This book was so Real. Raw. Emotional. It was an eye opener as well. No one ever wants to believe that this could happen to them but it's very possible. I am a stay at home mom. This could be me. It is a bit scary to think of something that way. It makes me wonder and question if I've made the right choice in not working but also I think I would make things work if this should happen to me. Plus, I can't live worrying that this can happen to me. I have to trust in my husband and not become an expert in the Art of Hiding.

I read this book in one night. Almost in one sitting. Definitely a page turner! This is the second book by Amanda Prowse that I've read and it won't be the last.

when nina mccarrick's husband dies suddenly everything in her life is turned upside down. it's not just the loss of her husband, whom she loved, that hurts. because what she learns is that their life is built on smoke and mirrors and his death brings everything crashing down around her. and it would be one thing if it were just her that needed to re-acclimate, but her two sons haven't asked for any of this and she has to be strong enough to protect them.

the art of hiding is not just about what we hide from the people we love, it's about what we hide from ourselves, it's about the hiding we do from others. nina has to start over but the further away that old life resides, the more she realizes that it kept her in a cage. and this new life where she has a job and works hard to keep her kids happy and connects with her sister and fellow rugby parents is more fulfilling and rewarding and happier than the life she lived before.

starting over means that she doesn't have to hide anymore. she can be her true self. and as much as she misses her husband. she also realizes she resents him. and she also realizes that she loves him no matter what he did. even as she realizes that she let him isolate her from people who would have loved her in order to keep his love to himself. people are complicated and often difficult to know. to some degree we all hide something. this truth is what lies at the heart of the art of hiding which is more than just another book about a widow who has to start over.

The book opens with Nina at a rugby came watching her son. She's waiting for her husband who is late when she gets that dreaded phone call. Her husband is dead and life will never be the same for her or her two boys.
This book has a lot of promise. The plot didn't hold my total interest but at it's heart it was a story of facing ones personal demons.

Miss Prowse' books always seem to reach into the heart and pull the emotions out and this book was no exception.The story revolved around Nina , a once happily married mother of two boys who had finally made it in the eyes of the world and her community.She received devastating news on a typical day that should have ended with a celebration, instead she is brokenhearted and in despair.As time goes by, while she tries to regroup and go it alone with her kids, the hits keep coming and she is desperately trying to reconcile what her life has become to what she thought she had before, and she is unable to grasp the disparity in both.Nina is gradually coming to the realization that maybe she didn't know the man she was married to, if he was able to pull off such a deception without her having any inkling of the depths to which her life would plunge.She is also becoming self aware and becoming cognizant of the fact that somewhere within her marriage she lost herself. I was astounded and initially unaccepting of the fact that she was so clueless as to most aspects of her life , but as the story rolls along at a steady pace, I admired the slow but steady way she harnessed her inner strength and made a new life for her and her kids.Her sister Tiggy was unquestioningly there with her assistance and reinforced that family ties are some of the truest and best support anyone could wish for.While this book started out with despair,chaos and upheaval, by the end, hope and happiness was reignited and money was not the deciding factor as was once perceived.
Thank you Ms Prowse and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

This is the first book I have ever read by this author and I have very mixed emotions. Nina, the main character starts out as a spineless, whiney woman. I get that she has lost her husband, her home, etc.. I find it very difficult to believe that she was so very clueless to reality and was so happy in this relationship where she was basically just a maid to her entire family. At one point it is mentioned how the family sits down to eat but Nina stands by the counter in case they need anything else. Really? She is now t allowed to have friends because Finn ( the spouse) likes it to be just the two of them. Again, really? This sure sounds like a happy relationship. Nina needed to grow a set.

I struggled through the first half of the book. There was entirely too much whining, weakness, and spoiled rotten kids. Nina did begin to redeem herself (in my eyes) later in the book. I, however, still had difficulty relating to her.

The book was well written. Characters were fleshed out well for the most part.

The Art of Hiding is a gripping story of what happens when Nina's husband dies in an accident and her life falls apart around her. It hooked me in so hard, I finished it in two sittings. It is a hard hitting novel dealing with with very complex issues grief, poverty, priviledge and finding out everything you trusted was a lie and Amanda does this perfectly.

The book is so well written that it gives you all the feelings. It played to my fears as a parent (children growing too fast, not being ableto give them the life they are used to, letting them down) and I felt all the emotions as if it were happening to me. Nina is such a relateable character that it's hard not to identify with her and become invested in her story.

One to read for anyone who enjoys a heart-wrenching read!

My review as posted on Goodreads:

This is a well written family saga, which opens in Bath and later moves to Southampton.

Nina and Finn and their family live a privileged life style. Then Finn dies in a car crash.
Rapidly, the financially secure life style transpires to be a myth.

I can't say more without spoiling the plot. Suffice to say that Amanda Prowse manages to create some strong characters, some likeable, some not so likeable.

The book moves at a steady pace, there are some very moving sections and a few moments of humour. Perhaps unsurprisingly there is no great climax to the novel. However it is an enjoyable exploration through the changing circumstances within family life.

I enjoyed it, and on the strength of this book will look forward to future books by Amanda Prowse.

I give my thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy in exchange for this review.

Nina McCarrick lives a great life far and away from the poverty in which she grew up.  She has an amazing husband, giant house, two wonderful children, living an easy, well-heeled life.  This all changes when a car crash takes husband Finn from the family.  Suddenly Nina is bombarded with truths that she knew nothing about.  Her husband’s company- gone- the money-gone-the house…. you guessed it.  Having to rely on her sister Tiggy for help she moves her boys from their posh school in bath to her old stomping grounds, a world away from everything they have ever known.  As each McCarrick fights to come to terms with their new reality, both without their security and without their figurehead, Nina must also invade the job market and figure out how to keep her family together.
My thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.  I loved this book, in fact, I stayed up all last night finishing it.  Nina is a fantastic character, loving and doting but with hidden steel.  It was great watching her find her stride.  Declan was everyone’s dream son, sweet and kind and funny.  Connor was an interesting blend of man and child.  It was interesting to see the way all the characters interacted with one another and how family ties played throughout.  The writing style was fantastic and had an easy flow between present and past memories.  For me, this was a five star book.  
As far as the Adult Content Scale goes, there is some language but that it’s minimal.  I would barely give this a two.

The book is out now, have you read it?

Amanda Prowse yet again writes about a subject that affects people on a daily basis. It is a book about how in one split second a world you know shifts on its axis with no warning.
It is a book that makes you think about the importance of love, health and happiness against the comforts of having money.
Heartbreaking story but written with the truth behind it.
Great book.

`This book was emotional from the start. I laughed, cried and got angry. I loved it and was sad when I was done!

Nina McCarrick has it all – a wonderfully loving husband, financial security and two children, 15-year old Connor and 10-year old Declan. Her perfect family and perfect life is shattered in one instance, when her husband, Finn, meets with a fatal accident. Since the news of his death, their whole world came spiraling down; as if it were in free fall.

As soon as the funeral is over and she’s coming to terms with her loss, her world collapses all over again. Nina learns that her husband’s business was under a mountain of debt and suddenly she finds herself faced with bankruptcy and eviction from their palatial house. With her back to the wall, no roof over her head, and no help from neighbors; she is forced to withdraw her sons from one of the most prestigious and premiere schools and relocate.

Due to lack of options, she decides to move to Southampton, where she spent her childhood. It was as if her life had gone backwards. While growing up, she and her sister Tiggy, faced numerous hardships; predominantly a financial crunch. After marrying Finn, she wore her wealth like a suit of armor – it offered protection from all that frightened her growing up. She had felt any worry over her financial future slip out of her life, and pleased by the fact that her kids would never know the hardships she had faced. Finn insisted on dealing with all the finances, which she welcomed as a pleasant change, from having to watch every penny and wondering what the future held.

As she reaches Portswood, and sees the dilapidated run-down apartment (which she rented from her cousin Fred), her will and external façade, which she was putting on for the boys, starts to crumble. Anger and hatred towards Finn start creeping in her mind. She was unsure of the man she had been married to for all these years – the man who consigned them all to live in a downward spiral over which she had no control. The man she thought she knew inside out and back to front had so many secrets. Finn had promised her a life free of worry, a good life for her and their children. Finn had lied.

As Nina struggles to rebuild a life for themselves, with the meager amount of cash she had; she is left questioning the true foundation of her marriage. Tiggy offers her support in all forms, for which she is very grateful. However, she parallely has to deal with the boys who, apart from grieving for their father, now have to cope with a completely different surrounding and financial situation. Declan is sweet and malleable. Connor, on the other hand, is a typical disgruntled and complicated teen. His mood and treatment of her continue with its highs and lows.

Nina searches for a job, and sends in applications to any and all kinds of adverts, but finds herself lacking in every aspect.
While she was married to Finn, she had no inkling of the external world. He controlled her and he was so good at it that she didn’t even notice. He built her a palace and gave her money and she filled it with lovely things. In the process, she lost herself, her confidence and her zest for life. She was nervous to mingle with people, constantly worried about portraying the wrong thing. She became the cardboard-cutout wife.
She’s left to question herself, “What had she done in her life other than marry well?”

People who live with extreme stress and cannot see any way out fall into two categories. The first are those who fall apart externally, seek help and battle it publicly. The second are those who don’t do this and can’t; they keep it bottled up inside and become skilled in the art of hiding. Finn fell in the latter.

But, Nina doesn’t give up. With determination, courage and faith; piece by piece she starts assembling the puzzle of their lives and things start changing ever-so-slowly. The situation into which they were forced was shaping her children, especially Connor, in a positive way. Hardship eroded his sense of haughtiness and a nicer, humbler boy started emerging.

With emotional support from Tiggy and her new found friends, and as her life starts taking some form of shape, Nina realizes that happiness can never be built on the foundations of wealth or on materialistic things. Happiness was waiting for her, in her people. She just wasn’t able to see it.

Happiness lies in being content – and in the present. If you’re constantly waiting for happiness to start, waiting for the change that will make it happen, then you might just miss some good days along the way.

This is a story of living after a tragedy, picking up the pieces of your broken life and finding happiness and contentment in the present. It is also about hope, survival and finding the inner strength and confidence to deal with life and its setbacks.

A brilliant inspirational read, which also emphasizes the need for financial independence.

One day Nina is married to the man of her dreams, living a wonderful life with Finn & their two boys. Then, when Finn is killed in a car wreck, her entire life crashes down around her. Her husband had been shielding the truth about their finances from her, and she is shocked to discover that everything is going to be reposessed, the boys kicked out of their fancy private school, and she is shunned by people she would normally call friends. In order to survive, Nina has to go back home... the one place she never wanted to see again.
For me, the book was very depressing, but at the same time it was also very realistic. The author did a good job of accurately portraying what it is like to live with no money, no idea what way to turn next, no hope for the future. The book did end on a happy note, and I feel that overall it is a very good read.

This was an emotional and ultimately uplifting book about loss, the meaning of happiness, and staying true to oneself. I'll be honest, this was not an easy book for me to read. The majority of the book was incredibly depressing and gut wrenching, and I had to step away often to collect myself. This is not a reflection on the writing at all, but rather a testament to the strong emotions it evoked. The premise of this book will feel familiar and is similar to other books I have read before, but it's the brutal honesty and rawness that sets it apart. Amanda Prowse really drags you through the ringer with this one, but it makes those glimmers of hope so much more rewarding and fulfilling.

Nina's journey through this book is so heartbreaking, but so very relatable and possible in this fragile life. You grieve with her as she comes to terms with her new normal, and you rejoice with her as you see her grow and become the strong and independent woman and mother that she buried deep inside years ago. Hearing her inner monologue of fear and self doubt was difficult, but so necessary to her transformation. As a mother myself, I found the scenes with the boys especially painful as I imagined being thrust into this horrific situation. Certain scenes had me silently weeping, but as I stated before, this is ultimately a story of hope and renewal. Is it easy? No, not at all, but few things in life (if any) ever are. This is my second book by the author and both times she has struck a nerve so deep that I'm certain this book will stay with me for quite some time.

This book was a perfect read for the beach, airplane trip or in my case a rainy day! It's a. tale we all are familiar with - wife and children left stranded when the husband/father dies. The characters are interesting and easy to feel for., and there are enough twists and turns to fully keep one's attention. A very good fun read

The art of hiding secrets by Amanda prowse is a lovely story that tells how a mother copes after loosing everything. Trying to shield her boys when waiting for the inevitable to happen and protect the memory of their father who has left them to deal with the heartache of a crumbling life.
Nina has it all, married to Finn who owns his own construction company, she lives a privelledged life with the big dream house, 2 boys Conner and Declan in an exclusive private school and never wanting for anything .. a far cry from the poverty stricken upbringing she had with her sister Tiggy, both of which she's left behind. Nina s life is perfect until that fateful day ....
Standing on the rugby pitch of the boys school wondering why husband Finn hasn't shown she gets a phone call that changes her entire world. Finn has been killed in a car crash. Devastated and filled with grief Nina doesn't realise this is just the start of a spiral of events that will bring her world crashing down.
For you see Finn had lost it all .. his company, the house and was millions in debt which he had been keeping all a secret for some time from Nina. Was his death an accident? How will she tell the boys it's all gone ? And how will she cope having to return to her childhood town and sister Tiggy who she has treated apallingly, basically abandoning when she found wealth.
I've never read an Amanda prowse book before and I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I couldn't put it down hoping for Nina to succeed and waiting to see what would happen next . I really felt for her as a mother desperately trying to shield her children from awful circumstances and still add a positive to their situation when all she wants to do is crumble herself . This is a great story about triumphing against all odds and finding out on a journey of self discovery that what you thought was perfection and happiness maybe wasn't that wonderful after all.
Would really recommend this, its a great story.

DNF @33%. I was auto approved for this title, and was only trying to,read the description when it ended up on my start reading list. This isn't a book I would have chosen based on the blurb, but I figured I'd give it a try. I just couldn't get into it and found myself skimming through. I didn't like Nina. I guess the title is perfect for her., as she seemed to hide rather than confront or fix her problems. I wasn't interested enough to continue.

This is a very good book, with several of life's lessons along the way. Nina has it all. A fabulous mansion-type house. A handsome, devoted husband and two sons in an exclusive school. Then in an instant it is almost all gone. Nina and her two sons Connor and Declan learn the hard way that money doesn't buy happiness. The characters are very well developed and the story believable. I would love to know what happens next in their lives. I even found Nina's sister, Tiggy, interesting. I definitely would read another book by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review. I will recommend this book to family and friends.

Nina McCarrick is living the perfect life of luxury and opulence with her beloved husband Finn and two sons - Connor and Declan. Tragedy strikes, when her husband is killed in a car accident. His death uncovers a mountain of debt that Finn was under, leading to drastic changes in Nina and her children´s lives. The Art of Hiding, deals with these changes in a postive manner, and we see the ways that Nina changes from a timid, retiring housewife to a strong and capable women, able to look after her sons and see the true nature of happiness.

This was my first novel by Amanda Prowse and I look forward to reading more of her novels in the future. Thankyou to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for letting me read this novel early in exchange for an honest review.

What happens when your life changes drastically from one day to next? How do you move forward and reinvent yourself? Was everything you took for granted just an illusion? These are questions Nina has to face when her husband dies and she is left to confront a new reality with her two son. The book has moments of despair as Nina's world unravels and she wonders what was true in her marriage and how she could have made different choices in the past, and uplifting moments as we see her pick up the pieces and create a new reality with her family. The book deals with issues that I could relate to as a woman and a mom, and its strength was in its portrayal of family dynamics. The portrayal of rich people in the book felt one-dimensional, as if being rich automatically made people mean, shallow, or self-centered. I think the themes of the book would have been better served with a more nuanced portrayal of society and class differences.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had never heard of this author but was given a chance to review this book after I requested it. I guess the description pulled me in, but I'm not really sure why, since it's hardly an uplifting-sounding book. I'm not going to lie, the first third to half of the book were tough to read: usually I read books all at once, but I had to take breaks because this book was really depressing for a while. Nina must learn to triumph -- and it's hardly a spoiler to say that she does -- but it took a while.

But this book really causes you to think about what you would do in her shoes. I'm not a parent, have always worked to support myself, and I've been single for a considerable portion of my adult life (although not for the last 4 1/2 years). But it's still quite sobering to think about what you would do if your partner died and you found out you had no money, no job and no home. Nina eventually figures it all out, and not in a Hollywood easy-solutions kind of way, and by the end, I had confidence that I would too if it (shuddering) were to ever come to that. I will read this author again -- I see she has many books from which to choose -- and even though it was set in England, I didn't find it too British to enjoy.

I received this book for free from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.