How was Kate going to make a 4-person road trip work for a 2-person romance - especially when the other two people include his boss and her younger sister?

Gosh, this was an unusual set up of a romance with the back drop of two traumatized young women who are working through the experience of parental abandonment and the truth of what's really happened about to crash down on their guarded lives while they are learning to trust, love, and experience what living life to the fullest can be like.

This was a gentle yet powerful, sometimes heart warming, sometimes gut wrenching read.

4/5

I want to file this book under my "books that feel like therapy" shelf. And let me tell you, there are a few Kate Clayborn books there already and this one was so different yet still had the same backbone.

Quick summary:
Jess has had to take care of her younger half sister since she was 21, after their mom deserts them. Ten years have passed and now little sister, Tegan, is not so little anymore and wants to go searching for their mother, who presumably ran away with an infamous felon. The caveat is that she asked to be accompanied by two investigative journalists. That's where Adam comes in. This giant former football star with the gooiest cinnamon roll center who almost immediately falls heads over heels in love with Jessica.

My take:
This story broke my heart several times along the way. Clayborn writes in way that makes you feel intensely, even if you have never been through the trauma depicted on the page. The feeling of disappearing is something we have all felt one way or another for whatever the reason. When her mom left without warning, Jessica made it her life's work to be present and STAY for her little sister. In the process of filling in the 'mom shoes' for her sister, Jessica did what her mother had done ten years earlier-- disappeared. It is a beautiful story on the various ways we process grief and cope with trauma in order to survive and how love can guide us in the darkest of times.

WINNER!

Thank you #NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to @netgalley @kensingtonbooks and @kateclayborn.author for the chance to read Kate's latest masterpiece, The Other Side of Disappearing, a few days early. Luckily, my paperback from @therippedbodice arrived on pub day so I get to keep this gem on my shelf.

There's a reason Kate is a favorite of a lot of romance authors. She writes with such care, craft, and heart. Her character work in particular is spectacular, and I recommend her work to all writers who want to elevate their work on a micro and macro level.

Her latest is a moving love story about the wounds we carry, and how the right person can make us feel seen when we've always felt like our true selves had to disappear.

I don't want to spoil too much about this book because it unravels perfectly, so I'll just give you the setup. Jess has spent the past decade caring for her younger half-sister Tegan after their mom ran off with a famous con artist, who was the subject of a massively popular true-crime podcast. But when Tegan impersonates Jess and contacts the podcaster and her new colleague Adam, the four of them set out on a road trip to retrace her mother's steps and finally uncover the mystery of what happened to them.

This book also contains a microtrope I didn't know I wanted: a steamy scene on an uneven surface. (I will never look at a trampoline the same way 😂)

Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Tropes: bad mom, podcast, colleagues-to-lovers, roadtrip

I am continually in awe of Kate Clayborn's writing. Every word is so intentional, every story and character beat is so nuanced that I'm left astounded by her books. The Other Side of Disappearing is yet another masterful example in an already impressive catalog.

I do admit to being somewhat skeptical of the premise of this book, as I don't really read mysteries or romantic mysteries at all. What felt special about this book, then, is how invested I was in the mystery this story centers around - Jess and Tegan's mother's abandonment of them both. And not just because I wanted to know what happened (because I really did) but because I became so invested in the characters that I was on tenterhooks waiting to learn how they would be affected by what they learned as they dug into this painful subject.

And that brings me to what really made this book shine for me - the characters. Our POV characters are Jess and Adam, a journalist involved in making a podcast about the con man with whom Jess's mother disappeared. I am not sure I've ever read a character quite like Jess - private, reserved, suspicious - but reading about how she closed herself off as a self-preservation tactic after her mother's abandonment and in order to best care for her sister was heartbreaking and beautiful, especially as she slowly allowed Adam into her life. While this is really Jess's book, Adam's character arc was a strong one too, as he navigated the intensity of his feelings for Jess and the loss of a dear friend. And I loved how things ended up for the other two major characters in this book - Tegan, Jess's sister who has been grappling with their mother's choices for nearly all her young life, and Salem, Adam's boss whose history with the con man at issue is deeper and more complicated than it originally seems. This book is such a rich tapestry of character work and plot that is woven together so well on all accounts.

And of course, this is a romance! And my goodness, the romance worked for me. There is one scene involving a trampoline that literally left me feeling like I was buzzing in the best way possible. The romance here was tender and aching and hot and worked for me on every single level. I love these two and how they found their way to each other.

Thank you SO much to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

3/5 - This is came out last week but I was solo parenting and couldn't get my review out in time ;) ANYWAY. I enjoyed this book a lot, but not for the reasons I expected to. It follows two sisters, Jess and Teagan, and two podcasts, who end up on a road trip to figure out what happened to their mom and a notorious conman (made famous by a true crime podcast). It's a bit hard to summarize, but suffice it to say this story was different! I was hooked on the true crime / con artist / mom plotline vs the relationship plotline which felt secondary. Or maybe like two different stories? Some of the structure was tough for me and I wasn't as connected to the love story - I'm not an "insta-love" trope hater, when it works it WORKS - but this wasn't that. Clayborn is a beautiful writer and always creates nuanced, flawed and interesting characters - these were no exception. There were also deeper themes around trust, family trauma, loss and grief, mental health and identity that were explored, so I wouldn't say this is a particularly light read. Definitely something to be in the mood for! Thank you to @netgalley, Kensington and Clayborn for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for gifting me a digital ARC by a new-to-me author, Kate Clayborn - 4 stars!

Jess has spent the last 10 years raising her younger half-sister after their mother took off once again and never returned. Only 18, Jess had to put her life on hold to become mom to Tegan. Now as Tegan prepares to go off to college, she discovers that Jess has had some clues into her mother's disappearance that she kept secret; namely, that the man their mom ran off with was an infamous con man and subject of a true crime podcast. When the podcast host and producer show up at their door with a proposition, Jess is not in, but she will also not let Tegan go on her own. So the four set out on a road trip, following postcards sent by their mom, to discover the truths.

I love a good road trip story and this was a good mystery and romance as well. But it's really a discovery of what happens when someone disappears from your life? Can you easily let them go, especially when it's a parent? It's learning to trust yourself and your feelings, and let those you love do the same. You will absolutely fall in love with Adam as he falls in love with Jess, wanting only to never hurt her. Of course, that's not reality either. I felt for both sisters as their relationship went through changes. A great read!

True crime meets romance in this page-turner. We get to meet some very complicated main characters who have a lot of emotional trauma from their past. Jess was abandoned twice by her mother; one as a child and then again as a twenty-one year old. Except, the second time her mom leaves she is also leaving Jess's half-sibling, eight year-old Teegen. And Teegen is doubly unlucky in parents; her dad has never been in the picture. So, literally overnight, Jess becomes Teegen's sole caretaker. Jess is stubborn to a fault, and tenacious and very, very protective of Teegen. We see the difficulties that this mother/daughter, sister/sister relationship causes for the two women. When Teegen turns eighteen and realizes that their mom ran off with the infamous con-man, Lynton Baltimore (who was featured in a popular podcast), Teegen contacts the podcast's creator and offers to go on a road trip to find her mom and Lynton. The podcast team, Salem and Adam, show up on Teegen and Jess's doorstep, and Jess and Adam have an insta-love connection.

I am not an insta-love fan but it worked in this book. Jess and Adam may have an instant connection but they do spend weeks getting to know each other while they drive across the country chasing Jess's mom. Adam has his own complicated past and it's really wonderful to see how he works hard to be what Jess needs. Adam is a feminist and is emotionally mature and stable. It's very refreshing to read about a man who isn't in any way threatened by his emotions and also isn't threatened by her emotions.

As readers, we get to follow along on the true crime journey and also Adam and Jess's romance; and we get to see Teegen and Jess's relationship evolve. It's a beautiful read and I very much enjoyed it.

Kate Clayborn does it again! This is another great story about Adam and Jess as they meet as Part 2 for a podcast that involves Jess's family and Adam as a new producer. There is great depth as they follow a trail of postcards and how life has damaged their trust in relationships. It is a powerful story of how trauma affects us but how we can learn to love and trust again.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

A heart wrenching portrayal of a soul lost and the redemptive power of love to find it again—you will feel every emotion as you read through the transformation of each character in this riveting tale. The strength and resilience of Jess as she steps into an identity true to herself and separate from the one she was forced to take on will have you wanting to reach through the pages and pull her into a hug. As a mom, it gave me pause to consider what lengths I have gone to in order to protect my children from the inevitable world and was a gentle reminder not to lose myself in the parenting process. Adam is the type of hero we can only hope comes into our lives; if not I the form of a lover, then just a friend of his caliber with such a fierce loyalty. I laughed; I cried; I fell in love throughout the pages of this book.

Thank you Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review. Kate Clayborn’s writing is a gift to this world, just like this book. There was so much angst and emotional baggage throughout the story but, at the same time, so much softness and love. These characters made me feel like they were almost real, and that’s the thing I love most in books, how words on a screen can suddenly make you feel valid and loved and cared about just because of some carefully written characters. This was a delight, I love Jess, Adam and Teagan forever 💌

FOUR STARS! ****

Thank you Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

I love me some Kate Clayborn and have been impatiently waiting for her next release! The Other Side of Disappearing did not disappoint.

Likes:
- Big, creaky bear of a H who is instantly into the h.
- The sister relationship in the book
- The pace was just right, didn't feel rushed or like it was dragging out

Dislikes:
- I wasn't invested in the flashbacks to the podcast.
- I wish there was more interaction with <spoiler>their Mom when they found her.</spoiler>

Overall, big like! Maybe it's time for a Kate Clayborn full reread :)

Oh wow this book was a lot (in a good way). This was my first Kate Clayborn novel, even though I have "Georgie, All Along" sitting on my shelf, and I'll definitely be picking that one up soon. "The Other Side of Disappearing" was a little heavier than the romances that I usually read, but still had all of the quirk, charm, and feels that I love about romance novels.

Jess and Tegan's relationship with their mother felt so real, raw, and visceral that I sometimes had to put the book down. Clayborn did a phenomenal job at capturing the experience of having a difficult relationship with a parent and how that affects different people in different ways. I also loved how their relationship with each other developed throughout the book and how Jess had to grapple with the line between being a sister and a parental figure.

I also loved all of the richly complex characters in the book besides Jess and Tegan. I love how Adam had his own fleshed out story beyond his romance with Jess. Salem I would have liked to see a little more of, if only because she was so interesting. Though I understand why her absence was sometimes necessary to propel the story. I was very impressed by how the book was able to address so many issues (absentee parents, sports and mental health, the effects of true crime on victims, complex relationships with motherhood) without it feeling bogged down and pedantic.

If I had one criticism it would be that I think Adam sometimes wanted to be making decisions for Jess and didn't necessarily trust her in expressing her own desires or making her own decisions. While I don't think characters having flaws is necessarily a criticism of a book, in this kind of book I would have liked to see it addressed.

I think my favorite detail in the book was that Adam said he played two of his best college football games at the Horseshoe against OSU. The implication here being that whatever team he played for defeated OSU twice at home. Go Blue.

4 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

This is my second book by Kate Clayborn, and it was another hit! I loved the interesting, original premise and backstory. It doesn’t feel like something that’s been done a hundred times. The relationship between Jess & her sister is so beautiful and moved me to tears. Adam Hawkins is a top tier book boyfriend! I also love how this author approaches the topics of mental health & illness, healing, generational trauma, sisterhood, and friendship. I loved this book & will continue to pick up books by this author!

Thank you Kate Clayborn and NetGalley for the e-arc of The Other Side of Disappearing! I love Kate Clayborn and everything she’s written, and this book was no different.

I think that The Other Side of Disappearing is really different from other books that Kate has written. While I would still consider this a romance book, there was almost a suspense feel to the story that her other works don’t have — the stakes were much higher (finding a mother that’s been gone for ten years and how that impacts the two daughters she left behind vs the typical romance book tropes).

I loved reading from both Adam’s and Jess’s POVs and also how the two side characters (Salem and Tegan) had depth and their own issues that made them interesting and I became invested in them as well as a reader. I personally think that Jess’s character had more growth throughout the book, while Adam’s character acknowledged his problems and how to take the steps towards fixing them, but didn’t fully implement them. It did take me a bit to get into this book, but once I did I enjoyed it so much

The Other Side of Disappearing is the perfect for romance readers who sometimes want a bit more than a fluffy read!

4/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️

ADAMJESS!!! okay the level of cute they are giving thorughout this book! the storyline was so unique and interesting to me, the slow but sure development of their romantic relationship, and the discussions on toxic masculinity and abandonment were done really well, i need kate's books more than i need air!

3.75 for me! I found this to be unlike any romance I’d read before. I really loved the set up of this story, and the mystery element made the story really unique. Given the timeline of their research trip was only two weeks, there was a lot of potential for it to feel too “insta-love” for me, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I anticipated. Such a refreshing read that I thoroughly enjoyed!

What a unique take on true crime, podcasts, family drama, good old fashioned pining, and road trip romance. A fascinating premise and such a poignant story. TOSOD’s themes of privacy and boundaries are very timely, and the trauma characters have faced is handled respectfully. I’m glad that Jess finally did tell her story, and also that there wasn’t a neat wrap up like, the podcast was fraught and it stayed that way through til the end. But it was the catalyst for hard conversations, it reopened wounds that had festered. Jess’ refusal to be the story mirrored her subsumption into the mothering protector role that had been forced upon her at 21. It was refreshing to see therapy on page, to concretely know how it helped with the healing. As of course did the healthy intimacy with Adam- from the very beginning he saw her, he helped re-embody her. Writing a character as closed off as Jess and trying to have someone get to know her and vice versa is a challenging feat, but Clayborn uses touch/physicality to great effect- grounding in the senses, the way two bodies connect without language, a sensitivity to each other’s tics and expressions I loved the recurring image of Jess and Adam’s hands touching, like Romeo and Juliet “palm to palm is holy Palmer’s kiss.” (like to think it was an intentional given Clayborn’s previous R + J retelling.) Overall a great addition to Kate Clayborn’s oeuvre.

Kate Clayborn has become an auto-buy for me. I just love her writing so much. The chemistry between Adam and Jess gave me butterflies. The concept of pairing romance with true crime was so gosh darn clever. Clayborn has an uncanny knack for using just the right words, conveying so much in so few words. Love, love, love this.

I want to start with that I adore this author and have read every book she has published. This one for me was an
anomaly and just didn’t work for me personally, though I am sure I am in the minority. This is a family drama about a missing mom, older sister doing all she can to raise and protect her younger sister, a true crime podcast about a man who is the last person their mom was seen with, and smidge of romance. Jess is doing all she can to raise her sister so she has a good life after they are abandoned by their mother. When Tegan goes behind Jess’s back and does the thing she least wants her to do while pretending to be her, Jess decides she has no choice, but to go along with her and the true crime podcasters she contacted to find out what happened to their mother. I know that many people loved this journey and all of that, but I got stuck on the subterfuge of Tegan. I get it, she is young and curious, but the way she manipulated the situation left me with not finding her likable so it was hard to connect or care about her. Then there is Jess. She has sworn off love and men in a breath goes all gooey for Adam. It just didn’t seem at all credible to me. I do enjoy some fictionalized insta-love, but this didn’t work for me. Those two issues made the rest of the story hard to connect with and finish. That said, I will absolutely be anxiously awaiting what comes next from this adored author.

This is, I suspect, the least romancey of Clayborn's book so far. And it's weird to say that because you almost discover (maybe not even almost) Jess through Adam's eyes. Adam's the more grounded, rooted and developed character from go, because Jess has--disappeared.

Not like her mom. which is the plotline here, a podcast about an acquaintance of her mother's and perhaps the reason she's been gone and Jess has been raising her sister-but she's disappeared into her devotion/dedication/love for her sister. So I guess this is for all the disappearing babes out there. Because as this book explores in that extreme quiet Clayborn-y way, there are so many ways to disappear and other ways to be found.

Clayborn did some fun things with elements here that I am still thinking about - I love when names have meaning. She took it a step further here with nicknames and the like as well.

Anyway, we've all mentioned/discussed KC's respect for her heroes and no where has it been more apparent than the hulking Adam. He's observant, giant, kind, and protective in just the right way. I love how Jess flattened him and it was a little tough at first because he's what kept me reading because my sense of Jess was kind of amorphous-I think purposefully. But him seeing her let us see and know him, and then ultimately her in the end. So while I wasn't emotionally invested as quickly as I am used to in Clayborn's novels, I was still rooting for them because Adam's presence was so strong and I want him to be able to love Jess. Eventually, we want that FOR Jess too, but I personally didn't get there until about 80% - and of course I sobbed. The structure worked. Some will find it slow. I found it developed, but as I said nothing was immediate. I kind of liked working for it overall.

Thank. you to the publisher and netgalley for the copy and whopping 3 seconds to review this book, which has not affected my rating.