While a 'dual timeline' (via Gram's diary) wasn't what I anticipated with the final book in The Maid series, it was an interesting change of pace (I know some readers have disliked this, but having read a lot of dual timeline fiction this spring, it did not bother me as I enjoyed learning about Gram's past). It was also interesting seeing character tie-ins from Gram's diary and the current mystery (a theft instead of a murder this time). I will miss reading these cozy mysteries and Molly's perspective now that the series is complete.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this ARC read!

This series isn’t for everyone, but I enjoyed Mollys adventures over the past three books.

Although this book didn’t pull me in with the mystery as much as the last two did, I still enjoyed reading Molly’s antics and following her crime solving skills as she figured out the culprit.

I liked how we finally got the backstory for Gran in this book, but I also felt like it took away from the main mystery - the two storylines felt a bit unbalanced. However I feel like the ending was wonderfully satisfying and I enjoyed watching Molly’s growth over this trilogy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review

Meet Molly Gray—maid, marvel, and millionaire. Normally, we’d call this a rags-to-riches story, but in Molly’s case, it’s rag-to-riches. Thanks to the great elation and immense consternation of a Fabergé egg. This maid has got it made! Until the golden huevo goes hasta luego! She’s about to become a multimillionaire until she isn’t. She’s popular until she isn’t. Instead, she becomes the victim of theft and threats. Beware: When you have something of value, there’s always someone ready to take it from you. You may be a coveted treasure one day and pitched to the curb the next.

Silver teaches you things. Never judge by appearances. A tarnished piece might be a hidden treasure. We should always look past the grime, for what lies beyond it may shine more brightly than anything imaginable. Your worth is not determined through the worldly goods you possess, nor will it ever decrease because someone refuses to see your value. Here’s what I’ve learned over the years: you can’t make people see what they don’t want to see. And the most precious treasures are often overlooked.

Faith is a wonderful thing. And being a believer is a virtue, provided what you believe in is the truth rather than lies. When faith is used for good, it can move mountains, but when it fuels injustice, it’s a terrorizing force. Be careful what you believe in, Molly. And listen when your instincts speak.

The moral of the story: be grateful for what you have, especially if you’re loved…if we do not cultivate kindness, malice springs from the soil and poisons everything. For every loss I’ve suffered in this life, I’ve gained compassion, comprehension, and empathy. And if I had to do it all again, I wouldn’t exchange these riches for all the gold in the world. Nita Prose’s The Maid’s Secret is the pièce de résistance of the quadrilogy, a marzi-miracle.

One of my favorite authors to read and her best yet! Nita Prose’s The Maid’s Secret is the third book in her Molly the Maid series and each part of this series that she writes is better than the last. I would recommend readers read the previous two books and the Christmas mystery before reading this book. I could not put this book down! I loved the storyline and how reading this book brought me back to events that happened in the previous three books. I love that the depth of Molly’s family is revealed throughout this book, bringing readers to understand full circle Molly’s character. If you enjoyed Molly’s character and the previous books in the series, I know that you will enjoy this one as much or even better! Read The Maid’s Secret and enjoy learning about Molly’s family through the eyes of her gran.

#TheMaidsSecret
#NetGalley

Another hit in the Molly maid universe. The series is so fun and hard learning the ideal cozy mystery series.

If you like Nita Prose.. I think this is her best “Maid” book in the series so far . The two story lines intwines themselves and was very well done. It was just a bit anticlimactic at the end but overall very good read. I would recommend this for your Spring reading list.

Molly the Maid is back in what I consider the best installment of the series yet! I love how each book gives us more of Molly and her family’s backstory. This time, we learn about Gran’s upbringing, including how she met the great love of her life. I really enjoyed how that side of the story was told from Gran’s POV, though I won't spoil how. All I’ll say is that it was a beautiful way to keep dear Gran on the page!

Like the previous books, this one features a mystery that Molly and the various hotel employees help solve. The cozy heist vibes were everything I hoped they would be, and I met a few new characters who added even more color to this delightful world.

However, compared to Gran’s letters, the modern-day storyline didn’t hold my attention as much. There were also moments when I felt we, as the readers, got ahead of the other characters, given what Gran reveals and when.

Those aspects didn’t take away from my absolute enjoyment, though! Everything gets tidied up neatly by the end, just like a freshly cleaned room at the Regency Grand. I’m so happy this series continues to expand and am crossing my fingers for more Molly in the future!

Another lovely mystery following Molly the Maid. This book also shares Gran’s story and how life comes full circle. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Ballantine books for this book.

I read the book The Maid and enjoyed it, so when I saw this on Net Galley, I requested it and was given the opportunity to read an advance copy.

The maid secret continues the story of Molly Gray, alternating between her present day point of view and her grandmother‘s story.
Molly is working as a maid in a very upscale hotel and lives a very modest life with her grandmother.
After her grandmother dies, Molly takes a small box of trinkets that belonged to her grandmother to a special event being held at the hotel- a type of Antiques Roadshow.
One of the items is a very pretty decorative egg that kicks off a whole litany of drama, excitement, and challenges. What she learns changes her life forever.

The Maid’s Secret
Nita Prose
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is the perfect finale to this wonderful series. I love that in this one we get to travel back in time through Gran's diary to learn more about where Gran came from, who Molly's mother really is, and how Mr. Preston fits into her past. Meanwhile Molly, detective Stark, and the rest of the hotel staff are working overtime to solve the mystery of who stole the Faberge egg, and what their motive was. Must read especially if you have read The Maid and The Mystery Guest!

Two years ago Molly the Maid debuted. Molly is neurodivergent, possibly even autistic. This means that she struggles to understand the world around her. She excels at her job and now has the added responsibility of Special Events Coordinator. She is extremely intelligent and well-read. But by far her biggest virtue is her loyalty - to the hotel where she works, to her friends, to her growing family and to her fiance Juan Manuel.

Naturally the fans can’t wait to read about the wedding. But they also wanted to know more about the woman who raised Molly, her Gran Flora Gray. This novel attempts to kill both birds with one stone, but unfortunately sometimes it just misses the mark.

The novel is told in two alternating timelines. This wouldn’t normally be a problem, but it is never clearly delineated. It makes it difficult to orient in time and place at first. Also, given the fact that Prose’s writing is absorbing, the chapter changes can be jarring and disorienting. Just as I was wrapped up in Molly’s story - bang - new chapter - and back to Flora’s.

The other major problem I had is that this seems like two books mashed into one. The plotline with the Faberge seemed unnecessary until the last 80% of the book to tie both stories together. I would have been perfectly happy to focus on Molly planning the wedding and getting the diary from her grand-dad as a wedding present. I understand there has to be a mystery to tie into the appropriate genre, but this just seemed to have too many genres - romance, mystery, women’s fiction and historical fiction.

But don’t get me wrong, Flora’s story by itself is wonderful. It is extremely well told, just like a fairy tale in letter form. Flora’s world is too vast to have to share time with the present. Even knowing the final results, I still wanted to know about Algernon and the shallowness of Flora’s parents. And about John and their love story. It also illustrates how all this inner strength later manifested later into Molly. This is the heart of the novel, and it is written so well that everything else pales in comparison. I feel like trying to shoehorn in another plot just did this wonderful story a true disservice.

I do hope these books continue. I know there are too many literary universes out there, but given that Angela just made her way into the police academy, is it too much to want a spinoff series with my favorite spiky haired wannabe detective?

This sequel brings back Molly in all her quirky, lovable glory. The mystery is once again cleverly crafted, and I appreciated the way it delves more into Molly’s past. Nita Prose balances warmth and intrigue beautifully. The ending was a touch predictable, but that didn’t take away from the charm or heart of the story. A delightful follow-up.

There’s just something about neurospicy Molly the Maid that continues to absolutely shine. Every book deepens my love for this cast of cozy chaos—Gram and Grandad’s love, Molly’s delightfully rigid ways, and the ever-growing web of people who show up for her (in their own weird little ways).

Yes, Molly stumbles into mystery and mayhem as usual, but this time it’s wrapped in even more warmth and heart. The hijinks are fun, but what keeps me hooked is knowing that Molly is never truly alone—her family, found or otherwise, is growing, and my heart is so full. Even Cheryl is giving me hope, and I did not have that on my cozy bingo card. 😂

This series is a hug in book form. Quirky, charming, and surprisingly heartfelt.

Vibes:
found family (with bonus hotel staff hijinks)
neurodivergent brilliance
cozy mystery with a heart
sleuthing meets self-discovery
a cast of lovable oddballs

Would I recommend it?
Without hesitation. If you need a feel-good cozy mystery with the kind of main character you root for so hard, Molly’s waiting for you. Just don’t touch her cleaning cart. 😉

Thank you to Ballantine Books, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this delightful book.

Molly is the head maid and Special Events Manager at the Regency Grand Hotel. She’s engaged to Juan Manuel, who is the head chef at the hotel, and their wedding is only a couple of months away. Life may not be as extravagant for them as it is for the guests of the hotel, but they are happy.
The hit reality tv series comes to film at the hotel and Molly brings a shoebox full of her gran’s trickers and gems for appraisal, not knowing that she has something that is going to change her life.
The story is told in present day and in Gran’s diary chapters which tell of her life and her forbidden love as a teenager which gives a historical romance aspect to the story. The two timelines are ties together well and the diary chapters help Molly decide what to do when the time comes as well as solve the mystery of who stole the Faberge.
Thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Molly's wedding is getting closer, but first they have a taping of the TV show "Hidden Treasures" at the Grand Regency. The staff is invited to bring in a few items to see if they are worth anything. Most of Molly's are just treasures to her, but one of them is an esteemed Faberge Egg that is worth millions. Are Molly and Juan Miquel about to become millionaires?

This is another fun book in this series. I love reading about Molly's adventures! You won't go wrong reading this series!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in return for my honest review.

The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose is a great addition to the Molly the Maid series. In this installment, Molly uncovers a hidden and expensive treasure among late grandmother's belongings which sets off a chain of events leading to its theft and a subsequent investigation. The narrative is enriched by interspersed chapters from her grandmother's journal, offering readers a glimpse into her past and deepening the emotional resonance of the story.​ I really love this series!

Wow what a way to wrap up the series. I was not ready to leave Regency Grand and it's employees. This is not your typical whodunnit murder like the first two were but rather a wrap-up in Molly's story. This story revolves around Molly and the Faberge - the same one that caught her eye when she was Gran's maid-in-training. One of my favorite aspect in this book is Gran's POV. We read about Gran and more about her story and about everything is connected. I also love reading about Maggie - Molly's mother. I expected a redemption story from her but this just proves that not everyone comes to their senses and some people just stays around fly by nights as Gran would say. The new character introduced being somehow connected to Molly's past was a beautiful "small world" moment.

I also like to say how I adored Gran's story. Her story-telling about her background shows her wisdom and the lessons she's learned from her upbringing. The overall theme about this last book - love, was very evident in this universe and especially with Gran's own love story.

Maybe it's the romance reader in me but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will miss all the characters greatly!.

This was a great read. I love Molly the Maid! I liked knowing more about her backstory as well as her lineage. I was hoping for a slightly better ending, but I still enjoyed it.

I made it halfway through The Maid’s Secret before realizing I just couldn’t bring myself to care about the story. While it’s great to see continued neurodivergent representation through Molly—one of the series’ strengths—the plot itself felt tired and overdone. What started as a fresh perspective in The Maid has started to feel like a story that’s simply played out. The mystery didn’t hook me, the pacing dragged, and unfortunately, I found myself detached from the stakes and characters.

That said, I do appreciate what this series has done for bringing a unique voice like Molly’s to the genre. I just think this final installment lacked the spark to keep me invested.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book and exchange for a honest review .

Molly the Maid has learned many lessons in her life but the most important ones come from her beloved Gran. With Molly’s wedding quickly approaching and her highly relatable worries over affording daily life taking the forefront of her thoughts, she stumbles upon a surprising treat: her Gran’s “golden egg”. Of course this wouldn’t be a story about Molly the Maid without some sort of mystery, but the greater story is of her Gran’s life and how all things were done with love at the forefront.

Nita Prose outdid herself with the dual timeline in the newest addition to The Maid’s series. Molly has always been an unforgettable character for me across genres, but to know her Gran’s full story told through diary entries solidified her as a standout character to me. I devoured this book in three days and find it to be a beautiful addition to this quirky series. Five BIG golden stars to The Maid’s Secret!