Member Reviews
I’ve been sitting on this one, unsure of how to write a review that can do justice to how this book made me feel. The characters are not perfect. They’re flawed and real and make mistakes that I want to yell at them for, but you’ll love them anyway.
The romance between Jess and Adam is really, really lovely - it feels fast and like a slow burn at the same time. They’re at odds, and then they’re friends, and then they’re more - and each transition feels natural and perfect for them. I loved them together. Their differences were complementary.
But Kate Clayborn is a master at writing books that combine a lovely romance with so much more. Jess and her sister Tegan joining a podcast’s search for the mother that abandoned them? It’s the setup for a book fraught with tension and awkward moments, for dredging up sad memories, and most importantly, for growth. The way the dynamics between the characters change as the story progresses is just really well done. Aside from Adam’s insta-crush on Jess, nothing is rushed or easy. Every beautifully emotional moment is earned.
I cannot recommend this book enough.
Once again, Kate Clayborne has written a book that I found hard to put down. Jess has been raising her half sister Teagan since their mother left years ago but now Teagan has found out who her brother ran away with and contacted a podcast which is trying to discover where this man is because he’s an assumed car con artist. Just find herself also, looking for her mother in order to have some control as this podcast searches for both her mother and Linton.
It’s really interesting to see how Jess has to deal with her past while also dealing with the fact that her sister wants to move on and not be so reliant on her just also needs to deal with the feelings that her mother left her with when she left. Jess is also dealing with her attraction to Adam, who is a producer of the podcast. I love how the romance and the plot blend seamlessly to create a story that draws you in from start to finish.
Such a delightful book!! Kate Clayborn knows how to write a book. I enjoyed the characters, the plot, the pacing, everything about this book was awesome
Jess has always kept her life - and her sister, Tegan's - very private. She's raised her sister ever since their mom walked out with a con man, and she's done a darn good, job of keeping her safe. But when Tegan decides she wants answers about their mom, Jess finds herself and her sister on an unexpected road trip with a podcaster and an ex-football star-turned-producer. Adam may the person to break down Jess' defenses, if that's even possible anymore.
I first encountered Kate Clayborne last year when I read Georgie, All Along, which I adored. So when I saw she had a new novel coming out, it was immediately on my list.
You guys. She managed to write a love story, featuring true crime (not murder) and podcasts and complicated family relationships - all things I love in a book. I love the unique premise of this book and the way Clayborne always adds depth to the typical romance novel.
If you like romance but also crave some depth, some familial drama/bonds, etc, then this is one you should for sure pick up.
I love Kate Clayborn and I really loved this book. She has a way of writing characters that make them so believable and like people you could meet in real life. I wanted to hang out with them and keep reading more about them.
I picked up The Other Side of Disappearing because I absolutely loved Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn(if you haven’t read it, run and get it) and I was not disappointed.
It has a little bit of everything
Close proximity ✔️
Golden retriever male m/c✔️
True crime podcast✔️
Mystery✔️
I would also consider an enemies to lovers(she closes off herself to everyone)✔️
It was a slow burn but the story was definitely worth it. This is my second book by her and she will be an automatic read author for me. Let’s just talk about Adam Hopkins for a minute. The way he was portrayed was amazing. He may be everyone’s new book boyfriend ❤️
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for a honest review.
Ten years ago Jess and Teagan's mother left. At the time Jess was 21 and Teagan was 8. This was a familiar situation for Jess, but Teagen had not before felt the sting of her mother's abandonment. Jess steps up to give Teagan the love and stability missing from her own childhood, maybe even to a smothering degree.
Now, Teagan is eighteen and desperately wants to know what happened with her mother. When Teagen uncovers some previously hidden information, instead of going to Jess - who shuts down the moment the word "mom" is uttered - she reaches out to the one person who could bring Jess's carefully curated life crashing down - popular podcaster Salem Durant.
Ten years ago Salem had a huge hit with her podcast on conman Lynton Baltimore. That is, until he skipped out on their last show. The catch: the person that Jess and Teagan's mother disappeared with was, in fact, Lynton Baltimore.
So, they head out on a tense road trip. Salem, to finish what she started with her podcast ten years ago; Teagan, to find the mother who left her; Jess to watch over Teagan; and Adam, Salem's producer who is hoping to use this to get his own podcast off the ground, but he's also oddly drawn to Jess Greene.
This book felt different than previous books I've read by Kate Claybourn. It felt a lot more somber and heavy. Not that her books haven't touched upon these types of topics before, but this one felt very weighted and I think it's because the past hurt and trauma caused by her mother leaving is still very present and haunts Jess.
The story is told in alternating perspectives between Jess and Adam. At first, I wondered why we weren't getting Teagen's POV, but now, I think it is because it would have almost been like having two of Jess's POVs. Even though they're different ages, I still think that the hurt of having a parent choose to leave is felt the same even though Jess is more closed off about it. Plus she had the extra responsibility of taking care of her much younger half-sister. Instead we get Adam, who is a counter-balance to Jess. He's also experienced loss and wants to use the platform a podcast can offer in order to talk about it and bring more awareness. Whereas Jess would close off, Adam is more open. I like where they end up meeting in the middle and how they both influence each other.
I don't know how sold I was on the insta-love scenario between Jess and Adam. It's been awhile since I've read a book where two characters are so instantly drawn to one another. Even though them acting on those feelings isn't also spontaneous, I still wish the realization that they each had feelings for one another was drawn out a little more. Of course, we are dealing with a road trip story that's on a strict timeline, I suppose I can be a little forgiving.
I did like the whole road-tripping, following the clues of the past aspect. When we go back and revisit the past or when we look upon the past with fresh, more knowing, eyes I always find a lot of value in stories like that.
3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Although this book was a little slow for my liking, I did enjoy reading it. I would have liked to have learned more about the characters though - I think I would have felt a stronger connection. I did think the story was unique with the mystery and podcast element.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!
I really loved this author's last book Georgie All Along and went into this one with high expectation, maybe too high. I ended up not loving this one, but it could totally be just me as I have read other glowing reviews. I didn't connect much with the characters and felt that the romance happened too quickly (essentially they were madly in love from just looking at each other). This wasn't a typical romance either as much of the story was more of a mystery searching for the main character's mom who left her and her half sister 10 years before. I think I'm in the minority here but will still read future books by this author.
Kate Clayborn continues to blow my mind with her subtly sweet and beautiful romances. I'm pretty sure all her books have been 5 stars for me and The Other Side of Disappearing was no different.
First of all, I loved the mystery elements of this book and it added so much to the story as a subplot to the romance between Adam and Jess. Adam was the absolute most adorable obsessed man when it came to Jess. I loved how deeply he understood her and how patient he was with her. Most of all, I loved how romantic he was with her. I feel like with someone as closed off as Jess, it would be hard to "woo" her but Adam did it so perfectly and in quiet, little ways that Jess couldn't help but fall for. Also, the wildflower/truck scene had to be one of the most beautiful love scenes I've ever read.
The character growth between Jess and Tegan was so well written. Especially with Tegan. At the beginning I was so frustrated with her, I thought she was so immature and ungrateful for everything Jess had done for her. But I think, in the end, Tegan really showed how mature she was, how her anger was justified and her insistence on finding their mother was just as much for Jess's benefit as it was for hers.
Lastly, Jess was such an interesting character. She's a very different female main character from what I'm used to from Kate as she often writes them more sunshine-y, which Jess could not be more opposite. But I think she is someone that a lot of people can relate to, she doesn't trust easily because of her past and throws herself into making sure her sister is okay at the the detriment to her own happiness. Her character growth throughout the book was not only because of Adam but also because of the road trip and opening up more about her past and it was admirable.
Another gorgeous love story by Kate Clayborn. I cannot wait to see what comes next for her! Thank you to Kate, NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Congrats on the release!
OMG, that was absolutely gorgeous! A gut-wrenching journey. I love Kate Clayborn's female characters but wow, the way she explores vulnerability and emotions in her male characters really stands out for me.
The angst is dilated on 1000 here and it's exquisite. We get a massive internal conflict and a deep dive in the characters' emotions (all characters, not just the MCs) and I was reading through tears big sections of this book, first - ones of saddens, then tears of happiness.
Overall, this might be my favourite of Kate Clayborn's book. I might say this about every new book of hers I read but they all feel so special to me and I love them all.
Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reading copy! I love Kate Clayborn, and one of the reasons I love her is that she does really unique stuff with the romance genre, and this story goes along with her great writing style. This book is about sisters at its core, as well as a love story between Jess and Adam. Jess is the big sister to Tegan, and their mom left them to follow a con artist. The con artist became the subject of a famous podcast, and years later, the podcast host comes back and asks the sisters to help track down the con artist and their mom with the help of the producer Adam. I know this sounds like a lot, and it is! Because on top of all that, there is romance, the mystery of finding the mom, and of course, lots of trauma processing. First and foremost, Kate Clayborn is a GREAT writer. She has a knack for taking heavy topics and making the characters relatable, as well as different from any other characters I have ever read. And I read a lot! I love, love, love her style and voice, and this book did not disappoint. I think this book could ALMOST (but of course not quite) not be classified as a romance, only in that it had a lot going on and there were a lot of complex relationships - mother and daughter, sisters, friends, media representation of trauma, and much more. I think the only reason this book doesn’t get a 5 stars is that I have some heavy things going on in my life and this book just felt VERY heavy (I know I am over using the word heavy), not at all light, but again, very well done. I always recommend Kate Clayborn for everyone - she’s great. I highly recommend this for fans of mystery romance, Kate Clayborn, and great contemporary romance.
This was so good!
This story grabs your attention immediately and doesn’t let go!
Romance…a little mystery…a podcast element…a road trip…and add it all together and you have your next five star read!
Two sisters begin our story. Their mom abandoned them with only a note left behind ten years ago. They haven’t heard from her since. However the oldest sister has a secret…five post cards were sent by their mom. Podcast journalists want to search for answers that she has desperately tried to hide from.
I loved it cover to cover! Super unique romance! Five stars for me.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this opportunity to read it as an ARC!
I think that Kate Clayborn is a spectacular writer and this book absolutely does not disappoint. I believe I've read all of her books, and this one, which is about the daughter of a person tangentially involved with a very famous true crime podcast and a journalist on a follow up series, does an excellent job of weaving trauma, podcast culture, and people with complicated backgrounds getting to know each other. The teenage character sounds like a real person, and I get how this story could happen. Absolutely loved it.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Y'all. I've sat on this book for a few days after finishing to sort through my thoughts. I had a lot of feelings along the way, from annoyance, to frustration, to empathy, to heartbreak, to anxiety, to hearteyes (is this an emotion?), to heartbreak, to hope... this book just... it made me feel a lot of freaking things, okay?
At first, I was disappointed. I didn't connect with Jess or Tegan the way I instantly did with Georgie (from Georgie, All Along... my love for her was instantaneous). The more I got into the book, the more I was like, WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING? And then...
Sitting with this book for a few days has given me perspective I needed.
First, this book is BEAUTIFUL written. It's heartbreaking. It's reserved and quiet and protected. You don't get to know the main character all that well (Kate, you sneaky lil babe).
Then, you absolutely fall in love (especially with Adam, I'm just saying). The world opens up. You connect with the grass under your feet and the air around you and the flowers blooming every day in the sunshine. Literally. You dig in and you plant some things and suddenly... roots. Growth. That Jess that was planted in the first few chapters? She's sprouting.
Then comes the storm. The hurricane that leaves destruction in the wake of their path. I don't want to spoil anything, because I think you should absolutely read this book and GO IN BLIND. But there's heartbreak. There's hope and then there's heartbreak.
And then, there's healing. The water... the nourishment. The rain and the minerals and the soil and the strength of the roots are tested. And you're stuck trying to figure out if you give up and let someone rip you out of the ground, or if you're going to grow deeper roots and sprout bigger leaves and finally, one day, bloom. Jess, are you going to bloom?
And then...... you'll have to read. But the happily ever after in this book is... quiet. Sweet. More hopeful. More beauty. More roots. More blooming. More being watered and sheltered and tended to.
And this is how I felt about this book. And it's like a poem. A long poem. With a lot of other feelings outside of hope. But there's some hope with the WTF is happening and the teenager hormones and the buff former football player with feelings and the mom who left.
Read it. Don't hate on it. Find out what or who exactly is disappearing in The Other Side of Disappearing. And then come talk to me.
Thanks to the author and publisher for the ARC of this one. Out now!
Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. Kk ate Clayborn writes beautiful romances with important messages. True crime podcasts are addicting but at what cost? This is my kind of my romance novel, a love story with a hint of mystery to keep the story going. The plot and writing are beautiful and captivating. Kate Clayborn is a master at what she does, and I recommend this book to everyone.
Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’m not a romance reader and when this fell into the instant love category more than the mystery, what happened to their mother category , I found it annoying. This also included the podcast transcripts in the book which weren’t that good. I didn’t like the characters. So little time was spent on the mothers disappearing. This wasn’t for me. I found it slow, not that interesting and not that well written.
I really enjoyed this book -- parts of it felt a little slow, but by the end I was so invested in every character and the story.
Jess has been raising her younger sister Tegan since their mother left them a decade before. One day a podcaster who did a very popular podcast about the man her mother dated when she left them, shows up at Jess and Tegan's house. The sisters, along with Salem and Adam (who are creating the podcast) go on a road trip to try and track down their mother using clues from postcards sent long before.
This is not your typical rom com at all -- it is much more about family, sister relationships, and what it means to start over and trust again. This book deals with a lot of very serious issues -- both family trauma and mental health, and sports and football in relation to mental health and injury. I thought all these topics were handled very tactfully and in a meaningful way.
I loved Jess, and really loved Adam. Both of them have their flaws but are learning how to open up and be vulnerable again. I loved their relationship arc and it was very swoony.
The book switches between Jess and Adam narrating, as well as snippets from Salem's podcast and I really enjoyed that format.
So excited to read what Kate Clayborn writes next!
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Wow. This book has so much to offer a reader. It's so much more than a romance. It's a story about a group of people who have each gone through their own heartbreak and disappoints in their lives. It's about friendship, family, and love. There is even a mystery component. Kate Clayborn gives us all of that in one book and she did it perfectly.
Jess' mother abandoned her twice in just 21 years. The second time, leaving 21 year old Jess to take care of her 8 year old sister. Jess sacrificed so much to take care of her sister, not only to be a mother figure, but also to protect her from a secret about her mother that could put them in the spotlight that Jess most definitely did not want. So Jess become closed off to every one and every thing except protecting her sister.
Until her sister, Tegan, finds out about the secret, goes behind Jess' back and contacts an investigative report to help find her mother. Jess reluctantly agrees to go on this trip.
Salem Durant and Adam Hawkins are the journalists handling the story. Jess sets very specific rules and conditions to protect Teagan. What Jess doesn't expect or plan for is for Adam to start breaking down her carefully constructed walls.
Adam - what an amazing man and human being. From the moment he meets Jess, he sees the storm inside of her and wants nothing more than to protect her. He wants to know her for himself and not for a story. Adam has also gone through a tragic event years ago. They lean into each other for comfort and its beautiful.
Jess slowly allows herself to open up to Adam and we start to see her heal. But the closer they get to finding their mom, those walls start to go back up.
This book navigates multiple different family dynamics. The mystery we originally set out to solve gets some closure, but there is a small twist I wasn't expecting which was just an added bonus for this book.
Thank you Kensington and Netgalley for a complimentary copy of this book. It is truly special.
unfortunately, i felt like too much of this book relief on writing about emotions. i don't feel like we ever really got to know our characters beyond what they were feeling at any given time, and the romance and the podcast plotline both relied on the same. it made it hard to feel connected to what was going on.