ARC Review: Burgess and Tallulah are the main couple in this story. She is his Au Pair and in grad school and he is a professional hockey player. He has been interested in her since he first met her almost a year before she started working for him and he wants something serious with her. She does not want anything serious, just wants to have fun.
They spend a lot of time with basically foreplay and him trying to give her what she wants because of her troubles past. Then eventually she shares with him why she has such a hard time trusting men and that the person who hurt her is dead. Then they start to get serious with her agreeing to be his girlfriend. He then sustains a serious back injury at an away game and she flies to him to provide comfort and encouragement. He says extremely hurtful things to her and she walks away and says they are over.
Almost two months after they break up they have a wedding to attend as they have mutual friends. Once there he does everything he can to prove he loves her and he didn’t mean anything he said he was just hurt. They eventually make up before the wedding. Then 17 months later they get engaged!
This book was very good. The flow was perfect and very realistic. The intimate scenes were steamy, but not too crazy. Everything I love for in a romance.

I have really high expectations because of how much I love Tessa Bailey books and this one fell a little flat for me. I expected a little more hockey out of a hockey romance and I spent most of the book feeling pretty middle of the road about it. It read really easily and the end was good. Some of it just felt rushed at times and unrealistic but then the end brought it all back together. I’ll always reach for a new Tessa Bailey book but this one was just not a favorite.

I received an ARC from Netgalley. All thoughts are my own.

Let me start by saying that Fangirl Down is unequivocally my favorite read of 2024. I was really looking forward to The Au Pair Affair, and I could NOT wait to read it. Unfortunately, I was a little let down by it. I can't quite explain it, but It just didn't check off all my buttons like I thought it would.

Maybe Burgess was too overbearing. Maybe Tallulah just didn't live up to the hype in my head. I dunno. What I did enjoy was Burgess' daughter and how she fit into their relationship, and how she created a relationship with Tallulah all on her own. I enjoyed Wells and Josephine's wedding. I REALLY enjoyed all the Wells.

Don't get me wrong - I still enjoyed this book. It was pretty smutty and some parts made me cringe. Some parts made me blush. I'm very much looking forward to Sig and Chloe, tho. I won't count Big Shots out yet.

Thanks Edelweiss for giving me a copy of this book in return for an honest review!

I can say with my full chest that this is the best Tessa Bailey book I’ve read.

I was definitely wary of the nanny relationship going in, but it never felt super weird, nor did it ever feel like the daughter was shoehorned in which I was worried about. The relationship between the two of them and Lyssa flowed really well.

I’ve read a lot of romance, but I’m not sure I’ve read about a man so down bad for a woman before. Burgess would crawl on the ground like a worm for Tallulah is she asked and I support it. Need more big burly men to be absolute simps for their women thanks.

This is absolutely a title by Tessa Bailey that I feel like I would willingly reread and recommend to people. It sort of hit all the checkboxes for me and honestly she could stop with this book and I’d be happy (but also like I’ll read every other book in this series without complaint so).

My only complaint is honestly about the relationship between Sig and Chloe, but I know that’ll be explored in the next book and that’s gonna be a whole mess that I’m not sure I’m ready for.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Listen, you get a Tessa Bailey book because you know exactly what you're going to get. And I got it. There were some pretty spicy scenes. And some weird spicy scenes (for me). But it was a fine romp. I'm hoping Bailey does Sig and Chloe's story soon, cuz it sounds interesting.

I am hit or miss with Tessa Bailey. I also didn't realize that this was a second book in a companion series, but I really enjoyed this. I loved Burgess and Tallulah. Her trauma is not something that gets talked about very often, but it does happen to women and I really liked her as a character. I loved meeting the characters from the first book. I may go back and read it. It was just such an easy read and I really liked the fact that it was a single dad romance. I love a good single parent romance. Plus, this one is with an older child which I feel is also rare.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5 rounded up)
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager, NetGalley, and Tessa Bailey for a free copy of The Au Pair Affair in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now!

This was a cute, fun read that kept me turning the page! I particularly liked the different take on trauma, trust, and facing fears. I think romance authors fall into a bit of a cliche’d approach when facing difficulties of the past, but here Tessa Bailey explores a different kind of trauma and how someone moves forward with their life after. Regardless of how rare it is to go through what Tallulah did, it touches on something all women can relate to — the fear of how a man will react when rejected.

My main complaint with the book was that once the scenes got spicy, they felt out of character and a little forced, almost like they existed for the sake of being able to market the book with quotes/tropes that will draw readers in. It felt disingenuous for these particular MCs, especially considering Tallulah's past and the lack of conversation between the two regarding how she wanted to be talked to in bed lol, but maybe that was just me and it won't bother you!

You might really like this book if you’re a fan of hockey romances, single dad, millionaire, grumpy-sunshine, age gap, boss/employee, and forced proximity tropes. Ultimately, this book is VERY Tessa Bailey-esque. Before this book, I’ve read It Happened One Summer, Hook Line and Sinker, Happenstance, and Fix Her Up. I liked the Bellinger Sisters Duet but not the other two. So, I’m starting to think maybe Tessa Bailey isn’t my vibe like I once thought she was. But if you like most of her books, don’t hesitate to pick this one up!!

For 2024, I’ll be using this rating scale:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I mourned the ending of this journey 🥹
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ really enjoyed and would recommend
⭐️⭐️⭐️ it was fine
⭐️⭐️ I didn’t enjoy this journey
⭐️ I dnf’d or wish I’d dnf’d
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ this is smutty smutty erotica 🥵
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ a lot of spice
🌶️🌶️🌶️ some spice
🌶️🌶️ romantic b plot / closed door / YA romance
🌶️ no romance / nonfiction

Diving back into a Tessa Bailey novel is like welcoming a hug from a long missed friend. You know you’re in for laughter, love, two people who will make mistakes but will love harder than any two people you’ve met and side of ridiculousness that will leave you feeling completed by the end. No surprise here that I absolutely adored Burgess and Tallulah after getting sneak peeks of them in the first book. The grumpy single dad goalie and our much younger au pair who has trust issues with men. I love seeing a vulnerable side of both of these and how from page one Burgess was down bad for her. I love the way Burgess was protective and wanted to keep Tallulah safe but also wanted to watch her grow into a woman who no longer needed someone to protect her. We see Tallulah and both Burgess blossom into people who are confident, sure of themselves and open to love as this stories goes on. I love a good grovel and everything that burgess delivered in this story made me fall deeper for them. This book comes with the Tessa Bailey spice but in a way that the tension couldn’t be denied from the very beginning. This book felt different than her others and I love watching her explore as an author and ultimately making such a beautiful story of complex characters with real emotions you can feel bleed from every page.

This book was really cute. Far from a realistic love story, so if you are looking for something believable, skip it. However, if you just want something fun that you can escape in, definitely pick it up! The characters were fun, their relationship impossible to turn away from. The chemistry was incredible. I liked that they grew personally and as a couple. It moved quickly, making for a perfect "beach read." I liked all the characters and found myself cheering for them as individuals and as a couple. I also liked the supporting cast and look forward to the next book in the series. 
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

I just read The Au Pair Affair and it was such a cute hockey romance. It is the story of an au pair and the hockey player she works for. Totally formulaic and predictable but there is something cute and comforting to me with these kind of books. Just a little escapism. As a warning, don’t let that cute little cover fool you, this one was quite spicy. Very.

The sequel to Fangirl Down, starring Tallulah and Burgess. Overall 3.5/5 - spoiler free likes and dislikes include:

Likes -
Covers real issues (emotional abuse awareness, rejection)
Shows healthy relationships (amicable divorced parents, stepmother / stepdaughter, friendships)

Dislikes -
Written in third person
Doesn’t have a lot of actual hockey content

I’ve been so looking forward to Talullah and Burgess’ story and it did not disappoint! I enjoyed this more than Fan Girl down - I’m a sucker for single dad’s and Talullah’s journey was so compelling. I also think that Tessa Bailey’s writing has matured in a very pleasing way. I’m super stoked for Sigi and Chloe’s book - a pseudo step sibling romance? Yes please!

A sports rom-com about a burly, surly, single dad who falls head-over-hockey-stick for his quirky live-in nanny...

Tallulah is smart, vivacious, and studying to be a marine biologist. She’s also twenty-six and broke. So when Burgess, a battle-scarred hockey veteran and newly single dad, offers her a job as his live-in nanny, she jumps at the opportunity to get paid while living in a super fancy neighborhood and being around Lissa, his cool but introverted tween.

Her tween charge isn’t the only one who could use some help fitting in, though. According to…well, everyone except Burgess, he needs to get back on the dating scene, and adventurous Tallulah is just the girl to show him how. But as boundaries are slowly crossed and Burgess finds himself pulled between his daughter, who wants her parents back together, and his insane chemistry with Tallulah, a huge rift is formed, and Tallulah does the “right” thing—breaks her own heart and walks away.

Though Burgess knows it’s for the best—he’s too jaded, with too much baggage—a chance meeting, and a new push from his daughter, forces him to put everything on the line and fight to prove he learned his lessons well and is worthy of a happily ever after with Tallulah.

Tessa Bailey is so, so good at nailing the rom-com. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the characters. Tallulah helps Burgess to become a more relaxed and open person, while making sure he fits in with his daughter and teammates. This story includes sports romance, forced proximity and an age gap.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for an eARC in exhange for an honest review.

Tessa + Hockey = an unmatched duo

There was angst, an age gap, the single hot dad x nanny trope, hockey, groveling, and banter. And there’s so much more to add but those right there made this an immediate yes. I can talk about this book all day!!

"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐞."
"𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞. 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞."

I was swooning hard for Burgess, or as they call him Sir Savage. The tension in this book had me on the floor same with their chemistry. Burgess was everything I needed and I fear he may take the lead as my favorite Tessa Bailey man.

Everything about this book, I loved! Tallulah and Burgess forever 🥹 Also, the character development was top notch! I loved seeing them both let down their guards and lean on each other!!!

I feel like every time I finish a Tessa Bailey book, I'm not really sure what to think of it. Typically I either love it or hate it, sometimes, it's in-between. I feel like this one was more of an in-between type of story for me. I smiled and laughed; my co-worker saw me grinning while reading and questioned what was going on. I also stayed up way too late one night to finish this because I didn't want to put it down. Then there is the other side where I didn't love how the MMC acted at times. I liked the characters well enough, but it's almost like he had some personality switch and started pressuring the FMC to be in a relationship with him when it was clear that she wanted to work on herself first before she got into a serious relationship. He really needed to respect her more on that end for 80% of the book. He did redeem himself at the end, but still, I wish he wouldn't have pressured her so much with things. Other than that and the fact that it seemed like the couple just wanted to have sex instead of actually get to know one another, I did enjoy this book. If I was being realistic, I'd give this 3.5 stars, but it made me smile enough to keep it at a 4 star read.

The Au Pair Affair is book 2 of Tessa Bailey’s sports romance standalone series, Bigshots. I have been anxiously awaiting this book ever since devouring the first one, and it did not disappoint!

Burgess is a rugged and determined defenseman in hockey, who embodies the role of protector in all aspects of his life. His gruff exterior hides a heart of gold, especially when it comes to his daughter and Talulah. He is the quintessential growly hero with swoony charm.

Talulah, a smart and resilient grad student, moves in with Burgess as his daughter’s au pair. She is a strong and inspiring character, determined to carve out her own path despite past traumas.

The chemistry between Burgess and Talulah is palpable from the start, and their relationship quickly evolves beyond professional boundaries, providing Talulah with the support and encouragement she needs to seek new adventures and step out of her shell. Burgess' support helps her to rediscover herself.

I am thoroughly enjoying Tessa Bailey’s take on sports romance so far! Her ability to blend humor, spice passion, and emotional depth keeps me eagerly turning the pages. I look forward to what she has in store for us next in the Bigshots series!

Tessa is really at the top of her romance game with the last several novels! This age gap, single dad/nanny, forced proximity, forbidden romance was simply smoldering. Burgess had mean daddy energy from their first meeting, and when he learned that Talluah's past included an ex-boyfriend stalker, his protective nature was oozing off the pages. While this rom-com includes somewhat heavier back stories including stalking and divorce, Tessa approaches those topics with care and infuses the narrative with her signature humor and heart. A couple I rooted for from page 1 to the end with an incredible spicy pay-off, this is another 5 star romance read that ended a slump!

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒆𝒕, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒔𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰'𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒕," 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒅𝒍𝒚. “𝑨𝒔𝒌 𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒙𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒘. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕, 𝒈𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒐𝒖𝒔."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The first 70% of this book was absolutely perfect. I loved the building tension between Tallulah and Burgess, the bond forming between Tallulah and Lissa, and all of the adorable family moments in between.

But that is exactly what was missing from the last 30% of the book.
There was tension, don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t the kind that had me swooning like the first 70%. It was the kind that made me anxious and sad. It was a beautiful ending with so many life lessons and character development - but the vibe switch threw me for a loop. I wasn’t expecting to feel like I just walked out of a therapy session after reading a Tessa Bailey book.

I was also sad that Lissa wasn’t as involved in the ending. I was happy we had reappearances of Wells and Josephine from Fangirl Down, but with so much of the book focused on Tallulah being an Au Pair and her friendship forming with Lissa, I was sad we didn’t see more of her in the end.

Even after being disappointed in the ending, this book is still nearly a five star read for me, and it is all because of Burgess.
I loved how protective he was. It was a different type of protectiveness than what I had anticipated from a giant hockey player. It wasn’t all about him being domineering and throwing his weight around for the girls physical safety, but more of his concern about Tallulah and Lissa’s emotional well being, and making sure they were always comfortable and happy. The second he realized Tallulah was hesitant to be alone in a room with him, he was doing everything he could to make her feel safe. It was refreshing and so thoughtful, I forgave him immediately for his lapse in judgment later in the book.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for:
💙 Hockey Romance
💛 Nanny/Au Pair Romance
💙 Age Gap
💛 Protective MMC
💙 Family Dynamics


Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Queen Tessa does it again and this series is quickly becoming one of my favorites from her! The tension and spice had me giggling and squealing the whole time. I’m excited for what’s to come!

Don’t ask me why, but I loved this. I enjoyed the characters and found them flawed but sweet. I wanted to go back and keep reading to be immersed in their world.