This was just as good as book 1!

Vero and Finlay continue to be hilarious and end up in the craziest scenarios. I love that this one dives a bit more into Vero's history. Steven continues to be up to no good as we learn more about his past with Theresa and Bree.

Highly recommend reading the acknowledgements as well to read about the authors struggle with writing a comedy during a pandemic.

New auto-buy author for me! Can't get enough of this series.

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is the second book in the Finlay Donovan series. In the first book, we have Finlay Donovan, an author, who was describing her plot to her agent in a crowded Panera. She details the life of a hired contract killer, only to find a message that one of the customers believes that Finlay is a real contract killer. At the very end of Book #1, Finlay receives a message requesting that she off her ex-husband. Book #2 involves Finlay Donovan doing some amateur detective work in a very non-subtle manner. She also has two dashing gentlemen actively pursuing her and constantly trying to get her in her birthday suit.

I’m going to be honest that I wasn’t that big of a fan of the first book. Finlay Donovan is extremely ditzy, and the book is so unrealistic. Everything is very easy with exactly perfect timing. Evidence is always laid out in plain sight. She has two children, but she never does much with them other than drop them off with other people and describing the children as messy, sticky, and dirty. This is definitely a cozy mystery, and I didn’t feel the suspense building. By the end of Book #2, I still have questions about Vero and the identity of one of the characters, and I’m one that likes a pretty clean ending.

All that being said, this book was really easy to read. The sentences and paragraphs are short. The prose is non-pretentious, and it was a nice, light-hearted read. The author also better be paid for product placement because she mentioned Fiat Chrysler Automobile vehicles so many times: a Dodge minivan, a Dodge Charger, a Jeep, and even an Alfa Romeo Spider. By the way, an Alfa Romeo Spider does not cost $100,000. It has an MSRP in the high $60,000’s (Troy is after all in the heart of Metro-Detroit, the Motor City). This book also might be labeled as aspirational fantasy. I mean hot cops are always stopping by my house just to check me out, right?

*Thanks, NetGalley, for a copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

FINLAY DONOVAN KNOCKS 'EM DEAD by Elle Cosimano continues Finlay's exploits from the first novel FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT. This suspense novelist has accidentally built a reputation as a murder-for-hire, which got her into some tricky situations with shady characters in the first novel. Now she has to figure out how to keep her ex-husband safe from an anonymous individual who has put a bounty on his head and the anonymous assassin who has agreed to do the job.

This sequel has amped up the comedy and the tension from the first installment, making for an entertaining ride. The banter between Finlay and her friend/nanny/accountant/partner-in-crime, Vero, is always good for a laugh, and the altercations and and entanglements in which Finlay finds herself throughout the story leave the reader itching to know how she'll squeak out of them. Realistic, this book is not, but it's lots of fun if you're looking for pure escapism and a puzzle of a plot.

Full disclosure, when I read Finlay Donovan Is Killin’ It, I wasn’t really expecting much and I was so, so pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. I didn’t even mind the ending that was a little bit of a cliff-hanger. So when I saw #2 was available on NetGalley, I immediately requested it and dove right in when my request was approved.

Finlay is a single mom just trying to do her best. So what if her best means accidentally getting involved with her nanny in a murder-for-hire, the Russian mafia, and not to mention the confusing, yet steamy, love triangle with a young boy-toy law student and a hot and rugged cop who works with her sister (who also happens to be a cop)?

Is everything in this story believable? No way. Is it still hilarious and fun to get caught up in? Absolutely. Finlay reminds me of Stephanie Plum, but a little bit more together (except for the dead body part taking up space in her washing machine).

Because these are set up as cliffhangers, you definitely have to read #1 first, but trust me you won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait for #3 to pick back up on the story, learn more about the mysterious nanny Vero, and finally find out who EasyClean is.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This story had a lot of humor in it. The series would make a great tv show. I enjoyed revisiting the characters. the things that happen are just so outlandish.

This was definitely missing something. The humor? The easy way the story flowed?
I don't know.

I got so many characters confused. I couldn't keep up with the storyline. Maybe it's because I was super sick while reading this, but I barely laughed. It was missing the funny moments I loved in the first one. This was a chore to get through and I was so freaking happy when it was over. Not a good sign.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
However, I'm warning you now, I'm probably in the minority. Give this one a chance if you loved the first one. Maybe you'll be in a better frame of mind reading it.

This book was so much fun! After enjoying the first Finlay Donovan book, there was no question that I need to get my hands on the follow-up novel. I was eager to see what kind of trouble Finlay and Vero would get themselves into in this installment and hoped to find a few laughs along the way. I was impressed by this second installment in the series and had an absolute blast reading this book.

Finlay is no fan of her ex-husband, Steven, but when she finds out someone wants him dead, she decides that she needs to make sure he remains among the living. He doesn’t believe that he is in any danger so Finlay and Vero have their work cut out for them. Finlay and Vero make a great team but they do seem to be able to get themselves in trouble without even trying. There was never a dull moment and I loved that the mystery had me guessing until the very end.

There is just a bit of romance to balance out the action. Finlay is in a bit of a love triangle which I am not usually a fan of but I think it works in this book. I think that I have decided that I am firmly in team Nick at this point and hope to see their relationship progress in future installments. I love that the romance is really more in the background of the story. Finlay and Vero are able to handle what needs to be done all on their own and they lean on each other, instead of a man, for support.

I would definitely recommend this book to others. This is a fun series that is able to provide more than a few laughs along with a great story. I cannot wait to read more of Finlay’s adventures.

I received a digital review copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

“This chapter was definitely not in my copy of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. I wanted my money back.”

4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5) I love Vero, I love Finlay. They get in the stupidest situations and it’s just plain entertaining. The story flew quickly and kept my interest. I was worried book 2 wouldn’t hold to the same standards of book 1 but Cosimano pulled it off and once again, I was smiling throughout the book!

I didn’t laugh quite as much as the first but still, no complaints. I couldn’t predict the twists, I was baffled by their stupidity and it was an enjoyable read.

I still feel lucky to have received this early copy! Cosimano is spectacular at grabbing you from page one, bringing in the “real” of parenting, dating and just life. She is able to connect with readers in so many ways because even if we don’t want to admit it, we’ve all had the same thoughts. I love her for that! Cue the applause for Cosimano, I will continue to read all her books!

Book number 2 in this series and let me tell you, these books are always SO good!

Finlay Donovan is once again struggling to finish a novel and keep her head above water as a single mom. Luckily she has live in Nanny and partner in crime Vero to help her. On the not so bright side of things, there is someone out there who put a hit her on her ex husband Steven and she has to find a way to stop them.

This series has everything. Romance, mystery, action and comedy! It’s so much fun to read and I was hooked from the first page. The love triangle in this one was something I quite enjoyed but the best part of these books is the solid partnership/ friendship/ sisterhood that takes main theme between Vero and Finlay. They have each others backs and it’s refreshing to see!

The story is so much fun to follow as it goes from one bad decision to another. While some scenarios are absolutely outrageous, the calamity that is Finlay’s life is still somehow so relatable. We also end on a somewhat cliff hanger so obviously now I can’t wait for book 3!!

Readers who liked the first are more than likely to enjoy this second in the series as it's very much in the same style, just less. Start with the first book if you haven't as this series should be read in order since the second book picks up right where the first left off and doesn't spend a lot of time reestablishing characters.

Personally I didn't like this one as much as "Killing It". Maybe it was the novelty of the situation Finlay gets herself into that wore off by book two? I know the ridiculousness was a big reason I enjoyed "Killing It". I also felt like the humor wasn't as prevalent either. Vero, our bad@ss super friend was missing her snappy wit and bold actions. And I'm not too happy that there's a love triangle blooming....makes me think of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum and her tiring indecision between Ranger and Joe.

Let me just say, I absolutely adore this series on audio. The narrator is perfect for each character and just like the first, I found myself smiling and giggling throughout it. I will say, this one felt a lot more chaotic. There was a lot going on so at times it was tough to keep up. Lots of new characters, red herrings & different subplots that make it a tad unrealistic. There’s a few in answered questions that didn’t get wrapped up but, it did keep me entertained and on my toes.

And of course I loved the love triangle!! So glad to see Nick and Julian are still apart of the picture. However, I’m still undecided if I’m team Nick, the hot cop or team Julian, the swoony lawyer grad student. I mean let’s be real — ANY love interest is better than Steven 😅

Overall, I did prefer the first book just a little but this one was set up perfectly for a third so you can bet I’ll be reading the next! I’m so interested to see what happens next for this unruly dynamic duo!

4.5 stars

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

Love, love, love this book!!! Cosimano knocks it out of the park once again. I was concerned that Book Two would suffer a sophomore slump and because I loved the first book so much, I started this book with a bit of trepidation. Happily, my concerns were for nought, because this book is everything I wanted and more.

It's been a month since Finlay was mistaken for a hit woman, resulting in a comedy of errors, a bit of danger and a few dead bodies. She and Vero have settled into a nice routine taking care of the kids, dealing with dead pets, fighting with Finlay's ex about child custody, among other things, and Finlay avoiding her editor. Since her book was a surprise hit, the pressure is on for Finlay to continue her success. Except she has no idea what she wants to write about and hasn't written a word.

When Vero and Finlay discover an ad on an online forum offering to pay $100,000 to kill Steven, they put down their wine glasses, dust off the cookie crumbs and start their off-book investigation. Of course, nothing goes right and before the duo knows it, they've fallen into a sink hole of mobsters, hackers, and yes, more dead bodies.

This book hit the ground running and didn't let up until the satisfying, and juicy, cliffhanger. Finlay and Vero are wiley as ever and their smarts, and dumb luck, serve them well in getting to the bottom of the latest mystery. Their relationship hits a couple bumps that they will need to delve into later, but Finlay is able to get a small glimpse into Vero's past life that she's thus far been vigilant to keep secret. It's clear, however, that Vero will eventually have to let Finlay in, if only just a tiny bit, if they are to continue as partners.

Both characters grow a bit in this book, and it's nice to see how confidant they are in themselves, and their ability to manage their lives on their own. Don't get me wrong, they still have moments where they are a hot mess, but don't we all? The books could get stale if Finlay and Vero don't grow, and we don't want that. Steven even takes a step in being less of a jerk - albeit, a teeny, tiny one.

I don't want to spoil anything for you - so let me just leave this right here

Carl - WTF?
Fast cars and dangerous women
stroganoff and dumpster diving
wigs - again
Nick and Julian - yum and yum
No money? Big problems

I don't know what you're still doing reading this review - go get this book and immediately start reading it!!

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

She’s back! Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is out today with a whole new set of troubles but the same ole’ shenanigans!

Thanks to @minotaurbooks @netgalley and @ellecosimano for helping me to remember just how much I loved Finlay the first time around. In this take, we meet her right where the first book left off - she has a novel to finish, her nanny and friend, Vero is by her side, and she still can’t stand her ex husband, Steven. However, someone wants Steven “handled” for good - and this predicaments leaving Finlay wrapped up in a series of crazy and comical hit-woman happenings.

About half-way through this one and enjoying it as much as I did the first! Finlay and Vero are nutty but totally relatable, the plot flows seamlessly, and I am loving the appearance of some series regulars (bring on the hot cop!) If you read and loved the first, I think this is a safe bet!

HAPPY PUB DAY!!!

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this eARC in return for an honest review.
5 ⭐️
Finlay is at it again with her sidekick Vero as they try to stop a hit from taking place. Of course, they get into all kinds of perdictiments! There were plenty of laugh out loud moments!! The twist at the end is wild!! I did not see that coming. If you want a good and funny mystery pick up these books. You won't regret it.

Dare I say i enjoyed this one even more than the first Finlay Donovan book? And that's saying something because I really enjoyed the first one. I think my favourite thing about this book was that it's equal parts funny, easy to read, but keeps your attention throughout. There was truly never a dull moment. I flew through this one. Looking forward to Finlay #3!!

Argh! Ok, so I really enjoyed Finlay’s first book, and I was excited to see where Book 2 would go. I will be the first to say that I don’t truly understand why the shenanigans level of Book 1 were fine with me, but the shenanigans level of this book were OFF THE CHARTS and I could not hang. To be clear: my favorite genres are science fiction, fantasy, and romance, all genres requiring varying but often EPIC levels of suspension of disbelief. This book might have required the absolute most though. So many characters! So many assumptions about what those characters would DEFINITELY do (they did not), so many wild goose chases, connections between secondary characters, this book is that pic of the guy in the room covered in paranoia conspiracy maps connected with pushpins and yarn. Just epic levels of WTF. I feel bad not giving this a glowing review because I know: pandemic! Books are hard! Truly. I was entertained at times, I laughed, I squealed. I also rolled my eyes and whispered “what the fuck” in exasperation. Perhaps the funniest line of the book was, “The more I thought about it, the more it started to make sense.” Reader, it did not.

I don’t know. If you love shenanigans, you will probably keep loving this series. I am a person whose skin crawls at the mere thought of Weekend at Bernies, so you know, ymmv.

Just when Finlay thought she was out, she is sucked back into crime in Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead.

Former hitwoman (a long story described in the previous novel in the series, Finlay Donovan is Killing It), Finlay, and her accomplice/nanny, Vero, are trying to stop an assassin. An anonymous person has posted a request on a shady website offering $100,000 to kill Finlay’s ex-husband, Steven. When someone agrees, Finlay also offers her services in an attempt to discover who the requester and assassin really are. Death, arson, and hilarity ensue!

It is hard not to compare this book to the Stephanie Plum series. While not quite as zany (no Lula), the hijinks are equally funny, and the pace is even faster. There are two hunky love interests too. Overall, Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead did knock it outta the park! 5 stars and a favorite that I couldn’t put down!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano

•After reading this first book last year, I was so pumped when I saw this on @netgalley and even more excited when I found out that this one picks up right where the first one left off.

•Unfortunately, that was pretty much all that excited me about this book 😴
It didn’t have the LOL moments that the first one did and honestly just felt pretty far fetched. I realize that it’s supposed to be a little “out-there” but there’s one scene that is just NOT believable to me. DM me if you wanna talk about it!!

•Not to mention the conflict between Vero and Finlay that pretty much gets overlooked the entire time- until the last few chapters and even then it’s not even really talked about!! There were also so many characters in this one- it was hard to keep track. It took me so long to finish because I just didn’t feel like even picking it up. 😅

•Okay, rant over. It was a fine book and if you liked the first one, I would still recommend reading this but just know it doesn’t really have the same “feels” that the first one had. This one comes out Feb 1st!

Thank you to @minotaur_books @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the gifted e-arc!

Finlay and Vero are back again in this fun follow-up to one of my favorites from last year. Not too much has changed in Finlay’s life. She’s struggling to keep up with her writing deadlines, juggling shared-custody, and continuing to try to figure out her dating life. Oh, and she’s pretty sure that someone has organized a hit on her ex-husband.

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘em Dead is definitely a continuation in the series. I wouldn’t pick this one up without reading Finlay Donovan is Killing It first. The self-contained story here might make sense, but it’s going to fall flat if you don’t already understand the relationship dynamics between the characters.

I typically only read standalones. It’s no secret that I don’t enjoy series. But if Cosimano gives us 5 or 15 or 25 Finlay books, I WILL read every last one of them. I had SO MUCH fun with this one, and stayed late at work to finish it because I didn’t want to take the time to walk to my car before I put it back on. There are a lot of ways that Cosimano improves on the first book here: the characters (even Finlay’s ex) have more depth, the love triangle is juicier, and the relationship between Finlay and Vero is friendship goals. The humor in this one didn’t hit quite as much for me as it did in the first book, but I was willing to make the sacrifice for all the character development we got instead.

I listened to this fully on audio, and highly recommend you do the same. I can’t recommend Angela Dawe’s narration enough. She makes it feel like you’re watching a movie, her voices are distinct and spot on, and she’s able to portray Finlay in a way that allows her to be messy while still being smart.

And honestly, I think that’s my favorite thing about this whole series. Finlay is a disaster. She was in the first book, and she honestly still is here. She’s a little impulsive, a little distracted, and has way too much on her plate (honestly it would take Cosimano only minor details to give us some excellent ADHD rep here), but Cosimano never falls victim to the trap of making her ditzy, shortsighted, or unintelligent.

Much like the first book, this reads like a miniseries. Think a campier Dead to Me, or a smartened-up Good Girls.

If you haven’t picked up this series yet, please do. If you already read the first Finlay book, this one is probably already on your TBR for good reason.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and MacMillan Audio for advance copies of this book and audiobook to review. All opinions are my own.

Finlay Donovan is back! Once again, she’s behind schedule with her new book, the holidays are approaching, and she thinks someone is trying to kill her ex-husband. He may be a conniving jerk, but that doesn’t mean she wants him dead and especially not in a way that will traumatize their children. So she and her intrepid nanny/friend, Vero, set out to determine who’s trying to kill him.

But they inadvertently get caught up in the machinations of Russian organized crime. And while Finlay is questioning the devotion of her young lover, the hot detective is making clear his interest in her.

Unlike many sequels, it is helpful to have read the first book and perhaps reread it if it’s been a year since you read it. It took me a while to remember some plot points and a few totally escaped me. But Finlay is still a fun, madcap character while Vero shows more depth than I remember her having in the first book. Her ex-husband is more sympathetic than he was in the debut, and the Ranger-Joe Morelli-inspired love triangle isn’t as tired as it’s gotten in the Stephanie Plum series. This is an engaging, fast-paced mystery. #FinlayDonovan #NetGalley