The Other Side of Disappearing is a romance, but it's also about all different kinds of love. Family, friends, coworkers. The kind that helps lift people up and the kind that threatens to smother them.

Jess Greene has spent the last 10 years hoping that no one realizes her connection to famous conman Lynton Baltimore. Or rather, her mother's connection. That's because 10 years ago, Jess's mother ran off with Baltimore, leaving Jess's younger half sister Tegan in her care. But it turns out that Tegan has been doing some digging into their past - and shared that digging with a famous podcaster and her new assistant. The four of them set off on a begrudging roadtrip following the clues Jess and Tegan's mother left behind when she disappeared, but not everyone may like what they find.

First things first, I have to say that Adam Hawkins is just an excellent book boyfriend. He's sweet and smart, with a tragedy in his past that he's still trying his best to process. Basically, the whole book boyfriend package. He and Jess have great chemistry together - first a push-pull dynamic and then a long slide into something wonderful. They both have their flaws and their traumas, and I felt like the way those interacted with their love story had a heft of realism.

The secondary characters, mainly Tegan and Salem, intrigued me more than I expected, too. My only complaint is that Salem's B plot with her daughter distracted a little bit from the main story. It didn't entirely fit and I could entirely wrap my mind around it. I also loved Adam's family and the way it both entranced Jess and terrified her.

Basically, I really loved this book, even though it wasn't entirely perfect. A lovely and emotional read!

4.5/5

I really enjoyed Georgie, All Along, so I was very excited to receive this arc! I do not think I liked it quite as well, but it was still well done. For a book centered on a road trip, I wish it *felt* more roadtrippy -- I don't think that makes sense but if you're a road trip trope person, I think you'll get what I am saying. I also think this book is marketed as a romance, and while it does have a love plot, it is definitely not the main focus. The main themes are coping with grief, family turbulence, sisterhood, etc.

Overall, while it took me a while to get through, I did like it and am happy to read more from Kate Clayborn.

4⭐

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc.

The Other Side of Disappearing is a clever title that the author does a great job giving meaning too. Unfortunately it is also a story that just didn’t do it for me. I was never invested in the plot. Two sister on a hunt for their mom with a podcast crew…. The story was much more about their trauma and relationship and the love story developing, and the roadtrip itself took a backseat to the deeper things going on. My favorite part of the story was the middle when they take a break at Hawk’s family’s home and they start acting on their feelings. This is probably why I finished the book. Salem’s reveal at the end is ridiculous and cemented that this book wasn’t for me.

Kate Clayborn is an auto-buy author for me and she NEVER disappoints. The way she writes characters with depth and perceived flaws is magical. This story tells the story of two sisters who struggle with who they are, due to each of their relationships with their mother. When given the opportunity to take a road trip to learn more about their mom there are break throughs and catharsis and HAWK, our MMC who is smitten with Jess from their first meeting. Will he be able to break down her walls and help her be vulnerable and will she fall for this wonderful hero?

The heroine of The Other Side of Disappearing is Jess. She’s been bringing up her half sister Tegan on her own for the last decade, since their mum ran off with a boyfriend she had only know for a few months. She’s also been keeping a secret - that her mum’s boyfriend was a con man who was the subject of a true crime podcast. At the start of the book she discovers that not only has Tegan worked out the secret, but she’s contacted the podcast’s producers and is planning to go and search for their mother. Jess isn’t going to let Tegan face whatever is out there without her, so she joins her on the road trip with the podcast host and her producer Adam. Adam is a former college football star and recent journalism graduate. He’s working on this podcast for reasons of his own, but when he meets Jess he has to rethink what he has planned.

This is a road trip book, but with a larger cast than you usually get on road trip romances. And it is still a romance, but this is probably edging closer to what you might call Women’s Fiction than Clayborn has before. Because as well as being the story of Jess and Adam it’s also about Jess and Tegan and their relationship, the way they have built their own sort of family together - and the damage that their mother’s disappearance has done to them. But now I’ve written that I realise that I’ve made it sound like it’s a sad and miserable book, but it’s not! It’s actually pretty uplifting and as well as the romance you’re dying to know what happened to the con man and if they’re going to find their mum. So that’s a romance, a mystery, a road trip and a side of self discovery. It’s a really lovely read.

Thank you to the publisher for my arc!


This was a cute fast paced read. I loved the discussions about trauma and mental health. But I wasn’t sadly blown away by the romance

This book/story was many things and all aspects unique in its own sense. But the romance was something else entirely.

Just like Adam & Jess were blown away with each other, I was blown away with them, too. The intensity of their connection was unbelievable. Normally, I don't believe in love at first sight, but damn this proved me wrong.
Jess & Adam were the epitome of perfection. I loved how gentle, caring, & soft they were with each other. I mean, they noticed the smallest detail about the other & made sure to incorporate those things when the time came. Ugh, Adam's concern for Jess, especially on the beginning, melted my heart.

More than romance, this story was packed with so many other intense moments, feelings, & revelations. The podcast at the end of each chapter was genius. I loved how balanced every aspect of the plot was.
Don't know how else to describe it, but you need to read this for sure.

Georgie, All Along is my favorite by Kate, & this follows close second.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks y’all for the review copy. It took me a little while to get into this one but I’m glad I stuck with it. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

✨ Review ✨ The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn

Thanks to Kensington Books and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

I picked this up after a friend raved about it, and I had liked her previous book Georgie All Along. There's something refreshing about Clayborn's romances because they feel like they break from the mold a bit in exciting ways.

This one blends a true crime podcast with a romance where sisters Jess and Tegan end up on the hunt for their long lost mom who ran off her boyfriend a decade before. Podcaster Salem, star of the famous podcast" The Last Con of Lynton Baltimore" and Adam (aka "Hawk"), an ex-football player and aspiring podcaster lead the girls on this search.

Jess, however, is extremely private, and only reluctantly joins the search Tegan set up behind her back. Adam instantly feels something for her and works to protect her and keep her safe along the way. The book is emotionally raw and rocky as they navigate their feelings.

The book has a variety of fun elements including:
✅ a roadtrip
✅ family conflict
✅ true crime podcasts
✅ a flower farm
✅ lots of soul searching and emotional connection

Overall, this was such a lovely read, and I really enjoyed the journey!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: f/m contemporary romance
Setting: road trip from East Coast to West
Pub Date: March 26, 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ emotional connections and clear communication
⭕️ sister stories and family dramas
⭕️ true crime and podcasts
⭕️ adventures + searching for clues

I loved this story! I loved each of the characters & how they came together. Jess & Adam were both characters that I loved & appreciated their stories.

This was so good! But, its Kate Clayborn so what do you expect. This one had a little bit of everything. Mystery, sisterhood and bonding, romance. I couldnt wait to find out what happened to their mother and I wasn't disappointed. Highly recommend! Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for approving me to read and review this ARC. I cant wait to read more from this author.

Kate Clayborn's "The Other Side of Disappearing" presents a captivating plot that draws readers in from the start. While I found myself intrigued by the storyline, I couldn't fully connect with the characters, which made it difficult to empathize with their experiences. However, the novel's conclusion was satisfying and tied up loose ends nicely.
Thanks Kensington Books and Netgalley for the arc.

3.5 stars

As has probably been evident from the sparseness of my postings in recent weeks, I’ve been a bit behind on my leisure reading lately. Don’t get me wrong — I’ve definitely been reading a lot, everyday in fact, it’s just that most of it is stuff I need to read for class so that I can complete my assignments. With that said however, in not wanting to sacrifice my leisure reading too much, I’ve been trying to find a better balance between work, family, and grad school obligations so that I can get to as many of the books on my teetering TBR as possible (albeit at a slower pace than usual).

One of the books on my list from last month is Kate Clayborn’s newest romance The Other Side of Disappearing. Since I don’t read a lot of romance overall, I usually go off recommendations from friends when it comes to this genre and Clayborn came highly recommended. I can definitely see why, as Clayborn’s romance feels different from ones that I’ve read in the past — it’s written in a way that leaves much food for thought. The story is narrated in the first person and alternates between the perspectives of the main couple, Jess Greene and Adam Hawkins. Adam is employed by Broadside Media, where he is assigned to work with veteran journalist Salem Durant, whose popular podcast about con artist Lynton Baltimore catapulted her to fame over a decade ago. That podcast resulted in some unfinished business and Salem wants nothing more than to track Baltimore down in order to tie up that particular loose end. The opportunity arises when they are contacted by Tegan Caulfield, whose mother Charlotte abandoned her 10 years ago when she ran away with her then-boyfriend (whom Tegan finds out is actually con man Baltimore). With some clues Tegan provides, they arrange to go on a search for Charlotte, which they hope will also lead them to Baltimore. When Tegan’s half-sister Jess finds out about the plans, she insists on going along so she can protect the sister whom she has raised since their mother’s abandonment. On this road trip “adventure,” all four characters end up discovering things about themselves that ultimately change the course of their lives.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and a fun way to take a break from so much heavy academic reading. One of the things that stood out to me with this story is the interesting angle that Clayborn took with the main theme of “disappearing” — she goes beyond the literal definition of the word and instead goes deeper to explore the various forms that “disappearing” can take (not just the physical, but also the emotional, mental, spiritual, etc). The nuanced way that some of the themes were explored added a little bit of a philosophical bent to the story, which I appreciated.

My one complaint would be that I found it difficult to connect with the characters for some reason. I liked the characters for the most part and Adam and Jess as a couple was one I could stand behind and root for (which I did, of course), but I didn’t feel as much of an emotional connection as I was expecting. Regardless though, I would definitely read more by this author if the opportunity were to arise.

Received ARC from Kensington via NetGalley.

The Other Side of Disappearing-- what a beautiful title and cover!-- will likely (and rightly) appeal to many readers, but I struggled to connect with the characters and as a result, found it mostly forgettable. There are so many books having to do with podcasts right now, and especially those of the true crime nature, that I think it's difficult to truly stand out. I liked that the book as a whole was more of a family drama about interpersonal development, with mystery and romance interwoven rather than center stage, but I readers should be aware going in, so as not to be surprised.

There’s a road trip.
And a podcast about a con man.
And an older sister who has become a maternal figure to her sister following the disappearance of their mother.
And a charming, vulnerable love story.

Kate Clayborn has delivered a beautiful coming of age story mixed with a sweet, sweet romance in The Other Side of Disappearing. I loved how all the pieces of the story came together and the relationships that ensue. Getting both Jess and Adam’s perspective on how the story unfolds was great. I appreciated how Clayborn explored the complexity of the relationships and personalities of each character, delving into their histories.

Thanks to Kensington + NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Something about this book grabbed me right from the beginning. I’ve enjoyed Kate Clayborn’s earlier books but I loved this one. The immediate tension and connection between the main characters. The mystery of what happened with the girls’ mom. The personal growth of all the characters throughout. Definitely a romance with depth for a reader who wants a deeper story with a HEA.

2.5/5 - This might be an author that I need to give up on. I really enjoyed some of her earlier books, but these last two just haven’t done it for me. I haven’t been feeling the chemistry between the romantic leads and in this book specifically, I felt like the romance came on really fast. They’re infatuated with each other almost immediately and that just didn’t jive to me with Jess’ personality.

One thing I did like was the development of Jess and Tegan’s relationship. I thought they had a clear arc and I appreciated how they both recognized the need to put more work in.

I thought it was a good idea to include podcast transcripts every so often, but I thought they were poorly written. Just from the perspective that I’ve never heard a podcast host talk or interview like that. It felt like it was trying too hard somehow. Both Salem and her interview subjects were too witty, too cutting, too clever, immediately had the perfect one liner. It was honestly a little cringey to read.

Overall, I thought this was an intriguing story, but might have been better served as being just the two sisters. They could still be doing a podcast and could even still be on a roadtrip. But they’d be working on it themselves and developing their relationship as sisters.

Note: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Pub date: March 26

I’ve loved the past few I’ve read from this author and this one did not disappoint! It’s a bit different from her others because it has an added *mystery*. It’s more of a *follow the clues* to solve the mystery vs. what you might think of as a mystery.

I’d describe this one as a romance with layers. It has a love story as a strong theme and plot line but it also has an equally strong theme and plot line of self-discovery/finding yourself/healing from the hurts that broken people left you with AND a mystery.

The MMC is the epitome of a perfect man written by a woman. 💯 He reminded me of Beckett from In the Weeds by B.K. Borison or Noah from When in Rome by Sarah Adams and he was 🙌🏻👏🏻🔥.

I took off half a star just because I had to suspend disbelief a bit far for how many feels they had in such a short amount of time. But overall I didn’t care because she made me love them anyway!

This releases on Tuesday and you’re going to want to add it to your TBR!

Perfect for you if you like:
Dual POV
Mental health awareness + rep
Roadtrip romance
Investigating a con man
Thoughtful + protective MMC
Closed off/grumpy FMC
Falling hard and fast
FMC acting as a single parent (sister)

This is a book where it's difficult to pin down exactly what it is. It definitely has romance elements but that's not the focus of the story. I'd call it more women's fiction.

It's a difficult story to read, about con men and parental abandonment. It manages to tackle these heavy subjects while still having some lighter moments.

Overall, I felt there's too much going on in the book and it dragged in spots.

I love Kate Clayborn's writing so much. What she's so good is what I often think is hardest, because it's so intangible. Every single book of hers I've read dealt with the emotions her characters have to face with such expansive understanding, with wit and humour and heart. I think her books could fail or fall short if the emotional centre wasn't there but, for me, it always is.

This is different from previous books of hers I've read and, admittedly, I struggled to find my way through it for the first third or so. I think if I was brutally honest that I'm not sure how she used the premise worked for me. This isn't my favourite of her books. I thought there was something a little too discordant between the parts of this I loved and the parts I didn't like so much (a lot of the actual podcast stuff, tbh, which is surprising to me because I usually love that). I don't know why, but I found that rubbed me a bit too much. It felt inauthentic to me, which was in such stark contrast to the way the rest of this played out.

What I think I appreciate the more I read this author's books is how clearly and compassionately she sees her characters and how rich a life they're given. Jess is so different from so many of her other mains and I really felt like the text showed her with such heart. She's prickly and hard to know, overly responsible, overly practical. I thought there was a lot of time and space given to the excavating of her heart. And I loved seeing it! I also thought that the other characters here were good: I loved Tegan and her curious, forthright nature. I loved her rebellion and her opennness. I really liked Adam too and how clearly he was trying to make a life that was honest enough for what he wanted. I really enjoyed watching their interplay.

There were some things I didn't like as much. I'm lukewarm about Salem as a character, I wasn't fussed on the "mystery" aspect of this, and I didn't think it was quite as tight as I would have liked. However, when this was good it hit so well: earnest and loving, curious and warm. I really appreciated this book and I think it turned itself around so much. I was very nervous when I hit about the 30% mark and I just wasn't feeling it -- but I should know that Kate Clayborn will Get My Heart. There were some really devastating moments in this, which I absolutely adored, and there was some great humour and lightness to drag you out of it.

This is good. I think some people will find it really, truly great and I think it has a lot of heart. I wish I'd loved it more, but I still really liked it. I think maybe this is the curse of her being TOO good and my expectations being TOO high.