Review: "The way their relationship builds is both hot and sweet."
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 24, 2013
Louis Guzman really needs a job, so a position as a live-in au pair for the two young children of a divorced Hollywood power couple seems perfect. All he has to do is keep quiet about his less-than-savory past employment history. At first the job seems wonderful. He likes the kids, and their mom. Their father, however, proves to be a temptation Louis doesn't want to resist.Dan Krefman's marriage ended because he couldn't live in denial any longer. Since he came out, however, he hasn't really tested the waters of dating other men, preferring to keep busy with work and his children. An attraction to the nanny his kids adore is not in his plans. Too bad the spark between him and Louis is so hard to deny.Acting on their attraction may not be the smartest move, but they can't help themselves. Their idea to put their attraction behind them after indulging once or twice backfires terribly. Then Louis's past comes to light, and both their lives might be destroyed.The Au Pair Affair is an enjoyable, Harlequin-esque tale of a sexy, younger Latino nanny and his equally attractive, high-powered Hollywood boss. While the resemblance to a Harlequin trope could be construed as negative, in this story I didn't find it to be so. The rich boss / poor nanny trope gets turned on its head a bit here. Louis may be broke, but he's always accepted his sexuality. Of the two of them, he is the experienced, aggressive one. That gives him a lot more power than he would normally have in such a situation. I have to say I liked Louis. He's practical and sweet, and he genuinely likes both the children and their mother. Despite his sketchy past, he's a great nanny.I liked Dan as well. He divorced his wife, a formerly A-list actress, because their relationship wasn't fair to her. He remains friends with her after his revelation, and spends as much time as possible with his children. He wants the best for them, which is one of the major reasons he doesn't want to act on his feelings for Louis.Of course, they can't keep their attraction under wraps forever, and once they admit it, they have to act on it. The way their relationship builds is both hot and sweet. Nothing here is terribly shocking or ground-breaking, including the revelation of Louis's past, but it's all well-written and fun to read. There are a lot of interesting secondary characters, and the plot is fast-paced. Anyone who enjoys Hollywood tales, or m/m re-imaginings of romance tropes, will find a lot to like in The Au Pair Affair.This book was reviewed by Cassie for Joyfully Reviewed (JR), and was provided by the publisher/author at no cost to JR for the purpose of being reviewed.