The Au Pair Affair Review (Big Shots, #2)

Hello, all!

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey was my first five star read of the year (review here), so I was thrilled to get an early copy of the second installment, The Au Pair Affair. Big thanks to the publisher!

Pub Date: 7-16-24
Adult - Contemporary

Fresh off an internship studying penguins in Antarctica, Tallulah has moved to Boston to complete her grad school studies. But Tallulah is, what's the word? Broke. She can't afford good housing on a grad school budget, but when an ideal opportunity is presented, she can't help but hesitate. After a traumatic experience, Tallulah has difficulty trusting men, especially one whose nickname is Sir Savage.

Burgess is a rough-and-tumble hockey player notorious for his scowl and brutality. But he's also a single dad desperate for a live-in nanny to help with his young daughter. When the pair are brought together by mutual friends, Burgess doesn't think twice about offering Tallulah the position. It doesn't take long for their tenuous friendship to delve into something deeper, but each has baggage they're convinced the other wouldn't want to carry. Not only is Burgess older than Tallulah but he's always kept the world at a distance while she wants nothing more than to charge at things head-on. But when a rift forms in his family, Tallulah is ready to do the right thing and walk away, even if it breaks her heart. Burgess will have to put everything on the line to show not just Tallulah, but himself as well, that they're both worthy of happiness.

I'm a bit torn on this one. Was it a fun time? Absolutely. Did I binge-read the whole thing in almost one sitting? Yep. You would think I'd be obsessed with how I couldn't put it down, but something about it was off, and that came down to the tropes used. Turns out, the age gap and single dad tropes don't do it for me. There were too many uses of the word 'Daddy,' which had the opposite of the intended effect on me. Bailey's steamier scenes already tend to be a little cringe, but this made it even worse. Romance aside, I did enjoy the characters. The growth in both our main characters was so satisfying. Also, I would die if someone rented out an entire aquarium for our first date. Even though this one wasn't my favorite, I'd still recommend it. And I'm pretty sure I can guess who the next book will follow, and I can't wait to read it.

Rating: 3/5