This novel takes place in 1991/2 and in the present. Seraphine and Danny, the Summerbourne twins were born that winter. Laura was their late Mother’s au-pair. Each chapter deals with the story of each girl. Seraphine’s mother died the day she and Danny were born and now, days after her Father’s funeral, she is searching for the truth about that year. Laura is retelling her story about what did happen. In the climax the truth comes out. It is remarkably well written and the plots are well developed. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who is interested in Psychological drama. Thanks to Net Galley and Berkley for an ARC for an honest review.

Great story with interesting interactions between the characters. Complicated at times, keeping everyone straight, but really enjoyed the story.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Seraphina delves into the mysteries behind her mother's death and her own birth.

I would love to read a sequel to find out what happens to the characters once they know their truths.

Really enjoyed this book until the ending which I found silly, not what I expected.. I will recommend this to my patrons as I am curious as to what they might think.

A young girl escaping a bad situation at home finds herself in a worse one when she signs on to become an au pair to a young well-off couple in a remote beach house estate off the English coast. Laura truly loves being with the little boy, Edwin and gets along well with his parents but then secrets lead to more secrets which lead to tragedy. Years later, after the death of their father, Edwin and his twin brother and sister begin to puzzle over what actually happened the night the twins were born and their mother threw herself off the cliff. As they press people for more information, the threats begin and all those secrets start unraveling. Dark and sinister with secrets as sharp and ragged as the coastal cliffs, you will be compelled to race through to the wow, yet tidy ending. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

The Au Pair by Emma Rous is very well done gothic suspense novel. It was hard to put down. Not sure why the book is compared to VC Andrews as the storyline doesn't have the creepy, evil factor that is prevalent Andrews' books.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

This caught my attention right from the start and kept it through the end. It is a story of Seraphine, a young woman whose father died right before her 25th birthday. After her death she found a picture of her seemingly happy mother on the day of Seraphine’s birth, shortly before the mother committed suicide. The book alternates between the present day Seraphine trying to figure out why her mother did that and the story of Laura, an au pair who was there the day of the birth.

The characters were well-written and the plot moved nicely. I will look for more from this author.

The Au Pair is amazing! I read it in a day because I couldn't stop reading it! I had to know what was happening in the story. I love how the story is told through two time periods and two specific characters. It flows so well even though it jumps back and forth through the years. This is a book that will definitely keep you reading late into the night! The characters are very well developed, and you'll definitely find a connection to at least one of them. I really was kept guessing throughout this book, and I was surprised by the ending. If you're a fan of suspense, add this to your lists!

This is how The Au Pair by Emma Rous is described:

A grand estate, terrible secrets, and a young woman who bears witness to it all. If V. C. Andrews and Kate Morton had a literary love child, Emma Rous’ The Au Pair would be it.

That is literally all I need to know. STOP. I want to read this and I know nothing about it. I think my ideal suspense/mystery/thriller would involve Hitchcock, Agatha Christie, and Patricia Highsmith but V.C. Andrews and Kate Morton is a good combination too.

Here’s what you need to know:

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.

I love a tangled family mystery and have high hopes for The Au Pair. Its receiving awesome reviews so far and people are staying way up past their bedtimes to see what happens next, always a sign of an excellent story.

This is due out in January 2019.

This is a great read. A family in a country house hires a nanny. Many years later, the daughter, one of three children, tracks down the au pair she had as a child to unravel the mystery of her mother’s death. Is she really their daughter? Or the product of an illicit affair ? Strange things begin to happen. Mysterious notes telling her to give up this quest appear. Grandmother Vera doesn’t want to discuss it. Lots of family tragedies - people falling to their death etc. Never a dull moment. And you’ll never figure out the ending.

It's a compelling story, but the writing isn't all that great. I lost track of how many times the word "just" was used unnecessarily, but suffice to say that it was too many times.

The Au Pair by Emma Rous is fabulous! Seraphine and Danny are twins. The day they were born their mom inexplicably commits suicide by jumping off of a cliff at their family home, Summerbourne. They were raised by their dad, Dominic, alongside their older brother Edwin. Now in their 20’s, their father dies and Seraphine returns home. While looking through her father’s things she finds a picture of her mom and dad and older brother. It was taken the day Seraphine and Danny were born but her mother is only holding one baby. Where is the other twin? Which baby is her mother holding? The story progresses from here, told in alternating chapters narrated by Seraphine and Laura, the 20 something au pair who stayed with the family the summer the twins were born. The mystery unfolds chapter by chapter and I could not put this book down. The conclusion was very satisfying. This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was definitely a page-turner that had me up until past my bedtime trying to squeeze in one more chapter. A complex storyline of who’s who. Only reason for the 4 stars is that I thought the ending was a bit tedious. Overall, a good novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for an advanced e - copy of this book. I read this book in two days and enjoyed the dual time lines and perspectives. I guessed at the ending but still thoroughly enjoyed the story. I always appreciate books that do not contain explicit content and I feel more comfortable suggesting them to library patrons. I will be suggesting this book to many people!

"The Au Pair" is a full of mystery and family drama. Early on in the book, there are hints that things are not quite as they seem. Seraphine lives alone at the family estate after her father's tragic accident--or was it really an accident? As she goes through her father's things, old photographs awaken fresh questions about her mother, who committed suicide when Seraphine and her twin brother were only hours old. In order to move forward with her life, she needs to find the truth, once and for all. But who knows the truth? And why all the secrets?

This is a fun read, with lots of mystery and questions. I enjoyed the alternating storylines, switching between Seraphine's in the present and Laura--the au pair--in the past. However, there were lots of tangled threads to the story and the ending felt forced and unrealistic. I just couldn't quite believe the actions of the characters, or the way the story was resolved at the end.

Twins Seraphine and Danny lost their mother to suicide on the day they were born. When Seraphine finds a picture of her mother on that day with just ONE baby, it leads her on a hunt to find out which one of them she was holding, and why she looked so happy in the picture, just moments before jumping off a cliff. What works in this novel is the atmospheric setting, pretty writing, and some respectably tense plotting. What doesn't work is the complete and total stretch of the resolution. The plot twist was so convoluted I had to reread several parts to make sure I had it all straight in my head. Fun, but in a soap opera sort of way.

The book jumps back & forth in time between 2 women. It's a bit difficult to get into, but once there, it's a fairly good read. It is rather wordy.

A wonderful gothic novel that’s hard to put down because of multiple twists and turns that keep you guessing until the last page.

Read this one in two days! Really enjoyed it especially after reading Kate Mortan's latest book. Very similar styles which made them flow nicely together.

A great mystery entwined with interesting characters made for a very enjoyable read.

Oh, my goodness! You have to read this book. It was amazing. The mystery...the intrigue...I couldn’t figure it out despite trying to right from the start.