This was another fun one. I love Veronica in the Finley books so getting to see a new story focused on her was delightful. Such fun! Elle Cosimano has crafted wonderful and relatable characters- even if I have never gotten into these kind of issues!

The Finlay Donovan books have been the bright spot of my reading this month so I was especially disappointed as I read this one. Vero is a wonderful character and I was excited to read a book from her perspective and see how they met, but this was predictable and disappointing. I suppose it’s good to know the origin story of their duo, but honestly the meeting in the garage was a much better origin story. I understand these are mysteries with romantic tension, and I like the tension with Javi, but this book could have done with that being cut and more focus on Vero and Finlay’s meeting.

This is the backstory for Vero from the Finlay Donavan series. IT's entertainoing, but not nearly as good as the series itself. It's a fun short, nonetheless.

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love the Finlay Donovan books and getting to know Cero’s origin story was so fun!! I loved seeing a little before she became and nanny and learning more about her!

This was a fun quick read to learn all about Finlay’s friend Vero! It was great to get the back story even though it wasn’t as great as the Finlay stories.

Thanks so much!

I was so happy to get a taste of a backstory of the amazing Vero. She is a favorite. She is spunky and full of great come backs. I enjoyed seeing her relationship with Javi since it’s been mentioned in Finlay’s books. And Vero’s troubles with the law.

Vero is such a central character in the Finlay Donovan series, I really appreciated this glimpse of her before she met Finlay.

Thank you to the publisher for the Read Now option on NetGalley. All views are my own.

This was a fun, quick read. The mystery was just okay - what was great was the characters we love returning and hearing Vero’s back story from her POV.

After all of this time, we finally get more details in the backstory of Veronica Ruiz, best friend and reliable sidekick to Finlay Donovan. In this short story we get a rundown of all that took place with Vero before that day at the bank where she met Finlay Donovan and her entire life changed. We learn about Vero's relationship with her mother, cousin and Javi. We also learn about her backstory from University and how she ended up in VA with her cousin (and eventually Finlay).

This was the perfect (and perfectly timed) complement to where we're at in present-day antics with Vero and Finlay. It also gave us some quality time with Vero and a glimpse of the story from her POV which I didn't realize I was craving. It also reminded me of how far we've come since that day in the garage.

Highly recommend reading this short story as part of your Finlay Donovan adventure.

If you ever wondered how Finlay and Vero became friends, this is your answer. They were destined to meet and aren’t we all glad of that. Learn Vero’s back story in this novella.

Very rough copy. Very few spaces between words.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for an early copy of this book. I loved this book and hope there is more to continue this story. I would definitely recommend this book.

3/5

Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank" was just okay—not my favorite in the series. I appreciated getting a glimpse into Veronica’s backstory, but the lack of communication between characters drove me nuts and made the story frustrating at times. Add in the over-the-top purse scene, and it just didn’t fully work for me. It’s a quick read, but it felt more like filler than a solid, standalone installment.

Felt a little rushed (I mean, I guess it's a novella) but I did enjoy hearing more of Vero's backstory and doubt it would have fit into the present day story line in a smooth way

I just finished book 3 before this one and it was nice to only have to manage a small cast of characters or remember what happened in prior books with just a glimmer of explanation

This was a nice littler holdover until the next Finlay Donovan novel. Nothing too impressive but this satisfied my appetite enough to get me through!

This has been my least favorite so far. Didn’t feel like we got much more than what we already knew about Vero. Definitely would have liked to know more about what happened with Javi.

What a fantastic read. I am loving this one so much.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read it one

Book 3.5 in the Finlay Donovan series…a super short novella focusing on Vero before she met Finlay. It was a fun, easy read but was missing the funny banter and spark that Finlay and Vero have together in their stories. I enjoyed a peek into Vero’s past and finding out how she met and came to work for Finlay. On to book 4, so I can then read the ARC of the newest one in this series!

Veronica Ruiz is on the run for the first time in her life—though certainly not the last. After being falsely accused of stealing money from her college sorority, she packs up and heads to her cousin Ramón's apartment, planning to change her name and start over, away from backstabbing girls and university drama (and far, far away from her arrest warrant in Maryland).

At the local bank on the first morning of her new life, it occurs to Vero that she'd be a better bank teller than most of the current employees; she may not have much money, but what little she does have, she knows how to manage. Unfortunately, the only available position is a cleaning job and so, desperate for a fresh start, she takes the bank manager’s offer.

But nothing in Vero's world has ever been simple so of course, shortly after she begins work, she overhears a conversation between her new boss and a security guard: someone who works there has been stealing. Seeing a window of opportunity, Vero sets out to find the identity of the thief, present the evidence, and then push for the perfect job. All of which would be easier if her irresistibly infuriating childhood crush Javi wasn’t living in the same damn town.

A much anticipated peek into Vero's life before she met Finlay Donovan, this was a super short read. I enjoyed this look into her past, but I felt like a lot of the humor that is a hallmark of the series was missing. 3.5⭐

I received an advanced complimentary digital copy of this book from Netgalley. Opinions expressed are my own.

After 3 great Finlay Donovan books, we finally get dome of Vero's backstory! She's calm, cool, collected, and very resourceful, as we already know, as she takes on a job at a local bank near Ramon's house after she drops out of college. We get more of the intriguing Javi and get to meet her mom.

I want more Vero now!

I love this short story backstory of Vero and how she came to work for Finlay. We got bits and pieces of it in other books but until now I didn't know the whole story. Vero has been spunky from the word "go". Thanks for the opportunity to read the mistakenly overlooked gem!

A fun novella! Not a must read for the rest of the series, but I'm glad I picked this one up. I highly recommend the rest of this series though!