Finlay Donovan is a stressed-out single mom and struggling novelist who accidentally gets mistaken for a contract killer. She ends up accepting a job to dispose of a problem husband to make ends meet but quickly realizes that real-life crime is much more difficult than in her novels.

This book is a delightful, humorous, and easy read that provides a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in Finlay's world and temporarily forgetting about my own daily struggles. Although I typically don't read series, I am thrilled to have stumbled upon all five books in this collection. I am eagerly anticipating finishing the series!

Finlay is a relatable character, facing challenges such as debt, family problems, and financial struggles. The plot is well-crafted and engaging, making it difficult for me to set the book aside. In fact, I found myself canceling my plans for the day just so I could fully experience this captivating story.

I encourage those who, like me, are not typically fans of series to give these books a chance. I sincerely hope they find a place on your TBR list. If you enjoy reading about characters like Stephanie Plum from Janet Evanovich's novels, you will undoubtedly fall in love with this series. It is entertaining, without any unnecessary filler.

If you enjoy fast-paced, witty narrative that authentically captures the challenges and joys of motherhood this book is for you. It is infused with humor and heartfelt moments that will leave a lasting impression on you...

Thank you, St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the digital ARC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was randomly recommended to me a long while ago and it quickly rose to a favorite series. If you’ve not jumped into the Finlay world yet I can’t recommend it enough. It’s absolutely hilarious and light. With a bit of murder on the side ;).

I read this and followed along with the audiobook from Everand.
I loved this story! I'm so glad I read this, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
Sharp and funny.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It
Finn is a divorced Mom of two and a struggling writer. It doesn’t help that her cheating ex-husband is asking for full custody of their children. Finn is mistaken for a contract killer and is offered $50,000 by a woman in Panera to kill her husband. Finn can’t resist looking into the man she is supposed to kill.
Finn gets into some hilarious situations. I liked Finn more as the story progressed.
I look forward to reading more Finn Donovan mysteries.

I think I found my new favorite series! Finaly makes me laugh, cry and shake my head at her antics, along with her babysitter and partner in crime Vero. What these two can fall ass-backwards into is hilarious. A struggling writer and single mom of two very active small children, needs a break. She’s poor, she’s nowhere on her new manuscript, she’s fighting with her ex and his fiancée and she’s about to explode. When seemingly money lands into her lap, but for all the wrong reasons. This is where the hijinks begin. Just read it and laugh.

First off, I love this story, series, and the characters! This series starts off with a random woman mistakenly assuming the main character, Finlay, is a hit woman! The woman then hires Finlay to kill her abusive husband. The book follows Finlay as she tries to correct this misunderstanding. We mainly follow Finlay, her two kids, and Vero, her nanny-turned-close friend. We see Finlay meet two men, Bartender Julian, and Detective Nick, and the romantic decisions she must make. The characters are relatable and lovable! The book is easy to read and follow but keeps your attention. I will say, as the first book in a series, it took me a couple of chapters to get into it and meet the main characters. I first listened to this in audiobook format and really loved the narrator, the slight voice changes for characters, and the pacing. I also like the cover art.

Loved this book. A misunderstanding turns a mystery writer into a potential hitman. Only the plot goes terribly wrong leaving her dealing with dead bodies and the mob.

There is a good balance of comedy and drama. I liked the relationship between Finlay and Vero and how they figure out how to get themselves out of this complicated mess while taking care of two energetic preschoolers!

I drove the long way home so I could finish the book. The narrator of the audiobook is fantastic and really kept me engaged. I'm glad there will be a sequel.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this.

I was hesitant to request this book, but I’d heard such good things about it, I decided to take the plunge. Then I sat on this for a while, but I was between books and decided to try it. O.M.G. This series is so much fun! Finley and Vero are such a good partnership. They hold each other up and keep each other going. Add in a sleazy ex-husband, his latest conquest…er, uh, fiancée, and a few other great characters, and I was captivated by the first page until the last. Right after I finished this, I immediately jumped into the next one. No, it’s not perfect, no, it isn’t true to life, and yes, it’s so much darn fun! Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the 48 hour access to read this series!

I absolutely devoured *Finlay Donovan Is Killing It*! From the very first page, I was hooked by Finlay’s hilarious and chaotic life. Elle Cosimano masterfully blends humor, mystery, and a touch of the absurd into this wildly entertaining story.

Finlay is such a relatable character—she’s juggling single motherhood, a stalled writing career, and an exasperating ex-husband. When she’s accidentally mistaken for a hitwoman during a casual lunch meeting, the chaos that ensues is both laugh-out-loud funny and heart-poundingly suspenseful. The plot twists kept me guessing until the very end, and the banter between Finlay and her sidekick Vero was pure gold.

Cosimano’s writing is sharp and witty, and her ability to balance humor with genuine emotional moments made this book a standout for me. I loved every minute of Finlay’s ridiculous journey, and I couldn’t put it down. If you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced mystery with a strong and hilariously imperfect female lead, this is it! I’m already diving into the next book in the series because I can’t get enough of Finlay’s shenanigans. Highly recommend!

Have you ever been banned from Panera? No? Me neither, but somehow Finlay did, and you'll have to read the book to find out why.

I have been wanting to read this book for a while now, and I'm so glad that I did. I laughed out loud so many times. Even though I don't have children of my own, I could feel the stress of Finlay as she dealt with life as a single mother. I have to admit, though, that Vero was my favorite character. I'm so glad that the author brought her in as the sidekick. Although the events were a little "out there" for the mystery to take place, if you know this going in, it seems to make them okay.

This would definitely qualify as one of the funniest mysteries that I have ever read. I mean, who gets banned from Panera, and accidentally becomes a "hit woman?"

I gave this four out of five stars. It was a fast-paced read that doesn't leave you hanging, but it makes you glad to know that there are more books in the series. I can only imagine what Finlay and Vero will get up to in the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my free copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.

Best COZY mystery i've read so far.

So much intrigue I ADORE IT.

And on to the second book of the series.

This was on my TBR for so long i don't know why i didn't started it earlier.

I’m going to be honest in that I was really unsure of what to expect from this book previously and recently got this free copy from the publisher via NetGalley. Boy, have I been sleeping on this series! I actually really liked the main character as well as the cozy mystery vibe with a humorous twist. I’m excited for the next one!

If I had to describe my perfect 10 of a book, this would be it. I loved everything about this book: the main characters, the side characters, the mystery, the romance, the humor, the plot. My deepest regret is that I wish I had discovered this series sooner. Finlay and Vero are my favorite female MCs of all time—so real, so relatable, and just down-right hilarious. I have never laughed out loud so much while reading a book. At no point did I know what was going to happen next, and I absolutely loved that. This book was just perfection!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Elle Cosimano for ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ridiculous, but fun! I really didn't know if I would vibe with this kind of book (kind reminds me of a funny cozy mystery?) but I totally did, on to book 2!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I loved this story so much! Finlay Donovan is just a mom trying to navigate life after separating from her husband, who has a new woman in his life. Then, she accidentally kills a man. Or does she? It doesn’t matter- she covers it up and buries the body. Will she get away with it while so many other things are happening?

I couldn’t put this book down when I read it, and the banter among characters is phenomenal.

This is another book/series I’ve had my eye on and just my luck, NetGalley offered the whole series as Read Now last week so I grabbed it!

I was instantly pulled into the story as Finlay is pulled into a murder for hire job from a misunderstanding. And it was one wild ride. The author does a great job of showing Finlay’s desperation and motives.

Finlay and Vero are excellent characters. Vero is awesome. Her take charge, take no prisoners vibe was my favorite. I loved how she took care of things for Finlay. And Finlay is just trying to be a good mom, good author, and keep her kids.

There are excellent twists and turns and romance mixed in with a bartender and a cop. Oh and don’t forget the scary mob. I can’t wait for the next book.

The audio narrator was excellent. Angela Dawe did a fantastic job with the voices from the old to young and male and her accents were convincing. Each was done well. Dawe portrayed each character so well.

I received the ebook from Read Now from NetGalley. Huge thank you to Minotaur books for offering that. I also listened to the audio from Libby while driving around town. All views are my own.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It, is the first installment in author Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan Series. 31-year-old Finlay Donovan is a down-on-her-luck wanna-be author who has written two books, but they weren't exactly best sellers. She's a divorced mom of two, Delia and Zachary, and her ex-husband Steven left her for another woman. To make matters worse, Finlay's nanny Veronica, aka Vero, has been fired by the ex, she's way behind on her bills, and she's already been paid 1/2 up front by her agent for her next novel.

Her previous books haven't sold well, and now she's late with her next book and has a massive writer's block. Her ex-husband has hired an attorney to get full custody of their children, and if Finlay doesn't get something to her agent immediately, she's going to have to pay back her advance, which was spent long ago. Finlay, an author of romantic suspense novels, is meeting with her editor at Panera to talk about her story plot when the woman (Patricia Mickler) sitting next to her mistakenly thinks Finlay is actually a hitwoman and tries to hire her.

Finlay is given an opportunity to make $50,000 in cash if she murders a man named Harris Mickler, who, by all accounts, isn't a nice man. Oh, and he's Patricia's husband, who just happens to work for the Russian Mafia. What happens next is pure ridiculousness and comedic all at once. First, Finlay hires Veronica back as her nanny, turned accountant, turned sidekick, turned best friend to help manage the kids and her screwed-up life. Then Finlay leaves Harris in her car while it's running, and she and Vero need a place to bury the body.

Then Finlay meets not one, but two different attractive men. One is Julian Baker, a bartender who is going to school to become a lawyer, and the other is Detective Nicholas Anthony, who thinks that Finlay's husband's new fiancé may be in bed with the Russian Mafia and since Finlay is writing a book, she may have some ideas on how to prove it. Oh, and let's not forget about the fact that another woman offers Finlay $150,000 to do yet another job for her, this time another husband who also isn't a nice guy.

Did I mention the fact that Finlay's ex-husband also seems to be regretting his cheating on her and wants to start over again? Finlay, known for her poor decision-making skills, finds herself digging a deeper hole as she tries to escape her job. The pay is attractive, and she has already received a substantial advance. One bad decision leads to another, and Finlay quickly realizes she's way over her head. Fortunately, her nanny, Vero, comes to her aid, enabling her to continue making questionable choices.

This book was offered by NetGalley, the Author, and the Publisher to read. I am happy they did because this story had me laughing, and holding on to see what next catastrophe Finlay and Vero would find themselves in. The relationship between Finlay and Vero was awesome. They played off each other's personalities so well. There were great side characters, red herrings, action, and drama, and full of over-the-top hijinks.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily. I had always wanted to read the Finlay Donovan series but had other priorities. When Netgalley reached out last week and offered the whole back catalog AND the forthcoming novel to me to read, I couldn't pass up the chance.

Finlay is a murder mystery writer whose husband left her and their two small kids for their real estate agent. She's discussing her next suspense novel with her agent when someone overhears her and thinks she's a professional killer. She's approached to put a hit on a horrible husband, and she's so dead ass broke, she actually contemplates it!

What ensues is a raucous and interesting tale. What a wonderful introduction to a literary character. I can't wait to catch up on the rest of Finlay's adventures.

What a unique plot. It’s filled with humor, mystery, and intrigue. This is a fun book that is so different from other mysteries. Finlay is a likable character any mom can relate to. It’s a fast read. Very cleverly written.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is book one in the Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano.
I loved this book. Finlay's voice is so relatable. From her chaotic mornings to her genuinely-believable problems, I could see so much of the average mother in her.
I seriously couldn’t put this book down. Poor Finlay and her struggles with writing, raising two babies, and dealing with an ex and his new fiancé. You can’t help but root for Finlay.
This series has been one phenomenal time and I’ve been here for it!