Thank you to Net Galley and Kate Callaghan for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book provides the cutest Hallmark-esque holiday vibes with a touch of magic AND enemies-to-lovers!

While I did enjoy reading this book, it kinda missed the mark for me in some regards and I'm giving it 2.5/5 stars. It didn't feel like New Adult Romance to me and I struggled to connect with the characters.

The banter felt awkward and childish to me, which made it hard for me to get into the "Adult Romance" mindset. I also found both Lyla and Mason to be somewhat unlikeable throughout most of the book. Lyla refused to hold herself accountable for her mistakes and she came off very immature. Mason put Lyla is some very uncomfortable and questionable situations. It did get better later in the story, but I felt like I had to really push through the first half of the book.

Overall, I think this book would be great for anyone looking for a cutesy, enemies-to-lovers holiday read!

Thank you to Netgalley and CallaghanWriter for this arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. The book will come out on 8 November 2022.

I requested this book because of the holiday theme romance, because it’s been a while since I read anything Christmassy.

However, this book didn’t live up to my expectation. I don’t find the main couple in sync with each other, no chemistry and while I understand the author’s trying to make this a grumpy sunshine thingy, the hero came up as more of an asshole. His character portrayal was very poor, abrupt and inconsistent.

And the heroine… was such a doormat. And forgave too easily. Sure, there was a lot of vicious monologue rants, but did she do something about the injustice of it all? Nope. She took every shitty thing he gave her like she had no choice (spoiler alert: she did have choices).

I appreciate that there’s some The Hating Game vibe (love me some rivalry and angst) in here plus the main theme could be Beauty and the Beast (except he’s a beast in character not appearance), but while there’s plot and character and relationship developments in THG, this book lacks the last two. There was no angst despite the supposed “simmering hatred”.

I think the relationship went from 0 to 100 real quick. And the writing itself made the story very un-romance.

The hero was most definitely not developed. I found him boring throughout the read. It was such a bummer.

2 stars from me :/

Lyla and Mason work at Lyla’s father’s company, but Mason oversees everything, leaving Lyla at his mercy in business matters. She resents his very presence and does not think twice about defying his latest decision. Unfortunately for Lyla, her actions result in a near catastrophe that Mason is willing to forgive only if she joins him on a trip to his hometown for the holidays. With little to no notice, Lyla is immersed in a magical world she could not have envisioned in her wildest dreams, and for the first time in a long time, she feels the warmth of the family life she always longed for. It does not help that she starts to have feelings for Mason.

Mason’s family needs him; he has been away for too long and the town is anxious for him to decide if he wants to carry on with his father’s legacy. The pressure is on, but for Lyla her decision to stay will prevent her from returning to her world, and if she chooses to return to the city, she will lose all recollection about her time with Mason, and a chance at love.

This is a short, imaginative, festive read with an interesting premise and enormous potential, which could benefit from additional editing and length. I enjoyed the world created by the author, and Lyla’s inner dialogue. However, I feel that the characters needed more context and depth for me to feel invested in the story.

Overall, a light, easy read that did not necessarily work for me, even though I can see its appeal to those who enjoy enemies-to-lovers, found family, and slow burn tropes.

Thanks to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter for providing me with a free digital copy to review this book prior to its release.

I am a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope but I wonder if this really should be marked as a romance. Yes there's a little bit but most of it is her pretending to be his fiancée because he needs her to. There weren't many sparks and the actual romance in the book was very minimal.

I adored the Santa Clause myth and how it was worked into this story. I'm a sucker for a good Clause romance. Kate Callaghan puts a very original spin on Santa and I thought she did a great job! I loved the secret village and the twists on Santa. My heart broke a little for the Klaus family as they mourned the loss of Santa himself.

I think I would have liked a little bit of background at the beginning ... I was pretty far into the book before I even figured out they were in Ireland. And the toy company is such a big deal to Lyla but I didn't really feel like I knew anything about it or what happened before the Christmas party.

This is a cute holiday story, though you won't find a gushy romance inside. But if you're looking for a new twist on the North Pole, this is it!

Received a copy for review.

I really loved the concept of this book. A family is Santa Claus but not in the way you expect. A town protected by magic. Enemies to lovers/ slow burn/ only one bed
The story is s good but the end felt rushed.

I adored this book! This is the perfect festive story that definitely hits the spot. I enjoyed that there was a slow burn and the characters really got to know each other.

This is a magical Christmassy read with the perfect grumpy main character 😂 isn’t that what we all want to read about?!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

"The Naughty or nice clause" is a truly wonderful book. And it's Christmas in there🤪🎉🔔 It's all the white wolves, santa Klaus, magical bell and village and everything in between.

The Naughty or nice clause by Kate Callaghan has our male lead, Mason and female lead, Lyla, as enemies who turned lover in between all the drama that surrounds Christmas and golden dusts. I won't spoil the book for you and will just say one thing_you'll know where santa lives after reading it😉😁

I promise you it's an awesome account of Christmas and family. You don't want to miss it. I definitely recommend that you read it.
❤️❤️❤️

Wow. This is exactly the type of cozy read I needed.

Thank you to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

So in my opinion this book is a twist on the Santa Baby movie, with a Hallmark Christmas movie plot, and filled with softcore magic to give you that sense of Christmas magic. This is a fantastic Christmas book, filled with romance, family drama, and that good old Christmas feeling.

The book was easy to read and flowed pretty well in my opinion. I was never lost, and while I would have loved to get some more exposition on Yule's magic system, it worked well with what little was shown. The romance aspect of this book is what made this feel like a Hallmark Christmas movie. It wasn't bad, it just made this book feel like I'm sitting in the family room with my mom during the holidays and watching some Hallmark. It's also what brought up that cozy feeling you get when you read something that reminds you of the best times in your childhood. All in all an enjoyable read.

4.25 stars out of 5.

An imaginative and sweet Christmas romance! Grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, one bed, slow-burn...what's not to love? I especially enjoyed the details of the village and fell in love with the family. The ending was resolved well, when it didn't seem like it could end happily. This put me in the Christmas spirit.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I must say it took me no time at all to read this one. Easy to read and quite enjoyable this is a book about a real fantasy and does take you on a journey. It takes you from a real world to that of a fantastical Christmas wonderland.

With good characters who you can relate to at least a little bit this is a story that evolves and it is a Christmas story (I love Christmas!). It has its fun, its quirks and even some magic and it wasn't an over-the-top romantic read.

Enjoyable, fun, naughty and nice, Christmas and a wonderland. What more could you want. And easy read!

This was a cute read, but honestly probably not something I would read again. I loooove the cover art! The characters were fun and the premise is interesting. I just fell a little short in the delivery. It was missing the emotional tug I like in my romance novels. Overall, not bad, but not really my thing.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the eArc of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 3.5 stars.
Christmas and Fantasy?? Count me in. I was so excited to review this one. The premise was such a cute idea for a book and the world-building was pretty good. It was a little bit confusing in the beginning (as most fantasy books are) but once the first time traveling takes place, it was really easy to follow along with. I love the magical vibes that you get from reading this and it’s a good option for Christmas lovers. I feel like it was a tad bit rushed and everything involving Yule and the world of magic was thrown in way too soon. I would have liked more time as enemy coworkers. And lastly the world-building was so descriptive but I felt like the characters needed more depth to them. I didn’t really connect with either main characters and I would have loved to felt invested in them more.
There is lot of potential here for a super good book and I think with a little bit more editing it would amazing. It’s definitely worth reading this Christmas season.

If one of your guilty pleasures is the Christmas rom-coms that appear on Netflix in December, the undercover princes falling in love with the girl who runs the bakery, then give this book a go, you won’t be disappointed

Loving the Christmas spirit with this book. Super cute and fun, likeable characters and plot. Puts me in the Christmas mood 🌲 🎅 🤶

When Lyla’s father retired as CEO of the toy company which has been in their family for generations, she was meant to receive his shares. Instead, she discovers the company is bankrupt and her father has given her shares to Mason Klaus, an investor known in the corporate world for his cold and callous nature. Much to Lyla’s frustration, her only option is to run the company with him, despite their evident loathing for one another.
When Mason cancels the annual Christmas party, Lyla throws it anyway – only for the event of the season to result in a terrible fire. With the offices and Lyla’s credibility ruined, Mason offers her a deal: he’ll forget her part in the disaster, but she must join his family for the twelve days of their Christmas holidays.
Taken to a fantastical winter wonderland, Lyla hopes that she might discover some of the secrets Mr Klaus is hiding, and maybe even a way to get her company back. However, when Mason introduces her to the secret village as his fiancée, she is horrified to realise she has no choice but to go along with the pretence – because the cost of bringing an outsider to their magical land is far too high.
Can Lyla resist the devilishly handsome Mr Klaus and the enchanting village to win back her company, or will she give into temptation?
This is a enemies to lovers romance. It appears that they can't stand each other just to make it apparent that this is not the case.
This fantasy come to life is a good romance.
I haven't read a book by this author before but will look for more.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Mason and Lyla work at the same company where they butt heads and share a mutual dislike for one another. Mason gets a letter that says he needs to go home to his family for the Holidays, but he feels like he can't arrive alone, so he gets Lyla to go with him and pose as his fiancee. While visiting his family Lyla discovers the secret Mason has kept from her and also that she might have feelings for him she didn't know were there. This was my first Christmas read of the year, and I have to say, it was pretty good. There were definitely a lot of Hallmark-y elements, and typical romance tropes, enemies to lovers etc, but I still wanted to know what happened in the story. Great sexual chemistry/frustration between the main characters...I was just ready for them to hurry up and get it on honestly lol. This one has definitely put me in the Holiday mood, and I can't wait to load up my tbr with festive picks. I was thinking about only 2 stars because it was super cheesy, but I got up this morning wanting to read it, so I think that bumps it up to 3 stars. It was cute.

This was adorable! A real cosy wintertime read.

Mason and Lyla were the perfect grumpy x sunshine couple I needed and I love an enemies to lovers. The concept of the book, I won’t spoil it, was amazing and very unique. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like that before so it was a real joy to be immersed in it and it worked so well.

The side characters were all so lovely (except maybe Nat… haha) and it was so cute to read a found family type story with Lyla and them. The magic behind the setting leaped off the page and it’s made me very excited for Christmas now!

I also want to say how much the dedication spoke to me and that I think it was another reason I loved the book so much.

The only reason this isn’t a five star review is that I felt like the ending was a little rushed - the last two chapters seemed almost unfinished? But I LOVED the rest of the book and can’t wait to pick up more by this author!

Enemies to lovers
Fake dating

Lyla is forced to work with Mason Clause when her father hands over his shares of the company. Mason comes across as rude, heartless, and an overall scrooge. When he cancels the company Christmas party Lyla decides she's had enough, she's going to throw this party whether he likes it or not. What she doesn't expect is for Mason to show up at the party drunk with a letter from his family regarding his father which sets off an unbelievable series of events.

This was such a cute holiday read and definitely has me ready for cozy winter days curled up reading.

[2.75] Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC! When I first saw the cover, I got really curious and excited. That was when I realized I love books with Christmas themes. The title's cute as well. It aligns with the theme, but I don't think it matches the story. Naughty or Nice Klaus would have better fit this because of the enemies to lovers trope and the grumpy turned nice Klaus. Also, I don't remember any naughty or nice clause mentioned or anything relevant to it. The one thing close to it is not given that much attention for the title to be based on it.

At first, I was confused about the traveling part. I admit I didn't read the entire description before reading the book, so I was surprised and confused, but when I understood what is happening, I got more excited for Lyla. The problem is her reaction to what is happening. It is just unexpected and a bit weird since she loves Christmas. I don't wanna elaborate as I might spoil the story, but you'll know when you read that part.

The first few chapters could also use more details about the two characters, like flashbacks to some of their worst fights or the first time they saw each other. This would help readers better understand how much they loathe each other and Lyla's motivation.

The book doesn't highlight Lyla's mission. It would have been more fun to read if the conflict was established well.

Also, Lyla is not likable. She doesn't understand privacy. She doesn't know how to assess risks. She has weird reactions to things. Mason, too. I don't know why he loves winking. It's weird. He is also a walking red flag. The words he says to Lyla… He is cruel and cold. I also don't feel the chemistry. I didn't feel connected to the characters tho I wish I did.

This is not hard to read as I was able to finish it and there are some really good parts, but most of the time I'm just confused about the characters' actions. I badly want to like this because I find it unique, but I think it has much to improve with the execution.

However, I'd still recommend this if you want a cozy, light read while you're sipping a cup of hot chocolate ;)

I was lucky enough to get to read this before it comes out on November 8th thanks to NetGalley and it did not disappoint! Reading this made me want to fast forward to Christmas, decorate my tree, and put on The Santa Clause to watch. I’m obviously a sucker for any romance based off my previous reviews, but adding Christmas magic into the mix is the cherry on top! the more romance I read though, the more epilogues I want to give us insight of the characters in the future and what happens next. I would’ve loved to see Mason and Lyla in Yule in the future. I loved both of them and loved Mason’s family even more, especially Kevin for having Lyla’s back the whole time. This is my first “holiday” romance and will definitely not be my last. I cannot recommend enough for anyone who wants a book that will give you the coziness of a Hallmark movie mixed in with a little bit of fantasy/Christmas magic!