Timey-Wimey Interdimensional Romance: Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Anne Mare Review

In the past few years, it seems like multiverses have been all the rage in pop culture. It was natural, then, that it would be only a matter of time before we got one in sapphic romance. In comes Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon (out June 3, 2025), the latest book by Anne Mare, one half of the writing team behind the Mae Marvel pen name. Using the premise of, “What if you found the girl of your dreams, but she was in another universe?”, Anne crafts an interesting story about love, fate, and having faith in one another.  

Outgoing and super friendly Tressa Fay has made a name for herself as an amazing hair stylist and social media star. Surrounded by great friends and her sweet cat, the only thing missing is a fulfilling love life. One night, a random text from an attractive stranger leads to some very flirty texting. Unfortunately, when she goes to meet this stranger, she is nowhere to be found. That’s because this stranger, the incredibly attractive and smart Meryl, went missing over a month ago and is texting Tressa Fay from over four months in the past. Together with her friends, Meryl’s best friend, Meryl’s sister, past Meryl, and even her past self, Tressa Fay has to figure out how to prevent Meryl’s disappearance so that they can have their shot at a happily ever after.   

Cosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon offers a unique premise that immediately drew me in and touched on some pretty common emotions in really interesting ways. I liked how the story addressed the idea of fate and how sometimes when you meet the right person it feels like the universe meant it to happen. At the same time, the story also pushes back against the idea of “just letting it happen” by showing how Tressa Fay, Meryl, and their group of friends drastically change things in their reality by coming together as a found family. Its message, that queer love, both romantic and platonic, can change all of time and space if you just have faith, is just so cool. Of course, it can be easier said than done to keep that faith, something the novel also explores really well as the story progresses. 

That being said, there were some moments in which the science fiction elements really hampered my enjoyment of the story. The chapter in which you get the info dump about multiverse theory is a slog to get through even as it does a decent job getting the point across. As reality shifts and changes due to Tressa Fay and Meryl’s actions, it gets difficult to make sense of what is real in the timeline of the story and what has been changed to no longer be true. If you’re not used to reading multiverse stories, be prepared for moments of confusion. I also found the explanation of the resolution of the story a little corny, but at least the characters acknowledge that as it happens.

Where this book really excels is its characters, especially Tressa Fay and Meryl. Tressa Fay is a romantic with a great sense of humor who consistently chooses to put all her efforts into helping her friends and her clients. The way she treats her clients is the way I wish my stylist had treated me when I went for my first gender-affirming haircut. All of this makes her a character I couldn’t help but root for. The chemistry she shares with Meryl is also so good. You can palpably feel the spark between them when they’re flirting or just simply interacting, be it in texts or in person. Anne Mare nails this part of the book perfectly as she makes Tressa Fay and Meryl feel like actual people falling in love with dialogue that feels more like real life and less like a movie script. The sex scenes between Tressa Fay and Meryl also feel realistic in the best ways. They’re not the hottest you’ll ever see in a sapphic romance, but they do a good job selling the passion these two women have for each other. 

Another highlight of this book is the prose. So many sentences and turns of phrase are just so witty and clever and give the book a really fun vibe that balances well with the science fiction elements and the more emotionally heavy moments.

Overall, I enjoyed my time exploring the multiverse and all its romantic implications with Tressa Fay and Meryl. If you’re looking for a unique spin on sapphic romance that takes thought experiments about the nature of reality and makes them super queer, this book just might be for you.