Finlay Donovan is Killing it tells the story of Finlay Donovan who is not killing it, as in, she is in a middle of a custody battle with her ex for her 2 children, her nanny is nowhere to be found and she is broke and in debt. When someone overhears Finlay's conversation with her book agent and misinterprets it Finlay now is offered a chance of making 50 thousand dollars if she disposes of a certain someone.

This book was so funny and so lighthearted I devoured it in 2 days, it had to be 2 days due to real life responsibilities because it was a struggle to put this book down. My favourite character was Vero her humour and snakiness is on point and I love her back and forth with Finlay, they are an unlikely duo but an amazing one. We got two love interests in this book at least two potential ones between a sexy cop and a sexy bartender/pre lawyer, and I am so glad she ended up connecting more with the one I was truly rooting for.

I truly loved this book so much and I cannot wait to see where Finlay takes us on the next book.

Thank you NetGalley and Elle Cosimano for making this book available as a read now on NetGalley and giving me a chance to binge on this series.

This is great! A housewife who starts a deep dive. Funny yet suspenseful. A good read for sure. I love that it is a series too.

4.5/5 Stars

This was a fun, super quick read. Finlay is a hot mess but I love her for it and I really enjoyed her shenanigans. A really fun take on a murder mystery book. Can't wait to read then next one in the series and see what kind of trouble Finlay and Vero get into.

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy.

I had so much fun reading this book. I was influenced by the many others who said this was fun, and they were so accurate. Finlay and her antics are hilarious. The accidental nature of her foray into mystery and how her life changes kept me on the edge of my seat. It even made me look at my local Panera cafe differently. This is one of the books and series I recommend most frequently. Several of my friends have now followed me in reading the whole series.

The first book in the series. If you want a fun read that you don’t wanna put down. This is the book for you! Funny characters, suspense, it is so fun!

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Fun, fast-paced read, very easy (popcorn lit). I loved the concept of Finlay being a hit woman. She's actually so inept, but you just love her for it. Very light romance. Down on her luck and a horrible ex-husband, through a series of unfortunate events, Finlay becomes a "hit woman". She charmingly bumbles her way through to a happy ending.
This is an addictive series and I excited to start the next book.

Finlay Donovan is overheard at a cafe talking about her book with her editor when someone overhears and mistakes her for a serial killer and becomes entangled in a crime....
Hilarity & hijinks ensue, all while Finlay cares for her two children, deals with her ex-husband, and partners with her nanny who is quickly becoming her partner in crime.
This book is fast-paced, witty, and charming, and I loved it.
100% recommend.

Loved this book! Such a fun light mystery. Finlay is a great character and the book had me hooked from the beginning. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series!

Finlay Donavan Is Killing It is a delightfully fun romp, especially if you’re in the mood for a witty and fast-paced read. If you’re looking for a super realistic novel you’re not going to like this one, and if you think you have everything figured out and would never make bad judgment calls when you’re at a low point in your life, you won’t like it either. But if you can set judgement aside, you’ll find an amusing and entertaining read.

Elle Cosimano does a fantastic job writing flawed realistic characters. Yes, Finlay isn’t a mess but not everyone has picture perfect lives, and sometimes crap just continues to pile up no matter what you do. The plot is a wild ride, yet somehow it still seems plausible, especially for a MC that doesn’t always make the best decisions. And while it ends with things wrapped up, there’s still one hell of a cliffhanger!

This is such a fun mystery. It feels cozy but almost a step up from others I've read. I picked up book 2 immediately. I loved Vero and Finlay and can't wait to follow their adventures.

4.5/5.0

A little far fetched, but such a fun mystery that I truly enjoyed. If something like this were to actually happen to me, I could totally relate to the character of Finlay. Definitely laughed out loud at more than one part.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It (Finlay Donovan #1) by Elle Cosimano, 355 pages. Minotaur Books (St. Martin’s Press), 2021. $16.
Language: R (111 swears, 2 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: ADULT - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: MANY
The start of the day is bad with a nanny no-show, a toddler with scissors, and being late to a meeting with her agent, and Finlay (31yo) is just trying to keep her head above water despite how each choice makes the day become worse—and then the worst. She’s desperate. At the end of the day, the question Finlay has to answer is whether she’s desperate enough to bury a body.
The situations that Finlay gets tangled in are convoluted in the best way, and readers get the fun of two stories in one as Finlay uses her new experiences as fodder for her writing project. All of my questions were addressed throughout the book—and I loved that Casimano gives readers the space to form the questions before Finlay does. The story ends with a cliffhanger that leaves even Finlay dumbfounded.
Finlay is described as “pale,” Julian is described as “tanned,” Veronica is implied Hispanic, and there are some Russian mobsters. Also, Georgia is part of the LGBT community. The mature content rating is for alcohol use; illegal activity; kissing; partial nudity; mentions of drugs, strippers, pornography, nudity, human trafficking, and rape; groping; innuendo; and implied sex. The violence rating is for blood and gore, implied domestic violence, gun use, suicide, and murder.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Elle Cosimano for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Finlay Donovan Is Killing It. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this a author. This is a series I really wanted to check out. It felt like a cozy mystery with a little more grit to it. I thought it was a really fun read and I loved it! Finlay definitely went through it. Her ex-husband bugged me. I loved that Finlay was a writer. The contract killer plot seemed implausible at first, but I really loved how it was set up and carried out. I’ll definitely be reading the other books in the series!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries!

The first book in a promising series. Finlay Donovan is quirky and witty. This book is laugh out loud funny. Finlay is such a relatable character (well other than being tangled up in a real-life murder investigation). Such a fun take on a mystery book! I flew through the pages.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

What can I say about this book? This has to be one of the funniest books I have ever read! I enjoyed meeting Finlay and Vero and I wish I could be their friend cause they are an amazing pair! Finlay's ex husband is one of those characters that you want to hate but instead you feel pitty about. And Finlay's kids are the most adorable! I loved them!

Finlay doesn't have it together. She's struggling as a mom and as a writer and while she is discussing the plot of her new book she finds herself mistaken for a contract killer and ends up taken up the job! Finlay Donovan is not killing it but she really is, and she's in the middle of a crime that will change her life forever!

Thank you Minotaur Books, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange of my honest review.

Woah. This was unexpectedly so much fun! It’s somehow lighthearted and funny while being about the mob and death. 😅
Finlay has to be one of my fav FMCs now. I love Vero too. They’re both incredibly strong female characters. Holding down the house while covering their tracks. And they have each other’s backs even from the first moment they met. I love them.
I’m excited to see where the romance from this book leads to as well.
And this ending?! I can’t wait to read book two!!

I absolutely loved this book! Finlay Donovan is the perfect example of a hot-mess-mama and I absolutely love her for it! The relationship/friendship that Finlay and Vero have with each other is one of my favorite things about this book. The fact that Finlay is mistaken as a hit-woman simply by pitching her book and then she and Vero never actually kill anyone but their "marks" end up dying anyway is laugh-out-loud funny! I can't wait to read the rest of this wonderful series.

Thanks to Netgalley, Ellie Cosimano and her publisher for this book. I’ve seen these books in my library, but never picked one up. But that ends today. I read the first book Finley Donovan is coming in two days. I’m onto the next book, love her character. Thank you very much for introducing me to this character..

This series is one of my very favorites! 📚
It is the perfect blend of comedy, mystery, & romance. The characters are lovable & I rooted for them even as they did morally questionable things. 😂
If you are looking for a laugh out loud funny series with tons of heart & a delightfully twisty plot, I highly recommend picking up this book! Then read the entire series! 🤓

I love this series. Finlay is funny, relatable, and witty. Her problems and their solutions give you laugh out loud moments where you question how all of this could happen and immediately follow up that thought with “Of course this is happening. It’s Finlay!”

The tone of the book and characters’ personality set the scene from the first page & chapter. The entertaining premise started on the first page and never lulled. While this is the first in the series, the relationships and personalities continue throughout the series and spin-off.