THE NATURE OF DISAPPEARING by Kimi Cunningham Grant

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Minotaur Books for the ARC ebook.

This is a slow burn romance/suspense read with dual timelines. This is my second book by the author. I really enjoyed ‘These Silent Woods’ and this read was good but enjoyed ‘These Silent Woods’ way more.

I liked that it takes place in the wilderness and surviving the elements along with what being out in the wilderness takes. Felt it was more romance than a suspense/thriller. Would have liked a bit more action. I look forward to more books from KCG.

Touching on what friendship really means, revenge, survival, broken relationships, new beginnings and hope.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars!

This is the second e-ARC I have received of Kimi Cunningham Grants through NetGalley and I am absolutely in love with her writing style, characters, and descriptions of nature. She writes beautiful books that show the beauty of nature as well as the danger and I have appreciated that element of her books. She also creates characters with complicated relationships, which comes across more realistic especially when it comes to the type of story she is trying to convey. The characters in her books have a lot of flaws and struggle through their own issues, which lead to issues for those around them. This attachment to realism creates the important base for these pieces of realistic fiction and I adore it.

Emlyn lives a simple life after her life changed drastically by being left by her then boyfriend, Tyler, and losing her friendship with Janessa in the process of building her relationship with Tyler. After nearly dying, she builds a simple life with her friends Rev, small town Reverend, and Varden, Forest Service Ranger. Along comes Tyler asking Emlyn for help to find their friend Janessa, who disappeared into the wilderness with her boyfriend. Emlyn decides to be strong and help find her friend with her skills as a tracker because if Emlyn was missing Janessa would look for her even though they haven't talked in years. This path leads to many secrets being revealed and a dangerous hike throughout the wilderness to hunt down her long-lost friend.

I agree with a lot of other reviews that the book itself is slow, but I appreciated the slowness of it due to how to resembled the life that Emlyn lives and how being in nature can feel. I grew up hiking and camping and learning a lot of safety lessons dealing with nature and slow and steady is the way to go. The pace of this book and the theme go hand-in-hand.

I recommend this book for someone looking for a slow but beautiful book that includes a little love, a little mystery, and a lot of nature. I can't wait for the next book to come out from Grant and I will definitely be picking up my own copy of this book to add to my collection.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint. I just love Kimi Cunningham Grant's writing, how the setting has such a profound impact on the characters. Emlyn ends up being a strong character, and in the end finds healing from past trauma.

It’s been three years since Emlyn was found freezing to death on the side of the road outside of Heart, Idaho. After her heart was broken and she was essentially left for dead by her boyfriend, Tyler, Emlyn has made a new life for herself as a successful wilderness guide. Those who saved her that night have become a new family and she is happier than she thought possible.

Everything changes when Emlyn sees a news report that her childhood friend, Janessa is missing and her abusive ex boyfriend who left her for dead shows up asking for help in finding her. Insert no.

I should say, I loved These Silent Woods by the same author and had high hopes for this adventure, mystery, suspense novel set in the Idaho wilderness. The vivid and atmospheric writing about nature and the wilderness had me captivated.
With that being said, The Nature of Disappearing is a solid read. But mind the fact that you'll not be liking all these characters. It's the circumstances and the strong element of trust that weaves its way throughout this one. Just how many times can a person look the other way and hope for the best? And at the core of this one is the stern reality that not everyone in our loop of friendship has our best interest in mind.
Good balances themes of romance, deceit, addiction, friendship and spirituality throughout the novel.
I want to thank St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Kimi Cunningham Grant is becoming an auto-read author for me! I loved These Silent Woods (recommend it all the time) and I was so excited to get the chance to read the arc of The Nature of Disappearing. Emlyn is living in Idaho as a camping/fishing guide putting her life back together after being abandoned in the wilderness by her ex Tyler. She learns that her estranged best friend as gone missing and Tyler comes to her asking for help in the search. Emlyn agrees and they set out together again into the wilderness. I really loved this story had good suspense and loved the survival aspects and how Idaho became like another character. Slowly the story of the three people unfolds as we see flashback chapters and we learn the truth about what's really going on. This was close to a 5 star read for me giving 4/4.5. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The book delves into themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the resilience of the human spirit. Emlyn's journey from a traumatic past to finding solace and purpose in the wilderness is likely a central aspect of the story, intertwined with her evolving feelings towards Tyler and her commitment to helping her friend Janessa. The blend of wilderness adventure, personal growth, and the complexity of relationships was captivating and it's refreshing to hear about a well-written depiction of spirituality without resorting to clichés. The author did a great job creating a rich and immersive experience.

Emlyn has settled into her new life after being left in the snow by her addict ex boyfriend. He shows up at her job and says he needs help locating their mutual best friend. She is a #vanlife influencer who seems to be missing.

This book was so different from other thrillers / mysteries I’ve read! The past and present back and forth chapters I loved because you’re seeing both stories play out at the same time. I think the plot involving an influencer was fun because it’s new and current.

The way the story played out and ended really did shock me because I had no idea how this was going to end. As Emlyn is sort of re-falling for Tyler, the reader does too and maybe he’s changed. So the ending was great and I loved the rekindling of Janessa and Emlyn’s friendship. The romance throughout the book makes me happy for Emlyn and her new beginning.

Thank you netgalley and Minotaur books for the ARC!

Emlyn has been abandoned more than once, so she’s not eager to open up and possibly let her heart get broken again. She had a falling out with her friend Janessa, but they’ve started getting in contact again. When Emlyn’s ex-boyfriend, who had left her for dead three years earlier, tells her that Janessa is in trouble and he could use Emlyn’s tracking skills to find her, Emlyn decides to trust him and find her friend. The truth of the situation puts Emlyn, Tyler, Janessa, and Janessa’s travel companion in danger, using all of their outdoor survival skills to make it out alive.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELASES JUNE 18, 2024.

It’s been three years since Emlyn was found freezing to death on the side of the road outside of Heart, Idaho. After her heart was broken and she was essentially left for dead by her boyfriend, Tyler, Emlyn has made a new life for herself as a successful wilderness guide. Those who saved her that night have become a new family and she is happier than she thought possible.

Everything changes when Emlyn sees a news report that her childhood friend, Janessa is missing and Tyler shows up asking for help in finding her.

Janessa and her boyfriend, Bush, have been trekking through the wilderness in their campervan and memorializing everything on social media. When Tyler doesn’t hear from her and there have been no posts for a week, he gets worried and fears the worst has happened.

He begs Emlyn for help and despite their terrible past, she relents and they begin the days long trek in search of Janessa and Bush. In close quarters and over the days, Emlyn begins to realize that Tyler has changed and she starts to wonder if the strong feelings she once had for him are dead or is she open to the possibility of rekindling the romance.

I found this to be such a lovely and well-written book. While not fast-paced, the author’s knowledge of and description of the Idaho wilderness and everything it offers was really illustrative and enjoyable to read.

The characters are well-developed and the story easy to understand told from both past and present perspectives with all questions answered.

Sidenote: I’ve noticed in so many books lately, a character gets into trouble and says something like, “I prayed to a God I’m not sure I believe in”. Every time I read this it drives me absolutely crazy. I was so happy that in this book, there is actually a character, very important to Emlyn who is seen as a spiritual guide and who is respected by those around her.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept me on the edge of the seat the whole time - lots of twists and kept me guessing the whole time ! Highly recommend !

What started as a slow burn ..erupts into an action packed thriller. We meet Emlyn who works a outdoor guide seemingly hiding from the world after a tragic incident where she almost died. We meet her friend Janessa who is rich and confident and the polar opposite of Emlyn. After a fight over Emlyn's choice of boyfriends, the pair have started to make a tentative step to renewing their friendship when Janessa goes missing and the old boyfriend reemerges looking for help in finding her. Who can be trusted and is the past ever really over??

Emoji Book Review: 😐🫤 😐😕

⏰Short Summary: The past should stay in the past…or should it? Three estranged friends, Emlyn, Janess and Tyler. Now one is missing in the wilderness and the other two need to put aside their differences and find their friend before it’s too late.

⚡Thoughts: This is my first read by this author. While I would not put this into the thriller category, it was a decent mystery. So let me start with the good things.

It was a compelling story. I wanted to know what was going to happen and where each turn would lead. I wasn’t hugely invested in the characters, although Emlyn tugged at my heart strings and I was rooting for her. I would say I felt a strong connection to her moreso than any other characters. The landscape played an integral part of the story almost making nature itself a main character.

I struggled with the romance. I understand addiction - but I wanted more for Emlyn and kept wanting to scream at her for entertaining someone who had done what he’d done to her.

The story was compelling - but the mystery aspects left me wanting. Don’t get me wrong there was some captivating parts for sure, but overall it just didn’t come across as fully believable for me and I struggled with those aspects.

Overall, I definitely say give it a try. The scenery alone is majestic and there is a good story here. It just wasn’t as thriller-y as I’ve come to want from a good mystery/thriller.

📚Genre: Mystery

📅Publish Date: June 18, 2024

Big thank you to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for my advanced copy. 🥰

This was a wild ride into the wilderness ! Very fast paced and kept me entertained the whole way through. I really enjoyed the alternating chapters between past and present. I liked the growth of Emlyn during the book and her journey to find herself again. I loved Kimi Cunningham Grant's last book, so when I saw she had a new one coming out, I had to get my hands on it. I highly recommend giving this a read if you enjoy suspense and books taking place in nature.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

I loved These Silent Woods by the same author and had high hopes for this adventure, mystery, suspense novel set in the Idaho wilderness. The vivid and atmospheric writing about nature and the wilderness had me captivated. However, I was not as captivated with the characters. The past/present timelines kept pulling me out of the story and released the tension building up. Still a solid read.

After having read and enjoyed These Silent Woods, I was very excited to read The Nature of Disappearing. The story pulled me in from the beginning. Emlyn is living a simple quiet life as a fishing and hunting guide. She rarely talks to her best friend, Janessa and never talks to Tyler who she thought was the love of her life. Then Janessa goes missing and Tyler asks her to help him go into the wilderness to find her. Alternating chapters slowly tell us the story of what happened with Emlyn Janessa and Tyler. I liked the pace of the book as the story unfolds and Emlyn and Tyler hike deeper into the wilderness and the wilderness becomes a character in the story. I enjoyed the survival aspects of the book as well as Emlyn coming to terms with her story and ultimately finding herself. Thank you for the advanced copy of the book. It was a great read which I give 4 stars.

This was such a great book! The only problem I had with it were the religious parts. They didn’t add anything to the story and they detract from the storytelling. Other than that, a great book with great characters! I adored Emlyn the most, she was perfection. I will definitely watch for more books from her!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I love books that put you in different state of mind. It made for a relaxing weekend read and was so much fun. I can't wait for the next book from this author.

This novel is a wonderful journey into a read that combines wilderness, mystery, friendship and betrayal. If you like slow burn reads, this is the book for you. I highly recommend reading it!

I got the ebook arc of this book. Thank you NetGalley and Kimi Cunningham Grant. I gave it 5 stars.

Emlyn is the main character in this book. It is about 3 friends who reunite after a falling out and something big that happened between them. One of the friends goes missing and the 2 others try to find out what happened to her. I love the dynamics of the friends. The book switches from present to past to let us know what is happening currently, as well as what happened in the past.

One of the friends, Janessa, is an influencer and I felt like that added a lot to her story and her going missing.

There was a little romance but it was mostly contemporary, Emlyn’s growth throughout the book. Also some mystery in there.

Kimi Cunningham Grant has a way of writing more slow-paced, but this is the second book I’ve read of hers and I love her writing. Even with the slow pace I was engaged throughout and was rooting for these characters.

Emlyn doesn't let herself think about the past.

Emlyn thought she's moved on to a simpler life. Tyler, the love of her life, left her to die in the woods three years ago. She doesn't speak to her best friend Janessa anymore. When Tyler shows up in her small town with the news that Janessa is missing and asks her to help Emlyn has to make a tough decision. Does she follow her ex back in to the woods?

This book immediately hooked me. I enjoyed the past and present timeline and how it added to the story as the plot thickened. This was my first novel by Grant, and definitely won't be my last!