I love the Finlay Donovan series and was so excited to read this novella about Vera! I did enjoy it but it just didn't feel the same. I'm not sure if it's because it wasn't narrated by the same narrator as the others and it didn't "sound" like Vera. It was fun learning more about Vera and her backstory. It did leave a desire to know more find out what happened with her sorority. Hopefully that will be a story for another time! I am looking forward to catching up with this series with book #5! Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to listen and review this advanced copy.

I enjoyed getting a glimpse into Vero’s backstory! Now I’m even more curious to find out what went down at her sorority!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC!

This was a fun origin story for one of my favorite characters in the series! It was fast paced and action packed and funny! I loved it. And I loved how perfectly it connected to book 2&3!

Veronica Ruiz was officially on the run from being falsely accused of stealing money from her sorority. No way tonight back, she packs up and flees to her cousins. After a quick name change, she knows she has to build up a new life, which starts with a job. On her first day as a janitor at the local bank, she realizes she can do a much better job than the current bank tellers. After overhearing her boss and head of security discuss that someone has been stealing money, Vero knew it was her chance to prove herself and snag the job she’s made out for. Of course, it’s always easier said than done.

Like the other Finlay books, this was a fun quirky read. It was nice to get a bit more back story on Veronica (Vero). She has played such a part in the Finlay series and great to really dig into his back story. I believe I finished this one in under an hour and was nice to have a quick easy evening read.

great book and I loved the action and the romance . I loved seeing the friends and family. I loved that they were able to figure things out. Overall a great book .

I was glad to have been able to get this as a read now! I love novella's and I'm glad this showed us more of Vero and her background. I'm not sure how I feel about Vero trying to figure out the whole bank money mystery. I would have liked to know more about her past relationship and what actually happened on campus. It was fine and helped us link when she left college to how she met Finlay!

Vero has been a constant presence in the Finlay Donovan books, and now she gets her own (short) story. This was a fun, quick read, and I enjoyed hearing the "origin story" of her first meeting Finlay. Would recommend this for Finlay Donovan fans!

This was another great book by Elle Cosimano. I have truly enjoyed reading this book with new and old characters. I kept turning the pages! I love a book that progresses that fast! Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a satisfying read of the origin story for Vero. This novella filled in some of the gaps of who this mysterious person is while making this character shine and stand out more than in the rest of the Finlay Donovan series. The story is engaging and Vero’s quick wit and sharp tongue don’t disappoint. Looking forward to reading more of this series and more from the author.

A short story that fits in the Finlay Donovan series to provide some background on the character of Vero. This is about her time between college and becoming a nanny/friend of Finlay's. Veronica takes a job as a janitor in a bank, hoping to solve the mystery of why money is disappearing. Like in the other books in the series, chaos ensues. Not a full-fledged novel, just a quick read (about 1.5 hours) this just fills in some blanks. Nothing critical to add to the over all storyline, just a bit of extra info.

Veronica Ramirez is framed for embezzlement from her sorority, and not on her sisters believe she didn't steal the money. She loses her college scholarship, and begs her cousin for a spot on his couch while she figures out what to do next.

Honestly, this was less interesting than I expected as a story about Vero. I definitely expected more hijinks from her, since she tends to have most of the crazier ideas.

I was also hoping for a little more tension happening between Vero and Javi.

I'm also startled to find out that Vero only had a job at the bank for 3 weeks, 2 of which were custodial work...

I don't know, I think this could've been better than it was.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

Thanks, Minotaur Books, for the book!

Was this book necessary? No. Was it cute? Yes. Would I reread it? Probably not.

I’ve already read the first FINLAY book a few times, but this novella is a one and done, even if I were to reread the series from start to finish. It’s nice to know a little more about Vero, but I enjoy being in Finlay’s head more.

If you’re a Finlay Donovan fan like me, you already know that Vero is EVERYTHING. From the moment she entered the series, she’s been the absolute best—ride-or-die, hilarious, resourceful, and always a little (or a lot) chaotic in the best way possible. So, the fact that Elle Cosimano gave us an entire book focused on her?!? I was screaming.

This book dives into Vero’s past, family dynamics, and questionable (but genius) decision-making skills. And let’s talk about JAVI—EEEEEK! I won’t spoil anything, but let’s just say he was everything I wanted and more. Their chemistry? Off the charts. Their banter? Perfection. Their situations? Pure, delightful chaos.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Finlay Donovan book without twists, high-stakes shenanigans, and laugh-out-loud moments that make you question how these characters keep getting away with things. Cosimano once again delivers the perfect mix of suspense and humor, and I ate up every toooooo short second of it.

And let me just shout out Stacy Gonzales— She nails these characters, bringing every scene to life with the perfect comedic timing, tension, and heart. She knocks it out of the park yet again! (I also had the audio--I did an immersive read)

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press |Minotaur Books for the opportunity to enjoy this audiobook early. If you love this series, you need to pick it up ASAP. Four stars and all the love for Vero! 💸💥💖

#netgalley #finlaydonovan #veronicaruizbreaksthebank

This was a perfect nugget of a novella in the Finlay Donovan world. I love learning more about Vero's backstory. I would love more like this, including solving the mystery of the sorority money! This was just as charming, funny, and wonderful as the previous books!

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love Vero. I think I may like her more than Finlay, so I enjoyed this quick read giving some of her backstory. We find out that she left college after being accused of embezzling her sorority's money and came to hide with her cousin Ramon, but doesn't want anyone to know the truth. We see how she solved the mystery of the missing money at the bank where she met Finlay, which let to her getting a job as a teller, and then losing the job as a teller to begin as a nanny. (A lot happened in a few pages, okay?)

I hope she is feature more in the books and that we get to see what happened (and happens) with her and Javi.

I enjoyed getting to see a bit of Vero’s backstory. However this little novella didn’t seem to have the same oomph that the others have.

This is a short side story about Vero's past. It lacks Finlay's comedic situations, but does flush out Vero's character a bit more.

A cute & fast backstory for one of the best characters! This was a nice insight into Veros past and I would definitely recommend for fans of the series.

This was such a fun addition to the Finlay Donovan universe. I loved getting the backstory for Vero, and the full story of how she met Finlay and became a part of her life. As all of the Finlay books include, there is a large sense of humor, and great mystery to follow along with.

I love this little glimpse into Vero's past and time before she got mixed up with Finlay. The writing is sharp and quick, just as you'd expect. It was interesting to learn more and this story made it clear why Vero wasn't so shocked to be pulled into a new cycle of hijinks with her boss later in life.