Solid follow-up to Fangirl Down featuring Wells' and Josephine's best friends, Burgess and Tallulah.

Burgess is a gruff hockey player who's had a dip in confidence from getting a divorce, struggling with single parenting, and losing a step or two as he nears the end of his pro hockey career. Tallulah comes on the scene as the possible live-in au pair for his tween daughter, giving her income and a place to live while she pursues her master's in marine biology. She's initially skittish around him because of a terrifying experience in her past, but Burgess creates conditions that allow her to trust him and relax her guard. Tallulah begins to bond with both his daughter, Lissa, and Burgess, helping the latter become more adept at dealing with Lissa and his teammates.

So far, so good--or at least, trending in the right direction. Burgess wants her as his forever, and she's not sure she's ready for anything more permanent than a hook-up (she's 26, he's 37). Meanwhile, Lissa is eager for her parents to reunite even though both have moved on from their failed marriage. Back-to-back crises threaten Burgess and Tallulah's relationship before it can really get off the ground, and it's up to both to determine what they are willing to do to be together.

As with some of Tessa Bailey's other books, there is maybe a bit too much plot packed in here. There were some great elements of character development, especially those that were connected to the subtle ways they were changing each other. But other scenes felt a bit forced, like they were included to advance the plot rather than worked in service of the characters. That included the last 20% or so of the book, which takes place in Costa Rica at Wells' and Josephine's wedding. And I hate to say this, but at times, it included his daughter; it's hard to include kids in these stories, and in this case, it only worked for portions of the book.

Overall, though, this book was full of the heat you expect from Tessa Bailey's books--including her brand of dirty talk, so take that as a warning/promise. Some illogical moments and stock characters aside, there was some good character development, particularly as Burgess and Tallulah start their initial friendship-to-romance trajectory.

3.5 stars

4.5

BIG fan. preferred this one to fangirl down. something about tallulah & burgess was just more palatable to me i guess (lol). still a classic bailey, but some of her best work imo. last act got a bit annoying to me (i just wanted them to make up), but whatever. that’s romance!

I need to stop reading Tessa Bailey. She is not for me and somehow the hype and attention her books get suck me in and make me forget that I just do not agree with her writing and romance (lack of) and dirty talking. This is for some people, but I need to know my limit and just say no next time. Let us hope future me remembers and doesn't fall prey to the hype again.

The next book in the "Hot Shots' universe continues the story of the gruff hockey player and his grad student au pair we met in "Fangirl Down."

Burgess and Tallulah are quirky and unique characters. He's the gruff, hocky enforcer that needs help with a precocious daughter and she's the graduate student with a painful past who may be just what he needs.

Their story follows some typical romance tropes, but Bailey always makes the characters more interesting then their circumstances and you'll fall in love with them as you watch them grow and evolve and find the path to their next steps.

In addition to visits from our faves from Fangirl Down we also meet a new group of supporting characters who cracked me up and added some needed comic relief in some emotional scenes.

highly recommend!

Contemporary sports romances are having their moment, and I'm on board! Tessa Bailey + sports romance = a match made in heaven. Keep them coming!

this book is horny with a capital H. the plot of tallulah being an au pair very quickly gets forgotten as we only get a few scenes with her and lissa, burgess's daughter. tallulah's backstory is really what drives the story here surprisingly enough. i was hoping for a bit more connection before it dived into all of the spicy scenes, but they were fun and hot nonetheless.

super low stakes and not the best character development, but its easily one of those "i'm not saying its a good book, but i am saying i had a good time" kinds of books. wells and josephine's cameo were cute and helped with the annoyingness of the third act conflict. TB's sense of humor is present as ever, especially in our side characters, which had me thoroughly entertained the whole way through. safe to say: i had a good time reading this. we also get a preview of our next couple for book 3, which i can already tell will be a ride.

thank you avon for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Tallulah is a graduate student who has been off grid doing research. She returns home to go back to school and work on returning to normal life. A friend of a friend connects her with an opportunity to nanny for a divorced dad and his tween daughter. This spicy book is very and enjoyable.

Hockey romance is all the thing right now in Booktok and romance groups. Having read a decent amount of hockey romances, I was thrileed that I liked The Au Pair Affair as much as the first book in the series (Fangirl Dow). Burgess (aka Sir Savage aka Mean Daddy) is a veteran hockey player and newly single father looking for a live-in nanny for his daughter Lissa. Tallulah is on a self-healing journey after experiencing a tramatic event that makes her wary of men but somehow finds herself feeling safe around Burgess. After being introduced by their friends (Josephine and Wells in book 1) they decided that they can help each other out. Not only filling the live-in nanny role, Tallulah helps Burgess expand his horizons and start living again. Burgess becomes Tallulah's rock (and impromptu bodyguard) as she tackles random things from her bucket list. Quickly they realize their attractions for each other but don't know if they can overcome all the hurdles to find their happy ending.

Book highlights:
- Sports Romance
- Forced Proximity
- Lots of Banter
- Self Healing Journey
- Single Father + Nanny
- Spicy Read (3 out of 5 chilies)
- Book 2 of Big Shots series

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the ARC copy.

This was just okay. I had a hard time connecting with both of the main characters because of how shallow they seemed. The stakes were extremely low and nothing really happened for the first 55% of the book. The first book in this series was great, but this really fell short. I think the author would benefit from taking TIME on her books instead of cranking out several lower quality books a year. Thank you for the ARC, sorry I didn’t really enjoy it.

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey unfolds as Tallulah, an aspiring marine biologist, navigates the challenges of being a live in nanny for Burgess, a hockey veteran and single father. The story explores the dynamics between Tallulah, Lissa, and Burgess himself. The narrative takes a turn as Burgess embarks on a journey to re-enter the dating scene with the help of the Tallulah. As boundaries blur and emotions intensify, the characters grapple with a complex web of relationships.

I feel like I hit the Netgalley lottery! This is the second Tessa Bailey ARC I've gotten this year, and let me tell you, she just gets better and better. The Au Pair Affair is the second in the series of sports romances Tessa Bailey is coming out with, and they are both chef's kiss! This one focuses on a hockey player, Burgess, and his au pair, Tallulah. Everything we love about her books is here - the heart, the romance, the humor. It's all perfection. This one comes out in July, and it will be the perfect summer rom com for your shelves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest reviews. 5/5 stars.

If you love Tessa Bailey you’ll love this book. It’s got ALL the spice you love from Tessa. The characters were a little less interesting than some of her others and their character growth was not emotionally satisfying. I still devoured it in one setting, so that didn’t get in the way of me enjoying Tessa!

I usually love everything Tessa ever puts out, but this fell flat for me. In general, I don't like the single dad trope, but I thought maybe my favorite romance author would make me a fan. I didn't love the characters. Burgess was almost 40, but seemed pretty incompetent. The ex-wife was a strange dynamic and I felt even the bonding between the daughter and Tallulah wasn't there. This one really disappointed me.

Honestly, who wouldn’t read the darn phone book if Tessa Bailey wrote it? You know it’d make you laugh (and tickle more than your funny bone). In this new sports romcom, aspiring marine biologist Tallulah is a flat broke grad student who takes on the job of nanny for the tween daughter of divorced professional hockey player - and hunk- Burgess.

Burgess is 11 years older than she and is her boss, to boot. Still, he needs to get back to social/romantic living and he’s sooooo attracted to Tallulah. For her part, Tallulah has had a big trauma and is trying to get back to living unafraid but she’s so attracted to Burgess. Why not come together to start that healing/living? But life, and the sport, intervene.

Burgess is hot. A 6ft 3in built hockey player. But, man, is he clued in to ways to treat a woman, especially one who has been a victim of violence. He just gets hotter the more he interacts with her and her fears. He luscious and delightfully written. Tallulah is such a real person. She comes alive on the pages. She’s afraid but she’s also unconsciously brave as she reaches to fight back her anxiety and go for Burgess and a fearless life.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Au Pair Affair was a hit with me! I love the Big Shots series with the idea of a different sports person as the love interest (hoping for a sports lady soon!). Wells in Fangirl Down was great, but Burgess the Hockey Dude…oh yeah, he’s a hit.

I actually didn’t connect with Tallulah very much, which was surprising, but I still enjoyed her voice in her chapters. I thought the relationship between T and Burgess developed organically and it was shown through interactions and events, not just “oh hey they’re in love.”

Bailey does a great job with her side characters and Chloe, Sig, and the rookies are no different. I especially loved Chloe and reeeaaaallllly hope she has a book of her own soon.

Overall, this is a 5/5 romance for me. Good plot, solid use of tropes, nice banter, and well-written. I can definitely see this being a huge hit with the hockey aspect that’s in the story! Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tessa Bailey’s books never fail to make me smile and The Au Pair Affair is no exception. Her characters always have the best chemistry, hilarious banter, and the happily ever after we all crave. Another great addition to Tessa Bailey’s works, and I can’t wait to see what happens next in the series!

The most memorable part of this book for me is the dirty talk - Tessa Bailey works her words wonderfully, with just enough shock value spice to thrill a reader. This follow-up to Fangirl Down keeps the tone and tempo of the series moving, doing well to keep from the second-book-slump. This story really straddles between "New Adult" with the outlandish adventures Tallulah creates and the "Grumpy/Sunshine" with the aging sports star single dad Burgess, giving a great brain candy romance.

If you like a protective, alpha male…this is your book! 🔥 🔥 A little fast paced but honestly, didn’t matter. I cannot wait for book 2 in this series.

I received this book from the publisher & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!!!

This was a nice read I think my issue was that I wasn’t very in love with the characters. I also think the 3rd act break up was way too long. It lasted the whole end of the book! But I enjoyed reading this during the beginning. I definitely love Fangirl down more but this will definitely be loved by a lot of people I can tell!

Ahhhhhhhhh as soon as I read "Fangirl Down" I KNEW we were getting a hockey romance!!!!!!!!

This book was fabulous, I read it all in one day. I loved the character development of both the FMC and MMC.