If V. C. Andrews and Kate Morton had a literary love child, Emma Rous’ USA Today bestseller The Au Pair would be it.One of the most anticipated books of 2019 from Pop Sugar, Bustle, Cosmo, Parade, and Goodreads!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 … 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?
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This book was not what I thought it was going to be. Yes, it was a twisty thriller, but there were times that it seemed to wander, and the action just wasn’t as tight as it could have been. I also expected the focus to be a little different. The author did a good job of keeping the reader guessing, and there were some legitimate “whoa, didn’t see THAT coming” moments. The setting of the old mansion by the cliffs near a village was properly eerie. I don’t like to give away plot points, especially in a thriller where any detail could be considered a spoiler, but I did feel a touch of V.C. Andrews in several parts. The characters seemed real enough, and there were times that I could feel the desperation of the main character, Seraphine. I give it 3.5 stars, because there were some loose ends that were skimmed over, and it was predictable in that I figured out part of the mystery long before the reveal. But I still enjoyed the novel as a whole. Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and the author for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Loved it
Seraphine returns to her family’s home after her father’s funeral. She is joined by her twin brother Danny and her older brother Edwin. While cleaning up her father’s possessions, she discovers an old photograph that raises some troubling questions. The photo is dated from the twins’ birth but their mother is only holding one baby. Which child is her mother holding and why aren’t both babies in the photo?
The photo also shows her mother very happy and proud yet that is the same day she committed suicide. Seraphine decides to pursue the irregularities surrounding the photo and her mother’s death. She starts her search by contacting her former nanny who snapped the photograph.
This is a debut novel by Emma Rous. The story is told from two points of view referencing the past and present. The Au Pair was a suspenseful and well-paced story with engaging family dynamics.
I received this book from the publisher as a giveaway from Goodreads. This book tells the story of a family from the prospective of two of the main characters, Seraphine in present day, and Laura in 1991. Seraphine is trying to find out the truth about her childhood, and Laura holds the answers. The Summerbourne estate is the background of both stories. Seraphine, against the wishes of her family, tracks down Laura, the au pair. I love the way this story comes together. All questions are answered and everything is wrapped up. It took a few chapters to get into the story but after that, I didn’t want to put down. This is definitely a 5-star book from me.
I won a copy of this book from Goodreads giveaways, I was not required to give a favorable review. This was a very different kind of story. Laura came to work the summer as an Au Pair for a little boy on the family summer estate. But there were so many twist and turns that happened. Seraphine & Danny were born there. They lost the mother soon after they were born, and now they have lost their father. And Seraphine has many question both to why her grandmother attacked Laura when she was just getting answers and what really happened who is the baby in the picture nobody knows. I enjoyed it. A little deep at times but make for a good suspense in the end.
As a book takes me on a journey I find myself wondering where I am going, what’s going to happen next, if I can figure it out too early I sometimes lose interest. With The Au Pair I was kept guessing, kept peeking around the corners waiting for the next clue, and kept turning page after page until I ran out of pages.
One picture can change the entire dynamic of a family. It can open doors that are much better kept shut; it can bring up questions that should never be asked. But once that door is open it can never be shut again. Seraphina starts questioning everything that she once knew to be true and starts unweaving the story of her life. With each string, she pulls she finds another story that doesn’t quite fit.
The dual timelines and the twists and turns kept me reading, kept me up at night reading, and makes this a 5-star book. It is everything it was promised to be and more. There were amazing characters, wonderful settings, twisted stories, family dynamics to figure out, and so much more.
If you want a book that ends with a huge, unbelievable twist, then The Au Pair by Emma Rous is going to be the one for you!
What it’s about: Seraphine Mayes and her brothers Danny and Edwin lost their mom to suicide when she and Danny were newborn twins. Their older brother Edwin’s au pair disappeared shortly after that, and the surrounding village buzzed with gossip. Now at age 25, Seraphine has just lost her father to a freak accident when she finds a strange picture at their family’s summer estate. It is a picture of her mother, but holding only 1 baby, not 2. Seraphine becomes consumed with finding out what really happened that day her mom died, and even after mysterious threats, will not stop until she finds out the truth.
I basically read this book in one day because I couldn’t stop turning pages and it was very consuming. It took me just over 5 hours so I would consider this a very quick read. The viewpoints switch between Seraphine and the au pair Laura, and it was such a great way for the author to make everything come together. Seraphine’s POV was in the present while Laura’s was in the past so you got an idea of what was happening at both times.
Then.. the shocking conclusion!! I kind of had an idea of part of a twist, but I was pretty shocked at most of what happened. I do have to say though, that the ending did get a little far-fetched. And I don’t normally say that because it’s fiction so that’s kinda what I expect. It wasn’t particularly believable but it was definitely shocking. NOTE: I am fine with the ending, I just want to make sure people are aware that it is pretty far out there.
Final Thought: The Au Pair was a novel that I had been looking forward to, and it did not disappoint me! The pacing is quick, it’s chalk full of mystery, and there is plenty of drama. What more could a gal ask for? I can’t wait to read more from Rous!
After her father, Dominic’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.
I was expecting a thriller much like all the others I’ve read recently when I started The Au Pair. I was pleasantly surprised and was pulled into this story from the first page. After I finished, I read the synopsis. If V.C. Andrews and Kate Morton had a book baby is a very telling description! Emma Rous is a breath of fresh air into the genre! I can’t wait to read what she next writes.
4.5 stars
In this gothic suspense tale, Seraphine Mayes searches for her beginnings after finding a picture that disrupts everything she knows about her family. I really can’t say more than what’s in the blurb because you’ll want to experience this story yourself — most of the fun here is from the gradual unveiling of what really happened at Summerbourne.
The story is told in alternating points of view — a chapter from Seraphine in the current time and then a chapter from the au pair in her time, with the creepy cool Summerbourne estate as the place where it all happens. I really did love how this story was told. It made the events from the past seen up close and personal .
It takes a few chapters to get to the good stuff, and you’ll probably guess some of what is going on, but there was enough to keep me reading and I was a bit surprised with some of the twists and turns that come furiously fast in the final chapters. I did like the quicker pace of the second half of the book.
There’s a great cast of secondary characters in The Au Pair. I particularly loved Edwin — he was a bright star among the darkness at Summerbourne in both the early days and current day. His childhood friend Joel was a lovely surprise as well. The story really revolves around the circumstances of Seraphine and Danny’s birth, and as someone who primarily reads contemporary romance, it was nice to have some relationship material in the story as well.
I really did like The Au Pair. I love a good gothic thriller and The Au Pair hit the bullseye for me. I did find the beginning a bit slow, and there were a few scenes that I would have liked “more” from, but overall, this was a satisfying gothic suspense story that I enjoyed reading.
An ARC was provided for review.
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.
A story of loss, betrayal, love and family that captures the heart from the very first til the end. There is suspense of having to rearrange the family tree a few times, and the surprise twist that loved ones are not who we think they are. Fast paced and well written! Truly a must read!
Does Laura, the au pair, have the answer to the question that no one would ever answer?
Does she know why Seraphine’s mother threw herself off a cliff right after she gave birth?
Seraphine hopes so because she must know the answer now that her father has also passed away, but no one wants to talk about it.
Well…not until Seraphine tells her grandmother she would like to talk to Laura to see if she can shed some light on what happened. Her grandmother panics and pleads with Seraphine to NOT talk to Laura. This arouses more curiosity for Seraphine.
Grandmother Vera also tells Seraphine that Summerborne House will go to her brother Danny and not her. That news has Seraphine running out of the house.
Why will it go to Danny and not her when she lives there? But Grandmother Vera didn’t say why and won’t say why.
Of course, Seraphine does not listen to her grandmother’s request and apparent warning. What she finds out causes more questions and more danger, but who are the ones that are in danger and what does what she finds out mean?
THE AU PAIR takes us from past to present as we learn about the Mayes family and the situations and activities that took place twenty-five years ago that are still puzzling today.
We hear Laura’s voice from the past as she familiarizes herself with the house and the family when she first arrives and her life as the au pair at Summerbourne.
Then we hear Seraphine’s voice present day as she searches for answers from her brothers, her grandmother, and anyone who may have known her mother.
There is plenty of mystery to keep you intrigued along with Ms Rous’s alluring writing and secretive characters.
The flashbacks and description of life at Summerbourne at that time were marvelous. Old estates with all those rooms, the estate’s family, and the folks that work on an estate are always a draw for me.
THE AU PAIR will be enjoyed by readers who enjoy secrets, mysteries, family dynamics, time travel, and descriptions that put you in the book with the characters.
Nothing can top a good old mystery with family secrets, right? 5/5
This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Au Pair by Emma Rous is a “grab you from the beginning” story that will keep you guessing. It’s compelling, absorbing and a well written, compulsive read with characters well-rounded by depth, scandal and mystery. A suspenseful narrative full of chills and thrills.
This domestic drama begins with Seraphine, 2017, who has just lost her father due to what seems to be a questionable death. Along with her twin brother Danny and their older brother, Edwin, the search spins into existence for the truth of what really happened and in solving the intricate puzzle of who is who within the family and why it’s even questioned in the first place.
Weaving timelines from the arrival of An Pair, Laura back in 1991 at the Summerbourne Estate in Norfolk (UK) to the present, is a roller coaster of a ride through its legends, secrets, madness and just how far some will go to protect those they love.
Emma Rous has captured a most mysterious yet tantalizing story that will have you yearning for a continuation of The Mayes Family saga.
I thank Emma Rous, Berkley Publishing and Goodreads for gifting me this ARC not only for my reading enjoyment but for review as well.
A definite for your TBR list coming to you January, 2019.
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This book was quite a wild ride! Seraphine is going through her father’s things after his death, and finds a photo of the day she was born. But there is only one baby in the picture! Seraphine has a twin brother Danny. On the day they were born, their mother committed suicide. Where is the other baby and which one is in the picture? Their mother looks so very happy why would she kill herself only a short time later? These are the questions Seraphine wants answered. The story is told by Seraphine in the present and by Laura the au pair in the past. So many secrets and family drama both current and in the past, make this a page turner that is very hard to put down! I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Berkley Books. All opinions are my own.