This was such a cute sports romance! There are lots of great tropes in it, too: single dad, forced proximity, age gap, grumpy/sunshine, and opposites attract. Mix in some great banter and a fair amount of spice, and you get a fun summer read! Tallulah and Burgess first appeared in Fangirl Down, and I was excited to read their story. It did not disappoint!

This one is full of heart that spills off the page as Burgess falls first and falls hardest for Tallulah. These two are opposites who complement each other well. Tallulah has been through something truly awful and terrifying, and Burgess works hard to make her feel safe around him. Burgess has his own set of issues, too. He's an aging hockey star who knows his best playing days are probably behind him, and his daughter wants her parents back together. The way the two have navigated their lives comes to the fore, and they both have some growth that needs to occur before they can be together and seeing them do that was very satisfying. A few funny scenes keep things lighthearted, and I loved the build-up of romantic tension between these two. The pacing in the beginning was a tad slow for me, but it picked up quickly, and from there, I ended up binging the majority of this book!

I loved Wells and Josephine from Fangirl Down making a delightful cameo. And even though this is the second book in the series, it works as a stand-alone. We also meet Sig and Chloe in this one, and I cannot wait to read their book when it comes out next year!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the free book!

*4.5 rounded up

4.5 stars!

I adore Tessa Bailey’s characters and Burgess is a new favorite MMC. He is grumpy, broody and short-tempered but he is a marshmallow for our main girl, Tallulah, as well as his daughter, Lissa.

Tallulah is hired to be the au pair for Burgess’ tween daughter, Lissa. Tallulah has been working to overcome some past trauma from a previous relationship and is weary of men and Burgess is a hockey player with a reputation for being aggressive on the ice. Despite Tessa’s weariness of men and Burgess’ gruff reputation, the two find themselves drawn to one another and the cutest love story follows. I adored the way Burgess took Tallulah’s comfort into account in everything he did—DREAM GUY!!!

Hockey romance
Nanny romance
Single dad
He falls first

He falls first and fights for her love. Hocky Star Burgess hires Tallulah to be the au pair for his pre teen daughter. Sparks fly quickly and a majority of the book is spent waiting for these two to come together. There are many times it almost happens but something goes wrong. It was a very typical love story and it was enjoyable to read. I wish we got to see them together more. I think they were a couple for maybe 10% of the book. But overall I would recommend and look forward to the next book in the series!

*Thank you Harper Collin’s and netgalley for the arc.

I’ve read almost every book Tessa Bailey has written and she always entertains. I love that the couple, Josephine and Wells from Fangirl Down are also part of this story and how Tallulah and Burgess originally met.

I was surprised to learn of Tallulah’s secret trauma and how it has affected her for years. She hasn’t worked through how to move forward. Meeting Burgess and his daughter, Lissa and the offer to be the au pair for her since Burgess is a single dad, is a great offer so Tallulah can continue her master’s and earn money. Even though Burgess is kind and a protective gentleman, seeing him on the ice is very different since there’s a lot of roughness in hockey. I’ve been to hockey games and loved when the players hit the glass and fight, but I didn’t know anyone personally.

Burgess and Tallulah are like magnets to each other and it’s not long before their chemistry ignites. Burgess is the boss so has qualms about being involved with his employee plus a large age difference, but they are definitely explosive. Unfortunately, there are some issues that arise which is heart-breaking.

Traveling to the wedding of Josephine and Wells in Costa Rica shows Burgess that he’s not so set in his ways, and I loved seeing him try new things.

This is a sweet romance with Burgess falling first and hard and so supportive of Tallulah. The HEA was perfection!

I can’t wait to see which couple will be part of the next book in the series but have a good idea – can’t wait for that!

I highly recommend this book for any romance fans but especially sport romance.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new book.

This was SO GOOD. I loved her first in this series so I was eager to get my hands on this one, and it was even better than the first! If you love Tessa, you'll love this book!

Tallulah is 26 years old starting a graduate program in marine biology. When the opportunity arises to be a live-in nanny for Burgess, a charming hockey player and single dad, she doesn't hesitate to say yes. Who wouldn't want to live in a fancy neighborhood and hang out with a cool tween girl? To top it off, Tallulah even agrees to help Burgess navigate the tricky world of dating again. But when lines start to blur and emotions run high, they both find themselves skating on thin ice.

While the premise of the story was promising, the execution fell short for me. I wanted more development in both the relationship between Tallulah and Burgess, as well as their individual growth throughout the story. The focus on the steamy scenes took away from the emotional connection I usually feel with Bailey's characters. Additionally, I found some of the dialogue to be unrealistic and forced, which took me out of the story. Overall, I was left wanting more depth and substance from this book. I would recommend this book for those looking for a light read with plenty of steam, but for readers looking for a more emotionally engaging story, this may not be the best choice.

I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. Tessa Bailey did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! And of course there was some fun spice ;) I would highly recommend it!

This was such a cute story. I absolutely loved Tallulah with Lissa. She had such a good way with her. But I also loved all the ways she taught Burgess to be an even better dad.

Obviously with this being a Bailey book this was full of steam but she also included some heartfelt communication between Tallulah and Burgess that gave the book more depth.

I hadn't read book one but this story still worked just fine as a standalone. I just preferred a hockey playing hero and Burgess did not disappoint. Nor did Tallulah at her first game.

If you like forced proximity, hockey, and steam you'll love this book.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

3.5*
Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*


Overall I really liked Tallulah and Burgess separate and together as a couple. I liked how he was always there for her when she needed him. I loved his protective side. About half way through is where I lost interest somehow. I really wanted more with Lissa too. I can't wait for the next one tho!

The Au Pair Affair: A Novel (Big Shots Book 2
By: Tessa Bailey

📚💕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕📚

Oh my heart!

In yet another great read from author Tessa Bailey we get book 2 in the Big shots series. I really like this book a lot. Tallulah has a few contradictions to her personality I truly enjoyed. She was careful and caring but not Star struck which I liked. Burgess was not only a good guy but a loving dad, sometimes clueless but I’m mean he’s a guy. The authors writing is flawless and the words are so captivating, the plot had so many twists and turns and none that I was expecting, and many shockingly intimate I have become a huge fan of this author. The author writes with so much intensity and emotion pulled from each book it’s felt page after page. Some are quick witted story lines are so perfect and lets you believe you have a front row seat. So being able to read this love story didn’t disappoint. The authors ability to have two separate individuals struggling in their everyday life and try to navigate someone else’s thoughts, needs and desires was intense and gives all the fills.

Authors Blurb: Tallulah is smart, vivacious, and studying to be a marine biologist. She’s also twenty-six and broke. So when Burgess, a battle scarred hockey veteran and newly single dad, offers her a job as his live-in nanny, she jumps at the opportunity to get paid while living in a super fancy neighborhood and being around Lissa, his cool but introverted tween.

Her tween charge isn’t the only one who could use some help fitting in, though. According to…well, everyone except Burgess, he needs to get back on the dating scene, and adventurous Tallulah is just the girl to show him how. But as boundaries are slowly crossed and Burgess finds himself pulled between his daughter, who wants her parents back together, and his insane chemistry with Tallulah, a huge rift is formed, and Tallulah does the “right” thing—breaks her own heart and walks away.

Though Burgess knows it’s for the best he’s too jaded, with too much baggage a chance meeting, and a new push from his daughter, forces him to put everything on the line and fight to prove he learned his lessons well and is worthy of a happily ever after with Tallulah. 

This book has everything I love in a book. Then you add that it's beautifully written and believable. It is easily a five star read. Written in single POV this story flows so incredibly well that the next thing you know your 80% into the book and loving every second of it. The believable way the characters interact is perfect. Run, Hop, Jump or use your (1 click) finger to do whatever you have to do and get this amazing book. It'll break your heart, you'll want to scream with frustration and it'll let you discover that love just might conquer all. The chemistry is steamy and sweet and oh so romantic.

Thanks Netgally for letting me read and review.📚💕

I liked the story line in this book and it kept my attention the whole way through. I do not like third person writing style so that was the only con in my opinion. 3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC read!

As a huge fan of Fangirl Down and almost all Tessa books, I had high hopes for this one! It did not disappoint. Burgess was the perfect single dad and everything you want in a protective, sensitive man. I loved their relationship and the Banter was on point!

I’m not sure what it is about Tessa Bailey’s MMCs that get me, but Burgess checked off every one of my boxes for a growly, big, protective, male that will stop at nothing for his girl. I swear Bailey puts crack in her books because they are that addictive to me. I knew while reading Fangirl Down and briefly meeting Burgess and Tallulah that I was going to love them, and I absolutely did, maybe even more than I expected. Take an easy to love heroine that’s good with kids and is forced to be within proximity of a stubborn scary on the ice alpha hockey player eleven years older than her and you have the makings of a hit.

Bailey isn’t reinventing the wheel here, but she is so good at writing these types of characters that have unmistakable chemistry that you know you are reading romance gold when you visit her world. And this time her world is full of lots of dirty talk, lots of “we’re super into each other but shouldn’t be” energy, lots of touch her and die, I only have eyes for you, lots of dry humping because we “shouldn’t”, and lots and lots of protective I see you and will take care of you vibes. This book got so hot that I actually had to take a break because it was so steamy (and I am NOT complaining). But there is also a level of protectiveness that we get from Burgess that is so sweet and so tender that just melts his gruff Sir Savage personality. Bailey loves her heroes and knows how to write the type of male that is flawed, but will do anything for the woman he loves (in Burgess’s case that means seeking help for his back, doing rehab, going on wild adventures for her), and that makes readers keep coming back to her books again and again. I loved every minute of The Au Pair Affair and am DYING for a Sig and Chloe book, pretty please Tessa? Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for my early copy. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Steam: 🪭🪭🪭🪭🌡️
Number of times Burgess growls: 2️⃣5️⃣

The Au Pair Affair is a fun, quick read that plays heavily into the tropes it pulls from (see list below). When they met for the first time in Fangirl Down (the first book in the series), Tallulah and Burgess, a divorced single dad and professional hockey player, struck a deal. A broke grad student about to move to Boston, Tallulah agreed to be an au pair for Burgess’ tween daughter, Lissa, in exchange for free housing. The two had immediate chemistry then, and nothing has changed when Tallulah arrives in Boston at the start of the book. After a rocky start to Tallulah’s nanny job, boundaries begin to get tested and crossed… if you’ve read any of Tessa Bailey’s other books, you know where this is going.

Tropes/What to expect:
- nanny x boss
- age gap
- single dad
- forced proximity
- overprotective
- opposites attract
- grumpy x sunshine
- he falls first and harder
TW: chronic pain, injury, traumatic incident (past; flashback/retelling on page), resultant PTSD

A large part of the reason that I’m giving The Au Pair Affair three stars is because I generally wanted more. Please forgive this imperfect analogy, but if this book were likened to going out to dinner, it felt like a rushed dinner service: entrees arriving mere minutes after appetizers were dropped off, followed by the question of dessert before everyone has finished their main courses, and the check dropped off before dessert is even halfway eaten. I wanted time to enjoy each part of the meal – the book – before moving on to the next. The story and characters are compelling, but I struggled with how quickly the relationship between the protagonists progressed, given their backstories (particularly Tallulah’s). The quickly moving plot and undersupply of incremental relationship building scenes (i.e., scenes of Tallulah bonding with Lissa; scenes of the forging of an established bond and quasi-familial unit between Lissa, Tallulah, and Burgess; and scenes building up to Tallulah truly trusting Burgess before anything physical occurs between them) made the payoff feel a bit unearned.

Perhaps this means that The Au Pair Affair just wasn’t quite my cup of tea (to continue with the food metaphors). I encourage you to read it and to decide for yourself what you think! After all, this is just one review, from one reader, of many. All of that said, The Au Pair Affair does introduce two very interesting side characters whose story will be told in Bailey’s third book of the series, Dream Girl Drama. For anyone who was fascinated by Chloe and Sig, buckle up, because they’re getting their own book next year.

Those in search of a book that thoroughly embraces and sticks to the tropes it contains, look no further: I think The Au Pair Affair is the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!

The Au Pair Affair is the second book of the Big Shots series of interconnected standalones and follows Burgess and Tallulah. I absolutely loved this book! I loved the forbidden romance with the single dad and nanny aspect along with the age gap. Add in grumpy sunshine and hockey…yes please! After meeting these two in Fangirl Down I couldn’t wait for their story!

Tallulah is trying to get her old self back after something happens to her. She is apprehensive about being around men which is understandable. She takes a job as Burgess’s nanny while she finishes her schooling. She soon realizes that both Burgess and his tween daughter need her as much as she needs the job.

I love that Burgess is a big gruff hockey player but he is a big teddy bear for Tallulah. The sexual tension between these two were off the charts. Burgess definitely knows how to do the dirty talk. The only thing that I would change is him calling her “girl”. But I can get past that with how good this story is! I am loving this sports series and can’t wait for Sig and Chloe’s story!

I'm so serious when I say this third act breakup wrecked me. I was loving this book so much and then Tessa Bailey tore my heart out and pummelled it at 70%. Thank god for happy endings. Okay moving on I loved these characters so much and I can't even express how excited I am to read Sig and Chloe's story. Such a fun read that had me laughing out loud and then unfortunately screaming and crying until the epilogue.

I loved the first book of this series so of course I had to find this one. This set up included a lot of trauma and it was handled by most characters respectfully. There were connections made through the story that called back specific elements throughout. The call backs make the more glossed over parts come together better

#netgalley
#arc
#aupairaffair

This was my first Tessa Bailey book, and being a big hockey fan, it seemed like the perfect place to start.

Bailey’s writing is really charming, and I can see why her books are so well liked. That said, this book just was not for me. Burgess came on way too strong, way too fast, and it made the relationship seem unrealistic. The premise was a bit flimsy and Tallulah being the au pair had almost no bearing on the story other than setting up a forbidden nanny/parent relationship dynamic. Giving Burgess’s daughter more page time would have made the whole situation feel more believable, with the added bonus of her being such a delightful character.

The spice was great, the side characters were fun, and the pacing was good up until the last few chapters.

If instant attraction and he falls first is your thing, this is absolutely the book for you.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Tessa Bailey, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for an eARC of The Au Pair Affair.

So this was my first Tessa Bailey book (I know, I know!!) and as an avid rom-com reader I can say I DEFINITELY need to read more of her books!

I will say - when I first started this book, I was a bit lost. I felt like I got plopped right into the middle of a story - which, in retrospect I did because this is the second in a series. While this book can stand alone reading Fan Girl Down definitely would have helped me understand more of the plot going into this book.

Despite this, The Au Pair Affair is still fun, flirty, and a little bit spicy. I enjoyed Talullah and Burgess's banter and the book moves quickly. I felt like I was finished before I even started!

Bailey does a great job illustrating how deeply Talullah and Burgess care about each other and Lissa. It really makes the reader connect with the characters and root for their happy ending. I was even emotional during any falling outs they had - that's how bad I wanted everyone to get their happily ever after.

I can't wait to read more from Tessa Bailey and read the rest of the series!

The scream I scrumt when I got word that I had received this arc! I loved Fangirl Down so much, so I was so excited to read this, book 2 in the Big Shots series.

Tessa Bailey spice meets broody hockey player who is also a single dad? It’s like a romcom trifecta. Tallulah was such a fun FMC – witty, smart and strong. Burgess was the best kind of grump – big, soft teddy bear masquerading as a jerk. Also, the cameos by Josephine and Wells were everything!

It wasn’t a full five stars for me because I didn’t love it near as much as Fangirl Down. The first 25% was kind of a sludge to get through, with not a lot of comedy, but once the romcom vibes really hit, it was a smooth sail, binge read from there.

hockey romance | sports romance | single dad x nanny | witty banter | opposites attract | grumpy sunshine | age gap | forced proximity | roommates | groveling | dual pov

TW: trauma involving abduction (explained briefly on page in past tense)

Thank you Netgalley, Harper Collins, Avon Books and Tessa Bailey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!