I received an arc in exchange for an honest review:


Tessa motherfuckin Bailey does a hockey romance!!! Oh my goodness this book was so good!! I ATE it up! I love a grumpy alpha male. The TENSION between these two 🤤 Tallulah is a grad student that agrees to be an au pair for a hockey player single dad but she’s distrustful of men and wants to back out. Burgess wants to earn her trust and is willing to do anything to protect her. This third act break up did destroy me tho so keep that in mind 😭


🖤Age gap (11 years)
🖤Fake dating
🖤Hockey romance
🖤Boss x Nanny

Rating: 5⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Another fun read from Tessa Bailey 🤩 this time we got a hockey player and a nanny. A fun and spicy combo 🌶️ I can’t wait to see what Tessa Bailey writes next.

Tessa Bailey can do no wrong when it comes to romance. The Big Shots series was AMAZING. I loved everything about it.

Spoilers✨️
I LOVED Burgess aka Mean Daddy, an overprotective hockey player? Say no more. The third act breakup broke my heart into a million pieces, but it was really well done.
Overall it was a fantastic book!

I wished I loved this book because Tessa Bailey is one of my favorite authors but I only liked it. The insta-love was way over the top. They went from be my child's au pair to I can't live without you, in about two pages. Both characters felt very immature. The most mature character in the book was the child.

I really enjoy a lot of Tessa Bailey’s books and this was one of them! Her books are just a fun, spicy and entertaining time and perfect for when I need like a breather from reading a lot of fantasy. Tallulah and Burgess had such an entertaining dynamic and it was truly a really funny book. They had great banter and chemistry and that is really all I look for in these types of books! I will say the plot sometimes didn’t grab me but the characters made up for it. Will be purchasing for our library and I do recommend!

Bailey's second foray into the sports romance arena is more successful then her first, but relies too much on tropes to be anything worth picking up.

Tessa Bailey's The Au Pair Affair navigates the tumultuous world of love and laughter as Burgess, a tough yet sweet hockey veteran turned single dad, hires Tallulah, a quirky marine biology student, as his live-in nanny. The chemistry between them sizzles, but past traumas and the complexities of love create a rollercoaster of emotions. While the story may delve into heavier themes compared to Bailey's previous work, it maintains its heartwarming charm, balancing humor and steamy romance. The seamless continuation of the world introduced in Fangirl Down, coupled with cameos from beloved characters, adds depth to the narrative. The book, a solid follow-up and possibly a new favorite in hockey romance, showcases Bailey's mastery of the genre, making it a must-read for fans seeking a delightful blend of wit, emotion, and love.

OMG I just finished this book (at work) and it was smokin' hot. I can't wait for the next one cause I know who it's gonna be about! I loved the story of Tallulah and how she conquered her fears. I loved the story of how Tallulah conquered Burgess! (Not a spoiler, but come on, it IS a HEA...) The journey to get there was super hot, super funny, and poignant at the same time. Lissa is a great character and the supporting characters of the group just make the story...even the rookies. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hate I have to wait so long for another one!

I adore anything Tessa Bailey writes but this may be my favorite book by her. It was laugh out loud funny but had me crying by the end. I loved Tallulah and Burgess. The chemistry was off the charts. The protectiveness he had over her was what every woman dreams of having. I will definitely be rereading The Au Pair Affair.

Tessa Bailey is a little hit or miss for me, and this installment in her series was really only fine. Bailey at her best has a truly zany spark, and this was missing here, and the turn towards realism just made the whole thing fall flat. It's still a decent romance, because Bailey knows her business, but The Au Pair Affair lacks an exciting energy.

The Au Pair Affair is a new romance by Tessa Bailey about a hockey player dad and a younger graduate student he hires as an au pair.

I had high hopes for this book, but ultimately didn’t like it at all. The characters felt untrue to themselves and their situations, and the drama seemed a bit forced. Beyond that, Burgess’s daughter, who acts as the plot instigator (the one who brings the love interests together), isn’t actually in the book much at all.

Overall, I didn’t like the Au Pair Affair at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Au Pair Affair continues in the same world as the characters from Fangirl Down, and while I didn’t love this book quite as much as that one, Tessa Bailey continues show why she reigns supreme over the modern romance genre.

Burgess and Talullah are both battling some demons when they come together in a nanny / boss relationship of convenience. But they quickly strike up a chemistry that can’t be denied, and look to be heading towards a happy ending until some conflicts get in the way.

Luckily as with all books by Tessa Bailey this one was full of laughs and love and threw in some conflict and suspense to keep my engrossed in the characters (past, future, and current) and the heartwarming plot. My quibble is that I’ve come to expect a lot of steamy scenes in her books and she took it down a notch here! A milder romance in terms of spiciness compared to her other books, it’s still guaranteed to keep her fans (and fans of this genre) engaged. Recommended for any romance lover!

Not my favorite Tessa Bailey book. The love affair just didnt feel realistic to me. Hot as always though lol.

Another funny, sexy title from Tessa Bailey! A lot of fun but also had some deep moments with great character development. I can't wait to see what happens with the supporting characters of Sig and Chloe.

Fun, because it’s Tessa Bailey, but there’s also a lot in it that I didn’t enjoy. I really did not like Tallulah and thought the last 20-25% of the book was insufferable on her end. Her POV chapters were my least favorite. There were a couple scenes between the leads that honestly made me cringe. I think her “It Happened One Summer” series will remain my favorite.

a great addition to the Tessa Bailey collection! I've never been a fan of sports romance, but I do enjoy Tessa Bailey's sports romance. I always love getting an advance copy of her books!

Really liked this second in a series of friends and the athletes they love. Story of Burgess and Tallulah. Super quick read. Can't wait for Chloe and Sig's story. Thanks for the advanced copy NetGalley. #NetGalley #TheAuPairAffair

I love reading Bailey's books. They always put a smile on my face. Burgess, hockey player and gorgeous man, is sweet and stoic. I loved his character. Tallulah is kind of ridiculous. She did have a terrible thing happen to her which she uses as an excuse to keep herself from getting too close, to anyone. What it also does is make her an asshole. She doesn't talk to her family and she pushes away a great man because she's scared. I get it but you don't squander magic when it lands at your feet. She can't make up her mind and plays with Burgess's heart in the process. He wants love and she wants a fling. Still, the characters compliment each other in unique ways and the spice is extra spicy. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

This grumpy met suspicious sunshine played out exactly how I assumed it would, and I loved it! Great dialogue, sexy romance, and fun abound in Tessa Bailey's newest book.

I'm a huge Tessa Bailey fan, and even loved the first book in this series about a GOLFER of all things. This book is not up to her usual spicy standards, and I kinda missed that. The love story itself was sweet, and I greatly appreciated how she handled the FMCs trauma history. In general, though, this one didn't gel for me.