The Naughty or Nice Clause, by Kate Callaghan, is the first of the ongoing Village of Yule series. if you love all things Christmas (especially hallmark-like stories), this is a great series for you! Callaghan takes the Christmas tales we all know and puts a bit of a different spin on them, and then swirls this all with a bit of romance for the win. I read through this one evening and went right on to the next one. Tis the Season for Secrets is the second in the series and is also a fun holiday read.  While it can be read as a stand-alone, why would you want to?  I recommend reading them in order. Things will make more sense. Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

This book was so good! The story was so interesting and I could not put the book down! The romance and banter was so fun and entertaining! I would highly recommend!

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 preterence - because the cost of bringing an outsider to their magical land is far too high.
love cute holiday books and this was just ok. I thought the enemies to instant love was a bit too much for me sadly. It’s certainly a very cosy book and it really gets you in the Christmas mood. Kate Callaghan is my go to cosy author
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the arc copy of this book. I

When Lyla’s father steps down as CEO of their family’s toy company, she expects to inherit his shares. Instead, she’s blindsided by the news that the company is bankrupt and her shares now belong to Mason Klaus, a cold and calculating investor. Forced to run the company together, despite their obvious dislike for each other, things heat up when Mason cancels the annual Christmas party, and Lyla decides to host it anyway—leading to a disastrous fire. In an attempt to smooth things over, Mason makes her an offer: spend twelve days with his family for Christmas, and he’ll overlook her part in the chaos. Whisked away to a magical winter village, things get even more complicated when Mason introduces her as his fiancée, leaving her no choice but to play along.

It had all the makings of a perfect cozy Christmas read, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The premise was fun, and there were definitely some cute, movie-like moments, but the story felt weighed down by clichés. While there were sparks between Lyla and Mason, it didn’t quite sizzle the way I hoped, and the ending felt a bit too neatly tied up.

That said, if you’re in the mood for a light Christmas romance, this could still be a charming pick. The winter wonderland setting was lovely, and it’s a quick and easy read. Big thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the chance to read this!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the arc copy of this book. I love cute holiday books and this was just ok. I thought the enemies to instant love was a bit too much for me sadly. It’s certainly a very cozy book and it really gets you in the Christmas mood. I really liked the cover of this book as it’s so cute and cosy. I would certain like to read more by this author! Xxx

I'd like to thank Netgalley and CallaghanWriter, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Christmas RomCom's and fake dating tropes but this just felt off for me. What I did like is the magical aspect of the book. I also liked that I was surprised by the magical village, I didn't see it coming. What I had problems with is that it just felt rushed, especially towards the end. I also just couldn't connect with either of the characters. Their banter was hit or miss for me. Sometimes it felt forced. I could actually see this as a Hallmark Movie.

I love cute holiday books and this was just okay. The enemies to instant love was a bit much.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lyla’s grandfather was suppose to be hers. Instead, a person is given to Mason Klaus. She soon discovers the company is going bankrupt. When Mason cancels the Christmas party, she throws one anyway, which caused an office fire. Mason makes a deal with Lyla, which involves her coming to his house for the Christmas holiday. She gets introduced as his fiancée and she must follow through.

I love Christmas and it gives all the vibes. The book touches on family dynamics, losing parents, etc. I do feel like there could have been more chemistry between the two main characters. Ready for the second in the series!!!

Thank you to Kate Callaghan, BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the perfect combination of sweet, sexy, and sultry for the holidays! Lyla throws a Christmas party. There’s a fire. Mason agrees to forget her part in said fire if she joins his family for Christmas… and it turns out he lives at the North Pole and is next in line to be Santa Claus. A brilliant festive read for getting in the Christmas mood! From start to finish, I was completely enchanted. Both Lyla and Mason are very well-rounded characters, and they have great chemistry. Loved their banter and how they gradually started to fall in love.Kate's writing style is fresh, witty, and uplifting, so it was easy to get swept away by this story. I can see this book made into a sweet Hallmark movie



This book is a must-read if you're looking for a simple, straightforward Christmas read that strongly resembles every Hallmark movie!! It's also ideal for you if you enjoy the Christmas lover and the Grinch getting together. We can't forget the bantering! So perfect!!

It was a fun enough read. I’ve definitely read it during the wrong season, I might’ve enjoyed it a bit more closer to Christmas. I just found there wasn’t enough depth to the characters, there wasn’t much development. One page they fully hated each other and the next were in love. It was a cute read but it all happened way too fast, especially the ending. So much happened during the last 20 pages when it could’ve taken a bit longer.

Thank you to netgalley for sending me an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Lyla is anything but happy that the shares of her father’s company have been given to Mason Klaus - a grumpy, yet rather handsome, man who she definitely does not like. And when he cancels the office Christmas party, Lyla is pushed over the edge and throws one anyway. Unfortunately, it results in disaster.

But Mason offers her an out - go home with him for the holidays, and all will be forgotten. Seems easy enough, but not only does she discover he’s not from an ordinary town, he then goes and suddenly introduces her as his fiancé to his family. This was not what she signed up for.

This was a fun read to get me in the Christmas spirit (not that I ever need convincing). It was like a Hallmark movie with a twist of Disney magic. The secret behind Christmas was imaginative, putting a different spin on it rather than the typical story of Santa and the North Pole. The lovers to romance trope was in full effect with a grumpy Mr. Klaus and an ambitious and determined woman.

The writing was a little amateur, and my interest waned throughout the book. However, the story kicked up about halfway through and I found myself getting sucked back into the magic and secrets of Yule. Overall, this was a fun and short holiday read.

Kate Callaghan loves to make you fight with the characters to get their heads out of their behinds to see what everyone else sees. We follow Lyla who is dealing with the vacuum that was left behind in the wake of her grandfather’s death, her father’s 4th marriage and a guy named Mason Klaus who now has majority shares in her company she was sent to inherit. One thing leads to another where fate has them transported to where Mason grew up. There is a fine line between hate and love and the power when you let love take over for hate. If you love a good hallmark movie with a touch more spice this is a book for you. Thank you Netgallery, CallaghanWriter/BooksGoSocial, & Kate Callaghan for choosing me to be an arc reader for this book.

Very cozy book, I really enjoyed this beautiful Christmas book.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the copy

Okay! I know spooky season is here but I loved reading this so much! It was getting me in the mood for cooler weather.
Would love to read more by this author!

I absolutely adored The Naughty or Nice Clause and cannot wait for Tis the Season for Secrets It is the perfect book to get you into the Christmas spirit! Layla and Mason are the perfect example of an enemies to lovers romance. I highly recommend this book for the Christmas season!

This was a cute read. It gave hallmark christmas vibes, and I loved that. This was a great idea for a book and I'm glad I read this.

I liked the FMC. She was confident and tough when needed, but it was realistic. The MMC did some growing through the book, and that was nice to read.

I'm not a fan on the 3rd act break up. I also think that it was a quick ending.

I'm hoping book 2 will let the readers see these two again.

Thank you to Kate Callaghan and NetGalley for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a really cute Christmas romance! Kate Callaghan is the queen of writing seasonal romances with hints of magic. I really enjoyed the Christmas lover and the Grinch dynamic. I also really liked that Mason wasn’t fond of the holiday for superficial reasons like to be cool and edgy, but because it reminded him of his family and the place he had to leave on bad terms.

Lyla is eager to run the company on her own, but I think it’s kind of obvious that she doesn’t properly know how to. She doesn’t know how to take responsibility for her actions. Even if she were to take over the company before her trip to the Village of Yule, I don’t think she could’ve managed it successfully. And it’s funny that she blames Mason for buying the shares of the company instead of being mad at her father for selling them in the first place.

At first, I didn’t like that she was looking for ways to get rid of Mason while he was grieving his father, but I like that she realized it was wrong and that she couldn’t force him to choose to stay or go, like his father did years ago, and I like that she deleted the email without a second thought. Lyla and Mason were on an emotional journey throughout the book, and they evolved as characters by the end. The character development was lovely to watch.

I went into this blind other than I picked it as a request on NetGalley wanting another holiday read. I LOVED this short holiday novella.

Enemies to lovers, and a fake engagement in a magical Christmas village with the heir to the Santa Clause legacy. Lyla and Mason are co-owners of Lyla’s father’s toy company, and they absolutely despise each other. After a Christmas party at the office, thrown by Layla against Mason’s orders, ends up in flames. Mason pays off the damages in exchange for Laylas help in returning to his hometown to help his own family business after his father has just passed away. Lyla agrees and to her surprise, it turns out Mason is from a hidden village in the mountains where his father was Santa Clause and his family runs the holiday season. Throw in the fact that bringing any outsiders, outside of marriage is against the law, Layla is also blindsided by Masons announcement that they are engaged, and has no choice but to agree and hope no one finds out they’re lying. A modern take on the Santa clause job but sprinkled with a little magic, Mason has to decide whether or not he’s going to take over his father’s duties and if he’ll stay, but he can’t do it alone. Layla is his buffer and foothold on the outside world so he can make an unbiased decision. But Layla loves Christmas, and since her own mother’s passing when she was child, this is the first time she’s felt a real sense of family in years. Falling in love with this magical place and helping his family heal through their grief was easy, but falling in love with Mason in the process was unexpected. Especially since the truth about their engagement threatens Laylas stay and her memories.

The pace was well set, slightly slow burn romance. I loved the holiday festivities and scenery. The gingerbread baking competition was one of my favorite scenes although personally, I would have thrown hands!The arguing into flirting is always fun. But I’m docking a star because the third act breakup was unnecessary and felt really rushed. Everything was building up nicely and then BAM! Romance takes a hard drive just for it to come back up and the story end within pages. Overall, I loved this story, and it looks like another standalone is coming in this series, and I’ll be keeping my eyes out for it!

Kate Callaghan's novel, "The Naughty or Nice Clause", is a true Christmas tale that draws the reader into a romantic story through snow-covered landscapes and festive magic. The book's protagonist, Lyla Smurfit, is a character who is easy to like, even if you don't agree with all her decisions. Lyla's actions are rooted in deep human emotions, past disappointments or a sense of responsibility for her family – this makes her relatable and human to the readers.

Much to her surprise and disappointment, the toy manufacturing company that has been in Lyla's family for generations will not be hers after her father's retirement, but falls into the hands of a cold and distant investor, Mason Klaus. The resulting situation is the source of the tension between the two protagonists, as Mason and Lyla do not get on well at the beginning of the book and feel quite opposed to each other. This initial hostility is particularly intriguing in the story, as the attraction between the two characters becomes practically palpable over time, even if neither is willing to admit it to themselves at first.

The turning point is a Christmas party organised by Lyla, which she arranges against Mason's wishes. This decision, though a mere desire on Lyla's part to stick to tradition and express the festive spirit, ends in disaster when a fire breaks out at the event. This unexpected event is what sets the plot in motion, setting off a chain reaction in Mason and Lyla's lives. Mason makes an unusual offer to Lyla: if she agrees to spend twelve days with him and his family over the holidays, he will overlook the party's bad ending.

The Christmas journey opens the door to another world for Lyla – not only does she discover a fairytale, snow-covered village, but also the possibility of a new relationship she may never have expected. The beautiful holiday scene and magical surroundings are a perfect contrast to Lyla's inner tension, as she learns more and more about her own feelings with Mason, and slowly the dislike is replaced by a much deeper connection.

Mason's character is a fascinating contrast to Lyla. The charismatic but cold businessman slowly unfolds into a man who struggles with his own demons just as much as she does. To complicate matters, Mason is actually Lyla's boss, as he is the majority owner of the company. However, this dynamic only makes their relationship more interesting as they have to face challenges not only on a personal but also on a professional level.

The novel's special feature is the fabulous, festive atmosphere that permeates almost every page. Kate Callaghan masterfully captures the idyll of a festive village where the magic of Christmas is more tangible than ever. This Christmas atmosphere provides the perfect backdrop for romance and enchants the reader as if they were part of the story. The author skilfully blends humour, romance and the wonders of Christmas, which is why the book can warm hearts not only during the holidays, but also anytime you read it.

🔳 I needed to escape the heat of the almost endless summer we have here and this was exactly what I needed. A fun, cute story, full of Christmas vibes. I liked the magic aspect of it, not heavy just right. I can see this turned into a movie and being a hit during the holidays. Very beautiful scenery to build up the story.

🔳 It is not exactly enemies, but they don't get along at the beginning, which is something I enjoy. It is not a dual POV, which I might have liked a bit more as I wanted Mason's thoughts during the days in Yule. I enjoyed most of the book, although the end seemed a bit rushed for me. I don't think I can explain what I mean without giving spoilers.

🔳 Low in spice for those who don't like smut.