An absolutely stunning and heartfelt read! Thoroughly enjoyed it. Very emotional at times. Highly recommended.

The Art of Hiding really makes you think about what makes you happy. It's not necessarily the treasured possessions that we surround ourselves with, it's the people with whom we share our life and experiences. Nina was just another of her husband's treasured possessions and she was so busy being a wife and mother that she ended up being a ghost of herself. It took the tragedy of losing her husband and going back to basics for her to really start living.

MY REVIEW OF “THE ART OF HIDING’ by Amanda Prowse
I appreciate that Amanda Prowse, author of “The Art Of Hiding” has written a modern-day thought-provoking novel. The genre for this Novel is Literary Fiction. The timeline for his story is in the present. This story reminds me of “rags to riches to rags” story.
The author describes her characters as complicated, complex and confused.Nina McCormick, came from a different lifestyle than the one she has once she gets married. Nina came from a modest and struggling home to a very comfortable lifestyle, an enormous house, exclusive schools for her boys and a privileged status. Unfortunately, her husband dies in an accident. Nina finds out that her husband had many secrets that he hid from her. Not only do Nina and her boys struggle with the loss of her husband and their father, they find out that they are left bankrupt, and have to leave everyone and everything behind.
Nina returns to her childhood neighborhood, and she and her sons struggle to survive and make ends meet. Nina has the emotional support of her sister, and realizes that she has to control her life.
It is a rude awakening to Nina. Nina questions her relationship to her husband, and the reason he was hiding so many things from her. Nina has to learn to have self confidence and become independent.
The author discusses the extremes of poverty and wealth. Does being wealthy make one happy? Does being wealthy provide you the security of friends and family? Can physical objects that wealth can buy provide happiness? Can you be happy if you are financially struggling? What is important to make one happy?
Amanda Prowse describes the importance of a support system, family, friends, working towards a goal, love and hope, and believing in yourself. I found this was an emotional novel, which made me think about many things, and I would recommend it. I liked Nina’s children’s growth and change in attitude. I received a copy of this ARC (Advanced Reading Edition) for my honest review.

This is a novel that will stay in your mind for a long time. The main character is well drawn, the plot is plausible, and extremely well written. Nina is suddenly, and very shockingly widowed. It then transpires that her husband has been keeping deep dark secrets from her.
They are bankrupt, her house and furniture is repossessed and her and her sons have to move back to an area where she used to live. A huge comedown, and feeling humiliated, she reconnects with her sister, and finds out she has great courage, and tenacity. Nina is a wonderful character, and when I had finished this book, I didn't really want to part from the characters in it.

I for some reason could not really relate to the main character Nina, in this book in the beginning. I found her to be so involved in what she possessed that she did not draw me in. It was not until tragedy strikes that I found myself drawn into her world and the obstacles that she overcomes for herself and her family. Her portraits of the people were real to me after this point. A well written book about how life can change in an instant.

Excellent book. Great main characters and a real page turner. I loved the plot and would recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a story of battling against adversity, discovering inner strength and learning some life lessons along the way. If you are looking for some holiday reading this is a good choice.

Amanda Prowse writes vividly about family trials and tribulations and one could almost believe that she is writing from personal experience - hopefully not in this case though! A family full of grief, not only for the loss of a beloved husband and father but also for the sudden change of lifestyle brought about through no fault of their own. Shock coupled with the upheaval of leaving behind an upmarket lifestyle fills the pages and leaves the reader full of sympathy, and admiration for Nina who works hard to bring some form of normality to her two boys. A thoroughly enjoyable novel - well worth reading

This is my second book by Amanda Prowse & this story was just as gripping as the first one. An emotional rollercoaster journey of loss & grief & having to pick up the pieces & start again. I was hooked from the very beginning & I felt every desperate emotion pouring from the pages.

Another superb story

This is a story about a woman who loses her husband. Prior to this drastic event it looks like she has a perfect life with a large house and two boys who attend a private school. Although she has trouble mingling with the other mothers. After her husband's funeral it becomes apparent that things were not all they seemed and her husband was actually bankrupt. Nina then returns to the area in Southampton where she grew up. The remainder of the book is about her coping with her change in circumstances.

This story really touched me in ways I didn't think was possible. It really makes you think, in a 'oh my god that could happen to me or to someone close to me'. Just so scary to think how something like what happened in this story could really happen for real and how in seconds your whole life can change and be turned upside down.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story from start to finish, getting to know the characters and seeing how each of them changed/developed and the obstacles that each of them had to overcome. It really does go to show that money doesn't always bring you happeness and that anything is possible if you try hard enough, never give up.

Another truly thought provoking story from the wonderful talented author Amanda Prowse, who's books always stay with me for a little time afterwards.

Book blurb...
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…

The Art of Hiding is so gripping I had to read it in one day just to find out what the character would face next. I don’t want to say too much except and spoil the story for others. This is the story about a woman who has everything and nothing and it takes a series of ‘challenges’ for her to realise her full potential. And when I say challenges (in the same breath as Amanda Prowse) I’m talking jaw-dropping plot twists and OMG! moments.
The scenario in this book is so possible for any one of us. It’s a story that will make you reflect on your own life and have you counting your blessings.

‘I can’t imagine a me without you. I can’t picture the kids without their dad. I can’t imagine a world without you in it.’

Nina McCarrick is a well-to-do wife and rugby mom in rural-ish England. She came from a poor background and married Finn, who owned his own construction company and they did very well for themselves. They have two sons, Connor and Declan, who have gone to a posh prep school their whole lives.

Everything changes in an instant and Nina finds out her firm foundation for life was built on sand and now she has to start all over with her sons.

So what is worse? Being poor your whole life and being accustomed to it? Or being poor, then being rich and then losing it all to start over again?

This was a story that really made me think "what if." It was written well, definitely held my interest all the way through, and had many memorable characters.

I received this book from Lake Union Publishing through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

From the description I expected a psychological thriller, but it was really just women's fiction. It held my interest but wasn't anything spectacular. Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Nina doesn’t know what to believe anymore when the safe, luxurious life she’s been living is swept out from under her. She’s tragically widowed when her husband, Finn, dies in a car crash leaving her with a mountain of debt she knew nothing about and struggling to navigate a new version of life with their two sons. She’s forced to return to the poor area of Southampton, England where she grew up and accept her sister’s help. It’s a painful situation for them all, heartbreaking and uplifting in turn as we follow Nina’s and her family as she rediscovers the girl she used to be and inches towards becoming the woman she never knew she could be.

The Art of Hiding
By Amanda Prowse

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley and Penguin in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Nina lives a charmed life. Her husband owns an extremely successful construction company, she has two sons she adores and spends her days as a housewife and mom. Gone are the difficult days of her childhood. She was so young when her mother died that she only remembers a few things about her. Her dad tried his best, but work was scarce so Nina and her older sister Tiggy were raised by their grandmother. She wasn’t the kindest woman. Undoubtedly she was trying, but there was never enough space or food during those years.

Life changed the moment Nina fell for Finn. He swept her off her feet and promised to give her the world. He followed through on that promise. When they moved into their home, The Tynings, they filled it with high end furniture, lovingly picked out together. Nina no longer worried about money; Finn took care of paying all of the bills and making sure their family had everything they needed and wanted.

Nina was at her son’s high school the day her world began to collapse. She receive a call from the hospital, Finn had been in an accident. She was devastated. Her sons, Conner and Declan were shocked by the news and Nina was determined to keep everything together for them. They only had a few days left until a break from the private school they attended, so both boys returned to their routine to keep things as normal as possible.

Then, to make matters worse, the shattering news that Finn had been hiding something slammed into Nina like a runaway train. The results would change the lives of Nina and her sons forever.

This is an amazing novel. The depth of Nina’s pain is profoundly sad, yet hopeful. She loved and trusted her husband, but now his memory is forever tainted with his deeds. Her life has become a struggle again and she doesn’t know how she will be able to go on. If it weren’t for her two sons she might give up.

The growth and change of the characters is one of the best storylines I have read in a long time. Prowse pulls the reader in and takes you with Nina through the good and bad. It makes the reader think about the most important things in life. You can decide if you think money can buy happiness. I also love the way family and friends play a big part in this novel. Can the love of family transcend years of estrangement and hurtful slights that have piled up over years?

The Art of Hiding is the first book I’ve read by Amanda Prowse, but I guarantee it will not be the last. I cannot express how much I loved this book. The characters, the plot, and the emotions it inspires are a rollercoaster ride in reading bliss. I cried when Connor gave his speech at the sports award night, I laughed at the sister’s demolition of an offending wall. The end of the book was realistic and satisfying. I suggest getting this book as soon as possible and carving out time to enjoy Prowse’s expert storytelling.

Nina McCarrick has a perfect and luxurious life--or so she thinks. When her husband is killed in a car accident, she is left alone, bereft and in debt. Now she wonders if she really knew her husband. Beautifully written and filled with realistic characters, this book is fast paced and felt very real and true. Nina is strong and I empathized with her and her two sons as they struggled to make a new life for themselves. It made me feel a range of emotions--love, loss, anger, heartbreak, and faith.

Amanda Prowse is very good at writing books that hit you with emotion quickly and is sustained. The Art of Hiding is no different. The story is new and yet familiar about a woman who loses everything and has to learn to rely on herself and her true friends/family around her.

It is a short and powerful book about loss, finding oneself, and overcoming your fears.

There is something so real and raw and authentic about the characters in Prowse's work. This is the second of her books I've read this year. She went on my favorite author list after completing The Idea of You earlier this spring; her spot is cemented after reading this book.

Nina loses her husband unexpectedly due to a car crash and before she can fully comprehend that he isn't coming home, she learns that not only is the stronghold of their family unit gone, they entire life system is gone and she must figure out how to survive. With two sons, she can't hide in bed as she desires - instead, Nina digs deep and finds a source of strength and aptitude to take each day and fight to provide stability and security for her sons, Conner and Declan as they each seek to find a new normal while grieving in their own individual ways.

Nina loves flowers and there is one scene where her teenage son left a mason jar of dandelions on the counter for her to cheer her up one evening. Everything leading up to that moment was so intense - I could not help crying as I read that (it even makes me teary eyed now).

I love how the book begins with Nina's insecurity and anxieties and ends with her so strong and determined and a real sense of knowing what she is capable of.

I highly recommend this book. It is on my Best of 2017 list.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to review an eARC of this book.

I have to confess I am not normally a reader of Women's Fiction ,I like my books to be darker and twisty. oh hang on a minute I think I just described this book ! That for me is what makes Amanda Prowse such a great writer, she takes skeptics like me and makes me believe every word she writes and gets me invested in the story and the characters,so it doesn't really matter that I am out of my comfort zone reading a different genre.She makes me live the story. I felt like I was on Nina's side and was totally wrapped up in her life.I was totally captivated and no spoilers from me but you have to read this book, I can only hope you do.Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.