I’d expect nothing short of whimsical and delightful from Molly the Maid! Such a perfect novella for the holidays! It sure brightened my spirits and made me excited for Christmas!

What an adorable Christmas novella that follows our favorite maid, Molly, and her beau, Juan Michael! Molly has always loved Christmas traditions. Her Gran and her would fill a repurposed apothecary table with little trinkets and goodies from each other, the Regency Hotel is always beautifully decorated, and her coworkers all participate in Secret Santa (whether they want to or not!)
Molly is, of course, sad this time of year missing her gran and all of their traditions. So, Juan Michael helps make new traditions with Molly. Along the way, Molly starts to doubt things that are going on, and starts to feel “gaslit” by situations. What is everyone hiding?!

Thank you Nita Prose, NerGalley, and Ballantine Books for the ARC of this novella!

“A happy Christmas of found family brought together by fate.”

Oh, Molly. Never have I loved a character so much. This short, sweet little holiday novella brought me to tears with how much I loved it. It was endearing. Molly is so loved for who she is by her found family. That’s all us neurodivergent people want, to be loved for our quirks.

That said, my neurodivergent self picked up the clues right away as to where this story was going. That didn’t make it any less impactful. Like the Grinch, my heart grew three sizes today. I needed this warmth. I needed more Molly while we wait for the third installment of the Molly the Maid Series.

If you liked the others in this series, then you might as well read this one. One can probably read it in less than an hour! Short and sweet. Honestly- kind of boring. I like the novels better.

A fun spin on our favorite maid, Molly's typical adventure. This cozy read takes us along on Molly's journey to discovering one of life's greatest mysteries.

Thank you to Net Galley, Nita Prose and the publisher for the early copy! Considering how quickly Nita Prose is pumping out these books, I wasn’t surprised to see that the quality dipped a bit. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and flew right through it! It’s cheesy, a bit redundant and predictable but perfect for the holiday season if that’s the festive feel-good mood you’re looking for. This installment in the series really focuses in on Molly’s anxieties and insecurities, which some might find annoying but that I really relate to.
One surprisingly profound part will stick with me:
“I don’t know why it comes to me, but suddenly I recall that old childhood game played with a daisy—pick a petal, he loves me; pick the next, he loves me not. It occurs to me that for every petal I’ve plucked lately, I’ve drawn but one conclusion, allowing for no other: he loves me not. In the light of day, I have to wonder: have I been going about this all wrong, plucking and plucking until the flower isn’t even a flower anymore but a bare and spindly stem?” I’ll remember this next time I’m spiraling!

Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher, for this ARC!

This book was an unnecessary addition to the Molly the Maid Duology. It was a short novella that dragged on. Having a mystery book without much of a mystery should tell you to rewrite it or scrap the idea.

This was a cute little holiday story. It was extremely predictable but that was likely an intentional choice made by the author. I’m not sure this story was necessary for the series but it was nice to see Molly's relationship with Juan Manuel flourish since he was out of the country for the entire duration of book two. I’m looking forward to the third installment of the series! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

This was a cute adorable short story featuring Molly the Maid from the wonder book series The Maid. I have enjoyed both books and definitely recommend them but honestly I wish this story was a bit longer as I wanted to have a bit more of the festival experience. I think I am just not a big short story reader so wanted to keep reading but it’s still a wonderful read.

Molly the maid is back and this time the mystery has to do with her and her boyfriend Juan. A short but fun read for fans of Molly and her coworkers / family.

A Christmas story about our favorite maid. Molly's grandma would put out a big advent calendar and fill each day with a special treat. But at the hotel gift exchange a few years ago, the employees embarrassed Molly. Now, they are having another gift exchange and she is nervous about it. Her boyfriend, Juan Manuel is intent on making this Christmas special for Molly, along with filling the advent calendar. But when she see's Juan doing some strange things, she starts to doubt her relationship.

This is a feel good novella for the holiday season. Great characters and plot.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Molly the Maid is in the holiday spirit! This was a sweet novella with lots of festive cheer and lighthearted mystery (really a mystery to nobody but Molly) at its core. Prose continues her series with her strong writing and familiar characters who are preparing for Christmas festivities. I can’t wait to see where this series heads next!

I have enjoyed the other two books in the Molly the Maid series and was excited to read this Christmas themed novella as the holidays approach!

If you enjoyed the other two, I think you will enjoy this one. It is more of the same with Molly being completely oblivious to what is really happening around her. She is her usual quirky self and it is a short and sweet addition to her story. I really enjoyed it and I am not huge on novellas.

This is one you definitely don’t want to read without reading the others.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

🎁 Book Review 🎁

The Mistletoe Mystery
By Nita Prose
Published: 10/1/24

Verdict: I liked it a lot. I enjoyed the other Molly the Maid books by Nita Prose, and this one had fun and festive holiday theme. I like the quirky qualities and sweet dispositions of the characters in her books. I’m really feeling the need to get into the Christmas spirit this year. I usually don’t decorate or start into holiday books this early, but I just want to feel the joy now! This was a comforting holiday book, because of the familiar characters and setting. It was more of a romance than a mystery, but that was okay. If you liked the other Molly the Maid books, and you need a sprinkle of holiday spirit, you’ll enjoy this novella.
Stars:⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the opportunity to read a digital arc of this book!

#themistletoemystery #nitaprose #mollythemaid #christmasnovella #holidaynovella #holidaystory #comfortingchristmasstory #festivenovella #netgalley #ballantinebooks #penguinrandomhouse #bookstagram

This story ends with Holiday cheer though Molly spends in distress because of Juan's strange behavior and she begins to wonder if he may be cheating on her. It is pretty clear where it is going from the reader's point of view, but Molly isn't the best at picking up social cues.

There isn't any real mystery here and it definitely helps if you have read either of the previous books to get a feeling for Molly but if you are a fan it is a nice story to see Molly getting a happy ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Nita Prose brings us a Christmas novella to celebrate Molly Gray at the holidays. She loves the holidays ordinarily, but this Christmas season brings up questions about who she can trust and what is going on with Juan Manuel, the love of her life, as he is acting quite strangely. All the normal cast of characters are present in this book, which centers around the Grand Regency and Molly's apartment. I was so excited to read this novella as I love the Molly the Maid books. This one, however, did not meet my expectations. I think this is due to the situation appearing so obvious to this writer. Thus, I was just waiting to get to the end to see that I was right about what was happening in the book. It was not a slam dunk for me, but it might be for all the other people out there who have fallen in love with Molly the Maid and all her friends.
Thanks to Netgalley and Ballentine Books for the opportunity to read this e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

Another hit from Nita Prose. You'd think that a holiday mystery would be too much but I thought this was perfect! I love Molly and I want to be friends with her sooooo bad! I'm always having a fun time when I read these books and this one just proves that I will read anything Nita comes out with!
Thank you Netgally for the ARC

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 stars)

Nita Prose has crafted a wonderfully festive and suspenseful story in The Mistletoe Mystery, making it a perfect holiday read. This cozy mystery is set in a charming small town, where holiday celebrations take a mysterious turn, and every chapter brims with seasonal cheer mixed with suspense.

Prose’s characters are delightful, each bringing warmth, humor, and their own quirks that make the story engaging and memorable. The mystery itself is well-paced and filled with twists that kept me guessing until the end. I also loved the rich holiday details—from twinkling lights to mistletoe moments—that created a cozy, immersive winter setting.

If you’re looking for a feel-good mystery to read by the fire, The Mistletoe Mystery is an absolute joy and will surely get you in the holiday spirit! Highly recommended for fans of festive, small-town mysteries.

I was excited for a mini installment, and to catch up with Molly, however this just felt really unnecessary and had me cringing at times. I'm not sure that I will continue with Molly anymore.

I love Molly so this was so fun to read especially during a week where I was NOT feeling the state of the world. I hope there are more Molly the Maid mysteries coming our way.