You can always count on Tessa to bring the SPICE. This nanny x single dad, age gap, grumpy x sunshine, hockey romance is a quick, fun, spicy, and overall entertaining read. I love that Tallulah and Burgess are the besties of Josephine and Wells and we get to see a little bit of the OG two in this one. And of course, love that our MCs already met in Fangirl Down. Burgess definitely falls first and falls hard for Tallulah, considering we already knew he was a goner at their first meeting. This book is really just for Tallulah to catch up and accept that she feels the same(:

I like how Tallulah and Burgess support each other and let themselves be vulnerable with each other. Burgess is so gentle with Tallulah from the start despite being this hulking hockey player and it's clear that she feels safe with him when there are really no other men she can say the same about -- which makes sense when we learn about her past trauma. While there's about a decade difference in age and they're living very different lives, they're also both figuring out how to get back to really living and it's sweet to see them bring each other back to life in a sense. It gives meeting the right person right when you need them vibes. And while it's obviously a romance, even if it ended up being just a friendship, you get the feeling they were exactly what each other need right at that point in their lives. But it IS a romance so don't worry, there is a happily ever after(:

If you're looking for a spicy hockey romance, look no further! And if you love Tessa's other books, you'll know what to expect.

The Au Pair Affair is book 2 in Tessa Bailey's Big Shots series. After absolutely LOVING book 1, Fangirl Down, I could not wait to get a hold of this book. And it's about a hockey player which is a huge plus! However, I was quite disappointed after reading this story. I did not compare at all to the amazingness that was Fangirl Down. I just had a hard time trying to like the characters and staying interested in the storyline. This was too insta-lusty and steamy between the main characters - and honestly - it was a bit much. I'm hoping for redemption with the next book in the series!

Steamy, fun, but ending was rushed. Love Tessa books. They are always entertaining. I need a big boy. Give me a big boy :)

Loved it! Like always Tessa Bailey only writes must reads! This passion in this book is off the charts! I can't wait to read her next book.

I love Tessa Bailey and she has created another great rom-com and heartwarming story! Tallulah and Burgess might not look great on paper, their chemistry is great on the everyday. Sweet book with a little angsty-ness and a meddling tween. Quick, fun read and something to keep you entertained!

Sadly this was a DNF for me. I tried several times but I just couldn't get into the book. Rating it 3 stars because while it wasn't the book for me it might be the perfect book for someone else.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the E-ARC.

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Tessa Bailey always delivers a cute funny rom com I had a hard time getting into this one but once I was it was great as per usual

This is a typical Tessa Bailey book. It is exactly as you would expect which isn't a bad thing. Sometimes You need a reliable book that's going to give you a decent story without any unknowns. It's a typical grumpy vs. sunshine romance with a somewhat crazy backstory that gives context to the characters identities. And don't forget the handsome single dad. The book alternates the point of views throughout so that you can hear what each character is thinking as the story goes on. It's a cute story but I will say the smut is a little kinky. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't what I expected. 😅 For reference, I giggled out loud when he spit on her. I'm just not sure how many people would be interested in that in real life. 😂 This book is a standalone but also part of a series so you could read it on its own and still understand what's going on. Or you could read it following the first book if you wanted to really know all of the characters in depth. Thank you netgalley for the copy of this book!

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager & NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well, finally I can say that I have read a hockey romance.

It was fine. I'm not in a hurry to read another one, or another Tessa Bailey.

So, we have Tallulah (no nickname. Ever.). She's a grad student in a new city, given an opportunity to be a nanny for a divorced dad. That divorced dad being Burgess, professional hockey player, team captain and "old man" of the team. He's 37 to her 26. Don't ask why he needs an au pair when he co-parents very effectively with his ex and it's pretty part-time. And of course, we're in ultra-expensive Boston, so she has no choice but to accept the free room he has for her in his rich athlete apartment (and the weird machinations that surround her trying to room with an acquaintance are very creepy and NO way to build trust, btw).

Tallulah Had a Bad Experience, specifically, an ex became obsessed with her and locked her in a closet for two days while debating with himself whether to kill her. <spoiler>He later died in prison, sadly leaving Burgess with no one to beat up once he hears about it.</spoiler> She has altered her entire life plan as a result, but evidently has not been to therapy or sought any form of professional help. (Whyyyyyy) As a result, her fight-or-flight kicks in around strange men (but somehow not with Burgess).

Anyway, we're left with alllllll the tropes which you can see listed on most everyone else's reviews. The worst of these is the third act breakup, which, of course, forces Burgess to see where he went wrong (and also to behave as if his life has no meaning, despite his being a father to a lovely 12 year old girl. Unacceptable, really). The fourth act conveniently takes place at the wedding of the couple from the first book in the series, which I didn't read and so don't care much about. This also features Burgess ziplining just 6 weeks after major surgery, so it's very realistic. Sigh. The steamy bits are just sort of ridiculous - I'm sure it's not easy to write great sex dialogue, but some of this stuff is just icky. Not kinky, just embarrassing for everyone involved.

I've landed somewhere in between a 2.5 and a 3. Trying to be reasonable and round up.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I'm late to reviewing this one, I did get an ARC via Netgalley but I wanted to read on audio so I had to wait for it to be available on libby (there was a long wait, lol). Worth it for the narration, the narrator was pretty good!

The story overall, not for me. Some of my big peeves with this one:
-HOW MANY TIMES CAN THIS DUDE USE THE WORDS ORANGE & BASIL!?!?!?!
-why did he get SOOOOO offended when anyone called her the 'nanny' instead of au pair???
-the third act breakup was such shit. she acted like a complete child and I hated it

not even Burgess's dirty talking could make up for these faults. SERIOUSLY we know she smells like ORANGES & BASIL ffs.

I think this WILL work well for lots of readers. this could be your jam if you love:
-sports (hockey) romance
-nanny (ahem, excuse me, I mean AU PAIR) & single dad
-age gap
-he falls first
-super protective MMC
-grumpy/ sunshine

[end of narration: "thank you for reading, we hope you have loved The Au Pair Affair" my reaction: "well I LOVE that I'm done with it" the whole last third-ish just left me feeling mad about this]

I didn’t like this one at all. I felt absolutely nothing between Burgess and Tallulah, and if anything Tessa Bailey really showed his age. The romance and spice was very cringy and not sexy at all. Very disappointed considering Fangirl Down is one of my favorite romances ever.

Unfortunately, I did not like this book as much as I thought I would. I think her writing is stronger in some of her other books and I felt that, for me, this book was hard to get into. It started kinda slow and it took a while to keep my interest in what was going on. I really tried to like this book because I love Tessa Bailey as an author, but I did feel a little disappointed by this one. I am excited to see what she puts out in the future though!

I wasn't thrilled with the au pair trope. I felt that both main characters were taking too long deciding on what they wanted. They were also playing games with each other, and the middle was uncomfortable. I really did appreciate that the author wrote a human story with the female main character. It was easier to relate to the characters knowing that they have genuine fears and struggles. The ending was satisfying.

I wanted to like this sooo much, and maybe it’s just not my trope, but I did not like the MMC in this one. His dirty talk is narcissistic and controlling, especially after learning Talulah’s past. I was actively wishing she’d leave him.

THE AU PAIR AFFAIR - TESSA BAILEY

4⭐

Book 2 in the Big Shots series we have Burgess who falls for his daughters Au Pair Tallulah a marine biologist student.

True to Tessa Bailey style there is an intense sizzling chemistry between the lead pair , a fast paced plot and well developed characters.
We do get references of Josephine and Wells from Fangirl down and even some info and background from her third book ins eries Dream Girl Drama ( Sig and Chloe's story).
The sports aspect in this book is a bit less but still was highly entertaining read.
Can't wait for book 3.

I was so excited about this book, but this was a huge disappointment. I had high expectation since I love Tessa’s other books.

There was so many enjoyable tropes and the spice was medium, but overall this lacked so much.

I found myself flipping quickly to try to get it over with.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this ebook. As promised, my honest review is below.

Tessa Bailey fans rejoice because she has done it again! Steamy romance, grumpy "daddy" figure, age gap, sports, etc. You get it all! If you enjoy any of Tessa Bailey's previous books, you will love this one. She ties the first book in the "series" in perfectly - enough to make you smile, but not so much that it makes it a requirement to read the other one first.

Overall, 4 stars! Would have been 5, but it started off a little slower than most of her books.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Another sweet and spicy installment of the newest sports romance series by Tessa Bailey! On paper (lol), this book was very much up my alley: a slightly forbidden/ill-advised romance between an adventurous grad student and a brooding, hulking, overprotective athlete, all set against a Boston backdrop (and featuring my alma mater, heyyy!). But despite all that, I had a harder time getting into this than some of Tessa Bailey’s other books. What I most enjoy about TB’s writing overall is being able to lean into the over-the-top whimsy that borders on the absurd, because that’s what makes them such great escape reads, but it was like this book couldn’t really decide what it wanted to be. It wasn’t funny in the way Fangirl Down (the first book in the series) was, but it didn’t treat the darker subject matter with enough nuance to categorize it as a romantic drama either. Tallulah and Burgess were a little too perfect and a little bit dull, and the dialogue veered more cringey than romantic. So it was a bit of a letdown, but I still enjoyed it for what it was. And I’ll definitely be checking out the next installment, featuring Sig and Chloe’s story!

Tessa's books are hit or miss for me, and, unfortunately, this was a miss.

Introduced in Fan Girl Down (which I loved), Tallulah & Burgess are reintroduced here. Burgess, the aging goalie of Boston's hockey team, is having trouble keeping track of his tween daughter and needs help. He recruits Talullah, a marine biologist student, to help. At first she's very hesitant to even meet him. We find out she'd been abused in the past. Talullah's hesitance with having a relationship with big, bulking Burgess is understandable. That said, I didn't think there was enough about how she really worked through it--with or without Burgess. I love how Tessa includes real issues in her romances (diabetes in Fan GIrl Down) but here it wasn't explored beyond surface level.

The connection between T and B didn't ring true to me. Plus, we only get a few scenes of Tallulah interacting with Burgess's daughter & when there is a big issue, it's resolved off-the-page. I loved the super steam (a Tessa trademark I love), but this seemed to put the steam over emotional connection between the 2 main characters. I need to believe that my romance couples will go the distance, and these two didn't give me that vibe.

I'm still on the Bailey bus, because when she's good, she's really good. This one, unfortunately, didn't hit for me.