I enjoyed this book to an extent. I am just reading my first few romance books and maybe it’s consistent with the genre where there is a time jump I don’t necessarily realize but this book felt like I accidentally skipped 50 pages of plot. It was still a quick fun read and I think those more familiar with the genre would enjoy it more than I.

Is this my new favorite TB? Yes and no lol

I have been searching for a TB MMC that will be on the same level as Brendan and boy did Burgess give us that. I loved him so much. He was so good almost the entirety of the book. Then that third act break up hit and I was all "uhhhhhhhh" with 30% left in the book.... the back and forth after that was a constant cold shower...

Some other random things felt off to me but overall it was a win. I enjoyed it - I ate it up so fast. And I am SO excited for the couple in the next book!!!!!!

4.5 rounded down to 4/5

Tullah takes a job as a nanny and finds herself attracted to her new boss. His daughter is pushing for her parents to get bac together , but who will he chose?

Thank you Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC!

It’s no secret that I absolutely LOVED Fangirl Down and was soooo excited for this one! Grumpy hockey player + sassy and independent FMC? Yes please!

This book was such a great sequel. It had everything I want from a Tessa Bailey book: humor, banter, tension, spicy spice, quick wit. What surprised me with this one was the emotional connection I felt for each of the MCs and the connection they had with each other. Their chemistry was undeniable and they both had some heavy things to work through. The FMC quickly became a fav of mine and the MMC was 🥵🥵🥵🥵

The Au Pair Affair is the second installment in Tessa Bailey’s new sports rom-com series, Big Shots.

The story follows Tallulah, who is studying to be a marine biologist but who is currently struggling financially. She reluctantly takes a job as an au pair for a veteran hockey player who needs help taking care of his 12 year old daughter. Tallulah loves the idea of a live-in job, but is also nervous because in the past, she experienced trauma at the hands of a man. She has carried this trauma with her and it makes her wary of all men.

What I really loved about this story was that while there’s clearly an attraction between Tallulah and Burgess, as soon as he realizes what happened to Tallulah, he does everything he can to make her feel safe and to give her the time and space to work through her trauma and regain her confidence. Burgess may come across as gruff, but it’s clear he has a big heart.

It’s not all about Burgess helping Tallulah though. Burgess has been having trouble figuring out how to really connect with his daughter, and Tallulah comes into his home like a breath of fresh air, helping to bridge the gap between father and daughter.

Last but not least, it wouldn’t be a Tessa Bailey romance if there wasn’t plenty of fun, sexy banter and steamy moments. 🌶️

The Au Pair Affair is an entertaining read with plenty of heart, humor, and heat. If you’re a sports and/or single dad romance fan, you’re going to love this one!

I LOVED the storyline and characters!!!

Bailey's spicy scenes just are not for me. They're a little cringe for me to get through. I enjoyed this more than others, but think Fan Girl Down was much better!

(3.5/4 stars) Did I like this book as much as Tessa Bailey's other books? No. But did I still enjoy it? Yes. The third act breakup and then reunification felt cringe. But will it stop me from picking up more books in the series? No.

I’m not surprised I ate this up. It’s one of those one sitting Tessa Bailey books. She truly can do no wrong and I am a sucker for a single dad (& fictional hockey players)

I had high hopes for "The Au Pair Affair" after LOVING Fangirl Down however; I didn't feel the same magic reading this one.

Tallulah needs something to pick her up after returning to the States after spending time in Antarctica. When hot-shot, brooding single dad hockey star Burgess offers her a live-in nanny position for pay, she can't say no. Quickly, she forms a relationship with his daughter, Lissa, and can't hep but get fiery passion eyes whenever Burgress enters the room. As luck would have it, Burgess also can't help but have fiery passion eyes, although he knows he shouldn't, with Tallulah. They decide to make things an "affair" as she checks off her bucket list items and he learns to love himself, his daughter, and Tallulah. But when feelings fly and clothes go off, will this be able to stay as just a no strings affair?

The Au-Pair affair is a follow up to "Fangirl Down" however; can easily be read as a standalone. I wanted with this book and maybe, I've just set too high expectations with character arcs. The overall language and way that Tessa handled Tallulah's story made me squeamish and wanting the story to quickly end. Overall, I wasn't the biggest fan of this one and although I can't quite put my finger on way, I do think Tessa set up the next book well and I may check it out.

First of all, thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

This of course had everything a good Tessa Bailey book has - comedy, spice, fun, and drama. However, I did not enjoy this one as much as I thought I would and definitely not as much as It Happened One Summer. I seriously love a sports romance and an age gap, but something about this one just kind of fell flat for me. I think the pet names were a little too much for me and the spice was a little too cringe. I really enjoy a romantic spice scene more than a dirty, raunchy spice scene and I realize that's a personal preference. But in any case, that type of writing just comes off a little cringe in my opinion.

I will say I did really enjoy how protective Burgess was over Tallulah. He was just a big teddy bear and you could tell how much he loves her. I will say, I thought that Tallulah's backstory would play in a lot more. I would have liked to know more about that and I feel like it kind of fell short. I also felt as if the ending was a little bit rushed, in my opinion. I think there were some details in the middle that could have been left out and more room for the backstory and the makeup at the ending.

All in all, it was still a good read! I'm rating this at 3 stars :)

Burgess is a single dad hockey player who is in need of a live in nanny for his daughter. Tallulah wants to continue her education, but she's broke. When circumstances lead them to each other - it's the perfect fit! Tallulah can nanny for Burgess and he doesn't have to worry about his daughter while he's playing professional hockey. But soon Burgess starts to develop feelings for Tallulah and he tries his hardest to fight them because a) he's much older than her and b) she's had some traumatic past experiences with men and she's a bit skittish. Will these two find a way to work when they're trying to help each other break out of their molds?

I love a good hockey romance and was expecting to love The Au Pair Affair. But I feel like this book was insta-love and I had a hard time connecting with the characters as a couple. Not gonna lie, so many parts of The Au Pair Affair had me laughing out loud - especially the ones with Burgess and his daughter! They were so cute.

I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series.

Tessa Bailey is too good! I was so excited for this book since I read Fangirl Down. I wanted to see Tallulah and Burgess fall in love after their insanely electric first meeting. I thought this was so fun and in true Tessa Bailey fashion scorching hot. Loved the grumpy sunshine vibe- and I loved the single dad trope and Lissa. Really great! Can’t wait to read the next Bailey release!

I'm always here for a Tessa Bailey book. They're a good time, they're spicy, and they're sweet. Plus, I really enjoyed the first book in the Big Shots series, Fangirl Down. So I was pretty excited for this sequel, which was heavily teased in book 1. Unfortunately, it just didn't totally hit for me.

Tallulah is a marine biologist pursuing her master's degree. She needs a place to live. Her bestie's boyfriend's bestie knows a guy, who happens to be the grumpy captain of Boston's professional hockey team. Who just so happens to need an au pair for his tween daughter. It's a perfect solution, except for the insane attraction between Tallulah and Burgess.

I'll say up front that this was a totally fine read, definitely fun and funny at points and with that trademark Tessa Bailey steam. But my issues with it sort of outweighed my enjoyment. The pacing was a little weird - I wanted more of a slow burn between the leads and the ending dragged - and I never felt like the book knew what to do with the immense trauma of Tallulah's backstory. Also, as a person who actually lives in Boston, certain details just didn't hit right, which is a niche complaint, but here we are. I really wanted to sink into this story, but I just never quite managed it.

Other people's milage may vary, but for me, this one just didn't sparkle.

3.25/5

I loved this so much! The chemistry was off the charts.
The spice was spicing
I have never blushed so
much in a book in my life! That man did a HAWK TUAH
I'm deceased. This is Amee's ghost speaking.
Thank you @netgalley, @tessabaileyisanauthor, and @read_bloom for this gem!

The Au Pair Affair was a pleasant read. We met Burgess and Tallulah in the first book in the series. Now these two are in the spotlight. Tallulah is hired as Burgess' nanny for his daughter. Together these two discover there is more to so many things. I enjoyed seeing how Burgess and Tallulah journey through it all. Mr. Grumpy Burgess learns what is important in life. I also liked seeing his relationship with his daughter Lissa. He wants to be the best dad and he does his hardest to show how much he cares and loves her. It was endearing. I really liked Tallulah. She goes through a transformation that is so hearty and it was nice to see. Burgess and Tallulah were cute together. Though I just wanted a little bit more-some extras. The side characters of Sig, Chloe, and the two hockey rookies were great. I am glad we're getting Sig and Chloe's story next. There is so much to unpack there. Overall this was nice story.

I wasn’t sure Tessa Bailey could top the first book in this series but this book equally has my heart! I absolutely loved this one! Older and a hockey player Burgess needs a nanny for his tween daughter. Tallulah is a younger woman with a complicated past with men. Burgess eventually earns her trust and they begin a very fun relationship!
Oh this book is so much fun, but I love the depth. Tessa Bailey does an amazing job of writing humor and serious topics with so much heart! The writing was top notch! The story line had amazing conflict to keep me glued to this book from start to finish! I am a Tessa Bailey super fan and eagerly await the next book she writes! One of my favorite 2024 summer reads! Huge thanks to Avon and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book!

While the tension and steamy bits were all there and fun, the overall storytelling, tone, and atmosphere that Bailey cultivated in Fangirl Down is woefully missing in this standalone follow up. All of the characters were amusing and unique, but it feels like they weren't brought to their full potential.

Tessa Bailey plus Hockey romance? Yes please. Burgess & Tallulah were a joy to read about. Hope there's more!!

I love Tessa Bailey books. She creates such fun and loveable characters you can't help but root for. This was no exception. We follow two of the characters we met in the first book in this series and I loved it. Characters from the previous book also make an appearance and while this was very different from some of the other books Bailey has written because of the added aspect of older children it was fun to see her take on something I had not seen her do before. I will be reading this one again.

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed Fangirl Down but damn this was a good time. I’m not saying its a particularly good book… but I am saying its a good time and you know what? That’s all I need from TB. I love a man feral and this delivered