I enjoyed this little Christmas novella. I highly recommend reading The Maid first before reading this one just so you are more familiar with our infamous maid.
Overall this was a cute little Christmas mystery that is perfect for any weekend during the holiday season.

Molly Gray has worked hard at the Regency Grand Hotel, and now she is not only head maid, she is also dating one of the pastry chefs, Juan Manual. They don’t have much money, but they have love for each other and they use their creative thinking skills to create holiday magic. They get a small, Charlie Brown Christmas tree to decorate in their apartment and fill it with homemade ornaments and popcorn garlands.

Molly first learned to love Christmas when she was living with her grandmother. Aside from decorating their tree and baking cookies, her grandmother had bought a small chest that had 25 drawers. Throughout the year, she would fill the drawers with special gifts she knew Molly would like, and at the beginning of December, it would become a homemade Advent calendar that Molly could enjoy throughout the month.

Now, Juan has filled the drawers with small gifts and trinkets for Molly as part of their holiday celebration, but Molly feels like something is of this year. She’s heard rumors at work about Juan’s friendliness to hotel guests. She thought she saw him deliver flowers to a hotel room when he was supposed to be in the kitchen baking. And at their apartment, a pretty neighbor expected him to unclog her toilet for her instead of going to the building super.

On the other hand, it is the holiday season, and people are more generous. It may not mean anything that Juan is being helpful. And Molly does sometimes misread a situation. Being neurodivergent means she doesn’t always pick up on the subtext of a situation. Still, she feels uneasy, like Juan is keeping something from her.

But with the busyness of the hotel during the holiday season and the employee Secret Santa gift exchange at the holiday party, Molly has plenty keeping her occupied right now. All she wants is a happy holiday for herself and for those she loves. Is that too much to ask for?

The Mistletoe Mystery is a holiday novella about the beloved hotel maid we first met in the popular novel The Maid. Even though she isn’t like other maids, she is able to see through things faster than some, and her insights have already helped her get promoted at the hotel and solve two murder mysteries. She is smart and hard-working, and while she may not understand the subtleties that neurotypical people can, she has her own way of seeing the world that adds a special magic to her life.

This is a fun read that celebrates Christmas, love, and family in a quick, warming nutshell of a story. It brings the mystery of Nita Prose’s full-length novels as well as the chocolatey warmth of Christmas with just a touch of the bitterness of loss. The Mistletoe Mystery is a not-to-miss holiday story for fans of Molly the Maid, or a quick introduction for those who haven’t leapt into her universe yet. It’s also a great gift for those in your life who are neurodivergent and feeling a little discombobulated or isolated this holiday season, or for your Secret Santa gift exchange.

Egalleys for The Mistletoe Mystery were provided by Ballentine Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose is a charming novella set during Molly Gray’s first truly joyous Christmas since her gran’s passing. With the help of her festive and affectionate boyfriend, Juan Manuel, Molly is slowly rebuilding the cherished holiday traditions that once filled her life with warmth. However, when a Secret Santa exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel takes a suspicious turn, Molly’s holiday cheer is dampened by doubts, drawing her into a personal "mystery" that threatens to upend her newfound happiness.

At its core, this novella offers a heartwarming romance and a deeper glimpse into Molly’s evolving relationship with Juan. Fans of the Molly the Maid series will delight in the return of Molly's quirky observations and "Mollyisms," though the mystery element feels more transparent (or nonexistent) than the full-length novels. Rather than a true whodunit, the story reads more like a festive romcom wrapped in the sights, sounds, and spirit of the holiday season.

Though it lacks the complexity of The Maid, The Mistletoe Mystery is still a sweet, quick, cozy read that feels like an essential stepping stone in Molly’s world, possibly laying the groundwork for future developments in the series.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advance reader’s copy.

I enjoyed this! It was a great length and I enjoyed the mystery because you didn’t really know where it was going to go until near the end. I love Molly’s quirky personality and especially her relationship and interactions with Cheryl crack me up! This was fun for the holidays!

The Mistletoe Mystery is a sweet charming story with a Christmas background. One does not need lots of money or expensive gifts to receive life’s most important gift of love. This novella was a quick read.

A cute novella featuring Molly the maid, with all her foibles and misunderstandings coming to the fore. As she and Juan Manuel prepare for Christmas, Molly begins to doubt herself. For lovers of feel good Christmas stories, but not a must read for the series. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Another lovely story of Molly the Maid. Molly is such a refreshing and innocent character and it's always enjoyable to see what she's gotten herself into next. I loved getting to read more of her and Juan's story. They are such a sweet couple and it's nice to see Molly getting what she deserves out of life!

I loved checking in on Molly the Maid. She’s the same sweet lovable maid we grew to love in the first two books. The characters are the same and I enjoyed Juan Manuel’s enthusiasm for the Molly Jolly season approaching. However, I didn’t love the confusion and turmoil that this book brought to Molly’s story. I spent most of the book feeling sorry for her. I felt like thr first two books showed so much character development and then this book brought back all of her self-doubt. It just didn’t sit right with me. I will say that the book wrapped up nicely and gave all the heartwarming feelings you expect of a book in this series.

Thanks to @netgalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine Books for this E-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I loved The Maid and enjoyed The Mystery Guest, but this novella was quite disappointing. The title of the book is misleading because there’s no hotel mystery and the twist was clearly predictable from the first chapter.

Another charming installment in the Molly the Maid series. This novella is best read after the first two novels, because many of its references come from the first and it could be considered a bit spoilery. I look forward to the next book!

The Mistletoe Mystery is the third book by Nita Prose and featuring Molly Gray. Molly is the Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. She loves her job and the bonus is that her boyfriend, Juan Manuel, is the pastry chef at the same hotel. As they look forward to another Christmas together, Molly begins to feel uneasy and wonders if her happiness might be short-lived.

Molly is an interesting character in that she has some eccentricities that sometimes interfere with her social interactions and her understanding of some situations. All of this comes into play in this novella.

The Mistletoe Mystery is only 128 pages and it can easily be read in an afternoon (with a cup of tea, please). I actually expected a mystery similar to the previous books, so I was a little disappointed with it. But, it’s a charming addition to the series and it certainly is a Christmas story. There’s even a nod to a famous short story by O. Henry. However, I wouldn’t classify it as a mystery but rather a light holiday romance. It’s enjoyable and it also does a good job advancing the story of Molly and Juan Manual. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

I am a fan of Molly the Maid series, so I obviously needed to read this novella. Did it disappoint, no. Was it as adorable as the other 2 books, also no. I enjoyed Molly and her crew - but I kind of felt that the so-called mystery that made Molly question "love" was just too far fetched. There was not nearly enough of the adorable relationships between Molly and her friends, family and co-workers. It just felt like very little actually happened in the book - and the big thing that did happen, was obvious from the first few pages. All that being said, I read this book in a few hours and certainly never considered putting it down. I am looking forward to the newest book in the series coming out in 2025. I suggest everyone read these books (and read them in order!)
Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

WOW! This series is pure perfection. Just like Molly! :) I am so connected and invested in the characters that I find myself waiting on pins and needles for the next installment. Keep ‘em coming!

Molly is back with her boyfriend Juan in this holiday novella. This time Molly is reveling in her wonderful life when things with Juan start to make her question that maybe things aren't as great as she thinks. Another quirky story starring Molly the Maid and her hotel friends and coworkers.

I love the characters in this world so I was excited for this novella. While I enjoyed it, I missed the mystery solving and wanted a bit more. Now I could see how this may have set up the next book and I appreciate the sweet holiday story. I did think this one was pretty predictable since instead of a mystery it was a series of misunderstandings by Molly and while my heart was breaking for her it was still an uplifting story because the reader knew where it would go. I loved the advent calendar she had and I could totally see Gran doing that to bring some magic to Molly in a very small way. This book focuses on Molly and Juan as they get ready for Christmas and the big staff holiday party. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars rounded up because I do love these characters.

I absolutely love this series, and after the ending of the last book this was EXACTLY what I needed!! It was literally perfect, and just reminded me of how much I love these characters. It felt like being wrapped in a warm hug from friends. I can’t wait to see what happens next for this series!

This was the story that we needed about Molly the Maid. Molly is seriously one of my favorite characters and I love following her adventures.

This novella would be great to read around Christmas because it will definitely put you in the Christmas spirit.

Molly truly has a very important mystery on her hands when she notices that her boyfriend, Juan Manuel, starts acting strange in the days leading up to Christmas. I think Molly is so relatable and so real. This novella was heartwarming and had me crying some happy tears.

Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose
This is the perfect novella to prepare us for Christmas. Once again, the reader is welcomed inside Molly’s head and inside the busy Hotel Regency Grand in New York City. Molly has carved out a life full of routines for herself and her boyfriend, Juan, and she has high standards for this Christmas. But as Christmas approaches, she begins to question whether she really is a part of a bigger family and if she is, truly loved and accepted?
But all is not as it seems as Molly wonders if she can really function in this confusing and multifaceted world. Are people laughing at her? Are they telling her the truth or is she misreading the signals once again? There is a satisfying ending to Molly’s quandaries as she finds out what the mystery truly is and that she is indeed part of a community this Christmas season!
#netgalley

Nita Prose started the Christmas season in spectacular fashion with MISTLETOE MYSTERY, a Molly the Maid novella. This fan of retellings was delighted to read this remake of O. Henry’s THE GIFT OF THE MAGI. It’s a warm, cozy story with old friend and head maid, Molly and her boyfriend Juan Manual celebrating together at the Regency Grand Hotel where they both work. The story centers around the employee Secret Santa Party. It’s filled with Christmas fun, some suspicions and trickery, and a love story thrown in to make the celebration complete. Prepare a holiday beverage and curl up with this heart-warming book.

The Mistletoe Mystery is a cute novella featuring everyone’s favorite maid, Molly Gray. The mystery alluded to in the title is not what you’d expect in this series, but given the season, it’s wholly appropriate and heartwarming as we see glimpses of Molly’s past as she prepares to celebrate Christmas with her boyfriend Juan. Molly’s eccentricities are on full display as she tries to understand her relationship with Juan, who she suspects is being unfaithful. This is obviously a quick read, but it’s a nice addition to the series, and would make a perfect stocking stuffer. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.