I am a huge fan of the Finlay Donovan series, so I was beyond excited to get an advanced copy of this book! This is the third book in the series, and it’s another wild ride as Finlay tries to balance her life as a writer, a single mom, and an accidental hitwoman for hire. It’s full of action, a little bit of romance, laughs, and more sticky situations that Finlay and her sidekick Vero have to find their way out of.

This book picks up where the second book left off, with Finlay trying to find Easy Clean, the hitman who tried to kill her ex-husband in the last book. She also finds herself in a tough spot when Vero’s troubling past comes back to haunt them both, adding more unsavory characters to the mix. In the midst of it all, Finlay and Vero are offered the chance to take part in a citizen’s police academy, with Finlay’s potential love interest Nick as the commanding officer. This week-long training is no walk in the park, and Finlay and Vero find themselves trying to keep the criminal ties that they’ve found themselves wrapped up in from being discovered, while trying to uncover the identity of Easy Clean…and doing all of it without the cops around them noticing.

I absolutely loved the first book of this series, and enjoyed the second book as well. This book was good, and I laughed at some of the quotes and situations. But I found myself longing for more resolution with the love situation and an end to some of the conflicts that have been introduced in the series. Finlay and Vero seem to find themselves getting into more and more situations, without getting truly caught. That worked in the first book and I feel like it ended fine in the second. But at this point, it’s becoming more of an unlikely outcome…honestly. At some point, things have to come to light. It’s inevitable. Finlay and Vero wouldn’t be this lucky in real life. Adding more conflict and more situations only works for awhile and then readers may get tired of it.

All in all, it’s a 4 star read for me. I still love Finlay and Vero’s friendship, there were lots of funny moments, and I do love Nick. But, I am hoping that everything gets resolved in the next book.

In book 3 of the Finlay Donovan series, Nick has started up a citizen's police academy, and Finlay and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero have decided to attend. For Finlay, the reason is two-fold. Her book deadline is looming and her editor hates the book as is, and so Finlay needs to do a deep dive into researching some steamy love scenes with a certain detective love interest. Also, this will give Finlay and Vero the perfect cover-up to sleuth out who is blackmailing Feliks and free themselves from the mob's clutches—all the while dodging spies, confronting Vero's past, and juggling the daily trials of parenthood.
I love this series and this book was just as much fun as the previous two books were. There was non-stop action and laughs and I adore Finlay and Vero. I am really rooting for Finlay and Nick to become a couple. I love the over-the-top antics that Finlay and Vero get themselves into.........it reminds me of Stephanie Plum and Lula in the Janet Evanovich books. These books need to be read in order to really get the most out of the series, but they are so good. once you read the first one, you will want to keep going. I highly recommend this one!

4⭐️ to this gem. I was lucky enough to get an ARC through NetGalley. Dear Elle Cosimano, I will read anything you write. Really, if you're looking for a great cozy mystery series, this one is for you. It is impossible not to like Finlay, a newly single mom who finds herself solving crime with her nanny Vero....while trying to write a book, keep her kids alive and prevent her ex from getting murdered (for the kid's sake of course). Definitely start with the beginning of the series if you haven't yet!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the first two book in this series and I would probably say this one was my least favorite of the three. I’m a huge fan of Finlay and Vero! I love their personalities and crazy adventures. The storylines are always a little over the top but that’s the point! These books are funny and a great lighthearted break from my usual thrillers. My only negative comment that that by the third book things seem to be getting a little repetitive. And while I enjoy the craziness of their stories I feel like things have gotten a little too unrealistic. These books are fun and unique and I would recommend them to anyone will enjoys lighter thrillers!

Finlay Donovan is back! This is the third installment of the Finlay Donovan books and not really a stand alone book- I think you need to read the other two first to understand what is going on in this book.

This was my least favorite of the three books but as a fan of Finlay Donovan- I still enjoyed it! It seemed to have less action that the previous two- I didn’t love the storyline of Vero and Finlay going to police academy as it was fairly uninteresting. It was still fairly humorous but less so that the previous 2 which I adored! It was a little hard to remember everything that happened in the previous 2 books and while some recaps were included, more would have been helpful.

If you like the series, I think you will still find this book pretty entertaining and enjoyable.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy for my honest review.

Thank you St. Martin's Press & Netgalley for an eARC of Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun! AHHH! I took this approval as a sign from the heavens that I needed to absolutely binge the currently 3-book series of Finlay Donovan, and I have to say it was well worth it. All are 5-star reads, and Elle seemingly writes an even better book than the last every single time.

Dating. Diapers. And dodging bullets. Who said single moms can't have fun?

Finlay Donovan finds herself in yet another mess with mob boss Feliks who's running the show from behind bars. She's been told to find a contract killer before the cops. But what happens if this killer may be a cop? Luckily, her maybe-yes-maybe-no romance with hot cop Nick resurfaces when he's started up a citizen's police academy. Finay's getting pressure on her next book, and partner-in-crime and babysitter (accountant!) Vero is running from her past.

There's just so much goodness about this book and series, and the audiobooks are fantastic. I'm a thriller lover through and through, but I'd take Finlay over anything else any day. She is witty, sarcastic, funny as hell and JEEZ do I love hot cop Nick. While Finlay juggles the daily trials of parenthood while dodging the police in her not-so-legal scenarios she finds herself in, do yourself a favor and pre-order this one prior to pub day and catch up on the Finlay backlist. Your new obsession awaits!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫 (4.5)

Well I lied in my last review, for the second book in this series ‘Knocks Em Dead’. I said I wouldn’t read a third if she came out with one. Not only did I read the third (this one, ‘Jumps the Gun’) in the series but I can honestly say I’m super excited to read the 4th if/when she comes out with it🤗 I feel like Cosimano went back to her roots & did this one right. Like this time she didn’t rush putting out the next book, she didn’t try so hard (to be funny) on this one. The cheeseball humor was more in line with her first book & was just funny & natural from the author’s brain…like when someone IS funny vs trying to be. This book & the entire series is kind of ridiculous, so you have to go into it knowing that & being ok with it. It’s unrealistic, dumb funny, cheese! But it’s also a book that makes you smile & laugh out loud, while simultaneously being suspenseful & making the reader question who is good/bad. I also love that she put so much more of Vero & her ‘story’ into this, that’s one thing i mentioned in my review of ‘Finlay Donovan Is Killing It’ is that Vero could have her own book so it was nice to have her character & her character’s past be more of the storyline. While the author did wrap up some of the loose ends (yay!😜) she also created some new cliffhangers for Finlay & Vero’s mess so I’m assuming & hoping there will be a 4th installment to this series.

To be honest I tried reading this awhile ago & I couldn’t get past the first chapter, I think too much of what I disliked about book 2 was still in my head & I just wasn’t in the right space mentally to read it & give it a fair shot. I’m so glad I gave it another chance (thanks to a fellow reader, Jayme, for giving me the push I needed to read it!). This was such a fun book, I was actually excited to pick it up whenever I had the chance. If you liked the first Finlay Donovan I’d definitely recommend reading this one (& book 2 for the sake of reading a series)🤗. If you’re reading this review you likely have read my other reviews on the first two books in the series or you’ve read one two or three of the Finlay Donovan books yourself…if that’s not the case these books are romcom meets murder mystery..or something 😜

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Short synopsis: Finlay and her nanny Vero are still trying to tie up loose ends from an accidental Murder for Hire. While trying to appease Feliks part of the Russian mob and find the mysterious EasyClean, Finlay and Vero sign up for Citizens Police Academy to find answers.

My thoughts: I think Finlay and Vero are quite the duo. Their banter and shenanigans are hilarious and awkward and their friendship is goals!

I thought the Citizens Police training was a fun addition to the story, and enjoyed seeing Mrs Haggerty a bit more.

I did feel like there were definitely some obstacles that Finlay and Vero faced that resolved a little too easily and they’d be in the next predicament. I would have liked there to be a little more depth to the problems, and not quite as many.

The first scene in the book had me laughing out loud. As a mother of a wild and curious 3 year old, I really hope and pray that I never have to chase him into the men’s bathroom at Walmart and climb under the stall to retrieve him.

Read if you love:
* Funny murder mysteries
* Friendship goals
* Hot cops
* Outrageous situations
* Writers block

Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for a copy of this book! Publication date is January 31, 2023

I am here for the Finlay Vero friendship and their dark edgy, and darkly funny, adventures and chaos. I might also be here a smidge for Finlay and Nick...
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun brings back all that is loved by me from the first two books and adds in a twisty wild plot that did have me guessing and surprised. Elle Cosimano brings effective pacing, welcome scenes and dialogue of romance and humor, and for me an approach that says yes readers can handle the messy edginess of a mystery series for women (it's not all about the cozies!).

This book solidifies this series as one to recommend and I am so glad I got the chance to read and support this with the review copy from St Martin's Press, Minotaur imprint. Thank you for the joy of this book for a big fan!

The third book in this cute series….and that cliff hanger!

I love me some Nick. Tall, dark, and handsome…kinda like my own Nick. 😁

Finlay and Vero are in the middle of some shenanigans again. For a while there I thought Nick would be a bad cop, and THEN I thought it would be Georgia. I never thought the actual bad guy was the bad guy! Nice little wrench thrown in the mix there. These stories are quick to read and always fun. For those that like closed door steam, you would approve of this. For those that like more…sorry!

I am dying for the fourth one to come out right now!! Ugh. Series. Always making me wait to know what happens next.

I cannot tell you how many times I have recommended this series. And how many people love it and borrow the first two books. So obviously when I was approved for the third one, I did a huge happy dance!

I had a bit of trouble remembering all the insane shenanigans Finlay and Vero got into in book #2, but there are a lot a quick reminders to help you out. I read the last book in May so it's been a minute, but I wasn't super confused.

I will say that this book is really easy to read. The chapters aren't too long and it makes me want to just keep reading. And everything flowed nicely. Even though I was so anxious of Finlay's behalf.

Nick is such a good book boyfriend. He's so sweet and innocent and Finlay probably doesn't deserve him, but you can't help but ship them.

I don't want to spoil anything, but man so many twists and turns and if you think you have it figured out trust me - you don't.

More of a 4.5/5 stars. Who likes to rate with half stars? I've found myself doing that more and more.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this novel! It is well established that I love the Finlay Donovan universe. It is full of silly characters and insane events. You would never believe half the things that Finlay and Vero are put through, but that is the fun of it all. With that said, this is definitely my least favorite in the series so far. It felt like a filler from the last book to the next, and while some things were uncovered, it was super slow, which I wouldn't expect. Another note is that Finlay kept talking about how there were moments when the boy and the girl would finally get together in a romance novel, but she never followed through herself! It was very frustrating because there is so much chemistry between Finlay and Nick, and I am dying for them to actually get together for real.

Our favorite dynamic duo, Finlay Donovan and Vero, are back at it again! We are in store for more witty characters and a mystery that'll keep you intrigued all wrapped up in a hilarious package. Book two left us with a cliffhanger and it was fun to see how these two worked to solve the mystery. I loved the character development we got from Nick, and really liked the setting in the police academy.

There were a lot of characters to keep track of and at times I was googling to remember who was who. Cosimano does a good job though to reminding the reader in the first couple of chapters where we were and what had happened in the previous books. Overall I enjoyed this one more than the 2nd and look forward to see what comes next!

This book was a good installment in the series, though I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I did the first two. It didn't feel like there was as much going on, and I didn't think it had it's own storyline, more so a continuation from book two and a set up for book 4. I'm still excited to carry on with the series, and I think the plot for book four seems fun and promising.

I am a latecomer to the Finlay-verse, and damn I'm kicking myself for not reading these books sooner! I've always heard great things about them, I even bought the first one, but as usual the TBR overflowed and I never got to it. Then when I saw book three on NetGalley I jumped on it as this would be the thing that finally forces me to read the series.

First off, I have to say I love Finlay and all of the unfortunate situations in which she finds herself. This time, she's managed to get herself invited to a citizen's police academy in order to track down the identity of a mysterious contract killer. Oh, and she's doing this on orders from the Russian mob. Just another day at the office for Finlay, right? She and Vero (my favorite person, seriously) again find themselves in ridiculously hilarious situations and I am here for all of it. Add in hot cop Nick, an intrusive ex-husband, and a toddler terrorizing a Walmart dressing room, and you have yet another entertaining romp of a story. Definitely recommended, but this is not a standalone so make sure you read the first two books before tackling this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Minotaur Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In this third installment of the Finlay Donovan series the crazy antics of Finlay and Vero continue into dangerous life threatening territory. This book had me on the edge of my seat while making me laugh so hard I cried all at the same time. My favorite part of this saga is the friendship between Finlay and Vero. They totally give off “Dead to Me” vibes and I am here for every chaotic minute. “We’re all liars, some of us are just better at hiding it.“ Finlay and Vero sift through lies, while dodging a mob boss, chasing a toddler and finding romance in the process. There’s never a dull moment when those are around. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC.

Thanks to Minotaur Books for the ARC.
It was fun to be back with Finlay and Vero, this time at citizen police academy camp as they work to figure out exactly who EasyClean is. Like their other adventures, not everything is quite as it seems and, of course, nothing goes exactly the way it should. This book is laced with the humor that we've all come to know and love from these two well-meaning characters. The opening scene had me laughing with showing what a ride parenthood can be, the academy timeline of the story kept me engaged and guessing, and the ending was impressive and I hope there is more to come. If you love these characters, I'm sure this will be a winner for you, too.

Hilariously brilliant! The third installment to the series came in full circle of more questions answered, more schemes and shenanigans happening, and of course some hot cop action!

I really enjoyed the parallels between Finlay's writers block and real life road block with her love life. Getting the scene us readers were dying to get finally came and I was rooting for Finlay to go get that dessert. Vero as always was pushing Finlay out of her comfort zone while also having her own love hate relationship.
The extra characters as we go undercover were fun to figure out, the reader is questioning everyone that could be Easyclean and when the revelation was brought forward I honestly was not shocked and had figured it out right before Finlay did.
I honestly love this series and book three was just even more fun in the series, I devoured it! I am eager for a fourth book in this series so we can get more closure with what will happen next with Finlay and Vero, Finlay's book writing, Georgia and her love life, and what is next in store for Finlay and Nick.

Okay how many borderline illegal shenanigans can one single mother and her sidekick get into? A lot apparently. Finlay and her nanny/accountant/BFF Vero are back and this time they owe the mob a favour following the events in Book #2. They are tasked with finding a killer and they think he might be a cop. So when the opportunity to attend a week-long police training arises, Finlay and Vero use the opportunity to sniff around.

This was possibly the least eventful book in a highly eventful series. It still has shenanigans but it felt like the overall stakes here were lower than in past books. I do wonder how long Finlay and Vero’s partnership-in-crime can go on for before this starts to become stale. At this point though I’m still enjoying the series.

This book is such an easy and quick read. The plot is really easy to get lost in as we follow Vero and Finlay’s infiltration of a police sleepaway camp (which is in itself a ridiculous concept) and the clues they find are unraveled in an obvious and easy to understand manner. We continue to get glimpses into Finlay’s role as a single mother and the continuing implications of her divorce from Stephen. Her relationship with Vero and their dialogue is and remains the real shining star in this series.

Shoutout to Cosimano for finally putting us out of our misery and giving us a little more romance and a whole lot more resolution. So long love triangle (or were you a love square?)I will not miss you.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book had the same issues as the two before it. Slow, even through things are happening and not all that interesting when you’re actually reading it. The concepts for the Finlay Donovan books are always interesting to me, but fall flat on the page to the point where it’s like pulling teeth to finish. I still love the characters and the comedy is great, but it’s not a very good or interesting mystery thriller, in my opinion.