This one is my favorite of the series so far! This was so fun with the police academy!

If you're not for a wild, out there, convoluted mystery this series might not be for you but I'm loving this series. Finlay and Vero have to figure out yet another mystery to save themselves and their families. This is as tense, funny, adventurous and mysterious as the previous installments in the series. The police academy gives us a different setting and perspective as Finlay and Vero are learning police procedures and their ways of acting and thinking. I loved this aspect of this next book!

TECHNICALLY you don't have to read the books in this series in order but for maximum enjoyment and storytelling do yourself the favor and read books 1 and 2 prior to this one :)

Finlay and Vero return with all the madcap madness their life is. Except this time the Russian mafia is involved. Finlay has borrowed an alfa Romeo from the dealer and somehow, it’s become bullet riddled. The mob clears the debt but now Finlay owes the mob. The duo somehow find themselves signed up for police boot camp. It’s a sleepover camp with all sorts of training. As an added plus their elderly, nosy neighbor is also attending. Somehow the mob manages to sneak in and once again their more craziness than you can imagine. Funny, enjoyable read. #netgalley

Another great book. I cannot get enough of finlay donovan. This one had a lot of twists and turns that surprised me. I thought I was going to get some and I was wrong. Looking forward to the next one in the series!!

I received a copy from netgalley and the publisher.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun takes the chaos and charm of this series to a whole new level! The budding romance between Finlay and Nick is such a joy to watch unfold. Their chemistry adds the perfect touch of sweetness amidst all the wild antics, and I’m fully invested in seeing where their relationship goes next.

The twists and turns in this book had me completely hooked—I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Elle Cosimano knows how to keep readers guessing, and I was left in total shock at the ending. I’m ready to jump into the next installment because I need to know what happens next!

This series just keeps getting better, and I’m loving every unpredictable moment with Finlay, Vero, and the ever-growing chaos they find themselves in.

Finlay Donovan is hands down one of my favourite book characters, as a suburban Mom/sort-of-but-not-actually-accidental-hit-woman. She’s hilarious, messy, intelligent and very, very real. I love how all the stories tie together and I find her relationships, both platonic (Veronica!), and romantic, to be so well written. She is clearly intelligent and adept at thinking on her feet to get out of the numerous situations she finds herself in.

In this book (third in the series, but I highly recommend starting at the beginning. Trust me, it’s worth it), Finlay and Veronica find themselves in big trouble, once again, and the safest and most logical place to hide is the seemingly counter intuitive police camp, where civilians who want a taste of police life have a mock training camp.

4.5 stars rounded up.

Finlay Donovan is my hero. I love this series and the latest installment of Finlay's antics had me giggling. The humor, the screwball plot lines, the mysteries, and above all the cast: the friendship between Vero and Finlay is one for the ages. Highly recommend

This is the first time I’ve read a Finlay Donovan book and I am so pleased that I have the opportunity to read the whole series. So funny with great twists! I’m so looking forward to the next book!

Have I said how much I’m loving this series? Well, in case you missed it, I’m loving it. There is some language and sexual references and is fade to black.

I’ve enjoyed how these books complement each other. And how the big mess that started in book one is still causing concerns. There are resolutions, which are central to each book, but bigger problems linger. I’ve enjoyed the relationship that is blooming in this book, as the stakes and danger elevates with each book.

Finlay and Vero are still fantastic and Nick is dashing. This book brings in some interesting situations for Vero that I’m excited to explore in VERONICA RUIZ BREAKS THE BANK, and then in the next book for Finlay.

Huge thank you to the publisher for the Read Now option for the series. All views are my own.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

"Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun" is an exhilarating dive into the world of crime fiction, wrapped in humor and peppered with unexpected twists. Elle Cosimano delivers another rollicking installment in her Finlay Donovan series, proving once again that she’s a master of blending suspense with comedy.

In this latest adventure, we find our plucky protagonist, Finlay Donovan, a single mom and struggling author, entangled in a web of crime and chaos. Cosimano’s skillful storytelling ensures that the plot moves at breakneck speed, with enough laugh-out-loud moments to keep readers thoroughly entertained. The novel's charm lies in its ability to balance the absurd with the believable, making for a read as heartwarming as it is thrilling.

Finlay’s character continues to evolve in this book, and readers will appreciate her growth and the depth added to her relationships, particularly with her sidekick Vero. The dynamic between them is a delightful mix of friendship and camaraderie, with a healthy dose of misadventure thrown in.

Cosimano’s writing is sharp, witty, and highly engaging. The dialogue is snappy and authentic, bringing each character to life in a way that makes them feel like old friends. The pacing is impeccable, ensuring that there’s never a dull moment, while also allowing for some introspective pauses that add emotional weight to the narrative.

In Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun the author maintains her ability to surprise. Just when you think you’ve got the plot figured out, Cosimano throws in a curveball that keeps you on your toes. This unpredictability is one of the book’s greatest strengths, making it a genuine page-turner.

"Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun" is a delightful read that will appeal to fans of crime fiction and comedy alike. Elle Cosimano has crafted a novel that is both hilarious and heart-pounding, with a protagonist who is impossible not to root for. It’s a refreshing take on the genre, and a testament to Cosimano’s talent as a storyteller.

If you’re looking for a book that will keep you laughing and guessing until the very end, this one’s for you.

In book 3 of this series, Finlay continues to do her "research" for her crime romance mysteries that she is writing all the while becoming immersed in murder and mob connected crimes. Her romance with the hot cop Nick starts to get hot, even though she has to hide what she is really doing. Finn and her partner in crime, Vero still need to find the contract killer who wanted to off her ex-husband, but now it's a directive from the Russian mob boss who is in jail for murder. And Finn needs to do this because she is beholden to him as he paid off her debt for "borrowing" a high priced car to save her ex-husband but damaged the car with a few little bullet holes. Some humor and twists and turns made this a delightful read. The more this story unfolds, the juicier the stories that Finn writes which is a delight to her editor. Just a fun book. Looking forward to the next as the story continues.Many thanks to #NetGalley, #finlaydonovanjumpsthegun #ellecosimano #stmartinspress for the opportunity to read and review this book.

In Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun, we follow Finlay and Vero to an unlikely location to settle their debts, and solve the mystery lingering from FD Knock's 'Em Dead - Who is EasyClean?

This third installment of the Finlay Donovan story does a great job of keeping the momentum of the series, without feeling repetitive or predictable. While there are added complexities to each scenario, we're able to see Finlay and Vero both grow through them & show up for each other every time. This book is packed with actual laugh out loud moments and, as usual, a well-written action-packed ending that will get your adrenaline up.

This series has done a wonderful job of introducing new characters without it feeling overwhelming, and developing the old characters so well that I can predict their responses and think "wow, that's so them" when something happens. Second to the primary storyline of murder mystery and organized crime is a story of love & relationships- SO many types of relationships. We see Finlay with her parents, sister, children and even ex-husband give excellent portrayals of familial love. We're able to watch Finlay and Nick with their budding romance, while Javi and Vero keep us all crossing our fingers for a second-chance love story. Then last, but certainly not least, is the love between Finlay and Vero that show us that the love you find in friendship is just as important as the love you find anywhere else.

Highly recommend picking this one up!

3.5/5

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun" is a fun addition to the series, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The police academy setting had potential, but a lot of the escapades felt way too unbelievable, even for Finlay’s usual chaos. The over-the-top situations were entertaining at first, but they started to feel a little much, making it harder to stay invested. That said, Finlay’s charm and humor are still there, and it’s an easy, fun read if you’re already a fan.

Still loving this series and it makes me laugh aloud! Love the chemistry between Finlay and Nick and hope they can make it work.

The third installment in the Finlay Donovan did not disappoint me and it was a great choice for my final book needed for the 2024 reading challenge I set for myself (I know I really cut it close this year!). Finlay keeps getting herself deeper and deeper into trouble and is now reluctantly working for Felinks trying to discover what he assassin Easy Clean is. After determining that this must be someone connected in the department she and Vero take an opportunity for a citizen police camp where Nick happens to be leading the event since he’s still not back to full duty. I love that these books are full of mystery, humor and ridiculousness. I also really like Finlay’s response to Steven in this one. The ending is a cliffhanger, but luckily I have one more of those books waiting on my kindle for me! Another 4.5 stars that I rounded up because it’s so nice to just truly enjoy a book right now.

Finlay and Vero enroll in the town's citizen police academy and get up to hilarious hijinks in this next novel in the series. The storyline gets darker this time around, although there seems to be a lower body count. We get more hot lawyer, hot cop, will they or won't they action, but it's still more amateur detective mystery than a romance.

The book has some shocking developments that make you want to grab book 4 and keep going. Sun fun books to read!

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley because the newest book in this series is coming out in 2025. I really enjoyed this view into a week at the Citizens' Police Academy where Finlay and Vero try to hide out from trouble, but it finds them anyway.

Finlay Donovan has been in messes before—after all, she's an author and single mom who’s a pro at getting out bloodstains for rather unexpected reasons—but none quite like this. She and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero accidentally destroyed a luxury car that they “borrowed” in the process of saving Finlay’s ex-husband. The Russian mob handled her debt, but that means Finlay now owes them.

Still running the show from behind bars, mob boss Feliks has a task for Finlay: find a contract killer before the cops do. Problem is, the killer might be an officer. Luckily, hot cop Nick has started up a citizen’s police academy, so Finlay has the perfect cover-up to sleuth out the real criminal as she does some “research” for her new novel. Nick is more than happy to get close to Finlay, but he’s also getting dangerously close to the truth.

Another fun installment in the Finlay Donovan series. This book wasn't quite as good as the first two (the second is my fave!), but it was still a fun and entertaining read. I love the trouble Finlay and Vero get into, and all of these books just crack me up from start to finish! I highly recommend this series! 4⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

Finlay Donovan has been given a challenge. Play at going through the training a police recruit does, and see if she can hack it. It's a public program that simulates situations where you might need experience as a cop, and the attendees get all the training a cop does. One little problem. Finn has been semi-blacklisted in town by the local mob boss so she's got to find out who the contract killer is that calls themselves "EasyClean."

This was no less silly and ridiculous than the previous 2 books. I loved the crazy of Finn and Vero going through the training exercises. And I've always liked the cop better than the lawyer on training, so I'm glad to see that plotline shift.

I definitely am looking forward to the next book in the series and I'm going to dive in very quickly.

Such a fun, silly series.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

“All this,” she said, mimicking my gesture with her head, “would make a pretty great story, you know… It’s got courtroom drama, car chases, deep cover agents . . . not to mention a pretty tricky mystery to solve.”

I’ll admit it: the Finlay Donovan series is a guilty pleasure of mine. Though the unbelievability of her stories puts them closer to fantasy than anything else, Elle Cosimano keeps me laughing and entertained every time. This installment was no exception.

I’m starting to wonder if Finlay will ever start telling the truth to the people in her life, or if she’ll choose to remain perpetually dishonest forever, but you know I’m sticking around til the end of it all to see if she’ll ever find a way out of all her messes!

——

A huge thank you to Elle Cosimano, St Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for a review copy in exchange for honest feedback!

Continuing the antics of Finlay and her friends, this third book in this series was a little bit slower than her previous books. But still filled with action and a little romance, I would still recommend this series. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.