Oops… They did it again! Finally and Vero are back and ready to entertain. ⁣
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⁣This book stars right back up where the last one ended. Finlay is still struggling to finish her novel and keep her head above water. Thankfully, she still has her live-in nanny and friend Vero to rely on. Unfortunately, someone wants her ex-husband, Steven, out of the picture and Finlay is committed to figuring out who and saving him. ⁣
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⁣Oh Finlay you are so fun! These books are completely silly, but also widely entertaining. The plot is action packed, engaging, and the characters are likable and fun. ⁣
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⁣I had a blast reading this one and highly recommend it when you’re needing a fantastic palate cleanser. Four stars! ⁣
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⁣Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press / Minotaur Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

*I'm somewhere between 3 and 4 stars on this one, but rounding it up to 4 stars for the humor.

Finlay Donovan learns through an online chat room that someone is willing to pay to have Steven, her ex-husband, eliminated. And worse, there seems be someone interested in taking on the job! But instead of taking this information to her cop sister Georgia or her sometimes boyfriend, Detective Nic Anthony, she and her live-in babysitter/accountant/friend Vero set out to figure out who wants Steven dead.

Having read the first two books in this series back-to back, I have to say this second book isn't as sharply plotted and sparkly fun as the first book, perhaps suffering a bit from the dreaded sophomore effort? I am finding Finlay a little less likable this time. She's not around much for her two kids; she's playing pretty loose with the feelings of the three men who are lusting after her; she's still not taking her writing career seriously; and she's off on this crazy mission, putting herself, Vero and others in dangerous situations. And how well does she know Vero anyway--someone she's entrusted with her home, kids and money? But okay, if I try to suspend my disbelief and judgments, this is a fun, wild and crazy read.

I received an arc of this new thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity.

Another fun book by Elle Cosimono. I have really enjoyed both books in the series. In this second book Finlay stumbles upon killer for hire making a deal online and the victim is her ex-husband. In order to save the father of her kids, she’s trying to figure out who wants him dead and why. In addition she has two attractive men who want her attention, her sidekick and babysitter has something to hide, and she has a book deadline quickly approaching.

I think this is a great book to escape with and I will continue to read the series.

This book is available now. Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Elle Cosimano does it again! I absolutely loved Finaly Donovan #1 and this one was no different. Back again with her charm and banter, I couldn't put this book down. The side characters are magnificent and I'm a huge fan of Cosimano's writing style. Loved this book!

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A mom's forum that doubles as a place to contract a murder, a dead body, a Hispanic nanny with secrets of her own, goons from the Russian mob, a missing witness, a hot cop who wants more, and a would-be lawyer who wants her. Finley's life is more than full, and her literary agent want 20,000 fabulous words by Monday - she will be lucky to get 10,000 crappy ones. And, her cell phone is missing, that is not good, not so good at all as that phone can tie Finley to things she absolutely doesn't want to be tied to. Such is the life of Finley Donovan, single mother of two and bestselling Romantic-Suspense author whose real life is better than any fiction I have ever read.

Oh wait, this is all fiction. Well, it is definitely some of the best I've read in a while. How Finley is going to get herself out of this mess is a journey you will want to take on your own. I will say that it is quite a ride and well worth your time. There are times you will cringe, times you will laugh out loud and times you will hold your breath and wonder just how Finley is going to get out of the impossible situation she has gotten herself into.

When Finley discovers that someone has put a hit contract on her ex-husband, she is all in to try and prevent that from happening. Not that she cares for Steven, but he is the father of her kids, and they like him a lot. Finley and Vero, her nanny, are not newbies when it comes to this hit contract thing, and they have a vested interest in keeping Steven alive but will need some help doing that.

What would you do if you found out someone put a hit on your ex-husband?

Finlay Donovan finds out there is an online chat forum where someone has put a hit out on her ex-husband. While Steven was a terrible husband, he is still the father of her two children. Finlay will stop at nothing to try to protect Steven for his children’s sake, even if that means disguising her amateur sleuth skills as research for her upcoming novel -you know, the one that she is really behind on, again.

I thoroughly enjoyed both Finlay Donovan is Killing It and Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead. This second book in the series is just as hilarious as the first, but it is more intense, more twisty, more surprising, and has more wit. I never expected a book about murder-for-hire to be so enjoyable, but Elle Cosimano nailed it.

Finlay Donovan is such a ditzy character, but it really works in this book. She finds herself in dangerous situations, mostly with her live-in nanny and sidekick Vero. The two of them somehow manage to get out of the situations by the skin of their teeth, only to land in a bigger more dangerous situation later.

If you have ever read any of my reviews before, you may know that I am very rarely satisfied with the ending of a book. That is not the case here. I was absolutely happy and satisfied with the ending of this book. It was not at all what I was expecting, but it was perfect for this book. The energy in this book matched from beginning to end, and I was never bored.

5 stars, one of the best books I have read, definitely in my top 10 favorites!

This was a laugh out loud experience from a new-to-me author.

It was a lively, quick paced read with plenty of twists and turns, keeping my interest from start to finish.

I'm not sure who I'd select as my favourite character but there are a few all vying for top spot.

There are a few 'secrets' that have yet to be divulged but I'm sure that, in the fullness of time, they will be revealed. I'm equally sure that even more will be established, keeping the reader on the end of this very attractive line as this series develops more fully.

All in all, a great way to be introduced to an author that I'll absolutely read again.

For those who loved the first Finlay Donovan book, this next installment in the series lives up to the hype! Picking up where the first book left off, this story is a wild ride. As Finlay and Vero rush to figure out who is trying to kill her ex husband Steven, the moral ambiguity, love triangles, and chaotic humor abound. I will be pressing this series into everyone’s hands, and I can’t wait for the third book!

I love Finlay Donovan! She’s managed to get into difficulties because of a random note at Panera in book 1, but let’s make it clear that she’s not read hitman even though some intimidating Russians might disagree. She is, however, a mom with a ex to be named Steven, and she’s just discovered on a “mom’s website” that someone has put out a contract on his life. She’s also got her nanny/sidekick named Vero, who’s got her own secrets.

As far as she’s concerned that’s fine, but he is the father to her two children and she wants to protect them. What can she do? Well, she can pretend to be another hitman competing for the contract and find out who wants him dead. She also starts trying to find out the real names on the website, which takes her down an interesting path.

Finlay has been kinda sorta seeing a police detective named Nick and she’s sure he wouldn’t approve of her pretending to be a hitman and lurking on the web. What’s a mom to do?

This book is laugh out loud funny. The memorable characters and the well written plot makes this a must read. I highly recommend this book, 5 stars.

Thanks to the the publisher iand NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Elle Cosimano has knocked us all dead again! Finaly Donovan was a highly anticipated sequel that did not disappoint. Cosimano has written another hilarious mystery with twists and turns that I never saw coming. The characters were well developed and getting to slowly learn more about each of their backstories made for even more interesting stories.

This dark comedy picks up where the first book left off.

Finlay’s trying to stay away from the hit woman life and finish her next novel, but someone’s put a hit out on her ex-husband. As much as Finlay dislikes Steven, she doesn’t want to see the father of her children get murdered. But the deeper she digs into the dark web site where the notice is posted, the more trouble she gets in. There’s Russian mobsters to deal with, teenage hackers to bribe and dead bodies to bury. Finlay’s also stuck in a love triangle with her hot young grad student Julian and Nick, the obnoxiously cute and sweet cop who keeps showing up on her doorstep wanting to date her.

While this one didn’t have quite as many laughs as the first one, Finlay and her nanny Vero are a delight as they rush to save the scummy Steven.

This was an enjoyable ride, and the author set it up nicely for the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book.

Oh my gosh I love this series! The first book was the perfect laugh out loud mystery. I read this book so quickly because the last one left me dying for more. I think the first book was my favourite of the two. This book was a little more confusing for a bit but still a great book and was the same Finlay that I love. This is a series that I recommend to so many people.

Finlay Donovan and her wingwoman Vero is back! Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead is the sequels to the smashing hit Finlay Donovan is Killing It. If this second book is any indication, this series will be around for awhile.

Finn and Vero, her live-in nanny realize that someone is seeking to eliminate Finlay's ex-husband Steven and in a effort to keep the father of her children safe she takes the hit so she can solve the mystery as to who and why put a price on her ex's head.

Hidden secrets, Russian Mobs, a dead pet goldfish, hot cops, and a mystery to solve keep Finlay and Vero on their toes.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books & NetGalley for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

I loved Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, so was thrilled to read this sequel of Finlay's escapades. It's not quite as laugh-out-loud funny as the first one, but has the same madcap shenanigans that make this another enjoyable page-turner. The novel opens as mystery writer Finlay discovers there's a contract out on her cheating ex-husband Steven, which means whenever he has the kids for the weekend, they'll be in danger. So Finlay is doubly motivated to find out who wants to do away with Steven. Characters introduced in book #1 reappear to provide threats or support: the Russian mafia, a sexy law student, a hot cop, her babysitting sister/police officer, and her live-in nanny/friend/partner in solving the mysteries they uncover - all while Finlay tries to make her novel's deadline before her agent cancels their contract. While decorating the Christmas tree. While buying and wrapping presents. It's safe to say that her holidays are even more hectic than the average single mom who's just trying to keep it together.

There are a variety of possible suspects, and author Cosimano does a convincing job of leading readers towards an array of conceivable prospects before the murder/mystery is solved. Let me warn you that it can get confusing, but don't worry about trying to keep all the details straight and just enjoy the ride - which is a lot of fun. With danger and a dead body, disguises and distracting secrets, this fast-paced Christmas-time whodunit concludes with a promise of yet another adventure for Finlay. I'm already lining up for book #3. I highly recommend this creative, clever, amusing mystery with likeable characters and clever twists and turns.

Finlay Donovan is back up against it. Her agent made a killing with her last book, and now she wants more. She has a meeting with the publisher, and they are desperate for another book proposal like the last one Finlay had come up with. The good news is that proposal turned her from a middling romance writer to a potential best-selling thriller author, and they are hungry for more. The bad news? That last book came from an unfortunate misunderstanding that because a series of incidents and accidents that could put Finlay into jail for a long time.

And now her agent is going to kill her if she can’t do it again.

So Finlay is trying to come up with a second book, even though she still hasn’t finished writing the first one, and this while dealing with the law student she’s not quite dating, the hot cop who wants to date her, her family, her two kids, her ex-husband Steven, and the online post buried deep in a forum for soccer moms that reads very much like someone is putting out a contract to have Steven killed.

Finlay and her nanny/accountant/partner-in-crime Vero have been coming up with excuses for why Steven couldn’t have the kids at his new house, not wanting to let on that someone out there wants him dead. Finlay finally agrees to let him take them out one night to go shopping for a Christmas tree, but she and Vero follow them, with new binoculars in their hands and the baby monitor hidden in Delia’s backpack. And when they see the kids wander off and Steven go after them, they get nervous. Then they just hear the kids, 2-year-old Zach and preschooler Delia, and they go flying across the Christmas tree lot to get to them. Vero grabs Zach, and Finlay finds Delia, and Steven shows up with a big knot on the back of his head from where someone hit him.

Finlay knows that it wasn’t just someone trying to grab his wallet. Someone online saw the post on the forum and is trying to fulfill the contract. Someone really is trying to kill her ex-husband.

Because of her own foray into contract killing, Finlay can’t just tell Steven or her sister the cop about the contract killing, because their investigation could lead to very messy discoveries about Finlay and Vero. So Finlay knows that she will have to keep her ex-husband alive herself. But when she and Vero are in his work trailer when someone throws a firebomb in the window, Finlay wonders just how far she’ll go for Steven. Even if cleaning out the contents of a deep freezer the next state over or dressing up as the attorney of a powerful Russian mob boss to meet with him in prison will make for amazing chapters in her new book. But is she a good enough writer to craft a happy ending in real life, or is she fooling herself?

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is the continuation of author Elle Cosimano’s last Finlay book. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It introduced these characters, from the novelist mother or two who became an incidental hitwoman to her nanny/accountant, her ex-husband, the two men she’s dating now, and several members of the Russian mob. Cosimano is juggling a lot with these novels, and she does it in a way that’s smart, funny, sassy, and compelling. You don’t have to read the first one to understand the second one, but I do recommend it, just because it’s a really good book.

I loved Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead. I think Finlay is such a fun character to spend time with, and her endless creativity in solving life’s problems is an inspiration. No matter what life throws at her, she is game to give it a shot, and while she certainly dances on the lines of legality, she does try to be as moral as she can given her circumstances. And she does it all with wit and confidence and a little attitude. I am absolutely loving this series, and I can’t wait to find out what Finlay will stir up next (please tell me that there will be a next!).

Egalleys for Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead were provided by Minotaur Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Finlay Donovan is a trouble maker. I feel like I go on these absolutely crazy adventures each time and I LOVE IT.
ABSOLUTELY.
This time the story was a bit more messy and a little harder to follow , but once I got into it I was hooked.
All the starts for Finlay!

Finlay Donovan is back - bold and hilarious as ever! Who doesn't love our favorite hit mom who teeters on the tightrope of morality in the most outlandish predicaments she gets herself into? Finlay Donovan is Killing It was such a successful story so going into this sequel there is always a little trepidation that it won't hold up to it's predecessor. Let me state clearly, Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead does in fact prove that this series will have a long life and you'll love this book just as much as the first!

Finlay, single mom of two, is back and once again struggling to meet deadlines for her latest novel and Vero, her live-in nanny, continues to be a mysterious confident friend and sleuther with Finlay. Together they will realize that someone is seeking to eliminate Finlay's ex-husband Steven and will seek to solve the mystery as to who that may be and why.

Russian Mobs, a dead pet goldfish, hot cops, and chaos keep Finlay Donovan on an adventure that has surprises in all the best ways.

inlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead is a well done sequel to this smart and hilarious series.

I think I’ve decided that in order to truly enjoy this series, you have to suspend disbelief. There’s a lot that happens that is outrageous and unbelievable but in the world of Finlay Donovan, it’s normal! With that being said, this was a fun novel and a very quick read. And, to be as spoiler free as possible, I don’t think this is the last we’ll see of Finlay.

The story picks up where the first book left off as Finlay discovers there's a hit out on her ex-husband and does whatever she can to protect him and her kids.

I had a hard time getting into this one. It's slow and boring to start, and didn't pick up until about 35% in. Similar to the first book, the scenarios are outlandish, but it was lacking some of the humor and charm. Finlay finds herself tangled up with the Russian mob once again, and leans on Vero and the handsome cop Nick to get herself out of sticky situations.

If you loved the first book I think you'll enjoy this one, but they definitely need to be read in order for context. It was left a bit open ended so I'm curious to see what direction it goes in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

The girls are back and man, are they in over their heads this time! "Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead" was the perfect follow-up novel for when we first meet Fin and Vero. But I should point out, nothing about their hot mess lives is perfect these days.

Finlay discovers there's a hit out on her ex-husband. While doing all she can to save her his life and keep her children safe, Finlay discovers that the underbelly of the internet, dirty jobs aren't always easy to clean-up, and that she still isn't great at juggling work/finances/home/romance life. But you can best bet the entire story is hilarious to watch unfold.

One disaster after another leaves you wondering what's it going to take for Fin and Vero to leave the crime life to the pros. However, we learn that sometimes the person you least expect is the dirtiest criminal of all. This twist is going to be a real shocker for readers!

I loved that this book was much more about the friendship between Fin and Vero and less about the romances with Nick and Julian. Finlay puts her love life on hold in "Knock 'Em Dead" which makes me wonder what we can expect in book 3.