The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse.
This story is about a women called Nina who's husband dies in a car accident leaving her alone with 2 boys. His death reveals to her that her wealthy lifestyle is a lie and in fact she has no money left. Therefore she has to give up her house, most of her possessions, and removes the children from their posh school. She ends up moving back down to her home town of Southampton with the help of her sister who still lives there.
I enjoyed reading the story, as i often do with Amanda's books. I found it quite moving in some places and particularly enjoyed the characters of the 2 boys. The story was also as much about how Nina had become the person she had, shielded from the outside world by her husband and wealth. In particular contrast to that of her sister.
There were however a few little points i found unbelievable like when they knocked the wall down, instant wifi in the flat, and the mobile phone contract still available! Surely this would have been paid for by monthly D Debit, but how???!!
I was glad the romance with the son of the lady in the old peoples home went the way it did as the book had moments of becoming a little too cliched.
As i said i enjoyed the book but felt somehow things slotted into place for her a little too easily for real life.

While not my usual genre to read, this was a heartwarming story though sad at times. Interesting story and realistic writing. Well done.

Life changes for Nina and her two young boys beyond recognition, after the shocking death of her husband., the loss of their home, their friends and familiar surroundings.
This is a story of courage, strength and sorrow beyond imagining, while the family learn how to deal with what life has thrown them.

AMANDA PROWSE once again delivers a wonderful book, full of raw emotion with such wonderful characters.
Nina who learns how to survive and succeed in times of desperation; moody Declan dealing with teenage angst, as well as the loss of a parent and the affluent life he is used to ; the delightfully funny and resilient Declan, who with such innocence keeps Nina going; and Tiggy, Nina's straight-talking sister who helps her find her inner strength to build a new life for her boys and herself.

The family come to realise that material things in life are not important, but love and family are what gets you through. But it will also make the reader think too....... What if that were me...... How would I react...... Even when I wasn't actually reading it, the book made me think.

AMANDA PROWESE will take you on another emotional journey, tackling difficult subjects head on, with her usual brilliant insight. Another winner for me!
With thanks to Amanda Prowse, NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Every now and again along comes an extreme moment in life when push comes to shove and we are tested in ways that should break us and leave us for dead. It's during these moments when we find out what we are truly made of. It's then that we find the truest form of our real strength, during these most unlikely and unexpected of times.

Nina lived a posh life free from financial stress or worry. Happily married, mother of two brilliant boys with great futures to look forward to, Nina spent her days enjoying the luxury of her lifestyle and basking in the freedom of what it gave her. Then suddenly, in the blink of an eye, everything came tumbling down like the crashing rapids of a waterfall. Her husband gone and her life in shambles, Nina finds herself forced to reevaluate the life she's taken for granted. Gone are the money, the gorgeous house, the cabinets and a fridge brimming with high end cuisine, the flashy car- all the accoutrements of a wealthy lifestyle. With two boys to worry about, Nina quickly finds her priorities tilting and her with no real game plan to fall on. It's one of a mother's worst nightmares.

Her sons have never known a life outside of luxury, but Nina has. Her life wasn't always glamorous. In fact, it used to be downright abysmal, in the financial sense. It's a lifestyle she never even imagined for her sons, not even in her most horrible dreams. Yet, with everything they knew snatched away, Nina must resolve to dig deep- deeper than she's ever had to dig before, to find the strength and the confidence to make a new path for herself and her boys.

This was, by far, one of the best books I've read this year! The characters are endearingly realistic and their plight moving to the nth degree. A story of resilience and survival in the face of the worst odds, The Art of Hiding is as heartwarming and inspirational as it initially was devastating. Such a well written book that goes to show that money really isn't everything and you're never truly down and out until you say the word.

Thanks so much to the author, the publisher, and to NetGalley for this review opportunity. I sincerely look forward to reading more by this author.

Once again Amanda Prowse has produced a storyline that will hook it's readers. The plot makes the reader realise that how 'in the blink of an eye' a families world can be turned upside down & force the main character Nina to rebuild her life & question if she truly knew her husband.. The storyline had me 'hooked' & I couldn't wait to see how Nina coped with what life had dealt her. The ending left me wanting more

I have read all of Amanda's Books and each one is amazing. I love her style of writing and the gutsy way that she tells her stories as each time she brings the reader into the story emotionally. Any praise for this book cannot be enough as it is simply amazing. A family distraught over the sudden death of the husband/father and how Nina takes life from being rich to poverty and in the process her and the boys find out what life is really about not just surface skimming. The story is written in a down to earth manner and although some people could see the description of the poor people as condescending I found it well described. I could picture Nina and the boys in the situation and wanted to cry for them at the downfall. I also detested Finn at the start and suspected that he had committed suicide in order to escape the worries. Nina describes at the end how he did love her and how everything was to protect her from worries as that is what he had always promised. I have always told my children that money does not buy happiness and this book shows that so clearly. I would agree that not all rich or poor people are as described .here but stereotyping brings the effects to life with amazing clarity. Keep up the good work Amanda and keep writing.

An insightful study of tragedy and loss and the importance of family, inner strength and love over material possessions. Told in the first person we share Nina’s blindness to the imperfections of her apparently ideal lifestyle shared with her husband and children. Materialistically she has everything but her confidence and self-belief have evaporated. Faced with tragedy she finds inner reserves she did not know she still had and makes a life for herself and her children based on what is truly important in life. I was caught up in her journey to a different kind of happiness and enjoyed sharing, amongst other highlights, her renewed, loving relationship with her estranged sister. Ultimately a bit too ‘cosy’ for my taste, but I enjoyed immersing myself in Nina’s world very much.

I don't read Women's Fiction very often, but every now and then I enjoy a good, empowering book. This is my first book by Amanda Prowse and I didn't know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised.

The story itself is quite devastating and even traumatising. A woman who, after a childhood spent in poverty, has everything: a rich and successful husband, two children who are doing well in school, and a big, beautiful house. It's quite scary to think that life can actually be so cruel and rip it all away away again... just like that.

I really enjoyed watching Nina grow and overcome the obstacles life throws at her, and I found myself rooting for her and her sons. Nina feels real and the book depicts loss, grief and redemption in a way that rings true.

The writing is crisp and engaging. I read the entire book during one sleepless night and couldn't put it down.

A slow burn for me - struggled with this at first and found it tough going and was frustrated with Nina and Finn. But I love Amanda Prowse's writing so I persisted - and I'm glad I did!

Interesting read and shows strength of character and how to overcome challenges and difficulties.

Whilst I didn't really like any of the characters in the early part of the book, by the closing chapters I really liked the teenage son's and the relationship between nina and her sister

Great title as explained later in the book
3.5*

It was extremely fitting that I read The Art of Hiding while on a flight to join a women's tour-group for a week that was to be a life-changing experience. It was trip that was all about sisterhood, finding strength from the power within us and discovering that we are each unique, beautiful souls with our own talents to nurture and share. And that's exactly what this book is about!!
Nina seems to be leading a charmed life with her successful husband Finn - the gorgeous house, 2 sons at a top private school, whirlwind social life, complete with enviable holiday destinations. Until Finn dies suddenly and it seems that it was all a facade.
Reality comes calling in the cruelest possible way as Nina and her sons' comfortable world is ripped out from under them. It would be easier to curl up under the blankets and never have to face the world again, but that's not a possibility, and Nina's about to discover that resilience appears when you least expect it, and your champions present themselves as the most unlikely candidates.
This is a wonderful story (and don't kid yourself, stuff like this happens more often than you think) of inner strength and the fabulous support systems that women create for themselves when push comes to shove.
Amanda Prowse has the incredible ability to create characters so real that you want to pluck them from the pages and invite them into your kitchen for a cup of coffee and a heart-to-heart chat. They're warm, loveable, remarkable people that you want to keep in your life, and you are left feeling quite bereft when you reach the final pages of her books.
The Art of Hiding is no different, and it gets 5 stars from me!
Thank you so much to Amanda and Simeon for sending me an ARC of this book, and for including me in your trusted circle of early recipients. It is such an honour!

The Art of Hiding is a book about Nina McCarrick & her 2 boys Connor & Declan overcoming losing their patriarch Finn McCarrick. Finn has died & left category 12 hurricane destruction in his wake. So instead of mourning their loss, the McCarrick family is figuring out where & how to live, 1 week after losing Finn. Which is may very well destroy their love for Finn.

Nina has become a recluse housewife with no friends, job or outside social circle, she doesn't know who to call when her picture perfect Martha Stewart life starts imploding. Ignoring the warnings to preserve what she can immediately, Nina's world is shattered. Surprise! They're bankrupt, courtesy of Finn, now deceased. The creditors are taking what is owed them, including the house. Now she has to find a way to comfort her boys in a way she never imagined. Connor & Declan just want their Dad to fix everything, just like he always has. Except now, he is the reason their lives will never be the same.

Gone are the private school, luxury vacations & posh house. The McCarricks are destitute. Relying on her estranged sister Tiggy, Nina goes "home" to the impoverished neighborhood of her childhood. Here the McCarrick family's love for Finn will be tested, as they navigate an unimaginable life. Trying to figure out if Finn abandoned them or if fate really did deal them a treacherous hand. Either way, the Mccarricks have to find a way to live again. Even if it means being poor, together.

I gave The Art of Hiding 3 stars because it took some sensitive albeit complex subjects, & skimmed over them. Personally for me, if you're going to add some darkness to the plot, go all in. When you realize where the title comes from though, it gives you that bitter sweet affinity for the whole story.

The Art of Hiding started out interesting enough. The author has a good writing style and the story flows well in the beginning. Nina's loss is truly heartbreaking and then she's blindsided by circumstances that were kept hidden from her. When I read the blurb, I did have a slightly different idea of what this story would be about and that assumption was my own fault. That, in itself, wouldn't have bothered me. What did bother me was the way the story started to lag about a quarter of the way through. We're told, repeatedly, that Nina grew up poor, so I didn't quite get her naiveté when it came to money matters. We don't really get much about Finn, other than a few memories and the fact that he kept problems hidden from Nina. From what is told, I got the impression of someone who was a little controlling and wanted to keep the "little wife" at home. Once the pace of the story slowed down, it started to lose me and most of the book was pretty depressing. While I can understand and sympathize with Nina's circumstances, she drones on and on about the same things and starts to come across as whiny. That, combined with the slow pace, left me feeling a little ambivalent about how this one played out.

The tragedy in The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse is a wife and mother’s nightmare come true. The death, grief that follows and the huge pile of debt turned Nina’s world around suddenly and dramatically. I couldn’t imagine having to face all of this at once while appearing strong for her children as Nina needed to do. Would I wish these circumstances on anyone? No, but Nina did so I was cheering for her from the very beginning when she met with the school officials until the very end.

If anything, this is a book of “what doesn’t break you, will make you stronger”. For Nina, it makes her family stronger too as she tackles her problems one at a time, maybe not in the way she would have wished but in the only way possible at times. For herself, she comes out like gold with shining grace and confidence. Ms. Prowse has given us a character that exemplifies courage in trouble.

When Nina loses her husband Finn in a car crash, her whole life is turned upside down. She realises that the friends she had were superficial, surface acquaintances and she won't be able to get support from them.

Her sister proves to be the support she needs even though they have become distant since she married. Her sister was a lovely character. She stepped in where she was needed and swept the years away.

This book really takes you on an emotional journey- you feel for Nina and her two boys. Although they had a very privileged life it was all based on smoke screens and they soon have to start over in her home town in a rented flat. I loved the scenes in the flat- it sounded horrendous but proved that love overcomes all even if it seems a long time coming.

You know that you can settle down with a book from Amanda and be assured a wonderful read. She tackles difficult subjects in a sensitive manner and creates such wonderful characters that you can't help but be drawn into their lives.

The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse

I enjoyed reading this book. A moving story about a woman and her sons. The characters are strong and have a good story to tell, but I found the pacing a bit slow and no real bang. All in all a good story and an encouraging read.

I give the Art of Hiding 3 stars for its solid story.
I would recommend this book.

I was pleasantly surprised with this book. It is not in the genre I normally read, but it looked interesting. And it was indeed. It was about Nina, a homemaker, who lives a wealthy existence. Her husband, Finn, owns a construction business and it is very successful. They have 2 sons. However, all of this is toppled one day when Finn is in an accident and dies. Suddenly, Nina's life completely changes. They were actually bankrupt, losing everything and Nina had no clue. The story is one of love, loss, grieving and self-discovery as Nina learns to live again, and have a life to actually live, not just float through. It is a really good book, especially if you like Women's fiction.

I want to say that this book is a sort of ‘coming of age’ story, only about ten years later in life than it would usually happen. I’d also say that this is Nina McCarrick’s story and that of her children Connor and Declan. The story opens with Nina having a premonition of sorts and her life certainly goes downhill from there. I don’t really want to say too much as it would probably be a spoiler or two and the actual unfolding of this family’s life story is really what it is all about. It is at times sad, uplifting, touching and loving – it even depicts the very definition of teenage angst. I’d have to say it was very poignant and while I enjoyed the read, it made me sad…admittedly in a good way but sad nonetheless. It really deals with some big issues and it was so good to see how Nina handled everything that life threw at her.

This is such a beautiful and well-written book about loss, family and resilience. In what seemed like a perfect life living in a beautiful home with two young sons attending a prestigious school, a handsome husband who runs a successful business, Nina McCarrick loses everything after the death of her husband, not knowing anything about their financial situation and learning they were in debt. Not knowing where to go, how they will live, she goes back to the town she grew up in where her sister helps her move into a small apartment belonging to a relative, and from then on Nina is determined to find a job and make the best of things for her and her two sons. This story, as did they characters, felt very real as this is something that could happen to anyone. I liked Nina and thought she was strong despite what life had handed down to her, and also liked her sister, Tiggy, and her two adorable sons, Conner and Declan.

Amanda Prowse has written such an important book that I hope many, many women will read it. And I say women because sadly there are many out there that do not know what their financial situation is, they have no idea what their mortgage payment is or how much they pay for utilities. I'm so fortunate to have a husband that discusses these things with me, and I'm actually the one that takes care of all household bills. That being said, I do highly recommend this book. It is a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

“The Art of Hiding” is the first book I have read by Amanda Prowse, so I had no expectations about how the story would go. Within very few pages, the world of the characters in the book has been turned upside down. From there, their lives get so shaken with further revelations, that they seem to be suffering a tad from PTSD.

The main character, Nina McCarrick, has to deal with the loss of love as well as the lifestyle she has grown used to. The story is about how she and her two boys learn to live again despite their losses.

I, too, have lost a close loved one and have suffered it as a life-altering experience. Reading it in a story (albeit a different loss, etc.) struck the chord of recognition in me. Ms. Prowse is able to present these emotions in story form with such realism that it was almost difficult for me to continue reading.

The book has many amusing moments so it is not by any means a depressing book to read. It is inspiring and I found some of the words to be incredibly helpful for me as well.

I’ll be looking for more books by this talented author in the future.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

Nina came from meager beginnings and was looking forward to becoming a nurse after high school but one day while visiting a construction site with her father Nina's whole life changes. She meets Finn. He is older, successful, and owns his own company. They fall in love and before she knows it, Nina has the comfortable and luxurious life she always wanted. Years pass by with Nina busy caring for her husband and her 2 boys, Connor and Declan. A twist of fate destroys the life Nina and her sons have known in the blink of an eye. They are forced to start all over again in Nina's hometown with hardly anything left to their names. The rest of the story is one of hope and finding the strength to be happy with what you have not miserable thinking about what you don't. I have seen some mixed reviews about this book but I just want to go on record and say that I really, really enjoyed this book.. The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is because I wish that Nina had been just a little bit angrier and less zoned out when it all started to fall apart. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for granting me an ARC and being cool with me leaving my honest opinions of the book.