3.4 stars, rounded down to 3.

This book is EVERYWHERE. I kept seeing in on lists of books to read this spring and I was so excited when I noticed it as an option for request on NetGalley.

Finlay Donovan is Killing It is the first book by Elle Cosimano that I have read. She has a fun, quirky writing style that reminds me of Janet Evanovich. In fact much of the story and the specific mix of haphazard anti-heroine protagonist pitted against veteran hardened criminals makes for a light but engaging read.

Finlay Donovan is a struggling writer, a newly single mom and everything is crashing down around her. Her ex is cutting her off financially and putting on pressure to take custody of her kids. He's fired her nanny so she does not have time to write. She is behind on her editor's deadline, and her bills. So the electricity gets shut off. If she can't get something written, she will have to repay her Editor's advance. Over lunch with her Editor at Panera, as Finaly attempts to explain herself, a woman at the next table overhears and misunderstands...thinking Finaly is a contract killer. She slips her a note with the name of a man and $50,000 written on it.

$50,000 could go a long way to solving her problems. But of course, she's not a contract killer. But maybe she should just see who this guy is?

A series of madcap, unlikely events keep Finlay embroiled in mess after mess. Add in a hot cop, her charming nanny and cartoonishly villainous bad-guys and you have a fun beach read.

This story was laugh out loud hilarious and completely ridiculous in the best ways possible. I read a lot of this at my desk at work during down time and it was a great way to pass the time and put a smile on my face. Finlay’s an awesome character and I loved her and Vero’s friendship. Vero is the definition of a ride or die friend, sticking by Finlay through it all, and sticking up for her when her ex is being a total douchebag. An unlikely pairing but they complimented each other so well!

The main plot point of the story wrapped up a little too nicely for my liking. I wanted a little more friction but the last page and ending gave me what I was looking for. It totally creates a perfect setup for book two and I can’t wait to see what Finlay will do next!

If you’re looking for an easy read with lots of laughs and mystery, definitely give this one a shot!

This really took suspension of belief to a new level. I think it would have made a better movie but as a book I couldn't buy into it at all. So cliche and absurd.

I am not usually a mystery kind of girl, but I loved this book. Best part about it-it's totally plausible! I have recommended it to multiple patrons and friends. I am looking forward to her next one! It's witty, well-plotted and the characters are really fun.

Finlay Donovan is a stressed out mom. Her ex-husband is flaunting his fiancé and talking about filing for custody of the children. She has been paid for a book that she just can't start and then she has a little duct tape incident with one of the children.


Calm down. It doesn't hurt the kid and it was funny.

Finlay goes to lunch with her editor and ends up somehow with a 'job' to kill a woman's rich husband.

Killing people is some hard work so she teams up with her babysitter for a women dream team.


This was a fun little book. It did tend to drag in places and I almost rated it lower because of that. Then that ending popped up and slammed me over the head.


And now I want more.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review

Funny, clever, and reminiscent of A SIMPLE FAVOR, Finlay Donovan is a great read for anyone who loves both thrillers and comedy.

PSA: Stop what you are reading and pick up this book now because it's unputdownable!

I LOVED this audiobook and could not stop listening. Finlay is an authentic and likable character and I kept cheering for her during every new challenge. Honestly all the characters were well developed. I have not been this entertained with a mystery in a long time. It was the perfect balance of suspense, romance, hilarity, and family relationships.

Do yourself a favor and stop delaying reading this book. I highly recommend the audiobook because the narration added another element of this story. I’m so grateful there will be a sequel!

Thank you NetGalley, Minotaur Books, and Mcmillian Audio for my gifted copies in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a fun title. I wound up listening to the audio and really enjoyed it. I laughed, it lept my attention, felt original and fresh.

Mystery, murder, cheesy romance, comedy, the mob, fights with the ex, money issues - Finlay faces it all and more in this story. A little slow in some parts, but trying to figure out the mystery in this murder for hire will keep you reading. 3.5 stars.

This was so much more than I realized it would be! Finlay gets herself into quite a predicament but this was a great story that kept you turning the pages to see what would happen next! I am excited that there will be a second one!

I was fortunate enough to get this as an advanced copy and I'm so glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Just to imagine how an overheard conversation that was misunderstood could turn so uproariously funny. Part of this book were laugh out loud funny and others so immensely relatable, perhaps that's why I enjoyed it so much. I do hope there will be sequel.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was hilarious and tense and fun and imaginative. The entire book had me on the edge of my seat! I was rooting for Finlay and her unfortunate series of circumstances. I did predict a lot of what was going to happen in the book, so some of the twists weren't all that surprising, but the way the story was told was so well done! Every detail laid the groundwork for something later in the story. The plot was complicated in the best possible way. Every aspect was interesting and believable while still being unbelievable at the same time. I enjoyed the sexual tension between some of the characters. I just loved every aspect of this book and cannot believe this is the author's first book for adults! I hope she writes more in this universe because I absolutely adored it and want more of Finlay Donovan in my life!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for my copy of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano in exchange for an honest review. It published February 2, 2021.
Wow, this book, please tell me there will be a sequel? I can't get enough of Finlay and her family! The premise of this books is unique and the way it's described, I can imagine it like it's a movie.
I found myself feeling lots of feels from this book, I spent most of my time worried, (like Finlay), with my eyes covered, looking through my fingers. I had to know, but I was stressed about it! I did not see the ending coming the way it did, and like I said, I really hope there's a sequel!

This is my favorite book of 2021. I have already purchase 2 paper copies for friends. It is just that good!

I loved the plot, storyline, and characters. I especially loved that Finlay is a writer writing a novel about her actual shenanigans! Her story is kind of crazy and maybe realistic!!? (I didn’t care) It was great for Finlay to be able to Google random searches and have a reason for Googling it! I thought it was super creative that her sister is a cop and her bartender friend was a lawyer. All great characters.

This book was SO great!

Finlay Donovan was SO amazing I can’t even get over it still - read this one with my virtual ARC book club loveARCtually in partnership with Minotaur Books and our club members are STILL talking about it!

Such a fantastic, unique book about a misheard conversation changing lives, the premise was just AMAZING.

I can’t believe how many of the small details killed it for me - Finlay being banned from Panera but having this whole situation starting from her meeting her agent there. The ex-husband, VERO (everyone NEEDS a Vero) the man she’s been hired to kill - ALL of it, just SO good! If this one isn’t already on your radar, it needs to be! This quick read will be a pleasant surprise, promise!

& that cliffhanger?! MAN, I am glad before I picked up this book to read I knew Elle had already planned for it to be a series because I needed book 2 in my hands as soon as I was done!

Fingers crossed for the future television show becoming a reality because I would be ALL about watching it! Huge thank you to Elle for having me on her ARC team, for joining my book club for an end-of-book Zoom chat & for writing such a great book!

Oh my goodness, talk about the best surprise read I’ve had in ages. “Finlay Donovan is Killing it” by Elle Cosimano follows Finlay and her friend/babysitter Vero as they unsuspecting get roped into becoming hit men for hire. It’s funny, quirky, and a little romantic and I am HERE for it.
For starters, what a fantastic plot. Finlay is a novelist who usually writes romantic crime books, but when a desperate woman hears Finlay speaking with her agent about getting rid of bad guys and wrapping everything up neatly, the woman slips her a note with a name, an amount, and a phone number. Conveniently Finlay is desperate for cash flow since her divorce and her lack of writing have left her scrounging. Watching Finlay stumble her way through crime is both funny and interesting to say the least.
Honestly, I loved Finlay as a character. She’s so relatable and awkward and real. I loved her and oddly enough rooted for her over and over again. Even when Finlay makes a poor choice, you want to root for her because how is this her life??
Overall, I easily gave this book 5 stars. I couldn’t put it down and can’t say enough good things about it. An extra big thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53138099-finlay-donovan-is-killing-it" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Finlay Donovan Is Killing It" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1604995905l/53138099._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53138099-finlay-donovan-is-killing-it">Finlay Donovan Is Killing It</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5444060.Elle_Cosimano">Elle Cosimano</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3781716820">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
B O O K R E V I E W <br /><br />Finlay Donavan is Killing it by Elle Cosimano<br /><br />4 stars!<br /><br />What would you do if you got propositioned to murder someone's husband? Well, if you're a murder mystery author, it may not be a bad gig!<br /><br />I love this fun thriller and if you like the show The Good Girls and Dead to Me this will be right up your alley! <br /><br />I didn't love where the ending went but I still really enjoyed this and cannot wait for the second in the series to see what shenanigans Finally gets up to next.<br /><br /><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31188252-rachel-hope-happygolovelysleeves">View all my reviews</a>

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy of this book. I could NOT put this book down, truly. I read it in a handful of hours over the course of two days. Cosimano weaves a hilarious and relatable tale of one Finlay Donovan, who’s... well... not quite killing it when we meet her. When she gets confused for a professional hitwoman and dragged into the seedy underbelly of her otherwise picaresque suburban existence, things start to get fun. With an endearing cast of characters, twists at every turn, and enough oomph to keep you up all night to finish reading - this book is a DELIGHT.

Finlay Donovan is divorced, trying to keep custody of her two kids and is late on her deadline for her publisher. While meeting with her agent she is overheard by the woman next to her who mistakingly thinks that Finlay is a killer for hire instead of a romantic suspense author. What follows is a series of events that leads Finlay and her nanny Vera on a crazy adventure. Overall this was a quick read and was pretty entertaining but I had some trouble with parts of it. I am not a fan of when more than person instantly falls for the main character on just a first impression, this book has a couple of these and it just turns me off. While I had some problems with it I did like the writing style and will be picking up the next book if this becomes a series because the ending really left us wanting more. Thank you St, Martin's Press, Minotaur and netgalley for my gifted copy.

Thank you Minotaur and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fascinating read. Finlay is having a rough time. Her ex-husband is fighting her for custody and she’s behind on her book deadline. Things go even further awry when she meets her agent at Panera to discuss her newest book and a woman mistakes her for a hit woman. Finlay goes down the spiral of just looking into the hit and things just keep getting worse.

Finlay starts out relatable and just goes deeper and deeper. Her decisions frustrated me, but I just couldn’t stop. I kept waiting for her to get in trouble for her involvement. Oh and that ending!

I will update with the link when I share to my bookstagram account.