Trick or Treat

Treats to Tempt You #4

by Serenity Woods

Treats to Tempt You, Book 4.

A fun and sexy “marriage of convenience” romance.

Fox Wilde loves working at Aqua Blue, his seafood restaurant in Doubtless Bay, New Zealand. But when he lands an interview for head chef at the famous Rutland’s Restaurant in Auckland, the opportunity to work at the exclusive hotel is too good to turn down.

At the interview, the head of the family-run firm makes his old-fashioned standards very clear. Put on the spot, Fox mistakenly invents a fiancée, and then compounds the problem by giving the name of his sexy but volatile friend, Caitlin. Now, Fox has to work out how to convince Caitlin to go along with the ruse and come with him to meet the Rutlands on Halloween.

The last thing on Caitlin Baker’s mind is a long term relationship. After years of putting up with a strict father and a jealous, possessive ex, she’s desperate for some freedom and independence. So when the impertinent Fox announces their sudden engagement, she’s tempted to tell him to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.

But Caitlin has a secret. She’s had a thing for Fox since the first time she met him, ten years ago, at another Halloween costume party. Fox doesn’t remember her, luckily, as her father ended their steamy clinch with a thermonuclear meltdown from which Fox barely escaped with his life. She feels she owes him. But that entails pretending they’re a couple, which means sharing a room. And that’s never going to end well.

Warning: Contains fireworks. Read with caution—preferably while wearing safety goggles. Adults only.

The Five Treats to Tempt You are:

Book 1: Treat with Caution
Book 2: Treat her Right
Book 3: A Rare Treat
Book 4: Trick or Treat
Book 5: A Festive Treat

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Halloween, M F Romance, Contemporary, Anthologies, Friends To Lovers

Unknown Binding

First published September 21, 2014

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Serenity Woods writes feel-good romances full of friends, family, and falling in love. Most of her stories are set in Godzone, aka Aotearoa New Zealand, where she lives.

Reviews

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trick or Treat is book four in the Treats to Tempt You series by Serenity Woods. Ms. Woods is a new to me author. I was looking for one more Halloween themed romance for the season and happened on to this. It was a gamble since I haven’t read any of her books previously but this is most definitely one of those times when I won the gamble.

Caitlin Baker first met Fox Wilde ten years ago. She was an innocent sixteen year old, desperate to get out from under her very strict father. And Fox was two years older. Their time together was magical until it was horribly interrupted by Caitlin’s very angry father. Now, ten years later, fate has brought them together again although Caitlin is sure that Fox doesn’t recognize her.



Caitlin lives in a small town in New Zealand. She and some of her best friends have opened a coffee shop called Treats to Tempt You. She loves her life here. It’s been a year since Fox came to town. He opened his own restaurant near her shop, Aqua Blue. He soon became part of the group and they all frequently gathered at his restaurant. Their relationship consisted of constant banter. Sort of a love/hate relationship.

Fox Wilde’s dream was to open his own place. And with lots of hard work, it’s been a wonderful success. His father left he and his sister when they were little. Now, his father is somewhat back in his life and his father has set up an interview for Fox at a very prestigious restaurant in Auckland. If he was to get the job, it would propel him to the highest ranks of his profession. The hotel, though, is owned by a close knit family and at the interview they tell Fox that they prefer their employees to be married or in a committed relationship. So Fox blurts out that he and Caitlin are engaged. Now all he has to do is convince Caitlin to go along with it. They have invited them both to come back to the hotel for Halloween weekend to meet the entire family and attend a costume party.

“Remember, you’re here to impress the Rutlands, not to seduce me.”
“I don’t see why they’re mutually exclusive. I happen to be very good at multi-tasking.”



Fox can’t deny his attraction to Caitlin. Their conversations regarding love, commitment and marriage have given him much to consider. He is determined that this weekend will be more than just pretending. He is determined that she will be his for the weekend. They are consenting adults, right? So why can’t they have a fling while they are in this beautiful hotel. Then, if he gets the job, he will move here and she can go back home. But you know that it won’t work out that way. Long hidden feelings emerge and they fall hard. This would be the job of a lifetime. So how can Fox ever decide what to do? The woman he has fallen for lives four hours away.

“Do you think there could be something between us?
“I think there already is. The question is, what do we do about it?”



I had no idea what to expect when I started this book since I had never read this author before. I have to tell you that I just loved it. Little by little, I fell more and more in love with these two, especially Fox. By the end, he had me wrapped around his little finger. I completely understood his reactions to things given his past experiences. And Caitlin was just so perfect for him. She just got him. And these two had some serious chemistry going on. The fog up the windows kind of chemistry.



This was the perfect addition to my Halloween romance reading. I’m so glad I found it. I definitely want to add book five of this series to my Christmas reading, A Festive Treat. Any of this series can most definitely be read as a stand alone since I started out on the fourth book.

[Lyndy Ann ♫ · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW I loved that prologue, while reading this I could not wait for either Caitlin or Fox to confess first. While reading the previous books in this series reading between the lines I knew something had happened in the past between Caitlin and Fox and now I finally know what.

Since Caitlin has opened Treats with her friends and spending time with the group everyone gets on great together except for the Caitlin and Fox their relationship is rocky at the best of times and nearly always ends in arguments.

Fox is a Chef with a fiery temper and has a chance at working in one of the best hotels even though he owns his own restaurant. He needs a new challenge so Fox lies in the interview telling them that he is engaged the only name he can think of is Caitlin so when they invite him for a weekend and a Halloween party with his fiancé he has to ask Caitlin to "marry him".

Caitlin agrees to do this for Fox as she feels she owes him for what happened in the past. What is going to happen when they have to share a suite and there is only one bed. Will they be able to resist the attraction or will they finally give in to temptation and have a weekend fling of hot hotel sex.

Will Fox take the job?
Will Caitlin confess?
Do these two have a future together?
So many questions.

I have really enjoyed this series and getting to know all the gang and their stories of how they all became couples. I will be reading more Serenity Woods in the future.

[Tina "IRead2Escape" · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hotness Rating 3 out of 5

Review to come...

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just realized that I have owned this book since 2016 and have yet to review. Naughty on my part so I need to rectify this oversight. Serenity Woods is too good of an author for me to not review it.

First of all, even though this is book 4 in the Treats to Tempt You series, it, like every other book in the series, can be read as a stand alone. And you should read them all in any order you can.

This book is about Fox Wilde and his little lie. Fox is the chef and owner of a fantastic seafood restaurant in Doubtless Bay. He is in Auckland for an interview for a position that is just too good to pass on. (We all have certain places we would love to work at and give up everything to do so.) The position is at an exclusive high end hotel in Auckland and the family run business expects their employees in certain positions to be married or engaged to be married. Fox isn’t married nor he is in a relationship where he is ready to be engaged. But that little white lie slips past his lips and he says he is engaged to Caitlin.

Now, Fox really does know a Caitlin and she can be a bit demanding. But oh boy is she super sexy and enticing to Fox. Now he has to find a way to get Caitlin to go along with this little white lie and attend a function with him and meet his prospective new employee on Halloween. And it will take a fair amount of convincing on his part.

Caitlin has no apparent desire to be in a relationship at the moment since she has dealt with a strict father for years. And she is finally rid of a possessive, jealous former boyfriend. After all girls just want to have fun. So when Fox announces their “engagement,” she isn’t too happy.

But both Fox and Caitlin have unacknowledged feelings for each other which might explain why her name came out of Fox’s mouth when he needed a fiancee. Can they both let themselves actually admit their feelings? And let the past go and admit they might actually make this little lie a reality?

Like all of Ms. Woods’s books, her characters are funny, vulnerable, explosive, sexy, in other words, human. And people we would love to hang out with and get to know and call friends. A huge part of the draw for me for Ms. Woods’s writing is her description of En Zed and how it weaves itself into the storyline.

[A Hopeless Romantic's Booklandia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never read Serenity Woods before, but I decided to read Trick or Treat because I needed a book with the fake dating/friends to lovers tropes. When I saw that it checked those boxes and that the synopsis interested me, I thought, why not? And I’m really glad that I did find Trick or Treat since I enjoyed this book so much! It was fun and awesome and I am for sure going to check out Serenity Woods again!

If you know anything about me, then you probably know that when I told I read the synopsis, you can most likely guess that I actually only skimmed instead and you would not be wrong. I absorbed just enough to know a few things, but what I didn’t find out until I was reading, was that the hero and heroine are almost frenemies in a way. They belong to the same friend group and they are friends, but they definitely banter and drive each other crazy which — hello, huge banter lover here — I was totally here for! I just loved seeing the heat between Fox and Caitlin build and explode and watch their relationship grow.

There was so much to love about Trick or Treat, but one of the things that I loved the most was how there was a bit of a secret between Fox and Caitlin and while it’s not hard to get me very frustrated with characters for being so worried that the secret will come out before they’re ready and they’re freaking out about it — I didn’t experience that with this book. Obviously, I wanted the secret to come out, but we weren’t constantly beaten over the head with it and of course, while I had my comments on it when it was mentioned, I didn’t get annoyed like usual. Fox and Caitlin talked about it when all was revealed and that... was... awesome! I loved that they communicated both then and when they realized they wanted to try for a relationship even though they didn’t know how everything was going to work out. Trick or Treat was fantastic, amusing, and I am so looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series!

~ Sonja, 4.5 Stars

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fox and Caitlin's book was another great addition to this series. I love the fake relationship trope, so I was really excited when I found out this would be the plot of their book. Fox is going for a job interview at a fancy chain of hotels ran by a family. The interviewers want someone with a 'family man' image, so he lies and claims Caitlin is his fiancée, and she reluctantly agrees to play the part.

This book felt slightly different to the others in the series because neither of the characters had a super tragic backstory, so the tone was a little lighter and more comedic, which I enjoyed. Also, there was more of a slow burn element to this, and a push/pull between Fox and Caitlin, where she resisted his advances. I really liked the banter and hate/tolerate relationship the two had, and that made for some really explosive chemistry.

I don't usually go for second chance romances, but this wasn't typical of the genre and I loved the slight mystery element surrounding their actual first meeting, and trying to guess if Fox knew the truth. The whole engagement ring thing was super sweet and romantic too.

This might have been my favourite of the series so far!

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Passion and Shame
Fox has the opportunity to make it big in his chosen career. Head chef at a prestigious hotel in Auckland, exposure that would make him famous, possibly in the future he might have his own TV show and all without the responsibility and hardships associated with running a business. The only trouble is his prospective employer likes his staff to be married or in a stable, long-term relationship. Fox, who works an 80 hour week and has little time for anything more than the occasional one-night stand, panics at this point in his interview and says he is engaged to Caitlyn (the only single female in his group of friends). His solution is to persuade Caitlyn to be his pretend fiancée at a weekend gathering, hopefully get the job and then weeks down the line say the relationship has broken down because Caitlyn is not prepared to move from the Northland. He and Cait have a volatile relationship and he doesn't find it as easy to persuade Cait as he had hoped and the weekend doesn't go as expected. A fun and sexy read with strong language from the outset.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Passion and Shame.
Fox has the opportunity to make it big in his chosen career. Head chef at a prestigious hotel in Auckland, exposure that would make him famous, possibly in the future he might have his own TV show and all without the responsibility and hardships associated with running a business. The only trouble is his prospective employer likes his staff to be married or in a stable, long-term relationship. Fox, who works an 80 hour week and has little time for anything more than the occasional one-night stand, panics at this point in his interview and says he is engaged to Caitlyn (the only single female in his group of friends). His solution is to persuade Caitlyn to be his pretend fiancée at a weekend gathering, hopefully get the job and then weeks down the line say the relationship has broken down because Caitlyn is not prepared to move from the Northland. He and Cait have a volatile relationship and he doesn't find it as easy to persuade Cait as he had hoped and the weekend doesn't go as expected. A fun and sexy read with strong language from the outset.

[Jackie Human · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another beautiful story

This is book 4 of 6. I have enjoyed every single one. They can be read as standalone books, or if you are like me, read them in order, that way you get to meet up with characters from earlier books and learn a little extra about where they are now.
I loved Fox and Caitlin. Both hard working caring people. Fox is chef at his own restaurant and Caitlin works with 3 friends at Treats to tempt.
The story picks up from a one night stand many years ago. I won’t spoil the story but you won’t be disappointed.
Serenity has that knack of describing characters and places so you feel like you are there. I also loved Fox that there is no unnecessary angst. You still get the highs and lows you would expect and the all important HEA.
Great book, lovely characters, all the emotions. Well done Serenity ❤️

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable

On reviewing books I don’t dwell on the storyline as the author and company do it very well. Rather I want you to know my thoughts as I read the book and this one tugged at my heart strings and had a real life feel to it. Written with good insight it has everything I expect from a good novel that is love, romance, lust, steam, emotions and humor to round it off. This one has it all with the added pleasure of good editing and not relying on digital spell checking. 4.5 Stars from me and worth every one!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

They met on Halloween and never forgot the other. It's 10 years later and they've known each other again for the last year. It takes all of that time and a potential job for them to get together. Will they stay that way or is it just convenient for the moment? Why didn't they get together in the year after they encountered each other again?

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, steamy well- written story by a reliable author, this book was an enjoyable read all the way through. Serenity Woods creates interesting but always decent characters that are a joy to spend time with. Fox and Caitlin sparred a lot at first, but they deeply cared for each other and developed a nice trusting love.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Halloween treat

They met on Halloween and never forgot the other. 9 years later they meet again and it takes a year and a potential job for them to get together. It was their own heads that kept them apart for a year.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fireworks from beginning to end between Caitlin and Fox. A fake engagement leads to spending more time together and the rest is history. I love the vulnerability of the male protagonist. Another great book from Serenity Woods!

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten years since he met a young girl at a Halloween party, she had a strict father, and thought that was the end of it. Now ten years later, they both think that the other doesn’t remember that meeting. They have a sensual chemistry from the first and the fake engagement he needed, was so much more.

[Kelly Fountain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!! Fox and Caitlin have a history that no one knows and they’ve both held onto those feelings for ten years. When brought together by a weekend away and pretending to be engaged, those feeling come bubbling to the surface. Now choices have to be made. To stay or to go?

[Sherry Burney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness I absolutely loved this book. I was so looking forward to Fox's story and this book did not let me down. I loved hearing about their past connection and how sweet Fox was even then. Caitlin and Fox are perfect together and so glad they finally got together!

[Tuakana Toka · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sizzling treat.

This was my favourite of the Treats to Tempt You series. It goes to show that despite the past you know it's probable to reclaim it in the present and make it happen. Fox and Caitlyn were sizzling hot.

[Debbie Duncalf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outing #4 and this is a brilliant story of Fox and Caitlin, who are thrown together when Fox needs a pretend fiancée when he applied for the job of his dreams.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Fox and Caitlin's story! These two have a history that no one else knows about. Caitlin feels she owes Fox so she poses as his fiancee to help him. Really good book and enjoying this series!

[Tressa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the relationship between Fox and Caitlin in Trick or Treat.  I wondered how they’d work through their conflicts and appreciated how they made their choices.

[Bobbi Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from Serenity Woods

The gang is back and another couple get their story told. Always lots of fun and plenty of action. On to book 5!

[Tanja Glavnik · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's just something about when the two leads talk things out and don't make it all about the drama that makes my heart sing.

Another winner!

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge - A book about or set on Halloween (starts and ends at a Halloween party 10 years apart)

[Mandi Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely, hot, and romantic. Loved the development of the relationship and had a great ending.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fox is such a hunk; he is the good, bad boy that we all love. Caitlin is so giving, loving and beautiful, she is the perfect fit for him. Great story.

[Mrs MJH Compton-Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant enough reading but a bit too obvious how it was going to end.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the friend group aspect of this book

[Kim Lockett · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was well written, but such a slow burn. It says it's a friend's to lovers, but they are more enemies than friends.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

So fun!