Thank you Ballantine Books and Netgalley for the advance reading copy. This is such an easy and sweet Christmas mystery with Molly the maid and the Regency Grand Hotel. I loved reading about the characters from Book 1 & Book 2 in this series in this novella and it got me feeling in the holiday spirit with the festivities and Christmas cheer

A wonderful novella in a series I adore! It was charming to revisit Molly and her cast of friends and family! Thank you for the ARC!

This reviewer was absolutely delighted to receive an advance copy of The Mistletoe Mystery. Nita Prose wrote a *perfect* book with The Maid, and I looked forward to reconnecting with her charming and loveable heroine, Molly, in this feel-good Christmas novella.

The tale is less a mystery story than a romance novella, but I won't quibble. This holiday tale features the relationship between The Regency Grand Hotel's head maid, Molly, and the love of her life, pastry chef Juan Manuel. The story is packed with more sweet Christmas visuals than any ten cakes Juan Manuel could possibly bake. Savvy readers will play along with the plotline, pretending not to guess how the story will end, and enjoy doing so. Fans of this series have been given another reason to love Molly. This reviewer looks forward to the next book in this cozy mystery series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing an advance copy of the book to read and review. This review will post to Bayside Book Reviews.com at https://baysidebookreviews.com and its Instagram page on release day. Follow us! *NetGalley Top Reviewer*

Great Novella about love, the joy of Christmas and jumping to conclusions. The plot this time is easy but it still made me feel what Molly was feeling and believing, because I tend to jump to conclusions too, even those who I care for, and with all the unusual goings on at the Regency and at home no wonder Molly jumps to conclusion, but in the end it is all worth it.
The story includes exchanging presents, decorating a Charlie Brown tree and the story of the Magi, so cute and thoughtful. And do I hear Wedding Bells, maybe.

I can't wait to see what other mystery Molly will solve.

I want to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Book and NetGalley for this fun little novella about Christmas and it's memories. .

I thoroughly enjoyed the first two Molly the Maid books, and this novella was so good. Set at Christmastime and after the events of The Mystery Guest, The Mistletoe Mystery gave me all the feels and made me want to grab a cup of hot chocolate as I finished it. Molly and Juan’s relationship is the central focus and Nita Prose continues her use of amusing puns to make us giggle. And although she is gone, we still benefit from Gran’s wisdom as Molly remembers all of her advice. Be sure to read the first two books before this one. Loved it!

Nita Prost can do no wrong in my book! I just love Molly the Maid. It’s hard to review this novella without spoiling it. loved that the mystery in this story was a little different than the previous books in the series. I really love how the characters were written. I loved everything about this!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review!

This is a cute Christmas story about a couple who are excited for Christmas.. Molly keeps seeing her boyfriend Juan doing strange things, but what could be going on?! I really enjoyed it!

This a beautiful novella about the meaning of the Christmas spirit and giving. Molly has a hard time around the holidays because she cherished all the memories of her grandmother and the things they did every year.

Juan and Molly have been together 5 years now. He goes out of his way to make Molly feel special and loved.

Molly lets Cheryl from work put thoughts in her head and she begins to doubt Juan and that he really loves her.

This holiday Christmas party Juan vows to make it the best for Molly. I just love Molly’s character as we can all relate to sometime when we let thoughts spiral out of control. I enjoyed all the quotes from her grandmother and the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. This was such a fun and uplifting holiday story.

I had not ready any of the Maid books before this novella. It was a nice read for the Christmas season but I found Molly’s insecurities hard to get through.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I LOVE Molly the maid and was so excited to get approved for this book. It went to the top of my list!!
Molly is at it again with her quirkiness around the holidays. Her and her boyfriend Juan are enjoying their holiday traditions and new ones as well. Molly is seeing clues for something going awry- is what she believes going to happen?! Definitely recommend!!

While I impatiently wait :-) for the next Molly the Maid, “The Maid’s Secret” (coming in April 2025), Nita Prose has gifted us with a Christmas novella, “The Mistletoe Mystery,” and best yet, Molly’s too-good-to-be-true boyfriend, Juan Manuel, who was out of the country visiting relatives in the last book, is center stage. Gossipy, mean Cheryl is back, too, and, honestly, Molly, I wish you would hear Gran’s voice straight out (in a totally non-Gran voice) demand “totally ignore Cheryl and everything she says and implies.”

It’s their fifth Christmas together, and Juan has been such an unbelievably joyous celebrant of the season, that he adds to Molly’s treasured memories of her late Gran, giving Molly new holiday memories every year to embrace. Although, since you know her from the previous two novels, Molly is a worry-wart and it doesn’t take much to topple her from good thoughts to self-doubt again. She’s been successful at ignoring people who mock her for her OCD tendencies, but she still gets suspicious easily (which is why she’s a great detective). This time she worries that Juan might have a secret (the readers, however, will be quicker to sense a good secret, not a bad one). Once again, you fall in love with quirky Molly and wait for her to keep discovering the good in everyone.

This is a quick and joyous read — a great Christmas gift for Molly fans. 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Molly does have a nightmare about arachnid eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO Molly and Juan do take every chance they get to kiss under the mistletoe. (By the way, mistletoe is actually a plant parasite, despite its jolly good Christmas reputation).

Thank you to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

This was such a sweet Christmas novella in the Molly the Maid series! I just love the relationship between Juan Manuel and Molly!

I also enjoyed that in this book it really shows how Molly has become part of the Regency Grand hotel family.

Looking forward to the next book!

Story/Plot: B
Characters: B
Pacing: B-
Best Aspect: Very different and unusual characters.
Worst Aspect: Kind of super weird in the not great way.
Recommend: Maybe.

There is truly nothing I love more than a holiday read. Will definitely be rereading this one closer to Christmas! They have such a sweet relationship and I can't wait for the next one.

I enjoy Nita Prose's series about Molly Gray. The novella format just doesn't give enough time for plot development.

Molly the Maid is back in this fun novella. Molly and her boyfriend, Juan Manuel are getting ready for Christmas and the annual Christmas party at the Regency Grand. As the party gets closer, Juan Manuel starts to act suspicious, and Molly starts to fear the worst. With her future with Juan Manuel uncertain, Molly starts to think about past Christmas days and the events that led her to this Christmas with Juan.

Although there was really not a mystery to solve in this novella, I loved learning more about Molly and her past Christmas's with her grandmother. The events of this novella seem to set up the plot for the next book in the Molly the Maid series that comes out in April 2025 and after reading this novella, I am excited to see what is next for Molly.

The Mistletoe Mystery comes out on October 1st.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to review The Mistletoe Mystery. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Oh Molly the maid! What a book! 🎄🌹 This one filled my heart with so much holiday cheer! I might have to read this every Christmas as a new holiday tradition. The scenes describing the hotel were so captivating, I love a 5-star hotel lobby during the holiday season! I also loved the different type of mystery tucked into this little novella. Not everything is as it seems, Molly!

Molly is incredibly relatable in so many ways. She begins to have doubts about her beloved, Juan Manuel, due to some misunderstandings. I loved delving deeper into their relationship in this book! Gran continues to influence Molly’s everyday life, with a love that is imprinted on her soul for a lifetime. I adore the little moments she has lost in memory of Gran throughout the story. I was happy to see Juan Manuel’s determination to carry on Gran’s traditions, especially since Christmas was her favorite holiday! I’ll never tire of Molly the Maid’s little sayings that help her get through the day. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC!

Pub date 10/1/24

This was so so adorable. If you are a fan of the previous maid books, you are in for a lovely holiday treat. I missed Juan Manuel in the last book! It was so nice to see little snapshots of their relationship. If you’re looking for a mystery, there isn’t much of one in this novella- but all the same I think most readers of the previous books will enjoy slipping back into Molly’s world.

I absolutely love Molly. This was a perfect story. I feel more attached to her character than any character I’ve ever read about in any book. She’s perfect. Such a fun and adorable novella.

Another Molly the Maid tale? Yes, please! Molly and Juan Manuel’s Christmas story was a quick read that left me smiling. Honestly, I am disappointed this sweet romance tale did not make it past the novella size. I would have enjoyed an expanded version.

*I received an arc of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest review.