This was such an immersive and atmospheric read.

The narrator did a phenomenal job of differentiating the characters and keeping a pace that allowed me to easily immerse myself into the story.

Emlyn is a wilderness guide who has to team up with the man who ruined her life years ago when her estranged best friend goes missing.

I loved Emlyn's character and how it developed over time. We got a picture of her earlier on and how she grew to be a much stronger person while still maintaining her introverted personality.

This book has some mystery aspects, but you can't go in expecting a popcorn thriller. It was more about the unfolding of the story, revealing of the past, healing, forgiveness and moving on.

The author does a fantastic job portraying the significant other of someone who is suffering with a substance abuse problem. It was done tastefully, yet fairly accurately which I appreciated.

Overall, I thought this book was fantastic and highly recommend it.

I was lucky enough to receive this audio book as a part of the Macmillan Audio Influencer Program! Thank you SO much @macmillan.audio & @kimicgrant! You're the best!⁠ 🖤⁠
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I can honestly say this book is one of my favorite books so far or 2024. It's written in a way where you feel like you are going through life right along with Emlyn. You'll feel excitement, love, fear, terror, heartbreak, & everything in between as she takes you back into what happened to her in the past as well as the present. ⁠
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Emlyn really doesn't like to think of the past. She tries to forget that her & her best friend Jenessa barely speak anymore & that Tyler, the man who she thought was the love of her life, left her alone in the wilderness on a trip where she almost died. That is until Jenessa goes missing & Tyler has contacted her to help find her. ⁠
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I honestly have chills just typing this because it was that good. Definitely a book I wish I could experience all over again for the first time.

The Nature of Disappearing was a slow burn drama that takes place in the wilderness of Idaho. It has a dual timeline with flashbacks throughout. The details about the setting were so well written, it really felt like I could see what she was describing.

Emlyn is a fishing and hunting guide. She moved after a tough breakup and she needed a fresh start somewhere new. She lives a quiet life with her airstream camper and a few friends. One day she receives a cryptic call from her old best friend, Janessa, who then seemingly vanishes after. When Tyler, her ex, shows up and asks for her help in finding Janessa, Emlyn feels like she needs to help look for her. As Tyler and Emlyn search for clues for Janessa’s whereabouts, she begins to question everything she thought she knew and finds Janessa may not be the only one in danger.

I liked Emlyn’s character and the premise of searching for her missing friend. This book felt very slow paced, especially for the first half of the book, but the second half really seemed to pick up speed and was more exciting. It was emotional at times, there’s mystery, and a little bit of suspense (especially at the end). I did like most of this book and I’m curious to see what some of her other work is like!

Absolutely loved this story and the audiobook was amazing. The narrator really did well keeping me engaged. The story was amazing and as always love the growth with the characters

🪵𝕋ℍ𝔼 ℕ𝔸𝕋𝕌ℝ𝔼 𝕆𝔽 𝔻𝕀𝕊𝔸ℙℙ𝔼𝔸ℝ𝕀ℕ𝔾 🪵
𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔢𝔯
🗓️𝖯𝗎𝖻 𝖽𝖺𝗍𝖾: 𝖳𝗈𝖽𝖺𝗒! 𝖩𝗎𝗇𝖾 𝟣𝟪, 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟦
𝐌𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟑 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬! ★★★

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...Three estranged friends. One goes missing in the wilderness…

💟𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢…First off, I have to say that 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑾𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒔 🏆is prob in my top 10 list of ALLLL the books I have ever read…..so, to say I wanted to love this one would be an understatement. I tried. Hard. I just couldn’t get there. I finished the whole thing too. Would never DNF after my immense love for her other book. 🩵I read this in hybrid form..some e reader📱 & some audio🎧 & the narrator was wonderful. What this book does have since y’all know this is hard for me 😭 is a wonderful atmospheric description of the wilderness they are in. Grant does paint a great picture there. 🙌🌳I wish I could say more, but I never felt connected to much at all. One part I loved(no spoilers) was where the main character finds a word to describe everyone she knows. Just one word & only to herself. I do weird “challenges” like that with myself all the time. This book wasn’t for me, but I am sure others will love it.

Major thankks to NetGalley & Macmillan audio for the ALC copy of this one!!

I found myself feeling a tad disconnected with this one, and at times quite lost. I typically enjoy an alternating timeline to help us engage with the characters and story, but unfortunately in this instance it left me feeling confused.

Overall it was a decent read and Macmillan audio did a fantastic job with the audio, but I couldn't really get into this one. I didn't feel any excitement or suspense from the story.

I know that tons of people have loved it, so I definitely still recommend you giving it a try! It just didn't work out for me personally.

Emlyn lives in the wilderness on her own. She thinks of herself as a loner until she sees that her old best friend, Janessa, has gone missing. Emlyn’s ex-boyfriend, Tyler, contacts her to try and help him find Janessa and her boyfriend. In recent years Janessa has been documenting her traveling van life on social media. Emlyn used her tracking skills with Tyler’s help to find her missing friend but once they locate her they find more danger than they realized.

These Silent Woods by Grant was one of my favorite reads last year so I knew I had to read this book!

At times the book was slow paced and then the ending was very fast. My main issue with the book is that a lot of twists happen right at the end. Unfortunately I was able to figure out most of it so I wasn’t that surprised by the ending. I’m not sure what genre this book is but I wouldn’t call it a thriller; I didn’t feel any tension or suspense.

Kimi Cunningham Grant is an amazing writer, I love her descriptions of the wilderness but unfortunately this book missed its mark for me.

I loved Kimi Cunningham Grant's These Silent Woods, but she's now become an auto-buy author for me with The Nature of Disappearing. Not only are her settings wild and natural (I'm always up for a wilderness thriller), but she crafts characters that are instantly relatable. I think we can all see a little bit of ourselves in each of them, and Emlyn maybe the most of all. She chooses a word for people in her life, but it's heartbreaking that her own word is "pathetic". I loved watching her become strong and brave, and the ending was everything I wanted it to be.

The Nature of Disappearing is a must read thriller. The novel has an atmospheric current that is haunting and alluring, and topped with vivid descriptions that tie back to nature.

The story takes place in the wilderness with a main character who lives and works in nature. She is an incredibly strong woman, though she doesn’t realize it. The dual timeline gives an essential element to the story that allows discovery as things morph in the MCs life, changing with time, experience, and relationships.

I binged this novel in one day. It kept me up past my bedtime, because I needed to finish it. It’s incredibly well written and a must read.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story which was well done by a single narrator (for single POV). The narrator brought an added level to the atmospheric tone. I listened at 2x speed (my average audiobook listening speed is 1.75-2x speed).

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced audiobook copy.

I’m not sure if I’ve read this author before, and as I’m going to review this I see a lot of mixed reviews…so I guess I’m in the mix…

I will start by saying that I loved all the scenes out in the wilderness! The author has a way of making you feel like you are right there with them.

Emlyn is one of the main characters. She lives out of her airstream, and is a wilderness guide in Idaho…and loves her job! (Well, most of it anyway. She’s not big on taking pix with the groups or having any personal relationships with them, but she’s trying to be better at that!)

Her best friend is Janessa. They met in school and quickly became friends! (And you learn about the how and why as we go), and they stayed close through the years!

Tyler has been friends with Janessa since they were toddlers! And she introduces him to Emlyn, but warns her not to become involved with him…

We go back and forth between multiple timelines of the girls as they ‘grow’ up, and in present day. We are a part of all the shenanigans of young women…and we see what a very special friendship/bond they have!

One day Emlyn gets a harried call from Janessa. BUT, the call drops. She has no idea what she was trying to say. She attempts to call her back, but with no luck…

A few days go by, and Emlyn hears on the news that a girl has gone missing. And her description. And her heart stops!
But no. It can’t be Janessa!
So she starts to call her…pretty much every day. Begs her to get back to her. Silence…

Then one day Tyler turns up at her door. The one person she never wanted to see again… and asks her to come with him to find Janessa, and her boyfriend, who have gone missing…. can she help??
And the adventure begins…

Although I felt like this was a great premise, I also felt that I didn’t connect with ANY of the characters.
So, because of that, I’m gonna go with 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.
For me it was good, but I really expected it to be great! 😕
My opinion only…

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
This is due out TODAY, 6/18/24.

#TheNatureOfDisappearing by #KimiCunninghamGrant and narrated nicely by#EmilyPikeStewart.

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine.

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends!! 📚⭐️

I enjoyed this book. I was able to connect to the main character and I enjoyed how the story unfolded. I like how the story was written. I enjoy how a story goes back and forth from the past to the current. I can say I did not expect what happened in this story. Very unique. It is nice to read a storyline that is different.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator was a great fit for the main character and did a good job. I got a little tired of the constant flashing back but I could see where it was necessary to really explain the characters action. There was a good level of subtle creepiness that gave the book some good tension. The ending was certainly a surprise I didn’t see coming. I really enjoyed this one.

As the novel begins, we meet twenty-eight-year-old Emlyn, who makes a living as a hunting and fishing guide in Idaho. She lives a simple life, keeping busy with her work and living alone in her Airstream. Her closest companions are Varden, a Forest Service Ranger and the makeshift reverend “Rev” who took her in after a particularly traumatic episode in her life.

Emlyn is forced to confront a painful episode from her past when her former boyfriend Tyler asks for her help to find Janessa, a #vanlife social media star who was once Emlyn’s closest friend and who has gone missing with her boyfriend, both of whom work with Tyler, while on their latest trip. Her relationship with Tyler had ended three years ago when he had abandoned her, leaving her freezing and fighting for her life, on the side of the road. Janessa had once been Emlyn’s closest friend, but their friendship became strained after Emlyn embarked on a relationship with Tyler, who was Janessa’s childhood friend. Emlyn, unable to reach Janessa, also identifies discrepancies in her most recent social media post. Concerned for Janessa’s well-being, Emlyn agrees to help Tyler and the narrative follows them as they navigate the wilderness in search of their missing friend.

I really enjoyed These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant and was eager to read The Nature of Disappearing. I loved the atmospheric setting and the vivid descriptions that transport you to the Idaho wilderness along with the main characters. The narrative is presented from Emlyn’s perspective and moves between past and present timelines – the past timelines detailing Emlyn’s past, her friendship with Janessa and her relationship with Tyler. Though I could sympathize with Emlyn, I can’t say that she was a particularly interesting character. I wish we had gotten to know more about Rev and Varden. I should mention that the plot focuses on personal relationships and the complicated history between the main characters more than the mystery behind Janessa’s disappearance. The plot progresses slowly and only in the final quarter of the novel is the mystery addressed and even then, I found the “twists” and revelations a tad underwhelming (with more telling than showing) after the long-drawn build-up.

Overall, while I didn’t dislike the novel, it wasn’t the gripping suspenseful read that I’d expected. However, many have enjoyed this more and I would request you to read the other reviews before making a decision about reading this one.

I paired my reading with the audiobook narrated by Emily Pike Stewart, which made for an engaging immersion reading experience.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for the digital review copy and Macmillan Audio for the ALC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A compelling dual timeline, second chance romance with a wilderness rescue focus that sees two former flames teaming up to help search for their mutual friend who has gone missing. I thought this was great on audio, interesting and suspenseful and great on audio narrated by Emily Pike Stewart. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I loved These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant so I was ecstatic to be approved by @netgalley to receive an advance copy of her new book, The Nature of Disappearing, available tomorrow!

Quick Summary:
Emlyn, a wilderness guide teams up with her ex-boyfriend (Tyler) to track down their mutual friend (Janessa) who has gone missing while enjoying #vanlife with her partner.

Things I liked:
🥾The premise is unique and interesting.
🥾Dual timelines.
🥾Teaming up with an ex to find a missing friend. (Oh the emotions! Will they rekindle? Why did they relationship end? Can Emlyn forgive Tyler?)
🥾Vivid descriptions of the nature setting in Idaho.
🥾More than once the story heads in a direction that readers aren’t likely to expect.

When I wrote a post about These Silent Woods, I shared that I thought categorizing it as a thriller was incorrect. This holds true for The Nature of Disappearing. Readers expecting a typical thriller are likely to be disappointed and think it’s too slow. They’ll probably comment that there isn’t enough action or “thrill.” If a reader appreciates a slow burn mystery with suspense and lyrical writing, I think they’ll enjoy this. The “thrill” and excitement take place about 80% into the book because the first portion of the book sets up the background of characters and the plot. Without giving anything away, there were some things that I thought could have been foreshadowed more and one thing that could have been foreshadowed less. (I’m hard to please, I know).

Following a five-star book like These Silent Woods is a big feat. While The Nature of Disappearing isn’t at the same level, I liked it and will continue to pick up whatever this author writes. Potential unpopular opinion: I think this book would be incredible as a mini-series. I wish I had the money to fund it!

Thank you to Netgalley for the copy! I’m looking forward to reading how people respond to this book.I hope it finds the right audience.

Emlyn is finally living her life in the now. A challenge following her accident from years before. As a hunting and fishing guide she now gets to spend her days doing what she loves in the wilderness where she feels at home. however, this was not always the case, and she had to work hard to forget the past, including her best friend and then boyfriend. So when there is a news article that shows them both, she is surprised for them to both come back into her life.

Although this was an enjoyable and interesting book, I felt it lacked a little bit of depth in the character development to make it great. This was by no means a bad book, and again I did enjoy it, but there was just something missing for it to really stick with me. I listened to the audiobook and found that the narration and production quality was of high quality and enjoyable to listen. For anyone appreciating the outdoors, and looking for a mystery/thriller, they should check out this book and let me know if I'm crazy or if they agree!

Kimi Cunningham Grant knows how to write a thriller set in the outdoors! I love the way she incorporates outdoor survival skills into her books, and how she develops strong female characters. Emlyn was a well developed character, and I loved seeing her overcome her past traumas in the present day. I thought the plot was very engaging, and the pacing was solid. I was invested in the story the whole time, and I kept guessing as to what would happen next. Definitely check this one out!

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of the audio book.

I enjoyed the narrator for this book. The story was good and had me intrigued throughout.

absolutely loved this audiobook and narration after reading the printed copy!!! executed very well and kept me entertained

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for #gifting me a digital and audio ARC by Kimi Cunningham Grant. All opinions are my own.

College friends Emlyn and Janessa may have drifted apart, but that doesn't deter Emlyn from searching for her missing friend out in the wilderness with her ex, Tyler. When Janessa goes ghost on social media, missing several of her regularly scheduled van-life travel posts, Emlyn and Tyler, also Janessa's childhood best friend, investigate her latest post. Noticing that Janessa's post isn't truly where she claims to be, they go on the hunt for Janessa.

My thoughts:
This gave me serious Gabby Petito vibes! It was chilling and intriguing.
I was HOOKED from the start! I loved reading and listening to this fast read!
Very SURPRISING ending that I did not see coming!