Accidental hitwoman Finlay Donovan finds herself owing the Russian mob while avoiding the suspicions of the police, including a dirty cop. Finlay and her live-in nanny fall into zany situations full of danger as the mystery takes unexpected twists. Expect the same silliness, ex-husband frustrations, and romance as before. Since the plot deals with consequences of the previous two books, readers should start with the first in the series.

✨Book Review - Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano✨


Finlay and Vero are in debt to the Russian Mob and they are looking to collect. They want Finlay to find a contract killer before the cops, but the kicker is, the killer might be a cop. 😱 As luck would have it, hot cop, Nick, had a citizens police academy and Finlay and Vero have made the list. It gives them time to learn from cops and use that to figure out who might be the killer.

Elle Cosimano did not disappoint with this one. I love the dynamic between Finlay and Vero. They trust each other, can tell it like it is, and always know they can count on each other for anything. Vero had me laughing out loud in a couple of scenes. Mostly when they are on the training course at the academy (don’t worry, not a spoiler 😉). There’s just something so fun about reading this series and I can’t wait for the next book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ STARS

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've seen rave reviews for this series so knew I had to take a chance. It was good but I think I needed more "backstory" so wish I'd read at least one other before taking on this one! Finlay and nanny Vero are on the run from Feliks, a "mob guy" who clearly is bad news and will stop at nothing to gain an advantage. It's fast, furious, and funny and I can see how people love this series. I may return to read another one as it's got a lot of action and adventure.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Finlay Donovan is one of my favorite cheer-me-up heroines! I want more of Finlay. (And now I'll go back and read the whole series.)

Pros: The Finlay Donovan series is lots of fun—it reminds me of the Stephanie Plum series with a main character who doesn’t always make the best decisions, but the reader still cheers for her. I find myself not caring much about the mysteries in these books and caring much more about Finlay and Vero and the comedy of errors they get themselves into.

Cons: This isn’t a con, but I do suggest readers read this series in order rather than pick this up as a standalone.

3 stars = I liked it!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Finlay and Vero have found themselves between an rock and a hard place again. Or to be more specific: at a police academy training while trying to keep a mob boss and a bookie off their backs.

This is the 3rd book in the Finlay Donovan series and my favorite so far! This one is funny as hell but now with the backstory/character development making you that much more invested in everything that happens. I think this feels much more similar to the first book than the second but I love the continuation of the story line carried through all 3. There is one more in the series and I cannot wait to get my hands on it!

I love Finlay (even though I HATE the spelling of her name) Donovan and her hijinks. I couldn’t put this one down. The ending did feel a bit rushed and while I like that SPOILER ALERT

Stu turned out to be Easy Clean, it just really didn’t make sense. Maybe a little more back story or explanation is needed? I also hate that it ended on a cliff hanger. We better get another book!!

Yes, Yes, Yes! I loved this book as I have all the previous ones! This is such a fun and quirky book and I absolutely love the main character. I typically don't go for books like this but I most definitely will be in the future. Great tory line overall and will be recommending to my friends!

This third book of the series was fun. I definitely think there was more substance to the narrative with new adventures while also continuing the arc from the other books. Finlay and Vero are quite the team; reminding me a lot of Stephanie Plum and Lula from the Evanovich books.

Finlay Donovan is an author and single mom who's a pro at getting out bloodstains for rather unexpected reasons. She and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero get in one scrape after another, like being mistaken for a contract killer while discussing her next book in public or running afoul of Russian mobsters.

I’ve wanted to read this series and was eager to take a peek at this arc. I haven’t read the others yet, but it was easy enough to get caught up. Still, I’d recommend reading them in order.

There’s lots of humor and relatable mom moments amid the bonkers situations Finlay ends up in.

I am loving the character of Finlay Donovan! She is smart, sassy, brave, sexy, and a little crazy. I love the trouble she gets into with her accountant/nanny Vero and how she fights for everyone she cares about even while making one mistake after another. This mystery had me laughing out loud more than once. She solves the crimes with Lucy and Ethel antics. Do yourself a favor and grab this one as soon as it comes out.

Ok, so this book— it falls somewhere between the first and second book for me. I loved the fast-paced energy, the quippy one-liners, and of course Finlay and Vero’s creativity to addressing their problems.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. That said, it ends on another cliffhanger and I know the author says she plans to keep writing Finlay. I don’t know how much longer this storyline is going to keep my attention. It’s almost like the characters need to stumble upon a whole new problem. I’m afraid this one is getting stale.

So yes, if you’ve enjoyed the previous Finlay books I definitely recommend this one. Personally, I just don’t know how many more I’ll read after this. They’ll probably be something I reach for when I’m in the right mood, rather than something that tops my TBR as soon as it’s released.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano
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I am thrilled to continue reading the adventures of our brave single mom, Finlay, and her trusy babysitter (accountant!), Vero.
Our story picks up with Finlay and Vero desperately trying to uncover the identity of “easyclean”. Also trying to avoid the mob boss, Feliks. And pay off a loan shark. All while attending “civilian” police academy.
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This was a fun installment and I had a great time reading it. I’m pretty sure the first book will forever be the best, but I took this book for what it was and didn’t expect more and so I really enjoyed it! It was fun trying to guess who “easyclean” was (spoiler, I was SUPER wrong), and to see what hilarious situations Finlay and Vero got themselves into.
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The ending was pretty crazy and I am looking forward to what happens in book four!
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Lots of laugh out loud moments, and I still adore Finlay and Vero’s team. I am still “team cop”, but felt a little bad for the lawyer.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC of Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun in exchange for an honest review.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun picks up shortly after the ending of Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead. As usual, Finlay is once again struggling with a book, this time unable to figure out how to bring together the character based on her and the character she based on hot Detective Nicolas Anthony. Her best friend and literal partner-in-crime Vero is being tracked by Marco, a New Jersey loan shark, for a mistake she made in college, and also dealing with the return of Javier, a former flame. And due to a favor she owes Russian mobster Feliks Zhirov from the last book, she has to figure out the identity of EasyClean, the screen name of the mysterious contract killer (also from the last book) who’s been blackmailing Feliks. So, Finlay and Vero do exactly what you’d expect—enroll in the one-week Fairfax County Citizen’s Police Academy so they can be safe from Feliks and Marco, figure out who EasyClean really is, and give Finlay time for some “hands on” research with Nick to help with her, um, writer’s block. 😄

It’s now clear that, while broken into distinct novels, the Finlay Donovan series is telling one long story. Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is a continuation of the first two books, bringing back many of the surviving characters: Julian, Finlay’s ex-boyfriend/hot bartender/law student; Steven, Finlay’s ex-husband; Cameron, the teen hacker; Georgia, Finlay’s sister; Joey, Nick’s mysterious new partner; even Mrs. Haggerty, Finlay’s nosy neighbor. And the novel ends on a cliffhanger that guarantees that the next book will tell the next part of the story.

As with the earlier entries in the series, Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is not gritty, realistic crime fiction. But the story works because Finlay is a well-developed character who you can’t help but root for, the snarky banter between Finlay and Vero, the will-they-or-won’t-they chemistry between Finlay and Nick, and because there’s a decent mystery stayed unpredictable through the finish. It’s another fun read. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Recommended.

Another great installment in the Finlay Donovan series. You know a book is good when you try to read slower because you want to savor every single word.

Much like the first two books, this book is filled with goofy antics that feel way over the top and ridiculous and will have you simultaneously in disbelief that Finlay & Vero are getting away with it while wishing it never ends. The setting for this book feels like the perfect next step to make the story not feel repetitive and like it's dragging on. While this book has less main story and more filler I still found it to be incredibly enjoyable. Finlay and Vero are two characters you can't help but find lovable and their friendship is really the glue that holds the story together. I've rooted for Finlay and Nick since book one and I'm so happy to finally see some a real budding relationship forming between them but was disappointed when nothing happened until roughly 80% of the way through.

Highly recommend this book and highly recommend this series as a whole!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Well, this book was amazing. I loved the first two books of Finlay Donovan and this one was just a great. In fact, I liked it better than the 2nd book. The setting was perfection- a sleep away civilians police camp including Finlay's nosy neighbor. Finlay and Vero were back to their fun relationship and had a really great dynamic. The twist was wonderful and I didn't even mind the book ending on a cliffhanger (even though we have to wait a long time until book 4 comes out). It was such a fun read. This has been one of my favorite series to recommend to friends and I can't wait until the book is published so they can get their hands on it!

This next installment did not let me down! Finlay is off to police academy boot camp to try and find the identity of EasyClean along with keeping Vero safe from the loan shark she owes. Not to mention Finlay has to rework some edits on her new book. Can she find EasyClean to settle her debt with Felix all the while keeping the kids and Vero safe? This book was a breath of fresh air for me with a little bit of everything: action, romance and humor. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

Finlay Donovan is back, this time at a Citizen's Police Academy run by her "will they or won't they" hot cop Nick. She and Vero are still trying to get out of the clutches of Feliks, the Russian mob boss Finlay has accidently gotten herself indebted to, as well as trying to suss out which of Nick's colleagues is setting them all up.

Fans of the series be prepared, because there's more of Finlay's over-the-top hijinks here. The same heart in packed throughout and the same hilarity ensues, though how Finlay and Vero aren't behind bars yet, I'll never know. But I don't care, because the book doesn't take itself too seriously and it's just so much fun to read. My only disappointment is that I read it too fast and now there won't be the next installment for quite some time.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for giving me an opportunity to read an early copy of this book in exchange for a review through NetGalley.

Our beloved Finlay is back with another crazy wacky mystery solving adventure. Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is the third book of Elle Cosimao’s series and the best news of the day is that it isn’t the last!

Finlay is a single mom trying to figure out how to balance two children, her writing career and solving a murder with her nanny turned best friend Vero. This book has Vero and Finlay going to a community police college to get “research” for her next book. Vero and Finlay get themselves into a few precarious situations that are nothing short of hilarious.

This book is very much like her others which is a great thing. Cosimo has written a few very unique books as they are not only mysteries but also written with comedy in mind. I haven’t read too many books like this and I find it refreshing. I do have to admit that most of the situations that Finlay and Vero get themselves into are very far fetched and extreme, but I think this makes the book even more interesting and loved by the reader. I do wish there was a bit more romance in her books as the book often skips over this.

Overall I enjoyed this book but I did like this one the least of the three. I give this book 4 stars. I will absolutely be reading the next one in the series. If you are interested in this series, this next installment hits the shelves in January of next year.

Thank you to Netgalley, Elle Cosimano and Minotaur books for this advanced copy! I am so grateful to have read it before the release date!

Thank you, St. Martins press/Minotaur books & Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The first book in this book was absurd, but fun. The second one was even more absurd and even less fun. This one was absolutely ridiculous and an utter chore to get through. The book could have been called 'Finley Donovan jumps the shark' because this series has gone on way longer than it should have.

We get more of the same here: Finley and Vero are in trouble and the cops are too close. Way too close this time, since F&V end up at cop "camp" with hottie Nick. But even with the close proximity, the romance still hasn't gotten as far as it should seeing as how we're now three books into the series.

Diehard fans of this series may enjoy this, but I think I'm done with Finley and her knack for trouble.