Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review. :)

Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan is a mother and an author who is struggling with deadlines, an ex-husband (and his awful fiance) and more debt than she can possibly pay off. While at the local Panera with her editor discussing the plot of her current book, a woman at the next table mistakes Finlay for a hit-woman. Easy mistake to fix, right? Wrong. What follows is a wild ride from start to finish as Finlay attempts to deal with this new mistaken identity, her family, and her stack of unpaid bills.

I loved this book. I was hooked from the very beginning and Finlay is such a likable character. All I wanted was for everything to work out for her! Finlay and Vero--her babysitter turned live-in best friend--as accidental "hit-women" are the dream duo I never knew I needed. The friendship that evolved between the two of them and the support they have for each other was one of my favorite aspects of this story. While there were many stressful moments (um, how could there not be?) there were so many sweet and funny moments as well. I think the struggles that Finlay faces not only as a struggling mom with a crappy ex-husband, but also a woman trying to chart a new path for herself will be relatable to many.

Also, of course I won't give anything away...but that ending! Honestly, if this is a standalone, it works. However, I really hope it's not. I highly recommend this one if you love mysteries and strong, determined women!

Finley Donovan is a single mom, a writer who has missed her deadline and has an ex- husband who is making her miserable! While meeting with her agent to discuss her plot and writer's block, another woman over hears her and mistakenly thinks she is a hit woman! This book is entertaining and so funny. I read it in one sitting and laughed out loud more than once. Ellie Cosimano, please give us another outing with Finley and friends!
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book!

This book was EXACTLY what I needed. It is the story of Finlay, a newly single mom with a scuzzy ex-husband and a mountain of unpaid bills. Finlay is also a struggling novelist with a case of serious writer’s block and, on account of a complete misunderstanding, she gets solicited to act as a hired killer while eating lunch at Panera. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but this book was absolutely hilarious. It was fast paced with so much snarky wit. Even though it bordered on ridiculous, it was absurd in the best possible way and was just so clever and funny that I could not stop reading. Finlay was self-deprecating with a dry sense of humor and even though she made some of the worst possible decisions, I was rooting for her every step of the way. I need a sequel ASAP! I cannot recommend it enough.

Loved from the first pages a book that combines mystery and comedy kept me turning the pages.First book in a new series the authors first book will be recommending this It’s a guaranteed laugh a minute edge of your seat thriller,#netgalley#minatorbooks

This was a book that I didn’t know if I would really like but I was interested in it when I read the blurb, so here we are with a five-star review and I’m still chuckling about it. Finlay Donovan is a newly divorced single mom who can’t pay her bills and can’t seem to fulfill her contract for writing a romantic suspense novel. However, she somehow gets backed into a corner to carry out another contract, a contract killing. This is a hilarious romp through motherhood, what it’s like to be divorced from a cheater and a mystery all rolled into one neat and well-written package. The plot was totally original and captured me from the first page. The descriptions of Finlay’s bad decisions, layered on top of other bad decisions and leading to her quest to solve a mystery all had me in stitches. I didn’t like the husband Steve (the philanderer) or the babysitter Vero, who took advantage of Finlay’s confused state of not having a clue what to do. Nevertheless, the characters were well-portrayed, down to little Zach’s poopy diapers and desire for his blanket and the haircut that little Delilah gave herself. Too funny! The mystery that I was expecting was there, along with so much more. The conclusion was satisfying, leaving me wanting more tales of the misadventures of Finlay Donovan. Fans of mystery and humor will thoroughly enjoy this book! I loved it!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Happy Publication Day, Finlay Donovan!

This is a totally original book that defies categorization within the mystery genre. If pressed, I would call it an edgy cozy with a heaping side of dark humor.

The setup is pure genius and totally original - Finlay, an exhausted and very witty mom, is overheard in a public place and, in a conversation taken out of context, is VERY greatly misunderstood to be a hitwoman (hit-mom?). Naturally, this is something that could be easily cleared up with a laugh and an explanation, right? Well, of course not, because then we wouldn't have this very funny book. Finlay is the best kind of heroine - plucky and witty without trying too hard. She is also very adept (in part due to her mom background) at dealing with any, and I do mean ANY, kind of inopportune disaster.

Finlay (aka "Finn") is incredibly charming, and it is impossible not to like her. It must be said here that the setup and hijinks that ensue are totally outlandish, so if you are looking for a realistic, gritty crime novel, this is not that book. But if you are looking for a totally unique and funny mystery with a great heroine, Finn fits the bill. The twists satisfy, as do the characters. I could definitely enjoy this book as part of a series, or as a movie, and I bet both are coming soon (or at least, they SHOULD be).

Finn is a very refreshing diversion in a year of unreliable wife-narrators and thrice kidnapped children. Check out Finlay Donovan, who indeed is killing it as both a mystery protagonist and a physical comedienne.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and the author (who I am positive we will be hearing from much more in the future!) for this very fun ARC.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano is a playful novel about a newly divorced mother, Finlay, who is struggling to keep it together. Finlay has bills that are piling up, an insufferable husband and his new fiancee, and a thriller novel that she can't seem to write. During a meeting with Finlay's editor in a Panera, a stranger overhears a conversation that leads the stranger to believe Finlay is a hitman. In a series of events, Finlay is thrust into a second career that she never expected but can also sparks her daytime job.

This was a brilliant novel and such a fun ride. The book is absolutely compelling and the tone is comedic yet smart. This book reminds me of a female Breaking Bad where an unexpected character finds themselves in an disturbing situation and just rolls with it with good humor. Finlay's character is 3-dimensional, she's hilarious, a mess, yet you can somehow relate to her thinking you would probably do the same. Her nanny, Vero, brings so much fun humor to the book and also a little chaos into her situation. There is lots of secrets and random connections but it's fun to connect the pieces. My one critique is that around ~90% of the book a certain event occurs that wraps up a bit TOO nicely, but still was a hysterical scene. I'm rooting for Finlay and definitely looking forward to the next in the series. It's important to note that this book ends on a HUGE cliffhanger but I can't wait!

Many thanks to the publisher St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano is hilarious and serious, often awkward mishaps that I thought could only happen to me! Seriously, I want whatever it is that Elle Cosimano is drinking because she is truly hilarious as a writer with a depth to her characters that really adds to their appeal!! I can already see this as a movie!! Loved it and it is exactly what is needed right now- murder and humor all tied up in a hot mess with everything turned inside out!!!!

#FinlayDonovanIsKillingIt #NetGalley

Finlay Donovan is Killing It is exactly what I needed. I’ve been alternating back and forth between historical fiction and thrillers, and I love both weighty genres, but Finlay is a laugh-out-loud, I-can-picture-myself-in-this-mess kind of situation.

From the minute I opened this book, I knew I would love it. After all, it’s pink 💗, and who couldn’t use more fun pink books in their lives?? Couple that with the very first line is: “It’s a widely known fact that most moms are ready to kill someone by eight thirty A.M. on any given morning.” and who can resist? I absolutely love Finlay and Vero, and I hope to read many more Elle Cosimano books with them in it!

I think I’ve found a new favorite genre in this book: funny-mom-murder-mystery?

Although lighter than my normal murder mystery and suspense reads, this book was so cleverly done. It will appeal to moms, to women who feel like they don’t have their sh*t together, and to true murder mystery fans alike.

Finlay Donovan is a romance suspense author and mom of two struggling with a cheater ex-husband, piling bills and losing custody of her kids. One of her worse days leads her to discussing her next fictional murder with her agent in Panera with a diaper bag full of duct tape and bloody rags (funny mom story there). Except the woman next to her has a dangerous husband who needs taking care of and she’s just misinterpreted everything. What ensues is pure cleverness, cute romance and a great whodunnit.

✨REVIEW✨ Publication Date: 2/2/2021
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Finlay Donovan is Killing It was a hilarious, fun, thrilling read that I could not put down. I was obsessed from page 1.

Finlay Donovan is a single mom who is struggling financially following her divorce. She has writer’s block and needs to finish her latest romantic suspense novel in order to pay off her bills and find a way to avoid a custody battle with her ex and his mistress-turned-fiancé. When Finlay is discussing her new book with her agent at a Panera Bread, crazy hijinks ensue and she is forced into the world of contract killers and mobs.

This plot is completely bonkers and amazing. I saw a comparison to the Netflix TV show, Dead to Me, and that is the perfect way to describe the tone of this book. It was weird and had a dark, over the top humor that I loved. I am hoping this becomes a series because I need more Finlay Donovan NOW.

Highly recommend you check out this book when it releases on 2/1/2021. In the meantime, I will be checking out Elle Cosimano’s backlist because I am obsessed.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this one! This book has humor, heart, and a little murder. I loved how relatable Finlay was and I did not want to put it down. I’m not sure if this book falls in the “cozy mystery” category but it definitely isn’t your typical murder mystery story. I think the is book will appeal to a wide audience of readers, readers who don’t typically enjoy mysteries or find them too dark, readers who like humorous stories, and readers who enjoy reading about flawed but real women and who root for their success. This story is engrossing, entertaining, and exciting!

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It has been getting a ton of hype recently, and rightfully so, I LOVED it!

Finlay is a struggling romantic suspense author who has piles of unpaid bills and is about to be caught in a nasty custody battle that she won't win. During a meeting with her agent at Panera, Finlay is mistaken as a contract killer and discreetly receives a note that includes a sum of money to solve all her problems, one name, and an address. Before she knows it, she's following the target to see what it would be like...

I don't want to give too much away, but I could not put this one down! It moved quickly, had tons of humor and suspense, and Vero, Finlay's babysitter, made the perfect partner in crime! I loved the friendship and sarcasm between her and Finlay! And, that ENDING! Fingers crossed this turns into a series or a hopeful sequel!

Also, the setting for this book was in Northern Virginia, so I loved all the references to local spots and towns!

All the stars for this new release!

It is so unique, witty, and definitely got me out of my reading funk. Finlay is struggling with money, ex-husband, and book until her plot for her new novel is overheard and she is mistaken for a contract killer in a Panera. One of my highly anticipated books for this year really did not disappoint and I cannot recommend enough!!!

Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cusimano is us a funny, yet stressful, situational comedy/mystery about a woman that accidentally gets hired to murder a man, and then accidentally kills him. Well, she didn't actually kill him, but someone did, and it looks like it might be her. Finlay Donovan is a romance write, successful but underpaid. She is divorced with the ex-husband from hell. He cheated on her, left her, plans to get custody of her kids and generally makes her feel like a useless piece of garbage. She's months behind in her bills...doesn't even bother to bring in her mail anymore, just let it pile up on the porch. She is 38 minutes late for a meeting with her agent when someone sitting close by misunderstand the conversation Finlay and Sylvia are having and leaves her a note: $50,000 to kill her husband. Finlay tries to explain that the woman misunderstood but the woman is stubborn so Finlay goes to the bar where he will be, just to check him out. She sees him put a roofie into his date's drink and manages to switch them. Soon he is too out of it to walk. Finlay takes him to her mini-van, and then to her home. While she's inside, so hysterical she forgot to turn the car off, somehow her garage door closes and when she comes back out he's dead: asphyxiated. The rest of the story is Finlay avoiding arrest.

Finlay is a really likable woman. She is a little discombobulated but what mom with two kids under five is not. She is easily distracted so they eat lots of burnt food. She is disorganized so there are lots of dirty clothes and toys under foot. Her friend and ex-babysitter, Vero is clever, well-organized, hard-working-in may ways the opposite of Finlay, but they make a go of sunning this household and keeping the police at bay. Of course, some of it is plain good luck. They run into characters along the way: Julian, the hot and way too young bartender; Detective Nick, who is Finlay's sister Georgia's friend and also very hot. Someone Finlay could have really liked if the situation had been different. Her across-the-street neighbor who never slept and saw everything. Being a killer for hire, earning $200,000 for it although she never really killed anyone is very heady and made her question herself, a lot. Fun book. Clever. Very entertaining. I liked it!

I was invited to read a free ARC of Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #finlaydonovaniskillingit

Author Elle Cosimano definitely hits all the right marks with her novel, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It. The ingenious story revolves around Finlay's real entanglement in a murder for hire and the plot of a novel she is writing. Finlay is a divorced mother of two young children struggling to pay her bills. She writes romance novels and has spent her latest small advance and needs to quickly deliver a draft. Unwittingly Finlay accepts a $50,000 offer to get rid of a woman's scoundrel husband but changes her mind. Hilariously, Finlay leaves the man asleep in her van and later discovers him dead. Finlay's predicament fuels her creative fires and her situation becomes the basis of a new novel that is sold for a huge advance. Cosimano's character's are realistic and entertaining. This novel has it all-suspense, comedy, drama and romance. This book is definitely an entertaining escape.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It, and so is author Elle Cosimano! This book hooked me at the dedication page and had me glued to the story to the very end. I love a good comedy-noir, and the author delivered.

Finlay Donovan’s life is currently a white-hot mess. Her philandering ex-husband isn’t helping her much financially and he’s threatening to sue for full custody of the kids. Neither Finlay nor her alter ego, Fiona Donohue, can pay the bills and keep the lights on. When curious Finlay checks out a business proposition, her life seemingly goes from bad to worse. Her ex-nanny, now friend, Vero steps into to save the day. Unfortunately, Vero is the type of friend who doesn’t necessarily help you make better decisions. I loved Vero despite her occasional errors in judgement; she is highly competent, organized and resourceful. She is definitely someone you want by your side when things go sideways.

We readers get a limited view of ex-husband Steven, and it is only from Finlay’s perspective. We get to know him just enough to know that he is not a good person. The more interesting men in the story are Nick and Julian. These potential love interests are basically off-the-table as getting involved with either could lead to Finaly’s demise.

The story is fast paced, and the plot has decent tension. The plot points are sometimes implausible, but that is part of the fun. Finlay Donovan is Killing It is both humorous and suspenseful. A struggling author, Russian mobsters, a sod farm, and an excellent cast of characters—how could you possibly resist this book?

Finlay Donovan is killing it is a funny interesting story about an up-and-coming author (she hopes) a single mom and the drama she finds herself in. Finlay can’t seem to get her life straight she has no money, no ideas for her story, and her husband left her for another woman. One day she meets up with her agent for lunch at Panera and a woman slips her a note. An adventure begins with that one piece of paper and Finlay isn’t sure how she’ll get out of this mess. I laughed out loud at parts of this book. A joy to read but the ending fell a little flat for me. Thank you to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for my advanced copy.

I really loved this fast and funny read! It's the author's debut for adult audiences and now I am definitely going to check out her books for young adults now! This is fun - and a touch ridiculous and with some rather heavy-handed plot points paving a predictable path that may not be for everyone's taste, but it's light-hearted (well, as light-hearted as a book about an author turned accidental hitman can really be). But I laughed while I read it and genuinely had a fun time. It's highly entertaining with great banter between the characters and the friendship between Finlay and Vero really shines. The ending indicates a sequel - and I sure can't wait! I am really excited about that - plus I just read that it has been optioned for the screen! With a fun heroine, engaging storyline and being just plain fun, I can see why this one has gotten a lot of pre-publication attention - it's well worth the hype! It's a good time and I think this will be quite popular - it's definitely one of my top reads of 2021 so far!

Finlay Donovan is newly divorced and struggling to keep it together while her ex-husband is conniving to make her look bad so he can get full custody of their two kids. A nearby diner misinterprets Finlay’s lunch conversation with her agent and believes she’s a contract killer. As Finlay tries to convince the woman otherwise, she realizes just how despicable the would-be victim is.

Finlay soon finds herself caught up in a world she once could have only imagined, with a huge advance on a book she’s terrified to write for fear it might incriminate her, while a hot detective and a law student compete for her attentions. With the mob closing in, will Finlay finish her book? Lose her children? Get arrested? Or swim with the fishes?

Equal parts slapstick and mystery, FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT is impossible to put down, laugh out loud fun. #FinlayDonovanIsKillingIt #NetGalley