I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.
Nina's husband dies suddenly and she is forced to face the realities of life - taking responsibility for herself and her sons for the the first time in years.

I wasn't sure what to think of this book when I started reading it. The characters seemed to be unlikeable and the subject matter is depressing and hard to read. But they grew on me and I felt the conclusion was apt. The novel is well-written. I would give this 3.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story about determination, perseverance and beating the odds.

This story follows our MC Nina who upon first glance seems to be your typical upper class rugby mom. She seems to have this picture perfect life, the handsome successful rich husband the immaculate house, the two kids who go to one of the most prestigious prep schools in the UK. Although she has everything she could possibly want and more she doesn’t “fit” in or even try to “fit” in with the other mothers. She doesn’t have any friends and keeps to herself and her family which I found to be a tad strange. Almost as if she doesn’t belong.

In the blink of an eye Nina’s world is turned upside down and her loving husband who promised he would always provide and care for her and their boys has broken that promise. Nina has lost everything. With a family to care for she is forced to do whatever is necessary to keep them afloat without the safety net which is her husband.

Without anywhere to go or anyone to turn to she is forced to rebuild a relationship with her estranged sister Tiggy. Tiggy helps her to secure a place to live for the time being. It’s very small and rundown in a not so nice neighborhood. A lot different than what her and the boys are used too. The boys are forced to leave their prep school and their friends behind and start at a new public school. Connor who is her oldest around 15 or so is having none of it and giving his Mom a really hard time. Declan is who is around 8 is also having a hard time adjusting but just wants to see his mother happy so he rolls with the punches for the most part.

At this point in the story after having lost everything and dealing with Connor and his unhappiness and unwillingness to make the best out of a particularly bad situation Nina is feeling hurt, betrayed and just plain defeated. This is a woman who was swept off her feet at 19 and promised the world. She doesn’t have an education and she’s never had a proper job and she has nowhere to turn. Her husband discouraged her from going to school and getting a job because in his eyes she didn’t need it. 20+ years later and that’s exactly what she needs.

At this point she could’ve given up but she didn’t she kept going until she figured out what she needed to do to provide and did just that. I loved watching her character development, she goes from this weak woman to this strong empowered woman and it was nice to see. I also loved the relationship between her and her sister being rebuilt.

Nina inspired me, she picked herself up by her boot straps and did what she had to do to provide for her family. This was a very empowering story to read. It shows that when mothers or women in general are backed into a corner they persevere and I feel that many women can relate to this in one way or another or it may inspire some women going through a tough time and give them that extra little nudge they need.

Highly recommend if you like family dramas and/or contemporaries. I gave this book 3 Stars but it’s more of a 3.5 star read for me.

I liked this book, it was interesting to see how resilient the main character was, she was a good mother, the contrast of wealth and poverty was enlightening.

Nina McCarrick is living the dream. Wealthy, with two sons enrolled in a prestigious private school, a huge country home, and an attractive and wonderful husband, Nina fills her days with caring for her home and family. One day, the unthinkable happens, and everything changes. Nina is forced into a totally different lifestyle, one in which she discovers her true self and what she really wants from life.

This is a nice book, in that it reveals what is really important to have a happy life. Sadly, I found the story slow-moving. I was waiting for something more profound to happen, but it never did. Don’t get me wrong, our author developed her characters and wrote well. It just seemed like this tale was a bit empty, lacking.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

What a great book. First for me from this author and I can't wait to read more. Page-turning from the start, characters who you care about and want to overcome obstacles and do well. What would you do when tragedy strikes? This book covers it.

Unfortunately, I could not finish this book. The premise was fine but it was not my kind of book. The first half of the book was very slow for me. The story was of a woman and her boys who discover that their father/husband is not who he seems. In the process, they lose their house and possessions which causes them to re-evaluate what they need to to do to survive.

This is a story that makes you think. Does money really equal happiness? I thought this book was well written and kept my attention right until the end. The only thing I’d like to have known is more about Finn. But that’s part of the allure of the book.

I have a problem with this book and the storyline. As soon as I read that the husband was dead I knew that the family would be bankrupt, forced to live elsewhere and very down-market and shabby. It was the too obvious next scene in the story.

Why didn’t Nina register as unemployed immediately? And why didn’t she ask for the flat to either have a reduced rent due to the condition? Or get her cousin to improve the state of it, especially as sleeping on old mattresses is very unhygienic. She could probably have got a loan from Social Services to buy a new one even.

And also, when you are told you are bankrupt, the first thing you do is to go through the house and wear all your jewellery - or hide it in your handbag or... AND take all the food in the cupboards and freezer instead of abandoning it. I realise it is not such a good storyline but still really.

So the main character annoyed me and I felt that the story could have been much better constructed.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

I read so many mysteries, that I kept waiting for some big surprise, or aha moment to explain why one day everything changed for Nina’s family. It was kind of refreshing that there wasn’t that moment. It was just a tragic event, in what we call life.

This was a well written story about a family that faced some major changes. I really enjoyed it!

A bit over a stretch in believing. However if you're willing to suspend your reality it's an interesting read.

Not a book I would usually pick up but I enjoyed it. Great story structure and strong character development.

This is the second book I have read by Amanda Prowse and I feel similarly to how I felt while reading The Idea of You.

In general, the story was good, but I felt it dragged a bit at times. I find that Ms. Prowse tends to repeat herself quite a bit. In the The Idea of You, the focus was on a 40-something woman trying to conceive a child. In this novel, the focus was on how the MC felt about the secrets kept by the her recently deceased husband. I understand that both of those situations would take up a lot of time in a person’s mind if these situations happened in real life. However, I get frustrated when reading the same thoughts over and over. This detracts from the story a bit for me.

Otherwise, the story was good. It was realistic and kept my interest. I enjoyed the characters and none of them were perfect. They struggled and grew throughout the book. The dialogue was typically very good, but occasionally a little awkward. I felt like the author sometimes tried to explain parts of the story or certain behaviors by using the character’s dialogue, which can come across as somewhat unnatural.

The book is a bit of a slow-burner. If you are looking for something action packed with huge twists, this is probably not the book for you. It is definitely realistic fiction. Just as real life moseys along at times, so does the story. If you enjoy a story that feels like it cold happen and real life and you want to feel for the characters, this may be just the book for you.

Overall, an enjoyable story worthy of a read. 3.5★

Great book, and awesome story of survival. Things happens in life that you can't control, and you have to do the best you can to survive. Rags to riches to rags, I guess you could say, but all main characters found they could still have a rich life, full of love and happiness!

I felt that this book lacked some oomph. While the story was fully flushed out, the characters well rounded, and the plot enticing, something felt like it was missing. This book was easy to read, but after finishing it I didn't have that book hangover that lets me know I was invested in it.

Thank you Netgalley. I wasnt too sure about this book although I love Amanda Prowse books. But I found that I just couldnt put it down! Dealing with every womans worst nightmare it makes you think!! Would definitely recommend.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

How much do you really need? What is truly important in your life?

These are the questions that are eloquently addressed by Amanda Prowse in The Art of Hiding. A mother and two sons have to start over with their lives when the wealthy husband and father suddenly dies. The woman has been protected by the husband to the extent that she knew nothing about the true state of their finances. This book really makes you stop and think about your own circumstances and connections and what you need to be happy and comfortable.

I was slightly disappointed with this storyline, I wanted it to develop into something far more exciting than it did. It tells the story of riches to rags for a mother and her two sons. It held my interest but I felt that it was under- developed, there was so much more for the main character to achieve in her life, other than just getting by working in a care home.
The ending also left me thinking 'is that it?'.

I really hate giving books bad reviews, but I wouldn't be a decent reviewer if I didn't give an honest review. So, here it is: The title of the book, The Art of Hiding, is appropriate - I'm sure there was a cohesive plot hidden somewhere, but I couldn't find it. Don't get me wrong - I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't.

In the first chapter Nina's husband Finn is killed in a car accident. Without preamble of any sort, we're supposed to feel sorry for her and her over-the-top wonderful life. We're told the boys go to a prestigious school, they have a fantastic home and everything money can buy; but we're not shown anything of their life together. Without that, it's really hard to feel compassion for Nina and her family.

Especially since she's apparently a complete idiot. There - I've said it. She reminds me of those long ago films where the man marries a featherhead and tells her: "don't you worry your pretty little head about it, I'll take care of everything." Apparently, this is how Finn treated Nina, and she believed it. And where did it get her? ￡8 million in debt. How? How can anyone be that far in debt and be so stupid as to not know it? Finn must have been a master of controlling his emotions, because Nina. Had. No. Clue. None whatsoever. No idea they owed anything.

So now she's out on her ear, no home, no prestigious school, and begging his family for a place to stay. Of course, they have no room for her. What kind of people are they? They basically tell her to go live on the street with their nephews; their brother's children - one has to wonder about the kind of relationship they had with him in the first place. They didn't care that their sister-in-law and her sons were thrown into the street. Didn't try and find a place for them anywhere. It was just, 'sorry, you're on your own!' I'm surprised they even showed up for the funeral.

I also thought that it didn’t ring true that balliffs would enter a house with only a minor present. I’m pretty sure there are laws against that. But even this scene was, again, over the top. A blender? Really? How much could they get for that? ￡10? What's next, shampoo? I get that the author was trying to show us how truly destitute Nina was, but I have a hard time believing that a man who supposedly loved his family wouldn't have hidden money somewhere, or that Nina, having grown up in poverty, wouldn't have done so herself. Also, I don't know how it works in the UK, but in the USA creditors cannot take life insurance policies (they can try, but the funds cannot be diverted unless they're specifically written for the purpose of debt payments - so Nina should have at least had something from the life insurance. (Now, if she were on the lien, maybe - but since everything was in Finn's name, probably not).

This had to be one of the most depressing books I’ve ever read. I slogged (literally) through it and just couldn’t like Finn or Nina. Finn because he seemed like a royal ass - keeping things from her and not even trying to provide for her in the event something happened (as it did) - and Nina because she seemed a total idiot. The boys seemed to bounce back unreasonably quick from the loss of their father and the only life they’ve ever known. They went from being rich to poor and it was like, ‘Whatever. What’s for supper?’ Most kids having gone through this would be rebellious or in therapy. These kids went from being rich to poor with barely a problem between them. It just didn't seem realistic.

I never felt a connection with Nina, Finn or the boys, and unfortunately, the book never seemed to touch me in any way, and that's the sad thing. All it really did was ensure that I will never read another book by this author. Two stars for the writing.

Shed a number of tears whilst reading this. Loved all the characters and the writing made you bond with each and every one. Stayed up into the early hours as just had to find out what happened. The story really touches you and it brings to the forefront that Family is more important than money. This is the first book I have read by Amanda Prowse but certainly won't be my last.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/34111673

The Art of Hiding

Having only recently read my first Amanda Prowse book, I can well and truly say that I love her books and haven't read one that I don't like so far!

I love her style of writing, that the subjects in her books are ones that readers can relate to and ones that will evoke a whole host of feelings and emotions.

How well do we really know our loved ones? When Nina's husband is killed in a car accident, the world as she knows it does a flip; her old life is virtually unrecognisable and she doesn't know where to turn...

What a beautiful book. The Art of Hiding is a thought provoking and emotional ride of self discovery, strength and hope. There are parts of this story that everyone will be able to relate to and I loved it all! Five big shiny stars from purplebookstand.

I was lucky to be provided with an arc of this book and voluntarily reviewed it.