An absolute engaging novel of mistaken identity. A great chick lit story that is thoroughly enjoyable.
Great story to read before a roaring fire or on a sandy beach.

This deliciously fun and funny thriller features a loveable but disorganized writer, mistaken identity, mob connections and threats, a conniving ex-husband, lots of duct tape, a sassy nanny and nosy neighbor, Panera Bread, and so, so many bad—but relatable—decisions. It is also one of the funniest books I’ve read in quite a while! I found myself neglecting my own writing as I frantically flipped pages to see what would happen next to Finlay. Hilarious, sweet, and entertaining, Finlay Donovan is Killing It is sure to be on many best-of and TBR lists in 2021!

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is genius- it’s a dark humor and relatable thriller. There's a sassy main character- she was legit banned from Panera for pouring soup over a former friend’s head- a bit of a waste of delicious soup but still respect. She’s messy and chaotic trying to survive life as a single mother and struggling financially. After a weird misunderstanding she’s offered 50 grand to “take care” of a woman’s “not nice” husband. In any normal situation, you wouldn’t even fathom this but what if you were desperate? What if you were backed into a corner and could barely afford to take care of your children?! And your cheating ex husband was trying to take them away? It can’t hurt to consider the offer... just research for her super overdue book...right? And she’ll only do it if the guy really deserves it...ala Dexter style. So this is how Finlay finds herself in a real life version of a plot to one of her crime novels. With the help of an unexpected partner in crime (literally) who was sassy x10, they navigate a complicated situation with such wit and camaraderie. This book had me questioning my morals and rooting for things I normally wouldn’t. I think I discovered recently that I am here for a female vigilante angle. Although a bit far fetched it was notably entertaining and kept us hooked. I'm so happy this is going to be a series because we want more Finlay Donovan adventures ASAP. Thank you Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for our honest review! (PUB DATE: 2/2/21).

4.25 stars / This review will be posted at BookwormishMe.com on 17 January 2021.


Finlay’s life is currently in chaos. Her ex-husband and his soon-to-be bride are trying to take the kids away. She has a book commitment that she has fallen horribly behind on. The bills are stacking up. And now she’s been informed by the ex that he fired her nanny. Could life get any worse?

While meeting her agent at a Panera Bread to discuss the book that she hasn’t even started, a woman at the next table overhears Finlay’s conversation and mistakenly thinks the discussion is about something other than it really is. The woman slips Finlay a note with a proposition that could make Finlay a lot of money. Big decision whether or not to get involved.

This book was so much fun. Finlay’s life is that of the typical single, working mom. Too much going on and not enough time or hands to deal with it. I laughed out loud at some of the scenes in this book. I absolutely loved the relationship that spawns between Finlay and her nanny Vero. I highly recommend reading this one when you want a good break from reality.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

I started this book with high hopes. The descriptions made it sound interesting.

Unfortunately, the book was totally disappointing and inane. I could not finish it.

SASSY, NO SPOILERS: FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT
Author turned accidental murder investigator? Sassy babysitters? Yes, please.


Finlay Donovan is Killing it by Elle Cosimano was gifted to me by the fine folks at NetGalley. I am a real sucker for any story that features a fumbling protagonist, especially one that finds herself in the middle of a mobster/hitman situation. Poor Finlay, she just wants to write Thriller-Romance novels and pay her bills. But when someone overhears her talking about her work at Panera, of all places, Finlay finds herself in a real bad situation. A bad situation that would pay her $50,000 if it went well. That money could also help her win custody of her children against her evil ex-husband, and his even-more-evil fiance.

If she made good choices, the book would be a terrific bore. But of course, dear reader, Finlay fumbles (nervously) right into the thick of it. Will she get out of it with her money—and her life?

The things I enjoyed about this book were the humorous moments, the sassy babysitter, and Finlay’s tendency to always do the wrong thing, but for an honorable reason (her children). It’s a fun story, a little sexy, and you will find yourself glued to the pages as you wonder, well how the hell is Finlay going to get out of that?

I believe this is the first in what will be a series, and I look forward to seeing how Finlay gets out of the next pickle.

Such a fun and light read, I would recommend it to anyone needing a little escape from 2020. Also those who:

Loved Desperate Housewives (I am guilty of this, no shade)
Enjoy sassy true crime podcasts
Wonder what would happen if someone accidentally hired a housewife as a hitman
Need to laugh
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Finlay is a broke, frazzled single mom who is also a writer. A woman mishears her talking about the plot of her next book and tries to hire Finlay to kill her husband for $50,000, money that Finlay desperately needs. It was a ridiculous story, but it was entertaining and I didn't really know where anything would end up. 3 stars.

This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Woohoo! Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Elle Cosimano for an ARC of one of the greatest afternoon reads I’ve enjoyed in a long time. I had already read a few good reviews of this book, so I was eager to get started, but I was not prepared to fall head over heels in love!

Finlay Donovan is HILARIOUS. It is a roadshow not to be missed; it is fun, sexy, and completely unexpected. By the end of Chapter 2, my eyes were glued to the text and I did not move from my chair before I devoured every last page. I even did something I rarely ever do. I read the acknowledgements (!) because <b>I just didn’t want this book to end.</b>

Finlay Donovan is a modestly(X3) successful writer of mystery novels - meaning she doesn’t make a living at writing even though she has an agent and publisher and several novels under her belt. Her douchebag of an ex-husband (DEX) has left her and is currently engaged to the real estate agent who sold them their house and with whom he was having an affair, as revealed to Finlay one afternoon by old Mrs. Haggerty (Queen of the Neighborhood Watch).

The bills are piling up, her flush DEX and STB wife, rub her nose in her failures and miss no opportunity to keep her on a tight leash, yanking at her self-esteem and threatening to sue for custody of their two small children because she cannot provide for them. Vero, the children’s nanny, has quit. With no childcare, no money and no possibility or strength to write, Finlay will soon be forced to pay back the long-gone advance she received for her (unwritten) book and probably lose custody of Delia and Zach.

A desperate, impecunious, Finlay is being berated by her agent as they meet in Panera. It is clear she will not meet her deadline. As they discuss the murder plot of her upcoming, unwritten, mystery and the fact that she has already received 50% upfront (meaning she must finish the job or lose both her agent and publisher), other desperate woman (ODW), sitting in a nearby booth, overhears and misinterprets their discussion. Finlay gets up to say goodbye to her agent and as she prepares to leave Panera, she finds that ODW has slipped a scribbled note under Finlay’s plate. The note reads: <i>$50,000 CASH HARRIS MICKLER 49 N LIVINGSTON ST ARLINGTON</i>, with a phone number. <b>Finlay has been mistaken for a hired hit(wo)man.</b>

Who cares if the target is connected to the Russian Mob? Desperate times call for desperate measures…. and now the stage is set for a comedy of errors that had me smiling and laughing from start to finish….

This book is begging for a sequel, a prequel, and anything else this author has in her, because I don’t think that any of Cosimano’s readers will be ready to bid a final farewell to Finlay, Vero, Mrs. Haggerty, Julian and/or Nick and/or any of the other mostly likable characters in this novel.

Finlay is a stressed divorced mom. Late on her book deadline and running late for an appt w/her agent at Panera she gets mistaken for a hit woman. Being cash strapped she investigates to see if she'd be able to pull off the crime. Vero, her nanny becomes her partner-in-crime as they become involved in a more intricate plot. The intended victim has mob-ties as well as an ongoing police investigation.

This is a quote from from the opening paragraph of the book:
"It's a widely know fact that most moms are ready to kill someone by eight thirty A.M. on any given morning....
If you've never had to wrestle a two-year-old slathered in maple syrup into a diaper while your four-year-old decides to give herself a haircut in time for preschool.."
That grabbed my attention as I chuckled out loud. What a great way to start a story.

There was a lot of humor and charming characters. You root for Finlay.
It was an enjoyable easy read. I also find her to be relatable.

It reminded me of the early Stephanie Plum books. But instead of an inept FTA agent, we have an inept contract killer. There's even a love triangle b/w a sexy cop & a sexy bartender/law student. Personally, i'm rooting for the cop b/c i think there's more to the bartender than seems to be. (possible plot in a sequel?)

The ending left off on a bit of a cliffhanger as i believe this is the first book in a new series. And i think a comedic take on a hit-woman for a mystery series is an exceptional spin on the norm.

Overall, a funny, good debut adult novel by a writer who's previously written YA books. I look forward to reading another book in the series.


Other great quotes:
"My relationship with Panera was complicated. I liked their soup. Panera didn't like that I'd poured it over another customer's head."

"...Vero and I rolled Harris Mickler into a giant corpse burrito."

" 'I lured him with promises of sex, ' I panted. Vero quirked an eyebrow, unconvinced. Clearly, amateur-killer-in-sweaty-yoga-pants was not my best look. I rolled my eyes and said through a huff, 'He was under the influence of drugs, okay?' "

This comedy thriller, about an inadvertent hit woman, didn’t hit quite the right tone for me but it was a decent read. Lots of other people seem to love it, so maybe it just caught me on a bad day.

When author Finlay Donovan is mistaken for a hit woman, she decides to go ahead with the contract because she needs the money to fight for the custody of her children. Everything goes wrong and she dances on the edge of being arrested but with luck and some helpful, if unlikely, plot twists she might just get to keep the money and her kids.

I didn’t believe in Finlay as a character nor what it was that made her attractive to the two men who fall for her. I couldn’t quite figure out Vero, her sidekick, other than as a foil and a useful person to look after the kids when Finlay is gallivanting around. (In fact for someone so desperate to hang on to her kids that she’ll commit murder, Finlay doesn’t seem to spend a lot of time with them.) The villains are caricatures as is her ex-husband’s fiancee.

The plotting isn’t really sharp enough to be a thriller and the tone, which feels like it should be madcap and screwball a la Carl Hiaasen, fell rather flat for me. All became clear when I read that the author usually writes YA mysteries - that is exactly the tone it hits but it works less well for an adult story. I really liked the idea of this novel (and the cover!) but it didn’t quite do it for me, though I might try some of Cosimano’s teen books.

Thanks to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

This was hilarious! I literally laughed out loud multiple times. I loved the main character and her sidekick, and the supporting characters were all well written.

Especially when the “real world” is so stressful, it’s nice to have a book that is pure escapist bliss., with a smart, nuanced plot.

I’m looking forward to future installments!

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. This mystery is well-plotted with great characters. Finlay is a struggling writer whose husband left her for another woman. To make matters worse, he fired the nanny and is threatening to take custody of the kids, using the fact that she’s behind on all her bills as his leverage. Without a nanny, Finlay will never have time to finish (start) the novel that she already accepted the very low advance for.

When she meets her agent at a Panera, a woman at a nearby table listens in on the conversation and misunderstands that Finlay only kills off fictional characters in her novels, not real life. What follows is a lot of page-turning fun. The good guys were likeable, the ex-husband and new girlfriend aren’t likeable but aren’t evil, but there are also real bad guys in this story.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book, which RELEASES FEBRUARY 2, 2021.

When we meet Finlay "Finn" Donovan, she is decidedly not killing it. Between her unfinished, overdue novel and money woes from her recent divorce, she's starting to get desperate. Desperate enough, in fact, that when a customer at Panera mistakes her for a hit man, Finn decides to go along with it. As she and friend/babysitter Vero get more entangled in a crime web, Finn finally finds success writing a book loosely based on their adventures. But will her fiction catch up with her real life?

This novel is fun to read, plain and simple. Finn is a great protagonist - funny, determined, spunky, and a caring mother. I also loved her relationship with Vero, who turns out to be one of the best friends a girl could have. The plot is twisty and surprising, and the ending makes one beg for a sequel! I really enjoyed spending time in Finn's world, and I'd definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a lighter, breezier crime novel. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this quirky, funny mystery. So excited that it’s the first in a series. Fun twists on the mystery formula with a bit of meta book within a book happening.

This was such a fun read and it definitely kept me engrossed! I found Finlay to be funny, resourceful, and endearing. At times she was eye rolling naive, but I went with it. She did make me laugh, often. Right now I think we could all use more laughing!!!

Finlay writes murder mysteries, and she had been quite successful at it. However since her divorce, and juggling two young children and her house she’s had writers block. Her publisher is after her constantly to finish her next book. What will it take to make the light go back on and help her write a bestseller? Well the answer to that shows up fairly quickly in the book, and you’ll have fun discovering what that is!

Finlay is really at her wit’s end when her ex husband fires her nanny, she can’t handle it all, not the kids, the house, the overdue bills and unfinished book. She is overheard talking with someone at Panera about murder mysteries and all the different ways that you can get rid of a body, etc. When she leaves she finds a very interesting note and a phone number to call on her table. All she sees is the $50,000 amount and decides to call the number. Someone has gotten a very different idea of who Finlay really is and what she does for a living!!!!!!!!!!

What Finlay and her nanny/accomplice get themselves into is crazy, uproarious fun. There are bodies, mobsters, hit men and the plot races along.

While I had to suspend belief for a lot of the actions, it didn’t matter! I’ll leave you to enjoy the plot without any spoilers.

It has been hinted that this will be a series and I will definitely watch for a follow up!

This was a great recommendation from my good friend Jayme!

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
This novel is set to publish on February 2, 2021

Loved, loved this book. Witty, entertaining, and best of all ....thrilling with a fantastic cover to match. So excited for everyone else to give this book a read.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

This is one of those books where I would never do the things that the main character does but still I had so much fun laughing at her, her bad judgement, and her predicaments. Before the story even starts Finlay Donovan has gotten arrested for putting Play Dough in the exhaust pipe of her ex husband's lover/fiancee's tailpipe and been thrown out of and banned from Panera, for throwing soup on a customer. So see, I don't think Finlay makes good decisions and it's immediately obvious that she's not about to turn over a new leaf. 

Finlay is a struggling suspense novelist whose life is going down the tubes in about every single way. She hasn't paid her bills in so long that she just lets all her mail pile up on the front porch. 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 meets her agent at the Panera where she has been banned, but all is well because she's wearing a scarf wig and huge sunglasses. As she discusses the plot of her next book with her agent, a customer overhears Finlay talking and thinks that Finlay is a hired killer. The customer has a job for Finlay and won't take no for an answer. Being the lousy decision maker that she is, Finlay proceeds to dig herself in a deeper hole as she tries to get herself out of this job. But the job pays so well and she already has the huge advance. One bad decision leads to another and Finlay is in way over her head, only to be rescued/enabled in doing more bad deeds, by her nanny, Vero. 

That's all I'll say. Finlay and Vero are not finished by the end of the book. There will be more from them and I'm looking forward to their antics. I do have to say, despite Vero's tendency to push Finlay to do things she shouldn't do, I wouldn't mind her coming into my life and organizing everything. 

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Finlay is a mess. Her husband left her for her friend, she’s behind on the book she’s been contracted to write, she’s behind on all of her bills, and her babysitter is not answering her calls. Although since her husband is trying to get full custody of their two kids, Finlay may not need a babysitter for very long, even if she could afford to pay her. And then a woman overhears Finlay talking to her agent and a HUGE misunderstanding ensues, although it might also be the answer Finlay needs to make all of her problems go away. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this one: A new author, more of a “chick-lit” mystery, not my usual reading…and I loved it! I loved Finlay and her sidekick, Vero, and I loved the crazy predicaments they found themselves in. If this becomes a series, I’ll become a buyer—for sure!

5 Stars

NOTE: Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

All of the freaking stars!!! This author is killing it with this novel. I haven't read something so refreshing, wildly entertaining, and extremely funny in a long time. This is the perfect dark comedy/mystery with an oh-so twisty plot, comedic elements, and a great cast of characters. I can totally picture this becoming a series, and my fingers are crossed that I won't have to wait too long if there's a book #2. I can't recommend this one enough! Give me more Donovan! Thank you so much to St Martins Press for the ARC.