day-to-day life that many of the characters reckoned with themselves, and 3. It was a touching story about sisters and moms and love.
August 13, 2026
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.
Didion and Sammie’s mother, Babe, dies, and they return home to Mercy Island, a barrier island off the coast of Georgia, for the funeral. The thing is, they’re estranged. And because apparently a funeral weekend wasn’t complicated enough, their old friend Matt, as well as Didion’s ex-boyfriend Austin, also show up. Long story short, the four of them have to stay the entire weekend if they want to inherit the house, per Babe’s will.
Oh, and then they get stuck in a time loop. Groundhog Day-style. The idea is that they’re forced to relive the weekend until they work out their differences.
Except Didion is insufferable.
I just cannot stand a protagonist who refuses to talk about what’s bothering them. I don’t understand it, mostly because I’m a truthful person who speaks her mind in real life, probably to a fault. So watching Didion spend approximately half of the book refusing to tell anyone why she hates them, and refusing to work through her shit, was not my cup of tea.
The majority of the plot becomes an exercise in trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with her while she says approximately nothing about it, with teenage flashbacks that take forever to get to the point too. Then the ending was wrapped up with a neat little bow.
And that’s what made this so disappointing for me, because I absolutely loved The Other Side of Now by this author. I went into this expecting another winner and instead spent most of the book wishing someone would hand Didion a therapist, a megaphone, or both.
The time-loop concept was a hit for me, the humor that this author brings was there too, and the premise had so much potential. But this novel fell somewhat flat in its execution.
Didion and Sammie’s mother, Babe, dies, and they return home to Mercy Island, a barrier island off the coast of Georgia, for the funeral. The thing is, they’re estranged. And because apparently a funeral weekend wasn’t complicated enough, their old friend Matt, as well as Didion’s ex-boyfriend Austin, also show up. Long story short, the four of them have to stay the entire weekend if they want to inherit the house, per Babe’s will.
Oh, and then they get stuck in a time loop. Groundhog Day-style. The idea is that they’re forced to relive the weekend until they work out their differences.
Except Didion is insufferable.
I just cannot stand a protagonist who refuses to talk about what’s bothering them. I don’t understand it, mostly because I’m a truthful person who speaks her mind in real life, probably to a fault. So watching Didion spend approximately half of the book refusing to tell anyone why she hates them, and refusing to work through her shit, was not my cup of tea.
The majority of the plot becomes an exercise in trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with her while she says approximately nothing about it, with teenage flashbacks that take forever to get to the point too. Then the ending was wrapped up with a neat little bow.
And that’s what made this so disappointing for me, because I absolutely loved The Other Side of Now by this author. I went into this expecting another winner and instead spent most of the book wishing someone would hand Didion a therapist, a megaphone, or both.
The time-loop concept was a hit for me, the humor that this author brings was there too, and the premise had so much potential. But this novel fell somewhat flat in its execution.
July 22, 2026
After reading The Other Side of Now, I couldn’t wait for another book release by Paige Harbison. I was lucky enough to get approved to read this book through NetGalley. I had high expectations going into this book. The concept of this story sounded very unique. It is about a group of people who come back to a childhood home to prepare for Babe’s funeral. She was the glue that held these people together. Babe has two daughters. She was always much harder on the older one and more lenient with the younger one. Babe remained close with Didion’s first love, Austin and her daughters’ childhood friend, Matt. While these four adults reunite to plan a funeral, they have a lot to work through. They only have to make it through one full day together and then, Sunday is the funeral. However, they soon realize they are stuck in a time loop. While these adults are working through past issues, they keep repeating Saturday. They try to figure out what needs to be done in order to repair their bonds before the time loop ends. Will these adults finally be able to work through their past problems or is it too late to smooth it out? This is a funny and heartwarming story about the importance of family bonds. The characters learn to forgive and move forward. Life is too short to hold on to past mistakes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2026
4.5. Babe is the matriarch of this family so when she passes away, the complications of their family dynamic begin to emerge. The family is expected to stay in her home, named Birdsong, for the funeral weekend with no phones. They believe they’ll part ways once this is over but find themselves waking up on Saturday over and over.
This story had so many moving moments mixed in with moments of grief, anger, humor, romance, and the burdens that come with being the eldest daughter. The complexities of familial relationships were explored and although there were deep and serious emotions, there was such a great balance of funny and charming times that it didn’t feel too heavy. The magical realism was such a fun addition to this story and I will be thinking about this for a long time!
I LOVE when an author gets to narrate their own book. Who could better relay their characters’ personalities?
Thank you so much Netgalley, Paige Harbison, and Macmillan Audio for providing this free ALC. This audio published on July 21st. This is my honest review!
This story had so many moving moments mixed in with moments of grief, anger, humor, romance, and the burdens that come with being the eldest daughter. The complexities of familial relationships were explored and although there were deep and serious emotions, there was such a great balance of funny and charming times that it didn’t feel too heavy. The magical realism was such a fun addition to this story and I will be thinking about this for a long time!
I LOVE when an author gets to narrate their own book. Who could better relay their characters’ personalities?
Thank you so much Netgalley, Paige Harbison, and Macmillan Audio for providing this free ALC. This audio published on July 21st. This is my honest review!
July 21, 2026
Destination Funeral is such a clever, emotionally resonant read that balances humor and heartbreak so well. The premise of an estranged group of friends reuniting on a stormy Georgia island for a funeral—only to end up trapped in a Saturday time loop—was brilliant. It forced the characters to actually sit with their past betrayals, lingering attractions, and unresolved history instead of running away. The coastal setting was atmospheric, and the dynamic between Didion and the rest of the group felt deeply real and complex. A funny, poignant, and refreshingly original story about forgiveness and second chances!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!
July 7, 2026
You know how you start a book and by the end of the first chapter you know you’re reading one of your favorite books of the year? Well that’s this book for me. Paige Harbison has written the perfect summer read. But be prepared, you are going to feel all of the feels.
When Babe Bennett passes away, her two daughters and their two best friends return to their home - Birdsong - to say goodbye and read her will. What they get is a life-changing opportunity to get everything out in the open and heal from things in their pasts.
I never give anything away in my reviews, and this will be no different. They are a group with a lot of history, baggage, and feelings to work through. Didion, Sammie, Matt, and Austin are flawed and very human characters - there is a lot of history here.
You will laugh, cry, get incredibly angry, swoon, and spend multiple Saturdays with this group, even though it is only one weekend.
Did I mention the time loop?
This is the second book I’ve read this year with a time loop, and I loved it. It really works here.
The ending is more than I could’ve hoped for. This author earns every feeling you get from this book. It’s beautiful.
Paige Harbison narrates her own book. I highly recommend the audiobook - it is like sitting down and listening to your best friend tell you a story. Her voice is warm, witty, and captures every emotion on each page.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the digital and audiobook copies of this magnificent read! This book is out on July 21st. Preorder it today!
When Babe Bennett passes away, her two daughters and their two best friends return to their home - Birdsong - to say goodbye and read her will. What they get is a life-changing opportunity to get everything out in the open and heal from things in their pasts.
I never give anything away in my reviews, and this will be no different. They are a group with a lot of history, baggage, and feelings to work through. Didion, Sammie, Matt, and Austin are flawed and very human characters - there is a lot of history here.
You will laugh, cry, get incredibly angry, swoon, and spend multiple Saturdays with this group, even though it is only one weekend.
Did I mention the time loop?
This is the second book I’ve read this year with a time loop, and I loved it. It really works here.
The ending is more than I could’ve hoped for. This author earns every feeling you get from this book. It’s beautiful.
Paige Harbison narrates her own book. I highly recommend the audiobook - it is like sitting down and listening to your best friend tell you a story. Her voice is warm, witty, and captures every emotion on each page.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the digital and audiobook copies of this magnificent read! This book is out on July 21st. Preorder it today!
Want to Read
July 21, 2026✨✨Destination Funeral ✨✨
📖 Bookish Thoughts
This was quite the emotional read but I loved every second of it.
Didion was a complicated MC, who was often unlikable, but I felt alot of empathy for her. As the story unfolds, I feel like you can't help but understand her.
I do wish we had gotten more from the ending but overall, I was happy with it.
⏳ What to Expect
• Time loop
• Found Family
• Second chances
• Past secrets
• Coastal small town
• Grief & healing
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: July 21, 2026
📝 Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
📖 Bookish Thoughts
This was quite the emotional read but I loved every second of it.
Didion was a complicated MC, who was often unlikable, but I felt alot of empathy for her. As the story unfolds, I feel like you can't help but understand her.
I do wish we had gotten more from the ending but overall, I was happy with it.
⏳ What to Expect
• Time loop
• Found Family
• Second chances
• Past secrets
• Coastal small town
• Grief & healing
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: July 21, 2026
📝 Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
July 13, 2026
Book #73 of 2026!
Thank you to #Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.
What to expect in this book:
-Contemporary fiction
-Alternating time lines
-Magical realism
-Grief and loss
-Mother and daughter relationships
-Found Family
Thoughts
After Paige Harbison’s adult debut novel, The Other Side of Now, I was elated to see that she had a sophomore novel focuses back on magical realism and exploring grief in a family. Didion Bennett grew up going to her mother’s home on Mercy Island for the summer every year with her younger sister, Sammie. The two girls, along with their close friends, Austin and Matt, formed an alliance and the place that always connect them is Birdsong. Now, years later and estranged from each other, Didion must return to Birdsong for the funeral of her mother, Babe. While the four begrudgingly reconnect for the long weekend, it appears that Babe and the universe have conspired for other plans than just the funeral. Told from alternating timelines of past summers at birdsong and the present day weekend of the funeral, this story explores the traumas and dramas of family and the impact of the choices that we make.
Okay, so I always say that if I cannot picture a character or feel distantly removed from them a book is immediately under four stars for me. While I did enjoy this book, it really felt like it dragged for me and I didn’t quite get the time loop aspect of it. I love magical realism, but this felt like it ventured a bit toward witchcraft ish in some areas and I didn’t love that. I also felt like the timelines were disjointed in that the present timeline is from Didion’s point of view, and the past timelines are all in third person. I wish that would have been cohesive.
I think family relationships, sister relationships, and mother-daughters are always fun themes in books and did enjoy that! Ultimately this one just didn’t stand up to her previous work for me. I am interested to see what others think of this. If you love books about family, food, and messy humanness, be sure to give this one a go.
Thank you to #Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced copy.
What to expect in this book:
-Contemporary fiction
-Alternating time lines
-Magical realism
-Grief and loss
-Mother and daughter relationships
-Found Family
Thoughts
After Paige Harbison’s adult debut novel, The Other Side of Now, I was elated to see that she had a sophomore novel focuses back on magical realism and exploring grief in a family. Didion Bennett grew up going to her mother’s home on Mercy Island for the summer every year with her younger sister, Sammie. The two girls, along with their close friends, Austin and Matt, formed an alliance and the place that always connect them is Birdsong. Now, years later and estranged from each other, Didion must return to Birdsong for the funeral of her mother, Babe. While the four begrudgingly reconnect for the long weekend, it appears that Babe and the universe have conspired for other plans than just the funeral. Told from alternating timelines of past summers at birdsong and the present day weekend of the funeral, this story explores the traumas and dramas of family and the impact of the choices that we make.
Okay, so I always say that if I cannot picture a character or feel distantly removed from them a book is immediately under four stars for me. While I did enjoy this book, it really felt like it dragged for me and I didn’t quite get the time loop aspect of it. I love magical realism, but this felt like it ventured a bit toward witchcraft ish in some areas and I didn’t love that. I also felt like the timelines were disjointed in that the present timeline is from Didion’s point of view, and the past timelines are all in third person. I wish that would have been cohesive.
I think family relationships, sister relationships, and mother-daughters are always fun themes in books and did enjoy that! Ultimately this one just didn’t stand up to her previous work for me. I am interested to see what others think of this. If you love books about family, food, and messy humanness, be sure to give this one a go.
July 21, 2026
3.5/5
Time loops and grief are basically a guaranteed way to grab my attention, so this was one of my most anticipated reads. Add in magical realism—a genre I almost always enjoy—and I was excited to dive in. Paige Harbison’s previous novel was also a win for me, so my expectations were high.
The emotional heart of this story is what worked best for me. While the premise is clever and often funny, it’s really a novel about grief, found family, forgiveness, and the relationships that continue to shape us long after we’ve grown up. I loved watching this group slowly peel back years of hurt as they were forced to spend the same weekend together again and again. The magical realism felt natural rather than over the top, and there were several poignant moments that landed beautifully.
My only real complaint is the ending. A repetitive structure comes with the territory in a time loop story, so that never bothered me, but I felt like the actual resolution happened a little too quickly. After spending so much time building these relationships, especially between the sisters, I wanted a bit more space for the emotional payoff before everything wrapped up.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, heartfelt read that balances humor with genuine emotion. If you love stories that blend speculative elements with character driven explorations of grief and friendship, this is definitely worth picking up.
Perfect for Readers Who Love
* Time loop stories
* Magical realism with heart
* Found family
* Emotional friendship novels
* Stories about grief and healing
* Character driven contemporary fiction
Time loops and grief are basically a guaranteed way to grab my attention, so this was one of my most anticipated reads. Add in magical realism—a genre I almost always enjoy—and I was excited to dive in. Paige Harbison’s previous novel was also a win for me, so my expectations were high.
The emotional heart of this story is what worked best for me. While the premise is clever and often funny, it’s really a novel about grief, found family, forgiveness, and the relationships that continue to shape us long after we’ve grown up. I loved watching this group slowly peel back years of hurt as they were forced to spend the same weekend together again and again. The magical realism felt natural rather than over the top, and there were several poignant moments that landed beautifully.
My only real complaint is the ending. A repetitive structure comes with the territory in a time loop story, so that never bothered me, but I felt like the actual resolution happened a little too quickly. After spending so much time building these relationships, especially between the sisters, I wanted a bit more space for the emotional payoff before everything wrapped up.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, heartfelt read that balances humor with genuine emotion. If you love stories that blend speculative elements with character driven explorations of grief and friendship, this is definitely worth picking up.
Perfect for Readers Who Love
* Time loop stories
* Magical realism with heart
* Found family
* Emotional friendship novels
* Stories about grief and healing
* Character driven contemporary fiction
July 30, 2026
Another layered and lyrical read from Harbison, this time focused on four estranged friends who return to a small island community in the US South for a matriarch’s funeral. While there, they sort through long-held resentments, long-kept secrets, and the growing dissatisfaction each character has with elements of their life. An unhappy marriage. A grudge between sisters for the imbalanced responsibilities placed on them by their mother. A young romance disrupted by carelessness and dishonesty. Career burnout. Toxic relationship cycles. And a few surprises that get revealed midway through the story. The time-loop provides a nice metaphor for the characters feeling stuck, and it expands a sense of possibility, since this is a world where magic can happen, spells are possible, and time can be tinkered with, but largely, to me, this felt like a realistic story about four friends sorting through their past choices over the course of a week together, finding ways to let go of grudges and mend lingering hurt, and I was just as happy to read that story as one where the magical elements or escaping the loop played a larger role. I love that Harbison doesn’t shy away from letting her characters be imperfect. Each makes selfish, hurtful choices, to varying degrees, and reconciliation is hard-earned. We feel the push and pull. The longing for connection and the barriers preventing it. The setting has a wonderful sense of atmosphere, the heroine’s culinary focus will appeal to foodie readers, and the braiding of story threads about friendship, family, careers, grief, and romantic love is beautifully done.
July 8, 2026
After loving The Other Side of Now, I was so excited for this release! Unfortunately I don’t think it was for me.
I love Harbison’s writing very much, and she has a great way of balancing all aspects of the novel and keeping you hooked on the book. Her writing is the reason I wanted to keep reading this one.
Unfortunately, the characters were really hard to root for in any way. The actions of Babe and Austin in particular felt unforgivable, and I didn’t feel like Sammie was all that great either. Matt was fine, and he was probably my favorite character of them all, but the bar was low.
Didion let everyone off the hook way too easily. I couldn’t believe the way she just let everyone walk all over her. I wanted to feel like there was character growth, but I did not. The magical realism aspect also didn’t work for me, as it wasn’t explained enough.
This book definitely will be loved by many, it just was not for me.
I love Harbison’s writing very much, and she has a great way of balancing all aspects of the novel and keeping you hooked on the book. Her writing is the reason I wanted to keep reading this one.
Unfortunately, the characters were really hard to root for in any way. The actions of Babe and Austin in particular felt unforgivable, and I didn’t feel like Sammie was all that great either. Matt was fine, and he was probably my favorite character of them all, but the bar was low.
Didion let everyone off the hook way too easily. I couldn’t believe the way she just let everyone walk all over her. I wanted to feel like there was character growth, but I did not. The magical realism aspect also didn’t work for me, as it wasn’t explained enough.
This book definitely will be loved by many, it just was not for me.
July 26, 2026
Groundhog Day + Practical Magic
+ One Italian Summer + Happy Place…
There is something about the idea of a group of messy, estranged friends all coming together for a funeral and reliving the weekend over and over again that really hooked me on the this book.
Ok yes, I happened to be on a family vacation, all in the same house together, taking funeral photos (it’s a story for another day) and I couldn’t get enough of this book!
Yes these characters are flawed but seeing them peel back their layers was very emotional and I really liked the themes of friendship and forgiveness and yes, plenty of humor too. There is this sense of tension that really drove the story - these characters are stuck dealing with their past whether they want to or not. I don’t want to give the ending away other than to say I really enjoyed this book!
✨What to Expect:
🌊Small Town Coastal Vibes
🪄Magical Realism
⏳Time Loop
✌️Second Chances
💕Friend Group Drama
👀Yes They are Messy
☀️Forced Proximity
❤️🩹Grief & Healing
+ One Italian Summer + Happy Place…
There is something about the idea of a group of messy, estranged friends all coming together for a funeral and reliving the weekend over and over again that really hooked me on the this book.
Ok yes, I happened to be on a family vacation, all in the same house together, taking funeral photos (it’s a story for another day) and I couldn’t get enough of this book!
Yes these characters are flawed but seeing them peel back their layers was very emotional and I really liked the themes of friendship and forgiveness and yes, plenty of humor too. There is this sense of tension that really drove the story - these characters are stuck dealing with their past whether they want to or not. I don’t want to give the ending away other than to say I really enjoyed this book!
✨What to Expect:
🌊Small Town Coastal Vibes
🪄Magical Realism
⏳Time Loop
✌️Second Chances
💕Friend Group Drama
👀Yes They are Messy
☀️Forced Proximity
❤️🩹Grief & Healing
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