The Au Pair Affair is about Tallulah who is au pair for a grumpy hockey player. There is an age gap between the two love interests. I loved the plot of the novel. The story seemed a little rush at times. The characters seem to fall for each other very fast. I hope there is more in the series.

thank you netgalley and tessa for the e-arc
as a long time tessa girlie, i am obsessed with this book
single hockey dad x au pair has become my favourite trope of the year!
SILENT SCREAMING CUZ TESSA HAS OUTDONE HERSELF AGAIN WITH THIS ONE

The ending was so beautiful I was misting up 🥲🥲🥲

I loved these two so much. Tallulah and Burgess really helped each other in big and special ways. I loved their story so much that I just wanted more.

I think this may have been Tessa’s best third act break up ever 🤔 hard to say because I just love so many of her books, but I really loved this one.

And I fully soaked up every ounce of getting to see Wells and Josephine. Ugh this series is so good. I can’t wait to re-read and for the next books.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Steamy right of the bat (or hockey stick), THE AU PAIR AFFAIR is for lovers of he-falls-first, age differences, opposites attract, employee/boss, and single father romances.

Tallulah can’t believe her luck when she lands the prime job as hockey star Sir Burgess’ nanny. The single dad is definitely out of his depth with his rapidly maturing twelve-year old daughter, and Tallulah not only loves the girl but also the luxurious accommodations while she finishes grad school. However, neither adult can deny the immediate magnetic attraction between them, and it won’t be long before sparks fly.

As far as the romance goes, let’s just say the tension is off the charts with <i>no</i> break. While there is a third act break up, these two characters are so in love (and lust) with each other it’s hardly believable they won’t end up together. Tessa Bailey has once again created a romance I enjoyed from cliches I typically avoid– and to that I have to tip my proverbial hat.

While it did feel like she created these characters from a generator (a Turkish marine biologist ends up with a divorced pro hockey player– that’s quite the combo), the story was still fun and spicy.

Though I’ve hear Tessa Bailey’s name before, surprisingly, this was my first book of hers to ever read. It moves quickly and is engaging. If you’re a fan of insta-love and spicy scenes, this is the book for you. It was a bit too spicy for me. I didn’t love the big age gap between the two love interests (11 years), especially when the male main character, Burgess, had a 12 year old daughter. This book really wanted you to know that Burgess is a HUGE, muscular hockey guy and that Tallulah smells like blood oranges & basil, which has to be the weirdest scent combo I’ve ever heard of. Burgess leans a bit too hard into the overprotective male stereotype, almost to the point of being controlling/creepy. There were a few typos (wrong word/misspellings), so I’m hoping the copy editors catch those before publishing. I read an early copy through Net Galley.

The Au Pair Affair - ARC Review
⭐⭐⭐/5
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WHAT I LIKED:
-Both Characters were well-developed
-The Best Friends: Loved both Sig and Chloe - honestly they kind of stole the show
-The Intervention Scene: Both heartwarming and funny
-Cute Epilogue
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WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
-No Content Warning: There should have been a content warning for discussions of past stalking and kidnapping
-Conflict Involving a Child: I hated that one of the conflicts was Burgess’ 12yr old girl getting hurt. Her parents should have been way more clear with her that they were not getting back together - way before any of this happened.
-No Contraception Convo: They are both adults who have had sex before. Why, oh why did they not discuss protection?
-The Spitting: Him offering to spit on her? Not hot. Him actually spitting on her. Also, not hot.
-3rd Act BreakUp was too mean: I know Burgess was hurting, but the way he lashed out At Tallulah and the things he said were just too mean. I wasn’t sure I could forgive him.
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Thank you @netgalley for my eARC copy. I was given this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

My favorite Tessa Bailey book so far! Also my first hockey romance, and it definitely makes me want to pick up some more. Excellent tension and spice. Burgess is fantastically hot and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy for the protective, big, mature grizzly bear Dad character. Single father who needs help. Grumpy sunshine. He falls first. She grows and overcomes trauma. I’m not usually into an age gap romance, but it’s not too big of a gap. She isn’t too young, and it definitely works in my opinion. Loved this quirky pair and could not put the book down!

Grin on my face from start to finish! Burly Burgess has it bad for Tallulah from day one and I am here for it. Tessa Bailey had me hooked from their first scene in the smoothie shop. She has such a way with words, the best descriptions of everything - attraction, friendship, romance. It was so easy to feel what the characters felt each moment. I laughed out loud at how quickly Burgess lost himself during their first kiss. Loved the way the characters explored the idea of “strength” - emotional strength, physical strength... Side characters were excellent as well. Chloe is a hoot and I cannot wait for her and Sig’s book.

Overall, Bailey’s Big Shots series has been a favorite! I definitely think it will appeal to the fans of her Bellinger Sisters books.

This might be my favorite Tessa Bailey book yet! She is always such a master at telling an emotional story with such hilarious moments and plenty of spice and steam. This book did not disappoint! I was really excited about Burgess and Tallulah's story after getting glimpses of them in <i>Fangirl Down</i> and just knew their story would be amazing. I loved Tallulah's backstory, and gaining an understanding of why she struggled and her issues with men. Burgess was so incredibly patient with her and is the ideal book boyfriend! He was perfection and not like your typical hockey romance MMCs. If you're a fan of single dad/nanny, age gap, hockey romance, then this book is for you, but for me, it was so much more than that. There's unexpected angst, heartache and some real world struggles that I really connected with and loved to read from this author. The banter in this is so good, and I was completely immersed in the story and couldn't put it down. Of course, we know Tessa Bailey is the queen of the spicy scenes and wow, did she deliver with this one. I was blushing and giggling and kicking my feet over several scenes in this book! I truly loved this one SO MUCH and I really hope that we get Sig and Chloe's story because we were teased too much not to!

Thank you to NetGalley, Tessa Bailey, and Avon for the eARC of this book.

Okay so here is the thing… I am obsessed with single dad/ nanny romances. This is my favorite troupe of all time. So when I found out the next book in Tessa Bailey’s Big Shots series was exactly that, I may have done a happy dance around the house.
The Au Pair Affair has it all. The angst. The chemistry. The HEAT. Holy hell the mouth on Burgess… did the room just go up a million degrees? 🥵 because Dammmmmmn!!!
Tessa’s writing is always top notch and she has no limit it seems to how dirty she will take things while keeping the book being a fantastically written Rom-Com. I will be highly recommending this book to pretty much everyone I know!
Thank you NetGalley, Tessa Bailey and Avon and Harper Voyager publishers for allowing me to Arc read this brilliantly fun, steamy romance novel!

I have been excited about this book since the characters showed up in Fangirl Down. Thier chemistry was amazing from the start and a Tessa Bailey hockey romance could never be bad. Tallulah/Burgess/Lissa's chemistry was great, and while the story beats were pretty predictable it was still a fun ride. Tessa Bailey is and continues to be a must read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
I always enjoy Tessa Bailey’s books and was exited to read this on after recently reading the first in the serious (Fangirl down). This is a good mix of a solid storyline and the spicy scenes are sooo good! Very well written, fast paced and I finished this in one sitting. Loved it!

Oh my gosh. I cannot get over my OBSESSION with this book, an absolute masterpiece. The banter between them is absolutely phenomenal; funny, sweet, SEXY. I’m getting butterflies over it. I haven’t read a more relatable fmc before. I adore tallulah she’s witty funny flirty willing to push herself, an icon. I didn’t read the prior book in the series and don’t find it necessary to understand this one. Tessa Bailey really said let’s give it all with this one. Thank you NetGalley, Tessa Bailey for allowing me to Arc read.
PS i will be purchasing a physical copy for my trophy shelf.

What do you get when you put a pro hockey player dad with the body of a Greek God and a woman with past trauma in the same room? A new Hozier album.
Tallulah and Burgess both radiated "touch her/him and die" vibes.

Tallulah: Her growth was so inspiring. Her simping over Burgess was so relatable.

Burgess: -1 point for his name. +10 points for his inner monologue. This man was whipped from page 1 and I loved to see it. +3 bonus points for being a lil freaky in the sheets.

Another great read from Tessa Bailey. Completely believable characters. Felt like I knew them and could relate to them. Not heavy on the hockey if that makes a difference for you.

The reason for the 4 stars is we don't get to see their meet cute because that happens in Tessa's previous book, which I had not read before reading this title. I felt like I was coming in to their story 20 minutes too late. That left me wanting more.

I had high hopes for this book but it didn't quite meet my expectations. Coming off the heels of Fangirl down which I adored, may have influenced my perception. The plot felt lacking in depth, especially in exploring the dynamics between Lissa and Tallulah. I craved more insight into Burgess' past marriage beyond surface-level blame. Surprisingly, I found myself drawn to the side characters, Sig and Chloe, more than the main duo. Burgess and Tallulah failed to captivate me, and the repeated size references to Burgess became distracting, ultimately affecting my perception of the characters. By the end of the book I was picturing Andre the giant which isn’t sexy at all.

ARC Review-

I always love a Tessa Bailey book. She is the queen of romcoms, in my very humble opinion. So, to get the email that I had been approved for this ARC had me jumping with excitement. I have been eagerly looking forward to Burgess and Tallulah’s story ever since we read of their meeting in Fangirl Down and their book was everything I hoped it would be. Witty, spicy, funny, it was a really entertaining read. I look forward to the next standalone in the series!

This is a great addition to Tessa Bailey’s sports romance series.

Tallulah is confident, courageous, and good at communicating her needs even when she doubts herself. Burgess is protective and possessive while still being conscious of Tallulah’s independence. You get both an age gap and a boss/employee trope which can lead to some tricky power imbalances, but in this case Tallulah’s emotional intelligence and her superior understanding of how to connect with a 12 year old girl helps even that out. It’s not insta-love but there is an instant attraction between the two of them. I appreciated that we see Tallulah think about Burgess’s protective actions critically and, with the context of her feelings, decide whether or not they cross her boundaries. It’s something that mirrors my own thoughts when I’m reading and wonder if an overprotective character’s actions cross the line from heartwarming to controlling.

I think it’s pretty standard for a Tessa Bailey novel. It’s steamy, funny, filled with charming side characters, and you get great character growth from both Tallulah and Burgess. There are phrases or lines of dialogue that toe the line of almost too cheesy or a little unhinged but, for me, that’s part of why I’m a fan. It’s fresh, fun, unexpected, and sometimes realistically awkward.

Although I enjoyed it overall, it felt a little incomplete to me. I expected more from the nanny plot. I was hoping to see the growth of Tallulah’s relationship with Lissa and how she fits into the family. You get glimpses of that but they’re sparse. It felt like Lissa as a character was only brought in when she was needed to move the plot forward or to deepen the relationship between Burgess and Tallulah, and when that wasn’t happening she was just out of the picture. This gives space for the couple’s relationship to progress quickly but it makes it seem like Lissa isn’t not a priority to her dad and that made me like him less. I would have loved to see Tallulah and Lissa interact without Burgess. A large part of her moving in with him was to help nanny, and we see very very little of that.

I think fans of Fangirl Down will enjoy this one. It feels rewarding to watch them learn to trust each other and trust themselves, you get a look into how Wells and Josephine are progressing, and (like every other character who asked about it) I’m dying to find out what the deal is with Chloe and Sig.

ARC REVIEW (thanks NETGALLEY!)


I was so excited to finally be approved for a Tessa Bailey arc! That excitement was short lived 🙈 It was mentioned in this book and FanGirl Down how Burgess is having trouble connecting with his daughter, my naive self thought Tallulah the au pair would swoop in and help them be a family?? Sweet bonding moments between young girl and nanny or father and daughter? None of that happened, after Tallulah gets hired Liisa (the daughter) basically disappears. There’s mentions in the beginning that Liisa might be getting bullied at school, it’s never brought up again. Countless mentions that Burgess hates some band Liisa likes nothing ever comes of that. Burgess spent more time trying to get Tallulah in bed than he spent with his daughter. There was so much going on in book but also nothing at all? Nanny x Single Father, age gap, hockey, out of nowhere Burgess is stressed about retirement?? There’s a really mean 3rd act break up and then a rekindling that was bizarre. I really enjoyed Fan Girl Down but this was a mish mosh. Couple for next book seems really weird.

You will need to have read Fangirl Down as a prereq for Au Pair Affair. The premise for this book was set up there and Josephine and Wells are in this book (a great continuation of their story). Burgess is intense in everything he does. And that goes for his lust, love, and everything he feels for Tallulah. It was a lot and very quickly. He became a stage 5 clinger at first sight. Her on the other hand was slower to come around. Definitely lust at first sight, but given some past trauma, was rightly hesitant. I wish the author leaned more into her dealing with the trauma at a deeper level. Everything in this book felt very surface level even with the intensity of Burgess. It was an entertaining book and I’m digging Bailey’s foray into sports. The spicy scenes were pretty intense per usual for a Tessa Bailey book. If you are not a fan of open door, she’s not your author. It’s part of what she does best.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.