Thank you to NetGalley, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and Kate Callaghan for that eARC.

Lyla's family legacy was a toy company, but a nemesis is created when her father sells his 51% shares of the company to an investment bank, Mason Klaus. After a Work Christmas Party mishap, which lands Lyla in Mason's debt, she accepts his plea to visit his family with him to serve as a buffer. They travel via magical jingle bell to the enchanted village of Yule (aka the North Pole). After the recent loss of Mason's father, Santa Claus, Mason must determine whether or not he will takeover his family business, while staying with the Klaus' in Yule, allows Lyla to see another side of her grumpy co-worker.

First off, this was my first Christmas novel, and honestly it gave me all the Christmas good feelings. This enemies to lovers story with forced proximity allows for a lot of fun banter and family fun, which humanizes Mason for Lyla. I loved his whole family and this magical town (except Natalie and slightly less Frederick - you will find this out when you read the book!). I feel like this could easily be turned into a fan favorite movie too for the holidays.

My only change would be that the ending felt a little abrupt. I felt like there could've been more to the ending, but would still highly recommend.

- Work place enemies to lovers
- Close proximity
- (Extremely) Small Town
- Christmas Themed
- Slow Burn Romance

2.5⭐️ The idea behind the story is perfect for a Hallmark/Netflix holiday movie; fake dating, peppermint and mistletoe, HEA...I would watch the heck out of it! The translation of the idea into a novel fell flat 😕.

In general, the story felt rushed. One minute you're introduced to two characters who dislike each other and the next they are faking a relationship in a winter wonderland. I can't say that I ever really felt any *magic* or *sparks* between Lyla and Mason.

I did enjoy the author's spin on the magic of Christmas! It totally put me in the holiday spirit!

All my appreciation to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Lyla finds herself swept away to her coworker’s hometown without any notice. Mason needs a buffer from his family and Lyla is it. There is something special about his town and family…he is in line to be THE Klaus and his town is the North Pole.

I LOVE Hallmark Christmas movies and if you take out certain the elements that are not rated PG, this is definitely Hallmark material. Mason starts out grumpy but of course is a cinnamon roll underneath. His family is so awesome and the town sounds darling. The chemistry between Lyla and Mason is could melt the snow.

The end moved a bit fast for me. I felt it wrapped up way to quickly and was awkward. It may have just been me.

Overall, I loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Ho,ho,ho this book is definitely going on the nice lost. Fan of romance?
Love Christmas?
Well this book is just the tonic that you need. This book is fun, uplifting and jam packed full of Christmas spirit.

Wonderful

An enchanted, Christmas fairytale full of nostalgia and love.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

I absolutely loved this book! The author truly captured the essence of Christmas, reminding me of the excitement you felt as a child but the warm, cosy feeling you get as an adult all snuggled up, drinking hot chocolate.

This book had so many magical moments. I really warmed to Layla and Mason and had many a chuckle at the highs and lows of their relationship.

I truly hope this book is made into a film; it could become one of the greatest Christmas classics for years to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles for the eARC in exchange of my honest review.

The naughty or nice clause is workplace rivals-to-lovers story that definitely put me in the Christmas vibe. After Lyla's father sells his company shares to Mason and retires, she finds herself to be butting heads with Mason in the office every day.

During the Christmas party and followed events when Lyla finds Mason slouched and upset because he received a letter from his family. And Mason has no other option than to take Lyla with him to his home for Christmas. Together they find themselves in Yule acting as doting lovers and sipping eggnog while in reality all they want to do is snap each other's necks. But as the Christmas magics sets in and sparks fly…

This books did amazing job creating the magic of Christmas, family and magical season, however it lacked the real romance. Mason sometimes seemed mean and while Lyla thinks she is coming up as independent, she just seems stubborn. The chemistry between them is just on surface and ending seemed rushed. I do wish there was more progress between them romantically and ending wasn't rushed. I loved the Yule town and all the characters and of course Christmas spirit.

I love a good holiday rom-com and that’s what I thought this would be. It has a delightful premise of two characters, totally opposite and clashing at every opportunity, who find love in the end. For Christmas, they both are running a toy factory (how perfect) and its just before the big rush of the Season. To top it off, one of the partner’s name is Mason Klaus (Claus) although he is such a s Scrooge and doesn’t like any reminders of Christmas going so far to cancel the company Christmas party. In contrast, Lyla Smurfit loves EVERY thing Christmas and her place is decorated like Santa’s wonderland. When Klaus gets a letter from home which leaves him devastated, he knows he must return after being gone 10 years and convinces Lyla to go with him to support him. Lyla is nothing but a good-hearted soul and although is resentful of Klaus’s interference in the family company, she agrees to help him out. But then magically, they are transported to Yule, a very foreign place, and Lyla begins to realize that Klaus has not been forthright about his background. As she meets his family, she is surrounded by warmth and love which she has been craving for since her mum died when she was small. But she also sees Klaus in a new light as the magic of this place creates magic between them as well. Could it be love? While Klaus must decide whether to stay, every day Lyla falls more in love with him. I love the magic of Christmas and yes, it was a bit predictable with a name like Klaus that something more was up but I rode with it because it was like a fairytale. Although not the best writing, the descriptions of the town, the gingerbread, the LIST, the special golden dust created in the workshop were delightful. That is until you turn the next page and the author thought it was important to add a gratuitous scene between Lyla and Mason that were graphic in language and thought about them having sex. REALLY? This just took away from that classic Hallmarky would be movie that it could be. Not needed at all. While I liked the HEA ending, it was a let down from the magic and wholesomeness of the story after this addition to the story. Too bad as it had such promise.

Many thanks to #netgalley #thenaughtyorniceclause # katecallaghan for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.
I was really excited to go ahead and get in the Christmas spirit with this book.
Mason Klaus has recently taken over at the company Lila's dad use to own and where she works. These two butt heads from the beginning. One night, Lila finds Mason upset in his office after receiving a letter from his family. This contents of the letter change everything and cause Mason and Lila to take a trip that will change both of their lives.
Overall, I really enjoyed the Christmas aspects of the story. Yule gave me all the Hallmark Christmas vibes, and I would love to go there. I also liked some of Callaghan's reinvention of some Christmas tradition and lore.
Unfortunately, for a romance, I thought the romantic story line was lacking. I would have loved to see more development of the relationship between Mason and Lila. It could have been an awesome enemies to lovers trope, but instead it seemed more insta-lovey and surface level attraction.

This book:
-put me in the Christmas spirit
-read like a Hallmark movie
-had good family relationships
-has the fake dating trope

This book didn't:
-have a strong romantic relationship

This book was such a good holiday book. I loved everything about it and definitely made me ready for winter and Christmas. It is really the most wonderful time of the year. I love the stories and the magical of it and even though some people may act like the grinch they may have a side you would never imagine. This give me the hallmark feels and would definitely be okay with it being made into a movie, maybe with earlier romance between klaus (Mason) and lyla. I loved it though and definitely a ready to get onto more Christmas books now it’s never to early.

This is such a sweet and fun Christmas romcom. I really enjoyed it!

I loved Yule, the Christmas village. It was so cute and cozy, really reminiscent of a Christmas movie (think The Santa Clause). There were a couple of unique spins on the Santa Claus story so that it felt more grown up and appropriate for an adult novel rather than a kids' movie.

I really enjoyed the relationship between the main characters, through the silly banter and the ups and downs. And the skating scene!! So much fun.

It has some fun tropes: fake engagement, an enemies to lovers, grumpy/sunshine, one bed and a cute little cat!

This story is just some sweet Christmas fun, and nothing to serious or groundbreaking. If you need a not-so-serious read and are a fan of Christmas, I recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter for an eARC of The Naughty Or Nice Clause.

I love that this book gives me a big warm Christmas with a Hallmark hug in book form.

Mason and Lyla have been working together for the last year. After Lyla throws a last-minute surprise Christmas party for their company without Mason's knowledge, the floor is a bit destroyed. To make up for this issue, Mason convinces Lyla to come home with him for the holidays so he has a buffer between him and his family. They end up in a beautiful Christmas town which is a secret just like his family's business.

Lyla absolutely loves Christmas and the traditions the company has for it. Her family has been broken since her mother's death so she really hasn't been able to experience it with family in a long time.

Mason isn't a massive fan of Christmas at least not in Ireland. He has a large family but estranged from them for the last ten years.

The Naughty or Nice Clause has all of my favorite tropes: grumpy/sunshine, enemies-to-lovers, and forced proximity. I just wish the epilogue could have been a little longer and showed us what the following Christmas looked like.

"The Naughty or Nice Clause" is the first book I've read by author Kate Callaghan, and it serves up the popular "enemies to lovers" trope with a twist. Lyla is trying to save her family's toy business after her father ran it into the ground, but her co-owner, Mason, who was brought in to save the day, is the bane of her existence. The two can't seem to get along, but the sparks are still flying. When Lyla's Christmas party almost burns the building down, she agrees to help Mason with a favor as repayment for him paying for the building's renovation. But his shocking request -- to return home with him over the holidays -- only gets stranger when she realizes his father was THE actual Santa Claus and he lives at the North Pole!

I thought this story was very creative and original. Unfortunately, I didn't feel much chemistry between Lyla and Mason so I didn't enjoy the book as much as I was hoping to. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Lyla does not see eye to the man she owned a business with the only problem is that he owns the majority at 51% so she can't break away. Mason Klaus her business partner is described as MrGrinch.

After throwing a disastrous Christmas party, Mason makes her a deal if she'll spend 12 nights of Christmas away with her him he'll let her off on the party. She agrees but doesn't realise where she was agreeing to be taken too. She ends 

We are told they arrived in Yule which is  described being bring a village In the north pole. 
Mason has been away from the village for ten years much to the upset of his father, family and the villagers themselves. Now his has passed away he must go back it literally is now or never.

When Mason and Lyla arrive in Yule it's not long before we meet Natalie, Masons ex fiance who they keep bumping into.


In my opinion the best character in this book is Sam the eldest of the three Chause children. Sara . She got married to a woman and became disabled when a sleigh fell on top of her, that's two minority groups delivered and no great thing is made of it. Which you never seen in the majority of books so that's why I'm pointing it out here..

Stranger still was when the book did a 180° and changed from romcom cozy Christmas hot chocolate to next sexual descriptive language being used that I don't believed need to be there. I did not really enjoy any parts of this novel


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a digital copy  of the novel in exchange for my honest review.

A warm Christmassy story to help with the cold nights of winter! I was a joy to read and was nice to read of all the other characters too. Loved it!

Give me a Christmas book at any time of the year honestly. There is something about Christmas that just brings joy and this book is no different!

3⭐️s

“Fight with you, flirt with you- I’ll do whatever you want if it keeps you close.”

What a cute little holiday read! It gives off Hallmark movie vibes so if those movies aren’t your thing than perhaps this book isn’t for you. I think this is a great book to kick off your holiday reads!

The Naughty or Nice Clause by Kate Callaghan: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶.5

Tropes: Grumpy/Sunshine, holiday romance, enemies to lovers, fake dating/engagement, one bed

Here’s what I loved:

Yule
I loved the little Christmas town! Everything sounds so magical and I think that’s my favorite part about Christmas movies/books. If I can’t feel the magic, it doesn’t work for me, but I could feel it with this story! Peppermint, gingerbread, sleigh rides, hot cocoa? It’s just perfect!

Mrs. Klaus
I love her character. She’s so sweet and kind hearted but she’s also spunky and a “get shit done” kind of woman. She’s everything I aspire to be really. I mean, she puts whiskey in her cocoa!

The tension
This is an enemies to lovers tale so you already know the tension between Mason and Lyla is going to be good. And then there’s the fact that he’s a Scrooge and she’s basically a Christmas fanatic and it’s just perfect!

The little differences
While this is a “hallmark-esque” Christmas read, I loved all the little differences that made it not so “Santa Clause, big bag of toys, lumps of coal for the bad, etc” cliche. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of cliches here, it’s a Christmas story after all, but there’s also a lot of unique spins on small details that I loved. I won’t spoil any of them though so that you can experience them yourself.


Here’s what I didn’t love:

The pacing
The pacing at times felt kind of jumpy and uneven. One scene would be nicely composed and detailed, and then all of a sudden the next scene would be rushed and choppy, almost like it was only there to connect the bigger moments together. Lyla’s there for 12 days but at times it seems like she’s only there for 3, but then others it feels like she’s been there for months? It’s just a little strange.

The big moment/ the ending
I don’t want to spoil anything but the climax of the story has so much potential and then felt rushed through. The ending was the same. Everything that has happened was leading to this and I just felt like there could’ve been more with it. And while I <I>loved</I> the ending, (because who doesn’t love a HEA) it just felt rushed. It felt like her decision making took minutes instead of hours. Maybe perhaps because this is a shorter story?


Thank you Kate and NetGalley for the Arc in exchange for an honest review

My first eARC and I loved this story! It was such a fun spicy holiday romance. It gave me total hallmark movie vibes and im 100% here for it.
This was actually my first experience with the fake engagement trope, it did not disappoint! I am still sitting here swooning over Mason and Lyla. If you’re looking for a light, fun holiday read-this IS IT. I definitely recommend picking it up when it comes out on November 8.

Unfortunately, I experienced formatting issues, so I found it impossible to read on after the first five pages. A shame.

This was such a fun story with a bit of retelling regarding Santa Clause, his family and his responsibilities. Make it Christmasy, but with romance!

Lyla goes head to head with her co-CEO of her toy business on a daily basis. Turns out, Mason Klaus is a descendant of Santa Clause - or a version of jolly old St. Nick.

Mason magically transports Lyla to what is essentially the North Pole to help him take over his recently deceased father's duties of spreading magic, Christmas cheer and good karma to the world.

It sounds a bit out there, but trust me, it's totally believable.

I loved the banter between Lyla and Mason. I loved how he slowly came around to accepting his family obligations. He also found a way to have a relationship with Lyla but not making her give up everything.

I would have liked to see a bit more interaction between Lyla and her father. I also think we needed a bit more of how Mason fell for Lyla - maybe his point-of-view would have helped.

Nonetheless, this was such a cozy, magical read that I may read it again closer to Christmas.

Thank you to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter for providing me an e-copy of THE NAUGHTY OR NICE CLAUSE to review.

I rate THE NAUGHTY OR NICE CLAUSE four out of five stars.

If you are wanting a cozy & quirky Hallmark/Netflix esque Christmas love story- this is for you!

This was overall a great, short read and the world the author created is an excellent setting and a super fun take on the Klaus family and the North Pole as a whole. Lyla & Mason are both extremely likable, with great chemistry, though I do feel that much of the story was a bit rushed. I would have liked to have gotten to know both of them better, and I wish there would have been more time with them together at the end. The enemies to lovers dynamic between them would have been better served with a longer story.

Overall, a fun holiday read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!