Okay, I forgot I had requested this, though the description had sounded so entertaining! Then I saw notice of the ARC available for the SEQUEL, and figured I’d better check out this popular series. So glad I did! My customers will love it. I usually read straightforward, gritty thrillers. Well, sometimes the protagonists have unrealistically fantastic defense skills, but you get the picture. Finlay Donovan doesn’t have superpowers. Some of her ideas towards solving problems are far-fetched. But her character is delightful. She and Vero, her equally impulsive, refreshingly unusual sidekick/nanny/ accountant/partner in crime are indeed a dynamic duo. Read it! I’m ready for the sequel now.

When overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel, Finlay Donovan--novelist, mother-of-two, and divorcee) is mistaken for a hitman by a desperate woman who needs to get rid of her husband. Finlay wasn't intending on taking the job, but her curiosity and research into the target leads down a slippery (and hilarious) slope.

I finished this book in about a day. It was a super quick, very funny read told in first person from Finlay's POV. I love the friendship between her and her baby-sitter-turned-nanny, Vero, who is a true ride-or-die. Finlay is honest about her quick temper (who wouldn't pour Panera soup on your ex-husband's fiancée who he had been having an affair with...but really it does take two...) and gets into comical situations (minus the threat to life). 4.5 rounded up. The only flaw was in how neatly everything falls into place despite the high stakes. Already have my eARC request for book 2.

What a fun and original mystery. I was a little late in getting to this but was thrilled that the sequel was already available as an ARC -- I requested it immediately.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

While I get what this book was supposed to be doing, it just fell short for me. I did not enjoy the main character but I enjoyed the plot.

This was an entertaining read that felt a bit like a cozy mystery novel.

Finlay Donovan is a mystery writer and a newly divorced mom. When discussing an idea for her next book with her agent, she is overheard and gets mistaken for a contract killer.

There were many funny moments in this novel; however, most of the time I was reading I was blown away at how far Finlay got wrapped up in this mishap. If she had been honest and clarified things for one second she wouldn't have had to deal with all the chaos that went on in this book. Don't get me wrong it was entertaining to read but it felt so unrealistic. The mystery of this one wasn't very satisfying, but the last line did hook me on to wanting to read the next book in the series.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the gifted ebook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Whyyy did I wait so long to read this one?!?! Biggest regret, no doubt!!! Did someone say sequel?!!! I NEED it NOW!!!

I could not stop listening to this one. Loved the narrator. Can’t wait to see what adventures book 2 takes us on!!!

So good!! I highly recommend!! 5 Amazingly Awesome stars!!

Absolutely fantastic. This is one my top books for the year. I've already gifted copies and recommend all the time!

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Thank you so much for net galley for sending me a copy of this book I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to read the second

The adult fiction debut by YA author Elle Cosimano, Finlay Donovan is Killing It is a fast-paced dark comedy about mistaken identities and murder. The author takes you on a wild ride and keeps you guessing on what obstacle Finlay will encounter next and what she will do to get out of it. I can't wait for the sequel! Recommended for fans of offbeat thrillers with a lot of laughs.

I wanted to like this book so much more than I did. The premise hooked me and a friend also read it and recommended it, but I just couldn't get into it. I did finish it and found it reasonably enjoyable, but I had to force myself to pick it up and read it. Hopefully it was just a blip and the next one hooks me because it seems like such a fun series.

So fun and different. Put me in mind of other similar type books but better written. really enjoyed this on.

A fun read - can't wait for the next! I've recommended to many patrons and will continue to do so. A very clever and refreshing change of pace from the usual mystery. Almost early Stephanie Plum meets the Hitwoman. Truly enjoyed it - recommend highly to someone looking for a quirky and humourous mystery.

Thanks so much to the author, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley for the complimentary advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on my blog at tacklingtbr.home.blog

TW: murder, death, gun violence, mention of sexual and domestic abuse, blackmail, custody battles, mention of infidelity

Sassy and sarcastic female lead? Check. Bad ass female friendship? Check. Hot potential-book boyfriends? Check. All wrapped up in a book about book people? Check and check! Oh, and did I mention there is some murder and crime solving thrown in for good measure? This book has it all, and I seriously loved every minute of it!

Finlay Donovan is a bit of a hot mess, and I mean that in the most loving way possible. I feel like I know Finlay, like our souls recognize the hot mess in each other, and we would be good friends. Plus, I know where all of the good hiding spots are, which could come in handy in her new line of work!

Moral of this review so far: I would TOTALLY help Finlay Donovan hide a body!

The characters in this book were so much fun to read about. And they all (for the most part) somehow still felt like real people, even when they were in these seriously crazy situations. Obviously Finlay was my favorite character - sarcastic author-turned-hitwoman, ready to jump right in to the crazy situations that life throws at her, and looking (mostly) fabulous while doing it. But a very close second favorite is Vero, the girlfriend that we all so desperately need in our lives. I always talk about sarcastic or witty banter between love interests in books, and sure there is a bit of that here too, but the book is dripping with that sarcastic banter between these two BFFs too, which makes it all the more fun! I left the book just really wanting to sit down with these two ladies and an entire bottle of wine, and just see what happens.

Overall I would absolutely recommend this book to friends! There is some romance, but it's not the main focus, so it feels much more like a comedy-thriller, which is just such a fun and gripping combination! I think that it could be a great way to ease people into the romance genre if they are maybe hesitant to read that way. I think the best way to read this book is in a bubble bath that lasts way too long because you don't want to put the book down, with a glass of wine and maybe a snack. Although I may be a bit biased, since that is how I read most of this one!

This book was a lot of fun. I loved the revenge narrative aspect, and the way that Finlay and Vero team up to take advantage of the impossible situation Finlay finds herself in. It's kind of like a madcap caper. The plot is pretty convoluted, but that's part of the point. I'll definitely read the next installment in the series.

What a delightful novel to read. I know there will be a second one coming out, and I will be anxiously awaiting that arrival. This book is a great mix of fun/mystery/comedy/murder... which seems next to impossible to imagine, but trust me, it's amazing. I love how it all gets started by someone eavesdropping on a conversation and picking bits and pieces apart to make up their own story. It was a laugh out loud book, and one that I recommend to anyone looking for a quirky, cute read.

This was SO funny and so good. I loved Finlay is a character even when she was making me go "Finlay, NO!" The plot definitely kept me entertained as well and I'm really excited to see where the author goes with this series.

BOOK REVIEW: Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

A novelist who writes thrillers becomes entangled in a thriller of mistaken identities within her own life… That rare combo of funny and suspenseful with a strong female lead... T.I.M.E. Favorite Books To Read... ✨😎✨

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All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Books, Lifestyle & Home Ideas for Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

“Finlay Donovan is Killing it” by Elle Cosimano

Despite the title, Finlay Donovan is absolutely not killing it. She’s broke, stressed out, and her ex-husband just fired the nanny. Her literary agent is breathing down her neck to get her a book that she hasn’t even started writing yet, and she just had to duct-tape her four-year-old daughter’s hair to her forehead in order to narrowly miss the type of meltdown that only a four-year-old can deliver. And that’s just the beginning of the laugh-out-loud scenarios that Finlay finds herself in throughout this hilarious new book from author Elle Cosimano.
Finlay finally manages to deliver her kids to her ex, and she narrowly makes it to her meeting with her agent at a local Panera. As they discuss the plot of her (again, unwritten) new suspense novel, Finlay can’t help but notice the seemingly nervous woman passing glances her way from a nearby table. Turns out that the woman, Patricia, is looking for a permanent way out of her marriage from a man that no one would miss. So, when she overhears only bits and pieces of Finlay’s conversation, she mistakes her for a contract killer and leaves her a note offering her $50,000 in return for Finlay killing her husband.
Finlay isn’t a killer…she just writes about them. But for $50,000, could she be? She decides it’s worth a shot to find out, and one thing leads to another before Finlay has a dead man in her garage, and her ex-nanny, Vero, watching her try to move the body. The two decide to tackle the problem together and there is no shortage of trouble, or laughs, as they dig more than one grave for themselves, literally and figuratively.
“Finlay Donovan is Killing it” was an entertaining, super-fun, hysterical mystery, and I loved every minute of it.

Reviewed by Abbey Peralta for Suspense Magazine

I absolutely adored this book! It was funny, witty, and completely entertaining! I took this book with me on our annual beach vacation and I'm so glad I did! It's the perfect poolside/beach read because it just draws you in and you can't stop laughing. I loved seeing the adventures these characters got into and I'm so glad it's book #1 because I can't wait to read #2!