Book Review: The Au Pair Affair

From the world of golf in Fangirl Down to the much more familiar territory of hockey, we have The Au Pair Affair, the second book in Tessa Bailey’s big shot series (though I suspect not the last, if that one subplot was anything to go by). Despite being a born-and-raised Canadian, it must be said that the bulk of my interaction with hockey comes through the world of romance novels - that and watching during the Olympics/keeping track during the playoffs. That said, I don’t come to books like The Au Pair Affair for the sports, but rather for the big, surly hockey player who has a soft spot for his tween daughter, and a raging crush on her nanny, and in that respect, the book delivered beautifully.

The book follows Burgess, a professional hockey player, who is in desperate need of a nanny for his 12 year old daughter. Enter Tallulah, a graduate student and best friend to Burgess’s best friend’s finacee - Wells and Josie from Fangirl Down. With Tallulah in need of somewhere to live and a part time job while she attends graduate school in Boston, Wells and Josie recommend her for the job with Burgess. He's immediately on board, if only because his daughter likes her, his own inconvenient crush on her aside. But Tallulah is a little more hesitant, as long-simmering trust issues rise to the surface now that she’s no longer living on remote research stations.

Though I always have fun with a Tessa Bailey romance, The Au Pair Affair might be my favourite one since the Bellinger Sisters duology in the way it just grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. The emotional moments balance really well with the spicy ones, and their respective approaches to their romance - how willing they were to enter into it, or not - kept things really interesting.

The Au Pair Affair hits shelves on July 16. Special thank you to Avon for the advance copy for review purposes.