The Au Pairs

Book Description

Three girls with three agendas and the ultimate destination: the Hamptons.

Summer in the city? Way overrated. Everybody who's anybody in New York City summers in the Hamptons. Mara, Eliza, and Jacqui all want a piece of the action, all for different reasons.

So the girls answer a classified ad to become au pairs. How bad can it be, watching a couple of kids on the beach all day? They've got the swank address, the sweet ride, and an all-access pass to the hottest social scene on the East Coast. It's shaping up to be the summer of their lives.

Customer Reviews:

Just as good as the listed books!!!!!.......2006-11-22

"The au pairs" was a good book that I read after the "Gossip Girls" and the "A-list" series. It amazing how the author takes three very different and diverse girls and put them under the same roof working for the same person. It's a friendship waiting to happen even though at first they had their differences: how Jacqui and Eliza love to party and Mara is more of a home body. This book is filled with laughter, love, parties, friendship. The way the book is laid out it makes you want to continue reading it. Melissa de la Cruz did an amazing job on writing this book so I read the other ones in the series and they were just as good as the first so I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us.
Luv ya much
~ Breanna Grimes (Grandville, Michigan)

fabulous beach read.......2006-08-13

For a chance at $10, 000 and the best parties of the summer, three girls, Mara, Eliza, and Jacqui, sign up to be au pairs at a wealthy family's house. Mara is there to escape her small-town life. Eliza is there in hopes to reclaim her It Girl status she lost with her father's bankruptcy. Jacqui is there to find a guy she loved and lost. Once there, though, none of their plans go as followed, and they leave changed, for the better. This book was very realistic, and I liked it a lot. It has slightly more substance than many other beach reads, and overall is a great novel.

Excellent.......2006-07-21

This book is a great read that goes by fast. I had a really hard time putting it down. The character differences are great and it made me want to continue. I found it to be fast paced and I was hooked from the get go. No I am not a young adult, but I do enjoy quick light reading and that's exactly what it was. I give it five stars with a smile.

shallow and trite.......2006-06-12

I didn't expect a lot out of this book (I mean, look at the cover), so I guess it really didn't disappoint. I just found it annoying. Basically, everyone in the book is "cool" because they wear the "right" clothes, know the "right" people, smoke and do drugs and seem to have limitless access to alcohol regardless of how underage they are. Even though the author tries to separate the three nannies from the rest of the frivolity, they don't prove to be much different. They all have shallow relationships yet seem to be shocked when things go awry (hello! like we can't tell that a relationship based on nothing more than looks and accessibity isn't meant to last, despite the fact that they're all only 16!).

And these girls are NOT nannies. The author paints a rediculous portrait of au pairs in which they do nothing, are hardly ever around and yet the kids always fall in line. The nannies refer to the kids as monsters and brats, but the kids are practically angelic when you consider that they never get in any trouble even though that have almost no supervision. Reality check, please.

If all you're looking for is a light, fluffy read with no wit or depth and no redeemable qualities, perhaps this is the book you're searching for. Cruz doesn't even portray the cliched snobbishness in a clever way; the writing and plot are completely expected and droll. But if you want to read about relationships as told by someone who can actually write well, check out Sarah Dessen or Deb Caletti. This book is as bad, if not worse, than the gossip girl series. Not worth the time of anyone even slightly intellectual.

The Au Pairs-Intiguing!.......2006-04-10

The Au Pairs by Melissa de la Cruz is an exhilarating book about three teens who think being a Summer Au Pair in the Hamptons will be filled with partying, hot guys, and expensive, designer clothes. What they don't know is that the au pairs that came before them were fired for this reason. Can they survive a summer of
working all day and partying all night? And will they all find what they're looking for, love? With a little bit of romance and adventure, this book will leave you on the seat of your chair.
Written in second person, this book gives you a great insight of the Hamptons; rich people flaunting their money, glamorous parties, gigantic houses, and plenty of designer clothes, but behind the text, it shows that the Hamptons isn't as great as it sounds. Broken hearts, working with hangovers, and an abundance of mistrust within housemates construct the girls to change their minds about the Hamptons.
In the book, Mara, a country girl, describes the view of a big party:
"We drove to an imposing modern mansion on Settler's Landing with P.Diddy's initials carved into wrought iron gates. Several billowing white tents were set up near the entrance to facilitate the guest check-in. Eliza told me that she'd heard the entire city of East Hampton had to be insured for up to five million dollars against any incident related to the party and that Puffy had paid for an eleven-thousand-square-foot tent."
I thought this book was really intriguing because it gives a great description of the Hamptons for those who have never seen something so big and glamorous. I also really liked it because of all the drama from one girl to the next. If you liked Pop Princess by Rachel Cohn, you might like this because it shares related stereotypical, big town, drama.

Average customer rating:

Buying Books Out of Superstition=Unfavourable Reviews
best beach read
Average
more than just a book
Hampton heat in the summer returns

Crazy Hot (Au Pairs)
Melissa de la Cruz
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 141693961X

Book Description

This summer's not just hot...it's crazy hot.

It's been a year since the hottest au pairs ever saw the Hamptons, and they're certainly older -- though not necessarily wiser. Or drama-free.

Eliza, Jacqui, and Mara thought they'd be spending the summer apart, but when Eliza's new stepmother finds herself in need of some nannying help around the megamansion with the step-monsters, Eliza makes a call...and Jacqui and Mara wind up with two first-class tickets to the Hamptons.

After ruling her first year at Parsons, Eliza, the up-and-coming starlet-turned-designer, is opening her own boutique on super posh Main Street. But it's not just Eliza's career that's on the fast track -- her relationship with Jeremy is too. Too bad he's moving too fast for Eliza to keep up.

Brazilian beauty Jacqui is trying to be a good, responsible au pair. But it's tough when there's a hot British photographer following you around, telling you to quit your job and become an international supermodel. All she wants is to make enough money to pay for NYU...so what happens when she gets a much bigger offer?

After getting fired from her travel-writing job and dumped at the airport by her journalist boyfriend, Mara settles for a summer chasing toddlers once again. There's one benefit to nannying: She'll have plenty of material for the novel she's writing about being an au pair -- and an It Girl -- in the Hamptons. Nothing's going to distract her from the task at hand...except perhaps her old flame, Ryan Perry.

Can our three favorite Hamptons girls survive the craziest, hottest summer yet?

Customer Reviews:

Buying Books Out of Superstition=Unfavourable Reviews.......2007-07-18

Okay, I'm going to say something right now that's probably going to make me sound utterly insane. For the past three years, I have read one of Melissa de la Cruz's Au Pairs books every time I have vacationed in Canada.

Why? Well, it really has nothing to do with de la Cruz's genius as a writer. After reading the first two books, I thought she might have some talent, at least for the teen girl set, but after reading another book of hers, the utterly awful Blue Bloods, I decided: no. She doesn't. She can do a good job of writing about meaningless nonsense and making it seem halfway decent, but when it comes to anything serious, she can't write.

So why did I decide to even read either Sun-Kissed or Crazy Hot, nevermind actually buying them at the bookstore when my pathetic small-town library didn't have them?

Because I. am. a superstitious. freak. And I had enjoyed my previous trips. So I thought the books were good luck. Which I became even more convinced of once my 2006 trip was great, too.

Hence, why I bought Book 4--even though my mind was telling me the same thing it had told me once The Princess Diaries and The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants series grew to 4 books after satisfying endings in their third volumes (Sun-Kissed's ending was similarly satisfying--Eliza was with Jeremy AND was a fashion designer, Mara wasn't with Ryan but was going to the right college for her, and Jacqui had learned some important lessons about romance and was ready to do whatever it took to get into college the following year. Satisfying, especially as Ryan had started to really. annoy. me.)

And now it's looking like, out of these three series, The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (and Ann Brashares) is the only one who had the talent/integrity to keep the quality going into stories after Book 3. Meg Cabot's later volumes of The Princess Diaries dragged. Mia and Michael fight about stupid stuff. Mia and Lilly fight about stupid stuff. Various couples break up, other various couples get together. Characters who were previously simply mentioned to add some humour are given personalities. Michael's not a virgin and Mia freaks out. Annoying.

And as for de la Cruz's characters? Ach.

Eliza and Jeremy seem utterly unable to talk about anything important. Mara's boyfriend leaves for Europe for his job, without her only because she screwed up and didn't renew her passport. She whines and pines for Ryan. Who of course is still `meant to be with her' because of course that makes perfect sense, for the couple who continually makes up and breaks up to just be `perfect for each other.' Ach. I cannot stand those sort of relationships, which at their level of drama only exist in fiction. And Jacqui finds some perfect small-town boy by chance and then he leaves the story, only to weirdly show up again at the end, and dates an Australian photographer in the meantime (who I really didn't mind--other people kept calling him a cad but de la Cruz did nothing to show that he's a cad. Therefore, how can readers think he is one?) named Marcus.

Then Mara's boyfriend David shows back up, and once again: "He's a cad, he's a jerk, he's a this, he's a that" from Eliza, Jacqui, Ryan--but HOW DOES HE SHOW IT? HOW? Quick answer--he doesn't. He and Ryan have one overly-competitive game of mini-golf but he never reaches the Jerk Levels that you'd've thought he'd be reaching for people to say he is one. In the scenes between him and Mara, things seem fine, maybe he's not the perfect guy for her, but he's not a jerk. I think de la Cruz is just being lazy--with David, Marcus, pretty much everyone. Even with the characters she wants readers to like, she just has people say a bunch of stuff about them without ever showing their kindness or whatever in action. Which is what MATTERS. Actions, lady. Actions. (More on David near the end)

Oh, and what else bugs me? Let's see. First of all, Natasha Bedingfield? Ach. I despise her music. There are way better lyrics that could've been chosen for beginning-of-book poetry. The lyrics de la Cruz chose (from the way-too-ubiquitous `Unwritten') don't even make any sense to the context of the book. I don't really feel like thinking too hard to come up with a `quotable' song for this, so here's my first two thoughts: `Boys on the Radio' by Hole (sure it's Hole, but it's still `light' enough as to not scare the tweeners) or `Dancin Days' by Led Zeppelin (and she mentions Led Zeppelin in the book, so there we go. Even if she was just trying to do it to seem cool to someone like me, she already has concluded it won't scare the tweeners.) And there've got to be quite a few other things better than `Unwritten.'

And--Mara's `blog.' The `blog' she hopes to turn into a bestselling book. Firstly--I despise chick lit. That's why I don't read it or try to imitate its style in my writing. I don't mind books that deal with relationships. But I don't like it when The Relationship is the Main Focus of the Book. It should be a subplot, as it very seldom can carry the entire thing.

Melissa de la Cruz tries to paint her character Mara Waters as `serious talented writer' material--but she never coughs up the goods. In book 3, she has her magazine job--but we never get to see any of her writing. We're just supposed to believe it's good.

Oh, that it had stayed that way. We get to see her work in Book 4--this is after she's apparently spent all year getting accolades at Columbia for being a talented writer--in the form of her blog.

Her blog is awful. It's not well-written. It reads like emotionless cutesy chick-lit without an ounce of talent behind it. In fact, it reads like what a blog written by a nineteen-year-old de la Cruz might sound like. Not a nineteen-year-old serious writer. I know what a blog by a nineteen-year-old serious writer sounds like, I'm writing one! And then, by the end of the book, we discover that, oh wait--Mara Waters never was just some girl from Massachusetts. She never was an original character with an original storyline. No, because at the end of the book Mara gets a book deal. To publish a chick-lit novel called The Au Pairs. (While she's apparently in Venice with Ryan telling her readers that "Italy is just like home, only with better pizza." Idiot. Italy is NOT "just like home" if `home' is small-town Massachusetts, as it is for Mara. Italy is "just like home" if `home' is Italy. Period.) With a cover depicting three girls in bikinis "without a kid in sight." Mara is de la Cruz's author-insertion character, I was just too stupid to see it after book 3. And I've done a bit of author-insertion in my own work, I won't lie, but...this is too much. It's one thing to write a fantasy involving yourself and Whatever Boy You're Crushing On when you're fifteen...it's quite another to have one of your main characters, who ends up at the same college you did, write your book. And then pass the book off to readers as "genius."

Which leads me to further talking about how David was not a jerk. He arranges for Mara to meet with his book-publishing mother after reading some of her blog for a possible book deal. Then he tells her not to bring pages of her blog to the meeting because "that's not what will sell the idea, your image will." He calls her an "entertaining" writer and that her actual writing "doesn't really matter." All of which is true for dealing with his mother. Mara takes all of this to mean, however, that he doesn't actually think she's talented and inwardly fumes because she `spent a lot of time on that blog.' Well, let me just say one thing--she's not talented. If `her' writing is actually de la Cruz's, then no, she's not. And no, I don't think that any serious publisher would really care for it. (Although I will say I was happy that at least Mara wasn't trying to write a book about vampires in New York City--because the next person who tries to tell me that Blue Bloods is `serious work' will die. In fact, when I find it in bookstores I have been known to slip a note into the front of it warning people that it is a historically inaccurate piece of dreck and that they should not buy it.) So the whole thing with Mara getting a publishing deal and `showing David' just seems like wish-fulfilment for me--"Yeah, I'm a serious writer, take that." Ick. And the thing that made me want to scream the most was when Mara quoted Henrik Ibsen when leaving David. If this girl reads Ibsen, why does she write at the level of a seven-year-old? And I suppose I can say the same thing for de la Cruz. (And also--if de la Cruz reads Ibsen, why does she insist on ending the story with each girl having to be with The Boy rather than having some of them, at least, single-but-happy? I mean, I suppose none of the boys were named Torvald, but still these books seem like the anti-A Doll House.)

Oh, and de la Cruz made a serious error of judgment when she named two of her new characters `Midas' and `Marcus' and then made Mara write a blog where she refers to everyone (including herself) by their first initial. Is this M the writer? M who's dating Jacqui? M the fabulous photographer who might like Eliza? Who knows? Who cares? Idiot.

Aside from that--that Eliza is now a renowned designer is annoying and unbelievable (although not as unbelievable as it was in Book 3) and some of the conversations are ridiculous, unrealistic, and seem to have no shred of passion behind them on de la Cruz's part. We're supposed to believe these are real people in real life, but everything seems so FAKE.

So no, Melissa, you are NOT a serious writer, and I'm rather sorry that you seem to be good luck for me. I wish I could say that about someone talented instead.

best beach read.......2007-07-16

This is de la cruzes 4th book in this series. Reading it makes you feel like a young adult again (I'm 39!) Hes book come out late spring and I buy it and save it for my beach week in July! Its the perfect beach read.
I hope you enjoy it also.

Average.......2007-06-19

This is the fourth book in the series. I must admit, its starting to feel a little tired and the storyline is stretched a little bit. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the basic storyline of Mara having to deal with the children once again as Eliza and J. are having too much fun - felt a little like the beginning of the series.

But my chief complaint about this series - and I mentioned in my previous review of the prior book - this storyline pushing the envelope of reality. You really do have to suspend your disbelief if you are going to get through this book. Once again, these "oh so gorgeous women" just happen to ALWAYS be at the right place, at the right time - making rich men fall at their feet and oh look at that - these same men just happen to be "bigshots" in the fashion world and oh look at that what a coincidence our little Eliza is going to be the top up and coming designer at the ripe old age of 19. Right!!!!!

Sometimes, I just could not belief the storyline - but the writing is fun and the girls are likeable.

A fun beach read.

more than just a book.......2007-06-11

melissa de la cruz is a fabulous writer. I have never read a book that had a lot of meaning through the characters. I wish there was more interaction with the kids, but overall, this book was really good.

Hampton heat in the summer returns .......2007-06-01

Hampton heat in the summer returns with the popular Au Pairs. This fourth installment in Melissa de la Cruz's sizzling hot series will surprise and charm readers with new fashion trends, life-changing questions and heartbreaking decisions.

Eliza has finished her first year at Parsons and is looking forward to opening her own boutique with a summer line in the Hamptons. Jeremy helped her get the shop ready, but after earning a large inheritance, he is suddenly talking houses and kids. When he presents Eliza with the huge Neil Lane diamond of her dreams, she wonders why it all feels so wrong. Being set for life with a career and family at 19 is a lot to handle.

Mara spent her first year at Columbia with intellectual boyfriend David. When they arrive at the airport ready for a summer writing job in Europe, an expired passport means no trip for Mara. But David leaves anyway.

Jacqui endured a humiliating fifth year of high school to get those NYU credentials and is anticipating another summer with the Perrys. She finds out, however, that they're leaving for London and she has only a few weeks left in the apartment they loaned her.

Eliza's newly-divorced father is living with a female business tycoon, who has five gifted children and no nannies. When Eliza arrives to spend the summer with her dad, she calls Mara and Jacqui --- and the girls are together again in the Hamptons.

Jacqui is discovered as the new It Girl model for two "Saucy Aussie" photographers, and they also feature Eliza's designs. Both girls are busy most nights appearing at parties for this fast-track new life. Mara stays home and takes care of the kids, though she manages to bump into Ryan Perry, who did not go to London. After she receives photographs from David in Europe about how much he wishes she were at the Eiffel Tower or Venice, she writes back and breaks it off. Instead, she spends her time on a blog about her life as a Hamptons nanny and plans to work on a book.

Soon Jacqui has to decide if she's still going to NYU, her longtime dream, or to Paris with the flirty photographer. Eliza gets interviewed constantly about her clothes --- and her upcoming wedding, which has no plans yet. Things come to a head for all three girls, and after an air-clearing session with each other, they return to settle their situations with level heads and hearts.

Readers will wish there was a real Eliza Thompson designing the clothes that are described on these pages, but what's truly memorable is the lovely bond these three young women share. CRAZY HOT will fulfill the future for them in a highly satisfying way.

--- Reviewed by Amy Alessio

Average customer rating:

Sunscreen required - 'Sun-Kissed' is smoking!
Fast, fun read
Should've Stopped After Two
A Really Good Book
Fair

Sun-kissed (Au Pairs)
Melissa de la Cruz
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1416917462

Book Description

Be careful or you'll get burned.

The three hottest au pairs in history are back, and this time they're ready to rule the Hamptons. Mara has all the VIPs in the hottest clubs hanging on her every word. Eliza's family is back from financial ruin; and she's got the platinum charge cards to prove it. Jacqui is newly single and ready for some steamy summer hook-ups. The girls seem to have it all this summer...but looks, as we all know, can be deceiving.

Mara's living every girl's dream: playing house with her boyfriend, Ryan Perry, on his parents' luxury yacht while writing a column about night-life in the Hamptons. With a press pass to every hot event, Mara's ready to hit the red carpet and scoop even the most seasoned journalists. If only she could get a pass from Ryan, who just wants her to stay home and cuddle.

Last summer's "No boys!" mantra is a distant memory for Jacqui. While the new au pair, Shannon, handles the Perry kids, Jacqui searches for some serious fun. And she doesn't have to look far: Three dot.com boy millionaires have moved in next door and are more than happy to compete for her affections. Thus Jacqui's new mantra is, "Why have just one when you can have them all?"

Eliza and Jeremy are in total relationship bliss. She's decided to take the next step with Jeremy and nothing's going to stop her this time. Unfortunately, what she thought would be a cakewalk internship for a famous fashion designer turns out to be more hours of hard labor than she, or her relationship, are ready for. Too bad Jeremy won't stop questioning her work ethic long enough for Eliza to get back in the mood.

The Au Pairs: Sun-kissed. Because it's soooo much more than just a job.

Customer Reviews:

Sunscreen required - 'Sun-Kissed' is smoking!.......2007-08-29

Two summers have passed, and the third is on the horizon. But this year, things are quite different from the past. Fashionista, Eliza Thompson, bookworm Mara Waters, and Brazilian bombshell, Jacqui Velasco have waved goodbye to high school, and are looking forward to the future. Unfortunately, while the future lands them all in the Hamptons, this summer, they'll be working in three very different professions that will leave them struggling to find time for one another.

For the past year, Eliza has found herself in relationship bliss with Jeremy Stone, a local Hamptons "gardener," of sorts, who just opened his own business. The two couldn't be happier, but Eliza is still uncomfortable with the fact that her V card is still intact; which is why she plans on handing it over to the wonderful Mr. Stone at the next available opportunity. But opportunities are scarce when you're interning for fashion-do-turned-fashion-don't designer, Sydney Minx, a veritable tyrant who seems to have lost his artistic light, and is searching to steal it from anyone possible. Eliza, with her over-the-top fashion sense, doesn't mind lending a helping hand; after all, she has just snagged a spot at Princeton, and can't wait to set off on the road to higher education in the fall, even if it means slaving a way for an untalented schmuck over the summer.

Mara is finally with the guy of her dreams - Ryan Perry. After two years of being hot-and-cold with the billionaire brother of her charges, this au pair finally sunk her claws into the boy of the hour. And, even though their relationship has been long distance over the past year, they've held tight to their blooming romance. This summer, however, Mara has ditched diaper duty, and is interning at HAMPTONS Magazine, where she'll have the chance to rub elbows with the rich and famous, and write about it in a society column. Even better, after a long day at work, Mara gets to come home to Ryan for snuggle sessions upon his father's yacht - The Malpractice - where the two are playing house for a full three months. The only problem is that Ryan keeps questioning Mara about her impending attendance at Dartmouth University - where Mara has been wait-listed - and Mara is forced to decide whether Columbia or Dartmouth is the proper place for a budding journalist, like herself, to be.

Jacqui, as always, is the epitome of hotness. Having broken up with her boyfriend, Kit Ashleigh, after a few months of bickering, Jacqui is once again single and looking for love. And this summer, she seems to have found it in the form of three billionaire hotties next-door. Smooth-talking Grant Kotack, sensitive Ben Defever, and the hilarious John Duffy are the creators of DormDebauchery.com, and renting out the Reynoldes' house next-door for the summer. While tossing money around like water, and hosting a slew of parties, all three guys are also vying for Jacqui's affections, and waiting for the chance to be called her "boyfriend." While the attention from the three guys is fabulous; Jacqui finds it hard to keep her mind in one place, especially due to the fact that NYU has just broken the news to her regarding the fact that she's missing mathematics and science credits, and will have to complete a fifth year of high school, dashing Jacqui's dreams of embarking on the college experience with her friends. And, to top things off, she's attempting to contend with the newest addition to the au pair line-up, a fifteen-year-old from New Jersey named Shannon Shin, who is utterly obsessed with Jacqui and her friends.

Together, the three girls will have to find a way to survive the summer, or be eaten by the monster known as the Hamptons.

I fell in love with Eliza, Mara, and Jacqui when Melissa de la Cruz first introduced them to the world in THE AU PAIRS, and, over the years, I find myself delving deeper and deeper into their privileged world. SUN-KISSED is no exception. Once more, de la Cruz paints the Hamptons in a light that will make readers want to escape there for a short vacation, then escape from the over-indulgent world for a reality check. Discarding Poppy and Sugar Perry in Los Angeles, where the two have become non-stop party girls, and leaving Kevin Perry in New York, so that Jacqui must contend with the oft-times step-monster, Anna Perry, all by her lonesome, de la Cruz introduces many new difficulties and problems that come along with growing up. Mara is still the most down-to-earth character, as she looks towards her future, and attempts to make the appropriate decisions that will suit her the best in her future. She has truly matured quite a bit since recovering from the "diva" syndrome that plagued her last summer in SKINNY-DIPPING. Eliza, on the other hand, has returned to her pampered princess ways. With her parents having reclaimed their fortune, Eliza is once again, riding high. However, she exceeded my expectations when she really began to get her hands dirty, and prove that, even though she's a spoiled little rich girl, she can work it like a pauper. Jacqui, while still an au pair for the Perry's, really shows a new side to herself, as well. Gone is the unsympathetic nature that she had towards the opposite sex in THE AU PAIRS, and, in its place, comes a kind, caring persona, who wants to spare people's feelings - no matter how hard she needs to work to do so. The introduction of Shannon Shin is entertaining. She talks a mile-a-minute, and seems like an obnoxious character at times, but she certainly redeems herself as the story continues, and leaves you hoping for her return in the next book. The presence of the children - Madison, William, Zoe, and Cody - is minimal within SUN-KISSED. However, that isn't too odd, considering all of them have grown up so much, and are displaying new traits and characteristics that they lacked in previous installments. Sunscreen required - SUN-KISSED is smoking!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Fast, fun read.......2007-02-23

I was surprised to see some of the reviews here. I guess some people felt this book was not as good as its predecessors in the series. I thought it was maybe a little better, since the 3 girls were no longer working together. As a result, there were more varied storylines. It also seemed like Eliza, Jacqui and Mara had developed more distinct personalities. And each one had troubles that a teenage girl (or any woman, for that matter) could relate to.

Eliza gets hired as an assistant to a diva-esque designer, only to get fired for upstaging him. Mara dives into her job as a cub reporter with enthusiasm, but her relationship is on the line, because Ryan would rather surf than go to parties where Mara needs to interview celebrities. NYU turns Jacqui down because she didn't take enough math and science courses in Brazil.

The plot twists are entertaining and numerous, if not always believable. They helped make the book a compelling read. If you liked The Au Pairs and Skinny Dipping, I don't see why you wouldn't like this one.

Should've Stopped After Two.......2006-07-24

Ms. de la Cruz's writing was flawless as usual, but the content was a disappointment compared to the first two in the series. I know that you have to read these knowing they're unbelievable, but this one went too far in my opinion. Mara somehow manages to be one of the best writers for a magazine and gets published in a big name paper; three incredibly cute and successful guys all want to be with Jackie; and Eliza starts her own fashion line--complete with a show--and the press comes to see it. Oh, and the girls throw a huge party for Anna and Kevin so they won't get a divorce. And Jacqui uses Anna's ATM account without any trouble at all. It was just too much.

Also, whereas with the last two books I felt like there was a nice progression through time, this one was different. It seemed like the summer went by without anything really happening. Mara and Ryan live on a boat together. All Ryan does is surf and Mara puts out amazing articles. The only conflict was that Ryan wanted Mara to be with him more often. He ends up coming off as some weak pansy. Jacqui just goes on dates with the boys next door and has trouble deciding which one is for her. The kids are hardly mentioned. There's a new Au-Pair whose only purpose in the book is to hack into computers because she's a smart Asian. The series should not have been entitled Au-Pairs since the third book had nothing do with it.

My main problem with the book is that there were only the big events that were covered, so it felt like I only got to see what they were doing every three weeks or so. To be perfectly honest, there just wasn't much of a plot. It was still an entertaining read, but I was disappointed after the first two were so great. Ms. de la Cruz said she might write a fourth, so I'm hoping it will be better, and a little more believable--like the first two.

A Really Good Book.......2006-06-28

Well, It's really hard for me to say whether or not it was worse then the other two in the series (Au Pairs, Skinny-Dipping), but but it was amazingly intersting and fun to read.
The book is about three girls who come back for their third summer in the Hamptons. Jacqui is still an Au Pair for the Perry's, Eliza lands a job as an interen for a famous designer but ends up designing some clothes along the way, and Mara is staying with Ryan on his yacht! TOGETHER!
Of course, their are some problems that develop with the three girls. The Perry Parents are fighting and Mr. Perry files a divorce with Anna (his wife). This is not going to work for Jacqui because if she can't keep this job, then she can't go to school in New York!
Eliza gets fired from her designing job (You'll see why), gets a new job at a crappy lunch resturant, fights with her boyfriend Jeremy because he used to date her evil ex-coworker.
Mara's boyfriend Ryan doesn't understand how important Mara's job is to her. He wants her to stay home with him and have fun all day. Mara's extremly upset because she got accepted into a good school in New York that has a great writing program, but she finds out she acepted into Darthmouth, the school that Ryan goes to, and she doesnt want to tell him that she thinks that she should go to the school in New York (I think it's Columbia). Read to find out what happens!

Fair.......2006-06-07

I really enjoyed the other books in the series, if, as I had previously stated, you were ready to suspend your disbelief.

I found this one very hard to get through. I think the problem is that the storyline felt forced. The author was attempting to show that each of the au pairs had individual lives, while at the same time, trying to write stories showing them together.

It did not work. I think what worked so well in the first books was the fact that the au pairs were always basically together - since they all worked together. Now, the cuteness has been lost and I frankly found myself not caring about any of them.

I think its time to retire this series.

Average customer rating:

A sequel sure to spice up your summer!
Weak and unrealistic
i love this book and im not a reader
A very Interesting book..............
Good read if you can suspend your disbelief

Skinny-dipping (Au Pairs)
Melissa de la Cruz
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1416903836

Book Description

Same Hamptons,

all new games

Not-so-poor-anymore Eliza has traded babysitting for velvet-rope-sitting. And Jacqui, in an odd twist, is doing all the babysitting because Mara's up every night doing her best second-rate party girl impression at the hot club where Eliza works. At first it's annoying, but the new au pair, Philippe, is sexy and French -- but off-limits to Jacqui, who claims she's sworn off guys.

Your favorite bikini-clad au pairs are back. But this summer, if it's possible, they will have more fun, more sun, and more romance than they know how to handle.

Customer Reviews:

A sequel sure to spice up your summer!.......2007-05-18

Just-turned-seventeen, Eliza Thompson, isn't even a legal adult, yet she has already ruled the celebutante scene, and lost her It Girl status, something even the biggest celebs haven't managed to do. But it's not something she's proud of. In fact, it's not something that was even her fault. After living the sweet life for sixteen years of her life, Eliza's father was finally caught embezzling money from his company, sending the Thompson family into a tizzy that left them broke, and forced to leave their privileged life on the Upper East Side for a more humble existence in...Buffalo. But Eliza managed to reclaim her title slightly last summer, when she worked for the Perry family as an au pair, alongside two very different - yet very gorgeous - girls. The summer wouldn't have been a complete bust if it weren't for the Perry twins - Sugar and Poppy - who did everything in their power to let everyone know that Eliza was no longer one of the privileged. In fact, she had now been reduced to "hired help" status. This summer, however, is guaranteed to be better. Her parents managed to scrape together enough rent money for a place in Westhampton, and instead of chasing four little ankle-biters around all summer, Eliza has taken on a job with Seventh Circle - the soon-to-be hottest club in the Hamptons. Eliza can imagine that she'll be rubbing elbows with the rich and famous, and just knows that she'll be able to reclaim her It Girl status. But just a few nights of work let her see that catering to the whims of celebrities isn't as easy as she originally thought. In fact, it can be downright more difficult than being a nanny - if that's even possible. But that's certainly not the worst of it. Eliza's bank account is quickly dwindling down, her credit card is maxed out, and, adding insult to injury, the Perry's gardener, Jeremy, whom she fell madly in love with last summer, has taken on an internship with a conservative firm, and is suddenly walking around in a suit, and acting completely...different. Now Eliza is finding it difficult to figure out whether or not their budding romance will be able to last, or if they'll be forced to break-up fast.

As for It Girls...shy, small-town honey, Mara Waters, is the last girl anyone thought would take the Hamptons by storm. But last year, after beginning a relationship with the handsome, drool-worthy Ryan Perry, Mara was suddenly splashed on the cover of newspapers across the country, and even landed in Page Six various times. But then she did the unthinkable and dumped Ryan, feeling as if she wasn't good enough for him. This summer, however, between chasing around the Perry kids, and working on her tan, Mara is determined to reclaim her man. What she doesn't know, is that over winter break, Eliza and Ryan spent some time hooking up in Palm Beach, which could instantly spell disaster in both her relationship with Ryan, and her friendship with Eliza. When she arrives back in the Hamptons and sees a new girl hanging all over Ryan, however, Mara does the unthinkable: she begins using uber-rich Garrett Reynolds as her own personal boy toy to make Ryan jealous. The only thing her relationship with Garrett manages to do, however, is land her in the pages of Us Weekly to Page Six, once again, comparing her to party girl Tara Reid. Mara is usually such a responsible girl, but the Hamptons, and a broken heart seem to be taking their toll on her psyche, landing her in hot water in the press, and with the people she truly cares about. She'd love to just go back to being herself, but the delicious sample clothes that are poring in from designers all over the world for her to wear are calling her name, just screaming to be worn in front of the cameras. It doesn't hurt much that the gifts Garrett is lavishing her with are more than enough to pay for her entire college education, and leave Ryan in a disgruntled huff.

Then there's Jacqui Velasco. The Brazilian bombshell with a Sports Illustrated-worthy body has always loved the male species. But after having her heart broken by "her Luca" last summer, Jacqui has resolved to do the unthinkable - write off boys. She's under the impression that boys are the reason for her failing grades, and bad relations with many of the people around her, and is convinced that by kissing them goodbye - at least for a little while - she'll be able to pull up her GPA, and keep from having her heart stomped on. As much as Jacqui loves her home in Brazil, she wants nothing more than to stay in New York City for her senior year, attending Stuyvesant, then moving on to NYU. Mara may have been the responsible one last summer, but this summer, that responsibility has fallen upon Jacqui's shoulders. With Mara out partying and drinking every night, Jacqui has begun taking care of the Perry rascals solely, and doesn't mind it a bit. But when she meets Philippe, the handsome tennis player from France who happens to be taking Eliza's spot as the third Perry au pair, Jacqui has a tough time keeping her eyes - and hands - from wandering. And begins to question her pledge to avoid boys at all costs. After all, summer is a time for love, and Jacqui plans on enjoying a romance with the yummy Philippe - even if it costs her, her job.

Melissa de la Cruz's first Au Pair effort, THE AU PAIRS, was not only scandalous enough, but the absolute perfect springboard for a series that would blend summer romance, summer jobs, power, privilege, and money all into one neat little package. With the release of SKINNY-DIPPING, de la Cruz manages to to illustrate that spectacularly. While THE AU PAIRS gave readers background on the main characters - Jacqui, Mara, and Eliza - SKINNY-DIPPING brings us even deeper into the world of Hamptons royalty, and what it takes to stay on top as an It Girl. Mara takes on a totally different persona within the pages of SKINNY-DIPPING, morphing from a sweet, small-town girl, into a dancing-on-top-of-tables, drinking-til-the-wee-hours-of-the-morning, Paris Hilton clone, who isn't against ditching her old friends who loved her last summer, for new friends who can get her into the hottest clubs, and shower her with amazing gifts. Her new attitude makes her slightly unlikable; while, at the same time, keeps the reader fixated on her character, as she stumbles through an array of bizarre, and un-Mara-like antics. Jacqui, on the other hand, seems much more mellow than she was in THE AU PAIRS, spending more time with her charges, and studying her SAT textbook. Her fire is still burning brightly, but she's more bombshell-turned-brainiac than wild child ready to take the world by storm. Her tumultuous relationship - or lack thereof - with the slightly sketchy Philippe is truly the only thing reminiscent of the Jacqui from THE AU PAIRS. Yet, even with her new persona, Jacqui is as addicting, and lovable, as ever. Eliza has managed to stay the same since last summer, except for the fact that she's slightly more humble than she previously was. She's still uptight, kind of a control freak, and totally obsessed with reclaiming her title as Hamptons It Girl, but she has one of the - seemingly - coolest jobs ever, which totally makes up for it. The only thing questionable about her is the fact that she insists that she's in love with Jeremy, yet hooks up with Ryan, making her seem emotionally and romantically confused - which is actually quite relatable for teenage girls. The fact that the three girls aren't all working together, and have changed so much over the past year does take-away from the storyline to a certain extent. Gone are the thousand-dollar shopping sprees, girl talk over ten-dollar lattes, and tanning sessions under the steamy sun. In fact, the girls hardly ever even hang out with one another throughout SKINNY-DIPPING, opting to do their own thing. Yet each one of them is so entertaining that the reader is hardly bothered by this new format. After all, there's always next summer for rekindling old friendships - and relationships. A sequel sure to spice up your summer!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Weak and unrealistic.......2007-04-06

Sorry. I was not in the least interested in the people and context of this story. It was more a list of tradenames of shopping articles which brainless rich girls were seeking to own.

i love this book and im not a reader.......2006-06-28

I read the first and had to buy this one. Its easy reading and she describes everything really good. It definately is juicier! I would love to move to the Hamptons to see what she is talking about and/or even be an au pair. She is a great author i just pretty much bought all her books. im 22 and enjoy reading this on the beach and when im home too!!!!

A very Interesting book.....................2005-08-12

This book is great to entertain yourself in a boring weekend, it really gets a hold on you.
I read the first one also, which I liked better; I think you could see more clearly the way in which three different teenagers, coming from three very different places get together in a place that consists in a material world. Comparing the two books, you could simply say that the first one is a little more realistic.
At the end of the first book, the three au pairs end up being great friends with new plans and expectations for their next meeting, but things will change faster than they think, and when they come back to The Hanptons there will be more conflics, more drama,and much more complications with the girls' characters and the way they react to the never-endless chaos in which the people from The Hamptons live.

by: Carla R.

Good read if you can suspend your disbelief.......2005-08-10

This is the second book in the Au Pairs series. Although aimed at teen audiences, I am an adult and I enjoyed this book (as I did the first one).

The writing is fun and the storyline kind of plays into everyone's fantasy of getting away from it all for the summer and to play in the Hamptons. Meet rich people and do exciting things that we would not normally get a chance to do.

Having said this, if you are the type who needs to have a strong, solid, realistic storyline than DO NOT purchase this book. The Mara character especially is so unrealistic (everything she does is picture worthy and oh so, perfect) that you will want to gag.

However, if you don't mind this than go ahead and read this one. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope that there is a part trois sometime down the road.

Average customer rating:

Oui! J'aime Au Paris!
bon
Au Paris
interesting American in Paris memoir
A lovely trip to Paris without ever having to leave my apartment!

Au Paris
Rachel Spencer
Manufacturer: Citadel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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All You Need to Be Impossibly French: A Witty Investigation into the Lives, Lusts, and Little Secrets of French Women

ASIN: 0806527978

Customer Reviews:

Oui! J'aime Au Paris!.......2007-05-05

I agree with MOST of the other reviewers. Au Paris did give you a trip to Paris in the comfort of your own living room. I loved her Espresso rituals, culinary encounters, and her charming diatribes about the French. Most importantly, I adored how she learned to love herself. That's what counts. I wish you luck, Rachel Spencer. You are fabulous.

bon.......2007-03-31

I'm 15 and love kids. this book was the best I have ever read! Rachel's story is amazing and the way she tells it is engaging. I always thought that autobiographies were a bore and the authors would just give monologues. But this is the first and only one I've read that actually made me feel like I was sitting with Rachel on the couch just having a chat. Anyone can relate to this novel in some way, through kids, fashion, france, or food; and connect to the story. This book deserves more than two thumbs up, so I give it all ten fingers.

Au Paris.......2007-02-04

As a lover of all things French, this book gave life to all of the things that I love about Paris and the French people. Spencer gives an articulate view of Paris and shares her own vulnerable and honest perspective of her interactions with the city and people. Through out the book I laughed and cried through Rachel's experiences. Au Paris makes me realize how much I long to return to Paris and learn more about their amazing culture.

interesting American in Paris memoir.......2007-01-15

After three years working in the Houston Chronicle's Ad sales Department, Rachel Spencer knew she needed a change as this was no what she planned on so she accepted a job as an au Pair in AU PARIS. Her sister Sarah had arranged for her to serve as nanny to the affluent Vladesco famille. This book is her memoir of almost a year in France of an American employed by a French family. The entries are often humorous from the first pratfall as Ms. Spencer adapts to the reality of being a servant caring for a young teen and two preadolescent children and not a member of the family. The descriptions of Paris are top rate, her realization of chic is out and practical is in. This will remind many readers of similar incidents (don't do an audit of a helicopter repair mission in a light brown suit), and her troubles keeping her fourteen year old charge Rachel away from males is complex and difficult as the nanny just wants to be an older buddy to the fille. Though some of the reactions seem naive (perhaps because this reviewer has too many decades of work), and the ethics of a memoir that, though exposing nothing scandalous does expose an employee's family, seems questionable; this is an interesting look at An American in Paris working as a nanny to a French family.

Harriet Klausner

A lovely trip to Paris without ever having to leave my apartment!.......2006-12-28

This light read was perfect for a weekend get away without ever having to leave my apartment! Ms. Spencer's tale of discovering Paris, along with herself, is sheer delight. Her descriptive style of writing takes you on a journey and allows you to escape your day to day routine. I especially enjoyed seeing the transformation of her not having to have a plan for everything but rather to let life lead you...it's a lesson we can all take to heart.

Average customer rating:

Skinny-dipping (the au pairs)
melissa de la cruz
Manufacturer: simon and schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

Au Pair
Laugh out loud funny funny take on family life
Hysterical laughter when reading...
Hilarious Must Read
A Laugh Yourself Silly Book

And God Created the Au Pair
Benedicte Newland , and Pascale Smets
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452287286

Book Description

A hilarious novel that will make you think twice about being a) an au pair, b) a mother, or c) without an au pair ever again

And God Created the Au Pair chronicles two years in the lives of Charlotte Bailey and Nell Fenton, sisters separated from each other by an ocean and from their sanity by their children. Nell, who has recently been uprooted to Canada, is awash in potty training, keeping up with the Stepford wife next door, and fantasizing about murdering the pet hamster. Charlotte is lucky enough to enlist three au pairs, but still must contend with nosy neighbors, a fixer-upper that refuses to be fixed, and a lazy brother-in-law who refuses to leave. Through it all, both sisters are determined to remain the elegant, creative, and wonderful mothers they truly are . . .

Customer Reviews:

Au Pair.......2007-04-11

It was a good read, and I received the book in a timely fashion.

Laugh out loud funny funny take on family life.......2006-12-17

This book, written by two sisters, fittingly features two British sisters, Nell and Charlotte, both of whom are married with three children. Nell has recently relocated to Canada, whereas Charlotte is back home in a money pit-type house (complete with the ever-present handman) on the outskirts of London. The book consists mainly of email correspondence between the two of them, although letters to other family members and friends are mixed in occasionally. Perhaps a bit unrealistically, both Nell and Charlotte are endlessly witty, always quick with a return quip and eager to top each other's horror stories of child-rearing (in contrast with what the unlikely title of the book might suggest, only Charlotte actually employs au pairs). Yet surprisingly, both are eager to have a fourth child, and their struggles around this make for the book's few moments of seriousness. Although I don't have children myself, the humor of family surburban living is relatable to just about anyone, and thus I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this novel to anyone, singles and mothers alike. A great fun read!

Hysterical laughter when reading..........2006-10-23

This book has now reached the UK (I note that previous reviewers were all the other side of the Atlantic) and has tickled this Brit's sense of humour. Best be alone when reading, as you simply cannot help laughing out loud at the antics of the irrepressible Hugh - and oh! did I ever relate to some of his misdeeds! You have to read the book to find out the trials and tribulations of the two sisters and how they deal with their little darlings - and the elusive Au Pairs of the title. Unputdownable!

Hilarious Must Read.......2006-08-01

I received this book as a birthday gift & devoured it. The format was refreshingly unique... email's between sisters who are separated by an ocean. The topics were relavent to everyday life (parenting & marriage in particular) but with a very humorous twist. Be perpared to laugh out loud...

A Laugh Yourself Silly Book.......2006-06-21

I absolutely love this book. A great modern twist on this writing style, but hysterically funny! Advise not reading in public as you may be committed for laughing like a lunatic. Truly the funniest book I may have ever read!

Average customer rating:

School's Out

School's Out (Little Apple Paperback)
Johanna Hurwitz
Manufacturer: Little Apple
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0590450530

Book Description

The "Class Clown" is back!

Lucas Cott is ready for a summer vacation -- no more homework, no teachers, no rules! But when his mother hires a French au pair named Genevieve to help take care of Lucas and his younger brothers, he thinks it will be like living with a teacher all summer.

The mischievous Lucas can't help taking advantage of "General Genevieve" -- ice cream for dinner and a popcorn blizzard are just two of his victories. And when he climbs the painter's ladder and sits on the roof, he doesn't mind the punishment he gets. It was worth it. Or was it?

Johanna Hurwitz, author of the best-selling Class Clown, treats readers to a warm and funny story about a boy who learns that the end of school doesn't mean a vacation from responsibility.

Customer Reviews:

School's Out.......2002-06-12

This book was about a family that needed a babysitter for a whole summer. Lucas, one of the older brothers, didn't want a babysitter. He wanted to be able to do what he wanted with no people around to boss him around. When the babysitter got here from France, Lucas knew he wasn't going to like her. After a few days Lucas was tired of having somone around all the time. He played bad tricks and blamed them on Genevieve (the babysitter)to get her fired. Then Lucas finds out that all Geniveve is doing is helping his mom. Do you think Lucas will end up getting along with her?
I loved reading this book because Ilike the way the author set up the story and how they had a babysitter come over the summer vacation. Also, I enjoyed the different events going on while Genevieve is babysitting over the summer. I recommend to students in at least fourth grade because younger children might not understand the book.

Average customer rating:

much better than expected
Fay Weldon
Stupidest ending I've ever read
What?
An engaging novel chockfull with fascinating subplots

She May Not Leave
Fay Weldon
Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0871139421

Book Description

Fay Weldon lets her incisive wit loose on a hot issue facing many modern families — child care, and what can happen when that involves having a nanny under your roof.

Hattie and Martyn are the proud parents of newborn Kitty; both are in their early thirties, smart, handsome, and, for reasons of liberal principle, not married but partnered. All seems fine at first — healthy baby, happy couple — but when they have to decide who'll look after little Kitty, things get complicated. Hattie's dying to get back to work but Martyn fears employing foreign help might hurt his leftist political aspirations. Martyn capitulates when Agnieska arrives — a Polish nanny who happens to be both domestic goddess and first-rate belly dancer, the maker of a mean cup of cocoa who's also educated in early childhood development. Having her in the house makes life livable again for the young couple, so when problems arise with her immigration papers Martyn and Hattie will do anything to keep her in the country. But will their decision to have Martyn marry her be the trouble-free solution they envision?

Customer Reviews:

much better than expected.......2007-10-15

I got this book by accident--I was on vacation in England and grabbed some British women's magazine off the rack in the gas station, thinking I would have a little mindless reading for the train ride. Well, in England a lot of magazines include free gifts, and this book was shrink-wrapped to it.

I expected this to be a silly romance novel, on the level of the ones Cosmopolitan prints excerpts from. I had never heard of Fay Weldon. So I was quite surprised to find a very, very darkly humorous and well-written novel.

The key is that NONE of the characters in this are sentimentalized at all. While Martyn and Hattie and Frances et. al. really do love each other, they are predominantly self-interested. Martyn is more concerned with the future of his political journalism career than with his partner's slow breakdown, Hattie is more concerned about being able to go back to work than with the obvious play Agnieszka is making for her common-law husband and child, Agnieszka is more concerned about getting to stay in England than by the damage this could cause Kitty in the long run, and even Baby Kitty, Weldon points out, loves best the person who attends to her needs the most.

That said, because the characters are so unlikeable (or very uncomfortably likeable), it's a hard novel to get into. Many people will be put off by the rather cavalier way mothers in three generations of this family leave their young children in the primary care of others. The mothers, simply put, aren't "motherly."

As to the people who claimed that the ending was a cop-out...uh, didn't you read the very beginning of the book? It was building all along...

Fay Weldon.......2006-10-02

You have to have Fay Weldon's perspective to enjoy her books. Serious Americans don't seem to have it much.
This book may not be as great as a lot of her others and it's even hard
going at times, but if you're into Fay Weldon like most women, you'll appreciate it - especially the ending which is what it's all about.
It just took too long to get there!

Stupidest ending I've ever read.......2006-08-25

I agree with the above reviewer in that finishing this book actually made me really angry. I've never been compelled to write a review on amazon before, but this was the most ridiculous ending I've ever encountered. Without giving it away, it completely negated the preceding 275 pages of character development for one of the main characters. I can't imagine it passing muster in a freshman English writing course, much less a publishing house. I found the grandmother's narration irritatingly self-riteous throughout the novel as well. The only thing that kept me reading was the engaging storyline between Hattie, Martin, and the au pair, but the ending blew that for me. The politics behind it are questionable as well: the tired old villification of the working mother, the sexually available au pair, the husband who just can't help himself, etc. Oh, I could go on but I won't. Just take my advice and don't waste your time on this ridiculous book.

What?.......2006-07-04

I cannot believe I actually read this entire book. While I will not reveal the entire story to you as the reviewer before me did, I will say it is a total waste of money. The book is so out of touch with reality that I wonder exactly how it ever got published. The ending is so unbelievable that I wondered who this writer actually knew to get this book published. If I did not dislike people who "retell" books in their version, I'd tell you exactly how awful it is. Some people just do not understand the difference between your opinion of a book and PLEASE TELL ME THE ENTIRE STORY so I don't have to buy the book. Sorry I sound so angry, I'm just so disappointed in this book and the money I wasted on it.

An engaging novel chockfull with fascinating subplots.......2006-06-26

"When the maid is mistaken for the mistress it is time for the mistress to ask the maid to leave."

Agnieszka comes to live with Martyn and Hattie as an au pair. The family dynamic changes, bit by bit, shifting the daily domestic and child-rearing responsibilities from Hattie to Agnieszka. Kitty, at six months of age, adores her new au pair. Hattie, an editor with a book publisher, looks at Agnieska as a Godsend; Hattie can go back to work after a six-month leave of absence rather than the full-year leave she initially requested.

Fay Weldon has woven countless subplots, offering the reader insight into political and social mores, and the complex relationships between family members and friends. As the narrator is Hattie's grandmother, Francis Watt, we see another generation's views on all of these issues, as well as family history.

Deceit is a quality known by many. It is a quality that Weldon weaves into her tale, offering the reader brief glimpses of the truth, while daring you to believe that the truth could be so devious. Will Martyn and Hattie do anything to keep Agnieszka, even in the face of the Immigration Service? Agnieszka originally states that she's from Poland. She is actually from the Ukraine: "two miles to the west and everything would be different for us."

Hattie's career in book publishing has taken a sudden turn in the road. A man with Tourette's Syndrome has a book he wants published by Hattie's firm. The major objection to this book is the suggested yet unprintable title. Another question arises when the author shows up unannounced in the lobby of Hattie's office. Expecting him to begin yelling streams of profanity, the office workers don't know what to do with him. Hattie suggests that he doesn't even have Tourette's Syndrome; he is just writing from the perspective of a man who does.

There are many gems in SHE MAY NOT LEAVE. Weldon has given the reader countless opportunities to anticipate the final result. It's so subtle and so polished, yet so innocent. Weldon totally sneaks up on you!

--- Reviewed by Marge Fletcher

Redbook's Nannies, Au Pairs & Babysitters: How to Find and Keep the Right In-Home Child Care for Your Family

Average customer rating:

Redbook's Nannies, Au Pairs & Babysitters: How to Find and Keep the Right In-Home Child Care for Your Family
Jerri L. Wolfe
Manufacturer: Hearst Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Nanny Book: The Smart Parent's Guide to Hiring, Firing, and Every Sticky Situation in Between

Accessories:

ASIN: 1588160041

Book Description

For working parents, deciding whom to trust to look after a child in their home can be a decision fraught with anxiety, not to mention legal issues. From the #1 magazine for women with children, here is reassuring advice and information that explores all the issues of at-home childcare, including: How to find and interview prospective babysitters and define their responsibilities; The legal and financial implications of hiring "off the books;" How to determine an appropriate wage; How to handle raises and vacations; How to tell if your babysitter is doing a good- or a bad-job ; Resolving conflicts and differences.

While helping parents decide what kind of at-home caregiver they need, this book emphasizes the importance of the relationships among family, child, and caregiver, and its pages reflect the voice and perspective of each party. A special bonus section called "Welcome to Our Family" allows readers to customize information about their families, such as emergency numbers, a child's meal and habits, and more.

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