This is giving me all the Hallmark vibes! I skimmed a couple of other reviews and a few mentioned that this reads like a screenplay/would be better as a movie, which I agree with. Let's get into it!

THE GOOD:
- Lovely setting, described beautifully. All the little Christmassy details captured my heart!!!
- Doesn't lag -- good pacing in that sense.
- Charming concept, fake-relationship is one of my favourites AND I love Hallmark-style books, so this was a yes!
- A GALA <3 and helping each other when hurt/sick... Kate Callaghan really knew my favourite (yes they're overused I don't CARE) trope :)

THE NOT-SO-GOOD:
- Dialogue fell flat sometimes.
- While I said the pacing was good in that it doesn't lag, it actually RUSHES a little bit. This being a shorter novel, makes a bit of sense. Although, I would have liked to learn more about our leads before delving into the fake-relationship trope.
- No big spark between the characters... I'll be honest, I didn't feel like they were actually interested in each other. This comes from my last point, the intro was rushed.
- I understand Mason was grieving, so some of the instances where he lashed out were justified. It just felt... mean and unnecessary sometimes. Like she threw his outbursts in just for a third-act conflict. It didn't fit the flow of the story.

OVERALL:
A solid 3 stars! I recommend this for a cozy read. It isn't *excellent* and could have done with some in-depth revising, but the concept is cute and the setting is so cheery.

didn't like it very much, they didn't have chemistry and the ending was rushed. hero was rude and third act was predictable

Thank you NetGalley, Kate Callaghan and CallaghanWriter for this eARC copy of this holiday romance in exchange for an honest review.
Such a fun interesting take on your everyday holiday romance. A little bit a fantasy a lot of grumpy x sunshine and office enemies to lovers vibes. I loved the sassy banter between our main characters. This one should definitely be on your holiday TBR!

I don't usually read a lot of romance and even less Christmas-themed books, but this book stole my attention from the first pages.
At first, the relationship between Klaus and Lyla is one of rivals, so we can find drama. And if you like to see evolution in the relationships of the characters, here we find a lot.
The setting is perfect, I felt like I was at Christmas even though there are still a few months to go.
I love it!

The Naughty or Nice Clause is the perfect quick novel if you love Hallmark Christmas movies. It was a cozy and warm and is the perfect way to spend a winter afternoon. I enjoyed the book and descriptions of the Yule village definitely puts you in the holiday spirit. While I did think it was predictable that's kind of what you expect from this type of book. Overall it was 3 stars from me. Thank you to Netgalley and CallaghanWriter for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Naughty or Nice Clause is a fun, cozy, holiday romance that is reminiscent of a Hallmark Christmas movie. While the pacing was a bit slow, I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of the village, the workshop, and the cabin. It's a perfect read for a relaxing night by the fireside during the Christmas season .

The Naughty Or Nice Clause by Kate Callaghan follows Lyla and Mason, the new co-owners of a Layla's toy company that has been in the family for generations. The fact that the two have very opposite personalities result in numerous disagreements and constant pushing of each others buttons. When Mason asks Layla to accompany him to visit his family over the Christmas holiday, she reluctantly agrees. What Layla doesn't expect is to be transported into a secret fantastical winter wonderland where there are magical bells, an enchanted village, and reindeers. As Layla struggles to make sense of this magical village, it turns out Mason is hiding even bigger secrets from her.

First of all, let's take a moment to appreciate how stunning the book cover is. After seeing countless of book covers with similar illustrations of the characters on the front cover, it does become a bit repetitive. So I really appreciate the fact that this front cover is quite unique, and it also maintains the charming elements of the popular artwork style(?) that is quite trendy these days. I love the colours and the illustrations, and how Christmas-y it is.

Now let's move onto the actual book review. The characters. To be honest, I was not the biggest fan of Mason. I found Mason a little too basic– a narcissistic, arrogant, rich guy that thinks the world should bow down to his every command. I also did not like he acts so fickle with Layla. One page he's nice and sweet with her, and then in the next page he's grumbling about and avoiding her. Their first fight was quite laughable and condescending on his end.

Let's dissect it:

“You were wrong about me, but I was right about you. Entitled, selfish, out for no one but herself”. Hello?

Firstly, the fight was pointless. If he took a step back and actually let her explain, he would've understood why she did it in the first place. In addition to this, I felt like the build up to the fight wasn't developed enough that I could see where Mason was coming from. I couldn't recall any instance where he would care about the desk or his dad. Secondly, and the most frustrating one, that quote said by Mason. I have never felt so baffled by a single line simply because you could turn that quote around and apply it perfectly to Mason himself– I wished Layla held up a mirror in front of his face so he could see the hypocrisy. Then, something happens to Layla in the next page and he starts acting NICE to her?! There was a part where Mason "winked" at her just minutes after they had a fight– a fight that happened 5 minutes ago where he was yelling such condescending things at her and treating her like she was a toddler. That is not cute or romantic (to me!).

This whole hot and cold personality really does not appeal to me at all. Layla, on the other hand, wasn't too bad. Just a little forgettable as a character.

Speaking of hot, where is the chemistry between them? There was barely any sweet moments between them, which is incredibly essential in the fake-fiancé trope. The fun thing about the fake dating trope in media is when the couple have to put on an act, purposely do things that will make others around them believe that they are a couple. I felt like this part barely happened in this book considering they spent quite some time away from each other. I wouldn't even call this a slow burn considering the build up wasn't even fun. It seemed like they got together in the end...just because? The second half of the book felt a little too rushed, which was really disappointing considering I enjoyed the first half of the book, and as a result made the ending feel lacklustre and bland. I hope that every romance book with a happy ending leaves me feeling giddy or hopeful for the characters, but this book left me feeling nothing. I made the right decision to start writing out this review now, or else I would've forgotten everything about this book.

The final conflict between them was truly eye-roll worthy. Not only was it so predictable and dramatic for no reason, but it felt so rushed. It was like the conflict happens, they separate, and then one(1) page later they are back together. The End.

Let's move on to the things I did like about this book. I did really enjoy the fantastical element of this story. I like how in-depth the history of this magical land was explained, it felt really dreamy and really captured the kind of world you only see in cheesy Christmas Santa films– I'm thinking The Christmas Chronicles films.

I think the author did such a great job at capturing the Christmas magic in terms of building this magical world in a modern setting. It was so easy to imagine this book in the Hallmark Channel because of the fact that the romance is predictable in a hallmark-romance-film kind of way. The conflict isn't too complicated or groundbreaking, so it's easy for the main leads to reconnect by the end of the film.

As for who I would recommend this book to, like I mention, I must admit how perfect this book plot would be as a script for a holiday film. So if you are obsessed with Hallmark Christmas films, I would suggest giving this The Naughty Or Nice Clause by Kate Callaghan a chance! 

2 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles for this eARC of The Naughty Or Nice Clause by Kate Callaghan in exchange for an honest book review.

This book was such a sweet read. The book felt like a Hallmark movie.

Lyla and Mason, enemies running her family company, return to the magical town of Yule, due to the passing of Mason's father. Under the rouse of being engaged, they work together to convince the town they are truly in love. During their time there, their relationship actually starts to spark and decisions around Mason taking over his family business, Lyla returning safely to continue hers and what will happen to their relationship weigh on them.

The concept and story behind the magic of Christmas was such a modern twist on what we typically expect from a Christmas story and I ate that up. Twisting the idea of what we think of Christmas and it's magic, was refreshing.

However, I found Lyla and Mason's relation lacked the chemistry needed to make it believable. Personally, I needed more banter, more opening up, more back and forth, more anything to really feel them falling for each other.

The ending also felt like it wrapped things up too quickly, leaving me disappointed and with unanswered questions.

The Naughty or Nice Clause by Kate Callaghan

Thank you Netgalley for sending me an eARC for an honest review.

Lyla’s dad decided to sell his shares to an outsider than his own daughter. Hence, the anger towards the stoic, blonde, type A; Mason Klaus who she is forced to share her CEO title and her office. When Mason decides to cancel the staff Christmas party, Lyla decides to throw the party behind his back. When the party results in a terrible kitchen fire, she knows she owes Mason a favor; even if it means she has to go to his hometown and visit his family as his fiancé. Only his hometown is something of a winter wonderland and his family is something out of a Christmas book…

This was so sweet and adorable! Can this please be a Hallmark Christmas Movie?! I want to see the secret village and Klaus’ family come to life. I was immediately drawn to the hate to love trope (my favorite), and the Christmas theme. If you love the Holiday season and a cute romance, this book is made for you!

Ratings -⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a sweet Christmas book, and it got me into my Christmas mood, and I had to bring out my Christmas playlist in October. One of the things that kind of shocked me about this book was the fact that it's kind of has like very minimum elements of the fantasy genre. I went into thinking it's a corporate enemy to lovers, but it's not at all. So this is something I want to tell people about. Also when I say minimal elements of fantasy, it's in the sense of Christmas fantasy with the north pole and stuff like that.

I loved the romance in this series so much. The MMC Klaus was such a sweetheart, and our FMC was so cute they definitely make such a cute duo. There are some really cute protective MMC scenes that I definitely swooned over. I definitely recommend it!!

This is a super cute romance that reminds me of The Santa Clause 2 movie.

It brings a lot of life and laughter around traditions and festivities during the Christmas season.

This was such an easy and sweet read. I felt like I was reading a Christmas Hallmark movie with fantasy, magic and a touch of spice. Winterhe loved the world of Wonderland and the different interpretations of Santa and his role.

This was an easy and warm read, and while it's a holiday novel, I enjoyed the focus on the family aspect a bit more. I cannot say that I was. It was the enemies of the lovers, and then I fell in love with the big (predictable) explosion, and the rushed and completely unsatisfying ending. I wish I had more time exploring the relationship.I don't think their love story was given enough time to grow and bond me as a reader.Ex-girlfriend 's plot points didn't really suit me. It felt like it was thrown in to add an unnecessary conflict that doesn't add much to the story.

That being said, I just walked into the story expecting a sweet time, and for the most part, it was. I wish the ending was a little more exciting. An epilogue is enough. I felt a little cheated. Overall, a good read that I recommend giving it a try.

🎄THE NAUGHTY OR NICE CLAUSE🎄

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lyla’s dad retires as CEO of his toy company, instead of Lyla getting the shares she expected they are given to Mason Klaus, a real life Scrooge. Lyla tries to work with Klaus but he is insufferable: closes factories, cancels holiday leave, and cancels the Christmas party. Lyla throws the Christmas party anyway and it goes wrong. Klaus says he’ll forgive her if she accompanies home for Christmas to act as a buffer. He’s been away for 10 years but needs to return because his dad has past away…

This book has everything.
Perfect cosy Christmas read✅
Grumpy x Sunshine✅
Fake dating✅
Enemies to lovers✅
Lil’ bit of fantasy✅
Drama✅
Emotion✅
Just the right amount of cheese✅

I loved everything about this book and read it in one afternoon. It is the perfect book to read over the festive period. Curl up with a blanket, mug of peppermint hot chocolate, and a candle and be whisked away to a winter wonderland. I defy anyone to read this and not come away filled with Christmas joy.

The Naughty or Nice Clause by Kate Callaghan is due to be released on November 8th and should definitely be added to your tbr❤️

Thank you @netgalley and @CallaghanWriter for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review✨

INTERESTING WORLD, BUT HARDLY A "ROMANCE" TO REMEMBER

Actual rating: 2.5⭐

There were a few things I liked about this book and more things that I didn't like. But in the end, when it comes down to it, this was an okay book. Just not one I'll remember.

👍 What I Liked 👍

Kevin: While many of the characters didn't really thrill me, Kevin - Mason's younger brother - was a ray of light. He was adorable! So sweet and protective. A cute and funny character.

Magic: What does Santa Claus do at his workshop? Most of us would answer "make toys for children". But not in this world. In this world Santa Claus - and his helpers - deliver something quite different on Christmas Eve. I enjoyed this spin on the familiar story. It was refreshing.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Beauty and the Beast: Let me describe a scene for you. A couple fight, the woman flees out into the night. The ground is covered in snow. She enters a forest and gets turned around. Suddenly, a pack of wolves surround her. Luckily, the man arrives just in time to save her, though he gets injured in the process. Sounds familiar? Yeah, while this sounds like a scene from the Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast, it actually occurs in this book. And I just couldn't take it seriously. It felt... lazy.

Romance: I did not feel the chemistry between Mason and Lyla. I couldn't fathom or feel the attraction between them. The romance didn't lift off the page.

Dialogue: Perhaps one of the reasons why the romance didn't come through was because of the dialogue. It was empty, stilted and emotionally flat.

Ending: The ending was super rushed and left me with an overall feeling of dissatisfaction.

This was the perfect Christmas feel good read that is so magical. I really liked Lylas character she was really relatable. This has made me so excited for Christmas

Thank you Netgalley and the author Kate Callaghan for the eARC!

This was such a light and cute read. I felt like I was reading a Christmas Hallmark movie with a touch of fantasy, magic and sprinkle of spice. I loved the world building of the winter wonderland and the different take on Santa and his role.

This was an easy warm read, while it is a holiday romance, I enjoyed the focus on the family aspect a little more. The main characters were just ok for me, I can’t say that I believed in their romance enough. It was enemies to lovers then the big (predictable) blow up, then being so in love with an ending that felt rushed and not quite satisfying. I wish we had more time with them being in love and actually exploring their relationship. I don’t think their love story was given enough time to flourish and for me as a reader to connect. The ex girlfriend plot point didn’t really fit well to me, it just felt like it was thrown in there to add an unnecessary conflict that didn’t add much to the story.

With all that being said, I went into the story just expecting a sweet time and for the most part that’s what I had. I wish the ending was elaborated some more. Even an epilogue would’ve sufficed. I felt a little cheated. Overall a good read I’d recommend giving a try.

Life is for the living, and I wish you would do the same—”


Many thanks to Netgalley and Kate Callaghan for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest Review.

This is Layla's story, a woman who has been working with Mason Klaus for almost a year trying to save her father's company, and her legacy. Mason has the majority of the actions of the company so he "makes the hard choices" and Layla wants to make a Christmas party and what happened? Everything burns, and no this is not a joke, literally the building burnt, and now they're forced to have some days off. And because of this, Layla and Mason goes for a "family visit" where she plays to be his fiancée, but there's a secret, a family legacy and difficult choices to make.

I really enjoyed this book, it was fun, magical and full of Christmas spirit. But everything happened a little fast, so it's hard to love these characters because I didn't have the time to really meet them. But you know what I loved? How cute and festive the place where this book is settled felt. If you like Christmas movies with magic involved, this book is for you.

I think this one is perfect for holiday season, I'd love to have a sequel for reading all Layla and Mason's adventures after Christmas so finger's crossed

The Naughty or Nice Clause was such a fun book to read. It is perfect for the Christmas season and if you are in the mood for a Christmas romance. Spoiler alert, there is a change of worlds, which I really enjoyed. I love when a Christmas novel immerses you into a super Christmas world and this is exactly what happened in this story. If you are looking for something light and Christmas related this is the book for you.

This book was cute and I had a good time. It takes a while for the romance to get started but I enjoyed it. I wish there was more at the end of them actually being together though.

I received an arc through netgalley.

If you lwant to read a short Hallmark type books with. Every conceivable trope you can think of for a Christmas holiday reading, this is the book for you. You need to give the characters chance to grow on you and believe in Magic. I could definitely see this as a Christmas TV you find on the Christmas live channels.
I
Wouldn’t say it’s got much romance in it as it’s very late on in the book
But if you love reading Christmas stories and hallmark type books then I think you would enjoy it.
I did struggle in parts and did find things hard going at times but maybe I wanted more. More romance , more magic, and not every trope thrown at it because sometimes less is More