[4.75 stars]

Molly's back and it's Christmas at the Regency Grand Hotel. Since her Gran died, Molly has had difficulty getting in the Christmas spirit. Luckily, her boyfriend Juan Manuel is ready to take over and bring the festive spirit back into Molly's life. (So cute!!) Molly also has trouble getting excited about the holidays after a Secret Santa gone wrong. When the hotel decides to re-introduce the tradition, Molly is naturally hesitant. At the same time, Juan Manuel acts strangely and makes Molly guess who she can really trust. Instead of solving a mystery at the hotel as she has in the past, Molly must work out what Juan Manuel is hiding and if she has put all her trust in the wrong person.

I knew where this "mystery" was going soon after I began reading. However, I was on the hook and needed to see how the "mystery" was going to be solved. Without giving too much away, this was so cute! It is everything I hoped for Molly and more. Although it is set at Christmas time, this could be a great read any time of year. If you're a fan of The Maid series, please pick this one up! It's a cute and quick read that is necessary for all Molly fans!

A new Molly the Maid mystery - yes, please! I've really enjoyed the other books about Molly's adventures.

Description:
Molly Gray has always loved the holidays. When Molly was a child, her gran went to great lengths to make the season merry and bright, full of cherished traditions. The first few Christmases without Gran were hard on Molly, but this year, her beloved boyfriend and fellow festive spirit, Juan Manuel, is intent on making the season Molly’s most joyful yet.

But when a Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel raises questions about who Molly can and cannot trust, she dives headfirst into solving her most consequential—and personal—mystery yet. Molly has a bad feeling about things, and she starts to wonder: has she yet again mistaken a frog for a prince?

A heartwarming, magical story about the true spirit of the season, The Mistletoe Mystery reminds us that love is the greatest mystery of all.

My Thoughts:
This is a short book and has to do with Molly dealing with trust issues during the Christmas season. It is a sweet story involving Molly's romance with her co-worker, Juan Manuel. This is more of a romcom than a mystery I think. Molly is a great quirky character with her trademark social ineptitude. She doesn't know how to interpret normal social interactions. Such a sweet story as Molly tries to navigate her feelings and Juan's actions. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys quirky characters and romance.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy.

This was SO cute! I have really enjoyed following Molly the Maid through her adventures both at the Regency Grand and her personal life. This time the setting is the holidays (as the title would suggest). There isn’t as much of a mystery as books one and two, but some mystery sprinkled in with Juan Carlos and the other employees at the Regency Grand. Though somewhat predictable, it was an adorable quick read at just 78 pages. I would highly recommend if you are a fan of Nita Prose and Molly the Maid.
Thank you to @NetGally and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books and @NitaProse for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my thoughts.
Expected Publication Date: October 1, 2024

This is a wonderful novella featuring Molly the maid. This is a great slice of life for the characters we know and love. This is not a murder mystery, rather a short story set at Christmas time. I enjoyed every minute of this story. If you know and love Molly you will enjoy this story!

I just love Molly the Maid and this was another one that I flew through! The Mistletoe Mystery had a good Christmas-y vibe, I just wish it was longer and not a mini-book/novella! I think this author does a really great job of bringing up a lot of emotion with her characters - I may just be overly empathetic but I always find myself tearing up in Nita Prose books!

Loved spending more time in this world with Molly the Maid and the rest of the cast of characters. I feel like this novella was a fun expansion of the plot, but was not my favorite in the series. I am excited for more books in this world and series. I plan to continue on with the series. This was a fun read and definitely got me in the holiday spirit.

A holiday novella starring everyone's new favorite maid, Molly Gray. The holidays are difficult for Molly. She and gran had many traditions and this time of year really has Molly missing her. However, Juan-Manual is ready to step in and make this holiday season one to remember. But when a Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel raises questions about who Molly can and cannot trust, she dives headfirst into solving her most consequential—and personal—mystery yet.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this e-arc.*

i totally loved The Maid, and this book absolutely blew me away too!!!! if you love Nita Prose books, this is one you cannot miss out on! 5/5 stars

This is a very short and cute holiday novella for fans of The Maid series. As through all of the books, Molly is neurodivergent and experiences the world much more literally than the average person. I think of Molly as a modern day embodiment of Amelia Bedelia. The author does a great job of setting up the big reveal at the end and the reader knows exactly what all of the foreshadowing has been leading up to. However, Molly is way off track in what she thinks is happening. It was nice to see Molly get a cute, happy ending.

The Mistletoe Mystery was nearly the perfect holiday novella for fans of The Maid series. It was festive and light, yet it also moved Molly's story along. It could have involved a bit more of a mystery and a bit more of the hotel, but it was still really enjoyable. I would recommend it to anyone who's a fan of the series.

This was not really a mystery. It was a sweet Christmas story involving Molly the maid. I saw what was coming early on. I found some of the insights to be particulary good. One that stuck with me was to look for goo not negative reinforcements.

If you're looking for something to put a smile on your face, then I can certainly recommend listening to THE MISTLETOE MYSTERY. This is a heartwarming novella and I couldn't adore Molly more! When I got to the ending, I will admit, I shed a few tears. This is a perfect story to add to your holiday collection. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to PRH Audio for my gifted copy.

This review will be shared to my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) shortly.

my expectations for this one were a little too high, based on the success and fun of the first two molly the maid novels! I was picturing a fun lil holiday mystery, and instead, it was more of a retelling of the gift of the magi 🧐🧐

there was very little mystery as this novella focused completely on juan and molly’s relationship over the past few christmases, especially after losing her grandmother. it was more of a deep dive into their daily life and relationship, which felt a little unnecessary for me. I definitely feel that this book would have been a bit more successful as a mystery rather than a filler.

however, the ending with molly and her friends was adorable, I have to admit. even though it was extremely obvious and irritable that molly couldn’t see it and was doubting herself…

thank you to netgalley and ballantine books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! this was a cute one but overall without much of a point…

rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: dry creek zinfandel

I highly enjoyed the other Molly the Maid books and was excited for another Molly the Maid mystery. This book was not a murder mystery and I would not call it a mystery book either…I guessed the ending within the first chapter or so. Still a fun and quick read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

LOVED THIS NOVELLA!! A perfect add on to the Maid series. I love the christmas time & the setting as well as the cozy mystery feel!

This was such a sweet story that provided insight into Juan and Molly’s love story. Molly will always be one of my favorite book characters. I love being in her point of view.

This Holiday novella is sweet and cutesy, the right thing to start getting you excited for the approaching season.

I was lucky enough to get an advanced ebook from NetGalley, and devoured it in a quick hour.

Molly, the Head Maid of the Regency Grand, and her partner Juan Manuel get in the holiday spirit in a whirlwind Christmas they both will never forget.

I love Molly, ‘Little Miss Literal’, and her quirks

4 holiday spirit stars

I really like Molly the Maid as a character, so I was excited to have the chance to read this short novel focused on the holiday season. All my favorite characters make a return appearance in this one.

We learn about the heartwarming traditions that Molly had with her Gran and how her boyfriend Juan Manuel has embraced them. Molly and Juan Manuel have added some new traditions to the mix too, like baking cookies for their neighbors. This short novella adds to the bond of these two characters.

I loved visualizing the Regency Grand Hotel, all decked out in holiday decorations.

The mystery centers around Juan Manuel's strange behavior, and Molly starts to worry about all the wrong things. Her fellow cleaner, Cheryl, continues to be a thorn in her side. Will it be a delightful holiday after all, or one that Molly wants to forget?

I really like the Molly the Maid series, so I was excited to see this on NetGalley! This was a quick, fun, read. It will be released on October 1st. Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC!

3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

#themaid #nitaprose #mollythemaid

Molly the Maid is distressed when the hotel’s Secret Santa gift exchange leaves her questioning who she can trust. Her boyfriend Juan Manuel seems devoted to her but at times leaves her questioning what else is going on.

This was adorable!! Such a cute holiday novella. It was the perfect length-a quick, easy, fun holiday read.

Thank you to NetGalley and RandomHouse for the ARC!