The Au Pair Affair is the second book in Tessa Bailey’s Big Shot series and follows Burgess and Tallulah.

I flew through this book because I could not stop turning the pages. This story grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let you go.

Tessa’s ability to craft a world in which you want to be a part of is unparalleled. Her characters are interesting and layered. I want to go on adventures with Tallulah. I want to sit rinkside and watch Burgess in all his growly glory. The way they grow on their journeys of healing and self-discovery is an inspiration. Leave it to Tessa to take a book written in 3rd POV (not my favorite POV) and make it one of my favorite books of the year.

The Au Pair Affair felt like one of Ms. Bailey's more raw books; Tallulah is dealing with stuff much heavier than other FMCs in the past. I'm a hockey fan, so it was fun to read about that from her perspective and see how much of Burgess's life revolved around it (aka entirely). I never understood how people couldn't separate the player from the person (who he is on the ice vs. off it), but that's a me thing and not anything I'm holding against the book. I can respect both characters and their decisions and hesitations when jumping into a relationship together (especially Tallulah). They each respected and admired each other, and it was fun to watch them blossom into something more and extend that to Lissa to form a cute little family unit. The spicy scenes were hottt and felt different from her other books, so I am totally here for it. I did not see the direction the book was heading (setting and sub-plot wise), which made me want to go back and reread a particular other book. I enjoyed this book; it was a much-needed pick-me-up for summer!

Thank you to Avon & Harper Voyage for the advanced copy of this book.
I really loved this one by Tessa Bailey. It was smart, sexy, and deeper than your average RomCom.
I love forbidden love and falling for the nanny falls into this category. Tallulah is hired as an Au Pair for a big ole' hockey player, Burgess. Burgess is divorced and has preteen daughter. Tallulah is great with his daughter and helps to build a bridge of communication between the two.,
Burgess is nicknamed "mean daddy" and I am here for it. He is large and in charge and knows what he wants. What he wants is Tallulah. He falls hard and fast, while Tallulah has past trauma that takes her a bit longer to see what is right in front of her.
There is a third act breakup, but it worked in this story. I loved the banter between the two and the spice was great when mean daddy came out to play.
We get a visit from Josephine and Wells from 'Fangirl Down.' The side characters add so much to this story and I cannot wait for the next story in this universe.
It is a fast read with no lull moments. This is one of my favorites of Tessa Bailey so far.

Thank you to Avon for providing me with an eARC for Tessa Bailey’s The Au Pair Affair through NetGalley in return for my honest review.

This is the second book to the Big Shots series where we follow Josephine’s best friend, Tallulah, while she makes her way back to her oldself before a tragic event (check TW). She’s enrolled into grad school and has currently taken a nanny job with Well’s hockey friend Burgess (Josephine & Wells are both from Fangirl Down #1 in the Big Shots). Burgess is a single dad to a 12 year old, 11 years older than Tallulah, and struggling with his performance as a top athlete close to retirement. There is INSTANT attraction between the two, but also many obstacles they have to get through before taking any steps towards a relationship. It was a great build up to what’s meant to be a great relationship.

This book had a great mix of sweetness and smuttiness. The respect they had for each other’s boundaries and the communication is the type that can only be found in books. I really like both Tallulah and Burgess individually but together??? Even more.

Hey Alexa, play SZA’s “big boy”

ALSO, the side characters (I won’t name who to avoid spoilers), that’s another relationship I’d RACE to read about!!!

4.5/5. Gobbled it. It should come as no surprise that Tessa had knocked it out of the park again. I will forgive her for naming him “Burgess” because he is also a DILF, which does mean I think we could have used "daddy" more ;). . I really appreciate how even though it's a rom-com, there are still serious moments and Tallulah might be one of my favorite FMCs in a book recently because she is so confident and brave. I also normally don't love kids in books but Lissa is a firecracker and I honestly could have had more of her! This book does a good job of building off of Fangirl Down while still giving Tallulah and Burgess their own story. AND setting up the next one...

Thank you to Tessa Bailey and Avon via NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

If you’re looking for a hockey romance that features a little bit of an age gap (I’m sorry 11 years isn’t a lot once you’re past 25), solid character growth, a single father, and likable lead heroine, then I highly recommend The Au Pair Affair.

I can’t say I loved it. I’m starting to realize that while I enjoy contemporary romances, I never end up loving them like fantasy romances. That being said, I think this is a solid book that people who do love contemporary romance will highly enjoy. I thought both the leads were well-developed, learned and grew throughout the story. I’ve found that a lot of romance ends up with the 3rd act conflict being full miscommunication or just one character is in the wrong. This conflict was nuanced because both of the characters had to realize their mistakes throughout the novel and fix the situation.

This is a fairly spicy book and I thought those parts were good. I will say that Tessa Bailey’s characters often say the most unhinged stuff doing these kinds of scenes. Sometimes to the point that I get fully out of the story.

This book is obviously leading up to a 3rd about a certain other couple. I’m very intrigued to see how Bailey handles that whole situation.

Fun, over the top, steamy hockey romance. I go into Tessa Bailey’s books knowing it will be a fun time and this was no exception. Was it the most realistic? Nope. But I read this kind of book for escape.

like I said with fangirl down we LOVE an obsessed man!!! I don’t know what it is about this dynamic that I will just eat up every single time!!!

I so so appreciate that neither the au pair affair nor fangirl down were built on miscommunication. I love that tallulah and burgess communicated so honestly with each other and they really just had to work through their own demons to find their way to each other.

thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon for this digital ARC!

I really enjoyed Fan Girl Down so I had high hopes for this one. I’m happy to say that it met my expectations! I enjoyed Burgess and Tallulah’s chemistry and their growth through the story. There were a few minor editing issues but they did not detract from the overall story, I’m looking forward to the next installment in the series about Chloe and Sig!

This was my first ever sports rom com and it didn’t disappoint! I can see why people love these books and per usual the queen Tessa Bailey knocked it out of the park. I loved the characters, the romance, the spice, the banter. It was such a fun time

When Tallulah agrees to be the au pair for hockey legend Burgess, she doesn't know exactly what she's getting into.

This was a good new one from queen Tessa Bailey. Here's what I liked:

Burgess. This man was smitten immediately and I liked seeing how he would handle his feelings and trying to get Tallulah to see him as more than just her boss. He's so sweet but also rough in all the right places. Loved him.

The Spice. Bailey is the romcom spice queen and that shines in this one! There were many well placed spicy scenes that were top tier.

Old friends. I adored Fangirl Down and Loved seeing Wells and Josephine again. I also liked meeting Sig and Chloe who I know will be the next book in the series!

All in all, this was a good sports romcom!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted copy!

By far my favorite Tessa Bailey book I’ve read. The plot is cliched but Bailey writes characters that are so relatable and intriguing that you don’t care. A perfect summer beach read.

Tessa Bailey does it again with a fun-filled romp through the blossoming romance of a hockey player and his nanny. Great summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon/Harper Voyager, and Ms. Bailey for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

OK, it's official, I'm adding myself to Tessa Bailey's autobuy queue. Seriously. I would buy toilet paper if she wrote on it. While this one didn't have the startlingly, devastatingly sexy shock factor of a HOT GOLF ROMANCE (I mean, for real, I am still completely astonished months later by how Ms. Bailey managed to make khakis SEXY) it was nonetheless amazing. At this point I give up, Ms. Bailey writes my kryptonite, just take my money already.

Burgess, single dad, aging hockey star, has the hots for Tallulah, biology grad student, friend of Josephine from Fangirl Down, and daughter's new au pair. But Burgess isn't looking for a fling, and Tallulah isn't in search of an instafamily and a commitment. These obstacles are pretty solid, and that's before Burgess' struggles with imminent retirement and health issues, Tallulah's resistance to their age gap and her traumatic history with men, and Burgess's twelve year old daughter who desperately wants her parents to get back together. The angst was well done and the slow burn was very rewarding. Frankly despite knowing full well how these things end I sort of thought their third act breakup would stick - on paper these two just had a LOT of obstacles and some pretty serious issues to overcome. It was so realistically miserable that I felt my joy in the romance slip a little bit. Because it was SO heavy and emotionally draining I don't think this is a book I would re-read.

All the same overall I loved the book and would certainly recommend it. 4 stars.

Tallulah needs a job and a house so she decides to au pair for Burgess who is a famous hockey player.
He has liked her ever since they met at their friends wedding.
3rd act breakup
Hockey

𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒖 𝑷𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝑨𝒇𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒓
𝑩𝒚: 𝑻𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂 𝑩𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒚
𝑷𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝑫𝒂𝒕𝒆: 𝑱𝒖𝒍𝒚 𝟏𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 𝟓

@tessabaileyisanauthor HAS DONE IT AGAIN! I don’t think I will ever be disappointed with a book written by her.

The Au Pair Affair is the second book in the Big Shots series. And while I loved Wells and Josephine, Burgess and Tallulah were…EVERYTHING. Tallulah is Josephine’s best friend and she is back from her expedition and ready to start grad school. She is given the opportunity to be the au pair for well known hockey player, Burgess Abraham, aka Sir Savage. Tallulah is bit worried to live in his home based off a past experience with a man that was in her life, but as time goes by we see her get comfortable with her new boss and the two of them need each other to grow.

I really enjoyed this book. The banter between Burgess and Tallulah was fun and playful. I would consider this a slow burn romance and the tension was excellent. The humor and heartwarming moments had me turning pages so fast I didn’t want it to end. The spice was definitely spicy and I loved how he fell first and hard for Tallulah. Each character had such depth and history that any one could relate to. Every person has their layers. Until you can fully love yourself, you won’t be able to love another person completely.

Tropes:
🏒 Hockey Romance
🏒 Age Gap
🏒 Single Dad x Nanny (Au Pair)
🏒 He falls first

𝗙𝗔𝗩𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗤𝗨𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗦:

“You want to bring me around Boston on your adventures, good. Let’s go.” … “You let me know if you want my bed to be one of them.”

“My God, I don’t deserve another chance, but wait until you see what I’m going to do with it.” His lips coasted over hers, drawing her into a slow, winding kiss. “I’m going to take you on adventures, because I live to see you happy. And because you taught me to enjoy them, too. But hear me when I tell you, there will never be an adventure that lives up to you.” He looked her in the eye. “I want to stay on it forever.”

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 @𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒈𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 & @𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒏𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘.

I’ll preface this review by saying spicy sports romances are not my usual read, but this Tessa Bailey novel did not disappoint!

Overall, I thought this had a great mix of steam and sensitivity—you get to see both characters grow and evolve throughout this. I was worried that the age gap element was going to bother me, but Burgess very quickly won me over! I absolutely loved the Costa Rica adventures and Boston moments. I wanted more hockey because Chloe as a fan was such a joy to read.

I did not realize this was part of a series, so you can absolutely enjoy it as a standalone. I do want to go back and read book 1 to see where these two paths crossed!

I hope we get more from Sig and Chloe in the next book, I’ll definitely keep reading!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Format - E ARc (NetGalley)

Rating- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Spice- 🌶 🌶 🌶

Series- Big Shot’s #2

Troupes- Work place romance, single dad- nanny, age gap, insta attraction, forced proximity

Representation-

CW-

Honestly I wasn’t sure how Tessa was going to surprise me again after Fan Girl Down and my sudden love of Golf as sport, but here we are.

Tallulah and Burgess the two weirdest names in romance couple history are also some of the most adorable. They’re banter and chemistry are off the charts and the Age gap while a bit of a hurtle was not a problem for me.

I hate a third act break up but the way Tessa does them I just can’t help but pine with them and cry! She rips your heart out in the best possible way.

We get angsty pinning, witty banter and Tessa’s patented brand of Spice with a dash of Wells and and his Bell and it all hit the spot nicely! 😘

Thank you Tessa Bailey and Avon for this advanced copy all opinions are my own!

Holy Moly! I could tell from book one that this book was going to be good. I could not wait to pick this one up and I was not wrong. This book is everything I wanted in a sports romance! Spicy yet Sweet. Burgess's infatuation with Tallulah is clear from the start. He is trying to deny it but it's palpable on the page. His passion for his daughter, Tallulah, and hockey was so precious. Tallulah had a bit of a hard start to her life and is trying to break out of her safety net. Burgess helps her do that and in turn, helps her regain control of her life again. I liked that we got dual perspectives. It helped piece the story together in a more exciting way. Just like in book 1, Tessa Bailey sets up book 3 so well. I am so hyped to see Sig Gauthier’s story!

Read if you like a Forced Proximity, Single Dad, Age Gap Romance. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 7/16!

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

The second book in the Big Shots series follows Tallulah, Josephine's best friend. Tallulah is back from her artic expedition and ready to start grad school in Boston. When she is given the opportunity to be an au pair for a well known hockey player who is also a part of her best friends life. Tallulah is worried about the dynamics of living in the home based off her previous experiences with males. We watch as Tallulah becomes comfortable with her boss, Burgess and how they each need each other to grow.