This is what I'm talking about! I couldn't put this down. I was so happy to get back into another Finlay book and visit her world and this installment did not disappoint.
Finlay has a new task that she can't say no to, as a matter of life or death, so she's off with Vero to find out the identity of Easy Clean. In this book, we see a lot more of Nick, which I adore. We see more of his vulnerable side and more of Finlay's as well. We also see that there is more to Vero than we originally thought. We learn that she has some bad people after her too, and what is even happening with her and Javi?
I feel like a lot happened in this book, but also a lot "didn't" happen as most of the relationships and story lines were left open for the next installment. I am really looking forward to what happens next for this team of craziness.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Netgalley and Elle Cosimano for an early audio copy.

🔊Song Pairing: Anti-Hero - Taylor Swift (I mean come on Finlay is 10/10 the problem 90% of the time 😂)

💭What I thought would happen:

I was hesitant but hell I read the first 2 - looooved the first and eye rolled through the second. What in the hell was Finlay going to Fuck up now?!

📖What actually happens:

Finlay and Vero are back for more palm to face shenanigans. They are continuing to perform amateur detective work as to who was attempting to kill Finlay’s ex while simultaneously trying to keep two toddlers alive.

The duo are off to police camp for the public (a great resource and time for the police force…comforting knowing where people’s taxes are going). Finlay believes they will get some answers as to who the hit man is but also Finlay can ogle hunky Nick and receive all kinds of favouritism not granted to everyone.

🗯Thoughts:

🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️ I don’t know what is worse, that this series made it to a third or that it left off on a cliffhanger and a 4th is expected. Finlay is a mess…not a hot mess like all men seem to think, just an absolute utter disaster that makes me want to ram my head through a wall.

I’d say the book overall was a 2.5 but the humour in it actually did have me laughing out loud right from the opening scene with a grown man’s pants around his ankles in a major panic ft. Cheerios. I do love Elle’s sense of humour and can’t wait for her to use it for good in a different book.

I could go on but I know there are people who love this series and I’ll never convince anyone otherwise but the people who agree….just know I am here to vent all frustrations.

Also, Vero is a queen forever and always.

This is one of those series where you need to start at the beginning to get the entire backstory. I was a little lost at first trying to remember what happened in the first 2 books, but eventually things came back together for me. You also need to suspend disbelief with this series - the characters do some crazy things that I don't think would happen in the "real" world. However, I love the characters and the craziness; the things they go through are hilarious and the snarky, sarcastic comments are LOL funny. If you enjoyed the first 2 books, you will enjoy this one as well.

Finlay Donovon does it again! I love this series - I think the writing is phenomenal and a quick read overall. However, this is my least favorite in the series, but I don't think it's bad at all. It was just long and a lot of frustration with Finlay not owning up to her feelings. Overall, it was great and I am excited for the next one!

Another GEM of an installment in the Finlay Donovan series! This book is full of the absolutely outrageous antics we've grown to love from the Finlay and Vero duo. The trouble seemingly never ends for these two and this book was packed full of their special brand of chaos.

When I first read book one, I didn't think this had the potential to be a series. The Finlay Donovan books are very unique. It's a specific type of murder-mystery meets comedy meets book about a book meets moderately unbelievable antics with a tad bit of romance sprinkled in. I was really worried after book one that these would either 1) not be able to continue to deliver on all of the aforementioned quirkiness or 2) it would become super repetitive.

I was... SO wrong.

This book was even better than book 2. It had more of everything I wanted after reading the second installment: Vero + Finlay on-page together and Hot Cop! ;) The setting of this book was a really unique way to write it and it allowed the reader to get to know the suspects as Vero and Finlay did. I highlighted my way through this book and got to play detective alongside Vero + Finlay which is EXACTLY what I want in this kind of book.

Elle Cosimano has a really, really special way of making you feel like loose ends are tied up to give you a satisfying ending for each installment while writing the most perfect cliffhanger that has you counting down the days to the next book.

I recommend this ENTIRE series (in order, of course!) to anyone who wants a FUN read!

Another fun adventure with Finlay and Vero. I enjoyed learning more about the citizens police training academy. There are a lot of unbelievable things that happen but I let those slide because the books make me laugh at some of their antics. The characters are fun and the stories keep you guessing the whole time. I can’t wait to see what happens next in Atlantic City.

Once again Elle Cosimano has created a super funny and thrilling story about the antics of Finlay and Vero. The situations that they get themselves into remain ridiculous, it’s so much fun watching them try to solve different mysteries, evade the bad guys, and still take care of Finlay’s kids and get her manuscripts in on time. There’s additional tension this time around as a large portion of the book takes place at a mock police academy where Finlay and Vero are trying to covertly investigate different cops. In previous books I was a bit more critical of the romance subplot, but in this installment I felt like it worked much better. Also, with the way this book leaves off I can’t wait to read what happens next.

I love this series so much. Even though parts of this book felt slightly like filler to keep the story going, we get enough plot progression by the end of the book to even it all out. The hijinks are completely over the top (as usual) but if you’ve made it this far in the series you know what you’re getting into. Vero continues to be the standout character for me and I’m excited that it seems like we’ll be getting deeper into her story with book 4. Also thrilled to be making some progress in Finlay’s love life… for now. Give me one million books in this series!

Oh Finlay...it truly seems like your problems will never end, and as long as you continue to run into one problem after another, it seems as though there will be more and more books. This is not necessarily a good thing.
I absolutely adored the first book. The second book just didn't hold the same spark and fell very flat for me.
This book feels like it was trying to recapture what the first book had. The plot was interesting, watching Finlay and Vero go to a police academy camp to track down Easyclean. While the synopsis said it would confront Vero's past, the story really didn't. This is book 3 and all we have gotten are just small bits and pieces of Vero's past. She' is a main character, there should be more given by now!
Some good points:
I was thankful to see that the love square is over. While Julian made a small appearance, I was thankful that he wasn't around for long. Stephen still lives in a delusional world that him and Finlay will just go to counseling and all their problems will be solved. I was happy to also see he had minimal appearances in this book.
Thank you for giving us more Nick! It's about time. Finlay deserves some happiness and I am so glad that she might finally open herself up to being with Nick.

Overall, this was a improvement over book 2, but I am feeling like these storylines are getting a bit outrageous and over done.
3 stars rounded up to 3.5.

This was another great installment in this series. I love Finlay and all the trouble she finds herself in.

I was a HUGE Finlay Donovan fan when the first book came out, and I'm so sorry but books 2 and 3 have just felt like a cash grab. Book 1 was SO fast paced and had me on the edge of my seat and dying of laughter. I kept thinking "OMG that's exactly what I would do if I found a dead body!!!" It felt relatable in entirely un-relatable situations. This book was a continuation of lose ends left in book 2 but it literally felt like nothing happened...? It almost felt like filler in preparation of what's to come in book 4 but it just didn't hold my attention at all.

I love Finlay and Vero, but sadly my train stops here with them. Unless I hear otherwise, I don't think I'll be picking up any more books in this series. It just feels so overdone and this point and it's tarnishing my favorite characters. Overall, unless you are hugely obsessed with this series, I think you can skip this one entirely.

Thanks to Netgalley for my arc. OUT January 31, 2023

📖 Finlay, Finally!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📚128/100
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano
Format: 📱 @netgalley

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the chance to read this ARC! Finlay’s series is one I auto-recommend to so many, and I’m so glad I got the chance to read and review this

Finlay hits just the right chords when you need a “palette cleanser”. I’d say this one packs even more of the punch of the first book than “Knocks ‘Em Dead”, although the setting of the “citizen police academy” was a little too convenient. A lot of plot from the second book was resolved, we got to revisit some characters and plot lines we loved from before, and there was still plenty of room for new story to develop. It was fun, fast, and the ending has me ready for #4!
—————————————————————————————

Spoiler free summary:

After the events of the first two books, Finlay and Vero are ready for a return to somewhat-normal. As her publisher asks her to rethink her next book’s plot, Finlay finds herself owing a favor to a mob boss. She has been tasked with both a rewrite of her book, AND with identifying said mob boss’ attempted killer. What better place to research the book and find the suspect than a citizen’s police academy? Especially when they consider that an officer is the most likely person for the job.

#bookstagram #bookreview #romcombooks #readersofinstagram #booksta #noshelfcontrol #bookish #bookishlove #bookstagrammer #bookworm

Elle Cosimano does it again with Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun! In this most recent installment dynamic duo Finlay and Vero are set to spend a week at police camp for civilians. They are on the lookout for a contract killer, and their number one suspect is a cop. I love that Janet Evanovich gives one of the promo blurbs because this series reminds me of early Stephanie Plum in the best way possible.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

First I received this ebook from Macmillan and then they sent me the audiobook. So I started with my kindle and finished with the audio. I was so excited to receive both because I absolutely adore this series! This is the 3rd book of the Finlay Donovan series and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it after reading the first 2 earlier this year. This is a quirky funny mystery series that I honestly couldn't put down. If you like a fun, hysterical mystery series, this is it! Of course, this one also left me on a cliffhanger, so I cannot wait for the next book, but this series is so much fun! I highly recommend it!

Read/Listen if you like:
❤️ Crime Shows
❤️ A Naive main character
❤️ twists and turns
❤️ MC is an author
❤️ Humor mixed with Mob Story Lines

Audiobook Review:
I loved continuing the journey with Finlay and Vera as they continue to get themselves into messes despite their attempts to do the opposite.

I loved seeing the characters in a new setting and adding in a locked door thriller vibe with the majority of this one taking place at a police academy for civilians and knowing that Easy Clean was likely among them.

One of my favorite parts of the story again in this one was the friendship between Finlay and Vera and that even when they both made poor decisions they always backed each other instead of using those mistakes are reasons to turn on the other. Their friendship is truly one of the best parts of the series, but I also loved how they both had some tension with love interests in this one too!

I so excited and can’t wait for the next installment in the series as this one definitely set up for a 4th book

We have the third installment in the Finlay Donovan series, and we finally get some answers however we end with even more questions. Finally, the love square is over, and Finn makes up her mind on her love interest and seems to figure out where she is in her life. There are more answers to Vero's story and it doesn't seem as much of a mystery to the reader. I feel that I like this story best because it kept it all in 1 location and there wasn't as much confusion to the story as it was in the other 2 books. However, I do feel like this series has gone on far too long.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review as always, all words are my own.

Finn and Vero are at it again! This time, they’ve voluntarily immersed themselves in the citizens’ police academy for a week in hopes of identifying EasyClean. Obviously it’s not that easy and more hijinks ensue. Of course this book sets up a fourth installment (which I cannot wait to read), but at least it appears Finn has finally made a choice about her love life (for now anyway)!

Pretty sure in my review for book two I said something about my suspension of disbelief button getting a workout but hoo boy. That's nothing compared the third installment in this series. Poor pointer finger is exhausted.

That aside, I have to say, I found it extremely hard to get back into this world; or, maybe more accurately, the writing. I cared nothing for the characters, the nonsense they had once more gotten themselves twisted up in, and certainly not the romance. Can I blame all that on the writing or am I just over this unlikely concept? I'll admit the red herrings for the mystery were well done but it sorta feels like everything was made more convoluted and dramatic, as opposed to less, because of Finlay and Vero's involvement. And that did not make for a great experience.

I am all for a plucky heroine stumbling into bigger things and having to navigate but like.. it's just not working anymore. Things are either too big for her to be emerging unscathed or things just aren't being taken seriously enough and therefore the stakes aren't high. Or both, sometimes at the same time. It's a weird feeling. The vibes are off.

Also, that big near-final scene happening surrounded by all those cops? Yeah bloody right. The eyerolls.

Also also, the very meta writing bit about Finlay and her characters is getting tired, too.

While Vero had definitely saved some of the bits that I had previously given side-eye, she did not fare so well in this one. I worried her subplot would add to the OTT and ruin her and yeah, I think it did. Honestly, the only character I really enjoyed in this one was Wade, a firearms instructor, because his lack of fucks really spoke to me. Nick, one of the many (!) love interests, wasn't too bad, either. I am just bewildered by all these menfolk panting after Finlay because I do not get the appeal.

But what do I know; the same could be said about my feelings for this series vs the many many readers who are having a blast. So.

While I had hoped to find a spark of love for this series, I think I'll stick this on the back burner until the end is in sight.

ps, still wishing Steven was dead.

Author Finley Donovan is at it again. Her adventures continue and this time she is conducting research for her book at the police academy while trying to solve a mystery and escape from the mob. There are plenty of high jinks and close calls for Finley and her nanny, Vero.

After reading Finley Donovan's first two adventures, I was so excited to see what happened next in the series. There were lots of laughs and I was excited to see that Finley may have settled on a suitor after being undecided in the previous books. The madcap adventures are unpredictable and laugh out loud.

While I have really enjoyed the series, I did find this one to be a slower read with a few too many characters to keep up with. The situations Finley finds herself in are fairly unrealistic, but the book is a lot of fun.

The way the story ends leads me to believe that we have not heard the last of Finley Donovan. I hope to see a bit more character development in the next book and I would not be surprised to see this series made into a movie. I can even picture Melissa McCarthy as Finley!

Thank you Minotaur Books & NetGalley for the ARC!

Merry Christmas to me, I loved Finlay Donovan book 3!! I had the most fun reading this book and almost want to start the series at the beginning to experience it all again! In Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun, Finlay and Vero are up to their usual antics but it felt even more high stakes. A LOT of action, black mail, and conniving happens in this book and I am here for all of it. I may have missed some details here and there because there is seriously so much going on. I felt like my eyes were wide while reading most of it- waiting for another shoe to drop, another reveal, another crazy scene. I was reading as quick as I could to see how it would all play out. I love spending time with Finlay and cannot wait for Elle Cosimano to write more!

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is out January 31. Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur for my e-arc!!