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Naughty or Nice
Being nice is safe, and being naughty is overrated, but getting McScroogy to find the joy in Christmas is beginning to sound oh so merry.
Samantha Darling, Boston advertising executive, has spent her life making a list and checking it twice, but she’s through being nice. All being nice got her was a broken heart when her fiancé cheated on her last Christmas Eve, ruining her favorite holiday, and then ran off with the small town boutique owner. After one too many All Powerful Peppermintinis, Samantha decides to give naughty a try. She breaks into the shop in Redemption Massachusetts and puts her spin on the Christmas display in the front window.
Only, the window doesn’t belong to Stowe’s Boutiques, it belongs to Snow’s Antiques, and Nathan Snow is none too pleased. This was his year to win the Best Christmas Window display contest against his rival, but Samantha ruined it. While he might not like Christmas, he knows winning this contest will bring in business. He makes Samantha a deal. Create a winning display by Christmas Eve, and he won’t press charges.
Samantha has no choice but to agree and has learned her lesson, but finds a bonus in her punishment. The challenge of getting the scrooge to find the joy in Christmas. Except losing her heart wasn’t part of the deal.
Samantha Darling, Boston advertising executive, has spent her life making a list and checking it twice, but she’s through being nice. All being nice got her was a broken heart when her fiancé cheated on her last Christmas Eve, ruining her favorite holiday, and then ran off with the small town boutique owner. After one too many All Powerful Peppermintinis, Samantha decides to give naughty a try. She breaks into the shop in Redemption Massachusetts and puts her spin on the Christmas display in the front window.
Only, the window doesn’t belong to Stowe’s Boutiques, it belongs to Snow’s Antiques, and Nathan Snow is none too pleased. This was his year to win the Best Christmas Window display contest against his rival, but Samantha ruined it. While he might not like Christmas, he knows winning this contest will bring in business. He makes Samantha a deal. Create a winning display by Christmas Eve, and he won’t press charges.
Samantha has no choice but to agree and has learned her lesson, but finds a bonus in her punishment. The challenge of getting the scrooge to find the joy in Christmas. Except losing her heart wasn’t part of the deal.
86 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2012
51 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
Kari Lee Harmon
39 books206 followersNational Bestselling Author, Agatha, RT Reviewer's Choice & Golden Duck Award Nominee. Kari lives in Central New York with her husband & Samoyeds. She's a lover of wine & travel, obsessed with reality TV, and loves a good book with mystery, romance & humor. Inspired by TV shows like SMK, Moonlighting, Bones & Castle, she writes cozy mysteries & upper Middle Grade as Kari Lee Townsend, romantic suspense, romantic comedy & women's fiction as Kari Lee Harmon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
November 22, 2015
Around the holidays there always seems to be an abundance of free Christmas stories being offered, but they're not always worth the time they take to read. Well, that said, I grabbed this one a week or so ago and I am soooo glad I did!
Being nice is safe, and being naughty is overrated, but getting McScroogy to find the joy in Christmas is beginning to sound oh so merry.This turned out to be a cute, funny, steamy, romantic story. It's not all angst-ridden or even emotional so it's a perfect for when you need a break from the hustle and bustle of life, especially during the holidays. The characters are fun, their story is too, and I'm looking forward to reading more by this new-to-me author!
Samantha Darling, Boston advertising executive, has spent her life making a list and checking it twice, but she’s through being nice. All being nice got her was a broken heart when her fiancé cheated on her last Christmas Eve, ruining her favorite holiday, and then ran off with the small town boutique owner. After one too many All Powerful Peppermintinis, Samantha decides to give naughty a try. She breaks into the shop in Redemption Massachusetts and puts her spin on the Christmas display in the front window. Only, the window doesn’t belong to Stowe’s Boutiques, it belongs to Snow’s Antiques, and Nathan Snow is none too pleased. This was his year to win the Best Christmas Window display contest against his rival, but Samantha ruined it. While he might not like Christmas, he knows winning this contest will bring in business. He makes Samantha a deal. Create a winning display by Christmas Eve, and he won’t press charges. Samantha has no choice but to agree and has learned her lesson, but finds a bonus in her punishment. The challenge of getting the scrooge to find the joy in Christmas. Except losing her heart wasn’t part of the deal.
Note: As of 12/24 this is now only free to Amazon Prime members.
December 15, 2012
Super cute!!!! After a night with the girls Sammantha wakes up in a store and realizes what she's done besides breaking and entering. As punishment by the Owner, she must make a wronged right, before Christmas Eve. It was a cute Christmas story that was humorous, heart felt and not in anyway corny.
December 26, 2021
Cute and nice Christmas novella! That is how I liked them the novellas - short 😊.
December 18, 2025
Cute!
This Christmas novella was cute and funny the whole way through and I absolutely enjoyed it! I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in the series.
This Christmas novella was cute and funny the whole way through and I absolutely enjoyed it! I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in the series.
February 8, 2013
I know Christmas is long over...but I needed some cheese in my life and my friend Twigs assured me this was definitely the book I was looking for. And boy, did it deliver!
This was a wonderful short story about 2 people coming together during the holidays. You would think by the cover that this would be a smuttastic read, but alas, it was not. But none the less, all the romance you could want, of course, neither MC realizing what was to happen ;P There were times I had tears streaming from laughing so hard..just to give a hint...
"Apparently, dressing up Mrs. C like a hooker, the elves like the Chippendales, and giving Santa a lap dance hadn't been enough while under the spell of the All Powerful Peppermintini."
"What? A bear, a wolf, what do you see?" He shoved her behind him and wielded the saw as though it was a sword."
Thanks Twigs for lending me this one! Loved it.
This was a wonderful short story about 2 people coming together during the holidays. You would think by the cover that this would be a smuttastic read, but alas, it was not. But none the less, all the romance you could want, of course, neither MC realizing what was to happen ;P There were times I had tears streaming from laughing so hard..just to give a hint...
"Apparently, dressing up Mrs. C like a hooker, the elves like the Chippendales, and giving Santa a lap dance hadn't been enough while under the spell of the All Powerful Peppermintini."
"What? A bear, a wolf, what do you see?" He shoved her behind him and wielded the saw as though it was a sword."
Thanks Twigs for lending me this one! Loved it.
April 20, 2015
I really enjoyed this, it was a sweet, romantic Christmas themed story. It had a nice build-up to their relationship and I was willing them to get together from early on, especially with all the interruptions that kept happening and I just wanted them to ignore everything and get it on already!
November 13, 2012
Kari Lee Harmon delivers again. Naughty or Nice was a comical, heartwarming Christmas romance. I loved the humor in this book. Highly recommend!
December 15, 2012
Don't be misled by the cover or the blurb. This is not an erotic romance, instead it's a very nicely written fun rom com.
April 21, 2025
What a fun, emotion story. For a very short story it has a lot going on. Samantha Darling is a top advertising agent who has always done the right thing, followed all the rules. All being nice got her is dumped last Christmas by her fiance at Christmas ruining her favorite holiday. This year her friends, Amber and Ellen are out to make her forget. Only they get her totally drunk and instead of going home she plans revenge on women her ex left her for. Ah, best laid plans and all she ends up in the wrong town, wrong store and ruins the window display of one of the wealthiest man in the northwest! Nathan Snow is shocked by the nasty, display in his store window. Now he will make the person pay. As they work to correct her error many secrets, feeling and pain are unveiled. Both have a number of past secrets. I love how she calls him McScroogy! so funny. This is a fun, laugh out loud with some tears too. Great for a quick afternoon break. I know I will be re-reading it at Christmas this year.
Grab a copy now while its free and get started.
Grab a copy now while its free and get started.
December 12, 2025
A Fantastic Christmas Story!!!!!
I absolutely loved reading this Naughty or Nice(Merry Scroog-mas, Book 1)!!!!! All about Samantha a young woman in her late twenties who got cheated on by an ex last Christmas & Nathan Hall a single ba-humbug of Christmas but extremely handsome owner of ten Antique stores in Boston. After getting drunk on Xmas martinis, instead of going home she had the cab drop her ex’s stores so she could redecorate his windows. but instead of desecrating the ex’s windows she did Nathan’s. He was pissed because she was in the window in the morning caught red handed. Instead of pressing charges she was told 1week of redecorating his window so he win’s best, prevents her from jail time, if he looses, then she goes to jail. She stays in the back room & days she does the window, nights belong to Nathan. Read about Samantha & Nathan, who will win????? This is an extremely emotional book, with lots of toe curling. Definite Read!!!!
I absolutely loved reading this Naughty or Nice(Merry Scroog-mas, Book 1)!!!!! All about Samantha a young woman in her late twenties who got cheated on by an ex last Christmas & Nathan Hall a single ba-humbug of Christmas but extremely handsome owner of ten Antique stores in Boston. After getting drunk on Xmas martinis, instead of going home she had the cab drop her ex’s stores so she could redecorate his windows. but instead of desecrating the ex’s windows she did Nathan’s. He was pissed because she was in the window in the morning caught red handed. Instead of pressing charges she was told 1week of redecorating his window so he win’s best, prevents her from jail time, if he looses, then she goes to jail. She stays in the back room & days she does the window, nights belong to Nathan. Read about Samantha & Nathan, who will win????? This is an extremely emotional book, with lots of toe curling. Definite Read!!!!
December 21, 2025
This book is short and sweet - cute little novella for the Holiday season. Very Christmas themed; which is what I was looking for. But it was so corny!!! The main character, Samantha, decides to get drunk with her friends. She was recently dumped and decided she is going to seek revenge on her ex and his new lover. She wakes up the next morning thinking that she destroyed her ex's small business, but it was actually another small business - a local antique shop, which is owned by a hot scrooge. This whole beginning scene was comical AF and gave me high hopes for the book. But the rest was just a letdown by how corny it got. Spoiler - the hot scrooge proposes to Samantha after only a week of knowing each other. WTF - who does that? LMFAO.
January 6, 2023
Naughty or Nice by Kari Lee Harmon – A drunken prank brings her face to face with a competitive Scrooge. Now she has to help him win the window display contest or she will miss Christmas Eve with her family! Good thing this cute little town is full of matchmakers! So sweet! Happy Holiday Reading!
April 7, 2023
Scrooge
Our heroine messes with the wrong guy. It was an honest mistake but, she has to pay his price to avoid the police! Will he remain a scripts or will her efforts turn him into Santa Claus?
Our heroine messes with the wrong guy. It was an honest mistake but, she has to pay his price to avoid the police! Will he remain a scripts or will her efforts turn him into Santa Claus?
May 3, 2025
Christmas With McScroogy!
I loved it. It made smile, smile, smile. There’s plenty of steam, with a predictable but loveable plot. Kari Lee Harmon sold it from beginning to end. I plan to read more of her Novellas.
I loved it. It made smile, smile, smile. There’s plenty of steam, with a predictable but loveable plot. Kari Lee Harmon sold it from beginning to end. I plan to read more of her Novellas.
June 1, 2020
Very good
It was nice to get a little Christmas cheer in the summer time. Very romantic. I had to stay up until 1:30 a.m. to finish it.
It was nice to get a little Christmas cheer in the summer time. Very romantic. I had to stay up until 1:30 a.m. to finish it.
October 26, 2020
A great light read with some cheesy romance thrown it. :)
December 6, 2020
First time reading this author. I enjoyed this cute holiday book and the characters made me want to know more. Without even realizing it, they find what they didn't even know they were looking for.
October 7, 2021
This got me in the Christmas spirit! Wow, the cover says it all. Loved it!
September 21, 2023
Cute story
This was a cute little story. Trying to change a Scrooge into a sweetheart is difficult, but Samantha won’t give up.
This was a cute little story. Trying to change a Scrooge into a sweetheart is difficult, but Samantha won’t give up.
November 17, 2023
This was like reading bad Wattpad fanfic. I wish I could scrub it from my mind. So awful.
December 24, 2025
I was looking for a holiday read and had Naughty or Nice by Kari Lee Harmon on my Kindle. It was exactly what I needed, a fun, seductive, and festive story with some humor. The best feature was the characters: total opposites who were destined to meet one another and change each other’s lives.
If you want a fast-paced novella full of holiday spirit and fun storyline, check out Naughty or Nice by Kari Lee Harmon. It’s also perfect if you need a quick read for your year-end challenge.
What to Expect:
🎄Novella
🎄Holiday Romance
🎄Grumpy/Sunshine
🎄Opposites Attract
🎄Forced Proximity
If you want a fast-paced novella full of holiday spirit and fun storyline, check out Naughty or Nice by Kari Lee Harmon. It’s also perfect if you need a quick read for your year-end challenge.
What to Expect:
🎄Novella
🎄Holiday Romance
🎄Grumpy/Sunshine
🎄Opposites Attract
🎄Forced Proximity
March 6, 2014
MEMORABLE QUOTE: "Spank me like the bad, bad girl that I am. ..."
NAUGHTY OR NICE by Kari Lee Harmon (a NTM author) was a real surprise by being much more than I expected. (But alas, no spanking *wink*) This quick, very well-written novelette had a twist of "A Christmas Carol" and a dash of "The Gift of the Maji", all wrapped up in a fairy tale-like package.
So just firmly suspend your disbelief, go with the storyline and simply enjoy this laugh-out-loud, heart-warming holiday story about Samantha Darling, a "goody goody" who realizes that "[n]ice was safe, but safe left her cold and lonely." Unfortunately, this particular insight comes after way too many Peppermintinis and her misguided-by-liquor judgment turns out to be the best mistake of her life.
Truth be told, the character of Nathan Snow could've been developed more. Gorgeous, successful and rich, he's the penultimate bachelor playboy. But inside, he's still the lonely little boy afraid to care too deeply. There are enough clues so that the reader can guess the reasons why but it's not as important as the changes which occur after he meets Sam. Similar to Scrooge, Mr. Tall, Dark and Stuffy needs a little help in finding the Christmas spirit.
Expecting a light Christmas-themed read, I enjoyed NAUGHTY OR NICE enough to try some of Ms. Harmon's longer works.
HEAT LEVEL: Sensual (1 sex scene: not too explicit; comparable to current category romances)
TECHNICAL: Well-formatted, with editing/proofing errors within the "we're all human" range
NAUGHTY OR NICE by Kari Lee Harmon (a NTM author) was a real surprise by being much more than I expected. (But alas, no spanking *wink*) This quick, very well-written novelette had a twist of "A Christmas Carol" and a dash of "The Gift of the Maji", all wrapped up in a fairy tale-like package.
So just firmly suspend your disbelief, go with the storyline and simply enjoy this laugh-out-loud, heart-warming holiday story about Samantha Darling, a "goody goody" who realizes that "[n]ice was safe, but safe left her cold and lonely." Unfortunately, this particular insight comes after way too many Peppermintinis and her misguided-by-liquor judgment turns out to be the best mistake of her life.
Truth be told, the character of Nathan Snow could've been developed more. Gorgeous, successful and rich, he's the penultimate bachelor playboy. But inside, he's still the lonely little boy afraid to care too deeply. There are enough clues so that the reader can guess the reasons why but it's not as important as the changes which occur after he meets Sam. Similar to Scrooge, Mr. Tall, Dark and Stuffy needs a little help in finding the Christmas spirit.
Expecting a light Christmas-themed read, I enjoyed NAUGHTY OR NICE enough to try some of Ms. Harmon's longer works.
HEAT LEVEL: Sensual (1 sex scene: not too explicit; comparable to current category romances)
TECHNICAL: Well-formatted, with editing/proofing errors within the "we're all human" range
December 22, 2012
Samantha Darling has had a pretty boring year, she's been nothing but good this past year, and it's gotten her nowhere but sitting in a bar trying to erase the memories of her ex-fiancé cheating on her last Christmas Eve! Her friends try to convince her that she needs to be naughty & have an affair to get over her ex and in their haste, allow Sam to drink one too many Peppermintinis!
After promising her friends she'll head straight home, Sam decides to pay his ex & his new fiancée a visit. She quickly gets to work on a plan for revenge, but doesn't quite make her successful getaway. The following morning, she's discovered by Nathan Snow, bad-boy mogul extraordinaire and the store owner of the boutique Sam mistakenly broke into. Snow makes Sam a deal: help him fix his image with the community and help him win the annual storefront contest & he won't press charges. Sam gets to work to try and help Nathan embrace the spirit of her most favorite holiday and falls in love with the man she gets to know during her stay in Redemption, the question is: can he actually learn to love anyone but himself?!
After promising her friends she'll head straight home, Sam decides to pay his ex & his new fiancée a visit. She quickly gets to work on a plan for revenge, but doesn't quite make her successful getaway. The following morning, she's discovered by Nathan Snow, bad-boy mogul extraordinaire and the store owner of the boutique Sam mistakenly broke into. Snow makes Sam a deal: help him fix his image with the community and help him win the annual storefront contest & he won't press charges. Sam gets to work to try and help Nathan embrace the spirit of her most favorite holiday and falls in love with the man she gets to know during her stay in Redemption, the question is: can he actually learn to love anyone but himself?!
December 20, 2012
A fun, sexy, witty, romp of a tale!
She wakes up in a storefront window with Mrs. Claus' clothes on. Mrs. Claus is wearing her sexy underwear and all the elves are naked and doing naughty and indescribable things around her. Oh God, her head hurts! Why did she drink so much last night? Why is she in a Christmas window display? Why is a man, with his hands on his hips and glaring eyes, staring at her? Oh hell, she's in trouble now.
In order for her to stay out of jail, she agrees to the store owner's demand to create a winning Christmas window display. He's terribly handsome, but has the proverbial stick up his ass. Sheesh!
What's his problem?!
Samantha decides to take the deal AND to show McSgroogey how to get in the Christmas spirit. She just has to do it by Christmas Eve because she needs to go to her parents' home as it is her turn to put the star on the tree (a very big deal).
I love this author's style of writing and felt like I was there.
A very, very good book!
She wakes up in a storefront window with Mrs. Claus' clothes on. Mrs. Claus is wearing her sexy underwear and all the elves are naked and doing naughty and indescribable things around her. Oh God, her head hurts! Why did she drink so much last night? Why is she in a Christmas window display? Why is a man, with his hands on his hips and glaring eyes, staring at her? Oh hell, she's in trouble now.
In order for her to stay out of jail, she agrees to the store owner's demand to create a winning Christmas window display. He's terribly handsome, but has the proverbial stick up his ass. Sheesh!
What's his problem?!
Samantha decides to take the deal AND to show McSgroogey how to get in the Christmas spirit. She just has to do it by Christmas Eve because she needs to go to her parents' home as it is her turn to put the star on the tree (a very big deal).
I love this author's style of writing and felt like I was there.
A very, very good book!
December 20, 2012
During the Christmas season, I love the Hallmark channel. I record every new Christmas movie and just wiggle down in my couch so that I can enjoy it. These movies are filled with such cute couples and interesting ways a relationship starts. That is exactly what this book is; a Hallmark movie but with a steamier side.
How Samantha and Nathan meet is a new twist in my mind. They didn’t meet at a bar, or through friends, etc. They met because Samantha destroyed his window display and instead of pressing charges, Nathan makes her stay the week before Christmas to rebuild a winning window.
This is where the Hallmark charm comes in. They hate each other at first. They can’t get along at all. But while working together, things change. Attitudes change and lust comes knocking at the door.
I am totally asking Santa for a Nathan Snow.
~BookWhisperer Reviewer MC~
How Samantha and Nathan meet is a new twist in my mind. They didn’t meet at a bar, or through friends, etc. They met because Samantha destroyed his window display and instead of pressing charges, Nathan makes her stay the week before Christmas to rebuild a winning window.
This is where the Hallmark charm comes in. They hate each other at first. They can’t get along at all. But while working together, things change. Attitudes change and lust comes knocking at the door.
I am totally asking Santa for a Nathan Snow.
~BookWhisperer Reviewer MC~
April 2, 2014
Posted at http://oh-my-books.blogspot.com/2013/...
I laughed a lot with this book. Samantha is a good girl, but after to many drinks she decides to by a little naughty and do something bad to her ex fiance. Of course, nothing goods happens from that and she ends up spending Christmas with Nathan Snow, a very famous millionaire who seems to hate the holidays and is going to make her pay.
It was a fun short story, in a few days the characters fell in love and tried not to hurt each other, failed, but got their happy ending. The ending felt a little bit rushed, but it fulfilled my expectations. I couldn't stop laughing when Samantha was drunk and re-decorating Nathan's shop, so I recommend Naughty or Nice if you want to read a fun holiday romance!
I laughed a lot with this book. Samantha is a good girl, but after to many drinks she decides to by a little naughty and do something bad to her ex fiance. Of course, nothing goods happens from that and she ends up spending Christmas with Nathan Snow, a very famous millionaire who seems to hate the holidays and is going to make her pay.
It was a fun short story, in a few days the characters fell in love and tried not to hurt each other, failed, but got their happy ending. The ending felt a little bit rushed, but it fulfilled my expectations. I couldn't stop laughing when Samantha was drunk and re-decorating Nathan's shop, so I recommend Naughty or Nice if you want to read a fun holiday romance!
December 19, 2013
still good the second time around too...
I’ve never read anything else by this author, but I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to more of her novels. This was a relatively quick read, but intense and erotic. Fun and sweet. Sam and Nathan are perfect together and they obviously need each other to make their lives whole and complete. The plot was hilarious from start to finish. I think that if I ever got drunk enough to be as stupid as Sam I would hope it turned out this well for me.
See my blog for the full review at :
http://romancewitchreviews.blogspot.c...
I’ve never read anything else by this author, but I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to more of her novels. This was a relatively quick read, but intense and erotic. Fun and sweet. Sam and Nathan are perfect together and they obviously need each other to make their lives whole and complete. The plot was hilarious from start to finish. I think that if I ever got drunk enough to be as stupid as Sam I would hope it turned out this well for me.
See my blog for the full review at :
http://romancewitchreviews.blogspot.c...
December 20, 2023
A wonderful, feel-good, laugh-out-loud book for the Christmas holidays. Don't be misled by the cover, it's more funny rom-com than erotica although there is some heat (but not detail if you know what I mean!)
We've all had a bit too much Christmas cheer at times, albeit Peppermintinis in this case and done things we regret. In Samantha's case, it's a dream of revenge on her ex-fiance that goes wrong. This book comes with a HAE and the opening for further books following her two friends.
Very well-written and completely enjoyable!
* Verified Purchase ~ December 2012 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 17, 2012
We've all had a bit too much Christmas cheer at times, albeit Peppermintinis in this case and done things we regret. In Samantha's case, it's a dream of revenge on her ex-fiance that goes wrong. This book comes with a HAE and the opening for further books following her two friends.
Very well-written and completely enjoyable!
* Verified Purchase ~ December 2012 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 17, 2012
December 29, 2012
The book was OK. It could have been better, but too often the reader needs to add in, subtract or substitute a word for another in order of the sentences to make sense. On top of these editing faux-pas the reader is often left confused as the descriptions provided in one paragraph changes in the next and the reader needs re-read the previous passage to see where he or she missed the change of scenery or make sense of what the author is trying to portrait. However, the characters were engaging and the emotions between them rang true. If, as a reader you are able to overlook the bad editing, then have fun reading. If not, this book is not for you.
January 29, 2013
This book had me hooked from beginning to the end. I loved the story concept and how the author created the love between the two characters but also how they had personal issues that kept them a part even though they truly loved each other. Naughty or Nice is a must READ! It is a well written love/erotic story that will keep you wanting more and wanting to find out if they get together. Well, I would like to tell you but that would just ruin the suspense of it. Besides, I think it would be better if you bought this book and read it to find out for yourself! LoL ... You won't be disappointed at all, trust me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews