Fangirl Down is in my top five books of all time and so I had high hopes for this one. While it wasn’t my favorite, I appreciated the complex nature of the characters and what drove them to the decisions they did. I WILL be recommending it in my store :)

I am a Tessa Bailey girl but unfortunately this one fell flat for me.
Tallulah moves in with Burgess, intending to be his live in nanny. Burgess is a professional hockey player, and Tallulah is a grad student new to the area. Their story gives us some much loved tropes: forced proximity, forbidden romance, even an age gap.
I really wanted to love this book, but between some odd and implausible situations, a nickname I hated during spicy scenes, and a conflict that made me feel they should stay separated after the third act break up, I had to force myself to finish.
I loved book one in this series and I’m hoping to love the future books! This one was just not for me.

Tessa Bailey's romantic comedy 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, but I already am obsessed with this series. Even though I liked Fangirl Down, the level of heat in this book caught me off guard which I’m not mad for. 

I always thought it was amazing that Burgess was a man obsessed since the beginning. I mean he was down bad for Tallulah, and it was heartwarming to watch him become enamored with her.

The groveling in this was also not over the top, but it all seemed so sincere, and I appreciated that he would stop at nothing to win Tallulah back.

Whilst I've been liking the couples so far in the Big Shots series, I'm eager to see what Tessa has planned for the upcoming books.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and to the author, Tessa bailey, for providng me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*

Guys! This is book #2 of the Big Shots series and the tropes are everything!!!

We got…
-age gap
-bossxnanny
-guy falls first
-protective alpha
- she helps him “date”

Nanny romances are my favvvvvv 🙏🏻 and after meeting these two in Fangirl Down I was giddy to start this book.

As usual the spice was top tier. I was heeeere for it! 🥵

Check this one out this summer when it hits the shelves.

Tessa Bailey hits it out of the park with her sports romances. And dare I say that this book is Tessa’s most heartfelt? The heroine deals with real life trauma, and the hero ‘s focus is on making her feel safe before he even entertains wooing her. And while there is a third act breakup, it’s done in such a devastating way that I genuinely felt the heartbreak and confusion of our heroine. Sig and Chloe better be getting their story next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

BOY oh boy, this book did NOT disappoint. I had been waiting on Burgess and Tallulah ever since I saw a glimpse of them in Fangirl Down and I was SO GIDDY when I received this ARC!

Let me start off by saying as a romance reader turned hardcore hockey fan myself, I eat up ANY hockey romance. This book was no exception. I’m also a huge fan of Tessa Bailey and I’ve enjoyed every book I’ve read of hers so I had high expectations for this one.

Burgess fits the bill of every man I tend to gravitate toward in hockey romances. Grumpy? Check. Tall and massive? Double check. Broody grump who is only a teddy bear for his girl and is obsessed with her? ALL. THE. CHECKS.

I also loved Tallulah. She overcame a lot in this book and it really allowed you to take a peek into her mind and what she was warring with for the whole story. She’s incredibly brave and raw and real.

Love love love these characters and how they grew and overcame their issues together. Love that he fell first!! So darn cute and SPICY!! Tessa did not miss on this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

After the VERY high bar that Fangirl Down set, I was skeptical that the followup could hold my attention in the same way – but I devoured this at a ridiculously fast pace. The two books are very different in tone, though they’re tied together by a common theme. Both heroes are endlessly smitten for their girls, worlds turned upside down by a game-changer of a woman. Zero complaints there, especially when the banter and intensity comes with some seriously smokin’ hot scenes. This one starts out light and swoony before bringing on the angst, and I was unprepared for the gut punch of emotion. The boy obsessed/he falls first vibes make way for a hearty dose of tension, delivering the kind of read that I couldn’t tear my eyes away from. The hero stole my heart, the love story put me through my paces, and I am very, very excited to see where the series goes from here. I loved it!

The story follows Burgess (37), a pro hockey player who is nearing the end of his career. Aches and pains are starting to make him feel older than his years, and the constant disconnect from his 12-year-old daughter makes him feel even more out of his element. So when the new nanny moves in – also known as the woman Burgess has been daydreaming about for months – it’s a shock to the system. Tallulah (26) forms an immediate bond with Burgess’ daughter, and their easy connection drives him a little insane… especially since the feelings Burgess has for his much younger nanny are anything but platonic. But the two couldn’t be more different, and Tallulah is just starting to find her adventurous side again, while Burgess is still stuck in one place.

You could definitely read this as a standalone if you wanted, but Fangirl Down is excellent and it includes Burgess and Tallulah’s first meeting. It’s there that we see that Burgess is smitten from the start, totally gone for his girl before he even knows what happened. This book also spoils some of the plot points of Fangirl Down, just a heads up! I thought the series was going to end here, but I am SO excited about the relationship that’s teased in this one. Can’t wait. But I also had a great time reading Burgess and Tallulah’s love story, which went in a direction I didn’t anticipate. You’ve got the classic delight of a grumpy single dad/age gap romance with a side of hockey, but there’s a whole lot more to it than that. I loved the deeper undertones, which brought some unexpected angst and heartache. Tallulah’s backstory is a heavy one, and that adds an interesting layer of tension to their interactions. I liked her a lot, though Burgess steals the show. He is this lovable mountain of a man, so soft and gentle for his girl… at least until she brings out his wilder side. They had such great opposites attract vibes, and the slow burn to SIZZLE romance brought the heat. I was a little disappointed by the conflict, but it actually made a whole lot of sense and it certainly cranked up the intensity. Our boy gives good grovel, and that takes this light, fluffy story somewhere entirely different. In the end, I had a fantastic time reading this one, and here’s hoping the third book comes sooner rather than later.

I was so excited to read The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey. I really liked Fangirl Down.

Grumpy single dad, hockey player? Yes, please. Smart and sexy marine biologist? Love it.

Somewhere along the way, though, I started wishing there was more romance between these two. There’s no denying the physical chemistry. It’s there, dirty talk and all. (But I have to say that I cringed every time he called her “girl.”) I was just hungry for a little more, I think. I will say, though, that I really appreciated the vulnerable moments. I wish that translated to a deeper emotional connection alongside the physical.

Overall, I still enjoyed this book, and I’m very much looking forward to the next one!

First five-star read of the year! I LOVED this book. I absolutely adored Burgess and how head over heels he was for Tallulah. I enjoyed that the two of them had an instant connection and chemistry but weren’t instantly in love. He was down bad, for sure. I thought Tallulah was a really great character who came into her own (on her own), which I appreciated—she had him as support, but he wasn’t the full reason. All the side characters were amazing, and I just really enjoyed my experience reading this book!


I cannot wait for Sig and Chloe’s book—I need it NOW.

I loved this book even more than the first in the series. Tessa has a way of mixing romance, smut, and real hard story lines all together be coming up with the perfect tangled mess that’s really a perfect book that you won’t be able to put down.

“𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙, 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙝,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝. “𝙉𝙖𝙝, 𝙄’𝙢 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙄? 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙮 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙄 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙤𝙣-𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙨𝙢𝙨, 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙. 𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙮. 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨. 𝘽𝙚. 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙚.”

When we first met Tallulah and Burgess in Fangirl Down, I was immediately clamoring for their book. Hot hockey player offering this marine biology grad student a position as his live-in nanny, and he obviously can’t keep his eyes off her? Yes, please.

Tallulah has some real deep trauma that she is working through, and I loved how sensitive this big burly hockey player was when with that, while still being the overly protective man that he is.

I really loved the addition of Lissa, Burgess’ daughter. She felt like a real tween, with real tween reactions to situations, and frankly, she was probably the one that had me crying the hardest at the end! 😭

Overall, I’m really enjoying Tessa’s foray into sports romance, and I’m so looking forward to the next book hinted at in this one! 👀

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and @netgalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What this book is giving:
✅ Sports Romance (Hockey)
✅ Dual POV
✅ Age Gap (He’s 37, She’s 26)
✅ Single Dad
✅ He falls first and hard
✅ Tween Daughter
✅ “Mean Daddy”

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ / 5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5

This was better than the “unfortunately yours and secretly yours series”

This was still a little cringey in the terms of being a slightly forced relationship. I felt that there wasn’t enough foundation to their chemistry. The ending is better but the middle very cringe for me

*ARC Review*

4.5 stars

Gosh I love Tessa Bailey. Her works always have the best, most engaging stories while giving the reader all of the feels.

This most recent rom com follows Tallulah and Burgess, the best friends of the main characters from Fangirl Down. Tallulah has moved to Boston (where Burgess is the king of the ice rink and lovingly known as Sir Savage) to get her masters in marine biology. She agrees to be Burgess's au pair for his 12 year old daugther Lissa. Chaos ensues.

I love Burgess and am fascinated how such a big tough guy can be such a cinammon role. He has a high protective drive and uses it frequently with Tallulah.

The story uncovers past traumas, relationship issues, and sports related situations. I was engrossed the whole time and finished the book feeling satisfied.

Definitely recommend.

Fun follow-up to Fangirl Down; I really loved the story between Tallulah and Burgess, it was really well done.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

Tessa is not new to me. I have been reading her books for some time. Her characters change and evolve - a little self-discovery goes a long way.

Burgess & Tallulah are no exception to this. Facing the future requires boldness and bravery sometimes. Hitting that time in life whether in your 20's or 30's sets the characters up to be stronger together. Maybe not love at first sight, but definitely appreciation at first sight.

I am looking forward to Sig's story.

I was so excited to read this hockey romance after reading Fangirl Down! This had a little less of the "Com" in "RomCom" that I am used to from Tessa Bailey, but it doesn't mean I didn't love it! Both Tallulah and Burgess have some pretty serious things to work through, but their banter and chemistry throughout was phenomenal. As Tallulah helps Burgess connect with his daughter (and teaching him how to have fun again) he is helping her trust herself and trust him. It was super refreshing to read a hockey romance from the perspective of an older hockey player who is nervous his time on the ice is coming to end, rather than another about a college kid in his prime (I have a bad back and can so relate to the massage scene hahahah.)And boy was this SPICY... The Queen of Dirty Talk really brought it with this one. And is Tessa setting us up for step-brother romance next?!? I need to know more and we better get another book or two in this series!

Tessa Bailey does is again! Fans and new readers alike will love "The Au Pair Affair". She is simply the queen of romance!

Thank you to Avon/Harper Voyager & NetGalley for this ARC!

I have to preface this review with: I LIKED the book; in fact, I loved certain parts of it! But for me it mostly missed the mark. A little disappointing coming off Fangirl Down (the prior book in this series), which I loved!

I liked the relationship between Burgess & Lissa (his daughter), and between Lissa & Talullah. I wish there was more time focused on it; like the actual time "The Au Pair Affair" focused on... "au pair-ing" had to be like 10% MAX. Which sucks, it was delightful!

The heat was a little rushed to me; I would've LOOOVED a slower burn, but that's okay.

I was just annoyed the last 20% of the book. Unnecessary 3rd act break up stemming seemingly out of nowhere: CHECK. MCs simply not speaking for almost 6 weeks (as you read this, picture me screaming into my hands): CHECK. ZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERO grovel from the MMC: CHECK! I was screaming at the book, "Talullah, girl, STAND UP" - UGH.

And Tessa Bailey ends her books VERY abruptly 90% of the time; this is one of those times.

Again, all of this is to say that I still enjoyed the book! Just LOATHED many parts of it.

I PRAY we get a Chloe & Sig book next!!

*SPOILERS*
Thank you HarperCollins for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! The second I saw the tropes were nanny x single dad AND. A sports romance I was SOLD on this book.

This is such a quick, feel-good romance book and, as with all Tessa Bailey’s books, the writing and plot are solid so you know exactly what you’re getting every time. I genuinely ate up this book like all of the tropes were just too good!! Tallulah was such a sweetheart with so much love to give, and I truly feel like she was an accurate portrayal of a modern woman in her mid-twenties. I loved her character arc, her background, her mentality, etc. She was such a wonderful FMC to the point where I was lowkey happy with the third act breakup because it felt like watching one of my friends heal!!! She is so so personal to me <33

I really liked Burgess because I was imagining Sam Hartman the entire time and that man is like sex on legs. A single dad who plays professional hockey and is built like a fridge is every woman’s dream and he absolutely reinforced that. I will say that his little tantrum in the last third of the book was a bit off putting for me and I was kinda glad that Tallulah wanted to end it on a clean break. I guess it was nothing that some therapy can’t fix but I personally would not have let that slide LOL.

This book also gave me the NEED for Sig and Chloe to get their own book because the whole taboo thing they got going on was too good and if there is anyone I trust to do them justice, it’s Tessa Bailey!!!!