Kata Callaghan created a story for the holiday season. Switching between two places gave the story that touch of magic we have come to crave from holiday stories. While I enjoyed this switch, I did hope it was transitional and not abrupt. This caused me to lose a bit of the building connection between the characters. Lyla and Mason have a beautiful chemistry that keeps you cheering on them. Overall a cute romance book with a touch of magic!

I recommend this novel to lovers of slow burn enemies to lovers with fake dating and forced proximity!

This book was cute! Definitely a hallmark Christmas movie made into a book, I enjoyed reading. It sat on my Netgalley shelf for a while, I would read a few pages and then go read something else but when I finally committed to reading it, I ended up enjoying it.

It was more of a slow burn. Very little smut which is a plus for me. I don't enjoy reading books with excessive amounts of smut. This story let the tension build for a minute before finally letting Mason and Lyla get together.

The entire story gave me cozy Christmas vibes. Definitely a great book to read to ring in the season!

I have no idea why this reminded me of a movie. I actually liked this story line the fantasy, romance, the mystery of who tried to kill Lyla and who stole the ring I mean we all knew but still fun to try to figure out the town and people. Tis' the season and enjoy this fun read.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Happy Holiday's

The Naughty or Nice Clause is just waiting to be a Hallmark movie this winter! A great book to get you in the Christmas spirit. Unlike many Christmas time romance novels, Callaghan finds a way to bring in heavier topics (ie. death) and still wrap everything up nicely with a Christmas bow.

I will say, it was a bit predictable, but that's a lot of what I look for in a relaxing Christmas time read.

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.

This Christmas novel was a pleasant surprise! A mix of fantasy & romance, I found myself enjoying this unique Christmas story!

After her father retired, Lyla was to be the sole owner of the family toy business; however, with the business in financial crisis, her father gives his shares to entrepreneur Mason Klaus. Forced to run the company together, Lyla & Mason are at each other’s throats! He is an absolute Grinch, even canceling the annual Christmas party. But, Lyla throws it anyway resulting in a disastrous office fire & forcing closures over Christmas. To regain the respect of the company, Klaus offers her a deal-return to his hometown the 12 days before Christmas. Although this request is shocking, Lyla soon realizes Mason needs her to diffuse family drama after his father passing, which left a HUGE gap in the family business.

Whisked away to the North Pole, or Yule as the townspeople call it, Lyla is introduced to a magical Christmas world. But, Yule is governed by a council who doesn’t take to kindly to outsiders, even those introduced as a new fiancé! Lyla is horrified to participate in this charade & uses her time to uncover secrets that could end Mason’s partnership in her company. But, the more she gets to know Mason, his family, & Yule, the more she questions her choices.

I truly enjoyed The Naughty or Nice Clause! I had hesitations when they showed up at the “North Pole” as this setting can be cheesy; however, this was NOT the case here! Callaghan utilized the essence of Christmas to create an alternate version of typical Christmas traditions. In doing so, she was able to utilize the fantasy aspect of her story in a mature, enchanting manner. I loved the enemies-to-lovers trope in this story; add in the fake fiancé aspect & you get incredible banter! My only hang up with this slow burn story was the ending, although heartfelt, was a bit abrupt. I wanted more Lyla & Mason.
This was a unique, sweet, sexy, fantastical take on a Christmas romance!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was way more fantastical than I expected, a genre that I don't care for, so this ended up not being a book for me. I didn't connect with any of the characters, the story felt empty to me and the chemistry just.... wasn't there. I wish I liked this book because it sounded so good, but unfortunately it left me disappointed. So disappointed that I barely remember the plot. And I read it only a few days ago.

If you’re looking for something delightful and light to read during the holidays, this is perfect. It was Hallmark in book form and really captured the Christmas spirit. I really liked the replacement of getting wish/hope dust instead of presents - the idea of that is much more believable than elves making toys and delivering them to your house.

What makes this a 4 instead of a 5 is that there were too many grumpy vibes from Mason for the romance between him and Lyla to be believable. I wish we would have gotten some POV chapters from his point of view in order to dispel some of the angst and learn more about the build up of their relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes books that feature literal magic are somehow less magical than books of a more prosaic nature, and for me that was the case here. Throw in the fact that I couldn't really warm to either main character, and I didn't feel the chemistry, and this fell flat on so many levels. Still I'm sure it will find an audience because this is basically a Hallmark movie in book form and who doesn't love those at Christmas!? (I genuinely do despite this review, but not every one is a winner!)

Awww what a fantastic read. Enemies to lovers and second chances are my absolute favourite. This book didn't disappoint. I fully embraced Yule as I read along, the author really knows how to set a scene. Five festive Christmas tree topping stars for this Christmas with a twist book.

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


A fake dating trope where it's not the female protagonist's idea? Sold.

I really enjoyed the new spin on Christmas magic in this book! I didn't find this book cheesy as it deals with grief, legacy, and genuinely asking oneself what the right next step is.

There is *some* representation, but not with the main characters.

This was a cute way to start on holiday reading. While I didn’t feel the chemistry between Lyla and Mason, the rest of the book was magical.

The circumstances that led Lyla to accompanying Mason to Yule, were not great, but I just loved his family and their legacy. The events leading up to Christmas reminded me of a small town hallmark movie.

While I didn’t really see it between Lyla and Mason, there was some tension leading up to one steamy scene, but otherwise I just felt that they were more enemies than lovers.

The Naughty Or Nice Clause by Kate Callaghan is perfect if you love The Santa Claus movies!

"The Naughty or Nice Clause" is the first book I've read by author Kate Callaghan, and it serves up the popular "enemies to lovers" trope with a twist. Lyla is trying to save her family's toy business after her father ran it into the ground, but her co-owner, Mason, who was brought in to save the day, is the bane of her existence. The two can't seem to get along, but the sparks are still flying. When Lyla's Christmas party almost burns the building down, she agrees to help Mason with a favor as repayment for him paying for the building's renovation. But his shocking request -- to return home with him over the holidays -- only gets stranger when she realizes his father was THE actual Santa Claus and he lives at the North Pole! I thought this story was very creative and original. Unfortunately, I didn't feel much chemistry between Lyla and Mason so I didn't enjoy the book as much as I was hoping to

Thank you to CallaghanWriter, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) & netGalley for allowing me to read and review this digital arc

I want to thank Netgalley and Kate Callaghan for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.
Are you a fan of Christmas TV movies that come out every year? Christmas spirit, romance, Santa Claus, Christmas decorations?

So this book is for you! This book brings together everything we love in TV movies.
A romance between Lyla, a Christmas fan who owns a toy factory company, and Mason, who bought part of that business and doesn’t have the Christmas spirit.
Following an event, Mason invites Lyla to come to spend the Christmas holidays with him at his family. This is where she will discover that Mason hid from her an essential part of his past.
I loved the relationship between Mason and Lyla, the transition between hate and love, as Lyla tries from the beginning to help Mason despite their complicated relationship.
I loved the magic of that book, the twist on Santa’s myth.

I read this book in one day, listening to a Christmas song playlist and I was absorbed in the first chapter by the story.

This book was fine! I feel like I was reading a few christmas books in a row and I lost this one. It just isn't super memorable for me. I finished and enjoyed, but just won't think about it again!

A delightful story that had me wishing for snow and a magical village like that of Yule in the book. Right from the get go I was feeling the Christmas spirit and could tell that the writing style would be descriptive enough that I could really envision the characters and story. I felt that the characters were built up nicely, but also left a little to the imagination as to what other layers they may have hidden beneath the surface.

Is it possible to love someone that you have despised for so long? The love/hate relationship between Lyla and Mason keeps building tension right up until the end. Will they or won’t they?

The majority of the story takes place in the magical village of Yule, where we learn the backstory of why Mason Klaus is such a cold and heartless boss in the corporate world, and where Lyla learns that sometimes we can’t judge a book by its cover. There were a few parts toward the end of the book where I felt the storyline was rushed, but overall I enjoyed this book.

A budding romance with dare I say a tad of sexual tension, a trip to a magical village that’s hidden from the rest of the world, gingerbread, eggnog, and sleigh rides … If you love Hallmark Christmas movies, then you will love this book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Callaghan for sending this ARC for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Naughty Or Nice Claus is available for purchase November 8, 2022

I really enjoyed the overall concept for this book. I was skeptical at first because I was getting strong Hating Game vibes, which I did not like. Then the book took to turn toward a romantic version of The Santa Clause, and I was hooked. Then I somehow felt like we detoured into Twilight… then came back to The Santa Clause. This all made the story feel a little disjointed for me. I also didn’t really feel the chemistry between the two main characters. It was a fairly short book, and I feel like it could’ve used a few more chapters to feel less rushed. The miscommunication between the two main characters was also frustrating and felt rushed through and awkwardly resolved. Overall, I did enjoy this book, though there were a few spots that didn’t quite work for me.

This book is much different than any other Christmas book that I have read! Lyla and Mason were perfect for each other and I was rooting for them to get together the entire book. This is an enemies to lovers book that will make you swoon and bite your tongue in frustration.

This was adorable! I love the grumpy/sunshine trope and this was it in Christmas form!

Lyla and Mason share a toy company and have to work together to keep it going. But they fight ALL the time !
When Masons father does, he has to visit home and takes Lyla with him??

I found myself loving this book so much I was wishing for snow in Texas, for my Christmas tree to be up before Halloween!
It was so cute and fun to read.

The only thing I would’ve wished for was more at the ending. I want to know what happens with Lyla and Mason after the book ends. 😂

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
SPICE: 🔥🔥

If you enjoy Hallmark holiday romances in literary form like I do, this is a good read to pick up.

Lyla Smurfit -- what a name -- has been trying not to strangle Mason Klaus ever since her father sold his shares of the family toy company to the stoic, grumpy man. He has been making significant changes, including canceling the annual Christmas party, much to Lyla's annoyance.

When she decides to proceed with the party anyway, it ends up burning down the building. Mason is willing to forget about the incident -- if and only if Lyla goes home with him and pretends to be his fiancé.

She agrees, but there is more to his family and village than Mason has let on. As she learns more and more about Mason and his background, she finds that her Scroogey co-worker's "Bah Hambug" attitude hides someone that earns her compassion..and maybe inspires an attraction?

This is a workplace enemies-to-lovers read with a magical fantasy component. The latter became predictable as we got closer to the reveal but experiencing what happens next is the best part. We get magic, mystery, some action, romance -- with a little bit of spice, and family love.

I love the chemistry between Mason and Lyla. Kate Callaghan infuses tiny flirty banter into their fights that hints at a mutual attraction beneath their animosity toward one another. The balance between animosity and flirtation starts to tip toward the latter as they know more about each other, and it was really fun to watch. The tension between them is just so hot that I really wish there was more spice, but that's totally a personal preference.

This is a standalone read. The pacing is uneven at times, but when it is spot-on, the storytelling really reels you in and gets you invested in the couple, the Klaus family, and the village. Listen, I know sweet holiday reads are not everyone's jam, but if that is yours, you might enjoy this one.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Kate Callaghan and NetGalley for providing an ARC. **

I had so many issues with this book. Let me start with the 2 main lead characters – Lyla and Mason both of whom I ended up disliking? Lyla because she had no backbone, she made decisions but then didn’t follow through on them. She felt bad and apologized for things she didn’t need to. A very big example is the third “breakup” act. What caused it was something that didn’t warrant the explosion, and then she apologized! Why?! For something she didn’t do? Urgh. This leads me to the male lead, Mason, someone who literally transports someone with magic and makes her lie, all the while treating her not nicely. I warmed up to his character only to completely loose it again by the end.

Another issue was the couple’s chemistry – they had None. There was nothing.

Also what was the whole point of Natalie and her having no consequences? Almost killing someone twice and nothing?? Perplexing.

The book had stiff and weird dialogues and was simply not for me.

I enjoyed Mason’s family very much though, all of them were sweethearts. I also liked everyone in the village, including the wolves 😊. They earned all the stars.

Huge thanks to the Author and NetGalley for the ARC.