Tallulah is studying to be a marine biologist who decides to take a job as a live in nanny for a professional hockey player for some extra cash. Burgess is known for being vicious on the ice and hasn’t dated in years. Tallulah takes it upon herself to get Burgess back on the dating scene in addition to her nannying duties…but she doesn’t expect to have off the charts chemistry with him.

This book was typical Tessa Bailey writing - easy to read, slightly quirky, and fun. While so much of this book was entirely unrealistic, I still enjoyed it so much. The spice was spicy and I loved how Burgess fell first and hard for Tallulah.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC.

I have been frothing at the mouth for Tallulah and Burgess’s story sense I read fan girl down - and it did not disappoint. These two were so good for each other, their chemistry was perfect and the way that they complemented each other in their journeys scratched and itch in my mind. I went into this ARC pretty blind, so Tallulah’s backstory/trauma was a bit of a surprise for me. I really like that this series has taken a slightly more serious turn in that the first book dealt with living with/loving someone with health issues and this book deals with PTSD.

As much as I usually don’t like a third act break up, this one was actually pretty low angst and needed imo. The characters needed time to deal with some stuff and I felt that the groveling was in a sweet spot of being realistic, while also incredibly moving and sweet.

I do wish there was a little more hockey content. We only see him playing twice, so I wouldn’t really classify this as a hockey romance.

Tessa Bailey is so great at what she does. This is the second installment in her Big Shot series, and as much as I liked that one, I liked this one even more!

It was definitely more slow-burn, which I liked. Tallulah and Burgess were really interesting characters to get to know, each dealing with their own past and trauma and helping each other through. I really enjoyed the hockey aspect of it as well, but would have liked more.

Definitely recommend this one when it publishes July 16th!

Thank you to the publisher for the e-ARC!

This was a fantastic single-dad story. Burgess was a wonderful father who was so supportive of his daughter and was trying his best to understand and connect with her now that she was getting older. Tallulah was quirky, smart, funny, and so full of joy. I really liked how she helped Burgess form a better understanding and deeper connection with his daughter. I also adored her relationship with his daughter. I loved how Burgess has had a crush on Tallulah since their very first meeting. You could feel the attraction and tension between them right away. They were a perfect match. There was a little bit of angst after they got together that caused them to break up. But the end was incredibly sweet, with Burgess showing Tallulah how much she meant to him, and they got their happy ending.

𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮 𝗕𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺? perfection 💖

This sports romance between Tallulah, who is in need of a job and housing while she studies marine biology in Boston, and Burgess a hockey player/single dad who offers her a job as the nanny of his tween daughter, is absolutely delicious 🏒💕

Burgess, the hockey player, definitely wants to get to know Tallulah (and totally date her) from the moment he sees her. The only problem is that Tallulah doesn't date. What better way to convince her by.. well convincing her 😏

Tallulah isn't your typical nanny with an extroverted personality. She is complex, has a past she's itching to get over, and wants to start living life without feeling scared. It made my heart swoon to see how she grew 🌱 as a person throughout the book. 💖

Burgess understands he's nearing the end of his hockey career but is in denial. Even back pains won't make him give up everything he has. It isn't until someone shows up that he begins to understand what life is like outside of hockey... and he wants MORE ‼️‼️

I adored this book 💕 because of the depth the characters were presented with. Every person has many layers, and until you fully love yourself, you won't be able to love another person completely. ❤️✨

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOKS, I hope we get a third book! 📚

Fav quote:
“So this is . . . a result of the high-protein diet. Good to know. Good. To. Know.”
“Tallulah?”
“Yes?” Slowly, he leaned in. And oh-so-casually flexed his arm. “I’m like this all over.”
“Oh.”

Tropes:
💙Hockey Romance
💙Age Gap
💙Single Dad x Nanny (AuPair)
💙He Falls First and Hard
💙Found Family
💙Third POV

Thank you Avon, HarperCollins, Netgalley and Tessa Bailey for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review ꪆৎ

I truly can’t decide which story I likes more- Fangirl Down or the Au Pair Affair. They both are master pieces in their own way and imma need the third book STAT.

Tallulah is a marine biologist who is offered a job as an au pair for a friend of a friend, but given her past she’s resistant to take it. Burgess is a grumpy hockey star with a daughter he loves but doesn’t understand. Burgess also has a crush on Tallulah and as much as he needs her for the au pair position, he also secretly wants him for himself … or maybe not so secret.

Tallulah and Burgess. Where can I begin? Lord the tension. The sweet parts to the spicy parts. The pining. Loved all of it.

Love love love Tessa Bailey and her ability to character build which also adding in very aptly positioned spice and romance. Absolutely loved the Au Pair affair and Tessa will continue to be an auto buy author for me.

This was a good book. Definitely had the spice factor. I enjoyed the main characters and their relationship. Some of it was cheesy but it was a quick read that I enjoyed.

Is it hot in here?! The spice was spicing in this one yall!

I could NOT put this book down!! I love me an overprotective MMC but good LAWD, when you make him a single dad who plays hockey… I was absolutely gone for this man.

This one is a rollercoaster though you guys. My heart broke a little bit at one point when I wasn’t sweating or smiling during this book. Books that can elicit so many different emotions from me leave a lasting impression and this one did just that.

Loved it. Love this series. Tessa is hitting all the right spots with this series!

Everything I expect from a TB book! Spicy but sweet and a cute story. I liked Lissa and thought she was a realistic reminder in the midst of a whirlwind romance. I didn't totally love how Burgess messed things up so bad when he was in the hospital / he seemed a little too old (I mean he’s dad aged!) to be communicating so poorly.

I absolutely loved reading, The Au Pair Affair. This is the second book of this series. Both were equally fantastic.
Tallulah started out as a scared of men and new situations person. She made herself engage with people and do things out of her comfort zone. Truly I think that is what drew Burgess to Tallulah in the first place.
This will definitely be a book that I will reread.

such a cute and fun read. hockey romance is always a yes for me and I was so excited to read this one by Tessa!! the nanny trope is one that I low-key love and look forward to in a book if it has it and Lissa made this one so fun and really added a important aspect to the book. I'm not the biggest fan of third act breakups but this one was worth it for the make up at the end!!

I received an advanced copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

This is a really cute romance with a single dad and the au pair to his tween daughter. I enjoyed this story. The author does a great job with sports-themed romances. Her male characters are thoughtful and evolved, Her female characters are beautiful, smart, and witty, and they have lives outside of what a man might have to offer them. Great book. I truly enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

Book boyfriend of the century award goes to Burgess!

Tallulah has agreed to be an Au Pair for Burgess Abraham, professional hockey enforcer. Initially she wants to back out but after some back and forth, sweet Burgess convinces her to give it a shot.

I know you’ve seen in my updates how much I love Burgess. He’s the grump to everyone but her, most cinnamon roll of all cinnamon rolls. I loved how safe he made Tallulah feel every step of the way in their relationship. He was willing to put himself completely out there and be vulnerable in a way we don’t see many MMCs do. I absolutely adored this book. This book was amazing and I really think y’all will love it! Check your trigger warnings though, because some serious stuff happens off page in the past.

If Tessa Bailey writes it, I'm going to read it. I had a lot of fun with this one, and I liked it way more than Fangirl Down. It has all the signatures of a Tessa Bailey book, and there was romance, spice, and romance. That said, the characters felt pretty one dimensional, and it absolutely fits into the "he's such a large man and she's such a small girl" kind of vibe. You do get what you sign up for, and I like this universe she's creating with Wells and Josephine, Burgess and Tallulah, and hopefully Chloe and Sig is next.

New Book Boyfriend Alert!!!

Only Tessa Bailey could make me utterly fall in love with a hockey romance. Gosh she writes the best MMCs.

Burgess, a hockey veteran, enforcer on the ice and single father off, needs an au pair and the moment he meets Tallulah he finds himself offering her the job. She has an instant connection with Lissa his tween daughter and he feels an instant connection with her that is forbidden has her soon to be boss.

Tallulah is back in grad school after spending her work placement with the penguins of Antarctica. The last thing she expects is to feel a thaw in herself towards her grumpy (yet HOT) boss. After a traumatic past, she is always wary around ALL men, that is until she finally moves in with Burgess.

I still don't have words to clearly articulate how much I loved this novel and Tessa's writing. I loved how Burgess fell first (and HARD) and how he recognised that Tallulah's hesitation went beyond the fact that they were technically employer and employee. And when he found out why she was hesitant around men, he did everything within his power to make her feel protected and safe. Like he took that protector role to the extreme and I loved it so so much!

Tallulah has a past traumatic experience that has her trying to push the boundaries of her comfort zone. Not knowing how to fully trust her own instincts, is something that I can relate to on a lot of levels. And the fact that she could recognise that she felt safe around Burgess after she moves in, made me hopeful that it is possible to be able to get through past trauma and feel a sense of safety and a feeling of being protected again. And I loved how she made everything better for Burgess with her insights into the people around him and how much she helped him become a better version of himself as a father and a captain. And how he provided her with a level of comfort for her to feel as though she could spread her wings and start to get out and enjoy life again.

Things I just have to gush (ALL CAPS) about!!!
THE SWEATER (as her pillow/that he got the trainer give her b/c she was cold!)
THE WELLS/SIG INTERVENTION (I couldn't love Wells more now if I tried!)
THE ARTICLE (honestly, that photo in the article made me TEAR up!)
THE OIL MASSAGE
...AND SO SO MUCH MORE!

Again, I loved this book. Adored it. Wish I could more clearly articulate how much exactly without spewing ALL CAPPED phrases that you need to read the book in order to understand. So please read the book! And I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

This book made my husband want to write a thank you note to Tessa. I don’t blame him, some of these lines were just so amazing!

Here are some of my favorites:

“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.” 🫠🫠🫠

“Well, I can’t wait to see how this ruins everything.” - best one liner from a minor character.

We met Burgess and Tallulah in the first book Fan Girl Down and it was evident from the moment Burgess laid eyes on her that he was smitten. Down Bad, if you will. Now it’s almost a year later and Burgess has hired Tallulah to be his Au Pair for his 12 year old since he’s so busy being a professional hockey star.

I can’t spout my love for all of Tessa’s books. They are so entertaining and sweet and spicy and I can never get enough.

I loved this book… really made me feel emotional. normally i would hate the third act breakup but it was written beautifully. i love the couple and the plot… overall it was a great read.

I liked, but didn’t love, this one. I think in part because I read it so closely to Fangirl Down which I just ADORED.

I found myself not connecting to Burgess or Tallulah and honestly, I was caring more about Sig and Chloe (who I’m excited to read next - they stole the book here, for me). The first 1/3 felt like it dragged and the last 1/3 had a little too much going on for me. But the middle third - 🤌🏽. I wish we had more of that magic in the bookending thirds of the book. As usually the Tessa spice was amazing and I loved how Burgess loved Tallulah.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
This novel by Tessa presents a departure from her usual style, notably in contrast to her previous work "Fangirl Down." It introduces serious elements from Tallulah's past that are absent from the synopsis, reminding readers that beneath its charming cover lies substantial narrative depth. The evolving dynamics between the characters, particularly the engaging interaction between Tallulah and Burgess as they build a solid foundation amidst undeniable chemistry, are a highlight. While the presence of delightful characters like Lissa adds to the enjoyment, the return of Wells and Josephine stands out as a particularly enjoyable aspect.

While the plot generally holds together well, there are moments where the story feels disjointed, and the tension towards the end becomes frustrating due to a breakdown in communication. Despite these flaws, the novel maintains its fun factor, although it might not be as light-hearted as Tessa's typical fare.