It's a definite read for those who love holiday season and Christmas-y books. This was my first time reading a hallmark book, Mason and Lyla reminded me of "the hating game" couple. well written banter between the two characters, the enemies to lovers sits well with the story's set up.
however, I couldn't really connect with the characters, humor was the fun part but it was too fast paced for my liking and I couldn't feel the chemistry. Fantasy really did throw me off...so a no go-er for me.
I would recommend this one to the truly devoted Christmas lovers, the ones who enjoy fun banter, fantasy mixed with romance.

This is a fun holiday office romance novel. It is not too long which is always appreciated. Thank you to #netgalley and the author for the advanced readers copy of the book. It started out a bit slow then picked up. This book reminds of a hallmark Christmas movie in a good way. For a delightful quick holiday romance pick this one up.

A sweet Christmas romance with some unique takes

The Naughty or Nice Clause tells the story of Lyla and Mason - co-owners of the Toy Company that has been in Lyla’s family for generations. Lyla is not happy with Mason’s involvement as not only was his involvement unexpected as she believed she would receive his shares but because she doesn’t agree with changes that Mason has made to the business.

Starting off as a workplace, enemies to lovers with a similar vibe to The Hating Game, the story turns towards Christmas after Mason requests Lyla to accompany him home for the holidays in exchange for her involvement in a fire related accident during the company Christmas party she threw against his wishes. Lyla agrees but doesn’t expect to be magically transported to his hometown Yule, or as we know it - The North Pole, let alone to be introduced as his fiancé.

Yule, the story of the Klaus family, and the infamous workshop offer some unique and delightful takes on some traditional beliefs. As Lyla and Mason spend more time together and she learns more about his past and the place he has come from, they grow closer and she starts to see beyond his gruff, curmudgeonly exterior. The characters were relatable and enjoyable to read. I’d have loved to see a little more of the story as it ends a little abruptly and to have seen a little bit more between Lyla and Mason as their romance grew.

You might like this book if you’re a fan of: Hallmark Christmas movies, grumpy/sunshine trope, enemies to lovers romance, sweet romance with a tiny bit of spice, The Hating Game, The Love Hypothesis

I saw many people raving about this book so I was so excited to read it. I love a good Christmas book! And fake dating!!! With gummy/sunshine!! I was so looking forward to this book being my next favourite, but it just didnt hit the mark for me. The pacing felt too fast so I wasnt able to be excited for the characters. I did end up skimming majority of the book, but I had to stop it at the 70% mark. I couldnt even wait for the characters to get together. In the beginning, he basically kidnaps her to the North Pole?? And she pretends to be his fiancé but there was no chemistry between them, I wasn't rooting for them to figure out their feelings, nor were there little moments where I was squealing hoping they'd finally get together. Overall I just didn't really enjoy the book.

This was a fun and quick read, good for anyone looking to get into the holiday spirit. I loved the Christmas vibes of this book, and the hate to love dynamic between the main couple, combined with the fake dating antics, were a lot of fun. While I thought the resolution of the third-act conflict was a bit rushed, it didn’t detract too greatly from my overall reading experience.

It’s not Christmas without some cheese and a little spice and this book did not disappoint. It had my fav enemies to lovers, fake dating and grumpy/sunshine tropes. I could not put this book down and read it in one sitting. It would make such a cute tv mini series too. I would say film but wouldn’t want to rush it too much'!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book, I’ll definitely be adding it to my festive collection.

this book has every romance trope combined into one. enemies to lovers? check. fake relationship? check. grumpy guy and sunshine girl? check. this book is the perfect romance book for the holidays. i thoroughly enjoyed reading and the pacing was great; i was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happened next.

The Naughty or Nice Clause

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book 54/55 2022

The Good

🎄 This story has really got me feeling festive! It was sweet and quaint with just the right amount of Christmas magic.

❄️ The story has a similar plotline to The Proposal, one of my favourite films - but with added Christmas!

🎅 The change of setting around Chapter Five threw me completely but in the best possible way - maybe I should have seen it coming, but I suddenly went from finding the book dry and unexciting to enjoying a full festive experience.

The Bad

🎁 As I mentioned, the first few chapters were not holding my interest at all. With no in-depth background given as to why the two main characters disliked each other so much, the fact that the dialogue was so aggressive from the very beginning was off-putting

🦌 The book definitely follows a very familiar trope, with many stereotypical romance novel plot devices as well as being pretty cheesy. Although because it is a Christmas romance novel I can forgive it all of that - all the best Christmas Hallmark movies are predictable and comforting in the best way, just like this book.

🥀 One scene was definitely very familiar from a certain movie involving a book-loving Disney Princess and her rescuer.

Overall this book achieved what I wanted it to - it was cute and Christmassy, and I now want to join Mason's family and live in Yule!

3.5 Stars

This was a cute and unexpected fun read. The story begins with a normal grumpy/sunshine trope, but when Klaus is actually a part of the Santa Clause family (yes, THE Santa Clause), the book takes a magical turn.

Pros: Fun and easy read, with a great overall reading page length. The couple is cute right away. The magical family (Ms. Clause and Kevin) are great.

Cons: While a fun magical story, the rules for the magic change so often as we learn that Lyla is an outsider to the magical village. It seemed like things were just happening. It has the normal romance climax and decline. Lastly, not major but the main character's last name is Smurfit and I really dislike that last name, I'd love to see that changed to not sound like a smurf.

Overall good book, I recommend reading in December as cute and fun holiday read with a magical element.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


This book was cute. It made me feel all Christmassy-- I just wish there was a bit more of it, as it ended rather too abruptly for my liking.

A definite book for anyone who enjoys Christmas. And the different spin on the whole Santa Claus thing was well done

This was a quick and surface level Christmas story that I think had a lot of potential but mostly fell flat for me. The book felt more like a script for a holiday Netflix movie - heavy on the dialogue and Lyla’s internal thoughts, but breezing through details that would have expanded the characters and made the story more substantial. If you’re looking for some simple, cute Christmas magic, this may do the trick.

This was a very whimsical holiday read. The blend of realism and magical realism was nice and perfect for a holiday romance. There was a tiny amount of spice. Recommend for a magical, whimsical holiday romance.

This was such a fun holiday read! Everything you want in a holiday romance. 🎄 I read it in a day, staying up way too late to finish it. I’ll definitely be adding this one to my regular rotation for this time of year. Great cover, too!

This was so cute!! It was a great, quick read if you are looking for a fun and frothy story for the holidays!!!

Thank you Kate Callaghan for my review copy! All thoughts are my own.

If you’re looking for a romcom that has low fantasy vibes, I think this will fit the bill! I was surprised by the world building and it made this feel different from all the other holiday romances I’ve been reading recently. It felt very grounded and fun., while also including some tropes that I am obsessed with.

Synopsis:

“When Lyla’s father retired as CEO of the toy company which has been in their family for generations, she was meant to receive his shares. Instead, she discovers the company is bankrupt and her father has given her shares to Mason Klaus, an investor known in the corporate world for his cold and callous nature. Much to Lyla’s frustration, her only option is to run the company with him, despite their evident loathing for one another.When Mason cancels the annual Christmas party, Lyla throws it anyway – only for the event of the season to result in a terrible fire. With the offices and Lyla’s credibility ruined, Mason offers her a deal: he’ll forget her part in the disaster, but she must join his family for the twelve days of their Christmas holidays.Taken to a fantastical winter wonderland, Lyla hopes that she might discover some of the secrets Mr Klaus is hiding, and maybe even a way to get her company back. However, when Mason introduces her to the secret village as his fiancée, she is horrified to realise she has no choice but to go along with the pretence – because the cost of bringing an outsider to their magical land is far too high.” —StoryGraph

What I LIked:

The Premise + Setting—This book is kind of like The Santa Clause 2 but in a Rom Com form. I thought Yule was fun and charming and I liked the magic system they had in place. It’s sure to get you in the holiday spirit!

The Tropes—Fake Dating! Grumpy/Sunshine! Christmas Lover/Christmas Hater! All ones that I love. I wish there had been a little more depth to the characters’ relationship but the tropes were breezy and fun.

What Didn’t Work:

Pacing—Everything wasn’t that well developed so it felt rushed and slow at the same time.

Character Authenticity: 3/5 Spice Rating: 1/5 Overall Rating: 3/5

Content Warnings:

Grief, loss of a parent, estranged parental relationship, allergic reaction

This was sadly not the book for me. My first reaction was that the writing was a slouch to read, and I had to go back and re-read a lot. The story itself is cute and fine, but I think it’s for a different audience than myself.

First and foremost, I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC!

We all have that one boss that no matter what we do, they turn into the Grinch. That’s exactly who Mason Klaus is.. or so Lyla thinks…

When Klaus “takes over” Lyla’s family toy business; she sees him as controlling, cold and just downright against Christmas. Afterall, it makes zero sense as to why somebody who could hate Christmas if they are in the toy business.

When a letter comes for Klaus from his “distant” family… Lyla finds her cold hearted boss in a state of loneliness and a bottle of scotch.

Armed with the knowledge that Klaus is not a bad guy; Lyla takes it upon herself to not only take Klaus home safely, but to start changing her perception of the man who is in total control of her company.

Late in this novel you will see what you will deem as the antagonist(Klaus) return back to hometown to take care of some major family problems but under false pretenses…

With Lyla and Klaus… what could possibly go wrong… or in this case… what could possibly go right?

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 -what a cute Christmas read! Lyla and Mason Klaus are co-CEOs of Lyla’s family business, and they hate each other. When Lyla ~ accidentally ~ throws a Christmas party after Mason canceled it, he gives her one way to make it up- go home with him for the holidays. of course, his home is the North Pole, and to be allowed in, Lyla must become his pretend fiancée. Can Lyla convince Mason to take up the suit, therefore getting her company back, or will she fall in love with the magic of Mason’s family and hometown? this book got me in the Christmas mood, but found it to be almost too predictable- it felt like several famous Christmas movies all rolled into one. Pick this one up if you want a quick, cute rom com filled with magic and Christmas fluff!! a big shout out to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter for this copy!!

The descriptions and vividness of the North Pole were the perfect Christmas mood booster to help get me in the festive spirit. A relaxed and fast paced enemies to lovers and also some found family which is a trope I LOVE!! So festive and heartwarming! I wish I was there with the cafes and gingerbread and reindeers. Also plenty of subtle lgbt+ rep and diverse characters to mix up the traditional clause family. Big win!

I had fun reading "The Naughty or Nice Clause." Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved the atmosphere and world building that the author created, the winter wonderland vibe was spectacular. I really appreciated how well grief was depicted in a realistic and very honest way. I loved the side characters, Mason's siblings were delightful. I appreciated that there was LGBTQ and disability representation in this book. I didn't feel much of a connection between the main couple, and I would say that despite the title Clause was neither naughty nor nice.