3 stars

Cute little side quest to learn more about Veronica and her history. Wasn’t necessary to the overall of the series, but it was fun enough.

Good for back story of Vero! This is a short but sweet little book that lets us see the origins story of Veronica and her man. Also, we get a glimpse of Veronica and Findlay’s meet cute. Is it needed for the flow of the stories? No. But it’s a little lagniappe for the hard core fans.

This was a nice glimpse into Vero’s life before Finlay. I was hoping for more detail on what actually happened with her sorority but Vero solving a crime with her signature sass was still enjoyable.

I am a huge Finlay Donovan fan, which means I’m also a Vera fan! I thought this was such a fun novella that showed us a different side of Vera and why she is the way she is. It was a quick, entertaining read and got me excited for the newest Finlay book!

It was fun for a reader of the Finlay Donovan series to go back and see the history of Vero. Just like the parent series though, it's a little over the top in the things Vero does to solve the mystery around the bank. I guess you can say her personality is consistent and the reckless decisions aren't new to her. It's been a minute since I read the first three books and I don't remember how much of her history we get in those. I know the sorority thing was mentioned but I can't remember if she said anything about the bank or her history with Javi. I feel like I need to revisit that!!

Anyways, this was an interesting short read. While it was silly, it's definitely less morbid/black comedy than the other books which is a nice break. The formatting of this ARC was pretty rough though and I ended up borrowing a copy from the library to be able to read it.

Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank is a fun story about one of my favorite characters in the Finlay Donovan series. The story follows Veronica who finds herself navigating a series of unexpected challenges and opportunities that is, just like the Finlay Donovan books, charming, witty, and entertaining! She goes on a journey of self-discovery with twists and turns of her financial escapades. I loved getting to learn more about Veronica and her back story. I really enjoyed reading this one!

Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank is a fun, quick novella that dives into Vero’s past before she teams up with Finlay in the Finlay Donovan series. While the mystery of a bank thief is engaging and the audiobook narration is great, the romantic subplot with Vero’s childhood crush, Javi, feels overly dominant for such a short story.
The mystery was the highlight for me—Vero’s investigation into the theft was clever and entertaining. However, the focus on her relationship drama with Javi detracts from the plot. It would’ve been more satisfying with a stronger emphasis on the mystery and less on the romantic tension.
Overall, it’s a good but not great read—fun but lacking depth.
Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur for copies of the Finlay books in return for an honest opinion.

Veronia Ruiz Breaks the Bank is a quick book focusing on Vero's past and how she meets Finlay. If you're a fan of the Finlay Donovan series it's a great little addition to get the back story on Vero. But it's pretty short and not as fun as the longer books in the series. I think it works bringing in her back story!

I have enjoyed all of the Finlay Donovan books, and this novella was a fun read and a great chance to learn a little more of Vero’s backstory. It also gives us a little glimpse into Vero and Javi’s past while leaving the reader still wanting to know more - hopefully in the next full novel. I would have liked to have seen a little more of Vero's college/sorority experience. Why would the sorority sisters turn on her? What is that backstory? All in all, it was a lighthearted little mystery, and I look forward to the next installment. To be honest, if half stars were an option, this would probably be a 3.5 star, but I've rounded up.
My digital ARC was provided by NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank. This heartfelt and humorous story follows Veronica as she navigates the ups and downs of financial responsibility, friendship, and unexpected life lessons. With relatable characters and a fun, engaging narrative, it’s a perfect blend of humor and heart.

The story’s charm lies in its ability to tackle serious topics with warmth and levity, making it an enjoyable and meaningful read for both teens and adults. If you’re looking for a book that’s as entertaining as it is insightful, Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank is a great pick!

The fans asked and Cosimano delivered! We finally got a peek into Vero's backstory and what a doozy it is! It was fun getting to know Vero better and understand what propels her to make the decisions she does. This short story is a comedy of errors that will keep you entertained.

At only 2.5 hours on audio (and that's at 1x), this book is just a little snack into addition to the full meals of the other books in the series.
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This is a novella and is labeled as #3.5 in the Finlay Donovan series, but is a prequel for Vero's story and can be read as a standalone.

Thank you for the gifted book Macmillan Audio! All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up! I was so excited when Elle Cosimano and Minotaur Books made it possible to read all the books in the Finlay Donovan series including the short story titled, Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank (Finlay Donovan #3.5). Having had read this series from its inception, I was curious to learn about Vero’s backstory. There had been hints about Vero’s life prior to when she first met Finlay throughout the series but not a conclusive one that satisfied all my questions. It was my hope that Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank would do just that. Some of the gaps were filled in and it did a good job describing the circumstances for how and why Finlay and Vero made their initial introduction to each other. However, as a book in this series, it was a bit disappointing. Vero on her own, without Finlay, was lacking the strengths of their combined chemistries, the wittiness I have come to expect from a Finlay Donovan book and the creative antics prevalent in the prior books. The digital version that I received also strung several words together without spaces making it difficult to read. Overall, I did enjoy Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank by Elle Cosimano. As long as you are not expecting all the bells and whistles from this one I would recommend it. There were some funny moments.

Thank you to Elle Cosimano and Minotaur Books for allowing me to read Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun little background story on how Vero became the nanny for Finlay! Not a ton happens but it is a fun read!

Fun little novella to understand Vero a little more. She is very much a hilarious and smart girl. Tho I still want to know what happened to her to have her leave college so abruptly. I’m sure it’ll come up in the books to come

I like the idea of these books so much that I bought the first one as soon as I read the description. I love Finlay Donovan, but I love Vero even more. Without Vero, Finlay would not have been able to accomplish nearly as much or escape so many bad situations. This is a short, fast-paced story about Vero, and we get a quick look at how Vero learns to solve mysteries on her own. I got to check out the audiobook and the narrator is great, and I wouldn't mind more with just Vero. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank is a light read that provides some of the backstory for Vero (Veronica), who appears in a mystery series written by Elle Cosimano. This short story takes place before Vero meets Finlay Donovan, a woman she teams up with in those books.

I enjoyed the insight to Vero’s pre-Finlay past. The story is an entertaining and fun excursion. It includes a mystery that Vero is determined to solve as well as insight into her relationship with some family members and friends. Now, I’m much more appreciative of this character and I enjoyed getting to know her better. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank was a fun and light addition to the series, but I was hoping for more from Vero’s backstory. While the story was enjoyable, it felt a bit predictable, and I missed the quirky, fun personality that makes Vero such a standout in the main books.

I was also thrown off by the audiobook having a different narrator than the rest of the series, which made it harder to fully connect. Still, it was a cute novella and a nice little detour between the full-length Finlay Donovan books!

Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank is a short and snappy dive into Vero’s past, offering fans of the Finlay Donovan series a chance to see what made our favorite partner-in-crime tick long before she joined forces with Finlay. While it wasn’t as gripping as the full-length novels, it was still a fun and quirky ride that gave me a deeper appreciation for Vero’s character.

This story takes place before Vero meets Finlay, which felt a bit like missing half the magic, but it was still refreshing to get the spotlight on Vero. She’s as loyal, hot-tempered, and resourceful as ever, with a knack for turning impossible situations into opportunities. Watching her navigate small-town drama, a cleaning job at a bank, and her infuriatingly irresistible crush, Javi, was both entertaining and chaotic in all the best ways.

That said, the mystery of the bank theft didn’t feel quite as compelling as the stakes in the main series, and the short story format left me wanting more depth and twists. Still, seeing Vero’s wit and resourcefulness shine—even before she became Finlay’s ride-or-die—was worth the read.

If you’re on the fence about the series, this short story could be a great place to start, though I’d still recommend diving into the full novels for the complete Finlay-Vero experience. For longtime fans, it’s a fun little detour that fleshes out Vero’s backstory and gives us a glimpse of how she became the fiercely loyal (and slightly unhinged) character we know and love.

We get Vero's backstory in this fun short story! This falls #3.5 in the series but the events of the story take place before Book 1 (Finlay Donovan is Killing It) begins. I loved getting to know Vero more and what she went through before making it to living with Finlay in book 1.

This gives the same fun but tense vibes as the rest of the Finlay Donovan series. Vero is trying to solve a mystery and through this there are some tense moments, some red herrings, and a whole bunch of laughs too.

Vero takes us back to how she met Finlay. Vero has fled college after being accused of theft from her sorority. She’s moved in with her cousin Ramon and is job hunting. She applies at a bank but the job turns out to be a janitor. As she takes the job she becomes aware that an employee is stealing from the bank. And thus, Vero’s career as a detective begins. And yes, you will discover how she met Finlay. This is an interesting interlude between the Finlay books. #netgalley