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!

I really like Molly. I still need the read book two but loved the first. This short story was cute even though predictable

I couldn't resist jumping back into Molly's world - but this time at Christmas!
We follow Molly down memory lane as she's grieving the loss of her grandmother, and get to experience a few periods of Molly's upbringing.
It's a cozy little vignette, with gorgeous undertones of romance as well.

Absolutely would recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Molly the maid mysteries are always cute. This one was obvious to the reader but the Amelia Bedelia-style literal interpretations kept Molly in the dark about what was truly going on. Great for a quick one-day holiday read.

A short story for the holidays about Molly the Maid, and it was a sweet tale as we continue the adventures of Molly's world. I enjoyed the story and while it was clear what the "mystery" was in this story, it was fun to see how Molly's mind worked and how she tried to puzzle out the reason for things not appearing to be perfectly in order as she would expect.

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

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this Advanced Reader Copy. All opinions are my own.

The Mistletoe Mystery is a cute novella in the ongoing saga of Molly the Maid. The story finds the Christmas holiday approaching and Molly is busy preparing for the festivities at work and enjoying her simple, but happy home life with her boyfriend and coworker Juan. While Molly is happy with her life and her relationship, she is still mourning the loss of her beloved grandmother and finds it even harder at this time of year. Molly also begins to notice weird behavior from Juan and begins to question whether or not her relationship with him is as solid as she believed. The novella culminates with the holiday Christmas party and Secret Santa exchange at the hotel.
This novella lacks the substance and development of the longer novels, but it's a sweet addition to the series. It's a very quick read, and anyone who enjoys Molly the Maid will want to add this to their reading list for the Christmas season.

I received this book as an arc from NetGalley for an honest review. This novella was meh for me. It was cheesy and predictable. There was no real mystery element. The characters are likable and Christmas in NYC is always a good vibe. I think this book is more of a money grab than anything else.

Cute, cozy little story about Molly the maid and her main squeeze, Juan Manual. It’s fun for readers familiar with Molly’s quirkiness.


Thank you Ballantine Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Molly Gray is back! She has always loved Christmas, but it is hard without her beloved Gran. her boyfriend Juan Manuel wants to make is a memorable one. The hotel Christmas party has a secret santa present exchange. Molly begins to question who she can trust and her mystery begins. This book shows us that love is the greatest mystery and gift of all..

Mistletoe, a mystery and the magic of Christmas make this novella a perfect read as we head into the holidays.

When a secret Santa gift exchange has Molly questioning who she can trust, she will dive headfirst into a mystery that will change her life. As a huge fan of Molly the maid and this series as a whole, I thought this was a great bite size holiday installment that both furthers the plot (via a couple of our MCs) and showcases all the best this series has to offer. It is the coziest of mysteries, filled with these quirky characters who have become family both to themselves and us in my many ways, and of course all the magic that the holiday brings.

Read if you like:
▪️cozy mysteries
▪️seasonal reads
▪️neurodivergent rep
▪️found family
▪️lovable characters

Thank you Random House for the gifted copies.