I have previously picked this book up and had to put it down. I wasn't really in the right frame of mind to get into it. However I have recently picked it up again and I have finished it. It wasn't really my kind of read but made a change from what I do read. It's a thriller with plenty of twists. I look forward to seeing more from Emma Rous.

The Au Pair follows two main characters Laura and Seraphine, it follows Laura’s story in the past and Seraphine’s story in the present. Seraphine has some questions about her upbringing and decides to go digging to find some answers.
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Emma Rous’ writing was enjoyable and really easy to follow, I never found myself bored throughout this read. I loved the characters and the atmosphere of the book.
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Unfortunately it was not the gripping thriller I had hoped.. I would class this more as a family drama than a thriller or mystery. The ending was very predictable, it was just the case of some links being connected so it all makes sense.

This book reminded me of the storyline in Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca, but the plot was not in the same league.. An interesting psychological read nonetheless. Full of twists and turns, a great read. REcommended.

This book was so captivating that I didn’t want to put it down.
There is an aura of mystery around this book.
A brilliantly written book with some gothic influences

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion!

This was a gripping and jaw-dropping read, I enjoyed it very much!
I really enjoyed the unfolding of the mystery and the development of the action, it was perfectly paced. It also had dual perspectives and a very good story.
I wished the story was as good until the end, but it kind of wore off, but it was nothing to worry about. It was still a fabulous read!

This is a perfect holiday read and a very good debut novel, one that I couldn’t put down. It is a story told in the past by Laura, the au pair and in the present by Seraphine. The book opens with Seraphine going through her late father’s possessions and stumbling across a mysterious photo. It was taken on the day Seraphine and her twin brother were born and hours after it was taken her mother committed suicide. BIt Seraphine is puzzled as to why they were only holding one baby. Was it her or her brother and where was the other baby? She decides to try and find Laura, the au pair at the time, to see if she can answer that. Seraphine has always felt an outsider in the family and wants to know more about that eventful day. But someone is not happy about Seraphine unearthing the past history and her life becomes endangered as so many secrets are uncovered. This becomes a really engrossing story, blending the past with the present. So many hidden lies and deceptions with so many complex characters each with their own secrets. A highly recommended read,
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the chance toread and review this book.

3.5 stars

Seraphine Mayes was abandoned by her mother the day she was born. No one really knows what happened that day, other than Ruth giving birth to Seraphine and her twin brother Danny before throwing herself off the cliffs near their house. Now as an adult, Seraphine and her brothers have just lost their dad in a freak accident. Going through some old paperwork, Seraphine finds something that casts doubt on her identity. She sets out to find out who she really is, but ends up uncovering more truths than she bargained for, putting her and her whole family in danger. Only one person knows the full truth - the girl that was there that day, living with the family and looking after Seraphine's brother Edwin... the au pair.

This book alternates between Seraphine in the present day and Laura the au pair back in 1991-92. Both accounts are well written with subtle hints dropped and mystery's left unknown. The tension builds gradually and the reader is constantly left guessing the secrets. I enjoyed the flow and different viewpoints giving us an insight into both lives.

The main thing that lacked for me was motive and realism. I thought there were a few too many far-fetched/coincidental theories. It took me ages to get my head around some of the revelations. The author had a good idea but it was just too unlikely in my opinion.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this book.

It was an enjoyable read although I found it confusing at times. It had suspense and sometimes I was on the edge of my seat. I would also say it is addictive.

I would definitely recommend - although I'm only giving it three stars as I got slightly confused and had to keep going back.

I was initially drawn to this book by the blurb and cover image which very quickly made me think it would be an interesting thriller or mystery. The tag line promised 'A spellbinding mystery full of dark family secrets' and so I was intrigued.

The split perspective in this works so well. You move from modern day Seraphine back in time to 1991 and Laura the family Au Pair. Immediately as you read these stories you can feel a chilling sense of wrongness. Something happened and it stains and smudges at the pages as you read, hiding just out of sight.

Each chapters ends with a new pique of interest or a new detail unveiled and answers to be discovered; the writing is intriguing and gripping. I found it hard to stop reading each time I picked it up - and it often left me with that creepy feeling that niggled at my mind.

A really enjoyable read and one I would recommend to fans of this genre.

After attending her fathers funeral, Seraphine is sorting through his possessions, only to find an old photograph.

The photograph shows her mother, looking happy, and holding a baby, but after looking at the writing on the photo, it shows that this was the day of her birth, which is fine, except she was a twin.

Why is there only one child in the picture? And why does her mother look so happy, if that was the same day that she killed herself?

Told in a dual timeline, this book has plenty of Mystery, Thrills &Chills

Laura thinks that by taking this au pair job on the english coast, she can get away from her past, her stifling step father, and earn some money while she revises to re-sit her A-levels. What she doesn't know is that she'll be drawn into a family of secrets, distrust, and impending tragedy. Twenty five years later, Seraphine, the daughter of the family Laura lived with, comes across an old family photo taken on the day she and her twin brother was born. But her mother, who threw herself from the cliffs only a few hours after the birth, is only holding one child. The other twin is nowhere to be seen. After the recent death of her father, Laura is the only one Seraphine can go to. 

Set on the English coastline, this book is full of atmosphere, and captivity. Immediately I was drawn into this family's life, their history, and the taught relationships. 

Mainly, I loved the mystery. There was just enough constant intrigue to keep you moving along in the story without being overwhelming or confusing, because at times, the many threads of the story can seem a little much. But Rous handles it so well, and I just really enjoyed the whole thing. 

I admit, I did guess a little bit of the ending, but what I love is that I was able to guess the what, but not the how. It's almost like the how is the prize and Rous is trying to give you the what. 

I absolutely cannot wait to see what Emma Rous writes next. 

4 out of 5 stars.

A story with so many layers of secret needs a stronger glue and some foolproof plot. Seraphine discovers a photo right after her father's death and realizes that she might not actually be the true, biological daughter of her parents. Raised in the luscious, sea-facing, and gorgeous family-estate at Summerbourne, Seraphine has been shielded and loved, yet after this photo she questions everything. And then she decides that she needs some answers and that would require Laura and Alex- two characters who disappeared from their childhood never to return, even in conversations.

The story is narrated at two different timelines- the present one by Seraphine and the year 1991, narrated by Laura, the au pair who once helped her parents raise her elder brother in Summerbourne.

Laura's story flows smoothly as she arrives as a young girl with no experience with children to take care of Edwin. She enjoys every moment in Summerbourne, which is also described elaborately. Summerbourne is picturesque and dreamy and baby Edwin and Laura have lots of fun. Laura also forms a bond with the family including Alex and Dominic.

As Seraphine searches for her story, Laura tells us what happened that fateful day that led to Seraphine's mother's suicide. As a whole, this story is interesting and thrilling but not without plot holes. Seraphine and her twin brother Danny were not the only kids born that day (the day Seraphine's mother killed herself), but Laura has a story to tell and a similar story to hide. As the past and present clashes, Seraphine is left devastated.

While I have a few similar questions about certain bits of this story as other readers, I would say that this is a fast-paced and thrilling historical fiction that lacks an edge. I finished this book in a day, and it while I knew that there were secrets lurking at every corner, the writing makes it easier to follow.

What a read! I enjoyed this book so much. It was suspenseful, and had me at the edge of my seat and was addictive. Would definitely recommend.

I found this an entertaining book, quite confusing, but as they say, it all came out in the wash. Full of surprises, very easy to read. In fact I really enjoyed it. A story about a mixed up family and how they find the truth in the end. I really had no idea till way into the book of the situation. Love hate and confusion. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

After her beloved father has died, Seraphine Mayes digs into her family’s history. When she finds a photograph of her mother, her older brother Edwin and one baby, she is astonished: it must have been taken on the day of her birth, but which one is the baby? Seraphine or her twin brother Danny? And why does the mother look so happy, only hours before she committed suicide? The photo must have been taken by the au pair who was then looking for Edwin, a certain Laura. When the young woman starts her search for the former babysitter, memories of rumours surrounding her family home Summerbourne also come back to her mind: why did everybody in the small village always say that twins do not survive in that house? When Seraphine tracks down Laura and tries to contact her, she inadvertently sets in motion a series of events.

Emma Rous’ mystery starts as a simply family story and then develops into a suspenseful crime novel. The story is told alternatingly between Seraphine’s search for Laura and the latter’s experiences as an au pair 25 years before. Two young women full of distress who cannot foresee what they run into. The plot is carefully crafted and to sort out the complex connections takes some time thanks to unexpected twists and turns.

“The Au Pair” clearly lives on the two protagonists. I liked both of them dearly, Seraphine’s stubbornness is quite convincing, she does not give up even when being threatened, actually this only spurs her curiosity and fervour to uncover the events surrounding her birth. On the other hand, Laura had to flee from her evil stepfather and tries to regain control over her life. Both women are created multifacetedly, especially their relationships are complicated which makes them authentic and believable. Apart from the characters, I especially liked the atmosphere of the novel and the spooky tales that circle around the two family homes which give you the impression of old gothic homes which have some secrets buried that are never meant to come to the light.

Seraphine is dealing with the loss of her father and comes across a photo that raises a question about her family. Soon she is caught up in something more confusing than she could ever have imagined. maybe Laura her brother's au pair can shed some light on things but she doesnt want to talk. Can the truth be figured out and does she really want the truth?

This was a really interesting read full of twists and turns. The story is told by Seraphine in the present and Laura in the past when everything happened. Its cleverly written and builds to a dramatic ending. I figured out some of the secrets but one or two took me by surprise. It does make you think about how you would react in that situation.

I liked Seraphine, she was an interesting character and I loved the developing romance between her and Joel. It was a needed lightness to the story but wasnt overpowering to distract from the drama developing. A twist filled thriller that had me rapidly turning pages.

The Au Pair, the début family mystery/thriller from British author Emma Rous, certainly took me by surprise!

My initial impressions were that this was a thriller novel concerning a long-hidden family mystery, but it actually developed into something much more wonderful. This novel certainly had some fantastic pulling power! Mystery, secrets and dark family truths, all define The Au Pair. I loved Emma Rous' tight narrative and her writing style in general and I wasn’t aware of just how much this great story would tick all of my boxes.
I love taking a chance on début authors and I was richly rewarded by my first experience Emma Rous' impressive writing.

I really liked that there was an overwhelming sense of place in this novel which certainly contributed to the wow factor feeling I had from the setting of The Au Pair. The story had an ominous and hostile eeriness to it from the very moment I picked up this novel.

I was tremendously impressed by the author's characterisation of the main players Seraphine and Laura and also those on the periphery. These secondary characters ranged from family members and siblings, to love interests and each was finely chiselled to perfection by Emma Rous. Always cloaked in mystery, I was never entirely sure who or what to believe in this fantastic tale, with its fair share of rumour and suspicion.

There was a soupçon of romance in The Au Pair to spice things up and the gothic direction that the book took was very surprising. I would be inclined to describe The Au Pair as a gothic thriller. This was a tremendous début novel and I am so looking forward to the next novel by Emma Rous as I’m sure it will win me over.

Do not delay in picking up a copy of The Au Pair!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my own request from Little, Brown Book Group UK via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A bit predictable at times but a good holiday read with a few twists and turns to keep you entertained!

Seraphine and Danny Mayes are twins born at Summerbourne their family’s estate on the coast. Within hours of being born their mother Ruth leaps off the cliffs to her death.

Years later the twins father dies in an accident. Seraphine discovers a picture whilst going through her fathers possessions of her mother, father and older brother Edwin but her mother is only holding 1 baby and not 2. The photo was taken hours before her mother killed herself yet In the photo she looks happy.

Seraphine always felt different from her siblings and begins to wander where she came from. When the twins were born they had a Nanny called Laura who was present at the birth. Could she be the key to finding out what happened.

This story is set in 2 different timelines we go back to 1991 where we meet Laura the nanny employed to look after Edwin and forward to 2017 where Seraphine is looking for Laura.

An addictive book that I read in 1 day. A must read book that keeps you guessing till the end.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

This is a dark and atmospheric read that kept me entertained until the end. The plot was a little predictable for me, however this didn’t take away from the enjoyment. It’s an easy, holiday read.