This was my first hockey romance and leave it to Tessa Bailey to make me a fan of all of the sports. First golf, now hockey...she sure knows what she is doing. If you thought Fangirl Down was hot and spicy, you are not prepared for The Au Pair Affair. We met Tallulah and Burgess in Fangirl Down and I was so excited for their story. This DID NOT disappoint! Single dad, age gap, he falls first, touch her and die, boss/nanny, grrumpy/sunshine... Tessa really went all out on this one. I was blushing and giggling through out this book. This is a top tier romance for me, I would even dare to say my favorite Tessa Bailey book. It was a bit of a slow burn but the build up and banter make it 100% worth it. I wanted so much more of their story but I was catching some hints that we might be getting another story in this series, so hopefully we get to see more of these two.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book gave me the ick. I wanted to like it, but I also want romance books where boundaries are respected.

The Au Pair Affair was another quick, romantic read by Tessa Bailey. Tallulah was a great FMMC and while Burgess could be a bit clueless, he was fun to read as well. I think their relationships and problems developed well.

I didn't enjoy this one as much as Fangirl Down (I don't think the single Dad trope is fo me) but will definitely hit the spot for the right audience.

Rated 4 stars. That you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

This was such a fun read! I loved the Au Pair Affair. It was full of great banter and forbidden tension, and was one of this author’s spiciest books yet! However, it also delved into some deeper issues as both of our characters struggled to overcome things to be together.

We first meet Burgess and Tallulah in Fangirl Down where Tallulah agrees to be a nanny for Burgess’s preteen daughter after the two meet and connect at a golf event. Burgess (aka Mean Daddy/Sir Savage) is a grumpy professional hockey player, who is known for his rough game play, is struggling to connect with his daughter. Before deciding to nanny, Tallulah spent time as a researcher in some of the most remote places on the planet. Now, she is returning to Boston for graduate school, but she has some serious reservations about working for the seemingly aggressive hockey player. She is not comfortable around most men, but Burgess’s off ice persona is so different and he keeps surprising her.

I loved how gone for her Burgess was immediately. His love language was definitely acts of service, and he was looking out for and protecting Tallulah long before she ever noticed. It was actually hilarious to see her rebel against his protective nature. Tallulah wanted to save herself. She wasn’t looking for Burgess to come in and save the day. I also really loved Tallulah’s relationship with his daughter. They were very sweet together.

I loved the banter between these two! There was so much tension and was so explosive when these two finally gave into each other. There was a ton of spice in this book!

The Au Pair Affair is the second book in the Big Shots series. I’m not sure who the next book in the series will be, but I am really hoping that it is Tallulah’s friend Chloe & her future stepbrother (and Burgess’s teammate), Sig. I am dying for their story!

This was another hit from Tessa. I think this series is really bringing back the Tessa Bailey I loved from “It Happened One Summer.” Take my 5 stars with a grain of salt because I have a soft spot for hockey romances. Doesn’t matter how good or bad they are I eat them up. But seriously, this book was fun. And I’m bias because my dogs name is Tallulah but….love the name.

STEAMMMMMMMYYYY! Tallulah and Burgess have never ending chemistry. It is a complete tug of war relationship that at times is LOL. Can't wait for Chlo and Sig story.

Burgess is the captain and gigantic defenseman of the Boston Bearcats hockey team, and he needs help watching his daughter when he's at practice or away for games. Tallulah is the au pair he hires to help him out. He's hot, she's hot, they had an instant connection. But she it's hesitant to jump into living with him because of past abuse that she has PTSD about. She can't trust men. But he's gentle with her and, as I said, very hot. A hockey romance ensues.

First, Burgess and Tallulah are word names. I had a hard time with them. But that's a nitpick. The book is CLASSIC Tessa Bailey. Steamy, hot, and heavy. It was a fun hockey romance. We all know I love a hockey romance.

I will say that it's a LITTLE frustrating that his career is talked about CONSTANTLY, but her grad program, where she has a pushy lab partner, is only discussed up until she has a confrontation with the creeper, and then it's almost never mentioned again until the epilogue. Yeah, he's got issues that are pretty major, but aren't grad programs fairly difficult and stressful too?

It's cute, guys, and if you like Tessa Bailey, you'll like this.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

I was so excited for a Tessa bailey Hockey romance because I mean I knew she’d do the genre justice, and she did. I am a big lover of hockey romances and I did love Sir Savage in this one. He’s so intense but also such a freaking softie inside.
Tallulah was such a unique FMC I felt like and I really enjoyed her. I loved the hockey team, that family vibe is just sooo good, and Burgess’ daughter was another great side character.
I love a kind of grumpy/sunshine trope with a guy who’s actually just a protective misunderstood teddy bear. I also was totally onboard with their age gap, and after a few ick age gap romances recently this one redeemed them for me. They acknowledged it, but at the same time Tallulah was mature and Burgess was able to accept that year he was older, so freaking what, and move on. Also single dad for the win (mean daddy haha)
I enjoyed this book a lot but after how much I freaking adored Fangirl Down I didn’t love it quite as much. Which again is a surprise because I love hockey, not so much golf, yet somehow the golf romance really got me good.
I am definitely looking forward to the next book and the next hockey player! It better be Sig!

Tallulah just landed a job as a live in nanny for NHL star Burgess, which is great because she is finally starting grad school and needs the money and a place to crash. Pulled into the world of her 12 year charge, Tallulah builds a relationship with the young girl and her father, all while healing from a traumatic assault. As Burgess begins to have feelings for Tallulah, he offers to act as her watchman as she takes news risks (like skinny dipping) to try to take back control of her life and win back her free spirit. As Burgess watches Tallulah come back to herself, he finds that he and his daughter might just be coming alive themselves.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️

Tropes:
Single Dad
He Falls First
Grumpy x Sunshine
Age Gap (26-37)

Triggers:
Divorce
Assault (not from MMC)
PTSD

My thoughts:
I don't know how Tessa Bailey does it, but this book is sweet and laugh out loud funny, all while the FMC has to heal from assault and learn to trust a single father who has issues of his own. Tallulah and Burgess really compliment one another and the reader is rooting for them from the get go. I personally feel that Burgess sometimes comes on a little strong, but that is also in line for his character, who is a take charge hockey defenseman. I can already tell which couple will be next in this series and am excited to see how Tessa Bailey flushes out their relationship.

I can’t even.
Hockey ✔️
Age gap ✔️
He falls first and is incredibly protective ✔️
And the spice, sweet jeezus 🥵🌶️ ✔️

I’m so obsessed with Burgess it’s not even funny. His and Tallulah’s story might be one of my favorite from Tessa. These characters had the most growth I’ve seen in a romance in a while and it was wonderful to witness. Especially the strength of Tallulah.
I enjoy this one much more than Fangirl Down and I can’t really put my finger on it. I think I just like Burgess better than Wells. Either way, it’s helpful to read Fangirl Down first because it does set the story for this. Additionally Wells and Josephine do pop up occasionally.
I saw a lot of potential for additional stories for this series in Sig and Chloe and even the 2 rookies would be fun to learn more about.

But seriously, just tell me what I have to do to get a man like Burgess and I’ll do it.

I can usually depend on Tessa bailey to not let me down, and I am glad this was another well-written book by TB! This book the AU Pair centers on the relationship between hockey captain Burgess Abraham and nanny Tallulah Aydin. This is the second book in the Big Shots series. I did enjoy the first book in this series, and this book was even spicier than the 1st one! Definitely approve of that! I also enjoyed the dual POV of this book. Definitely would recommend!

really cute and really fun romance. not QUITE as strong as the other Bailey work I've read but still very well written and a great new voice on the romance novel scene. tysm for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC of The Au Pair Affair. I have read other books by Tessa Bailey and I enjoyed this one as much as the others I have read. I have not read the first book in the series but will read it as soon as I can get a copy through my public library. This was a fast-paced adult read with a lot of spice.

I love love love this book and I am so happy I got to read this book I loved everything about it and I can't wait for the next book assuming there will be

This was my first Tessa Bailey book, and it was so good! It was a fun and sweet story and I can't wait to pick up more by her!

Honestly.. I wanted to love this one but was a bit frustrated with it. The age difference really didn't make an impact in the storyline, but was a major focus of the dialog. The characters were pretty flat, but the scenes were hot and enjoyable - overall a good read, but not one of my Tessa Bailey faves.

How I got an ARC for the Au Pair Affair, I will never know. But dammit if I’m not thankful as fck! Something about this one just scratched an itch that I didn’t know I had. I love a grumpy x sunshine, man falls first (and HARD) trope, and this checked both of those boxes. Tallulah is a lil baddie to the max and for that, I am in love with her. Like that woman is smart, hot, and fucking resilient. WE STAN 😤 And Burgess, u big, angry, hunky oaf. I love u, even if ur a lil mean (idk maybe that’s why I love him). These two had tension out the wazoo, and I for one gobbled it tf UP. I was turning the pages at lightning speed to see what would happen next. and then I would get there and suddenly I was sweating 🥵 I also love the found family adjacent trope 🥰 Lissa was my personality to a T when I was a kid, so hopefully she grows out of it.

Tessa, I beg of you, write more of these.

Finally, a hockey romance where the author did their homework! I love how Tessa Bailey dove in and made her main character an actual hockey player where the sport majorly affects him as a character. The romance was great, the spice was mostly great. The ending felt a little rushed and kind of cringe, but overall I had a great time with this one!

There were parts I really liked and parts that were just ok. Tallulah moves to Boston for grad school and plans to be the au pair for the pro hockey player nicknamed Sir Savage. Both characters have personal challenges they are overcoming while also navigating feelings for one another. I liked the personal growth for both characters. There were some cringy parts but, overall, I enjoyed this book.

This was my very first Tessa Bailey book and what a cute fun little spicy read! I know the whole trope of Nanny/boss is not everyone's cup of tea but I love how Ms. Bailey made this story where you were rooting for them!

Tallulah is a spunky, smart, guarded 26 year old broke college student. Always running and on the move from her past demons she decides to take an au pair job for the hot headed newly single hockey player Burgess. What is supposed to be strictly a business deal turns electric when both Tallulah and Burgess can't help but gravitate toward each other at first sexually but then emotionally. But that all comes to a screeching halt when Burgess' daughter Lissa catches them kissing with her mom and screams that Tallulah has ruined all chances of her mom and dad getting back together!

I absolutely loved this book it was a little spicy but I'd give it 🌶️ 🌶️ on the spice meter!
Such a fun quick read and I am definitely going to have to go back and read the first book in the series!