If you enjoy this series, you'd like this novella. Despite decorating for Christmas, it didn't have much of a Christmas feeling. The story is fairly simple and moved along quickly. At the end, there is a time jump where you get a lot of info. dumped, but it provided good resolution to the story.

Wouldn't recommend it as a good start to the series for new readers or to one looking for a Christmas punch.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Christmas time is coming and Mia has her hands full with an open house at the old school. What she doesn’t have time for is a ghost who believes she was murdered and has only a small window of time to prove it so she can cross over and be with her husband. No pressure, none at all. But Mia will do her best and hopes that if she can’t meet the deadline, the ghost doesn’t undo all the work she has done to turn the old school into her business and ho ho home.

I love that Lynn Cahoon writes novellas between some of her books. It makes the wait for the next full book more bearable, because I do love her writing…and all of her series!

Very cute and a nice little holiday feel good read! The mystery was fun and it was nice to visit with an old friend. Reading this made me want to play Christmas carols, drink cocoa, and eat tons of baked goods.

This book was sent to me on Kindle by Netgalley for review...nice story....fun characters...enjoy. I look forward to more books like this one...quick read...

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Kensington Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Mia finds herself dealing not only with planning a catering party to promote her business but with pesky ghosts during the Christmas season. There is nothing like a restless ghost to put things amuck.

She will have to figure out how to tame the ghost in order to keep havoc from occurring.

A short read to put you in the holiday season.

Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas by Lynn Cahoon (Kitchen Witch Mystery 2.5) 3.5 stars

It is Christmas time and Mia Malone is extremely busy. On top of promoting her catering and cooking school business, she is working non stop on fulfilling the orders that have been coming in. However, the resident ghost Dorothy is threatening to put coal in her stocking. Dorothy states that Mia has to help her solve the mystery of her death in order to go to the other side and she is putting a "dead" line on that job. So in between cooking and decorating, Mia has to delve into the past and find out more about Dorothy. What she discovers is a surprise; the crime and the culprit comes out of the shadows and into the light for justice found.

This is a novella and an interlude to next years Three Tainted Teas. The pacing was a little slow, but it picked up towards the end. A fun read that whets the appetite for the next book.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC.

Overall a good story. Mia is haunted by Dorothy, who claims she is on a deadline to find out her killer so she can go to the other side. It’s a novella though, so there are areas that seem rushed, and could benefit with more details. Still enjoyed this one though, and like the author’s writing style. Would recommend. A good easy Christmas read.

I love the full length cozies and cute novellas in this series. Mia's cooking always makes my mouth water and the cast of characters is wonderful. The fact that this is set at Christmas time made it all the more fun. Although this is not a cozy murder mystery, the plot was still intriguing enough that the suspense was there. I do look forward to more adventures in Magic Springs, ID with Mia, her magic and her morsels.

This is a fun holiday novella that I was able to read at a fast pace.
Mia must get ready for her holiday party while solving the mystery of the death of her resident ghost.
Fun read for fans of this series.

This is a perfect short holiday story to read this Christmas. The length is ideal for the crazy, busy holiday season. And there’s a ghost too! Which, because I love A Christmas Carol, always seems oddly fun to read about. Mia is rushing around trying to get her new business festive & productive when the ghost throws a wrench in the works, wanting their death to be solved so they can cross over. Between decorating & cooking, she’s swamped & timing couldn’t be worse. I really enjoyed this one, it clips along at the perfect pace & talks about Christmas enough to get you in the holiday mood. Definitely a nice addition to the series & one to look for this season.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas by Lynn Cahoon in exchange for an honest review. Mia Malone is trying to promote her cooking school business, Mia's Morsels. Mia has found that the holiday has brought an unhappy ghost to her house. Mia is surprised how her boyfriend Trent is so helpful with decorating for Christmas. The ghost appears to Mia and wants her to find her killer. It is always fun to read Lynn Cahoon stories. She has such a great imagination.

Mia Malone is owner of Mia’s Morsels, a catering, cooking classes and home meal delivery business. She is hosting a holiday party to showcase her business during the annual Winter Carnival in Magic Springs, ID. Along with being a chef, Mia is also a kitchen witch. While frantically trying to decorate and prepare for the party, the town’s most well-known ghost, Dorothy, works to get Mia’s attention. Dorothy believes she was murdered twenty years previous and the only people who can help her are Mia and her grandmother. Dorothy is afraid she will not be able to cross over to the other side and join her husband, Harry, if the mystery isn’t solved soon. Mia enlists the help of her boyfriend, Trent, and her assistant, Christina. Time is of the essence! This is a holiday novella and a fun cozy mystery. It is part of Lynn Cahoon’s Kitchen Witch series but can be read as a standalone. I enjoyed the book and recommend it for those who enjoy the whimsical paranormal along with a fun mystery.

Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

novella, cozy-mystery, witches, urban-fantasy, romantic, Christmas season, small-business, small-town, family, family-dynamics, friendship, ghosts***

Short and pleasant read.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas by Lynn Cahoon
Publisher: Kensington Books
Publication Date: October 26, 2021
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas by Lynn Cahoon is book #2.5 in the Kitchen Witch Mysteries. This cute cozy can be read as a standalone novella or part of the series.

This was such a fun read! This is a great addition to the Kitchen Witch Mysteries series and a cute holiday book!

I really enjoyed this novella and I can't wait to see what is upcoming in the series!

I'm so grateful that I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I'm so grateful to Lynn Cahoon, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.