3.5 stars that I'll round up! Fangirl Down is one of my favorite books that I've read so far this year so I had high hopes for The Au Pair Affair... and I would say that this book mostly met them. I loved that Tessa Bailey weaved in serious themes along with the romance. I could identify with Burgess's concern about aging and losing a step and thought that the way that it was written was so real! Tallulah was so sweet about it and gave such great advice. She was such a great hype girl for him! Tallulah had her own issues, and I thought the journey to gain confidence and find herself was really well done! If I had one grievance with this book it was the fact that there were two different scenes with littering (one during a grand gesture). And no one acknowledged how crappy doing that was or at least picked up the trash afterwards. I can't believe that in 2024 there would be a book with not one, but two scenes with littering. That soapbox aside, I really did enjoy the book and the romance. With all the foreshadowing into the couple for the next book, I'm super excited to read their story! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

4.5 / 5 stars

This is hands down my favorite Tessa Bailey book. Sometimes the spice in her books is a little much for me, but this one was perfect. I absolutely loved both Burgess and Tallulah. Sign me up for all the hockey romances! And the fact that he falls first? Immediately yes.

I do wish there had been more hockey scenes and banter with his teammates, because the hospital room scene with Sig and the rookies had me laughing out loud. Now I’m just hoping that Sig & Chloe’s story is next in this series!

Read this if you like:
🏒 Hockey Romance
🥅 He Falls First
❄️ Age Gap
❤️ Single Dad
🔥 Spice

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I would give it 4.75/5 stars. I would have given it 5 if I read the other book first. Also I say this with my full chest if the next series is not about Chloe and her lover interest I will riot. You would be dumb to not read this book. or anything written by Tessa Bailey. I understand the hype and will be reading more of her work!!!!

Sexy, steamy, sizzling, sensational slow burn romance between Sir Savage (Burgess, Professional Hockey Player) and his Au Pair, Tallulah (Marine Biology graduate student). Just bring me a fan, because it is hot, hot, hot. I loved the family dynamics at play in this story between Burgess and his daughter. The hockey teammates were hilarious. This is Tessa Bailey at her finest and a worthy follow-up to the fantastic Fangirl Down. I’m crossing my fingers that there is a book in the future for Chloe & Sig! Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books and Harper Voyager US for this ARC - the opinions are all my own.

Thank you for the ARC from NetGalley.

Let's be frank - this isn't my favorite Tessa Bailey (and I've read most of her catalogue at this point). I didn't really feel like the characters connected the way some of her other heroes do, the smutty scenes didn't do it for me the way some of her other books do, and I didn't love that he had a 12-year old she was working as an au pair for and there wasn't more consideration for how a relationship would impact the kid.

That being said, I just love Tessa Bailey's books. They read so well, you can just fly through them. It's fun to see characters from a previous book (hi Josephine and Wells!) but also know who is up next. And speaking of up next, I was *obsessed* with the next couple which is certainly going to be Sig & Chloe. Absolute wild pairing and I loved all their interactions. In a way I think this book suffered some by breadcrumbing them so much, but I can't really complain because I am DYING to read that book.

In summary, I thought the power dynamics of the previous book were much better, and the couple in the next unwritten book much more interesting, but still enjoyed reading this one.

Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC!

2.5 ⭐️ I wanted to love this a lot. The ‘he falls first’ trope is such a good one and Burgess’s protective nature was exactly what I was wanting considering Tallulah’s trauma. However, I found that the characters lacked the depth I was hoping for and it felt rushed. The ending, for me, was really just so hurried that it I felt disappointed.

This was a wild ride. I loved the FMC & the MMC and loved their journey! Talullah has been through a lot and she deserves to live a life of adventure and I just she’s got that in the bag now. I’m now ready to attend a destination wedding. Can’t wait for the next in the series!

A enjoyable second book in the Big Shots series. What’s not to like about a hockey romance trope? I will say Bailey’s books are usually a 3/5 for me just bc the spice level can be a little much. However, I do enjoy the characters and their backstories.

I'm a HUGE Tessa Bailey fan, so you can bet that I was super excited to read this one! And let me tell you, it did not disappoint!

Our FMC, Tallulah, is strong-willed and tenacious, as she works towards her dream career. But, alas, she needs a place to live, and a way to make some quick cash.

Enter our, MMC, Burgess, a.k.a. the almost-veteran hockey superstar who needs a live-in nanny for his adorable daughter, Lissa. Despite his seemingly grumpy demeanor, he knows a good thing when he sees it, and knows that he can't pass up Tallulah's help.

I won't lie, the blurb for this book basically gave away the entire plot, so there weren't too many surprises. However, the evolution of the dynamic between Tallulah and Burgess is something that only Tessa could so masterfully create.

We learn that their initial meeting, prior to the start of this story, inspired attraction on both sides. However, neither was ready to, or particularly interested in acting on that attraction. Even upon their first meeting in this story, it is clear that there's a form of chemistry between them.

Once Tallulah agrees to move in with Burgess and Lissa, they are both exposed to a world that neither of them would've otherwise experienced. For Tallulah, it's being on the other side and experiencing the immensity of the world of professional hockey. For Burgess, it's not having to hold it altogether on his own; having someone to share his burdens with.

Now, the only reason that this story doesn't receive the full 5 stars is because of how quickly Tallulah was ready to trust Burgess, despite what we learn about her actual trust issues with men. For someone who thought things through, the speed at which she went from moving in to experiencing her "list" with him was a tad unrealistic.

BUT. The third-act breakup of this story is probably the most realistic that I've ever read for a Single-Dad romance. We've been conditioned to expect a sweet child who will magically fall in love with the new woman (the nanny, in this case), and accept her as the new woman in his/her dad's life. Such is not the case for Lissa. She is twelve years old, and has her own trust issues, so her reaction, and Tallulah's and Burgess' response to her reaction are completely realistic and warranted.

Needless to say, what follows is yet another poignantly realistic reunion that is filled with all of the feels that we've grown to love from Tessa's stories!

4.3 ⭐️

K, this book had me feeling every emotion, lol! It took me a second to get into it (I am not a huge fan of 3rd person POV) but once I was into it, I WAS HOOKED. There was conflict, spice, and I found myself kicking my feet during some parts! 😂 We love a man who is obsessed with his woman! 👏🏼 I liked all of the characters in this book and I really enjoyed it overall! I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a spicy sports romance. 🩵🩵

I rate it 4.5 stars!!!

TBH, I’m a little shocked by the negative reviews this book has so far - because I really liked it! I was intrigued by Tallulah and Burgess after finishing Fangirl Down. I thought they had an instant spark and was excited for their story!
This had Grumpy/Sunshine (kind of), jealous MMC, big/sexy man, and slow burn with all the right sizzle! I have been dying for a slow burn that wasn’t annoyingly drawn out, after reading way too many of those lately - and this was it! I even laughed out loud more than once.
I am personally not really in to some of the other tropes in this book, like “mean daddy/call me daddy” with an age gap, but it wasn’t done in a way that made the book cringy at all.
Some of the negative reviews say that Tallulah’s position as Lissa’s au pair wasn’t really a big part of their story, but becoming the au pair was how Tallulah was brought into Burgess’ world... This book wasn’t meant to be all about Tallulah being a nanny - it’s a romcom about the two main characters… So I am not really sure what those reviewers thought was missing!
I do agree with the reviews regarding the conflict/resolution and how it almost feels toxic (without spoiling) when it comes to Tallulah’s past trauma.
BUT - having said that, I did really enjoy the book and I am completely in love with Burgess - faults and all - because TB worked her magic again with the grumpy, big, sexy MMC. She really is the queen of the grumpy MMC!
4⭐️ because for me - this was another TB book I couldn’t put down!

Also - I am guessing Chloe and Sig are next and although I am not really sure how I feel about their trope - bring it on!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback!

Tried to keep this spoiler free but proceed with caution!
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Starting out this review by saying Tessa Bailey holds a special place in my heart and therefore her books will always be an automatic read in my heart. She’s my hometown hero and I have had the opportunity to meet her in person and confess my undying love for her.
Now. With that out of the way.
Here is the TL;DR, this was a steamy book with an interesting take on the boss/nanny trope AND age gap trope AND grumpyxsunshine but more a grumpyxtraumatized fawn
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4/5

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Okay now here is the TL
“The Au Pair Affair” by Tessa Bailey was an ultra steamy book in my opinion. Everyone has different gauges for spice 🌶️ but for me, I would rate this a solid 3.5 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ out of 5 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️.
At times I was like “yes mhm okay yes they are attracted to one another GOT IT” but it’s par for the course (insert pun about the first Big Shots book here, #WellsBelle IYKYK) for any Tessa Bailey novel.

This book had the advantage of both of the main characters already having been introduced in “Fangirl Down”, so some of the story was set up from the get go. The story jumps in quickly in a rather unexpected but fun high stakes way.

What I loved:
- This book took a stab at a very serious mental health topic and I openly commend it for handling it with relatively careful hands.
- Showing the importance of the dynamic between not only Burgess and Tallulah, but Tallulah and Lissa, Burgess’ daughter.
- The romance……duh

What I didn’t love:
- I simply could not look past the name Burgess. It felt criminal. All I could picture was the Burgermeister from the Christmas claymation movie, “The Year Without a Santa Claus”. I’m sorry but I just could NOT!!!!!!
- The instalove/instaattraction. It was not bad, but it came on a bit strong! Not my cup of tea

My favorite quote that literally made me laugh out loud:

Don't look at her thighs. Distract yourself with something. Anything.
Burgess cleared his throat hard. "So.
Skinny dipping, huh?"
Perfect, man. Nailed it.


——————————————————-

Overall this book was light and fun and I would definitely recommend it, especially to my book friends who already love Tessa’s saucy style.

Huge thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC!!

I absolutely loved the first book in this series so I was do excited to read THE AU PAIR AFFAIR. While the first book was pretty light and filled with laugh-out-loud scenes, this book was not nearly as light and covered some pretty weighty emotional topics.

I love a good nanny romance and the chemistry between Burgess and Talulah was soooo hot.

The characters in this book slowly change and grow and I loved reading it! I thought the issues still haunting the heroine from her past were handles really well by the author.

And while I really liked THE AU PAIR AFFAIR, I did take a star off my rating because towards the end the heroine manipulates the hero with sex, even when he has repeatedly made his boundaries concerning sex with her clear.

Overall THE AU PAIR AFFAIR is a really good book, with a few issues that most readers will be able to overlook.

this was my first tessa bailey book and i liked it! it felt kind of slow at the beginning but once it picked up i couldn’t put it down! the only part i didn’t love was the third act breakup. what went down was pretty awful and i felt like i would have liked to see them together more in the future

Stepping into the pages of 'The Au Pair Affair,' the second installment of Tessa Bailey's 'Big Shots' series, was an engaging experience from start to finish. Offering a delightful blend of rapid-paced storytelling and heartwarming romance, this novel is a treat for fans of the single dad/nanny trope. While some moments of dialogue may have veered into cringe-worthy territory, they didn't detract significantly from the overall enjoyment.

One of the highlights of the book is the satisfying dose of groveling towards the end, adding a layer of authenticity to the characters' relationships. However, the conclusion felt somewhat rushed, leaving a longing for more closure.

Yet, amidst these minor drawbacks, Bailey skillfully plants the seeds for future intrigue, particularly with the captivating dynamic between Chloe and Sig. Their chemistry practically leaps off the page, leaving readers eager to explore their story further in future installments. In many ways, it's their presence that truly steals the show, infusing the narrative with a sense of anticipation and excitement.

Overall, 'The Au Pair Affair' offers a charming and enjoyable read, leaving readers eagerly anticipating what adventures lie ahead for the characters in subsequent novels.

The Au Pair Affair is a fun, entertaining, steamy, sports romance, single father, age gap & so much more! There’s so many tropes but the one trope that got me… the slow burn of sexual desire! 😮‍💨! In true Tessa Bailey form, there’s wittiness & humor, although, I wish there was more wittiness in this book. It was still funny.

I’m a bit torn with The Au Pair Affair… I felt like the middle of the book was a little boring but it still kept me entertained. I enjoyed the growth of each character but again, I just needed a little more from them. More personality.

Let me say that Fangirl Down is THE BEST book I’ve read in 2024. I loveeee Josephine & Wells! Even in The Au Pair Affair, Wells’s character was shining through bc he has so much character. I was hoping there would be that much character for both Burgess & Tallulah, as well.

Overall, this was wonderful & entertaining, I reallllyyyy hope Sig & Chloe get a book next! 🤞🏽

✨Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher Harper Voyager, Avon & of course the author, Tessa Bailey for the ARC! ✨

3.5 ⭐️

For once, I thought the pacing of this romance novel worked fairly well and did really like Burgess. It certainly had the trademark Tessa Bailey slow burn! However, some of the dialogue got to be a bit much and kind of snapped me out of what I was reading (this also happened when I read The Spanish Love Deception, so not sure if it's just me, but it was a little over the line). However, I did really enjoy reading it, and will be picking up Fangirl Down to cure the FOMO I had reading this one without knowing the other story.

I used to love Tessa Bailey. But I think I haven't liked a book of hers in the past year at least if not longer. She has gone too far into the smut and forgets that she needs to have a plot. The little plot this book had felt like a rip off of Schitt's Creek (starting with the fmc's name). I finished this, but I'm not sure why. I never connected with the characters and I wish I could have that reading time back to read a plot instead.

Another man pathetically in love? WE WON

Burgess saw Tallulah and was gone for her immediately. It was cute to watch him fluster and blush as he tried so desperately to read Tallulah and her feelings toward him.

The au pair aspect wasn’t as major as I was expecting. Lissa was twelve, so she was relatively independent and wasn’t present </so> much. She was just present enough to be a fully-realized character but also away enough to let the main couple develop.

I loved the build-up and tension of this book, especially in the spice department. Burgess wouldn’t fully be with Tallulah until she was ready to commit to being his full-time girlfriend, but man did they both find creative ways to get their rocks off.

I was really vibing with the story until the third act hit, and I lost all momentum. It was so unnecessarily angsty and frustratingly drawn out. While I could understand the characters’ actions and feelings, it definitely felt like the romance novel version of watching a horror movie and shouting at the screen because of the dumb decisions they were making. I still enjoyed my time, but it was a bummer stall for sure.

The majority of the book was a great experience for me. Maybe if I read it at another time in my life (you know, when I’m not experiencing the worst reading month I’ve had since I started reading), I wouldn’t have been so bothered by the last ~30%. I will say, I’m looking forward to Sig and Chloe’s story and am manifesting that it’s next.

Thank you to publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Thank you for this arc! This book didn’t disappoint . Tess writes the best dirty talking men ever! I loved Burgess . He was a man obsessed . And this had some of the best groveling I’ve ever read ! Loved it 😍