Favorite Quotes:

“The child is holding very still. I think he might be up to something.” I wrinkled my nose. Zach was definitely up to something. “He’s grunting and his face is turning red. I think he’s possessed.”

It was only a month into the new year, and I was throwing my third resolution into the fire like a cheap champagne flute.


My Review:

I gleefully bounced in my chair and frequently laughed aloud while I inhaled this amusing and cleverly penned series. I loved every well-chosen arrangement of words. Elle Cosimano is absolutely brilliant, and her Finaly Donovan creation is a gift. Poor Finaly, she was a semi-successful writer who had an ex-husband who couldn’t keep it in his pants and a toddler who refused to keep his pants on, or toilet train. Finaly was a hot mess.

Her adventures started with an inadvertent slip of paper on a Panera tray, which eventually led her to helping various women living in difficult situations who were “seeking a specialist with a certain skill set.” Finaly didn’t actually have the skill set, but she and Vero, her ever helpful nanny, kept managing to accidentally kill bad people, some they were supposed to, others just had the bad luck to die in their vicinity.

The engaging storylines were active, eventful, smartly plotted, and populated with a colorful cast of oddly compelling characters, many of whom were unlikable, yet quirkily and knowingly drawn. I downed six in a row and finished the last one hoping there are more to come.

Oh Finlay!
As expected, I had a great time reading this installment of Finlay’s (mis)adventures. Very excited to see what she will get herself into next—and how she will get out of it.
If you like Good Girls on Netflix, pick up this series!

Much thanks to Elle Cosimano, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another great installment! I did get a little lost on who was who, particularly regarding the cops and class members, and I'm starting to lose track of who knows which of Finlay and Vero's secrets. The Stew therapist character came out of nowhere for me; maybe I just wasn't paying close enough attention, but I had no idea what he was doing there. I'm at the point where I just have to roll with it and try to keep up. Fast-paced is a great thing, at least to my taste, but beware of information overwhelm. I do not envy Cosimano and her editor the work of keeping it all straight. I feel like I need a quick series-to-date review--This character is involved in this way and knows X and Y but not Z.

There was more Javi--yay! Though I feel kinda bad for Ramon, being in the dark about everything going on around him.

The love triangle got some clarification--goodbye Julian, with regrets; Nick's the future.

I kinda thought Finn's kids were brats in book 1, but with each successive book they're growing on me. Still not 100% sold on Vero, but she's definitely a charismatic, sympathetic sidekick.

So much nonstop nonsense! I liked the forensics class scenes the best. It was cool for the characters to get involved in a Russian mob

Finlay….Finlay….Finlay….

This girl always seems to find herself in the wildest moments.

The setting for this one was really cool IMO! A police academy where for a set amount of time citizens get to see what it’s like to be a cop, or at least a very small controlled part of it at least. I loved the onslaught of characters being thrown at us. It was a true suspense I felt like and it had my heart racing in the final 15%. And the gasp I gasped when we found out which cop was working for Felix! 😱

Time for book 4!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

Elle Cosimano does it again with the third installment in the Finlay Donovan series! I loved the setting of this one - taking place at a police training academy. It felt original and fresh. Veronica is so funny, I can’t stop laughing at the Flat Stanley reference. That is comedy gold. I can’t wait to see what adventures Finlay and Vero go on next!

Finlay and Vero go to the police academy!

Such a fun third book on this series. The mystery continues, high jinks ensue, the humor is there as always. Not as much of the kiddos in this one as Finlay and Vero are onsite for training in this one, but still plenty of entertainment to go around. How are these ladies never getting caught?! Such a fun time as always.

Thank you @netgalley and @minotaur_books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I’m probably showing my age, but this book reminded me of Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol. I liked seeing Finlay and Vero in a new environment and can’t wait to see how all these loose ends get tied up.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback

Finlay Donovan books are the perfect blend of humor, murder mystery, mayhem, and lovable characters. Finlay is the hot mess in all of us.

Another amazing book in the Finlay Donovan series. Many thanks to the author, publisher and net galley for the opportunity to read and review!

Finlay Donovan has officially jumped the gun—literally, figuratively, and in ways that probably violate several laws and most PTA rules.

This time, she’s in a citizens' police academy, which is basically code for “Finlay gets handed a gun and absolutely should not be trusted with it.” There are murder suspects, undercover antics, and enough awkward moments to power a whole season of reality TV. Vero’s back, still fabulous and criminally underpaid, and the banter? Chef’s kiss.

Reading this felt like watching your favorite rom-com crash headfirst into a true crime podcast—and I mean that in the best way possible. Elle Cosimano nails the humor, the chaos, and the “how is this woman not in jail?” energy.

Protect Finlay at all costs. Or maybe… protect the world from Finlay.

I really enjoy this cute and clever series!

Finlay Donovan has a bit of a wild life. She's a mystery writer (whose stories resemble her real life in quite a few ways) and a single mom. She tends to find herself always caught up in a mess of some sort. In the third installment of this series, Finlay finds herself in trouble with a Russian mob boss. She and her partner in crime Vero are tasked with finding a contract killer with the handle name EasyClean.

Finlay and Vero decide to partake in a week long citizen's police academy training course in hopes of finding evidence pointing to the identity of EasyClean. They have suspicions that the unknown killer may be a police officer.

This book is such a fun read. It's silly but laugh out loud funny at times. The antics these two get up to seem over the top but that's what makes this book so enjoyable. The pair is always accidentally getting themselves into trouble and mistakenly murdering people. Of course, there is also the additional romance element thrown into the mix. It's not over the top and just adds to the fun.

The pacing is perfect and it's a quick read. I think this is an ideal book for when you want a break from the mundane. The series is clever and the characters are quirky. I highly recommend all readers to take some time and get to know Finlay Donovan and her friends. One final note: I do recommend you read the series in order however because the plot relies heavily on things that happened in past books!

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano is a fast-paced, witty, and suspenseful addition to the beloved series starring single mom and accidental sleuth, Finlay Donovan. This time, Finlay and her fearless nanny sidekick Vero find themselves entangled with the Russian mob after destroying a borrowed luxury car—only to be “helped” by the mob, who now expect a favor in return. Tasked with uncovering the identity of a mysterious contract killer possibly hiding within the police force, Finlay joins a citizen’s police academy run by the charming Detective Nick. Between forensic classes, gun training, and steamy detective encounters, Finlay and Vero chase clues while dodging danger, spies, and Vero’s hidden past. With its signature blend of humor, mystery, and chaos, Cosimano delivers another wildly entertaining caper full of heart and high-stakes hilarity.

I really enjoy this series and this has been one of my favorite characters to come out of reading. I’m always intrigued to see what the next adventure is going to hold if you’re looking for a good cozy crime book the series is for you.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a e-book copy of this book!

I scooped this up when the series was available as read now. I am absolutely obsessed with Finlay Donovan and the whole series. I love how the series continues so well between books, however each story is tied up neatly within each separate book. The characters all make me laugh out loud constantly. The writing makes me unable to put the books down! I can not think of one bad thing to write about this series. I hope there are so many more books to come!

Book 3 takes place mostly at the police academy- I really enjoyed the storyline and while still funny and lots of laugh out loud moments I found this book had a bit of a more serious tone then the others. Still absolutely loved it and I did preorder the newest one as soon as I finished this book. Just very much behind in submitting my reviews!

Book three continues with the non-stop craziness you can expect from a Finlay Donovan book. Once again, our witty heroine finds herself in trouble, this time with an imprisoned Russian mobster. Finlay and Vero end up attending a police academy camp, and chaos ensues. These two always seem to end up getting themselves into trouble in the zaniest ways. While fun and entertaining, this installment felt a little bit like filler and didn't seem to progress the overall story as much as other stories. That being said, I still enjoyed it and am here for the whole ride.

In the third installment of the Finlay Donovan series, Finlay and Vero are charged with discovering EZClean’s identity and eliminating them for Feliks. As usual, Finlay is involved in more accidental crimes, which will be revealed if they fail to deliver their target. All the pair knows is that EZClean is in law enforcement, making them jump at the invite to join the citizen’s police academy. The cast convenes, including Georgia, Nick, and the nosy head of the neighborhood watch, with whom Finlay and Vero compete for the honor of Top of Class.

Fast-paced, well-written, and with a likable cast, the series is enjoyable. I’m not surprised to hear a TV series is in the works, as this reads much like a prime-time television show with an ongoing plot that reads as a continuation rather than related standalone novels.

The author does a fantastic job of keeping the mood light as she deals with the heavier topics of financial ruin, divorce, and the challenges of co-parenting. I’m taking a Finlay break after three in series, but plan to come back to the last two after a palate cleanser. Since the books are formulaic, I need to shake things up a little. Finlay gets in trouble, gets by with a little help from her friends, and wins the day. A charming blend of romance, mystery, and suspense, I would recommend this series for fans of cozy mysteries, chick lit, and romance with a deeper storyline.

Thank you to NetGalley, Elle Cosimano, and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

Finlay and Vero bring the joy to cozy mysteries with their all crazy antics. The ladies are back in this bingeable story…and now in debt to the mob. Their shenanigans take them to the police academy trying to root out the mole from within. The hot policeman, Nick, makes his appearance again, as does the desperate ex-husband. Being a boy mom myself, I found myself laughing out loud at the scenes with Zach in them-he almost stole the show in this book! The lead-up to this next adventure was again present and makes me look forward to the fourth book in the series.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is the third installment in the quirky, fast-paced Finlay Donovan series. True to form, Finlay once again lands herself in a completely over-the-top predicament, navigating the chaos with her usual mix of wit and wildly unconventional solutions.

While the humor and high-stakes antics are consistent with the previous books, this installment felt too far-fetched sometimes—even for Finlay. The plot leaned heavily into the unbelievable, which made it harder for me to stay fully engaged. The ending also left off on a cliffhanger, clearly setting up the next book, but I was hoping for a bit more resolution this time.

Overall, it was an okay read—entertaining enough if you're already a fan of the series- but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. At least not in the way the earlier books did.