This book touches heavily on addiction and while this story is more of a slower climb, my emotional investment really snuck up on me when things started to come to light. This author has a way of writing wonderfully complex characters and relationships that you really have to look into to understand. Her storytelling is atmospheric and I was intrigued and instantly suspicious as this mysterious story goes back and forth from a few years into the past to present day as Emlyn tries to figure out what happened to her old best friend when she goes missing.

I love the author’s obvious knowledge surrounding the outdoors, fishing, hunting etc. The accuracy of it all only made the book more enjoyable to read. But the thing I loved the absolute most about this story was the “wilderness” being a physical thing to survive but also metaphorical/spiritual in regards to hardships in life and getting through struggles and then finding hope and eventually healing.

A beautifully written escape from the wilderness.

4.5 stars

Three years ago, Emlyn nearly died in the wilderness when her boyfriend Tyler left her behind. Since then, she’s been trying to rebuild her life, working as a fishing and hunting guide in Idaho. But then Tyler returns, claiming their best friend, Janessa, has gone missing in the mountains while documenting her #vanlife. As she reluctantly agrees to use her tracking skills to help find Janessa, Emlyn is forced to confront not only her past, but her growing suspicion that there is more to Janessa’s disappearance than meets the eye.

Having loved „These Silent Woods“, I was excited to dive into Kimi Cunningham Grant’s latest novel. The writing is just as beautiful, particularly concerning the description of the wilderness, both literally and figuratively. Nature is its own atmospheric character in the novel, both vividly beautiful and menacingly threatening. On top of that, Emlyn in particular is an intriguing protagonist, having reinvented herself after hitting rock bottom and finding new purpose in life following tragedy and trauma. The parts of the book detailing her work and survival skills are particularly mesmerizing. I also adored Janessa and the friendship between the two women.

While the resolution as to what happened to Janessa was underwhelming and required some suspension of disbelief, I was more annoyed by the fact that Emlyn was still drawn to Tyler after what had happened, even more so because it had been three years and they had only been dating for two.

Despite these slight misgivings, the stellar writing more than made up for some plot holes for me. „The Nature of Disappearing“ cements the author as one of my must-reads from here on out.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

„The Nature of Disappearing““ is slated to be released on June 18, 2024.

I had so many theories about where this plot was headed, and it honestly went in the most lackluster direction possible. Coming off of These Silent Woods, my expectations were through the roof for this book.

I loved These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant, so I was very excited to read this one! The Nature of Disappearing is about two friends Emlyn and Janessa. When Janessa goes missing, Emlyn's ex Tyler enlists her help to hike into the wilderness and look for Janessa.

I thought this story was very engaging, and I really didn't have any idea what direction it was going for much of the book. I read it quickly because I needed to know what happened. As the story progressed, I did think some of the things that happened were far-fetched and unbelievable. However, I was engaged with the story enough that I still enjoyed it and would recommend it as a quick and easy read.

🍷 TGIF - one day read edition 🍷featuring “The Nature of Disappearing” by Kimi Cunningham Grant!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Emlyn Anthony is a fishing/wilderness guide who has found total refuge in the wilderness after years of feeling abandonment and self loathing. The wilderness helps to keep her at peace and has helped to regain her self confidence and courage.

However, her tainted past comes knocking when her ex-boyfriend asks for help in finding their mutual bestfriend who has gone missing in the wilderness. Together they must work together to track where Janessa went … but the deeper they get into the woods, the darker the secrets get and begin to unravel!

I LOVED how atmospheric and deeply rooted in nature this book was. The dual timelines had me completely invested in the storyline and relationships and I crushed this book in one afternoon!

Thank you kindly to @kimicgrant @minotaur_books @stmartinspress @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on June 18, 2024!

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Kimi Cunningham Grant for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Nature of Disappearing.
This is a very atmospheric, slow burn .mystery/thriller. The writing is beautiful and descriptive.. I felt I was along for the ride through the beauty and dangers of the Idaho landscape. The characters are well developed, showing not always the best decisions made in youth along with the ups and downs of friendships and love relationships. The major question from start to finish is - Who do you trust?
There are multiple timelines and many stories going on at once which can be a bit confusing if you need to stop reading for awhile. Lots of puzzle pieces need to be organized and put in order. Also there are many pieces of the puzzle missing so the slow burn continues throughout the entire novel.
I loved the comparison of nature to everyday life. We never know how to be fully prepared, what decisions to make and what surprises are around the next corner.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story but it was not a quick read. There are many parts to think about and I love the roller coaster ride of danger and deception.

4.5 Stars —- Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC of The Nature of Disappearing. I was thrilled to get Kimi Cunningham Grant’s newest novel after falling in love with These Silent Woods.
The story takes us on a journey through the Idaho wilderness with Emlyn, who is a local guide unsuccessfully hiding from her past. When her friend Janessa goes missing, and suddenly her ex-boyfriend, Tyler, reappears, they set out on a journey together through the backwoods in search of Janessa.
Once again, Grant wove a delicate story of relationships, friendships, and an appreciation of nature that I adored reading. Without any spoilers, the final revelation of what happened to Janessa lacked a bit of plausibility in my opinion, so for that reason it fell just short of five stars for me.
Already looking forward to her next novel!

The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant
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When Emlyn’s friend Janessa goes missing, she must team up with some one from her past who once abandoned her.
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What I liked:
-I learned a lot about surviving in the wilderness (in theory, obviously, I will not be trying it). I have a lot of respect for people who are wilderness guides.
-Also, I did not realize that being in the wilderness could create such amazing suspense. 😅 The last third of the book I was on edge.
-The gradual reveal of past events was geniusly timed. I love when a book has you feeling a certain way and by the end it has completely changed your mind.
-The ending made me very happy.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was my first by this author but I have been told that I MUST read her book These Silent Woods, so that is still on my list.

Emlyn finds herself trying to find her missing friend and she has to get help from the man who has ruined her life years ago. This went to present to flashbacks as you see how Tyler has ruined Emlyn's life. It also shows the friendship between Emlyn and Janessa.

The descriptions of the wilderness was very captivating and really made me feel like I was there. The story really had me hooked for most of it, however towards the end I kind of lost interest. I didn't really care for how the ending was revealed and it felt rushed. I was left feeling like I wanted more out of the story.

Overall I wasn't upset that I read it. I just think it was just okay.

Thank you to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read an advanced readers copy.

3.5/5 stars

Oh no! OH NO! I did not like this and I am struggling to come to terms with that.

I adored These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant. It was lyrical and thoughtfully written. It touched and broke my heart. I didn’t find those qualities in The Nature of Disappearing. This felt quite simple to me. The writing was uncomplicated and laced with overt telling, and the storyline, especially when considering what eventually transpired, seemed rather basic, whereas These Silent Woods felt like a fresh and shocking addition to the suspense genre.

At least that is how I remember it. Am I simply not the person I was when I read it? Have my tastes changed that dramatically? Because I’m concerned now that Grant’s previous book is not what I once thought it was. I’m not going to find out, though. I’ll let it sit in my memory unmarred. It is one story I will never reread.

I did, for the most part, like Emlyn’s character. I found some aspects of her personality relatable, although I was perturbed by the frequent reminders of her compromised self worth. This should have been illustrated through her actions instead of continually communicated to me. I would have appreciated her depiction more this way.

At first The Nature of Disappearing had a “torn from the headlines” vibe, slightly mirroring Gabby Petito’s sad tale, which bothered me, but it morphed into something of its own. It just wasn’t something I enjoyed. I’ll liken my overall experience to an ugly sweater: I could tell that it was stitched together well, but it really didn’t suit me.

I am immensely grateful to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

This was great! An influencer and her boyfriend go missing and it’s up to her old friends who have a complicated relationship to figure out what happened to them. I love creepy stories in the woods and this one did not disappoint. This is the second book I’ve read by this author and I will definitely read more in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Nature of Disappearing
Kimi Cunningham Grant
June 18, 2024

“𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦.”

KCG is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. I loved These Silent Woods and could tell immediately upon starting The Nature of Disappearing that I would have the same experience.

Emlyn is a wilderness guide in Idaho, recently relocated after a harrowing experience with a past boyfriend. She’s finding happiness again in the beauty of nature; fly fishing and living in her camper van not far from the friends who helped her overcome one of the worst experiences of her life.

When she finds out that Janessa, her once best friend is missing, she takes a chance on Tyler, the person who hurt her, in order to help her friend. As she and Tyler put the pieces together and begin to track Janessa’s movements, they set off into the wilderness to find her.

I don’t want to spoil too much of this story; for me, it was thrilling, heart-wrenching, hopeful and really hard to put down. There are so many things to mull over that I’m still thinking about. The imbalance of power in a friendship – whether given or taken and the true nature of sisterhood is front and center, then there’s the blind trust of love and hurt that remains when closure isn’t always closure for both parties. The remaking of a life! How I loved seeing Emlyn thrive with her found family! And then, of course, there’s the descriptive beauty that always captures my imagination. These things all combined make for an unforgettable reading experience!

I can’t recommend this one enough!

My thanks to @StMartinsPress and @Minotaur_Books for this gifted DRC!

The first few pages of this thriller, with their vivid descriptions of Emlyn and her job as a fishing guide pulled me in immediately. She's confident and likable and when she sets offf with her ex-boyfriend in search of an estranged friend who disappered from her #vanlife adventure without warning, it makes sense. Something obviously went wrong between Emalyn and Tyler to cause their breakup, and something caused Emalyn and her friend, but that's revealed gradually through flashbacks. I felt like I was reading about real people making real decisions and the plot didn't go in the direction I expected it to.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The world building in this novel was unreal. The author made me feel like I was in the woods. I enjoyed the story but felt like there was a lot of build up for a rushed ending.

When Emlyn, a wilderness guide, finds out that her best friend has gone missing, she must join her ex-boyfriend in finding her. Emlyn must face her past in this suspenseful wilderness thriller and discovers even more than she is expecting to find.

The way that Kimi Cunningham Grant writes suspense set in nature is so incredible. I love getting to enjoy the setting while enjoying the plot. I wish we got to know the characters a little bit better, but I loved the relationships and how complicated they were. While some of the plot points were a bit unrealistic and too far-fetched, I was still able to enjoy the plot.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

☆☆☆☆/5

Pub date: June 18th, 2024

3.5 stars-rounding up.
I went into this one blind and loved the atmospheric feel of this story. I liked the back and forth between past and present and the idea of the main character out to find her best friend in the wilderness-following the clues. However, I think the execution of the story fell flat for me. I felt like I knew the character but none of the side characters. It lacked depth. The reason her friends went into the wilderness is still kinda goofy to me, and the ending felt rushed and there was no closure.
I still gave it 3.5 stars for the idea and the feel of the book. However, I’ll read anything this author writes and I’ll be looking into the authors other books.

It’s amazing to me how this author manages to captivate me with her stories every time. One thing that contributes to that I think is that her books are never what I’m expecting going in but in a good way, like it’s better than what I was expecting, if that makes sense.

In this story we follow Emlyn who works as a guide for fishing and hunting tours. She lives by herself in a small community in Idaho and mostly keeps to herself after a traumatic experience in the past which has her struggling with trusting herself and others. Coming back from a fishing trip, she finds out that an old friend is missing. After her ex-boyfriend begs her to help, she reluctantly agrees, and together they set out to find her.

Emlyn was a great main character. I liked her from the start, and the more I found out about what had happened in the past, the more I was rooting for her. Sadly, the other characters kind of felt one dimensional to me, there wasn’t much (believable) character development and thus the stakes were low. Especially Varden was set up to be a great addition to the story, but then he was barely even in the book, missed opportunity imo.

Pacing wise, I found it to be a bit slow, it only picked up around the 60% mark. I didn’t mind it that much because I enjoyed the story and for the most part it has a nice flow to it, but the flashbacks just took away the suspense for me sometimes.

Overall, I was really excited about this one and while it didn’t quite meet my expectations, I still think it’s a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly I had to DNF this book.

I had the HARDEST time getting into it; the storyline was extremely slow paced. Nothing was really going on to keep me engaged. I put the book down and picked it back up a few times before deciding this was a loss for me.

If you don't mind a slow burn, then I think you'll have a better outcome than I did.

This is my second book by Grant and even though I was a little dissapointed with this one, I will still keep coming back for her books!
These Silent Woods was one of my all time favorites so I was really looking forward to this one and while I did enjoy it, it didn't wow me in quite the same way.

I loved the setting so much and her writing and descriptions of the setting are so good. I think what fell a little more flat in this one for me was the characters and the ending felt a little rushed and kind of came out of nowhere.

Is it just me or why did we not talk more about Varden!! When he was around things crackled but he was barely in the book. Lets get a follow up book with Emlyn and Varden and their budding relationship, yes please!!

I did enjoy reading this and wanted to keep picking it up yesterday, I just think there could have been a bit more character and story development. Overall though I would still recommend this as a solid read by Grant!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance e-book.

Wilderness Guide must team up with the man that ruined her life years ago, when the friend that introduces them goes missing.

This book took a little long to get to the action, but had great character development. The story is told in two time lines, the present and several years prior. What started out as a thrilling, suspense novel ended as a love story. The ending was a little boring and didn't really have a great climax moment.

Thank You NetGalley for the free e-galley. Publication Date: June 18, 2024