Book Review - The Christmas Clause by Sharon Ibbotson

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Title: The Christmas Clause

Author: Sharon Ibbotson

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Choc Lit

Publication Date: 20th October 2026

Rating: 5 Stars

Warning: This is not your average Christmas romance! 🎅🎄❄

Mrs Claus wants a divorce.

And she's hired the one lawyer who doesn't believe in Christmas.

Somer Henshaw believes in facts. Winning arguments. And never, ever losing her head.

Then a woman in vintage clothing sweeps into her London office and files for divorce — from Santa Claus.

Now Somer is in an ice palace at the top of the world, arguing the most impossible case in legal history. She’s facing judgemental elves. A reindeer custody claim. A prenup drafted by Abraham Lincoln. North Pole jurisdiction issues no court has ever ruled on. And tinsel . . . So much tinsel!

But the real problem is Reuben Winter.

Santa’s lawyer. Ruthless. Insufferable. Built like something the North Pole ordered specially for under her tree. And undefeated across a negotiating table.

Neither will back down.

But every argument leaves them standing a little closer. Every late-night discussion gets a little too heated. And somewhere between the candy-cane negotiation and the pumpkin-spiced hot chocolate scandal, they stop pretending the tension is about the case at all.

Somer Henshaw has never lost a case.

This Christmas, she might just lose her heart.

Wickedly funny and deliciously steamy. The Hating Game meets Miracle on 34th Street. A scorching, laugh-out-loud festive romcom for readers who like their Christmas with less cocoa and a lot more heat. Perfect for fans of Meghan Quinn, Hannah Grace, C.R. Jane, Alina Jacobs, Tessa Bailey, Lyra Parish and Ali Hazelwood

Without a shadow of doubt in my mind, this is a book that needs to become a film.  I could see it all so clearly in my minds eye, and it had cinematic qualities to it. I would happily watch this. 

So long as you believe in Santa and Christmas magic, you will absolutely adore this book, and thankfully I'm positive Santa is real, so I was happy to lean into this very easily. 

Because Mrs Claus is determined to divorce Father Christmas and would like to be released from her pre-nup and also to regain her mortality too.   She hires Somer to be her divorce lawyer, whereas Santa uses his pet lawyer, the fierce Reuben. 

I absolutely loved Somer and Reuben verbally sparring with each other, while trying to deal with an impossible case, as they both want to win, but they kind of don't want to risk destroying Christmas for the world if they can help it. 

And when they decide they need to locate something at the North Pole, it becomes magical. I loved the descriptions of Santa's ice palace, as well as meeting the elves. In fact I'm impressed at just how many things elves are taking credit for. 

And there is clear chemistry between our battling lawyers, which some incredibly steamy scenes, which I was totally there for! 

This is a festive romance that is so much more than a festive romance, it's just so much fun, and I couldn't get enough of it.  I would love a sequel, or another book set at the North Pole, as I am not remotely ready to leave. 

An utterly imaginative story from Sharon Ibbotson, that is a completely fabulous festive escape.  

Thank you to Choc Lit and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.