Lyla and Klaus run a toy making company together and despise each other while doing it. It’s nearly the holidays and the scrooge himself cancels the Christmas party and 12 days of holidays for the factory workers. After receiving some disheartening news Mr. Klaus convinces Lyla he needs her to return home with him to deal with family stuff only to learn when she arrives that she has to pretend to be fiancée.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am in no way an author so I’m finding it hard to describe how much i LOVED this book. It was everything I wanted and more. This book has all the tropes, enemies to lovers? CHECK ! Fake dating? CHECK! Kate Callaghan has mastered the writing of these tropes. This book gives MAJOR the proposal meets Noelle vibes.

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I read this book, I seriously didn’t want to put it down and cursed my job for making me work instead of reading the masterpiece that is The Naughty or Nice Clause.

The tension between the two characters as they are starting to warm up to each other and discover their feelings was so captivating. I seriously wanted to throw my iPad at the wall when the conflict between them happens. This book was perfect, I have no complaints. It left me wanting more of their story and in the end, I think that’s what we all look for in a good book.

I will recommend this book to every person I see, and come November 8th on the release date I’ll be stomping over to my book store to ensure they have it stocked. SERIOUSLY EVERYONE GO READ THIS NOW!

Read this book if you enjoy:
- enemies to lovers
- fake dating (engagement?)
- protective angry love interest
- christmas feels <3
- lonely main character finding a family

Thank you to Netgalley and to Kate Callaghan’s publisher for allowing to read this book in return for an honest review.

Lyla Smurfit expected to run her family's toy company when her father retired. Instead, he sells the shares to grouchy Mason Klaus. They don't work all that well together, so Lyla is surprised when Mason asks her to come home for Christmas with him (though he doesn't so much ask as he does coerce, based on a fire at the Christmas party she authorized that he had forbid). Mason's family is not what Lyla expects, and the announcement to his family that they're engaged also through Lyla for a loop. The rest of the book is jam-packed with Christmas at the North Pole - but maybe not what you'd expect.

I really liked the world-building of this North Pole and Santa (Klaus). It seemed much more plausible than any other contemporary Santa story. I spend a lot of time questioning why no one believes in Santa in those stories while simultaneously having presents show up for their kids that they didn't buy. I also really enjoyed getting to know Mason's family. Also, who doesn't love reading about Christmas? It also had some swoony moments, even if there weren't enough to suit me.

What I didn't like was the aforementioned lack of moments between the couple that could have been swoony. They spent a lot of time together but not "together" or just mild flirting. But this didn't happen very often in the beginning and I wasn't initially convinces that either of them liked each other. This was also wrapped up way too quickly, and not in a way that felt neat. There were some back and forths just over the course of a couple of pages that gave me whiplash and didn't give the reunion the chance to build or sink in. I also really wanted more color to the why's of everything. I wished to know more about the length and breadth of Mason's feelings. There is a moment where you feel like you get a flash of that, but I waited for more after they finally admitted their feelings, and unfortunately didn't get it.

Overall, I like this for Christmas but I probably wouldn't re-read.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the ARC.

I thought this was such a cute and very Christmasy story. I loved how the author re-invented the magical land of Santa Claus into a believable tale. The book has a pride and prejudice or beauty and the beast feel. I really enjoyed the story I thought the end was a little rushed but overall I will be recommending this cute short read for friends over the holidays!

4.5 stars!

I didn’t particularly like the main characters in The Naughty Or Nice Clause, I found the storyline a little too ridiculous and the attempted murder & whack to the head plus a theft seemed to have no consequence & felt like it was just to move the story forward rather than a thought out side story. I did like the cat and the Klaus family so it kept 2 stars.

Thank you to Net Galley and Kate Callaghan for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book provides the cutest Hallmark-esque holiday vibes with a touch of magic AND enemies-to-lovers!

While I did enjoy reading this book, it kinda missed the mark for me in some regards and I'm giving it 2.5/5 stars. It didn't feel like New Adult Romance to me and I struggled to connect with the characters.

The banter felt awkward and childish to me, which made it hard for me to get into the "Adult Romance" mindset. I also found both Lyla and Mason to be somewhat unlikeable throughout most of the book. Lyla refused to hold herself accountable for her mistakes and she came off very immature. Mason put Lyla is some very uncomfortable and questionable situations. It did get better later in the story, but I felt like I had to really push through the first half of the book.

Overall, I think this book would be great for anyone looking for a cutesy, enemies-to-lovers holiday read!

Thank you to Netgalley and CallaghanWriter for this arc in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own. The book will come out on 8 November 2022.

I requested this book because of the holiday theme romance, because it’s been a while since I read anything Christmassy.

However, this book didn’t live up to my expectation. I don’t find the main couple in sync with each other, no chemistry and while I understand the author’s trying to make this a grumpy sunshine thingy, the hero came up as more of an asshole. His character portrayal was very poor, abrupt and inconsistent.

And the heroine… was such a doormat. And forgave too easily. Sure, there was a lot of vicious monologue rants, but did she do something about the injustice of it all? Nope. She took every shitty thing he gave her like she had no choice (spoiler alert: she did have choices).

I appreciate that there’s some The Hating Game vibe (love me some rivalry and angst) in here plus the main theme could be Beauty and the Beast (except he’s a beast in character not appearance), but while there’s plot and character and relationship developments in THG, this book lacks the last two. There was no angst despite the supposed “simmering hatred”.

I think the relationship went from 0 to 100 real quick. And the writing itself made the story very un-romance.

The hero was most definitely not developed. I found him boring throughout the read. It was such a bummer.

2 stars from me :/

Lyla and Mason work at Lyla’s father’s company, but Mason oversees everything, leaving Lyla at his mercy in business matters. She resents his very presence and does not think twice about defying his latest decision. Unfortunately for Lyla, her actions result in a near catastrophe that Mason is willing to forgive only if she joins him on a trip to his hometown for the holidays. With little to no notice, Lyla is immersed in a magical world she could not have envisioned in her wildest dreams, and for the first time in a long time, she feels the warmth of the family life she always longed for. It does not help that she starts to have feelings for Mason.

Mason’s family needs him; he has been away for too long and the town is anxious for him to decide if he wants to carry on with his father’s legacy. The pressure is on, but for Lyla her decision to stay will prevent her from returning to her world, and if she chooses to return to the city, she will lose all recollection about her time with Mason, and a chance at love.

This is a short, imaginative, festive read with an interesting premise and enormous potential, which could benefit from additional editing and length. I enjoyed the world created by the author, and Lyla’s inner dialogue. However, I feel that the characters needed more context and depth for me to feel invested in the story.

Overall, a light, easy read that did not necessarily work for me, even though I can see its appeal to those who enjoy enemies-to-lovers, found family, and slow burn tropes.

Thanks to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter for providing me with a free digital copy to review this book prior to its release.

I am a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope but I wonder if this really should be marked as a romance. Yes there's a little bit but most of it is her pretending to be his fiancée because he needs her to. There weren't many sparks and the actual romance in the book was very minimal.

I adored the Santa Clause myth and how it was worked into this story. I'm a sucker for a good Clause romance. Kate Callaghan puts a very original spin on Santa and I thought she did a great job! I loved the secret village and the twists on Santa. My heart broke a little for the Klaus family as they mourned the loss of Santa himself.

I think I would have liked a little bit of background at the beginning ... I was pretty far into the book before I even figured out they were in Ireland. And the toy company is such a big deal to Lyla but I didn't really feel like I knew anything about it or what happened before the Christmas party.

This is a cute holiday story, though you won't find a gushy romance inside. But if you're looking for a new twist on the North Pole, this is it!

Received a copy for review.

I really loved the concept of this book. A family is Santa Claus but not in the way you expect. A town protected by magic. Enemies to lovers/ slow burn/ only one bed
The story is s good but the end felt rushed.

I adored this book! This is the perfect festive story that definitely hits the spot. I enjoyed that there was a slow burn and the characters really got to know each other.

This is a magical Christmassy read with the perfect grumpy main character 😂 isn’t that what we all want to read about?!

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

"The Naughty or nice clause" is a truly wonderful book. And it's Christmas in there🤪🎉🔔 It's all the white wolves, santa Klaus, magical bell and village and everything in between.

The Naughty or nice clause by Kate Callaghan has our male lead, Mason and female lead, Lyla, as enemies who turned lover in between all the drama that surrounds Christmas and golden dusts. I won't spoil the book for you and will just say one thing_you'll know where santa lives after reading it😉😁

I promise you it's an awesome account of Christmas and family. You don't want to miss it. I definitely recommend that you read it.
❤️❤️❤️

Wow. This is exactly the type of cozy read I needed.

Thank you to NetGalley and CallaghanWriter for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

So in my opinion this book is a twist on the Santa Baby movie, with a Hallmark Christmas movie plot, and filled with softcore magic to give you that sense of Christmas magic. This is a fantastic Christmas book, filled with romance, family drama, and that good old Christmas feeling.

The book was easy to read and flowed pretty well in my opinion. I was never lost, and while I would have loved to get some more exposition on Yule's magic system, it worked well with what little was shown. The romance aspect of this book is what made this feel like a Hallmark Christmas movie. It wasn't bad, it just made this book feel like I'm sitting in the family room with my mom during the holidays and watching some Hallmark. It's also what brought up that cozy feeling you get when you read something that reminds you of the best times in your childhood. All in all an enjoyable read.

4.25 stars out of 5.

An imaginative and sweet Christmas romance! Grumpy/sunshine, fake dating, one bed, slow-burn...what's not to love? I especially enjoyed the details of the village and fell in love with the family. The ending was resolved well, when it didn't seem like it could end happily. This put me in the Christmas spirit.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I must say it took me no time at all to read this one. Easy to read and quite enjoyable this is a book about a real fantasy and does take you on a journey. It takes you from a real world to that of a fantastical Christmas wonderland.

With good characters who you can relate to at least a little bit this is a story that evolves and it is a Christmas story (I love Christmas!). It has its fun, its quirks and even some magic and it wasn't an over-the-top romantic read.

Enjoyable, fun, naughty and nice, Christmas and a wonderland. What more could you want. And easy read!

This was a cute read, but honestly probably not something I would read again. I loooove the cover art! The characters were fun and the premise is interesting. I just fell a little short in the delivery. It was missing the emotional tug I like in my romance novels. Overall, not bad, but not really my thing.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the eArc of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 3.5 stars.
Christmas and Fantasy?? Count me in. I was so excited to review this one. The premise was such a cute idea for a book and the world-building was pretty good. It was a little bit confusing in the beginning (as most fantasy books are) but once the first time traveling takes place, it was really easy to follow along with. I love the magical vibes that you get from reading this and it’s a good option for Christmas lovers. I feel like it was a tad bit rushed and everything involving Yule and the world of magic was thrown in way too soon. I would have liked more time as enemy coworkers. And lastly the world-building was so descriptive but I felt like the characters needed more depth to them. I didn’t really connect with either main characters and I would have loved to felt invested in them more.
There is lot of potential here for a super good book and I think with a little bit more editing it would amazing. It’s definitely worth reading this Christmas season.

If one of your guilty pleasures is the Christmas rom-coms that appear on Netflix in December, the undercover princes falling in love with the girl who runs the bakery, then give this book a go, you won’t be disappointed

Loving the Christmas spirit with this book. Super cute and fun, likeable characters and plot. Puts me in the Christmas mood 🌲 🎅 🤶

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?
This is a enemies to lovers romance. It appears that they can't stand each other just to make it apparent that this is not the case.
This fantasy come to life is a good romance.
I haven't read a book by this author before but will look for more.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

Mason and Lyla work at the same company where they butt heads and share a mutual dislike for one another. Mason gets a letter that says he needs to go home to his family for the Holidays, but he feels like he can't arrive alone, so he gets Lyla to go with him and pose as his fiancee. While visiting his family Lyla discovers the secret Mason has kept from her and also that she might have feelings for him she didn't know were there. This was my first Christmas read of the year, and I have to say, it was pretty good. There were definitely a lot of Hallmark-y elements, and typical romance tropes, enemies to lovers etc, but I still wanted to know what happened in the story. Great sexual chemistry/frustration between the main characters...I was just ready for them to hurry up and get it on honestly lol. This one has definitely put me in the Holiday mood, and I can't wait to load up my tbr with festive picks. I was thinking about only 2 stars because it was super cheesy, but I got up this morning wanting to read it, so I think that bumps it up to 3 stars. It was cute.