I absolutely love the Finlay Donovan series. This book reads like a comedy caper and I always picture a girly Ocean’s Eleven type cast. These would make for super fun movies. I enjoy the Hijinks and the fierce friendships that develop between the women. Love this addition to the series.

This book in the Janet Evanovich-inspired Finlay Donovan series is stronger on suspense and twists than previous entries.
Still has that trademark humor: "
“My sigh smelled like cheddar-flavored crackers and resignation.”

This series is a little too fluffy to be fun for me, but I give it 5 stars for being exactly what a certain type of audience wants. It does a good job of being silly and accessible without going down the path of talking down to its audience.

Single mom and bloodstain expert Finlay Donovan finds herself in a dangerous situation when she accidentally destroys a luxury car belonging to the Russian mob. To repay her debt, she is tasked with finding a contract killer before the police do. With help from her partner-in-crime Vero and hot cop Nick, Finlay navigates firearm training and forensic classes to uncover the killer and free themselves from the mob's grasp. Along the way, they face challenges from spies, Veros's past, and the responsibilities of parenthood.

In this captivating book, our dynamic duo Finlay and Vero embark on thrilling adventures at a police school to uncover the mystery of a hired killer. I assure you that you will not be disappointed by these books. I was so engrossed that I managed to devour two series in a single day - that's how addictive these reads are! You will find yourself irresistibly drawn into the hilarious escapades of this duo as they navigate through truly wild adventures.

The story unfolds effortlessly, with Finlay's ex-husband being targeted by an unknown assailant, while her cop boyfriend remains oblivious to the antics of Finlay and Vero. Their mischievous ways make them true masters of their craft! I highly recommend these series as the perfect remedy after a long week. They offer a chance to unwind, relax, and immerse yourself in a world filled with laughter and excitement. You won't be able to resist following their adventures as the body count rises!

Thank you, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This series continues to be weird, not-super-believable, but more than that a TON of fun. On to book four! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an a-arc in exchange for an honest review

BOOK REPORT
I’m gonna cheat just a little here with my Book Reports on the Finlay Donovan series by Ellie Cosimano, which I received complimentary copies of from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books/NetGalley.

Instead of providing a title and description for—as well as a reaction to—each book, I’m doing one review for all and putting a summary of the series here first: ”Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano’s witty, fast-paced adult mystery series follows struggling suspense novelist and single mom turned-amateur-sleuth Finlay Donovan, whose fiction begins to tread dangerously close to the truth.”

The reason for this approach is because I took advantage of the opportunity to download all of the books in the series to date all at once, including the newest one scheduled for publication in March 2025 (Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave), which was the reason NetGalley made everything available—to promote the latest. And then I basically binged my way through it, partly while doing things like folding clothes and watching TV at the same time.

This was a fun little series, as I expected it to be. Nothing very challenging, some predictability, some romance, some silliness. I got a little aggravated that Our Finlay never seems to learn from her mistakes. And the agent character gets to be more and more like a caricature as the series progresses. My favorite installment was the novella about nanny/accountant Veronia Ruiz; it was written a lot tighter and was more believable. Looks like the next book to be written will flesh out her back story even more, so I’m looking forward to reading it.

In short: This is the kind of series you will like, if you like this kind of series.

PS
I realized yesterday during a discussion with some friends at lunch that I’ve been ingesting an awfully not of non-serious fiction here lately. I decided that, you know what? That’s perfectly OK, given not only the state of the world in general right now, but also because at least seven people I know have died this year (two by intentionally self-inflicted gunshot wounds). I’ve been seeking both escape and comfort, and I very much appreciate all the authors who have brought me both.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano
What a daily adventure for Finlay, dodging bullets and dirty diapers!
Finlay is in a mess again, she has a deadline looming for her latest book and a mobster out to level a debt. The Russian mob paid a debt for her and Vero and she owes them now. They want a situation cleaned up, the problem is, that “situation “ may be a cop.
Finlay and Vero dive in to fix things and Nick, her “hero” cop provides the perfect cover. As she gets close to finding answers, things get crazy with crooked cops, the Russian mobster, and an obsessed ex-husband.
I really enjoyed this one. The antics of Vero and Finlay are funny and entertaining! I can’t believe Finlay can keep up with men that drive her crazy coming at her from so many different directions. There were some laugh out loud moments that I absolutely loved. I can’t wait to read the next one! 4/5⭐️
I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review this series.

While I did not think "Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun" was as entertaining as the first two books in the series, it was still an enjoyable read. Despite the subject matter - murder, theft, arson, etc. - this book is lighthearted and an easy read. Finn and Vero are back to their Lucy and Ethel-like hijinks, with predictable outlandish results. We get more reasons to like Hot Detective Nick and more reasons not to like Finn's ex-husband Steven. For me, the citizens' police academy storyline fell a bit flat, and pushed the book from entertaining but unbelievable to nonsensical in some ways. That said, I still liked spending more time in Finn's nutty world.

3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

Finlay is once again struggling with her next novel. Vero has become her live-in nanny and side-kick to her
unexpected career. Refusing the job would not bode well for her family as it involves the Russian Mafia, In
addition, Finlay learns someone has put a hit on her ex-husband which could put her children in harm's way.
Another page turner - book two in the series.
#FinlayDonovanKnocksEmDead #StMartinsPress #Minotaur #NetGalley

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to re-read the Finlay series in anticipation for the next book to come out in 2025. If you haven't read the Finlay Donovan series, I highly recommend you pick up these books ASAP!

Another fun continuation of the Finlay Donovan series. Lots of hi-jinx, crazy antics, and high-stakes suspense.

Finlay is back at it again, and ups the ante with this suspenseful romance (heavy on suspense and mystery, light on romance).

Finlay is still trying to figure out life with Vera and some loose ends from book 2 (Knocks ‘Em Dead) and how to finish up the novel she’s writing. Fairly early in the novel she does finally tie up one loose end from the previous novel.

Thank you @stmartinspress for my gifted copy of this series!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I adore Finlay! Book 3 picks up right where book 2 left off. It was fun and another one I couldn't down.

I originally borrowed the Finlay Donovan series from the library, but I loved it so much that I just had to get my own copies—thanks to NetGalley for making that possible! Finlay's adventures are such a perfect mix of humor, suspense, and charm, and I can't get enough of her. We absolutely adore Finlay and her chaotic, crime-solving life!

I’m so glad I started the Finlay Donovan series, and Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano is yet another reason to love it! This book has everything I look for in a great series: a compelling mystery, amazing friendships, and even a hint of romance.

What really makes these books stand out, though, is the relationship between Finlay and Vero. Their dynamic has always been the heart of the series, and I love that Cosimano keeps it front and center. Their banter, loyalty, and chaos make every page a joy to read.

On top of that, Cosimano is a master of twists! Just when I think I know what’s coming, she surprises me. I can’t wait to see where she takes these characters in book 4—this series just keeps getting better!

Thank you to Elle Cosimano, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for sending me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is the third book in the long-running cozy mystery series by Elle Cosimano.

This series is so fun! I'm continuing to listen to the audiobook (I borrowed from my local library) and follow along in my eARC. Blended reads are really my vibe right now.

In this installment, Finlay is doing some research for her next book and she and Vero enroll in a citizen's police academy. Not only will she learn about forensics and receive firearm training, they think they might be able to sniff out who tried to kill Fin's ex-husband. She might be able to get a little hands-on research from a tempting detective as well.

I love the zaniness that embodies this series as much as I love the Stephanie Plum series. You could probably read this as a standalone, but I'd highly recommend reading the series in order because it provides nice context.

This book ends with a great hook to lead us into book four of the series, but I'm going to read the prequel novella next.

There’s nothing I don’t love about this series - it reminds me a bit like an updated Stephanie Plum series. I love how relatable the characters are - especially Finlay. She’s not perfect — in fact, more often than not she’s struggling through something with her ex, her kids or her conscience - but going through her tribulations with her makes us root for her more. I’ve enjoyed each entry in this series and can’t wait for more.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read this book.
Looking forward to continue the story line into book 3. Easily feeling attached to the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book as part of promo for the release of Finlay Donovan Digs Her own grave. This is such a fun and fresh series and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is Elle Cosimano's masterpiece. This is the epic third book of the Finlay Donovan series. I absolutely love these books and could not wait to get my hands on a copy of the third book! Finlay and Vero are back at their crazy antics! They manage to get themselves in quite the jam while looking to identify Easy Clean, the hit man! If you need a hilarious, laugh out loud over the top book that will keep you up late at night since you will not be able to put it down, this is the book for you. Her motley crew of characters are just perfect. Elle Cosimano is the new Sue Grafton ( I read every book A to Y) of the times. I hope we will continue to see Finlay and Vero for many many books in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital copy to re-read in preparation for the next installment.

It’s hard to write a review when you are deep into a series since I don’t do spoilers. I’ll do my best! I buddy read this with Destiny and we both really enjoyed this one.

Finlay is such a fun and wild ride and Cosimano did a great job with this one. This time we are getting deeper into the mob clutches but there are more dangerous people involved. Finlay and Vero end up at a police retreat with the hope that they find a killer. It was wildly fun and not at all stressful. I don’t really enjoy it when a book is just pure stress for the characters. It’s one of the things I really enjoy about this series. Destiny and I both went back and forth on who we thought could be “the” person. Funnily enough, we were completely wrong on all our guesses! haha.

We get to see a little more about Vero’s past and her love life. I think we will see even more of that in the next book. Finlay and Nick are also juggling their feelings. Nick is just so good and so dreamy. I’m really enjoying the scenes we get with these two. Of course, Vero and her one-liners make them all the more fun. I think in the next book we will get even more of her and her love life. I’m so excited about it!

I’ve seen many people talk about how this isn’t “believable” and “far-fetched” in reviews. I don’t understand that how you didn’t notice that in book 1. I think that’s partly what makes this series so fun. It’s not meant to take serious but purely for fun!

Anyways, I’m just here to say that you should absolutely give this series a go. I’ve had such a blast with it and highly recommend it if you want something fun and entertaining to read! The only downside is that now I have to wait so long for the next installment.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for an e-arc!