I stan Kate Clayborn I’ve read every single book of hers and they have all been top romances for me so my anticipation was palpable. Unfortunately, this is probably my least favourite of her books and it pains me to even say that. Well I appreciated her changing up things with a pod cast, familial mystery and a romance it felt far to ambitious and I didn’t particularly care about any of it, it didn’t go deep the way she normally does and I found myself craving more. I will continue to read whatever Kate writes she remains a favourite.

This is my second book I've read by Kate Clayborn and I can not express how much I connected with this story and these characters. I know that this book counts as a romance novel, but it is also so much more than that. It's a deep look into families, the events in our lives that shape and mold who we are, how the past affects us, the bonds of sisters, the journey of self discovery. There's even a few twists along the way.
Clayborn has ability to write characters with such depth. There's rational for why the characters behave the way they do, and there's an understanding of why the characters make the decisions they have made in life (even if the reader doesn't agree with those decisions.
Also, ADAM AND JESS. I just adore them both.
A must read. I can't wait to see what come next from this author.
A HUGE thank you to netgalley, Kensington books, and of course Kate Clayborn for this story and for allowing me to review this work.

See more on my instagram - @bookish_starry_skies

There is so much goodness in this beautifully written book. I loved that it was very distinctive from other romances. I greatly enjoyed that it was one of my favorites - a road trip romance. I loved how complicated, fragile, but strong at the same time were the main characters, I loved the tension, the feeling that someone is going to crack at any given moment. Sometimes, while reading, I'd feel a faint Emily Henry vibe, but I'm not sure, if it's a praise to Kate Clayborn, or rather the praise to Emily Henry herself. And though I'm not a fan of love at the first sight, still it was depicted very well. I think I would've loved this book even more if I weren't in my fantasy reading stage.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange of an honest opinion.

Folks, Kate Clayborn is back! I loved Love Lettering and Love at First but I was not a fan of Georgie, All Along, Kate Clayborn’s most recent book. The Other Side of Disappearing is a true return to form.
This book tells the story of Jess and Teegan, two sisters, searching for the mother that abandoned them. They embark upon a journey with two podcasters, Salem and Adam, to unwind the mystery of the scammer who disappeared with their mother. A very interesting story unfolds, accompanied by an absolutely beautiful love story between Jess and Adam.
This book is so well-written, unique and heartfelt. I appreciated that there was a real meaty story that added to the romance.
Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book gave me feelings...no, it gave me caps lock FEELINGS. Clayborn writes with such care, she brings us impossibly close to her complex characters. I loved this beautiful book so much.
PS Adam is my new book boyfriend.

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

Let me just say, wow.

Growing up, I loved Sarah Dessen. From the age of 12, I wrapped myself up in her environments, her dynamics, her characters, and her love stories. In my adulthood, I think Kate Clayborn is one of the closest authors I’ve ever found that feels like writes stories for the Sarah Dessen girls who grew up.

(That made more sense in my head.)

Since discovering Kate last year, I have read all of her books. I have loved all of her books. I love her character dynamics, her world-building, her romance. But Georgie, All Along and now The Other Side of Disappearing both feel like a turn for her - more dynamic/character/story-driven. Deeper.

I loved the Luck trilogy so much, but these last two novels have truly won me over.

I loved the relationship between Jess and Tegan - it was so soft. I loved Adam and his gentle protectiveness much. I love that this story really leaned into the mystery so much as well - it had my jaw dropping at certain points!

I teared up several times, smiled like a loser several times, and genuinely cannot wait to reread it when it has its proper release in a few months.

Thank you again, so much, for the opportunity to read this book early.

(And I’m sure I wasn’t supposed to be fan-casting Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce as Jess and Adam here but. Oops!)

The Most Anticipated Romance Books of 2024

The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn
Release Date: March 26 from Kensington Books

I love watching an author challenge themselves, which is exactly what Kate Clayborn is doing with her latest romance—or rather, it’s a true-crime-inspired road-trip story about sisters joining up with podcast producers to track down their long-disappeared mother and the infamous con artist she ran away with. But hairstylist Jess Greene and her half-sister Tegan struggle to push past their shared scars of familial trauma enough to actually talk about their mom, let alone trust podcast host Salem Durant and her kindhearted producer Adam Hawkins enough to let them document this fraught family reunion.

And that’s where Clayborn weaves in her signature love story, with flesh-and-blood characters whose respective baggage is not merely convenient to the plot, but which actually gives them relatable desires (beyond kissing each other) and realistic obstacles to being together.

This didn’t work for me. The fmc was too stuck, too damaged and too focused on remaining still. I didn’t entirely buy the plot

This was super compelling! I loved the mystery at the heart of it all, and the sibling relationship of Jess and Tegan. Plus the romance!! Very much enjoyed!

3.5 ⭐️ A heartfelt book filled with a roadtrip of a lifetime, a true-crime podcast, and a sexy pancake-loving man!

Read if you like:
• exploration of grief and family trauma
• former goth FMC and her all-black fits
• dual POV

Avoid if you don’t like:
• love at first sight


Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this e-ARC!

The Other Side of Disappearing is a little mystery with a lot of romance and heart (and steam, thank you very much). The entire cast of characters comes into his story a bit broken, searching for various answers, and it all coalesces around one question: where is Lynton Baltimore a con man who disappeared a decade earlier? Salem Durant, a podcaster with a popular show about the conman that ended with him ghosting her final interview, wants to see this mystery through to the end. Adam, her assistant, wants to learn the tricks of the podcasting trade. Jess and Tegan have a more personal interest - they want to know where their mother, Charlotte, has been in the years since she ran off with the conman. With only five postcards to serve as breadcrumbs along her trail, the four set off on a road trip to retrace Charlotte's steps.

I'm not a huge fan of podcasts, true crime, or mystery, so to me this was all plot to give the story a structure, but at each new discovery, there was an emotional significance that impacted the characters, made them explore more of their past traumas and built an ever stronger connection between them, creating a kind of found family despite their different, sometimes conflicting motivations. The magic in all this was how powerfully it served the development of an unlikely romance into a real heartfelt bond between a couple of people who went from strangers to lifelines in a short time, through shared grief and proximity. The backdrop also worked really well for bringing out an emotional catharsis between the two sisters who have been forced to live like mother-daughter since they were abandoned. This dynamic was fascinating, as Jess tries to understand exactly how much of her parenting echoes that of her own failure of a mother. There's just a lot to unpack, and every emotional beat reverberates with so much skill.

As always, Kate Clayborn's prose is beautiful, compelling, and heartfelt. All the stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC.

Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for *Georgie, All Along* was one of my favorite books of 2023, so I was super excited to read Kate Clayborn’s latest release, *The Other Side of Disappearing*. Swipe to read my review!

Aside from Clayborn’s classically stunning prose, there are so many strong aspects of this novel. The chapters alternate between Adam and Jess’s POVs, and perfectly demonstrate how opposites attract. Jess has spent the past 10 years protecting her sister and has become extremely guarded herself. Adam made a late career change with the intention of becoming an investigative journalist to explore how toxic football culture lead to the death of his best friend. In many ways, they are complete opposites, but they don’t just fall for one another. They completely unravel. While their connection felt genuine, they come together very quickly, giving it insta-love feels.

Although this was a romance novel, the relationship dynamic that truly shined in this story was the relationship between Jess and her sister, Tegan. Due to Jess having to raise her sister at a young age, the line between parent and sibling was blurred, and this was painstakingly demonstrated in Jess’s narration and her interactions with Tegan.

I also really enjoyed the podcast transcripts between chapters. These chapters were super short, and I would have liked a little more from them!

Kate Clayborn has done it again. In The Other Side of Disappearing, two sisters face down their mother’s reckless legacy to forge a future together – and find love outside of their bond. As always, Clayborne writes great, heart-tugging romance, with a solid side of family feelings.

Jess Greene has dedicated herself to a quiet, simple life – with good reason. Her mother, Charlotte, disappeared with an infamous con man named Lynton Baltimore – whom she introduced to her daughters by his assumed alias, Miles Daniels – ten years ago, leaving Jess to raise her half-sister Teagan between hairdressing appointments.

Behind Jess’ back, a barely-eighteen Teagan contacts Salem Durant – hostess of the The Last Con of Lynton Baltimore podcast, who has a past with the man all her own. Salem has been recounting all of Lynton’s crimes before disappearing into the ether alongside co-host Adam ‘The Hawk’ Hawkins. Having listened to the podcast, Tegan says she realizes she knows Salem and Adam know where Charlotte is. The plan? Teagan wants to team up with them to find their mom.

Jess can’t let Teagan leap into this alone, and thus volunteers to go with her. The foursome embark on a road trip, which provides a growing lesson for Teagan, and a lesson in letting go – and finding joy for herself – for Jess, who begins find romance with Adam. But where is Charlotte?

The Other Side of Disappearing takes its time answering that question, all the while building a compelling mystery around Lynton and Charlotte’s disappearance. But along the way we come to love Tegan, Jess, Adam and Salem. We want Jess to get a life outside of dutiful dawdling on the straight and narrow, Teagan to grow up safely, and Salem to move beyond her dogged pursuit of Lynton - and for Adam to find a world outside of the investigation. This is a mystery, a road trip, and a story about healing. In every aspect it exells.

The romance is great, too – even the fourth act break-up makes sense for who Jess is as a character. And it packs Claybourn’s usual sassy, spirited punch as well.

Every little bit of this journey is a fascinating mystery, a warm romance and a wonderful family saga – found and not. My standards for Kate Clayborn novels are very high, yet she manages to surpass them here. The Other Side of Disappearing is very highly recommended.

The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Claiborne is a rich and complex story that I so enjoyed! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read an ARC.

Jess, the main character, is a complex, admirable character - even if not the most likable, especially at first. Left twice by her mother, and forced to step in to raise her younger sister, resulted in Jess becoming very closed off from everyone else. Through a whole interesting set of circumstances, the two sisters embark on a road trip together to try to find their mother.

As this story progressed, we get to see Jess’ barriers start to come down as she learns to find herself again and to start letting others in. It is also a story of how her relationship with her sister, Tegan, evolves to something richer and closer - beginning to move from a mother/daughter type bond more towards true sisters and friends. And last, but certainly not least, we get to see her romance with Adam - a journalist and former football player with his own complex past - evolve as two multifaceted people try to build trust and find love.

Kudos to Kate Claiborne for another, rich, layered, and unique story- with many interesting and complex characters! I will gladly read any future works by this amazing author.

Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy 😍 I really liked this one! Think forced proximity, enemy to lovers (kinda? Very light enemy vibes) and so much secret pining 🥹 A love story in many different ways! This was a read that once I was sucked in, I couldn’t put it down!

3.5 ⭐️

I had no idea what I was getting into with this one and I'm so glad I read it. I loved the focus on the non-traditional sibling relationship with the FMC and her sister. Sometimes, out of love, we unwillingly harm people important to us, and thought that this theme was so well delivered.
Not to take away from the romance aspect, I thought that the depiction of that relationship, the trauma from their situation, and their growth as sisters became the shining star in the plot. The romance was just a bonus, but equally well-written.

This book was amazing!! I love Kate Clayborn and had high hopes - my expectations were exceeded. Sometimes romance books end up feeling cheesy or unrealistic, but the author writes her characters to be deep and complex, and they seem to live in the real world where things don’t always go perfectly. I fell in love with the main character and was rooting so hard for her!! Loved this.

Kate Clayborn is a lovely writer, her words just flow so beautifully on page. While The Other Side of Disappearing may not be my favorite book by her, it holds true to her talent.

"You don't blend in. Not to me, you don't"

Did I love this book or what.
The love story running alongside a mystery/ podcast research may make some feel like the story isn't a straight romance, but for it adds to the depth and emotion around the entire story. I was drawn into what happened to their missing mother and the con man, but understood that the journey, not the destination, was what made this book beautiful.

A bit of a departure from her other books I've read, but the emotions, grief, hope, and love made this a memorable read.

Four big beautiful stars, would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

What a beautiful story of finding yourself, sharing your heart, and loving those around you well. The cross country road trip keeps the story moving quickly and the characters are well rounded and full of their own secrets and surprises. I found myself riding an emotional rollercoaster with Jess and Tegan and Adam and Salem, hoping for the best, and I was not disappointed!