Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Haven Brothers #3

Temptation Trails

Rate this book
He’s hunting a killer so she won’t be next.

Single dad Garrett Haven doesn’t have time for dating. With a teenage son and a high-stakes job in law enforcement, he has enough on his plate.

Besides, he risked his heart once. He has no intention of doing it again.

Until he meets her.

Harper Tilburn brought her passion for baking to the small town of Tilikum to take over her aunt’s bakery. Anything else will have to wait, at least until her bad luck curse runs out.

Her dating hiatus is essential, and she’s sticking to it.

Until she meets him.

The sparks that fly between Garrett and Harper are instantaneous—their attraction undeniable. And suddenly, the practical, responsible sheriff’s deputy is throwing caution to the wind, boldly pursuing Harper, determined to make her his.

But when the cold case Garrett is investigating takes a chilling turn, he fears the perpetrator will strike again—and Harper will be his target.

With his career—and his life—on the line, he’ll sacrifice everything to protect the people he loves, and catch a killer before it’s too late.

Author’s note: a buttoned-up sheriff’s deputy gets thoroughly unbuttoned by a sweet as sugar baker. A hero who falls hard and fast, a heroine you’ll root for, a teenage son who will steal your heart, page turning suspense with a shocking twist, and heartwarming found family vibes with a big HEA.

Kindle Edition

First published September 12, 2024

8261 people are currently reading
10847 people want to read

About the author

Claire Kingsley

81 books12.3k followers
Claire Kingsley is a USA Today and #1 Amazon bestselling author of sexy, heartfelt contemporary romance, romantic comedies, and small-town romantic suspense. She writes sassy, quirky heroines, swoony heroes who love their women hard, romantic happily ever afters, and all the big feels.

Add Claire's next releases to your TBR today:
Captivation Creek (The Haven Brothers, #5) by Claire Kingsley Haven Brothers Book 6 by Claire Kingsley

NOW AVAILABLE ON AUDIO:
Protecting You (Bailey Brothers, #1) by Claire Kingsley Fighting for Us (Bailey Brothers, #2) by Claire Kingsley Unraveling Him (The Bailey Brothers #3) by Claire Kingsley Rushing In (Bailey Brothers, #4) by Claire Kingsley Chasing Her Fire (Bailey Brothers, #5) by Claire Kingsley Rewriting the Stars (Bailey Brothers, #6) by Claire Kingsley

Obsession Falls (Haven Brothers, #1) by Claire Kingsley Storms and Secrets (Haven Brothers, #2) by Claire Kingsley Temptation Trails (The Haven Brothers #3) by Claire Kingsley Whispers and Wildfire (The Haven Brothers #4) by Claire Kingsley

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
7,124 (40%)
4 stars
6,484 (37%)
3 stars
3,079 (17%)
2 stars
631 (3%)
1 star
115 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,139 reviews
Profile Image for Lilyya ♡.
653 reviews3,725 followers
September 6, 2024
4.25 stars

”my dreams were coming true, even the ones I’d been too afraid to dream. I couldn’t have imagined a better happy ending to our story. and really, we were just beginning.”


revisiting Tilikum transported me to a nostalgic realm, where the diabolical squirrels and the dashing Haven brothers rekindled fond memories. the third installment in the 'Haven Brothers' spin-off series, 'Temptation Trials', is a delicious meld of arcs that harmoniously converge.


℘ insta-love
℘ single dad
℘ found family
℘ suspense subplot
℘ small town romance
℘ no third act breakup


I've been eagerly anticipating Garrett's story for years, and it exceeded my expectations in every way. Garrett is your archetype blue-collar hero who would do anything for his loved ones. as a sheriff's deputy, he's dedicated to serving his community. when his aunt sets him up with Harper, the female lead, he's initially hesitant to commit. however, fate intervenes when he finds himself at Harper's bakery shop the very next day due to his son's mischief. the story begins with this unexpected encounter, setting the stage for a romantic journey.

what truly stood out about Harper was her infectious optimism, which beautifully contrasted with her playful superstitions. her dynamic personality effortlessly blended with Garrett and his son's warmth, making her a seamless addition to their family. the romance unfolded at a breakneck pace, providing a delightful respite from the suspenseful plot. the chemistry between Garrett and Harper was palpable, making their story a true page-turner. the narrative threw in a few unexpected twists that kept me on the edge of my seat, and I devoured this novel in record time. if you're craving an endearing small-town romance with a chilling cold case scenario, this book is a perfect fit. it can be read as a standalone !

many thanks to the author for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

——————
a single dad romance to cure the reading slump 💆🏽‍♀️
Profile Image for Ally Cee.
252 reviews6 followers
September 16, 2024
This one just wasn’t for me. I wasn’t a big fan of the MMC, he was kind of boring. And the innocent cutesy persona of the MFC was a little overdone (she’s a baker who replaces the word shit with sugar cookies as a curse word). Also who has birth control in for 5 years without ever checking it to make sure it’s still good to go? This is the second book in two months that this has been a story angle…do fictional female characters not get annual checkups at the gyno? I digress.

It was also an insta love story ie they were in love with each other almost immediately but there was zero on the page growth that showed why they liked each other beyond physically attraction and sex. That has never been something that is enough for me with books so if you’re like me you might not like this one either.
Profile Image for Jen ♥.
1,751 reviews965 followers
September 13, 2024
Harper and her aunt have shared their love for baking over the years. But with the latter's health problems, it's no longer possible for her to run the bakery on her own; therein enters Harper. She traveled to Tilikum to help her aunt, eventually taking over the bakery that she passed onto her.

It's only been a few weeks since she came in town. But her aunt wanted her to have a life aside from baking, so said aunt decided to conspire with Garrett's aunt to set up these two for a date. 🤭

Everything was already set; Harper (31) and Garrett (30s??) both agreed to the blind date. But something came up with Garrett's work, and he had no choice but to bail on her.🤷‍♀️ Don't worry, he let her know that he couldn't make it. Harper was, to put it mildly, unsurprised by this news since she's already used to having so many misfortunes these last seven years when it comes to life, and not just with dating. 🫣

See, the thing is, she's superstitious. She broke a mirror six years ago; it's nothing sentimental, just a plain mirror. But she strongly believed that the incident was a curse and that she'd suffer for the next seven years of her life. I guess the law of attraction came into play because ever since that broken mirror mishap, a lot of unlucky events happened to her. She keeps thinking nothing's good will go her way and always looking for the other shoe to drop. She conditioned herself not to believe in luck and not to fully enjoy the good things coming her way because one way or another something awful would happen that would eventually ruin them. So this failed date of hers is nothing new, it's literally one of the many unfortunate things in her life. 🥲

Anyway, after that failed date, I think weeks passed before they officially met. Garrett's kid, Owen (14), decided to cut class and stole cookies from Harper's bakery. Garrett brought him to her to apologize and to find ways how his son could make up for what he did. Despite the fact that this was their first real in-person meeting, insta-love struck straight away and took hold for both of them. 🤭

Owen's supposed one-day assistance became a regular thing after school. He came to love baking and enjoy working as Harper's assistant. They sort of bonded over cookies and developed a real friendship. I think it helps that Owen's really a good kid, respectful and not troublesome at all (the stealing is an anomaly). And sometimes it's Garrett who dropped him off or one of his uncles. And as the days passed by, Garrett has been slowly getting obsessed with Harper, and he has no clue what to do about it.

If readers are not into insta-love, then I don't think they would appreciate the MCs whirlwind romance, because these two really moved so fast (like 20%-ish mark). 😂 It was definitely a fast burn and basically smooth sailing relationship from the beginning until the end. The first half was all about their romance and all the lovey-dovey stuff they had going. Garrett's family and son accepted Harper, and she felt their genuine and heartfelt welcome and has loved every moment she's slowly becoming part of their fold.

Once the romance had been established, the second half became mostly focused on the suspense aspect and Garrett's effort in finding the serial killer that's still freely roaming around in their town. He became so invested in this case, and a lot of hurdles were thrown his way to prevent him from moving any further with his investigation, but he's hellbent on putting this person behind bars so nothing could stop him. 😅

When Garrett figured out the person behind the murder, he got abducted by the suspect and was put in a freaking freezer. The psycho planned to frame Garrett for a murder-suicide case (Harper). There's some action and violence (a bit), but of course, at the end of the day it got resolved and the bad guy was put into place (or rather six feet under). 🫣

Anyway, it was good, and I enjoyed it mainly because of the suspense. 🫣 I was more invested in it than the romance. The romance wasn't entirely bad; I had fun seeing them together. The MCs were sweet, honest, and open, there's no mind games or push-pull stunts. It really was a healthy relationship, and these two were green-flag walking. Even Harper's relationship with Owen was so freaking adorable, and I love how he 100% accepted her for him and his dad. I love their instant family and their love for one another. 🥹

But like I said, I'm really, really curious who's the killer and how he got away with what he did for almost a decade. I had my own guess of who it could be, so I'm eating up all the crumbs Garrett's investigation has found. And, tbh, I didn't expect the bad guy, which made it intriguing for me because I didn't see it coming. 🤭

Anyhoo, I'm rambling again, but overall, it was really an enjoyable book and definitely worth reading (for me).


Book info:
— Small town romance
— Romantic suspense
— Insta-love
— Single dad
— Deputy/Detective x Baker
— Serial killing
— Fast burn
— No cheating, OM/OW, separation
— No V (no info)
— Surprise pregnancy
— HEA (married with newborn daughter)
— Bonus epilogue (yrs later, married with 2 daughters)


Note:
— No info on Garrett's ex; she walked away years ago (unsure how long). He said marrying her was a mistake, but he didn't regret his son. 
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for rubellys.
303 reviews11 followers
September 14, 2024
the words “sugar cookies” were used a total of 24 times throughout the book instead of a curse word. i should know, i counted.

please just say fuck like the rest of us
Profile Image for Drics.
41 reviews22 followers
September 30, 2024
Oh boy, i know i'm in the minority here - trust me i didn't want to be, i loved the premise of this book, it has all of my favorite troupes - but here are my main issues with it:

1- the FMC. She was just really silly ( and sunshine fmc does not equal silly fmc, but some authors confuse that), oh she is super cutesy/sunshine so she has to curse using "sugar cookies", like, be for real, using the word "fuck" once in a while won't kill an adult woman.

1.2 - She had no social awareness, she slept with Garret and just blurted out with details to someone she has never met before, and worse, the person was part of his family, wich was so innapropriate and random. I get that she was feeling alone in a new town and needed to connect to girlfriends but it could have been done in a different way. Hence not spilling his business to his family, in a town where gossip flies. (Whats up with that? I get the everyone is in your business angle, but the author overdid a little.)

1.3- THE PREGNANCY THING !!! honey, if you are sleeping with someone and say "i got it covered" it should mean you know with certainty what type of prevention you are using and that your check ups are in order. IT DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVENT CHECKED IN 5 YEARS, but think its okay. It was not a big deal in the book because small town romances often go to the "happily married with kids" type of HEA, but to me that was such a weird thing to do - especially because she was so scared when she found out, so i imagined she would've been more careful.
(and of course when she finds out she says "sugar cookies").

Safe to say i could not connect with her at all.

2- The romance. It was insta love. He saw that she was pretty and was imediatelly hooked. Could not stop thinking about her. But in reality, the quality time they spent together wasn't much. I was told they were in love, but i didn't see it play out on page. In fact, she spends more time with Owen (best character by far) than with his father.

Honestly, it was a 3 stars book, but since i disliked the FMC so much, i had to give it a 2.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jessica .
2,622 reviews16k followers
September 14, 2024
I've been meaning to start this series because I love romantic suspense, and this was so good! I really loved this one more so for the romantic suspense and thought it was done so well. The heroine is new in the small town and taking over a bakery and there are definitely some creepy people/things happening. The hero is a deputy in town and he uncovers something from a murder cold case. He's a single dad and falls pretty fast and hard for the heroine. I would have liked a bit more development in the romance since it was pretty insta-love, but his son was great and I loved his relationship with the heroine. It was so cute how he would help in the bakery and how close they grew!

If you want a really great romantic suspense, I highly recommend this one! I can't wait to go back and read the first two in this series!
Profile Image for Jenn (The Book Refuge).
2,668 reviews4,490 followers
September 8, 2024
Claire Kingsley again manages to immediately suck me into her story. Where I'm completely hooked and I can't look away. In fact, this is my favorite in The Haven Brothers thus far and I can't wait for whichever love story comes next.

I was caught on the mystery and the cold case that Garrett was pulled into. As a True Crime junkie myself, I really liked this crime solving adventure he went on as well as navigating town politics and nosy people. Then he has to balance that with being a single dad and simultaneously he is starting to fall for Harper. Something he really didn't plan on.

Harper was just the right amount of sweet and kind. She may have some kooky ideas about where her bad luck comes from but she won my heart over with the way she dealt with Garrett and his son. I was instantly rooting for her and Garrett and I really wanted to try some of her cookies. I actually went and bought some sweet treats while listening to this audio book.

As I mentioned, I really liked the suspense and mystery part of this one. I have enjoyed all the books in this series, but having Garrett be a police officer and investigator made that element really click for me. Instead of it feeling like a typical Small Town romance with a stalker or an angry ex, there was a serious killer on the loose. It added high stakes and kept me on the edge of my seat.

As a nice treat, this also had a dash more spicy time than previous books. Haha!

This book was narrated by Jason Clarke and Rose Dioro. A great pairing, if you ask me. I highly recommend an immersive experience when reading this book. It helps build the suspense quite well.

5 stars
2 on the spice scale

CW: mention of graphic murder, kidnapping, and danger to a child

*Thank you to the author for an ALC & ARC of this title.*
11 reviews
September 15, 2024
I actually do not understand how this series is written by the same person that wrote Evan Bailey’s book. I wouldn’t even call this one a romance novel. I loved Owen’s character and for that it gets a couple stars
Profile Image for Niki.
144 reviews1 follower
October 14, 2024
The concept of this book had potential but unfortunately I can’t deal with insta love and also she says “sugar cookies” instead of just cursing and that is just despicable and unforgivable.
Profile Image for Christi (christireadsalot).
2,794 reviews1,436 followers
September 16, 2024
Temptation Trails is the 3rd standalone in the Haven Brothers series. This is a small town, romantic suspense, single dad romance and it was so good!

Harper is a new baker in Tilikum, she was wanting a fresh start and the perfect opportunity showed up when her aunt was wanting to retire from her bakery. Harper feels like she’s had nothing but bad luck for the past six years after breaking a mirror, so when she gets stood up when the story starts, she just feels like that is fitting. Garrett is in a deputy in town and a single dad to his teenage son, Owen. The story kicks off with him not making it to his date with Harper because of a cold case he’s working on. But later Garrett and Harper officially meet when his son steals cookies from the bakery and Garrett makes him return what he took and apologize.

Harper and Garrett fall fast and hard, but they felt like a perfect pairing. Her relationship with his son Owen kinda stole the show sometimes and I did want more Garrett time. The cold case he’s working on was the perfect suspense element to the story. She’s superstitious and says “sugar cookies” a lot when surprised/disappointed etc. I really enjoyed this addition in the series, so far my favorites are 1 and 3 (this one)! The audiobook was particularly amazing: Jason Clarke is always a hit and Rose Dioro was great too.
Profile Image for natalie.
452 reviews12 followers
September 18, 2024
Insta-love/lust, they already fucked 25 pct. into the book. So much for building tension or any sense of a foundation? They also didn’t use protection. I mean, these two were so fucking horny and ready to say I love you barely two weeks into their courtship.

It was hard to take Harper serious when her chosen expletive was “Sugar cookies,” whenever something bad happened or she needed to curse.

Tilikum feels larger in The Haven Brothers series than it did in the Bailey Brothers. It’s a little jarring. On one hand, you have a lot of stereotypical small-town themes, such as whimsical and nosy neighbours + the squirrel squad. On the other hand, Claire Kingsley is truly devoting herself to incorporating crime and suspense into her newest series.

And it’s not even good crime.

Each book has an obvious red herring, followed by a cartoon villain who loves to monologue. After they're done explaining and justifying their reasons, the villains are then promptly killed off to tie a neat bow on the whole ordeal.

The storylines have now entered a repetitive pattern and I’m very unimpressed. It doesn’t exactly make me eager to read future instalments of the series.
Profile Image for Paloma FC (in my reading era).
331 reviews60 followers
April 24, 2025
2 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐️
1.5 / 5 🌶️
Spicy chapters: 12

First Person, Dual POV 🙌🏻

Garrett (MMC) and Harper (FMC)

Pros:
CK writes a compelling story where the mystery in it will most likely keep you interested in what will happen next.

There are a few funny moments (most of them involved squirrels) that will probably make you smile.

A few references to the Bailey Brothers and some of Garrett's brothers.


Cons:
This is a 100% inta-love story with 0 angst. The MC's fall for each other in what seemed to me like 5 minutes or less. There's practically no buildup: Garrett asks Harper on a date, she accepts. Shortly after, they are having s*x against her house door, and they are dating. Suddenly, she's pregnant, and he's proclaiming to be in love with her from the first time he saw her... And we weren't even at the 25% mark 😩🙄🤦🏼‍♀️. Please slow down. We still had literally hundreds of pages to get through. This was too much, too fast, and felt unrealistic and superficial.

How come the MC's and everyone around them aren't overweight with the amount of sugar cookies and pastries they seem to eat on a daily basis? This is not only unhealthy but also irresponsable.

There was waaaaaa too much bad luck / superstition talk 😴, it became very repetitive and kind of boring. Also, the word ''cookie' was mentioned, which seemed like 3000 times per chapter. Harper was so shallow that she only spoke about how unlucky she is, her cookies (making them, eating them, or selling them), and later on, her pregnancy. That's literally her entire personality.

Why doesn't Harper have a single female (or male) friend?? I understand that she just moved into town, but doesn't she have friends from back home or something? It's just unbelievable that someone as kind, cheerful, etc. would be so alone in the world... Please, authors, give some depth to your characters. It's not so difficult.

By the two-thirds mark, I started to get bored... 😴 💤 Sketchy things were happening around the MC's, yet Garrett hardy ever relies on his own brothers to help him out or to make sure his pregnant and very vulnerable girlfriend is safe. What good does having strong, capable brothers do when you don't even let them help you? 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ It's just such a missed opportunity...


So overall, this is NOT my favorite CK book by far, and imo it's the weakest one in the Heaven's series. There's simply not enough emotional depth between MC's, very little spicy scenes 🌶, and the mystery felt eternal towards the end. I will not be recommending this one, unfortunately.

Happy reading! 📚
Profile Image for E C.
143 reviews
September 16, 2024
I don't know where to start with why this book was so bad. There is such minimal character development that it was a struggle to finish this. The FMC, Harper, obsesses over every event and categorizes it as either good or bad luck and lets superstition run her life. She has the personality of wet cardboard and only talks about cookie flavors as she is a baker and that is all she has going for her. The MMC, Garrett, has even less personality. It's not often I find the hero to be so boring, but Garrett literally has no depth to him. He is the straight and narrow law enforcement hero and is a single dad. Then, just throw in insta-love and voila. I'm not sure these characters met more than once before they were already madly in love and having a kid together. Sorry, but throw in the surprise pregnancy and insta-love tropes within pages of each other and I'm out. It really felt like the author was completely out of ideas and didn't want to write this book but had to because it came across as incredibly uninteresting with no tension, mystery, or semblance of anything interesting romance or plotwise.
Profile Image for Shanna Simpkins.
200 reviews24 followers
July 9, 2025
Thank you Claire Kingsley, for this ARC!

Wow, WOW. This is my favorite Haven brothers novel, for sure. It was so freaking ADORABLE. I was giggling and kicking my feet the majority of the time.

OWEN?? Are you kidding me!!! 😭

The suspense, the romance, the plot. I was totally enraptured from page one and literally finished this nov in one day because I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. I HAD to know what was going to happen 🏃🏼‍♀️

Claire does it again. 5 stars, 10/10.

But like, now what do I do with my life?
Profile Image for Monika.
1,428 reviews48 followers
September 2, 2024
Temptation Trails is the third book in the Haven Brothers series. Garrett Haven is a single dad to his 14-year-old son, Owen. Harper Tilburn is the new baker in town, taking over her aunt’s bakery. For Garrett, Harper is perfect from the moment he saw her in the bakery. Harper believed that she has had a string of bad luck after accidentally breaking a mirror nearly 7 years ago. Even when she is stood up on a blind date, because the sheriff’s deputy cancels because of work is proof. Owen works off some shenanigans that he got up to in Harper’s bakery, giving Harper and Owen time to bond. Garrett couldn’t get Harper out of his head, and as he is trying to investigate a cold case of a murdered girl, Harper and Garrett end up together pretty quickly. What is unexpected is that the killer is still in Tilikum and it seems that he has his sights set on Harper.

Temptation Trails is addictive audiobook from beginning to end. It felt like a Claire Kingsley novel. The suspense plot was well thought out and believable as it unfolded about who is the killer and why. All the characters were well developed. The romance between Harper and Garrett is pretty quick as Claire Kingsley explores love at first sight, which grows as they get to know each other. Harper’s and Owen’s relationship is gorgeously written as Owen becomes protective over Harper. I love how Garrett melted for Harper. He definitely fell first and it didn’t matter to him that Harper thought she was unlucky or her freaking out over things. Their communication was mature and realistic for what they had to talk about.

Jason Clarke and Rose Dioro were fire! They narrated this quirky, romantic, and suspenseful book in an engaging way. Jason Clarke can absolutely narrate dark characters in a way that gives me chills! I highly recommend the audiobook! Overall, I loved being back in Tilikum, with the Havens, and Garret and Harper’s romance did not disappoint!

Thank you to Claire Kingsley for an ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

TW: stalking, talk of murder/serial killer, negative relationship with family, absentee parent
Profile Image for Sandy (Sandy.Reads).
901 reviews491 followers
September 5, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 (3.5)

If you’re looking for a palate cleanser that mixes suspense with romance, Temptation Trails is a solid choice. I really enjoyed the small-town vibes and most of the characters—they felt warm and engaging, the kind you want to spend time with.

That said, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’ve read something very similar before, even if I can’t pinpoint the exact title. It gave me a bit of déjà vu. Also, the FMC’s habit of saying “sugar cookie” instead of cursing pulled me out of the story more than once. it just didn’t land for me personally.

Overall, a good read that scratches the romance itch while offering a touch of mystery, even if it didn’t fully blow me awa
Profile Image for Davy.
473 reviews3 followers
September 14, 2024
His reaction ruined it. Also the story needed to build with actual clues rather than hair standing up tingly feelings 💀. Miss sugar cookies was such a doormat when it came to her mom and sister, super lame. That kind of negativity would have me considering going no contact... like why expose your child to that... also jack threatening Garrett with leave based on fucking nothing 💀 and harper started to doubt him too... like girl back your man... damn
Profile Image for FANCHON.
808 reviews25 followers
September 14, 2024
Owen is the real MVP in this book 😍

This is book three in the Haven Brother series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. It’s written in the same small town and with the same characters as the Bailey Brother series, but unlike that series there is not an overarching storyline that continues throughout the series. Each book can be read on their own. And you don’t have to have read the Bailey series (though I definitely recommend them). This series is written in a different style than that series, as the author has moved onto her small town romantic suspense era. There’s none of the steamy spicy spice from her previous series, and if you’re a fan of the author you’re familiar with the change, but she definitely still maintains the swoony romance. Frankly, the plot and emotions definitely outweigh the lack of smut. I know, I’m shocked I said those words too. Although to be clear- it’s not chaste either. They **do** make a baby when he bangs her against the wall the first time he shows up at her house. Sooo… there’s that 😂

This time we have Garrett and Harper. Garrett Haven is the mostly straight and narrow Haven brother, a police officer and single father to the greatest 14 yo ever. In prior books we had glimpses of his awful wife, but in this book she is long gone and never to return. No ex wife drama here. Harper is new to town, coming to help her aunt by taking over the bakery. And you know how those aunts love setting people up! 😉 She’s quirky and sweet, and absolutely convinced she is months away from finally ending a seven year curse for accidentally breaking a mirror.

The real winner in this book is Owen. This kid is everything. He meets Harper after shoplifting cookies from her bakery, and they develop the sweetest relationship. He is the best kid. Seriously. What teenager goes out to buy their own “Big Brother“ shirt when they find out their dad’s girlfriend is having a baby? This kid! He’s such a good kid, and I love the relationship he has with everyone. I may have shed a tear or two over his sweetness. When he asks to call Harper Mom?? Instant tears, no shame 😭😭

The suspense was on point imo. I was invested, but not to the point of anxiety (sometimes suspense tropes are rough for me that way 🤷🏻‍♀️), and I had no idea how it was going to go. There was just enough “maybe it’s this person?” to keep me guessing, but not so many it was annoying, and the “whodunnit “ didn’t seem implausible.

Overall, I think this is my favorite of this series. Maybe due in large part to Owen. That kid ❤️
Profile Image for Victoria.
429 reviews329 followers
September 13, 2024
This small-town romantic suspense was so fun! I really enjoyed the development of the relationship and romance between Garrett and Harper. Garrett is a single dad, and deputy sheriff with no time or desire for dating but that changes the moment he meets Harper. She is new in town taking over her aunt's bakery and their connection is instant. Harper has been plagued by a bad luck curse for years so she doesn’t have an interest in dating either but they can’t stop their desire for each other.
The suspense aspect of this story was super interesting it deals with a cold case and Garrett thinks the killer is back and coming after Harper!
This was definitely my favorite in the Haven brothers series so far and I am so excited for what Claire has in store for the rest of the brothers.
Rose Diorio and Jason Clarke were perfect for the audio!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
🏡Small town
🧑‍🍼 Single Dad
🚓 Law-enforcement Hero
🩵 Instant Connection
🔪 Suspense
🍪 Quirky Heroine

Thank you Claire for the ALC
4.5/5
Profile Image for Emma.
157 reviews1 follower
October 20, 2024
Much better than the last one. Y’all know I love a surly man who swears off women until he meets ✨ the one✨ The suspense plot line in this one was 😙🤌 it actually had me surprised. Now was I supposed to be reading another book yes but I had to close the Haven brothers chapter for right now. Overall a lovely silly book but the first one has still got to be my favorite
Profile Image for Quetzalli.
148 reviews9 followers
January 30, 2025
La trama de la historia era buena, pero creo que el libro se centro mucho en la trama policial, que en el romance. Sentí que el enamoramiento entre los protagonistas fue muy rápido y forzado y por eso no logré sentir la química entre ellos.
Profile Image for Mel ☕️.
172 reviews9 followers
June 23, 2025
such a great small town romance with its a crime subplot! loved every moment of it 🤩
Profile Image for Brittany De Sousa.
273 reviews12 followers
August 30, 2024
A big thank you to Claire Kingsley and team for the ARC!

I couldn’t wait to dive in to Garrett‘s story! He’s been present in so many other books in the series that I was looking forward to getting to know him and his son better. Harper was an unknown, but such a joy to discover.

This book definitely continues the slightly darker theme Claire Kingsley has been doing in her latest small town romances. Garrett is trying to solve and old murder and is convinced that the killer is at large again and is targeting Harper. He will do anything, and I mean anything (👀) to keep her safe.

I genuinely thought I knew who the killer was, but I was shocked when the true killer was revealed! Claire Kingsley never fails to impress, and I love how, looking back, all the clues were there.

Being back in Tilikum was like coming home. I’ve been following the Bailey Brothers and now the Haven Brothers series for years and it was nice to catch up with the squirrel protection squad and Mavis Doolittle. It was also nice to have cameos of past characters such as Levi and Logan.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Harper and Garrett, but I also loved seeing Harper’s relationship with Owen, Garrett’s son. Owen is such a sweetheart and I love how the author incorporated genuine Gen Z lingo. I’m glad she included explanations, because some of them had me confused 😂

So many scenes had me laughing my ass off - Garrett gets called to quite a few squirrel shenanigans, and we also see scenes with all of his family.

What an amazing continuation of the series ! I can’t wait for you all to read it when it comes out on September 12.
Profile Image for cátia .
638 reviews148 followers
September 22, 2024
ok i think they're my faves right now!! idk there's just something about garrett and then about harper and their personalities and their chemistry that i just loved it and was obsessed!! there was a few moments i was like "hm this is going too fast for my liking" but at the same time i just love them and even tho there's a killer on the loose and garrett is trying to get him and he thinks the killer is now going after harper there's a twist and it was intriguing and fun so overall claire kingsley books just give me cozy vibes with mystery in it and good banter and family moments that i just love ugh!! then owen?? please that kid is my fave! he deserves the world, the way he was connecting with harper so cute and so wholesome my little family! i seriously need luke to have the next book but if it's theo im not mad about it ansjsk but i really want luke's 🤭
Profile Image for Jodi - JodiReadsnListens.
1,265 reviews50 followers
September 1, 2024
✨Audio Review✨
Oh, Sugar Cookies! Temptation Trails by Claire Kingsley was a sweet, witty, and suspenseful romance that had me on the edge of my seat, smiling, and happy sighing from start to finish. I’ve loved every Haven brother, but Garrett Haven just took the top spot as my new favorite. His grumpy, broody single dad goodness mixed with Harper’s bright ray of superstitious sunshine was magnetic, swoony, and meant to be!

Rose Dioro and Jason Clarke perform the audiobook in dual narration, embodying Harper and Garrett to the fullest. (Seriously, I’m obsessed!) Rose’s soft, melodic voice offered the perfect amount of paranoia and passion for Harper as she conquered her “bad luck curse” and gave in to her desires for Garrett. Plus, every time Rose said “Sugar Cookies,” I couldn’t help but smile. Jason’s deep, growly timbre encompassed every bit of Garrett’s man-obsessed, protective, and dedicated demeanor perfectly making him simply irresistible to Harper. Rose and Jason were also seamlessly flawless in changing their tones to match each character’s voice. (So much talent!) I also loved the undeniable chemistry both narrators created between Harper and Garrett.

Overall, I LOVED this book. If you are a fan of a small-town suspenseful romance with a hot single-dad town deputy, a devoted new baker, being stood up on a first date, cold cases, delinquent teenagers, swoony makeup first dates, creepy teddy bears, sacred hair chair chats, teenage bonding, hilarious family banter, squirrel encounters, steamy times, unexpected surprises, drunken confessions, mysterious packages, dangerous truths, and a HEA that will tempt your heart in the best ways, then you will love Harper and Garrett’s story. I always look forward to more from Claire Kingsley.
Profile Image for Amanda.
251 reviews1 follower
February 6, 2025
I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did!
Garret Haven is the deputy Sheriff & a single dad, reliable, extremely good looking & he doesn’t have time for dating.
His Aunt Louise sets him up on a blind date, he bails out & leaves her sitting alone at the bar due to a case at work.
Harper is new in town, a baker & there to run her elderly aunts bakery.
Garrets son Owen, steals from the bakery. When he finds him at home with the stolen goods, he marches him to the bakery to face his actions & meets Harper for the first time, his blind date that he bailed on & can’t believe the instant attraction he feels, that he never feels & is instantly gutted that he missed their blind date. Something else he has never felt before.
Harper is extremely superstitious & broke a precious mirror from her gran 6 years ago & has had bad luck ever since & convinces herself when meeting Garret that is the reason that he bailed on their blind date.
Such a cute story, with a twist & I loved it.
Profile Image for Maram Elshwaf.
53 reviews8 followers
January 3, 2025
What a way to kick off 2025! This book isn’t just a story—it’s an experience. It nails the perfect balance between heart-pounding romance and a crime mystery that keeps you on your toes.
The twists? Absolutely wild. I didn’t see them coming, and they had me turning pages like my life depended on it. The characters bring all the fire, and the plot keeps you guessing until the very end. It’s the kind of read that pulls you in and doesn’t let go.
If you’re looking for something that delivers all the feels and keeps you hooked with suspense, this is the one to grab.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,139 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.