If ever I am in a reading slump where nothing sounds good, my only hope is that Elle Cosimano has another Finlay Donovan book out that I haven’t read!

I was in a reading funk recently and decided it was time to start the audio on the Vero novella. The characters in this series bring me great joy and this back story on Vero though short, was a nice way to give a little more context to how the Finlay/Vero duo came to be.

For those that haven’t started the series yet, I highly recommend it. This one was not narrated by Angela Dawe which takes some getting used to given the normal witty banter between the two main characters, but overall it was a nice way to get me out of my funk and have a little fun in a character world I enjoy.

I enjoyed this story of Veronica Ruiz on how she needed a new start, highlighting her sleuthing skills and how she come about as nanny for Finlay's kids. I love the backstory of her and Javi and how obvious it is that they're still both in love with each other.

Vero is hands down one of the best parts of the Finlay Donovan series! And having a novella about her back story was fantastic. She's funny, witty and interesting. Getting to find out how Vero became part of Finlay's life, how she even ended up in Virginia, and seeing her in her own (mis)adventures was so much fun. More Vero always!

Decided to DNF this series. Was super excited to see what all the hype was about and wanted to binge it but I just don't think the cozy mystery is the genre for me sadly, though I do totally get why other readers love it so much!

Easy breezy, super funny and cute. I’m completely invested in this series. Finley Donovan is hilarious.

Excited to finally read these! Finlay Donovan is as good as everyone said it was, can't believe I waited this long. Love a bonus short story in a series.

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me a nudge in the form of free copies of previous books.

This one fell flat for me. I have grown to love the characters in this series and was hoping to get more out of this short story about Vero's history. I felt that the author could have gone a little deeper and it was very surface level

It was good to find out how Veronica and Finlay met. There is always something fun going on! I only wish that it didn’t finish up so quickly.

It seemed a bit strange that Finlay would trust Vera enough to give her a job caring for her children. Even though she acted out of the kindness of her heart it seemed far fetched. But…. That’s how Finlay lives her life.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC via NetGalley!

This hasn’t been my favorite Finley Donovan book this far. I love the character of Veronica and I really was excited to read this one but it just fell flat for me.

I still need to read a better copy of this. I loved this series but this book the words had not been spaced so I was having a lot of trouble with the story line.

Thanks toNetgalley, St Martins Press and Elle Cosimano for this ARC. It’s a short story but it works well with the rest of the series. I’ve read them all and can’t wait to read more. I am addicted to the characters !

Favorite Quotes:

Darren was all clumsy hands and overly optimistic tongue. It was a little like playing Whac-A-Mole with a clingy octopus with boundary issues. It was obvious he wasn’t keeping any big secrets in his pants.

Her mother was a tiny whirlwind. A five-foot-two-inch wrecking ball of unfiltered honesty and brutal determination. She was unstoppable, like the Terminator,

Javier Romero had the most disarming smile Vero had ever seen, but he could also turn bad assery into a full-time job.


My Review:

I gleefully bounced in my chair and frequently laughed aloud while I inhaled this amusing and cleverly penned series. I loved every well-chosen arrangement of words. Elle Cosimano is absolutely brilliant, and her Finaly Donovan creation is a gift. Poor Finaly, she was a semi-successful writer who had an ex-husband who couldn’t keep it in his pants and a toddler who refused to keep his pants on, or toilet train. Finaly was a hot mess.

Her adventures started with an inadvertent slip of paper on a Panera tray, which eventually led her to helping various women living in difficult situations who were “seeking a specialist with a certain skill set.” Finaly didn’t actually have the skill set, but she and Vero, her ever helpful nanny, kept managing to accidentally kill bad people, some they were supposed to, others just had the bad luck to die in their vicinity.

The engaging storylines were active, eventful, smartly plotted, and populated with a colorful cast of oddly compelling characters, many of whom were unlikable, yet quirkily and knowingly drawn. I downed six in a row and finished the last one hoping there are more to come.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank
By: Elle Cosimano
Publisher: St. Martins Press
Pub Date: 11/7/23
Elle is back with a short Vero story! This one gives Vero’s backstory that you don’t learn all of in the Finley Donovan series. As with all of her books, this one is just as funny and of course, in true Vero fashion a mess. She somehow finds herself in the world of financial crimes. It’s gonna take her wit and smarts to outsmart some of the people she’s up against. It was a quick read, only took about an hour, but definitely filled in Vero for me.

Much thanks to Elle Cosimano, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this short story more than I thought I would. I'm not a huge Vero fan, but I admit, she can hold her own as a lead. It was fun to explore her character and fill in some of the blanks in her background. I am so on board for her and Javi's HEA.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

A quick, fast paced and lighthearted read that gives the reader the background scoop on Finlay Donovan’s partner in crime. She’s strong-willed and confident but just has a string of bad luck. I loved the ending where she meets Finlay and could picture the scene in my perfectly. 3.75 stars

This is a novella in between the finlay series and it’s not totally necessary? I didn’t love this. I felt like it didn’t add anything and wasn’t as fun as the actual series.

Fun, quick read filling in Vera's backstory. Nice to get the details. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank by Elle Cosimano is book 3.5 in the Finlay Donovan series.

This was a cute short story diving into Vero's past. IT was cute to be able to get a peek into her story. Veronica Ruiz is on the run after being falsely accused of stealing money from her college sorority.

Nothing is going right for Vero and nothing is simple. After she begins work, she hears about a stealing, so Vero sets out to identify the thief and then move into the perfect job. If only Javi wasn't living in the same town.

This was a fun view of the moment Finlay and Vero first meet and is an interesting portrayal once you've already read about her in the previous books!

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. This was a quick 107 pages!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

A fun little short story to give those reading the Finlay Donovan series more of an insight into Veronica’s backstory. I’m not always a huge fan of short stories, but I did find this one enjoyable. Nothing bad about it.