BOOK REVIEW 📖

The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn
Pub Date: March 26th
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thanks to @kensington and @netgalley for the advanced copy!

Synopsis: Since the disappearance of their mother ten years ago, hairstylist Jess Greene has been taking care of her younger sister Tegan on her own. Due to the mysterious circumstances of their mother’s abandonment, Jess hasn’t let anyone else into their little bubble. When two unexpected guests, a podcast host and her assistant, show up at their door, Jess realizes Tegan has been searching for their mom. Thus begins a road trip across the country to track her down.

Thoughts: If you’ve read Kate Clayborn before, you might be expecting a romance, but this book is a foray into a new sub genre for her - mixing mystery and romance - and she honestly knocked it out of the park. All of the characters in this book are layered and complex and feel like real people out there in the world even after I finished reading. While the romance was swoony, my favorite relationship in this book was actually between the sisters as they navigated their complicated bond. The overarching themes of this book were pretty deep - what happens to those left behind when someone disappears and how to let people in after you’ve been hurt - and Kate explored them beautifully. This book was at times both heartbreaking and heartwarming, and I’ll be thinking about it for a long time. Kate Clayborn has definitely been solidified as an auto-buy author for me!

Read this if you like:
🎙️ true crime podcasts
🎙️ slow burn romance
🎙️ family drama
🎙️ complex characters
🎙️ road trip

I loved this book, I enjoyed the sister relationship and how grief was portrayed. The romance was well written and not overshadowing to the plot line. There were some very sad moments, but I like her writing a lot and will read anything she writes.

This book was wonderful read. It was an adventure on a road trip that brought me a romance, family trauma and trying to solve a mystery through postcards. This book had so many deeper themes and topics through out the story that kept me engaged in the story. I really loved the writing and the various complex topics about self-discovery, family dynamics, emotional wounds, and opening up and moving from self-protection to embracing life to the fullest. Told in dual point of view between Jess and Adam. Many thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Other Side of Disappearing is a novel by Kate Clayborn. After enjoying her other novels, I was curious how her latest novel would turn out. The story follows hairstylist Jess Greene who has been raising her half-sister, Tegan, for the past decade after their mother, Charlotte, ran off with a con man, Lynton Baltimore. One day a podcaster Salem Durant and his assistant, ex-NFL star journalist, Adam Hawkins, show up to meet Jess. Their podcast, The Last Con of Lynton Baltimore, is investigating the man that Charlotte ran away with. The four of them then set off on an adventure to discover the truth about Lynton and Charlotte.

The writing works to balance between mystery and romance. There are also the journeys for all the characters. Jess and Tegan have a complex family relationship and their journey to figure out what happened to their mother was well-done. Jess and Tegan are trying to find out the truth about their mother’s disappearance with Lynton while Salem and Adam are trying to find out the truth for the podcast. They both have the same general goal, but for different reasons, which adds a nice contrast between the two sides. The road trip journey provided a great forced proximity situation, especially for the romantic connection between Adam and Jess. There are some moments that highlighted the mystery when I thought the moment would be better allocated to a romance focus or vice-versa, but it was still well-balanced. Overall, I enjoyed the mixed genre story from Clayborn and look forward to reading more in the future.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Kensington, for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Once again Clayborn nabs all the stars I could possibly give to something she has written.

There is a thoughtfulness to her books, once that makes even the uncomfortable topics or moments feel safe to witness as a reader. This is a love story within a mystery within a behind-the-scenes serial podcast creation, and there’s so much to rave about.

People who have shut others out because of a fame/infamy they never wanted (due to social media and a podcast about their family) find in each other a safe landing space to be their authentic selves, to change plans they’ve superglued themselves to for years.

It is moving and interesting and surprising and sweet and sexy and impossible to put down. Get it, gift it, yell from the rooftops about it: THE OTHER SIDE OF DISAPPEARING is truly a five-star read for fans of love stories, serial podcasts and mysteries, alike.

The premise of this story felt really fresh to me. Based on the premise, I expected a little more suspense or dirt on the con man's work. While Jess' emotional revolution is important and was the focus of the story, I think I felt like I was missing part of the story. The podcast transcriptions were only informative about the con man's character, not really his physical cons.

My other misgiving about the start of the story is that Adam is immediately in love with Jess as soon as his eyes land on her while she's confused and then panicking in her doorway learning about her sister's deception. A feeling of protection over someone who is blindsided and clearly vulnerable, sure. But deep feelings of love, not so much.

Jess and Adam do have a deeper connection and Adam seems to see Jess in all of her armor for who she is and who she could be. Tegan is the moody but lighthearted teenager and is depicted really well. Salem was a complex character and her professionalism/moods helped drive the pressure of the story.

This story felt really heavy to me. Jess was a heavy character because she was loaded down with oppressed emotions and responsibilities, as anyone would be when they're young and suddenly the guardian of a younger sibling. For me, the lighthearted moments with Adam weren't enough to bring the story back up. Even Adam's story is sad despite his supportive and loving family. The characters were depicted accurately, but I expected more of the "Other Side" than the dark side.

Overall, I'd recommend this book for a fresh perspective on crime podcasts and chosen family with the warning that the emotional load is a big heavier.

Thank you, NetGalley for an ARC to provide my own opinions on this book.

"They're complicated, the two of them. The love between them as obvious as the tension"

This is such a beautiful story that explores the aftermath of tragic events and what seeking closure can look like.
Jess has been sole guardian to her sister Tegan since their mother walked out of their lives a decade ago. Now at 18,Tegan is determined to find answers regarding her mothers whereabouts and reason for leaving.
So Tegan seeks assistance from a popular podcast host Salem, who agrees to help in return for using the story on her channel. There may also be a well built, handsome ex athlete working for Salem.......
This is where the dynamics really start to take place.
This is as much a love story between strangers as it is between that of two sisters. The personal growth, revelation of emotions, and unresolved trauma will pull on your heartstrings and have you reaching for the tissues.
A slower pace but deeply poignant.
Thank you for such a beautiful read.

I think Kate Clayborn continues to get stronger with each book she writes. She tends to write unique scenarios that I’ve grown to appreciate. I like that she tried to expand this into more than a romance novel and it’s refreshing to have main characters don’t have the stereotypical romance novel careers and motivations.

I personally don’t enjoy love at first sight books as much as other tropes but I was able to buy into Jess and Adam understanding and caring for each other more than other love at first sight books.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.</i>

I love Kate Clayborn. I've never met her, but I love her brain. I love that she understands that one of the main parts of love is attention. I love the humor that she puts into her books (which is hard to get right!)

I loved following Jess and her sister, Tegan, on their journey to find out what happened to their mother who left them ten years before. That traumatizing event was brought home to me over and over until the very end of the book. I loved meeting Adam at the moment he falls in love with Jess pretty much at first sight and then has to do his job honorably after that even though his professionalism is super compromised! I could feel the depth he had. I loved how he paid attention and how much care he took of everyone around him. I would like to meet my own Adam. Have him softly whisper, "Hey now..."

This story is very layered and packed an emotional punch with a pretty devastating ending. Kate does like making us cry.

This was a DNF for me. I got to chapter 5 and found it to be tedious. I simply had no interest in continuing to read to figure out what secret's were being hidden and whatever else was going on. I still gave this book 3 stars since I didn't finish it so I can't properly rate it. If you prefer women's fiction over romance, give this book a try. However, if you were expecting more romance like Clayborn's past books, you likely won't be able to make it through this one.

This is a very sweet story about two sisters, Jess and Tegan--who, although 13 years apart--are as close as can be as Jess has functioned as the mom since their's took off for parts unknown long ago. Now podcaster, Salem and friend, Adam are determined to get the "story" from Jess and Tegan as there are several scandals surrounding mom Charlotte's disappearance. Lots of suspense and fun surprises in this gem as the four of them travel across the country to get the answers they want. It's a great novel that combines so many elements I enjoy in a story that I couldn't put it down!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this combination of romance, mystery and family drama!

The story centers around Jess & Tegan, half-sisters whose mother disappeared from their lives, and the journalists & podcasters that seek their help tracking down the mother who may or may not have been involved with a con-artist they have been hunting down.

I did feel the ultimate "discovery," of the podcasters fell just a bit flatter than the build-up led me to expect and hope for; however, the relationships between Jess & her sister and Jess and her new acquaintances delivered!

Thank you to Kensington Book and NetGalley for sharing this ARC!

Sadly, I think this book suffered from being confused on what it wanted to be. Is it a mystery? Is it a romance? Is it a take on familial relationships? It it somehow all of those things combined but more confusing?

For some reason this one just didn't vibe with me in the way that Georgie, All Along did. I think Kate Clayborn is a good writer, and maybe this just was the wrong book at the wrong time.

When Jess became Tegan's guardian, she was twenty-one and her half-sister Tegan eight. Now, Tegan has figured out that the man their mother ran away with ten years ago was the con artist subject of a popular true-crime podcast, a secret Jess had been keeping. Tegan wants to follow the story by going on a road trip with podcast host Salem and producer Adam. Jess is worried about Tegan's safety and reluctantly agrees to join them.

Told in the dual POV of Jess and Adam, this book is a heart-melting love story, but it's more than a romance. It's a beautifully written and layered story about self-discovery, complex family dynamics, emotional wounds, and opening up and moving from self-protection to embracing life to the fullest.

The character development in this is superb—nuanced, flawed, relatable characters. I felt Jess's emotions and struggles, and I empathized with her deeply. I understood how Jess had become so guarded and "disappeared" while shouldering the enormous responsibility of raising her sister from a young age. I wholeheartedly rooted for her. Former football player Adam has become a journalist to one day tell a very personal story. He, too, has wounds and shows himself to be patient, vulnerable, and protective. He "sees" Jess as he, too, understands what it is like to "disappear."

Clayborn is so good at crafting deeply emotional narratives. The complex relationship between Jess and Tegan is poignant. The heart-breaking circumstances that transformed their sibling bond into a parent-child relationship and the subsequent evolution of their characters brought me to tears. The plotting is strong, with a mystery and the podcast aspect in the mix. The pacing is perfect, and the story is engaging and adorned with lovely metaphors. It's a unique read, and I loved it. Don't miss this!

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the free book!

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for access to this arc.

On it’s face, the “disappearing” in the title refers to Jess’s mother and her boyfriend, con man Lynton Baltimore. But there are layers of disappearing and disappeared in the book and by the end, the title has a new meaning. When Tegan was left in her care, Jess disappeared. She was focused solely on looking after Tegan and protecting her privacy. She has no social media, few friends and keeps everyone at a distance. This, to a certain extent, includes Tegan herself, particularly given the things she she has not shared about their mother. Jess is the biggest one but there are other “disappearances” and reappearances, things and people being seen and unseen in the story, some small and subtle, some more obvious. These are all woven wonderfully together in a beautiful tapestry.

Adam is struck down by almost instant love when he first meets Jess. He immediately wants to protect her and make sure she is not taken advantage of by his boss, Salem Durant (the host of the first big podcast, The Last Con of Lynton Baltimore). Salem had been due to meet Lynton in person for the last episode of the iconic podcast, ten years before. But he didn’t show. (Instead he was busy running off with Jess and Tegan’s mother.) Some say Baltimore’s last con was to Salem herself. It still stings and she wants the follow up. There’s something there about relevance and reclaiming glory too as well as other things which are revealed later in the story.

Adam wants this story too. His best friend, Copeland “Cope” Frederick, a famous NFL player, died by suicide following a mental health crisis. Adam longs to tell Cope’s story in a podcast of his own but he is new to journalism and needs to earn his stripes before he can get the chance. Nonetheless, Adam finds himself immediately torn between his own goals and his desire to protect Jess. Jess may have disappeared but Adam sees her, immediately and clearly and he never loses sight of her. Not once.

Jess decides to go with Salem, Adam and Tegan on the search for the missing couple but does not intend to talk or share her story with the podcast. She is the epitome of reluctant to be involved. When Salem offers Adam the chance at his podcast if he gets Jess to talk on the record I thought I knew where the story was going. But you are too clever and, no. There were a number of times where the book could have gone a certain way but Adam and Jess are better than that and what separates them near the end is far more complicated. It all comes down to who sees you, how you see yourself.

To get involved with Jess threatens her privacy, her lack of visual substance, her framework. But he is a very hard man to resist. He doesn’t push. He’s just there, being kind and constant and caring and how can you fight that?

Adam tries to keep things professional. He doesn’t want to be any kind of burden to Jess who clearly has a lot on her plate but she’s just so darn wonderful it’s a hopeless case.

In some ways, the result of the search is a little bit of a McGuffin – The Other Side of Disappearing is a romance, not a mystery – though the mystery is solved at the end. At least one of the revelations felt a little underdeveloped or perhaps just a bit out of place/unnecessary. I did love the way Jess and Tegan’s relationship grew and changed over the course of the book, from the initial fracturing to something better and far stronger by the end. I enjoyed Adam’s family and his steadfastness – though I was perhaps 5% confused by his obsession with his best friend. Perhaps I needed just a tiny bit more for me to truly understand their bond. I loved Jess and Adam’s connection and contrasts. Adam is the one who reveals things. He sees Jess. He finds the lead which started the podcast search in the first place. He revealed hypocrisy within the NFL community about his friend Cope when Cope first died and has plans to reveal more. Jess is the one who has people disappearing on her and who has disappeared. But then Adam sees her and everything changes. It’s beautiful.

Absorbing story of two sisters, abandoned by their mother, agreeing to a podcast about her disappearance with a con man previously featured on the podcast. Jess has been protecting and raising Tegan since her mom left, but when Tegan appeals to a podcast host to uncover the truth, their journey begins. Along with her podcast assistant Adam, the prying begins as Salem digs deep to find the truth. The relationship between the sisters, and between Jess and Adam, gives depth to the story. Recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I thought Kate knocked it out of the park with “Georgie all along”…and then I read this book. I don’t know what Kates doing but her stories just get better and better.

I don’t want to give away the plot but this book touched on true crime, abandonment, motherhood, sisterhood, narcissistic family, loss/grief and yet with all those heavy themes it’s still such a beautiful love story. Does the relationship come together a little fast at times, yes, but not every book needs to be 700 pages of simmering banter.And Jess and Hawk are just *meant to be*.

The chapters are a little long but they don’t read as such because Kate keeps the plot moving. Also, it is a touch predictable and familiar in the middle but it didn’t make the story any less predictable.

Kate Clayborn is still one of the very best when it comes to the emotional development of her characters. This story is more plot-centric than her typical fare, in that it centers on a trip around the country in search of a famous conman who, it turns out, is connected to the disappearance of Jess's mother a decade ago. She did a nice job with that plot, and with developing the two main side characters who were along for the trip. Often, side characters are only there to help get the two main characters together, but these two had lives and personalities of their own, so that was nice. Their relationships with the two main characters also had plot development of their own, which was also good to watch. The story was really as much about the development of Jess's relationship with her sister as it was about the development of her relationship with Adam. In fact, I often found myself more emotionally invested in the sisterly relationship than in the romantic one. The exploration of how tough it was for Jess to navigate the sister vs. parent role felt real, and sad.

One of my few complaints was how very fast the romance moved. This is not at all uncommon in romances, but it is a little hard to buy into. Also, I would have liked to see Jess learn to forgive herself a little more for the mistakes she made in raising Tegan. There were several times she looked at 18-year-old Tegan and was struck by how young she was, and I was expecting her to eventually make the connection that she wasn't much older when she took on the role of parenting her, and for that to prompt some self-forgiveness for some of the mistakes she made, but it never happened.

All in all, this is another winner from Clayborn. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the Advanced Reader Copy.

4.5 Stars. Jess has been raising her younger sister, Tegan, since their mom ran away with a famed con man about a decade ago. When podcast host Salem and her assistant, Adam, show up unexpectedly at their door, Jess is horrified to learn that Tegan has found their mom’s postcards and reached out to the podcast about a possible story. Jess is strong armed by her sister into going along with them in a search across the country trying to locate their mother using the post cards. Their journeys leads to many lows and several highs including a budding romance between Jess and Adam in pursuit of the truth about their family’s past.

I was first drawn to this book by the cover which I still think is absolutely gorgeous. I don’t quite know what to think about this book. It’s very good and is so different from what contemporary romance is at the moment in an almost jarring way (but in a good way, i don’t know how to describe it). It has a melancholy to it where while as a reader you can see where the story is going to go but the characters aren’t there yet. While the romance between Jess and Adam was featured prominently, if the book was single POV rather than dual POV I would have put it more in the women’s fiction side of things. The plot is mostly the search for Jess and Tegan’s mother and their relationship as sisters, so it was honestly very interesting to have the book written in dual POV alternating between Jess and Adam because rather than give the two sides of their story it more so gave us the internal and external view of Jess and Tegan’s journey. This is definitely not a traditional romance from Kate and I really like that for her. You could tell a lot of thought and care went into the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🎧 The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn✨

Jess Greene has spent the last decade of her life caring for her younger sister Tegan after their mom ran off with notorious con man Lynton Baltimore. When Tegan turns eighteen and resolves to find their mother by enlisting a true crime podcast team, Jess wants nothing to do with it. Her desire to protect her sister is stronger than her desire for privacy, though, so the sisters set out on a road trip mission to find their mom with the podcast host Salem and her producer Adam Hawkins. Adam is immediately drawn to Jess and won’t let her hide herself the way she has been.

Phew. This book absolutely gutted me. I’ve said before and will repeat again that Kate Clayborn books hold a special kind of magic for me and this one is no exception. The addition of the mystery and the adventure of the road trip only enhanced the emotional threads tying Jess to Adam. I love them.

This book is also at its core about motherhood, different types of mothers and what it means to have or not have a mother’s love. There are examples throughout of what it means to be a good mother or a bad one, and the impact that those things have on a person. It’s profound and emotional to dig deep into the ways love works within that bond. The way that Jess showed up for and mothered her sister Tegan was one of the most beautiful parts of the book.

Recommended to those that enjoy: ✨being seen 🚗 roadtrips 🎧 podcasts 🌺 forced proximity 🌙 protective men 👩‍👧 explorations of what it means to be a mother 💖 deeply emotional romance 🛻 swoon-worthy moments in unexpected places

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the advanced copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.