Have just finished The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse. I have read a few of her books before and she never disappoints. Her characters are like old friends before you're half way through the book. This story of Nina and her two sons Connor and Declan and how they react when their world is turned upside down was insightful and moving. It bought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion.
A really lovely immersive read.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Nina really has to wake up and smell the coffee, which will be instant rather than gourmet from now on. Finn, her husband has been hiding his problems, and now they are hers to sort. Their two boys, Declan and Connor, are trying to come to terms with the completely new life foisted on them without warning. Luckily Nina's more street wise sister Tiggy can help a little. She is very much on their side, despite nursing a grievance over being sidelined for the years, when Nona was a Stepford style wife, at home looking after her family, and fervently flower arranging.

I enjoyed reading this, and seeing how a fairly molly coddled lady can take back control when all seems ruined. Her new neighbours come good in a Maeve Binchy kind of way. It is just a family drama, no crime to solve but otherwise reminiscent of Jodi Picoult - the schadenfreude feeling. No real mystery here, more adjustments and rewardingly developing strengths in all the characters. I read a proof copy of this through Netgalley.

She does it yet again, I can never fault Amanda's book there is nobody that quite writes like her. Poignant, beautiful, heart wrenching and heart warming all at the same time. I felt connected to all the characters in their own way and loved ther journey despite my tears. As always I'm already looking forward to the next one...

This isn't my usual type of read, but I was absolutely captivated by the story of Nina's struggle to cope after the death of her husband costs her not just the man she loves but her entire world. I love character driven stories and Prowse's characters are detailed, nuanced and believable. It's a sweet, uplifting read you'll want to read in one sitting. I did!

Thanks for auto approving me for this book, however, it's not quite the book I tend to read and review. I lean more towards the romance or erotica type books. Best of luck with this new release.

This book was entirely believable, good main character and great description of emotions for the whole family. There was nothing about this book that I did not like. Good read

Amanda Prowse knows how to deliver a punch to the heart! This is a compliment of high regard as she is also deft at slowly easing the devastation she inflicts until you find yourself fully immersed in the characters' world.

This is my second Amanda Prowse book and I find myself likening her to the late Maeve Binchy ( another grand compliment).

The Art of Hiding finds Nina McCarrick in a situation many females have found themselves in-- she suddenly has become head of the household without having any clue to the families financial standing. With two young sons to care for, Nina has little time to get her footing after her husband dies in a car accident.

I strongly connected with the characters in this story. A fairytale turned nightmare of a life. For me, the main message of the book is to ensure you partner with your spouse to equally shoulder the burdens of financial health and familial strength. These two elements aren't chores to delegate, both parties have a vested interest in the wealth and wellbeing of their family. Balance is a must.

Nina McCarrick was a typical homemaker and soccer mom that spent all her time taking care of her kids and family, that is until the day her husband was involved in a horrible accident that took his life. Dealing with his loss was bad enough for Nina and the kids but shortly after her husband passed away Nina finds that their finances were not what she had thought they were.

Left alone to raise the kids with no job and no savings Nina helplessly has to watch as their possessions get taken away. Without any where else to turn Nina packs up what was left of the luxurious life she had once known and heads to Southampton to the rundown area she grew up in and the sister she had left behind when setting out for her new life with her husband that is now gone and she wonders if she ever knew at all.

The Art of Hiding is actually the first book that I’ve read by Amanda Prowse although I’ve noticed her work before but just hadn’t taken the time to read any. Being an established author with so many books in print I went into this one expecting to enjoy it and thankfully I really did.

The story in this book starts off a rather sad one with the family being torn apart with the loss of Nina’s husband and you can’t help but feel for her and the kids. But what I enjoyed the most was the growth that was shown in overcoming so many obstacles afterward instead of just giving up. I found this one inspirational and quite compelling to read and will certainly look for more work by this author in the future.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Nina McCarrick came from very humble beginnings, but finds herself married to successful husband Finn, living with their two young sons Declan and Connor in a pricey home in Bath, England. Nina is a housewife, totally devoted to her husband, kids and home....and that's the way Finn wants it. We don't fully get to know Finn as his life is extinguished as the book begins. However, as the story unfolds we find that Finn kept financial business problems from his wife, and Nina and her children's lives are sent into a violent tailspin upon his death. This scenario forms the basis for this very poignant tome.

Nina and her children are forced out of their life of security, privilege and comfort to begin again from the ground up. There's something so satisfying about a story where someone returns to their roots, a life they thought they had left behind and improved upon, only to realize that tangible goods aren't what's really important in life. This is a story about triumphing over adversity, hitting rock bottom and finding the inner strength to make the best of a situation. In the end one finds values such as being a true friend, living humbly, the importance of hard work, and always being there for your family. There are also lessons to be learned about class warfare and wastefulness.

Quite frankly, I was skeptical about whether I would enjoy this book, but came away from it with a very full heart and a lump in my throat. This was a worthwhile read, indeed.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing an e-copy in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review. I thank them so much for the immense pleasure of reading this book.
What do you do when your world crumbles piece by piece and you are facing great responsibility and little self-esteem? If you are from strong stock, you pick yourself up and take it hour by hour and try to build a life once again.
That is the very simplified plot of this wonderful novel. It will break your heart and bring you to tears. It will make you want to stand up and cheer out loud in joy for this incredibly strong woman.
The author did an amazing job of writing this novel. I was so invested in the outcome. I was hoping for certain things to happen and I am happy to say that my thoughts are what happened.
I truly enjoy a story that includes all age groups, especially the elderly. From the youngest character to the oldest, they all had a piece of my heart while reading.
I highly recommend this novel!

An uplifting, amazing journey of a family who went from having"it all" to learning the meaning of "having it all."
It could be any family, any friend that has to learn this difficult lesson.
This is one book you don't want to miss. Tissues will be needed for those who get the message within this tremendous story!

Wow! Amanda Prowse has done it again. An emotional story of one family's grief and fight to re-invent themselves, we are introduced to Nina and her boys Connor and Declan as they live a privileged life in a small village. Nina is a stay at home mum and the boys go to private school while dad Finn is the bread winner, the owner of a construction company. Tragedy strikes when Finn loses his life in a car crash on his way to watch Connor play rugby. With no family nearby, friends and neighbours rally round to look after Nina and the boys in the run up to the funeral. Things change very quickly though when it becomes clear that the charmed life that they have been living is all about to come crashing down around them, with unpaid school fees and the accountant ringing constantly to demand an urgent meeting. People they considered to be friends turn on them and treat them with contempt once they are aware that the family are penniless and soon to be homeless. In desperation Nina contacts her estranged sister, and arranges to move back to the rundown area of her childhood. Memories of poverty and unhappiness come flooding back and Nina and sister Tiggy are forced to confront the issues which have driven them apart over the years. Step by step the family begins to rebuild itself, stronger and wiser than before and I have to admit to having a lump in my throat while reading one particular scene towards the end of the book. The children's characters are particularly well written and I am extremely impressed at the author's ability to evoke such a wide range of emotions so successfully. My one and only criticism is that we didn’t see much of dad Finn at the beginning of the book and perhaps get some hints from his behaviour as to what state of mind he was in.
This book is definitely going to be on the bestsellers list this summer.

I loved The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse. I was able to read this book in exchange for a review and I stayed up all night to finish it. Yes, it was heartbreakingly sad at times, but the characters were so real. I had the unfortunate experience of finding myself unexpectedly needing another place to live and I know the raw fear for your children's future and emotional well being. The author really captured the emotions that I felt at that time. The main character, Nina, had the rug pulled out from under her, but was not as helpless as she thought she was. I really cared what happened to Nina and her children. If you like characters that you can get emotionally involved with you will enjoy this book.

I enjoyed The Art of Hiding. It’s a powerful story of a mother starting over with her children after a tragedy. This is the first book I have read by Amanda Prowse and I’m excited to read more of her books in the future.

2.75 stars
Nina McCarrick lives the perfect life, until her husband, Finn, is killed in a car accident and everything Nina thought she could rely on unravels. Alone, bereft and faced with a mountain of debt, Nina quickly loses her life of luxury and she begins to question whether she ever really knew the man she married. Forced to move out of her family home, Nina returns to the rundown Southampton council estate and the sister she thought she had left far behind.
I felt a bit let down by this book, the story was straightforward, Husband dies, wife finds herself bankrupt & has to start again & in doing so finds herself. It was well written but I just didn’t relate to it & felt it to be quite superficial & my hackles rose at the way working class people were referred to & portrayed. Definitely not one of my favourite books by the author, I generally really like her books, however if this had been the first book of hers I’d read I’d likely not read any more.

Amanda Prowse has now written a number of family drama type novels - I've read two, I think, and enjoyed them both. The Art of Hiding is the most recent, published on 18 July this year. It has a rather lovely, striking cover and the synopsis sounded like it would be an enjoyable read.

Our protagonist here is Nina - wife and mother, who we initially meet living a very affluent lifestyle courtesy of husband Finn. The Nina we meet at the beginning of the novel apparently doesn't have that much in her life to worry about (despite a lack of confidence and a general feeling that she doesn't fit in with the other parents at her sons' expensive school), as her main concerns are burning issues like whether or not to take snacks to her elder son's rugby match. Actually, Nina has plenty to worry about.... she just doesn't know it yet.

When Finn is killed in an accident Nina quickly learns that her comfortable life is an illusion. Her husband's previously successful business is bankrupt and there are huge debts. Finn had promised always to take care of her, and after a difficult, insecure childhood Nina was happy to let him do just that, abandoning her aspiration to become a nurse and relinquishing any involvement in the business or their finances. Now, though, her life and that of her two sons, Connor and Declan, is crashing down around her. No longer cushioned by her husband's money, homeless and broke, Nina has to - somehow - rebuild her life without him. And just maybe rediscover some of the aspects of herself that were submerged and suppressed in her marriage.

This is an emotional read. It's easy to relate to Nina's desperation as the full extent of the crisis becomes clear, and there are some painful scenes of her pleading for help from various quarters which is not forthcoming. Indeed, it's hard not to feel angry at the utter lack of empathy shown by, for example, the headmaster of the school the boys have attended since they were three years old. Clearly when the money runs out, so does many people's humanity.

We follow Nina's struggles as she moves, with her boys, back to the area where she grew up and hunts for a job, rapidly discovering that years of marriage and motherhood have not qualified her for very much at all, and see her beginning to question whether - despite her love for her husband - her marriage was quite as perfect as she had thought.

While the basic plot has certainly been done before, Amanda Prowse is a natural storyteller who creates relatable characters and situations and knows how to engage the reader's emotions. I enjoyed this a lot.

My review went live on my blog today: www.bookswithcassie.wordpress.com

I loved the start of this book and was very quickly hooked into wanting to know how things worked out for the unfortunate family of Nina, Connor and Dec. Not my usual choice of genre and a lighter read than I really prefer but I was on holiday when I read it and have to say it was a delightful and easy airport read.
I won*t spoil it for any future readers by saying if it was a happy ever after ending...you will just have to buy a copy and read it yourself.

A heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, emotional story of a family who was thought to have it all until their world was turned completely upside down by financial ruin.

This book was real; so very real. I adored Nina and wanted to hug her and be a friend to her and I adored practical, down to earth Tiggy.

Once again, Amanda Prowse has written a truly engaging and thought-provoking story that was quite stunning.

Many thanks to Amanda Prowse, TBC and Netgalley who provided me with this ARC. I chose to read it and give a voluntary and unbiased review.

Wow! Amanda Prowse does it again. Read this in a day. Very rarely am I moved to tears when reading or watching anything, but this book managed it. One particularly poignant moment towards the end, had them pouring down my face. Well written as always and a situation any of us could find ourselves in. Essential for a marriage to be a partnership. Loved this!