Listen, I could tell you that I’m not 10000% in love with Burgess, but I’d be lying. That man owns me; the stone exterior and fragile interior - wrecked.

Tallulah was a wonderful FMC & her story obliterated my heart. I could do nothing but cry & rejoice with her.

Honestly, I don’t think I’ll be the same after this book. I also LOVED Wells & Josephine’s appearance; a cute touch!

I pray there’s another installment in this series.

Tessa Bailey, thank you for entering the world of sports romance. If anyone can write a hulking hero, with hidden sensitivity, it’s Tessa! The tension between our main characters is jumping off the pages from the get go, and we spend a solid portion of the story working through Tallulah and Burgess’ “should we or shouldn’t we” energy. Spoiler alert: They should! You won’t need to understand the game of hockey to enjoy this one, but Tessa does a fantastic job of what must go through a pro player’s mind, and how those feelings affect his choices. I’m hoping we get another hockey romance from Tessa soon! Many thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for my gifted ARC!

Tallulah is second-guessing her decision to move in with Burgess, a hockey player known for being mean, in order to nanny his daughter. But he convinces her she has nothing to fear--and from the beginning, he's much more open and understanding than she expected. But aside from the fear that her past instilled in her, there's also the issue of Burgess's looks: he's incredibly hot. And clearly into her. And Tallulah knows it would be a bad idea to sleep with the man who is technically her boss...

The Au Pair Affair is really fun, with amazing spice, and it even made me actively like some of the jealousy/alpha male dynamics I usually don't love in a romance. I hadn't read the first book but I'm definitely going to now--and am really looking forward to the next book in the series.

I love a good single dad/nanny trope as much as the next girl, but this was definitely not my favorite. The chemistry and the spice were...not the best. They felt awkward and unnatural, which is not something that I expect from Tessa as an author.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for the opportunity to read this e-book in exchange for an honest review of the content.
Ugh, thank you Tessa Bailey! This romance was just what I needed! This book is such an easy read and follows two *very* lovable characters Burgess and Tallulah, and throughout the book they both show so much personal growth and overcoming of obstacles. There is nothing better than a grumpy x sunshine, hockey, forced proximity, romance, and this delivered! Super sad of the (spoiler?) third-act break-up, I was left wanting more of their relationship post-reconciliation! Maybe in the future!!
WARNING: this book is surprisingly !much! spicier than I anticipated! The innocent-looking cover doesn't give you much indication of the level. The spice was done well, it just surprised me a little!

I was a little let down. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the book, but it didn't have the same wow factor of some of her previous books.

This was a 3.3 stars for me...and I was really hoping it was going to be a 4 or 5. Sadly, it fell kind of short.

This started really slow. I had such a hard time making a connection with the MC's. And then when the connection happened I didn't even understand where it came from. Their story must stem from the first book, which I haven't read-so that's on me. Although Tessa's books are all considered stand alone's...something tells me Tallulah and Burgess are introduced in the first novel.

Tallulah is a 26 year old marine biologist student. She was interesting enough, but honestly she was a little boring and anti climatic for me. I didn't find her attractive and found her persona a little blah. Then when she lets Burgess in on her history and the whys behind her hesitation with all things-it hit like a ton of bricks. I certainly wasn't expecting the trauma and while I did like that tidbit it came out of nowhere and had nothing to do with anything. Felt kind of completely off track with the actual substance of the pages?!

Okay, now we have Burgess. I did find him attractive in my head. And I did enjoy his (very) strong personality and come on vibe but he was also kind of blah. He didn't have much depth. I just didn't find him developed for some odd reason. And it felt long and like there was PLENTY of time to develop him and feel that connection but it didn't happen. His whole dad side too just kind of was a let down. I love a good single dad vibe but this missed the mark!

When their romance/intimacy started to blossom it kind of just happened and again, I didn't feel the build up I wanted. Their communication and interactions didn't strike me as though love was in the air so I had a difficult time enjoying them as a couple. It also took way too long for something to happen. Then when it did, boy did it! The spice was spicing!! Burgess was a run of the mill (NHL star) dad on the streets but a complete freak in the streets.

Loved:
-The inner monologues. That hit for me in this.
-the friends
-Burgess' protective nature
-the ending

Didn't Love:
-the whole hospital scene
-some of the missed opportunities
-Burgess protective nature (I loved it and also wanted to shove him haha)

Overall: This was cute! Fun, easy read with enough going on to finish and be happy with the end result. Which I was! I loved the way it all came together and the ending made me smile. :) I will definitely read more Tessa books!

*Huge thanks to NetGalley, AVON Books + Harper Voyager US and of course Tessa Bailey for trusting me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Not my favorite. The writing and some scenes were just not for me. I haven’t read the first one, but I have heard it was better. Might read that one and then see if I would consider reading more of the series.

I really loved this. Both of them giving each other this new beginning of opening themselves up to life when they had been closed off for different reasons is just chefs kiss. Also as someone who is half Turkish loved some of the details like köfte and saksuka.

Not a fan. The plot line is fine, typical of a romcom. But the way the characters talk to each other is honestly disturbing. The sex scenes are not realistic and the urgency and phrases they use with each other are just gross. I don’t have any issues with open door romances, but I had to skip ahead because they are so patriarchal and gross. Which was surprising because the author clearly made it priority to show the male lead being respectful in other ways. This one wasn’t for me.

Oh em Gee!! Is it possible that I loved this even more than Fangirl Down?! Yaaaas!

I loved how Josephine and Wells tied into Burgess and Tallulah’s story and made a few appearances. Burgess is a mean looking hockey star who’s really a softie with a bawdy oddy oddy. 🔥 Tallulah is a grad student who takes Burgess up on his offer to be a nanny to his eleven year old daughter. While I normally don’t care for the single dad trope, this one had me in a CHOKEhold 😉.

The banter was spot on and the TENSION babbby was giving! His protectiveness and her not needing, but wanting someone to be there for her and show her there are still good men in the world made this a fantastic story line. Was it predictable? Duh. I’m the first to admit that I don’t read these kind of books for shock value. However, the story still warmed my heart and kept me utterly entertained. It was funny and hot and honestly, what more could you want?! It also made me bawl like a baby so points for that.

Overall, I absolutely loved it! I will say it was a tad too long in my opinion, too drawn out. However, it was adorable and exactly what you’re looking for when you read a Tessa Bailey novel!

How does Tessa Bailey just keep getting better and better?! Every time I sit down with one of her novels, I can barely put them down. The Au Pair Affair, I have to say, is one of my favorites of hers. I absolutely adored Tallulah and Burgess and their journey. And Lissa? *sigh* How can anyone not love her to pieces? I have to say that the nanny trope isn't always my favorite, but Ms. Bailey can put a fresh spin on ANY trope and make me love it. Highly, highly recommend. Five stars!

Thank you to @avonbooks and @tessabaileyisanauthor as well as @netgalley for e-arc. All thoughts are my own.


Tallulah is 26 and working on her degree in marine biology. She’s barely making by, so when she’s offered a job as a live-in nanny for Burgess, the burly hockey play, she jumps at the opportunity, and not just for the swanky neighborhood, but Lissa, his sweet but introverted tween.

It isn’t long before Tallulah realizes that it isn’t just Lissa who needs some help fitting in, and she sets off to get Burgess to date again. However, Burgess isn’t really onboard because he only has eyes for her.

Ah Tessa Bailey, you have done it again! She knocked this one out of the park just like she did with Fangirl Down. I think that this was a great continuation of the series. Things picked right up with Tallulah and Burgess from Fangirl Down. This book is so much fun. It’s filled with so much angst and tension and lots of fun banter. There are also several laugh out loud moments. I loved how Burgess dealt with the rookies under Tallulah’s guidance, goes to show how listening skills can come in handy! Later in the books, there is plenty of spice to go around, and I like how Tessa Bailey writes her spice. The relationship between Tallulah and Burgess felt natural and easy, though there was some tension as Burgess’s daughter and ex-wife were involved. I also really enjoyed how this one ended.

I loved what I hope are little morsels for what will be the third book! I cannot wait for that one!

I rushed out and bought the special edition of this book to match my Fangirl Down. Yay! It won’t be here for a few months, but I’ll share to my stories or my TikTok when it comes.

I loved how fun this book was. Younger smart Au Pair meets hot older hokey grumpy father. This book had so much sexual tension between Tallulah & Burgess. I love how they both have and need what the other one wants and needs and they don’t know it till later in the book. I love how this book was linked with her last book & brings a few of those characters into this book, and I have a feeling I know who the next book could be about.

Predictable Tessa Bailey. Big burly grump of a hero, tough on the outside but jello on the inside. . THis one didn’t hit me like Fan Girl down. Very sexy and steamy couple.

As any Tessa Bailey and Hockey Romance, this one was a quick and easy read. Tessa Bailey kept me engaged and wanting to read more throughout the whole books.

Would recommend to anyone looking for a quick read,

The Au Pair Affair
includes a clever and fun marine biology student who is dealing with a traumatic event from her past with a grumpy and confused pro hockey player who doesn't understand life as an athlete approaching retirement and a divorced dad. It has laughs, spice, heart, and witty banter. I believe the first half of this book was almost perfection. The conversations were fun, Tallulah made an excellent au pair while balancing a graduate degree. Burgess used his size and power as a way to support Tallulah who in turn helped him to see how things beyond his Sir Savage persona were valuable as well. The final third of the book pushed Tallulah and Burgess to fight for their HEA and we were so glad to see it fully realized in the epilogue!

Mein Leseerlebnis

Vor dem Lesen der sports romance hatte auf eine ähnlich unterhaltsame und lockere Geschichte wie im ersten Teil in der Buchreihe gehofft (siehe: Fangirl down). Diese Erwartung erfüllte sich leider nur bedingt.

Ja, der Schreibstil ist locker und einnehmend, auch gefiel mir die Energie in der Geschichte. Die Dialoge hörten sich für meine Ohren aber nicht in jeder Szene überzeugend an.

In der hockey romance werden teils ernste Themen behandelt. Diese fügten sich meiner Meinung nach nicht immer nahtlos in den Liebesroman rein. Damit habe ich beim Lesen etwas gehadert.

Vor allem die Vorgeschichte der Heldin wirkte auf mich etwas zu konstruiert. Zudem empfand ich das Verhalten des Helden bei aufkommenden Problemen in seiner Karriere als Eishockey-Spieler überzogen, fast schon kindisch und auch zu ihm unpassend.

Darüber hinaus konnte ich leider die Gefühle zwischen den Hauptcharakteren nicht spüren und mir beide zusätzlich nicht als richtige Personen vorstellen. Und auch die Sexszenen wirkten auf mich teils wie ein Fremdkörper.

Insgesamt hat das Buch auf mich beim Lesen nicht wie eine runde Sache gewirkt. Da mich emotional nur wenig berühren konnte, habe ich den Liebesroman nicht zu Ende gelesen.

Keine Bewertung, da abgebrochen.

Für wen?

Wer Liebesromane mag, die flott geschrieben sind und in denen so einiges los ist, für den könnte “The Au Pair Affair” einen Versuch wert sein.

Achtet beim Lesen der Leseprobe vor allem darauf, wie die beiden Hauptcharaktere auf euch wirken und ob ihr die Emotionen zwischen ihnen spüren könnt.

I've been really into light and spicy romances lately, and this book definitely delivered. Tessa Bailey did a great job with the cute and lighthearted romance between Tallulah and Burgess. Their connection was instant and their dynamic as an Au Pair and a single dad added an interesting twist to the story, however the instant connection bothered me a bit since i orefer my romances with a bit more build up! And while I did wish there was more emotional depth, overall it was still an enjoyable read. I actually liked it more than the first book in the series and I'm eagerly looking forward to a third one!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher fir the arc!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
✨ Roommates
✨ Nanny x Boss
✨ Age Gap
✨ Spice

If Tessa writes it, I’m reading it.

The story had me not wanting to put my book down until the dreaded third act break-up. I’m never a fan of those but they’re always a staple in a romance novel so one day I’ll eventually get over them.

The Au Pair Affair is filled with what Tessa does best - tension, angst and spice. Tallulah’s ambitiousness paired with Burgess’s protectiveness was the perfect mixture. Their story was a perfect, steam filled slow burn.

I only wish there was more of Tallulah being an Au Pair in ‘The Au Pair Affair’ but Lissa is 12 and didn’t really need Tallulah there?

As of now, Fangirl Down is my favorite in the series but maybe if a certain couple gets their own book that might change? 👀