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bernluvsbooks 's review for:
The Au Pair
by Emma Rous
Oh, what a tangled web! 🕸 3.25 convoluted, family secrets filled stars ⭐️ for The Au Pair
Within hours of her birth Seraphine Mayes' mother Ruth had thrown herself from the cliffs near their family home. 25 years later, as Seraphine mourns the death of her father she comes across a hidden, old family photo. Seraphine never had a photo with her mother but in this photo dated on the day she was born her mother sits, smiling, cradling an infant, surrounded by her older son and husband. This photo would be a welcome discovery if not for the fact that there should be two babies in the photo. Seraphine has a twin brother, Danny. So which of them is in the photo and why is one of them missing?
Seraphine's mind becomes a swell of emotions, memories and stories. Growing up there had been many rumors shared about the Summerbourne twins. That they were not really from Summerbourne, they were sprites or worse - children Ruth had stolen at the height of her madness before killing herself. Seraphine can not shake the uneasiness this photo ignites in her. She becomes obsessed with finding out what happened on the day she and Danny were born. With both her parents dead and her grandmother Vera unwilling to discuss anything about the past Seraphine is determined to track down the only other person who knows what truly happened that day - her older brother Edwin's Au Pair, Laura.
The mystery unfolds, via alternating chapters of the past detailing Laura's eleven months spent as an Au Pair with the Mayes family and the present chronicling Seraphine's journey towards discovery of the truth. It is a slow unraveling of long hidden family secrets brought to light in much too convenient ways at times. I had definite theories early on about who was responsible for certain acts in Seraphine's present as well as what went on in the past. I was correct in both cases though I did have the twin aspect figured out incorrectly.
The story gets very confusing and convoluted at the end- a bit too much for my liking. I had a hard time accepting some of the reveal but overall the story was entertaining and definitely kept me turning the pages. If you enjoy stories about family secrets, tragedy, mental instability and deception everywhere then this one is definitely for you.
Thank you Emma Rous, Penguin Publishing Group and Edelweiss for an arc of this book.
Within hours of her birth Seraphine Mayes' mother Ruth had thrown herself from the cliffs near their family home. 25 years later, as Seraphine mourns the death of her father she comes across a hidden, old family photo. Seraphine never had a photo with her mother but in this photo dated on the day she was born her mother sits, smiling, cradling an infant, surrounded by her older son and husband. This photo would be a welcome discovery if not for the fact that there should be two babies in the photo. Seraphine has a twin brother, Danny. So which of them is in the photo and why is one of them missing?
Seraphine's mind becomes a swell of emotions, memories and stories. Growing up there had been many rumors shared about the Summerbourne twins. That they were not really from Summerbourne, they were sprites or worse - children Ruth had stolen at the height of her madness before killing herself. Seraphine can not shake the uneasiness this photo ignites in her. She becomes obsessed with finding out what happened on the day she and Danny were born. With both her parents dead and her grandmother Vera unwilling to discuss anything about the past Seraphine is determined to track down the only other person who knows what truly happened that day - her older brother Edwin's Au Pair, Laura.
The mystery unfolds, via alternating chapters of the past detailing Laura's eleven months spent as an Au Pair with the Mayes family and the present chronicling Seraphine's journey towards discovery of the truth. It is a slow unraveling of long hidden family secrets brought to light in much too convenient ways at times. I had definite theories early on about who was responsible for certain acts in Seraphine's present as well as what went on in the past. I was correct in both cases though I did have the twin aspect figured out incorrectly.
The story gets very confusing and convoluted at the end- a bit too much for my liking. I had a hard time accepting some of the reveal but overall the story was entertaining and definitely kept me turning the pages. If you enjoy stories about family secrets, tragedy, mental instability and deception everywhere then this one is definitely for you.
Thank you Emma Rous, Penguin Publishing Group and Edelweiss for an arc of this book.