The Au Pair by Janey Fraser

Jilly and her husband, David, are worried when, due to cut backs in his company, David is forced to take a reduced income. The bills soon start to pile up and it seems the only solution to their financial problems is for Jilly to go back to work but it has to be something that fits around their three children. After listening to her friend complain about the standard of au pairs she's employed recently, Jilly has an idea. She'll set up her own au pair agency and run it from home.

18 year old Marie-France has recently discovered the name and location of the father she has never met so when she spots an advertisement for an au pair agency in the town her father is from, she applies and moves from her home in France to England in a bid to find him.

Widower Matthew is struggling to come to terms with his wife's death but it has been nine months since Sally died and he must return to work. But Matthew's daughter, Lottie, doesn't want him to go back to work and makes it her mission to drive away every au pair who steps over the threshold.

Jilly soon discovers that running an au pair agency from her kitchen table isn't as simple as she first thought but she is determined to make her business a success.

The Au Pair is a fun read, the kind you can curl up with, with a cup of tea and a biscuit (or two) and lose yourself in the amusing world of Corrywood. I loved the confusion over English sayings and phrases as the au pairs arrived as well as the mispronunciation of words. There are lots of fantastic characters, from Turkish Fatima to the villainous Antoinette and Dawn but my favourite character was Marie-France. The poor girl goes through a lot during her quest to find her father but I loved her feisitiness and determination.

Finally - and rather superficially - I loved the cover for The Au Pair. It's so fun and full of character, much like the book, and has lots of little details.

The Au Pair is the first novel that I've read by Janey Fraser but I really enjoyed it. It was fun and light and so the perfect book to relax with.


Thank you to Janey Fraser for sending me a copy to review.

I will be chatting with the author tomorrow.