Riches to rags story. Nina, living in a rundown estate suddenly finds herself in a world of luxury when she falls for and marries the go-getting Finn. When he dies this fantastic life comes crashing down. Great cover and description but ultimately slightly disappointing. Nina is the queen of self pity who moans and groans and this starts to grate after a while. Plus the book is overly long for what actually happens. Pleasantly light and heartwarming it would make a good stocking filler.

This was a really good story, but for some reason i couldn't really connect with the characters, as much as I wanted to. Had potential to be a great read, just wasn't for me.

This was a fairly good book.. Some of it was a little predictable here and there. Overall though I did enjoy it.

This was the first book by this author that I have read. This book was very predictable and the characters were kind of static and not well developed. The theme was to simply not take life for granted and to family has good intentions despite things happening,

I choose this book because I expect insights into loss and change especially as this author has a strong reputation in this area.
Sadly I found this riches to rags - but rags and happiness - superficial and predictable.
Because I had received by copy through NetGalley I persisted but it felt more like homework than a pleasurable curl up on the sofa experience.
Apart from the lack of insight and innovation in the story, I found the central character inconsistent. For example while she is naive to think that her domestic experience could get her a catering job, she does appear to know how to cook but at no point does her cookery experience translate it to coming up with nutricious cheap meals for her family beyond pasta in tomato sauce. She never considers going to the library to find info on doing things - despite the fact it would also be warm and safe. Generally she seems overwhelmed, yet magically lands a job where she is soon deputising for the manager. of a care home - a stressful environment (though this seems to be a calm one where the worst that happens is someone doesn't get visitors - some thing that could have been investigated more).
Sadly my general feeling is disappointment and I won't be following up with other books from this author

Interesting story of a woman losing her husband and lifestyle, then having to start over. Well written, though I feel like I've read this type of story before.

Beautifully told story how life can change in a moment. Nina and her children live a life of not having to worry about money, until it all comes crashing down. The way she handles the obstacles that come her way, shows how strong of a woman she is. This is character driven with an appealing plot. It draws you in right away. I could relate to this because being a mom, you want to provide stability for your children.

I was blessed with a ARC however the following review is honest and unbiased

Another great true to life story from this wonderful author. All the characters are so lovable I found myself willing them on and the once again was sad I have no sister. As always a great book which I highly recommend and look forward to next book from Amanda.

I am unable to provide a review for this title as when my kindle updated this title was lost.

A few months ago, I'd finished reading 'The Idea of You,' by this Amanda Prowse and NetGalley suggested "The Art of Hiding" and I jumped at the chance. Nina McCarrick is married to Finn and they have 2 boys, Connor and Declan. This is the perfect family, they have a beautiful home, the boys go to a highly regarded school and money doesn't seem to be an issue. You sense that Nina herself seems like an outcast in her own life even though she is happy. She doesn't seem to be very friendly with the other moms and her son Connor has no real connection with her. And then everything falls apart when Finn dies. All that she thought she and the boys had is gone. She questions whether she knew her husband at all and how could he leave her this way. Unsure if he chose to take his own life and leave her as desolate as the day he met her, she has to go back to where she grew up and the type of life she left behind. Her sister Tiggy who she has grown apart from is more than willing to help her. Nina learns to become the strong, resilient person Tiggy always believed she was and gets a job and takes care of herself and her boys. She realizes that this life teaches her children so much more about life than the education they were receiving before.

The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse

When Nina finds herself suddenly widowed, she's about to lose more than her husband.

Oh my goodness. Ordinarily I love an Amanda Prowse book but The Art of Hiding is the author at her very best so that it is a total joy to read.

The Art of Hiding has all the typical Amanda Prowse elements I adore. Firstly there's the wonderful characterisation so that even the absent Finn is knowable and real. Nina is the lynchpin of the action and she channels the emotion in a totally absorbing way making her a woman anyone can relate to, regardless of gender or circumstance. Both her sons, Connor and Declan, are real triumphs as I'm not usually impressed by the way children are represented in fiction, frequently finding them cliched. Here, however, they are wonderfully drawn as genuine people.

As always with an Amanda Prowse book, I experienced a wide range of emotions and shed several tears - a sure sign I've enjoyed the read! More importantly, I though she handled the overarching theme of the book - that material possessions are not what we need to make us happy - so skilfully. Reading The Art of Hiding made me reassess what is important in my life and delivers a wonderful lesson without preachiness or dogma, but rather through a smashing plot and people I came to care about as I read. Other themes of identity and love, family and friendship all enhance the story faultlessly.

I thought the book's structure was really interesting as much of the drama in the plot comes in the early part of the book with more focus on relationships in the later sections. I found this structure mirrored the messages behind the writing perfectly.

What I find so powerful about reading a book by Amanda Prowse, and what she does do superbly in The Art of Hiding is that essentially she not only writes about love in its various forms, but she seems to write with love too, making reading her books a very special experience indeed.

I have DNF'd this title at 19%. It felt sluggish and I had a hard time connecting with the main characters. I don't want to say I was bored, but when I pick up a story I expect to be pulled in immediately...there just isn't enough time to spend on a slow, dreary story. Maybe I'll come back to it at a later date, but for now, there are too many other titles to choose from for me to "push through" something I'm not enjoying.

This is an excellent book about relationships between family. The storyline revolves around a woman who has two sons and her husband dies unexpectedly. The family suddenly finds themselves thrown from the wealthy class to the working class. How the did this happen and what are they to do now? The author does an extensive look at how people deal with adversity and what is really important in life. If things are not bad enough, the protagonist's oldest son is an athlete on the varsity team in a prestigious school and now she is left to deal with a belligerent teenager. The story also expounds on the relationship between the protagonist and her sister.

This is the second book, "The Idea of You" being the first, I have read by Amanda Prowse. Ms. Prowse is fast becoming one of my favorite authors as her understanding of relationships and people is very insightful. Her books are very easy to read and leave her readers feeling very fulfilled.

Nina has a wonderful, privileged and wealthy life with her husband and sons... until it all comes crashing down when her husband dies, his debts are revealed, and their huge lovely house is repossessed.

Nina must move back to the not-quite-so-nice town where she grew up, find a job for the first time in her life, and teach her sons that resentment isn't the only way forward.

This is a largely straightforward story. It could get mopey/sappy but just about avoids that trap (Nina's sensible sister Tiggy stops that). It's very readable.

I admired Nina's tenacity and drive to improve her lot and her home. However, the story fell down for me a little because I didn't understand why she didn't try to get the benefits she must've been due? She was sorely in need of them.

Also her sister and eldest son seemed to think she had wasted her life by being a stay at home parent, that she did not truly impress them until she found a job? Come on! Nothing wrong with being a working parent (I am) but similarly there is huge value to being a stay at home parent too. Overall, as already mentioned, I guess the book was too straightforward for me.

The story is frontloaded with the interesting stuff - Nina's life falling apart. After that it doesn't stray much from find a home > make home nicer > send kids to school > find a job > hope kids start to enjoy their new life > make friends. There aren't many obstacles (job aside) to worry about. So a fine read that others will no doubt rate higher. I enjoyed but did not love it.

Ninas husband has died leaving her with mountains of debt and two boys to raise. After losing her home and most of her belongings, She goes back to her hometown to start again. A touching story of how we come to appreciate the material things are not as important as friends and family.

This book blew me away. I couldn't put it down, I didn't want it to end.

Nina McCarrick thought she had the perfect life. She grew up very poor and when she was swept off her feet by an older, wealthy man; she lost apart of herself, but doesn't realize that until things come crashing down on her.

When her husband, Finn dies in a car accident, Nina learns that the life she and her two sons had, will NEVER be the same again. Finn had lost the family businesses, their home, and left her in $8 million of his debt; not once confiding in his wife of almost 20 years that he was in trouble. Nina has to take her boys out of the life that they were accustomed to and move them home to where she grew up poor as a child. A big benefit is that her older sister, Tiggy lives there as well.

Having never had a job because her husband wouldn't let her follow her dreams of becoming a nurse, she realizes that she has nothing to offer. She has a little money that will help her out at first, but that's all, everything else went to the creditors. When Tiggy, begins to offer her insight about the "real" marriage Nina had; it opens up Nina's eyes to the things that she never even considered. She never really knew her husband, he never showed her how to get access to their bank accounts, her name wasn't on any of the official business documents, he hid everything from her.

Now she has to survive and take care of her children on her own. To do so is to stop being the person she was, the quiet woman who stood on the sides, and make herself get a job and be strong enough for her kids.

As she begins to come into their new life, she makes girlfriends that she never had before and is happy. Her boys have become more self-sufficient, helping her out while she's working, and begin to appreciate things more than they ever did.

A MUST read!

Does money and that luxury lifestyle coveted by most really bring you the happiness and easy life we believe it does?
From rags to riches to rags, where will their happiness shine?
The Art of Hiding is a story about love, loss, wealth, poverty and happiness.
Nobody knows what's waiting around the corner.

Good but not quite the kind of book I'd have chosen if I'd seen it in a shop.

This is totally different to the kind of books I usually read, but I found it brilliantly readable. I love the way that poor Nina tries her hardest, her son is ever the typical teenager, and when faced with difficulties, lashes out, and ultimately how all the characters work together.
Fantastic book!

Nina seems to have the perfect life, but it soon starts to unravel when her husband is killed in a car crash. Left with two children to care for, a mountain of debt, and the growing realisation that her husband wasn’t all he seemed, Nina has to fight to rebuild a life for herself and her family. An enjoyable easy read – perfect for long winter’s nights.