The Art of Hiding by Amanda Prowse

Synopsis from Goodreads:

"What would you do if you learned that the life you lived was a lie?

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.

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 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."

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After reading The Idea of You, I liked Amanda Prowse's writing enough to give her another try. I finally fished this out from my dusty, virtual shelf on my Kindle® which had been patiently waiting since 2017 🤯 on my ever-expanding 'to-be-read' pile

This story starts with a bang! Nina McCarrick thinks she's got the perfect life until her husband, Finn, dies unexpectedly. Turns out, he left her with massive hidden debt. She's forced to drag her two sons back to the old working-class estate she spent years trying to escape. The book is Nina trying to figure out who she is now and rebuilding things with her estranged sister, Tiggy.

Prowse's writing is definitely compelling and she moves this plot along at a good pace, covering themes like grief, financial shock and finding inner strength. But, just like with the last book, I had trouble getting fully invested in Nina's characters.

It's  clear that Amanda Prowse can write powerful, emotional stories. But with two books down, unfortunately, her style is just not for me, however, there are thousands of people who disagree so definitely don't let my personal preference stop you from diving in.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for enabling me to read and, eventually, share my thoughts of this book.

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