A very thought provoking book. I enjoyed this book and found the characters to be well written, especially Nina. The idea of your world turning completely upside down is a scary yet believable scenario.

I did find certain parts of the story to be a bit drawn out but overall enjoyed it.

I've always enjoyed Amanda's writing style and this was no different. She told this story beautifully while tugging at our heartstrings. If you've never read her books, start with this one and I guarantee you'll become a fan.

A story to make you appreciate what you have and embrace what matters. Predictable in parts but I thoroughly enjoyed reading and found the ending satisfying.

This was another great book by Amanda Prowse.

A well written riches to rags story of a woman who had her comfortable life whipped from under her when her husband was killed in an accident.

Cried and laughed at the shocks & the rebuilding of her life and that of her boys as she returned to a place she thought she’d never have to go to again.

Great story telling about recognising true priorities in life and personal growth.

After reading the synopsis I thought I was going to read a story about a woman finding out the gritty details of her husband's life. Instead I read a powerful and gut wrenching story of how a woman started over when her perfect life fell apart.

This story was very well written and conveyed all of the emotions Nina went through perfectly. This story was very raw and organic. It was hard to read at times as I felt all of the emotions and struggles Nina went through. I felt sorry for her and cheered her on as she found her way again.

This book was very good and a quick read for me as I was sucked into the story and couldn't quit reading. I had to know what happened to Nina and the boys.

A book I will definitely recommend.

This was another book chosen in haste and out of my comfort zone. It had a lot to recommend it and is clearly a well paced and well written book. Just not as usual genre. I find myself frustrated with these real life situations if I am unable to empathise with the characters, and the old-fashioned model of the traditional marital set up with the breadwinner, and the homemaker is difficult for me to absorb. that said I wouldn’t want to diminish anybody else’s enjoyment of this book by giving a poor review.

Amanda Prowse a prolific author.
And a very soul searching book that will take you on a journey of discovery.

When your husband gets killed in an accident and you discover not only are you in debt but she looses everything she thought she had, plus the husband she relied on.

What does she uncover about him. Did she even know him at all?

We all have secrets.

Wonderfully written, easy to just get lost in this book as you relax in your reading nook at the end of the day.

This is a really sad story about a woman who loses her way and has to rebuild her life after losing everything. The end was good

I didn't care for the MC, which made it hard for me to get into the story.

I appreciate the opportunity to review. Sorry for the long delay in feedback. I'm working on clearing out my Netgalley backlog. I am DNF'ing all books that just don't work within the first 50-100 pages. Trying to find the joy in reading again by going through the hundreds of abandoned books here.

Nina and her sons, Connor and Declan are living a dream life with private education for the boys, and a beautiful home for Nina to run and look after, while her husband Finn takes care of the business he runs and doesn't bother Nina with the details of it. Until he dies in a car crash and suddenly the realisation of what he was hiding all along hits Nina and her sons. Her wonderful friends and neighbours rally at first, then seem to disappear as the reality of her situation becomes known.

Turning to her estranged sister Tiggy, Nina is forced to go back to a council estate, try to make ends meet and make a new life for her family, by going out to work and standing on her own two feet.

The book is full of only a few characters, but we get to know them and we see Nina struggling with the loss of the love of her life, as well as the life she loved too. But was it all she ever wanted? Or is there a chance to start again? Through grit, determination, courage and resilience she does just that. I was absolutely rooting for her and was so pleased with how the book ending. Another gem.

The Story:
The Art of Hiding is a story of a family's destruction both financially and emotionally that includes the process of rebuilding and coming out on the other side stronger.

My Feelings:
Her writing shines as she captures when life takes unexpected turns. She also draws us into the world of her characters. The way her characters deal with hardship is very realistic and might I say inspiring. I enjoyed witnessing the growth of Nina and her boys as they overcome their fears, grief, hurdles and persevered. They became stronger and better because of the misery they suffered. This novel is a lovely escape and enjoyable read that made me appreciate my family a little more. I need to read more of her books!

The Art of Hiding was provided by Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley.com. Many thanks!

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 5*
Writing skill : 5*
Plot: 3*
Pace: 4*
Characters: 5*
Emotiveness: 5*

The first thing to note is that I read this book in one day. But also it’s another bloody book I've put off since 2017 that I received for free, that's been sat on my kindle abandoned all this time.
This is my third Amanda prowse novel and I’ve loved them all, but I think this is my favourite.
The characters were well thought out and although there wasn’t too much plot, they helped move the story along nicely. I loved the array of emotions our main character went through and we readers feel them all.
This will stay with me for a while, and I will source some other books by this author!

Not quite sure how I was approved for this book because I didn't request it and nor was I auto-approved. I didn't receive any emails telling me the book was on my NetGalley shelf. By the time I logged-on to NetGalley the book had been archived and I couldn't download to review.

This is the second book I’ve read by Amanda Prowse, and while I enjoyed this book more than the first one I read, I don’t think this author works for me. That’s not to say that there is anything wrong with the story, just that I don’t mesh with this author’s writing style.

I did like this story, it was heartbreaking but also hope-filled. I would have liked to feel more connection with the characters, the only character we really get insight into is Nina, as the story is told from her POV. We do get her impressions of everyone else’s feelings, but I would have liked to get to know more about Tiggy and the boys. And maybe a little more about Finn’s motivations.

I have a hard time understanding Nina’s relationship with Finn, and how she could not know what was happening in her own life, allowing herself to give up all control. It seems abusive and manipulative… and then the timing and method of his death is extremely suspect. Yes this is touched upon, but never conclusively determined.

The other thing that disturbed me was Declan. He is supposed to be 10-11 during the time of the story, but the behaviors he’s credited with are more in line with a 6-7 year old. Connor is 15-16 but acts a bit younger at times as well. Maybe this is a cultural difference, and the children that I am used to in the US behave differently than the children in the UK where the story takes place.

Again, this is not a bad story and I enjoyed the reconnection between Nina and Tiggy and the growth in Nina’s confidence.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved this book.
Well written, emotional and empowering. I’ve never read Amanda Prowse before, but I will definitely be reading more.

The Art of Hiding was a fairly short read that kept me attention. I liked it but found it to be quite depressing until about 3/4 in. Fairly predictable but at the end, heartwarming.

An interesting tribute to loss and recovery, this book follows Nina as she discovers that her perfect, well-funded life is actually a smokescreen for a mountain of debt and deception. There were many insightful comments that I found myself highlighting. The journey that Nina takes to reinvent herself and find out what she has lost on the way to elite life is an intriguing one, spurred by family reconnection and the need to downsize her expensive life after the debt comes due.

I enjoyed this book and thank Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read it.

I enjoyed this book but didn't love it. I struggled with the main character which made it difficult to get fully immersed in the story.

This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended