I have read some other books by Amanda Prowse so was keen to see what this one brought and was not disappointed. Her novel following the sudden trauma affecting a "comfortable" middle class family was well portrayed. Coping with the death of a husband and father would be difficult for any family. The news that his death would lead to such a dramatic change in lifestyle on the family left behind would affect all of us. The way in which Nina and her sons respond to their new circumstances was well written and inspirational. I will be recommending this to my friends and look forward to reading other books from Amanda Prowse.

Publisher's Description:

Nina McCarrick has it all: a loving husband, two beautiful boys, a well-appointed home and more time than she knows what to do with. Life is perfect. 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’s life of luxury quickly disappears 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.

But Nina can’t let herself be overwhelmed—her boys need her. To save them, and herself, she will have to do what her husband discouraged for so long: pursue a career of her own. Torn between the life she thought she knew and the reality she now faces, Nina finally must learn what it means to take control of her life.

Stirring and empowering, this novel from bestselling author Amanda Prowse once again plumbs the depths of human experience in this tale of one woman’s loss and love.

My Thoughts:
This is the second book I have read by this author. Like the other one this book often brought tears to my eyes.
Nina is a cosseted protected wife with two sons, one ten year old and one young teenager.
Suddenly she finds herself a widow with nearly nothing. Her husband has hidden the state of their finances from her and she and her sons are now without a home. Where will they go and how will they survive thrust into virtual poverty? She hasn't held a job in years and has only a small stash of cash that hasn't been taken away.
I couldn't put this book down. This well written poignant story is both sad and inspiring.
I gave this story 4.25 of 5 stars for storyline and character development.
I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley from the publisher to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Beautifully written and very emotional is how I would describe this book. in the blink of an eye their whole world changed and we get to go along for the ride as they grieve, despair, struggle , and come through the other side. what i loved most is how we get to see the way each person deals with their grief because each one is different. this book takes you through a whole list of emotions, everything from sad to uplifting. this book will be enjoyed by most everyone. so good !

An absorbing story of a family under tremendous pressure. Nina and Finn were living the good life with their two sons Connor and Declan. They had it all, the big house, fancy cars, the best schools for the boys, but a painful twist of fate brought the good life to an amazingly sudden end. Nina has to learn how to put their life back together and, along the way, learn what is really important in life.

This is my first book by Amanda Prowse but I plan to watch out for her other books. The Art Of Hiding is a great book that I had a problem putting down. It is a book that reminds us to be thankful for our blessings of home and family.

Nina McCarrick lives the life of luxury with her husband, Finn, and sons, Connor and Declan. They live in Bath in England until a tragic accident kills her husband. Nina grew up poor in Southampton and when she met Finn, he wanted her to never worry about money again. He promised to always take care of her and she was not privy to their finances at all. When she is told by the boys' private school that they are behind on tuition and then the family accountant tells her that her husband's company is bankrupt and in debt for eight million pounds, her life unravels. They are kicked out of their home and have no where to turn but back to Southampton near Nina's sister, Tiggy. Their hard and tough journey from the lap of luxury to one of nothing is an eye opener for the boys and a memory of struggle for Nina. Life is so difficult for the little family as they grieve the loss of their father and husband as well as adjust to life without financial stability. Nina really has no work history since she married Finn at a young age. Finding a job is a real trial.

But this book is so much more than all that. It is an emotional book about finding themselves as a family unit and overcoming the difficult feelings about Finn's death that come in such a situation - feelings of fear, grief, anger, loss and loneliness. Why didn't he tell Nina what was going on? Did she even know him? I love watching them grow in strength and love for each other and what is important in life. This is a great read that I would not have picked up on my own but NetGalley sent an email showing it as a Read Now that I agreed to read. Note: There is some language if that bothers you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and give an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by Amanda Prowse and I found that I liked her style of writing. Since I do not live in England, I struggled a bit with the vernacular and a bit more stilted style of dialogue between the characters, but it did not deter me from finishing the book.

The art of hiding is a very apt title for the book in so many ways. The book is all about illusions. Nina was living a charmed life… she had left behind a life of poverty to become a wife and mother who lived in a world that was not what she thought it was. She had everything she wanted or needed until the day it all unraveled. Her husband was gone and so was the money that had supported that lifestyle.

As the days passed, Nina comes to realize that her husband had been hiding the details of his life from her and had done an excellent job of it. She had no clue that they were bankrupt and would soon be out on the streets. Due to her husband’s duplicity, she is forced to return to her old neighborhood and to face the life she herself was hiding from. Nina draws on strength she did not know she had and forges a new life for her and her sons.

The book is well written and I enjoyed watching Nina come to grips with her new “normal.” I would recommend this book and would like to find others written by this author.

Family secrets can be devastating to those who face the consequence of their unfolding. Such is the dilemma for Nina and her sons, Declan and Connor, who are brutally forced to confront the painful truth of Finn not being quite who they thought he was as a husband and father.

His sudden, inexplicable death in a road traffic accident severely alters their seemingly idyllic lives, revealing the reality of things he had kept hidden from them. Finn is out of reach of answering their questions and other losses soon follow his demise.

Before long, all financial security is lost, along with the dream home and privileged private schooling the boys and their mother took for granted, assuming it would continue seamlessly as before.

Nina was kept in the dark about how overcommitted and bankrupt they were, with no money available to pay for or maintain their chosen lifestyle. It's only when they are forcibly removed out of house and home that she realises her husband wasn't the only one living a false existence.

Now forced to beg for help from her estranged sister, Tiggy, Nina escapes back to her roots, a place she felt ashamed to be associated with and longed to move away from in her youth. However, she slowly picks up the pieces, overcomes myriad challenges and learns to live more confidently and independently than before.

Despite the deprivations of their new situation, as she and her sons learn to adapt to their changed circumstances, it provides a golden opportunity to reevaluate everything, a renewed closeness to the boys and her sister, and a growing appreciation of life's simple pleasures.

Though there are tiny disparities in the text, which could have benefited from a tighter edit, I think the book brilliantly addresses a relatable, heartbreaking scenario with tenderness and sensitivity, while deftly avoiding a clichéd ending. Another great read from Amanda Prowse!

I think I have found myself a fantastic new author! What a great book this is as we follow the life of posh Nina who literally has her world turned upside down and has to rebuild her life again from scratch. Very well written with great characters and a joy to read!

The Art of Hiding is my first from Prowse and it did not disappoint at all. It is full of emotions and brings a lot of questions to the surface that certainly make you think.

Nina has suffered a devastating loss, her husband dying. It was sudden and completely unexpected in Nina’s perfect world. With the loss comes more hard times than she thought. Her way of life and the husband she though she knew were all torn apart. There is no time for to worry about all the material things that she has now lost, her boys need her more than ever. Being penniless, homeless and questioning everything you thought you knew about the man you love isn’t the way to be able to help either. Nina has to figure out to pick up the pieces of the fractured life she now has and put it back together.

My heart went to out to Nina. Losing a spouse is a terrible loss, but lose them so unexpectedly I think would be even worse. But, when Nina finds out all the things that Finn kept from her before he died, it was more a mixture of grief and anger. Her sister Tiggy, was fantastic. I adored her so much. She was a “tell it like it is” kinda girl. And she never once wavered on helping Nina and he boys. I feel that Prowse did such a wonderful job writing both of these characters so well developed and making them feel so real, it was easy to feel so connected to them.

There are so many emotions that I felt while reading, I cried with Nina and felt her hurt and sorrow. during the hard times, I could feel her despair. Other times, I laughed with her and as she grew and learned to be the strong independent woman I knew she could be, I felt it right along with her. Even at the end I wasn’t ready for it to. This was such a wonderful and inspirational read. Fans of contemporary fiction will devour this. Just have some tissues.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of The Art of Hiding. Nina is a homemaker from a poor background that ended up married and in the lap of luxury. She has a huge home, two sons in a very expensive private school and plenty of income at her disposal. Her life revolves around this home life , her sons, and handsome husband. She doesn't really feel comfortable around her peers of this lifestyle so she is living in a crystal cocoon.
Tragedy comes in the form of the death of her husband and consequently this entire opulent lifestyle is gone overnight. She had been an ostrich about their finances and had no idea that everything was leveraged to the hilt. The property and everything in it was seized and she wasn't able to secure very many items. She returned to her childhood neighborhood, a place she never wanted to return to, and struggled to create their life out of nothing. She had not really educated herself for a career and finding work was exasperating. However her older sister still lived in the neighborhood and their bond was reformed. Her sister had always been there for her and was even more so now. Eventually the lifestyle of luxury was completely forgotten and Nina realized whatvwerecthevimpirtantvthings in life. She found reserves of strength and resilience long abandoned and a even better version of her former identity!

I found this book very predictable and twee. The underlying message (money does not equal happiness) was about as subtle as a brick, and the main character came across as being thoroughly unlikeable. You could see the job offer coming a mile off, and the relationship with Finn was largely left unexplored. Overall, a quick read, but not one with any depth or substance.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Amanda Prowse for the opportunity to read and review her latest book! I really liked her last one - The Idea of You - and her latest will not disappoint.

Nina is living large in a well-to-do community, huge house, two boys attending an exclusive prep school. Although she never felt she fit in with the other parents, she loved her family life behind her gated walls. When her husband dies in an accident, her reality comes crashing down. She finds herself homeless, broke, with two boys ripped out of their lives. Nina goes back to her hometown with help from her estranged sister to try and reboot their lives.

Just a good story of the lives we hide from each other and ourselves and for the strength and courage to pick ourselves up. Fast-paced, easy to read novel that will make you tear up and be grateful!

I've read other books by this author and like her style of writing and this book didn't disappoint.

I didn't want to put it down as felt attached to the characters from the get go. I found it a very emotional book to read and upsetting at times - I think I put myself in Nina's position and what I'd do and how I'd deal with all that happened.

Would thoroughly recommend it.

A poignant telling about an ordinary woman caught up in an extraordinary life where she loses her true self. This is a well paced drama about family, friendships and taking control of one's life and discovering what really matters.

The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse is the first novel I have read by this author. Having no idea what to expect, I was thrilled to discover how incredibly well written it is. It was at times difficult to read but only because you will become so entangled with the characters that it can be quite depressing at times but ultimately wonderfully up-lifting.

The novel begins by putting the perfect family on display. Loving couple, two popular kids attending the most prestigious private school in the area, palatial home… what could possibly go wrong? Nina is upset with her husband Finn because, once again, he has promised their 15-year-old son Connor that he will be there to watch Connor’s rugby game. And, once again, Finn is late.

As she impatiently waits for her husband, Nina’s phone finally rings. Relieved to see that Finn is calling, she is quickly thrown to discover the caller is actually a doctor letting her know that there has been a car accident. Nina has to face Connor and her 10-year-old son Declan and let them know that their father has died. In the following weeks, as they struggle with their grief, Nina ignores the many calls from their accountant and lawyer. When she finally contacts the accountant, she discovers that instead of the financial security that she expected, they are bankrupt and being evicted from their home. In a panic and with nowhere else to go, she returns to her sister Tiggy and their poverty stricken home town.

With no job, two devastated children and little prospects, Nina would prefer to crawl under the covers and hide from the world. That is definitely not an option. Instead, the three of them are forced to make the best of the gloomy situation. The courage they embody will have the reader cheering for them the entire way. Grab some Kleenex and dive in.

As with all Amanda's books this was heartfelt and the characters felt real . Nina's life is turned upside down as she discovers irs not what she thought it was. The choice her and her boys have is sink or swim. Nina initially is perceived as a weak anxious person but when faced with starting over with nothing she shows her true strength of character.

This is good,really good. Superficially,a story of a family's distress after the death of the husband and father, it is an important social commentary as well as a reassuring tale of how human beings overcome adversity. The analysis of what matters in family life and how the strength of one person can hold a bereft family together is absorbing. The depiction of the older teenage son is particularly well crafted. I found I wanted to finish the book? I wanted the social analysis to triumph and it did. I strongly recommend this book.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Amanda Prowse, and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for a honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

This is an excellent novel outlining the hardships faced by many family members at the loss of the major breadwinner. Our US seniors living on Social Security find their income halved at the death of a spouse. Nina and her boys find themselves without a dime just days after the death of their bread winner, with no advance notice that this sort of hardship was in the offing. And they handle it, with poise and gratitude for what they can bring away from this experience. This is a book I thoroughly enjoyed, and one I can heartily recommend.

I haven't read anything by Amanda Prowse for a while, and I'd forgotten how good she is.
She really draws you into the story and I felt every emotion that Nina was experiencing.
Yes I cried through sadness, but there were also tears when something good finally happened.
I normally read crime books so this was a lot different from my usual reads, but I really enjoyed it.
I was invested in the story throughout and was desperate to know how things would turn out in the end for Nina and her boys.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a great book to get wrapped up in.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advance copy.

Another powerful book by Amanda Prowse. When Nina's husband is killed in a car accident, her life begins to fall apart and she wonders if she ever truly knew her husband. Having two children to take care of, Nina goes back to work, something her husband had discouraged. A beautiful story of love, loss, and finding yourself after tragedy strikes. Definitely recommend this one.