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.

Pros: I found this book to be an interesting mash up of genres--a romance with a true crime podcast plot device. I've been enjoying the trend in fake true crime podcasts in the mysteries and thrillers genres, but it felt new to the romance genre. Although romances are meant to be predictable, I liked that this book had an element of mystery to it. I read this book in one day because I was interested to know what happened to the main character's mother.

Cons: Although the romance storyline was fleshed out, I felt like the mystery was a bit thin. That feeling might be because I am used to reading thrillers where the mystery is the entire storyline and not just part of it.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

3.5 stars

I love Kate Clyborn’s heartfelt writing. Once again, she delivers with her latest novel, The Other Side of Disappearing.

This book is different from any in the romance genre I’ve recently read. Clayborn seamlessly blends family drama, mystery and romance.

I loved the characters of Jess, Tegan and Adam. If anything, I wanted more scenes with Jess and Adam—and less of the mystery.

This book will stick with me for a long time, and I wouldn’t be shocked it’s one of my favorite reads of the year.

Read if you like:
🩵 Cinnamon roll
🩵 Found family
🩵 Mystery
🩵 Mental health representation

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for an eARC of The Other Side of Disappearing, now available everywhere.

I am really struggling with how to review this book. On one hand, I enjoyed the mystery, the characters and the slow burn romance and family drama. On the other hand, I felt like the plot was boring, overdone and actually took away from the other parts. I am not sure I have ever walked away from a book feeling this way, so it had kind of left me unsure of how to review. This was definitely a book that made me think and took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I think the thing I struggled with was that it was another book about True Crime Podcasts. I think between books, podcasts and TV it is an oversaturated market and just did not feel original to me. The other parts of the book were great, and overall I did enjoy reading it!

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Another read from Kate Clayborn that I simply couldn't put down! This isn't your typical contemporary rom-com - while it hits the high points you expect and hope for in a romance (happy endings, an beautiful emotional arc with the characters, lots of sweet chemistry) it's so much more than that too. The driving force behind the plot, the podcast and finding Jess and Tegan's mother, is so well thought out and compelling and stands on its own as an incredible story. Jess and Adam are fully formed, flawed,and beautiful characters and watching their love grow and evolve was a highpoint, but Tegan and Salem are equally interesting characters with their own arcs and you'll find yourself rooting for all four of them throughout the story. It was a satisfying read from beginning to end and is a story that I'd recommend to anyone who appreciates both poignant lovestories as well as a fast paced novel that keeps you on your toes. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC!

3.5 STARS

Jess Green, who is a thirty-one-year-old hair stylist, has spent the last ten years raising her half-sister, Tegan. Abandoned by their mother, and Tegan’s father, the sisters have totally relied on each other in their small family unit. Jess’s father is still around but married to someone else. Jess never told Tegan that their mother ran off with a famous conman with several aliases named Lynton Baltimore. He had been the subject of a podcast; the person who did the interviews is on his trail once again.

Unbeknownst to Jess, Tegan discovered the truth of her mother’s leaving and contacted the interviewer’s assistant, Adam Hawkins, because she wants to track down their reprobate mother. Jess is stunned to learn of Tegan’s agenda and is essentially forced to go with her sister and the team on a long road trip based on some postcards their mother, Charlotte, sent ten years before while on her early travels with Lynton.

Jess keeps her emotions wrapped up tight taking her responsibilities to Tegan so seriously that she has not allowed herself much of a life other than parenting Tegan who is about 12 years younger. Adam was a well-known football player in college who choose not to go pro; however, his best friend did and then his life turned to a tragedy. This deeply affected Adam to the point that he became a journalist to tell his friend’s story. Adam’s boss, Salem, has promised to help him with his goals after they convince Jess and Tegan to help ferret out Lynton and her mother.

While on this rather painful road trip, Jess and Adam develop a relationship that is both healing and fraught with potential pain for each of them. This story is told from both their points of view which goes deep into their collective angst, feelings of loss, and quite a bit of emotional baggage. Their journey is one of self-discovery for not only Jess and Adam, but Salem and Tegan as well. This book is quite an emotional roller coaster comprised of the pain of abandonment, loss, self-healing and a slow burn romance.