This is such a fun comedic thriller! Soon to be a tv series, ‘Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘em Dead,’ is a perfect follow up to Elle Cosimano’s first book in the series. A fast moving mystery combing mayhem, moms and murder. If you enjoyed the Netflix show, ‘Dead to Me,’ or the BBC's ‘Killing Eve,’ you’ll definitely enjoy the escapades of Finlay Donovan, a recently divorced mother of two…and accidental hit man. A light and entertaining read.

Continuing from where book one left off, Finlay continues her mischief! Absolutely thrilling and hilarious. Definitely recommend reading book 1 first. I can’t wait for book three now.

Rating: 4.5!

If you haven’t read Finlay Donovan yet, what are you doing??? I absolutely loved the first book, and I was worried about that dreaded second book syndrome …. but luckily I ended up loving this one just as much as the first!

Finlay and Vero are at it again! This installment starts off right where we left off in the last book— We get a good summary of previous events, no so need for a reread of book one! In this book, Finlay makes a pretty big mess trying to clean up her previous mess, and I enjoyed every second of it!

I didn’t think it was possible to top the first book, but I might have enjoyed this installment even more! The ending sets up for a third Finlay book and I can’t wait to read more of their shenanigans👏🏼

Thank you so much to Minotaur books and Elle Cosimano for an advanced copy of this book one in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: February 1, 2022

This book picks up pretty much where the first leaves off, and Finlay's shenanigans are even crazier in this story. I love Finlay and Vero in this book. While I feel like the first book focuses a lot on Finlay and her romantic relationships, the second book definitely focuses more on Finlay's relationship with Vero...and I'm here for it! This kick-ass duo is constantly doing the wrong thing for the right reasons, and it is worth every page. I like that their friendship was explored more in depth, and that I learned more about Vero this go around. Vero is an interesting character, and I think Cosimano did a wonderful job unveiling Vero's character in layers during this book.

I also, as much as I hate to admit it, found myself sympathizing with Stephen more in this book. His struggles with understanding Finlay's motivations were endearing at times, and I really felt for him. His feelings for Finlay also became more clear in this story, and I'm curious if the love triangle moving forward will be between Nick and Stephen. I'm also questioning Nick's motives after this book...but MAYBE that's what Elle Cosimano wants me to do, so I'm all confused.

By the end of this book, Finlay is neck deep in it again. I was really convinced I knew who the culprit was, but I was foiled in my predictions! I thought the ending was exciting and fast paced, and the twist at the end left me wondering...where will book three take me??

Overall, I loved this book, even more than the first one, and I can't wait for the third. Please let there be a third!

Elle Cosimano does it again! I loved the first one and impatiently awaited the follow up.
Finlay seems to find herself in trouble, even when trying to avoid it. I mean how could you not when the Russian mob is involved? I loved the dynamic of Findlay and Vero, again.

This series is so binge worthy! I couldn't put it down. But I was left with so many questions. I am going to need the next book asap so I can get these questions answered:
-who was at her mom's house
-who is easy clean
-what was on Julian's Instagram?
-is there a bad cop
-Vera... still some mystery with her

I did not feel this story was resolved so I hope my questions are answered in book 3! Loved this one - the love triangle works for me, the female friendships and her relationships with her family. Is it over the top - of course! That's what keeps me reading and makes this one stand out.

Elle Cosimano does it again. I absolutely loved Finlay Donovan Is Killing It and the next book in the series is no exception. Being swept back into Finlay and Vero's world, I found myself smiling and laughing just as much as I did with the first book. While this one started a tad slower than the first, once I hit the 30% mark, I could not stop reading. The final 30% of the book had me on the edge of my seat and I had to know what would happen next. While I was hoping for some resolution to the story, in true Finlay fashion, it ended on a cliffhanger. I'm now super excited that there will be a third book and have already ordered my copy of this title.

Another super fun book about Finlay and Vero! I can’t get enough of this duo! It took me a little longer to get into this one but once it picked up it was impossible to put down! I can’t wait to see what happens next with these two. Thank you netgalley for my free review copy.

Once again, Finlay is struggling to finish writing her next book and manage the day-to-day of being a single mom of two. On top of all that, someone wants her ex-husband dead. As she tries to track down his hit-woman, she and Vero, her nanny, become a little more intimately involved with the Russian mob than they’d like.

This was a really fun read! Finlay gets herself into some hilarious precarious situations. Despite all the hit-women and Russian mob run-ins, Finlay always puts those who are most important in her life first. She doesn’t bat an eye as she risks it all to keep her loved ones safe.

I definitely got the vibe that a third Finlay installment will be coming our way! So exciting!!

Charming, adorable, smart, and funny author turned magnet-for-trouble, Finlay Donovan, and Vero, her kids’ sassy nanny/partner-in-crime are back, and it was just what I needed! I love these two.

This time around, someone on a questionable women’s chat forum appears to have put a hit out on Finlay’s ex-husband, Steven. Her efforts to protect him from this mystery person lead her and Vero into increasingly sticky and macabre situations, à la the first book. In fact, things pick up right where the last one left off, so some familiar faces return mixed with a few new ones.

Are the events and explanations completely preposterous? Yes!! That’s kinda what makes these stories such a delight for me. No one would get away with what Finlay and Vero do time and time again, but half the fun is the creative ways in which Cosimano can get these two out of the messes they make, and they are some doozies!

On the romantic front, Finlay’s love triangle with Nick, the cop, and Julian, the law student, continues, and I already know which one I wish she’d choose. Did she pick him? That would be telling ….

Some have said this doesn’t quite capture the magic of the first book. I get that. Elle Cosimano writes in her acknowledgments how difficult it was to write a comedic story during pandemic lockdowns, a stressful election and other difficult world events, but I thought she did an admirable job, and I can’t wait for her to write the next book in the series!

★★★★

This publishes in two days, on February 1st. Thanks to St. Martins Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley and author Elle Cosimano for this ARC. My opinions are given honestly and freely.

Finlay and Vero are the dynamic duo I didn’t know I was missing in my life! Picking up on the cliffhanger that the first book left, Finlay and Vero find themselves wrapped up in more hilarious shenanigans!

SPOILER FOR BOOK ONE!
The duo find themselves on the hunt for who put out a hit on finlays ex husband, steven. High action from the beginning to finding a storage cooler, to a shoot out who knew a housewife’s life was so intense!

I loved in this book we got more of vero and her life. I also loved getting more from officer Nick. I hope this series continues bc I’m completely obsessed with Finlay!

The only disappointment for me is where is finlay’s wig scarf?!? 😱😱

Read this if…you loved Finlay Donovan Is Killing It.

Finlay and Vero are back at it! This sequel picks up shortly after the first book ended. Finlay’s life is still pretty much a hot mess. She finds herself struggling to come up with the plot of her next novel all while keeping two little humans alive and juggling complicated relationships with two very different men. And that’s just a normal day! The drama intensifies when Finlay’s ex-husband becomes the target of an anonymous hit man (or woman?). For the sake of her children, Finlay and Vero decide to do some investigating on their own and end up on a deadly adventure that includes arson, fast cars, frozen body parts, and the Russian mob.

I loved the first book in this series so much that I was worried the sequel wouldn’t be able to live up to my expectations, but I was wrong! From the very beginning, I was instantly reunited with the same charm and humor that made me fall in love with Finlay and Vero in the first place! The plot was solid and suspenseful, although I will admit that there were times when I got a bit confused because all of the subplots were difficult to keep track of. It all came together in the end though and the book left me excited for the next one. I like Finlay, but Vero is my favorite and I hope we get to learn more about her character in the next installment!

This was one of my most anticipated reads in 2022 because I LOVED the first book. I devoured that one and laughed out loud. So when I got approved for this e-ARC I was PUMPED.

Unfortunately, this one fell a little flat for me. A big indication is that I tried to pick it up several times and it wasn’t grabbing me. I didn’t want to write it off though because I am a HUGE mood reader, and a fan of the series.

I will say that the story is not BAD, but it just felt like the shark was jumped, if you know what I mean. I missed the funny moments that drew me in in the first book.

And then I got RE-SUSPICIOUS of everyone again in the second book and it made it hard for me to root for any of the characters!

I will say that the second part of the book really was a fast read and did draw me in because I had to know what would happen, but I still ended the book feeling a little confused…so I’m assuming there will be a third book.

I’m also not a super big fan of love triangles, but I will have to say, I’m Team Nick. Thank you. Hahah

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for this gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book publishes on 02/01/22!

3.5 rounded up to 4

It is not an easy feat to follow up on such a hit like Finlay #1! It took me a few tries to get into this one. I enjoyed it when I was reading it but found it hard to be motivated to pick it up. It wasn't as funny as the first, but loved Finlay's resourcefulness and the antics her and Vero got into. I may not beg for an arc of the third, but I'll definitely read it.

Finlay Donovan is one of those characters that sticks with you. A unassuming mom of two who doesn't really have it together, and yet she does. In this second novel, about a month after the previous book ended, Finlay and her babysitter/accountant, Vero, are trying to figure out who wants Finlay's ex-husband dead. All of this happening while Finlay's agent, Sylvia, is trying to collect the next manuscript. This had a little bit of romance, some laughs, and a whole lot of surprises by the end. It did seem more of a continuation of the first book than a sequel, but I enjoyed it overall. Consider me ready for book 3!

4 out of 5 stars.

After reading the first book by this author at the end of last year, and the cliffhanger it ended on, I couldn't wait to see where the story would lead.

It's safe to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this one too! I loved that the plot picked right up and moved fast! Finn and Vero are one of my favourite twosomes! They end up in the most ridiculous of situations and use hilarious antics and wits to figure it out. On more than one occasion, I was smirking away at the way things were unfolding. And Vero's one liners are so great!!

If you haven't read the first one, do it! The hot cop and attractive lawyer make appearances along with the mobsters. This book was so fun!! And I'm already ready for the next one!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy! I'll be waiting on pins and needles to hear about book 3.

Finlay Donovan is at it again: this time, trying to stop whoever's plotting to murder her ex-husband.

Finlay is back and—dare I say it?—better than ever! That same sharp, sarcastic realness I loved the first time was back in full force. And this time she embraced it! I loved that she's leaned into the absurdity of everything going on in her life. The action picking up shortly after the end of the last book worked perfectly.

There were several things, again, that I found a bit outlandish, but this time they tended more towards the behavior of characters we know, like Vero and Steven, than the actual events of the story. Still, I enjoyed every minute and couldn't put it down!

Definitely one of my favorite series and I'm eagerly awaiting news of more to the story!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead was a truly forgettable read. It was fine listening to it as an audiobook because I enjoyed the narrator, but if I had tried to read it physically I would have definitely DNF'd it as quick as possible. The characters were all interesting, so I think that was probably one of the most redeeming parts. However, so much was going on and there were so many side plots sometimes it felt hard to follow. I’m highly disappointed as I was certain I would love this book to pieces. I’m glad so many others have been able to connect with this book and cherish it. Just not the book for me.

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead is a terrific sequel that furthers the hilarious misunderstandings and bad luck Finlay Donovan often finds herself in. With the help of her friend/accomplice/babysitter, Vero, the misadventures continue when Finlay's ex-husband's life is endangered. Rather than doing the seemingly easiest thing, going to the police, Finlay once again goes becomes her own detective following clues, bodies, and suspects to save her husband and cover up her own past involvement.

What I enjoyed most were the humorous mishaps and dark comedy that appear in this book. It is a purely enjoyable read that is hard to take seriously, yet it grabbed my curiosity and need to know who was behind the deadly incidents surrounding the family. The plot was meticulous and intricate, and was so happy to see more flirtations occurring between Finlay and Nick. Why this was not a five star for me is that the overall feeling is very similar to the first book, and Finlay still made some decisions that (helped the plot) seemed like foolish choices.

Thank you Minotaur books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book!! Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is so fun and is the perfect sequel to Finlay Donovan is Killing It! This story picks up flawlessly from the first book, and Elle Cosimano once again transports us to Finlay’s world of diaper changes, novel writing, and trying to stop murders for hire. This book is such a joy to read and I loved the mystery!

Once again, this book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, leaving me so excited for a third installment, but wrapping up the key points in this book as to leave the reader satisfied and wanting more all at the same time. So well done! I love how strong Finlay is and all the strong, amazing women in this book. Elle Cosimano has done it again and I am here for it!