2.5 Stars

This author is quite the conundrum for me. I LOVED her very first three books (Chance of a Lifetime series), but the rest have been hit or miss in connecting with me. Sadly, The Other Side of Disappearing was kinda more miss than hit. Which is a shame, because as per usual, Kate Clayborn is a fabulous writer who gives us a story with unique characters and a creative plot.

Thirty-one year old Jess Greene has had custody of her younger half-sister Tegan for the last ten years, ever since her mom took off with a boyfriend and never came back. When Tegan secretly enlists the help of true-crime podcaster Salem Durant and her producer Adam Hawkins to investigate her mother’s disappearance - then agrees to a road trip following clues their mother may have left in postcards - Jess reluctantly consents to participate in the cross-country quest.

As has been the case with Ms. Clayborn’s most recent books, this one took a meandering path as the group of four traveled from state to state in search of the truth. The main characters are lovable (especially the cinnamon roll hero!), and there’s not a cliche thing on a single page.

But I wasn’t pulled into the story. I felt pulled OUT of the main story every time we had a podcast chapter. I was never compelled to read more than a chapter or two at a time. I would probably still be reading except I downloaded the audiobook so I could listen to the last half while doing a day of yard work. (And the narrators are great, by the way!)

I wanted to love this story. I love road trip stories, I love reluctant heroines and their patient heroes. I really enjoy the poetic writing Ms. Clayborn gives her readers. So it pains me to give this book such a low rating. I miss the Kate Clayborn of 2017 who didn’t appear to be trying so hard to be mysterious and depthy (which totally isn’t a word but how else do I describe it?). Some authors need to evolve and grow their writing skills…but in my opinion, Kate Clayborn isn’t one of them. Her earliest books had an effortless charm and I far prefer them to her newer ones.

Will I keep reading this author’s books? Yeah, I probably will. She writes intelligent, witty stories with relatable characters and storylines you won’t read anywhere else. I find myself enjoying them, but don't usually feel engaged or invested in the story. Maybe how long it’s taken to read her last several books is a me problem? I just don’t know…

* thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I read/listened to the audio version of The Other Side of Disappearing. It was a wonderful story of two sisters searching throughout the US with a podcast host and her producer for their mom who disappeared from their lives ten years earlier. It was sad to see what they went through but with each other and some therapy they come out on top. Plus there's a sweet romance between older sister Jess and producer, Adam.

I love Kate Clayborn's books and have read every one of them!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 26 March 2024

True rating (if NG did 1/2 stars) - 3.5

What an emotional ride! The relationships in this one were everything: Jess and Tegan (half sisters), Jess and Adam (strangers-to-friends-to-lovers), Salem and Adam (boss/employee with a twist), Salem + the sisters (different relationship with each one). This was just a really good story --- part women's fiction, part romance, part mystery. Kate Clayborn really knows how to weave a tale that pulls you in. There was great mental health rep and complex connections. Read with caution if you are triggered by: parental abandonment, grief from loss of a loved one, and depression.

This was not my favorite by this author. The blending of genres just didn’t work for this book. I wanted more of the mystery side.

Clayborn is a lovely writer, and I always enjoy basking in her command of prose and exploration of themes that carry through in her characterization and plotting. I identified with Jess's reluctance to allow her personal family tragedy to be exploited for public consumption in the wildly popular form of a true crime podcast. Jess's "disappearing" takes on a number of forms, but her intense dislike for social media and skepticism of journalism stood out for me. There are so many ethical dilemmas raised by today's infotainment industry of conflating crime and victimization with news and public amusement. Jess's story is the perfect one for showing all of the angles and from different characters' perspectives in this novel.

Jess and her sister Tegan were abandoned by their mother after a con artist sweeps her off her feet to go on crime sprees with him. For years, Jess manages to hide evidence from her young sister as she tries her best to give her a "normal" childhood, until she can't and Tegan discovers their mother's past and wants to know much more. Enter a pair of journalists seeking to uncover the story and hoping the sisters will be the key, and the four agree to a road trip following in the footsteps of the fleeing pair.

So much of this story is built around Jess's turmoil of living a secluded life and what that seclusion has done to her. In fact, I do think there could be an argument that of all of Clayborn's novels, this one felt more women's fiction than romance. A romance does develop between Jess and Adam, but I found it muted and tinged with sadness. To compound the melancholy that hovers over all of the characters, Adam's story felt the least clearly drawn. As a former football player, he is haunted by the suicide of his best friend and fellow teammate, and he blames media for destroying the man's life. He wants to use media in a more affirmative way, which is commendable and endears him to Jess. But I just never quite believed in the depth of the depression he carries with him for years due to a friend's mental health issues.

By the end of the novel, all of the characters have experienced plenty of soul searching and seem to have reached a better place in their lives because of their trip. I really liked the final chapters, and it redeemed a lot of what I found missing in much of the book. Jess and Adam earn their happy ending, and so I was left feeling content for them.

Kate Clayborn is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. She has not written a bad book yet. In this one, a woman’s past catches up with her when a true crime podcast learns that her mother ran away with a famous con artist over a decade ago. The podcast hosts come to take her and her sister on a road trip to try to track down their mother and get the inside scoop.

The true crime hook is unique for romance, and it works well here, adding depth to both main characters. The romance is sooooo romantic and the love story is hard-won.

I love you, Kate Clayborn.

Kate Clayborn is hands down one of my favorite authors. And The Other Side of Disappearing is just phenomenall. This is a gripping and emotional story that combines mystery and romance while exploring on a deeper level what it means to be family. I absolutely loved it.

This book started with angst at 10 and then took no time dialing it up to 11. It felt like there was at least 50 pages from the beginning missing where the characters got to know each other, or met previously, or maybe I missed something?!?
It genuinely felt like Adam and Jess knew each other way before the beginning of the book. To the point that I went back and reread the beginning since they jumped in so quickly into the angst and longing.
I did love that in this book there were outside forces and a story beyond just characters falling in love. The con artist angle was really interesting, and it gave a lot more meaning to the story and the characters. How Adam and Jess navigated how they got to know each other was really interesting.
I've read most of Kate Clayborn's other books and none of them have been a real disappointment so I'll definitely read more of her stuff in the future.

I love Kate Clayborn’s writing. I will say while I liked this book it was not my favorite of hers. This is the story of Jess and her sister. Their mother disappeared 10 years ago so Jess has basically been raising her sister. The younger sister has found he 5 postcards their mother has sent over the years and contacted a podcaster that covered a story about the con man that their mother disappeared with. The podcaster and her producer and the 2 girls embark on a road trip to all he places her mother sent postcards from trying to
figure out where she went.

I’M STILL NOT OVER THIS BOOK … THE STORY ABOUT PEOPLE WHO DISAPPEAR FROM OUR LIVES, TAKING PARTS OF US WITH THEM ✨

Kate Clayborn’s newest book, THE OTHER SIDE OF DISAPPEARING, is more than *just* a romance novel and strayed pretty far from Kate’s usual style IMO in this true crime vibes meets romance - but I absolutely loved it!

In this thought provoking book about dysfunctional families (+ finding love in unexpected places 😉), we’re taken on a journey of self discovery and trauma recovery on a road trip mystery storyline that has two sisters retracing the steps of the mother that abandoned them a decade earlier. A heart wrenching yet healing story ❤️‍🩹 Perfect for fans of Abby Jimenez and Emily Henry!

I have enjoyed Kate Clayborn's books in the past, specifically Love Lettering, so I was excited to read The Other Side of Disappearing as well. The story revolves around Jess who has cared for her sister, Tegan, since their mom left them years ago. Jess has always known her mother left with a famous con-man but had kept Tegan in the dark about the details. A popular podcast devoted to searching for the con-man is Jess's secret's undoing and suddenly Tegan is joining up with the podcast host, Salem, and his producer, Adam, to go across the country, tracing steps and uncovering information about infamous man and thus their mother. Jess, unable to let her sister strike out on this disastrous journey by herself, reluctantly goes along... and so the story begins to unfold! This is really a story about self discovery and sisterhood as much as it is about love and falling in love. Although I didn't like this story as much as I did Love Lettering, this was still a good read and kept my attention!

Released on Mar 26, 2024, The Other Side of Disappearing follows the story of a Hairstylist Jess, who finds herself dealing with the effects of the disappearance of her mother, leaving her years ago with a notorious con artist.
Left behind to shoulder the responsibility of raising her half-sister Teagan, Jess sacrificed her aspirations to shield Teagan from the anguish of abandonment. Now on the verge of adulthood, Teagan embarks on a quest fueled by a newfound lead suggesting their mother may still be reachable. With unwavering determination, Teagan enlists the help of unlikely allies: Salem Durant, a captivating true-crime podcaster, and her astute assistant Adam.
When Teagan decides to go on a journey by herself, Jess finds herself obligated to join in hopes of protecting Teagan from harsh truths. As they pursue a trail of compelling clues, the journey to locate their mother becomes an odyssey of self-discovery, where the search for one lost soul may ultimately lead to the illumination of their own identity.

On a personal and emotional level, I see the longing for the loss and the grief of a missing parent portrayed very well. The nonending ifs and questions about why her mother left then the feeling of betrayal and resentment are so valid. Jess left her feelings aside, focusing only on raising Teagan well and not missing her mother.
We can see the evolution of relationships between the sisters, the dynamic between Adam and Jess, and the personal growth of all the characters.

We have a Dual POV, alternating between Jess and Adam, with a writing style that is clear and concise. Despite the presence of descriptive elements for both characters and the story, they serve a vital purpose, enriching and enhancing the overall narrative.
I found this read immensely enjoyable, feeling that the book was expertly crafted, evoking a range of emotions throughout.
I highly recommend this book!
I was torn between 3.5 and 5 stars, but ultimately, I think a solid 4-star rating is the best fit.

Thank you to Netgalley the publishers Kensington Books | Kensington and Kate Clayborn for allowing me to review this audiobook. Which, I will be giving my honest and sincere review.

This was a unique read. The characters were engaging, the pacing well done, and the backgrounds intriguing in a way that kept me wondering what would happen. The romance was gentle, which I super appreciated and wanted more of. I think many people will love this.

I enjoyed this book. It was a slow start and for a while I was not sure where it was going, but once the premise of the podcast and the connection between the MMC and FMC became evident, I quickly became more invested. I really liked the personal growth of the FMC and the protective teddy bear MMC. The side plot was also enjoyable. Overall, this wasn't as much of a hit for me as Kate Clayborn's other books (Love at First has my heart, then Love Lettering), but it was still a lovely read!

I think of Kate Clayborn as a reliable author I know I will enjoy and her latest book is no different. The premise is unique and something I hadn’t read before in this genre. It took me a little bit to connect with the main character, but I was very quickly interested in the plot. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars!

Kate Clayborn's "The Other Side of Disappearing" is a wonderful, unexpected story. It straddles the line between romance and general fiction, full of Clayborn's signature depth and wit. It explores heavy, heartbreaking topics and themes like parental abandonment, but balances this heft with a sweet budding romance between Jess and Hawk, the main female and male characters. While I think the focus is a little muddled at times, I really did enjoy this book. It surprised me in ways I didn't think it would. The notion of "disappearing" takes many different shapes and forms here, a recurring theme for the book and all of its characters. Jess disappears into the role of mother when she is forced to take care of her little sister after their mother abandons them. Jess's mom literally disappears from their lives. Tegan's history has disappeared before her eyes as she has never gotten the full story about their mother's betrayal. It all ties together nicely throughout the story. While I enjoyed the characters, I will say, I felt their connection was a little too easy for me. I *LOVED* Clayborn's last book "Georgie, All Along," which had immaculate, sizzling chemistry between its main characters, so compared to that, I think there's a little oomph missing here. Don't get me wrong, the chemistry between Adam and Jess is still there, it's just a slow-burn, not-hard-fought battle. Maybe it's the insta-love of it all that I don't like. Either way, there's a lot to enjoy about their relationship and the dynamics at play here. The "mystery" aspects are a little easy to figure out, but it's more about the journey, not the destination, as we watch our lovely characters learn a heck of a lot about themselves along their road trip to find Jess and Tegan's mother. I will read anything Kate Clayborn writes, and Iwill definitely buy this book and read it again at some point.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kate Clayborn, and Kensington Books for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I'm a little late to the awesomeness that is Kate Clayborn because this is only the second book of hers that I've read (I have two that I still need to read!). Anyway, when people sing her praises, just know that they are 1000% correct. Her writing is emotionally beautiful and I want to be just like her when I grow up. Lol.

Anyway, this book felt like an elevated romance to me. There is a romance story, a sibling story, a mystery, and a story about processing a past trauma all while on a road trip! Kate does an amazing job of weaving all of these stories throughout the book and taking you on a deliciously epic ride.

Another thing that I also loved about this book was the love interest, Adam Hawkins. Kate has a way of making you fall head over heels with the love interest (see Levi in GEORGIE, ALL ALONG). While he has his own issues to deal with, right away you want Jess to end up with him. I don't want to say more about Adam because you just have experience his goodness first hand.

This is one of my favorites from this year and honestly, I need to read her backlist.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the arc of this book.

I had a great time with this! It struck an almost exact 50/50 balance between romance and women's fiction. I liked that but didn't love it. I enjoyed what the romance brought to the story and I really loved the larger plot but it felt like neither thing had the chance to develop quite as much as I wanted it to. It was super refreshing to have a third act break up that didn't rely on a big secret that one of the MCs keeps from the other the whole time. It easily could have been that kind of story so I really loved that it wasn't.

Rating: liked it (3.5 stars)
Romantic content: multiple open door med-high explicit
Other content: abandonment, language

Jess has been raising her little sister Tegan since their mom disappeared from their lives with a con man a decade before. The aftereffects of that abandonment have ramifications for both Jess and Tegan. A true crime podcaster has been following legendary con man Lynton Baltimore for years herself and this book is the story of how the sisters end up in the orbit of investigative reporters Salem and her assistant Adam "Hawk" Hawkins.
They reluctantly set out on a road trip together, in search of Jess' mom and the elusive Lynton and find more than they expected on the trip, from each other, from themselves, and from the stories that haunt them all.
Overall this was a good Clayborn. Not one of my favorites but intriguing and interesting nonetheless. I had a harder time connection to the MCs in this one and didn't feel as engaged as with some of her previous novels. Overall a solid read, if not earth shattering. Lots of heartache, personal trauma and a bit of spice.
3.75

I really wanted to love this one, but I just didn't.

I have to say, I think the time has come to stop with the podcast-framed-mysteries in books. I'm over it! It also doesn't help that I found the mystery at the center of this book to be utterly boring. I had so much trouble investing in the story. It also felt like something I've read before - it felt derivative and unoriginal and I was really disappointed in that.

On the bright side, I did really like the characters in this book. Adam and Jess and Tegan were so easy to love and root for. My favorite part of this book was the time they spent at Adam's family farm. The few chapters spent there felt like the real meat of this story. The found family elements were beautiful and I loved watching Jess unwind and start to feel comfortable after all of her years of struggle. When they left the farm to continue their investigation I could feel my energy waning with every page.

I will definitely give this author another chance - I see so much promise in her characters and romance storylines that I think another book of hers might be more my style. But this one? It's an unfortunate no for me.

2.75 stars rounded up