After the first two Molly The Maid books, plus the holiday novella, I was eagerly awaiting the next installment and I wasn't disappointed. The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose is a gripping sequel not only delivers on suspense but also deals with the emotional tapestry of love and legacy.

Molly Gray's life is about to change in ways she could never have imagined. As the esteemed Head Maid and Special Events Manager of the Regency Grand Hotel, two good things are just around the corner—a taping of the hit antiquities TV show Hidden Treasures and, even more exciting, her wedding to Juan Manuel.

When Molly brings in some old trinkets to be appraised on the show, one item is revealed to be a rare and coveted artifact worth millions. Molly becomes a rags-to-riches sensation, and a media frenzy swirls as she prepares to sell her priceless treasure. Then, on auction day, the treasure suddenly vanishes. and Molly and her friends find themselves at the center of the boldest art heist in recent memory.

But the key to this mystery lies in the past, in a long-forgotten diary written by Molly’s Gran. For the first time ever, Molly learns about her grandmother’s secrets: how she was born into a wealthy family and fell head-over-heels in love with a young man her parents deemed below her. As fate would have it, Gran’s greatest love was someone Molly knows quite well.

Nita Prose once again graces us with her outstanding ability to craft a story in The Maid's Secret. This novel beautifully marries a charming whodunnit with high stakes along with profound personal journeys. Prose balances heart-pounding tension with moments of tender introspection to give us a novel that is much deeper than I even expected.

While Molly herself is a truly fantastic and inspiring character whose earnestness shines through every challenge she faces, this novel gives us a bit more background on her Gran which is a nice change of pace. Molly's signature charm remains intact as she navigates throughout the story; however, her Gran's past takes more of a center stage. As secrets from Gran’s history come to light, they weave seamlessly into Molly’s present-day struggles, enriching both timelines with historical intrigue and emotional depth.

At first I wasn't a fan of the dual timeline approach, but in the end it kept the suspense high by allowed for time away from Molly and the current heist. While Molly is the main part of the story, the true strength of the novel lies in the past and Gran's revelations are where The Maid's Secret truly finds its soul. Through her backstory, we uncover tales of love lost and found amidst tumultuous times—a poignant reminder that our histories have profound impacts on our present selves. These glimpses into Gran's life added layers to not just her character but also provides a bit of context for Molly's motivations and fears. It's fascinating how Prose manages to elevate what could have been a straightforward thriller into something more nuanced by exploring familial bonds and personal discovery.

I was wondering how Prose was going to continue Molly's story into this new novel, but Nita proves once again I should not doubt her. At its core, The Maid's Secret truly feels like a Molly the Maid book which is super important.

The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose is a wonderful blend of mystery with heartfelt narratives steeped in love-fueled legacies and transformative self discovery. Prose gives us a captivating story of high-stakes intrigue and heartfelt storytelling that makes every page worth savoring. The Maid's Secret is a fitting addition to the Molly the Maid series.

I have enjoyed the Maid series from Nita Prose over the past year. I find this novel to be a quick read and the main character's narrative voice to be easy to follow. If you enjoy cozy mysteries this is a good series. It is not a challenging read, but I have found myself emotional while reading about Molly's Grandma and her life story. Looking forward to the next adventure for Molly.

This was a cute wrap on Molly and her gran’s story. I loved the past and present chapters and learning more about gran’s past. I feel like I looked forward to the gran chapters versus Molly’s.

I was charmed by Molly the Maid the first time around, but this third installment in her series didn't do much for me. The blurb gives away that Molly's precious egg — which turns out to be a Faberge — is stolen after it's revealed to be worth a fortune, but that "inciting incident" doesn't happen until halfway through the book. There wasn't much mystery in this cozy mystery, and I could spot the identity of the egg thief from a mile away. Like the last Molly the Maid book, this also has too many flashbacks. Nearly 50% of the book is diary entries from Molly's Gran; I skimmed those passages because they didn't hold my interest, and ultimately, there were too many extraneous details from Gran's past. While Molly the Maid is a fun character, I didn't enjoy the dual timelines and sluggish plotting.

Molly the Maid is back for the concluding book in this series! The Regency Grand is hosting a famous show and Molly finds out her faberge egg makes her a millionaire, just in time for her wedding.

I've loved this series but I feel like we didn’t entirely need this last book after the novella (#2.5) wrapped things up so nicely - so for that I’m conflicted. But otherwise since it’s Molly it was still cute!

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The thing I loved most about this book was the diary entries from Molly’s gran. I liked reading about her and John’s relationship. John was my favorite character, he was so patient with Flora and gave her space even though Flora didn’t deserve it. The same goes with John’s dad and aunt, they took such great care of Flora and took care of her like she was their own, even when she acted like a spoiled rich brat at times.

However the story dragged, it was slow and I kept skimming through parts. Certain plot points felt unnecessary or underdeveloped. One character makes a sudden appearance, only to disappear just as quickly, making their appearance feel incomplete. It seemed like they were added to create suspicion, but without more depth, it felt out of place.

With that said, the book had some enjoyable moments, but it wasn’t my favorite. I can see how others might appreciate the slower, character-driven storytelling though.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Nita Prose for this ARC!

Molly is back with her kitten heels and a wedding dress! But first there is a heist at the Regency Grand and Molly once again must save the day.

If you love this series then you should for sure continue with this book. This book gives us a look back at Gran and Mr. Preston. The family drama and secrets come to light in this heartwarming story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read this as an ARC!

This story is one of family love! I loved the duel timelines and the diary. This story shows that sometimes we hold secrets but we can choose to change our family history.

This is the third (full length) installment in the Molly the Maid series and unfortunately my least favorite.

The story picks up two months before Molly and Juan’s wedding, when an art appraisal tv show is coming to the Regency Grand. The plot ties into Gran’s past and every other chapter is told from the perspective of Gran’s diary about when she was growing up. While I did find the backstory intriguing, it took away from Molly and the present day story line. One of my favorite parts of this series has been being inside of Molly’s head as she’s piecing together these mysteries, but with the second storyline going on it took much longer to get to the mystery of this book.

Overall, I felt like this wrapped up Molly’s story nicely and it was fun to see how some of the points in prior books came to be.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine for providing me with this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in The Maid series. I find Molly to be a very charming, wholesome character. In this third installment of the series, we find Molly & Juan’s wedding fast approaching.

Meanwhile, at the Regency Grand Hotel, a famous Antique’s Roadshow type show is being taped. Molly brings in some of her Gran’s trinkets only to learn that she has a priceless heirloom in her possession.

The story bounces between Molly’s present day and a new mystery, and diary entry’s from her Gran. And of course, everything comes full circle.

I loved that we got to learn more about Gran’s backstory, and the added bit of historical fiction being added in. The story seems to fly by in this cozy mystery.
You have the same characters that you have grown to love and you learn more about others.

I recommend this book. 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

Thank you Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have read all of the "Molly the Maid" books and really enjoyed them. I felt like this one really wrapped up the story nicely, giving a good glimpse into where Molly came from. I loved reading diary entries from her grandmother to see how Molly and Gran go to where they are now. I love seeing the romantic sides of Molly and her outlook on the world is so genuine and innocent in such a harsh place. This is a quick read that will be enjoyable for those invested in the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Tentative Pu lications for this advanced copy. I love the writing of it a Prose and the characters In This series aredelightful. As in the last two I highly recommend this book and the series.

I enjoyed this book overall! It was a little bit slow in places, but kept me reading. I enjoy this author and was excited to read more from them!

This is the fourth in the Maid series, including a short novella. It was enjoyable, as usual, but lacked the spark of the first two books.

Plot summary: Molly the maid discovers that a trinket she received is worth a fortune, but bad actors try to stop her from selling it. The story is told over interspersed with chapters from Molly's grandmother's diary, and the two intersect at the end and culminate with a satisfying resolution.

On the one hand, if you've read the first books, you will enjoy this next part in the series. We get to find out gran's full story from the beginning, how she met John Preston, and how she ended up as a maid. It's told over beautifully and would make a great book on its own. In the present timeline, there's the signature mystery in the Maid books and a continuation of her story, including her recent promotion as social events coordinator at the Regency Grand Hotel and her relationship with her fiance, Juan.

On the other hand, I wonder if I would have appreciated it more as a standalone, not feeling like it's missing some oomph that the earlier books had. The Molly-isms don't feel as fresh, and the mystery isn't nearly as good. I didn't see all of it coming, but a lot of it was obvious and contrived.

I definitely recommend it whether you've read the first books or not. If you haven't, it's worth reading the others first, even though this works as a standalone.

3.5 rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and Nita Prose for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

I love Molly sooooo much! Hearing Gran’s backstory was such an insight into both Gran and Molly’s mom. My heart aches for Molly. So much wisdom and humor in these books.

Is Molly finally due for a happily ever after? She has her perfect job, a wedding approaching with her perfect man, and, what's this? a family trinket discovered to be worth millions? Molly's simple life suddenly becomes anything but as a whirl of attention turns her life into a circus.

Prose stays faithful to the characters she has created as she puts them in desperate situations. The fact that it's Gran's old diary that helps everything make sense makes it perfect. A beautifully touching and delightful tale that I highly recommend.

Nita can never stop writing about Molly. I just love her and her quirky self so incredibly much.

This book focused more on the gaps between things the readers hadn’t quite learned or figured out. It focused quite a bit on Gran’s diaries. Which I enjoyed, but I also missed more on Molly which is the sweet spot to the entire series.

Molly learns something and her life changes. Things happen and it gets quite dramatic for awhile.

I hope this isn’t the last of the series, but I still very much enjoyed it.

Thank you Netgalley, and Ballantine Book for the e arc. Be on the lookout PUB Date 04/08/25

Ever since I discovered the book ‘The Maid,’ Molly the Maid has become one of my favorite characters. Each book in the series is like a warm hug, and this third installment is no different.

In ‘The Maid’s Secret,’ Molly is back at work tackling an entirely new kind of beast: reality television. A reality show all about appraising art will be shooting a special episode inside of the hotel, and Molly knows that the space needs to be spick and span.

As Molly heads into work that day, she brings along a shoebox of Gran’s prized possessions for the appraisers to check out. While these antiques have always been valuable to Molly, she never realized that one item in particular is worth millions — changing her life overnight.

The book goes back and forth between Molly’s experience in the limelight and reading diary entries breaking down how Gran came into possession of this expensive item.

It was such a treat to read more about Gran and the story behind how she found herself living the life of a maid. Looking back at how much she cared about Molly made me want to cry. Their relationship is like no other that I’ve ever read about, and I have developed such a soft spot for these characters!

This book really stayed true to the series and expanded on details from previous books even more so. I would recommend reading the Christmas novella before jumping into this one, though!

CONTENT WARNING: If you’ve read this far into the series, you know what kind of sensitive topics to expect, but there is a scene involving a stillbirth in this one that could potentially be triggering for some readers.

Molly is one of my favorite characters. I have read every book in the series and she never lets me down. Fun, smart, neurospicy, and most of all good. Molly always has great intentions. This mystery was one of my favorites out of the series. That said, I would love if Nita mixed it up a bit gave a bit more to this series. Think Molly needs a vacation!

When the first book came out, I thought it was a unique concept with a character that seemed like she was neurofmdivergent. Then the second book came out and was basically a copy and past of the first book. By this one, I'm just over it. It seemed like a story that was meant to be one novel was stretched out into a series without any real thought behind it.