Review: The Au Pair by Emma Rous

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.
 
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.

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What I thought about The Au Pair

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.

About the Author


Emma Rous is Cambridge University graduate who spent eighteen years working as a veterinary surgeon. She is now writing full-time, and lives with her husband and three school-age sons.