3 stars ⭐️

Molly Gray is the esteemed Head Maid and recently promoted Special Events Manager of the Regency Grand Hotel. And, with her upcoming marriage to Juan Manuel only two months away, life seems too good to be true.

When the hit reality TV show “Hidden Treasures” starring popular art appraisers Brown and Beagle, chooses to film an episode at the hotel, Molly brings in a shoebox containing a few of her gran’s old things for appraisal, and much to everyone's surprise, one item turns out to be a rare and priceless treasure.

Could life become even better?

Molly and Juan will become multi-millionaires if she agrees to auction off the item-but the priceless heirloom vanishes in a daring heist before the sale is final!

The key to the mystery lies in the past, in a long-forgotten diary written by Molly’s gran, which you can see her clutching in her hands, on the adorable book cover!

The story unfolds in alternating chapters, Present Day and Gran’s Diary entries. .

Although I have LOVED the earlier installments of this cozy mystery series-I struggled to stay engaged with this one mainly because of Gran’s chapters.

Gran was always humble and wise-but in this book she is a young girl you won’t recognize-and she just didn’t feel like the same character to me!!

In her diary she tells of her upbringing and forbidden love, and the story reads more like Historical Romance than a cozy mystery. . I really didn’t need to ever know this much about her younger life.

Molly’s chapters are authentically Molly, but only comprise 50% of the book.

Nita Prose cleverly ties the two timelines together, when Molly figures out who is behind the heist because of things she learns in her Gran’s diary, but I found myself wanting to skim to get to the final page, which is never a good sign.

Sadly, Molly the Maid #3 only earns 3 stars from me, but other reviewers have loved it-so you might too! Be sure to read a sample of reviews!

Available April 8, 2025.

Thank You to Viking for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, I am offering my candid thoughts!

This was a fun book and you could not help falling in love with Maid Molly! I loved how the storyline went back-and-forth through her grandmother‘s diary. I loved watching the stories unfold and how they came together.

4/5 ⭐️
This is the last book of the Molly the Maid series, which starts with a great summary so the readers can know where we left off. This book can be read as a standalone but you wouldn’t regret reading the whole series to enjoy all the characters in it. The Maid’s Secret alternates between chapters of Molly resolving a theft and chapters of her Gran’s diary telling us her past story. This book comes out April 8, 2025

This book nearly brought me to tears, and I definitely wasn’t expecting that. Molly will forever and always be a favorite of mine, but in this one its Gran and Mr. Preston’s story that steal the show. We finally get all the details we’ve been dying to read since book one. And they do not disappoint.

I loved how the dual timelines worked together to solve the mystery in this book. Molly finds herself an instant celebrity when an art antiquity show is filming in the Grand Regency. One of the items from Gran’s curio cabinet turned out to be worth millions – and now its gone missing. Once again, a mystery is a foot and Molly is in the middle. Our favorite cast of characters are back and ready to figure it all out in time for Molly and Juans wedding!

This book was so enjoyable, filled with history and sentimentality. It started a bit slow, but once things got moving I couldn’t put it down. Any fan of Molly the Maid will devour this book!

3 stars

Molly the maid is about to marry her Juan Manuel (um, wait a minute. I think I’ve seen this movie before?!) and the hosts of an “Antiques Roadshow” type program are at the Regency Grand. And, in what should come as a surprise to no one, Molly has something worth a fortune. And, naturally, problems ensue.

The present day story is interspersed with yet more back story from Gran (who definitely never told Molly anything at all, and for the next book we are going to have to move to Gran’s past lives, in a Shirley MacLaine moment) by way of a diary. Gran, your life was a lie.

So, there’s a small mystery and a love story. I really thought Prose and Molly might have jumped the shark with this one but they did manage to tie things up. Barely. Well, it was better than the dreadful Christmas book, anyway (which I guess we are supposed to pretend like doesn’t exist?)

I love Molly the Maid. I've seen some people say this is the last book in this series, and if it is, I'll be sad. Molly is just so funny and quirky, but also very smart. The supporting characters in these books just add to the enjoyment of the story. I loved how we got more of the backstory of Molly and her grandmother in this book. It was nice to see the callbacks to the past books as well. 4 stars!

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through NetGalley.
Molly's story comes to a sweet stopping point as Prose brings us not only her tale but her grandmother's back story. The book is told in alternating chapters from Molly's life in real time and from her grandmother's diary sharing about who she was and how she came to live as she did.
When a popular antiques show (not to be mistaken with Antiques Roadshow) comes to the Regency, Molly is in charge of the event. She brings a couple items from their apartment including a lovely egg she thinks only has sentimental value. To her shock, it turns out to be a Faberge prototype. Molly only knows she was given the egg when it was to be thrown away as part of one of her former employers estates. This sets off the main plot points as the egg was auctioned off in a televised event; then stolen from the same event, and found a few days later.
The usual characters are all involved throughout the book and each gets a wrap to their story lines. The book concludes with Juan and Molly's wedding - no longer at City Hall but at the Regency with all of their coworkers/friends and family there in person or online.
The tone of this book changed from the others as readers saw two perspectives. It was heartbreaking to see choices her grandmother chose to make to escape from her former life and sad to see how many people took advantage of her. It was also realistic but sad to see how Molly's grandfather came to his position at the Regency too. I appreciated the tender tone in the final chapter of the diary entries.
Well done conclusion to this mystery series.

I really enjoyed reading this, it had that mystery element that I was looking for and enjoyed from this type of book. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed how good the whodunnit was. Nita Prose wrote this well and was glad I got to read this, I hope there is more in this world and from Nita Prose.

Nita Prose has done it again with "The Maid's Secret," a heartwarming mystery that beautifully weaves together themes of love, family, and self-discovery. As the third installment in the series, this novel satisfies both longtime fans and newcomers alike with its dual timeline, intriguing plot, and well-developed characters.

Molly Gray, the protagonist, continues to charm readers with her unique perspective and unwavering commitment to honesty and integrity. The addition of Flora's story provides a poignant contrast, further highlighting the transformative power of love and integrity across generations.

Prose's writing is, as always, a standout feature of the novel. Her ability to capture Molly's distinct voice and create a compelling historical narrative showcases her mastery of storytelling. While it's bittersweet to see the series end, "The Maid's Secret" is a fitting conclusion that leaves readers feeling both satisfied and inspired.

PS - I can't wait for the audiobook!

Molly the Maid always makes me smile! I loved the storyline with her Gram and how it all tied together to Molly's newest dilemma. I will for sure share the love of this series with my friends!

Alas, this fourth in the series about a hotel maid with an unusual personality drags rather than intrigues. Even the addition of news from an Antiques Roadshow style event at the hotel does not keep the reader engaged.

Molly comes into a fortune from a gold egg given to her by an old friend. She finds out that all that glitters is not gold. And learns the history of her family and that of her grandmother’s. Was she happier as a maid and can her fortune be a really bad thing?

THE MAID’S SECRET was a touching return to Molly’s world and a fabulous introduction to Flora’s history. The back and forth narrative between the present and the past was interwoven perfectly and kept both stories moving at a fast pace. There were many mysteries revealed and questions answered in this installment, which was very welcome for fans of this series. The only downside was that the key mystery in this novel felt underdeveloped, especially because so much of it was backstory. Still really enjoyed this one for the narrative and the character development.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read and review THE MAID’S SECRET.

In the third novel of the series, Molly brings a shoebox of trinkets to work when the popular TV show Hidden Treasures is set to film an episode at the hotel where she works. She learns that one of the items, far from being only of sentimental value, is in fact worth millions. Until it’s stolen and it seems her life is in danger.

This novel alternates between Molly’s present—which is upbeat—to the diary of her grandmother’s. That was harder to read because the woman who raised her, while growing up with financial wealth, grew up without any love because her parents saw a daughter only as a burden unless she could be married off to someone with money, no matter how awful he might be. I know there was a time when it didn’t seem like even smart girls should bother to get an education, but it bummed me out nonetheless.

The present-day story is as fun as the other novels in the series.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES APRIL 8, 2025.

A fitting end to the Molly the Maid stories. This one is a bit heavier and darker, but I did love reading the letters from the grandmother. It’s a nice touch to understanding Molly and who she is. I love mollys quirky personality and wished we would have seen a little more of it in this book. However, still definitely recommend.

Thank you to netgallley for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

The Maid's Secret is book number 3 of The Maid Molly series. Haven't read all of the books prior? No worries, it's easy to pickup any of them and follow along.

Molly is head maid at the Regencey Hotel. Where she works with her fiance. The Regency Hotel is full of mysterys that Molly keeps finding herself winded up in one way or another. When a popular TV show comes to The Regency to film there; of course a mystery comes to play. When Molly brings a box of treasures to see how much they are worth with the TV shows host; her life changes forever. When the prized possession is stolen right from Molly and threats come up, Molly questions if the wealth is even worth it. Here friends and foes come together to find the missing egg. Along the way you learn the history of the egg and how more than Molly is linked to the egg.

This book is darker than the rest in the series. There are some trigger warnings. Molly's quirky personality doesn't really show in this book which was one of the main reasons I love the series.

What a fitting end to the Molly the Maid series. It’s interesting that there’s no murder this time, but the mystery of Molly, and more importantly Gran’s, history. Alternating chapters between Gran’s diary and Molly’s current day woes, The Maid’s Secret belongs entirely to Gran. However, long time readers will be thrilled with how Molly’s story comes to a close. Thanks to Ballantine Books for the ARC.

The Maid’s Secret was not was I was expecting at all. A rags to riches mystery, I greatly enjoyed it. Molly is a character who will always have my heart!

This time around, we get to learn more about Gran's and Mr. Preston's story and how it relates to Molly‘s present circumstances. Though it doesn’t have the traditional happy ending, it is one of the most touching romances I’ve read in a long time. And I’m so happy for Molly and Juan Manuel. They deserve every bit of happiness that comes their way. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Molly the Maid is back in book number 3 of the series. This is one of my favorite series! I would recommend to read them in order. The Maid's Secret might be my favorite one so far. I loved the detailed backstory of the life of Molly's gran. I enjoy watching the blossoming romance of Molly and her fiancée, Juan Manuel. This series can be categorized as cozy mystery, but with some of the best characters you'll ever find. I hope we get more of Molly in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.