
Member Reviews

Can't get enough of Finlay Donovan! Love the romance with the "hot cop"and seeing how Finlay continues to figure out every situation she is in!

I’m hooked ! I received an offer of a few ARCs of Ellie Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan series. I read the first, then on to this, the 2nd one in the series, and then I immediately went to the 3rd in the series ! So this review is later then usual, but it’s an addicting series about a mother, detective, best friend, daughter, and ex ..Finlay is awesome ! …loving it ! So thank you Netgalley, St.Martins Press and Elle Cosimano ..4 stars cause I know there’s so much more to come !

I told myself I was done with the Finlay Donovan books, but then NetGalley offered ALL of them as Read Now for like 24 hours and despite having a 50% review ratio and not really reading past the first book in a series I went ahead and snagged them. FOMO is my most toxic trait.
Okay, so these are a potentially fun option if you’re like me and need a little palate cleanser every once in awhile or just aren’t sure what you’re in the mood for. While the approach is similar to the Stephanie Plum books with a light-hearted humorous take on catching a bad guy, the problem I have with the Finlay books is they don’t really work as standalones. I literally jumped into the “In Death” series at BOOK FIFTY when I received a copy for review and felt like I didn’t miss a beat. This one required you know exactly what went on in book two in order to understand the goings on in book three. And as a woman of a certain age, let me tell you that is an IMPOSSIBLE requirement. I can’t remember my own damn kids’ names at this point so if I tell you a book is good and you should read it, that’s all you get because I have no idea what it was about or why I liked it within 24 hours of turning that last page.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Finlay (and Vero) are back! This time they must identify a killer before the cops do- and that killer may be a cop himself. I love how Finlay is still a full time mom, a writer, and now gets to see the inside workings of a police academy. This is probably my least favorite of the series, but still entertaining enough to buy a future installment. The books are quirky and I'm invested.

I just love this series so much. The characters are so fun and I literally laugh out loud at parts. Can’t wait for the next one!

I am continuing to enjoy this series as Finlay gets into more trouble than any one person should experience. There were a couple of laugh out loud experiences in this novel. Rather than getting bored with the series, I think it is getting better. The romance between Finlay and Nick is heating up but I am glad to see Cosimano keeps the action within the realm of what I do not find offensive.
There is some serious suspense towards the end of the book and a twist right at the end that sets us up for more of Finlay's adventures. While this is the third in the series, Cosimano provides enough backstory that this novel could be read on its own. I would suggest starting from the beginning, however, as the humor keeps building. This is a good series for readers who like the Stephanie Plum series.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Really good book - easy to read, quick paced, intriguing.
Finley makes me roll my eyes at times, as do the situations she gets into, but these books are so fun and entertaining! It’s a nice break from some heavier stuff
Overall
3.75 ⭐️/B

This third installment of the Finlay Donovan series doesn't disappoint as the Finlay/Vero duo attend a citizen's police academy class to search to identify who is behind a fake online id trying to trap them.

Book 3 in this fab series kept me rapt and guffawing through Finlay's next adventure. Perfect for mystery/thriller fans who love great humor!

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!

A good next book in the series, which really should be read in order.. The characters are entertaining and the mystery always good.

Stars: 3.5
Thank you St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for allowing me to read and review Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun, a novel by Elle Cosimano in exchange for my honest opinion.
Published: 01/31/23
Slapstick humor injected into familial drama consisting of divorced parents, two young children, stepmother, and a nanny with potentially a murder plot.
This is not a typical mystery. It's fun to a point. Then the murder or plot comes in. The characters are multidimensional and therefore need to grow with time (in your mind). I see myself recommending one book at a time and not in a binge fashion.
The family drama is as close to realistic as can be in this type of fictional genre. The dad uses the children and that gets old for me. The Nanny brings her own family drama to the pages.
There is profanity.
Overall, a good time. I found this one to be my favorite thus far.

This series is starting to remind me of the Stephanie Plum series and instead of grandma you have Vero. I like that the characters get into all sort of trouble and I am hoping that I don't get tired of it. The series still makes me chuckle so I am waiting for the next installment.

Who wants to owe the Russian Mob? Certainly not Finlay Donovan. Yet in book 3 of the series, that’s exactly where she finds herself, with mobster Feliks Zhirov calling in a favor. This unexpected twist lands Finlay and her partner-in-crime, Vero, in a live-in police academy of all places. Packed with both familiar faces and new characters, the laugh-out-loud hijinks that define this series are back in full force. While this installment offers some resolution, it ends with a tantalizing cliffhanger, leaving readers eager for more. This book is best enjoyed by those who have read the first two installments, as the ongoing storyline adds depth to the humor and chaos. Fans of the series will find plenty to love and will be counting down the days until book 4.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an electronic copy of this novel.
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is the 3rd book in this series, which follows Finlay as she navigates her life as a writer and a newly divorced mom. She has been enlisted in a mob boss's job to find out who the person was who is a contract killer. She and her partner in crime/nanny/accountant Vero quickly deduce that this person might be a cop, so they join a civilian police academy to get to know the officers and to try to figure out what's going on, not to mention being able to deal with Finlay's potential boyfriend, also a cop, who is on police academy duty while he recovers from a gun shot wound.
This was a fun and entertaining novel. Can't wait to read the next one!

Grateful that this was listed as a read-now, but i totally forgot when i grabbed that i hadn't read the whole series yet! I Love this author and look forward to her new books each time i see one is coming! Thanks so much for the free digital copy!

4 stars ⭐️This is such a fun series. Please give us more!
Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another fun romp in the world of Finlay Donovan!
These books are keeping me coming back for more, Can't wait to see what she gets up to next!

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.

Another crazy tale of jumping into the LITERAL lion's den with Finlay...you can say this about her, she doesn't half ass things at all!! I love the random adventures that Finlay finds herself and Vero in and how she's able to navigate them with aplumb that she didn't know she had. Another amazing tale of mystery and suspense from Elle Cosimano!