This was such a cute (and hot) novel. It gets all the chilly peppers 🌶️ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I’ve been a fan of Tessa Bailey for years, and the spice level in this one is almost as hot as Happenstance (there is no surpassing this novel folks).

I loved our MMC Burgess and FMC Talulah. They had chemistry from the moment the novel opens. There was some teasing along the way, but before you know it you’re fanning yourself.

This novel doesn’t follow the cliche trope of single dad and nanny. I like that it was more than that from the start. I also liked how our FMC stood up for herself and did what was comfortable for her (she has a tragic backstory that is also very unique).

I always feel like Tessa Bailey puts her whole heart and soul into her novels and I really felt it in this one.

If you’re looking for a steamy read that will have you turning the pages as quickly as possible, look no further.

*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

I loved "Hook, Line and Sinker" and "It Happened One Summer" by Tessa Bailey. While they may not be my favorite books of all time, I'll usually always pick up a TB book.
So, the things I liked about this story was the romance. I truly feel Bailey is at the top of her game with current romantic relationships. She's able to nail down the nuances of a relationship without feeling too contrived or the need to wrap up a story in so many chapters. One of this book's tropes is the age gap and it was done fairly well and realistically. Burgess (37) is an aging hockey player and new full-time single dad to a tween. Tallulah (26) is a grad student working towards marine biology. Their relationship started with a chance meeting in the previous book, "Fangirl Down," which I did not read but it wasn't necessary to. It may have helped understand Burgess's immediate fascination with Tallulah, but again, not a game changer to for this storyline. Burgess and Talullah have excellent banter and chemistry, which made reading their growth a joy.
However, this book is full of amateur cringe and repetitive descriptions (Talullah smells like blood orange and basil, which will be mentioned EVERY time Burgess interacts with her) which took me out of the story completely and I struggled to re-engage. I also did not like how Chloe was portrayed. It was almost caricature of a dumb blonde archetype from the 50's movies; think almost every one of Marilyn Monroe's early roles. Burgess is a stereotypical overprotective alpha however his obsession with Talulah's safety bordered on overbearing a LOT. There is a 3rd act break-up that is so unnecessary that it made me upset on both of the MC's parts. There is some trauma that Talullah went through that was insinuated at the beginning of the book but its reveal felt somewhat disjointed from the story. I think it would have had more impact had it been fleshed out towards the middle to early last half of the book.
For the most part, I did enjoy the book! Tessa Bailey is always a good "palate cleanser" and even with the aforementioned items, I do still think it's worth a sit-down.
Thanks to NetGalley, Tessa Bailey, and Harper Collins for the ARC!

Everyone knows I am a Tessa Bailey STAN and this new book did not disappoint! I am not generally a huge sports fan but Fangirl Down and now The Au Pair Affair have definitely changed my mind about that. Hockey was the perfect backdrop for this captivating story that has all the qualities of a quintessential Tessa Bailey story. It’s steamy, has great character development, and most importantly (for me, at least) a well-paced story with writing that is easy to follow. If you’re a Tessa Bailey fan, this is a great one to add to your collection. If this is your first time reading her books, this is a great one to start with and will surely have you running to your nearest library or bookstore to get the rest of her bibliography! 5 out of 5 stars!

I plowed through my other book obligations the second this approval went through. I was so excited to read Tallulah and Burgess's story and stayed up until 1am to finish it. Thank you so much for the opportunity to review!!

I really enjoyed this story SO SO much!! I loved the way Burgess was so aware of Tallulah's trauma and honored her needs, especially in the beginning of the book. I loved the way he met her where she was as she faced so many fears, both with him and on her own. I also liked how open he was to her feedback when it came to Lissa, letting her be an authority figure while also teaching him to connect with his daughter. I thought all of that was well done.

I also really just liked the characters. I am itching to know what's going on with Chloe and Sig, because thats a little cringey but in a "I need to know what's going on here" way. I thought Tallulah was a fun character with a strong sense of self; while damaged, she was self aware and working towards attainable goals that I think readers will connect with. I also liked Burgess a lot and enjoyed his inner dialogue as he navigated parenthood, possible career change, dating a much younger woman, and the dynamic with his ex-wife.

I had a few icks, Burgess called Tallulah girl a few times and it just didn't flow right for me. I love a nickname, a baby girl, a good girl, etc- but this was kind of random and strange. I also didn't love the steamy dynamic in Costa Rica- it felt forced and maybe a little pushy. Just didn't fit the feel of his character for me up until that point.

Overall, I love Tessa Bailey so much. This book gave me so much joy as I was reading it and I would definitely read it again. And I will definitely get a paperback version for my trophy shelf, of course!

Tropes: single dad, grumpy hockey player x sunshine nanny, stem FMC, forced proximity
I haven’t met a Tessa Bailey book I didn’t love to my core. The Au Pair Affair was absolutely no exception!
Burgess and Tallulah were hot and sweet and perfect - I’m in DEEP with them. I ate them up and I will be doing it again and again because once was not enough.
The chemistry between Burgess and Tallulah is just off the charts. The protectiveness between the two of them is unmatched and hit hard enough to lose my own breath sometimes. Him standing up for her, taking care of her in the face of some drab is one thing but when SHE does it ??? I lost it and just fell the rest of the way in love with these two. Perfect perfect perfect.
It is worth mentioning that I loved the home they created with Lissa as well. She’s probably the most realistic twelve-year-old child of divorce I’ve ever read and she had me tearing up at the most inconvenient times. I loved her so much!!!
The character development, too!!! Where they started and where they ended was so satisfying.
Basically, I’m just in love with them and will be obsessing over Burgess and Tallulah for the rest of my life.

Tessa Bailey’s It Happened One Summer was the first adult romance I ever read and it was life-changing. I will be reading every book she writes forevermore.

Bailey delivers a captivating story of romance and family in The Au Pair Affair. I was excited to read this book because the nanny/single dad dynamic immediately interested me. The palpable attraction between Tallulah and Burgess, coupled with the complexities of their individual pasts, creates a compelling dynamic that drives the story forward. The novel also delves into deeper themes of self-discovery and acceptance. Tallulah's journey to overcome her past and Burgess' struggle to balance his responsibilities as a father and an athlete adds layers of depth to the narrative. My one gripe is that Tallulah is not an au pair??? I guess that’s just because The Live-In Nanny Affair doesn’t have the same ring to it.

Overall, this was a satisfying read that delivered on its promise of romance and drama. Fans of Tessa Bailey's signature steamy storytelling will likely enjoy this latest addition to the Big Shots series, and while it may not break new ground, it certainly delivers an entertaining escape.

(Thanks to the publisher for the e-arc!)

Tessa Bailey's newest book, The Au Pair Affair, hits most it's marks. The attraction between Burgess and Tallulah is instant and intense. Tallulah's back story is well developed but Burgess is somewhat a mystery. He's a grumpy, protective divorcee with a tween daughter. There's not a lot of past details given to explain his gruff and demanding personality. I enjoyed this book. I've read a lot of Tessa Bailey in the past and I wish her newest novels were more humorous like her Hot and Hammered series. Overall, I'd recommend this book to spicy readers who love sports, gruff men, and women learning to stand strong.

loved this romance between a hockey player and his au pair. I loved that they really did try to keep the boss and worker lines drawn. loved chloe and sig. I can't wait to read their story. Loved the friends and helping each other. loved the romance and that they both supported each other.

As a huge fan of Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey, I knew going into The Au Pair Affair, it had a lot to live up to. I loved so many things about this book and love, love, love, the MMC Burgess, aka Mean Daddy.

Tropes:
-age gap relationship (11 years)
-single father/nanny
-he falls first
-grumpy/sunshine
-third act breakup

The tension between Burgess, a hockey veteran, and Tallulah, a 26-year-old au pair was unmatched. They had this palpable sexual tension since meeting in Fangirl Down and it stayed hot all throughout this book. Burgess showed off his dirty talk expertise even though he has been divorced for sometime and has not had any action in over a year. He would have an inner monologue of acting respectful and not stepping over any boundaries with Tallulah and then proceeded to invite her to an adventure in his bed.

I found Tallulah's traumatic history to be a little too far fetched but her cautious behavior and trauma responses to be quite realistic. I think there is a lot of back and forth leading up to the beginning of their relationship and even more back and forth during the third act breakup. I was ok with the whiplash while Tallulah was employed; it brought so much tension and made the get together more monumental. The whiplash I got from the third act break up was overwhelming especially because the personal development they both went through while they were was seemingly substantial. I would have loved even more dialogue of them working through how their relationship would function with their jobs and co-parenting.

Sig and Chloe's relationship was much more discussed in this book than Burgess and Tallulah's in Fangirl Down and I am so ready to learn what is going on with them!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC of this book!

Another typical Tessa Bailey work. The build up was super hot and I enjoyed the character development and overall plot. Oddly bothered by the two times the main characters littered and found some of the dirty talk...questionable, but overall, a solid 4/5. And I hope we'll be getting Chloe and Sig's story at some point!

I will always enjoy a Tessa Bailey novel. She has a way of writing romance that both feels grounded and truly fantastical. Plus, getting to see more of Wells and Josephine is a treat! I assume there’s a third book coming soon based on some of the side characters, too.

Many of the tropes in this book fit the cultural moment; age gaps, overcoming past trauma, and hockey romance. That said, some of these tropes feel a bit gritty and leave me wondering, how should we feel about an 11 year age gap? The way Tallulah reveals her past trauma? The fact that she’s still employed by the love interest? I’m usually able to suspend my disbelief, and here I did, too, but there’s something deeper in our societal narrative that upon closer inspection might not hold up.


CW: stalking

My favorite thing about 2024 thus far is Tessa Bailey making her entrance into the world of sports romance. After reading and LOVING Fangirl Down, I’ve been beyond excited for the rest of the series. The Au Pair Affair did not disappoint. Although different from the rest of Tessa Bailey’s books, I loved this one just as much! Both Burgess and Tallulah have my heart and Lissa was a great addition as well. Overall, once again, Tessa Bailey did NOT disappoint.

What I liked:
- The problems in this book were actual problems rather than a simple lack of communication
- The spice was *chefs kiss*
- The TENSION! I am not normally a slow burn girly but the tension between Burgess and Tallulah was written so well.
- Normally not a single parent trope fan but I really like it in this case
- Love a queen in STEM
- I loved the hints at the third book (which I now can’t wait for)
What I didn’t like:
- Burgess absolutely should have done more groveling
- There was more than one instance where Burgess seemed to forget that his daughter was a motivation for living?
- There were some serious topics in this book that were glazed over a bit. I personally wasn’t bothered by it too much but I could see how it would be problematic for some readers

Over all: 3.75/5⭐️ 2.5/5🌶️

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

The first book in this series, Fangirl Down, was the best TB book I’ve read since the It Happened One Summer series (not necessarily *good*, though, just better). It had a unique premise, and I was looking forward to the next book—this one—especially as it was about hockey, which is far more exciting than a book about golf.

Unfortunately, this book felt like the literary equivalent of a restaurant soft open, when someone forgot to order the ingredients for the star dish on the menu, half of the waitstaff called in sick, and the HVAC system broke. There’s always some silliness in TB’s books, but this one threw in a major trigger warning backstory for the fmc and then basically abandoned it in the plot. The couple for the next book in this series was introduced in an over the top way, like a neon sign proclaiming “THEY’RE NEXT!” every time they were on page. And, the third act breakup was equally over the top, and the reconciliation just as “insta” as the love to begin with.

Like all of TB’s books, even the ones I enjoyed, I wished her intimate scenes were redacted for me—or just didn’t didn’t exist—or were well written in the slightest. My eyeballs are never the same afterward. The same can be said for my spouse’s eyes, as I always show them to him for a bit of “This smells awful! Smell it,” solidarity. For some people, they love this “ick” in her work, but these scenes are beyond cringy. For those who agree, you’ll be glad to know her “secret weapon” doesn’t appear in this book, but just to give you a taste of the intimate tone, I’m just going to drop the phrase “open like a big box store on Black Friday.” *Cringe* Blech. See? This smells awful! Smell it.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this advanced review copy.

Great spice in this book. I felt like too much time was spent on the breakup and not enough on them falling in love in the first place. I’m definitely invested in the Sig and Chloe story!!

hockey romance
Au pair
Workplace romance
3rd act breakup
He falls first and hard

Burgess is a man obsessed and Tallulah keeps him on her toes. Loved seeing Wells and Josephine's next chapter as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Tessa Bailey for the arc!

There’s just something about Tessa Bailey’s writing that always just sucks me in. I read this all in a day, because it was just such a fun, fast read.

While I liked both of the main characters overall, the story wasn’t my favourite. Honestly I wanted to see more of both the au pair aspect and the hockey aspect. Like of course they were both included, but I guess I just kinda expected to see more of them. Especially the hockey team - I really liked Burgess’ teammates, and would have loved to read even more interactions involving them.

I don’t think it’s necessary to have read Fangirl Down to read and enjoy this, but I do think it will be helpful. Wells and Josephine aren’t mentioned a ton (although that changes a bit towards the end), and when they are it’s focused more on Wells and Burgess. There isn’t really any interactions between Josephine and Talluah, which surprises me.

This isn’t a 5 star for me for the couple reasons above but more so because this felt very insta-love to me. I liked the way they talked to each other and interacted, but I felt like I didn’t really SEE why they were falling for each other. I could very clearly see why they lusted over each other but I lacked seeing their emotions compared to their physical attraction quite often.

Overall I did enjoy this, and will never hesitate to pick up basically anything that Tessa Bailey writes.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book! I voluntarily read this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy!! The opinions in this review are my own honest thoughts.

In traditional Tessa Bailey fashion, this book is a romance filled with heartwarming moments, silly jokes, and (slightly over-the-top) moments! If you have been a fan of Bailey's previous works, especially the first in this Big Shots series, you are sure to enjoy this one too! I've always personally found that Tessa Bailey books are a little bit too dramatic for me, and this one is not an exception. There were a few moments throughout the story that felt unrealistic or exaggerated, but hey, it's a romance book so I can't complain too much. Both the main characters were quite compatible in my opinion and their growth throughout the book was very evident, but for some reason, I still felt as though something was missing. The best way to put it is that they were not a very memorable couple for me (I also kept accidentally calling him Burger instead of Burgess).

Overall, Tessa Bailey sticks to her strengths with this romance book fitting the same vibes as her previous ones, the spiciness reaching the same level as well (maybe even a little more than normal), and the happily ever after being a satisfying conclusion.

10 out of 5 stars! Like this book will be talked about to all my book friends for the rest of the year!

This book has everything! Single dad, nanny, forced proximity, hockey, age gap, a little fake dating and jealousy, she’s been hurt before and needs space/time, he falls first and very hard, he’s got an injury that needs nursing, I just feel like the list could go on, but none of it feels like it’s forced into the story in order to check trope boxes.

I loved how sweet Burgess is to Tallulah, he’s a huge mean hockey player whose nickname on the ice is Sir Savage, but for Tallulah he’s sensitive to her and just instinctively knows how to be exactly what she needs at any time. He’s also very smooth with the dirty lines and innuendo 😏 I’d call this one a slow burn, but with lots of steamy scenes adding tension throughout the book.

Although this is definitely a romcom, I was also in tears at some times. I could feel the pain in their relationship and the hurt that had been caused. I was of course rooting for them, but gosh the whole thing was so sad. Burgess did some great groveling tho!

*fans face and neck with hand* wow! Tessa Bailey is quickly becoming an instant buy author for me. This book has a strong main male character who also is willing to take it slow for the main female character. Not only do we get some AMAZING sexy lines from him but the chemistry and hockey just make the book that much more entertaining. I only made it halfway through before requesting some other titles by her I hadn't read yet. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

Tessa Bailey has done it again. Once I picked this up I could not get enough. The characters and the plot were well developed leaving me wanting more with each passing chapter. I fell in love with Burgess from the start with his brooding, bad-ass outward appearance and his emotional center. Tallulah was very likable as well and no damsel in distress by any means. This was an easy and enjoyable read with spice-such good spice.
Read from: May 11, 2024 - May 13