Review: Just when I think I’ve nailed down which Tessa Bailey book is my favorite (the answer is all of them), she releases a new one that completely blows me away. “The Au Pair Affair” is no exception! 

 

“The Au Pair Affair” follows Burgess Abraham, a battle-scarred hockey veteran, and Tallulah Aydin, an aspiring marine biologist, after she agrees to be his live-in nanny. But as boundaries are slowly crossed, Burgess finds himself himselfpulled between his tween daughter, who wants her parents back together, and his insane chemistry with Tallulah. 

 

From their very first interaction in “Fangirl Down”, I knew Tallulah and Burgess belonged together. Their chemistry radiates off the page with Burgess’ surliness perfectly complimenting Tallulah’s quirkiness. With the two of them living under one roof, they begin to open up, confide in, and lean on each other. I love how Burgess was respectful of Tallulah’s boundaries when he learned that her trauma left her feeling uncomfortable around men. He did everything in his power to help her feel safe and did not begin to pursue her until she gave him the ok. Burgess is very protective of her (*swoons*) and I really enjoyed watching Tallulah’s character go from being fearful of letting go to a courageous adventurer with him at her side to give her endless support. 

 

At the same time Tallulah is there to uplift Burgess when he feels insecure about where he is at in his hockey career. She catches on to the pain he masks to avoid being benched or forced into retirement and she reassures him that he does not need to shoulder his fears alone. Tallulah is nothing if not persistent and convinces Burgess (in a way that made my heart pound more than is probably healthy) to seek out medical attention and show him that he is valued by his teammates. 

 

Bailey does such a great job making their connection feel palpable and creating a conflict that had the two of them fighting for the love that blossomed between them without losing sight of Lissa’s needs. This is a story about healing, finding your happily ever after, and discovering your self-worth. It has consumed my every waking thought since I picked it up and I know I will be obsessing over it for a long time!