This was a really fun, quick read! I enjoyed both of the main characters and their chemistry together. The take on the North Pole was very interesting and unique. The ending was just a little abrupt and I would have loved to read more of the main characters together, but this was a nice slow burn with a good build up to the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

This was not the Christmas romance I was expecting. And not in a good way.

First of all, I was quite pleasantly surprised with the fantasy aspect of it all. Though, that is my fault as I didn't read the genres properly, and went into this thinking I was getting a spicy romance. However, I was not disappointed with the fantasy aspect. It brought a bit of a magical Christmas feel to the story. The little village of Yule seemed sweet and like something out of a hallmark movie.

However, I didn't enjoy the writing. I thought it was quite bland and it didn't provoke much emotion from me. I think this is what made it difficult for me to enjoy the story and the "romance" aspect. I felt no chemistry between Mason and Lyla. And, can I also just mention - what kind of surname is Smurfit?!

On that thought regarding Mason and Lyla, the first line of the blurb on Goodreads is, "Being Naughty Has Never Been So Nice!"
How inaccurate this statement is about this book is unbelievable. This book was not "naughty" at all. The readers have to wait until the book is almost over to read one smut scene that was very underwhelming. It was not worth the wait.

It took me much longer than I anticipated to finish this book, and by the end, I, unfortunately, didn't feel it was worth it.

This is a cute holiday read! I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it! I would recommend it for a fun December read to my friends for sure though as I think it’s a quick one to read and December is always a good month for a cute festive holiday read like this one! At times I found myself getting a little bored with the story line but it made me laugh and the characters were quite likeable in my opinion!

The Naughty or Nice Clause is the story of two business partners, Lyla and Mason Klaus, as they struggle to navigate the fact that Mason purchased 51% of the company shares from Lyla's father and fights at every turn. Is he really the grinch he acts like or is there more behind those dark eyes?

After going against his wishes when it came to the company Christmas party, she finds him less than sober in his office. She leaves her employees unattended in the office to get Klaus home safe and while she is gone they accidentally set fire to the office. In his anger about the fire, he makes her promise to accompany him back to his family home so he is not alone,

When they arrive, unconventionally, Lyla meets his family and begins to see an entirely different side to him. Is this a side she could possibly understand better or even love?

This is a story of love, magic, family, and loss. It will hit you right in the Christmas cheesy love feels and I could completely picture this as a Hallmark Christmas movie. It was cute and a quick read.

I was hoping for some more character development. Some of the way the love story was happening seemed a bit out of place and I felt like the passion could have been explored more. Klaus was a likable character and definitely would have like to see maybe from his point of view. The ending was also a little rushed.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

If you have been around for a bit, you know romance is not my favorite genre but I am a sucker for a good holiday romance AND an enemies-to-lovers trope. The characters were wonderful and I especially enjoyed getting to know Mason's family members.

It is a predictable plot, but it is still heartwarming and cute. There is also even a little spice scene . Lyla and her cat Jones were a fun pair and even though Mason's emotions sometimes gave me whiplash, it was a fast read and perfect to get me in the mood for the upcoming winter/holiday season.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and Kate Callaghan for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this whole spin on the Klaus family and hope that we get another book set in this world.. hint hint the younger brother... The depth of the world building really made it all work for me.

An absolutely lovely Christmas story.
Grumpy boss theme with a true holiday-spirit twist!

Cute and romantic slow burn- but I do think that calling it "adult" is a bit much...
Not even a kiss before 70% in...

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book tells us the story of Lyla, the CEO of a toy company. It all starts when his "associate" Mason forbids her from celebrating the Christmas party with the entire company and clients. Seeing this, she decides to do it on her own at the office without being aware of everything the party will entail.
When they're having the party, she goes to the offices to get one of her things and discovers that the lights in Mason's office are on. She walks over, thinking someone has snuck in there, but the last thing she expects to see is a very drunk Mason.
Lyla has no choice but to drive him home because he can't tell her his house address. The next morning, Mason shows up at her house telling her that there has been a fire in the office and she will have to do what he asks now.
From that moment on, they moved to a magical world where everything is possible, and the spirit of Christmas is the greatest thing.

An interesting and perfect book for the Christmas season. It is perfect if you like an enemy to lover and he fell first.
A novel that shows us that Christmas isn't just a gift but all the people around us and that we don't realize we have it until we lose it.
A book about overcoming the death of a family member and also about overcoming and confrontation the loss. Also, how a new person in your life can change everything completely.
We also see how the characters evolve, mainly Mason. Mason's little brother, Kevin, has enchanted me, in the moments when he seemed he was a character with a lot of joy and light.

Oh yes, I love stories in which the Christmas village plays a big role.
Especially when the protagonists fight more at the beginning than is good for them.

The book is funny and also makes you think that life is too short and sometimes you just have to give in.

I also want to be able to travel by bell.

Sweet very well described story in a great setting that sometimes presents the protagonists with an adventure.

Have fun reading!

Kate is the only author that could make me break my “no Christmas before thanksgiving rule” and be excited about it. This book was everything I wanted it to be, it was cozy, witty, and relatable. Plus there’s a little spice tucked in there for added measure. I love Lyla and found her to be such a great character, her love for Christmas and her families legacy was heart warming. Mason took some time for me to warm up to but he proved to be the perfect grump in this book and by the end I was completely on his team. The supporting cast was a lovable hoot, there was only one character I wanted to throttle. (If you know you know) The world building was perfect, exactly what I would expect if a fantasy author and hallmark had a baby! I loved all the little details, the magic bits thrown in, and the way it all tied together. The concept of Christmas in this book is so unique I adored the concept and loved the execution. Definitely pick this up if you like •fake dating •enemies to lovers •sunshine grump• and a slight miscommunication.

A holiday book only for those that believe in that Christmas 💫MAGIC💫!
Mason Klaus is the grumpiest co-CEO of Lyla's family toy company. So grumpy that Mason actually cancels the company's Christmas party! Lyla finds a way to make sure the party still goes on but it ends with a fire in their building.
Mason tells her he will forget about the fire if she will go home for the holidays with him. In his words, "a buffer" for his family. What could possibly go wrong?
When Mason introduces her to the secret and magical village as his fiancée, she has no choice but to go along with the story - because the cost of bringing an outsider to their magical land is far too high.
Like I said, this is only for the biggest Christmas fans because there is a hint of magic in this story🎅

First, thank you to Kate Callaghan and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

I won't lie, this wasn't my favorite book. From the beginning, I was lost. I felt like I had entered into a story that had already been going on, so I had no idea where the story was taking place, what events were transpiring, and so on. It was a lot of push and pull in terms of setting and how the plot progressed.

There was also a major lack of chemistry amongst the two main characters, which was off putting. The fake dating is right up my alley, but this story just didn't hit that trope like a nail on the head. It was difficult to follow their "love" that they developed for one another, as it all seemed too forced and unloving, which was what made this story not my favorite.

In the end, the story was tied up poorly, as well, which made for a story that didn't stick with me much.

As for the title - incredibly creative! I loved the idea behind clause/Claus/Clause and how the play on words was perfect for this book. Just wish I enjoyed the story itself more!

A grumpy executive Klaus takes the lead at a toy company and finds himself in conflict with the third generation co-owner Lyla, fraught with tension. After a very odd evening, Lyla finds herself whisked away to a new a land and you can guess where that may be...

Thank you to Netgalley and CallaghanWriter for the ARC - this was a fun read, very much escapist in times for the holiday. Family drama, relationships, competition, local politics, and of course holiday spirit.

I wanted to enjoy this and was in the mood for a Christmas romance but just couldn’t connect to this one. I know it isn’t really about the business but as someone who works in retail I found their discussion so clunky it was like people just saying “business business business” and then weird clunky almost banter occasionally? This just wasn’t for me but others loved it so please don’t let this deter you. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

* I received this arc from Netgalley.

I was so excited and am so grateful to have received this arc! Enemies to lovers is definitely one of my favorite tropes, & throwing Christmas cheer into it as well - got me VERY interested!

I thought the writing was beautiful, I really felt like I was watching it as a movie in my head. The only thing I would critique would be that while there was all this build up the whole story through, the ending felt rushed.

Other than that, I really enjoyed this! What a fun, cute, quick read. Definitely got me in the Christmas mood!

This was a super cute holiday read. It has a lot of my favorite tropes - found family and enemies to lovers, and had great characters to boot. I liked this one quite a bit!

Lyla’s family has owned the toy company she works for for generations. She has a lot of dreams about what to do with it, but Mason, who owns the majority of the shares, vetoes all of her ideas. He’s taken on the company to smooth out its finances, but his methods leave Lyla with steam coming out of her ears. Their banter positively sparkles and even when they’re arguing they have great chemistry.

When Mason gets a letter from home, he convinces her to go back with him for Christmas. He hasn’t been home in a decade and wants a buffer between him and his family. Oh! Did I mention there’s fake dating? Once they arrive, all manner of hijinks happen, and between comedic moments the book just feels so Christmas-cozy! There is a bit of magic sprinkled in to give this a light fantasy flair, plus enough levity to balance out some of the heavier topics.

I definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for a quick, funny, and cozy Christmas read!

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded down ~ thank you to netgalley for providing an ARC of this book! as my first christmas book for the year, the story was super cute and i loved the spin on the typical christmas themes we grew up with. the reason for rounding down was because i felt their was a lack of chemistry between the main couple and not only the chemistry, but the plot seemed rushed. i wish more details could've been added to help strengthen the connection between the couple and given more substance. as an enemies to lovers

Thank you to the Publisher, author, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review! I loved this holiday romance! It was everything and more… I loved oh it was evenly cute and spicy… I had never read Kate Callaghan before but I will definitely be looking for more of her books in the future! Such a solid read

The Naughty or Nice Clause was the perfect book to start off my Christmas reads (a month early) haha I loved all the magic and how the author took the Santa Claus tale and made it her own. I freaking loved Mason’s whole family and how they accepted Lyla with open arms. The relationship between Mason and Lyla was super rocky to start with and they didn’t really trust each other until 70% into the book, but that’s what made their relationship more believable.

I really liked the uniqueness of this book. Most holiday romance books feel the same after a while, but this one definitely was unlike anything I've read. I enjoyed that it was a contemporary Christmas book with real magic. I will have to say though, that the story and dialogue felt a little jumbled at times. Especially with how wishy-washy Mason and Lyla were towards each other, I couldn't truly tell how they really felt at first because one second he was nice and normal and then suddenly snappy and arrogant. But, all in all this story is definitely great for that added magic around the holiday season. A very fun read!