5 stars

FiVE Stars ! This book was so amazing I could not put it down and Burgess is Now and will forever be one of my ultimate book boyfriends. This is the second book in Tessa Bailey's Big Shot series. It's got sports, forced proximity, hot tension, and so much fun.
I liked the plot and the relationship development and one of the biggest reasons was because of Burgess' character. He was attentive, self aware, was open to communication and understood boundaries. He accepted his own shortcomings in areas and accepted help and advice, not to mention dark and sexy. All that Paired with the smart, understanding and amazing Tallulah was magic. I loved their relationship, the development was great and did not feel rushed. This was just a fun and enjoyable read with some drama sprinkled in and I would give it a two on the spicy scale. Definitely a new favorite of the year and I am really enjoying this series.
I received an advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

She's a newly hired au pair to a famous single dad hockey player, and despite living her life scared of opening her heart up he is determined to show her that he's the one for her. Tallulah has gone through a lot and when a well paying job opens up with a guy thats trusted and vetted by her friends in a gorgeous house with a sweet kid, Tallulah wants to say yes, technically she can't afford to say no... and when she finally meets the guy he doesn't make her want to flee. After a lifetime of doubting herself, meeting Burgess, the handsome slightly gruff hockey player and newly single father, Tallulah feels like she can trust him. When Burgess meets Tallulah he feels like he's met the one... if only he can prove to her that he is the one for her as well. Burgess is still dealing with a tween who he's learning to parent, the fall out of his divorce, his career on its last legs, and navigating a very very strong crush on someone who is definitely off limits. Burgess and Tallulah have insane chemistry... but their lives are so different, can they really make it work? This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone. I did enjoy this one and I liked Tallulah, she dealt with a very traumatic past experience but was working on her fears and working through her trauma. She held her ground and continued to try and work on herself and grow. I liked that Burgess supported Tallulah so much and worked hard to prove to her that he loves her. It's a fun easy contemporary romance read and I definitely can't wait for the next one!

Release Date: July 16,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I’ve read a lot of Tessa Bailey books by now, and I have to say I’m really enjoying her stepping into the Sports Romance genre with both feet! I love a good Sports Romance, and so far, this series has been entertaining.

Burgess is the type of male character you can expect from Tessa; Alpha, protective, fully committed, and able to spike up the steam at a moment’s notice. She did a nice job of fleshing him out in this novel. I enjoyed seeing him willing to do anything to make Tallulah feel safe and cared for, while at the same time being willing to do whatever it took to have a better relationship with Lissa.

Tallulah had some past trauma that made her skittish with Burgess, and she was the main one that held their chemistry and connection at arms-length. I enjoyed Burgess’ slow wooing of her through their quiet moments when they really got to know each other. It helped her trust her instincts again and see past the Sir Savage persona he had on the ice.

This was an entertaining read and the characters had some nice self-discovery along the way. I will note that I am excitedly looking forward to reading about Chloe and Sig. Their dynamic was so fun to read about and left me with so many questions lol. It’s also fun to know that this series will cover different sports and not just stick to one team. Can’t wait for the next installment!

This was a delightful age gap, single dad romance. Burgess hired Tallulah to be his live-in nanny for his tween daughter, Lissa. Tallulah was excited to work for him until she saw him get into a fight during his hockey game. Tallulah has a traumatic past that makes her second guess taking the job. Burgess and Lissa convince her to stay but Tallulah is very cautious. Tallulah is great with Lissa, and she helps both Lissa and Burgess which helps their father daughter relationship. The more time Tallulah spends with Burgess, she realizes he is a caring man and more gentle than his hockey persona. The sparks fly between Burgess and Tallulah even though they try to draw boundaries between them, but they are unable to fight their attraction. But what happens when his daughter wants her mom and dad to reunite and she feels betrayed by her dad and Tallulah. Will Burgess have to make a choice between his beloved daughter and the woman who owns his heart? I loved Burgess and Tallulah together. These two headstrong people butt heads, challenge each other, and make each other stronger, and their chemistry was explosive! This is what Bailey does best, fun and quirky characters, intelligent humor, and lots of steamy sexual tension in a heartwarming stories that I really enjoy.

Love love everything about this book, the character development, plot, everything! Now I need the third book!!

We got a little introduction to Talullah and Burgess at the end of Fangirl Down and I was excited for their story. Talullah agrees to be Burgees' tween daughter's Au pair and they both have an instant attraction to each other. Talullah is looking to be more "brave" and social while Burgess has only been focused on being a dad. They sort of agree to help each other out and of course their attraction develops. I enjoyed seeing their relationship develop and their scenes were hot! The 3rd act breakup totally could've been avoided but both were so hard headed and didn't talk it out which frustrated me.

I enjoyed seeing Wells and Josephine having a big role in this story and leaning about Chloe and Sig and can't wait for their story.

Thank you @avonbooks @netgalley for a copy of this book.

It's time for Tallulah and Burgess to get their story! He was dumbstruck by her at their first meeting in Fangirl Down, so I couldn't wait to see how he handled having her live in his apartment. That was very funny, but he was always respectful of her space. Tallulah is great with Burgess's daughter, Lissa, and that part was entertaining. The banter is excellent and kept me turning pages. I am really looking forward to the next book in this series.

I was looking forward to Burgess & Tallulah’s book since seeing them in Fangirl Down, I was so happy to get approved for this! The Au Pair Affair is an age gap, hockey playing single dad / live in nanny romance and I was hooked with this story from the beginning! This was a slow burn but still a fast paced read! I loved how Burgess was portrayed as this grumpy huge man and yet he was so sweet and good with Tallulah, he was down bad for her and would do anything to make her feel comfortable and I loved that! Getting to see Wells and Josephine cameos was the best, too! I always enjoy Tessa’s writing and this was another great read by her!

“Forever is composed of nows.”
(Emily Dickinson)

Spicy and swoony with a touch of adorable!

Second book in the Big Shots series, this one about a 37 year old single dad hockey player, Burgess (known to hockey fans as Sir Savage) and his 26 year old au pair, Tallulah. They strike a deal to help each other live outside of their comfort zones and find they work better together.

This series (Big Shots) is hysterical! The books are about these Neanderthal sports heroes with big hearts who are extremely protective of the women in their lives. Burgess comes across as a bear (kinda a cross between a grizzly bear and a teddy bear). Also loving the secondary characters in this book of Sig (hockey teammate) and Chloe (Sephora and açaí loving harpist) who are about to be step siblings and give off non-sibling vibes. I hope to see them return in another book… maybe even have the hockey team rookies return for some more comic relief!

“I want to be important to you.”

“This moment is for you. Be in the moment.”

“This woman had come into his life and flooded it with light.”

Thank you NetGalley for the fabulous ARC!!!

Not as good as the first in the series but still fun and enjoyable.

The parent/nanny trope doesn't always work for me and there were some times here I was uncomfortable but overall it worked. Tallulah and Burgess are attracted to each other BEFORE she takes the job as his nanny so it didn't feel predatory like it can sometimes. And the daughter was a great character.

I loved all the hocky in this book. Burgess is aging out of the stport and his issues with his age and body felt realistic.

Highly recommend. Would love more in this series.

4.5 stars

The Au Pair Affair was such a fun read! Burgess is a 37-year old ice hockey captain of the Boston Bearcats and Tallulah is a 26-year old graduate student studying marine biology. Their story is an age-gap nanny/boss story. At their friend’s wedding (in Fangirl Down) they had an agreement where Tallulah would be the nanny for Burgess’ daughter, Lissa. We learn that Tallulah has a traumatic childhood that causes her to back out of their agreement but Burgess is able to change her mind which then starts their journey.

On the outside Burgess may seem rough around the edges, he’s even called Sir Savage by the masses. But since he’s met Tallulah and learned of her trauma, he is immediately smitten goes directly to protection mode. He is patient with her and tries not to move too fast. Don’t get me wrong we still get that dirty mouth that we all love so much from this author!

Overall, a great story! I am definitely looking forward to the next couple!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Tessa Bailey is back with another spicy romance, and a sports romance at that. For those of you who don't know, hockey romances are my favorite sports romances so I am very picky about which ones I like. But this one is a lovely single dad story about a hockey captain who is a little past his prime and his young new nanny who is in the middle of hers.

Burgess is smitten with Tallulah from the second he sees her, and Tallulah makes it clear she's not in it for something serious (re: she's got a bad history with a man who has left her scarred forever). Tallulah is terrified Burgess might be as bad as his reputation would make it seem, and Burgess is scared he's ruining Tallulah's life before it can even begin by trying to tie her down.

Burgess and Tallulah navigate what a relationship between them could be all while dealing with a temperamental teenager, a hockey career possibly on the brink of ending, and a destination wedding for their best friends where they both serve as maid of honor and best man.

This was better than Fangirl Down imo! Usually, I'm not a fan of nanny/single dad romance books so I was a bit hesitant to start this one but frankly there wasn't much nanny-stuff on page and Burgess' daughter Lissa was in her preteens.⁣
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It was definitely a he-falls-first scenario with Burgess as he's head over heels for Tallulah right from the start while she was somewhat hesitant to trust others. There was so much tension between them and it was a bit more drawn out when compared to Tessa's other books. And there's lots of dirty talk as usual 😂 I found the third act breakup a bit annoying but I've come to expect it in these books, though sometimes the characters and their actions were a bit exaggerated! I'm quite excited for Sig & Chloe's story in the next book - I do love a stepbrother romance😆

Tessa Bailey does it again! She continues to be my favorite, go-to romcom author, delivering heart, spice, and laughter with every book. I've been anticipating her foray into Hockey romance for so long and I am so glad I wasn't disappointed! You will absolutely love this book!

Read if you like: sports romance, single dad+age gape tropes, nanny romances, steamy chemistry, character growth

📚 Dive into the world of hockey veteran Burgess and vivacious marine biology student Tallulah in "The Au Pair Affair" by Tessa Bailey. When Tallulah becomes the live-in nanny for Burgess's tween daughter Lissa, sparks fly, boundaries blur, and hearts are put to the test.

👨‍👧 Burgess is a rugged, battle-scarred single dad, struggling with the physical aches of an aging athlete on the brink of retirement. He's also grappling with understanding his ever-growing daughter, Lissa. Enter Tallulah, a quirky, adventurous 26-year-old, who brings a fresh wave of energy and support to his life. Their relationship is further complicated by Lissa's hope that her parents will reunite.

💞 The chemistry between Burgess and Tallulah is electric, and their journey from employer and nanny to something much more is filled with steamy moments and heartfelt challenges. Their love story is intense, with boundaries crossed and emotions running high.

👧 Lissa, Burgess's introverted daughter, adds depth to the story. Her desire for her parents to reconcile and her evolving bond with Tallulah add layers to the narrative. The dynamic between all three characters creates a compelling and emotionally rich storyline.

✍️ Tessa Bailey expertly handles the emotional baggage and growth of her characters, making their development feel genuine and engaging. However, some readers might find certain scenes, where the heroine manipulates the hero with sex, problematic.

🌟 "The Au Pair Affair" is a captivating read that offers a steamy romance and engaging character development. Its dynamic chemistry and the characters' growth make it a great choice for fans of nanny romances and sports-themed love stories.

📲 QOTD: What's your favorite romance trope and why?**👇

#BookReview #NannyRomance #SportsRomance #SingleDadRomance #TessaBailey #RomanceReads #SteamyBooks #CharacterGrowth #Bookstagram #BookLovers #HockeyRomance

Tallulah has agreed to be a live in nanny for famous Boston hockey star, Burgess Abraham. She has trust issues stemming from a traumatic past but feels safe with Burgess’s protective nature. However, neither of them are able to fight their growing attraction to each other. Can they put their many differences aside and make it work?

I am a sucker for a Tessa Bailey book, and her sports romance series is so much fun! This book is the follow up to Fangirl Down, which I highly recommend checking out first since the characters do reappear (although you could read each as a stand-alone).

I know that when I pick up a Tessa Bailey book, I am going to be in for a good time, quirky characters, funny moments, spice, and the best men who are completely gone for their women. Tessa knows how to write these men without making them traitors to feminism and I don’t know how she does it. I loved the single dad/nanny trope, the grumpy sunshine, and the forced proximity here. Really I am here for this series and I can’t wait for the next book! It seems like we met the characters in this book and they will be fun to read about.

Thank you to Tessa Bailey, Avon, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I love Tessa Bailey books and this did not disappoint!

This is a grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, age difference book.

Tallulah is a strong FMC who is overcoming past trauma and learning how to trust and find adventure while Burgess is the single dad, hunky hockey player who is learning to love, parent and live outside of hockey. Both characters learn and grow and are well developed. Burgess makes mistakes and has to truly earn Tallulah back. She becomes strong enough on her own to realize her worth and that was amazing.

It has the right amount of spice like any Tessa book does. It is a fantastic summer read.

Burgess Abraham is a recently divorced single father and veteran hockey defenseman. His divorce has shaken his confidence in himself, he can't seem to relate to his preteen daughter, and he's become jaded with the sport he loves. When Tallulah, a beautiful yet broke friend of a friend, needs a place to stay while attending college, he offers her a position as a live in nanny for the upcoming hockey season.
This nanny position seems too good to be true and it makes her nervous. After a traumatic incident in her past, she's not as trusting as she used to be and living with a strange man is already pushing her limits. When she sees a disturbing clip of the famous defenseman on the ice on the day she arrives, she's ready to back out. But off the ice, this intimidating man is all heart and she starts to trust him. Until a weak moment forces him to push her away, believing he'll never be good enough for her. Will he ever win back her trust?
I love this author and I was so excited to get an early copy of this book. She has a way of writing such wonderfully flawed realistic characters so that you feel their emotions like your own. Burgess is a cocky and confident hockey player but inside he has so many doubts and insecurities. Tallulah is happy and adventurous but she's recovering mentally from a trauma that changed her world. Together, they bring out the best in each other. And of course, the spice and tension this author writes is some of the best!
Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager through Netgalley for the advance copy of this book. The opinions in this review are my own and given voluntarily.

✨ARC Book Review✨
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The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC
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Rating: 4⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
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Tropes: 🩷
Age gap
Boss x employee
Single dad
NHL hockey player
She’s the nanny
He falls first
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I’m a sucker for a hockey romance. Usually books not written in dual POV i struggle to read it get into it but this was so well written and Burgess is a big burly hockey and Tallulah is smart girl who’s studying to be a marine biologist. She’s just supposed to be taking care of his daughter but they cant deny the chemistry between them much longer oh and his daughter wants her mom and dad to get back together..

I found this book entertaining! I loved the relationships and characters in this book, I think Tallulah and Burgess had great chemistry! I really loved Tallulah, ever since we met her in Fangirl Down. I loved to see her journey as she became a confident woman, learning how to trust the world and herself again after her past. There were many tears shed!! I was so happy to see her happy ending.
After just reading Fangirl Down, I felt in comparison this one lacked some of the plot and action that Fangirl Down had. The pacing was much slower in my opinion. It would have been really great to have a bit more source of tension in the storyline. Overall, I had a good time and would recommend!