Sometimes you need to stick with a character at the start of a book to get past their flaws and quirks and fully appreciate them. Finlay was one of those characters for me. Initially, I found her to be a little annoying. However, after the first 10% of the book I was so into the story that I grew to accept her eccentricities. The story is an easy-to-read take on the fact that life can turn in an instant, often in ways that you do not expect. Humor can be difficult and I did not find this quite as funny as others claim (just no with the duct tape incident). However, the overall story is great!

This book will have you hooked immediately, with a unique premise in which a down-on-her-luck author is mistaken for an assassin, this is a must read. There's romance, suspense, intrigue, mystery, and humor. I laughed out loud several times and was enthralled in the story. The audiobook narrator was excellent and I cannot recommend this enough. An expert blending of genres with highly likable characters.

I love Finlay! She's so relatable and hilarious. I want to be her bestie!! I can't wait to continue this series.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first picked up the very first book in the Finlay Donovan series. After reading just a few pages I knew I had found a new series, and writer, that I liked. I even got one of my kids to read it!
Finlay Donovan is a single mom with 2 little ones and a baby sitter that keeps getting herself in situations. It’s a fast paced easy read that keeps you turning pages because even though there might be a body in the room it’s very light hearted and at times almost ridiculous (but in a good way).
If this book series would be made into a series I would see Kaley Couco as Finlay Donovan. That might give you an idea on the character.
Fun, creative, easy to read and follow with enjoyable characters.
Definitely recommend!

I loved this book! Finlay is so relatable (well, except for the whole finding a dead body thing) and I could see a lot of myself in her. The story is fast-paced and the characters are loveable (even some of the unlovable ones). Looking forward to the next one!

Finlay Donovan is recently divorced and hard on her luck. She is having a hard time paying her bills and is struggling with writers block. A crime writer, she discusses the plot points of her book with friend at Panera, and someone accidentally overhears and thinks they are assassins.

So naturally she accepts a job as a hit woman. As one does.

This books is definitely silly and fun. It is a classic in the field of "cozy mystery" and you get the page turning aspect of a mystery while still being a bit lighthearted. Some of the elements of this story are challenging traumatic situations, but this is one of those in the realm of those who die usually deserve it and are one-dimensional villain types.

I was excited to see this entire series available as "read now" on netgalley. I decided I had too much FOMO about this series which I had never picked up so I snagged this first one. This was a fun read and I liked Finlay and Vero, they are a good team and funny dialogue.

Finlay Donovan is a single mother with a jerk for an ex-husband. When she is overheard discussing the plot for her next book, someone thinks she is a contract killer & hires her to kill their husband. This was a fun read with a few bumps.

“Delightfully macabre” is kind of a niche subgenre that I just made up to describe books that have a lot of humor, but also some dead bodies and maybe some murder… and that description fits this book perfectly! Finlay and her ex-nanny-turned-roommate-and-friend find themselves in a variety of murder-related shenanigans, but the humor and ridiculousness of it all keeps the book from being too dark or gritty.

Do you maybe need to suspend your belief a few times throughout the book? Well, yes, but I honestly don’t think that this detracts from the enjoyment of the book in the slightest!

I enjoyed the budding friendship between Finlay and new bestie, the foibles that constantly make them wonder if they’ll be caught, the “behind the scenes” of Finlay as a writer, and the mystery behind it all. Honestly, I think the only aspect of the book I didn’t enjoy was one of the potential love interests, who acted in a very unprofessional way despite knowing the rights and wrongs of the position he was in. There was an ick factor about him for me, but otherwise, I quite enjoyed the book and you’d better believe I’ll be coming back for the next one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ MUST READ for fans of mystery and plucky heroines
🌶 innuendo
🤬🤬🤬

I loved Finlay’s character, her antics and bad luck were laugh out loud funny! This book surprised me multiple times and it was such a fun murder mystery. And just when I thought the story concluded nicely, the epilogue sets you up for more! I can’t wait to read the next book!

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It
4.25⭐️

I was constantly aggravated by Finlay's life (kids, crappy ex, finances and job). And then when the whole "situation" actually started, my anxiety level was through the roof! Like give me a freaking break! 😭 I have a love-hate relationship with this book because of how it made me feel. And oh my gosh, Julian vs Nick! Hot bartender/lawyer vs hot cop. I swooned hard. How do you choose?

The writing style is just top notched! It conveyed the feelings of anxiety, nervousness and frustration of the FMC very well. I was at the edge of my seat the whole time. One of the best Cozy mystery books I've ever read.

Okay this was a TREAT. Absolutely ADORED the FMC and the plot! Could not put it down. Such a fun ride, that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Highly HIGHLY recommend.

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was outstanding! Easily loveable characters and a laughable sense of humor. I found these characters so relatable and the plot was easy to breeze through! I instantly wanted to read book 2! So perfect for the cozy popcorn mystery loved.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books! This was a really fun ride full of twists and turns, along with a generous helping of humor!

Finlay is a recently divorced mother of two who is struggling in every sense of the word - struggling to write her next novel by deadline, struggling to make ends meet, and struggling as a mother to two small kids. When she’s overheard discussing the plot of her next book and mistaken for a hit woman, she receives a very interesting offer. From there, it’s a wild ride. That’s about all I can say without spoilers! Finlay gets herself into some truly crazy situations, and granted, there are several moments where you have to suspend belief, but I could not put this book down. The last line of the book floored me, so I guess I know what’s next in my TBR list 😉

This book. Wow. It started off as something I was very unsure about, but before I knew it, I read the final 75% of it in one Saturday!! I couldn’t stop flipping the pages and needed to know what the heck was going on! And Elle does a fantastic job of keeping hilarity and romance with the murder mystery aspect. Fantastic book and can’t wait for the sequel!

Really enjoyable read! This was a funny, entertaining adventure that kept me wanting more. The main character Finlay is so likable and funny. Immediately starting the sequel after finishing this and will be looking forward to the others!

I really enjoyed this book! Loved the bestie duo getting themselves into and out of trouble. Very excited for the other two books in the series. 8/10 totally recommend

This was such a quick fun read, I could not put it down!

The characters are hilarious and so unserious about a a serious situation.

Definitely something I recommend when someone needs something to get them out of a reading slump!

5+ stars. Well damn. This one deserves all the praise it's received and more. It was utterly un-putdownable. Even the blurb for this book is compelling! It truly has one of the most original plots I've ever read. Finlay Donovan is a murder mystery author who is overheard discussing her next book with her publisher while out to eat at Panera. After having her conversation overheard, Finlay accidentally finds herself mistakenly confused for a contract killer, and gets hired to kill someone's husband. Finlay keeps trying to do the right thing, but through a comedy of errors, somehow keeps finding herself in more trouble. And what's worse, the mob might also be involved. But she's smart, and even though things get progressively worse for her, they also get progressively better. Because hey, at least now she has a subject for her next book... that's if she can keep from being arrested long enough to write it.

In addition to the humorous moments, the mystery was really compelling. I def. didn't figure out "who done it." Also, I was a huge fan of Finlay's friendship with Vero, her nanny/ accountant/ best friend. It was great to see two females portrayed in such a supportive way, rather than being catty or nasty. And that ending! Oh man, the epilogue will get you with a bit of a cliffy. But don't worry, things in book 1 def get resolved enough to make you happy. But I CANNOT wait for a chance to read book 2. If you are a fan of the Stephanie Plum books, or Lucy Score's Riley Thorn series, I could see you really enjoying this one as well. If you haven't read those books, I could still see you enjoying this one too, because it was great.

This book was so good I couldn’t put it down! Very reminiscent of Darynda Jones, which is probably why I liked it so much.

Finlay is a struggling writer and a single mom going through a custody battle with her ex-husband. Behind on her deadline, bills and short on money, Finlay tries to get an extension (or an advance) on her new book but her agent will have none of it - she wants that novel yesterday! The gist is - she’s mistaken for a contract killer.

I honestly enjoyed everything about this even though it was predictable as all get out (in a good way) and I still liked how things turned out. Finn and Vero are hilarious, even the kids were funny. I loved the multiple love interests for Finn (team Julian) and the pacing was perfect. Going down the rabbit hole to finish the rest of the series next!

5 Stars!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a hilarious murder mystery. The characters are entertaining and flawed. Finlay was my favorite character, she tries so hard to do the right thing but still somehow everything goes awry for her. I wanted to smack some sense into her Ex-husband. As a divorced single mom I completely related to having to deal with an ex and his new wife. I will definitely be reading more of this series.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I have not been by anyone.