I really enjoyed this story. It is a wonderful warm well written Christmas story. Great characters and interesting story line. The perfect read for the long dark nights. Recommend

This book is The Hating Game meets The Santa Claus. I think that it was a super fun book if you are looking for something that is a true Christmas romance. This isn't just a book set during Christmas, it is a book about Christmas. It was a sweet story and easy to read, but I wish the plot line would have been a bit more flushed out and the romance developed a bit more. The romance kind of came out of nowhere for me, but overall I would recommend it for someone who wants a quick holiday read!

This review is based an ARC I received.

I really enjoyed this fun spin on a holiday romance. I thought it would be a typical holiday contemporary romance but was pleasantly surprised with a small touch of magic. This book is perfect for all the hallmark movie lovers out there. Just be warned it is a slow-burn and left a little to be desired on the spice.

The Naughty or Nice Clause was a fun and magical Christmas story. Lyla and Mason star in this enemy to lover trope, which also incorporates an office romance. Mason holds the title of Scrooge, while Lyla is strong and self-assured.

I’ll be honest – I had a hard time getting into this book, which was provided to me via an ARC by NetGalley. While it had some moments of sweetness, there were also many unrealistic parts that I had a hard time believing.

This was the first book I have read by this author and the concept had me very intrigued! I am a sucker for anything Christmas so I was quite excited for this book.

It had a really solid start- I love enemies-to-lovers and it being centered on Christmas had me hooked. But I feel like the story almost fell apart, especially at the end. There were some "fights" that felt very rushed or didn't flow very well. I also feel like the entire last 10% of the book was almost glossed over. The paperwork problem felt very rushed and overblown, as well as the ex kidnapping Lyla and her being sent back to the real world.

The very ending seemed off to me which was disappointing because this book had a lot of potential and I can tell a lot of creativity went into the writing, but the final scene fell very flat. I just didn't like the (again) rushed buildup of Lyla deciding if she was going to return to Mason, only for him to show up anyway and they reunite. I really enjoyed this book for about 75% of it. Still a cute story, but slightly disappointed in its outcome.

If I was rating this book based on the first chapter alone this would have been a five star read. I would absolutely agree with almost all of the reviews of this book - this is a Hallmark movie but in a book, with all of it positives and negatives. It has all of the Christmas charm, the well loved grumpy sunshine trope and the enemies to lovers trope (the 2 chapter enemies kind), found family and a bit of magic. With the classic stilted dialog and under development relationship that somehow always seemed to happen off page leaving you feeling like you missed something. The author wasted a lot of time on developing the magical part of the story, and I felt that the character growth and character relationships suffered for it.
But with all of that it was a fun time and a nice Christmas read worth checking out.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Lyla works for a toy company. Her CEO father just retired, giving his shares to grinchy Mason Klaus instead of her to save the company from bankruptcy. When her prohibited undercover Christmas party turns to disaster, Mason makes a deal with her: spend the 12 days of Christmas with him and his family, and he will forget about the role she played in it.
This was a grumpy sunshine, enemies to lovers, Christmas romance with a touch of magic, great character development and chemistry, filled with witty banter. The ending felt a bit rushed, but if you are looking for Christmas magic, this is for you!
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A nice little Christmas romance that is a good bit of escapism.

Honestly a lot of it was a bit difficult for me to suspend disbelief for and the ML confused me a lot. It's not the greatest romance novel I've ever read but it certainly wasn't the worst and I loved the Christmas theme.

I was very intrigued by the concept of this book. The audience follows Lyla, partner at a toy factory, and her sworn enemy Mason Klaus who happens to own 51% of the company that she so desperately wants to control. One night, at the company Christmas party (that she threw without his knowledge), someone nearly burns down the office. In response to having to deal with this issue that he had no part in, Klaus makes one request--that Lyla comes home with him for the holidays. Suddenly Lyla is caught up in a magical winter wonderland, trying to figure who exactly this man truly is.

This books had enemies to lovers, it had dysfunctional family, it had magical elements. All the ingredients for success in a romcom. That said, I ended up a little disappointed. I didn't feel much towards the main characters, and the story moved way too fast in the beginning for my liking. I wish there was a little more set up in the village before Lyla and Mason became friends seemingly way too quickly. Mason's anger was honestly a little frightening--I would have left way before Layla did.

Overall though, this was a good story. The imagery in the village was amazing and again, the concept was unique. I think I would recommend if you're looking for a light holiday read.

I absolutely loved this Christmas fluffy romcom. Exactly what you expect and what I needed.
It was great to have a spicy scene and it wasn’t overdone.

Bought a paperback copy right away

-The Naughty or Nice Clause-
4.5/5 ⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐.✨

The Naughty or Nice Clause is a cute but spicy with a hint of fantasy holiday romance that made me swoon. Lyla and Mason are made for each other.The enemies to lovers aspect was so nicely done. And the magical spin was just cherry on top of this story. This book was perfect to read on a wintery night , with a cup of hot chocolate in your hand. Swoony and charming, with a hint of spice.

Arc provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a solid 4.5 stars for me. I loved everything about this story- the tension of their rivalry, the slow burn descent into lovers, and especially the magical take on Christmas and The North Pole and Santa Claus. The only thing I wish could be different, was that I felt like end of the book wasn’t as strong as it could have been and I would have loved a little bit more in terms of story/fleshing out there- even an epilogue would have done the trick. Otherwise, it was an overall great story and I loved it! Mason and Lyla were great characters and I loved their chemistry.

Forced Fake dating
Enemies to lovers
talk about grief/ loss of a loved one

If you are looking for a Christmas book with a unique take on Santa's Village and light romance and extra light spice then this book is for you. Honestly, it reminded me of watching a Hallmark Christmas movie.

While I enjoyed the story line and felt the book was easy to read, I do think there could have been a little bit more romance. One of the things I was hoping for while reading was Mason's POV, I feel it would have added more to the connection between the characters.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and the way the author created a different world for Santa's Village and the role everyone played.

I couldn’t put this book down.

I love a good enemies-to-lovers storyline and managed to devour this book within two days.

Who doesn’t love a grumpy, strict boss who offers to take care of the Christmas party fire mishap if you go home with him to face his family he hasn’t seen in ten years? Only to be whisked away by the ringing of a bell to a magical winter wonderland in a world you never truly knew existed.

I was sucked right in. I needed to know more. Who was Mason Klaus, really? Was his dad really Santa Clause? Was Mason slated to be the next Santa Clause? Why did he want Lyla to go home with him when they weren’t even workplace friends? I needed answers!!!

An ongoing tension between Lyla and Mason kept the story interesting - a kind of will they or won’t they - with a bit of spice toward the end.

I loved this story from start to finish, and you will, too, if you like:

☃️Workplace Rivals
🎄Christmas stories
❄️Enemies to lovers
🎁Fake Engagement
✨Magic and mystery

Thank you NetGalley and Kate Callaghan for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Cute Christmas themed story, with a Hallmark feel. A lot of magic just as in most Hallmark movies but definitely liked this book to get into the Christmas holiday.

The Naughty or Nice Clause by Kate Callaghan is a ready-made Hallmark movie. It follows Lyla Smurfit and Mason Klause as they go from being co-heads of her father's toy company to an unexpected relationship.
The book is not something I would typically read but it is well written, and I stayed interested until the end. The book does wrap up quickly as some other reviewers have noted but this is not unlike Hallmark movies so the audience that this book targets will not be surprised with a quick wrap up.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Lyla loves Christmas more than most and wants to celebrate despite her grinch of a work partner. When things end up in disaster and he asks a favour of her she reluctantly says yes. What happens surprises them both.

This was such an adorable Christmas book, it reminded me of a hallmark movie. The characters are so fun and cute and you feel sucked into the world. The magic of the story is captivating and I’m kind of sad I didn’t get to read this over Christmas break.

I was a little put off by the ending, as it seemed to happen very suddenly and didn’t really give a satisfying conclusion to the main character.

Overall, if you’re a fan of cheesy Christmas cheer you will adore this book.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Kate Callaghan for this eARC ❤️ This book gave me so much christmas spirit, and believe me when I say that it is the perfect christmas read!

~ A bit about the book ~

«There’s only a slight difference between hate and passion» Sam says. Sam Is Lylas best friend in the company, a company that should be hers, but that she now have to share with the grumpy, grinchy and condescending Mason Klaus. After Lyla without permission from Klaus throws a christmas party that goes wrong, she owes him a favor. He wants to bring her home for the holidays, because he don’t want to face his family alone. But Klaus’s family is not a normal family, and the village he comes from is not a normal village, and suddenly Lyla is in a christmas dream with her worst enemy. Or is he really?

~ My review ~

I loved this book, I love the development of Lyla and Masons relationship and their banter was so funny! The book really gave me so much christmas spirit, and the playlist in the beginning of the book was perfect! The twists and turns in the story was well-written and surprising, some of it was a bit predictable, but not a lot. I easily started to care about the characters, and i enjoyed both the dramatic, funny and magic parts of the story! This book was never boring, with a dramatic gingerbread competition and a surprising villain. No matter if you love christmas or have problem getting the christmas feelings, do yourself a favour and read this book!

Favorite Quote: “I want to be with you. Today, tomorrow-even if I have to wait until Christmas every year, it will always be you.”

Synopsis: “Being naughty has never been so nice!” Lyla finds out the toy company her father owned went bankrupt. Even worse, her shares have been given to Mason, an investor who Lyla can’t stomach. When she finds out Scrooge, AKA Mason, has canceled the yearly Christmas party she throws it anyway, resulting in a fire. Mason offers Lyla a deal: to forget her part in the disaster she must spend twelve days with his family for the holidays. Lyla was not aware she was joining the holiday festivities as Mason’s “fiancé”. She must go along with the shenanigans to avoid paying the price for being an outsider in the magical winter wonderland.

Reader’s Thoughts: “Who doesn’t like being kissed? Even if it is by a Scrooge who brought you here against your will, and it was only to shut you up.” The Naughty or Nice Clause was full of sexy, slow burn romance. This enemies to lover novel had me hooked from the very beginning. The banter and steam within had me rooting for Mason and Lyla. I enjoyed the slow burn, allowing the reader to enjoy the novel, not feeling as if the storyline was fake, rushed, or unrealistic. This was a great kick off to the upcoming holiday season giving me all the feel-good holiday vibes. Thank you, @NetGalley and @callaghanwriter for providing me with a complimentary review copy. In no way has that influenced my voluntary review.

Available now in eBook and Paperback
⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️

Meet the Author: Kate Callaghan released her debut, a young adult trilogy, in 2020. She is also writing adult romance and fantasy. She loves dark tales, villains, and happily-ever-after. You are sure to find a happily-ever-after in all of her books. Chatting with her readers and getting to share many different stories is her favorite part of being an indie author.

A nice and entertaining mix of fantasy and rom-com, it made me smile and I had fun.
It's well plotted, the world building is well done, and I rooted for the characters.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine