good romance and loved how they found love and each other. They survived their trials and found their way back to each other. another great romance.

Firstly, thanks to NetGallery for this ARC with an exchange of my honestly review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level: 1/5

I love this book so much I want to cry. This book is everything I ever wanted in a book. The enemies to lovers, the fake dating, the Christmas f-ing village. Don't even get me started on Mason. I want t say everything yet nothing at all because that's how good it is. I'm speechless.

The chemistry between Layla and Mason was perfect. They're exact opposite of each other but they work so well together. The flirting and banter between them made me and laugh gave me butterflies throughout the whole book. I'm even in love with Mason's family as well. They welcomed Layla into their family so much and Kevin even though was putting distance between him and Layla, he even opened up to her.

Out of all characters, I have to say Mason is my favourite. The way he looks after Layla's company honestly was justified and kept everyone in check including Layla. He seemed so cold in the beginning but my god!!!! He is one of the best book boyfriends out there.


✔️ enemies to lovers
✔️ fake dating
✔️ found family

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

Honestly I do not have one bad thing to say about this book. I loved every part of it in my soul.

I kinda want to know how Mason's family defended Layla now at the end!!!! I want a bonus chapter when Layla goes back!!!!!

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

A cozy holiday christmas rom-com with fake dating Santa, magic, a little bit of spicy and lot's of christmas lights 🎄

A winter wonderland with a sasy FMC and a grumpy or is it a "grinch-y" MMC.
Perfect if you like a quick, fun and magical Christmas story ☃️

Post on IG the 15.nov 2024 (one_fairy_tale_at_the_time)

This book is amazing and full of Christmas magic! It had me hooked from the start. The story follows Lyla who works side by side with the grumpy Mason at her family’s toy company. Lyla is upset because when her father retired and left the toy company basically bankrupt he decides to give his shares to Mason. He is a popular investor that should hopefully be able to dig them out of the hole they are in. Lyla however gets her grandfathers shares and that makes her and Mason partners. Even though they disagree on everything they have no choice but to work together. When Mason cancels the company’s Christmas party Lyla decides enough is enough and decides to throw it anyway. When the party ends with a fire and all the blame on Lyla for throwing the party Mason decides to offer her a deal. Spend the Christmas season with the Klaus family and he will forget the whole thing. But when they arrive and he begins to introduce her as his fiancée she is shocked but has no choice but to go along with it. Can Lyla make it through the season without falling in love with her fake fiancée?

AHHHHHHHHH! I Love a good cozy Christmas story. I very much enjoyed the twist this game on the North Pole and Santyyyy Clause, Hands down a 4.5 star read for me.

Thank you so much for the ARC!

Oh how I swoon for an a work rival romance! It’s one trope that I will run to any given day. So sign me up.

Anyway, I was a bit apprehensive to begin this book as I am a literal scrooge, Christmas is not my kind of thing. BUT, Christmas in this book is done amazingly well. It took the fascinations of children and showed them in such a creative way, Callaghan really did do a fantastic job with that.

Now, the Christmas theme is strong in this one but I’m not gonna mark it down because that’s just rude considering the title, cover and even blurb say CHRISTMAS GALORE. But if you love a little Christmas romance then this is for you.

Although, I did very much enjoy the different take on Santa and the north pile, it was actually quite cute and extremely different to most Christmas romance books out there. So because Callaghan has made this a different sort of Christmas romance, I feel no way about going and reading Tis The Season For Secrets (book 2).

Loved this book and will continue to recommend over Christmas, and beyond.

I adored this 100%. Enemies to lovers. Found family. The magic found in a Hallmark movie. This had everything and a twist on Christmas and the North Pole. I enjoyed all of the characters immensely and the world-building was phenomenal. This book is a guaranteed way to begin getting out of Grinchville and into the holiday spirit.

Such a lovely Christmas feelgood story, not my usual genre but I took a chance on a magical romance title from the same author and really enjoyed it, so went for this one too. To be honest, it had me at cosy and Christmas. Perfect for a hot chocolate and a rest after present wrapping, the romance is nicely done and leaves the author with a warm happy glow but also a hankering for the upcoming number two in the series.

A solid 3.5 star Christmas rom-com with some real holiday magic. This will contain spoilers.

Give me a good work rivals to lovers any dang day! The tension that we see as outsiders that is obviously being missed by one or both main characters is always squeal and little leg flutters inducing.

What a delightful little take on the role of Santa Claus and the North Pole. Definitely creative way to portray the holiday myths many of us grew up with. Though I do think Henry could have been less of an ass out in the “real world” with Lyla and her family company. But we wouldn’t have gotten a surprise adventure to Yule and a fake-engagement if he (and/or her father) had been more honest about his role in the company from the get go. Without any real facts or details it’s not surprise to me at all that Lyla felt betrayed and hostile to the person coming in and seemingly plowing through her family legacy with a bull dozer.

I do wish we had gotten a little more in depth on Henry’s feelings but what we see from him is the reaction he has to others. I would have really enjoyed a peak into his POV some more. I loved his family dynamic, even after his long 10 years away they were simply happy to have him home but you could feel and see the undercurrents of challenging and conflicting emotions at the same time. I hope we get more family and village time as we continue to explore Yule.

My biggest beef is how is everyone so blasé about Natalie committing attempted murder and grand larceny and physical assault?!?! Kevin can’t be the only person in Yule that sees Natalie and realizes she’s completely unhinged. I very much do not want her to get any sort of redemption in the future, I want her true colors exposed and her actions punished. I don’t want all gumdrops and lollipops she’s moved on and seen the error of her ways and look she finds love and is magically not a felony-committing person.

What I really did appreciate is the emotional back and forth Lyla went though, especially at the end, when deciding her future. I’m so glad it was more compromised, both her and Henry vowing to put in the effort to be together despite apparent difficulties. It’s always nice to see characters, especially women, who do want to keep their own agency and not simply become an extension of the man. Lyla’s family business matters tremendously to her and I was so glad she didn’t have to give it up to also have love and happiness and magic.

The Naughty Or Nice Clause totally gave me ALL the cozy holiday vibes I was dreaming of!✨ But, I gotta be real with you – it didn’t quite wow me like I hoped. Thanks to NetGalley, Kate Callaghan, and BooksGoSocial for the free copy!💕

✧ Enemies to lovers 💘
✧ Fake dating 💍
✧ Christmas magic 🎄
✧ Forced proximity 💗
✧ Small town romance 💖
✧ Grumpy x sunshine 😍
✧ Family secrets 🔐
✧ Holiday spirit 🎁

The premise? Super cute, right?! Lyla is rocking it as part-owner of her family's toy company, and then there's Mason Klaus (yep, Santa's son himself! 🎅). But these two are like oil and water, especially since Mason's a total Scrooge who decides to cancel the Christmas party. 😱 Not on Lyla’s watch! She’s like, “Oh, heck no!” and throws it anyway… only for the office to go up in flames! 🔥 Talk about a holiday disaster!

Now Lyla’s gotta spend the holidays with Mason in his magical Christmas village, Yule, pretending to be his fiancée. Talk about awkward moments galore! 😬 I loved the whole idea of Mason being Santa’s kiddo, and the magic of Yule was just super enchanting. It gave me ALL the Christmas feels – twinkling lights, fluffy snow, and that warm, fuzzy holiday magic. 🎄💖

BUT (and it’s a big but, y’all), the romance? Kinda a letdown. I wanted fireworks, chemistry, and swoon-worthy moments, but Mason felt like a total ice cube! ❄️ I mean, fake dating is supposed to be filled with tension and spice, but here it just kinda fizzled. 🥴

On the upside, Yule and Mason's family? Absolutely adorable! Kevin, Mason’s little brother, stole the show! He’s cute, hilarious, and so protective – honestly, I was more into the magical town and family drama than the romance! 😂 Mason had this huge secret he was keeping, but when it finally dropped, I was like, “Wait, that’s it?!” 😅

So, while the romance didn’t hit the mark for me, the festive vibes and magical setting made for a fun read. If you're all about Christmas cheer and a sprinkle of magic, this one might just be your cozy escape! But if you're in it for a swoon-worthy love story, you might find yourself craving a little more. 🤷‍♀️✨

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to the author and Netgalley.

General Thoughts: This is the second book I've read by this author. I don't read many holiday books, but I'm trying to change that this year. This was a cute one. It felt similar to many Christmas movies I've read. Guy is reluctant to fill dad's shoes, but then dad dies, and he has to decide whether he'll do so. But oh wait, there are some romantic entanglements there. This was a cute, fun, enjoyable story. If you like cute, enjoyable stories, this is a fun one.

Spice Meter:❤️‍🔥 Spicy but not overly detailed or frequent.

Romantic Tropes
-single POV
-romance
-contemporary realistic
-holiday
-fake engagement
-dislike to like
-rivals to lovers

You can read more of my reviews on Insta @mylastromancenovel.

The Naughty Or Nice Clause is actually the first book in the Village of Yule series but is a stand alone story and has a guaranteed happy ever after!

I absolutely love Christmas books they are my favourite genre and i must admit that i read them all year around! So, when i came across this book and read the blurb i was instantly hooked!

I loved this book and straight away i got sucked in to all its Christmassy goodness.

The writing was perfect and i honestly felt i was there in the North Pole surrounded by all the snow!

This was a wonderful, cosy, heartwarming, slow burn romance and i loved it…..

I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. I really enjoyed this book and felt like the storyline was completely unique. I loved it!

This book was so cute and such a cozy read. I really enjoyed the holiday vibes and the charming characters and the Clause family dynamic.

I do wish there had been a little more at the end—it felt like it wrapped up too quickly around the romance. Overall, a fun and sweet story perfect for the holidays!!

I’m excited to read the next book!


ɱყ 5 🌟 ωเรɦ ℓเรƭ:
* More romance - give me some Mr. Darcy declaration of love, please
* I could use a few more pages at the end

I absolutely loved this book! It has all the good Christmas feels and vibes! It’s such a great plot as well! I love this Christmas story and think it’s perfect to get you in the holiday jam!

Lyla's co-CEO at her family's toy company is the ultimate grinch (right down to cancelling the company's Christmas party).

But when Mason convinces her to accompany him back to his hometown, Yule, she learns the grinch is really a Claus...and that he perhaps might be the man of her dreams rather than her nightmares.

A new take on Santa and the North Pole that has a slightly more modern and realistic feel, without losing the magic of Christmas.

Side note: Lyla needs to learn to wear shoes.

Warning: This review may contain strawberries! Let me kick off with one flaw: why did it have to end so soon?! I absolutely LOVED the chemistry between Lyla and Mason—finally, an 'enemies to lovers' that does it right! The tension between them? Sizzling hot. The holiday setting was also super fun (no spoilers, but trust me, I’ve never seen anything like it). And don’t get me started on the 'found family' trope—it never fails to pull at my heartstrings. All in all, 100,000 stars from me!

This is a very cute holiday read! ❤️ It has fake dating tropes that I love but it just took a minute to get going. All in all I enjoyed it and would recommend for a good Christmas read.

I absolutely loved this festive romance! Lyla thinks Mason is out to ruin and take her family business away from her, but Mason hides a magical secret that will throw them together in a whirlwind of Christmas romance. Both have suffered the loss of a parent and the pressure of keeping their respective family businesses running smoothly is not an easy task. Once Mason whisks Lyla away to his family home they begin to realise that they might just be what each other needs, and they could have their Christmas dreams come true if they are able to navigate the obstacles thrown in their way.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ebook.
Spice; meh* a sprinkle if that

This was pretty cute and an easy light hearted read. This reminded me of the Hating Game/Spanish Love Deception (enemies, co-workers, fake dating/fake fiance) and of course, any cookie cutter version of a novelized Hallmark movie *no hate, just the vibes*

The characters Lyla/Mason didn't have much depth, and there really wasn't much romance. There's a scene where they get into an argument, and she runs after her cat into the woods shortly after. There are several wolves that almost attack her, and Mason comes to her rescue. Then he gets angry with her for running away (it felt like a copy/paste version of that scene from Beauty and the Beast):

Mason: "you shouldn't have run away."
Lyla: "you shouldn't have gotten angry at me"

Is there much substance to this book? Is there much concrete, heart warming romance? No...and no. Is this a cute read for Christmas and will take some cliché cutie pie moments that feel a little bit too close to other some novels/movie, eh...yes. 3 stars because it delivered the hallmark Christmas novelization I expected.