I finally get Veronica's side of the story! This is the short background of Veronica and how she ends up with Finlay. Of course, leave it to Veronica to be caught by her cousin, Ramon, breaking into his garage in the middle of the night. Not a dull moment ever!

I was given the opportunity to read this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This quick novella gives us a bit more background on Veronica pre-Finlay. It was an ok read. It didn't have the fun and shenanigans of the main series, but it fits in well enough.

This novella gives background into Vero's life before meeting Finaly Donovan.

Someone is skimming money at the bank, and in order for Vero to start her new life, she needs to solve the mystery in hopes of getting a better job at the bank.

In true Elle Cosimano fashion, this book will have you wondering until the end, who did the crime with multiple possible suspects?

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank is a novella in the Finlay Donovan series. If you've read the previous books in this series, then you already know who Vero is. If not, it's okay because this book is about Vero before she met Finlay.

Now I don't have any problems with the characters or the actual story, but I do have a problem with the book. I'm not sure if it's because of the eARC I got or not... but the spacing throughout this book had me fuming. There were times when we had glorious spacing in between words... andthenallofasuddentherewerenospacesatall. It drove me bonkers and happened consistently throughout the book. For this reason alone, I'm docking stars.

I still kept reading though, because why not? I liked Vero and was very intrigued to see what her book would be about. She leaves college and is on the run. Running from Maryland to Virginia doesn't seem like a huge change of scenery to me, but at least she is with family. She ends up getting a job as a janitor at a bank and along the way solves a crime.

It was a fun and quick book to read. I also really liked how in the end we see her finally meeting Finlay. I'm glad that I was able to find time to read this today and can't wait for my next book in the series.

This is a short story of the origin story of Vero working for Finlay. Vero is accused of stealing money from her sorority and flees the state to crash with her cousin while she gets her life figured out. She ends up getting a job at a bank as a janitor with the intention of figuring out who the person is that's been stealing from the bank and then taking over their job.

It was nice to get the POV from Vero for this and to get a little background of of what all happened. I read a few of the other comments and people mentioned that some of the magic was missing from not having Finlay and Vero together for the story. But I still enjoyed it.

I was definitely missing the banter between Vero and Finlay in this one. While it provides an interesting backstory for Vero- though still missing some huge pieces- it wasn't nearly as fun as the others in the series. I did enjoy seeing a bit more about her relationship with Javi and how she met Finlay. I think the length was good for what this was.

I was interested in Vero's backstory before she became Finlay's right-hand woman. This did just that and even provided a mystery for her to solve at the bank she had started working in.

It was interesting to see how each person was ruled out as she got nearer to the truth. I also loved her chemistry with Javi. So good! I can't wait to see how she solves her current dilemma.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4⭐
Steam level: 1.5🌶️ Closed door

Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank gives fans of the Finlay Donovan series a deeper look into Vero’s past, showing the scrappy, quick-thinking woman we’ve come to love before she became Finlay’s partner-in-crime. The story follows Vero as she navigates false accusations, a fresh start, and a potential bank heist mystery, all while dealing with the unexpected presence of Javi, her old flame. The humor and fast-paced action keep the novel engaging, and Vero’s sharp wit makes her an easy character to root for.

However, the story doesn’t quite have the same charm or tension as the main series, and the plot, while entertaining, feels a bit predictable at times. The connection to the Finlay Donovan books is fun but doesn’t add much new depth to the overarching series. While longtime fans will enjoy learning more about Vero, this prequel doesn’t quite reach the same heights as the original books. A solid, fun read, but not a standout—three stars.

While I did enjoy getting to read about her back story, I do think that I love her as a side character to Finlay more than just reading about her alone! But still a fun short read!

Solid novella that gives some nice insight! Vero is one of my favorite characters and reading her back story has been so fun. I cannot wait to keep reading these stories with this added knowledge in place!

This little novella gives us an inside look into Finlay’s literal partner in crime and nanny, Veronica Ruiz. It’s interesting to learn why Vero ran away from college, and to have some backstory of what makes her tick.

It was a fun little installment in the Finlay Donovan series and I’m really enjoying the dynamic between the two female main characters.

Their friendship is a wonderful embodiment of girlhood, and it’s refreshing to read!

it was so much fun to get to see a peek into Vero's past leading up to meeting Finlay! getting more Ramon and Javi is always a treat too, this is a must read for fans of the series.

I loved reading more of Vero's story. I hope we continue the Vero/Veronica path and get some more installments from her POV. The FMC's of these books are so strong that I want to be like them (minus all the messes). These are page turning, hilarious, heart warming fun books. Thank you Elle Cosimano!

3🌟 Thank you to Elle Cosimano and St. Martin's Press for the ARC copy of this novella!

This was such a fun short read! If you are a fan of the Finlay Donovan series, you will definitely like getting a little peek into Vero's origin story :) Since it was a short story, of course, it couldn't get too terribly deep (hence the 3 stars), but it was still a really fun time and nice to learn more about Vero and what had happened to her pre-Finlay.

I would definitely recommend this short story when you're in between Finlay books and need something to get you by until you can get your hands on Elle Cosimano's next book. This was clearly the author's loving nod to her fans who have been begging for more info on Vero.

Finally, we get a story where Veronica takes center stage, and honestly? It’s about time. Finlay’s ride-or-die bestie (and the true MVP of this series) gets her moment to shine, and she does not disappoint. This novella gives us everything we love about Veronica—her sharp wit, her no-nonsense attitude, and her ability to turn absolute chaos into a functional (if slightly illegal) plan.

The plot? A classic Veronica-style mess involving money, mayhem, and a whole lot of sass. The stakes feel a bit lower than in the full-length books, but that works here—it’s a fun, fast-paced side adventure that lets us see what Veronica’s capable of when she’s not just cleaning up Finlay’s disasters.

If you love the Finlay Donovan series but always wished for more Veronica (because let’s be real, she’s the best), this novella is a must-read. Short, snappy, and full of that signature Finlay-Veronica chaos, it’s the perfect little treat between books.

It was okay. I read this because I wanted more of Vero, which I got, but I think because Vero and Finlay dynamics were missing, it was not as fun. But I did enjoy learning about how Vero and Finlay crossed paths and how she ended up working as her nanny. 2.5 stars

*I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for my honest review.*

I love the Finlay Donovan series and will read anything that is written about her including this short story about how Vero Ruiz came to be working for Finlay as a nanny. And how she ran away from college when she was accused of stealing a bunch of money from her sorority.

Even though a short story, it does not disappoint for the Finlay Donovan fans!

This is the Veronica Ruiz origin story of sorts. I don’t know that it really adds much to the series, but it’s a fun, quick, light, entertaining read.

Cute short story in the Finley Donovan series! This novella gives us the back story of Finley’s trusty sidekick, Vero. There have been hints in the previous books about Vero having her own secrets, and in this book, we find out how she came to South Riding and landing on Finlay’s doorstep.

I may age myself but Finlay Donovan is the answer to every girl in the aughts who read Aly Carter. I was extremely grateful to recieve the full series and couldn't finish them all fast enough. I am glad to see Vero got her own spinoff!