For four energetic children, between 3 and 10 years old.

Join a NYC family for the best summer of your life in

East Hampton, July 4-Labor Day.

Pay: $10,000.00

Driver's license a must.

Familiarity with the Hamptons, a plus.

Send resumes and head shots to HamptonsAuPairs@yahoo.com

Meet Mara Waters, Eliza Thompson, and Jacqui Velasco -- new au pairs for one of New York City's wealthiest families -- who will spend their summer in one of the most posh, most exclusive spots for summer summering: the Hamptons.

For good girl Mara, this job is a way out of another go-slow Massachusetts summer. Eliza, New York City's former It Girl, knows this is the fast lane back to the stylish world she wishes she'd never left. And for Brazilian bombshell Jacqui, it's a boarding pass back to her American love who told her he'd e-mail as soon as he got home, and didn't.

After all, how hard can an au pair job be? Slap sunscreen on the kids during the day and party at the coolest hot spots at night, right?Wrong.

While Eliza is desperately trying to hide her baby-sitting job from her superspoiled friends who think she's still just as rich as she used to be, Mara's getting awfully cozy with the kids' extremely attractive older brother, Ryan. And Jacqui is heartbroken when she discovers that the love of her life may have been nothing more than a spring fling.

If the girls can manage au pair duties -- all the while mastering the ins and outs of the Hamptons' social scene -- it might just turn out to be the most incredible summer of their lives. But to do it they'll have to stick together. And that's where things definitely get sticky.

All three main characters are likeable and, unlike those too-enviable GG characters, you'll be rooting for them from page 1. Especially the small-town girl, Mara, who is certainly a fish out of water in the glitzy, party-all-night world of the Hamptons. The girls' conflicts add some depth to what might otherwise be a no-brainer sort of novel. Mara strives for independance and self-acceptance, Liza copes with her new lifestyle and Jaqui just wants to be loved for her brain and not her cup size. The setting offers a glimpse into the uber-rich, uber-exclusive world of the Hampton-ites and is quite appealing.

You'll be sorry to see their summer end, but - fear not - the author appears to have set them up for a sequel. Christmas in Palm Beach, anyone?


AWESOME BOOK!!   May 13, 2004
 6 out of 17 found this review helpful

I just bought this book and read it in one day! It's about three au pairs who go to the Hamptons, which is this really rich place outside New York City, and then they have a really fun, amazing, crazy summer. I recommend this book along with the Gossip Girl books.


Exceptionally Well Written!   July 20, 2004
 6 out of 7 found this review helpful

I am not a "chick" and I haven't been "thirty-something" for twenty-something years, but I found this book to be exceptionally clever and engaging. Melissa DeLaCruz is obviously a brilliant young talent who will be a best-selling author in a very short time.

This book was so much fun I could not put it down until I finished it. Yes, I live close the beach but nowhere near the Hamptons.

The entire book was magnificent. The "rules for Hamptons travel" alone is more than worth the price of admission. I could not stop laughing! Anyone who shares my loathing of cretins who broadcast their cell phone conversations in public venues will revel in this chapter, and anyone who enjoys an exhilirating and delightful read will be captivated by this wonderful book.


A Really Good Read   March 15, 2005
 5 out of 5 found this review helpful

If you like stories of romance, friendship and adventures that come with a summer job, you'll love the Au Pairs, by Mellisa de la Cruz. It's set in the Hamptons of New York at the home of Kevin and Anna Perry and their four children, where three girls work as au pairs. The three must accomplish goals Anna has set for the children by the end of the summer, and this proves near impossible because of Jaqui and Eliza's natural instinct to party, leaving Mara, my favorite character, to do all the work. And then there's the mystery of the three au pairs before them who were fired for reasons unbeknownst to the three. It gives suspense to the story... what did they do that was so horrible? But be careful, there is a lot of underage drinking and over-romanced scenes woven into this plot. The description in the novel is a bit lax and the characters are sometimes underdeveloped or overdeveloped, for example, Anna, who you really don't get to know, or Eliza, whose life story is sort of shoved in your face every second of it, like saying to feel sorry for the little rich girl who lost it all. All and all, it was a good book.