Thank you to Lake Union publishing and Amanda Prowse for the advanced auto approved copy of The Art of Hiding.

This is the second book I have read that Amanda has written. The first The Idea of you. I love Amanda's style of writing, it's very engaging and her books are written in a way that they are easy reading. Its very easy to visualise the scene, It's almost as though you are stood right by the characters as you read. Looking in.

The Art of Hiding is no exception, I really enjoyed it. It's light easy reading and a welcome change from the psycholoythrillers I normally read.

Nina is the main character, along with her two sons and sister Tiggy. The book is centred around Ninas husband killed in an accident. And she soon learns the family are are bankrupt. This brings a massive lifestyle change for her and her sons. From the golden home with swimming pool. To a flat in a run down area. How will they manage? No money? Only family love. Will they survive.

Lots of thought provoking statemtns in this book. That really enforces that money doesn't make you happy. Another great book from Amanda Prowse. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication. Recommended for fans of Not just Amanda but also Katie Fforde....

The art of hiding is a emotional story about the loss of a loved one and the devastation it leaves behind.

Nina gets the devastating news that her husband has died in a car crash, she has to break the news to her children, then all the secrets he was keeping start to unravel pushing nina back to the life she knew before she met her rich husband.

I really enjoyed this read, the characters were beleavable, the story flowed nicely and held my attention all the way through. Would I recommend it ? Definitely, I couldn't put it down, excellent.

With thanks to Net Galley for this uncorrected proof copy.

I undertook the reading of this knowing that it was classified as Women's Literary Fiction, a tag that will probably put off many men from doing the same. A pity. The Art of Hiding is a well written domestic drama, a story of riches to rags. Nina McCarrick has it all, or so she believes. A successful husband running a construction business, a beautiful home, two sons - Connor and Declan - attending a superior school. It appears that money is no object until her husband Finn is killed in a car accident and her world comes crashing down. Finn has left behind a bankrupt company, an enormous debt, school fees unpaid. As the bailiffs descend Nina has to face the horror of losing everything.

Nina and her sons are forced to return to her roots in Southampton to face an impoverished future. The despair of the first half of this book is depressing but change comes as they all have to face the reality of poverty. Money does not buy happiness and Nina and her boys are courageous in the face of adversity. Nina's sister Tiggy plays a key role in helping Nina, Connor and Declan find their true selves.

I enjoyed it.

The Art Of Hiding is contemporary women’s fiction set in England. Nina McCarrick’s privileged lifestyle is thrown into turmoil when her husband suddenly dies in a car accident. He ran his own business and dealt with all the family finance, so she is overwhelmed when she discovers his business is bankrupt and she is left owing creditors a huge sum of money. Her home is re-possessed and the Bailiff’s arrive to collect on the debts.

Reeling from shock and angry that Finn had kept it all hidden from her, Nina is forced to take her boys out of their private school and pick over what the Bailiffs left. Distraught, confused and needing to put space between herself and those she thought were friends, the family leave Bath. Nina heads back home to Southampton and rents a small flat, close to her sister, where she desperately tries to secure a stable life for her sons.

I enjoyed this book, the author turned Nina’s life upside down, then lead the reader on a trail of emotion as Nina picked herself up hour by hour, day by day. There were highs and lows, steps forward and stumbles backward. At first I didn’t particularly like Nina, I thought her rather naïve not to have any idea about the family finance, and, in my opinion, she made a big mistake not being open with her children about the situation. But it did add to the drama, and no one knows how we would react ourselves in such a high tension situation. For those who enjoy delving into other people’s lives, there’s lots of everyday situations which will echo with many of the readers; from the stages of grief, to teenage turmoil and the daily grind of life.

This is the first book I’ve read from this author, but I can easily see why readers enjoy her work.

Amanda Prowse is all about writing detailed human stories in a way that just connects with me as I read the story. This one even more. The story is set in Southampton and Bath. My wife grew up in Southampton and her grandmother lived in the neighbourhood that Amanda has characterised her. We live near Bath.
Each page in this book was a gem. The characters and the scenario realistic, and unenviable.
The courage and determination of the main character was a testament to the strength of many women left in a poor situation by their husbands. The reaction of the children to the situation mirrors hopw my children would react.
Fantastic, Amanda. I can't wait for the next book.

A lovely powerful read - Nina has the perfect happy life or so she thinks, her husband dies suddenly and secrets start to emerge and Nina is thrown into a completely different life than she had before. Her and her 2 boys have to survive on little money and here Nina discovers a strength she didn't realise she had. An emotional read which had me in tears throughout the book. I haven't read any books by this Author before but I shall be looking out for more now. This book captures the trials of modern day life and one woman's belief in herself

Well written book about love, loss, family and friends. The main theme is can money buy you happiness? Every character is finely crafted so the reader can understand the thoughts and emotions of each of them. Strong female characters, beautifully portrayed. A perfect rainy day book.

A wonderful, easy read with characters who 'came to life', especially the two sisters Nina and Tiggy. Nina's loss was well described without being too morbid, and I cheered her on with her new life in Southampton. This is no 'chicklit', but a detailed family story well written by an established author. I did struggle to understand why Tiggy wasn't given Separate Legal Advice when her husband was mortgaging the family home, but in the end this did not detract from an enormously, satisfying book.

This book was, quite simply, superb! This is the second book I have read by Amanda Prowse and both were 5 star ratings. The story had fear, tragedy, betrayal, love, friendship, family, everything that makes a good drama. The book opens with the sudden death of Finn, Nina's husband. They have two boys, Connor, the eldest and Declan. It becomes quite apparent that Nina and Finn loved each other But Finn was quite wealthy when Nina first met and married him and she was blinded by this grand way of living and also because Finn wanted them to themselves, the two of them together were enough for him, no need for friends or entertaining. The boys were both at a posh school and never knew wanting, only knew wealth. Nina learns Finn was bankrupt, so all the money is gone, the house is gone and the furniture and belongings were taken by the bailiffs. She moves back where she grew up, in a flat owned by an uncle, a far cry from what the family was used to. She reconnects with her sister Tiggy, and finally finds a job. A beautifully written, tender tale, very hard to put down!

Amanda Prowse has done it again, another brilliant book.

The book tells the story of Nina and her boys Connor and Declan. They live in s beautiful house go to an exclusive school and have everything they could wish for, unfortunately their world comes crashing down when Njnas husband Finn dies leaving them with nothing.

The family move to a poor area of Southampton coming to terms with the death of a husband and Father and a major change in circumstances.

A brilliant book and I can't wait for Amanda's next book.

When her beloved husband Finn dies, Nina has to become the only breadwinner and parent. When
times are rough you find out who your friends are.
This novel raises some very interesting issues - is it better to be rich or be poor and happy? Is it better to be true to oneself or to be the person others want you to be? How important is honesty?
Without becoming too sentimental this novel covers important issues and then raises even more. A great read I found myself urging Nina on.

You can get addicted to Amanda Prowse's books. It is chick lit that can be read very quickly but is definitely above average and she seems to write a book after another!
This book, which is shorter than usual, deals with Nina who is married to Finn and have two boys. They are wealthy thanks to Finn's company. We realise from the beginning that Nina is not totally comfortable with herself, she comes from a poor background and finds it difficult to relate to the posh mothers who she has to meet.

Sadly, Finn dies in a car accident and Nina finds herself totally alone. Even more alone because she did not have any real friends. Then the surprise, Finn had a big secret and Nina realises that all their money, property and luxuries can disappear in a matter of hours.
She is forced to leave a life of luxury and no responsibilities and go back to Southampton where she grew up. Life is hard for her and her sons but maybe she can take control of her life for the first time.

The book is a bit of fairy tale at times but not totally unrealistic, although I could not understand why she did not claim at least child credits, better than letting your kids starve and freeze. I can relate to the fact that her posh 'friends' did not engage with her at all once they found out she was destitute. Someone from my family married into money and their in laws are very similar to some of the characters in the book.

As far as feelgood novels that can be read in a day go, this is rather good. Nina is a flawed character, she allowed her husband to control her completely and might appear weak but she trusted him, came from a different background and married him young. I can't criticise her too much for that. She has other endearing qualities as you can find out when reading the book.

I quite enjoyed the book but it was a little predictable. The happy ending seems inevitable although, of course one cannot wish for anything else. The story does explore some of the trappings of wealth and the effect these can/do have on a family but for me it feels a a little too moral. The book describes all wealthy families as shallow and the less well off as worthy. A bit too general I felt.

What a great read! It kept me up until the early hours; I just could not put it down! This is a story that grabs you and gives you the absolute need to read on, hence my late night. It could well be a true story and it certainly made me realise a few things that I need to change in my life. One thing is for sure, you never know what is round the corner and this book brought that to the forefront of my mind.

I love Nina and her two sons my heart ached for them so much after the tragic death of her husband. Not only that but to find out they're bankrupt. Nina's journey is not an easy one and it's definitely emotional. I'm so glad that she had her sister Tiggy in her life to help her through things, she is a great sister, she says things exactly how they are; you can't help but love her.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I will be going to check out her other books for sure.

Nina is devastated when her husband, Finn dies in a car accident. She knows that her life will be changed. She has never had to worry about finances. Finn always took care of everything. Her job was to shop, keep their beautiful home looking spectacular, cook and chauffeur their two boys to where ever they needed to go. Little did she know how much her life and the lives of her two sons would change. How much she would have to change as a person to be able to have a good life for her and the children. In doing this she will discover herself and the strength she had forgotten she had.
I enjoyed this book. Nina was a strong character. The other characters helped to make the story.
5 Stars

I enjoyed this novel, and it was interesting to watch the heroine change from the insecure rich man's wife to a strong independent woman. It points out well how you can't really be happy just trying to fit in to a role sommeone else has created for you.
Her sister was, perhaps, a bit too supportive considering how she had been treated in the past. I don't have a sister so it may ring true to those wo do.
This would be a good holiday read.

**Advanced copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

This is the first book of Amanda Prowse's that I have read and I enjoyed it a great deal. This story is about life, love, loss and finding out what is really important in life. There are not a great deal of books out there these days that are as realistic as this one was, which I adored. You felt what this family was going through, you laughed, you cried, you got angry and you rejoiced in their victories.

Nina McCarrick and her sons, Connor and Declan, are thrown one of the biggest curve balls anyone can receive, not once, but twice. Not only do they lose the patriarch of their family, they are dealt an additional blow when they find out that other lies are causing their life as they know it to be drastically changed.

You go on a journey with this family through the highs and lows and there are some wonderful lessons to be learned about what really makes a person happy in their life. This was a very well crafted book with enjoyable characters, a true to life story and it was overflowing with emotion.

While this was my first Amanda Prowse book, I can assure you it won't be my last.

Empowering and Thought Provoking, 5 stars 🌟 :
Wow Ms Prowse is the Queen of thought provoking powerful stories, with strong empowering women at the core.
In Ms Prowse latest novel The Art of Hiding we see what happens when you have it all, the perfect life, the husband, the family, the holidays, the private schooling not a concern in the world till one phone call shatters it all. Your husband has passed in an accident and he has lost it all, the business is gone and the bailiffs are at the door, you're homeless with only the basics to take with you.
This is how we meet Nina McCarrick and her boys Declan and Connor their world has come crashing down when her husband Finn passes away leaving her and her son's homeless and desperate. With no job and sheltered by her husband from the seriousness of the situation, we see how Nina fights to keep her little family together and rebuilds their lives. The reserves she calls on and how her estranged sister Tiggy helps Nina rediscover herself whilst she discovers who her true friends are.
Ms Prowse is truly a world class writer who draws you into the story so you are rooting for the characters and although the subjects of this book maybe sensitive Ms Prowse has covered the topics with her usual sensitivity and tact. That does not mean that there are not laugh out loud moments I particularly loved the interaction between the sisters and there are several stand out pieces of advice i.e, 'happiness lies in being content now’ and the marble analogy to name but a few of my favourites.
All in all a must read for fans of Ms Prowse but if this is your first book you won’t be disappointed.
Fyi I received my copy from NetGalley however, this does not influence my opinions as all opinions are my own.

The Art of Hiding is my first read by this author and it will not be my last. I truly enjoyed the author’s writing style and how real and relatable the story is even though it’s fiction writing. This allowed me as a reader to really dive in and live in the characters’ world.

It’s a fast-paced, easy read that allows you to feel for each character and the turmoil that they are facing unexpectedly. The story expressed the kind of strength one must muster up when is necessary and have a different outtake in life on one’s true definition of want versus need and redefine genuine happiness.

I will definitely be on the lookout for this author’s next work and backtrack on what else is already out there.

Now it's fair to say this isn't my usual genre, but I branched out and I'm glad I did! The story pulls you in and folds you into the world the characters inhabit. You see it, you feel it and you empathise and understand. Nina and her boys are living a life which they hadn't expected and their journey is sympathetically and honestly told. You will wonder. You will question. You will understand. I truly recommend this book