I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fun Christmas novel. I enjoyed it a lot!

This was not my favorite holiday romance, though I really wanted to like it. I wish the MMC was more likeable. I gave this book a one out of five star because I had to DNF it.

I really wanted to enjoy this story, but for me it was missing some elements that would have pushed it over the edge. I typically of a big fan of fake dating, but I just didn't see the romance between our two main characters. Maybe it was because I also didn't find them to be very likable. Definitely a personal preference thing here! Ultimately, this didn't have the holiday magic that I was looking for in a romance like this.

This is a delightful fit for readers who adore lighthearted, emotional, and romantic tales of fake dating, Christmas magic, and enemies-to-lovers romance, with a dash of fantasy and a guaranteed happily-ever-after.

Unfortunately this one missed the mark for me. There was little to no chemistry between the main characters, the relationship build-up was non-existent as they barley spent any alone time together and the ending felt rushed and flat.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the eARC. These are my honest thoughts.

Take a dip into Kate Callaghan’s Christmas town of Yule! For today’s Two for Tuesday Holiday Edition! These are perfect holiday reads to get you mood. And both books are available on Kindle Unlimited so you won’t have to leave the cozy town of Yule too quickly! 💚

The Naughty and Nice Clause
🎁 Low-Fantasy Romance
🎁 Workplace, Enemies to Lovers
🎁 Fake Engagement
🎁 Forced Proximity
🎁 Cozy, Christmas feels

This was a nice cozy christmas read. It has all the good tropes. Forced proxmity, one bed, enemies to lovers, he falls first. There were a few momemnts that were a bit choppy but over all i really enjoyed it.

Cute, festive and charming, The Naughty or Nice Clause by Kate Callaghan is about a woman who loves Christmas and a Grinch-like man who is from the Village of Yule.

Summary: Lyla Smurfit and Mason Klaus are co-directors at a toy-making company, and they cannot stand each other. She loves Christmas, but he hates the season. When Mason takes her to his hometown, she is shocked to find out that he’s from the Village of Yule.

Tropes/Genres:
• enemies to lovers
• christmas
• small town
• fantasy
• fake engagement
• forced proximity
• contemporary romance

Review: This book is fine. The worldbuilding is decent, though the main characters aren't that strong. The plot and pacing are okay. I would say that this is a nice Christmas romance, though there certainly are plenty of flaws as well.

Lyla is quite childish and hopelessly idealistic and optimistic. This is clearly displayed starting from the very first chapter. It's not a bad trait, but it's not good either, especially considering she's supposed to be leading a company. I like how she and Mason's opinions kind of balance each other out, though. She's idealistic, while he's realistic. It's cool. Regardless, Lyla is not the strongest character out there.

On a side note, I cannot take Lyla's last name seriously. I keep reading it as "Smurf it"… Smurfs.

Anyway, as for Mason, I think he's quite a red flag. He's not that bad, but he's not good either. When he gets upset, he blows up and says harsh and hurtful things (and Lyla just accepts it) – it's happened TWICE in the book. I understood the first one, but the second one was just unnecessary and felt like a forced third-act breakup. He's a nice guy and all, and I like the parts about his relationship with his family, but I can't help but feel like his character has been mishandled.

The two of them undoubtedly contrast very well. Even though their relationship has some problems, especially when Mason gets upset with Lyla and responds in an undesirable and unattractive manner, I'd like to believe that they still care for each other. I think the jump from "enemies" to "lovers" was too sudden, though. Their relationship also has plenty of issues. She's a complete pushover who can't decide what she wants, and he's a narcissistic guy who expects her to read his mind. Nope. They both barely have any character growth throughout the book. As I said, they're not strong characters.

I found the author's take on what Santa Claus does for Christmas very interesting. I actually quite like it because it makes sense in the real-world context – I mean, obviously, our physical presents come from someone, so if Santa truly exists, what does he give? That's one thing that I enjoyed about this book. It was a bit hard to take the concept of a Santa Claus legacy seriously, though. This is further reinforced by the word choices in this story, especially in the Yule setting.

Overall, this book is fine. If you're up for a Christmas read, this one certainly fits the bill. I just don't think the characters are that strong. The worldbuilding is decent, though. I think readers who are Christmas fanatics like Lyla may like this book a lot!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the read.

The Naughty Or Nice Clause is book #1 in the Village of Yule series by Kate Callaghan.

When Mason cancels the Christmas party, Lyla decides to hold it, which doesn’t end well. Mason will cover the cost of the mishap if she goes home with him to see his family. Wait until you see where they go and who his family is. This was a fun, sweet Christmas read.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I loved this book. I've been reading a lot of Christmas ARCs, but this one stands out. The writing style is amazing as I expected having read a few of the author's books. I was hooked from pretty much the beginning. The bond between the MCs is interesting, with them initially sharing a working relationship and later in a different setting. It seems that Kate Callaghan writes a lot of family drama and does it well at that. The spice is very mild too, and I was happy with that. If you ask me, this book definitely deserves a read!

This was a super cute holiday read! Lyla and Mason do not get along, are total opposites, and this is a problem because Mason saved Lyla's families toy company and is now technically her supervisor in a way. Cut to him squashing the company Christmas party and she secretly goes behind his back and throws it! Only for a fire to get set in their office building and now they can't go into work for a couple weeks. He agrees to forgive her if she goes with him to his childhood home and spends Christmas with his family. All of a sudden she's sucked into a bell travels to Yule AKA the North Pole, turns out Mason is Santa Claus's son and is next to take over since his father died. The start is a little slow but as soon as they got to Yule I was hooked, the atmosphere was magical and I was totally absorbed into the world. A must read Christmas story!

I really enjoyed the low fantasy elements and getting to spend time in Yule (the North Pole). This book definitely gave hallmark vibes but I just didn’t feel the romance. It felt like they went from enemies to being in love but there was no real connection. Also Mason was just hateful sometimes. It was kind of ridiculous. I did enjoy the found family in this book & loved the cat, Jones! If you’re wanting a quick, fun Christmas book to read, this would be a good one!

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book.

It’s 41 days until Christmas and I am loving the holiday romances (even though this is only my second). I literally knew nothing about this before picking it up. I liked the cover and applied for it on NetGalley, and somehow got it. I ended up loving this way more than expected. Lyla and Mason were really great characters, and I loved their dynamic together. The side characters were also so good. The whole Klaus family were lovely, I only wish we could’ve spent more time with them. Yule sounded like such a magical place, I really wish I could visit! The ending was so sweet, I just loved it all.“I’d rather lose everything than lose you.”

Really loved the christmas vibes, however I did find the romance lacking until 60%. I couldnt really see much tension between the two main characters, until 60% through. I will however continue to read this series as the vibes were exactly what I needed right now.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. I enjoyed Mason and Lyla's story. A sweet and fun novella that's easily digested in a single sitting.

The first story in the Village of Yule, this is a new Author to me. Mason Klaus and Lyla do not get off to a very good start when her father sells him the major shares in the father's company. Their story has some drama, a fire, surprises, a fake relationship and romance. I found their Christmas story to be well worth reading. I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

As someone who loves Christmas, this was the perfect read that gave me all the Christmas feels. Lyla and Mason's relationship gave off the ideal, rivals-to-lovers with grumpy x sunshine. The banter between the two helped me believe in their chemistry, and I liked how Lyla was there for him during his hard times. Having to play his fake fiancé in front of his family, I enjoyed the found family aspect as Mason's family and Lyla's interactions were adorable and it felt like she fit in perfectly even though she was playing a role. This was the perfect start to a Christmassy series, can't wait to dive into the next book.

Thank you to Kate Callaghan and Net Galley for giving me a free copy in return for an honest review.

2.5⭐️
"I'd rather lose everything than lose you. All I want is you."

I really wanted to like this more- a Christmas romance where our heroine is whisked away to Yule to spend the 12 days of christmas with her workplace rival, turned fake fiancee? Sounds so cute! Unfortunately the romance just didn't land, I didn't feel the chemistry between Mason and Lyla at all

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! It was an enemies to lovers romance and was beautifully put together. I had a little trouble getting into the story, a lot of the beginning is to build up the world and explanations. Being an avid reader, I could predict some plot points, yet when I get to those points in the book I forgot all about my predictions and enjoyed the moment. That being said, there were a few surprises within the story that definitely had me rereading the page to make sure I didn't miss anything. Wonderfully written, engaging, exciting, I can't wait for the next one!

a solid Christmas read.
I started this book without reading the blurb first - which is why I was surprised it was fantasy, low fantasy I later found out.

After reading a review saying “romance? Where?” I started to agree and found their relationship more like a situationship with a rushed happily ever after.

Spoiler:
Mason’s behavior was rather uncomfortable to me – I understand that his grief makes him very emotional, but I still won’t trust a guy I hated and especially not after he yelled at me. I don’t care if he saved my life from wolves. The mood overall also swung from one to another very sudden. However, I still enjoyed reading it. It was entertaining and that’s all I’m looking for in a short Christmas read.