The Au Pair by Emma Rous Review

The Au Pair

By Emma Rous

Release Date: January 8th, 2019

Berkley Books

Source: ARC provided by the publisher

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 beautifully dressed, smiling serenely, and holding just one baby.

Who is the child and what really happened that day?

One person knows the truth, if only Seraphine can find her.

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest and unbiased review*

Before I started to read The Au Pair, I had no preconceived notion on the book, as a professional nanny for more than 20 years, I tend to pick up all nanny/au pair/governess books, as they normally make me laugh at authors ideas of nannies, what they do, and how parents and children act around the nanny. So in my naïve belief that this book was the same as others, I started to read, and boy was I in for a huge surprise. 

We start the book on the Norfolk estate of the Mayes family, where eldest brother Edwin and twins Seraphina and Danny are gathered to sort things out 3 weeks after their father dies, who was their last surviving parent. But as they spend the weekend together, Seraphina starts to obsess over the death of their mother and the unanswered questions, like why was there only 1 photo of their mother the day that they were born? which is also the day that she died, and which twin was she holding? Were they really all siblings? Or were the people of the village right, and something bad happened on the day that they were born? And seen as their grandmother refuses to answer the questions, there is only one person left alive that can tell them the truth! The mysterious Au Pair, that also disappeared the day they were born. 

Oh my goodness this book is simply exquisite! The web of lies, the twists and turns and in the end! Oh my! This book is brilliant! an amazing thriller, that will keep you on the edge of your seat and will leave your mind blown! The authors writing is superb! And for those you with a sharp mind who need a challenge, this book is perfect, it is not an easy mindless read, so if that is the type of book you want, this is not it. 

Right from the get-go, this book hit the nail on the head with how families tend to treat their employees, and it also showed how lonely the children tend to be and how they crave attention, especially from the parents that are too busy for them. But even then this book was so much more than the. The Au Pair was not some foreign exchange person, but a young girl with a painful past, sorely taken advantage of.  

And Seraphina's character is fantastic! From being made to feel crazy, to finding out the truth, you cannot help but feel sorry for the girl, but by the end out can tell she is SO much stronger than at the beginning. And while Edwin and Danny's characters are also important to the storyline, I cannot say I was too invested in their character. 

Overall The Au Pair is an outstanding book which is why I give it 5 stars! and one that I totally recommend to everyone. 

To find out more about Emma Rous and her books, click on the link below