3/5

Overall, this book is a 3/5 romance. However, if you need a cute book around Christmas, then it is a 4/5.

I read this book on Christmas and it was a great Holiday read.

This book spins traditional Christmas and Santa themed stories in a unique way. The village at the North Pole is a town called Yule. Santa and the Clauses do not deliver toys. There are more than 1 sleigh. No elves in sight. Add a bit of magic.

This is a traditional enemies-to-lovers and fake-dating story. The romance was rushed but the setting and surrounding characters were well thought out. Kevin (the younger brother) was especially charismatic).

You could see the 3rd act conflict from a mile away. It was predictable and was resolved in another predictable way. It reminded me slightly of a Hallmark movie.

I think this book has a lot of potential and was worth reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would round this up to 3.5 stars.

I liked the premise, the characters, and the plot. The whole different idea of what “Santa” represents and the village was great.

I think I had some issues with the short background we got between the love interest in the beginning. I would have liked more of a banter/ interactions in the beginning of the story.

Also the lack of epilogue and abrupt ending left me feeling the book was unfinished. I would enjoyed learning more to their relationship after the end.

I enjoyed the enemies to lovers aspect, but I was definitely not at all expecting the magical elements! Mason was 100% the definition of a grump, and I always like a good grump/sunshine story. A fun and quick holiday read!

Super cute! Even though I'd never heard of this author, the summary sounded cute, so I requested this book. It was a fun Christmas read that I would recommend to readers who are looking for something to get them in the holiday spirit.

I really liked the premise of the story and the magical world of Yule. It was a perfect book for the christmas times because the focus was on Christmas and everything it is about. I liked how the relationship developed between her and Klaus' family. However, I feel like there were barely any romance scences and it kind of felt sudden. I would have loved to see how it enfolded and the way towards it but it was more rushed. Because, they hated each other at the beginning, and then they suddenly loved each other although they did not spend much time together in Yule too. Especially, the ending kind of seemed too rushed I would have prefered it to be a bit slower and an epilogue would have been nice to see how the relationship is between them. Nevertheless, it was a nice, fast and enjoyable read perfect for the winter season to get into the mood for Christmas. I would recommend it for the christmas vibes and as a palette cleanser or a light read.

Rating: 4 stars ⭐

Tropes: enemies to lovers 💌
small town 🏡
fake engagement 💍
coworkers 💼

I really did not know anything about this book and it really suprised me! 🎅
This was such a fun Christmas romance book with small town/magic elements.

I loved reading about all the characters and was really loving the romance that unfolded between Lyla & Mason.
There was a good LGBTQ+ representation in the book and I liked reading about the traditions.

I would recommend this book if you like reading a cozy Christmas novella!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*THANK YOU SO MUCH NETGALLEY, PUBLISHER & THE AUTHOR FOR THE ARC*

A beautiful magical take on a contemporary holiday romance.

Tropes- enemies to lovers, fake dating/engagement, small town romance

It's slow and there were moments that really annoyed me.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book!

I ADORED this book!!!!! It was the perfect holiday read!! The storyline and characters were absolute perfection. A book I could read 1000 times and never get sick of.

This was my final book of 2022 and to say it disappointed would be an understatement. It was not my favorite at all and honestly I was glad it was a short read.

This book was so good! It puts a spin on the traditional holiday romance, with an added magical setting. Within the first 20% you’ll find yourself fully immersed into a world full of Christmas cheer. Worth the read for sure, so good!!

This book started off pretty interesting, and I love that we cut right to the chase. But the way it progressed and ended, it sadly fell a bit short for me.

What I liked:

- I liked the whole concept of Yule and Christmas magic, Santa's workshop, how you travel to Yule and everything tied to the Klaus family. It's a refreshing new way to look at Santa Clause's world.
- In terms of scenery and experiences, you won't miss any Christmas magic.

What I disliked:
- Characters sadly felt 2D. Everyone from Mrs Klaus to Natalie. I couldn't begin to get attached to any of them, they just were so superficially touched upon.
- It was utterly predictable.
- But the worst of all was the last ten pages. The ending felt wildly inappropriate. It felt like it didn't even belong in this book. Not only was it fast, which I don't understand why this happens in so many books I have been reading lately, it felt totally out of place for how this book was written. In the end, it really spoiled the whole book for me, bringing it down to 3 stars.

If some of the side characters were better integrated into the story, and were a bit more developed I think it would have made this story a thousand times better, as it would have enhanced the entire feeling you have when you are reading a book like this. Some longer-lasting romance between the two couldn't have hurt either, because then I would be inclined to root for the couple more, to get even more attached.

Lyla and Mason Klaus are complete opposites. When Mr. Klaus cancels the work Christmas party, Lyla decides to go ahead and throw it anyway. When the party results in a disaster, Mason offers her a deal, come home with him for Christmas and he will cover for her. Lyla agrees but soon finds out going home with him is not what she expected.

~ My Thoughts ~

What a great way to end the Christmas season. This one was fun, magical and full of Christmas.
Fake dating ✔
Enemies to lovers✔
Grumpy/Sunshine✔
Small town romance ✔
Forced proximity ✔
Christmas magic ✔

This one had me hooked from the beginning and I read it in a sitting. It gave me all those warm holiday feels. Definitely one to add to your TBR for next year!

This book was such a fresh take on Christmas - I absolutely love how the North Pole was imagined and told throughout the story. I honestly think if I ever have kiddos, this is the way I will describe the spirit of the season - loved it!! The connection with Lydia and Mason was precious and how Lydia developed strong relationships with his family. It honestly was a great Christmas story and one I will remember and recommend!

3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐
Enemies-to-lovers? Holiday Romance? A wolf attack scene plucked straight from Beauty and the Beast? Say no more, I’m in. The Naughty or Nice Clause is equal parts bonkers Santa romance and down-to-earth, low stakes holiday coziness that makes it a great read for this time of year.
Lyla and Mason are co-CEOs of a struggling toy company, and they’ve never agreed on anything. They bicker over finances, office parties, and all the goings on at the company they run. But when Mason gets the bad news that his estranged father has passed away, Lyla is the one there to comfort him and get him home safe. Little does she know, he’s about to whisk her away to the North Pole, where she’ll discover the secrets of Christmas and who Mason’s family is. Surrounded by all that Christmas magic, who wouldn’t fall in love, even if it was with your grinchiest coworker?
This holiday romance was all sorts of fun. At first, I didn’t really love the direction it was going, but once I suspended disbelief and went along for the ride, it was really fun! Lyla and Mason were two genuine characters. We got to see some of their struggles with grief, identity, and family, and their love felt real and genuine. This story was full of dramatic moments (wolves, ex-fiances, saving Christmas?) but at the same time felt low-stakes in a cozy way.
Where it fell a little short for me was in the banter, which is usually my favorite part of enemies-to-lovers romances. It felt a little bit awkward at more than one point. A lot of the flirting felt too forward for where they were in the relationship, while I felt like the actual relationship burned a little too slowly for the plot.
But overall, this was a fun read full of wintery magic, and the characters and world they transported me to were well worth the read. If you’re still looking to cling to that holiday spirit into January, pick this one up! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this review.

While I love a good holiday romance this one wasn’t my favorite. It has fake dating, magical realism, enemies to lovers and a small town romance. Overall, it just fell a little flat for me. I did like the storyline as it was unique and I liked the interring twist but I wasn’t really feeling the chemistry between the main characters. It was very cute and sweet and gave me hallmark vibes. It wasn’t my favorite holiday romance but I would recommend it!

Super cute holiday romance novel. Highly recommend if you love the magic of Christmas and a Scrooge or grinch like character.

The Naughty or Nice Clause is a great Christmas read! Enemies to lovers - one who loves Christmas and one who hates it - great plot for a Christmas book. Would make a great movie in my opinion! Add it to your holiday reading list!

This was a quick, fun holiday read. I felt like I was reading a Hallmark Christmas movie. Thoroughly enjoyable! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Naughty or Nice Clause by Kate Callagan #jaylammreviews

This book was released in early November but I waited until Christmas time to read it, and I am so glad I did. This was such a cute story!

Lyla and her business partner Mason Kause are always at odds! They cannot agree on anything. WHen Lyla throws a Christmas party without Mason knowing, things take a turn and a fire breaks out in the office. Mason gives Lyla a change to make it up to him by going home with him for the holidays...but Mason doesn't have a normal hometown...

This was a perfect enemies to lovers romance for the holidays. It was very cliche and cheesy at times but that is just what I was looking for in a holiday romance. I really loved Lyla and Mason; and also there were some great supporting characters. Mason's family was the best!

If you are looking for a quick fun holiday romance to end the year, this would be just right.

This book was THE perfect Christmas read! I really enjoyed the twists and turns that happened throughout the story especially while in Yule - the beautifully depicted Christmas village! This story had a unique way of the characters getting to Yule, a wonderful and diverse group of characters, a baking competition, a gala, a jealous conniving ex-girlfriend, an enemies to lovers trope - I enjoyed this book so much I’m excited to read some of the authors other books - even though she admitted in her forward that this book was a new venture and a far cry from her other books - the writing is what kept me engaged! Absolutely loved it and would DEFINITELY recommend it to rom-com fans! It’s so cute!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced electronic version of this book in exchange for an honest review.