The Mistletoe Mystery (Molly the Maid #2.5)

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 read and listened to this, narrated well by Lauren Ambrose, who I’ve enjoyed in the previous books. Ironically, I wonder if I would’ve felt better about this story had I only read it, since the narration made me feel Molly’s growing frustration more intensely. 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 

 

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, NetGalley and author Nita Prose for this digital ARC to honestly review. It’s out now.