When you have a Christmas themed book, which is always leaning towards a "Hallmark movie' feel, the idea of a enemies to lovers rom-com set within the Christmas theme brought me right to wanting to read this book. Kate Callaghan wrote exactly the right humor within this book for a laughing through most of the character interactions. You can completely understand the initial animosity between Lyla and Mason, both really want the same thing but want to achieve it in entirely different ways. Lyla, as a driven woman who wants the company to succeed, keeps employees as the center of her focus, which is something that I appreciate in her. Mason, as an entrepreneur, focuses on the finances to be able to keep the company moving towards staying as a going - concern. If they took time to listen to what the other one said, half the initial chapter communication errors would have been solved. And what a communication set of errors! All of which are totally recoverable and addressed throughout the rest of the book.

I love Mason's family and Lyla's cat - all of whom add to the humorous interactions; and I have to say, thank you to Kate for not leaving the cat behind in the house. That little detail adds joy to my heart because sometimes the beloved furbaby is left behind (on accident), but still...

What I love most about this book: A unique thought that even the Clause family has needs and expectations, which Mason initially resists, and the fact that his siblings are so typical that it was hard not to laugh at their interactions. Having my own children helped me sympathize with Mrs. Clause, which I know brought a depth to this book that wasn't only about Lyla and Mason.

What I would have liked to have different: Nothing.

Thank you to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had so much fun reading The Naughty or Nice Clause!If you’re like me and you’re someone who loves Christmas and Hallmark movies, this is the book for you. You get to experience a new take on the North Pole and Santa Clause and it made me so happy. Throughout the book you get to learn about Yule and also experience all of your favorite Christmas activities like building gingerbread houses and the beautiful decorations. This book made me want to make some hot chocolate and start setting up my Christmas tree.

The Naughty or Nice Clause is packed with a bunch of my favorite tropes so if you love these as much as I do, I highly recommend this book!
- Enemies to Lovers
- Slow-burn
- Fake Dating
- Small Town
- Workplace Romance
- Forced Proximity

Aside from the joy of Christmas and the tension from the romance, we also experience some tougher emotions that give our main characters their depth. Both Mason and Lyla experience grief and tough family dynamics in their own ways. As sad as it was for our characters to go through those things, it also made them dynamic and imperfect which always make me love characters more.

If any of this sounds good to you, please pick up The Naughty or Nice Clause. The world building alone makes it worth it! I know I’ll be buying a physical copy as soon as possible.

This book was a very fun surprise.

At first I thought it was just going to be a cute workplace, Christmas romance but my shock when I realized (good shock).

This book has all my favorite tropes, workplace (sort of) romance, fake dating/fake engaged, forced proximity and secret identity. I liked it as much as I did because it was different from the romance books I normally read (the plot).

Who doesn't want to find out they've been teleported to Yule on the North Pole, THE place where Santa lives? As someone who loves Christmas, probably not as much as the main character though, I'd love to go there

Kate Callaghan’s The Naughty or Nice Clause is a fun Christmas romance centering on Lyla Smurfit and Mason Klaus, with a little magic thrown in. The book is overall lighthearted, although I must give a trigger warning because Mason’s father has just passed away. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially as it helps me get into the holiday spirit. I am excited to hear there will be another Yule standalone book next year and cannot wait to read it! Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you are looking for a cheerful Christmas feel this would be a good pick!

This one lands somewhere in the middle for me. There were things I liked and some that I found not working for me.
* I liked the side characters, especially Kevin. The closeness of the family was adorable. I did not like the drama that one particular person created.
* I liked the setting. I loved all the surprises that came with traveling to this special place, about its meaning and connection to Christmas Eve. Nothing to fault there. Perfect!
* I liked the banter between the main characters. I believed in their connection. I did not like the "hot then cold then hot again" attitude from MMC.
* I liked the overall message of the story about family heritage and the responsibility that comes with it. I did not like that throughout the story one or the other was blindsided.
* I liked the happy ending but was disappointed with how fast everything unfolded. I wish there would have been a few more pages to explore the conflict, and reveal the purpose of all this happening in the first place (invitation to come along, secrets revealed, commitment, etc).

Overall, if you are looking for a light holiday read, I suggest you give this a chance!

The Naughty or Nice Clause
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 11/8/22
Author: Kate Callaghan
Publisher: Independently Published
Pages: 237
GR: 3.73

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Kate Callaghan and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed the magical spin on this magical Santa Clause story with a twist of romance. This follows the enemies to lovers trope and it is done very well, one of my favorite tropes, and I enjoyed the way this one was done. It is endearing how subjective reading is. While some reviews were not positive, I still really enjoyed this book and would read other books by this author. I thought it was a cute, magical Christmas story. The story is narrated in third person, not from a specific person, although the majority of the time, it appears to be through Lyla’s eyes. I thought Lyla and Mason had a cute connection, chemistry through hatred at first, then through passion. Lyla is strong, independent, and sees the world through a traumatic lenses. Mason is your typical Scrooge, strong, and has earned a reputation of cold and cruel. The characters were well developed with depth, witty banter, chemistry, creatively built up, and the supporting characters, especially Kevin (Mason’s Brother) were amazing. I hope there are some spin offs from the side characters, or even the backstory on Mason’s family’s business. The author’s writing style was complex, crisp, evolving, passionate, and kept me engaged. I love Christmas and especially Christmas Hallmark Movies and Christmas books and this was no exception. This book releases today and I recommend picking up!

Not my favourite book but a lot of people will really love it. I will give it 4 stars even though it wasn't really for me. Try it and I am sure you will enjoy this.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

fun book and good characters. Liked every minute of it this joy ride. My first by this author and enjoyed this book alot.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an ARC of the book!
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I have to say I appreciate the authors efforts but unfortunately this was not my cup of tea.

The naughty or nice clause was not a favorite for sure this month, I disliked it in so many ways!

There was hope, and so much potential! Enemies to lovers, small town, magic vibes, and fake engagement!! But the main female character basically spends her time with the male's family pretending to be his fiance while he's busy working?

He's forcing her to lie after sweeping her off to the middle of nowhere? He saves her after she gets lost in the woods and a pack of wolves find her in the snow? There is so much trauma here from this book.

The writing style was good but the plot and the characters ruined it for me.

Unfortunately, I don't recommend. You could definitely do without reading this.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick perfect-for-the-holidays read. There were things I really liked about it (the entire idea of there being a town like the one described, the reason for the fake dating, Mason’s family dynamics, traveling by bell) but there were also aspects that didn’t really work for me (Lyla’s way of managing her business and then her constantly second guessing herself, Lyla and Mason themselves were characters I struggled to like, the lack of character development, no real chemistry between the characters besides a very basic attraction based on looks). I think many readers will enjoy this story but something was missing for me to really like it (I think it was an issue with the main characters, that I just never really liked them enough to care about them.)

first of all thank you to netgalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review!

i thoroughly enjoyed this book. it was everything i needed especially for this upcoming holiday season. it was quick and witty and all of the characters were so loveable even when they made you want to strangle them. totally recommend!

A tale of frost and cheer with an enchanting twist, the Naughty or Nice Clause is set to win all the Hallmark loving hearts this season.

The setting of Yule was the land of Christmas dreams, its magic coming to life with charm and beauty and all that unmasked holiday joy. Callaghan’s fresh interpretation on gift giving and the mystery of Klaus was exciting, and I loved the way these mild fantasy elements enhanced the spirit of the season.

Most notably, amidst all the wonder and cheer, I appreciated the space given for grief to roam as it brought Lyla and Mason - and the rest of the Klaus family - closer together. The comfort Lyla was able to provide, and the love and healing that was found through it added an additional depth to this otherwise lighthearted narrative. With its series of sweet moments, bittersweet interactions wrought with banter, and low-key drama, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Yule. I only wish the pacing would have allowed a little more time spent with the Klaus family and witnessing Lyla and Mason break the bonds of their fake engagement and fall madly in love - especially with how swiftly the end resolution played out. That said, the world building and magic totally won me over and I will definitely be ringing the bell for my return trip next holiday season!

Riddled with all the classic Romance tropes, this slow burn has been carefully crafted into something that is warm and cosy, with a generous sprinkling of gold dust, and it’s all just a chime (or click) away!

I received an advanced copy of this book thanks to the author and NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review. 3.5⭐️

I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute Hallmark-ish story. A quick read with some fun characters. Although I definitely didn’t hate it, it wasn’t my favorite. I enjoyed the characters and the idea of the story. However, I do feel like there were some pacing issues and the ending seemed quite rushed. The romance wasn’t as solid as I would have liked. But again, it’s a cute and quick read.

Thank you Netgalley and Kate for the arc!

Fun, fast, and festive! My first holiday read of 2022 and it did not disappoint! Callaghan gave us a modern and interesting twist to the Santa Claus legend and boy, did I eat it up so fast.

Read this if you like:
- Fake dating (engagement)
- Enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Slow burn
- A little bit of spice 🌶️
- Christmas vibes
- Fantasy/Magical elements

This book read like a cute little Hallmark Christmas movie, so if you like those, I definitely recommend The Naughty or Nice Clause!

Thanks to Netgalley and Kate Callaghan for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: November 8, 2022

Read this one in just a few days! This is a fun little holiday romance; not my most favorite but definitely got me in the mood for Christmas. 🥰🎄 the setting of Yule is perfect for those Christmas cozy feels and I did like the slow burn between the main characters. However, I felt the end was super rushed compared to the rest of the book and would’ve preferred a little more content there and less in the middle. 3.5/5 for me on this one ⭐️

The Naughty or Nice Clause is a quick, festive, and charming little Christmas novella. This book has a plethora of some of the best romance tropes: fake dating, enemies to lovers, grumpy x sunshine, even small town romance. The banter between Mason and Lyla was really fun. I also really enjoyed how Mason’s family was very sweet and welcoming to Lyla almost immediately.

This book does require a bit of suspension of disbelief as it contains a touch of magical realism. It’s also a bit cliche and predictable, but what holiday romance isn’t? If you’re looking for a Hallmark movie in a book, this is the one for you!

Ever heard of a hot Santa Clause? Well,here ya go!! Grumpy-sunshine at it's finest! Lyla works at her grandfather's toy company and Mr. Klaus is a 51% stake owner. He hates Christmas and even cancels the company's Christmas party. Lyla defies him and plans the party on her own. Little do they know that this will change their lives forever. This is like a grown up fairytale and a perfect way to get into the Christmas frame of mind.

This was a brilliant, quick, festive read that transported me to a very Christmassy place and put a big smile on my face.
Both Lyla and Mason were inherently likeable characters; both had their own flaws that made them relatable and human, and yet both were charming and endearing in their own way. The chemistry between them jumped off the page from their first fraught interaction, and it was great to see them in different settings, and see their relationship tested in various circumstances to see how things grew between them quite naturally. There was also just the right amount of sexual tension and spice in the book for me.
The premise of the book itself is unlike anything that I've come across in the past, and I think it would made a great movie. I really enjoyed being able to imagine myself in a North Pole setting that had drama and darkness surrounding it, as well as the sweetness and light that the season inevitably brings. I also absolutely loved the idea of how the North Pole works in this book - it's such a fresh way of imagining the Christmas spirit and it really resonated with me as a concept.
The family that resided in Yule were endearing and I wanted more of them than the book was able to give with its speed and brevity. I'd welcome a wider series that encompassed the whole family in more detail, because I found them all charming and welcoming as characters. They gave purpose and depth to what would have otherwise been a fluffy Christmas romance story.
This was a perfect way to kick off the festive period. It really got me in the mood for the season and I enjoyed each page while I was reading it. If I hadn't have started reading this so late at night, it definitely would have been a one sitting read, that's how much I enjoyed it!

At first I wasn't expecting to like this book but I ended up Loving it! I loved all the characters and the town. It was one of the best Christmas Books Ive read in a long time!

Thanks to Netgalley and Kate Callaghan for providing me with an eARC in exchange for a honest review.

The story is about Lyla Smurfit, whose great-grandfather had his own shop making toys. Her father took over the company, and when he retired he sold the shares of the company to Mason Klaus. Ever since Mason took over half of her family’s toy company, she has hated him. Now they co-own the company. And to top it all off, Mason has cancelled the office holiday party. Lyla decides to defy Mason, and throw a secret party. Things happen, and the party leads to a fire in the office. Mason wasn’t happy that Lyla went behind his back. So to make up for the accident, Lyla agrees to spend the holidays with Mason and his family who lives in Yule. When she arrives there, she learns the truth about Mason, and his family.

This was actually my first holiday book of 2022, and I really wanted to like this book. I feel like holiday books are usually a hit or miss, and for me it was neither one nor the other. This book contained all of my favorite tropes; fake dating, enemies to lovers, small town romance. In my opinion, the romance parts felt a bit forced and unnatural. It was too fast paced, and I felt like a lot of the scenes were rushed. It was still like reading a Hallmark movie in book format! I loved reading about Yule and Mason’s family. It was definitely giving Christmas vibes, and I’m slowly getting into the Christmas spirit.

Favorite quote: “I can’t exactly picture Mason climbing down the chimney. His designer suit wouldn’t stand the test.”