Molly the Maid series returns with another amazing addition. I absolutely adore this series, and Book #3 delivered.

I was so excited to be granted this book! This Maid series is so wonderful and this particular book gives insight into Molly's mother and grandmother. Cannot wait for the next book!!!

Reading about Molly the Maid is like wrapping yourself in warm blanket. There is a mystery to solve, but in the end, Molly always sees her life as a fairy tale.

“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”

The Maid's Secret is a fanciful love story about Molly Gray and Juan Manuel Morales. It's also a love story about her grandmother. Flora and her beloved John Peterson. Molly was the head maid of the Regency Grand Hotel and Juan Manuel was the pastry chef. John Peterson had been the doorman there. It was because of John that Molly was given the job.

Flora was the daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Reginald Gray. They lived at Gray Manor. They were about to lose their business to Magnus and Penelope Braun. They struck a deal whereby Flora would be wed to their son, Algernon. Magnus dealt in antiquities but he was a thief, as was his son Algernon. When Flora found out that Algernon was dishonest, she refused to marry him. Her mother and father became furious with her and she fled the manor. Their head butler whom Flora referred to as Uncle Willie had a son named John. At first, Flora looked down her nose at John. But she later came to realize that she was in love with him. When she fled the manor, she ran into John. They spent the night together and she ended up pregnant. When her parents found out about it they sent her away to live with nuns. The plan was that she would have the baby and give it up for adoption. But she didn't want to give it up so she ran away. She ended up living with a family where she became their maid. Before she told her parents about the pregnancy she had told John. Before he left he told her he would come back in a week to get her. But her parents sent her away and she didn't tell him. At any rate, Flora became a maid And within that time she became the owner of a Faberge egg. When she died, the egg went to Molly.

Molly and Juan Manuel live together in an apartment. They had little money and decided they would take the Faberge egg to auction. Baxter and Beasley were auctioneers and held their auctions at the hotel. When they saw the egg, they told Molly they could auction it for millions of dollars. Mr. Snow was the hotel manager and he kept the egg in his safe. When it came time for the egg to be auctioned it sold for $10 million, but then the egg was stolen. It turned up in Molly's cart. In the interim. It was learned that Baxter and Beasley were crooks.

The story was told from Molly's perspective and Flora's perspective. It was a back and forth. I thought the author did an excellent job portraying the saga. The characters were extremely well developed and the storyline flowed beautifully. I give this author kudos for a job well done. I gave the book five stars and I would have given it 10 if that were available.

I was really disappointed by this book. I loved the first two Maid books, especially the second one that delved deeper into Molly's history and Gran's life. But this book, which offers more background to gran, fell flat for me.

The plot alternates between Molly, who experienced a situation where she suddenly came into an exorbitant amount of money, and Gran as a teenager. There should have been a lot of material to interest the reader, like Gran's romantic relationship, but the story lagged. I was unfortunately increasingly annoyed by Molly and Gran and lost interest in the plot.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the third and final book in the Molly the Maid series (fourth if you count the Christmas novella that was released last year). If you haven’t read this series thus far and love a cozy mystery, I highly recommend these books. Molly is such a lovable character. The Maid’s Secret continues Molly’s story as Head Maid at The Regency Grand Hotel along with her new role as Special Events Manager. There is another mystery to solve and we get a good view in to Molly’s beloved Gran’s past. This was a satisfying ending to this enjoyable series … I’m definitely going to miss Molly!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

4/5 stars: This is the third book in Prose's Molly the Maid series which is a Cozy-ish Mystery that features a five-star hotel's Head Maid and Special Events Manager as she turns sleuth after her ornamental golden egg's stolen after being proclaimed a priceless treasure worth millions by a pair of TV art appraisers. With her entire existence is upended, she'll team up with her friends to comb the past, including a long-forgotten diary written by Molly’s Gran, and the present to catch the thief before looming threats against her become all to real. With plenty of twists and turns, Kelly has deftly crafted a mystery that balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. With wit and humor, Prose's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. Written in dual timelines and multiple POV, featuring Molly's Gran in the past and following Molly current day. I thoroughly enjoy catching up with Molly, her fiance Juan, her lovely Gran-dad, Mr Preston, and all her colleagues at the Regency Grand Hotel. Additionally, it's great to learn about her Gran's past and how that affects Molly. Molly's written as if she's on the spectrum although it's never explicitly stated. Prose touches on some sensitive topics, so take care and the CWs. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll enjoy it much more if you start this series at the beginning and pick up book one, The Maid.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Another jump into the life of Molly the maid. I enjoyed the first book, the second was ok, and I trudged through the short story. This was better than book two, but I don't think I will continue the series if it goes on.

Love love loveeeee Molly's story. While this was not my favorite of the series, I enjoyed learning more about Gran's background. I would recommend this one to anyone who has read the series and will continue to recommend the series overall to any friend looking for a fun easy read.

Another wonderful outing with Molly the Maid! This is one of my favorite literary characters EVER and I was so excited to receive this galley. I loved this story- we got to learn so much more about Molly and her family. 5 stars!

(2.5 stars rounded up)

Molly runs into another mystery at the Regency Grand-this time referring back to her deceased grandmother's diary for clues. When her grandmother's Faberge egg is stolen, a decades old mystery unravels.

This Molly Maid book was just about the same as the 2 (and a half) before it. So far that I'll go ahead and give it 3 stars, because it's really no more or no less than I expected. The diary entries were a little dull at first but picked up pace as the secondary mystery of Molly's gran started to develop. I would have probably preferred more of Molly's chapter and shorter diary entries, but the mystery played out in its usually silly, cozy way. A decent campy mystery novel, but definitely not the most memorable.

I think this might be my favorite of the Molly the Maid books!

In this novel, we finally hear about the backstory of Molly's gran, Flora Gray. No spoilers but it is quite the story and the fact that Flora was as wonderful as she was is due to her own character and the influence of Mrs. Mead and Uncle Willy. We learn how Flora and Mr. Preston met and their story as star crossed lovers. Flora's story is interspersed as diary entries in the middle of Molly and Juan's wedding planning and a new mystery: a egg that Molly that was valueless that turned out to be a Fabergé. A TV show is involved (similar to Antiques Roadshow) and the egg is stolen and hijinks ensue. Rest assured that Molly with the aid of her friends and loved ones ends the novel with a wedding and a much welcome surprise.

Really enjoyed this one - as I said, I think it might be my favorite Molly the Maid novel to date!

A delightful addition to the popular Molly the Maid series. This delves into Molly’s grandmother’s past when Molly discovers something very valuable in her possession. The characters are lovable and the storyline captivating.

Molly the Maid is back and this time she is part of a reality TV show revolving around a team that does appraisals for people's old antiques. Molly's Faberge egg is determined to be worth millions which immediately puts her in the spotlight, not only for her reaction, but also for the amazing treasure she never knew she had.

This book was a bit of a struggle for me because the majority of the chapters were from Molly's Gran's diary entries. I love Molly because she's so quirky, but I didn't really care about her Gran and her family history. Gran's story really slowed down the pace of the book for me.

The author did a great job weaving the timelines together, but this book felt more like historical fiction than mystery to me. Gran ended up being a much different person than who I thought she was from Molly's flashbacks in previous books. Overall, still a good read to get some history on Molly's family, but I look forward to another installment that is more mystery related.

🔉Thank you to Nita Prose, Random House Publishing-Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for this arc of The Maid’s Secret, out April 8, 2025! Make sure to meet Molly the Maid in the first two books in this series, prior to starting this!

📜Quick Summary: Molly and her fiance Juan Manuel are back in action at the Regency Grand Hotel where Molly is the Lead Maid and Special Events Manager. Molly is enamored with her new role and her upcoming wedding, and when Hidden Treaures, a tv show that they love to watch, is heading to the Regency for a special episode, she is so excited. As she packs her trinkets, she thinks of her Gran and all the special memories that these eclectic objects hold. When the two showrunners let her know that one of her treasures is worth millions, things start to change for Molly. Can this really be the truth? What has her Gran been hiding from her? Will this change who Molly the Maid is? And what happens when the egg worth millions is stolen and Molly’s life is in danger?

❣️Initial Feels: We are back at the Regency Grand with Molly, and I am excited to be back in her world!

🌶️Spice Level: fade to black romance

📖Read if you want: cozy mystery, dual point of views, family lore

🙋🏼‍♀️Moving Character: Molly is such a unique character and I love being on her journeys with her. She embraces life in such a unique way, and the people around her truly love and support her quirks. Mr. Preston held a special spot in my heart after this novel as well.

🗨️Thoughtful Words: “All it takes is one moment of desperation to turn a good egg into a bad one.”

“Pride is taking less than you need. Generosity is leaving a gift for others.”

“It is an unfortunate fact of life that sometimes we grow old before we grow wise.”

“Those who do not know love place no value upon it.”

💡Final Sentiments: In the first two novels we only know Gran as this perfect, kind, and loving character. Molly idolizes her, and asked, but never learned the truth about her past. In this novel, she learns about her Gran’s upbringing and learns about some characteristics that are not Gran at all. At first it bothered me, this wonderful character being switched to someone who was so mean…but as her story unfolded, you see all the parts that made her that way. The mystery wasn’t jaw dropping shocking, nor was Molly’s side of the mysterious egg, but it was still so sweet in Molly’s special way. I think I ended up enjoying Gran’s story a little bit more by the end, and had tears flowing at the end of this one. Another great installment of Molly the Maid! I would love to see this as a tv show…I feel like so many people can relate to her and grow to love her.

🌟Overall Rating: 4 stars

This novel was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

I was excited to return to Molly’s world, having loved the earlier books in The Maid series. Molly is such a charming and unique character, and I always enjoy the way she navigates the chaos of the Regency Grand with her meticulous sense of order. But The Maid’s Secret didn’t quite work for me, and I struggled to stay engaged in the story.

This time, Molly finds herself at the center of a high-profile mystery when a priceless Fabergé egg disappears from the Regency Grand, just after she learns it was hidden among her late Gran’s belongings. As she works to solve the crime, she also uncovers shocking revelations about Gran’s past—told through diary entries that reveal a life far different from what Molly had always believed.

While I appreciate the attempt to add depth to Gran’s character, I found her younger self so different from the wise and humble woman Molly (and readers) knew that it was hard to connect. The diary entries also felt dense and slowed the momentum of the main mystery.

And that’s really where this book lost me: too much focus on Gran’s past, not enough time with Molly and the quirky, lovable Regency Grand staff. The mystery itself took a backseat, and I found myself more ready for the book to end than eager to see how it all played out.

I still love Molly, and I’ll gladly read another installment if she returns to what makes her such a compelling character. But this one wasn’t for me. 🌟🌟🌟

The latest installment of Molly the Maid did not disappoint. The Maid’s Secret gives us the story of Molly and the heist of a valuable object, but we finally learn Gran’s story. The story is told in a non linear timeline with alternating chapters of diary entry of Gran’s and present day Molly. The story was fun but I did find the diary entries did not flow as well as the other chapters.

I loved the first two books in the series, 'The Maid' and 'The Mystery Guest,' but this is my favorite of the three. A story about love and kindness prevailing over darkness. It continues to follow our favorite Head Maid Molly Gray. We learn more about Molly's beloved gran through alternating flash backs from Flora Gray's adolescence to present day Molly, navigating an unexpected robbery at the Regency Grand Hotel. The message that one generation, no matter what was done before them, can positively change the course and trajectory for future generations, will linger and stick long after you have finished the book. A definite must-read for all mystery lovers and fans of Molly Gray. Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced reader copy.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND PEOPLE TO READ THIS BOOK!!!! Thank you neutrally for the early copy I received. The plot was original and nothing I would have expected to happen!!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I just love Molly the maid and this book did not disappoint. The story takes place right before Molly’s wedding to Juan and alternates the back story of Molly’s Gran, Flora. I loved the back story as much as the mystery that ensued during present day with Molly. Great story and I read it quickly as I did not want to put it down. Definitely recommend!