4.5 ⭐️ This was so stinking cute, I had a hard time putting it down. Burgess and Tallulah are going to live rent free in my head, especially Burgess. I can't wait for the next book, but I definitely confused stepsister with sister-in-law for 50% of the book. 💀

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey

This age-gap, he falls first, rom-com about a hockey player and his au pair is what I expect from Tessa Bailey. This is the second in her “Big Shots” series, and even though the first one was fabulous, this one was freaking fabulous!

Even though this is the second book in a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. There are overlapping characters (which will be the same way with the 3rd one) and there is just enough of Josephine and Wells in this book that I think it would be better to read Fangirl Down first. But if you don’t, I think you’ll be fine (but why wouldn’t you?!)

Tallulah reluctantly agrees to au pair for Burgess’s 12-year-old daughter. These two characters met briefly in book one, but this is when their story gets told. There’s age-gap, there’s him falling first, there’s golden retriever, there’s angst, there’s struggle, there’s love! There’s Burgess! He. Is. The. Best. Burgess was swoon-worthy -- the way he protected her, thought about her, took care of her, wanted to know her… all of that was just precious! And Tallulah was a strong, cheerful, sparkling personality, trying to figure herself out and heal from the past. The way she handled Lissa, Burgess’s daughter, was skillful and smart.

Overall, this was a fantastic book by Tessa Bailey. I would recommend this to fans of her or anyone looking for a nice well-done (spicy) rom com. Can’t wait for the third one!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

Thank you to Avon Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed her are my own.
Tullulah, a marine biology grad school student, is slated to work for Burgess, a friend of a friend and one of Boston's top hockey players. But her past haunts her and her ability to trust men has been obliterated from those experiences. When she tells Burgess she doesn't think their arrangement will work out, he's determined to at least make sure she's safe. But their attraction towards each other is undeniable and being able to stay away from each other is proving almost impossible. When a tragic accident happens, the two are pushed apart. But can their love for each other overcome all the obstacles in their way?
I adore Bailey's books. I always go in knowing how the romance will proceed, that there will be a third act break up, and that in the end the couple will find their happily ever after. This story did not disappoint. Throw in a little age gap love and I was really hooked. I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Fangirl Down, and was happy to see the return of a few of those characters. Plus, seeing this couple at the end of Fangirl Down then reading their story made it even more fun!
Tellulah has much anxiety when it comes to men. She had a terrible experience in her past (which I won't spoil) that set her mind whirling. When she is put in situations that make her feel uncomfortable, it's hard for her to move past it and stand up for herself. Her past experiences have truly shaped her and how she reacts to situations. Burgess, being a hockey player, is quite aggressive on the field. But off the field, despite his grumpy demeanor, he's definitely not what he seems to be publicly. He's a single dad trying to make a good life for his daughter but ultimately unsure of how to do so or how to connect with her. And he's struggling with being the oldest on the team with the potential of his career coming to an end and nothing to fall back on. Tellulah and Burgess balance each other perfectly. There was a push and pull with communication. The characters did well with it until they didn't. But par for the course with making the drama in the book work.
I tore through this book. Bailey always has great pacing with her books. And I always know what to expect, which I love. But her stories are always so different. And her characters are well developed. I love watching them work through their flaws and find themselves. There is a heavy topic addressed in this book. I highly recommend reading any trigger warnings the author has in case it might not be fore you.
The sexy scenes were quite spicy. I did love how they communicated their needs during their times together. And the scenes were well done.
What made this book 4 rather than 5 stars for me is the insta-love. Yes, we got a glance of these two at the end of Fangirl Down so we know there's a connection. But it was so instant. I felt like there was no build up. There was no time for the characters to fall in love and feel all those feelings that come along with it.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series and I'm hoping it's Sig and Chloe's story!

4.5 stars

When Tallulah and Burgess first shared the page in Fangirl Down, I couldn’t wait for their story to be told. There was no denying their chemistry. On top of that, Tallulah and Burgess’s daughter Lissa hit it off instantly.

Tallulah had a very traumatic experience a few years back and is no longer comfortable being alone with any man, especially one she barely knows. She committed to be Lissa’s au pair while she worked on her Master’s degree and Burgess went into his hockey season months ago. Now that it’s time to show up at his door and move in, her PTSD from her experience won’t let her. Instead of getting annoyed and dismissive with Tallulah, Burgess recognizes her discomfort and wants to protect her…even if it’s from himself.

From the moment Burgess and Tallulah reconnect at the beginning of this story, Burgess is a big old teddy bear. He’s known as Sir Savage on the ice and is feared by opponents and fans alike for his surly demeanor. Of course, those are always the guys with the mushiest centers. Burgess is not only intent on making Tallulah comfortable but also very aware that he is not connecting with his almost tween daughter on the level he wants to. He may be a protector and someone who is helping Tallulah find her courage again, but Tallulah is the mediator Burgess and Lissa need in their lives. She is so good at gently nudging them to the place they need to be in order to understand and respect each other and their differences.

As much as Lissa loves Tallulah, it is also obvious she is a child who dearly wishes her parents would get back together. With the chemistry between Tallulah and Burgess and her being the nanny who Lissa loves and trusts, it is only a matter of time before things start to unravel. Once that fraying begins, things fall apart in more ways than one.

This story had a little bit of repetitiveness, but for the most part moved quickly and smoothly. Both main characters had a lot of growth throughout the book and there were great side characters who fascinated me. I cannot wait to get their story next!

Picking up where book #1 in the Big Shots series left off, Tallulah is a smart grad student who is studying marine biology. She has recently accepted a position as a live in au pair for single dad, surly hockey player, Burgess. The boundaries quickly blur as they two fall for each other but things don’t go as smoothly as planned.

This is a wide open door sports rom com that will be a favorite for a lot of readers, unfortunately I was not a huge fan. I personally struggle with age gaps and spice overpowering plot, both of which were present in this book. Unfortunately, that was the easier things to get over. As with her first book in the series, Fangirl Down, there was a lot of manipulation involved on both sides that did not sit well with me. However, this book, true to form, was well written and will appeal to many people, I apparently am not the target audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for a copy !!

4.5 ⭐️'s

Tallulah and Burgess are tasked with keeping their growing feelings at bay while navigating their boss/employee relationship. Tallulah, a marine biology student, takes the job at being Burgess' live in nanny while he's training and traveling for hockey games. At first she declines the opportunity because of her fears and anxiety, however he does everything he can to make sure she's comfortable with him and feels safe around him.

I have to say I really enjoyed this book a whole bunch. For me it didn't read like many other age gap books read, it read very caring. I think my only complaint about their dynamics was how possessive/protective Burgess seemed to get at points. It was a really cute read nonetheless !

I enjoyed the background characters in this books a whole lot and im really curious at what happens withs Sig and Chloe !!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. I read everything that Bailey puts out and this one did not disappoint. Great story, great spice, great characters. I love a grumpy but protective MMC.

Where does one find a man like Burgess at… cause he’s grumpy perfection. “The Au Pair Affair” is a flirty, romantic and heartfelt he falls first and hard hockey romance and I loved Burgess and Tallulah.

Burgess is a beast on the ice and is known as Sir Savage… and he’s in need of a nanny for his twelve year old daughter, Lissa. Tallulah is Josephine’s best friend and she’s back in Boston after spending time on assignment in Antarctica. She’s finishing up her degree and when the opportunity comes up to be the au pair, she’s hesitant because of Burgess’s reputation on the ice. But he’s a different man off the ice and is determined to prove that matter what, she’s safe with him. And as they spend time together, the attraction they felt when they met a couple months ago starts to resurface.

I loved Burgess in “Fangirl Down” and I loved that we got his story next. Burgess is grumpy, protective and loves his daughter even if raising a teenager is a mystery to him. He’s unapologetic about how he is on the ice and goes all in for his team. Under that is a big old softie who loves his daughter and is a true romantic when he falls first. I loved Tallulah from the first book and her spirit just spoke to me throughout the whole story. Her past trauma is so relatable and the way she worked through it, slowly and her own pace, was admirable. And with Burgess in her corner, she became stronger and unstoppable. I loved their banter and all the flirting that they did. The tension was delicious and I was rooting for them the whole time. Both Burgess and Tallulah grew so much through this book and worked on themselves before they could truly be with each other. The ending was perfect and it showed just how perfect they were for each other. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

"It would take some work to get that denim peeled down her legs. He’d have to rough them down her hips, probably taking her panties along with them. Now that was a task his hands could perform without watching a tutorial. Because he’d been undressing Tallulah in his dream since meeting her last summer.”

This was such a great read! We read about Tallulah getting a job as Burgess’s daughter’s au pair. I love the force proximity in this book! The chemistry between Tallulah and Burgess is everything. I’m happy that we didn’t have to wait so long for them to get physical. The things that come out of Burgess’s mouth had me on fire! Wow can that man dirty talk. I loved how he wanted something serious with Tallulah right away and was trying to show her how much she wanted her. I really liked how sweet she was with Burgess’s daughter, Lissa, from helping her with homework to fixing Lissa’s hair! The third act breakup was a little hard to read but I loved how the characters end up finding their way back to each other. I loved all the secondary characters and cannot freaking wait for Sig and Chloe’s story!!! I need that now! 😍

Read if you like:
3rd person dual POVs
Single Dad x Nanny
Forced proximity
Protective hero
Open door romance
Hero falls first
Hockey romance

I have never read a Tessa Bailey book before but have seen her books receive a lot of positive reviews all over booktok and bookstagram so I was very excited to receive a free arc of this book from NetGalley and see what all the hype was about. To say I’m a little disappointed by the book would be an understatement. This whole story to me just felt forced and unbelievable. The chemistry between the two main characters was cringy at best. The spicy scenes were almost hard to get through because they just gave me the ick. The repetitive writing during them didn’t help either. The insta love feel of this book really didn’t work for me. I also wasn’t a fan of the conflict resolution that led to them getting back together. All that being said I didn’t totally hate this book and there were parts of it that I did enjoy. I also won’t let this one experience keep me from reading a few of her other books to see if maybe they work better for me. All in all I think if you love Tessa Bailey you’ll love this books. But unfortunately for me it was a huge miss.

Tessa Bailey will always be one of my favorite authors! She never fails to deliver an interesting story with characters. The chemistry between the two is insane and made reading their moments so fun and exciting. I literally couldn’t put the book down once I started reading.

WOW, I was foaming at the mouth for Burgess and Tallulah!

I don’t know what Tessa Bailey put in the Big Shots series but I want her to write 100 more books, I eat them up every single time!

I absolutely loved the dynamic between Burgess and Tallulah, they were so sweet and it was a joy to see how they seamlessly fit into each other’s lives. I’m just a sucker for a single dad romance but add in hockey and it creates a story that is impossible to put down.

I genuinely can’t wait to read the next book because wow - Tessa Bailey sure set up QUITE the couple for us to explore 😈

The Au Pair Affair is second in the Big Shots series were the friends of the main couple from book one, get their time to shine. Tallulah is in a cafe across from Burgess' penthouse, when she catches a clip of the hockey player elbowing an opposing player in the nose. Even though her gut told her she could trust Burgess and really got along with his twelve year old daughter Lissa, the trauma of surviving one man who hid his true self until it was too late for Tallulah, is now resurfacing. Even when Burgess walks into the cafe and Tallulah gets those calming vibes from him, she's scared to trust herself. It's not until Burgess' scheme to pay the majority of rent to make sure Tallulah is safe with a teammate's almost step-sister, that Tallulah decides to trust her instincts and take the job. While Burgess is trying to respect the boundaries of their age difference, eleven years, and boss/employee dynamic, Tallulah is ready to act on all that steamy chemistry between them, but wants to keep it no strings. Burgess knows they have the real thing though, he'll accept nothing but hearts fully committed.

“Give me a chance to show you that you’re safe with me.”

I had no problems jumping into the series here and liked how the story got rolling right away. Tallulah and Burgess had palpable heat right away, something that Bailey excels at and was much appreciated. Bailey also knew what she was doing when she made Burgess the one who wanted their relationship to be real and committed. Having him lay his cards out right away, his serious feelings for Tallulah, worked because it plays into his more mature age, thirty-seven, and helps take away any ick feelings to their boss/nanny relationship with giving Tallulah the decision making control. Tallulah wants to sleep with Burgess but is still working to fully reclaim her daring, live life to the fullest self after her traumatic experience (we get Tallulah telling Burgess about what happened later in the story). Burgess was never pushy but never let an opportunity to show Tallulah who he was pass-by, he says he'll be her bodyguard when she's nervous to do some daring bucket list items, like skinny dipping. It all works because he's there supporting her, while having the hots for her, and Tallulah's in the driver's seat for their encounters but always getting tempted by Burgess.

Tallulah did a little skip as she reached him and his heart followed suit. Yeah. Yeah, she was worth trying for.

Along with Tallulah learning to trust herself again, there's some of Burgess having angst over his age and how it's leading to the eventual end of his career and how he's having issues connecting with his daughter Lissa. There's not a lot of hockey in this, more like peripherally job shading in but how Tallulah bonds with Lissa and helps Burgess' relationship with his daughter definitely added a sweet strengthening block to their relationship. Just when Tallulah is deciding to fully go with her gut, some of the danger on the horizon hinted at comes into play and the second half has an angst moment where Lissa's preteen emotions and hopes throws a wedge into Tallulah and Burgess' relationship and when Burgess gets a serious injury, he lashes out with hurtful words, shattering some of that trust Tallulah had built up.

He usually defended other people, but . . . she’d come to his defense?

The third act breakup happens early enough in the latter second half, that we get a good look at Burgess actionable working for it to get Tallulah back and a believable working through her emotions Tallulah. A little forced proximity at the wedding of book one's couple, will probably delight readers of the series as they get another look at their HEA. Overall, this felt more refined than earlier works of Bailey I've read and I thought made this read even better, the hotness is still there but I believed in the emotion even more. There feels like a set-up happening between one of Burgess' teammates and the teammate's not quite step-sister that has me desperately wanting to read their book and I hope it's next in the series. This, had Burgess knowing what he wants and won't compromise for it but always supporting and protecting and Tallulah building herself back up with her own strength but only growing stronger when she leaned on Burgess' support, and hotness, don't forget the hotness.

A super cute read from Tessa Bailey!! I will say I didn’t like this one as much as Fangirl down, however I thought it was a great time and a perfect summer beach read. I am so excited for the next book in this series!!!

Tallulah & Burgess <3

When I heard that Tessa Bailey was writing a Hockey romance I was so excited! Then I found out it was going to be an age gap trope and I was a little concerned because that usually isn't my favorite. HOWEVER if Tessa can make golf sexy, I trust her to make me enjoy the age gap trope. Which was exactly what she did. I absolutely loved the character growth in this book. Burgess & Tallulah had me rooting for them from the beginning! Their chemistry, connection, the angst, the love, just all together it was so wonderful.

I also really loved seeing Wells & Josephine again, it made my heart so happy<3

I've said it before and i'll say it again, If Tessa Bailey writes it, I'm gonna read it. And I know i'm gonna love it.

A big thanks to netgalley and Avon Books/Harper publishing for giving me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sports romance with a growly grumpy MMC? Sign me up, especially when it's a book written by Tessa Bailey.
The Au Pair Affair is the second book in the Big Shots series of standalones. Having not read the previous book, I can attest that this book stands on its own. Burgess is in need of a nanny for his tween, Lissa and Tallulah is a grad student that needs a job and place to stay. But Tallulah does not warm up to new people and new situations easily. She's trying to live her life free of restrictions, but she has experienced some major trauma in her past that is holding her back.

Oh how I love a single dad romance and especially when they fall first and hard. Burgess, aka Sir Savage is a beast on the ice, but off the ice, he's kind of grumpy yet protective, just not quite sure how to navigate having a tween daughter. When Tallulah steps in to Burgess's life and can read Lissa easily while fitting into their household seamlessly, Sir Savage knows he must have her, in his home and hopefully more. Tallulah, on the other hand is kind of scared of Sir Savage's reputation on the ice. But as Burgess opens up and shows another side of himself to Tallulah, these two form a sort of working relationship that is filled with major sexual tension.

"If it makes you feel better, I got a semi that time you called me Mean Daddy."

Tessa Bailey knows how to write growly, grumpy men, but I especially loved Sir Savage. On the ice and at home. I liked the way that Tallulah opened him up and had him forming a relationship with his daughter that he didn't have before. A big macho alpha man learning to grow and understand women is pretty dang attractive. He was the epitome of a "man's man", but also so protective in the best way.

Then there's Tallulah. I liked seeing her start to open up to Burgess, but I felt that one part of her past that had her holding back with men in her life was glossed over too much. We got just a bit of why she was the way she was, but I felt it could've been addressed more than just one simple dialogue of what happened and then that was it. It affected her and how she dealt with life for years and should've been talked about more. I suppose this was a romcom and didn't need to be at the forefront of the story, so having Burgess there and reacting and being protective toward Tallulah was almost enough, I just wanted a little more.

These two and their chemistry was so fun and hot. Burgess was older and knew what he wanted and left that door open (figuratively and literally) for Tallulah when she was ready to come to him. Tallulah on the other hand was trying to make up for lost time. Burgess allowed her room to find herself, but he also wanted to crowd her and go all caveman on her. Their third act breakup was necessary, and I liked that for them and their growth with each other and the whole family unit.

Overall, this was a fun story with great characters (loved a certain side character and his soon-to-be step sister), and an enjoyable story of a single dad knowing what he wants and going after it.

"I would give up everything I own to go back to that day and tell you I love you, too...I'd smile while handing over my soul to the devil for that chance."

This was really fun and full of different tropes. I really enjoyed reading this. I think it's in my top three favorites of Tessa Bailey.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

The Au Pair Affair was super fun and Tessa Bailey was at her best here. I recommend it for fans of sports romances.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this earc.

Okay. I’m tell you things I didn’t enjoy but you might. This is kind of the theme of the book. “It’s not you, it’s me”
- Age gap. Characters have 11 years between them which is not too bad. Until the “mean daddy” thing
- Yeah. So the Daddy thing is it’s own point for many of you but just ick
- Sex scenes. There are, in my opinion, way too many of them. I’m a plot girl so not a huge fan when the story is mood forward by smut
If this was a cute single dad and nanny story, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. But it wasn’t and I didn’t.
Some of you might though.

Single dad, grumpy sunshine served up Tessa Bailey style. Overall the story was entertaining and the tension between main characters was pretty good. Ultimately the spicy scenes propelled the book more so than plot. Some of the spicy dialogue might not be everyone's cuppa tea.