I love all of amanda prowse books, and this one is no different. A lovely story, a lot of emotion, and a ending that makes you smile!

In the Art of Hiding we learn not to take anything for granted. When Nina’s husband unexpectedly dies, Nina realises that her life wasn’t exactly what it seemed.

Yet again this is another Amanda Prowse novel written from the heart. A story that we can all relate to – and that makes us think.

I really enjoyed it and look forward to Amanda’s next novel (I am now furiously working my way through her back-catalogue!).

Nina is living the dream! She has a wonderful husband Finn, two sons who are excelling at their public school, a dream home, and is financially secure until that is, one fateful day when her life is turned up-side down following the death of Finn in a car accident.

I couldn't put this book down, it gripped me from the very first sentence, and I really engaged with Nina and her sons, and especially in the way that althoughshe may have gone through hell, she kept smiling and seeing the positive in life for the sake of her children, even though inside she was mourning the death of her husband and their previous life together. I sincerely hope this isn't the last we've heard of Nina, as I would love to find out where she goes from here.

Amanda has an amazing ability to write stories that we all want to read, and characters that we can all relate to in some form or another.

Well done Ms Prowse, another amazing tale!

*I was given an advance copy of this book via Netgalley and Amanda Prowse in return for an honest review*

this is the first book by Amanda Prowse i have read but it certainly won't be the last. i read this book in one afternoon/evening and it even made me cry... the story of a family who lose their husband/father and then lose everything and have to start all over again. it is sad and happy and really makes you think about what is important in life. Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for and advance reading copy of this book to read and review

Today I have a review of the latest release from Amanda Prowse.

The Art of Hiding is just published by Lake Union Publishing and is a story about one woman and her struggle to keep her family together after a terrible tragedy befalls her.

Described as ‘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.’

Read on for my as ever voluntary and unbiased review…

‘Numb is the best way to describe it. One minute I’m fine, the next I’m a mess. It still feels like he might walk through the door any minute.’

These are the words of Nina McCarrick.

Faced with the traumatic event of her husband Finn’s, very sudden death, Nina is struggling to come to terms with her life. Nina has lived in extremely luxurious surroundings. Having originally come from a Southampton council estate, Nina was perfectly happy to wallow in her comforts, letting Finn look after all their finances. He was the perfect husband, working hard and providing herself and her two boys with all that they could ever wish for.

The boys are schooled in a very elite college, where they have thrived and enjoyed the company of their wealthy friends. Holidays were spent across Europe with the memories of these happier days etched on Nina’s mind.

But life throws another curve ball at Nina. Finn was hiding a secret.

As Nina starts to receive calls from her solicitor and from the school, she soon realises that Finn was in serious financial difficulty. His untimely death leaves Nina without any financial stability and worst of all, Nina finds herself homeless.

With the animosity of her eldest son, Connor, slowly filtering through the family unit, Nina is desperate. At every turn, Nina is faced with a brick wall. The support she thought would be available to her from her ‘so-called’ friends, Finn’s relatives, her neighbours, is all so disappointingly non-existent.

Nina soon finds solace in the most unlikely place, her estranged sister Tiggy.

‘When Nina left Southampton and moved in with Finn, they seemed to lose all they had in common when no longer bound by a common environment’

Tiggy’s character is wonderful. She is so fragile in many ways, although her exterior is toughened by the world she inhabits. It is Tiggy who pulls Nina out of the shadows. It is Tiggy who helps Nina rediscover who she really can be. It is Tiggy who saves her..

The Art of Hiding, like all Amanda Prowse books, is an emotional read.

The story of Nina is a very poignant one, exploring the importance of family and the basic human needs of acceptance and love. Nina had changed over time in her marriage to Finn, quickly choosing to bury her past. However, when faced with a life-changing tragedy, it is to these roots that Nina returns.

Nina’s character grows as the book develops. She makes discoveries about herself when faced with earth-shattering challenges. She rediscovers strengths long buried and with the help of Tiggy, Nina learns to take charge of her life again.

The Art of Hiding will touch a chord with many. It deals with the sensitive subject of grief in many ways, not just the grief of the loss of a loved one but also the grief of losing oneself and all the changes that this brings.

Expect to shed a tear or two but also expect to feel uplifted as you turn the pages.

I’ll leave you with a famous quote from the inspirational Maya Angelou, which is the message, I feel is expressed, in The Art of Hiding.

‘You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. Please remember that your difficulties do not define you. They simply strengthen your ability to overcome.’

Nina has a wonderful life with a loving husband, two sons and a beautiful home. When he is killed in an accident it all comes tumbling down. Forced to return to her family home and live with her sister, Nina realizes that life is more than things. Getting a job and providing for her boys becomes something she enjoys. She and her sister become closer as Nina rebuilds her life into something she can be proud of. The family dynamics of adjusting after their ordeal is handled with compassion and understanding. Amanda Prowse has many titles that move you with varying degrees of emotion. I enjoyed this story of how Nina grows into the woman she dreamed of being.

Amanda Prowse knows what she is good at and she continues to dig into our hearts and souls with the words she pens across the page. From the synopsis you know there is tragedy ahead but when you get lost in the minds of the characters the tragedy that strikes hits you like a sledgehammer and you are left with a shattered heart. As the main character, Nina, slowly picks up the pieces of her heart you too are gaining strength from within.

Nina’s childhood wasn’t without struggles and when she meets Fin, 10 years her senior a confident, charismatic property developer she is taken in by his promises of a better life. Happily married with two boys aged 10 and 15 life was idyllic for homemaker Nina but when tragedy strikes her world is turned upside down. With the sudden death of her husband and father to her two boys Nina is trying so hard to be strong for her family. However, she is to be dealt with another blow and her boys and herself have to take drastic action to survive. When the full extent to the secrets he had hidden so well are uncovered Nina starts to doubt whether she actually knew her husband and also whether he actually knew her.

Building a new life for herself and her boys was a challenge and Nina had to step out of her comfort zone which she had slowly built around herself and had been hiding in since her marriage. Her responsibilities with the love of her boys and her memories from her childhood gave her the strength she needed.

A truly beautiful story of grief, loss, secrets, strength and taking one day at a time. Heart wrenching but at times inspirational. 5/5*

I was given an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
Amanda Prowse is one of my favourite contemporary authors so I was excited to read this. Her books are always about real life issues and "real" people so you can identify with the situations and the characters.
This was another one of her books that made me feel so many conflicting emotions - empathy, sadness, anger, frustration and yet there were moments when I just smiled. As always the characters are brilliantly written.
I really liked this story but just didn't love it enough to give it the full 5 stars.

Another moving story from Amanda Prowse. When Nina's husband dies, in an accident leaving her and their sons penniless, their life is in chaos. But slowly they learn that money isn't everything and true friends don't care if you live in a big posh house. Excellent book

The Art of Hiding is another first-class novel from Amanda Prowse and as always one that will pull at your heartstrings.

Nina has a wonderful life, a gorgeous house, two wonderful boys and a husband, Finn, who spoils them all. When Finn is killed in a car accident Nina is naturally devastated, she's lost the man she loves and just when she thinks things can't get any worse she finds out that Finn has been hiding a terrible secret and one that will change Nina's and her boys lives.

Struggling with the knowledge that Finn has left her with nothing, Nina reaches out to her sister Tiggy, and she finds herself back in her old neighbourhood, on a run-down estate, a place she never thought she'd return to and certainly not living there.

The new life that Nina finds herself living isn't an easy one by any means, but with the help of family and friends she starts to turn things around and realises that money isn't everything. It's the things that money can't by that are the most valuable.

This is a novel that will leave you thinking about your own life as well as questioning how you would cope if you were unfortunate enough to find yourself in a similar situation. The Art of Hiding is an uplifting book concentrating on the importance of family and being surrounded by people who care about and support you when life is rough. Showing that if you have this you can start to put the pieces back together and get through anything. Packed full of wonderful, real characters and filled with emotions this is another enthralling book from Amanda Prowse and of course one that I would highly recommend!


With kind thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing as well as Amanda and Simeon Prowse for the review copy.

Another fabulous read from Amanda Prowse! I find it so easy to identify with the characters in Amanda's books and that is why I so love her work. Nina is no exception. I quickly found myself drawn into her troubled life and was rooting for her all the way! You will not be disappointed by this book in any way

I always look forward to Amanda Prowse latest novel as I have grown to know that I am in for a treat and The Art of Hiding certainly lived up to that.

The main character Nina shows strength, guts and courage when her life is turned upside down at the sudden death of her beloved husband Finn. Nina had been leading a charmed life since marrying Finn, a big house in a sort after area, numerous holidays, beautiful clothes, private school for their sons Connor and Declan, she didn’t want for anything. All their lives changes so rapidly after Finn’s death that Nina and her sons are not only left grieving for a man they adore but also they are left shell shocked when their lives are forced into the complete opposite of what they are used to. My heart went out to the boys especially and I thought the way Nina coped with the bereavement was truly admiral. This story is not just about grief and life changes but also family relationships past and present.

Thank you Amanda for another fabulous read your talent is endless. My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.

What a brilliant book, I loved it! I have only recently discovered Amanda Prowse as an author and she is fast becoming one of my favourites. Her books are very 'real', every single book of hers I have read has a scene, an emotion or an event I can identify with. This one tells the story of Nina whose whole life is turned upside down when her husband, and love of her life, Finn is killed. Her wonderful privileged life has to come to an end and she is forced to relocate to a small rundown flat with her two sons. The story of how Nina and her sons come to terms with their change in circumstances is at times heartbreaking but also not without humour. This is a story with a real heart and I loved it. Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity of reading this as an arc.

This is the story of Nina, married to the very successful Finn McCarrick who runs his own construction company, and their sons Connor and Declan. The family have everything they could wish for until one day their world is turned upside down and life will never be the same again.

The Art of Hiding is an inspirational and heart wrenching story of how the actions and consequences of one person can alter the lives of a family overnight, and shows the courage and survival instincts of those left behind to rebuild their lives and emerge stronger than they ever were before.

I started this book less than 24 hours ago and rarely came up for air. At chapter one I read the words through tear filled eyes and ended the book in the same way, many tears were also shed throughout the story too.

Amanda Prowse has a knack of drawing you into the lives of the characters within her stories and holding you captive till the very last sentence, so you feel that you've actually lived through the experiences of the characters as if they were your own. This book did just that with me and I finished the book a blubbering wreck, emotionally and physically drained by what I'd just read.

I would like to thank Lake Union Publishing for approving me to read this book and will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day. I highly recommend this book, a very worthy 5 stars from me.

The Art of Hiding was amazing. I could not put this book down. There were so many twists and turns, and my heart ached for Nina and her boys. The characters were all so great and so well written. They captivated you, as did the entire novel. It was excellent in every way.

Nina McCarrick had forgotten her roots until her loving,high flying husband,is killed in a car accident. She is left to face the world alone with her 2 sons. She quickly realises her perfect husband was keeping a mountain of debt from her, and her only way to survive, is to go back to her roots, and rekindle her relationship with the sister she gave up for her life of luxury.Nina gets a job, and her and her boys learn to cope with the struggle of everyday life. She gains the strength she forgot she had, and pulls her family through to survive. A brilliant read!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Lake Union for the advance copy.

I have read most of Amanda Prowse's book and while this wasn't one of her best it was still enjoyable.
This story is very current as there have been a few similar stories in the news. My only criticism is it felt a bit untrue, it all went well for her, flat available which conveniently they could knock a wall down, she got a job and ended up covering for the manager. Even though I prefer my stories a bit grittier I will still give it 4 stars

Yet again Amanda Prowse comes up with an excellent book that takes on a rollercoaster of emotions and has you feeling sorry for the main character of NinaMcCarrick who has it all in her life,a beautiful house,a loving husband and family and she wants for nothing in her sheltered life.But when her husband Finn dies in a car crash her world comes crashing down around her and everything she has is no more.Forced to move back to Southampton to be near her sister she soon realises that she has to start all over again from the bottom.A heartwarming tale of having to overcome what ever life throws at you and still be able to battle your way through.An excellent 5 star read yet again from Amanda Prowse.

Amanda Prowse is my favourite author. It is always with eager anticipation and a day free of distractions I settle down with her new books and they never disappoint. I read this book in a day as I just couldn't put it down.

The Art of Hiding is a fast paced story of a woman's struggle after the unspeakable happens when her husband is killed suddenly. The lead character Nina's life of luxury comes to an abrupt end. Where do you go and what do you do when you are left with nothing? I really empathised with Nina as this could happen to anyone. The story explores the importance of family and relationships which are beautifully portrayed throughout the book. It is a story of betrayal and then hope, inspiration and the power of love against materialism. I loved the relationship between Nina and her sister Nina. I particularly enjoyed the message in the book that you can turn your life around when you hit rock bottom. Excellent ending.

Fantastic read with twists and turns, tear jerking moments - an emotional thought provoking book. I absolutely loved it. Very highly recommended. I would give it more than 5 stars if I could! I can't wait for your next book Amanda!

Thank you to Amanda, NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in advance in return for an honest review.

This book took me a little longer to get into than previous Amanda Prowse books but once I was hooked the pages turned quickly.

The main character in this book Nina has to deal with life changing events when her husband is killed in a car accident. She goes from wealthy wife living in the lap of luxury to having to struggle to support herself and her two boys.

The secrets Nina's husband was keeping before his death almost tear Nina apart but with a new job and new found confidence she overcomes all the obstacles. I cheered her on along the way .

Amanda Prowse is one of my favourite authors. Her books are always excellent and her feel for different characters and situations is what makes each of her books enjoyable and totally different. I don't know how she does it but I hope she continues producing such first class books.