A holiday themed enemies-to-lovers story? With a super cute cover? I'm sold. I definitely thought that this would be the perfect cozy read for the holidays and the author's introductory note sounded promising enough. After reading the first few pages, however, I felt like I was reading the second or third book in a series. The world-building was just not there and because of that, it was really hard to get into the story. Overall, it felt very fan-fictiony which isn't what I was hoping for in this book.

I was expecting just a standard romance with this one however it had a bit of festive fantasy thrown in which I absolutely loved! This also contained a few of my favourite tropes- fake dating, enemies to lovers and found family which were all incorporated really well. It was a cute festive read that reminded me of a hallmark film, but there was just a little bit missing with the relationship between Lyla and Mason for me. There wasn’t much depth to it and it felt quite rushed, and only a little hint of spice. I did enjoy this and it was a really easy read with loveable characters, but I would have loved to see more depth to the relationship.

⭐⭐⭐.5 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

I love a good romance, and the cover of this book is so charming that I just had to request it! I was expecting contemporary romance, which this is, but the fantasy element definitely threw me! I'm so used to my fantasy books being high fantasy, and this is definitely more towards the low fantasy end of the spectrum. Still, I did enjoy this book!

The best part for me was the familial relationships that the MC Lyla finds whilst in Yule. I didn't realise found family was a favourite trope for me, but I think this proves it! Lyla's relationships with the Klaus family were so well written and believable!

Unfortunately (for me at least) the relationship between Lyla and Mason was less so. Which partly makes sense because it's a fake dating, enemies to lovers plot, but them actually developing feelings for each other just felt a little lacking to me? I enjoyed the moments Lyla had with Mason's family more than I enjoyed the moments she had with him. I think their relationship needed to be developed more for me to really believe it.

Overall, this is a super cute holiday romance read that I enjoyed a lot!

This was the book version of a cheesy Lifetime Christmas movie, which is totally my thing. I wasn’t expecting to be transported to the winter wonderland portrayed in this story, but it was festive and refreshing. I love a good ‘Santa Clause’ take and enjoyed the unique spin on Christmas magic that was present in this book.

As for Mason and Lyla, I don’t feel that the romance between the two was all that believable in that their relationship felt rushed. I wanted more depth and more romance. However, this was a quick and fun little Christmas story that got me into the Christmas Spirit.

Oh my goodness!!!! First off Mason Klaus *fans herself* I’m all for the sexy rendition of Santa Claus. But not only that this cute Christmas story was everything you could want during the holiday season. Grumpy/sunshine trope, enemies to lovers, my heart is so so full right now!

All Lyla’s ever wanted was to full fill her family’s legacy of running her company into success. However financially her father had to hire Mason Klaus financial adviser to help get this family company up and running and not failing! But Mason has his own little secret when he quickly has to teleport? Lyla to Yule! This is definitely a feel good book that should be a hallmark movie! I’m so giddy after reading it!

Thank you NetGalley, Kate Callaghan for the opportunity to read and review this amazing holiday book! Got me in the Christmas spirit!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

The Naughty Or Nice Clause
by Kate Callaghan
Pub Date: 08 Nov 2022..

This is an enemies to lovers trope with a holiday theme. The concept sounded really cute, but the execution just was okay for me. While the world building was interesting, I just didn't feel invested in the characters, let alone the outcome. The "love story"/relationship between Lyla and Mason didn't seem very authentic...I think I needed more development between the couple and solid proof of their feelings for each other.

This is not a bad book, and I may have had stronger positive vibes if I hadn't recently read some 5-star holiday romance stories.

2.5/3 stars

Well this book was a lovely surprise! I was swept in by the cover, and had no idea what the actual story was about, so when the magical realism occurred I was pleasantly surprised. I will say that the beginning and end of the book were weak in my opinion. The first couple chapters struggled with fleshing out the actual conflicts/issues, but they do explained better later one. And the ending ... I was very confused about the final arrangement and how it actually came together at the end.

But the middle was OH so sweet and lovely. I loved how magical and christmas-y this story was. It truly put me into the spirit. Also what a fun and unique take on the magic of Christmas and the North Pole. I loved that!

The Naughty or Nice Clause has very popular tropes such as: rivals to lovers, fake dating, forced proximity, & sunshine vs. grump which made it an enjoyable read. I thought this book gave The Proposal produced by Hallmark vibes. I liked the Christmas magic with a unique setting, but it felt very predictable, cheesy, and formulaic. That isn't necessary a negative because that is what most holiday romcoms are ,and what I am expecting when I pick one up. Overall the story was enjoyable while reading but forgettable after as it blends in with other holiday romcoms.

Do you love Hallmark movies with the classic friends to lovers trope?
Do you love The Santa Clause movie?

If you answered yes, you will love The Naughty or Nice Clause! This book was everything I love to read during the holiday season. A romance, a Christmas setting + a little magic. While I wish the roman between Mason and Lyla was a *bit* more believable, I really enjoyed this book.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book + putting me in the holiday spirit!

Lyla is anything but pleased when investor Mason Klaus gets a piece of her father’s company and has to run it with her. To get on his nerves, she single-handedly hosts the annual Christmas party, which ends in a disaster. So Mason offers her a deal: If she spends Christmas with him and his family, he will forget everything about the party. She accepts and is excited to get to know Mason’s snowy hometown… at least until he introduces her as his fiancée. But they don’t even like each other, right?

I got into the story very quickly and became friends with Lyla who seems to be very sympathetic. Her thoughts are logical and her actions are comprehensible, so I could empathize very fast with her.
Mason was the typical love-interest at the beginning: cold, rejective and incredibly hot. But then he lets Lyla and the readers get a glimpse of his heart and we get to know many other sides of his character, which contradict with the first impression of him.

I was a bit surprised of the magical twists of the story when Mason takes Lyla into his hometown. But when I got used to the fantasy aspects, I really liked the story. It has everything a sugary sweet Christmas story needs: Romance, the magic of Christmas, a fake-engagement and a wonderful family.

German Version:
Lyla ist alles andere als erfreut, als der Investor Mason Klaus einen Teil der Firma ihres Vaters bekommt und sie mit ihr leiten soll. Um ihm zu trotzen, veranstaltet sie die jährliche Weihnachtsparty im Alleingang, was in einem Desaster endet. Da bietet Mason ihr einen Deal an: Wenn sie mit ihm und seiner Familie Weihnachten verbringt, vergisst er das Party-Desaster. Also nimmt sie an und freut sich sogar darauf, als sie Masons verschneite Heimat kennenlernt…, zumindest solange bis er sie als seine Verlobte vorstellt. Dabei mögen sie sich doch nicht einmal, oder?

Ich bin sehr schnell in die Geschichte hineingekommen und habe mich mit Lyla angefreundet, die sehr sympathisch herüberkommt. Ihre Gedankengänge sind logisch und ihre Handlungen nachvollziehbar, sodass ich schnell mit ihr mitfühlen konnte.

Mason ist anfangs der typische Love-Interest: kalt, abweisend und unglaublich heiss. Doch dann lässt er Lyla und die Lesenden in seiner Heimat immer mehr in sein Inneres blicken und man lernt viele Facetten von ihm kennen, die dem ersten Eindruck widersprechen.

Ich war etwas überrascht über den magischen Twist, den die Geschichte annimmt, als man Mason und Lyla in Masons Heimat begleitet, da ich damit nicht gerechnet habe. Doch sobald ich mich daran gewöhnt habe, hat mir die Geschichte unglaublich gut gefallen. Sie hat alles, was eine zuckersüsse Weihnachtsgeschichte braucht: Romantik, Weihnachtszauber, eine Fake-Verlobung und eine wundervolle Familie.

Super cute, fun, and a little bit magical.

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

This was a fun, lighthearted story with very unique festive Christmas vibes.
Lyla Smurfit has hated Mason Klaus from the moment he took over half of her family’s failing toy company. Despite his festive name, Klaus is a real Scrooge, and Lyla cannot stand him. After a little mishap, Lyla agrees to spend the holidays with Mason and his family to pay her penance. The obvious enemies to lovers troupe works out perfectly here. Lyla falls in love with the entire community, Masons family and of course, eventually Mason himself.
This was a pleasant surprise quick story. It was not at all what I was expecting but I did enjoy.

I feel like I have read this same story before. I didn't finish this one, so three stars in case it got better after I put it down.

I needed something to get me in the Christmas spirit and this did the trick. A grumpy sunshine romance wheee everything is not ask it seems. There is a little fantasy in it which I live the rake in Santa Claus and the Christmas Season. This story was so cute and made me wish Yule really existed. The progress of Mason and Lyla was slow and sweet. Thoroughly enjoyed this story. I will say the ending felt rushed and conflict being brought up in the last 10% of a book is not my favorite. Overall this is something to get you into the Christmas spirit.

A must read for the holidays! An adorable holiday romance (lite) with new twist on the Santa Clause / North Pole story.

Mason and Lyla absolutely hate each other. One small problem: they have near equal shares in the same company. Mason is the the classic Grinch/Scrooge. He’s that annoying Mr Mysterious, Mr strait laced, Mr no emotions at work, and Mr always right. He even tries to cancel the company holiday party to save money. Lyla cannot let that happen, so she hosts the party herself at her own expense. To her surprise, Lyla finds Mason drunk and disheveled in his office. Turns out, he received a letter that devastated him (that’s why he was uncharacteristically drunk) and he has to go home and face his family after a ten year absence. He begs Lyla to go with him, and to her own surprise she does.

There’s a whole lot of angst and a little fade to black, but a ton of magic and feel good. This book also tackles grief head on, includes disability representation, and had me thinking of sexy Santa in a business suit that can double as sexy Santa at the North Pole. The guy had it all once those layers were peeled back.

Mason and Lyla are work rivals of the worst kind. He bought the majority shares of her family's company and she wants nothing more than to live up to her legacy. When he receives news that his father has died, Lyla agrees to accompany the work grump home as a favor in hopes that she can convince him to give up his position. She is shocked to find that home for him is Yule, aka the North Pole, and Mason is returning to fill the position of his late father Santa Clause. The family is grieving the loss of Mr. Clause and coincidentally, Lyla too has recently faced the loss of her own mother. They are brought together by their kindness, grief, and magic.

Overall, this book borrows a lot from certain other tales--Beauty and the Beast, the Santa Clause--but I didn't mind much. It was simple, cute, and sweet. And I love and magical holiday tale for Christmas.

I really enjoyed this slow burn Christmas read. The characters were beautifully written and the setting was fantastic. I loved the style of writing. The ending was beautiful and sweet and could have only been made better by an epilogue filled with next year’s Christmas joys. This was the perfect read for the season!

Review posted To Goodreads, Amazon, Books-a-Million, and Barnes & Noble (both covers)

📖My Thoughts📖

What a perfect story to get someone in the holiday spirit! I love a good holiday book that gets you in the spirit. This was like reading a book on the Santa Claus movies, only the adult version. I loved the premise of this book. It was magical, festive, heartfelt and even had a dash of spice (to go along with the spicy eggnog). What’s not to like? I wish that it had been just a tad longer to allow us a little more time to indulge in the magic and I’m not entirely sure I’m completely sold on the ending, but nevertheless, it was a really good book that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you Netgalley, Kate Callaghan and CallaghanWriter for the opportunity to read and review this book. 🎅🎅🎅🎅

This was a fun Christmas read. This sort of felt like a blending of The Hating Game and the Santa Claus 2. The main character was a bit annoying and I really don't like the whole "this information is need to know" or "don't worry about it" aspect. I guess that can be considered a miscommunication trope. That really took me out of the story. I would have also liked to seen more of Yule and some more explanation that we did. The relationship dynamic was the focus of the story. I feel like this could make a really cute movie. I enjoyed it overall.

I really wanted to like this but it really didn't work for me! The concept is super cool. Lyla, our main character, goes to the North Pole to act as the new Santa's fake fiance. It immediately seems like Lyla is not down for this, and it only gets worse. Mason Klaus, the new Santa, is a bad person. The author doesn't want us to think so, but he is. He is aggressive and mean, and heavily gaslights Lyla. He is not ever likable, and Lyla really isn't either, which ruins the totally unique concept and romantic tension the author created.

I also think the author needed a little more world-building. It is twelve days before Christmas but everyone, except Mason's sister, is pretty calm. The old Santa just died and a new one came in. Why isn't there more stress? This also relates to the lack of page time Mason's family gets. His brother, sister, and mother are the most interesting characters in the book, and I would love to know what it was like for them to run the North Pole for years. Instead, we get tons of Mason angst. It's frustrating when a book has good bones but is not executed well.

Overall, I can not recommend a book with an emotional abuser who never has consequences for his actions. I wanted to love this but can not get past its unlikable main characters. This almost works, but it never does. I hate saying this, but its how I feel. I look forward to reading better Christmas romances this season!

3,5 ⭐

This was such a cute read!! I loved it so much and the only reason I have to give it 3,5 stars is that I thought the ending was disappointing. I felt that the whole book was very slow in describing the world of Mr. Klaus, which I appreciated very much. But the way the love interest between the MC was written... It was so quick and sudden that I didn't see it coming and didn't enjoy the outcoming. It was a happy ending after all, but I feel that the love story plot is lacking a lot of elements to understand how the love between Lyla and Mason develops which makes me question its value.

Nevertheless, I love the Klaus family and the magical atmosphere surrounding Yule. Truthfully, that's the highlight of the story.

Overall it was such an amazing read, I just would love to have more details on Mason and Lyla's spark!

You should read The Naughty and The Clause if you are into:
•enemies to lovers
•small town romance
•christmas romances
•magic realism
•spice level: 0.🌶

Finally I would like to thank the author for providing an e-arc in exchanging of an honest review!