Seems like an unpopular opinion.
I tried, I really tried as I wanted to like this book. Because of the author and the publishing house. I loved her book, 'Love at First’ so much that I still talk about it. So I was looking forward to reading this book.

But, sadly this book didn't work for me. Right from the beginning.

Reasons:

I was finding it hard to picture it.

Adam is “huge” who couldn't fit in the chair Jess has to offer, plus he is not allowed to speak and he is instantly smitten with Jess that his heart aches to see her hurt. I didn't like him from the very first scene. For me, it's difficult to like a book if I don't like the protagonists.

Tegan and Jess are step sisters who have grown to love each other. Jess looked after Tegan fondly after their mother eloped with her boyfriend leaving them alone 10 years ago. But I didn't see their bonding. Tegan is prepared to go on a trip (bags packed) and she was about to ‘leave her a note’ before leaving.

I couldn't wrap my head around that podcast thing. That small snippet that comes after every chapter. What was that even? Why was Salem so interested to find that woman after 10 years?

I wasn't interested in finding their mother.

I was very much interested in Adam―Jess romance but since I didn't like Adam right from the beginning, I wasn't sure. Still I tried. But I didn't see them falling in love. They are 'telling’ everything.

Thank you so much for the review copy. Sorry, it didn't work for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to me for buying a physical copy and the audiobook.

Kate Clayborn’s 2023 release, Georgie All Along, was one of my favorite reads of the year and is a book I constantly recommend.

Part of what I loved about it was the vulnerability of the characters while they worked their way through obstacles. Kate writes emotions in such a way that they jump off the page for me. Even the cadence of her words land differently in my brain. It’s entirely unique and part of what makes me love her stories.

Meeting Jess and Adam was a pleasure. The author wrote an instalove that immediately fell for, but ended up having to pine over as Adam searched his way through the labyrinth of protective wards surrounding Jess’s heart.

I absolutely loved it. I already want to reread it. Now, I need you to read it and flail along with me.

Summary:

Jess has been the caretaker of her younger sister, Tegan, since her mother abandoned them ten years ago for a now podcast-famous con man. In order to protect Tegan, Jess kept their lives small and unnoticeable to keep the stain of their mother’s choices from setting. When the journalist behind the con man shows up on their door, essentially Jess’s worst nightmare, she is even more jarred by the production assistant with her, Adam. Much to her dismay, Jess agrees to work with them to give Tegan closure about her mother’s disappearance. Their journey doesn’t end up closing a door on the past. Instead, it opens a window to a future full of bright possibilities.

Kate Clayborn has a real knack for writing quiet yet emotionally complex characters. The four main characters in this story all get that special Clayborn treatment - even Salem, who is the most opaque throughout. I was nervous - her name is ominous to say the least - but I was very satisfied with what we learn about her and the choices she makes.

The romance is extremely dreamy. As you do in the best romances, I totally fell in love with Adam. He was earnest and protective and devoted, slowly unlocking the vault of Jess.

Highly recommended.

DNF at 30%. I love Kate Clayborn’s books and will still be first in line for whatever she writes next but this one just wasn’t working for me. I was into the premise but the execution is feeling too slow to me and I was finding I didn’t want to pick it back up which is the sign for me to stop. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook.

Books that become favorites are books that really touch me on an emotional level. When a book elicit strong reactions, like joy, sadness, heartbreak, yearning... I have a deeper level of connection to the story. The Other Side of Disappearing is one that does just that.

It's not a loud book. Nothing flashy and dramatic. It sneaks up on you. Jess and Tegan have trauma with the abandonment of their mother (and for Jess, it happening twice), the change in their dynamic, trusting people. Adam has his own trauma from a personal loss and the connection to football. Even Salem is hiding things.

I've read romance by Kate Clayborn before. They were fun and flirty and sexy. This was so much more than that. Yes, there is a romance between Jess and Adam, but it is only one of the interesting relationships and dynamics explored in the story. They mystery of the podcast with Baltimore and their mother, Jess and Tegan's relationship, Jess and Adam's relationship, Adam's own struggles, they all come together to make a beautiful and touching story.

What a unique story! For lovers of romance, true crime podcasts, and road trips, this book brought me on a cross-country adventure in search of the main character's mother, who disappeared over a decade ago. I enjoyed the dual POV, because both male and female main characters had so much depth to their stories. It did take a while for me to get fully invested in the book, but once I got about halfway through I couldn't put it down!
Thank you for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the ARC. I really tried to read this, I really did. I made it a solid 60% and then I just couldn't make myself care anymore. The angst, the melodrama, ugh. It was like watching a bad rom-com with D list celebrities on Lifetime. That would have been preferred, to be honest. I'm sure younger fans will like this, but it sure did not resonate with me. Will not be recommending.

The Otherside of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn was not what I expected. I’ve read books to Kate’s in the past that were cute and light romcoms. The Otherside of Disappearing was much darker and heavier than Kate’s usual. While I enjoyed the story, I look forward to reading something lighter by Kate in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for an advance copy in exchange for my option.

Lots of deep rooted trauma here! This book was really deep without being emotionally draining. It's not light by any means, but we get to see a vulnerability that doesn't take away from the progress they're making. It had all the elements of a thriller without being anxiety inducing.

We get to follow these sisters along their quest to find their mother and get answers to all the questions left behind. The love interest present in The Other Side of Disappearing added to the story rather than distracting from it. All of these four main characters are emotionally damaged in very different ways and it was special getting to see them heal. Its been a while since I read a spicy romance that had so much character depth. An older sister who was forced to grow up too soon, a little sister who felt like her reality was hidden from her, a reporter with a past, and a man who was misunderstood because of his athletic past.

My opinion about Salem changed four times, it was amazing to go through the motions of getting to know her. I appreciated that Adam was more than the big guy who helps out the gal. He needed Jess just as much as she needed him.

The ending fell a little flat for me, which maybe was supposed to be the point. The journey was so impactful that maybe the ending didn't need to matter. I love these sisters and saw so much of myself in Jess. Kate Clayborn knows how to write a great big sister!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My first introduction to Kate Clayborn was with Georgie All Along and I really enjoyed that one so I was super happy to be approved for this one.

I thought the premise was interesting and the interspersed podcasts interviews made the story flow together. The romance was really nice, but I think the author does an equally lovely job with the relationships between the two sisters. I think the subject matter of this one can be emotionally difficult, and she did a great job showing each sisters stance and I was definitely invested in how it would all turn out.

I thought the ending was wrapped up nicely and appreciated the little bit of a twist with the podcast producer as well.

Overall a solid, enjoyable read. Definitely recommend!

Thank you @netgalley for the chance to read a free copy of this new release.

MY THOUGHTS: This was my first book by Kate Clayborn. I picked this one up after I saw in Christina Lauren's stories that one of them (maybe both?) helped her look through/edit the draft as she was writing it.

There's plenty to like in this novel. Romance fans will love the sweet relationship between our two main characters. It's lovely to watch each of them find themselves again through each other. There's also a heartwarming storyline between two sisters that have been all but abandoned by their mom.

The downside to this book was that I just wasn't into the whole podcast idea, and I didn't care at all about the mom and the con-artist that she ran away with. Even more bizarrely was the way things came together between this man - Lynton Baltimore - and the podcast host. DM me once you read it!

Bottom line: An okay romance that would have been better if the whole podcast idea and surrounding characters were edited out.

Another wonderful story from Kate Clayborn. A book filled with such deep, well written characters. It was almost as if I believed the characters were real people and the mystery element a real true crime podcast. A solid 4 star read.

The Other Side of Disappearing is a gorgeous entry into Kate Clayborn’s bibliography. Jess is in her early 30s, and raising her younger sister, Teagan, after their mother disappeared a decade ago. Adam is in his second career as a journalist, determined to tell the story of his friend, whose life was defined & destroyed by football. When Adam shows up on Jess & Teagan’s doorstep to help investigate what happened to their mom, he & Jess are immediately drawn to each other. But can they work through their baggage before the end of the investigation?

I loved the use of the podcast production & investigation as a frame story for this romance. This is a dual perspective book, which serves to develop Jess & Adam strongly as individuals working through their beliefs and trauma to show up for each other.

Very glad I read!

Jess's little sister Teagan is set on finding the mother who abandoned them when they were younger. While Jess has worked hard to keep the secret of who their mother may have left with, Teagan enlists the help of a podcaster by pretending to be Jess. To maintain control of the narrative as well as to protect Teagan from the disappointment she believes is inevitable, Jess reluctantly embarks on the trip with Teagan.

Kate Clayborn is a favorite, and she does not disappoint with this one. The smiles may be fewer this time around, but the connection with the characters and the emotions are present.

The romance helps to balance out the family drama. It relieved me from the tension between the sisters, which is stretched taut through most of the book. The romance has a different tension with its slow burn, and I loved it. The more time Jess and Adam (the podcaster's assistant) spend in each other's presence, the less Jess can fade into the background. He sees every bit of her, even those parts she does not want anyone to know. It is an overwhelming attraction that transcends the short amount of time they have together. It also helps Jess grow, allowing her to try to overcome her aversion to letting people close in.

Although the book moves at a slower pace than I usually like, I couldn't put it down. I was engrossed in the mystery and curious if they would find their mother. I was also torn between Teagan's right to know more about their mother and Jess just trying to protect her sister. The romance kept me moving forward. If you have enjoyed Clayborn's other books, this one is a must read.

I love Kate Clayborn and her newest novel cemented that love further. She manages to mix a mystery plot with family dynamics and a small side of romance perfectly.

We get just enough character development all around and the romance aspect is dropped quickly enough where you see it coming. "The Other Side of Disappearing" is a relatively quick read with no real surprises which is a welcome change from many other romance novels lately.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Having heard other readers sing Ms Clayborn’s praises, I had been gunshy about trying it myself. Hype, you see, far too often just doesn’t match my reading reality. And there’s the matter of narrative voice: alternating narration by the two main characters, in first person, present tense, is by far my least favorite.

The joke, of course, is on me: I was hooked from page two.

This is such a good book! Itis a really good genre romance, but it’s also just such a good book, raising important issues, developing all the characters so well, without falling into the trap of preachily answering all the questions it raises.

Beware: parental abandonment; mental health issues; suicide; explicit sex on page.

From the first page, it’s obvious that there’s something off with Jess; it’s not only that she became the de facto single parent of her then-eight years old sister, when she herself was barely 21–though that is burden enough to put on someone so young. She is incredibly emotionally repressed; she essentially shut off her own life to take care of Tegan, the one person she loves. That’s it. Jess hasn’t even allowed room in her heart for her father, who did stay, who did love her, who took care of her–however begrudgingly.

Because when her mother abandoned *her*, Jess at least had had her father. Tegan, the product of that first adandonment, had no one–no one but Jess. Jess, who doesn’t know how to bend, because bending would have broken her ten years ago, and now, she can’t.

“I think of bending over, of setting my hands on my knees to recover. … I push my fingers through my hair, clasp them together on top of my head. Surely staying upright is better. Staying upright is what I’ve always done” (chapter 3)

That love for Tegan, fierce and absolute, hasn’t quite allowed for Tegan’s ultimate growth and independence; for the time when she won’t need Jess’s protection. Intellectually, Jess knows she needs to start letting go, but it’s been ten years of holding on with everything she is, for Tegan’s sake, and now she can’t really let go.

“When she paid attention to you–really paid attention to you, for however many moments you could catch her attention–you though you were the most important person in the world….I’ve spent so many years never talking to Tegan about how I feel about Mom that I don’t know how to start, and anyway, I don’t know if I should. It’s Tegan who hurts the most from what Mom did, not me.” (Jess, thinking about her mother, chapter 9)

Adam is immediately drawn to Jess, and from the first moment he feels her pain, despair and fear. He’s both disconcerted by the strength of his feelings toward her, and conflicted, because he too has a past, a history, and a reason to be there,

A former college football star who disconcerted everyone from family to fans by refusing to go pro, Adam has just gotten his degree in journalism; at thirty three, he’s finally starting the career he wants. For most of his life, most everyone around him–teachers, fellow students, the press–always considered him the ultimate “all brawn, no brain” athlete, and treated him accordingly. To this day, most people he meet automatically assume the same, including Jess.

“You must have loved football” “You’d think that. … I loved parts of it. But really, it was sort of that I was build for it, at least around these parts. When I was a kid, it was a given. I was tall from a young age. I put on muscle easily; I was fast. Of course I’d play football, everyone knew that. So I did.” (Jess, Adam, chapter 13)

Adam has deep scars from losing his closest friend to suicide a few years prior; the entire world watched Copeland Frederick struggle, and looked away. Because there’s a big, ever present stigma that says that suffering from any mental health issue is to have a weakness. And that kind of guy–a big, manly man performing manly men sports–can’t be weak.

Adam is determined to do a story about sports exploitation and abuse of young athletes, about how society is willingly complicit, trading so many young men’s health, mental and physical, for entertainment value. He needs to tell Cope’s story so that other young men know they’re not alone, that they don’t have to suffer in silence until there’s nothing left to give.

Adam has always been a very empathetic, perceptive and generous person, but with Jess it goes up a level. He wants to protect her from everything, including himself; he’s there to give Jess what she wants and needs, regardless of what he wants and needs. Which, of course, conflicts with the very reason he can be there for her: his job.

“Everything about me is too big right now. My body, my boss, my job. Most of all, my feelings for her.” (Adam, chapter 25)

I appreciated very much that while Jess’s and Adam’s relationship turns physical in just over a week, a lot of emotional work happens during those days. And it helps a lot that Jess gets to see Adam with his family, in the house he grew up in, helping her see that he is indeed the good man she perceives him to be.

“He kisses like Adam: this huge, hard slab of a man who is somehow the most gentle person I’ve ever met. … it is so fully the best kiss of my life that it must be the only kiss I’ve ever had, and I guess, in a way, it is–ten years since my last one, and ten years ago I was a different Jess. This kiss is a choice.” (Jess, chapter 15)

The other two characters in the story are seen exclusively through Adam’s and Jess’s eyes, and at first each of them focus on the one person they know best, so we see Tegan mostly as Jess sees her: so young, a teenager still; someone who needs to be protected from everything and everyone, and most of all, from their mother’s rashness.

But of course, being young doesn’t mean that Tegan doesn’t understand Jess or wants to protect her as much as Jess wants to protect her.

“I want to find my mom for my own sake, of course I do. … But I want to find her for Jess’s sake too. Because in a couple of months when I’m not home every day, when she doesn’t have me to take care of, I have a feeling that a bunch of stuff she’s ignored for a lot of years is going to catch up with her. … a person doesn’t hide five postcards in a freaking curtain rod if they have a healthy relationship to their trauma.” (Tegan, chapter 16)

For his part, Adam sees Salem Durant as the epitome of ethical journalism, while acknowledging that she has professional ambitions and personal goals tangled in this particular story. However, Salem is also a woman with a teenaged daughter and a husband who isn’t particularly thrilled to see her return to the Lyndon Baltimore story all these years later.

“Don’t ever get married…. I don’t mean that. And anyway, you’d never have this problem. No one’s saying anything about you going on a three-week business trip. No one would text you to ask where we keep the snack packs for recital days. No one would expect you to remember where the drop-off area is.” (Salem, chapter 10)

The focus of the narrative is on Jess and Adam, and the growing feelings between them, but there is also space given to both Tegan and her growth as a person, and, unexpectedly at first, Salem’s. Ms Clayborn is very clever in how these two emotional arcs are presented; Jess, after all, knows Tegan quite well, and as a teenager, she’s easier for Adam to read. Salem, however, is a grown person with a well-established professional reputation and Adam’s boss during this assignment; his understanding of her is limited, and she is almost entirely opaque to Jess at the beginning of the fateful road trip.

The events of the story cover just over a month, including a brief third act separation; I am on record saying that I’m not a fan of this narrative device, but I have to accept that sometimes it’s the right choice. This is one of those cases in which it works really well, because Jess, as Adam’s father put it, “has problems” that require her focusing on herself before she can be an equal part of a romantic relationship.

Aside: I’m stealing this quote, because, holy gog, truer words:

“Worrying about a hundred other things that have nothing to do with all this, because worrying is a runaway train.” (Adam, chapter 20)

Finally: I don’t believe I’ve ever cried before over an author’s aknowledgment that mentions readers (and bloggers) who ” take the time to post and share and review and participate in the reading community”, but I did here. Because I, too, am glad “we can all disappear together, for a little while, into the pages of the books we love.”

As I said at the top, this is a really good book, and a most excellent romance; my only complaint is the dearth of people of color, but given the main cast and that it’s a road trip, it makes sense.

The Other Side of Disappearing gets a 9.25 out o 10

This is a slightly new subject area for Clayborn, but her signature gentle, thoughtful writing style shines through.

With the backdrop of a mystery to solve, this seems like a major departure from the swoony love stories that she is a master of telling. And the first chapter leaked dread from the page, but the story is in the hands of a master romance writer. The big emotions in quiet moments still take center stage and the well developed characters are still recognizable as belonging to Clayborn.

This may be my favorite of her books, but I am biased, because I say that about each one as I finish them.

I had a hard time getting into this story. It was a slow start with lots of hinting and teasing at the characters' backgrounds but without a lot of movement. I was expecting an engaging story with the podcast investigation, but the writing is all in their heads. There is little action or conversation. The story moves a little better about halfway in, but overall the pacing is off. The plot is slow and the romance is much too fast.

I did appreciate the conversations surrounding sports injury and mental health treatment. And the epilogue was nice, too.

There are some Kate Clayborn books where specific scenes and quotes have stuck with me for a long time. This isn't one of them. I would recommend "Love Lettering" and will continue to look forward to Kate Clayborn's new releases.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

I loved their journey, I loved the characters, and I love Clayborn's style. This is more general fiction than romance to me, but I hugely enjoyed it all the same.

Kate Clayborn is a master at writing rich, emotional characters and The Other Side of Disappearing is a wonderful example of that. The setup is a bit different from typical romance (if there is such a thing as "typical") but this book reflects the overall move to mashup (thriller/myster romance). But make no mistake-- the couple is the bottom line here and Clayborn deftly handles the emotions and trauma for our lead characters with her signature depth.