"Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead" by Elle Cosimano is the second book in the Finlay Donovan series, but unfortunately, it fails to live up to the charm and humor of the first book. The plot feels unbelievable and the humor falls flat, making for a disappointing read.

The characters, who were a highlight of the first book, feel flat and underdeveloped in this installment. Finlay, in particular, comes across as more irritating than endearing, with her quirkiness and impulsiveness feeling forced rather than organic to her character.

The humor, which was a major selling point of the first book, also falls flat in "Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead". The jokes and one-liners feel forced and predictable, lacking the wit and charm that made the first book so enjoyable.

Overall, "Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead" is a disappointing sequel that fails to capture the charm and humor of the first book. The plot is unbelievable and the humor falls flat, making for a lackluster read. Fans of the first book may be disappointed by this installment, and new readers are better off stopping after the first book in the series.

This is the second book in the Finlay Donovan series and has a lot of familiar characters. In the first book, Finlay had such a huge character arc that brought so much to the story, especially the comedy. In the second book her character seems a bit flat and although she does some wild things, it has lost a bit of the thrill of the first one. Having said that, the story is still well written and fun with lots of twists and turns.

4 Stars!

I enjoyed this one even more than the first book. This would make such a great Netflix show or movie.

I absolutely loved diving back into Finlay and her nanny/sidekick Vero’s world full of chaos, laughter, and mystery. This tag team brought it all back in Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead with their witty banter, crazy ideas, and outlandish escapades.

This second book in the series was just as fast paced and crazy as the first, and I had the best time reading it with my gal pals, Kaley and Jenny. It was so fun to discuss, laugh together, berate characters, and toss out our theories as we read together. I also enjoyed getting to know Vero’s character and a bit more of her backstory in this book too!

As for the ending…hold on to your hats, folks! I can’t wait to see what the power team of Finlay and Vero get up to in the next book, and hopefully many more after that!

I am hooked on these books! The combination of romance, humor, mystery, and a little bit of thriller is entertaining and addicting. I loved the first one and this one was even better. I am actually a fan of love triangles when they're done well and I am definitely invested in this one. Vero is absolutely hilarious and I liked that we got more of her backstory. All the characters have perfect banter and the quick moving plot kept me invested the whole time. The ending was great and I'm excited to read the next one!

These books are so fun. Finlay and Vero are a hoot. It seemed like this go around, Finlay had her shit together a bit better, but still kept things wild and interesting. I’ll be honest, I have a hard time following the actual plot. Like I can’t keep the bad guys and the mob intricacies straight, but does that make the book any less enjoyable, not really. Such a fast and fun read. ⁣
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Will absolutely be reading the third one, Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun.

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead comes out on February 1st and if you read the first one, you’ll know how good this one is. Not sure I would recommend them out of order, this one follows up directly where the first one ended and has a lot of continuous story and character elements. It’s a fun and fast read though so you can catch up!

Finlay continues to be a great mom, author as well as become randomly involved in many a crime which makes for a fun escapist read.

Such a great series! One of my faves to read! Definitely would recommend picking this one up if you see it in the store!

Loved this book and this series. SOrry for the late response. Trying to clean up my netgalley. I have previously shared my loved on my instagram page and didn't realize that I was forgetting to leave reviews on netgalley itself, My apologies.

Oh my gosh, the hilarity and drama continue! After reading the first two books, and absolutely love them, If you're worried that Finlay will run out of situations to get herself into, that's a hard nope. This book is just as entertaining and enjoyable as the previous ones and makes me excited to read the next! (I truly hope there's a next because it's just getting good with her detective too.)

Thank you for this netgalley review copy. This was a joy to read! I adored the first book and literally recommend the series constantly now. This was just as fun and fast paced as the first book and I'm still so happy I've read them and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book! I literally recommend these all the time and even bought them to give as gifts.

Absolutely love this series and so do all the patrons at my library! Can't wait to see where the author takes the plot in future books but either way, I will definitely be purchasing all future titles in this series for our collection.

i couldn’t WAIT to read this & for good reason!! this little universe that elle has created for finlay is superior. i love the take on bored, divorced mom & a desire to start a new life. these are so compulsively readable & it’s why these will be a favorite of anyone who reads them

Before anyone starts getting all torqued off by this meh rating please remember that according to Goodreads a two means “it was okay” and that’s what my feelings about this one were. I’m not usually a series reader, but I enjoyed the first Finlay book enough to snag a copy of this second. Now that I’ve finished I realize maybe there’s only room for Stephanie Plum in my life when it comes to over the top crimestopper antics starring a couple of ladies.

Things immediately started off not so great when the premise was Finlay coming across someone trying to take a hit out on her ex-husband. To begin with, it was on basically a Next Door App sort of site rather than the dark web and it all came off like pizzagate read between the lines hidden messages. That plot line was already weak and Finlay jumping in with a crapload of stooooopid/criminal decisions in an attempt to save his sorry ass didn’t make things any better.

Unfortunately that wasn’t the only thing that harshed my buzz. I’ve made it clear that I don’t like kids interrupting the flow of my fiction, but again with the dumb bunny decision making when you have tiny humans to care for? Extra irritating. Then there’s the loose love triangle featuring a college fuckboi. I’m all for Stella getting her groove back but come on he was just a rebound boink - let it go. And then there’s Vero. I thought she’d be a real ride or die, but I didn’t enjoy her subplot whatsoever. Someone messing with your money (again especially when there are children to feed and bills to pay)??? I don’t care what the reason, get the eff out of my house.

I think it’s time for me to cut ties with Finlay. I hope everyone else enjoys book three!

What a fun read! Enjoyed this one just as much as I enjoyed the first and I can’t wait for number 3!!

These are the perfect mystery but so much fun! If she ends up with that college lawyer I’m going to be so annoyed (but love all the love triangles/interests everywhere).

Also love her relationship with her mom, sister, and her co-accomplice and the trouble they get into! Russian mafia? Breaking into jail? Hiding bodies? what will happen next!

I absolutely loved this book! I was a major fan of the first installment in the Finlay series and the second one did not disappointment. You can tell this book is a bridge connecting the first book to the third book. There wasn't anything incredibly new that happens in the storyline, but sets it up great for the next read. I love all the characters and their relationships with eachother.

4.5-5 stars. Pure fun and brain candy. Somewhat improbable but the laughable situations that Finlay finds herself in make this character and book such fun.

In this second installment of the Finlay Donovan series, hilarity and hijinks continue to ensue. With the help of her trusty sidekick, Vero, Finlay sets out to find the person or persons who are out to kill her ex husband,Steven. Along with solving the latest mystery to fall into her lap, Finally continues to juggle being a mom, a writer, and having a newly burgeoning love life.

The second book in the series, Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead serves up a familiar blend of humor and hysterics that have quickly become an on brand blend for the Finlay Donovan franchise. Reminiscent of Stephanie Plum, I listened to Finlay while watching the last season of Dead to Me on Netflix. The similarities were not lost on me. In fact, if you are a fan of either of the aforementioned and haven’t yet, I suggest trying Finlay Donovan on for size. Sure, it gets a little far fetched and ridiculous in parts, but books like these also deliver marketable mischief that does not disappoint.

The 2nd installment of the Finlay Donovan series was just as exciting as the first. With Finlay finally "getting" her life in order created more twists and turns in her crime solving saga. I enjoyed this one as much as the first and it was a fun quick read that seemed to fly by.

I love Finlay! What a fun, witty, and completely enjoyable book. This series just keeps getting better!

Elle Cosimano has done it again. This was another laugh out loud adventure for Finlay Donovan. I'm not sure how one person, and her sidekick, can get into so many troubles and still make it out on top. This has fast become one of my favorite and most recommended series! I can't wait for more!