This was a realistic and thought provoking novel. The main character loses almost everything in her perfect life, causing anguish and despair. The novel takes you through her journey as she struggles to cope with how her life has been turned upside down. It is a fascinating read, causing the reader to connect to the characters and to consider the true priorities in life. I found myself wanting to read on, even late at night, in order to find out what would happen and whether she would make it. Highly recommend.

The Art of Hiding is a very black and white novel in which the main character, Nina, must redefine herself after the death of her husband and the sudden realization that she and her two boys have nowhere to live and no money.

Much of the first half of the novel is extremely melodramatic with Nina being emotionally beaten by all of the extremely mean people in her life. Everyone is a stereotype and/or caricature with weasely laughs or mean smirks or no sympathy and charity for a woman who has lost everything. Why a woman, who had made it such a point to not socialize when invitations were extended and to continually emit an air of anti-social behavior, would turn to these same people when she had difficulties is mystifying. And this is the same woman who behaves badly toward her older sister, Tiggy, really the only attractive character in this novel, and Tiggy is the only one who comes to Nina’s rescue.

The Art of Hiding tested limits of credibility for me. It isn’t logical or smart for a person who had grown up impoverished to turn her fate over to someone else. More accurately, this person would also be squirreling something away because the environment of not knowing what each day would bring never completely leaves a person. But then, Nina doesn’t strike me as the sharpest tool in the shed, but rather someone who has been living in a fantasy world and has never, ever had to stand on her own feet. This just sounds like a character who would have existed pre-1960’s.

I really had no sympathy for Nina. For the majority of the novel she doesn’t show any initiative or backbone. She doesn’t prepare her sons for actions that she knows are about occur. She seems to work entirely by a set of emotions without any logic or reasoning.

The writing is functional. Quite a bit of the dialogue is formal and not really believable.

The level of angst and melodrama and whining in The Art of Hiding is wearying and this continues for much of the novel. I know that there are some readers who love the melodrama so if you like self-absorbed, self-pitying characters and lots of angst, this one is for you. You might even cheer when Nina’s luck incredibly changes.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another fantastic book from Amanda about hope and survival and true inner strength. I loved the relationship between the sisters. Beautiful

I wasn't sure about reading this as typically women's fiction isn't a genre I read very often, but as I'd been auto-approved I thought I'd give it a go and I'm very glad I did. Prowse is an excellent writer and her skill stopped this from descending into a depressing and maudlin experience and instead showed Nina and her family discovering how strong they truly are and also how much they really love one another. I thought the way they journeyed through their grief and anger at Finn and arrived at love, acceptance and finally understanding was surprisingly uplifting. All in all highly recommended.

*ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review*

What a great subject for a book. The unpredictability of what can happen on the spin of a coin and life as you know it gone. Great story and I would thoroughly recommend it to other readers. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to review it.

A nice, easy and relatively undemanding novel with good central message about the importance of material things in many of our lives and the value of genuine friendship and love.

I've often wondered how many people are teetering on the brink of financial disaster in today's world, and are, in reality a few pay cheques/ business deals/stock market movements away from difficult times. This is a good reminder that it pays to live within your means and not to be too quick to judge other people. It's a little bit simplistic in the ways in which Nina manages to overcome her challenges, but it is a good story, and yes, I did shed a tear towards the end of the book!

Exploring the feelings of a devastated widow as she struggles with the trauma of losing her husband and the difficulties, emotional and otherwise of helping her children through the months following to a future without him. Great depth of feeling explored, and although dealing with tragedy there are many lighter moments of family supportiveness towards each other.

3⭐️⭐️⭐️

I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others I have read by the author but this is no reflection of the writing.

For me it was the main character, who although she had been through a horrible experience, it was difficult to feel any connection to her. She was rich, spoiled, naive, and her children too.

And there were a few random characters that didn't add anything to the story for me; Jacob, Vera, Firth.

Having said all that, I did whiz through this book in a matter of days - perhaps one for sitting by the pool.

This is my first Amanda Prowse book and it won't be my last. I could not put this book down. What a well written story about life, family, loss and struggle. The realism in this book was just wonderful. I cried, laughed and rooted so hard for Nina, Connor and Declan!! I admire Nina for her strength in pulling it together and figuring out how to deal with the reality of the awful situation she finds herself in after her husband Finn's death. She was always taken care of by Finn and he handled all of the finances so she never had to worry about money, until now. She was a stay at home mum who took care of her home, her husband and their two boys now 15 and 10. These poor boys go through such a gamut of emotions it is just gut-wrenching at times. So with no workplace skills because she hadn't worked outside the home and did not go to college, Nina suddenly finds herself having to figure out how to support her family, which she does with poise and grace. Her sister Tiggy is a breath of fresh air in this story and gives Nina a much needed reality check once Nina moves back to her old neighborhood where Tiggy has been living.
This is a wonderful story and I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley for the early copy of this amazing book.

This book is very trite. Nina's husband dies in a suspicious automobile accident, and she learns, to her horror and disbelief, that what she thought were great reserves of money had been lost by her husband, as his construction business failed. She learns to make a fulfilling life for herself and her sons.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher.

Thank you to both author and publisher for this ARC in return for an unbiased review.


The book starts with Nina, a woman born on a council estate in Southampton but has married into money. She has it all the house ,the car , her two children Connor and Declan attend an exclusive private school.Her husband Finn appears to be the ideal husband ensuring his family always have the best in life. The only thing Nina needs to worry about is what they are having for tea and making sure her children are happy. Living this idyllic life suddenly comes to an abrupt halt when Finn dies in an accident. Everything she held dear to her is suddenly ripped away as it she finds out the secrets her husband has been keeping from her and she is forced to move back to her childhood town.
What you see is a woman not only coping with the heartache of losing a loved one, but the betrayal of his secrets and the upheaval of her life completely. Prowse writes in such a way that your heart breaks for Nina. You root for her whilst she pieces her life back together and are filled with joy at her finding happiness once again with the help of her sister Tiggy. You realise the happiness doesn't always go hand in hand with money and that it can. be found in places you would never expect.
This book is a rollercoaster of emotions that deals with bereavement beautifully, I was not expecting this book to have such a profound effect on me that it has, she takes a situation that could happen and adds the emotion so you experience what it's like from the heart.
Prior to reading this book I had never read anything by Amanda Prowse and it certainly wont be the last.

I am a netgalley reader, meaning I got I got this for free. I felt it was a story rehashed like a dead horse. There was absolutely nothing new or unique in the re-telling of a story that read like a lifetime movie. I was not really able to dislike the story or the characters but.3 stars for not bringing anything to the new to the table in terms of this type of situation.

Amanda Prowse writes about ordinary people that you can easily relate to. The Art of Hiding is no exception. I thought this book was very emotional from the first chapter. Beautifully written.

Thank you Netgalley for my copy.

The Art of Hiding is a thought provoking, emotionally engaging novel about money and grief. Nina thinks her life is perfect--married to a successful man, two beautiful kids, and a big house on the hill. Then everything comes crashing down when her husband dies in a car wreck. Finn has been keeping some big secrets and within a couple of days Nina and her boys lose everything. With no friends to turn to, Nina returns to the poverty stricken neighborhood of her youth. Hard times cause Nina to realize she's lost a piece of herself on her way to success. Nina's journey to self discovery and self reliance that tugs on the heart strings as you mourn and celebrate with her experiences. Even when everyday things interrupted, I could not wait to pick the book back up and finish the story. My voluntary review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

The Art of Hiding was a good read. It's the story of a pampered wife who had the rug pulled out from underneath her when her husband dies and she realizes he jeopardized their finances to the point of destitution. She journeys back to her roots and begins anew. A great read for messages of perseverance, self-Evaluation, and appreciating all that you have.

Nice easy read . Fairly predictable plot, heart of gold sister and young boys coming in to their own after the death of their father and the collapse of the workd they have always known.

Absolutely excellent! 4AM my husband asked if I planned to sleep. My response was nope and I kept on reading. I admit the opening did not grab me. I kept waiting for the accident so felt I was on a cliff waiting for the main story to begin. The emotions I felt were wide ranging with plenty of tears. After I finished reading the book the first thing I did was ask my husband what secrets do I not know? The book was well done with well developed characters I really enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

The Art of Hiding is the latest captivating story by Amanda Prowse. I found The Art of Hiding to be a heartwarming and compelling story with both tears and laughter. Difficult to put down as you want to know what next happens to the main characters. I was given an early copy to review.

Lately I seem to be developing the same pattern in terms of my opinions regarding the books written by Amanda Prowse. In so much as I adore one of her books, am totally enthralled by it and can't get it out of my head as in Another Love (the best thing she has ever written in my opinion as I still can't get it out of my head a year or two after reading it) and The Food of Love. Then I find the subsequent book although a good read it just doesn't capture my imagination or hit me right where it matters as in My Husband's Wife or The Idea of You. This new book from Amanda The Art of Hiding falls into the latter category for me. It's not a bad book at all, the subject matter is topical as one has come to expect from this author. The writing is as brilliant as ever, again with numerous quotes I would want to take down and look back on so astute and on point are they regarding the situation our main protagonist Nina McCarrick finds herself in. You do find yourself rooting for a positive outcome but know it cannot be achieved without sacrifice and gaining some courage and determination.

But from the first few chapters I just felt I had already read this this type of story several times before – woman loses her husband, her life is turned upside down, secrets are revealed, the family have to start from scratch and try and build themselves up again. I saw a friend had felt the same about this book too. It all just felt too familiar although what does set it apart from other books is the way that it is written particularly the first half as the author does really get inside Nina's head and explores a myriad of emotions – anger, hurt, disbelief, pain, loss, heartbreak and anguish to name but a few. I felt the second half tapered off and it just felt that bit too run of the mill and slightly predictable you couldn't fail to guess the outcome although I was glad the romance element didn't become a cliché which I had feared that was the direction it was going in.

The author writes brilliantly on controversial topics and although the storyline here is not controversial rather more so emotional and life altering, it just didn't grab me in the same way as some of her previous books had. I wasn't a sobbing mess by the end and although Nina's route to climbing back from the very bottom is not an easy one I just didn't really get into her head all that much and it's not because I have never been in her situation before as I have never experienced most of what Amanda's characters go through it's just I think the story was too short compared to previous books and once a point had been reached it hadn't much further to go and the remainder was too obvious. Towards the end it felt rushed and just that little bit too easy.

The Art of Hiding really was a book of two halves for me. The first half was brilliantly written and I understood the desperation and incredulity the family and in particular Nina were feeling. The second half wasn't as strong and I began to lose interest ever so slightly. When we first meet Nina it's clear she leads a privileged life thanks to the success of husband Finn's construction business. Her own childhood wasn't the best and she believes she has now found the polar opposite and is living the life she had always dreamed of. She is happy, content and in love and raising two children - Declan aged ten and 15 year old Connor. Life is easy for the family. Nina has everything at her finger tips, anything she wants for the home or things the boys need are in more than plentiful supply. Basically the family has money and security yet behind all this there was a sense that Nina lacked confidence that once she had met Finn everything had been handed to her so readily and easily that she had forgotten how to stand on her own two feet. Yes she can run a household efficiently and bring up her boys but the question remains. If in the morning everything was taken away how would she cope? Would she crumble under the pressure and the feeling of the rug being pulled from under her or would she easily pick up the few remaining pieces and move on?

Well those questions are ever more relevant as Nina's life is torn apart as her beloved Finn is killed in an accident. Her anchor, her love, the father of her children is gone and it soon becomes apparent he was not the man she believed him to be and as is suggested by the title he was more than skilled in the art of hiding. The world that had been created was nothing more than a façade and everything she believed to be true was nothing more than lies. A mountain of debt is all that is left of Finn and soon the family are homeless and the upper crust school the children had attended is but a distant memory. There is nothing worse than losing a parent or a partner. It is something extremely hard to deal with and to rationalise so to discover the person you loved with all your heart kept so many things from you must be one hundred times worse. Your perception of the person must change immeasurably and above all else I would have felt anger. Nina does feel this and doesn't know how to deal with it. She is mourning for the man she loved yet in some ways she hates him for what he has left behind for her to deal with all on her own. Her grief is all encompassing and the writing here was fantastic. The scenes which followed were brilliant in particular where Nina hastily leaves the house at night in a bid to rid herself of her anger. Also the point at which the house was lost was incredibly raw and hurtful for all involved. Life for the remainder of the book becomes a balancing act and one in which Nina has to put on a front. She has to keep things going for her boys and create a normal life for them at a time when their reality is any thing but normal.

Honestly in ways I felt Nina had become so protected and cosseted by Finn that she was at a complete loss as to what to do to move forward. Now that the never ending supply of money had dried up and things weren't as easy she had to face reality. She needed to step up to the plate and take action, become responsible for the future for herself and her boys. Memories of her husband are altering but now is the time to make new ones and start afresh even if it's the last thing in the world she would have ever have expected to do. I thought Nina was brave that she took the decision to return to Southampton where she grew up despite it holding bad memories for her. Although she didn’t have a brilliant relationship with her sister Tiggy,

I'm glad Tiggy was there for Nina when she needed help the most. Nina needed to come down from the pedestal that Finn had created for her and come in to the real world and with determination, courage and faith she might just begin to do that. The family had to plunge to a very low place full of worry, sadness, fear and agony before they could ever hope to reach a level they were comfortable with. One aspect of the story I loved was that character of Declan. He was so innocent yet devastated by what had happened but at times when things were tense he said something that would make you laugh, bring a smile to your face and offer light amongst all the darkness.

The Art of Hiding isn't my favourite book by Amanda Proswe but I am glad I read it. She is one of those authors I will read no matter what she publishes and as I have come to feel some I will adore and some will just be an OK read for me and that's what I found with this book.

Nina had it all and life was perfect. It is only when her husband is killed in a car crash that she realises the truth about that 'perfect' life. Amanda Prowse is a first class story teller and her characters always feel very real. Having read her work before, I set aside a full afternoon/evening as I knew once I started I would want to read to the finish. Me heart went out to Nina and her two sons as they had no time to grieve before having to move away from the family home with very few possessions. Nina had try to turn herself from a 'Stepford' wife into the sole breadwinner for the family. This is an emotional story and even when you can remind yourself that these are characters in a book you know for sure that there will be people who have experienced very similar events. For the record I managed to read this one without need for a tissue, but it was a close thing.