An enemies to lovers holiday romance with a sprinkle of magic.

Lyla is co-CEO of her family company with the grumpy, ruthless Mason Klaus. When he cancels the annual Christmas party Lyla has enough and goes behind his back and hosts an impromptu one in the offices. When she runs into an inebriated Mason in his office and takes him home, he seeks her out the next day and asks her to be his buffer for the holidays back home. Little does she know he is actually from the North Pole, Santa is real, magic is real, and Mason wants her to pretend to be his finacee.

I myself love a holiday romance, and while this had such a good premise, the execution needed some work. The romance was not well established, the characters went from hate to love too fast with not enough build up. The plot and events were very predictable and gimmicky. The magic and the way it worked were not well explained. This book could be really great with more editing.

This enemies to lovers romance checked all the right boxes for a fun holiday read: perfect setting, grinchy male who falls for the holiday loving female, sweet family members, a misunderstanding that almost ruins everything, and a HEA.

Lyla’s family owns a struggling toy company, and her father brings in Mason Klaus to help clean up the finances and set the company back on the right track. After a work party gone wrong, Mason cleans things up and requests Lyla’s help going home for Christmas and facing his family that he hasn’t seen in 10 years. His family just so happens to live in a very magical winter wonderland, and Mason has some choices to make about his future while at home.

I loved the setting and adored Mason’s family. The book felt like a Hallmark movie in book form and was so fun to read! My one critique would be that the ending felt a bit abrupt and I could have used a bit more to finish the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Callaghan Writer, Independent Book Publishers Association for this holiday ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to netgalley for the Arc.

This started strong. Tension, character motivation and stakes were highlighted early, but then, it changed. The change occurred at around chapter 4 when the inciting incident took place. I didn't click as much after that. The inciting incident appeared to be forced and weak, and I didn't understand why it had even happened that way. I assumed out of convenience, My main issue was that it didn't seem natural. Mason's intentions and stakes were not made clear, until later, so why then would he bring someone he apparently despises to his magical homeland to just be a buffer? Had there been insight into understanding his motives, I'd have been more sympathetic.

There were some things I liked about the book: The magical land, the Christmas theme, and the good old enemy to lovers trope...gets me everytime.

Overall, it's a 2.5 star rounded to 3!

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.

This book didn’t pull me in like I was hoping. It wrote like a screenplay. It reminded me of your hallmark channel or Netflix Christmas movie. I love reading Christmas books but this one didn’t strike me like others. It’s in your fake dating trope. The story felt rushed to me and which there was more character building. I would give it 3 out of 5.

I love the premise of this book! I love that there’s a fantasy element to it and it includes some of my favorite tropes. However, while reading it, I did struggle with the pacing. It would be 7 in the morning, they do one small thing, then suddenly they’re going to bed for the night. In another scene, Lyla got up to make everyone breakfast and started making pancakes. She goes off to do one thing and suddenly a completely different breakfast has been made and she’s excited to eat, pancakes totally forgotten.
Because the book is so short and we didn’t get anything from Mason’s point of view, I really struggled to believe his feelings for her since he spent basically the entire book mad at Lyla.

Ok sexy and slow burn romance, enemies to lover trope just omg, I love all tropes but this ones is one of my favorite, fake dating even better . Is a good book to cozy up with in christmas , 3rd person point of view . Definitely enjoyable

***I received an ARC, through Netgalley, ahead of the November 8th, 2022 release. All thoughts are my own.***

Content Warnings: Grief, loss of a parent, sexual content, and family estrangement.

This was a cute, and fast, Christmas read. We get rivals to lovers, holiday magic, and returning home.

I wish the story would have been slightly longer so we would have had a little more time to know Lyla and Mason when they first met and disliked one another. The banter, in the beginning, was so much fun and I wish we could have explored that a little longer before they became friendly and more. Another thing I would have loved to see is Mason's POV, from the start he seemed to bounce between dislike/want/irritation with Lyla I would have LOVED to hear some of his inner monologues and know precisely what he was feeling and thinking when interacting with Lyla.

Overall a fun holiday read that although it does discuss grief and loss...still felt rather lighthearted and perfect for the holiday season. I would love to see us revisit some of the characters we were introduced to and see/learn more about where Mason is from.

Oh, the Clauses, who doesn’t love a good Christmas story so close to Christmas. I love this time of year. We meet two people who for all intents and purposes originally do not like each other. Abut when family tragedy arises for Mr. Klaus, Lyla has no choice but to help him.

Watching their relationship grow and blossom is a wonderful experience. I felt like I was reading about a Hallmark movie that I would love to see get made. There were no elves but there was definite magic in the air and in the mountains at the North Pole. The concept of this little hidden village was well done and took it to different levels than what we know as the norm or expected. I really enjoyed hearing about the town and peppermint everything.

This story had romance, friendship, family and even a jealous ex. Which I wouldn’t mind smacking with some peppermint sticks. It was thoroughly enjoyable and perfect for the season. Must read for sure.

Lyla Smurfit is forced to run her family's toy company with an investor, Mason Klaus, who received her father's shares after he retired. Lyla and Mason couldn't be any different. Lyla loves Christmas and everything about the season. Mason, who Lyla calls by his last name Klaus, is a grinch, a scrooge. In his office, he faces away from the window that overlooks the ice skating rink. Lyla and Klaus fight and disagree constantly. Klaus is on a mission to save the company, but is doing so by taking away all the fun. He has cancelled the annual Christmas party! Lyla won't hear of it and decides to throw the party behind his back. During the party, Lyla discovers Klaus in his office. He had received a letter from home and is not handling the news in the letter well. Lyla tries to help Klaus, but ends up getting dragged into a trip home to see his family. Will she change the way she feels about this grinch after seeing him at home with his family during the holiday season?
This is a magical story. The trip that Lyla and Mason take to his home is one filled with magic. It is a sweet story and perfect for a holiday read. There is some romance and humor. I enjoyed the characters and getting to see the world that Mason came from. Thank you to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter for the opportunity to read this book.

I was given an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. I am always a bit skeptical starting what will inevitably be the plot of a hallmark Christmas movie in book form. While yes, this could absolutely be that, I still finished it in a day. This was a fun, fast read that will have you re-thinking everything you thought you knew/believed about Mr Claus… or in this case Klaus. The perfect book to get you in the mood for the merry season.

This… wasn’t really for me. Plenty of sparky banter and an interesting premise, but I couldn’t get into the whole fantasy-land thing and how it all worked. Nor could I really empathise with Mason, perhaps because we don’t get his POV. Giving it 3 stars because it’s not at all badly written, just not my thing.

4.5 stars

If you want a Hallmark Christmas movie in book form, look no further, this is the right place. It was a quick read that had me hooked from the first page.

This book was adorable, funny and heartwarming. It wove in the topic of grief and gave it the space it deserves without taking from the overall warmness of the story.

Even though the book is a bit on the shorter side, the romance and characters are developed nicely. I would’ve liked the ending to be slightly longer, or at least an epilogue, though.

3.75/5

A quick little trip into the Holidays, this book is like watching a Hallmark movie with a cup of cocoa.

A power struggle over her family’s beloved toy
Company keeps Lyla and Klaus at each other’s throats; but a surprise adventure brings them to a magical winter wonderland and forces them to see the best in one another. Like any good winter rom com, there’s an evil ex and a meddling mother, but the two main characters are a bit more rounded than many.

I would have liked for a bit more upfront before jumping so quickly into the trip to Yule and in general just a bit more to the store, but overall the book cheerful, charming and an easy quick read.

Thank you Netgalley, the Publisher, and Kate Callaghan for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For someone who loves Christmas and any media that revolves around it, I was really excited to get my hands on this ARC. This book was pretty great. It had some fantasy elements, so expect a little bit of that when you pick up that book. The magical/fantasy element in this book was pretty thoughtful, How they traveled between worlds had a Christmas-y theme and I loved the tiny inclusion even if it's a small detail.

If you're looking for an inst-love story where the characters get together pretty fast, this book isn't for you. The romance is a very slow burn and the characters get together near the very end. However, the wait is pretty worth it.

I give this 4 stars, it was pretty good and I would easily pick it up for a reread.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5035693945

This was an ok read. It started off promising enough with Lyla and Mason's contentious work relationship. However, this did not translate to the steamy attraction I had hoped would develop once they were away from the office.
This had great potential, but the execution didn't work for me.

3.5 There were many typical "Hallmark" style pieces to the story which made it predictable. I enjoyed the twist to the "magic" of the holiday. The premise was good, but it felt like the story was either rushed or fell flat in some places that could have really made this story "more." A fun story for anyone who needs a quick read during the holidays.

3 out of 5 stars

This book was a cute Christmas book! Think Hallmark movie in a book.

One of the reasons I didn’t give more stars was because I felt the ending was rushed. I felt like everything wrapped up too quickly at the end. (I want more details!!)

I would have also liked to see Mason’s character develop more. Somehow I never really connected with his character, despite his backstory. A lot of the dialogue felt flat.

Despite this, I still liked this book! It was cute. I loved the world that Kate created. The magic dust creation was a super fun idea! I would love to visit this North Pole town (but please don’t take my memories!)

To be honest, this book could become a really fun series! I wasn’t quite ready to leave!

*Thanks to Netgalley and the author for giving me an advanced e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

| About |

Being Naughty Has Never Been So Nice!
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?


| Thoughts |

Magical. Felt like stepping into a snow globe Christmas village. Enjoyed the beautiful world building, and the quirky family and villagers. It was a fun and fast read. Perfect for the season. I could read about Mason, Lyla and the Christmas village forever.

"I've brought someone home - something else to talk about rather than our loss."

Where do I start with this book? The cover art was excellent, and it most definitely surprised me when I thought about reading a Christmas book in October, usually, I would be sticking to more spooky books around this time. How could I resist though? It looks so cosy and sweet. It has the perfect elements to make up a Christmas novel in my eyes.

I have to admit that I am a bit of a sucker for holiday romances, such as this one, and it's hard for me to turn down one with the enemies-to-lovers trope. In general, it's a really cute book about two people who work together, both hate each other, end up in a situation where they make a deal to visit one person's family... and fall in love. It's the perfect Christmas romance, where two people are brought together by fate and end up falling in love. The descriptions of the town of Yule are breathtaking, encapsulating the very core of what Christmas is to so many of us. The compassion both Lyla and Mason develop for one another as they let down their guard and become vulnerable with one another is heartwarming and shows that in time you can truly get along with the people that aren't the best to get along with. Their romance started off rocky since he just wanted to take her home for Christmas to prove to his family that he is something other than a grinch.

This is a book you can't put down, you need to get to the end to know what happens to these characters you easily fall in love with. The way that each of the characters easily interacts with one another shows the character development and the Christmas spirit in full swing. If you're looking for a good book to read while waiting for the Christmas holidays to roll around, this would definitely be it.

Brilliant book. I loved Mason and Lyra’s conflict. If you want a Christmas book to remind you of the magic of Christmas then this is the one for you. This is romantic Arthur Christmas. It was, funny, sweet, romantic and all wrapped up in a cosy jumper and mug of thick hot chocolate.
Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.