Romantic Suspense novelist Finlay Donovan has recently made three resolution-She has sworn off men, junk food, and hauling “bodies” in her mini van.

But, apparently, holding men hostage in bathroom stalls didn’t make the list, as the book opens in this “compromising” position.

Yes, Finlay and Vero, her nanny/partner in crime are back with their extremely OVER THE TOP antics, and we pick up right where we left off in book #2.

I think it’s important to read this series in order, for maximum enjoyment, as the book’s synopsis (and the book) give away *SPOILERS* if you haven’t read the earlier installments.

So, to avoid that, let’s just say that this book is about DEADLINES!

Finlay has a deadline to submit edits to Sylvia, who claims that her latest manuscript-WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT be based on Finlay’s own life, is “fifty shades of boring”. She wants more “spice” and less “Thelma and Louise”.

She and Vero also have a deadline from Russian Mob boss, Feliks, to identify who “EasyClean” is…if they hope to erase the debt owed to him.

The problem is-they think that the contract killer who goes by that name-could be a cop…

So, the pair enroll in the “Citizen’s Police Academy” hosted by academy coordinator, Detective Nicolas Anthony.
(YES! The hot-cop is back!) Not only does this seem like the safest place to hide out-until they find the answer they need, but it also gives them an opportunity to do some undercover investigating of their own.

They never imagined that their elderly neighbor, “Mrs. Haggerty” (a fun new character) could be the greatest obstacle to their success!

Although we do get some resolution, the book ends with a big cliffhanger-and we will have to wait for book four to see how the latest SITUATION plays out!

Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun is scheduled to publish on January 31, 2023.

Thank You to Minotaur Books for the gifted copy provided through NetGalley! It was a pleasure to offer a candid review!

And it looks like we have yet another winner for the Finlay Donovan series! This one was so much fun. It had a laugh out loud, enjoyable first half and an unputdownable second half.

Also, I am so, so, SO excited that the series isn't ending. I was worried that it was going to be a trilogy but it looks like we are going to be getting more Finlay and Vero!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finlay Donovan & friend/nanny/partner in crime, Vero, are both in debt to the wrong people. Finlay is indebted to the Russian Mob, while Vero's past is a whole other mess. If Finlay doesn't find a contract killer that was blackmailing a mob boss before the cops find him, then said mob boss -Feliks- will end her life. Unfortunately the contract killer may be a dirty cop. Finlay and Vero must find a way to solve the mystery of the killers identity while juggling children, writing deadlines, spies, and relationships, before it's too late.

Usually there are few things I dislike more than cliffhangers - but I'm going to ignore the one in this book because I love the series so much. Plus the opening scene wholly makes up for it. It had me on the floor. So funny!

This book is filled with the absurd and totally unbelievable antics we are used to, set in a police academy for a week of civilian training. As far fetched as this sounds I actually found it to be a very clever idea that made for a lot of LOL moments.

We learn a lot more about Vero in this latest installment and also meet some new, fun, and shady characters along the way.

While some thing's do get wrapped up here (and some I never saw coming) we are left with a slew of brand new questions. I can't wait for the next book.

*Thank you to Minotaur Books and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

This book series is probably one of the most fun book series I’ve read! The third one develops the relationship between Finlay and the man who she really wants to be with. Finally and Vero are hiding from Felix in this book. He wants Easy Clean and he is after them because they haven’t produced him. But who is East Clean? That’s what they need to find out before they end up eliminated. I am so excited because it’s definitely set up for another book!

Wow okay I loved this one. It felt a lot more like a mystery book than the others and I really enjoyed that. Most of this one is based at a police training camp for civilians and honestly it’s amazing. All our favourite characters are back and even some great new ones get introduced. Not to worry though Finlay and Vero still do plenty of stupid and hilarious things in this one. I love everything about this book, the characters, the plot, chef’s kiss. Truly a masterpiece!! I cannot recommend this series enough, if you haven’t read them yet please do! I cannot wait for the next book!

This was such a fun read! Enjoyed it more than the second one even and was rooting for the characters to figure out the mess they are in. Can’t wait to see where Finlay is off to next!

I absolutely adored this book! Finlay Donavan is back at it again and the author did a great job with another cozy mystery complete with all the characters we've fallen in love with- Finlay, Nick and Vero! Characters are well-developed and of course Finlay and her escapades. My only hesitation is how far-fetched plot continues to become, not even remotely realistic at this point, but makes for an interesting read!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date 1/31/23

⭐️: 4/5

Having prevented her husband from being taken out by a killer for hire, Finlay Donovan and Vero have now found themselves under the thumb of mob boss Feliks, who tasks her with finding the identity of that same contract killer. Before she knows it, she finds herself a participant in a citizen’s police academy camp, led by the one and only Nick, who she also has unfinished business with. As the stakes get higher, Finlay must find the killer’s identity to keep her and her loved ones safe, all while suffering from writer’s block on the draft of her new book.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…I hate the sidekick role in all books ever. I find Vero so irritating. Like, it’s irrational how annoyed I am with all of her antics. I feel like she’s supposed to be the comic relief, but it just seems to me like so many of Finlay’s problems wouldn’t exist if Vero hadn’t inserted herself and made everything worse! It just doesn’t make sense to me. I mean, Finlay as a character does a lot of the same poor/nonsensical decision making, but since she’s the titular character, it feels more like…expected. But alas, I’m 3 deep in this series so I guess I’m in it for the long haul. I am invested in the story, and the cliffhangers are top notch. I will say that I do understand that the absurdity of the situations the characters find themselves in is certainly part of the appeal of the whole series, so I do accept that I’m going to be frustrated again. But that’s ok, because while it irks me, I still really enjoy the books. What would make these books better, you ask? If they were a little less *closed door* 😉

Thanks to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Finlay and Vero are back for book number three - and it did not disappoint! I loved the characters and the storyline. While I still liked the first book the best, I really enjoyed #3 and could not put it down. Yes, it was far-fetched and over-the-top, but also well written and keeps you guessing. I would definitely recommend!


Thank you to St. Martin's Press, the author and NetGalley for providing a copy to review.

For just popping into Finaly’s series with this book, it does a good job of summarize past moments and catching you up quickly. It felt like it took a long time for this book to get going and it was repetitive over non-important things. It didn’t feel like until 60%+ into the book that things started picking up and pulling you in. At times almost no characters were likable except Nick.

I was so excited when I got approved for the e-ARC of Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun! Thank you so much, NetGalley and St. Martin Press for the chance to read and review this book prior to the release date!!

Finlay and Vero are back and determined to find out EasyClean's identity. The book takes place primarily at a mock police training academy for civilians. Finlay and Vero sign up under the guise that Finlay is there to do research for her book. They suspect that EasyClean is one of the police officers-- but which one?

Like the previous two books; this one was an easy and binge-able read full of hilarious banters and antics that we love from the ultimate duo! Finlay and Vero's friendship remains as strong as ever and it makes me want a friendship like theirs for myself! Our girl, Finlay, finally gets the romance she deserves (now Vero needs one too, please!) However, despite the hilarious banters and the romance plot, this was my least favourite out of the three books. It fell a bit flat for me and I wasn't as engaged as I was with the other two novels. I kept waiting for something to happen that will make my jaw drop, but it never came (although there were some good plot twists near the end.) It also didn't have the same cozy mystery vibe in this third installment which was a bit of a disappointment. Regardless, I will definitely be reading the 4th book when it releases as it's hinted that we will be getting more Finlay and Vero action!

3.5/5 stars

We have more over-the-top shenanigans from the two musketeers, Finlay and Vero!

If you read book two, you'll probably remember the contract killer known as EasyClean. This mystery person is back in book three and Finlay/Vero are on the hunt for whoever it is! They have their suspicions, but time is running out and the big Mob Boss, Feliks, isn't playing.

Book one is still my favorite of the series.

I think fans will enjoy following Finlay and Vero on another adventure to the "land of the exaggerated". You can expect all their usual capers, but I didn't get the humorous vibes this time. It was nice though having Nick back in this installment. One of my favorite characters was Mrs. Haggerty (the community busybody) and self-appointed number one in charge of the neighborhood watch. I wish she had a bigger role in the story.

Based on the ending, it seems that book four is already in the works!

Thanks to Netgalley for my arc. OUT January 31, 2023
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While entertaining, this third entry into the Finlay Donovan series almost felt like a placeholder with not much of an ending. Finlay and Vero's escapades bring them to a Citizens Police Training Course led by none other than "hot cop" and end with their departure to Atlantic City to begin yet another adventure. I assume that will be the subject of book four, but I may be done with this series . . . .

What a fun and refreshing book! I’m just a huge Finlay Donovan fan! Such a great character. This was action packed with twists, turns and downright hysterical moments. I really felt like a part of this whole story. Highly recommend

In my opinion, this is very much a filler book. I really didn’t like the setting of the citizens police academy at all. Also idk Finlay is so dumb lol like what is the purpose of her doing these things anymore? I will still check out the next one but this one was boring to me.

Finlay Donovan and Vero have proven to be two of the best fictional heroines in recent history- and the latest installment does not disappoint! Finn and Vero are back at it again- getting mixed up in crimes they probably didn’t commit. I love how the relationship with Finn and Vero has evolved over 3 books, and there is still so much we have to learn about both of them! The cast of characters continues to expand, and I can’t wait to see more from the Finlay Donovan universe!

Ahhh it was so good! I love now that we’re 3 books into this series we get to jump right into the lives of these characters! I think this might be my favorite in the series so far and the cliff hanger at the end makes me so excited for the 4th book! Highly recommend!

I'm obsessed with Finlay, Vero, and this series. This book was perfectly written and maybe my favoriteof the three. There's always a mix of humor, drama, and spice. We're left ready for book four immediately if not sooner!

Finally Donovan is back but unfortunately so is Felix Zhirov and he’s still desperate to find out who Easy Clean is and have him…or her….eliminated for good. He’s convinced that Findlay is the woman for the job but so far Finlay and Vero still don’t know who Easy Clean is or how to track them down. All they know for sure is that Felix isn’t going to let them off the hook and neither is the loan shark Vero is in hock to. Throw in some good old fashioned sexual tension and Finlay has her hands full with the kids, Stephen’s relentless pursuit of the marriage he blew up, and the hunt for Easy Clean.

Like the two before it, I finished this book in the space of 48 hours. Finlay and Vero’s witty repartee keep the story moving and the excitement in this installment is just as palpable as the previous entries in this series. I love when these books end on a cliffhanger because it means there will be another!

Finlay is back as a suburban mom and romance writer who can't hep but continue to get entangled in a life of crime. As Finlay continues to try to sort our her life and finish her novel, she enrolls in a citizen's police academy. What could be safer, right? Well, no... as she works to identify the dirty cop who is sabotaging the crime lord who is blackmailing Finlay, danger continues to find her. Once again, there's great dialog and plenty of laughs within a tense plot. We also learn a little more about Vero, her accountant/nanny, who has a secret background slowly getting revealed and pulling Finlay into its web.
If I have one complaint about this series is that the overarching plot line is moving too slowly, but I'm willing to put up with that because each book has been so enjoyable. Looking forward to the next installment!
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance cpy in exchange for an honest review.