I did not finish this book. The plot was uninteresting to me, a very typical Christmas RomCom style book. I was hoping for a light hearted holiday read but was not entertained by this one.

Although the story puts an interesting twist on the fake dating cliché and I found the premise very original, the book fell a bit short for my taste.

The main characters -Layla and Mason- seemed very flat to me and their dialogue didn't convey anything at all. The lack of chemistry between them has made me feel disappointed as far as the romantic plot is concerned. However, I found Kevin (Mason's little brother) to be adorable. A fun character and a must protect in every way.

Overall, the feeling I got was that this is a book that does the job and entertains, but it didn't really resonate with me and it's not going to be a story I'll remember for a long time. In addition, the ending seemed too rushed compared to how slowly things happen throughout the book.

Even so, you know that there is nothing written about books and just because I didn't love it, doesn't mean that you won't like it.

I don't usually like the 'fake dating' trope, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There were lots of twists and turns which helped to move the story along.
I did feel the book felt a bit forced, the premise was there and the story had a lot of potential but it did fall a bit flat for me. I couldn't put my finger on what it was, but it felt as though it was missing something.

A cute holiday read full of magic and unexpected love. Although a little unrealistic, it was a nice escape from reality during the holiday season.

Exactly what I was looking for while I was in a reading slump. Enemies to Lovers, Small Town Romance, and Forced Proximity, just YUM! The Author delivers magic, mystery, some action, romance, and a bit of spice. this will get you feeling the best holiday feelings any time of year.

I love a good enemies to lovers and fake relationship trope in a book.

This book has a bit of everything. Lyla and Mason have to work together but Lyla is definitely not a fan of Mason. After a mishap she has to go back home with Mason where he introduces her as his fiancee. She must go along with it and soon their fake relationship develops very real feelings for each other.

This was a great Christmas story that will put you in the holiday spirit.

Hmm what did I think about this book ... I absolutely loved it. I obviously made the mistake of reading a Christmas book in May, BUT still didn't change the fact that this book is amazing. Short and sweet. To the point.

Enemies to lovers ... WIN
Christmas with actual magic ... WIN
Found family ... WIN
Slow burn ... WIN

And let me tell you when the spice finally comes ... yup its good!

Save it for Christmas time, but definitely give it a read!

Christmas, magic, romantic chemistry on a slow burn that makes you devour the pages with delight. Will they get together? You'll have to read to find out. Kate's books are never predictable. Anything could happen. Put up your Christmas tree early, make a hot chocolate and settle down in a comfy chair to read this year's best Christmas book. It won't disappoint. It's the magical escape you need in your life right now.

Tropes:
- enemies to lovers
- fake dating/engagement
- small town romance

There's a lot of magic in this one-- in fact this book read like a screenplay in many ways, it's *so* incredibly easy to imagine it streaming on Netflix or playing on the Hallmark channel this Christmas season.

This is unfortunately where my personal disappointment came in-- it felt like a screenplay too

This book was really good. As someone who loves hallmark movies, this book felt like one. Lyla and Mason are really cute. This book really put you into the world. This is a book I would reread around Christmas time to get in the mood for the season. As I read it in April and May, it made me feel like it was December. I love the fake dating trope and I think it works really well for this book. I also found it hilarious that Mason is a scrooge when he is in line to be the next santa claus. I really loved Kate Callaghan's writing style. This book was so good and so cute. I would highly recommend it.

This is the perfect slow burn, holiday romance. Readers will be in the holiday spirit from the page one and you will find yourself invested in the enemies-to-lovers romance. This is a steamy romance with great character development and a fun plot line!

Mason is brought in to help Lyla with her retired fathers toy company but they are total opposites. When Mason cancels the annual Christmas party, Lyla throws it anyway but it all ends in a terrible fire! Mason has a deal, if Lyla acts as a buffer when he goes to visit his family back home, he’ll forget all about her mistake. However, there’s a big cost to bringing an outsider home to Masons hometown, as its very secret village…

This was a really sweet Christmas book. I loved the amazing Christmas village that Lyla got transported to and I loved all the family love and support throughout the book. It was a great take on the classic romancey Christmas book with a bit of a twist. It was great for me because it was slightly fantastical but easy to follow. I loved how the story included both a magical Christmas land alongside a traditional toy store. A little slow-burn enemies to lovers with a bit of festive spirit.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘕𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯-𝘵𝘰-𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴. The characters are well-made and even if I had a few moments where I could or could not dislike Lyla, I have to be honest and admit she grow on me at the end of the book and I felt a little bit of pity about how rude Klaus was to her at the end. And I have to defend Klaus too because he was heart-broken and he didn't deserve that, but that is what life means. And that's something I liked about this: how real they were about everything.

I took a liking to the whole Santa Claus idea, a little bit of magic, a little bit of fantasy and wholesome characters. I mean, definetely not my cup of tea - not always, at least, as I don't read all the time cute romance books but I had to read this one for it was such a cute description and all 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞/𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬
vibe hooked me up. And I don't regret a thing and as the author said: 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, so, ya, I liked it a lot. But maybe it was the whole family reunited idea that grow on me since the start. I was enjoying it so much because there is no extra conflict involved, they are just two grown up people doing child-ish stuff. I was so invested in Klaus's family and how closed they were and how quickly they tried to make Lyla their own. His brother was such a Goofy and I was there for his comments.

A more accurate note would be 3,5 ⭐ but it was a good book that I enjoyed a lot reading it. Things I will like to add are that I hoped to a more complex explanation as of how the magic worked and a little more less drama involving Natalie, Klaus's ex-girlfriend and how that was so out-of-the-blue (I mean, I would've kicked her ass out of the town if she was so morally-gray in such a lifely community). And I was relived there was such little spice to it because I feel like if there were more it would've destroyed the complexity of the couple. And as it is, it's perfect.

I recommend it to everyone who likes cute-romance stories with a touch of magic and a bit of fantasy and of course, Santa Claus and North Pole vibes.


(I brought the Kindle version of this book on Amazon and read and rated it on GR without mentioning Netgalley.)

This was such a FUN read! So much magic and Christmas spirit, it felt so real! I didn't want it to end. The characters were so well thought out and the oh-so perfect match. I love love LOVED it. It may be an every Christmas season read.

This book was so cute and warm.
I loved the story and the description of Yule and the traditions. I loved Mason's family and his banter with Lyla.
However, I felt like the characters needed more development, especially Natalie as the villain. Her motive is not really justified and she only has three scenes in the entire book, so we do not understand how her hatred of Lyla appeared.
Also the relationship between Mason and Lyla felt a bit superficial and rushed, especially at the end.
The ending of the book felt so rushed. The author added too much drama in very few pages at the end. First there was Lyla's "betrayal" (Mason's reaction to this did not feel justified), then there was her "kidnapping" by Natalie, then her return to her home city and then her second thoughts about returning to Yule. The drama could have been spread out throughout the book.
All in all it was a cute read which really put me in the Christmas spirit.
Really grateful for Netgalley for providing the arc for this book

The Naughty or Nice Clause by Kate Callaghan was a heartwarming and festive read that had me in the holiday spirit from the first page. The premise of a woman unexpectedly inheriting a Christmas tree farm and falling in love with the town's mayor was charming and well-executed. The writing was engaging and descriptive, and I appreciated the author's attention to detail in depicting the small town setting and the holiday traditions. The characters were likable and relatable, and their romance was sweet and satisfying. The only reason I'm not giving this book a five-star review is that I felt the conflict towards the end was a bit contrived and could have been resolved more smoothly. However, overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a heartwarming and festive romance.

The Naughty or Nice Clause by Kate Callaghan is a delightful holiday romance novel with a twist of fantasy. Lyla finds herself in a difficult situation when her father's toy company goes bankrupt and her shares are given to the cold and ruthless investor, Mason Klaus. Lyla and Mason have to work together to run the company, despite their dislike for each other. When Lyla throws a Christmas party, it ends in disaster, and Mason offers her a deal to save her reputation. She must pretend to be his fiancée for the twelve days of Christmas and join his family in a magical winter wonderland.

The story is well-written with well-developed characters that you can't help but root for. Lyla is a strong and independent woman who is determined to win back her company, and Mason is a complex character with hidden depths. The chemistry between the two is palpable, and their banter is both witty and entertaining. The fantastical elements add a magical touch to the story, making it a perfect read for the holiday season.

The book does have mature content, which may not be suitable for younger readers. However, for those who enjoy a steamy romance with a happy ending, The Naughty or Nice Clause is a must-read. Overall, Kate Callaghan has delivered a heartwarming holiday romance that is sure to put a smile on your face.

I loved this grumpy sunshine romance, and I loved the Christmas magic that brought these two together. We have Lyla who is the daughter of the retired CEO of a toystore where she fully expected to take over- however she finds out that her father actually sold it to Christmas hating Mason Klaus. I loved the magical realism of this book where we are taken from our normal world into where Mason Klaus is from- Yule. Here Mason introduces Lyla to everyone as his fiancé, which could not be further from the truth. The thing I struggled with the most was that this did not seem like an organic love story and the romance felt very forced and unbelievable at times.

3,5 ⭐
This is a loooong way due. I enjoy the story more than I expected it to be 😆 it started with a promising trope of an office romance. I didn't prepare for a magical village at all 😭 thought it would be great as a Christmas movie adaptation. As the story goes by, I found it heartwarming, and I love the couple's banter. Their dynamic. The changes are subtle and it flows effortlessly. It was sweet and warmth. It was just enough.

This was such a fun holiday romance! Hilarious and sexy with a workplace romance? Sign me up!

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.