Usually I listen to the amazing narrator of this series and laugh out loud, but this time I read the fourth installment. Elle Cosimano is a fantastic plotter, and just when you think things can't get worse, of course they do. I always enjoy listening to the wild and crazy life of Finlay Donovan and her faithful sidekick Vero, and this time they take off for Atlantic City to save Vero's boyfriend, Javi, who has been abducted by Marco the loan shark. Throw in Finlay's two small children, her mother, her ex-husband, Steven, and her new hot cop boyfriend, Nick, and she has so many plates to balance it looks like a catastrophe for sure. How can she keep all the principals apart, totally clueless, rescue Javi, and make sure the past stays buried? It's a rollicking roller coaster of laughs and excitement. Please, keep these books coming. Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur books for letting me read this book in advance for an honest review.

I’m not even sure I can summarize the plot to Finlay Donovan’s 4th installment and I think this is my issue with this book. I am one to read a series in linear order but I wanted to try this series and it seemed like a fun one to try since it was all over bookstagram.

Unfortunately this is not a series you can jump into the middle of, you need to start with 1 and then go forward. The reason for this is the author assumes you have been with Finlay since the beginning and you don’t need the background. I find this to be a flaw that could have easily been remedied and it alienates new readers (like me).

This seems to be a cute, fun light series that I may have really enjoyed but since I spent much of the book confused and playing catch up (I never caught up) - I didn’t enjoy this half as much as I could have and therefore I can’t give this book as high a rating as I think I would have if I understood the story. There should almost be a warning at the start not to read this if you haven’t read the others! Bummer for me, it may be a great read for those who have been with Finlay the whole time.

The narrator was really good and I enjoyed listening while waiting to board my plane and it was definitely a fun listen while waiting to take off and during turbulence!

3.25 stars (could have been higher because I see the appeal)

Thank you to NetGalley, Minotaur and MacMillan Audio for the ARC to review

4.5 stars

I loved the change in location, how quickly things happened and the ending was fabulous!!

Huge thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press &
MacMillan Audio for advance copies in exchange for an honest review!

Read This Book If…a hot mess of a mom with murder on the mind sounds a little too relatable.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice

Genre: mystery
Series: Finlay Donovan # 4
Spice Level: 1/5🌶, closed door
Setting: Atlantic City, NJ
POV: single, 1st person, past tense

My Thoughts: This series continues to be a fun ride! I think it could have been tied up in three books, but I’ll stick with it to see what happens to Finlay and Vero! I wish there’d been a little more mystery to this one, instead of lots of sneaking around. But overall, this was a good read!

Memorable Quote: “Stop worrying about the cards you’ve been dealt. As long as you don’t give anything away, no one else can see your shitty cards but you. Fake it till you make it, Finn.”

Solid 4.5 stars! I felt like this book was right on par with the other Finlay Donovan books. Loved it! I have really enjoyed getting to know all of the characters and that they always end up in funny (not always believable, but funny) predicaments. I wish there had been more about her writing in the book, but it was a fun story.

Finaly and Vero head to Vegas to find Javi! yet again there was some bodies for them to find upon arrival! through a few twists and turns they make it out with it in her favour. this one was not as engaging as the first few. I feel like this series is done. I will definitely read new books by Elle!

Another quick read about Finlay, Vera and their friends and family. They hit the road for a “girls trip” and to win some major money for Vera. Trouble follows them and is around every corner. These stories are so outrageous and silly, but I enjoy them. Thanks to NetGalley for my ALC and ARC.

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice and utterly DELIVERS on another fun, devious, hilarious and completely delightful installment for the series.

I truly, truly adore this series. It is EXACTLY what we sometimes need as readers - something that is laugh-out-loud funny, action packed, easy reading entertainment that soothes the very soul. I just cannot get enough of Finlay and Vero getting themselves into increasingly insane situations and then meandering their way out of them in increasingly hilarious and wild ways. I absolutely devour these books, and this was the perfect book to spend a sunny afternoon totally engrossed in.

Set this time in Atlantic City, with another suite of colorful and delightful characters, and chasing down a solution to Vero's lingering debt to a loan shark, I flew through this book, totally hooked on what was going to happen and if Finlay and Vero could ultimately outsmart not only a casino loan shark, but continue to navigate the waters of being in debt to the Russian mob, while also juggling hiding all their previous misdeeds from Fin's family and Nick. Is it over the top? Yes. Is it insanely fun to read and impossible to set down? Also yes.

Truly, get this one on those spring reading lists - you just cannot go wrong with this series when you really want to sit down and relax with a book while having a damn good time doing it.

Many thanks to Minotaur for the copy - and Elle, PLEASE never stop writing this series. The world needs more Finlay!

The Finlay Donovan series has been my absolutely favorite, and this 4th installment did not disappoint! Elle Cosimano does a great job reminding the reader who all of the characters are in a subtle way that does not take away from the story telling. I was worried I would be too confused keeping all of the characters in order without having re-read the last book, but it was easy to jump right back into the story. This book was filled with a lot of humor, delightful romance and fun twists and turns that kept me wanting more. I enjoyed how the main story concluded and we were still left with a great cliff hanger at the end. I hope this series isn't done!

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book.

A super fun continuation in the series! Once again Finlay and Vero find themselves in a very big pickle. Missing people, mob bosses, new boyfriends, ex husbands, mothers and kids are all along for the ride this time around. Watching them maneuver through mess after mess and trying to keep everyone in the dark was a fun ride.

A hilarious book in the Finlay Donovan series where I was either laughing or was on the edge of my seat!

Finlay and Vero (along with the kids of course) go to Atlantic City to try and find Javi only to be joined by Steven and their mother on the road trip. Things are complicated further by dead bodies, her hot boyfriend and an investigation getting in their way.

The banter between Vero and Finn was the best in the series so far. There was also character growth for some of them which I'm all for!

It's rare to find a series that keeps on giving and this one hasn't failed me so far! Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur for the e-copy!

4/5

This series gets wilder with each book and I am here for it!!

More criminals, more dead bodies, more shenanigans, more twists, more narrow escapes… more laughing out loud… more romance. So so good!

I love the change in setting with the visit to Atlantic City… so much forced proximity between characters.

Amazing pacing that had me flying through the pages. I love the way the plot was advanced. Can’t wait for the next installment!

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano comes out March 5, 2024. Thank you so much to @minotaur_books and @netgalley for allowing me to read it early! This is the 4th book in the series following Finlay a mystery writer who finds herself in some precarious situations with her children’s nanny, ex husband, and at this point current boyfriend.

❤️Review❤️

I’ll be honest and remind you that I wasn’t a huge fan of the 3rd book. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this release, but I’ll say I was pleasantly surprised. I would have appreciated a little more of a recap of the who’s who and the what’s what in the beginning. It’s been a while so trying to reacquaint myself with all that took a quick second. Then I was pretty in on where it was going. I feel like I would have appreciated this being it for Finlay and the crew, but it was definitely hinted at that it isn’t all over for them. I liked the change of setting for them. This added a little more playfulness back into the series. I’m curious to see where it goes even though I would have been happy if it ended here. I wonder what hijinks they will get into next.

3.5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

#Bookstagram #Books #BookReview #Netgalley #2024Releases #NewBooks #MysteryBooks #SuspenseBooks

Another fun installment in the Findlay Donovan series, and the last one! I am sad to see this series come to an end, but I have loved the journey! This is such a fun series that is easily bingeable, and perfect when you need a good laugh... with a little murder mixed in.

I still cannot believe how wild these books are! I yet again fell more in love with Finlay and Vero. I loved how different this one was from the previous books. This one took us on a field trip to the wild of Atlantic City. The addition of more bad guys and having Stephen and Finlay’s mom on board this time was great.

I love how this series gets my blood pressure pumping because I’m nervous and invested. It also has me questioning HOW do these things keep happening to Finlay and Vero? It is so completely far fetched but comical and I can’t get enough.

A roller coaster ride of a story. Non-stop action, outrageous characters, hilariously improbable situations. With a pretty good mystery thrown in for good measure.

Finlay Donovan is off on another adventure – accompanied by her nanny/partner-in-crime, her ex-husband, children and, yes, her mother. She tries to sell it as just a girls’ getaway for her and Vero, but everyone insists on coming along. Of course she’s got a hidden agenda: to negotiate a deal with a dangerous loan shark, save Vero’s childhood crush Javi, and hunt down a stolen car. What could possibly go wrong? I guess you’ll just have to read it and see. It’s dangerous and funny, and wildly entertaining.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advance copy of Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice via NetGalley. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

I love the Finlay Donovan series and was so excited when this one came out! However, I should have reminded myself of the ending of the previous book, because it did take me awhile to remember what drama had happened and it was hard to get a hang of who was who in the criminal world of this book. Vero and Finlay’s friendship is still incredible, unrealistic (in an entertaining way), and action-packed! This was the first one I read instead of listened to, and I did miss the narration. I can’t wait to see what happens next in the series! I also need to know if Nick will ever find out about Finlay’s past, and what would happen if he does??

Thank you, Minotaur, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the final book in the series where Finlay and Vero continue on their journey together as they stumble through misadventures to clean up the crazy messes they keep getting themselves into.

I was determined to finish the first three books so that I could complete the ARC prior to the final book's publication. I’m glad I had the opportunity to receive an ARC and jump into the series.

I enjoyed reading it; it made me laugh at times, and I appreciated the chaos of the story. I also enjoyed the friendship that Finlay and Vero share—it’s always wonderful to read about loyal and supportive friendships.

If you haven’t read the series and you're looking for something with a bit of mystery and humor, this would be a good one to pick up. There are hints of romance in the storyline, but not too much heat. All the books in the series are enjoyable and fun reads. I would give the series four stars out of five.

Thank you @macmillan.audio @netgalley for a copy of this book.

I think this was my favorite of the series. I debated about giving up on this series after book 2 and 3, I am so glad I didn't. This book picks ups from where book 3 ends and Finlay and gang goes to Atlantic City for a getaway. Of course it's just a cover up to go and find Javi and find a stolen car. Finlay and Vero continues to be in kinds of trouble. I love that the whole family ends up there and even the kids played a role in the story. The narration was great and this was lots of fun.

I have enjoyed everyone of the Finlay Donovan books in the series so far! This was no exception. This book had you wanting to turn page after page to find out what happened next and who was involved. I am super excited to see what Elle Cosimano has in store for her next book!