The Naughty or Nice Clause by Kate Callaghan is a fun and festive take on the fake dating trope, set against the backdrop of a magical Christmas story. While it brings out the charm of a Hallmark holiday romance with a creative twist on Santa Claus, the book falls short in certain areas.

The story follows Lyla, who co-owns a failing toy company with Mason Klaus, a Scrooge-like figure hiding a big secret—he’s Santa’s son and next in line for the Claus legacy. In exchange for helping with the company’s financial troubles, Mason convinces Lyla to spend the holidays with him in Yule, the magical town where his family resides, and pretend to be his fiancée.

What stands out in this novel is the inventive world-building surrounding the Klaus family. The magical spin on the Santa Claus myth adds a layer of intrigue that keeps the story from being a typical holiday romance. Mason’s younger brother, Kevin, is a delightful character, bringing warmth and humor to the plot, and the enchanting town of Yule is a perfect setting for the holiday season.

However, where the book stumbles is in its central romance. The chemistry between Lyla and Mason feels forced, and their enemies-to-lovers arc lacks the emotional depth needed to make their relationship truly compelling. Much of the dialogue is flat, which weakens the development of their connection, and the pacing of the story lags at points, making it difficult to stay invested in their journey. The rushed ending further detracts from the overall experience, leaving a sense of dissatisfaction.

Despite its shortcomings, The Naughty or Nice Clause is an entertaining read with plenty of Christmas spirit and family themes. Fans of festive romances and magical settings may still find joy in its whimsical charm, even if the romance doesn’t quite hit the mark.

~ Enemies to Lovers
~ Small Town Romance
~ Fake Dating

The Naughty or Nice Clause is a very cute enemies to lovers romance with that cozy hallmark feeling. This book captures the magic of Christmas so perfectly.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book.

This was such a cute rom-com! I love all things Christmas, holidays and the season.

Lyla and Mason unfortunately have to work together and he is her new supervisor. What Lyla doesn't know is that Mason is St Nick JR and is from the North Pole. This book gives you the warm and fuzzy vibes and I enjoyed getting to know all about the "fantasy" North Pole. This was a cute and quick read but not much spice. It was more banter and sizzle like you could tell they were getting to like each other and hinted at this. If you like cozy and Christmas vibes this is a cute story that you will enjoy.

I was not a huge fan of this one the characters felt flat to me and that really hindered my enjoyment of this book. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review

WOW, this book's Christmas vibes were just so lovely. I am a sucker for the enemies to lovers trope and this was perfection.

Break out the hot cocoa and mistletoe! This book puts you in the Christmas spirit with a lovely story that is whimsical and romantic. The characters are well done and the story unique. I am looking forward to more in this series. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

I was looking for a light hearted book to while away a few hours. I saw this on one NetGalley and was lucky enough to get it.

It's the first book I've read by Kate Callaghan, but I'll look out for more of her books. Lyla runs her grandfather's business, making toys for the Christmas Market. The business isn't doing very well and her father (off on his 4th honeymoon) sells 51% of the shares to Mason Klaus, who comes along like the proverbial hatchet man. When Lyla finds out that Mason has cancelled the Christmas party, she decides to give the staff a party, paid for by herself. However, it doesn't go smoothly and Mason is able to blackmail her into helping him, by going to his village as his fiance.

What happens is the enemy's to lovers scenario, but set in a fabulous backdrop of Masons village. A great cosy, feel good read, one I'll reread nearer Christmas as I love stories about Christmas.

this was such a sweet holiday romance! I loved the whole idea of this story and im so glad i picked this one up! Lyla and Mason had a rough start but i loved the way their story progressed. If you are looking for a sweet christmas read i highly recommend picking this one up!

A fun holiday read! It totally gave me the Hallmark movie feels in the best possible way. I loved the romance and magical Santa twist! Excellent!

Reading this book feels like stepping into a Hallmark movie (in the best way). It's such a perfect mix of light fantasy and contemporary romance, which I didn't realize I would enjoy but this was unexpectedly good. This is the perfect holiday read if you're in the mood for something different than typical Christmas-y romcoms, as this one has magic and a bit of a twist on the traditional Santa Claus. And tropes that include fake dating and rivals to lovers. Thanks Netgalley for the e-arc!

Layla Smurfit loves working at the toy company that was set up by her Grandfather. But it would be even better if she didn’t have to work with Mason Klaus, the co-owner who bought her Father’s shares to save the company from financial ruin.
Mason has had to make some tough decisions to save money but cancelling the Christmas party is the final straw for Leyla. She goes ahead with the party anyway but when it ends in disaster, Layla knows it’s all her fault.
Mason agrees to forget about what happened if Layla will go with him to his family home for Christmas.
Layla agrees, but his home is not at all what she expected and Mason is a totally different person there. As the magic of the village and the warmth of Manson’s family wrap themselves around her, Layla finds herself having to make a decision she never expected to face.
This is a lovely book, full of the warmth and magic of Christmas. So, follow Layla and embrace the village of Yule.

Love,love loved this book! It was so atmospheric I felt really Christmassy whilst reading this. I noticed this is book 1, can't wait to read book 2. Would definitely recommend

As the weather is turning to the colder and wetter season, it seemed more than fitting to get more into the mood of that with this book. Even if it isn't quite the season yet.

The Naughty or Nice Clause is a good inbetween read if you slowly want to get into the mood of the colder months and the upcoming holidays. It doesn't quite stand up if you look too closely though.

For instance I was expecting a bit more world building. Now I understand this is a low fantasy so I wasn't expecting much on the fantasy front. Though I did appreciate the deviation of what the family clause give out. But when you promise me a christmas town and a magical winter wonderland with a character that loves christmas, I am expecting a bit more dressing up. Lyla spends an awful lot of time in the cabin with his family and I did not get a good sense of the town or everything that they do to let Christmas happen.

Adding onto that I did find that the romance between Lyla and Mason didn't quite work. The slow burn went too quickly all of a sudden and with the way this was written I can't quite see how they actually love each other. Mason basically abducted her to his town and forced her to play his fiancee while Lyla was going to abuse the situation to get him out of the business. And only the latter was truly talked about. I wonder if they see any redeeming qualities in each other. I don't know. It didn't quite work.

Having said that, I did enjoy reading this for what it was. I just couldn't squint too close. But for an inbetween read this was fine.

Thank you to netgalley for sending me a copy of The Naughty Or Nice Clause in exchange for an honest review. This book was so cute and the perfect way to get into the holiday spirit. The setting felt so real and just made me want to cuddle up in front of the fire with a hot chocolate. The relationship development was real and believable, I will definitely be picking up more from this author.

It’s never too early to start reading Christmas books.

The book is a cute story that mostly takes place in Yule (Santa’s town).
I wanted to like it more, because I just read Potions and Proposals, which is great.

Lyla and Mason run a toy company together. She loved Christmas and he acts like a Scrooge (even cancels the Christmas office party).
Then he “takes” her to a magical small town and tells everyone she is his fiancé.

I know this is a romance, but it was not realistic that she fell in love with him after a few days, when she couldn’t stand him for a year. It can happen, but it felt rushed, even with the fake dating and forces proximity.

Also, the 3rd act breakup was unnecessary and everything was solved too easy.

I will still read the sequel 😁.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Is it too early to read Christmas books? Yes. Do I care? Absolutely not!! You know how you know it’s a good book? That you can read it year round and still love it and feel the warmth of the authors story and the spirit of the holiday.

This one has been on my TBR for so long and it was so stinking cute! I really enjoyed the banter between Lyla & Mason, and I can't wait to read the second book 😍

This was a perfect Christmas story filled with so much love and magic. I loved the concept of a secret village which keeps Christmas alive and uses gold dust instead of Santa dropping presents by climbing down the chimney though I love that myth too. I loved the vivid descriptions and details of their intricate works of the family business, the prying neighbours and not to forget the reindeers! I completely understood why Mason kept running away he just wanted a bit of control over his life and I don’t think they completely understood why.

Thank you you Netgalley for providing a this ARC!

Oh what a fun Christmas fantasy read! I truly enjoyed the romance though not like the Hallmark movies but cute enough to say “aww.” I was not expecting the special trip to Yule (the North Pole) but I was my favorite part especially with the amazing descriptions, I wanted to be there!

This novel has so much: a enemy to lovers romance, the love between family and that anything is possible when you just believe.

I recommend this read to anyone, especially if you love a good Christmas theme book with a sprinkle of realism.📚
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(thank you @netgalley for the ACR copy!

A cute and cozy Christmas love story, this was such a great book that put me in the mood for eggnog and Christmas ornaments! The writing was great and you can't go wrong with an enemies-to-lovers trope.