Another fantastic read by the amazing Amanda Prowse. As always she takes us on a rollercoaster ride of emotions, with interesting but flawed characters you very quickly come to care about.

This is a story about family, and about being resilient in the face of adversity. Nina is left facing the unthinkable and is going to have to try to rebuild the lives of herself and her children in ways she could never have imagined.

A complex story of love, loss, grief and family, 'The Art of Hiding' is Amanda Prowse at her very best. A perfect 5 stars.

Ninas opulent lifestyle is a world away from the poverty she grew up with. Running her large and comfortable home, providing all that's needed for her wonderful and loving husband Finn and her teenage sons, life couldn't be better. Though a fully stocked kitchen and daily fresh flowers can't stop Nina from still feeling that she doesn't quite belong. With little time for the other mothers at the boys exclusive school Nina is happiest with Finn by her side and the boys close by. But suddenly tragedy strikes and Nina realises all that she knew was an illusion and she finds herself grieving back in her childhood neighbourhood and it reminds her why she ran so far in the first place. How can she help the boys heal when their whole worlds have disappeared?

Let us take a second to appreciate the gorgeous cover! I absolutely loved this book! Beautiful writing and everything flowed extremely well.

A very emotional story of a woman’s struggle to survive after terrible trauma.

An emotional book that I’m sure strikes a chord with many people and is well written with the usual rollercoaster ride of happy and sad moments. Believable characters certainly help the read and although not my usual type of book, I did really enjoy it and would recommend the read. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I love this author. Lovely, emotional, and thought provoking. It's a bit of a riches to rags (well, not quite rags) story. The main character is very hard to identify with at times, but I still found myself rooting for her. The older child was quite bratty throughout most of the book. They're all going through something awful, but there were times I wished Nina would call him out on his selfishness! The disrespect he showed her bothered me, but he evolves during the story along with the rest of the characters

Oh I so loved this book. It did make me cry in places, but it is a wonderful story of hope and determination and finding out that being rich does not necessarily make you rich in life.

I was really excited to automatically be sent an advanced review copy of Amanda Prowse’s latest book The Art of Hiding as I’d never read anything of hers before but had heard great things about her books. Also the story sounded compelling and moving; and as I was due to go on holiday I thought this would be an ideal read for the beach.

The Art of Hiding focuses on Nina who seems to have it all; happily married to Finn with two young boys, a big house and no money worries whatsoever. However this all comes crumbling down when Finn is suddenly killed in a car crash. As well as having to deal with the traumatic death of her husband, Nina discovers that Finn has left a gross amount of debt which she is now responsible for. The house is repossessed and she finds herself having to uproot her children and move back to the ‘rundown Southampton suburb‘ that she grew up in.

I genuinely thought I’d be crying over this book, especially as it has been getting great reviews on GoodReads, but for me it just didn’t work. I soon got bored with it, finding it flat, unconvincing and if I’m honest a tad offensive and derogatory. Let me just explain this further…

In the opening chapters when Nina appears to have a very affluent life, I felt that having no money is portrayed a bit like a disease which I personally found very uncomfortable:

She still felt that the poverty in which she had been raised marked her in some way, formed a grime that still sat on her skin, clung to her clothes and hung around her in a way that gave off noxious fumes perceptible to the more fortunate.

Nina for me was also a bland character, one-dimensional with no real depth. I struggled to sympathise with her as to me she appeared to easily cast off her ‘poor’ family when she was living her comfortable lifestyle; yet as soon as she was ‘poor’ again, the characters that had money in this book were portrayed as bad. Real life is just not that black and white. I’m sure that Amanda Prowse was trying to convey the moral message of not judging people by their material worth, but in my view she communicated this message unfairly and unrealistically. I also struggled with how Nina willingly gave up her independence when she was married, including her friends and family (maybe that says more about me than it does about this book but I know that all my female friends and family will also struggle to relate to this).

For me, this book was also full of clichés, which just added to my boredom.

As I say, Amanda Prowse’s novels are really liked by many people, so you may like it…

But for me, it just didn’t work. Sorry! 🙁

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for sending me an advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

An incredibly moving and insightful read. We have a woman, raised in poverty, married into a posh lifestyle, where her husband keeps her incredibly sheltered. He handles everything, money, bills, vacations, pretty much all aspects of their life. And he keeps their circle around them small. Then, he is killed in a car crash. She finds out that her husband was in debt to the tune of millions of dollars and she suddenly has to rebuild her life for her and her children. A life that is nothing like the life they were living. She is angry and hopeless and lost. But rebuild her life she does - a small echo of what her life was...and she learns some things about herself, her children, her beliefs, her husband. A great lesson to never let your light dim!!!

I had never read anything by Amanda Prowse before but knew lots of people had so I was looking forward to reading this.

When I started reading it, I just thought it was going to be a read about posh and privileged people and wasn't sure I was going to like the characters. How did I come to that conclusion after reading just a few chapters? I don't know. Call it an over active imagination and a very good reason why I'm a reader and not an author! Well needless to say, I was completely wrong and couldn't have been further from the truth.

I really enjoyed how the author gave an underlying strength to Nina, the main character. A woman who despite what life threw at her remained steadfast and a great support to her boys, Connor and Declan. Then bring in her Sister to the mix, a character who was the complete opposite to Nina and who was somewhat estranged from the family but still there in the background. I loved her Joie de Vivre and positive outlook. She was just the write character to boost Nina up.

The way the Author merged Nina's totally different lives together made it a fascinating read. I was willing Nina on and hoping that her life would end up being all that she wanted it to be. The challenges Ms Prowse put in Nina's way kept me page turning with enthusiasm and I couldn't put the book down. She has written some really great characters in this book and shows how someone can triumph over adversity.

This is well worth a read and I will definite check out the authors other books.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to read in exchange for my honest review.

You live in a gorgeous house, the neighbourhood is dripping in money, perfect husband, two beautiful boys - life for the McCarrick's is good. However when an accident rips Nina's life apart she thinks mourning her loved one is the biggest challenge, Nina is wrong. What she thought she knew and her life is about to change, drastically. Going from never having to think about finances, the kids private education, food, mortgage, to counting every penny, Nina needs a reality check. Caught in the waves of grief, having to protect her kids as best she can and get her head around her new life and circumstances the whole family and their relationships are to be pushed to the limits.

I have read Prowse before, she has a certain style of writing, quickly drawing the reader into the life and emotions of the characters. I can't say I liked Nina hugely when I first met her however as her story unfolds, her background and her relationship with her husband we are given a window to seeing how she became who she is. A tale of grief, loss, strength, lies, love, materialistic possessions, family, relationships and much more. The main characters, mainly mother and the sons all travel on a very personal journey of self exploration and growth. It is in parts hard to read due to the realistic scenarios and reactions created by Prowse, the pain they each suffer, more so if the reader can relate which I think many will . Who hasn't been thrust into unforeseen circumstance and or grief and loss.

Human nature can go either way when our world is shaken, we can fall apart, go down the route of destruction or we can power through. Prowse examines the human response to such events and the various reactions we experience when stability and normality are threatened. A very human story with so much emotion, strength, love and a 'you never know the moment' type and the waves that follow. 4/5 for me this time, I have read Prowse before and will read her again. I actually have a few of hers on my tbr. Thanks to Netgalley for sending me a review copy.

Not the first time this storyline has been written; riches to rags. Widow finds out her life is a sham. In this case, the deceased leaves a pile of debt behind. Sometimes they find out he has a string of other women and/or families out there. Not a bad read though. No happy ending here either so if you are holding out for that, you'll be disappointed.

Sadly this book was not for me, I got about a hundred pages in and I had to put the book down. I didn't feel any connection to the characters and the plot just wasn't something I connected to. Yes it was nice to see a book set in the UK about a housewife learning to work once more. But there was still this bridge between my self and the characters. When I requested this book I knew I would either love it or I would hate it. And strangely its neither. I just don't feel a particular connection to story as a whole. I'm sure there are some people out there who would love this but sadly, that is not me.

Amanda Prowse has captured all the emotions that the main character, Nina, feels from how uncomfortable she is surrounded by wealthy women at her sons’ expensive private school to her anguish upon losing her husband in an automobile accident. Time and time again Nina mentally notes the things she will tell her husband later only to be be suddenly jarred that she will never share anything with him again. To top that off, when she finds out the things he has kept from her, anger and dismay are added to the mix. This is caught on paper so well that I could feel her pain.

I appreciated the depth to this story and how the characters were not only forced to grow through the challenges facing them, but that they did.


There is swearing throughout—even from one of her children. The F word is used a lot, and the author brought God and Jesus into her curse words.

I chose this title having not read any other Amanda Prowse novels but aware that she had written many. As a fan of Lisa Jewell I found the writing style and subject matter similar. I find a book is always absorbing if I find myself wondering how the characters are getting on after finishing and this title definitely left me with those questions. Is Connor still studying psychology? Are Tiggy and Jacob still together? Does Nina find another chance of happiness or is living independently enough?

Beautifully written, absorbing and heartfelt... a new Amanda Prowse fan indeed!

Everyone has an author whose books they always look forward to and for me Amanda Prowse is one of them. Having been reading Amanda’s novels for several years, I’ve never read a book of hers that I haven’t enjoyed and so I was very excited to receive a copy of her latest release, The Art of Hiding. As I hoped would be the case, I knew from the very first pages that I wasn’t going to be disappointed - it was a fabulous book and there was just so much to love about it.

Within this particular book we meet Nina McCarrick who seems to have both a perfect life and perfect family with her successful husband, Finn, and their sons Connor and Declan who are both enrolled at a posh school. She couldn’t imagine life being any different until she receives a call that changes everything - there has been a terrible car accident and Finn has died. As Nina starts to come to terms with life without Finn, it quickly becomes apparent that things were not as perfect as they appeared. Finn has left behind a mountain of debt leaving Nina with no choice but to take her boys and return to her hometown where she turns to her estranged sister Tiggy for help.

One thing that Amanda seems to excel at is taking a seemingly normal family before turning their world upside down by revealing hidden truths and then fixing things again. In the process characters are created who you can’t help but feel connected to and whose stories you can’t help but feel invested in. This was certainly the case with Nina who seemed incredibly believable and real, someone who demonstrated a huge amount of strength and determination. Nina’s story is one that really highlights what’s important in life, what matters and what really doesn’t.

Throughout the entirety of The Art of Hiding, Amanda’s signature writing style that I have grown to love so much over the years really shone through. She has once again taken several challenging themes within this book and dealt with them in an expert manner - so beautifully and sensitively. Through her writing, Amanda really shows how it is absolutely possible to overcome any situation that life throws at you in order to find happiness and peace once again.

An emotional but ultimately uplifting and inspiring story, The Art of Hiding is yet another of Amanda’s books that will stay with me for a long time yet to come. Every time I think Amanda’s writing can’t get any better, she publishes something that proves it absolutely can. I adored the Art of Hiding and am thoroughly looking forward to seeing what Amanda writes next.

Strong beginning third, good middle third, less than great final third. Read was overall okay, but not nearly as satisfying as it could have and should have been.

The Art of Hiding is a book that many women will relate to.. Nina is the main character - a woman who was plucked at a young age by a dominant, successful slightly older man and who happily fitted into his way of living, leaving her previous life and family behind with no qualms. Unfortunately the castle comes falling down and she has to return to reality with a bump as do her sons who have known nothing else but the gilded cage. Amanda Prowse has a wonderful way of relating to the reality of day to day living - at one moment you are condemning Nina for being so naive and downtrodden but at the same time you do understand why and how she was and you do empathise - such a good story, realistic, real life!.

I received a copy of The Art of Hiding in exchange for an honest review. I can honestly say that I was caught up in this book and didn't want to put it down until I was finished with it.

I didn't really know what to expect when starting this book. I hadn't read too much about it, so I went in with an open mind. I was immediately caught up in Nina's story. I felt her joy and her pain, and could relate to her in some circumstances. I found myself feeling sad for her, with her situation, but I also wanted to cheer her on and encourage her to be strong and fight to return to the woman she used to be. Sadly, I know someone who is as unaware of her household situation as Nina was...so this was a bit of an eye opener for me. This was a good reminder to not judge others and to be more compassionate.

Amanda Prowse has a beautiful art of writing a story. Her descriptions were thorough, without being overdone and the story flowed well. I will be purchasing more of Amanda Prowse's books and I hope to be as caught up in those as I was in this one.

One of the things I liked most about The Food of Love by this author was the amount of research she had clearly done. It was a heart rending read I was ver impressed. The next two books I read were good but didn't grab me in quite the same way.
This book came up on Netgalley and I looked forward to reading it as the plot sounded interesting. Nina has been living the good life since she was swept off her feet by a successful businessman at the tender age of 17, having had a fairly poor upbringing. Her husband brings in the money while Nina becomes a homemaker and mother to their two boys. This is brought to an abrupt end when Finn is killed in a car accident and Nina realises it was all smoke and mirrors. The business is bankrupt, the house remortgaged to the max and the debts amount to £8 million. Nina is faced with moving out of her home, taking the boys out of private school and moving back to her childhood home of Southampton and a tatty flat. With no career or job prospects she has to adjust, not only to her grief but the knowledge that her husband was not who she thought he was.
A great start but what came after was a disappointment to me. The circle that she moved in in Bath is portrayed as particularly nasty, uncaring and cruel. Having worked in a public school I know that families would not have been treated the way she is. They are businesses but the callousness shown is alien to me. I found the insinuation that rich is bad and poor is good a bit distasteful tbh and cliched.
The bailiffs act totally illegally by entering the property with only a minor present and the welfare state seems to be completely absent. Nina was homeless, penniless and a single mother of two minors. There would have been benefits she could claim. As she was was brought up in poverty I found her naivety a bit irritating and annoying.
With all these things against her it is therefore a bit of a surprise, when these issues and problems are resolved within a matter of months. It's all just too neat.
Amanda Prowse is a very readable author, her style is embracing and her books are easy, quick reads. I admire her efforts to highlight women's issues but this one just wasn't for me.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this copy.