This book flew by! I'm always drawn to Nature Fiction and love when an author can include it as beautifully as Grant did here. Makes me want to pack up the car and take off into the wild.

Her characters were beautifully crafted as well. Emlyn, the narrator, is in her mid-20's and gone through a lot in her life giving her good reason to be distant with very few closely cultivated friends. Emlyn's parents, best friend, and first love all let her down in some of the harshest ways. But deep down inside she is still looking for that love and acceptance: though she doesn't believe she's worthy of it.

This starts out as two stories that alternate back and forth seamlessly. One beginning in Emlyn's childhood and brings us to where she is today. The other, I initially thought was going to be a story based on the Gabby Petito's disappearance and murder, but it takes a sharp turn when Emlyn goes out in search of her missing estranged best friend. Lot of action and suspense, but a lot of heartache and hope too.

Many thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Really enjoyed this one. Thank you NetGally and Macmillan Publishing for the early e copy . I would highly recommend this book. The characters were all very well developed and the atmosphere of the wilderness could be both magnificent and eerie. I will have to pick up Grants previously published books.

I really loved These Silent Woods so when I saw this on read now, I snatched it up. I enjoyed this book, but it was not as good as the silent woods. The characters were really great in this novel and Kimi is really great at writing.

I was really hoping for a “wilderness thriller” if you will. Maybe some extreme survival and search for missing vloggers. This book was really not that. Most of the book is focused on intense themes of overcoming addiction and the effects this struggle has on loved one. This is an incredibly important message, but not what I initially thought I was getting from the synopsis.

Emlyn has restarted her life and is trying to outrun her past. A failed and almost deadly relationship had left her reeling with the need to reinvent herself in Idaho. However, her ex-boyfriend contacts her under the guise of finding her missing best friend and boyfriend who were on a social media expedition documenting their camping life. What she finds in the wilds of Idaho is more than she agreed upon.

The story is told in the past and present, with the past starting five years previous when Emlyn and Tyler first get together. I felt the past really slowed the pace of the story down and kept it from becoming thrilling. I see the purpose was to better develop the characters, but the flow felt choppy. The story finally picks up about 75% through with a few revelations and then everything happens overly quickly.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5

My idea of outdoorsy time is a walk in the park or patio drinks but for some reason I love stories that place in wilderness. I blame Jack London’s The Call of the Wild which I loved as a kid. I was so excited about The Nature of Disappearing and love that I got to read and discuss this with a group of #bookstagram friends.

This was a story about female friendship, heartbreak, addiction, survival wrapped up in suspense and mystery. But at the heart of it, at least to me, it read like a story about challenges life throws our way and how overcoming those obstacles can feel as scary as trying to survive in the wilderness.

Emlyn was such a sympathetic character. She is tough & resilient when it comes to surviving in nature but scared of being vulnerable emotionally. I really enjoyed that the first part of the book was an atmospheric slow burn, giving us glimpses into Emlyn’s past with both Janessa and her ex Tyler. Dynamic switches into bit more action oriented story about 2/3 in. I found myself really pulled into the story and even shed a tear towards the end.

If you love isolated locations, complex humans, and complicated relationships, I recommend you grab this one!

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This reminds me of the case when the young couple went off grid in their home on wheels and their story ended in murder. This is different, it’s rugged, it’s friendship? It’s heartbreak. Great for a quick summer read.

Thanks to Netgalley for the early copy. I love this author and I’ve really enjoyed her other books. I would say this was my least favorite. I love the wilderness aspect of all her books, but this one felt less that and more just a love drama. What I gravitate towards in her books are the characters feeling alone in the woods and that peaks my interest. I felt the middle dragged on and the final climax was a let down. The mystery just seemed like an after thought. I will still support the writer because I just really love her style and subject matter.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. This is the second book I have read by Kimi Cunningham Grant and absolutely loved it. I felt like this story could have gone on and wish it had. Looking forward to more books by Kimi. Definitely worth the read.

Another very intriguing book by this author. She writes surroundings and characters very well. I have have enjoyed all her books so far. You won't be disappointed.

Who read Grant's previous gripping novel, These Silent Woods? Well, if you liked that one, you're gonna want to get this next one asap when it publishes next month! I think I held my breath through most of it, which of course meant almost nothing else got done.

Emlyn's former close friend, Janessa, and Janessa's boyfriend have disappeared somewhere in the wilderness of a national park. Emlyn's ex, a man with no shortage of severe problems of his own making, convinces her that her expertise in wilderness tracking can help find them, despite the fact that he profoundly hurt her both physically and emotionally years ago.

Sounds a bit cliched perhaps? It most definitely was not for this reader. Grant pulled me completely into the story with characters struggling to find their way, in life and in relationships, with the same incredible sense of place that she brought to These Silent Woods, and with a slow, agonizing build of suspense. I could not put this book down.

Disappearing is not your fast-paced, wild ride of a thriller. Instead, it is a quiet, steady mountain climb of growing anxiety. Perfectly appropriate to the setting.

After two hits for me, I'm going to have to check out KCG's backlist. Thank you @netgalley and St.Martin's for sharing a digital arc with me! Trust me, thriller lovers, you want to read this one.

Giving it a solid 3.5 stars!

I have to admit, having adored "These Silent Woods," my expectations were high going into this one. It turned out to be a swift read, polished off in less than a day, and I genuinely found myself engrossed in the unfolding narrative.

Initially anticipating a gritty wilderness tale, I appreciated those elements within the book. However, I can't shake off a lingering sense of disappointment. While the thriller aspect held promise, I felt the character development lacked depth. More backstory would have been helpful, as the focus on the thriller elements left me wanting. The reveal, in particular, struck me as overly far-fetched, prompting more of an 'oh' reaction than genuine surprise.

A huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I thought I was going to love this, based on the synopsis and loving These Silent Woods.

In the beginning, I thought I really liked our main character, Emilyn. She lives a simple life in a small town, spending most of her time outdoors. She seemed like a badass and I thought she was cool. I was curious by her upbringing and family dynamics and her new life in this rural town. Until her ex came back and shared his suspicions that one of their old friends had gone missing while doing van life. Instead of calling the police, they decide to take it upon themselves to go and search for her. This is where the entire plot takes a twist for the worst and becomes so eye-roll worthy, I was no longer excited to pick up this book.

Emilyn is meant to be trained and super comfortable in the outdoors, but when she is searching in the middle of nowhere for her friend who she thinks may be missing, with her questionable ex, she makes such silly mistakes. I don't know why the author went this route, when she could have kept up the mystery without making a Riley Sager-esque main character who makes poor choices, almost knowing it's not going to yield any answers. It was almost like the author was trying to do too much by incorporating the romance element into the mystery.

This was described as a "novel of suspense." It was tense, for sure. But while you'd normally expect a suspenseful novel to turn full thriller, and this one gave signals it might go that way, it didn't. This is a character-driven wilderness book; exactly what Kimi Cunningham Grant has written before. I think previous readers hoping for more of the same will be satisfied. I don't generally read this kind of book, but it matched my expectations. I liked the simplicity being away from the rest of the world gave the story.

The ending snuck up on me - I didn't realize the book was almost over and, after a quick burst of action, it was. I appreciated how everything was wrapped up neatly. I will say, though, when people describe the nature writing as being so good you'll want to go hiking yourself, I disagree. It was good, yes, but the woods was where a lot of the sinisterness of the story came from! There aren't other people around to help, You're limited to the food you brought or can forage. An injury can make it hard to get out. No thanks for me!

I enjoy Kimi Cunningham Grant’s style of writing. Her previous book, These Silent Woods was on of my favorite books. Her descriptions of nature and surroundings make you feel like you are there.
This story centers around Emlyn who has trust issues as a result of her father abandoning her as a child and a traumatic abandonment by her addict boyfriend Tyler. After rebuilding her life as a wilderness guide, Tyler (now clean) appears at her door asking for her help finding a mutual friend who he believes is lost. Told in alternating time lines, the back stories are built and characters are developed well.
This book was slow-going at first with the current timeline story picking up about halfway in. Story was a little predictable but enjoyable due to Grant’s skillful writing.
Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance copy.

2.5/5 stars

The Nature of Disappearing was a quick read that kept me interested, but I found it hard to connect with the characters. I felt like I didn’t really know much about any of them. Emlyn was portrayed as self conscious, yet everyone else thinks she’s great but we never really know why. What is so great about her, why was Tyler in love with her? Her character was a bit boring and again, I just don’t feel like I know much about her at all. The person I feel like I got to know the most was Tyler, but I still didn’t know much about him.
I was really bored when the book hit its climax. I couldn’t wait to find out what was really going on and then thought “oh, that’s it?” But I will say I don’t love that trope so that may be just me.

I loved her novel These Silent Woods so I was super excited for this one! Unfortunately it didn’t live up to its predecessor. A quick read that was mildly entertaining and easy to get through, but I don’t think I would recommend it.

Prepare yourself for an adventure in the untamed wilderness as Emlyn and Tyler embark on a mission to find their missing friend, Janessa. However, a lingering question remains: can Emlyn truly place her trust in Tyler? After all, he has previously caused her pain and abandoned her. As I delved into the story, I found myself fully immersed in the intricately crafted characters. Their depth and complexity were truly impressive. The narrative unfolded with a gripping sense of suspense, culminating in unexpected plot twists that left me astounded. I highly recommend adding this captivating tale to your "To Be Read" list!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC to read and review!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this advance copy.
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I loved Grant’s previous novel, These Silent Woods, so any follow up had very big shoes to fill. In The Nature of Disappearing, we get a present day timeline involving a search in the wilderness, alternating with past timeline chapters revealing the relationships between these characters. The present day chapters were a slow burn suspense that had me binge reading this book. I had to find out what was going to happen. Unfortunately, once the twists were revealed, I found the ending to be rushed and lackluster. I really appreciate that Grant weaves in themes of Christianity and shares scripture in her novels, but her message felt unclear here in comparison to These Silent Woods.

Thank you @minotaur #partner for the free eARC.

I’ve been anxiously awaiting another book by @kimicunninghamgrant after reading one of my favorite books ever, These Silent Woods! I am pleased to report Kimi has created yet another atmospheric adventure into the wilderness. There is something about the way she creates a visual experience for me that just works for me. This setting was in the remote mountains where survival and recovery is always the most challenging part each day! The setting was my favorite part of this book. The suspense and the search in the first half of the book really felt more like traditional “These Silent Woods” …which I LOVED! The ending was more fast paced and wraps up nicely with a surprise that I didn’t predict. It’s so easy to recommend her writing and of course will grab whatever she writes next!

This novel drew me in with the blurb - I love any story set in the wilderness. Add a disappearance, strong female friendship, and a strong-but-silent park ranger love interest, and I'm totally sold. A quick, solidly enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I love books on missing persons, they take the cake for me as far as all time favorites go. This was no difference. I enjoyed the story and the twists and turns without giving too much away. I can't say I saw that ending coming!