I've been unpatiently waiting for this book since I finished Fangirl Down! I love Tessa Bailey's books. She has quickly become one of my FAVORITE romance authors. Tallulah and Burgess' story is EVERYTHING! We've got an age-gap relationship, single dad, boss/employee...something for everyone. Can't wait to read the next title in this series!

When I tell you the noise I made when The Au Pair Affair landed on my kindle? Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the chance to review Tessa Bailey's upcoming single-dad, steamy, hockey romance. It isn't a secret that I am a huge fan of Fangirl Down and that I will scream from the mountains how much I love Wells and Josephine, BUT I think I now might be screaming about how much I love Burgess and Tallulah as well. Full of romance, lessons and steam, The Au Pair Affair is not this be missed this summer.

I love age gap romances, something about age gaps just gets me and Tessa does a really good job with these kinds of romances. I love that Burgess was slightly out of touch with some of the things that Tallulah would say or do but would eventually catch on. I loved learning about his internal struggles and his road to deeming himself worthy of Tallulah. Tallulah's story is slightly more complicated, where Fangirl Down was a light fluffy read, The Au Pair Affair does confront some heavier topics (Nothing that I will spoil for you) but Tessa detailed and wrote these scenes in such a kind way that gave me the depth I was looking for in these characters.

I can talk for hours and hours about this book, but Instagram only lets me write so much so I am trying to get the important bits out. I loved the romance and the steam. Again, Tessa has a way of writing dirty talking men that just lands differently for me. Though this isn't what I would consider a slow burn romance, Tessa does make us wait a little while for the full steam and when I say, that wait was worth it.

Overall, this is a book not to be missed this summer. Tessa is certainly not going to let her readers down and I think everyone is going to love Burgess just as much, if not more, than they do Wells. Also, we are introduced to some new characters that make me wonder if there are going to be more books set in this world. Only time will tell!

This review physically hurts me.

I couldn’t get my hands on this book fast enough. The glimpse of the chemistry between these two we got in “Fangirl Down” had me hyped. AND he’s a stoic beast of a hockey star with a protective streak?! Helllllo my type.

This started off so strong and I was eating up the pages with the spoon. But as the book progressed it literally felt like we lost all aspects of Tallulah except for the fact that Burgess was obsessed with her. We love a “he falls first” but YEESH!

All of the things that made the first 25% great — the sexual tension, the great relationship she had with his daughter, her schoolwork, her desire to get out of her comfort zone more — like, all disappeared into the black hole of sex scenes that honestly made me cringe at points. Like okay hockey d is good but is it “cure a traumatic past” good?! Usually Tessa’s books are 🌶️🌶️ but I could not get into some of the scenes between these two. And the third act breakup was so brutal (from both of them honestly).

I think the first book in the series was so good that I set the bar too high. There were a lot of things in here I liked, but I just didn’t get enough of them. I would have loved to see more adventures, more scenes in the apartment as a family with Lissa, more about Tallulah’s marine biology studies. Those elements of the plot is where this book sparkled and there weren’t nearly enough.

And I cannot get over the fact that this cover art looks like Mutt fan fic (Schitts Creek fans, you can’t unsee it — sorry!)

A solid 3.5 read from an author I love and will continue to stan — I think I just hold her to a higher standard as one of my favorite authors in the genre!

Tessa Bailey is the queen of romance.

The Au Pair Affair carries similar themes from Fangirl Down and explore female strength and independence, while simultaneously being supported by their love interest. Tallulah is learning how to find her footing as an independent, strong, brave woman going through graduate school. Burgess, aka Sir Savage, is a defenseman through and through. He’s always ready to protect and defend the ones he loves, and boy is he a goner for Tallulah. The two of them learning their own boundaries and how to mingle them together is delightful to watch.

The third act breakup was really hard to read, but it was necessary for the full character development. It was hard to stomach, but people can be mean in real life, and it’s something you either work through or move on from. I’m glad that Tessa gives us our HEAs. I can’t wait for everyone to read this, and I’m even more excited for Chloe and Sig to figure their situation out because it’s SOOO obvious and I’m ready.

Tallulah and Burgess were first introduced in Bailey’s Fangirl Down. I loved them instantly, and The Au Pair Affair did not disappoint. Tallulah is a broke graduate student and Burgess is a single dad veteran hockey star. When he offers her the chance to be his tween’s au pair, she takes the chance. Their instant chemistry with each other leads to feelings, all while Tallulah makes it her mission to get Burgess back into the social scene.

I loved this novel. Burgess was a catch; I adored how he was enamored with Tallulah from the beginning. And that his interactions with Tallulah were so sincere; nothing was too unrealistic. The side characters were also on point. (Sig and Chloe!)

I can’t wait for the next novel - I just really need to know what is going on with Sig and Chloe.

4 ⭐️ Burgess is THE definition of 'he falls first'


"You could be wasting your time on me."
"Time with you could never be a waste. Only a privilege."


WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ hockey romance
✨ nanny x boss
✨ roommates
✨ grumpy x sunshine
✨ opposites attract
✨ he falls first and hard
✨ forced proximity
✨ age gap (11 years)
✨ single dad
✨ 3/5 🌶️ spice
✨ third act breakup
✨ GROVELING
✨ TW: chronic pain, injury, abduction (past) and ptsd, family drama (his daughter wants her dad and mom to be together)


My Thoughts:

Some of the best sexual tension written by Tessa Bailey! Every interaction between Tallulah and Burgess was *chefs kiss*!

This story had me feral for the first 75% and then the third act breakup happened and sort of brought down the vibe. I didn’t mind the actual breakup, but it took them so long to reconcile timeline wise but then once they were together in the same place and forced to deal with this, they kept going back and forth. Idk if I found this part to be believable or even enjoyable.

Sig and Chloe NEED to be the MCs for the next book!

Thank you to Tessa Bailey, the publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC!

I'd give this one 3.5 stars rounded up. I didn't love this one as much as I did Fangirl Down. The spice was fantastic- Tallulah and Burgess had a lot of chemistry. It was a fun read and the banter was great.

I do hope that we get to see Sig and Chloe's story!

Tessa Bailey does it again.

The Au Pair Affair is the second book in the Big Shots series. I've been reading a lot of hockey romances lately and this one did not disappoint. I loved the connection between Burgess and Tallulah. Their chemistry and banter was on point. This was a fun, spicy read and I loved how Wells and Josephine continues their story in this book and it sets us up for the third book due to come out in this series.

I loved how Burgess falls first and how he takes his time and is patient with Tallulah knowing her past. This book is Steamy and I loved it. The dirty talk during their flirting or hooking up was 🤌🏻, but some of the dirty talk (I'm talking the actual sex scenes) were kind of awkward. Like just having a plain old conversation while doing it awkward. Still loved this book though!

Read if you like:
Grumpy x Sunshine
Forced Proximity
Single Dad
Age Gap
Hockey Romance
He Falls First
He's your boss/she's the nanny
Dirty Talking MMC


Thank you to Avon Books, Tessa Bailey, and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my honest review.

"The Au Pair Affair" by Tessa Bailey introduces readers to Tallulah, a broke but spirited marine biology student who seizes the opportunity to become a live-in nanny for Burgess, a rugged hockey veteran and single dad. As Tallulah navigates her new role and bonds with Burgess's tween daughter, Lissa, she also finds herself drawn to Burgess in unexpected ways. Despite the chemistry between them, Tallulah and Burgess face challenges as they grapple with their growing feelings amidst Lissa's desire for her parents to reunite. When Tallulah decides to walk away to protect her heart, Burgess realizes he must confront his past and fight for a chance at happiness with her. Bailey's novel is a heartwarming tale of love, family, and second chances that will captivate readers from start to finish.

Great, funny, modern romance between an au pair and the celebrity hockey player boss. Good dialogue, fun to read, entertaining, expected from Tessa Bailey. The back and forth between the characters if fun, off beat, strong voices, humility in the right places, lots of passion and compassion!

Tessa Bailey did a great job marrying characters with complex narratives with the spice some people go to romance novels for. It was incredibly steamy at times, while still hitting plenty of emotional beats as well. I enjoyed the writing and the pacing felt smooth and made me want to keep reading for longer than was always wise. Tessa Bailey remains a go-to author for me and I am looking forward to reading what comes next!

Tessa Bailey is amazing and doesn’t disappoint. I am very into hockey men lately and Burgess was beyond sexy.

I never thought the nanny-daddy thing was for me but after The Nanny and this book, I think I’ve been converted. The sexual tension was palpable and I was obsessed.

Tallulah goes through so much personal growth which made the book that much more enjoyable. It isn’t a long read and it is really fun so I definitely recommend getting your hands on this book when you can. I will always read the new Tessa Bailey.

This book was absolutely amazing! A great second story in a new series by lovely author Tessa Bailey, who has solidifed herself as a one click author in my book! She writes real characters, flaws and all, and the character arcs are always worth it. Love this book!

This was really cute and I was laughing out loud in a few parts!

I don't really love single dad/nanny books but I didn't mind this one. I think because I loved Burgess and I loved that "he falls first!" It also helped that the daughter was 12 and she was with her mom a lot too.

Overall this was really cute and I really enjoyed it. Fangirl Down still remains my favorite though, but I enjoyed it and it was a strong 4 stars!

Please don't swim in Jamaica Pond though. -Bostonians everywhere.

*Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an eArc of this book!

Will Tessa Bailey ever stop producing absolute BANGERS?!?! I have been obsessed with hearing about Tallulah and Burgess's plot line ever since it was introduced in Fangirl Down and now I cannot wait to see if she will continue the series with Sig and Chloe! The absolute mastery that Tessa Bailey has when she is creating steamy, chemistry filled scenes is INSANE to me! They are just SO well written and fun to read!

The Au Pair Affair not only has an aspect of an age gap + a hockey romance BUT it also has single dad X nanny?!?! I mean that combo is pretty solid! I'd def recommend this book to people who enjoyed Heartless by Elsie Silver and people who love hockey romances (and the usually protective MMCs that come with the genre 👀). I LOVED that there was so much depth to these characters and their story and it was such an amazing and fun read and I'm so sad that it seemed to go by so quickly!😭

I'm definitely keeping my fingers crossed for another book in this series and cannot wait to see what else comes from Tessa Bailey and Avon! Thank you so much for a early copy of this book!💖

Tallulah gets an offer to be a live-in nanny for single dad and hockey star, Burgess. The two could not be more opposite but find their chemistry is off the charts. Tallulah forces Burgess to be more adventurous which actually helps her heal from past wounds as well.

Another fun and steamy read from Tessa Bailey! Thank you Netgalley and Avon for the egalley in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVED Fangirl Down. I physically couldn't stop talking about. I forced all my friends, the romance folks at my library, and a selective group of family members to read it. I was SO excited for this installment after Tessa Bailey had let me down with her Hot & Hammered and A Vine Mess and revived me with Big Shots #1 (which I went into with great trepidation). Tessa "The Bellinger Sisters" Bailey was back and I had no doubt in my mind The Au Pair Affair would be a fun, flirty follow up. I wasn't disappointed, I just didn't like it as much as I loved Fangirl.

This felt repetitive. Bailey loves to have her very hot characters break the tension with some of the best spice in contemporary romance, tell themselves it's just physical, until one thing happens and they are locked in on each other, until the third act with something totally inconsequential separates them, and then an underwhelming reunion.

That is not to say I didn't love reading this book. I've read all of Ali Hazelwood's books and they're literally the same story. That's not Big Shots. There is something here!!!! The mouths on these love interests truly don't get old to me, I just expect more from Tessa Bailey. That being said, I will be SEATED for book 3.

We love a man who knows what he wants, and isn't afraid to admit it. And Burgess wants Tallulah almost as much as I want my Tessa Bailey fix. This was yet another fun and sexy read. You know what you get with a Tessa book, and this second installation in the Big Shots series definitely delivered.

This is the second book in the Big Shots series. It did a lot of setup for the third book within this one (which will feature the trope of being in love with your future step sibling). I LOVED Fangirl Down so I was so excited to get my hands on this one!

Overall I did enjoy this one but I didn’t love it. It took a long time for the heroine to make the changes I wanted her to make and the book repeated itself with its formula. The “let’s just be physical with no feelings involved until we decide to go all in.” and then a third act breakup and then a literal repeat of the same formula to get back together.

This did feature Tessa Bailey’s signature steam level… 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥😳😳

Overall this one was enjoyable but not my favorite of Bailey’s books.

3.5 stars

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Rating: 3.75


My Review- This follows a month or so after the first book when we are introduced to the pair and I wish it was as good as the first book but it was not. You have Tallulah who needs money for school and is going to be a live-in nanny for Wells' hockey player friend Burgess they do have chemistry and show he does care but feels more lust and did not like the third act break up the last part of the was best in the book and I felt the editing was not good there was some part I, did understand. But I can't wait for the next book and see what she does with it.

Thank you, Avon and Netgalley for an Arc