Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC of this book. All opinions in my review are my own.

This is my second book by Kate Clayborn, so I was excited to read this one when I received it. I loved Georgie All Along. I loved this one too, but it was definitely very different. More depth and serious topics covered in this one. It also got a bit of a slower start, but I felt it was worth it in the end.


Jess took on the role of guardian of her you get sister when she was in her early 20s after her mom disappeared. She has let herself fade into the background of her life, almost disappearing herself, but in a completely different way. She has thrown all of her into taking care of and raising Teegan. When hosts of a popular true crime podcast come knocking inquiring about their mother's involvement with a famous con-artist, the two sisters embark on a road trip to discover the truth. Jess forges a meaningful connection with Adam, one of the podcasters along the. way. The relationship between the sisters who are more like mother and daughter was well done and I enjoyed reading about them working through the trauma the disappearance of their other caused. The love story between Jess and Adam was beautifully done as well. I would definitely recommend this one. Thanks for the opportunity to review it.

Jess Greene has spent most of her adult life raising her younger sister Teagan after her mom up and leaves them for a random boyfriend she met a few months prior. Evidently, that man turns out to be the infamous Lynton Baltimore, a con man. When Teagan turns 18, she makes it her mission to find their mom, seeking out help from a popular podcast that made Lynton famous to begin with. Jess, being the fierce protector that she is, reluctantly agrees to join Teagan, the famous host, Salem Durant, and her handsome counterpart, Adam Hawke, on a road trip across the country to locate her missing mother.

The Other Side of Disappearing is an emotional journey between two sisters: one who had to become a parent and burden the trauma of their mother and the other, hidden from their family truths, desperately seeking answers. Jess and Teagan have so much love for each other; its evident in the way they look out for each other on this road trip. There are painful memories attached to each and every place they visit, a reminder of a life their mom lived without them, but they learn to navigate their trauma, their feelings, and communicate to each other. Their development by the end of the novel was heartwarming.

Jess and Adam are a bit of an insta-love situation, but its very wholesome. Adam is a gentleman and makes Jess's wellbeing his ultimate priority. He cares for her in a way that she's never let anyone care for her before and it livens her for the first time in her life since her mom left. Their relationship is special-- it gives them both a purpose. Clayborn has a beautiful way of writing their love and how deeply they care for one another. The epilogue was everything.

Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I was very excited to receive this arc after really enjoying Georgie, All The Way!
This is definitely more of a women’s fiction but it was a great story I couldn’t put down.
I recommend!

I simply adore Kate Clayborn’s writing and it seems as if her writing gets better with each new story. The Other Side of Disappearing was a bit understated in its development but by the end I could not put it down.

The relationship between the two romantic leads - Jess and Adam - was wonderful but also overshadowed a bit by the sister relationship and dynamic between Jess and Teegan. Actually every relationship in the book - Adam and Salem, Adam and his family, Jess, Teegan and their mother - was so well done that there wasn’t really a secondary storyline I didn’t care for. Adam is a classic Clayborn hero. He’s a bit quiet and broody, but soft and tender toward Jess in the swooniest way. I loved him so much. I wanted a little more of the story beyond the two weeks of the roadtrip/podcast recording but other than that, I really loved this one.

Content flags include parental abandonment; death by suicide described in past/off page; impacts of football and head injuries

I voluntarily read a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Kate Clayborn writes incredibly poignant stories about family, and loss, and grief, and yes, love. I adored Georgie All Along, and so I was over the moon when I landed an eARC of her most recent, The Other Side of Disappearing. I was blown away.

First, I should say this probably fits more into the women’s fiction genre than pure romance – as much as the romance between Jess and Adam is heart-wrenchingly sweet, the real action of the book is the story of Jess and her younger sister Tegan coming to terms with the disappearance of their mother, 10 years ago, with a notorious conman. Jess practically raised Tegan, and is furious to learn Tegan reached out to true crime podcaster Salem Durant, posing as Jess, with promises to talk if Salem will help track down her mother.

As the quartet – Jess and Tegan, Adam and Salem – hit the road, I was honestly nervous that Salem would be cast as yet again another heartless, soulless journalist willing to trample whomever stood in her way of getting her story. (As a former reporter, one of my biggest pet peeves of how journalists are portrayed in popular fiction, which I believe has had a real-world detrimental impact on people’s trust of the press. But that’s a rant for another day.) Adam, a former college football star and brand-new j-school grad with his own brush with viral fame, has every reason to want to get Jess to talk about her mom for his own career trajectory, but also can understand Jess’ terror of being publicly connected with the worst moment of her life. Adam is a total sweetheart of a MMC, supportive of all the right places, willing to do anything for Jess, and wonderful toward Tegan.

But the true heart of the story is the relationship between the sisters. Jess is every bit the damaged, closed off young woman you would expect of someone who suddenly found herself raising her 10-year-old sister at just 21. Tegan is spiky, and funny and so desperate to have the warmth of a mother figure Jess, for all her efforts, often didn’t provide as she was barely making it through the day herself.

All four main characters are absolutely dripping with pathos, richly drawn and fully alive. At this point, I’ll pick up anything Kate Clayborn writes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I already knew going into this from a friend that the romance was a bit instalove-y but I was like, surely it's not that bad...Also, instalove isn't usually a dealbreaker for me but unfortunately, it was for this book. You're telling me that Jess's whole character is how closed off she is (like. literally every character brings up how she's icy, curt, clearly not open to the conversation) and yet she pretty much immediately trusts Adam?? How does that make sense?

I suppose it wasn't immediately but it sure felt like it. Adam on the other hand is immediately infatuated with her after literally seeing her for 5 seconds. I don't mean that in a creepy way but it just straight up didn't make sense how he couldn't stop thinking about her when they had the smallest interaction. So yeah, the romance was not it for me, which made the rest of the book difficult for me to get through.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of Kate Clayborn's novels, but 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 (PUB 03.26) could be my favorite.

"𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨."

Ok, this cover. The dusty orange, pink and black- swoon. It begs to be forward facing on a shelf.

More importantly- the book. My friend @chelseyreads said it best "this genre-bending book is not to be missed." It's part romance, part mystery, part drama and distinctly different in the most satisfying way.

At its core this unique story is about two sisters with dysfunctional family dynamics who go on a journey of self-discovery via a true crime podcast. Along the way relationships are formed and wounds are healed amidst a poignant love story. The dual POV gave the reader a glimpse into some deeper insecurities and made the characters feel alive.

MORE:
- Road trip
- Romance with heft
- She's closed off & grumpy.
-He falls first & harder
- 🍆🍆 (steam)

Oh- and the acknowledgements made me sigh with contentment "I'm glad we can all disappear together, for a little while, into the pages of the books we love."

Jess has dedicated her life to bringing up her sister Tegan and protecting her from the realities of their mother's disappearance. Tegan, however, has other ideas, which leads them into a literal and emotional voyage of discovery.

As ever with a Kate Clayborn novel, this is a beautifully written exploration of multiple themes that coalesce into a coherent whole. There's the various aspects of what motherhood entails, the ways people deal with loss and unanswered questions, and as the title states, the meaning and effect of disappearing. It's a road trip, it's a mystery to be solved, and of course it's a romance, which feels like a deliciously slow burn even though it takes place over the course of just two weeks. Jess is a complicated character whose layers are gradually peeled back, and Adam is her perfect foil; the development of their relationship is carefully and sympathetically detailed. With both humorous and tear-jerking moments, this is a book that's definitely going on my reread list.

Seamlessly blending a soft, tender romance with a family-focused mystery, this felt like something new from Clayborn while still maintaining the immersive, bingeable quality of her writing. It took me a few chapters to get my bearings - there are four main characters and a lot to unravel about the true crime podcast - but once I got settled in, I ended up bingeing the whole thing in a single day. It's essentially a road trip romance with a gentle giant of a hero and a black cat heroine who can't help but fall for the ridiculously smitten man. The romance is fast-paced, but it still features so many of the gorgeous intimate moments that I've come to expect from Clayborn. I truly loved the hero and I adored how well his softness contrasted with the heroine's abrasiveness. I honestly didn't mind how quickly things developed - when it's right, it's right. The mystery is also a major part of the story, which I wasn't sure about at first. But it's integral to the romance, and I was soon caught up in every component of this multi-faceted read.

The story follows Jess (31), a woman who became her little sister's guardian when their mother abandoned them ten years ago. Tegan has just turned 18 and she's determined to get some answers about what happened, going so far as to reach out to a true crime podcaster who is interested in their mother's connection to a famous con man. Jess is extremely private and unwilling to open up her life to the public, but she's gotten roped into the situation by her sister. The only one who seems to have any empathy for her is the podcaster's assistant, Adam (33). The former football player is intimidating at first glance, but he seems genuinely concerned about Jess and she hasn't felt that from anyone in a very long time. As the four unlikely companions embark on a road trip to solve the mystery, Jess finds herself growing closer to Adam as she finally deals with the things she's been burying for years.

I will openly admit that I wasn't so sure about this for a few chapters, as we're given a whole lot of information and a whole lot of people to keep track of in a short period of time. But that slightly overwhelming feeling went away as quickly as it came, especially once we got to know Adam better. He is such an absolute sweetheart, this giant mountain of a man who just wants to protect and love his girl. I loved the forced proximity of the road trip, which allowed Jess and Adam to grow closer in only a matter of days. It was great to see Jess slowly open up to Adam and let go of the things that had been holding her back, and there are some seriously excellent moments of heat and heart. Adam was just perfection. The mystery element takes up more space than I initially anticipated, but it really does tie everything together nicely. Jess has been so focused on being there for her sister for the last decade that she hasn't been living for herself, and they both needed to come to terms with that before they could move forward. It's a layered story, and I found it incredibly easy to stay invested throughout. In fact, the more I read, the more I loved it.

THE OTHER SIDE OF DISAPPEARING is angsty, tender, layered and so real - all things I look for and love in a romance. I will admit based on the premise I wasn't entirely sure if I would be on board, but I was pleased with where the story takes the reader. Sisters Jess and Teagan agree to go on a search for their missing mother across the country after ten years with true crime podcaster and journalist, Salem and Adam to hopefully get answers and seek the truth.. It felt different and refreshing. And as always, the author's writing has a way of wrapping around and holding my heart so delicately. It is definitely an emotional journey for all characters involved and not just the love interests which adds so much depth to the story. Also if anyone can write burly, more serious men with big hearts, it's Kate Clybourn. Looking forward to reading whatever the author may grant us with next!

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the arc in exchange of my honest review.

Kate Clayborn is an auto buy author for me!! She has a way of writing her characters and plots thats he does with such nuance and delicacy. For example, this has a subplot of a true crime podcast and she sets it up with such care that it intrigues the reader and makes the book much more than just the podcast and the con. This book is truly about healing for all of the characters. The sisters are healing their relationship with each other as well as their relationship with their mom. Adam grieved the death of his best friend, Salem healed the relationship with her past subject and her marriage.

This book is essentially about healing than anything else. It leaves you with a sense of hope and smiling at the end.

Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review, as always, all words are my own.

5 freaking stars! I took to this book immediately and once I started I could not stop. I don't know what it was about it that just sucked me in but honestly I knocked it out in about a day. The writing was great, the slowburn romance was perfect and sweet, and the podcast/true crime portion added a different flavor to the novel that kinda kept you guessing while also going down the thriller/mystery direction. I think many of us can relate to our prickly cactus female main character, Jess, as well as the big softie with a heart for people who is our male main character, Adam . I enjoyed reading both POVs throughout the whole story. The story also addressed many different issues relevant in people's lives in a respectful and compassionate way. This is the first book I have read by this author, and it did not disappoint. Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book has suspense, mystery, family, and romance all together. Jess' mom took off with a grifter years ago, but now her younger sister wants to find her. She goes behind Jess' back to contact a podcaster who covered the grifter in the past. Adventures ensue! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Before I go into a bit more details, I want to start off with saying that this is my first 5-star read in months... and might very likely become my favourite book of 2024. When I started the book I had this very rare feeling of dreading finishing it because I was already starting to "miss" it, even though I still had it in front of me. This is one of those books, where you wish you could read it again for the first time. And now a few days later, I still think about it..,

The story follows Jess Greene on an emotional journey as she raises her half-sister Tegan, stepping into the role of a guardian after their mother's sudden departure to be with her new boyfriend. Little did Tegan know that Jess harbored suspicions about their mother's boyfriend, who might just be the infamous con-man Lynton Baltimore. As a gripping podcast delves into Lynton's whereabouts, Tegan starts piecing together the puzzle of her mother's past, deciding to search for her. Reluctantly, Jess teams up with Tegan, a podcast host and his producer, unraveling a web of secrets to uncover the truth.

What really got me excited were those podcast transcripts at the start of some chapters. The book is like a mix of all my favourite things – podcasts, mystery, and romance – all rolled into one. One aspect that truly stood out in this novel was the depth and complexity of the characters. Jess and Tegan's relationship is portrayed with such authenticity, highlighting the delicate balance between sisterhood and maternal responsibility. Jess's character, in particular, really moved me. She is strong yet vulnerable and seems to have sacrificed her own identity for the well-being of her sister.

The romance is not a subplot, neither is the mystery - both get their equal time and focus, which is something I can only admire. I’m not sure if I’ve even ever read a book that has managed this so elegantly. And speaking of romance this is not a loud, banter-filled enemies-to-lovers or Hollywood-like love story. Feelings seem instantaneous but more private, more intimate. In the most part the romance is even non-verbal. Here it’s glances, touches - it’s a telepathic and emotional understanding that doesn’t require many words but its powerful in its own right. This is one of the most beautiful romances I have read.

This book, however, isn't just about the romance; it delves deep into themes of family dynamics, grief, self-discovery, and love. The raw emotions portrayed throughout the story had a really profound impact on me. They reminded me of the power of human connection and resilience in the face of adversity. They also made me think about the complex dynamics of all my personal relationships.

If you're looking for a read that will make you laugh, cry, and everything in between, this book is a must-add to your reading list. Trust me; you won't be able to put it down!

Thank you NetGalley for granting me an ARC of this wonderful book. This review reflects my own, honest and unbiased opinion.

A novel about a search for truth- and a missing mother- that turns from road trip to romance. Jess raised her sister Tegan after her mother took off with a man she now knows was an infamous con man but she's hidden what details she knows from Tegan. Or so she thought until Adam and Salem turn up at the front door to make a podcast. She agrees with conditions to go with them to visit the places their mother might have been (she sent post cards). What starts as a bad relationship turns quickly as Jess get those vibes from Adams, who wants more than anything to make a podcast about mental health in sports, inspired by the death of his best friend. While I've always been a big fan of Clayborn, this dragged for me in a way I didn't expect. Jess actually became annoying at points, I had to remember that Tegan is only 18, and I thoroughly disliked Salem. Adam, on the other hand, tells his own story and I liked his chapters. This is an insta-lust/love one. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to Clayborn's next novel.

This was unfortunately not for me as I was expecting a romance but it read more like women's fiction and I did not love the podcast/mystery element. I would still recommend it to people who enjoy women's fiction and mystery stories though. The writing was pretty good.

It's a high-concept premise--daughters left by mom who ran off with a conman who was the subject of a podcast, and then the podcast returns 10 years later--but Kate Clayborn makes it work. Clayborn's writing is as achingly beautiful as ever, and she's so good at getting deep into a character's emotional state in just one sentence that almost seems like a throwaway but actual has layers of meaning. I loved the mystery part and the explorations of different types of motherhood, but the romance part is where things didn't totally gel for me. Adam's instalove and his ability to break down Jess's unsurprisingly high and fortified walls both happened too fast within the two-week period in which the biggest chunk of the book occurs. Even as sweet and lovely and patient as Adam was, Jess had completely understandable reasons to be so protective and defensive. In many ways, this book felt more like women's fiction with a strong romantic element--about Jess's ability to make peace with her past--rather than a full-on romance.

My thanks to Kensington for ARC.

I enjoyed the setup of this book, following two sisters Jess and Tegan as they embark on a cross country search for their mother, Charlotte. Joining the hosts of a true crime podcast focusing on the crimes of conman Lynton Baltimore, the same man their mother disappeared with.

I liked both sisters, they were relatable and despite the odds, had a good family dynamic. This is a romance so some predictability is a factor. The love interest between Jess and Adam was very instant, and while time passes as the characters travel to different cities, it’s a fast developing relationship with a happy ending, which some may expect and find gratifying.

There is mystery implied with Charlotte’s disappearance, the podcast transcripts featuring the conman and the people left in his wake, but I did not sense any thrill with this plot. The podcast information was very brief and didn’t dive into the actual crimes. Along with romance, there are themes of mental health and the after effects of abandonment, especially for Jess and Tegan. It was an emotional journey for these characters and in the end I felt sympathetic to all their expectations. With that said, the book was slightly underwhelming as a whole but I liked the writing style and the characters kept me interested enough in the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Book for the review copy.

Total miss for me. Couldn’t get into the characters - primary or secondary, the story, the romance or the conclusion. Oddly, it’s like everything felt underdeveloped and S L O W but also was happening too fast.

I never thought I could or would dislike a Clayborn book, but reading this one was a total slog. I didn’t inhale this…I suffered through it and couldn’t wait to finish it.

Also, WTF is this cover?

There are a lot of books I'm looking forward to this year by a lot of incredible authors, but I think they'll all have a hard time typing this.

Everything about this was wonderful. Well-written story, well-developed characters, and - my favorite thing - the characters actually communicated with each other (as best damaged people could, anyway).

I devoured this in about 24 hours, and when it was finished I was satisfied with their story (not just Adam and Jess, but also Tegan and Salem), but I still wanted more.

Kate Clayborn just gets better and better!