As a huge fan of Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey, I knew going into The Au Pair Affair, it had a lot to live up to. I loved so many things about this book and love, love, love, the MMC Burgess, aka Mean Daddy.

Tropes:
-age gap relationship (11 years)
-single father/nanny
-he falls first
-grumpy/sunshine
-third act breakup

The tension between Burgess, a hockey veteran, and Tallulah, a 26-year-old au pair was unmatched. They had this palpable sexual tension since meeting in Fangirl Down and it stayed hot all throughout this book. Burgess showed off his dirty talk expertise even though he has been divorced for sometime and has not had any action in over a year. He would have an inner monologue of acting respectful and not stepping over any boundaries with Tallulah and then proceeded to invite her to an adventure in his bed.

I found Tallulah's traumatic history to be a little too far fetched but her cautious behavior and trauma responses to be quite realistic. I think there is a lot of back and forth leading up to the beginning of their relationship and even more back and forth during the third act breakup. I was ok with the whiplash while Tallulah was employed; it brought so much tension and made the get together more monumental. The whiplash I got from the third act break up was overwhelming especially because the personal development they both went through while they were was seemingly substantial. I would have loved even more dialogue of them working through how their relationship would function with their jobs and co-parenting.

Sig and Chloe's relationship was much more discussed in this book than Burgess and Tallulah's in Fangirl Down and I am so ready to learn what is going on with them!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC of this book!

Another typical Tessa Bailey work. The build up was super hot and I enjoyed the character development and overall plot. Oddly bothered by the two times the main characters littered and found some of the dirty talk...questionable, but overall, a solid 4/5. And I hope we'll be getting Chloe and Sig's story at some point!

I will always enjoy a Tessa Bailey novel. She has a way of writing romance that both feels grounded and truly fantastical. Plus, getting to see more of Wells and Josephine is a treat! I assume there’s a third book coming soon based on some of the side characters, too.

Many of the tropes in this book fit the cultural moment; age gaps, overcoming past trauma, and hockey romance. That said, some of these tropes feel a bit gritty and leave me wondering, how should we feel about an 11 year age gap? The way Tallulah reveals her past trauma? The fact that she’s still employed by the love interest? I’m usually able to suspend my disbelief, and here I did, too, but there’s something deeper in our societal narrative that upon closer inspection might not hold up.


CW: stalking

My favorite thing about 2024 thus far is Tessa Bailey making her entrance into the world of sports romance. After reading and LOVING Fangirl Down, I’ve been beyond excited for the rest of the series. The Au Pair Affair did not disappoint. Although different from the rest of Tessa Bailey’s books, I loved this one just as much! Both Burgess and Tallulah have my heart and Lissa was a great addition as well. Overall, once again, Tessa Bailey did NOT disappoint.

What I liked:
- The problems in this book were actual problems rather than a simple lack of communication
- The spice was *chefs kiss*
- The TENSION! I am not normally a slow burn girly but the tension between Burgess and Tallulah was written so well.
- Normally not a single parent trope fan but I really like it in this case
- Love a queen in STEM
- I loved the hints at the third book (which I now can’t wait for)
What I didn’t like:
- Burgess absolutely should have done more groveling
- There was more than one instance where Burgess seemed to forget that his daughter was a motivation for living?
- There were some serious topics in this book that were glazed over a bit. I personally wasn’t bothered by it too much but I could see how it would be problematic for some readers

Over all: 3.75/5⭐️ 2.5/5🌶️

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

The first book in this series, Fangirl Down, was the best TB book I’ve read since the It Happened One Summer series (not necessarily *good*, though, just better). It had a unique premise, and I was looking forward to the next book—this one—especially as it was about hockey, which is far more exciting than a book about golf.

Unfortunately, this book felt like the literary equivalent of a restaurant soft open, when someone forgot to order the ingredients for the star dish on the menu, half of the waitstaff called in sick, and the HVAC system broke. There’s always some silliness in TB’s books, but this one threw in a major trigger warning backstory for the fmc and then basically abandoned it in the plot. The couple for the next book in this series was introduced in an over the top way, like a neon sign proclaiming “THEY’RE NEXT!” every time they were on page. And, the third act breakup was equally over the top, and the reconciliation just as “insta” as the love to begin with.

Like all of TB’s books, even the ones I enjoyed, I wished her intimate scenes were redacted for me—or just didn’t didn’t exist—or were well written in the slightest. My eyeballs are never the same afterward. The same can be said for my spouse’s eyes, as I always show them to him for a bit of “This smells awful! Smell it,” solidarity. For some people, they love this “ick” in her work, but these scenes are beyond cringy. For those who agree, you’ll be glad to know her “secret weapon” doesn’t appear in this book, but just to give you a taste of the intimate tone, I’m just going to drop the phrase “open like a big box store on Black Friday.” *Cringe* Blech. See? This smells awful! Smell it.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this advanced review copy.

Great spice in this book. I felt like too much time was spent on the breakup and not enough on them falling in love in the first place. I’m definitely invested in the Sig and Chloe story!!

hockey romance
Au pair
Workplace romance
3rd act breakup
He falls first and hard

Burgess is a man obsessed and Tallulah keeps him on her toes. Loved seeing Wells and Josephine's next chapter as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Tessa Bailey for the arc!

There’s just something about Tessa Bailey’s writing that always just sucks me in. I read this all in a day, because it was just such a fun, fast read.

While I liked both of the main characters overall, the story wasn’t my favourite. Honestly I wanted to see more of both the au pair aspect and the hockey aspect. Like of course they were both included, but I guess I just kinda expected to see more of them. Especially the hockey team - I really liked Burgess’ teammates, and would have loved to read even more interactions involving them.

I don’t think it’s necessary to have read Fangirl Down to read and enjoy this, but I do think it will be helpful. Wells and Josephine aren’t mentioned a ton (although that changes a bit towards the end), and when they are it’s focused more on Wells and Burgess. There isn’t really any interactions between Josephine and Talluah, which surprises me.

This isn’t a 5 star for me for the couple reasons above but more so because this felt very insta-love to me. I liked the way they talked to each other and interacted, but I felt like I didn’t really SEE why they were falling for each other. I could very clearly see why they lusted over each other but I lacked seeing their emotions compared to their physical attraction quite often.

Overall I did enjoy this, and will never hesitate to pick up basically anything that Tessa Bailey writes.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book! I voluntarily read this book, and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy!! The opinions in this review are my own honest thoughts.

In traditional Tessa Bailey fashion, this book is a romance filled with heartwarming moments, silly jokes, and (slightly over-the-top) moments! If you have been a fan of Bailey's previous works, especially the first in this Big Shots series, you are sure to enjoy this one too! I've always personally found that Tessa Bailey books are a little bit too dramatic for me, and this one is not an exception. There were a few moments throughout the story that felt unrealistic or exaggerated, but hey, it's a romance book so I can't complain too much. Both the main characters were quite compatible in my opinion and their growth throughout the book was very evident, but for some reason, I still felt as though something was missing. The best way to put it is that they were not a very memorable couple for me (I also kept accidentally calling him Burger instead of Burgess).

Overall, Tessa Bailey sticks to her strengths with this romance book fitting the same vibes as her previous ones, the spiciness reaching the same level as well (maybe even a little more than normal), and the happily ever after being a satisfying conclusion.

10 out of 5 stars! Like this book will be talked about to all my book friends for the rest of the year!

This book has everything! Single dad, nanny, forced proximity, hockey, age gap, a little fake dating and jealousy, she’s been hurt before and needs space/time, he falls first and very hard, he’s got an injury that needs nursing, I just feel like the list could go on, but none of it feels like it’s forced into the story in order to check trope boxes.

I loved how sweet Burgess is to Tallulah, he’s a huge mean hockey player whose nickname on the ice is Sir Savage, but for Tallulah he’s sensitive to her and just instinctively knows how to be exactly what she needs at any time. He’s also very smooth with the dirty lines and innuendo 😏 I’d call this one a slow burn, but with lots of steamy scenes adding tension throughout the book.

Although this is definitely a romcom, I was also in tears at some times. I could feel the pain in their relationship and the hurt that had been caused. I was of course rooting for them, but gosh the whole thing was so sad. Burgess did some great groveling tho!

*fans face and neck with hand* wow! Tessa Bailey is quickly becoming an instant buy author for me. This book has a strong main male character who also is willing to take it slow for the main female character. Not only do we get some AMAZING sexy lines from him but the chemistry and hockey just make the book that much more entertaining. I only made it halfway through before requesting some other titles by her I hadn't read yet. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

Tessa Bailey has done it again. Once I picked this up I could not get enough. The characters and the plot were well developed leaving me wanting more with each passing chapter. I fell in love with Burgess from the start with his brooding, bad-ass outward appearance and his emotional center. Tallulah was very likable as well and no damsel in distress by any means. This was an easy and enjoyable read with spice-such good spice.
Read from: May 11, 2024 - May 13

Spoiler Free Arc Review: 4.5 ⭐️

I was nervous to start this after loving Fan Girl Down so much, but Tessa did not disappoint in her second book of the Big Shots series! Burgess is such a cinnamon roll MMC and I’m a sucker for it! For more sensitive readers, there are some trigger warnings regarding stalking and abuse in the FMCs past.

Tallulah has been offered an Au Pair position with Boston’s toughest hockey enforcer, Burgess, who desperately needs help with his daughter. Tallulah is trying to rediscover herself and live in the moment again without feeling chained down by her past. The two make an unlikely pair given their age gap and difference in opinion, but sometimes opposite is exactly what you need.

I actually loved this book more than I anticipated. The characters has significant growth in their own respective story lines as well as together. This book felt realistic, which definitely added to my enjoyment. I really loved the mutual love and respect both MCs shared for each other. If you’re looking for a sweet sports romance, definitely read this book and Fan Girl Down!!! Tropes on this book include: sports romance, single dad, age gap, he falls first, and forced proximity.

I can always count on Tessa baileys books to be fun and while this book was fun and the first half really had me hooked, I lost a bit of interest in the second half. Also didn’t like the third act conflict unfortunately. Overall a decent book and had a lot of promise but not as good as her other books in my opinion.

I loved this book SO much, cover-to-cover. It is well-written, perfectly paced, and an absolute delight. This is the first Tessa Bailey book I've read and it was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. This is an age-gap hockey romance done right!

I received this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Tallulah is in Boston to finish up her graduate degree in Marine Biology. Through her friend Josephine she secured an au pair position for an elite hockey player, Burgess, but as she arrives, her doubts her the better of her and she's not sure she can live with someone she's doesn't know well. For Burgess, the sparks fly as soon as he met her and he'll stop at nothing to make sure she feels safe with him, and maybe feel a little more than safe.

I really enjoyed the first 75% of this book. I liked that in any other single dad/nanny book there would be the forbidden romance drama, but Burgess just kind of goes for it and it gets hot pretty quickly and stays there throughout. I like that he goes out of his way to make her feel safe with him and just in life. I like that he learns from her how to be a better, more present parent.

MILD SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE ENDING


But the ending. I hated it. Miscommunication, an ex who is coded as mature and reasonable through the whole book doing something jealous and awful for no reason, and I hate that Burgess ignored Tallulah for two months before trying to get her back. It just sucked.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon books, and Tessa Bailey for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

When I first met Burgess and Tallulah in Fangirl Down, it was absolute insta-love and I knew I was going to be rabid for their story. With Tessa's books, I go in not knowing quite what to expect. Despite most of her stories being four to five star reads for me, there are some that I unexpectedly did not finish; and those few shocked the absolute bejesus out of me. What has happened here <for me> pretty much follows how The Bellinger Sisters series went when I read them for the first time. I fell in love with the first story and thought to myself, "How does it get better than this?" Then the second book comes out and BOOM: knocks me flat. Somehow I end up loving book two more, but both have a special place in my heart (and shelves) forever.

The Au Pair Affair has everything I love. I laughed. I cried. I swooned! Burgess is grumpy personified, but such a teddy bear when it comes to his girls. And Tallulah becomes his girl so fast - definitely a case of he falls first. Tallulah has a troubled past and Burgess wants to help her, protect her, do all of the things to make her feel safe ... but the most important thing is he wants to empower her so that she can feel confident in herself again. The book is so much more than how these two people come together. We have an angsty tween, even angstier? rookie teammates who work their ways into our hearts. Pasts that can't be outrun and traumas that must be faced to move forward. And learning how to love when it takes you by surprise.

Lastly, we have a THIRD book (I hope) to look forward to, because Sig and Chloe better be next, and I can't wait! I love a step-sibling trope and I will wait with the utmost impatience to see how they work things out. Tessa, you've done it again!

I was kindly provided with the ARC of this book by the publishers and editorial team in exchange of an honest review ✨

5⭐️

I was giving a solid 4 stars to this book until I got to the final chapter and read one sentence of the book…

“Love doesn't always come around twice. And even if it does, it's going to be different. There are no two exact types of love, you know that? When two people love each other, they create a love snowflake, and it can never be re-created by anyone else."

Literally I was SOBBING my eyes out and that turned this amazing and perfect and full of romance and pretty damn good lessons book a 1000000000 stars ⭐️❤️‍🩹

The story of Tallulah and Burgess will live rent free forever in my heart, I mean, they’re so perfect for each other 🥹❤️‍🩹

At first the tension was killing meeeeee! I was like, KISS ALREADY! and when the did,… my oh my, in just gonna say that Burgess’s filthy mouth got me BLUSHING ALL THE TIME 😮‍💨🙂‍↔️

Of course I suffered when all went down because of what happened with him thinking he wouldn’t be useful to her anymore, and all the things pain make him say to her (I was 5 seconds apart to throw my phone when I got to that point ngl), but then, THEN when both are in Costa Rica and he is truth h to gain her back and she isn’t sure anymore because he hurt her so much and he was willing to let her go 😭😭😭😭😭😭 and then that random guy telling her about the article and the snow flake love 😭😭❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

This is definitely my favorite book of miss Tessa this far, it’s just one of those rare times when a story calls your heart so beautifully and so deep that you know will be with you forever ❤️‍🩹✨

P. S. I NEED Sig and Chloe book 👀

The Au Pair Affair was a really cute story. Similar to Fangirl Down, so if you enjoyed that you should also enjoy this book. I was really looking forward to this story after the characters' appearances in Fangirl Down and I was not disappointed.

I really liked both main characters, Tallulah and Burgess. I'm not usually particularly drawn to a nanny or single father trope, but this story really worked for me. Tallulah is very sweet and caring. Burgess is more serious and plays hockey aggressively, but has a really protective and caring side to him. Their relationship is really sweet and very spicy. Tallulah is everything Burgess ever needed and wanted in his life. The relationship between Tallulah and his daughter is also very cute.

The side characters were also a great part of the story, including Josephine and Wells. I definitely recommend this book, especially for fans of Tessa Bailey, sports romance, grumpy/sunshine, nanny/single father.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

26 year old Tallulah is moving to Boston for her gradate program in Marine Biology and is set to nanny for Burgess, single dad and pro hockey player.
She’s got hangups (which are eventually fully explored) and ultimately decides to go through with the job. Lissa is 12 which is an interesting age/dynamic to navigate.
The chemistry between Burgess and Tallulah is off the charts but they try to resist – he’s her employer and roommate, she’s 11 years younger and Lissa is hoping her parents will get back together.
An injury causes Burgess to reevaluate his life choices and direction. A spicy & enjoyable read!