I felt so sorry for the children in this story who were clearly so very fond of their au pair Alice. I read this book wondering quite how many thoroughly unsavoury characters could be crammed into one story - quite a few as it turns out!

Melanie has her motives for being the family's new au pair and these get revealed along the way and explain why she risks quite so much to uncover the truth of what happened to naive student au pair, Alice. With so much appearing just a little bit 'off' about so many members of this family it makes for an engrossing read trying to work out what happened to Alice and whether Melanie is at risk too - is it all just a mix up or are things as wrong as they seem. Can she trust any of them?

This clever and sinister tale made for a great read with some unconventional twists. My thanks to the author and Zooloo's Book Tours for letting me be a part of this blog tour.

Dive into the heart of Scotland with The Au Pair, a riveting thriller that intricately weaves secrets, deception, and familial bonds. The Davidsons may seem like an ordinary family at a glance, but beneath their normal façade lies a chilling secret that entangles American student Alice Snyder.

Alice's initial excitement about her summer in Scotland as the family's au pair quickly turns into a nightmare, leading to her mysterious disappearance. Melanie, the new au pair, steps into a household filled with eerie occurrences. From the sinister activities under the cover of night to the unnerving Uncle Gray, signs of danger abound, including haunting scratch marks hinting at Alice's desperate struggles.

The Au Pair skillfully shifts between different viewpoints, adding depth and suspense to the narrative. Set in a secluded Scottish lodge, this novel blends mystery with elements of horror, captivating the reader with its meticulously plotted story. The characters draw you into their lives, making their fears and hopes palpable, and driving the story towards a climax full of unexpected twists.

Despite some narrative complexities and less developed subplots, The Au Pair maintains a strong hold on the reader's imagination, leading to a suspenseful climax. It's a story that not only entertains but also makes you ponder the extents to which one might go to uncover the truth. Whether you're a thriller aficionado or new to the genre, The Au Pair is a fascinating journey that promises to keep you engaged from start to finish.

One of the best thrillers I have read recently. I really enjoyed the dual POV and watching it all weave together as the chapters flew by.

Jane Renshaw sure does know how to write vile characters and I gasped at times at some of the things that took place. The conclusion was very satisfying.

A new author for me and this won't be the last book I read by them.

The Au Pair fell a bit short for me. Alice is a 18 year old who left her United States home to travel to Scotland without telling her parents or friends. She secretly applied for the Au Pair job with the Davidson family who lived in a remote castle like home.

It was suspenseful and had a few twists and turns. There should be trigger warnings for this book. Could cause some distress to some. A few times I thought of not finishing the book.

I found the ending abrupt.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Alice Snyder’s parents won’t allow her to backpack in Europe with her friends the summer after graduation, so she decides to look for a job that will take her across the Atlantic. Alice finds a job as an au pair to the Davidson family in Scotland. A month after her arrival, she disappears without a trace.

Enter Melanie, the new au pair. She deduces quickly that the Davidson’s are a bit odd—people coming and going at night, paying guests that are handsy, and scratches on her bedroom floor. Had the scratches been made by Alice? Who was she trying to protect herself from? Questions continue to pile up in Melanie’s head and she even wonders if she is safe.

She continues to try to find clues that might lead her to Alice and hopes that she isn’t too late.
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #NetGalley #TheAuPair

Thanks you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review.
When American teen lands a job as an Au Pair in Scotland the summer after high school graduation, she finds herself living with an odd family. All seems hunky-dory at first, and Alice Snyder is entranced by the Scottish countryside, the large manor, and the three daughters she will be working with.

The author slowly sets the stage for Alice's concerns, and then outright terror, as her life appears to be in jeopardy. After she goes missing, Alice's replacement Melanie is intrigued and hoping to unravel the mystery of Alice's disappearance. Did she drown, as many believe? Or is she still alive, being held captive somewhere? And it seems Melanie has a secret of her own...

I'd give this one a 3/5. At times it seemed to drag, and the ending was tied up with some rather dubious events, but overall it kept my interest and kept me guessing.

Alice Snyder travels to Scotland to work as an au pair for the Davidsons. She then disappears mysteriously and is replaced by Melanie, who quickly senses that there is something off about the family, and sets out to uncover what happened to Alice.

The prologue was promising and got me hooked, but the pacing was a bit slow throughout the first 2/3 of the book. It picked up at the end and was definitely more enjoyable.
I did love the dual POV of both Alice pre-disappearance and Melanie post-disappearance and how they converged towards each other at the end.
I also liked the fact that it was not too predictable, and I kept wondering who did what, and it made me want to keep reading.

There is some triggering content present (SA, gaslighting/victim-blaming) so keep that in mind.

Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for providing me with a copy to review. All opinions are my own.

* Thanks Netgalley and Inkubator Books for the ARC •

I was close to not finishing this one, I’m afraid. That is largely because it didn’t thrill me, didn’t present me with complex characters nor themes.

The story doesn’t go beyond the contained events, which in my perspective, makes it simple and dull.

I had never read Jane Renshaw's work before but got this copy as an ARC from Netgalley. I'm glad I did.
I'm very much a fan of mystery, suspense, thriller, etc., all of which come in different forms - more focus on the crime, the macabre, horror, the weaving maze of never knowing who it at fault or committed a heinous crime. After reading a thriller in which violent descriptions left me unable to eat lunch without feeling queasy, I was glad to find this alternative thriller to take me on a ride.

Firstly - Scotland. As someone who's been a few times and enjoys travel, I enjoy stories that take me beyond North American confines for a bit of armchair travel. The main character, Alice, is quickly portrayed as an innocent, kind, lively teenager (well, adult - 18) who has wanted to get away and do something fun for the summer by au pairing for a Scottish family.

You immediately get to know some of the other characters in the family, those who seem normal and kind, and those who seem distant or complicated. The family has three children, two of whom Alice creates a bond with and a teenager (Christina) who is rather aloof and snobby. Caro, the mother, is an unlikable character, who does not give time to Alice. Ken, the father, seems affable enough, and his brother, Gray - more of a main character- is painted in a bad light - Alice is told to avoid him.

What unravels is the story of an au pair disappearing, her birth mother covertly arriving as a replacement au pair to find out what happened to her, and the role the family and those in connection with them may or may not have to do with it. I enjoyed the way the story went back in time (Alice) and to the present (Donna) to slowly fill in the blanks of information leading up to Alice's disappearance. The two children she spends most of her time with also slowly help add bits of suspense as to the larger problems in the household. At times I found conversation or behaviour stilted or awkward - immaturity on Alice's part, some of the interactions with Grey- but they don't in any way hinder the overall story. As you read, you are given just enough information to question more about the true nature of possible culprits in the novel, and chapters end exactly where an exclamation point hangs over your head so of course, you have to keep reading.
I do wish there had been more development in the climax of the story, but we do get a nice resolution in the aftermath. I chugged through this book pretty easily and enjoyed that I got my suspense fill without something that was too macabre (though the final truth is still harrowing!). I will be reading more of J.H.'s work.

The beginning was a little slow. As I read, I understood why the author did it that way. She wanted to make sure the reader knew the characters that made up the Davidson family. I loved that the chapters switched between before Alice went missing and after. She did a great job of making the reader feel creeped out, especially when Melanie started figuring out that the Davidson family is a bit odd. It was a little long but the last 25% of the book flew by and was a real page turner.

THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

**rounded up from 4.5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Brief synopsis:
Alice Snyder, an 18 year old 'good girl' from Branchfield, Indiana in search of adventure, abandons her parents and boyfriend to take a job as an au pair in the Scottish Highlands for the Davidson family, looking after two sweet young girls, Tess and Isabel and sometimes the eldest teenage daughter Christina (much to both their dismay).
As time goes on, Alice gets to know the Davidson family, but something isn't right. Alice starts to feel afraid and doesn't know who (if anyone) in the family can be trusted. All of a sudden, Alice disappears, the Davidson family claiming to have no idea what's happened and searches for Alice are proving fruitless.
Enter, Donna. Donna takes the position as the new au pair to replace Alice, but only to try and uncover what happened to her. Can Donna discover what really happened to poor, sweet, Alice? Or has Donna put herself into more danger than she can handle?

I really, really enjoyed The Au Pair. The pace was good and it kept me guessing. Even when I thought I knew who the bad people were, I didn't get everyrhing completely right. The only fault I could give is Alice's character being so annoyingly naive but I guess being so sheltered her whole life, she would be.

Great read!

This is the first book I have read from this author, but it won’t be the last! This was a fantastic and suspenseful thriller, written with dual perspectives/timelines that keep you guessing on what the connection between the two may be. There were tons of twists and turns that kept me guessing myself until the very end. It was a quick and easy read that kept me deeply invested in knowing what happened to Alice! I found myself able to sense something was off just as Melanie does when she arrives, but the writing style and twists kept me from figuring it out until the very end!

I totally recommend this book to any thriller lovers! I’ll be keeping my eye out for more books from this author.

Thank you Netgalley and Inkubator books for the ARC and to share my opinions on the story!

Thankyou to @janerenshawauthor and @inkubatorbooks for allowing me to read and review this copy of The Au Pair.
I love a story where you get a bad feeling about a character (or in this case characters!) from the beginning and it’s safe to say The Davidsons are no normal employers! I felt transported to Scallan Lodge and was transfixed by the story told from two different perspectives and timelines. Enthralling reading!

Alice is an 18 year old American girl that just recently graduated and ran off to Scotland to be an AuPair for the Davidson family. Within a month of her arrival she has disappeared and everyone thinks she died at sea during a swim. Within four days the Davidson family is getting a new AuPair, Melanie. It doesn't take long for Melanie to see that there is some odd things going on at this home and that the Davidson's had something to do with Alice's disappearance. So it is a race against the clock to find Alice or what happened to her before the Davidison's realize who Melanie really is....

This book had a good plot and the characters were well written. The major plot twist was something I did NOT see coming and appreciated the complexity of what the author was doing. It is a quick read that will keep you engaged from start to finish. This was the first book from this author I have read, but it won't be my last.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for an ARC in return for an honest review.

A really gripping story from start to finish!! I just could not stop reading! Amazing, would definitely recommend

2.5 - This was a decent thriller. I liked the writing style and that it was easy to follow the myriad of characters. I did feel it was a bit slow and that the pacing would pick up only to slow down right as I was getting into it. I also didn’t really like the chapters from Alice’s POV. She seemed so much younger than 18 to me, almost like a 10 year old, so it was hard to take her seriously. I did like Melanie’s POVs much more and found her to be a pretty dynamic character. Overall this was a decent read, but I would have enjoyed it more if the pacing was a bit more consistent and Alice was a little more realistic for her age.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this and couldn't put it down. Loved the use of Dual POV and various timelines to build the narrative. Fantastic for fans of Claire Douglas and Lisa Jewell

In my next life, I aspire to be Jane Renshaw.

This sassy little lady has one of the most creative writing styles I have ever experienced.

Imagine being teleported right into the book before you. You can see, smell, and feel everything around you. The emotions are raw, but real.

The chills ran down my spine, I found myself shuddering and almost looking away, to only look back just as quick.

Every time I thought I had it all figured out I was dead wrong. I would say I am a fairly "seasoned" thriller book reader and I thought I had seen and heard it all. What a naive little soul I was.

I mean come on, did we expect anything less from Renshaw? I still remember the feeling I had after concluding both The Child Who Never Was, and the The Stepson (fave!).

Check out this teaser :

The Davidsons seem like a normal family. But they do have one little secret…

American student Alice Snyder was excited to be spending the summer in Scotland, working as an au pair for the Davidson family at their remote lodge. But one month after she arrived, Alice disappeared without trace.

Now the new au pair, Melanie, has arrived - and soon notices that the Davidsons are a bit odd. There’s the strange comings and goings at night, the creepy paying guests, and sinister uncle Gray who makes her flesh crawl.

And then there’s the worrying scratch marks on the floor of the au pair’s bedroom. Did Alice try to barricade herself in? What could she have been so afraid of? Are the Davidsons somehow linked to her disappearance? And is Melanie herself now in danger?

As she desperately tries to find out what happened to Alice, Melanie begins to understand that this old house harbours a truly horrifying secret. Alice was its last victim, but she might be its next…

The Au Pair – the chilling psychological thriller from the best-selling author of The Stepson and The Child Who Never Was.

Gripping you from the moment you start, this thriller is sure to make an impressions on those who love the genre - and are just getting ready to dip their tows in it.

With intriguing characters and depth that will make your mouth water, this book delivers heavy hit after heavy hit. This was a fast paced thriller that took a disappearance, and another girl replacing her, and delivered action packed motions and surprises at every turn. Melanie is a main character who will stick with you well after you've put the book down, and that is something I desperately love in books.

I look forward to seeing what else this author has in store for us! Thank you to Inkubator books and Netgalley for the copy of this arc for an honest review!

I received an ARC of The Au Pair and while it wasn’t necessarily my particular cup of tea, I think there are tons of readers who will enjoy this book. All of the difference POVs and dates ended up proving to overwhelm me a bit.