I have been a fan Kate Clayborn ever since Love Lettering thoroughly transported me back to the stationery store I worked at while in grad school. But this book, this story — it blew the rest completely out of the water. Beautifully written with a compelling, compulsive storyline and rich relationship and character development, The Other Side of Disappearing was an incredible combination of romance, mystery, and family drama that will leave your heart full long after you finish the last page.

I love Kate Clayborn - her stories are unique and her writing is so fluid. This story had such promise. It fell a little flat for me. Its a slow burn romance which was written so lovely. The main story line didn’t feel developed enough for me. I wish more time and more of the narrative was spent on the mystery part of the book. But still a good read and worth it for the writing. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

Thank you to netgalley and Kensington for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book written by Kate Clayborn. When I read this book, it shows two sisters on a road trip with some other looking for their mother. This book shows clues and other things about one of the characters. Thanks to the publishers at Kensington Books and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this book and do a review.

6/5 stars
3/5 spice
A book of the year. (Already?! Yes already.) Kate Clayborn’s writing here is enchanting. The premise (the real lives of those affected by a con man’s schemes, who connected the dots after hearing it retold in a true crime podcast) is brilliantly creative, where it plays on the edge of romantic suspense, but doesn’t leave readers with nightmares. You will absolutely want to ignore real life and devour this in one sitting! The character development mixes steely protectiveness with tender bravery to love again. I especially appreciate that while there are several “bad guys” in the story, the author crafts them to contain both their sins and the complexity that includes redeeming or enjoyably memory aspects as well. And the twists!!!! So fun. The romance is more slow burn, but heats up on several occasions as well. Wish I could read this again for the first time!
#contemporaryromance #ARC #upcomingrelease #suspensefulromance

Kate Clayborn has written a beautiful story about what happens after a parent disappears, not to them, but to those left behind. A love story is interwoven with a tale of true crime and familial bonds, and it works wonderfully. It’s complex and convincing, different from her previous books, but just as enjoyable. Can't wait to discuss this with others.

Kate Claybourn once again brings us characters unlike anyone else. They materialize as fully formed thanks to her skilled storytelling. They are complex but never contrived. Jess is a locked vault - and it is with good reason. Her mother's past choices are a hairline away from a very familiar true crime podcast - and she's done what she could (from the age of 21 on) to raise her younger half sister without drawing attention to this fact. But all that crumbles down when a curious and determined Teagan, now 18, wants to find her mom and enlists the help of the original investigative journalist. Our main characters, Jess and Adam are the side characters of this podcast investigation, but their story is the main event. There is an undeniable chemistry that is kept under lock and key and builds and burns and is so very satisfying.
A compelling and emotional read and another Kate Clayborn masterpiece. The best read of my last few months. Thanks so much for the ARC!

I'm so grateful to NetGalley for the ARC of Kate Clayborn's newest novel, The Other Side of Disappearing. It had me hooked from start to finish, and it was impossible not to fall in love with these beautifully flawed and vulnerable characters.

Jess has been raising her younger sister Tegan since their mother abandoned them ten years ago. Jess has worked tirelessly to protect Tegan from the scandal surrounding her mother's leaving with a now-notorious con man... until the podcaster who uncovered their connection shows up at her door. When Tegan admits that she's been impersonating Jess during interviews to find out what really happened to their mother, Jess is shocked. Although she instantly dislikes Salem because of her ruthless tactics on her podcast, Jess is instantly drawn to Salem's co-worker Adam. The feeling is mutual as he fights to separate his journalist instincts from his quickly growing feelings for Jess. Their multi-state journey to find their mother- and the con man that she deserted her family for- leads the unlikely foursome to many unexpected turns and life-changing discoveries.

I was already a Kate Clayborn fan and this book secured her standing as one of my favorites.

ARC REVIEW (thanks NETGALLEY)

Beginning of book I was totally invested. Jess’ sister impersonates her to a couple of podcasters and is about to take a road trip with them to find their missing mother when Jess discovers her plan. Jess has been raising her sister Teagan for the past 10 years since her mom fucked off with her new boyfriend. The 4 of them embark on the road trip following clues her mother sent in postcards.

Meh, I think book should’ve picked a storyline and stuck with it. Are we a romance or are we a mystery? Having both storylines running together left both feeling anticlimactic and diluted. I found myself bored and a lot of times confused. I usually love Kate Claiborne’s novels but this seemed lacking.

Kate Clayborn has surpassed her previous excellent work with #TheOtherSideofDisappearing, a book that combines a tender love story with serious subjects, like abandonment, mental health and trust.

Jess Greene is a 31-year-old hair stylist who is getting ready to send her half-sister Tegan off to college after raising her for the past decade following their mother’s disappearance with her latest boyfriend. Jess has always been extremely protective of Tegan because not only did their mother abandon them, but it turns out the boyfriend she ran away with was a notorious con man named Lynton Baltimore, whose exploits were the subject of a popular podcast.

To minimize the chance of anyone connecting Tegan to Baltimore, Jess has lived a narrow, “locked down” life for 10 years, limited to working and taking care of Tegan. She has denied herself both friendships and romantic relationships to protect her sister.

As she prepares to enjoy the last few weeks with Tegan before college begins, Jess is unhappily surprised to find a pair of strangers on her doorstep, asking for her. To her dismay, Jess learns that Tegan found a few postcards that their mother sent to Jess years ago, and in an effort to find out what happened to her mother, Tegan has reached out to the journalist, Salem Durant, who hosted the original podcast about Lynton Baltimore. Because Tegan was only 17 when she first contacted Durant, Tegan pretended to be Jess.
Salem and her colleague, Adam Hawkins, have planned with Tegan to go on a road trip to the five locations represented by her mother’s postcards with the hope of producing a follow-up podcast, closing the loop on the Baltimore story. Tegan, now 18 and legally an adult, is determined to go on the trip with Salem and Adam. Jess is determined to continue looking out for Tegan, so she decides to accompany them.

Tenderness is a thread woven throughout the book; it’s part of the relationship between Jess and Tegan; the relationship that develops between Adam and Jess; and the relationship that Adam, a former successful college football player had with his best friend, Cope, who dealt with mental health challenges before dying a few years after turning pro. One of Adam’s key motivations for becoming a journalist is to be able to tell Cope’s story–a story about football, concussions and mental health—in a way that will honor Cope’s memory and help others.

The journey that Jess, Tegan, Adam and Salem embark on changes all of them. It’s not only a lovely romance but a story about family, motherhood and friendship. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a moving, modern multi-dimensional story.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #Kensington for the advance copy.

Kate Clayborn has been an auto-buy author for me since I read Love Lettering. Her characters and writing do not disappoint and The Other Side of Disappearing is no different. She has a way of writing complex characters that is entirely charming and keeps the reader invested.
Jess and Adam were two such characters. I was thoroughly invested their individual stories, and their love stories. Jess has spent 10 years taking care of her baby sister after their mother left disappeared with a con-man. She is carrying a lot of internalized trauma because of that. Adam is an ex-football player who left the game and turned against it because his best friend's death and the role football played in it. They are two broken characters, who perhaps who don't realize that they are broken.
The search for Jess's mother takes them on a journey in which they not only find clues about her mother, but also find themselves and each other.
While I am not a fan of insta-love, it didn't feel like insta-love with Jess and Adam. It felt like they were two lost souls coming home to each other. I loved seeing how easily Adam offered his protection to Jess and her sister, without pressuring Jess or minimizing her experience. He understood her needs and wants from the start and never pushed her for anything.
Jess was a like a baby bird learning to fly for the first time.
This book is also a story about sisterly bonds. Jess's relationship with Tegan is integral to the story because Tegan is the first love of Jess's life. The book also showed them falling back in love with each other and learning to have a sisterly relationship instead of a parent-child relationship.
This book was a bang-up start to my reading journey for 2024. It was angsty and emotional, but also hopeful and joyful.
Thank you to Kate Clayborn, Kensington Press, and Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

Kate Clayborn is a pretty consistent must-read for me, so I honestly didn't even read the description of this before I requested it or dove in to read it. I'm kind of glad it happened that way, honestly, because this took me completely by surprise and I ended up loving it. The story opens with Jess Greene, a hairstylist in her early 30s who has unexpectedly come back home in the middle of the day because she left her shears there after giving her 18 year old sister a trim the night before. Her sister, Tegan, isn't there, and Jess immediately knows that something is off. She has experience with people leaving, because her own mom did it twice - once when Jess was a kid and she went off with Tegan's father, and again when she was 21 and Tegan was a kid and her mom left her in Jess's care. Two strangers show up at the door, and when Tegan comes back, Jess learns what's going on. Tegan found some postcards their mother sent them in the early years after she left, and realized what Jess has known for a long time - that their mother left them to be with a man who was a famous con artist - Lynton Baltimore. Baltimore had gained notoriety after being the subject of a true crime podcast hosted by Salem Durant, who is now at Jess and Tegan's door with her new assistant, Adam "Hawk" Hawkins, a former college football star who is now a journalist. Reluctantly, Jess agrees to go on a roadtrip with Tegan, Salem, and Adam to all the places from their mom's postcards to see if they can find her. There is a romantic sub-plot here, but to me it felt secondary to the mystery/adventure element, which I found really compellingly plotted and written. Jess and Adam's attraction to one another was kind of awkward, in a sweet way, and I liked their pairing and the way that they seemed to smooth each other's edges. Also, big points for positive portrayals of therapy and seeking help related to mental health.

I’m very grateful to have been given an eARC of this book. I love Kate Clayborn’s writing. She writes so thoughtfully, with deep characterization; her writing is always honest and is such a pleasure to read.

This book had all things I love about her writing, though it felt like a departure for her, in some ways. It was still a romance, but it wasn’t as romance-forward as her other work. I would have liked to see the romance built up more; it was hard to believe the characters were so committed to each other after only two weeks. I also felt a character’s motives at a climactic moment of the book were too easily explained away (being vague so as not to spoil). That’s why this book wasn’t a five star read for me. However, those are relatively minor criticisms. The exploration of podcasting and true crime (something I know nothing about) was really interesting, and the relationship between the sisters was so touching and well done. I really loved what this book had to say about family, loss, and finding yourself. Thanks so much to the publisher for providing an eARC via NetGalley.

Kate Claiborne is an auto-read for me for her characters, the humanness of her stories, her incredible way with words, and the romance. But I have to admit, I wasn’t sure about this book. True crime isn’t something that I read, watch, or listen to so the premise was a stretch for me. True crime and romance?

This book is different than her others and deals with harder, somewhat darker topics and themes than her others, particularly what happens when people disappear from our lives, what happens when we disappear from ourselves. But she handles those parts of being in relationship and being human with such care and without flinching from the complicated emotions that are involved. And the chemistry between Jess and Adam was so tender and swoony.

BUT as a journalist, I had a really hard time with the idea of a journalist getting involved with a someone who’s an integral part of the story he’s chasing. That part of the story was really hard for me to believe and buy into.

I loved Georgie All Along and I thought the premise of this book was fascinating. I had high expectations, and I’m happy to say they were very much met. Adam and Jess have an instant connection, but it is very much a meeting of kindred spirits- it never feels like insta-love, more like the introduction of real soulmates. The subplots are equally interesting- the story of Jess and Teagan’s mother, Salem’s relationship with her family, and Adam’s feelings about football and the loss of his best friend… it is all thought provoking and well-written. I highly recommend it! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc.

Kate Clayborn's books are always lovely, masterful, and kind, and THE OTHER SIDE OF DISAPPEARING is no exception. It's filled with characters who want what's best for one another; the conflict is external and the thing they need to learn is how to love themselves, and it's just so wonderful and also gripping as hell.

Kate Clayborn has done it again, composing a symphony by playing the strings of readers' devoted hearts. This heartwarming, genuine, and inspirational story delves into the lives of people who disappear from our lives, taking parts of us with them and leaving us feeling like half-empty shelves.

The narrative beautifully explores realistic dysfunctional family dynamics, sisterhood, self-discovery, and healing wounds, all blended into a poignant love story. The unique and complex bond between sisters is particularly moving, bringing forth torrents of emotion that had me shedding tears.

Let's meet hairstylist Jess Greene, who hides behind thick emotional barriers, having no intention of letting anyone in. She harbors secrets about her mother, who left her and her stepsister Tegan ten years ago when Jess was only 8. This event shattered her trust in people, forcing her to live like a shell of herself. Jess becomes Tegan's guardian when their mother, Charlotte, is lured away by a conman named Lynton Baltimore. Despite sending five postcards to inform Jess about her journey, Charlotte shows no interest in hearing from her daughters.

Although Jess never discusses the postcards with her sister, she discovers one day that Tegan has packed her bags without telling her. Tegan becomes enamored with Salem Durant, a popular podcaster whose show, "The Last Con of Lynton Baltimore," becomes a viral sensation. Jess realizes that Salem is investigating the same conman who promised her a one-on-one interview that never materialized. The journey reveals that Tegan has been imitating Jess to join a road trip with Salem and his charismatic, giant, ex-NFL star journalist, Adam Hawkins, to follow the traces of their mother and her grifter boyfriend.

Jess is startled by Tegan's betrayal but reluctantly agrees to join the road trip to protect her sister from the emotional crush she may have to face. Along the way, she slowly lets down her emotional barriers to allow Adam in. He demonstrates patience in earning her trust, revealing his own vulnerable parts and sharing his grief about a teammate who lost the battle against mental illness.

The four of them traverse the country to unravel the mystery of the conman and his lover, the girls' mother. This journey becomes an inner exploration, forcing them to confront lost parts and fears that have prevented them from living their lives fully.

Overall, this is an amazing self-exploration journey, a genuine sisterhood story, and a blossoming romance between Jess and Adam that warms the heart. Adam, with his cinnamon bun demeanor disguised under a giant facade, possesses all the qualities of the best book boyfriend. I recommend this book to anyone seeking something inspirational, soul-healing, and positive to lighten their mood.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for sharing this lovely book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This is my second Kate Clayborn book after I read "Georgie All Along" last year.

I think this is one of my favorite reads in recent months. I love the flawed, realistic characters she creates.

Seeing the journey all the characters take in this road trip of revelations could make you laugh or cry or smile or all of the above. The idea of sacrificing yourself for family and losing your identity along the way also really resonated with me.

Highly recommend.

I adored this book. The plot was so engaging I couldn’t put it down- which isn’t always the case with a romance. But this book walks the delicate line of having a truly enthralling plot and an all encompassing romance.
I also adored the sister relationship between Teagan and Jess.
Wow. This was such a beautiful book I was kind of stunned.

The only issue I found was when the characters traveled to the Pacific Northwest in July in the book and it is said to be rainy and cloudy, and cold.
I’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest my whole life and July is clear and sunny. Pretty much the only month of the year that the weather is consistently clear.
So that was a pretty decent inaccuracy

Another delightful love story from Kate Clayborn! And this time we get a romance with a truly compelling mystery. This story follows the arc of a true crime podcast, with transcripts from the podcast that started it all woven through out. I loved the evolution of Adam and Jess, their individual growth as they learn to trust each other and their growth together.

Our MMC, Adam, falls first and he falls hard. It was fun to read from both characters POV in this story, especially as Adam learns to break down Jess’ walls.

This is a great story for fans of true crime (perhaps non-murder true crime) Only Murders in the Building or of course any of Kate Clayborn’s previous works.

Kate Clayborn usually writes a gooey romance that is incredibly heartwarming. I’m a fan and she is an automatic buy for me, but this is different. This is a different genre and Kate does it just well by managing to stay true to herself. There is still a gooey romance but there are a lot more layers and complexity in a heartbreaking quest for family and answers in a beautiful and life changing journey. TYSM to NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for my honest review. I highly recommend you preorder this book! Kate Clayborn is underrated and I’m excited to see what this book does for her career.