As an avid lover of Tessa Bailey and everything she writes, The Au Pair Affair continues her legacy as an amazing writer. Tallulah is wise beyond her age and an amazing influence on all the other characters in the book. Even though she went through a terrible experience and anxiety developed, in the end she did not let it stop her from living her life. Burgess, Sir Savage, grows drastically as a friend, father, person and eventually boyfriend, due to the influence Tallulah brings to the table. This books is an amazing journey of finding love, messing it up, and figuring out how to fix it, The perfect summer read if you love grumpy x sunshine romance.

"Because he had a date tonight with the woman he'd fallen in love with."

Mean Daddy vibes
Age-gap
He falls first
"Who did this to you"
Touch her and die
Single Father

Well, I have fallen in love with this book! I have read a few Tessa Bailey books and this one right here *aggressively points to the book* is by far my favorite. It's so easy to fall in love with the characters and thoroughly root for their journey of self-growth and love... and other things. This book grabbed me by the collar on the first page and did not let go until I finished the last page. Did I say I am in love with this book??

Tallulah is a broke, 26-year-old grad student, studying to be a marine biologist with an apprehension of pretty much all men and most situations in which she is vulnerable to others. Burgess is a 37-year-old, hockey player as well as a single dad to his tween daughter Lissa. Tallulah needs a job and Burgess needs help with his daughter and navigating the psyche said tween daughter. So it's mutually beneficial for Tallulah to be the au pair for Lissa. It's a bonus that they find each other attractive. The Au Pair Affair is both angsty and sweet, funny and serious. Definitely a must-read!

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey

This is my 1st Tessa Bailey book. An age-gap, hockey romance, with forced proximity- this book has a lot of tropes romance readers love. It was instalove for Burgess and insta-chemistry for Tallulah which made the plot feel rushed to me. Both MCs are protective of each other with the “who hurt you?” line which was different! However, there were times when smut overpowered plot, he used her insecurities against her in a fight, there was no groveling after their fight, and it was hard to suspend disbelief in the success of their future relationship. The au pair part was done poorly since it wasn’t a slow-burn romance. The hockey and age gap were done well though. Despite my criticisms, this is a fast-paced contemporary romance that some readers will enjoy!

Star Rating: 3
Spice: 4
Pub Date: July 16th
#theaupairaffair #tessabailey #arcreview #comingsoon #sportsromance #readingreccomendations
This has been reviewed on StoryGraph, Instagram, and NetGalley.

Tessa Bailey really can do no wrong when it comes to her sports romance novels. Another fun, lighthearted rom com with a splash of hockey thrown in. I love the sassiness of Tallulah and how Burgess becomes that overprotective male we all crave. A fantastic addition to the T.B. romance line up!
Thank you to @netgalley and @avonandharper @voyager for this advanced copy. This title is due to be published in July, so be sure to add it to your TBR stat!

Burgess is the definition of obsessed- in the best way possible. Her smile, her heart, her story.. only issue is she’s the au pair who does not want a relationship.

There’s of course the age gap *chefs kiss*, burly hockey player *chefs kiss*, single dad x nanny trope *chefs kiss*. But there is the (spoiler alert!) dreaded third act break up. But then there is the (spoiler alert!) glorious groveling!

All in all my cup of tea!

Thank you netgalley for providing me with this e-arc!

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. It's an adorable single-dad, nanny, hockey romcom that does have some serious elements to it. I haven't read the "golf" one but I didn't feel like I needed to, Tessa Bailey does a good job with her interconnected standalones to ensure it doesn't matter which book you pick up, you're going to know what's going on and you're going to be entertained.
This book provided the right amount of tension that kept you asking for more and a slow-ish burn that was just perfection. The character growth for both of the main characters was really fun to read about and see on page. Also, it was hot as hell.

Basically, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one, you definitely get a clue as to who the next couple is.

it's time to accept that tessa bailey is no longer the author for me. i loved 'it happened one summer' and since have been chasing that high in her other books, only for them to fall short.

this is probably one of the spicier tessa bailey books and... i don't like spice that much. if you like smut and spice, great, you'll love this! however, i didn't and all of the spice distracted me from the rest of the story.

i think this book wasn't just for me. i could see why someone would enjoy it-- the characters are easy to love, they have great chemistry, and had some emotional depth.

Tallulah impulsively accepted Burgess’s offer to nanny his 12 year old daughter and live rent free in his Boston penthouse while she went to graduate school. It seemed like a good (no great) idea until she realized she doesn’t really know this guy and not only that, but she’s very attracted to him.

This was a great book from a smut perspective. A bit contradictory from a plot perspective. I feel like the characters would think something one chapter and say something completely opposite the next. The characters also didn’t really seem to have anything in common aside from being very attractive, but it kept me coming back for more and overall I enjoyed it.

This book is so heartwarming & filled with sweet romance, plus some very steamy parts thrown in as well! Bailey continues to weave in characters from past books & her classic witty humor. It all adds up for a great combination!

Burgess - the big, strong & protective hockey player & a loving single father - is just the most adorable when he falls hard & fast for his au pair & a graduate student, Tallulah. The age gap seems overwhelming but actually work perfectly for them. Both fight with demons from the past & within the present but it is clear they have a very difficult time not revolving within the other’s sphere.

I enjoyed reading this book a lot - the easiness of the story, the romance & some of the best tropes makes it a perfect

Being a huge fan of Fangirl Down and Tessa Bailey, I was excited to read this book! It was a quick read that I finished in a day, told as a dual POV between Burgess a pro-hockey player and Tallulah the new nanny hired to care for Burgess’ 12-year-old daughter. I enjoyed that the male lead was the one who fell head over heels becoming smitten and slightly obsessed with Tallulah.

Tallulahs heavy traumatic storyline was told genuinely and I found myself really feeling for her. The tension between B & T is a steamy slow burn with some major spice at times. Back-tones of humor also had me rolling at times!

The story is set in Beacon Hill, Boston which Tessa does a really good job of transporting the reader to the quaint and charming area. This was one of the things that truly sucked me into the storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Man, Burgess is down bad and crying at the gym.

Single hockey dad, nanny, age gap, and who did this to you?? SAY LESS. This book was trope candy for me and I ate it up. This book has plenty of spice, humor, and quick wit. Tallulah has a hard time trusting men and struggles with being as free and adventurous as she used too. Burgess is a burley single hockey dad who falls HARD for Tallulah the second he sees her. He does everything he can to make sure she feels safe and to let her know she can do things on her own again. There is a third act break up and lasts a little long however, the character development you see during their time apart and reconciling makes it worth it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers for the ARC!

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC copy!
I love a good sports rom-com and Tessa Bailey did not disappoint with this one. Burgess and Tallulah had me from the beginning. Burgess was a burly manly man with a heart that was falling fast for Tallulah and she was a fun outgoing girl who was broken and nervous to be around any man because of her past. Their love story was one I would read again! Tessa Bailey has made me laugh, cry and blush in just about all of the books I’ve read of hers!
#netgalley #TheAuPairAffair

After reading Fangirl Down I was looking forward to reading this book since it was a continuation of characters from the first book. I liked this book but I feel like it fell a little bit short. You’ve got Sir Savage who is a single dad and hockey player. He hires Tallulah as a au pair for his 12 year old daughter Lissa. Tallulah is going to graduate school for Marine Biology and needs a job/place to stay in Boston. I like the characters but I wish there was a little bit more character depth to both of them. Overall it was a great read, I’d give it 4 stars. Thank You to NetGalley, Avon, or Harper Voyager for this early copy in exchange for my honest review. Publishing date of July 16, 2024.

While I knew this going in, the spice level off the bat wasn’t for me. We are a few pages in, we barely know anything about the characters, how they know each other, what the relationship is to one another (if any) and then all of a sudden it’s Smut level 5. I try so hard to dig in to these and try to see the greater picture but is still such a sticking point for me. I know now maybe I’m more of a Julia Quinn or Meghan Quinn slow burn smut gal. I just truly want that depth, that building of the character and the chance to get to know them. I know that some relationships are passionate out the gate. That the tension can naturally build automatically. It’s the best part of dating. However, as a reader I just want more development of who these characters are, what’s their journey, where are they headed or struggling with. Anything honestly.

That said I was interested in how quickly the main character begins to trust a man she doesn’t know & it seems we learn of abuse in a past relationship. I find this quickness of trust to be illogical. Sure over the course of a whole novel, absolutely, but a woman once involved in an abusive relationship, I wouldn’t be caught by chapter 6 alone on a rooftop with another man having recently started healing. Then actually moving in with someone she doesn’t know but then by chapter 16/17 she’s sexually teasing eventually leading to a car scene that just left me feeling icky.

Again maybe it’s just me but this one just wasn’t for me. I’m glad they end up together & it all works out in the end. However more development with anticipation build up that feels less grimy would have been preferred.

That said I am ALWAYS grateful to NetGalley & Avon for the eARC.

I’ve been a big Tessa Bailey fan for a while now, and know that anytime I pick up one of her romances, I’ll enjoy it! The Au Pair Affair was no exception. I was so excited to read this because I loved the first book in this series, Fangirl Down. I was excited to see the characters from that book (Wells and Josephine) make multiple appearances.
This story followed Burgess, a very grumpy hockey played nicknamed “Sir Savage,” and Tallulah, a marine biologist grad student, who he just hired to nanny for his 12-year old daughter. There’s chemistry between them from the start (and by start, I mean in the last book when they met!) and I enjoyed watching their story unfold. They have to overcome hurdles such as Tallulah’s past trauma and their significant 11-year age gap. I really enjoyed the other characters as well, specifically Chloe (which felt like it was setting her up to be the FMC of book #3, so fingers crossed!).
There’s plenty of tension and spice!
This is a Hockey, single-dad/nanny, age-gap romance.

4.5 rounded up!

THE AU PAIR AFFAIR was a great follow up to Fangirl Down and continues to show why Tessa Bailey is an incredible romance author. This story had a lot of heart, incredible side characters, and the banter that this author is known for and makes you laugh out loud. While I struggled with Tallulah’s, the FMC, handling of her relationship with and Burgess, the MMC, towards the end, I think this book is worth the read.

The Au Pair Affair was one of my most anticipated reads for the summer and the story showcases that I was right to want to read this book. While an emotional read in some parts, the vulnerability Tallulah shows and how Burgess constantly respects and honors Tallulah makes him my new book boyfriend. The side characters are interesting and engaging in their own right and add levity to the story. I am so curious about if Bailey will continue writing in this world, as some of the side characters feel like they need their own story! And the banter, per usual, is superb and make the story funny and enjoyable to read.

I would say that the only thing I struggled with in this story was how hot and cold Tallullah was throughout in her relationship with Burgess. Her hesitancy is completely understandable when given the backstory (I won’t ruin it here in the review), but that hesitancy, in some ways, began to feel unfair to Burgess and their relationship. And when he would respect her wishes, she would want to be with him again. It felt disingenuous in some aspects, especially toward the end and took me out of the story a bit.

Overall, this book is a great edition to Bailey’s already impressive list of titles and is perfect for a summer vacation read.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is set to be published on my birthday, so getting to read this early felt like an actual birthday present from HarperCollins.

I definitely enjoyed this more than the first book in the series and I think this is because the hero is TB's more common type of hero - the quiet, in his head, protective and horny guy with a heart of gold - which happens to be my fav.

I was constantly surprised at the numerous plot points and how many fun moments we got to experience in this. It had way more going on than the first book in terms of plot and I really enjoyed some of their interactions and had a genuinely good time reading this. The Au Pair-ness of it all isn't my favorite trope, but it also wasn't a gross age gap to me, which I appreciate so much. I did like that the hero's daughter was a pre-teen which we don't always see in romance and her relationship with Tallulah was so sweet.

Tallulah's background was also something I have never read before in romance and I loved how he was protective of her while also wanting her to be able to do things and feel safe by herself. I think that whole conflict added so much to their development which I loved.

But my favorite part of this whole book may have been all of the interactions between Chloe and Sig. I cannot wait for their story because I know it is going to be so angsty. Their chemistry was off the charts.

Sir Savage is actually the worst nickname ever. I can't even read it with a straight face lol.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What a fun (and spicy) book! I knew while reading Fangirl Down that I would love Tallulah’s story, and sure enough, I did!

The Au Pair Affair follows Tallulah (Josephine’s best friend from Fangirl Down), an aspiring marine biologist who recently moved to Boston to start graduate school, and Burgess Abraham, star of the Boston Bearcats hockey team. Burgess hires Tallulah as his live-in au pair to help him take care of his daughter, Lissa. With tensions (and attraction) already high, will the two be able to live alongside each other professionally? Or will they become something more?

I’m not going to lie, I enjoyed the Au Pair Affair more than Fangirl Down! The tension and chemistry were off the charts good. I really loved Tallulah’s character and growth throughout the novel, especially when it came to her family (found and otherwise). I also loved Lissa and would have loved to see more of Lissa and Tallulah’s evolved relationship towards the end. But what I will say is that I NEED Chloe’s story!!!

Sometimes in life, you just need a good Tessa Bailey novel to life your spirits. If so, I suggest preordering the Au Pair Affair or requesting it from your library!

Many, many thanks to Netgalley and Avon/HarperCollins Publishing for the ARC!

I did not realize until I started reading that this is technically the second book in an interconnected series, but can be read as a stand alone. Burgess aka Sir Savage, and Tallulah meet in the first book of this series, and ever since their first encounter Burgess can't stop thinking about her. So much so he hires her to be his Au Pair and help out with his 1w year old daughter Lissa. Tallulah has trust issues with men in general and for good reason, but Burgess will do anything to get her to trust him, because he wants her to be more than just his Au Pair. Burgess is the captain of his Hockey team the Bears, I am really starting to enjoy these sports romances. I was not expecting the spice to be as spicy as it was, but it was written really well. Highly recommend this book, and excited to see if there will be a third book, based on things in this book, and if so I will definitely be picking that one up too!

In the second book of the Big Shots series, you get a single dad and nanny romance. Tallulah and Burgess are an opposites attract match made in heaven! He is a grumpy single dad who falls hard and fast for his new nanny. She is a grad student who is trying to rediscover herself while also fighting her feelings for her new employer.

This book has all of the charm, romance, banter, and spice that we’ve come to know and love from Tessa Bailey! A lovely follow up to Fangirl Down (with many cameos of Josephine and Wells) too!