This book is just as ridiculous as the first - I LOVED IT! As this is book #2 in the series, I think it would be hard to know what is going on if you haven't read book #1. If you need a fun thriller/mystery, I think this is a fun one to pick up. Some parts felt more rushed that others which was my only dislike.

Finlay Donovan is back and just as unbelievable as ever! This second book in the series picks up where book one ended with Finlay trying to figure out who wants her ex husband dead. Her next novel's deadline is coming and Finlay is juggling two men while dealing with her kids and everything else - Finlay's life is getting even more hard to control! Of course, her best friend / employee (does it make anyone else uncomfortable that Vero works for her?) remains loyal and helps her get into trouble. ⁣If you're looking for something realistic, this probably isn't it, but this series is a lot of fun and will definitely keep you entertained.

A cozy who-dun it! I loved meeting Finlay for the first time (I didn't read the first book) and found that I could read this as a standalone with not many unanswered questions. The characters were all loveable and the book was quite entertaining! I'm excited to read the 1st book.

I absolutely love these books! This second book about Findlay Donovan might have even been better than the first! I enjoyed it from start to finish.

This was another wild, twisty, and fun book! Finlay and Vero make a great crime-fighting duo, even if the story did seem a bit unrealistic at times. The epilogue leaves this open for a third book, and I hope so much that Finlay and Veto’s story doesn’t end here!

I remember the feeling of reading the first book of Finlay Donovan, and I didn't expect that I would like it so much. So yes, my expectation was high on FINLAY DONOVAN KNOCKS 'EM DEAD. Finlay and Vero continued to have adventures to find a person who wanted Finlay's ex-husband (Steven) dead, and while trying to find that person, their friendship was also being tested.

In my review of the first Finlay Donovan, I wished that I would get to know Vero better in the second book. I guess the author, Elle Cosimano, granted my wish. We got to know her more in this second book. In addition, I felt the second book had more action but less humor. I missed that laugh-out-loud feeling from Finlay. In conclusion, I still loved the first book better, but I grew closer to Finlay and Vero after knowing their background stories in the second book.

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘em Dead
By Elle Cosimano
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely loved Finlay Donovan Is Killng It, and I was super excited to see what good old Finlay was up to in this sequel. Turns out that Finlay’s hijinks weren’t as fun the second time around 🤷🏼‍♀️ Don’t get me wrong, this was a solid, good read; however, it definitely had a bit of a sophomore slump in comparison to the first book. That said, I love Finlay and will keep reading her saga as it becomes available. Has anyone else heard rumors of a third installment? 👀

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT was one of my very favorite reads of 2021, so I've been looking forward to this sequel since the day I finished the first one! As the ending of the first book suggests, this one opens up pretty much immediately afterwards - with a bounty out on Finlay's ex-husband's head. Without getting the police (like Finlay's sister or the hot detective, Nick, involved), Finlay and her partner/nanny, Vero, must uncover not only who originated the post, but also the identity of the killer who responds to the post. Finlay also wants to keep her kids away from Steven, just in case they get caught in any murder attempts on their dad.

It's a fast-paced and fun sequel There's never really a slow or dull moment here, so I really had a hard time setting this one down for any reason at all. The bond between Finlay and Vero grows - along with some genuinely funny banter between them. Finlay's love life gets more complicated here - and her writing career is heading towards new heights (but also greater pressure!). The ending gives some hints that the third book may be more Vero-centric, which is good because there are definitely some dangling questions here about her backstory.

All in all, this is a great sequel and I am excited for the third book! This is such a fun series and I hope the wait isn't too long before the next one comes out!

The rona knocked me on my butt and I missed Pub Day yesterday!!! @ellecosimano knocks it out of the park again!!!! I fell in love with Finlay Donovan in the first book. And cheers to Elle for being able to write a murder book…but make it funny! In the first book, Finlay accidentally gets caught up in a murder for hire scheme. In this one, her ex husband appears to have a hit out on him! She is trying to find who wants him dead!!
-
-You can snag this one now! Thank you @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the ARC! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫

In case you haven’t already been introduced, meet Finlay Donovan. She’s a writer/contract killer/amateur sleuth - the character who does ALL the wrong things, makes TERRIBLE decisions and still winds up solving the case. I literally screamed, “don’t do that!” to her throughout this entire second book.

I love her!

I love that her writing follows her personal life. So, it’s like you’re reading the characters in her books, but it’s actually what Finlay is going through. That might not make sense, but when you read it - it will!

The relationship between Finlay and Vero makes this series special. Partners, friends, co-conspirators with plenty of good and bad ideas. So much fun to read!!

My only complaint is that some of it is a bit too far-fetched to be believable.

That said, I cannot wait for more Finlay adventures!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Looking for a book that's bingeable? Laugh out loud funny? One that has shenanigans galore? Then this is the one for you!

If you loved the first book Finlay Donovan is Killing it? Then you'll absolutely adore this one too. This sitcom like novel, brings back a bit of mystery and hilarity with Finlay and her partner in crime Vero. They're back with misunderstandings, some romance, and crime shenanigans that they always seem to get out of in the knick of time. If I could read about Finlay and Vero all the time? I would. The sitcom vibes makes me smile, laugh, and gives me the same comfort I get from watching The Nanny or Full House or the second season of Why Women Kill. I can't wait for book 3....I mean there is a book 3 right? If there's not? I may cry.

Oh I loved this one so much! Vero and Finlay are back for all the fun antics. I couldn't put this one down. I enjoyed learning a bit more about Vero and liked the romance aspect of this one. I can't wait for more of them in the next one. Great book I highly recommend!!

3.5 stars (rounded down to 3)

I was really looking forward to reading this follow-up to Finlay Donovan Is Killing It. Somehow, though, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the first book. Was it perhaps that the story was basically a continuation of the first book, including the involvement of a Russian mobster? Or was it the increasingly ridiculous situations that Finlay and her sidekick Vero keep getting into? So much jumping to conclusions and miscommunication! The plot (plots, really) got very convoluted and at times I had trouble remembering who was who among the newly introduced characters. Overall, zany for sure but not as much fun as the first book.

I do think you would be missing a whole lot if you haven’t read the first book, even though the author does her best to fill in the backstory.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I wanted to get to the first in this series before I read this one, but didn't find the time. I will go back and pick it up later. This book was a hilarious mess. Anything that can go wrong in Finlay's life does. In this book , someone is out to murder Finlay's ex-husband and she's desperate to find out who so that she can stop them. However, in the process, she does something that will most likely make her the number one suspect. She and her nanny are then incredibly busy trying to clean up that mess--which leads to even bigger and more heinous messes.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It made me laugh out loud several times. The narration by Angela Dawe was perfect. I also enjoyed her male voices, but sometimes had to strain a bit to understand what was being said.

I was gifted a copy of this book via NetGalley, St. Martin's Pres. All thoughts are my own.


READING PROGRESS

After enjoying the first installment of the Finlay Donovan series, Finlay Donovan is Killing It, I was so excited when I was approved for the ARC for the second book, Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead. Sometimes the second book in a series is a bust for me and I'm happy to say that is not the case with Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead.

I found the second book of the series to be funny, entertaining and I was fully invested from the first page. I really enjoy the characters of Finlay and Vero and while the series reminds me of Stephanie Plum and Janet Evanovich, I find this series to be much less predictable and less formulaic than Evanovich's series. I may not have laughed out loud as much as I did while reading the first book, but I still really enjoyed this mix of comedy and murder.

I was so excited to read Finlay Donovan Knocks'Em Dead, but I think I went in with too high of expectations. Once I adjusted them I enjoyed the book, just not as much as the first one. I think it helps to know going into the book that it’s going to be a little far fetched, which is how the first one is, but this one takes it up a notch. I really adore Finlay and Vero and can't wait to see where their adventure in crime takes them next, and will definitely read the third one. Overall I’d recommend it to anyone that enjoyed the first book.

Finlay is back and along with writing her second book she is trying to figure out who is plotting to kill her ex-husband. It’s a race to stay one step ahead of the detectives and solve the case before they can figure out Finlay’s involvement.

In case you're concerned that this sequel couldn't possibly live up to the first, don't be. This book is just as much fun and just as crazy as we've come to expect from Finlay Donovan. Just when you think she has her life together of course she proves you wrong. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I can't wait to see what comes next.

I had so much fun reading Finlay Donovan is Killing It last year! It was the first book in a series from Elle Cosimano. The second entry - Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead - releases today. And it's just as good as the first book.

Who is Finlay and why does she make me laugh? Well, she's a single mom of two, an author with an editor breathing down her neck for a new book (Finlay does take inspiration from her own situation), a sister, a daughter, an ex who is being quite a pain - and a contract killer. Well, technically not really - but the criminal underworld she's blundered across thinks she is. And fair enough, as she seems to stumble across bodies with frequency. Finlay is just so likeable. Her struggles are real and she's a hot mess a lot of the time. Every lead character deserves a dependable sidekick right? In this case it's Vero, Finlay's childminder. She's clever, has a sardonic sense of humor - and seems to have some dodgy connections herself.

Cosimano's plotting is inventive, clever and engaging. There's no down time in this book - action (and a body with the threat of another) propel things along at a fast paced clip, Yes, some situations are improbable, but just go with it. There's a side of romance included too. And more than one choice!

So, yes - a humorous mystery with a side of romance. What more could you want? Escapist reading at it's best. See for yourself - read an excerpt of Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead. And yes, this reader will be waiting for the third entry.

I do think, for full effect, it would be good to read the first book and then pick up this latest. If you've enjoyed Janet Evanovich books, you'll want to meet Finlay Donovan.

I’ve got another #caittalksbooks this week because I am so excited about today’s release, FINLAY DONOVAN KNOCKS ‘EM DEAD by Elle Cosimano

Last year, when the pandemic started weighing on me, I stumbled upon FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT, & it was the exact book I needed in the moment. I’m a big believer that books find us when we need them the most, & I never related to a character as much as I did to Finlay when I picked up her story.

She’s a struggling novelist who is overheard talking about her newest story & mistaken for a contract killer. In between deadlines, trying to find a babysitter, & stressed mom life, she’s hired to pull off a job: disposing of a problematic husband. Which she inadvertently accepts.

I laughed so hard with the first story & recommended it to everyone I could last year. The minute I finished the story, I needed the next.

So of course I jumped at the chance to read an early copy of Finlay’s next adventure, which is just as hilarious as the first. She’s still trying to make writing deadlines & juggle single mom life, but now she’s trying to protect her ex husband who showed up as her next hit job.

Cosimano captures the authenticity of a woman who’s tired, overworked, & just trying to make it day to day. The balance of real life issues (re: relationships, kids, ex issues, & work) with mysterious shenanigans makes for a light hearted read that explores the complexities of everyday life.

I know I’m not the only reader who’s gotten lost in these pages thinking “I am Finlay.” She’s relatable, sassy, & in this newest book, a spokeswoman for the importance (& power) of female friendships.

It’s early in the year, but I already know this is going to make my favorite reads of 2022 list. It’s a fabulous read for a laugh & an escape, but mostly for just being seen.
I’ll take book three tomorrow, please.

FINLAY DONOVAN KNOCKS ‘EM DEAD is out today, so order it from your favorite indie bookstore! Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my review.

Thank you so much to Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Elle Cosimano for allowing me access to an ARC of the sequel to Finally Donovan Is Killing It. Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead published yesterday and is available NOW!

This book was so FUN. I loved getting to see what Finlay and Vero got up to in Elle Cosimano’s latest installment! When I read Finlay Donovan is Killing It last year I adored her wit and all the shenanigans Finlay and Vero got themselves involved in.

The sequel was fun but did get a bit slow in parts. I don’t want to spoil anything but there were a few small plot lines that I could have done without. But overall I really enjoyed this book! I really hope there will be another Finlay Donovan book!