Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano was a fun read about a novelist who is a single mother. She is completely down on her luck and gets an opportunity to investigate a real crime. It all starts when she runs into a Panera to meet her agent and someone overhears the conversation and gets the wrong idea. Fast forward to Finlay accepting an offer that is unconventional and unexpected. Someone wants to pay her a large amount of money to kill someone. Suddenly Finlay is a hitwoman. And one thing leads to another…

This book was fun and humorous, just what I like in between heavier and more intense reads. I am already looking forward to more from this author.

Coming out in February! Get it here.

*Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Elle Cosimano for an ARC of this book!*

Madcap murder mystery mayhem with just a twist of sass!

It hasn't been novelist Finlay Donovan's day, month,....or even her year. Fresh off of her divorce with two kids in tow and finances running dry, Finlay has yet another dilemma: progress on her newest book has come to a screeching halt. However, her agent has come calling and wants to meet Finlay at the most perfect of places for self-reflection, business dealings, and fabulous bread alike: the local Panera. Finlay nervously heads to the meeting, not sure how she can fend off her agent much longer. An unlikely eavesdropper, Patricia, mistakes the mention of the large cash advance during the discussion as a bounty...and pegs Finlay as the expert killer in question. Post meeting, Patricia sidles up to Finlay with a proposition and a 'simple' task: dispense of the evil man in question and receive $50,000.00 cash. Finlay is stunned, but as the woman whisks away, she begins to consider her options. I mean, would it really be so crazy? She wouldn't have to actually HURT anyone, right? When Finlay tracks down her target, however, the situation quickly escalates, and Vero, Finlay's former nanny, might be the only one who can keep her out of trouble...or will she let the cat out of the bag and put both women in the crosshairs? And will truth be stranger than fiction as Finlay suddenly finds all the inspiration for her novel she could ever need...and more importantly, will she live long enough to write the Epilogue?

Finlay Donovan is such a unique and fantastic departure from the norm in this genre from former YA writer Elle Cosimano, and it is sorely needed! I knew from the first chapter this book would have the perfect blend of silliness, mystery, romance, action, and excitement, honestly unlike any mystery/thriller I have ever read before and I was enchanted by every minute spent with Finlay. The Abbott and Costello-esque relationship between Finlay and Vero is so expertly executed and fun and was the perfect blend of slapstick and solid female friendship; I always looked forward to their scenes together! Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this book is that it both seems over the top and implausible and completely believable at the same time, which is quite a feat. All of the secondary characters were a joy to read, and Finlay's kids definitely helped provide extra comic relief at different points as well. As funny as this book was, it also managed to be a clever mystery without ever feeling overwrought and also kept me guessing throughout, although the beauty of this book is the thrill of the ride. The ending is absolutely fitting and certainly opens the door for a full series, and I would love to see more from our scrappy heroine!

This is dark humor done right, and the title says it besl: Finlay Donovan IS Killing It! 4 stars

I adored this book! I’ve loved Elle Cosimano’s YA novels and was excited to begin this. I was sucked in right away and could not get enough of the serious mishaps happening in Findlay’s life and how it just kept escalating and escalating. Highly recommend!

“It’s a widely known fact that most moms are ready to kill someone by eight thirty A.M. on any given morning.”

I just LOVE a good first sentence. And if this one doesn’t set the tone for how fun this book is, both with its honesty and accuracy 🤪, I’m not sure what would.

Finlay Donovan is a broke, recently divorced author and mother of two. She is behind on her deadlines, her newly engaged ex husband fired their babysitter, and she’s having severe writers block. But a chance run in at Panera and a proposition to be a murder for hire just may give her the material she needs for her next novel.

This book was so fun! It is laugh out loud funny and you just can’t help rooting for poor Finlay and the crazy situations she keeps finding herself in. With the help of her rehired babysitter Vero, Finlay becomes the amateur detective in her own story. But when her unfinished manuscript gets some media attention, will Finlay’s life imitate art a little too closely? What an enjoyable ride finding out!

Thank you to @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. Publication date February 2, 2021.

As soon as I heard that I wasn’t the only woman BANNED from Panera Bread, I knew I had to read this book!

Ok, I am not REALLY banned, but I got your attention-as should this book!

Finlay Donovan is killing it, is the FIRST in a new comedy-mystery series, about a Single Mom and struggling Suspense Novelist, whose Fiction MAY air MAY NOT BE, inspired by events in her own life.

This one begins when a conversation is overheard in Panera Bread, by a woman at a nearby table, who mistakes Finlay for an Assassin, when she overhears a conversation between a woman in a wig-scarf and her companion, who happens to be the woman’s book agent, Sylvia, discussing the book plot for her very LATE, next novel.

This eavesdropping lady just happens to have a husband she would like to get rid of, so she slides a note under Finlay’s plate as she bids goodbye to Sylvia, making her an offer she is tempted to consider because the novel isn’t the only thing that is late-all her bills are overdue too!

$50,000
Harris Mickler

It couldn’t hurt to investigate a bit, could it?
In the name of RESEARCH for her book...

So, begins this comedy of errors for Finlay, and her unlikely accomplice-her former nanny Vero.

If you have been searching for something lighthearted to read, which isn’t a Rom-Com, (though a little bit of romance may be in the cards for Finlay too) look no further! This will be released on Feb. 2, 2021.

The idea for THIS novel was also born in a Panera Bread restaurant! 🥖

I received a gifted copy and it was my pleasure to provide a candid review! 🥐

I chose this book 100% for the cover, and if I had actually read about it, I might have skipped it because of my own anxiety issues related to accidental crimes (I have not committed any, but in various forms of media they make me super nervous). Finlay, the main character, is totally broke, trying to keep custody of her kids in the midst of a pretty nasty divorce from her husband, who has already moved on and gotten engaged to a real estate agent. Finlay is a romantic suspense novelist and she's super behind on her contracted book. She meets her agent at a Panera bread and talks through the next steps and they're overheard by a random woman who misunderstands their conversation (and the duct tape and knife she sees in Finlay's diaper bag) and thinks that Finlay is a contract killer. She leaves Finlay a note that she will pay 50k for Finlay to kill her husband. Too curious to leave it, Finlay follows the husband and sees him try to dose his extramarital date with rohypnol. She switches the drinks, drugging him and planning to take him home. She stops at her own house first, and somehow the passed out dude gets carbon monoxide poisoning and dies. Instead of going to the police (which is what I always want people to do in these fictional situations), she and her babysitter bury the body, collect the 50k, and end up getting involved unwittingly with the Russian mafia. All the while, Finlay is writing a new book (with a plot super similar to her own life) that gets a ton of attention and a huge advance for a new book series. It's very overcomplicated but ended up being a pretty fun read (despite my anxiety about how fictional characters deal with manslaughter crimes) and I would definitely read more Finlay Donovan books or other similar mysteries by Elle Cosimano.

This is a cute story, the characters are fun and I couldn't stop reading. Will highly recommend this to others!

Finlay Donovan is Killing It is a quirky mystery about a thirty-something divorced mom of two. She’s a writer with potential who just hasn’t had much success (yet). She’s got bills piling up, her ex-husband is engaged to the realtor who sold them their house. That same ex-husband also tried to seduce the only help she could count on.

At a meeting with her book editor, someone nearby overhears and misinterprets the conversation about the potential book plot, and incidentally tries to hire Finlay to kill her husband for a LOT of money. Money that could really turn things around for Finlay and her family. But, murder? She couldn’t possibly, could she?

Finlay Donovan is a little bit of a hot mess, but she is a super caring mom determined to do the best she can for her kids. I could TOTALLY relate to this. I love all the #momlife descriptions and scenarios included in the book.

This plot, while a bit outlandish at times, (in the best possible way--kind of reminiscent of Stephanie Plum‘s early adventures.) The author’s writing style is fast-paced, quick-witted, and clever. It’s the kind of style that keeps the pages flying.

Vero is maybe my favorite character. She’s Finlay‘s babysitter/accountant/housekeeper/roommate/partner-in-crime/manager? I’m kind of jealous that I don’t have a Vero in my life to help run the show. She is truly awesome.

There is a little bit of romance mixed in with the hijinks. The love interests involve a super hot cop and a super hot bartender/law student (not simultaneously… but not quite a love triangle).

It truly has all the elements I love about books rolled up into one “extra” (I LOVE EXTRA) package – – suspense, mystery, romance, comedy, motherhood, friendship, revenge, and lots of fun twists along the way.

This was a super fun, kind of campy, over-the-top read. I couldn't put it down and finished it literally in less than a day. Personally, I found the plot / twists at the end a bit hard to follow at times (only reason for rating 3 stars, not 4), but the overall premise was hilarious and I loved the badass, unintentionally hilarious duo of Finn and Vero. I'm already looking forward to the sequel!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

"Finlay Donovan is Killing It" was thoroughly amusing; one of the most fun stories I have read in a while. Finlay Donovan's life is a shambles. Her husband, Steven, has left her for their real estate agent, Theresa, with whom he was having an affair. Rolling Green Sod and Tree Farm, his landscaping business, is really taking off. Finlay (Finn), on the other hand, is an author of romantic suspense novels, but her books are not exactly bestsellers and she is far behind on writing the current book, much to the annoyance of her agent and her editor. She is also far behind on her bills and keeps having to ask Steven to bail her out financially. Due to multiple mini disasters (par for the course for a parent with two young children), her brunch at a nice restaurant with her agent turns into lunch at a local Panera (where she has to wear a disguise because she has actually been banned from this particular Panera location). The discussion between Finlay and her agent is overhead by a woman sitting nearby, who misinterprets the discussion of murders, contracts, partial payment up front, and a bad guy getting handled, and believes that Finlay is a contract killer. After her agent leaves, Finlay leaves her table temporarily and upon her return, the woman is gone, but there is a piece of paper under Finlay's plate with a name, address, sizable dollar amount, and phone number. She calls the number and discovers that the woman wants Finlay to kill her husband for $50,000, stating her husband is not a nice man and he has been doing strange things.

Finlay is not a killer and has no intention of killing anyone. However, her curiosity gets the best of her and she decides to research the guy she has been asked to kill and then check him out at the bar where his wife said he could be found that night. A series of unintentional and intentional but spontaneous actions and events results in the guy, Harris Mickler, ending up in the back of Finlay's minivan, later ending up dead (but not by Finlay, at least not intentionally), and Finlay being discovered with the dead body by Veronica (Vero), her children's former nanny, who agrees to help her hide the body in exchange for a portion of the fee.

However, while at the bar checking out Harris, Finlay ends up flirting with the bartender (and law student) Julian, and she tells him that she is a real estate agent named Theresa. These lies come back to haunt her, especially when she realizes that Harris did not accidentally die; she has inadvertently made Theresa the prime suspect in his disappearance (which becomes more problematic when a detective (Nick Anthony) approaches Finn to obtain information on Theresa; she is contacted to perform another "hit", with the target someone much more dangerous than Harris, and she has to figure out who actually killed Harris. On the plus side, she has found a plot for her next book, which her agent and editor loves, and she will finally be a successful author, if she can survive. The efforts of Finn and Vero to keep what they have done hidden and to figure out the identity of the real killer results in a series of misadventures and near misses that is quite comedic at times. The reader will likely laugh numerous times throughout the story. While the story has many comedic elements, the reader also witnesses Finlay rediscovering herself. The support and assistance of Vero, the unexpected positive response to the draft of her book, her improved financial situation, the romantic interest of Julian and Nick (neither of whom knows the real Finlay), and the resourcefulness she has to show to navigate the situations she finds herself in enables her to get out of the doldrums and discover her identity for this stage in her life. The author has created a great cast of characters and a very amusing plot. She also sets up the possibility of a second book involving Finlay and some of the other characters. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an enjoyable and fun story to read.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This book was definitely interesting and kind of odd but in a good way. I'm not sure I found anything about it funny but it was a very interesting concept. I really liked Elle Cosimano's writing and would definitely read more from her.

Finlay Donovan is a broke single mom to two young children after her husband left her for their real estate agent. She is a struggling author that has an agent desperate for her latest draft but all she has to offer is a blank word document. They agree to meet at a Panera near by to discuss her next book only to be overheard by another patron. A patron that mistakes Finlay as a hit woman.

Patricia, the patron, makes an offer to Finlay - $50,000.00 in cash to dispose of her wicked husband. Finlay can't believe it. This is all a terrible mistake. She can't kill anyone. She's a writer for crying out loud not some hitwoman. The longer that she thinks about it she realizes that the bills are piling up, the electricity got shut off at home, her van is barely running, and her husband is trying to get custody of her kids. Maybe she could kill just this once.....

This was such a fun and refreshing read. Finlay and her nanny Vero are a delight and they had me smiling and laughing on nearly every page. Even her kids cracked me up. A little bit mystery, a little bit romance, and a whole lot of laughs which was exactly what I was in the mood for. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Finlay Donovan’s life is a mess. Her husband left her, is suing for custody of her children, and she is broke as broke can be. Plus she owes her agent copy of her latest book ASAP, which wouldn’t be a problem except that she hasn’t started it. A misunderstanding leads Finlay to a dangerous situation, while also helping to fix all the issues in her life. Will Finlay be able to pull this off?

This book was a delight, which is a weird word to use about a book centered around murder for hire, but it is what it is. Finlay and her antics had me flipping pages and laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation she got herself into. This book is part comedy, part mystery, part thriller-ish, and all parts amazing. I would love to see this one turned into a tv show in the future, it reminded me a bit of Dead To Me, which I loved! If this one isn’t on your radar, it needs to be! It was absolutely charming and I loved every second!

Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan is Killing It was a good read. Witty and a good whodunnit!
I recommend!

I would like to thank netgalley and St. Martins Press for an advanced copy of Finlay Donovan IS Killing It in exchange for my honest review.

Finlay Donovan is your average newly divorced mother of two small children trying to make ends meet as an author. Her bills are piling up, her nanny has quit, and she has a serious case of writers block. That is until she is mistaken as a killer for hire at her local Panera while meeting with her literary agent. What ensues is a tale of murder, intrigue, the mob, and a little romance sprinkled in for good measure. I blew through this book in no time! The story was fascinating and the characters were endearing. I hope that there will be more Finlay novels to come. I highly recommend!

I cannot tell you how much I loved this book! I did not read the description very well when I asked to read it and I am glad that I went in blind. It was the right type of campy murder mystery that I did not know I needed right now, and I blew right through it. Full of fun and terrible characters, mystery, romance, friendship, and drama, the book ended up being a wild ride full of twists and turns you will never guess! The cover is also wonderful and I cannot wait to get my hands on a hard copy!

This book was very unexpected. I thought I knew what I was getting myself into by reading the description and expecting a very different book than I got. But I had a lot of fun reading it, Finlay was an unconventional heroine, and I really enjoyed the Vero character. I felt like the book got a little chaotic towards the end, and some parts did feel a little hollow. Like, there should have been more depth invested in some of the motivations or reactions (and reveals). The mysteries themselves were wrapped up a bit too much, almost like oversights, but I found that I was invested enough in the characters that I was willing to let a lot go. Overall an entertaining book that I finished in two days. I liked the ending, I'd read more of Finlay's adventures.

I enjoyed this book. It was a new to me author. I will definitely be looking for her other books. I hope this one has a continuation!! I really felt for the people in this book. I was so into it that I was getting anxious for them!!! Would definitely recommend this book!

3.75/4 stars

This is a fun read that is oddly light-hearted for its genre.

Finlay Donovan is NOT killing it when the novel begins. She is living scenes of motherhood that are too realistic and thus kind of the most terrifying aspect of the novel. Her kids are running amok, her house is a mess, and her ex-husband - a cheating dirt bag - is still making her life terrible. Oh, and she's barely into her 30s.

After a series of strange coincidences, Finlay finds herself getting inspiration for her actual job - writing - from her real but unbelievable life. She has a fantastic collaborator in Vero and a pretty awesome sister, and I would have loved to know more about and see much more of both of these characters. They were my favorite parts of the book by far, and I hope that they both feature prominently in any future installments.

I read a lot of YA, and in many ways, this novel possesses the most frustrating quality of that genre: too many convenient circumstances. For the genre, especially, I wanted to see a little more struggle, creativity, and also consequence. Finlay makes a lot of mistakes, but her outcomes almost never reflect this. I needed more tension to root for her authentically.

While I guess this is mystery-adjacent, it read a lot more to me like women's fiction. Readers who enjoy a soapy, women's centered (but - honestly - these women are largely driven by the men, so...) semi-revenge novel may find that this is a good option.

Extra points for a fun ending - I'm already looking forward to what might come next.

This is the most fun I’ve had reading in a long time. This is one of those stories that makes you say “no that did not just happen”! Fun, witty, and fast-paced. Highly recommend!