Mini-Review: The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose

The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose

2 hours, 38 minutes

Read by Lauren Ambrose

Published October 2024 by Random House Publishing Group 

Publisher's Summary: 

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.

But when a Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel raises questions about who Molly can and cannot trust, she dives headfirst into solving her most consequential-and personal-mystery yet. Molly has a bad feeling about things, and she starts to wonder: has she yet again mistaken a frog for a prince?

My Thoughts: 

I've read and enjoyed the first two books in the A Maid series so when I was looking for a quick listen and saw this one available, I grabbed it, despite it being early spring. Which may have tainted my feelings about the book, not being in the least in the festive spirit because I was so looking forward to warm weather. 

There's nothing much new here to be learned about the characters. Molly is as prone to misunderstand things as ever, Juan Manuel is as loving (and maybe a little clueless about how literally Molly takes everything), the former head maid is as cruel to Molly as ever. Unfortunately some of the lesser characters have backslid a bit in their understanding and appreciation of Molly, which seemed a little unlikely to me. And I never for a minute believed that Juan Manuel would be cheating on Molly; it's just not that kind of book. 

In the end, this is an homage to O'Henry's The Gift of the Magi, which ends, as is to be expected, with everyone living happily ever after. 

There is one more book in the A Maid series, which I'll pick up as soon as I can get it in audiobook, because Lauren Ambrose is terrific at reading these books. 

Life: It Goes On - November 30

Happy Sunday! Belated Thanksgiving greetings to everyone who celebrates. This was our first holiday without my dad; and even though he hasn't been able to get to our house for holidays for the past year, it was so strange not to have to plan when we would visit him, think about what foods we would take him, and wish we could get him here. 

Our Novembers are usually very quiet, but with my dad's passing this month, the month has flown by. Not much reading has been done and almost no blogging. I'd like to say that December will be better, but I doubt it. There is still a lot to be done with my dad's estate and I haven't hardly begun Christmas shopping. Certainly wishing I was almost done, as I was last year at this time! 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: I didn't listen much last week, what with having Thursday and Friday off, but I am still listening to Liz Moore's The Unseen World.

Watched: The usual college football, basketball, and volleyball and pro football. We did, last night, watch The Ballad of Wallis Island, which we both really enjoyed. It's a quiet, British film that you will have to pay attention to, but we recommend it. 

Read: Not a thing. Haven't been able to settle on a book. 

Made: ALL of the Thanksgiving things, including my first attempt at sweet potato pie. Also made cinnamon rolls and blueberry muffins for our breakfasts. Haven't made a single thing since Thursday as we are still grazing on leftovers, even though I sent home a mountain of food with people. 

Enjoyed: Thursday we had Mini-him and Miss C, Miss C's parents, Miss H and her boyfriend for Thanksgiving dinner. It was a lovely day. I had things pretty well planned ahead of the meal and didn't rush to get everything cleaned up after so we had plenty of time to just sit and chat after. 

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: Christmas decor will go up this week and I need to get a good start on my shopping. 

Thinking About: I'm hoping to find more experiences to give as gifts this year, rather than things, so I'm spending a lot of time thinking about what kinds of things my family would like to do. 

Feeling: We've had a very relaxing past couple of days and I find that I really needed that. 

Looking forward to: Getting my hair done this week! 

Question of the week: How did you celebrate your Thanksgiving? 

Life: It Goes On - November 16

Happy Sunday! Can you believe we're already more than half way through November?! I'm focused on getting my house ready for Thanksgiving and a houseful of company, but I'm realizing that I've done almost no Christmas shopping yet this year. But December 1st last year I was almost done shopping. I need to get on that! 

We're running out of leaves on trees so that pic to the left is wishful thinking. Yesterday the Big Guy spent a lot of time outside cleaning up the yard for the winter and I pulled died plants out of all of the pots. Was shocked to find three plants have survived our recent hard freeze so I'll bring them inside and see how long I can keep them alive. This after I had decided this year that I wasn't going to try to winter any of my potted herbs so I didn't have my kitchen overloaded with plants all winter. 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: I started Stephen King's 11/22/63; but, thanks to a computer revamp by the library, I wasn't able to access Libby for a few days and it expired before I finished it. So I've put another hold on it and will start a new book this week. What it is, I don't know, because the system now won't let me in even with my new PIN. Ugh! 

Watched: Lots of volleyball, college and pro football, Only Murders In The Building, and Maigret on PBS. 

Read: I'm finishing up Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford. 

Made: We spent the first part of this week using up leftovers from the week before so I haven't done much cooking this week. 

Enjoyed: I got tickets to the Creighton Blue Jay's home season opener Friday night so BG, Mini-me, and I  cheered them on to victory and then went to see that last songs from a friend's gig at a local brew pub.

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: Since I'm not taking any time off next week, I'm going to spend this week getting things planned for our Thanksgiving meal and company staying. 

Thinking About: A lot of my time this week has been spent going through what's left to clear up from my dad's place and planning next steps for settling his estate. 

Feeling: Up and down. Yesterday grief and depression hit me hard. Today is better. 

Looking forward to: I ordered a new tree arrived today so I'm starting to get excited to decorate for Christmas. I won't start that until after Thanksgiving...I think. 

Question of the week: Is Thanksgiving a big deal at your house? It was always a special event at my parents'; and, while I won't be started a turkey trot tradition at my house, I'm hoping to still be able to make it special for our family. 

Life: It Goes On - November 11

Life - it goes on.

Four and a half years ago, I started a post with those same words. That was my first post after my mom died. Today I start them again, one week after my dad died. 

I grew up a daddy's girl. As he walked home from the high school he taught at, I'd run down the sidewalk to greet him when I was little. For more than a decade before I got married, my dad and I would go to see the University of Nebraska music department's performance of Handel's Messiah. It was our thing; no one else was ever invited. Even as I went through my gawky years, my dad always told me that I was pretty and the last time I saw him, he was telling me I was going to be the prettiest woman at the event I was headed off to. He was always my biggest cheerleader. 

When my mom died, I made it my responsibility to take care of him as he navigated life as a widower, left his home of 55 years, and battled increasing failures of his body. He and I have spent a lot of time together in these past four and a half years, as I tried to pay him back for all he has done for me. He was ready to let go, to be reunited with my mom. But me? I wish I had more time with him. 

Life: It Goes On - November 2

Happy Sunday evening! What a busy week we've had! Tuesday was my birthday, Wednesday was my hair appointment, Thursday was our anniversary, and yesterday we had a wedding that started in the middle of the afternoon and we didn't get home from the reception until almost 9 at night. A fun week, but I didn't have time to write a single book review...again. Fingers crossed I can find time this week! 

Last Week I: 

Listened To: I'm one hour from finishing Jean Kwok's Searching for Sylvie Lee and then I'll start Stephen King's 11/22/63. At 31 hours, there's no way I'll finish it in the two weeks I'll have it from the library; but I'm hoping to get a good start on it and then I'll pick up the physical copy of it that I've owned for several years. 

Watched: The usual - lots of volleyball, lots of college and professional football, and The Voice. We also watched a good chunk of the World Series (although a couple of those games lasted too late for me to stay up for the end), we've been watching Maigret on Masterpiece Mystery!, and, speaking of Masterpiece, I've been watching the 2012 edition of Upstairs Downstairs. In the first half of the 1970's my family gathered every Sunday evening to watch the original Upstairs Downstairs on Masterpiece Theatre and it has held a special place in my heart ever since then. 

Read: Jessica Guerrieri's Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, which I finished today. Up next, Olivia Ford's Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame. 

Made: French onion soup, one last meal of caprese pasta with fresh tomatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes (that aren't really sun-dried but oven dried). 

Enjoyed: Dinner out with Mini-him and Miss C and spending time with old friends at the wedding reception. 

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This Week I’m:  

Planning: I'm going to be having at least 12 people for Thanksgiving (6 staying with us), so I'm starting to put together a plan for getting the house ready and purchased. 

Thinking About: All over the internet, I'm seeing people starting to decorate for Christmas. I'm all about letting November be for Thanksgiving so I'll be decorating for that this week. But I do need to get on the Christmas shopping - I'm way behind where I usually am at this point of the year. 

Feeling: I'm struggling with the time change, as I do every autumn when we fall back. 

Looking forward to: Going to a book event with some friends on Tuesday. 

Question of the week: Are you team "let's not overlook Thanksgiving" or team "Christmas season starts on November 1"?