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cur1z's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
faithemt's review against another edition
4.0
Fast paced and full of mystery, a bit of romance, family drama/saga and secrets!!
My entire review is here:
https://goldintheclouds-faith.blogspot.com/2021/06/2021-book-review-18-au-pair.html
My entire review is here:
https://goldintheclouds-faith.blogspot.com/2021/06/2021-book-review-18-au-pair.html
rereader33's review against another edition
1.0
This book was awful. And as much as it enrages me, I also have no energy to write a proper review. Or, more accurately, I don't care enough to write one. So let me sum up my thoughts in three points so I can move on with my life, okay? Okay, great, let's get this shit over with:
-Want a summation of this story? Rich, privileged white people and their rich, white privileged people problems. There, I just saved you from reading this novel, YOU ARE FUCKING WELCOME.
-Laura's the only middle class person with ample screen time and yet she's horribly unrelatable because she was actively fawning over one guy for most of the novel, yet had sex with her male employer. Who's married. But still only REALLY loved the one guy. Obviously.
-Any intrigue is immediately vaporized by the horrible predictability of the story and the ending is so tacky and unearned it left me enraged.
-I hope you weren't stupid enough (like me) to believe that the fairy intrigue was actually going to be relevant because SURPRISE! IT FUCKING WASN'T! It was literally thrown in to add supernatural suspense but ultimately had fuck all to do with the actual plot. Authors, please, I am BEGGING you, if you are NOT going to seriously incorporate supernatural elements into your thriller, then do us all a favor and FUCKING DON'T.
-All of the characters were either boring, whiny, or judgmental, and ALL of them had the outstanding ability to blame everyone else for their problems. I really hope I wasn't meant to sympathize or care about any of them because I fucking couldn't.
And that's about it. Skip on this one unless you REALLY want to read several hundred pages of rich, privileged white people complain about how difficult there lives are while actively fucking up said lives.
-Want a summation of this story? Rich, privileged white people and their rich, white privileged people problems. There, I just saved you from reading this novel, YOU ARE FUCKING WELCOME.
-Laura's the only middle class person with ample screen time and yet she's horribly unrelatable because she was actively fawning over one guy for most of the novel, yet had sex with her male employer. Who's married. But still only REALLY loved the one guy. Obviously.
-Any intrigue is immediately vaporized by the horrible predictability of the story and the ending is so tacky and unearned it left me enraged.
-I hope you weren't stupid enough (like me) to believe that the fairy intrigue was actually going to be relevant because SURPRISE! IT FUCKING WASN'T! It was literally thrown in to add supernatural suspense but ultimately had fuck all to do with the actual plot. Authors, please, I am BEGGING you, if you are NOT going to seriously incorporate supernatural elements into your thriller, then do us all a favor and FUCKING DON'T.
-All of the characters were either boring, whiny, or judgmental, and ALL of them had the outstanding ability to blame everyone else for their problems. I really hope I wasn't meant to sympathize or care about any of them because I fucking couldn't.
And that's about it. Skip on this one unless you REALLY want to read several hundred pages of rich, privileged white people complain about how difficult there lives are while actively fucking up said lives.
envy4's review against another edition
3.0
Probably the most dramatic mystery I've read, but fun. It's a very intricate story with just the right amount of characters. Also what a cover... Beautiful
thephdivabooks's review against another edition
5.0
Even deeply buried secrets have a way of coming out. It takes only a small thread of information to unravel a tightly woven web of lies. And when we find those threads, it’s pretty hard not to pull them. But what if the truth is worse than the lie? That’s always the problem with secrets… Once a secret comes to light, it can’t be reburied.
In the stunning debut novel by writer Emma Rous, an old photograph leads to the discovery of a terrible secret. With a sense of mysticism and lore, a seaside estate with a dark past, and dual timelines, The Au Pair is truly captivating. I couldn’t put it down!
See my full review on PhDiva.blog!
Reflection
This book had a bit of a gothic feel mixed with domestic noir and a splash of folklore. The names of the two houses alone have an atmospheric vibe—Summerbourne and Winterbourne. Winterbourne is the much-needed escape from Summerbourne, where a darkness and loneliness seems to plague the yellow-bricked escape.
Twins never survive at Summerbourne, states an old curse. The villagers love to talk about Summerbourne because of the wealth, society, and tragedy plaguing the family homestead. Amidst whispering of changelings, babies replaced by sprites, and more sinister stories, Seraphine and her twin Danny managed to survive when their mother did not. There’s the sense that perhaps she was the sacrifice for the Summerbourne twins to finally survive.
I loved the town stories and the characters in the village. I could so vividly picture all of the settings in this book. Rous has a way with descriptive language that really builds an atmosphere to the story. I felt the swirling mist upon the cliff, and the heat of a summer day. The perfect place for a child to grow up, if it weren’t for the stories…
Seraphine was a completely fascinating character. These very differences that make Seraphine feel isolated also lead to her allure. Seraphine doesn’t think about things the way her brothers do, and that’s why she can’t drop it when she finds the photograph.
Every other chapter is narrated by the mysterious au pair, Laura back in the year before the twins were born. Laura is a bit withdrawn, but incredible as an au pair to Edwin. But as time went on, everything became twisted. Laura becomes more and more embedded in Summerbourne. Isolated from her friends and family for the year, Laura is the one who holds the secret to what happened that day…
As the clues start to be uncovered, this book is nearly impossible to set aside. I found myself thinking about the mystery while falling asleep, turning over possibilities. I completely loved the entire novel—and I loved the way it haunted my thoughts when I put it away. Rous has an incredible talent, and I’ll read anything she publishes next.
Thank you to Berkley for my copy to review
In the stunning debut novel by writer Emma Rous, an old photograph leads to the discovery of a terrible secret. With a sense of mysticism and lore, a seaside estate with a dark past, and dual timelines, The Au Pair is truly captivating. I couldn’t put it down!
See my full review on PhDiva.blog!
Reflection
This book had a bit of a gothic feel mixed with domestic noir and a splash of folklore. The names of the two houses alone have an atmospheric vibe—Summerbourne and Winterbourne. Winterbourne is the much-needed escape from Summerbourne, where a darkness and loneliness seems to plague the yellow-bricked escape.
Twins never survive at Summerbourne, states an old curse. The villagers love to talk about Summerbourne because of the wealth, society, and tragedy plaguing the family homestead. Amidst whispering of changelings, babies replaced by sprites, and more sinister stories, Seraphine and her twin Danny managed to survive when their mother did not. There’s the sense that perhaps she was the sacrifice for the Summerbourne twins to finally survive.
I loved the town stories and the characters in the village. I could so vividly picture all of the settings in this book. Rous has a way with descriptive language that really builds an atmosphere to the story. I felt the swirling mist upon the cliff, and the heat of a summer day. The perfect place for a child to grow up, if it weren’t for the stories…
Seraphine was a completely fascinating character. These very differences that make Seraphine feel isolated also lead to her allure. Seraphine doesn’t think about things the way her brothers do, and that’s why she can’t drop it when she finds the photograph.
Every other chapter is narrated by the mysterious au pair, Laura back in the year before the twins were born. Laura is a bit withdrawn, but incredible as an au pair to Edwin. But as time went on, everything became twisted. Laura becomes more and more embedded in Summerbourne. Isolated from her friends and family for the year, Laura is the one who holds the secret to what happened that day…
As the clues start to be uncovered, this book is nearly impossible to set aside. I found myself thinking about the mystery while falling asleep, turning over possibilities. I completely loved the entire novel—and I loved the way it haunted my thoughts when I put it away. Rous has an incredible talent, and I’ll read anything she publishes next.
Thank you to Berkley for my copy to review
jkar7's review against another edition
slow-paced
3.0
Somewhat predictable, confusing characters, and unlikable characters.
edshara's review against another edition
3.0
I tend to expect more from suspense novels, so for me, this was just okay. The plot did have some twists but I wasn’t really blown away.