📖 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐮 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲

“𝘉𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯'𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦'𝘴 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵. 𝘈𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥.“

This was my first 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲 and I had so much fun reading it! One of my favorite tropes is single dad x nanny. This book mixed that genre with a big, protective NFL player and I LOVED IT.

Tallulah is a woman trying to overcome her past trauma and fears. Her first encounter with the single dad she is going to Au Pair for doesn’t go to plan. Her fears of men can’t overcome how large and brutal Burgess is on the ice.

Burgess is a man who falls hard for the woman he met through mutual friends. She’s off limits to him in so many ways, including the fact that’s she’s 11 years younger than him. He is struggling with an injury and not knowing when his hockey career will come to an end. Tallulah fits into his and his daughter’s lives so well and he can’t seem to get her out of his mind.

The chemistry between Tallulah and Burgess was off the charts. I would consider this a slow burn, but there is a ton of delicious tension and build up. When the spice hits, it HITS. 🔥

"𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐'𝘮 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘐𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵, 𝘐 𝘧****** 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘩."

This is a book with a TON of groveling at the end. Prepare your hearts!

I can’t wait for a future book about Sig & Chloe! I am beyond curious about what is going on with them. I freaking love how attentive he is with her.

If you love single dad x nanny romances mixed with a growly NFL player and a woman with a traumatic past, go add 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐮 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐲, to your TBR today!

𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴:
💫 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘥 𝘹 𝘕𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘺
🏒 𝘏𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘹 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘴𝘵
🍷 𝘈𝘨𝘦 𝘎𝘢𝘱 (11𝘺𝘳𝘴)
💗 𝘏𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘍𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵
👊🏼 “𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶?”
🔥 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘯
🥵 𝘚𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘺 (3🌶️)
🫶🏼 𝘋𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘗𝘖𝘝

This was super cute!

He definitely fell first and I loved the back and forth between his obsession and her confliction. It wasn’t until I finished the book and looked back on it that I realized there was actually very little time Burgess and Tallulah were actually together. I was so invested in their budding relationship that I didn’t even realize how long it took before it actually happened.

I absolutely devoured the first 70-80% of this book. I don’t always hate third act breakups (but usually do), but this one in particular frustrated me. (Trying to be vague to avoid spoilers) They went through all that just for a couple sentences to spell their end? They gave up so easily on each other. I was glad to see, though, that the offending party had some groveling and kissing up to do in the end. It made the resolution all the more sweet. There was something about their time in Costa Rica that just reminded me of that one FRIENDS episode in Barbados where people are sneaking around, people are meddling in relationships, dramatic irony abounds.

I loved Burgess’s character development. He evolved from a one-dimensional athlete to a well-rounded, quality man and father. Tessa Bailey included some really important and meaningful life lessons in this book and it adds to the feel-goodness and dimension of the story. Burgess and Tallulah’s pillow talk I could have done without; some of it was pretty cheesy and cringe-inducing for me.

This is one of those stories that I loved but am also eternally grateful is fiction. I couldn’t help but feel bad for Lissa and how frequently they completely disregarded her feelings or considered the pain they would be putting her through. The child’s wellbeing should ALWAYS come first, but this is fiction so screw her feelings I guess. Go get that “Mean Daddy” lol. Also, no one likes a litter bug; Tallulah, pick up your trash! I guess for fiction we can look past the littering and embrace the catharsis instead, but seriously, pick up your trash girly pop!

Tallulah, a broke 26-year-old aspiring marine biologist, seizes the chance to be a live-in nanny for Burgess, a hardened hockey veteran and newly single dad. Living in a fancy neighbourhood and taking care of his cool but introverted tween daughter, Lissa, seems perfect. Yet Tallulah has her own reservations about moving in with someone she doesn’t know, still healing from past scars. Still, while helping Lissa fit in, Tallulah realises Burgess needs a push back into the dating scene. Sparks fly as boundaries blur, but Burgess is torn between his daughter’s wish for her parents to reunite and his growing feelings for Tallulah. When Tallulah steps away to do the “right” thing, Burgess is left heartbroken. A serendipitous encounter and a nudge from his daughter force Burgess to confront his fears, fight for love, and prove he’s worthy of a happily ever after with Tallulah.

“You could be wasting your time on me.”

“Time with you could never be a waste. Only a privilege.”

Forced proximity, grumpy-sunshine vibes, and opposites attract—what more could you want from a romance? Bailey delivers another banger with The Au Pair Affair.

Tallulah is a leading lady if I ever saw one. Braiding Lissa’s hair, mitigating her undeniable attraction to Burgess, and somehow also trying to figure out where life will take her now that she’s back in the States to finish her marine biologist masters isn’t easy but she perseveres. Be warned, there is also quite some dark trauma in her past that she is still recovering from that I didn’t see coming and it might hit hard for you as well. Rest assured, Tallulah is an amazing character who shows immense strength but you can’t help but feel for her as she tries to keep her independence and her boundaries clear all while still dreaming of a happily ever after for herself and trying not to fall head over heels for Burgess.

Now Burgess. We love a man who’s down bad for the heroine from the very first moment and who worships the ground she walks on and Burgess delivered on all accounts. Nicknamed “Sir Savage” on the ice he is the actual softest cinnamon roll off it. You can’t help but root for a man who might just consider building you an entire house himself if you’re not able to find an apartment in your price range. These are the levels of utter adoration we want in romance (and in life). Also, sidenote, Burgess is an amazing dad and it’s both funny and adorable how utterly clueless he is sometimes.

Now, while I am well versed in romance novels and levels of horniness, here even I hit my limits in some early chapters. There’s instant attraction and pining and then there’s just stating on every page how horny you are for the love interest. I loved that both Tallulah and Burgess had this insane chemistry from the first time they met in Fangirl Down, but the first few chapters of this book were hard to get into since the levels of horny somewhat skewered every single interaction between the two and quickly turned repetitive instead of enticing. It took away some enjoyment for me because every time I felt like Tallulah and Burgess were getting somewhere on an emotional level, another layer of just how much they wanted to get into each other’s pants interrupted that connection.

That being said, though, the chemistry between them was incredible. Once they had some actual conversations that did not end in inner monologues about all their dirty thoughts, I could really see why they were a perfect match. There are a lot of internal and external obstacles in their way but together, they manage to overcome most of them. I really enjoyed that there was a mix between internal and external conflicts so that even when things matched up for the both of them on an emotional level, there were still other issues they had to deal with. It made for a delicious will-they-won’t-they dynamic. And the dirty talk (you know, once it actually made sense since they were acting on their attraction to each other) was as combustive as you expect from this stellar author. Tallulah and Burgess end up being able to read each other so well on the streets and between the sheets that every interaction will make you shiver.

As always, there is a third-act break-up that may not be everyone’s cup of tea (you know me, I’m a hater) and does drag quite a bit until you’re more frustrated than anything else (aka screaming in your head at these characters and their choices and just wondering where they get the audacity to behave like that), but, in true Bailey fashion, the reconciliation is hard-earned and explosive. The cameos from Wells and Josephine also made me so happy and balanced out the rougher parts of Tallulah and Burgess’s romance and showed just how important friendships are to feel fulfilled in life. All in all, this book proved to be a great summer read.

The single father/nanny romance that will melt not only the ice Burgess skates on but also your heart, The Au Pair Affair will turn up the heat this summer! Come for the unhinged possessiveness, stay for the wholesome patchwork family vibes.

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey 🩵
Big Shots, Book 2
Interconnected Standalone

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Adult • RomCom
ARC Review
384 pages
🗓️ July 16

🏒 sports romance / hockey romance
🩵 single dad + nanny
🏒 age gap
🩵 he falls first and harder
🏒 close proximity

📌“That’s just a human being a human. Sometimes we break a little.”

📌“I guess I want to be important to you.”

📌“I would have walked around my whole life loving you.”

I don’t think you understand how the last 30% of this book is prime romcom goodness. 🤌🏼 I mean, the whole book is Tessa Bailey fun. But that last part was just top tier. So much so, I refused to go to sleep until I saw everything through.

Tallulah and Burgess - which I hope I never have to pronounce in public - were 🔥 in the first Big Shots book. But somehow they got even 🥵 *fans herself* and yet their connection was probably the best part of the whole thing. The connection that comes from acceptance. The connection that comes from wanting all the moments and secrets, all the smiles and silences.

Now, I love them. I want you so know that. Specially before you read the next sentence 👀

Chloe and Sig stole the show and I can’t wait to read their book 😱 If the little glimpse we got is any indication of what’s to come, we might get another Tessa favorite 😅

4.5 -⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

"I'm not doing this with no strings attached...I want to get attached Tallulah...I'm already more than a little obsessed with you, aren't I?"

The Au Pair Affair is the second novel in the interconnected standalone adult sports romance series, Big Shots. In this novel we follow Tallulah and Burgess. Tallulah is currently studying to become a marine biologist but internships and small time work studies have led her to struggle to make ends meet. She decides to take on an au pair gig after she meets hockey veteran Burgess, who needs help with his tween daughter during the work week. Yet there is a connection between them that is making work boundaries a little precarious...will they find a way forward or will this just be another affair?

This book was adorable.

Tallulah is a fascinating character that, as time went on, I became more obsessed with. She has trauma that has kept her holding back for so long but she is yearning to break free. I loved seeing her with Burgess and the way she was making progress and finding herself. She is a bit insecure in areas but she is transparent which made me feel so much for her as she worked through things.

Burgess is a man I am obsessed with. He is so honest with his affections and I adore how much he just laid everything out for Tallulah. He is passionate, a bit obsessive and intimidating (I mean his nickname is Sir Savage), but he also has these vulnerabilities about his looming retirement that helped flesh him out for me. There is one instance where he kind fell into the stereotype BUT he quickly redeemed himself afterwards for me.

There are a good variety of side characters that helped build up this romance up from minor appearance of last book's characters to Chloe the adorable and clueless step sister of Burgess' team member and Lissa, Burgess' daughter. I felt they opened the world up so it wasn't just Burgess and Delilah so we could really feel the story and its connections.

"Tallulah."
"Yes?"
"Look at me."
...Burgess stared her straight in the eye while ripping the business cards in half...
"The only woman I'm calling is you."

This book does contain spice. I would say 3 spicy peppers out of five spicy peppers. You start to see spicy interactions around the 50% but I will say it does take time for them to fully round out the bases. There is plenty of dirty talk and other gratuitous moments leading up with hands and mouths. What I found that worked for the romance spice was how much importance Burgess put on them taking it to the next level. He wasn't here for a hook up - he wants the real thing. Once the spice hits we get a few moments in various fun locations that I enjoyed.

The story itself is very character driven but there was this opening into their pasts that I think really opened the world up from Tallulah trying to overcome her anxiety around new people to Burgess coming to grips with the fact he's no longer the young player he used to be. I felt these storylines ran true through the story and didn't get lost in amongst the fun of banter, camaraderie, and general slices of life moments. We truly got to explore what Burgess and Tallulah were experiencing in a way that felt real to me. I totally understood where they were coming from and they supported each rather than acted as a crutch. Now, I wasn't a fan when Tallulah did the "right" thing as mentioned in the synopsis but I did feel there was a good turn around at the end. The ending really brought it all together for me.

Overall, this book had me stop reading just to smile and squeal. I could not get enough and cannot wait to see where things go next because the teasers in this one have me in their hold!

Thank you Avon for this arc!

3.5 stars

Talullah arrives in Boston, ready to turn down the au pair position (and free room) offered to her from Sir Savage himself Burgess. But when Burgess proves to be more than his gruff exterior, Talullah decides to accept the position. Burgess and Talullah proceed to dance around their attraction to each other until they can no longer deny it.

This unfortunately did not work for me and that makes me sad! Especially after loving Fangirl Down so much. There was too little hockey in this for the sports romance I wanted, and Burgess' uber protective macho attitude was a major turn-off for me.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've been excited for Tallulah and Burgess' story since their meet cute in Fangirl Down. This book did not disappoint! Their chemistry is undeniable and the sexual tension is crazy. The dates they went on were so cute and I enjoyed the way they both honestly express themselves (until the third act breakup, of course and the communication seems to go right out the window). I appreciated Burgess' protective nature over Tallulah but also being okay with giving her the space she needs. I love Tallulah's take no shit attitude and how she's ready to dish it right back if she needs to. It was cute to watch Burgess be so completely enamored with Tallulah right from the start and to watch him bluster and blush as he tried to win her over.

I enjoyed watching Tallulah just ease into Burgess and Lissa's life like she's been there all along. You could really see the relationship improve with Burgess and his daughter.

The epilogue is really cute. From the start, we've watched Burgess be completely and only interested in Tallulah. And it was just a sweet HEA moment to watch that declaration.

I love the way Tessa introduces side characters and then gives them their own story in the following book. I cannot wait or Sig and Chloe's story. They already have an interesting dynamic.

Marine biology student Tallulah takes a job as a nanny for Burgess, a single dad and hockey star. As she helps him navigate dating and his daughter’s desire for her parents to reunite, Tallulah finds herself falling for him. However, their growing feelings are complicated by Burgess’s past and Tallulah’s fear of getting hurt.

This is a fun and steamy rom com with a strong family feel. I love Tallulah and Burgess—they’re perfect together. The characters are well developed and the story emotional.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

This was my first Tessa Bailey book and although I enjoyed some aspects, I’m not sure she’s for me. The pacing was good, the characters were entertaining if not believable, the banter (other than the “sexy” talk – just no) was fun, I just wanted more depth. I was hoping for more backstory, more build-up of a relationship rather than just insta-love/lust.

I am also still a little bothered by the age, but even more the experience gap between the main characters. You’ve got a mid-20’s woman who’s suffering some serious PTSD and has been pretty sheltered because of it. Then, you’ve got a jaded, mid-30's, single, divorced father who we find out pretty quickly is SUPER horny and rather aggressive about it. The combo just doesn’t make sense without a bunch of chapters building up their relationship, which we don’t get.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Contemporary romance between a seasoned hockey player and the woman he hires to be his daughter’s Au Pair. This couple met briefly in Fangirl Down and are featured here. I enjoyed Burgess’ relationship with his daughter, Lissa; and while I initially enjoyed his relationship with Tallulah, I found him to be overprotective to the extreme. 3.5 stars.

I had a few, I don’t know, icks, about this book, but overall, it wasn’t too bad compared to some of Tessa’s other books that I have read. Her books are so hit or miss for me, a few are some of my fave romcoms and then some others are truly terrible. I liked the tropes of this, both of the characters were interesting and they had a good amount of chemistry even though it was fairly insta love.

The third act breakup was brutal and the mmc did not grovel nearly enough. She let him off the hook way too easily after he said what he said.

*I received this book in exchange of an host review.

How is is that Tessa Bailey writes such great MMCs? I loved Burgess and how much he cared for his daughter and Tallulah. The way that Bailey can write such humorous quips between all of the characters really makes them three dimensional. I loved the growth between the main characters and the book seemed to fly by. I couldn't believe how fast the story went by. My main complaint is the third act breakup. I always feel that they come out of nowhere and are unrealistic to where the relationship has grown to, but I guess that's just my opinion.

A hockey romance rom-com with lots of banter, slow burn, age gap, spice... need I say more?!

The Au Pair Affair is now my favorite book to date by Tessa Bailey. You have a grumpy, single dad and his quirky live-in nanny. This story had me hooked from the start. I really felt connected to Tallulah and Burgess and wanted to see that happened next. I live for her male leads, and this one was perfect! The grumpy x sunshine trope is one of my favorites, and Burgess did not disappoint. I was SWOONING! The 3rd act breakup was difficult to read and made me cry but I feel like it was the perfect continuation to the series after Wells and Josephine's story and can't wait to read Chole and Sigs story next!

Releases July 16th!!

Thank you so much netgally and the publisher for the arc of this book!

This was such a cute sports romance! There are lots of great tropes in it, too: single dad, forced proximity, age gap, grumpy/sunshine, and opposites attract. Mix in some great banter and a fair amount of spice, and you get a fun summer read! Tallulah and Burgess first appeared in Fangirl Down, and I was excited to read their story. It did not disappoint!

This one is full of heart that spills off the page as Burgess falls first and falls hardest for Tallulah. These two are opposites who complement each other well. Tallulah has been through something truly awful and terrifying, and Burgess works hard to make her feel safe around him. Burgess has his own set of issues, too. He's an aging hockey star who knows his best playing days are probably behind him, and his daughter wants her parents back together. The way the two have navigated their lives comes to the fore, and they both have some growth that needs to occur before they can be together and seeing them do that was very satisfying. A few funny scenes keep things lighthearted, and I loved the build-up of romantic tension between these two. The pacing in the beginning was a tad slow for me, but it picked up quickly, and from there, I ended up binging the majority of this book!

I loved Wells and Josephine from Fangirl Down making a delightful cameo. And even though this is the second book in the series, it works as a stand-alone. We also meet Sig and Chloe in this one, and I cannot wait to read their book when it comes out next year!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the free book!

*4.5 rounded up

4.5 stars!

I adore Tessa Bailey’s characters and Burgess is a new favorite MMC. He is grumpy, broody and short-tempered but he is a marshmallow for our main girl, Tallulah, as well as his daughter, Lissa.

Tallulah is hired to be the au pair for Burgess’ tween daughter, Lissa. Tallulah has been working to overcome some past trauma from a previous relationship and is weary of men and Burgess is a hockey player with a reputation for being aggressive on the ice. Despite Tessa’s weariness of men and Burgess’ gruff reputation, the two find themselves drawn to one another and the cutest love story follows. I adored the way Burgess took Tallulah’s comfort into account in everything he did—DREAM GUY!!!

Hockey romance
Nanny romance
Single dad
He falls first

He falls first and fights for her love. Hocky Star Burgess hires Tallulah to be the au pair for his pre teen daughter. Sparks fly quickly and a majority of the book is spent waiting for these two to come together. There are many times it almost happens but something goes wrong. It was a very typical love story and it was enjoyable to read. I wish we got to see them together more. I think they were a couple for maybe 10% of the book. But overall I would recommend and look forward to the next book in the series!

*Thank you Harper Collin’s and netgalley for the arc.

I’ve read almost every book Tessa Bailey has written and she always entertains. I love that the couple, Josephine and Wells from Fangirl Down are also part of this story and how Tallulah and Burgess originally met.

I was surprised to learn of Tallulah’s secret trauma and how it has affected her for years. She hasn’t worked through how to move forward. Meeting Burgess and his daughter, Lissa and the offer to be the au pair for her since Burgess is a single dad, is a great offer so Tallulah can continue her master’s and earn money. Even though Burgess is kind and a protective gentleman, seeing him on the ice is very different since there’s a lot of roughness in hockey. I’ve been to hockey games and loved when the players hit the glass and fight, but I didn’t know anyone personally.

Burgess and Tallulah are like magnets to each other and it’s not long before their chemistry ignites. Burgess is the boss so has qualms about being involved with his employee plus a large age difference, but they are definitely explosive. Unfortunately, there are some issues that arise which is heart-breaking.

Traveling to the wedding of Josephine and Wells in Costa Rica shows Burgess that he’s not so set in his ways, and I loved seeing him try new things.

This is a sweet romance with Burgess falling first and hard and so supportive of Tallulah. The HEA was perfection!

I can’t wait to see which couple will be part of the next book in the series but have a good idea – can’t wait for that!

I highly recommend this book for any romance fans but especially sport romance.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new book.

This was SO GOOD. I loved her first in this series so I was eager to get my hands on this one, and it was even better than the first! If you love Tessa, you'll love this book!

Tallulah is 26 years old starting a graduate program in marine biology. When the opportunity arises to be a live-in nanny for Burgess, a charming hockey player and single dad, she doesn't hesitate to say yes. Who wouldn't want to live in a fancy neighborhood and hang out with a cool tween girl? To top it off, Tallulah even agrees to help Burgess navigate the tricky world of dating again. But when lines start to blur and emotions run high, they both find themselves skating on thin ice.

While the premise of the story was promising, the execution fell short for me. I wanted more development in both the relationship between Tallulah and Burgess, as well as their individual growth throughout the story. The focus on the steamy scenes took away from the emotional connection I usually feel with Bailey's characters. Additionally, I found some of the dialogue to be unrealistic and forced, which took me out of the story. Overall, I was left wanting more depth and substance from this book. I would recommend this book for those looking for a light read with plenty of steam, but for readers looking for a more emotionally engaging story, this may not be the best choice.

I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. Tessa Bailey did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! And of course there was some fun spice ;) I would highly recommend it!