It was fun to read Vero’s back story and get more context of her motivations. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that memorable and didn’t add much more to the overall world building.

There isn’t a whole long to say since this is a short story. But we all love Vero and it was fun getting a little of her back story! It’s a cute story and gives some insight to how Vero and Finlay met! Definitely a nice and quick read for those who are a fan of the series.

A short and funny side story prequel about Vero’s backstory before she came to be Finlay’s sidekick and partner in crime.

I loved learning more about Vero!!! This was the perfect short addition to the series to help us to understand more about Vero and her past. I loved getting to hear her perspective and inner thoughts, and was bursting when we finally saw how she connected with Finlay!

Absolutely love Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank. There's adventure, mystery, slapstick comedy, sassy sidekick, and adorable kids. Without a doubt I could see this being a Netflix show. Thankful to receive the entire series from Netgalley. The audiobooks are on Libby and I just want to say I loved the narrator selection for the audiobook as well. This book was great fun.

3.5 stars
This was a nice little treat, getting a bit of Vero's backstory. It helps understand why she left college, her history with Javi, and how she ended up working for Finlay. I loved how she solved a mystery in here. Vero is a great character.

"Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank" is part of the "Finlay Donovan" series. This is the story of how Veronica solves the mystery of missing money in a bank. Being a character in the series, we learn what happened before and after Vero meets Finlay. This is a short, quick read and enjoyable. Finlay Donovan fans will enjoy knowing the background of Vero. If you're a fan, I recommend this book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Thanks to the publisher, Minotaur Books, and the author, Elle Cosimano, for the privilege to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Finlay Donovan series is such a fun and addictive read! From the very first book, I was hooked on Finlay’s chaotic life as a struggling single mom and suspense author who somehow gets tangled up in real-life crime. The mix of humor, mystery, and action makes these books impossible to put down. Finlay and her partner-in-crime (literally), Vero, have the best dynamic—I love their banter and how they always seem to get themselves into the most ridiculous situations.

What I enjoy most is how Elle Cosimano balances comedy with suspense. The books are full of twists, but they never take themselves too seriously, which makes them such an entertaining escape. If you love witty heroines, fast-paced mysteries, and a little bit of romance sprinkled in, I highly recommend this series! I can’t wait to see what kind of trouble Finlay and Vero get into next.

Thank you NetGalley, St Martins Press and Elle Cosimano for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐️

This book brings us back to the weeks leading up to Finlay and Vero meeting. When she runs away from school and is starting fresh she stumbles upon a mystery she is determined to solve in order to get a bank teller job.

The story itself was cute but a little lackluster compared to the other books. Since it was a short story it was a quick, easy read so very small commitment.

Love getting some more insight on Vero but honestly, her past is still mostly a mystery so I’m hoping that will be covered in an upcoming book.

This short story gives the backstory on Veronica Ruiz (aka Vero Ramirez), Finlay Donovan's nanny and partner in crime. Other books in the series hint that Vero is running from something in her past, and mention how she met Finlay Donovan, this book gives more details and provides some insight into Vero's relationships with her cousin, Ramón, and the guy who broke her heart, Javi. The story highlights Vero's intelligence, tenacity and resilience, characteristics the reader has seen in all the Finlay Donovan books. A quick read, worth the time for any fan of the series!

A cute, quick read. This novella helps you get some answers about how the dynamic duo met and where Vero was in life when they did. This does lack the wittiness and the level of humor Finlay and Vero usually have when their high energy hijinks ensue.

VERONICA RUIZ BREAKS THE BANK by Elle Cosimano offers a scintillating glimpse into the enigmatic, fantastically smart and fierce Vero Ruiz never revealed in the fantastic Finlay Donovan novels. In this novella, we learn who Vero has been and why she winds up partnering with Finlay, wrangling two small children and solving crimes with a grace, easy, and swagger that are nearly as remarkable as her wit, sass, spirit, and intuitive skills. I loved every word of this smart story, steamy in parts, dangling past hurts and unanswered questions as Vero and Finlay meet, connect, and save one another's lives. Enjoyed this story immensely. I received a copy of this and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

The fact that Veronica fled the State, solved a mystery and successfully got the job she wasn't trained for, only to lose all that to help an exhausted mother - also knowing she would have lost her job -, makes me love her even more than I thought was possible.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank is a fun glimpse into how Vero came into Finlay's life. I wish I had gotten more of a look into Vero's downfall in college, but I still enjoyed learning more about her backstory with Ramon and Javier. The mystery Vero solved was cute & filled out her character even further. Definitely not a standalone, but this is a fun novella for Finlay Donovan enthusiasts.

Short story, cute backstory on how the whole mess started
Love the characters, well written, kept my intrest throughout the whole story

Thank you to the publisher and author for a copy of this ARC.

This story story is part of the Finlay Donovan series and probably wouldn’t make much sense outside of it. As it stands, it’s a fun look into the few weeks between when Vero fled school and when she met and started working for Finlay as a nanny. We get a peak at her relationship dynamics with Javi, a tiny bit of info about the sorority’s stolen money incident, and get to see her sharp mind at work, solving a missing money mystery at the bank she worked at. The only disappointing part to me is I was really hoping to find out more info on what exactly happened at the sorority, especially considering how book 5 just ended. And honestly, it still doesn’t seem much like Vero to run away from that situation instead of staying to prove her innocence. I have to think something major happened, and it couldn’t be included in this side story because it’s meant for the main books. I guess we’ll find out in a year!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ebook for review purposes.

This was a fun little backstory that tells Vero's story before she comes to work with Finlay and the kids. Vero faced several crazy moments but proves that she is handy and worth giving a shot. Definitely not necessary to continue the series, but fun nonetheless so that we can see her backstory.


Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press and Minotaur Books for providing this series for me in exchange for an honest review.

Veronica Ruiz Breaks the Bank… (Vero’s short story)

Veronica Ruiz is on the run after being falsely accused of stealing money from her college sorority. She takes a cleaning job at a bank but soon discovers someone there is stealing. She takes the amateur sleuth route to find out who did the deed…

I feel like this book plugged a hole that was missing from the main series. Vero is just as important as Finlay at this point and knowing her backstory really helps to understand her and how she came to be Finlay’s nanny.
I love the relationship between Vero and Finlay, it gives me hope my Vero is out there somewhere… We all need that ride or die friend.

I love knowing Vero had a love interest in Javi and I cannot wait to see more between the two of them in the series.

It’s a short well written book and is definitely a must read.

4.5 stars (I needed a longer book haha)

I loved reading more of Vero's backstory! Her immediate connection with Finlay speaks volumes about the kind of woman she is, and I see she's always had a knack for investigating! Of course, I am always here for Vero and Javi and hope to see more as their relationship flourishes! Can't wait to read more about the dynamic duo of Finlay and Vero!

This was a fun read. I loved Veronica's story. ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the E-ARC.

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.