Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cusimano is us a funny, yet stressful, situational comedy/mystery about a woman that accidentally gets hired to murder a man, and then accidentally kills him. Well, she didn't actually kill him, but someone did, and it looks like it might be her. Finlay Donovan is a romance write, successful but underpaid. She is divorced with the ex-husband from hell. He cheated on her, left her, plans to get custody of her kids and generally makes her feel like a useless piece of garbage. She's months behind in her bills...doesn't even bother to bring in her mail anymore, just let it pile up on the porch. She is 38 minutes late for a meeting with her agent when someone sitting close by misunderstand the conversation Finlay and Sylvia are having and leaves her a note: $50,000 to kill her husband. Finlay tries to explain that the woman misunderstood but the woman is stubborn so Finlay goes to the bar where he will be, just to check him out. She sees him put a roofie into his date's drink and manages to switch them. Soon he is too out of it to walk. Finlay takes him to her mini-van, and then to her home. While she's inside, so hysterical she forgot to turn the car off, somehow her garage door closes and when she comes back out he's dead: asphyxiated. The rest of the story is Finlay avoiding arrest.

Finlay is a really likable woman. She is a little discombobulated but what mom with two kids under five is not. She is easily distracted so they eat lots of burnt food. She is disorganized so there are lots of dirty clothes and toys under foot. Her friend and ex-babysitter, Vero is clever, well-organized, hard-working-in may ways the opposite of Finlay, but they make a go of sunning this household and keeping the police at bay. Of course, some of it is plain good luck. They run into characters along the way: Julian, the hot and way too young bartender; Detective Nick, who is Finlay's sister Georgia's friend and also very hot. Someone Finlay could have really liked if the situation had been different. Her across-the-street neighbor who never slept and saw everything. Being a killer for hire, earning $200,000 for it although she never really killed anyone is very heady and made her question herself, a lot. Fun book. Clever. Very entertaining. I liked it!

I was invited to read a free ARC of Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #finlaydonovaniskillingit

Author Elle Cosimano definitely hits all the right marks with her novel, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It. The ingenious story revolves around Finlay's real entanglement in a murder for hire and the plot of a novel she is writing. Finlay is a divorced mother of two young children struggling to pay her bills. She writes romance novels and has spent her latest small advance and needs to quickly deliver a draft. Unwittingly Finlay accepts a $50,000 offer to get rid of a woman's scoundrel husband but changes her mind. Hilariously, Finlay leaves the man asleep in her van and later discovers him dead. Finlay's predicament fuels her creative fires and her situation becomes the basis of a new novel that is sold for a huge advance. Cosimano's character's are realistic and entertaining. This novel has it all-suspense, comedy, drama and romance. This book is definitely an entertaining escape.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It, and so is author Elle Cosimano! This book hooked me at the dedication page and had me glued to the story to the very end. I love a good comedy-noir, and the author delivered.

Finlay Donovan’s life is currently a white-hot mess. Her philandering ex-husband isn’t helping her much financially and he’s threatening to sue for full custody of the kids. Neither Finlay nor her alter ego, Fiona Donohue, can pay the bills and keep the lights on. When curious Finlay checks out a business proposition, her life seemingly goes from bad to worse. Her ex-nanny, now friend, Vero steps into to save the day. Unfortunately, Vero is the type of friend who doesn’t necessarily help you make better decisions. I loved Vero despite her occasional errors in judgement; she is highly competent, organized and resourceful. She is definitely someone you want by your side when things go sideways.

We readers get a limited view of ex-husband Steven, and it is only from Finlay’s perspective. We get to know him just enough to know that he is not a good person. The more interesting men in the story are Nick and Julian. These potential love interests are basically off-the-table as getting involved with either could lead to Finaly’s demise.

The story is fast paced, and the plot has decent tension. The plot points are sometimes implausible, but that is part of the fun. Finlay Donovan is Killing It is both humorous and suspenseful. A struggling author, Russian mobsters, a sod farm, and an excellent cast of characters—how could you possibly resist this book?

Finlay Donovan is killing it is a funny interesting story about an up-and-coming author (she hopes) a single mom and the drama she finds herself in. Finlay can’t seem to get her life straight she has no money, no ideas for her story, and her husband left her for another woman. One day she meets up with her agent for lunch at Panera and a woman slips her a note. An adventure begins with that one piece of paper and Finlay isn’t sure how she’ll get out of this mess. I laughed out loud at parts of this book. A joy to read but the ending fell a little flat for me. Thank you to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for my advanced copy.

I really loved this fast and funny read! It's the author's debut for adult audiences and now I am definitely going to check out her books for young adults now! This is fun - and a touch ridiculous and with some rather heavy-handed plot points paving a predictable path that may not be for everyone's taste, but it's light-hearted (well, as light-hearted as a book about an author turned accidental hitman can really be). But I laughed while I read it and genuinely had a fun time. It's highly entertaining with great banter between the characters and the friendship between Finlay and Vero really shines. The ending indicates a sequel - and I sure can't wait! I am really excited about that - plus I just read that it has been optioned for the screen! With a fun heroine, engaging storyline and being just plain fun, I can see why this one has gotten a lot of pre-publication attention - it's well worth the hype! It's a good time and I think this will be quite popular - it's definitely one of my top reads of 2021 so far!

Finlay Donovan is newly divorced and struggling to keep it together while her ex-husband is conniving to make her look bad so he can get full custody of their two kids. A nearby diner misinterprets Finlay’s lunch conversation with her agent and believes she’s a contract killer. As Finlay tries to convince the woman otherwise, she realizes just how despicable the would-be victim is.

Finlay soon finds herself caught up in a world she once could have only imagined, with a huge advance on a book she’s terrified to write for fear it might incriminate her, while a hot detective and a law student compete for her attentions. With the mob closing in, will Finlay finish her book? Lose her children? Get arrested? Or swim with the fishes?

Equal parts slapstick and mystery, FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT is impossible to put down, laugh out loud fun. #FinlayDonovanIsKillingIt #NetGalley

5 stars. Oh my goodness, this book was just SO MUCH FUN! I read the entire thing in 48 hours. This book really has it all - it’s a fast-paced mystery at its core with tons of twists and turns but added levity thanks to the comedic aspect. It’s also got a strong female lead with a badass best friend, a love triangle and adorable children - what more do you need? I laughed and gasped constantly. Finlay is such a fun character - a lovable mess who’s a good person at heart and trying to figure out how to walk the line between right and wrong. Certain plot points were truly wild but I was enjoying it so much that I accepted it all and didn’t dwell. I wish I could pick up book two right now, and can’t wait until it comes out. I also pictured it as a TV series or movie the whole time I was reading it - it has Dead to Me vibes, which I love.

I don’t know what it was about Finlay, but folks...this book. I NEEDED this book to kick off 2021. Huge thanks to Minotaur for not only sending me this physical ARC, but also for granting me a NetGalley ebook - yes I emailed them a photo of my baby as an explanation for why I needed the second electronic copy. Only way I’m reading these days is with one hand on my Kindle.

Anyway, swipe for the synopsis, read my review, then get this book when it publishes tomorrow!

The premise of this book is wildly outrageous, and that’s what made it glorious, honestly. Finlay is just trying to make it as a single mom, one thing leads to another, and suddenly she’s mistaken for a contract killer. I mean. Come ON. The best kind of dark hilarity ensues, fueled by the amazing chemistry between the two leading ladies. Seriously, Finlay and her sidekick? *chef’s kiss* - perfection.

After finishing Finlay, I binged Dead to Me on Netflix, and let me tell you - the similarities are amazing. If you enjoyed Dead to Me, you need to read Finlay. Another bookstagrammer also likened Finlay to the show Good Girls, and now that I’m a few episodes into that one, I concur. This book just has it all:

✅ Suburban moms thrown into the most ridiculous situations
✅ Dark humor to deal with those situations
✅ Amazing chemistry between badass leading ladies
✅ Cannot overstate the brilliant character development enough

Also, I have never wanted a sequel to a book more. I need more Finlay! The ending is written in a way where what happens next COULD just be left up to the reader’s imagination...but I want to know! PLEEEEEEEASE give us more!

This book publishes February 2. Go get it! I can’t wait to get it in my library to share with patrons. And if you are as late to the Dead to Me/Good Girls train as I was...get on it. Absolute perfection.

Finlay Donovan is fabulous! What a fun book, a real breath of fresh air! Things are not going great for suspense writer Finlay Donovan. Her husband has left her, her new book seems to be going nowhere, and the bills keep piling up. So when she is mistaken for a higher killer while lunching at Panera with her agent she is tempted by the $$$. But the more Finlay tries to get out of this predicament the deeper she gets in.

Finlay reminded me of Stephanie Plum if Stephanie were a struggling suspense Author turned hired killer. Although Finlay didn’t seem to be able to eat everything in sight and never gain an ounce. This was definitely a character driven mystery with a big splash of humor. Finlay was such a likable character even though she made bad choice after bad choice. I also really liked her psychic Vero and of course her kids. Angela Dawe does a remarkable job of narrating this audiobook. She brought the perfect voice to these colorful characters. The story ends on a bit of a cliffhanger so I’m hoping this means there’s more to come!

This book in emojis 💸 🔪 🩸 ✉️ 🥂 🪢 🕶

*** Big thank you to Minotaur & Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Admittedly, I didn’t read the synopsis before starting this one and was not expecting murder to be the central focus of this book. The entire plot is absolutely ridiculous, but in the best way! It was unexpectedly funny and sharp, and I was entertained the entire time. It’s Dexter meets Santa Clarita Diet and the first book in what I’m sure will be a hit series.

I loved this book!! I mean, it was a shit show of hilarity! A mom in the throes of toddlerhood being hired to kill an awful husband? Yes, please. Finlay is such a great character, with flaws that are super relatable, and actions that have you shaking your head and laughing at the same time.

Also, I can’t explain the joy I felt at the end when I realized it may possibly have a sequel!!! Please, oh please! I need more Finlay and Vero in my life ❤️

From the very first sentence, I knew I was going to love this heroine, Finlay Donovan.
Her life is a H-O-T M-E-S-S due to the following:
Currently going through a messy divorce.
In the red financially with past due bills piling up.
Two children running amok.
She is in jeopardy of not being able to meet the obligations of her book contract.
And that's just one day in her life.
While I couldn't relate to all of these issues, as a mother, I can certainly relate to those moments of feeling overwhelmed (I distinctly remember my daughter as a toddler running around the house naked for two hours refusing to keep clothes on, lol).

Everything changes for Finlay one day at Panera when a fellow patron misunderstands a conversion with her agent, Sylvia. A normal person would ignore the odd proposal, but Finlay is desperate for a change, and makes a serious of decisions that put her square in the middle of a murder and later, an investigation. Things go sideways even more when she teams up with her former nanny, Vero, in an elaborate plan to profit from the ordeal.

The plot of this book was so unexpected and unpredictable, with a mix of humor and mystery that made this one a hard one to put down. Think Murder, She Wrote combined with Laverne & Shirley.

This book wasn't on my radar at all until I saw some reviews on bookstagram, and I was not disappointed. This was a real treat, and I can't wait for more to come.

From page one, I fell in love with struggling suspense novelist and single mom Finlay Donovan. She's witty, clever and brave. Plus, she's real and responds in ways I secretly want to but don't because of propriety, my fear of jail and kindness.
When Finlay unwittingly becomes involved in a real-life murder investigation, the fun really begins. Will she and her friend/nanny Vero be able to solve the mystery and protect themselves?
I read this book in one sitting and can't wait for the next volume in the series! It's a fun, engaging and entertaining book that's a fast and pleasurable read.
Note: some sexual content and profanity

This book! That title and the cover go together perfectly!

That said, I really loved this snarky mystery. It has just the right amount of everything I look for in a mystery!

I found Cosimano's writing style to be well written, fast paced, and FUN!

I also found this book to be over the top in the best possible way and Finlay is freaking amazing!

Seriously, if you are looking for a fresh character and mystery you can't go wrong.

The ending wraps up nicely and I look forward to more books in this series (hooray!)

"It's a widely known fact that most moms are ready to kill someone by eight thirty AM on any given morning. On the particular morning of Tuesday, October eighth, I was ready by seven forty-five."

@ellecosimano had me hooked from the first lines of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It. I curled up all day yesterday, ignored my kids and didn't budge until I finished and it was totally worth all of the chaos I now have to deal with today.

Finlay is a recently-divorced struggling mystery writer who is mistaken for a hit woman and gets caught up in a murder investigation that she has to solve before she ends up the prime suspect. It is a deliciously smart, outrageously funny and surprisingly heartwarming book that I didn't want to end. Yes, the murder is the central plot but it's also a story about friendships, marriage and trying to do it all. Cosimano writes characters that jump off the page and makes even the wildest twist work. I loved the banter (Finley's nanny/BFF Vero, in particular, lands some great lines) and the on-point observations about life in suburbia.

This is a book I'll be recommending to all of my friends because even though none of us are mystery writers or hit-women (that I know of anyway), there's a lot I know they'll identify with in Finlay. And I don't know which I'm more excited for - a sequel to this book (the author posted the title page for her draft of Finlay Donovan Is Slaying It in her IG recently) or that it's been option for a TV series! Either way, I can't wait to have more Finlay in my life.

Thanks to Minotaur Books, NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy to review.

4.5 stars

This has been getting a lot of praise early on, and it is well deserved. This is Elle Cosimano’s first novel written for adults and it’s funny, smart, and has a solid mystery.

Finlay Donovan, is a divorced, mother of two. Nothing is going right in her life. She is behind on all her bills, he ex wants to file for custody of their kids. She is a fledgling author, who is behind on due dates with her editor. After a chance encounter at a Panera Bread, Finlay is offered 50K to kill a man, for woman who she just met.

Of course, Finlay does not want to do this, but is intrigued by this woman’s request, what could her husband of done that is worth dying for. When they meet at a bar, she realizes this is not a nice guy, and she drugs him and takes him back to her house, with no intention of actually killing him. Things go array very quickly, and you guess it, he winds up dead.

This is as much as I will go into the plot of the book, but what the author gave us a humorous story of this single mom, just trying to survive. Yes, this is a mystery, and a very good one at that. However this story is so much more. You will love Finlay throughout the entire book. The author gave a very human woman, mistakes and all.

This is a fun ride, and I highly recommend this. While there is no cliffhanger, this is definitely being set up for a brand new series. Enjoy!

Thank you NetGalley and Minatour Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Bills are piling up, her romantic suspense novel is sitting unwritten, and her ex husband is shacking up with their realtor and threatening to take custody of her kids. So when a woman eavesdrops and misunderstands a conversation with her literary agent and offers Finlay $50,000 to murder her husband, naturally she takes her up on her offer.

I wasn’t sure what to expect of this one but I ended up loving it! It was kooky and outlandish and over the top and the Dead to Me comparisons are spot on. Is it realistic? Not in the least bit. But it was entertaining as hell and I enjoyed every minute of it. And what an ending! I really hope we get to see more of Finlay in the future.

Mystery + Comedy + Romance
Fun and Creative
A page turner
For fans of the Netflix show Dead to Me

I loved this book. I went in expecting something fun and different and that is exactly what I got. I was completely invested in the story and I didn’t know where it would end up at the end with all the twists and turns. Plus - my romance loving self got a little love triangle on the side. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy

I knew that I was going to love this book from the first paragraph if not the first sentence. Finlay Donovan has a full plate, overflowing and no solutions on the horizon. Or maybe, just maybe there might be something to get her out of the big mess her life is - a jerk of an ex who is fighting for custody of the children, big time writers block, and so broke that she lets the bills just multiply like rabbits. When she meets with her agent to discuss her next book (or lack thereof due to that pesky writer's block) her situation takes a very strange twist and what a ride it is!
This is a laugh out loud funny with an edge. As Finlay gets sucked into a rabbit hole, she has help in the form of her nanny, Vero. Together they make an outlandish team. I won't divulge any more of the plot because I don't want to spoil any of the laughs and situations these two get into. This book was the perfect distraction to help me cope with Covid isolation. All I will say is this - how long do I have to wait for the next book?
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a fun, entertaining mystery/romance that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Finlay is a young mother of two getting divorced from her cheating husband. She's a struggling mystery/romance author who has writer's block and is in danger of having to return her meager book advance. She's in debt up to her eyeballs, her husband is fighting her for custody and she can't catch a break. A last minute change of plans has her meeting her book agent in a Panera restaurant sitting amongst a lunchtime throng. As she discusses the latest plot of her murder mystery, she senses the woman at the table next to her listening in and eyeing her.

The lady, thinking Finlay is a contract killer, asks Finlay to kill her husband for $50,000. Finlay tries to convince the woman that things aren't as they seem, but the woman won't be deterred. Curious, Finlay spies on the woman's husband and finds out he's a total creep and steps in to protect his next unsuspecting victim. When the husband turns up dead, Finlay's world spins out of control.

It's hard to review this book without spoilers, so I'm not going to try. The book is well written and the story just flows. The characters are fully developed and jump off the page. Finlay is a hot mess, but she's a funny, smart, hot mess and was fun to cheer on. Her nanny Vero is slick, smart, snarky and loads of fun to read. The plot is fast-paced and interesting. I haven't read this author before, but I will definitely read her future books. This is one of those rare books that you just want to read from start to finish in one sitting. It's a great combination of mystery/romance/humor and I highly recommend you read this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.