I adored this 100%. Enemies to lovers. Found family. The magic found in a Hallmark movie. This had everything and a twist on Christmas and the North Pole. I enjoyed all of the characters immensely and the world-building was phenomenal. This book is a guaranteed way to begin getting out of Grinchville and into the holiday spirit.

Such a lovely Christmas feelgood story, not my usual genre but I took a chance on a magical romance title from the same author and really enjoyed it, so went for this one too. To be honest, it had me at cosy and Christmas. Perfect for a hot chocolate and a rest after present wrapping, the romance is nicely done and leaves the author with a warm happy glow but also a hankering for the upcoming number two in the series.

A solid 3.5 star Christmas rom-com with some real holiday magic. This will contain spoilers.

Give me a good work rivals to lovers any dang day! The tension that we see as outsiders that is obviously being missed by one or both main characters is always squeal and little leg flutters inducing.

What a delightful little take on the role of Santa Claus and the North Pole. Definitely creative way to portray the holiday myths many of us grew up with. Though I do think Henry could have been less of an ass out in the “real world” with Lyla and her family company. But we wouldn’t have gotten a surprise adventure to Yule and a fake-engagement if he (and/or her father) had been more honest about his role in the company from the get go. Without any real facts or details it’s not surprise to me at all that Lyla felt betrayed and hostile to the person coming in and seemingly plowing through her family legacy with a bull dozer.

I do wish we had gotten a little more in depth on Henry’s feelings but what we see from him is the reaction he has to others. I would have really enjoyed a peak into his POV some more. I loved his family dynamic, even after his long 10 years away they were simply happy to have him home but you could feel and see the undercurrents of challenging and conflicting emotions at the same time. I hope we get more family and village time as we continue to explore Yule.

My biggest beef is how is everyone so blasé about Natalie committing attempted murder and grand larceny and physical assault?!?! Kevin can’t be the only person in Yule that sees Natalie and realizes she’s completely unhinged. I very much do not want her to get any sort of redemption in the future, I want her true colors exposed and her actions punished. I don’t want all gumdrops and lollipops she’s moved on and seen the error of her ways and look she finds love and is magically not a felony-committing person.

What I really did appreciate is the emotional back and forth Lyla went though, especially at the end, when deciding her future. I’m so glad it was more compromised, both her and Henry vowing to put in the effort to be together despite apparent difficulties. It’s always nice to see characters, especially women, who do want to keep their own agency and not simply become an extension of the man. Lyla’s family business matters tremendously to her and I was so glad she didn’t have to give it up to also have love and happiness and magic.

The Naughty Or Nice Clause totally gave me ALL the cozy holiday vibes I was dreaming of!✨ But, I gotta be real with you – it didn’t quite wow me like I hoped. Thanks to NetGalley, Kate Callaghan, and BooksGoSocial for the free copy!💕

✧ Enemies to lovers 💘
✧ Fake dating 💍
✧ Christmas magic 🎄
✧ Forced proximity 💗
✧ Small town romance 💖
✧ Grumpy x sunshine 😍
✧ Family secrets 🔐
✧ Holiday spirit 🎁

The premise? Super cute, right?! Lyla is rocking it as part-owner of her family's toy company, and then there's Mason Klaus (yep, Santa's son himself! 🎅). But these two are like oil and water, especially since Mason's a total Scrooge who decides to cancel the Christmas party. 😱 Not on Lyla’s watch! She’s like, “Oh, heck no!” and throws it anyway… only for the office to go up in flames! 🔥 Talk about a holiday disaster!

Now Lyla’s gotta spend the holidays with Mason in his magical Christmas village, Yule, pretending to be his fiancée. Talk about awkward moments galore! 😬 I loved the whole idea of Mason being Santa’s kiddo, and the magic of Yule was just super enchanting. It gave me ALL the Christmas feels – twinkling lights, fluffy snow, and that warm, fuzzy holiday magic. 🎄💖

BUT (and it’s a big but, y’all), the romance? Kinda a letdown. I wanted fireworks, chemistry, and swoon-worthy moments, but Mason felt like a total ice cube! ❄️ I mean, fake dating is supposed to be filled with tension and spice, but here it just kinda fizzled. 🥴

On the upside, Yule and Mason's family? Absolutely adorable! Kevin, Mason’s little brother, stole the show! He’s cute, hilarious, and so protective – honestly, I was more into the magical town and family drama than the romance! 😂 Mason had this huge secret he was keeping, but when it finally dropped, I was like, “Wait, that’s it?!” 😅

So, while the romance didn’t hit the mark for me, the festive vibes and magical setting made for a fun read. If you're all about Christmas cheer and a sprinkle of magic, this one might just be your cozy escape! But if you're in it for a swoon-worthy love story, you might find yourself craving a little more. 🤷‍♀️✨

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to the author and Netgalley.

General Thoughts: This is the second book I've read by this author. I don't read many holiday books, but I'm trying to change that this year. This was a cute one. It felt similar to many Christmas movies I've read. Guy is reluctant to fill dad's shoes, but then dad dies, and he has to decide whether he'll do so. But oh wait, there are some romantic entanglements there. This was a cute, fun, enjoyable story. If you like cute, enjoyable stories, this is a fun one.

Spice Meter:❤️‍🔥 Spicy but not overly detailed or frequent.

Romantic Tropes
-single POV
-romance
-contemporary realistic
-holiday
-fake engagement
-dislike to like
-rivals to lovers

You can read more of my reviews on Insta @mylastromancenovel.

The Naughty Or Nice Clause is actually the first book in the Village of Yule series but is a stand alone story and has a guaranteed happy ever after!

I absolutely love Christmas books they are my favourite genre and i must admit that i read them all year around! So, when i came across this book and read the blurb i was instantly hooked!

I loved this book and straight away i got sucked in to all its Christmassy goodness.

The writing was perfect and i honestly felt i was there in the North Pole surrounded by all the snow!

This was a wonderful, cosy, heartwarming, slow burn romance and i loved it…..

I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. I really enjoyed this book and felt like the storyline was completely unique. I loved it!

This book was so cute and such a cozy read. I really enjoyed the holiday vibes and the charming characters and the Clause family dynamic.

I do wish there had been a little more at the end—it felt like it wrapped up too quickly around the romance. Overall, a fun and sweet story perfect for the holidays!!

I’m excited to read the next book!


ɱყ 5 🌟 ωเรɦ ℓเรƭ:
* More romance - give me some Mr. Darcy declaration of love, please
* I could use a few more pages at the end

I absolutely loved this book! It has all the good Christmas feels and vibes! It’s such a great plot as well! I love this Christmas story and think it’s perfect to get you in the holiday jam!

Lyla's co-CEO at her family's toy company is the ultimate grinch (right down to cancelling the company's Christmas party).

But when Mason convinces her to accompany him back to his hometown, Yule, she learns the grinch is really a Claus...and that he perhaps might be the man of her dreams rather than her nightmares.

A new take on Santa and the North Pole that has a slightly more modern and realistic feel, without losing the magic of Christmas.

Side note: Lyla needs to learn to wear shoes.

Warning: This review may contain strawberries! Let me kick off with one flaw: why did it have to end so soon?! I absolutely LOVED the chemistry between Lyla and Mason—finally, an 'enemies to lovers' that does it right! The tension between them? Sizzling hot. The holiday setting was also super fun (no spoilers, but trust me, I’ve never seen anything like it). And don’t get me started on the 'found family' trope—it never fails to pull at my heartstrings. All in all, 100,000 stars from me!

This is a very cute holiday read! ❤️ It has fake dating tropes that I love but it just took a minute to get going. All in all I enjoyed it and would recommend for a good Christmas read.

I absolutely loved this festive romance! Lyla thinks Mason is out to ruin and take her family business away from her, but Mason hides a magical secret that will throw them together in a whirlwind of Christmas romance. Both have suffered the loss of a parent and the pressure of keeping their respective family businesses running smoothly is not an easy task. Once Mason whisks Lyla away to his family home they begin to realise that they might just be what each other needs, and they could have their Christmas dreams come true if they are able to navigate the obstacles thrown in their way.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ebook.
Spice; meh* a sprinkle if that

This was pretty cute and an easy light hearted read. This reminded me of the Hating Game/Spanish Love Deception (enemies, co-workers, fake dating/fake fiance) and of course, any cookie cutter version of a novelized Hallmark movie *no hate, just the vibes*

The characters Lyla/Mason didn't have much depth, and there really wasn't much romance. There's a scene where they get into an argument, and she runs after her cat into the woods shortly after. There are several wolves that almost attack her, and Mason comes to her rescue. Then he gets angry with her for running away (it felt like a copy/paste version of that scene from Beauty and the Beast):

Mason: "you shouldn't have run away."
Lyla: "you shouldn't have gotten angry at me"

Is there much substance to this book? Is there much concrete, heart warming romance? No...and no. Is this a cute read for Christmas and will take some cliché cutie pie moments that feel a little bit too close to other some novels/movie, eh...yes. 3 stars because it delivered the hallmark Christmas novelization I expected.

The Naughty or Nice Clause, by Kate Callaghan, is the first of the ongoing Village of Yule series. if you love all things Christmas (especially hallmark-like stories), this is a great series for you! Callaghan takes the Christmas tales we all know and puts a bit of a different spin on them, and then swirls this all with a bit of romance for the win. I read through this one evening and went right on to the next one. Tis the Season for Secrets is the second in the series and is also a fun holiday read.  While it can be read as a stand-alone, why would you want to?  I recommend reading them in order. Things will make more sense. Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with the ARC ebook I read and reviewed. All opinions are my own.

This book was so good! The story was so interesting and I could not put the book down! The romance and banter was so fun and entertaining! I would highly recommend!

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 preterence - because the cost of bringing an outsider to their magical land is far too high.
love cute holiday books and this was just ok. I thought the enemies to instant love was a bit too much for me sadly. It’s certainly a very cosy book and it really gets you in the Christmas mood. Kate Callaghan is my go to cosy author
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the arc copy of this book. I

When Lyla’s father steps down as CEO of their family’s toy company, she expects to inherit his shares. Instead, she’s blindsided by the news that the company is bankrupt and her shares now belong to Mason Klaus, a cold and calculating investor. Forced to run the company together, despite their obvious dislike for each other, things heat up when Mason cancels the annual Christmas party, and Lyla decides to host it anyway—leading to a disastrous fire. In an attempt to smooth things over, Mason makes her an offer: spend twelve days with his family for Christmas, and he’ll overlook her part in the chaos. Whisked away to a magical winter village, things get even more complicated when Mason introduces her as his fiancée, leaving her no choice but to play along.

It had all the makings of a perfect cozy Christmas read, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The premise was fun, and there were definitely some cute, movie-like moments, but the story felt weighed down by clichés. While there were sparks between Lyla and Mason, it didn’t quite sizzle the way I hoped, and the ending felt a bit too neatly tied up.

That said, if you’re in the mood for a light Christmas romance, this could still be a charming pick. The winter wonderland setting was lovely, and it’s a quick and easy read. Big thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the chance to read this!

I'd like to thank Netgalley and CallaghanWriter, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Christmas RomCom's and fake dating tropes but this just felt off for me. What I did like is the magical aspect of the book. I also liked that I was surprised by the magical village, I didn't see it coming. What I had problems with is that it just felt rushed, especially towards the end. I also just couldn't connect with either of the characters. Their banter was hit or miss for me. Sometimes it felt forced. I could actually see this as a Hallmark Movie.

I love cute holiday books and this was just okay. The enemies to instant love was a bit much.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.