The Au Pair's Deception - Book Tour and Giveaway

 

She was looking for a fresh start,

but some families hide dark truths behind closed doors.

The Au Pair’s Deception

by C.J. Covino

Genre: Psychological Domestic Suspense, Crime Thriller

Claire Sinclair knows what it means to survive.

After a childhood shaped by trauma, she’s built a life rooted in stability—a thriving career, a home filled with love, and a devoted husband everyone envies.

But when Bella arrives as an au pair, the carefully constructed world Claire depends on begins to unravel.

At first, it’s subtle. A shift in tone. A look held too long. A moment that feels wrong—but not wrong enough.

Until it is.

As Grant’s behavior escalates, Claire begins to question herself—her instincts, her memories, the quiet unease she can’t quite explain. For the sake of her daughter, she holds on…even as something inside her starts to fracture.

But Bella sees what Claire can’t. She recognizes the signs. The patterns. The danger.

Because she’s lived it before.

As the tension inside the house builds toward something neither woman can ignore, the line between endurance and survival begins to blur—and the choice Claire makes next could cost her everything.

A layered psychological thriller told through dual perspectives, The Au Pair’s Deception explores what happens when two women—both shaped by their pasts—are forced to confront the same danger from different sides. Combining escalating suspense with emotional depth, it’s a character-driven story of survival, resilience, and the cost of breaking free.

Trigger Warning: This book contains depictions of domestic abuse and violence which may be triggering to some readers. Please read with caution.

 

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Claire stepped through the front door of her colonial home, greeted by the scent of tomato sauce drifting from the kitchen. The comfort was exactly what she needed after the heavy therapy session with Evelyn.   

“Clark is here,” Grant called from the living room, his voice cheerful.   

Claire froze for a moment, her stomach churning at the mention of his name. Something about her husband’s friend had always set her instincts on edge.  

She recalled Evelyn's words about instincts. She shouldn't ignore them.   

“Great,” she muttered under her breath.   

Forcing a smile, she made her way through the foyer to the living room, where she found Grant and Clark lounging on the couch. Their laughter rang out like a haunting melody, heightening her discomfort. Clark leaned back, his casual confidence radiating, his gestures animated. The way he threw his head back and guffawed made her nauseated.   

“Hey, Claire!” Grant said. “You're just in time. Clark was telling me about this wild trip he took last year.”   

Clark flashed her a disarming smile. “A little ski adventure in Canada—nothing like ungroomed black-diamond runs for an adrenaline rush, right?” He gazed at Claire with a menacing, glassy gleam.   

“Sounds… interesting,” she replied, forcing the words out as tightness gathered in her chest. Her focus shifted to Grant, hoping for a flicker of recognition that she was unhappy to have Clark there, but he was leaning back with an amused smile on his lips.  

“Bella made an Argentine dish, by the way,” Grant added, his tone light and carefree.   

“I'm starving.” Clark leered, his gaze lingering on her longer than necessary, making her blood run cold. “I bet it’s delicious. I've heard Bella has a knack for cooking.”   

“Yes, she does,” Claire said, trying to mask her annoyance. It was already taking all her willpower to keep from asking why he’d come over.    

 

 

Clark seemed too comfortable, too at home in spaces that were intimate for her. Her mind raced with memories of their wedding day and of Grant’s possessive demeanor when Clark had made a joke that struck too close to home.   

“I was just telling Grant how lucky he is to have a woman who spends her days saving lives,” Clark continued, leaning forward as if drawing her into his web. “It must be tough to manage everything, but you do it so well.”   

Claire clenched her jaw. “It’s part of the job.”   

“Of course,” Clark replied, his tone dripping with insincerity. “But you know, it’s important to take time for yourself, too. I bet you could use a break.” 

“I’m fine.” Her voice was sharper than she’d meant. She could feel them both staring at her, their expressions curious.

She wanted nothing more than to retreat from the room. Instead, she plastered on a smile and changed the subject. “Where are Bella and Olivia?”

“Don’t you remember, dear?” Grant’s voice held a hint of irritation. “Olivia’s having dinner at Rose’s house with Maya. Bella dropped her off.”

“Yes, of course. Well, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I’m going to change for dinner.”  

“Don’t be gone too long, Claire,” Grant warned, his features tightening with disapproval.   

She walked away, unable to shake the feeling that Clark was a dark presence in her home.  

Once upstairs, she collapsed onto her bed. Her head was pounding. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to quell the pain. She hadn’t had a migraine in several months, but the signs were unmistakable—sensitivity to light and sound, an aura of flashing lights. Her body prickled with pins and needles.   

She struggled to sit up, pulled open the drawer in her nightstand, and retrieved a bottle of medication. It would make her sleepy, but the alternative was dizziness, chills, and vomiting, which were worse.   

Shuffling to the bathroom, she filled a cup with water and swallowed the pill. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Deep, dark circles framed her eyes. Her skin was pale, her lips tinged blue. She dragged herself back to bed, her knees weak. If she could rest for even a few minutes, maybe she’d make it through dinner.   

She awoke to Grant shaking her. He spoke through clenched teeth, keeping his voice low. “I told you not to be gone too long. You’ve been up here for over an hour. Everyone’s waiting. Bella’s ready to serve dinner. Not only is this rude to Clark, but it’s also disrespectful to me.”   

Despite the medication's sedating effect, his words made her face flush with anger.

“I had a migraine. I had to take medicine. I didn’t have a choice. You know how bad these headaches can be.”   

He sneered. “How convenient. You just happen to get a migraine when we have company. And the pills—you know they make you so sleepy you can’t function. Did you take them so you’d have an excuse not to come down?”   

“No.” She tried to raise her head, but fatigue left her drained and foggy. “I wouldn’t do that, Grant.”    

He grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her to a standing position, and shook her. “You will get dressed, and you will come down. Now.”   

“I can’t. I’m sorry.”   

His reaction was sudden. Yet time stretched thin, almost translucent. Her body tensed before her mind could process what was happening. Then came the crack of his palm against her cheek, echoing in the bedroom, followed by his cold command: “Snap out of this, Claire.” Heat radiated across her face from the point of impact.   

She staggered back, pressing a hand to her cheek. They faced each other in frozen silence, tethered by a single thread of recognition that the line had been crossed. Tears blurred her vision. Her mind rejected the harsh reality, insisting that the burning imprint of his fingers wasn’t real.   

He released her and stomped across the room to retrieve jeans and a blouse from the closet, then threw them onto the bed.   

“Get dressed,” he ordered.   

She moved through a haze of disbelief, her motions mechanical, while he stood watching with his arms crossed.   

“Now go wash your face.” He followed her into the bathroom and turned the faucet to cold water. “Do it.”   

She bent forward, cupping her hands beneath the water and splashing her face. She caught a glimpse of her reflection. A red handprint was stamped on one cheek. “I can’t go down like this. Everyone will notice.”   

He reached for her foundation. “Put this on.”   

She applied a thick layer, softening the mark, but the early signs of a bruise were still evident.   

He took her hand, leading her down the stairs. “Smile,” he ordered under his breath.   

Whether it was the numbing effect of the medicine, the shock of the violence, or pure fear, she managed to force a smile. That moment—his hand, her cheek, the sting—had left an indelible mark, shattering her life around her.

 

 

By day, C.J. Covino is an online fitness coach helping people live healthier lives. By night, she channels her devious side into writing psychological suspense, starting with her debut novel, The Au Pair's Deception: When Love Turns to Lies. She resides in sunny Albuquerque with her husband of 40 years, three grown kids who safely flew the coop, and a literal zoo consisting of three dogs, a parrot, and a cat. She is powered almost entirely by coffee, a passion for travel, and the thrill of a good plot twist. Learn more at cjcovino.com and follow her writing journey on TikTok @cjcovinoauthor.

 

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