Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the free ARC eBook.

As someone who loved The Maid and The Mystery Guest, I have been so excited to return to The Regency Grand Hotel...and this did not disappoint! I met Nita Prose at the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival July 2024 and I loved hearing how she came up with the characters and how she writes her stories. This made the experience of reading this book so much better! Molly's character shows such warmth, humor, and depth. The Maid's Secret was the perfect cozy mystery with just the right amount of heart and charm, I loved it!!

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘
✷ Quirky, lovable narrators
✷ Found family and heartfelt backstories
✷ Cozy mysteries with a twist
✷ Slow-burn character development
✷ Stories set in charming hotels and NYC

𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦
In The Maid’s Secret, we’re back at the Regency Grand Hotel — but this time, we get a much deeper look into Molly’s life.

What stood out most to me was learning more about Gran. Her journal entries added so much heart to the story, and I loved the way they revealed her complicated past — the love story, the family history, the shift from a life of privilege to raising Molly on her own. It gave me such a deeper appreciation for the woman who shaped Molly into who she is.

There’s also the mystery of the missing Fabergé egg, which kept things interesting, even if it was a little complex at times. I didn’t mind that — it fit the vibe of the book and gave the story a nice thread to follow alongside all the personal backstory.

Molly continues to be such a unique and lovable character. I just really enjoy the way she sees the world. And once again, I listened to the audiobook and Lauren Ambrose completely nails the narration. She is Molly for me at this point.

Overall, this felt like a cozy mystery with more emotional depth than I was expecting, and I loved that. 4 stars!

I’ve loved the earlier books in the Molly the Maid series, but this third installment didn’t quite work for me. While Molly’s chapters were charming as ever, half the book is dedicated to her Gran’s diary—which felt more like historical romance than cozy mystery. Gran’s younger self didn’t match the wise, lovable woman we’ve come to know, making it hard to stay engaged. The dual timelines do connect in a clever way, but I found myself skimming toward the end. A bit of a letdown, though fans may still enjoy it—check out other reviews!

I started reading the digital copy of this book but paused early on and waited for the audio to become available from the library because I’d listened to all of the other ones and the narrator has become Molly’s voice in my mind. While the characters’ personalities and relationships were the same as before and the story picked up where the last book left off, somehow this book felt a bit forced to me this time around. I’m glad Molly’s story found a happy ending though, and if you loved the previous books in this series then you should read this one too!

Molly the Maid is back again with another whimsical mystery at the Regency Grand Hotel. These books are so cozy and I was so excited to dive into The Maid’s Secret which is the 3rd installment in the Molly the Maid series. This book follows Molly as she prepares to get married to Juan Manuel while dealing with the heist of a rare treasure at the Regency Grand.

We also finally get a look into the backstory of Flora, Molly’s grandmother as this book is dual pov. I thought it was a surprising and important part of the book that tied everything together.

This series almost reminds me of Only Murders in the Building. There's an intriguing mystery which takes place at a fancy hotel with a quirky cast of characters. 4/5 stars. The Maid’s Secret is out now!

I enjoyed this installment of the Maid’s books. I liked Flora’s backstory and how it tied into the current storyline. Molly as a narrator has grown on me and I enjoy her story - it just fell somewhat flat. It was a good read, but felt very much like the other books in the series.

Molly is the only maid who takes her job serious? Why? because housekeeping is her passion!
This is my 3rd read by Nita Prose and I've loved seeing Molly the Maid (IYKYK) journey and personal growth as a character!

Molly is such a great character. I enjoyed getting to hear the backstory from Gran's perspective. The way this book went between past and present to relay the story of the Fabregé was captivating as a reader.

Love the series and this was a great follow up to the last book. I enjoyed the fact that the story was centered around a flashback and it kept me invested the whole time.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Dual timelines/journal entries were my favorite part of this one! Also this may be the first cozy mystery that made me cry! The ending was perfect!

Review posted on Goodreads, May 2025:

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC! This was my first time reading one of the books in the Molly the Maid series so I did not start at the beginning of the series and just jumped right into this one. As someone with no prior background knowledge of the main characters in the series, it was still easy to follow and I still enjoyed the book. The reason why I gave the book 3 stars is because I wasn't a fan of the pacing of the book; jumping constantly from Molly's perspective to Gran's perspective in the following chapter took away from the suspense of the plot for me. I felt that a lot of the chapters from Gran's perspective could have been omitted so more focus could have been placed on what Molly was currently going through. It took me a little longer to get into the story because of this, but towards the end once all the secrets were revealed I was very invested in the ending.

Such a wonderful follow-up to the last one. Molly the Mais is just an unforgettable character that you can’t help but love.

The hotel that Molly and her beloved Juan work at is having a famous antique duo come and so they throw some things together to be examined. Little do they know that the faberge egg that Molly cherishes is worth quite a bit of money. And that’s when the trouble starts.

The way Nita is able to continually develop Molly’s character time and time again is fascinating. I have gobbled up every word with each installment and this one was no different. Truly a wonderful read that left me smiling.

“Love is what I leave behind so that every day of your life, you will know that I’m with you.” – Molly’s Gran

A great 5️⃣⭐️ read‼️

I have loved the Maid series, and I flew through all of the previous books. This one fell a little flat for me. The overall story was beautiful. However, the storyline did not have me wanting to pick up the book. There was a point I didn't know if I would ever finish. I'm glad I stuck with it because the ending was wonderful and my favorite part of the whole book. I loved how the characters flowed through all the books consistently, and I thought the author did a fabulous job with that. Thanks to the author and publisher for the ARC of this book.

This is one of my favorite series. In this book, I think I liked the flashback storyline better than the current day storyline. Molly finds out her grandma came from a rich family who lost their money. I know people do change, but the teenage version of her grandma and the current version don’t seem like the same person. Even the way they talk and phrase things. It’s hard to connect the character to her previous life with who she was as an old woman.

3.5 rounded up! I think I may have liked this one slightly less than the others. It took me a bit to get into it but never had the “I can’t put this down” feeling. There was a complicated back story with Flora to get into and I missed Molly’s perspective/unique voice in those chapters. This was good, but I liked the earlier books in the series better!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I was so excited to get this ARC—what a treat! I absolutely love Molly, and this book did not disappoint. It pulls together everything from the earlier books in such a satisfying way, and I couldn’t put it down.

Molly is one of my all-time favorite characters. She’s smart, relatable, and just so easy to root for. Watching her story come full circle was emotional and rewarding, and I loved every minute of it.

I really hope this isn’t the end of her story. If there’s more Molly to come, I’ll be reading it the second I can get my hands on it!

The Maid’s Secret is a story about Molly Gray, head maid to the extravagant Regency Grand hotel. When the hotel hosts an antique treasure-hunting show, she learns that an old item she’s had her whole life is priceless beyond measure. But before she’s able to sell it, it is stolen in a scandalous heist.

I had higher hopes for this book because I do enjoy a heist, but I found myself a bit bored by this one. The setting has a lot of potential but the characters is a bit of a let down. I understand the characters are largely meant to be archetypes of people you work with, and that can work well if you know what you’re doing. In this novel, however, it made the characters not seem like real people. They’re quippy and not in a fun way, and there are many times where I looked at the main character and went ‘who would act like this?’ And do not even get me started on the Spanish-speaking character who spoke whole sentences in English and replaced one keyword with Spanish.

Despite this, I found the plot to be interesting. The premise of finding out a bit of junk sitting in your house is a priceless treasure is a compelling one, and I was interested enough in how it was all going to wrap up to keep reading. The cuts between the main story and flashbacks to her grandmother’s life as an heiress kept me guessing, and the main plot had some nice moments of humor. Overall I’d give this book a 2.5 - if the characters were a bit more well-rounded, I could see myself giving it a three.

What a great way to wrap up the Molly the Maid series! The whodunit mystery in The Maid's Secret details how Molly becomes an instant millionaire after bringing some of her late grandmother's items to be appraised on the viral TV show Hidden Treasures but then the most valuable item gets stollen!

The past collides with the present as Molly learns things about her late Gran's life to help solve the current mystery at hand.

This was a light, heartwarming mystery that was so enjoyable! The dual timelines of the story worked well together.

By now, after following Molly through so many ups and downs in this series, I feel like she’s a part of me. I’ve watched her evolve, stumble, rise again—and through it all, she’s remained so incredibly real. I feel her fears like they’re mine, hold my breath when she’s anxious, and smile at her joy like I’m living it with her. That connection doesn’t just happen. It’s earned, book after book, and Molly has my whole heart.

What I love most is how she continues to love so openly—so fully—without ever expecting something in return. There’s never a hint of calculation in her affection. It’s raw, honest, and generous, even when it costs her something. Her honesty never wavers, even when it would be easier to lie or to hide, and that’s what makes her so powerful. She’s vulnerable without weakness, strong without ever losing her softness.

And she never gives up—not on herself, not on the people she loves, not even when she probably should. Watching her fight for love, for truth, for her own worth—it’s inspiring in a way that stays with you long after the last page. Molly doesn’t just grow in each book—she blooms, and it’s been a privilege to witness it.

I have been a fan of Molly's character from this series. I really enjoyed the flashbacks of Molly's childhood with her Gran in the second book so I was excited that there is a lot more of Gran's life in this book, and I enjoyed reading about her past. It is Molly's Gran who is the lead in this book and not Molly.
The mystery aspect is not as significant in the storyline. The resolution of the mystery was a bit underwhelming in the previous book, and I felt the same issue with this book. The way Gran's diary ties in to solve the 'mystery' is a bit too straightforward. It was also disappointing that the author did not go into the details of the stolen Faberge egg, the group behind it, and how Molly's mother tied in to all this. It reads like a draft of ideas that needed more polishing to deliver as a cozy mystery. Overall, I would skip this book.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.