Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

I enjoyed this, Even though parts of the plot were very obvious and formulaic, it was very gripping. I think it was the whys rather than the whose that kept me piqued.

Perfect summer/beach read for the mystery/thriller fans.

Actual rating: 3.75 stars.

The Au Pair was a very entertaining read, and I enjoyed it much more than I expected.

The reviews are mixed and I can see why: as a mystery, it is not the most original or well plotted. Personally I found the story fast paced and interesting, and the alternation between past and present equally well done. I sympathized with Seraphine and I rooted for her as she tried to discover the truth behind her birth, and Laura's point of view as she witnessed first hand what happened in the past was equally compelling. However, the mystery was quite predictable, and the solution was also a little unsatisfying. However, the characters were likeable (the ones from the present more than the ones from the past), and I really enjoyed the relationships between Seraphine and her brothers.

I would recommend it, but don't go into it expecting a groundbreaking mystery.

The Au Pair is a clever family noir story which I enjoyed very much even though it stretched credulity at times!

After her father's death, Seraphine finds a photograph of her mother holding a baby on the day of her own birth, the same day that her mother died. Seraphine is one of twins, with an older brother, who was also a twin before his twin died in an accident.

Seraphine is curious. Why isn't her mother holding both babies? She looks happy so why did she jump to her death a few hours later? Seraphine decides to track down Laura, the family au pair, who left suddenly on that fateful day, to see if she can explain what happened.

Lots of twists and turns here with Summerbourne, the family home, a character in itself. Other players include a dominating grandmother who knows more than she is prepared to reveal. It was hard at times to keep up with all the characters and some were better developed than others, but a romp of a read nevertheless.

Many thanks to NetGalley and LittleBrownUk/Piatkus for the opportunity to read and review The Au Pair.

They say lies make for a tangled web but I don't think I was prepared for the knotted mess that this story played out to be. This tale was carefullly plotted out with a cluster of circumstances that were crazy good reading.

Told in past and present and through two main POVs of Laura and Seraphine who narrated the story. In the past, the story focused on Ruth and Dominic, a married couple, their friend Alex, their au pair, their son, Ruth's mother....I could go on. The tale in the present focused on Ruth and Dominic's children, trying to find the truth behind events 25 years ago. It was everything intruiging and the author cleverly drip fed information on a need to know basis.

From early on in the story, I was guessing, this and that. In the long run, I made some good guesses, some that I went on to disregard turned out to be founded in some truth. The story built and built with dramatic but believable turns, culminating in the past and present clashing in a revealing way.

THE AU PAIR was a well-written suspense, leading the reader on in semi-darkness but making it almost impossible to put the book down. I felt satisfied in the culmination and I would definitely read Emma Rous again. Highly recommended.

Brilliant book that I just could not put down.
Found it very reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier and kept thinking of Rebecca.
It is very atmospheric of the era that the events take place.
The plot is very cleverly contrived and convoluted that you think you have worked out the family secret only to be thwarted.
Brilliant ending which makes it a very satisfying read.

Took a while to get into this but glad I persevered. Story full of family secrets. Thanks for opportunity to read

An interesting story line that keeps you turning the pages and guessing until the end. With so many books you can often figure out where they are going just a few chapters in, with The Au Pair you have an idea but the ending is a surprise.
I look forward to reading more from Emma Rous.

Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for an advance ARC in return for an honest review.

The premise, and the cover of this novel attracted me. But I found that this novel lacked believability.

After her mother’s death, Seraphine finds an old photo of her mother with a baby. The photo was taken on the day Seraphine and her twin Danny were born, and her mother looks relaxed and happy. However, Seraphine knows her mother killed herself later that day, and there is only one baby in the photo. Wouldn’t her mother have had herself photographed with her newborn twins?

Because of this alone Seraphine decides there is a family mystery to be solved, and tracks down the former Au Pair who left the day of the birth, who she believes holds the key to solving it.

I found this lacked believability. Why did the Au Pair hold the key and not her Grandmother, or family friends from the village?

In the end I found I didn’t care the plot is ridiculous and the characters very cliché – particularly the Grandmother.

Reminiscent of Kate Morton’s work, I found this intriguing thriller really immersive and entertaining.I particularly enjoyed Laura’s chapters - especially her warm relationship with Edwin. It kept me guessing until the end as I tried to deduce just what on earth was going on. Without giving any spoilers away, I have to confess I found the family dynamics at the end a little hard to get my head around, but nevertheless a thoroughly enjoyable book., well-written and compelling.

I tried several times to read this book, eventually getting into the story. I enjoyed it whilst reading it but didn't rush to pick it back up, if you know what I mean. An unravelling family saga with unlikeable characters and a slow and meandering storyline which could and should have moved faster to keep interest up. I struggled to finish it, however, I am glad that I did.

This was a story of very convoluted family secrets, misunderstandings and lies.
An enjoyable read.

Oh what a tangled web we weave - could be applied to this story. Whilst the writing was top-notch I found the characters thoroughly unlikeable and the story-line a tad difficult to believe. The ending too left me feeling a bit short-changed. I don't think I'd have been very satisfied had I paid for this book but all thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my own and honest opinion.

I wanted to like this book so much, but I just couldn’t. There’s a big secret for the entire book and I know I should have been wanting to know what it was, but I lost interest a few times. There was too much, but also not enough character development. I liked the concept of the mystery itself and I feel it had a lot of potential, but I just wasn’t sucked in enough.

After finding a mysterious photograph, a relentless young woman goes on a mission to uncover long buried family secrets.

This whole domestic noir crap just doesn’t get old for me. Families keeping secrets, parents not telling their children shit, and then all of a sudden someone’s out there to get you. Well, excuse me if I go *squee*

I guess when I put it like that, it sounds like every other domestic thriller. But let me tell you why this is different.

We have a great setting. Summerbourne is no ordinary manor. Perched on a cliff, surrounded by an apple orchard, it’s a truly magnificent place. Emma Rous spares no detail either. So vivid, I could almost feel the warm summer air and sea salt on my skin.

There’s a really cool mystery. After her father’s death Seph comes across a photo of her mum holding a baby, shortly before her death. A death that will also come under scrutiny before long. Who is the baby in the picture? Seph, or her twin brother? People in the village have all sorts of ideas, and there are many rumours surrounding Summerbourne, but most has to do with witches, fairies and other nonsense like that.

The story is told in a dual narrative. Seph is playing detective in the present while Laura, the au pair narrates her life with the family in 1991. She was present at the twin’s birth, so she must know the truth. But, she’s nowhere to be found. Classic!

A family friend may play a bigger role in uncovering the secret than Seph would have thought, and perhaps some things should just be left alone. But of course we won’t leave them alone, will we?

On the surface The Au Pair is a dark and thrilling mystery, but below the surface there’s something disturbing bubbling, just waiting to be uncovered.

I loved the front cover of this book which attracted me to it.

The story was well written, I enjoyed the chapter layout between Laura and Seraphine.

However, it took me a while to read this book, it was missing something to keep me hooked.

I half guessed the ending, but I was expecting more and it was abit unrealistic in places.

A steady read but not amazing.

Very readable novel which kept me gripped until the end. Maybe slightly unbelievable when you got there and possibly characters which lacked real depth and definition, but I still enjoyed and this would make a great beach read.

A fantastic fast paced thriller, I was literally left guessing with this book. I couldn’t put it down. Such a great read I read it in three days,

Laura was the au pair to Edwin Mayes at Summerbourne whilst she takes a break from her A Levels after some personal events which have left her isolated and alone.

Being holed up in a big house with a delightful little boy to mind seems the perfect remedy. Gorgeous scenery and plenty of space to gather oneself as well as entertain a little inquisitive boy on the Norfolk coast.

Trouble is Laura doesn't know what she is walking into when she joins Edwin and his parents, Dominic and Ruth at Summerbourne.

Slowly Laura learns that Edwin was in fact a twin.

That twins have been at Summerbourne before and there is some in the village that say the house and twins are cursed.

Seraphine Mayes is mourning the loss of her father, she feels adrift in the world now. Her twin Danny spends a lot of time traveling and her older brother Edwin is not around too much.

Her father's death has hit her bad and living alone at Summerbourne, the family home she starts to go through some possessions.

She finds a photograph of her mother, holding only one baby - but which one - Seraphine always thought there was something different about her?

Is Laura the key to the past? And will the answers unearth too many secrets and even more lies?

This is an interesting read - whilst it has all the hallmarks of a dark thriller it has something light about the setting of a country home in Norfolk, vast stretches of beach, the sea. It could not have worked but it has combined both for an interesting story, told between two points of view, Laura and Seraphine - you get to see the secrets discovered and can see them happening first hand all at the same time.

I was drawn into it, it kept me reading and whilst some may say it has weak points and perhaps some of the plot was a bit too unbelievable, for a debut novel this was a worthy read. Emma Rous is an author we need to be watching out for in the future.

The story starts with a woman whose father has recently passed away and so she is sorting through his things. On doing so she comes across an old photograph of her with her mother. However, there should be 2 babies in the photo and there is only one!
What follows is a confusing, meandering tale that gets more so as it goes on. It's got some good elements and I quite enjoyed the alternating chapters of past and present. I just found the lead character very irritating and the storyline not tight enough.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

A quick easy read. This story did not live up to my expectations. I thought it was too predictable and I could not connect with any of the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.