I loved The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse. I was able to read this book in exchange for a review and I stayed up all night to finish it. Yes, it was heartbreakingly sad at times, but the characters were so real. I had the unfortunate experience of finding myself unexpectedly needing another place to live and I know the raw fear for your children's future and emotional well being. The author really captured the emotions that I felt at that time. The main character, Nina, had the rug pulled out from under her, but was not as helpless as she thought she was. I really cared what happened to Nina and her children. If you like characters that you can get emotionally involved with you will enjoy this book.

I enjoyed The Art of Hiding. It’s a powerful story of a mother starting over with her children after a tragedy. This is the first book I have read by Amanda Prowse and I’m excited to read more of her books in the future.

2.75 stars
Nina McCarrick lives the perfect life, 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 quickly loses her life of luxury 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.
I felt a bit let down by this book, the story was straightforward, Husband dies, wife finds herself bankrupt & has to start again & in doing so finds herself. It was well written but I just didn’t relate to it & felt it to be quite superficial & my hackles rose at the way working class people were referred to & portrayed. Definitely not one of my favourite books by the author, I generally really like her books, however if this had been the first book of hers I’d read I’d likely not read any more.

Amanda Prowse has now written a number of family drama type novels - I've read two, I think, and enjoyed them both. The Art of Hiding is the most recent, published on 18 July this year. It has a rather lovely, striking cover and the synopsis sounded like it would be an enjoyable read.

Our protagonist here is Nina - wife and mother, who we initially meet living a very affluent lifestyle courtesy of husband Finn. The Nina we meet at the beginning of the novel apparently doesn't have that much in her life to worry about (despite a lack of confidence and a general feeling that she doesn't fit in with the other parents at her sons' expensive school), as her main concerns are burning issues like whether or not to take snacks to her elder son's rugby match. Actually, Nina has plenty to worry about.... she just doesn't know it yet.

When Finn is killed in an accident Nina quickly learns that her comfortable life is an illusion. Her husband's previously successful business is bankrupt and there are huge debts. Finn had promised always to take care of her, and after a difficult, insecure childhood Nina was happy to let him do just that, abandoning her aspiration to become a nurse and relinquishing any involvement in the business or their finances. Now, though, her life and that of her two sons, Connor and Declan, is crashing down around her. No longer cushioned by her husband's money, homeless and broke, Nina has to - somehow - rebuild her life without him. And just maybe rediscover some of the aspects of herself that were submerged and suppressed in her marriage.

This is an emotional read. It's easy to relate to Nina's desperation as the full extent of the crisis becomes clear, and there are some painful scenes of her pleading for help from various quarters which is not forthcoming. Indeed, it's hard not to feel angry at the utter lack of empathy shown by, for example, the headmaster of the school the boys have attended since they were three years old. Clearly when the money runs out, so does many people's humanity.

We follow Nina's struggles as she moves, with her boys, back to the area where she grew up and hunts for a job, rapidly discovering that years of marriage and motherhood have not qualified her for very much at all, and see her beginning to question whether - despite her love for her husband - her marriage was quite as perfect as she had thought.

While the basic plot has certainly been done before, Amanda Prowse is a natural storyteller who creates relatable characters and situations and knows how to engage the reader's emotions. I enjoyed this a lot.

My review went live on my blog today: www.bookswithcassie.wordpress.com

I loved the start of this book and was very quickly hooked into wanting to know how things worked out for the unfortunate family of Nina, Connor and Dec. Not my usual choice of genre and a lighter read than I really prefer but I was on holiday when I read it and have to say it was a delightful and easy airport read.
I won*t spoil it for any future readers by saying if it was a happy ever after ending...you will just have to buy a copy and read it yourself.

A heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, emotional story of a family who was thought to have it all until their world was turned completely upside down by financial ruin.

This book was real; so very real. I adored Nina and wanted to hug her and be a friend to her and I adored practical, down to earth Tiggy.

Once again, Amanda Prowse has written a truly engaging and thought-provoking story that was quite stunning.

Many thanks to Amanda Prowse, TBC and Netgalley who provided me with this ARC. I chose to read it and give a voluntary and unbiased review.

Wow! Amanda Prowse does it again. Read this in a day. Very rarely am I moved to tears when reading or watching anything, but this book managed it. One particularly poignant moment towards the end, had them pouring down my face. Well written as always and a situation any of us could find ourselves in. Essential for a marriage to be a partnership. Loved this!

I have read some other books by Amanda Prowse so was keen to see what this one brought and was not disappointed. Her novel following the sudden trauma affecting a "comfortable" middle class family was well portrayed. Coping with the death of a husband and father would be difficult for any family. The news that his death would lead to such a dramatic change in lifestyle on the family left behind would affect all of us. The way in which Nina and her sons respond to their new circumstances was well written and inspirational. I will be recommending this to my friends and look forward to reading other books from Amanda Prowse.

Publisher's Description:

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:
This is the second book I have read by this author. Like the other one this book often brought tears to my eyes.
Nina is a cosseted protected wife with two sons, one ten year old and one young teenager.
Suddenly she finds herself a widow with nearly nothing. Her husband has hidden the state of their finances from her and she and her sons are now without a home. Where will they go and how will they survive thrust into virtual poverty? She hasn't held a job in years and has only a small stash of cash that hasn't been taken away.
I couldn't put this book down. This well written poignant story is both sad and inspiring.
I gave this story 4.25 of 5 stars for storyline and character development.
I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley from the publisher to read. This in no way affected my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Beautifully written and very emotional is how I would describe this book. in the blink of an eye their whole world changed and we get to go along for the ride as they grieve, despair, struggle , and come through the other side. what i loved most is how we get to see the way each person deals with their grief because each one is different. this book takes you through a whole list of emotions, everything from sad to uplifting. this book will be enjoyed by most everyone. so good !

An absorbing story of a family under tremendous pressure. Nina and Finn were living the good life with their two sons Connor and Declan. They had it all, the big house, fancy cars, the best schools for the boys, but a painful twist of fate brought the good life to an amazingly sudden end. Nina has to learn how to put their life back together and, along the way, learn what is really important in life.

This is my first book by Amanda Prowse but I plan to watch out for her other books. The Art Of Hiding is a great book that I had a problem putting down. It is a book that reminds us to be thankful for our blessings of home and family.

Nina McCarrick lives the life of luxury with her husband, Finn, and sons, Connor and Declan. They live in Bath in England until a tragic accident kills her husband. Nina grew up poor in Southampton and when she met Finn, he wanted her to never worry about money again. He promised to always take care of her and she was not privy to their finances at all. When she is told by the boys' private school that they are behind on tuition and then the family accountant tells her that her husband's company is bankrupt and in debt for eight million pounds, her life unravels. They are kicked out of their home and have no where to turn but back to Southampton near Nina's sister, Tiggy. Their hard and tough journey from the lap of luxury to one of nothing is an eye opener for the boys and a memory of struggle for Nina. Life is so difficult for the little family as they grieve the loss of their father and husband as well as adjust to life without financial stability. Nina really has no work history since she married Finn at a young age. Finding a job is a real trial.

But this book is so much more than all that. It is an emotional book about finding themselves as a family unit and overcoming the difficult feelings about Finn's death that come in such a situation - feelings of fear, grief, anger, loss and loneliness. Why didn't he tell Nina what was going on? Did she even know him? I love watching them grow in strength and love for each other and what is important in life. This is a great read that I would not have picked up on my own but NetGalley sent an email showing it as a Read Now that I agreed to read. Note: There is some language if that bothers you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and give an honest review.

This is the first book I have read by Amanda Prowse and I found that I liked her style of writing. Since I do not live in England, I struggled a bit with the vernacular and a bit more stilted style of dialogue between the characters, but it did not deter me from finishing the book.

The art of hiding is a very apt title for the book in so many ways. The book is all about illusions. Nina was living a charmed life… she had left behind a life of poverty to become a wife and mother who lived in a world that was not what she thought it was. She had everything she wanted or needed until the day it all unraveled. Her husband was gone and so was the money that had supported that lifestyle.

As the days passed, Nina comes to realize that her husband had been hiding the details of his life from her and had done an excellent job of it. She had no clue that they were bankrupt and would soon be out on the streets. Due to her husband’s duplicity, she is forced to return to her old neighborhood and to face the life she herself was hiding from. Nina draws on strength she did not know she had and forges a new life for her and her sons.

The book is well written and I enjoyed watching Nina come to grips with her new “normal.” I would recommend this book and would like to find others written by this author.

Family secrets can be devastating to those who face the consequence of their unfolding. Such is the dilemma for Nina and her sons, Declan and Connor, who are brutally forced to confront the painful truth of Finn not being quite who they thought he was as a husband and father.

His sudden, inexplicable death in a road traffic accident severely alters their seemingly idyllic lives, revealing the reality of things he had kept hidden from them. Finn is out of reach of answering their questions and other losses soon follow his demise.

Before long, all financial security is lost, along with the dream home and privileged private schooling the boys and their mother took for granted, assuming it would continue seamlessly as before.

Nina was kept in the dark about how overcommitted and bankrupt they were, with no money available to pay for or maintain their chosen lifestyle. It's only when they are forcibly removed out of house and home that she realises her husband wasn't the only one living a false existence.

Now forced to beg for help from her estranged sister, Tiggy, Nina escapes back to her roots, a place she felt ashamed to be associated with and longed to move away from in her youth. However, she slowly picks up the pieces, overcomes myriad challenges and learns to live more confidently and independently than before.

Despite the deprivations of their new situation, as she and her sons learn to adapt to their changed circumstances, it provides a golden opportunity to reevaluate everything, a renewed closeness to the boys and her sister, and a growing appreciation of life's simple pleasures.

Though there are tiny disparities in the text, which could have benefited from a tighter edit, I think the book brilliantly addresses a relatable, heartbreaking scenario with tenderness and sensitivity, while deftly avoiding a clichéd ending. Another great read from Amanda Prowse!

I think I have found myself a fantastic new author! What a great book this is as we follow the life of posh Nina who literally has her world turned upside down and has to rebuild her life again from scratch. Very well written with great characters and a joy to read!

The Art of Hiding is my first from Prowse and it did not disappoint at all. It is full of emotions and brings a lot of questions to the surface that certainly make you think.

Nina has suffered a devastating loss, her husband dying. It was sudden and completely unexpected in Nina’s perfect world. With the loss comes more hard times than she thought. Her way of life and the husband she though she knew were all torn apart. There is no time for to worry about all the material things that she has now lost, her boys need her more than ever. Being penniless, homeless and questioning everything you thought you knew about the man you love isn’t the way to be able to help either. Nina has to figure out to pick up the pieces of the fractured life she now has and put it back together.

My heart went to out to Nina. Losing a spouse is a terrible loss, but lose them so unexpectedly I think would be even worse. But, when Nina finds out all the things that Finn kept from her before he died, it was more a mixture of grief and anger. Her sister Tiggy, was fantastic. I adored her so much. She was a “tell it like it is” kinda girl. And she never once wavered on helping Nina and he boys. I feel that Prowse did such a wonderful job writing both of these characters so well developed and making them feel so real, it was easy to feel so connected to them.

There are so many emotions that I felt while reading, I cried with Nina and felt her hurt and sorrow. during the hard times, I could feel her despair. Other times, I laughed with her and as she grew and learned to be the strong independent woman I knew she could be, I felt it right along with her. Even at the end I wasn’t ready for it to. This was such a wonderful and inspirational read. Fans of contemporary fiction will devour this. Just have some tissues.

I found this book very predictable and twee. The underlying message (money does not equal happiness) was about as subtle as a brick, and the main character came across as being thoroughly unlikeable. You could see the job offer coming a mile off, and the relationship with Finn was largely left unexplored. Overall, a quick read, but not one with any depth or substance.

Thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Amanda Prowse for the opportunity to read and review her latest book! I really liked her last one - The Idea of You - and her latest will not disappoint.

Nina is living large in a well-to-do community, huge house, two boys attending an exclusive prep school. Although she never felt she fit in with the other parents, she loved her family life behind her gated walls. When her husband dies in an accident, her reality comes crashing down. She finds herself homeless, broke, with two boys ripped out of their lives. Nina goes back to her hometown with help from her estranged sister to try and reboot their lives.

Just a good story of the lives we hide from each other and ourselves and for the strength and courage to pick ourselves up. Fast-paced, easy to read novel that will make you tear up and be grateful!

I've read other books by this author and like her style of writing and this book didn't disappoint.

I didn't want to put it down as felt attached to the characters from the get go. I found it a very emotional book to read and upsetting at times - I think I put myself in Nina's position and what I'd do and how I'd deal with all that happened.

Would thoroughly recommend it.