3.5 stars! Finlay and Vero are back at it and in full force during the third book of this series. I enjoyed the mystery, small bits of humor and that Nick had a more prominent role in the story this time. However, I still can’t take Finlay and Vero seriously. I know this is supposed to be just a fun book and I did enjoy the ride, but I was also eye rolling at parts of this story again. I would also like some character growth in Finlay and Vero. Everything about these characters are very on the surface and there is never any depth to what they are going through. Which is fine for the first book, but I would really enjoy more by the 3rd one.

Read if this series if you enjoy:
🙃 Mysteries
🙃 An overall “fun” story
🙃 Books that make you giggle

Ok, I’m going to need book 4 stat! I have been in love with this series since book 1, and my affections have only grown more since then. I absolutely adore Finlay and Vero, and Zach’s antics are some of my favorite scenes. And let’s not forget the hotness that is Detective Nick 🔥! We finally find out who EasyClean is, but Finlay isn’t out of hot water yet!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Let me start by saying that I devoured the first two Finlay Donovan stories. I was so excited to see that I was approved to get an early copy of the third story. Some of the things I really liked about this book were: I loved that Vero got more character development. Secondly, the tension between Nick and Finlay continues which always leads me to guess will these be the moment?!? Lastly, the cliffhanger ending that makes me need a fourth story! Some things I wish were different about the book include the slow burn in the beginning of the book. (Don't worry the second half of the book picks up). A lot was happening in the book with more characters to keep straight. At times it got muddled and I would have to reread parts. The story line did seem to be dragged out in parts and felt like it was more of a placeholder in the series than a direct storyline. Overall, this third installment (hopefully not the last!) of Finlay Donovan's story is a mix of humor, drama, and a touch of spice.

CONTENT WARNING: violence, blood, death, mention of murder, gore, mention of cancer, gun violence

Deciding to start this book in the evening was a terrible decision. I wound up staying up way late to read it, and then woke up early still thinking about it, so I obviously had to finish reading. Naturally, since I was exhausted, I went back to sleep. But at least I can say I accomplished something before 9 am, right?

In this installment, Finlay is trying to tie up some loose ends from the last book. She’s indebted to Feliks after the whole Aston Martin incident in book 2, and there’s now paperwork that ties her to him, so she owes him a favor. Feliks being who he is wasn’t going to leave a favor outstanding for long, and he quickly calls it in—she’s got to find out who EasyClean is, and do it quickly.

Sounds easy, right? Of course not, because nothing is easy for Finlay! Vero is struggling with some poor choices that she’s made which are coming back to bite her (and Finlay), she’s got issues with Steven (naturally), there’s a problem with her book and she has to rework some of it with a deadline hanging over her head, and as if our dynamic duo needed anything else to deal with, they both got recruited to join Nick’s super-intensive citizen’s police academy. What’s that? Well, they stay at the police academy, surrounded by police officers, and undergo rigorous training. Sounds like fun, except for the fact that her every move is being watched by Joey, Nick’s suspicious partner.

While there were plot twists galore and action, I loved the humor so much. That’s one of my favorite parts of the story, and a huge part of what keeps me coming back for more in this series. I was also approved for the audiobook, where Angela Dawe narrates, and she continues to do a fabulous job. She’s amazing, and I love the different voices and accents that she does for the characters! But where the series, and this book especially, really shines, is the connections between the characters. I especially love the relationship between Finlay and Vero, which has gone from employer/employee to something so much deeper. They’re friends but have more of a ride or die relationship, and they’ve developed a trusting bond between them that gets even stronger in this book. I also liked seeing the connection building between Finlay and Nick, especially as they’re placed into forced proximity during this book. These characters are all great, and even the side characters are fleshed out and intriguing.

It was difficult to figure out who the bad guy really way in this story, and it kept me thinking for the entire book. However, when the villain was revealed, it came as a complete surprise. I loved being surprised, and it was written well. This fast-paced, laugh-out-loud funny series is great, and I’m definitely already looking forward to the next book.

FINLAY. I love her and if you have read the other books in this series, you HAVE to read this one. Funny, smart, the perfect amount of a thriller while still being able to sleep at night. Elle Cosimano is truly a gift to us. LOVED this one so much. SO SO MUCH.

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

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano is another winner! I never want this series to end with all the adventures and laugh-out-loud moments! In this book, Finlay and Vero enter the citizen's police academy. They suspect there is a dirty cop in the force who is the contract killer. I cannot wait to see where this story will go next! I also enjoyed the steamy moments between Finlay and Nick...I've been waiting for this! Overall this book is tied with book one for me!

Thank you, Minotaur Books, for my complimentary ARC for this honest review.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is the joyful return to the Finlay Donovan world, where an intrepid novelist/mom routinely escapes deadly situations. I love this world so much!! In the latest installment, Finlay must complete edits on her manuscript and determine the identity of EasyClean, the mysterious contract killer. To do so, she’s going to the citizen police academy with Vero as they dodge threats from the mob. Of course, nothing is ever simple for Finlay and Vero…

This book is delightful chaos and shenanigans! Finlay and Vero are such fantastic characters; I love their bond and how they manage childcare and blackmail with ease. No matter which shady characters are after them, Finlay always manages to look after her kids and found family. Finlay has made some bold choices in previous books and these come back to haunt her in this book. I’m glad to see a certain detective return in full force! The larger ensemble cast all felt distinct and captivating, creating plenty of opportunities for red herrings and new alliances. My favorite side character was Javi; I’m looking forward to seeing more of him and Vero. Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is hilarious and unputdownable. I would highly recommend it to anyone, but definitely read the other books in the series first. I can’t wait to read the next book; it seems clear the story is not over yet!

Thank you so much to Elle Cosimano, Minotaur Books, Saint Martin’s Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another fun and exciting installment of Finlay Donovan and her crazy adventures as a unwilling hit woman who hasn’t actually killed anyone. I inhaled this book, the third in the series, in one evening, and I can’t wait for book four.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance ebook, and to Macmillan audio for the advance audiobook!

Elle Cosimano delivers again with FINLAY DONOVAN JUMPS THE GUN 👏🏻 This third book in the Finlay Donovan series had me laughing, nervous, & furiously turning pages at the end.

What I loved:
-Vero and Finlays friendship is my all time favorite book friendship
-so many outlandish, hilarious antics
-lighter on the romance & more focused towards the crime plot line
-so many LOL moments
-cliffhanger ending 🫣

I recommend this series to everyone and I would read a hundred books with Vero and Finlay 🤗 I cannot wait for the next installment!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed book one, tolerated book two and book three was just the same thing different day. It’s a fast read and at times it’s amusing but I think maybe the series should’ve ended after two books.

Thank you for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is the third of an emerging series (it appears). For me, the first book was good-second was ok and this one was tiring. It feels like the same haphazard experiences that are no longer funny but tiring. Finlay comes across as that friend you have that is in constant chaos...and you avoid. This will be the last Finlay book I read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Over the top dramatics and laughs ensure in Elle Cosimano's latest Finlay story.


Finlay and Vero are back together again and this time, Vero is the one owning something. When both get caught up in a sticky situation, they need to find out who's behind a big crime scene. Or risk all details leaking out of burying of bodies.

Feeling this person is in the police force, both decide to make an experience and join police academy for the week. Hopefully some inspiration will strike because sooner or later, Finlay has to oust someone.

I listened to this story in one day and could not stop! While I found some of the dramatics a bit much, I enjoyed hearing from background characters and the change of scenery. I'd recommend anyone listen to this one when it drops at the end of January!

Thank you Minotaur Books and MacMillian audio for my arc/alc in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this ARC! First off, let me say that I LOVE this series. Finn and Vero are the best duo, prove me wrong! The continuation of the first two books was done so well. It was more of a slow burn for the story, but I still enjoyed it.

I will read a million books of this series or by this author!

I really enjoyed this latest Finlay Donovan adventure that sees Finlay and Vero having to go undercover to hide from a mob boss out to get them. Lots of the trademark humor, some great romance and fun plots twists. Great on audio too! Much thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This series is perfect for fans of the Stephanie Plum books or the Netflix show, Dead to me.

Book 3 and I got to escape into Finlay Donovan's crazy world. Finlay and Vero are the main ladies AGAIN. And I love seeing female friendships! Incredible. Sending everyone to police academy felt like a bottle episode. I loved it. I was afraid of one character being the twist and I was so glad it was wrong.

Now I have more questions!! And I'm devastated by one of the reasons at the end :/ Poor Finlay and her children. Gosh. I'm all over the place because I don't want to be spoilery but I did love it. I loved it so much. I definitely liked it better than book 2! And now I'm ready for book 4.

3.5 stars

Finlay and (even better) Vero are back for another installment of 'How did we get here?!' in their never-ending quest to do the most atypical stuff in the most innocuous environment!

While it would be possible to read this as a standalone, I cannot recommend that approach at all. It's much more enjoyable to know the backstory of nearly all of these characters coming in, so readers who haven't started from the beginning should.

Finlay is an entertaining m.c., but once again, it's really Vero who steals the show. She's hilarious and does not suffer fools, even if she sometimes is playing the role of the foolish one. Their antics will please incoming fans of the series overall, but for me, this really did feel like a middle book with less of a standout plot, influx of character development, or particularly memorable moments than its predecessors. Don't get me wrong; I was entertained and am already dying to read the next one (and - clearly - the plan is that there will be a next one. The setup is unmistakable).

I love these characters and especially their friendship and can't wait to see what kind of wild hijinks they get up to next. This is a soothing balm in light of the semi-recent loss of the fun series _Good Girls_. Suburbia, beware!

Elle Cosimano’s “Finlay Donovan” series is a joy! Each book is better than the last one, and the third installment is no exception. The adventures of Finlay and her accountant/nanny Vero continue to be unexpected, tense, and hilarious. The central mystery is complex and engaging, and the characters surrounding Finlay are always entertaining. No one ever turns out to be who they seem, which adds to the enjoyment. It seems cruel to hope that Finlay and Vero never find their way out of this mess, but I really hope that this series never ends! Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Book 3 in Finlay Donovan's harrowing adventure as a novelist-turned-accidental-hit(wo)man-for-hire as she finds herself indebted to Russian mobster, Feliks Zhirav. Now, she must figure out who was trying to kill her husband, Steven, as readers pick up where the plot left off in book 2. She must find the identity of the elusive (likely a cop!) Easy Clean before Zhirov, kills her or Easy Clean. Fin and Vero sign up for a Citizen's Police Academy run by love interest, hot cop Nick, they must work through identifying Easy Clean before Feliks decides their time is up.
Told from Finn's POV, this is a novel filled with hi-jinx, red herrings, and cringe-worthy scenarios Finn and Vero find themselves in. Compared to the first two books, this was harder for me to finish because it got to be a little too stressful as both women just kept running into seemingly impossible scenarios full of tension (so great job Elle Cosimano for building that tension). However, there were still moments of laughter, some steamy passion with Nick and Finn, and surprises as readers are left with yet another cliffhanger as Finn and Vero are dragged deeper into the crime world. Overall, 4 stars!

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC!

The Finlay Donovan Series is such a guilty pleasure of mine because of how readable and fun they are. In Elle Cosimano's latest installment of this cozy mystery, we pick up right where book two left us: Vero and Finlay are trying to figure out who the mysterious EazyClean is in order to get mob boss Feliks Zhirov off their backs. In order to do that, they have to go digging in possibly the easiest place for them to get caught--among the FCPD. Their journey at the Citizens' Police Academy is silly but so fun and I couldn't put this one down. I can't wait to see what Finlay and Vero get up to next!

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is available on January 31!

I have read several of the Finlay Donovan books in the past and they always remind me of Stephanie Plum novels. Not sure why but I didn't enjoy this one as much as I wanted to. I couldn't connect with the story line. Because I have enjoyed them in the past I will definitely be picking up the next one.