Wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book until about the 3rd chapter...then I became hooked. I was drawn in, trying to figure out what would happen, yet constantly surprised. I would recommend this highly. Will look forward to reading more by this author.

I found this an interesting debut novel. There are a few mysteries that run throughout the story - one is "Just who is everyone in this story?" All the characters are not whom they seem! Another mystery is the death of the mother - which happens on the day that she gives birth to twins - and the later death of the father - both deaths are ruled as suicides - but were they really suicides or were they killed because of the secrets of everyone's identities? There seems to be only one person who can clear up the mysteries and that is the Au Pair who left the family the day the mother died! The story is told from two points of view and time frames. Seraphine, one of the daughters, is trying to solve the mystery, in the present time, of just who she is - she never felt quite a real part of the family, and Laura, the Au Pair, tells her story that takes place 25 years earlier. The ending is a true whirl wind - almost too much of a wild ride for me and one I didn't see coming. Unique family drama - a fun beach read - and a little suspension of disbelief in the end - different storyline - interesting read!

In Au Pair, twins Seraphine and Danny are born and the same day their mother throws herself off a cliff saying they took my baby. The twins have an older sibling, Danny, who was also a twin. His brother, Theo, fell off the cliff two years earlier.

Year later, their father is killed in a tragic accident. While going through his papers, Seraphine finds a photograph dated with her birthdate of both their parents, Edwin, but only one of the twins. When she asks Edwin if he remembers which twin is pictured, he doesn’t know but that his au pair, Laura, took the picture.

Seraphine decides to find Laura. However, when she eventually finds her, she won’t talk.

The Au Pair is a suspenseful thriller with a laid back southern gothic vibe. The reader is compelled to keep reading to find out what really happened on the day of Seraphine and Danny’s birth.

The style of alternating chapters of Seraphine’s current search for answers and Laura’s experiences in the month leading up to the births is a great way to ratchet up the tension. The conclusion is excellent too. Overall, the Au Pair is recommended for all thriller and romantic suspense fans. 4 stars!

Thanks to Berkley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book until the implausible ending. It was just crazy and strange. Hard to hide a single pregnancy - but twins? Makes no sense.

Stevie‘s review of The Au Pair by Emma Rous
Contemporary Women’s Mystery Fiction published by Berkley 08 Jan 19

I love it when a really twisty mystery emerges from just one small inconsistency, particularly when that previously missed detail has the characters doubting everything they previously held to be true. Of course, the solution to the mystery has to be properly satisfying for the premise to work properly.


Seraphine Mayes is sorting through old papers in the house where she has lived her entire life, following her father’s sudden death, when she comes across a photograph of her parents holding a newborn baby. It must have been taken on the day she and her twin brother were born – indeed the date on the back tells her as much – since her mother committed suicide mere hours later. Her older brother, who was four at the time, remembers the photograph being taken, but has no idea which twin is shown, or where the other might have been. Concern, based on a long-held fear of being the outsider in a close-knit family, drives Seraphine to seek out the au pair who took the photograph, but initially Laura wants nothing to do with her.

Seraphine resolves to seek answers from others who were living in the area at the time, but for every partial answer she receives, more questions crop up. She knows her mother had mental health issues throughout her marriage, and that was why the family had employed an au pair, and it seems likely that the one other outsider who might be able to help is a family friend, who briefly lived nearby but who left soon after Seraphine’s mother died and dropped all contact with them. As Seraphine becomes aware of threats made towards potential witnesses, and veiled threats are made anonymously towards her as well, unless she drops the investigation, she begins to wonder whether her father’s death was really an accident.

This was a gripping story, told alternately from the viewpoints of Seraphine’s present and Laura’s past. When the solution is presented, everything slots into place very tidily, although I suspect different readers will have their own opinions as to a couple of events that may be interpreted in more than one way each. I’m desperately keen to see what the author comes up with next.

Grade: A

Gothic novels aren't always my thing, but every once in awhile, I find myself craving a story set in a spooky old house on the English moors. Fortunately, the last time I had such a craving, The Au Pair by Emma Rous was here waiting for me, and it was everything I was hoping for and more.

It's no secret that Seraphine Mayes' mother took her own life shortly after giving birth to Seraphine and her twin brother Danny, leaving them along with their five-year-old brother in the care of their distant father and overbearing maternal grandmother, but no one talks about the reasons why. As a child, Seraphine tried to discover what could have driven her mother to such a desperate act, but no one will answer her questions. The only person who might be willing to talk to Seraphine is Laura, the young woman who was hired to be five-year-old Edwin's au pair while Mrs. Mayes was pregnant with the twins, but Laura disappeared without a trace on the day Seraphine and Danny were born, taking Seraphine's only hope of learning the truth with her.

Seraphine is twenty-five when the story opens. Her father has recently died, and Seraphine, Danny and Edwin are doing their best to put his affairs in order. Seraphine wants desperately to inherit Summerbourne, the estate where she grew up, but it seems more likely that one of her brothers will inherit it instead. While going through some of her father's papers, Seraphine comes across a picture of her mother taken just after she gave birth to the twins. She's sitting in the garden, dressed elegantly and holding only one sleeping baby. Everything in the photograph seems off to Seraphine. Why is only one of the twins in the photograph, and what could have prompted the young woman who appeared so happy in it to jump off a cliff just hours after the photograph was taken?

Both Edwin and Danny urge Seraphine not to dwell on the past, but Seraphine finds herself unable to take their advice to heart. She's wondered about the circumstances of her mother's suicide for as long as she can remember, and she's bound and determined to finally have her questions answered. To this end, she begins searching for Laura, unaware of the danger her quest will bring to Summerbourne and those who dwell there.

The story moves seamlessly between past and present, allowing the reader to see things from the perspectives of both Seraphine and the enigmatic Laura. I found both parts of the novel quite intriguing, but I enjoyed Laura's chapters a little bit more than Seraphine's. I could certainly understand Seraphine's burning desire to finally learn the truth about her mother's death, but I wasn't always fond of the methods she employs. She often acts in a reckless manner, and she seemed incapable of considering anyone's wants or needs aside from her own. Luckily, she mellows out as the story progresses and I actually found her to be quite a dynamic heroine by the novel's end.

Laura is the star of the story as far as I'm concerned. She comes to Summerbourne, not really sure what to expect from the Mayes family. She falls in love with Edwin almost immediately, and the scenes that featured the two of them together are some of the best parts of this book. Unfortunately, her relationships with Mr. and Mrs. Mayes are far more complex, but I can't say too much about that without ruining the story for you. Just trust me when I say that the Mayes give Laura far more than she bargained for in both good and bad ways.

Parts of the plot might seem a bit too predictable for some readers, but I was completely captivated from beginning to end. It's true that the story isn't one-hundred percent original, but Ms. Rous takes a somewhat familiar premise and makes it her own, and I admire her for it. The twists she throws in might not appeal to everyone, but I loved the serpentine road I traveled with these characters.

The next time you're in the mood for a gothic tale, I urge you to pick up a copy of The Au Pair. I'm pretty sure you'll fall under its spell like I did, and I'm equally sure you won't regret spending time in the world Ms. Rous has crafted.

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Such a strong start to 2019! This book had me back tracking to take notes. I wanted all the details, and the juicy deception just kept coming! This book sucked me in from page one, and I didn’t want to put it down. A fantastic beach read, or a good book to cozy up with by a fire. A thrilling mystery perfect for any season!

Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “The Au Pair” by Emma Rous, Berkley Press, January 8, 2019

Emma Rous, Author of “The Au Pair” has written a chilling, intense, intriguing, captivating, riveting, page-turning novel. The Genres for this novel are Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Fiction. There is a slight amount of Folklore in this novel as well. The timeline for this story goes twenty five years to the past, and is in the present, when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes her quirky characters as complex, complicated, dysfunction, suspect and disturbing.

Seraphine Mayes and her twin brother Danny were born at the family estate on the Norfolk Coast. The family is wealthy and have another estate as well. The twins have been mourning their father’s accidental death. In the village there are strange rumors.Their biological mother committed suicide the day the twins were born. There is an older brother Edwin, who was watched very carefully by an Au Pair named Laura.

Seraphine discovers some questionable photographs while going through paperwork that opens the door to all kind of questions. In trying to identify this, Seraphine finds threatening letters. Someone breaks into the house, and more dangerous things are happening. Seraphine is told to back off and stop questioning things, or someone will get hurt.

There are twists and turns, and an edgy intense feeling that something is very wrong. The more Seraphine discovers, the more danger she is in, and the less she understands herself. There is someone from the past that could shed light on what is going on. That could mean shedding light on deep secrets, betrayals, possible murders, and more danger. I recommend this chilling thriller for those readers who enjoy this genre. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

Loved it - could not stop reading. The story is told by two different narrators but is easy to follow and very suspenseful. Will recommend to my Ruth Ware readers.

The Au Pair was an unexpected intriguing read that I couldn't put down!

I found The Au Pair listed as a highly anticipated read of 2019 and then I read the blurb and I knew I needed to read this story! The beginning was slow to hook you, but once it did it slowly took you under it's spell and consumed you.

The plot and the uncertain identities, the feel of someone after you and watching your every move will have you on the edge of seat and on the edge mentally. I thought I had things figured out, but then something would happen to make me question everything! I found myself talking to co-workers and explaining the story to them so that they could help me work this out. (Hint: they were clueless)

The Au Pair told in two points of views and dual timeline. I enjoyed how we were given just a morsel of the story at a time and how when we are reading we are uncovering the story right along with Seraphine. Learning what really happened that summer at Summerbourne was utterly spellbinding.

The entire story was wrapped up beautifully. My only negative thought on this book was that we didn't get a happily ever after. I realize that The Au Pair in NOT a love story, but that doesn't stop my hopeless romantic heart from begging for love story from the pages.

After her father's sudden death, Seraphine decides to investigate her mother, Ruth's, suicide 25 years earlier by tracking down their family's former au pair. Will Laura be able to answer her questions? Or, will she create even more?

While reading, I had fun trying to guess what happened to cause Seraphine's mom to commit suicide on the very same day she birthed her twins, Seraphine and Danny. Did their family friend, Alex, have anything to do with it?

The end was a bit confusing (trying to figure out who was who), but overall I found this debut suspenseful and entertaining. I enjoyed the author's writing style and look forward to more from her.

Location: London and Summerbourne, England

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

"If V. C. Andrews and Kate Morton had a literary love child, Emma Rous' The Au Pair would be it.

Seraphine Mayes and her twin brother, Danny, were born in the middle of summer at their family's estate on the Norfolk coast. Within hours of their birth, their mother threw herself from the cliffs, the au pair fled, and the village thrilled with whispers of dark cloaks, changelings, and the aloof couple who drew a young nanny into their inner circle.

Now an adult, Seraphine mourns the recent death of her father. While going through his belongings, she uncovers a family photograph that raises dangerous questions. It was taken on the day the twins were born, and in the photo, their mother, surrounded by her husband and her young son, is smiling serenely and holding just one baby.

Who is the child, and what really happened that day?"

Usually if a book is compared to another author I love I'm leery... but the combination of Kate Morton with V.C. Andews has fascinated me in this case!

I have just finished The Au Pair by Emma Rous and absolutely enjoyed the twists and turns of this modern day tale of family secrets! When a family Patriarch dies he leaves behind his grown children trying to piece together their murky beginnings. Spurred to action after finding a picture showing their mother holding just one baby in a happy family photo hours before plunging herself off a cliff they start asking questions. Threatening letters and suspicious deaths combine with local village lore about the ill-fated Summerbourne twins. Can the Au Pair that resided with them that summer so long ago provide the answers they seek? I highly recommend The Au Pair! I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

Give me book with a seaside English manor filled with family secrets and dysfunction -- and I will gladly read it! This was a pretty good thriller told in two time periods about the history shared between the Mayes family and their nanny, Laura. I enjoyed it

25 year old Seraphine, her twin brother Danny and their older brother Edwin are mourning the sudden loss of their father in an accident when they come across a picture from the day the twins were born. It's a photo of their parents with only one baby. Seraphine is excited to see the picture because their mom died by suicide later that same day so it's the only picture she has of their mom with...her? Or her brother? It also raises some questions for her about why only one baby is in the picture. As she tries to unravel the details - she starts by looking for the person who took the photo, Edwin's au pair at the time, Laura.

From there, the story is told in alternating timelines between Seraphine in the present working to discover more about what really happened the day the twins were born/their mother died and Laura the au pair in the months leading up to that day.

The book started off a little slow for me but by around the 4th chapter, I was fully hooked. I was really interested to discover how everything was going to come together in the end and I enjoyed both the current and past storylines. Often in books told in two timelines I find myself rushing through one to get back to the other but I was equally invested in both and couldn't put it down.

Unfortunately, I found the ending overly convoluted - the reveals start about 75% through the book because it takes the last quarter to work through all the pieces. For me, the payoff of the ending didn't live up to the middle of the book. I enjoy a good twist - but sometimes too many twists makes for a confusing and unrealistic reveal. With a less convoluted ending, this would have been a solid 4 star read for me.

Thank you to netgalley and Berkley Books for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest review.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review which has not altered my opinion of this book.

I'm going to be straight, I did not finish this book. I dnf-ed it at 32% of the way through. The reason for this is because I didn't get the point of the story. The main character in the modern setting annoyed me so much because there was no solid reason as to why she went and disturbed so many people as she did. I felt that she only investigated out of her own ego and I think it was incredibly selfish. I felt bad for the other characters and I really don't care what happened in the past. Although, the guesses I have made tend to make me roll my eyes.

That being said, this is not the type of book that I generally get into, familial friction is not something that I read about a lot. This may be a great book for someone else, but it really just didn't catch my attention at all. I recommend if you enjoy contemporary drama and fiction and affairs and mixed up children.

What a great book! I have thoroughly enjoyed reading The Au Pair.

The story is told by two of the main characters in alternating chapters. The story takes place in two time periods – 26 years apart. It might take the reader a little while to feel comfortable with the cadence of the story, but once you do, the two periods flow together quite nicely.

The plot is well-developed and it slowly reveals the story of a family with secrets and heartache. One of the main characters, Seraphine, becomes obsessed with discovering exactly what happened the day she and her twin, Danny, were born. Her search for answers reveals much more than she ever anticipated. The conclusion, while somewhat hard to believe, is nevertheless satisfying and well-done.

I enjoyed The Au Pair and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well-written, modern gothic mystery.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

The Au Pair was an interesting and fast paced story!The story is told in alternating timelines and takes place in a small English town. The setting was perfect and I love the mystery around the story!

The plot was perfect and the writing flawless, I enjoyed most of the story.However, the ending was ok in my opinion.I was a little confused in some parts closer to the end and the ending felt a little bit over the top for me.

Overall, it was a unique story and I'm looking forward to read more books from Emma Rous!

THE AU PAIR was just the right amount of family dysfunction that I love. I’m an avid Paternity Court watcher so the drama amongst this affluent family really kept me entertained.

I loved the storyline and the English seaside setting with the cliffs. The setting was just as much a character as the people were. Although I figured out the plot twist pretty early on, I still found this to be an enjoyable, suspenseful read with a satisfying ending.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Berkley Books, and Emma Rous for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.