I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Au Pair by Emma Rous Published by Penguin on January 8, 2019
Genres: Fiction, Gothic, Suspense, Thrillers, Women
Pages: 384
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Seraphine Mayes and her twin brother, Danny, lost their mother on the day they were born. She didn't die in childbirth, but instead flung herself from the cliffs alongside the family property. Laura, the au pair hired to care for their older brother, Edwin, flees mysteriously.
Villagers speak of stories about their familial home, Summerbourne. The most jarring lore is that twins are unable to survive Summerbourne's fate. Their mother, a twin, dies. Their older brother Edwin loses his twin brother at an early age.
After their father dies mysteriously from a fall, Seraphine becomes obsessed with learning more about their childhood. She uncovers a picture that shows her parents with only one infant. Which twin is it? And where is the other?
As Seraphine delves into the past, ominious warnings to stop don't stop her, but instead fuel her passion to learn more. Secrets begin to surface, secrets so dark and devastating they are worth killing for.
I thought I had it all figured out when I started reading this title. In some aspects I did…but Rous when far beyond what I could have ever expected!
Told in alternating time periods (then, with Laura as the main POV and now, from Seraphine’s POV), I’m going to bring out all the cliches when I say this is a roller coaster of a read! But instead of a standard, roller coaster, imagine one of those that takes you catapulting in the air, then shooting back down to the ground over and over again.
I adored Rous’ rich characters. Nearly everyone has a secret. Some are revealed up front, but others take time to fester and build before they are revealed. No one is perfect, but rather than that hindering the story, it enhances it.
The promo material claims “If V. C. Andrews and Kate Morton had a literary love child, Emma Rous’ The Au Pair would be it.” I can understand the comparison to Kate Morton, but while this is twisty, it’s not nearly as twisty (or disturbing!) as V.C. Andrews!
Overall, I highly, highly recommend this read.
