Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun by Elle Cosimano

I came into this series at book 2 ( still need to read book one) and book 2 was AMAZING! So when I was given the eARC of book 3, I was so excited!! Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun has all the same characters as the last book and Finlay is still trying to get out from under the thumb of the local Russian bad guy. I won't give away the plot, but I will say this... You will laugh, from the first page you will laugh. And though I don't think this book is as good as book 2, it is still a solid 3.5⭐ I loved it for what it is... An escape from reality, and a good quick read.

Pub date: January 31st!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Finlay is back. This series is such a fun escape from everyday monotony. Even the smallest things like shopping become adventures. Following from the previous two books, she's now tied up with the Russian mob and also trying to get her editor to approve her current manuscript inspired by her own experiences.

Finlay and Vero get away by going to Community Police Academy, which sounds a lot like an adult summer camp in which they are learning from Nick and his peers about what it means to be police. There's a bit less of Finlay's kids in this book with her away, but we still get to see her trying to balance being a single mom and an author with all of the other crazy chaos of her life.

There's more romantic tension with Nick than ever and amazing will they/won't they from Finlay as she tries to revise her manuscript. And we get more love interest for Vero, especially with poor Javi who always seems to get injured. I love seeing Vero's character grow and become more nuanced with each subsequent book.

This third book combines the reality of motherhood with absolutely outlandish crimes and situations. I found the ending a complete surprise, and I loved that I couldn't guess it. And I can't wait for the series to continue.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

The Finlay and Vero crazy hijinks and seat-of-the-pants cover-ups show continues!

This installment, Finlay has writer’s block, Vero needs to find a huge amount of cash to pay off her gambling debt, and Feliks Zhirov, the arrested Russian gangster, is threatening Finlay with revealing all the bodies she and Vero have amassed over two books unless she discovers EasyClean’s identity.

To escape these stressful things, Finlay and Vero sign up for a Citizen’s Academy run through the local police training facility. Findlay’s crush Nick is running the program, and though Finlay would love to get closer to him, her association with Feliks keeps her from moving forward, much to Vero’s frustration. Vero has her own male trouble, as former flame Javier is in town, and though they fight constantly, Javi keeps helping the two women.

At the Academy, Vero and Finlay learn how to shoot, how to assess a scene, and other useful skills (considering their history together), while situations around them become increasingly chaotic and ridiculous. And useless, stupid Stephen is trying to get back together with her.


There’s more will they-won’t they tension between Finlay and Nick, and some of the same between Vero and Javi. The pacing is fast, aside from the implausibility of much that the two women get up to, and romance with the cop (which I could do without), Finlay and Vero demonstrate repeatedly how they have each other’s backs. Their friendship, and the depth of their commitment to one another is what makes this series enjoyable.

Thank you to Netgalley and to St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Do yourself a favor: Do not start this series with this book. I was lost at times, and I've read the first two books! If you like cozy-mystery with a side of hilarity and two lovable goof ball characters, this is the series for you. Finlay and Vero just can't seem to dig themselves out of the mess they are in and in fact it keeps getting worse and worse. It seems like one step forward and two steps back for this duo.

Finley Donovan is a divorced mother of two and a writer of Romantic-Suspense books with some success. She was mistaken as a killer for hire once and that provided great material for her books, but has rained havoc, and men, in her life. Her publisher has sent beck her latest manuscript demanding she spice it up, a lot. Maybe hot cop Nick can help with that. Her nanny/accountant, Vero, makes her life better at times and worse at others, and Vero has her own secrets that get them in even deeper trouble at times.

A Russian mobster, Feliks, decided to call in the favor he did for Finley and that Finley could be of use to him. He gives her the task of finding and eliminating another assassin, "EasyClean". Well, Finley will just have to do what she does best: research. Now, she and Vero are signed up for a weeklong Police Citizen's Academy run by Finley's heartthrob, Nick. Maybe Findley can get past that block she has about the rewrites for her book. They are pretty sure that EasyClean has ties to law enforcement and this is a perfect way to uncover him, turn him over to Feliks, and be done with hired killer Finley.

In trying to get clear of Feliks, Vero gets into trouble with a New Jersey loan shark, and they end up in debt to Feliks, again. Remember what I said about digging themselves out? Well, now they are just digging themselves deeper and taking Vero's one-time love, Javi, with them. Poor Javi, he just wants to help/impress Vero and he keeps getting beat up over it.

Now in addition to finding EasyClean the secure Academy will make a great place to hide. As Finley and Vero sort through their many suspects and they have a lot of suspects, they learn about basic police procedure, firearms, and a whole lot of useful information that leads them no closer to EasyClean. And, then like any good mystery: It all comes together.

My thanks to the Publisher and the author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

This book is another fun read in the Finlay Donovan series! This time, Finlay and her sidekick, Vero, are enrolled in a citizens' academy led by Nick. of course, high jinks ensue. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one in the series. Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced reader's copy of this book.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is book 3 in the series, and it's a fun and entertaining read. Finlay and Vero are up to their wild and over the top antics, this time as part of a citizens police academy program. Check out this series if you're looking for a humorous, mystery-filled and escape from reality read. Thank you to NetGalley, St. martins Press and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Finlay and Vero are back and this time around they enroll in a citizen’s police academy.

I enjoyed the other two books for the series, but I wasn’t a big fan of this one. I felt like this one was lacking both the humor and crazy predicaments Finlay and Vero got themselves into the other books which made me love them. I actually thought this book was slow and at times I struggled with it. I still would recommend it to those that have been reading the series, and the ending sounds like there’s going to be a fourth book.

I really enjoyed this book. I love the combination of mystery, humor, friendship, and romance. I love the dynamics between all of the characters..

I enjoyed the ending and looking forward to the next book already!

I do think that you have to have read the other two books in order to follow along with the plot of this one.

Finlay and Vera are still in the middle of a mess, stuck between a crooked cop, a Russian mobster, and an Atlantic City loan shark. While I love reading about the antics of these two, this book felt a bit forced to me. Yes, I know I need to pretty much completely suspend reality to make these books work and I am willing to do that, but for some reason this one went a bit too far. Things were a little too neat and tidy, at least crime fighting wise. As always, the rest of Finlay's world seemed to continue to be a mess. I highly suggest you read the first two books in the series first. This isn't a stand alone and you will be completely lost. There also really isn't much of a resolution to the myriad of problems surrounding our intrepid duo so I expect there will be at least a fourth book in the series. Despite my lukewarm review of this installment, I am looking forward to the next book and will definitely be reading it.

Thank you so much to the publishers for allowing me an arc in both print and audio format in exchange for my honest review. I absolutely LOVE Finlay Donovan and this series. This third book in the series is just as good and fun! The antics crack me up and I hope she keeps on writing. I think she set her self up perfect for a fourth book. The narrator is also wonderful and super entertaining!

I love this series so much! Despite the plot, the characters are funny and so relatable. 5/5. I love this series!

POV: You've read the first two Finlay Donovan books, loved them, and want to know who Easy Clean is. If so you should definitely read this book. If not, go back and read the first two. This was a cute addition to the series, and necessary to further the series plot, but it wasn't my favorite. The only mystery is who Easy Clean is, which just felt like more of the same. This installment just didn't feel strong enough to stand on its own, but a fun read. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

This was another thrilling ride with Finlay and Vero. While attending a week long police officer training program for "research," things start getting dicey for the pair. There's suspicious cops, a mob boss on campus, and a stolen training vehicle. In true Finlay fashion, she gets through it all. I can't wait to continue the journey when book 4 is out! Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur books for the advance copy!

The third novel in the Finlay Donovan still features the endearing Finlay and Vera, but unfortunately that is about where the charm ends. While the idea of this series was novel and fun to start, it has now stretched so far into ridiculousness that it lacks entertainment value. I may pick up book 4, but I will have to be in the right mood for it,

Harried mother-of-two Finlay Donovan is back for her third run-in with hot cops, an impatient editor, a repellant. ex-husband, and (of course) Russian mobsters. After being mistaken for a hit woman in the first book of the series, FInlay has been trying to convince those who want to hire her that she was talking about her latest book, not her career, when she was overhead discussing details about how to plan a murder and get rid of bodies. No one believes her protests, especially when the men she's been contracted to kill do end up dead. Now the Russian mobster who is being blamed for some murders that Finlay is associated with wants her to find out the identity of the person who is threatening to turn over incriminating evidence to the police. He believes the culprit is a cop, so what better way to uncover the blackmailer than for FInlay and Vero (her nanny/accountant/sidekick) to attend a week-long citizen''s police academy? Never mind that Finlay's latest romantic suspense novel is still not written and her agent, Sylvia, wants her to include a romance between the heroine and a "hot cop." Or the fact that the "hot cop" from her book is based on her real-life will she/won't see love interest Nick, who is running the citizen's police academy? Finlay has been trying to keep Nick at arm's length, what with her being known as an "assassin for hire" on the dark web and all. Can Finlay ferret out the blackmailer, stay one step ahead of the Russian mob, and finally get her real-life romance with the hot cop on track? Oh, and turn in her book before her agent demands the return of the advance Finlay received?

I read all three books back-to-back, so the characters and situations were all fresh in my mind. Still, there were some things I was a bit vague on so I'm not sure this book would work as a standalone read (although the main points from the previous two books are briefly mentioned). I enjoy the humor and the way fearless Vero seems to have a plan for any situation that arises. The book does end with Finlay and Vero heading off on their next adventure, so it looks like the next installment can't be far away!

Big thank you to St Martin’s Press for my copy of FINLAY DONOVAN JUMPS THE GUN!

I listened to the first two Finlay books to refresh my memory, and they were so delightful on audio—the narrator does a great job.

I remember the second book feeling little stale, almost like a carbon copy of the first. So I was happy that in the third book, we get a change of scenery: Finlay and Vero go to “citizens police academy” to solve a mystery and do research for Finlay’s latest book. The new location definitely freshens up the story. There’s lots of ridiculous plot points, will-they-won’t-they romance and the very funny writing that you expect from a Finlay book. So if you enjoyed the first two, I think you’ll like this one!

My only gripe with this series is that I was hoping the author would lean away from the cop storyline, given the issues with policing in America. I understand that there are always going to be detectives in crime novels, but I’ve read a few recently that confront racism and sexism in the force in a way that doesn’t detract from the story. I wasn’t expecting that; the books are pointedly a-political, despite being set in DC. But I was surprised (and distracted) by how heavily this one focused on police work. I still enjoyed this story, but this was heavy on my mind as I read it, and not addressing it in this review would’ve felt like a lie.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is the third installment in Elle Cosimano’s popular Finlay Donovan series and I’m happy to report that it does not disappoint! For those unfamiliar with the series or those who might need a refresher, Finlay is an author and single mom, who along with her nanny/accountant/sidekick, Vero, have found themselves unexpectedly tied to the Russian mob. At the end of the second book, the mob actually does Finlay a huge favor, but that favor, in a move that surprises no one, especially Finlay and Vero, comes with some equally huge strings attached.

The third installment kicks off with the Russian mob boss calling in his favor. He wants Finlay and Vero to identify and locate EasyClean, an anonymous killer-for-hire, before the police do. Finlay and Vero want no part of this of course, especially since some signs point to EasyClean actually being a cop him or herself. Our dynamic duo decides that the best way to figure out if EasyClean is a cop or not is to join the new citizen’s police academy that Finlay’s crush, Nick is in charge of, and all the while, Finlay is desperately trying to write a spicier version of her next book to get her editor off her back. Needless to say, shenanigans ensue!

As with the first two hilarious installments in this series, a lot of what happens is over the top and definitely involves the reader suspending disbelief, but that’s what makes the series so much fun. I laughed my way through from start to finish, cheering Finlay and Vero on every step of the way. I got to the point where I couldn’t decide what I wanted Finlay to succeed at more: finding EasyClean, getting that spicy novel finished, or finally hooking up with hottie Nick.

I read that there will be a fourth book in the series and I’m totally here for it! If you’re in the mood for a hilarious and action-packed cozy thriller that is pure escapism at its best, definitely check out the Finlay Donovan series.

#FinlayDonovanJumpsTheGun:⁣
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At this point, Finlay Donovan may as well be related to Ray Donovan with all of the crime and hijinx happening in her life! ⁣
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This was a fun one for me. I think it may be the one I liked the most out of the three. I liked that we spent a majority of the time at this training facility so they could hide out. It was a clever way to get them out of sight, but also to get intel. (PS LOVED Mrs. Haggerty getting more time and that she was also there) We also got to get to know Nick’s crew more, which I enjoyed.⁣
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The audio was (as always) wonderful. Angela Dawe IS Finlay Donovan, and you cannot convince me otherwise. She hits the sarcasm and serious points effortlessly. Vera had some hilarious one liners that had me laughing out loud, and I feel like she landed those with perfection.⁣
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My only quip is that I felt the book was a bit too long and stayed stagnant for a bit. There were a lot of cops, and I kept getting two confused 😂 other than that, another solid Finlay read! (Plus that ending!!)⁣
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Thank you @minotaur_books and @macmillan.audio for the gifted copy! Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun is out 1/31!

Finlay and Vero are back for another adventure in Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano. The third edition in this series follows the same format as the prior two which will be fun for those who enjoy this series.

While I have loved Finlay and Vero's humor and silliness, I started to feel a little tired of it in this book. I was hoping that there would be more going on in terms of plot as well.

Many will really love Finlay and Vero's new set of shenanigans but for me, this one fell short and left me wanting more content.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

I don’t even know what genre to classify the Finlay Donovan series, but I love it so much. It reminds me a lot of the Stephanie Plum series in the best of ways. Finlay and Vero are each others ride or die and I love them so much.

Once again they find themselves caught up in webs of lies and crazy shenanigans with appearance by the mob, dirty cops, nosy neighbors, the ex husband, and of course more dead bodies. But this time, they have to solve the mystery while at the police academy that’s crawling with cops. What could possibly go wrong?

It’s utterly ridiculous and unrealistic and I am here for every moment of it. It’s the escape we all need from our realities.

I’m already eagerly anticipating book 4 and hoping Finlay and hot cop Nick grow closer together. (After all, I’m a romance reader at heart).