Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie Mare

Book Description

Tressa Fay Robeson has never been shy, which is how she’s made a name for herself as an in-demand hairstylist and social media star. So she can admit that spending her days at her hair salon and her nights with her tight-knit group of friends (and one grumpy cat) is not the kind of exciting life she’d hoped for.

When a misdirected text from a stranger leads to a flirty exchange, she surprises herself by suggesting an impulsive meetup. But the woman, Meryl, never shows. Tressa Fay brushes it off—until Meryl’s sister and friend show up at the salon demanding to know what’s going on. Because, you see, there’s no way Meryl could have texted her. Meryl has been missing for a month.

Review

Every once in a while, I pick up a book that reminds me how flexible speculative fiction can be. Not because of scale or complexity, but because of how easily it bends around questions of identity, timing, and connection.

Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon is very much that kind of book.

Rather than focusing on the mechanics of its multiverse premise, the story uses it to explore how people change, and how many versions of ourselves exist depending on the paths we take. The science fiction time paradox elements are present, but lightly handled, allowing the emotional core to take center stage.

Love Across Versions

What makes this novel stand out is the way it approaches romance. Instead of a single, linear relationship, it considers what happens when connection has to persist across shifting versions of reality.

It reminded me of Oona Out of Order and Cassandra in Reverse. Not because the structure is the same, but because all three stories are interested in how time (and the disruption of it) reshapes how we understand ourselves and the people we care about.

The tone stays approachable, occasionally playful, but grounded in the characters’ emotional lives. There’s also a quiet sense of community woven throughout, which gives the story a slightly cozy feel despite its larger premise.

The audiobook, narrated by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, adds to that experience with a performance that is natural and well-balanced.

Readers who enjoy character-driven speculative fiction that blends romance with thoughtful exploration of identity and time will likely appreciate Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon.

Content Warning

Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Grief, LGBTQ+ Romance, Sexual Content, Transphobia

The header photo is a composite image. Base image by Victor Sirbu on Unsplash