I really enjoyed the first book in the Finlay Donovan series, however what made the first book work really well was that it all just snowballed from a very simple mistake. This time around things are done with intention and unfortunately it loses some of its charm, mainly because Finlay makes some really idiotic decisions when she has two young children relying on her.

I get that she wants to protect their father, but putting herself at risk the way she did just seemed wildly irresponsible. Showing Stephen the evidence and talking to him would have been much easier, but alas, Cosimano wouldn’t have had a book if that occurred.

There's a few spots where things should have been edited some more, (mainly the arson at the farm being listed in the list of transgressions that FedUp made, considering that was already attributed to someone else.) I also found the recap at the beginning to be a little repetitious.

All in all it’s a fun story, and I’m still going to read book 3 to see where Cosimano takes this.

Ok, book 2 in the Finlay Donovan series..Her crazy life continues ! A mother, daughter, best friend ,an ex, and a “very scary” detective. In trouble again and how to get out of it this time !.? I’m enjoying the antics of Finlay Donovan so.much. She’s a brave young women , not to mention a very explicit storytelling author. Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martins Press and Elle Cosimano for this set of ARCs. I am now addicted to this series !
Good going !

Finlay Donovan is back- this time with ties to the Russian mafia! Oh, and did I mention there's a hot cop? Great for Finlay, except not so much when she needs to bend the law a bit to protect her ex husband. I enjoyed this story and the addition of the new characters. Super fun read!

Hysterically funny and one I could not put down. Finlay & Vero are quite interesting characters and the Finaly Donovan series has quickly reached a must-read status for me to see what will happen next! Excited for the next in the series.

I mean, whyyyyyyyy am I so late to the FInlay Donovan game????? How did I miss this when it first came out?
This review is going to be for the entire series which I now love, and I'm pretty much kicking myself for not getting on the bandwagon sooner.

If you are looking for a FMC to get behind, to rally under, to cheer for... Finlay Donovan is your girl. I loved meeting her for the first time and going along her adventures. My favorite among the series is still the first book, but after going through a lot of "let-down sequels", I'm happily devoured these books. Perfect for someone who's kinda new to the genre. Love, love, love!

Well Finlay is back and I really want to know how she gets the job done being so out in left field most of the time. Not sure how to rate the book but I did like it. To me you don't have to be really smart to get a job done. Giving book 3.5 stars.

With her friend (and nanny) Vero by her side, Finlay dives right back into the chaos where book one left off. This time, she’s faced with an unexpected conundrum: a request to eliminate her nemesis—her ex. As tempting as the idea might be, Finlay knows it’s impossible. With her kids to consider, there’s no way she can go through with it, no matter how satisfying it sounds. Filled with new characters, sharp wit, and plenty of laughs, Finlay continues to stumble her way through this accidental chapter of her life—and you’ll love every twist and turn of the ride.

Finlay and Vero are a great team once again in the second book in this series. This book was highly entertaining. After learning that someone wants to kill her ex-husband Steven, Finlay offers herself up as a contract killer to find out who wants him dead. But another party already took the bait and makes multiple attempts on Steven's life. Elle's writing is witty with just the right amount of suspense - and the chemistry between Finlay and the hot cop Nick is perfection. Already starting book three - excited to continue the series. Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the chance to read this novel.

Finlay and Vero are back at it. When they discover someone has put out a hit on her ex-husband Steven, Finlay realizes she has to dive back into the criminal world and stop this stranger. Meanwhile she is continuing to juggle motherhood, a novel that needs to be written, financial challenges, and two separate love interests.

This book picks up right where book #1 left off. One of my favorite parts of this book was seeing Finlay & Vero's friendship continue to develop. The plot line has kept me guessing, although there are moments where you have to suspend your disbelief. The characters become more fleshed out as the story progresses which I really enjoyed. The writing is easy to read, the banter is witty, and the audio narration was excellent. Besides some of the plot points my primary complaint is that Finlay just puts up with so many terrible people. She deserves so much better, but also needs to make some better choices for herself.

Many thanks to the author, publisher & Netgalley for the advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an electronic copy of this novel.

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead is the second book in a popular series. Taking place right after the first novel, Finlay is dealing with the aftermath of what happened in the first book. The big wrinkle in this novel is that someone is trying to kill her ex-husband and the father of her two children. Even though she doesn't like him or his behavior, she wants to save the father of her kids, so she sets out to figure out who has been hired and try to prevent it - by posing as another potential hit person!

I really enjoyed this one also. The writing is witty and the characters are fun. Onto the next book in the series!

In a continuation of Finlay Donovan is Killing It, Finlay still needs to take care of her kids and make ends meet while finishing her latest novel. And now she and her best friend and kids' nanny Veronica need to hunt down whoever is trying to kill her ex-husband!

I grabbed this book as a read-now, completely forgetting i had read the series! I love this series and enjoy them every time they come out with a new one. Great author, thanks so much for putting this as read-now to allow more to read!

The author has me hooked on the Finley Donovan series with Book 2, when the single mom-struggling author is back at it, trying to save her ex-husband from the Russian mob. Love these kooky thrillers!

4 stars ⭐️ loved it. nothing more to say!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Y'all why did I sleep on this book? It was so good. Even better than the first one in my opinion. A perfect read for a cozy winter night!

Ok 2 in the Finlay Donovan series disappointed me. I do enjoy the ridiculous and unbelievable situations Finlay gets herself into, but some of the dumb decisions are going too far. This book seemed to drag on only to leave several unanswered questions. The ending was designed to make the reader want to purchase the next book to find out the answers to the mysteries that should have been resolved in this one. For this reason, I did not rate it as high as the first book. I will continue to read the series as I have thoughts about who one of the players might be.

I appreciate the opportunity to read this title and thank you to St. Martins for providing me with an eARC, however I am prioritizing other books on my list at this time. I will amend my review to reflect my thoughts, when I start reading this series in the future.

When the title reads "knocks 'em dead", I didn't think literally. Another wonderful tale of accidental hijinks with Finlay and Vero that grips you unceasingly that has you missing dentist appointments because you're so hooked. Amazing story and loving the adventure this takes you on!

4.5/5 STARS
SO GOOD!! I both read this one and listened to the audio book (which the voices were fantastic!). This was another re-read for me and once again I have found a greater appreciation for this book and series. Yes, the odds of this stuff happening are so unlikely but that's the point and what makes it so hilarious. Keeping Steven alive, despite how we all feel about him, was the main goal Finlay had and the mafia is on her trail.

Oh Finlay, you are an absolute mess and I LOVE IT. What a sequel! I was a little worried that it wouldn’t be as funny or entertaining as the first book, but it absolutely delivered for me. Vero and Finlay are such a great team and I loved seeing them become closer. I also enjoyed how everything that could go wrong did go wrong for them for a while and it kept me wondering how they were going to come out the other side of it all! The big twist at the end was one I probably should have seen coming, but I didn’t and it had me cackling. I’m still not sure if I’m Team Nick or Team Julian so I’m looking forward to seeing more of both men and how they each are good for Finlay. I honestly had so much fun the entire time I was reading it and the ending has me SO EXCITED for book three.

CW: death, violence, gun violence