I would like to thank NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review. I love Molly the Maid! This is a wonderful heartwarming Christmas story with Molly the Maid solving yet another mystery. This is a great short story to put you in the holiday spirit!

The Mistletoe Mystery (Molly the Maid #2.5) by Nita Prose 🎄🎄🎄

I would like to thank NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with an advance e-galley in exchange for an honest review. Look for it in your local and online bookstores and libraries on October 1, 2024.

I love Molly the Maid and I love this series. The Mistletoe Mystery is just a little taste of Christmas in Molly’s world. It’s sweet and heartwarming.

“As we decorate, it occurs to me that a Christmas tree holds so much more than ornaments. Resting on all those boughs is a treasure trove of memories that remain long after the tree is gone and Christmas itself is over for another year.”
— Nita Prose, The Mistletoe Mystery

I really enjoyed the first 2 books in this series and thought that Molly the maid was a charming character. Maybe because it was a novella but this one didn’t hit the same way for me that the others did. This focused on Molly and Juan’s relationship and focused less on the hotel.

I fell in love with Molly the maid when the first book came out so I was very excited to get an early copy of this holiday novella. Coming in at about 130 pages, this is a quick and delightful read full of holiday spirit. This book set out to fill in a relatively piece of information and then fill in the novella about it. I ate this book up and devoured it in about an hour. To say I didn’t want to put it down is an understatement. Then I didn’t want it to end! I just love Molly and Juan Manuel so much. The holidays at the hotel seem magical and I think the author did a great job describing it so I felt the magic on the page. This was the epitome of holiday coziness. Of course, there was a little mystery and intrigue, but it felt very deliberate and I knew exactly what was going on. I don’t think the reader was supposed to not be able to guess the mystery in this novella, and that was ok, it was still just such a treat and delight to read.

Christmas at The Regency Grand Hotel with Molly, Juan Manuel, and all their friends. This was so cute and wholesome! Lovely story spreading warm holiday cheer with signature Molly mystery, one that she couldn’t crack herself 😉

I absolutely love these characters and this novella had quite a bit of plot packed into it. Molly’s distinct storytelling and Gran’s memory is my favorite part of this series. So fun to see all the hotel staff and the great bond they created with Molly as Head Maid. Cannot wait to read the next book!

Thank you Ballantine Books for the review copy.

I'm a fan of the Molly the Maid series and was delighted to read this novella. It's a short story set at Christmas time. Don't expect a crazy mystery or wild plot, but rather a peek inside Molly's inner world and relationships in a cozy, holiday setting. I look forward to more books by Nita Prose, especially about Molly.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I received a temporary digital copy of The Mistletoe Mystery from NetGalley, Ballantine Books and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The holiday season is upon Molly and she is extremely excited to share the celebrations with Juan Manuel, that is until he starts acting extremely strange. Can Molly still trust Juan Manuel after catching him in lies and seeing him walk out of another woman's hotel room?

The Mistletoe Mystery is a charming installment of the Molly the Maid series. I wouldn't say it is a must read; it is incredibly obvious what is happening throughout the mini-installment for the reader and what the outcome will most likely be; however, if you want a enjoyable and quick holiday read, pick it up.

I am always happy to find a new Molly the Maid story. This novella is less interesting than her other books because the "mystery" that Molly is solving in this book will be completely obvious to most people. I think this is on purpose as this is an easy way to portray Molly's personality (how she takes everything literally) to the average reader. I hope Prose is planning to keep writing about Molly solving more actual mysteries.
Thank you to #netgalley and #randomhousepublishing for my ARC of this book.

I enjoy Molly the maid and her personality and quirks, but I struggled a lot with this one. As funny as she is, she’s ignorant and it can be frustrating to read.

Ultimately, the ending was very cute and I had a big smile on my face.

This was really sweet, a mini Molly Maid mystery! The mystery is not at all as it seems! 👀 I didn’t expect the ending and I loved it!
I enjoyed returning to these characters &their lives, I always feel cozy reading this series! 🥰
This novella is a great addition to the previous 2 novels. 📚
I really enjoyed this & it was easy to finish in an afternoon.
This is Perfect for Christmas 🎄

This book was like slipping on a familiar coat. All warm and cuddly. Such a cute story of Molly and her lovable self and her paramour Juan who tries to make a surprise very special- if Molly would just get out of her own way. So cute!

The Mistletoe Mystery was really sweet. The novella is a great addition to the previous two novels. Nice to be emerged with the usual characters and their lives. Great for Christmas

This was such a cute little novella. It still felt like the rest of the books so far but with a smaller “mystery”. It gave the same kinda vibes as the Killjoy novella by Holly Jackson. It definitely isn’t integral to the series, but it’s a night Christmas special episode for these characters.

Thank you to Ballantine and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Molly is back at it again. This time, at Christmas. As Molly enjoys the wonder of the holiday season, she finds herself questioning if her relationship is really all that she thought it was. At each turn, she finds signs that Juan Manuel has found someone else. Is she destined to be alone or will she find peach at Christmas?

This novella was a really cute and fun story. It is a quick and easy read. I found Molly’s thoughts to be relatable and humorous. A perfect story to get you in the holiday spirit.

Cozy-ish Mystery Novella that follows a five-star hotel maid who has a holiday mystery to solve when a Secret Santa gift exchange raises questions about who she can and cannot trust.

4/5 stars: This is book 2.5 in Prose's Molly the Maid which is a Cozy-ish Mystery Novella that takes place at Christmas and features a five-star hotel maid who's beloved boyfriend has been acting out of character causing her to worry that everything's not okay. But after the Secret Santa gift exchange at the hotel, she'll learn truth and all her bad feelings were for not. A heartwarming, magical story about the true spirit of the season and reminds us that love is the greatest mystery of all. This isn't really a mystery but it's lovely none the less. With wit and humor, Prose's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. It's always great to catch up with Molly, Juan and the folks of the Regency Grand Hotel. A short and sweet holiday tale that has a nod to The Gift of the Magi and overall is delightful. Prose touches on some sensitive topics, so take care and the CWs. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll enjoy it much more if you start this series at the beginning and pick up book one, The Maid.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

What a fun little mini Molly Maid mystery! The mystery is not at all as it seems! Perfect afternoon story for the fall time with a cup of coffee. I enjoyed it!

If you love Molly the Maid, this is another great addition to the series! I was hoping for more of a mystery element, but I do think this will set up the next story well. I loved being back in Molly's world and The Regency Grand, and seeing some of our favorite characters from the first two books. A couple other pieces tie really well to the first stories and it does wrap up a few previous loose threads.

I don't really feel like they need to keep writing stories in this world, but I keep picking them up so that's saying something! Molly the maid is just such a special character and Christmas is my favorite holiday - so needless to say I had a good time with tis one. A quick, super cheerful holiday read.

I was really excited to see that we’d get to revisit Molly the maid for another round and especially was excited about the Christmas theme for some added comfort. As a novella should be it is short and sweet, and I was happy to see Juan and Molly’s cute, unique and green flag filled relationship at the forefront. We got all our favorite Mollyisms trying to dislodge what’s literal and what’s figurative and a lovely dose of gran knowledge, but some of this seemed a bit rushed and predictable and forced. It was also missing the mystery aspect I’ve come to love from the series which was disappointing. The surface level Molly we love was there, but it was a bit of a tease and missing the substance and twists we were used to from the first two novels. I’m hoping the third novel makes up for it but was glad to have a teaser of sorts. While it was predictable, it was still sweet and comforting and will be a cute and easy read for the holidays, but won’t have the same lasting impact as the full Molly novels.

I absolutely adored this novella!
I was so grateful to receive this ebook from @netgalley & @randomhouse thank you so much I'm such a fan of Molly!

With Christmas pretty much just around the corner, this book is brimming with joy and lovely holiday feelings! The relatable holiday festivities make it a perfect read for this coming season.

Juan’s kindness towards Molly is heartwarming... though the story might take some unexpected turns!
I love how Molly and Juan have their set meals for each day of the week. It reminds me so much of my own traditions like Spaghetti Monday, Taco Tuesday, and Pizza Friday.

The Mistletoe Mystery - @nitaprose

Pub date: October 1st 2024

Curl up with this wonderful book by a roaring fire and a sparkling Christmas tree for an afternoon filled with festive cheer. It’s a charming and fun read that will leave you with a smile on your face!
🎅📚✨