Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc of this book. The Au Pair Affair is the second book in Tessa Bailey's sports series. I love the first book in the series, if you have not read it add it to your tbr. You first met the main characters of this book briefly in the first book in the series. This book was a great read, I could not put it down once I started it. I am not a hockey fan but this being a sports romance did not distract from how good this book is. This chemistry between these characters make for a spicy book. If you love Tessa Bailey books you will love this book.

Thank you, Avon and NetGalley, for the ARC.

Classic Tessa Bailey-fun, smut, dirty talk.

This book started out so strong, especially since I was already excited to read the story ever since meeting these two in 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 book!

The Au Pair Affair was a super cute & quick read! I loved the first 60% & then it did go a little downhill for me with their relationship issues. I adored Burgess & the way he pursued Tallulah. I loved how realistic each of their issues were & the ending was really sweet. The spice was also top tier as always with this author. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

Fresh off an internship studying penguins in Antarctica, Tallulah has moved to Boston to complete her grad school studies. But Tallulah is, what's the word? Broke. She can't afford good housing on a grad school budget, but when an ideal opportunity is presented, she can't help but hesitate. After a traumatic experience, Tallulah has difficulty trusting men, especially one whose nickname is Sir Savage.

Burgess is a rough-and-tumble hockey player notorious for his scowl and brutality. But he's also a single dad desperate for a live-in nanny to help with his young daughter. When the pair are brought together by mutual friends, Burgess doesn't think twice about offering Tallulah the position. It doesn't take long for their tenuous friendship to delve into something deeper, but each has baggage they're convinced the other wouldn't want to carry. Not only is Burgess older than Tallulah but he's always kept the world at a distance while she wants nothing more than to charge at things head-on. But when a rift forms in his family, Tallulah is ready to do the right thing and walk away, even if it breaks her heart. Burgess will have to put everything on the line to show not just Tallulah, but himself as well, that they're both worthy of happiness.

I'm a bit torn on this one. Was it a fun time? Absolutely. Did I binge-read the whole thing in almost one sitting? Yep. You would think I'd be obsessed with how I couldn't put it down, but something about it was off, and that came down to the tropes used. Turns out, the age gap and single dad tropes don't do it for me. There were too many uses of the word 'Daddy,' which had the opposite of the intended effect on me. Bailey's steamier scenes already tend to be a little cringe, but this made it even worse. Romance aside, I did enjoy the characters. The growth in both our main characters was so satisfying. Also, I would die if someone rented out an entire aquarium for our first date. Even though this one wasn't my favorite, I'd still recommend it. And I'm pretty sure I can guess who the next book will follow, and I can't wait to read it.

Netgalley coming through on this one! So I’ve been fortunate enough to read both titles in this series so far as ARCs and said in my review for fangirl down that that was my favourite Bailey book to date… nah I really loved this one. Let’s hear it for an emotionally intune MMC and a FMC that’s got the smarts. MMC was protective without being overbearing and we love that. Please tell me this book intentionally set up another book for Sig and Chloe?! Because if that’s not visited I am going to be pissed. Bravo! Will be adding this to my physical bookshelf

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC…

This is the Tessa Bailey we know and love. I was a little nervous going in after feeling very meh about the last 3 or 4 releases since she had gone mainstream, but the second in the Big Shots series (which stands alone just fine) is Tessa doing what she does best. Finding the perfect balance of plot and smut, with witty banter throughout, and having us angst ridden in the third act rooting for these characters to find their HEA.

Check out the tropes before hand as I can imagine this not being for everyone. Those who love single dad/nanny, age gap, and hockey romances will be delighted with this (VERY) open door romance.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this ARC! After I read the first one in this series I could not wait to read the second one, and it did not disappoint. So so so good, I love these sports ones by Tessa Bailey!

Special thanks to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager/Avon for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions!

I came into this book with high expectations due to the glimpses of these characters that we got in the first book in the series. Tallulah and Burgess had very few defining character traits, aside from the typical “big grumpy hockey player” and “cute small normal girl” tropes. I am never one to turn away from these tropes, but they had nothing that set them apart from the many other characters I’ve read in the same categories.

One thing I didn’t like about this book was the immediate physicality. I love a “he falls first” situation, but I would prefer he falls for the person she is rather than the body she has. While there was still emotional depth (albeit very shallow) in the early stages, his overprotective nature right off the bat didn’t translate well due to him caring more about her body than her as a person. Because of this, a lot of their relationship development wasn’t as believable and his romantic gestures fell flat for me.

This book has the typical Tessa Bailey charm, so if you tend to love her spicy rom-coms then definitely pick this one up! It just wasn’t my favorite of her recent releases.

Tessa Bailey never disappoints! I’ve said it before with FanGirl Down and I’ll say it again, I am so dang excited she got into the sports romance genre!

After getting a snippet of the Tallulah and Burgess chemistry in FanGirl Down, I just knew their story was gonna be good!

It’s got:
🏒 Sports romance
❤️ Who hurt you vibes from both of them!
☀️ Grumpy/Sunshine
🧔🏻‍♂️ Single dad
❤️‍🔥 Forced proximity
🌶️🌶️🌶️

I love how Bailey gives her characters real depth and shows them grow and evolve throughout her stories. Tallulah’s past trauma and the reservations she held because of it had my heart breaking for her, but just seeing the way Burgess acted towards her and how protective he was of her while being encouraging and supportive had me wholeheartedly swooning for her. And seeing him struggle with his guilt and fears felt so relatable.

Watching these two fall in love was funny, entertaining, and HOT! 🥵 I really hope we’ll get a Sig story next!

Ps. I will forever think of Burgess when I see a tree trunk 🥵😂

I typically love Tessa Bailey's books and the plot/storyline of this one did not disappoint. However, I found it to be just a bit too spicy for my comfort. I wish there had been more romance mixed with the spicy parts. I thought the ending was cute and heartfelt.

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.