Molly Molly Molly. I loved this little holiday adventure with Molly the Maid. All our favorite characters and all our favorite Molly moments. This is a very special story and so happy I got to read it! Thank you for the ARC!

Yes, I know it's a bit early for Christmas books, but I'm days from my due date and couldn't be bothered with anything heavy or difficult, so a holiday themed novella was the ticket! I have enjoyed the other 2 Molly the Maid books I've read, but this one was my least favorite. While it takes place at Christmastime, it wasn't really as festive or "Christmassy" as I was hoping it would be. I also knew exactly what was going to happen from the very beginning, which is fine, but made it less exciting to continue reading. All in all, this was a super short, easy read, but definitely wouldn't rank in my top 10 holiday books by any means.

What a cute little Christmas Novella! I love Molly so much! It was so fun to be back in her world. A perfect little installment to one of my favorite series. Do I wish it had a little murder of course but it was still really cute.
4/5 Stars

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

No one could ever make me hate you Molly Grey (and you two Juan Manuel). This is such a sweet Christmas mystery novella that is not at all what it seems. Really enjoyed getting to be apart of this party of Molly’s life in such tender details. Everyone needs to read this sweet love story this Christmas!!!

Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Mistletoe Mystery: A Maid Novella by Nita Prose is a delightful holiday-themed mystery that captures the spirit of the season while keeping readers on their toes. Following the beloved character of Molly the maid, the story intertwines festive cheer with a puzzling whodunit that unfolds in a beautifully atmospheric setting. Prose’s engaging writing style shines as she expertly balances humor and intrigue, making it a fun and cozy read. I loved how the novella explores themes of friendship and redemption amidst the holiday chaos. This charming tale is the perfect companion for anyone looking to get into the holiday spirit with a touch of mystery!

I really enjoyed this book! It was a fast cute read! And I and so happy for Molly and can’t wait to read more of her journey.

The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don’t usually enjoy novellas but I had to give this one a try! I love Molly the Maid and all her quirks.

She’s back with all her wit and charm. This one’s a little different without the usual murder and mystery that takes place. Instead, Molly the Maid is happily in love with Juan Manuel. Every year, Juan Manuel creates a new Christmas tradition to lift Molly’s spirits. This year though, she noticed how secretive he’s become. She begins to question if he truly is a a good egg after all.

Totally predictable but still enjoyable

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for my copy of The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose in exchange for an honest review. It published October 1, 2024.
I’m happy to get a new Molly the Maid book! This one was extra fun, and I just loved it! I loved how the reader is in-the-know, and you get to watch Molly eventually understand what’s going on.
I found this whole book to be sweet, but not in a Hallmark way.
I totally recommend this one!

No regrets reading the novella in the Molly the Maid Series.

It was a quick read about Molly's personal life than an evil mystery. I really enjoy the delightful conclusion of the Secret Santa exchange.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy!

The new holiday novella in the Molly the Maid series sees Molly and her love Juan Manuel preparing for a very special Christmas. Well … Juan Manuel is, I should say, and Molly is becoming more and more concerned about his secretive behavior!

There is no mystery in this one, despite the title. It seems plain to see where this is going, but perhaps it wasn’t meant to be a surprise for the reader. It’s sweet, leaning heavily on author O. Henry’s classic short story The Gift of the Magi at times. Juan Manuel’s efforts to make Molly’s Christmas special, especially in the absence of her beloved Gran, were heartwarming, and the ending will leave fans of Molly with a full and happy heart.

All that said, while I had an "Awww” reaction by story's end, there was no particular zing behind it. It was hard to watch Molly be so confused and increasingly upset by Juan’s behavior, even knowing things would be OK in the end, because I’m already aware from previous books how hard it is for her to read others’ behavior. I spent the bulk of the story just feeling sorry for her, instead of happy for where things were headed! I also deeply wanted more Gran in this. I think she’s my favorite part of the Molly books!

It’s a perfectly sweet story that should satisfy those who’ve grown to love Molly, and ultimately I’m still happy to see her get her most magical Christmas yet!

★★★ ½

Loved this book! Anything Nita writes I will read. The cozy mystery vibes are up my alley. I loved The Maid and The Mystery Guest. I read this in one sitting. It was a very quick and cute novella. I gave it 5 stars.

Short and sweet was the theme of this novel. I love the relationship between Molly and Juan Manuel. They are too cute and make my heart happy. It's clear what's going on to the reader pretty early on in the novella, and to see how clueless Molly is made me chuckle a few times. I am excited for Molly and Juan Manuel in the books to come...I also can't wait for her to have an actual case to solve again. Bring on book 3!

I really enjoyed this novella by Nita Prose. I will read anything she writes! This is the perfect book to cuddle up with by the Christmas tree with a mug of hot chocolate.

Molly the maid is back for a short sweet Christmas story! Molly starts to have doubts about her relationship with Juan Manuel. She sees him being sneaky and she cannot figure out what he is up to. What is going on and is everyone laughing behind her back?

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC !

In this novella we follow our favorite maid, Molly, and her beau Juan Manuel. We get everything we would expect from a Molly the Maid novel - Mollys particulars, the Hotel Regency in all its splendor, as well as the hotels cast of service industry misfits. This was a cute, festive, little popcorn read. I enjoyed all the references to the holiday and holiday activities that Molly and Juan participate in.

My only gripe was it was highly, HIGHLY predictable. I am thinking this was likely the authors intention as everyone in the book seemed to know what was going on besides Molly. Unfortunately, this also made the second half of the book a bit less exciting to read.

Overall, I would read this book if you are looking for a seasonal and short read.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC!

Molly the Maid is one of my beloved characters of all time and this sweet novella was such a nice transition into the holiday season coming up. Even though this is a shorter read, it still holds the same charm and whimsy of the other two books and is a great transition as we wait for the third installment coming next spring! I love the found family that Molly has and Molly and them are truly the hearts of these stories. Sometimes, you want to read a mystery that has you flipping the pages, but you also want to feel good about it and that is this book!

🆁🅴🆅🅸🅴🆆
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Mistletoe Mystery
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Nita Prose

⇥ Short and cute—perfect for getting you in the holiday spirit.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐝:
⇥ I found Molly a bit annoying this time around. I loved her quirkiness in the first books, but it's starting to wear thin.
⇥ This was a "mystery" to no one but Molly.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
★★★☆☆
This felt like a cash grab, and I won't sugarcoat it. The events could have been more impactful in one of her full-length novels. The only reason it’s not rated lower is that it’s a novella, and I enjoyed reading about Christmas in October. But honestly, you’re not missing much if you decide to skip this book.

It's holiday season at the Regency Grand Hotel, and Head Maid Molly can't wait to spend it with her pastry chef beau, Juan Manuel. But when her boyfriend seems to be keeping secrets and she spots him sneaking into a guest's room, she worries that he's cheating on her. Molly worries that she'll once again be the butt of the jokes at the staff holiday party.

This novella is quick and cute, and a must-read for fans of the series and Molly, as it gives an important update on her romantic life. However, it's not a mystery. At all. Rather, we have to watch Molly be sadly oblivious to what Juan Manuel is so very obviously up to to anyone else. It's fun, but I think it was a mistake to brand it as a mystery and release it in print, rather than have it be an ebook feature or a mspecial addition to the next novel or something.

Thanks to Ballantine Books for my eARC and finished copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 7/10

Oh Molly
I adore her. This was such a sweet and fun storyline different than the normal we get from Miss Molly & the hotel crew but there was still the “mystery” to be solved here lol. She is truly the modern grown up Amelia Bedelia.

Thank you to NetGalley for this digit Arc.
This novella should be on everyone’s holiday TBR

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for letting me read this ARC.

I love Molly the Maid but miscommunication as a trope can be off putting. I liked the point of the novella, to move the plot along in the big books but I also think it was an interesting choice to do in a novella since I think a lot of people look at them as optional.

I appreciate the Christmas spirit in this. A holiday and tradition lover myself, seeing Juan Manuel be so considerate and thoughtful in his choices for the advent was wonderful. His determination to have a magical holiday with Molly was heartwarming.

The fact that Juan Manuel was made out to be untrustworthy in this saddened me a little just because I have loved him from the beginning. But because I love him so much, I could never think ill of him and I figured out what was *actually* happening as soon as Molly grew concerned about his loyalties.

I also don’t think I liked that Juan Manuel chose to publicly propose knowing that Molly struggles with the whole of the hotel being involved due to her past incidents but on the other hand I understand what a big role the hotel has played in both their lives and relationships so I almost get it.

Overall I just adore Molly the maid and I cannot wait to see what Nita has for us next in the Maid’s Secret!