Full of complex characters this book is a departure from Clayborn’s other titles. This has a more serious tone and a deeper story line full of mystery, family drama as well as a tender love story that will pull at your heart strings. This will make you feel a wide range of emotions that is exactly what you want from a well written story.

4 ⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

4⭐️! I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading more from Kate Clayborn. This is a contemporary romance that definitely felt more women’s fiction at times due to the plot and emphasis on the sister relationship.

Oh my goodness! I was so thankful to be given The Other Side of Disappearing by Net Galley! It was such a perfect treat for spring break. Kate Clayborn writes with such careful tenacity, that I knew I would fall in love with the characters from the start. I love that this book centers around a road trip, very tricky and traumatic family dynamics, a love interest shared from both points of view. There is just so much to love. The romance genre doesn’t need to be rote and predictable. Kate always proves that in her creative books that take on unique plots and dynamics. To weave in true crime podcasts and even the humanity of con-men?!? She is truly a creative genius. I can’t recommend this one enough!

Salem Durant, a true crime podcaster (like Sarah Koenig of Serial fame) is revisiting the story of a con artist. The sane con artist who Jess and Tegan’s mom disappeared with 10 years ago. Tegan and Jess join Salem and Adam on a roadtrip, retracing thejr mom’s steps in the hopes of finding clues that lead them to the con artist.

✅ Jess Greene, 31, hair stylist; Adam Hawkins, 33, journalist & podcaster
✅ set in Ohio (near Columbus)
✅ road trip
✅ dual POV
🌶️: yes!

No one writes falling in love the way Kate Clayborn writes falling in love. Her words wrap you in that absolutely giddy, out of control feeling.

Kate Clayborn can really do no wrong. This book is achingly beautiful with writing that elevates her romances to another level.

Jess has been living a life of totally privacy for the past ten years. Her mom abandoned her and her younger sister, Tegan, and ran away with an infamous con artist. To give her sister a normal life, Jess shuts out everything else until Tegan finds some clues that may lead them to their mom. Those clues causes them to connect with Salem and Adam, podcast hosts that want to tell their tale. They begin a road trip that will stretch all four of them.

This book has a tight timeline. I think only Kate Clayborn could convince me that this love was meant to last after a two week road trip. She gets the job done. Adam and Jess have beautiful, heartfelt chemistry that feels very real. Adam was book boyfriend material. He was strong, kind, and always wanted what was best for Jess. I really liked his backstory. I also enjoyed the sister relationship with Tegan and her desire to find her mom. I think she was perfectly written as an 18 year old, both super endearing and slightly annoying. The podcast story line was an interesting way to move the story along.

This book was everything I've come to expect from Kate Clayborn. She writes in such a lyrical way that will pull you so completely into the story that you will never want to say goodbye to these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advanced e-book in exchange for my honest review.

Clayborn's books are always a bit off the beaten path. In this one, a young woman who raised her younger sister ends up reluctantly going on a roadtrip with a podcaster and her assistant to learn about the man their mother may have left them for. The roadtrip premise was a little odd, but I went along with it for the sake of the story. I loved the sisters' relationship and how it developed. And it was interesting to see how the main character, Jess, evolved. There was a romance in this book, but I would definitely not call this novel a romance.

Love Kate Clayborn and was thrilled to be accepted for this! Despite loving an author, I always go in a little hesitantly as I’ve been let down by an author’s new book before, but NOT HERE!

Kate has written another amazing story. Her characters are compelling and sweet and have so much depth. She creates so much tension and longing between characters in a way that makes you really feel it every time! This was such an interesting storyline for a romance,

I loved the sister storyline as well. Kate Clayborn has delivered another 5 star :)

I went into this book completely blind (other than reading & enjoying one of Kate Clayborn’s previous novels) & I’m kind of glad I did because I feel like I was able to focus on the story completely instead of any expectations I may have had. And what a story it was! A lot of times, the romance is the story and while that was a large part of this book, it’s also about the truth and sisters and family and what it means to really open up to the people you love & who love you. There were times where the podcast plot line was a little hard to follow , so that’s the only reason why it’s 4 stars instead of 5.

This talented author has written a real page turner. The realistic characters keep the story moving quickly. I kept wondering what would happen next. Jess and Tegan look out for each other. Sisters…family and friends…secrets and red herrings…thanks Netgalley

Included as a top pick in weekly March New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

4.25 🌟

So much more than a love story!

As a person who loves true crime + Kate Clayborn I was so excited to get this book. I loved the mystery + love story + heavier issues - its a little bit different than everything else I've read from Kate. If you are looking for a meatier romance, I would for sure pick this up.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Kate Clayborn the woman that you are! I had such a great time with this unique story. We follow Jess and her sister Tegan who were both abandoned by their mother as she fled with a now known con-man. Salem and Adam, famous true crime podcasters, then show up after Tegan contacts them to help find their mother. The four then embark on a road trip as they work to uncover the truth. If you love true crime, you'll love this book!

This story definitely rides the line of women's fiction and romance, which I personally love. There is a heavy focus on the sister relationship and the shared trauma they have in relation to their mother. Jess is the more stoic and protective while Tegan provides some light heartedness to the story. I love how their relationship progresses over the short period of time and how much closer they grew.

The love interest, Adam, is the definition of gentle giant. He's a massive dude but his heart is so pure and all he wants to do is protect Jess!! He is always taking her feelings into account and making sure she has exactly what she needs. He also has a side story that tugged at my heart strings and I was always so excited to get his POV!

I do think this was a tad insta-lovey although I was willing to let it go a bit because Adam and Jess were so SWEET! I would happily read more about them.

What a beautiful love story with a unique plot. I don’t think I’ve read anything like it, which is what I love about Kate Clayborn’s books. The premise of this book - 2 sisters on a road trip with a podcast duo to find a mom who deserted them for a criminal where one of the journalists falls in love with one of the sisters - could have been cringy and campy. It sounds absolutely unbelievable. But Kate Clayborn makes you believe in every step of this unique journey, and every part of this love story between 2 imperfect people who keep trying and trying to do the right thing - for each other and for the one at the center of it all, Jess’s sister Tegan. The dual point of view gives the reader the chance to hear from both Jess and Adam. Jess has put her own life on the back burner in order to raise her young sister, who is about to head off to college. Their mom abandoned both of them, and the trauma they went through is still reverberating in their lives. Adam is perfection - strong and supportive in absolutely every way. He falls hard for Jess, but he becomes the hero we all want with the way he cares for Tegan. Tegan is the linchpin of the whole story. She is young but determined to find out what happened to their mom. She is a typical teen but wise beyond her years. The love Jess and Tegan have for each other is beautiful to see as the story progresses. This is a story with a hint of mystery as they search for their mom, and the twists along the way were surprising but not over the top. I didn’t expect their journey to end up how and where it did, but it is imperfectly perfect for all of them. I love this book and it will be one of my favorite romances of the year. All the stars!
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Jess has taken care of her younger half sister Tegan since their mother disappeared over 10 years ago. Their mom left with a man that Jess knows is a well-known con man. He was the star of a very popular podcast, The Last Con of Lynton Baltimore.

Tegan contacted producer of the podcast, Salem, and her assistant Adam, a former football player known as Hawk, posing as her sister. She wants to find her mom, and is willing to tell her story to Salem in exchange. Jess has been hiding 5 postcards from her, and after Tegan finds them, Salem plans a road trip to the places that the postcards depict.

Jess is fiercely protective of Tegan, while Adam and Jess are increasingly attracted to each other. As they travel, Adam becomes deeply protective of Jess and she returns his feelings. Will the girls find their mom, and what will she say if they do? How does the original podcast relate, and what story will the new version tell?

This is a beautifully told story, but the heart of it is sad, Mom abandons 2 children to run off with a con man, turning the eldest into a parent at 18. Jess’ character is fascinating, and I loved Adam and Jess’ relationship and how fiercely Adam loves Jess. The ending is unexpected, in my opinion it felt a little rushed after the length of the road trip. This is going to be one of this year’s best books, 4 stars.

Thanks to the Kensington Books and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was more than your usual romance novel. The focus was on the journey of self-discovery and trauma-processing. There was also a road trip to take and a mystery to solve.

It sounds like a lot but the themes were interwoven in a perfect way. The topic was not easy but the author approached it with her usual wisdom and respect for human emotions. I loved Jess and the bond she had with her sister. Their relationship was complex but wonderful and maybe even more important than the romance.

The romance itself was good but it wasn’t a magical, butterflies-in-your-belly, I-want-this-for-myself sort of thing. Both MCs were working through some heavy stuff and it was a lot to take at times. It was however wholesome how they found each other. I loved how Adam got Jess to trust him and how he protected her, and how Jess got out of her comfort zone for him.

Four stars and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thanks Kensington Books and NetGalley for the arc 💗

This book was different from her previous works. It had a true crime/thriller/mystery podcast element that held a main portion of the plot. There was a romance running along side all the mystery solving but I hate to say that it all felt like too much. I felt like I was being pulled in two directions and neither of them were done all that well. This book was a quick easy read and had some nice elements of sisterhood, family and strength but just didn’t totally do it for me.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

I finished this book early this morning before work because I just had to finish before I could move on with my life. :) This was my favorite Kate Clayborn since Love Lettering, possibly my favorite ever. I cared so much about Tegan and Jess and Adam that I cried a lot of happy and sad tears in my last hour of reading, which is a sign of excellent writing in my opinion! And the epilogue was the perfect conclusion.

I've been searching for the words to talk about this book. Kate Clayborn has written a book about what family is, what it can be, and how we choose to make it. At the same time, it's a beautiful romance with spice and sensuality and longing. I don't know how she does it.

It's a road trip romance (which means forced proximity) where Jess has to decide if she can dismantle the (extremely high and very well constructed) walls she's built around herself for Adam, the enormous man who left football and became a journalist. It's a love story where Jess and Tegan (the younger sister Jess has had custody of for the last decade since Jess was 21 and Tegan was 8) learn to relate to each other as sisters and maybe friends, not just child/guardian. It's a search for the woman who left Jess and Tegan behind and only looked back long enough to send five postcards.

It's a beautiful, complex story that does so much work in the pages it has.

I adored it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for the ARC. This is the second book by this author I have tried, and ultimately failed, to enjoy. There is something about her writing style I just don’t enjoy. Other people seem to love her, so I think it is just me. I found this book really slow and way, way, way, too long.

4.5 stars
Kate Clayborn is one of my favorite authors, so I was thrilled to get the chance to read The Other Side of Disappearing. I found it a little hard to get into at first. I think it was because of the podcast segments interspersed with the chapters. Also, Jess is pretty overbearing at first. But, as the story moved along, it made sense. I found the behind-the-scenes of podcast production pretty interesting. While this book doesn't quite hold the same place in my heart as Georgie, All Along (Levi! <3) or Love Lettering (Reid!), I will happily recommend Kate Clayborn and ALL of her books to everyone that I can!

Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in return for an honest review.