Kate Callaghan's novel, "The Naughty or Nice Clause", is a true Christmas tale that draws the reader into a romantic story through snow-covered landscapes and festive magic. The book's protagonist, Lyla Smurfit, is a character who is easy to like, even if you don't agree with all her decisions. Lyla's actions are rooted in deep human emotions, past disappointments or a sense of responsibility for her family – this makes her relatable and human to the readers.

Much to her surprise and disappointment, the toy manufacturing company that has been in Lyla's family for generations will not be hers after her father's retirement, but falls into the hands of a cold and distant investor, Mason Klaus. The resulting situation is the source of the tension between the two protagonists, as Mason and Lyla do not get on well at the beginning of the book and feel quite opposed to each other. This initial hostility is particularly intriguing in the story, as the attraction between the two characters becomes practically palpable over time, even if neither is willing to admit it to themselves at first.

The turning point is a Christmas party organised by Lyla, which she arranges against Mason's wishes. This decision, though a mere desire on Lyla's part to stick to tradition and express the festive spirit, ends in disaster when a fire breaks out at the event. This unexpected event is what sets the plot in motion, setting off a chain reaction in Mason and Lyla's lives. Mason makes an unusual offer to Lyla: if she agrees to spend twelve days with him and his family over the holidays, he will overlook the party's bad ending.

The Christmas journey opens the door to another world for Lyla – not only does she discover a fairytale, snow-covered village, but also the possibility of a new relationship she may never have expected. The beautiful holiday scene and magical surroundings are a perfect contrast to Lyla's inner tension, as she learns more and more about her own feelings with Mason, and slowly the dislike is replaced by a much deeper connection.

Mason's character is a fascinating contrast to Lyla. The charismatic but cold businessman slowly unfolds into a man who struggles with his own demons just as much as she does. To complicate matters, Mason is actually Lyla's boss, as he is the majority owner of the company. However, this dynamic only makes their relationship more interesting as they have to face challenges not only on a personal but also on a professional level.

The novel's special feature is the fabulous, festive atmosphere that permeates almost every page. Kate Callaghan masterfully captures the idyll of a festive village where the magic of Christmas is more tangible than ever. This Christmas atmosphere provides the perfect backdrop for romance and enchants the reader as if they were part of the story. The author skilfully blends humour, romance and the wonders of Christmas, which is why the book can warm hearts not only during the holidays, but also anytime you read it.

🔳 I needed to escape the heat of the almost endless summer we have here and this was exactly what I needed. A fun, cute story, full of Christmas vibes. I liked the magic aspect of it, not heavy just right. I can see this turned into a movie and being a hit during the holidays. Very beautiful scenery to build up the story.

🔳 It is not exactly enemies, but they don't get along at the beginning, which is something I enjoy. It is not a dual POV, which I might have liked a bit more as I wanted Mason's thoughts during the days in Yule. I enjoyed most of the book, although the end seemed a bit rushed for me. I don't think I can explain what I mean without giving spoilers.

🔳 Low in spice for those who don't like smut.

The Naughty or Nice Clause by Kate Callaghan is a playful holiday read with a lighthearted blend of romance and Christmas magic. The story brings festive cheer and a few fun twists, making it a nice pick for those looking for an easy, feel-good escape. While it follows familiar holiday tropes, it’s still a fun and cozy read for the season.

This was a fun book to read! Read it just in time for the weather to start getting cold, which was the perfect time. Very nice and cozy story with whimsical Christmas town shenanigans, a grumpy MMC and there's a cat!
I really enjoy Kate Callaghan's books, they're a fun and cozy time with a sprinkle of spice.

An enjoyable festive read to cosy down with. The description of the town of Yule was possibly my favourite bit - I would definitely like to live there myself. There was some nice diversity of characters - his sister being in a same-sex relationship for example. However it was a bit ridiculous that Klaus 'magicked' Lyla to a snowy place in her pjs!

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

I would love to live in the town of Yule. It felt so idyllic.

The characters felt really real, I totally understood their reasoning for the things they do.

Oh I love the Christmas season and this book gave me all the feeling of it, Lyla is co-CEO of a toy company being Mr. Klaus. the majority shareholder has all the power to make changes, changes that Lyla doesn't like, and one in particular is the one that makes her pretend to be "engaged" in front of his family, Klaus (Mason) is like a Christmas Grinch, but he has his reasons and when he takes Lyla to Yule, a magical Christmas town hidden between the mountains of the North Pole, everything makes sense (let's see, without giving you spoilers, I think it's obvious, right? ), especially when they want him to take the place of her father, with whom he did not have a good relationship. The story of this couple is like a love-hate relationship between these two because they become friends but they still have that kind of surly attitude between them, I liked the scenes between the two of them, I liked his family giving a good welcome to Lyla. There is a bit of drama, but it doesn't take away from how nice it was, a light read, perfect for the Christmas season (let's see, I want to live in this town, please).

📌I received an e-copy through netgalley, and this is my honest opinion/review of it.

Review-Book Provided by NetGalley
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This is the type of Christmas movie I wish Hallmark was making. The North Pole or “Yule” setting was wonderfully set up and dazzlingly described. Both main characters were fun to get to know and characteristics and flaws that can be relatable to most readers. Yule reminded me so much of Schitt’s Creek, in the way that it’s a small town with a crazy cast of characters who support each other when the going gets tough. I cannot wait to venture back to Yule in Kate Callaghan’s next book.
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Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Callaghan for giving me an opportunity to read this book for a review.

I was expecting a lot more spice but it was still very nice

Lyla has always dreamed of taking over her family toy company. But when her father retires and sells his shares to Klaus, the biggest scrooge, she can’t help but hate him- especially when he cancels the staff Christmas party without talking to her. Determined to keep the spirit alive, she decides to throw it anyway, but when she finds him drunk and upset in his office, she sneaks him out early and the office catches fire.

With the office closed, and Klaus needing to return home for his father’s funeral, he brings her with him in exchange for forgiving her part in the office fire. To her shock, he introduces her as his fiance. With the risk of the truth being found out having her memory wiped, Lyla realizes she might be able to use this as leverage to get her company back, but when a kiss leads to her wanting more, maybe Klaus isn’t the Scrooge she initially thought he was.

A perfect holiday read for those who love enemies to lovers x fake dating x magical location x he falls first.

This is like the Polar Express for Romance Fans. Instead of a train, there is a bell magically transporting people. And instead of wolves prowling by a train, that hint of danger comes from the Christmas People themselves! No one is supposed to know about them unless they’re part of the community.

Fun story that took me in an unexpected direction.

Silly me didn't read the synopsis beforehand (i knew kate callaghan would be good anyways), and imagine my surprise to find that this was not just a christmas romance, it was a fantasy christmas romance, with santa involved??? Thats crazy and i love it. I definitely enjoyed this idea and the world it takes place in, but i read something in another review that i do agree with, to reword that; i love this world but the romance is not memorable. Especially at the end i felt the romance felt a bit flat. I felt more chemistry when they were enemies than when they were lovers, and i missed that real connection on paper. Its a cute and fun christmassy read regardless!

Thank you to netgalley and the author for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review

I wanted to love this book but it is so scattered that from the beginning I had to reread passages to try to figure out what I had missed. Seasonally appropriate but really hard to follow.

I thought this book was super cute and had all the holiday feels that I love! I'm excited that this book is the first in a series, because I also love a great series! I also appreciated the LGBTQIA+ representation, bringing this story to our current times, which was refreshing. Kudos to the author!

This was a perfect sweet festive story. It had everything you could possibly want in a Christmas book. It follows Mason and Lyla. Working together at a toy company when Mason gets word of a death in his family. Mason tricks Lyla into coming home with him for the holiday as his fake fiancé. There’s twists, turns, sweet and spicy and even a bit of magic. It was so fun to be in the world of Yule and get all he feelings of Christmas that you sometimes loose as an adult.

Mason now owns the majority share of Lyla's family's toy company- and she could not be more frustrated by their differing managerial styles. Soon, though, the two end up in the magical village of Yule together, faking an engagement, while Lyla learns about the Clauses, the town, and Mason himself.

The story is lighthearted and silly. There's not much depth, but there are twinkles of Christmas magic. It was a fun read-even in early September-and I most enjoyed the family dynamics.

Overall: 4 stars

**Thank you to NetGalley & BooksGoSocial for the free ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Did I read this book in damn near 80 degree weather? Yes. Did I eat it up and wish for Christmas? Also YES. 🧑‍🎄🎄💚

The rivals --> lovers trope will eat EVERY TIME for me and this was so fun. ALSO fake dating (engagement) is one of my favs also so you know I was gonna have a good time.
This story was actually so cute, funny, and had such an original plot! I loved it. There was definitely some depth missing and there was just some things that left me wanting more, but overall I had a great time. Mason and Lyla had incredible tension, banter, and cuteness. I loved it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley, and all thoughts are my own. 🧑‍🎄🎄💚

Lyla inherits a bankrupt toy company and finds out her father gave 51 percent of the shares to Lyla's enemy. they must learn to work together to make the company a success.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters and the plot are very well written and the story was interesting and thought out well. I would definitely recommend this book to my audience and friends.

I received this book on Netgalley, first and foremost! Thank you to Ms. Callaghan for such a lovely opportunity 😊

Secondly, and most importantly: this book was wonderful. I loved the switch of a Klaus being a fuddy-duddy during the Christmas holidays, only to take over a big corporate business and find romance along the way.

Lyla was a strong character I really connected with. I loved how we got to see her own grief mirrored in Mason, and how he slowly opened himself up while he was home. Though I didn't like him at first, he definitely grew on me, and I was rooting for them by the end of the novel. I also really enjoyed, as other reviewers have pointed out, the LGBT+ representation and the disability representation. It was unexpected but wholly sat as a piece of the text, rather than a one-off or "tokenism."

Overall, such a good romance with strong characters and a good plot, one I devoured in a few days. However, I'd be mindful that it does talk about parental death and estranged/strained familial relationships for both characters.

I always enjoy a cute Christmas book to get me into the holiday spirit. The story line was cute but the magical village was a bit far fetched for me. I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants an easy read.

Thank you to Kate Callaghan and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.