This was my first encounter with Prowse’s writing, but one thing I understood, her books are pretty serious.
The main character in this book was Nina, a mother of two boys and a wife of a wealthy businessman. After her husband’s unexpected death, she finds out, that she was living in a bubble, and her husband left them bankrupt. Kicked out of her beautiful home and with pennies in her pocket, she needs to find out the way to survive. I really liked Nina as the main protagonist in this novel. I really liked her strength and her relationship with her boys. She had huge changes to endure, but I think she handled the situation pretty great. This novel was mostly told from Nina’s perspective, sometimes throwing in other character’s thoughts. My least favourite was Nina’s older son, I do understand he is a teenage boy, but a little bit of understanding and common sense from his part would’ve saved Nina so much stress. :S But again, what do I know about kids :D:D:D:D:D
The narrative of this book was very absorbing to me, I was very intrigued of were the life will take Nina and her boys. There were so much loss, that it was really heartbreaking to see them struggling so much. I really enjoyed the topics which author has discussed, such as family relationships; the differences between being poor and rich, and how it affects people; use of survival skills after they were subdued for a very long time, and many more. Even though the story was engrossing, some parts were pretty repetitive for me, and that made my interest drop a little, until another turn or event used to show up.
This novel is very well written and the language used was very easy and pleasant to read. It has decent chapter length and divided into smaller parts as well, so the book didn't drag to me. The ending of this novel rounded this story pretty well and left me satisfied with the outcome. So, to conclude, I enjoyed this story, filled with life-changing events and pretty strong characters. I did admire Nina and her life journey and I do recommend to give this book a try, it has great life lessons to offer. Enjoy :)

I enjoyed this book. It was a good reminder that things are not always as they seem (and that’s not necessarily a bad thing).

I sort of enjoyed this but spent such a lot of energy thinking why? that I sort of didn't as well. Surely Nina would have been more of a proper partner with her husband, surely she would have been more aware. Its a good read but too many anomalies for me to be a great read.

I really wanted to like this book. It has the potential to be a great story, and one that could be so relevant to the UK today. But unfortunately, it is full of clichés, stereotypes and unrealistic situations that have been really poorly researched.

Nina is insecure, anxious and feels completely out of place in her life. She loves her husband Finn, adores her two sons, and loves living in and taking care of her beautiful home in Bath. But she is out of her depth with the private school mums, and, having married so young, she doesn’t really know who she is or what she’s capable of.

Her husband Finn dies, and as she is grieving she finds out that he was losing money hand over fist and she is now in debt to the tune of eight million pounds.

She loses her house; the boys lose their place at school. She is penniless.

This could be such a fabulous storyline. Nina could find strength and reserves she never knew she had. Her sons could find that life isn’t all about possessions. And she does, and they do – to an extent. But there is no realism here. None at all. Every last one of Nina’s rich friends is horrible and shallow. Conveniently, someone in Nina’s family has a vacant flat in Southampton they can move into. Nina’s sister Tiggy is wonderfully helpful. Nina finds a lovely job in an old people’s home (not one that involves anything even mildly messy though). Nina meets lots of new ‘salt of the earth’ council estate dwellers who are welcoming and friendly and would give you their last pound. I’m from a council estate. Lots of those stereotypes are true. My son went to private school – some of those stereotypes are true. But people aren’t stereotypes. Not everyone on a council estate is generous and welcoming and decent. Not everyone whose children go to private school is snobby and materialistic and shallow.

And Portswood, the part of Southampton that Nina returns to, isn’t a slum. It’s a student area. It’s not Bath, but it’s not a ghetto either. Did Ms Prowse set foot there at all?

And why doesn’t Nina claim benefits? Why doesn’t she ask for help? And where is the gut-wrenching, sickening despair that real people who find themselves in poverty experience? Where is the desperation? The worry that wakes you up at night and that you carry on your shoulders every day. Nina feels none of this. Instead she gets excited by buying a blind for a few pence in a charity shop, and making her new lounge look nice with some well-placed cushions. And of course, her sons love the new comprehensive (even though the youngest son is ten and wouldn’t be at the same school as his older brother). Their grief, their resentment, their anger isn’t fully realised at all. They settle in, find new friends and apparently life seems much better struggling for money and coping with everything on your own.

I don’t like writing reviews like this. I know how difficult it is to write a book and put it out there. But this book made me angry. It’s glamorising the real struggles that people go through.

Very, very disappointing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy

This book is a lesson to us all. We may have everything, or nothing, but when tragedy strikes, we all become needy and the reality of life becomes more apparent. Recommended reading for anyone who is stuck in a rut as it may just pull into focus what you value the most.

The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse is a solid story highlighting one family's struggle to cope with a life changing event that not only turned their lives upside down in a blink of an eye, but forced them re-evaluate what was important to them. No easy feat, I can tell you!

Nina has it all, great house, loving husband, and two well-looked after kids who could literally have anything they wanted should they ask. But after tragedy strikes, and her husband Finn is killed in car accident, suddenly Nina is left with a mountain of debt and two 'posh' kids who do not know how to cope in the real world when everything they know is drastically all taken away from them.

I loved the fact that her husband was maybe not the good guy in all this either, I mean, how could he amount so much debt and not tell his own wife? What was he thinking? Yes, that's right, he wasn't! This also means that because of his past actions she now has to stick up for her husband when talking about him to her kids for their sake. He was their dad, after all. Difficult, though. Especially when deep down she's angry about the secrets he's been keeping from her when he was alive, and the impact it's going to have on them all now he's gone and left them with a mess to cope with.

What's worse is there is absolutely nothing she can do to change that now. Life has to go on, and deal with this situation they must. If only he had talked to her they wouldn't have been in this mess, but in all honesty, no one could foresee the accident. Isn't that always the way? Makes you think, doesn't it? Life can be taken away from you just like that *snaps fingers*.

I enjoyed seeing Nina's character grow from strength to strength. Not only was she forced to turn her own life around and face the harsh reality of what her husband had done, she also had to help her kids through their struggles of losing their dad, their home, their school, friends, and everything they ever thought was their life, as they knew it. I can't imagine living such an affluent life only to have it all taken away like that, but I can imagine it to be a realistic issue that could happen to someone very easily. This is exactly why I enjoyed this book immensely. The emotional depth and self discovery that Nina and her kids went through was a treat to read! (Oh, that sounds rather sadistic of me!) In fact, It was so good I even shed a tear. You know, the sad but happy, mixed feelings kind?

In a way this is not the physiological thriller I expected, but more of a family drama.

If you haven't got your hands on this compelling book yet, don't delay any longer! If it SOUNDS like something you'd like, it will most likely BE something you'd LOVE! Amanda Prowse knows how to tell a realistic story that tugs on your heartstrings, and really makes you think. A well written story of love, lies and one's determination to do whatever it takes to protect her family during a time of crisis and disarray.

Thank you to the author, and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

It was ok i guess. It took me absolutely ages to trawl through it because i constantly lost interest and found something better to do.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of The Art of Hiding.

Nina has what seems to be a perfect life. She is well-to-do in her posh English village, two intelligent boys, and a hard working husband who makes it all possible. Until he doesn't. After Nina's husband dies in a suspicious and tragic accident, she finds out that everything about her life no longer exists. Gone is the house, the income, the private schools, she is beginning again from the ground up.

I actually expected this to be more of a suspense drama, slowly unraveling the thread behind her husband's unexplained death (was it suicide? did the mafia finish him?) but it was refreshingly more about Nina. As a women approaching her middle ages herself (proudly though dammit!) I think all the time about what it would be like to start fresh. And I'll be honest, even with years of experience, and a college degree, it would be terrifying! So I really appreciated this different "coming of age" perspective, learning to depend on yourself for EVERYTHING after having your whole life taken care of.

I also loved the sister relationship. I thought their re-connection was so endearing.

I loved this story from start to finish. It was well written. Held my attention so well. A must read.

I have only recently discovered Amanda Prowse and have devoured the books I have read so far. When the Art of Hiding became available I was straight onto my kindle to download it and get settled for what I guessed would be a beautifully written book, full of emotion and wonderful characters. I am delighted to say that I was not let down, and this book lived up to expectation.

The background of the book is really sad. A young family lose their Husband / Dad in a car crash and Nina, our main character is left to pick up the pieces and pull their lives back together whilst grieving too.

However, all is not necessarily as it seems, and it would appear that Finn, her husband, had lots of secrets she was unaware of. Ones that change her family’s life.

I loved Nina, the wife and Mother. Her story really got to me, and to see what she thought was her marriage and life unravel at the seams really pulled at the heartstrings. I really felt for her, and as someone who was lied to (to a much lesser degree) I could empathise with her as the real situation came spilling out. She also felt like an inspirational character as she pulled herself together and re-grouped. I really enjoyed reading her story and was rooting for her all the way.

Amanda has a knack for creating strong, broken and bruised characters that are easy to connect with, and provide stories that, for me, come off the page and explode into life in my imagination. I really enjoyed reading The Art of Hiding.

This was an enjoyable book - I found myself wanting to keep reading to find out what was going to happen to Nina. Throughout the book, I was rooting for her and enjoyed the ending.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish this book; therefore, cannot give a fair review.

Great characters, fantastic pacing. Poignant and interesting, and a deeply satisfying read.

The premise was basic, like an ordinary Lifetime movie, but the story itself was heartfelt and compelling. I couldn't help but cry along with Nina in her desperation and cheer her on as she struggled to get her life together.

When reading this, I put myself in Nina's shoes and I can't imagine the devastation that I would feel had a husband hidden reality from me life that. Marriage is a partnership and without that partnership, it doesn't work. Worst of all was the two boys who were going along in life on top of the world and while you know *spoiler alert* that everything turns around in the end, they didn't ask for or know how to deal with that kind of upheaval. Connor still managed to stay true to an annoying teenager, but Declan was always so positive that I felt the worst for him.

Overall this was a great novel that I have already recommended to friends!

(Ignore the star rating - star ratings suck)

Title: The Art of Hiding

Author: Amanda Prowse

Genre: contemporary



A few starting notes:


I received a free digital review copy of this book via NetGalley. NetGalley provides review copies from publishers in exchange for fair and honest reviews.




I keep forgetting the name of the main character of this book so if I start talking about Marie or Nicky (who are *not* characters in this book,) I mean Nina.

I don't *think* I've done it - but it's possible!

It's not a minus for the book - honestly! I just have some sort of weird mental block when it comes to Nina! 😅




Premise:


Nina's family is perfectly perfect. She lives a life of privilege far removed from her poor upbringing.

But all of that is about to change.

With her husband's death, she learns of the financial problems he was keeping from her. The future of herself and her sons is suddenly not so certain...




Best bits:


As always for Amanda Prowse's books, this is exceptionally well-written, and chock-full of complex characters.

Prowse excels at female characters - ordinary women facing the problems ordinary women face, whether those problems are ordinary or extraordinary.

Her characters have layers, don't always know what to do, react to different situations based on their own traits and experiences, and generally are a joy to read!




I've said it before, and I'm sure at some point I'll say it again:

It's only because Amanda Prowse is a woman, writing about women's issues, and female characters, that she's relegated to 'women's fiction' as opposed to 'literary fiction.'

I personally don't think either women's fiction or literary fiction are legitimate genres as opposed to marketing techniques. But there y'have it! 😉




I like Nina's slow realisations that her marriage was not everything she had convinced herself that it was.

The 'perfect' marriage of her thoughts in the first few chapters is slowly but gradually shown to be what it was - loving, yes, but also unhealthy.

Her husband was not the perfect man she had drawn him to be.

And with that, she finds the way to push herself out of his shadow, and into the light.

Despite what she herself seems on the surface, Nina is not weak. Nina is strong as hell.




Not so great bits:


Potentially distressing content in this book includes:

- poverty

- grief/bereavement

- loss of a spouse; loss of a parent

- repossession of property

- implied possibility of suicide

- implied emotional abuse

- car accidents

- family tensions




The main 'plot-hole' here was a simple yet annoying one: why the hell didn't Nina claim any benefits?!


In the UK, people on a low income or without work are entitled to state benefits to help them, y'know, *live.*

Since Nina supposedly grew up poor in Southampton I'd expect her to go to the Job Centre to sign on for Jobseeker's Allowance.

Or she could've not *wanted* to sign on, because of how difficult it is, or the stigma, etc. But to not mention, or consider, benefits at all?

Like, not even housing benefit to help her with the rent? Especially considering she's supposed to be down to her last £20 or so?

Not realistic, and comes across as a glaring gap in the author's knowledge of being poor (or even just not well-off,) in the UK.




Also, her sons are damned annoying.

I totally get why she gives them lee-way all the time - this is a massive shock for them, and she's their mum, and she loves them; but dudes, you DO NOT speak to your mother like that!!!

Spoilt rich brats.




Also, the relationship between Nina and her husband is never out-right described as controlling and emotionally abusive.

Nina does realise, little by little, that the way he treated her wasn't right, but to many people this won't go far enough.

She also still loves him - again, this is perhaps realistic when it comes to the complexities of abusive relationships, but to many people this will be both upsetting and inexcusable.




Verdict:


A couple of problems, sure, but it's still an interesting, complex, and pretty damned awesome book! :)

A story of contrasts. Does having everything you need materially really make you happy? Nina finds out the hard way when her husband is killed in a tragic car accident leaving behind debts that entirely alter Nina and her children's lives.

The characters are realistic and complex; you don't find out how they tick immediately but incrementally as the plot progresses. A story of 'tough love', not an escapist read but compelling and satisfying. Nina starts out as a shell as develops into a self-reliant woman who has hit rock bottom and excelled.

I received a copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I love Amanda's books so knew I would love this one. As expected from her books it is really sad in places but still a really good, which keeps you hooked from the start

Another good book from this author. Always moving, and makes you think. Great writing, great story.

Nina McCarrick’s life literally changed overnight when her husband died in a car accident. He was a successful building contractor and sole provider for his wife and two sons. Though Nina came from extremely humble beginnings, her sons had never known anything but a highly affluent lifestyle. And, she’s not worked in almost twenty years and now faces destitution because of the financial ruin left by her dead husband.

It’s often said you don’t know what you’re made of until you’re tested and Nina certainly gets her share of exams. She only has a short amount of time to bury her head in the sand before she has to deal with her sons’ well being. I felt the stages she went through were realistic, especially as she also had to look inward to examine her own contribution to her circumstances. I loved her sister, Tiggy, who served as her reality check about herself. Nina’s metamorphosis was laudable without being trite. Her accomplishments were fitting and her children’s reactions and behaviors were true to the design of their characters.

This is a tough story that I found myself cringing from at times but always engaged. Nina’s triumph and those of her children lifted my spirit. There are no trick devices here, just an honest portrayal of a woman pulling herself up by her bootstraps when life threw her in the ditch.

This book had a good premise, and I was prepared to get involved in a fairly dramatic story, but in the end was left feeling unimpressed. The author didn't invite us in to get to really know her characters, so everything that happened felt only surface deep. There was no connection built and the story suffers for it. The interactions also often felt unnatural, and the conversations felt stilted. Overall, it was a bit disappointing and I walked away dissatisfied.