Have A Holly, Haunted Christmas by Lynn Cahoon is a quick and fun little addition to the Kitchen Witch Mysteries. In in, Mia and her assistant Christina, along with Mia's boyfriend Trent, are busy decorating for a Christmas open house when Dorothy, a local ghost, tries to get in the way because she is sure that she was murdered and needs to know the truth. Mia and Trent set out, along with Mia's grandma, to discover the truth. Can they fix this in time for Christmas? And for the open house?
This was a great easy read, much needed after a long day. Looking forward to the rest. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher.

This novella centers around caterer and kitchen witch Mia Malone as she plans an open house for her business during the Christmas festivities in Magic Springs. She needs this party to be a success and help he fledgling business make it through the new year ahead. Unfortunately, her building is being haunted by Dorothy, a ghost who needs Mia to find out who her murdered her before it's too late. She has only days to do it and get through the party or else Dorothy will sabotage the event.

Mia has the help of her Gran and her boyfriend Trent to get to the bottom of the mystery. Things move a little slowly for a novella, but all is revealed in the end. My main issue with this series is I always want there to be more "magic'. I also think that this book works best if you read the others in the series. If you are looking for a great holiday novella from Lynn Cahoon that does stand alone, her christmas tourist trap mystery novella "Santa Puppy" and her new year's farm to fork novella " Have a Deadly New Year" are both wonderful!

Perfect novella for the holiday season. I do like how the novellas move the story along and keep it going between full length novels. This one is all mystery and no apparent murder but there is one heck of a haunting and a yummy Cranberry Gooey Bar recipe at the end of the story. Interesting story that leaves an interesting opening for a future mystery.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas by Lynn Cahoon is the newest novella in the Kitchen Witch Mystery series. Not a huge fan of short reads (novellas) as I usually feel like I need a bit more background on the characters than I usually get – I have been enjoying a few novella’s written by Ms. Cahoon and Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas is no exception.

The story revolves around Mia planning a party during the holidays to promote her new catering and cooking school business and an unhappy well-known Magic Spring’s ghost – Dorothy. Seems Dorothy is not too happy about the circumstances of her demise. Everyone thought it was a result of natural causes in her sleep – but according to Dorothy it was murder!

I found the writing style easy to read. As well, the humour certainly added to my enjoyment. For example, the following comment from Trent to Mia had me chuckling when he was commenting on her decorating style:

“So you’re going for the whole ‘Christmas threw up in here’ vibe.”

There was some depth in the lengths that Mia had to go to really get to know Dorothy – digging into finances and birth records, which had to come in between preparing for the holidays and the party she was throwing. Additionally, there was the connection between the ghost and Grans that was revealed. Definitely added some intrigue.

While not the novella I had hoped it would be (I have enjoyed other novellas by Ms. Cahoon more) – all in all – an enjoyable, quick read to start off the holiday season of Christmas-based cozies. And I certainly look forward to reading more by Ms. Cahoon.

Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas by Lynn Cahoon is a novella from the Kitchen Witch Mysteries. This quick, easy read will have you wanting to decorate your tree and have some cookies.
Mia is called upon by a ghost to get to the bottom of her death many years ago. Mia not only has a short time period to work with, she also has a business to run and a Christmas party to get ready for.
There are great main characters, humor, friendship, family, romance and a jaw dropping ending in this fun novella.
Recipes are also included.
I was given an ARC from Kensington via NetGalley for an honest review.

This was such a fun novella to read. If you like Joanne Fluke's cozy mysteries, you'll definitely enjoy this one! Mia is a kitchen Witch who is just starting up her catering business (at Christmas) when she's visited by a local ghost. This will definitely get you into the holiday baking mood!

Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas Earns 5/5 Ghostly Apparitions…Entertaining!

Mia Malone suddenly is feeling tense. Sure, it’s the first Christmas since she began embracing her kitchen witch abilities, but it seems to be more than just a feeling of being overwhelmed with the holidays, her business Mia’s Morsels, and the open house she is planning to spark greater interest in her catering, pre-prepared meals, and cooking classes. One of Mia’s special magical talents, outside of a few potions and spell casting, is feeling the emotions of those around her, so the intense feeling of sadness is disconcerting. It becomes problematic with practical jokes and unexplained electrical glitches that threaten to derail her plans for the open house. A flicker of light is seen by the stairs as the room itself became darker and darker, and after asking how can she help, a voice is heard, ”Find out who killed me.”

Lynn Cahoon has added a bit of magic as the perfect respite from decorating and holiday shopping in this novella in her Kitchen Witch Mystery. The Christmas season is always busy, but adding to Mia’s to-do list an oddly time-sensitive, decades-old mystery makes it…hectic! The idea that the old woman’s natural “in her sleep” death is in question, and her ghostly reply “Ask Mary Alice,” Mia’s grandmother, is not an easy proposition. The investigation is also hampered since there are only journals, books, and faded memories to pursue, but WOW! Clever surprise. Entertaining fun! I am a fan of a bit of magic in my cozy, and Lynn doesn’t go overboard weaving realistically the ghosts, a possessed cat, and being a witch into running a business, preparing for the shop’s special event, supporting friends and neighbors of varying magical skill, and navigating a nice romance with a hunky guy. And you ask, what’s in the kitchen? Well, of course, a witch, but a recipe for one of Lynn’s favorite treats to take to holiday parties: Cranberry Gooey Bars.

I think I did myself an injustice by starting this series with this holiday novella — while I was seeking a cozy, seasonal mystery, the length of this book did not give the proper opportunity for getting to know the cozy community and characters.

For those who enjoy fun, cozy mysteries with a hint of paranormal fun and a lot of baking then this should be on your list. If you haven’t read the others, start there to avoid this one falling flat.

As always a sweet, fun and interesting kitchen witch mystery with a difficult plot only Mary Alice can help with
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

I absolutely adored this cozy mystery! The characters were fantastic, and Cahoon did an excellent job of weaving reality and magic together effortlessly. This is becoming one of my favorite cozy series, and I cannot wait for the next book!

3,5* rounded to 4
I found it quite entertaining, a novella set at Christmastime, with an enjoyable plot.
Trent, Mia's boyfriend, is the reason of the low rate as he's quite full of himself in this story and quite overbearing.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Fun read! This one came at the perfect time for me and I loved it from the moment I read the first chapter. Something about the characters, story, and setting all combined into perfection when I read it and it set the mood for the holiday season for the remainder of the year!

Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas by Lynn Cahoon is the newest release in the Kitchen Witch series. It’s about a woman named Mia Malone who has a meal prep business. She’s recently acquired an old school to be the home for her business (as well as the home for her and her employee Christina, who live in rooms upstairs). With the help of her boyfriend Trent and Grans (her grandmother) they’re preparing for the winter carnival in their small town of Magic Springs.

This novella is part of the middle of the series, and I kind of wish I had started at the beginning. While I did enjoy the book, I feel like the storytelling would have made more sense to me if I had started from the beginning. That way I would be familiar with the magic organization and whatnot.

I liked the magic/paranormal aspects of the story. I liked that magic is a well known thing (it is Magic Springs, after all) and that when Mia sees a ghost in her kitchen, no one questions her about it. They’re just like, “Ok. So you saw a ghost. Let’s figure out why.”

This novella is short and sweet but the mystery is interesting because it’s not one that Mia and her friends can solve alone. They need the help of her Grans, as well as a few of Grans’ friends, who were friends with the deceased.

Would I check out the rest of this series? Absolutely. I enjoyed the characters and the writing style. I just added the first book to my TBR list on goodreads, because I want to know about Mia, her business, and the little Idaho town of Magic Springs.

This Christmas-themed novella comes after the second book Two Wicked Desserts in Lynn Cahoon's Kitchen Witch series.
I think you could read this out without having read any of the other books in the series and further, it doesn't spoil Two Wicked Desserts. In this novella Mia our amateur sleuth and caterer is pretty overwhelmed with the holiday season, relatable right? This book is the solving of a cold case, which I thought was fitting for the holiday season, instead of having a serial killer roaming the town, Mia and her crew are trying to solve an old case.

We see Mia, Christina, and Trent really becoming a crime-solving unit. Gran is as shady as ever. That lady just keeps too much under wraps, why? Honestly, it would not be shocking if Gran turned out to be a criminal mastermind, she seems to be up to no good far too often!

As far as the food goes, I love to read about holiday food. I will say that the amount of carbs Mia et al eat would put me in a food coma!

In a nutshell, this is a quick festive cozy read! 4 stars

Thanks again to #NetGalley for the ARC! This book is available NOW so download it today! All opinions are mine!

This novella from the Kitchen Witch mystery series was a quick, fun read. What starts out looking like a murder mystery actually turns out to be about something much more: family. The novella was a great way to tide me over until the next full-length book in the series comes out. I'm definitely looking forward to see what Mia and her friends get up to next.

I don’t know about anyone else, but holiday stories always seem extra special, no matter the genre. Now, some paranormal mystery is just the right thing for me at any time of year, but set it in a haunted school, during Christmas, with a ghost on a schedule, yup, I’m in.

The continuing adventures of Mia and Trent, plus Christina, Grams and Mr. Darcy of course, never fail to entertain and there’s always a twist. This one had a few curveballs thrown in, but that makes every mystery so much the better!

Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas by Lynn Cahoon is A Kitchen Witch Mystery Novella (#2.5). It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series, but I believe it is best if you read the other two books first. Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas is a cute short story. Mia is busy preparing for a Christmas party to promote Mia’s Morsels. Unfortunately, a ghost starts wreaking havoc causing delays. The ghost is Dorothy Purcell who believes she was murdered. If Mia is going to have a successful party and a jolly holiday, she will need to do a little sleuthing with help from her friends. Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas is a fun story. It is well-written with friendly characters and the story moves along at a quick pace. When Mia is not digging for clues, she is decorating the lobby for the holiday party or busy cooking. Grans, Trent, and Christine are back, and they help Mia with her investigation. Mr. Darcy/Dorian is present too. The mystery was cute and suited the length of the book. I was left with an unanswered question at the end of the book (and I really wanted the answer). I would have liked more magic. There was very little magic in the story (except for seeing ghosts). I would like more of the magical elements. I enjoyed reading Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas and I am looking forward to reading Three Tainted Teas when it comes out in the spring. Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas is a spirited cozy mystery with sweet sugar cookies, a grumpy ghost, an enigmatic Grans, a beau with a talent for bedecking the halls, a cooperative college student, and a harried kitchen witch.

Mia is planning a big Christmas party to support her catering business. In the midst of the planning, her resident ghost has been throwing tantrums. Mia figures it's time to figure out what is holding Dorothy on the living side instead of moving on.

I really liked this little holiday novella. I liked getting glimpses of the characters and getting to know them even better. I do wish this was a full-length book instead of a novella though. I feel like there have been so many novellas and I just want more from these characters. I just love Lynn Cahoon's books and I can't wait for more!

*eARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

Genre: cozy mystery novella
Pub date: Oct 26 (out now)

What better to bridge the gap between Christmas and spooky season than a cozy mystery involving Christmas and ghosts? I hadn't previously read any Kitchen Witch mysteries, but I enjoyed getting to know Mia, her Grans, boyfriend Trent, and her cat. The mystery surrounding ghost Dorothy was compelling - and I loved that it had a happy ending. I don't read a lot of novellas, but I enjoyed this short but sweet story.

Thank you to Kensington Books for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Posted to Goodreads and Amazon on November 1, 2021.

I've become a huge fan of the cozy mystery genre due to books like this. You can read this as an escape from the everyday in a weekend. A really good mystery. Maybe not my ultimate favorite but definitely worth a read