The Au Pair Affair
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tessa Bailey did it AGAIN!!! It’s the way that I’ve been in a reading drought lately, but this book really pulled me right out of it. I have to admit the first few chapters were a little slow going and I think because I didn’t read it the first book, there were some details that I was missing so I wasn’t fully invested until I got a quarter into the book. After that, I finished it in less than 24 hours mind you I am working two jobs and I’m taking summer classes at the university I’m in so that’s saying a lot.

I’m so obsessed with Burgess and Tallulah. Most importantly I am obsessed with the way that Burgess is obsessed with Tallulah😍. Get me a man who is so protective of me and worships the ground I walk on like Burgess. Don’t get me started on how good the spice was! I have to be honest as well, I did find myself crying throughout a good portion of the end, but it’s like crying over a romcom, cathartic and bound to happen. I know many people don’t love the third act break up, but when it’s done right, it’s done right- and Ms Tessa Bailey has truly mastered the art of male groveling.

But all in all, I truly do love a family trope. I love how protective Burgess is over his girls and how comfortable and safe he strives to make Tallulah feel. I love how much she learns from her and vice versa, throughout entirety of the book. Overall, a phenomenal reading experience and I can’t wait for everyone to read this book.

Tessa Bailey is my favorite author. All of her books have been at least 4⭐️ for me and this one is no exception. Age gap, nanny, forced proximity, he falls first, there were some amazing tropes here. Tallulah had some serious trauma to work through and the way Burgess didn’t help her through but helped her to help herself through it was absolutely amazing, top tier book boyfriend behavior. And the mouth on that man!! He has GAME and I don’t just mean on the ice.
It lost half a star because after the third act breakup, things got really corny. I found myself rolling my eyes several times during those last few chapters. And romcoms are my favorite genre so that takes a lot. And it just made the ending less enjoyable for me. But overall, it was still a great book. I’m rounding up because I can’t give half stars here and I still really adore Tessa. Side note, I’m really looking forward to the next book in the series because Chloe is a trip!

This series is definitely Tessa Bailey at her finest. I loved Fangirl Down and was so excited to read this nanny/single dad romance.

Tallulah and Burgess had insanely hot chemistry from the start and I loved the development of both characters that we get to see. Some of the themes in this book are heavy, including a female MC who had trauma in her past related to men. I thought these themes were handled thoughtfully by Tessa. I knocked a star off my rating because (1) in the sex scenes featuring penetration, there is no discussion of birth control and (2) I thought there were some times in the steamy scenes where Tallulah was blatantly ignoring some of the physical boundaries Burgess set. Both of these took me out of the story at the time I should’ve been the most invested. Overall I’d love to see more from Tessa in this universe (perhaps an Sig/Chloe story??)

Content flags: discussion of past physical abuse and kidnapping

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

WHEW. Just like "Fangirl Down," this book is steamy!

We met Tallulah and Burgess in Fangirl Down and this is their book! Tallulah is going to grad school in Boston and agrees to be the au pair for Burgess' 12 year old daughter in exchange for a place to stay. Their chemistry is off the charts from the get go, but the obvious power dynamics and 11 year age gap keep them apart - for a bit. This is a classic "he falls first and hard" book and I loved how much Burgess was into Tallulah for reasons other than her body. Oddly for me their saucy scenes were slightly cringe, so I didn't like this book as much as Fangirl Down. However, you can't go wrong with Tessa Bailey!

Whew,

WHEW.

FUCKING WHEW.

This love story is one for the books. (See what I did there?) Every second, every word, every letter had me in a goddamn chokehold and never let me go. The sexual tension had me dyingggg. I loved seeing our babies from Fangirl Down, as they own a piece of my heart as well. Tessa's books just keep getting better and better, and I am loving life because of her amazing romances. THANK YOU!

This nanny/boss, age gap, he falls first, sports romance has my heart forever and always. The next one needs to be in my hands soon!!! (pretty please)

The Au Pair Affair is the definition of he falls first. I was pleasantly surprised with this book, it being the second in the Big Shots Series, and I didn’t enjoy Fangirl Down as much as I wanted to. Tallulah and Burgess have a lot of depth to their relationship and while I wished they’d just communicate, instead of interpret facial expressions incorrectly, I really enjoyed the majority of their story. 75% through I absolutely loved this book. The last 15% and 3rd act breakup really put a downer on the book for me. While the breakup itself made sense, the aftermath didn’t necessarily, and I ended up annoyed that two grown adults couldn’t just communicate. They then went zero to 100 at the end. I thought Sig and Chloe were hilarious and I’m hopeful they are the next story in the series. Though I’m not sure about Chloe as a FMC. Overall the depth to the relationship and Burgess’ sarcastic smart mouth really made the book enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

"Time with you could never be a waste. Only a privilege."

Tropes:
-hockey romance
-nanny x boss
-grumpy x sunshine
-forced proximity
-he falls first and hard
-age gap
-single dad
-third act breakup

TW: chronic pain, injury, abduction (past) and PTSD, family drama (his daughter wants her dad and mom to be together)

The Au Pair Affair is book two in the Big Shots series. This is Burgess and Tallulah's story. Burgess is a hockey player for Boston and is a single dad trying his best to raise his daughter. He struggles to connect to his 12-year-old daughter and there is an opportunity to hire Tallulah to become a live-in nanny for his daughter. Tallulah is a marine biology grad trying to get her master's degree. Burgess and she make a deal that she'll become his au pair.

While I do enjoy Tessa's work, something was missing for me. The buildup and tension in the story were well written but I could have done without the third act breakup. Overall, the story was good.

I thought this was a good classic Tessa Bailey book but I felt like there was almost so much pining that the two characters didn't get to know each other enough. The romance was overall good, I just wish there was more. I could've also used more Lissa. I would overall give this slightly less than 4 stars, but i'm rounding up since I sped through it!

As per usual - a Tessa Bailey Slam! I loved this one and loved that we also got to see the characters from the first one in this series. I love when they connect :)

There are a lot of really good hockey romances out there, but I’ve yet to read one that addressed the issue of a player’s behavior ON the ice vs. the player’s behavior OFF the ice. If it *was* mentioned, it wasn’t made into a big deal at all. I like that this book starts with the female main character trying to reconcile the on-ice brute with the off-ice man. And truly, it is very easy to understand how a person with any sort of violence in their past, could be mistrustful of someone whose JOB is full of violence.

I loved the bit about Tallulah cooking dinner “only this one time.” She was also SO amazing at helping to bridge the communication gap between the MMC and his daughter. For how good she is at these relational issues, it was surprising that Tallulah couldn’t help herself through her past trauma, or recognize that she needed professional help to do it.

I really like the writing style! It’s very conversational, and true to an inward stream of consciousness. It’s very fun AND funny!!

The third act drama occurs earlier in the story than I’m used to, and takes longer to resolve. I hate it! 🤣 But, of course, it does resolve happily…it’s romance, after all!

This is a REALLY GREAT BOOK!! And I I can’t wait to read Sig and Chloe’s story!!

🏒 Hockey player
📚 Live in Au Pair
🏒 Trauma


Check triggers for trauma


Quotes

“she also couldn’t help but notice the way his God of Thunder thighs were almost too robust for his jeans.” 😂😂

“You’ll whisper about my cock like you’re in church.”



Tallulah Aydin is now au pair for professional hockey player Burgess Abraham’s 12 year old daughter. Of course she agreed to it months before and is now wanting to bail. She’s late to meeting him and when the thought of calling him to quit guess who walks right into the coffee shop she’s in.

Burgess. 🤣

Being cheeky she calls him to watch his reaction and it’s cute and playful. But she had just watched a video of him punching another playing the night before and she is too nervous to live with him now. We don’t have the back story yet but I’m sure this book will be sad.

Burgess has a teammate who rents out a flat to his step sister so Tallulah is going to have a new roommate but not realizing Burgess is paying most of her rent. Of course she ends up finding out and is upset. But honestly just let him pay it girl.

She ends up confronting him And boy is she upset. But before she can lay into him his daughter requests her hair be braided for volleyball. He feels bad but just wants her to be safe. She decides on a hotel but is going to join them for dinner.

She ends up telling her story to Burgess and I knew it was going to be sad but i had no idea it was going to be that deep. Wow 😭

She starts classes and of course ends up being partnered with a guy. Which once you find out what happened to her years prior you’ll feel everything she is feeling in this book. Anxiousness and sadness. Some of the classmates go out that night and tallulah is already uncomfortable but agrees. She brings Chloe with but by the end of the night her lab partner Finn is making her very uncomfortable so she’s says her boyfriend is coming to pick her up.

Of course they end up kissing & it’s hot but they don’t want to ruin things as everything is just starting and she is still nervous around men.

She wants to do things again and be adventurous but is too afraid so Burgess says he’ll help her and make sure she’s safe during her “bat shit crazy” ideas.

Here’s what they attend/do that’s adventurous
- a singles mixer
- Skinny dipping
- She continued to do many on her own like kayaking, hot air balloon, and more
- They end up ziplining & cliff jumping together at Wells & Josephine’s wedding

The spice in this book is amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed all of it. The scene after she went skinny dipping was hot.

We of course have to have the 3rd quarter blow up & get back together. This one was rough. I teared up a little bit. But they eventually find their way back to one another.

I always enjoy Tessa’s books and I’m thankful to receive them on NG! It makes my day getting to read her books! I can’t wait for the next one.

These two absolutely clueless fools. Gotta love 'em.

Tessa Bailey manages to make tropes that normally make me cringe into something enjoyable (see: the nanny). This had everything her books always have: the humor, the angst, etc. etc.

We also got to see Wells and Josephine from book one, which is always fun, and we got an introduction to the couple in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I was hooked from the beginning of this book. But once the spice started happening, I thought it was very cringe. Usually I don’t mind a little weirdness. Tessa Bailey is good at making weird work. But this just didn’t hit the mark for me. The dirty talk was a bit much. I just didn’t connect with Tallulah and Burgess like I did Wells and Josephine in Fangirl Down. Not my favorite.

Tessa Bailey does it again! I completely enjoyed Fangirl Down and was excited to see that she was exploring Burgess and Tallulah’s story. The banter between the two was fun to read and their chemistry was on point. I was surprised that it was he falls first book which is harder to come by. I loved reading both points of view and seeing both characters being vulnerable. It was so refreshing to see Tallulah learning how to trust again and Burgess being sensitive to her past traumas. I really hope to see Sig and Chlo’s story!

3.5 stars.

I am a huge Tessa Bailey fan, but "The Au Pair Affair" is not my favorite book from her. I *loved* "Fangirl Down," so this book felt like a step down for the series. It's not a *bad* book, but I had a hard time connecting to Tallulah and Burgess as a couple. It's not because of their age gap, or because she's the nanny... I can't quite pinpoint why, but I didn't buy them as a couple. Maybe it's because the tension isn't always there, maybe it's because it felt like they got together too quickly (insta-love, ewwww), but for whatever reason, they were not my favorite Tessa Bailey couple. There's no real spark between them! What I liked the most about this book was Burgess being a growly protector when it came to Tallulah. Alpha male characters are usually not my speed, but for some reason, his insistence that Tallulah be safe around him based on her past traumas really did it for me. What I didn't like? Tallulah. Sorry, it needed to be said! That gal needs *a lot* of therapy (a lot MORE therapy, apparently)! I also didn't like the third act. Burgess did and said some things that felt really antithetical to his character. He was never harsh with Tallulah, and it yanked me right out of the story when he said the things he said to her in a moment of weakness. I get that people act this way in real life, it just didn't feel smooth or natural! There was a lot of miscommunication going on between the two of them, and it rubbed me the wrong way. In the middle of the road is the spice. I usually LOVE Tessa's signature brand of wit and spice, but it felt recycled and a bit forced this time around. I also hated how Burgess called her "girl" all the time???? Made me feel some kind of way! Don't get me wrong, I am still a Tessa fan! I just think I've read better from her.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tessa Bailey, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

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

I feel like at this point I know exactly what I’m getting when it comes to Tessa Bailey. No real surprises and swoon-worthy men. This one is no different.

The dynamic and chemistry between Tallulah and Burgess is so palpable from the beginning. After their brief appearance in Fangirl Down, I was anxious to see how their journey would play out. It’s clear from the beginning that Tallulah has some underlying trauma and it’s actually quite terrifying when we find out what happened. My only issue here is that she definitely needed some therapy for this as it completely changed her personality. I always appreciate when this is included for characters with trauma and I wish it would have been here.

The relationship between her and Burgess is sweet and sexy, and while he does come off as a bit overprotective it doesn’t feel too out of place considering her past. I also really loved Tallulah’s relationship with Burgess’s daughter, Lissa. There’s such a sweet connection there and it adds such a beautiful layer to this story. Especially when Burgess is trying to win her back and Lissa becomes one of the biggest supporters of their relationship, Navigating life with a pre-teen girl isn't easy, and Burgess clearly has some trouble with that since his divorce. He isn't always sure how to relate to her and Tallulah really helps him with this. The dynamic between the three of them is really great and I loved the single dad aspect.

This series has been really cute so far and I’ve really enjoyed it. I also really hope we get some more details on Chloe and Sig!

Single dad hires an au pair for his daughter. Perfect for a romance and it was enough for this girl to stop the laundry and housework for the day so I could read without interruptions. I absolutely loved Tallulah and Burgess was perfect for her. Add in his adorable daughter Lissa, and Tessa has created the best reading for her fans this summer.

Arc review: 4 ⭐️
Tessa Bailey: check
Hockey: check
Single dad: check
Nanny/au pair: check

This one has all the makings of a lovely trope stew - and I generally enjoy all of Tessa Bailey’s books!

I was expecting pure fluff (which I love) but this one had a little more depth to it with Tallulah’s past trauma and her working through it. I would recommend any readers be mindful of triggers with stalking, intimate partner violence, and captivity. While these are all in the past, there are some in depth discussions about it, so it may be hard to read for some individuals.

The first in this series was just SO much of everything for me. I was SO hopeful that this one would be too. But, honestly, I found it a tad boring. Just really predictable. I wasn't able to get past the first half, unfortunately. I love Tessa Bailey, though, and look forward to her next read.

Total fun read. Sexy, funny, and highly entertaining. Single dad who is a star hockey player needs an au pair to help with his moody, 12 year-old daughter. Enter, a smart, sassy grad student who has some trauma in her background. This adds some depth to the story. that I really found appealing. Great follow-up to her first book in the series.