After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

Finlay is back and as brilliant as ever! I absolutely adored this book from start to finish. The authors note at the end was so special for me to read as well (when Elle thanks Bookstagram especially). So good! Five stars!

Well, what can I say? Elle Cosimano does it again! This was such a refreshing and fun read and I was completely engaged reading this book! This totally got me out of my reading slump this month.

The dynamic duo, Finlay and Vero, go on quite the journey trying to figure out who hired the hit on Finn's ex-husband! There was a whirlwind of adventures and action, twists and hilarious situations mixed in with smart banter between Finlay and Vero that will have you LOL-ing as you turn the page. The way that Cosimano writes is addictive and has such flare with the witty dialogue between the characters, that I was turning the page and kept wanting to read more to find out what happens next with all the little twists!

If you're looking for a fun mystery thriller, look no further! Follow Finlay and her adventures. Highly recommend the series! If you haven't yet, read the first book, Finlay Donovan is Killing It before this one is out on February 1, 2022.

Thank @netgalley and @minotaur_books for my e-ARC for an honest review!

Another fun instalment of Finlay. I loved getting to know a little bit more about Vero, and the reveal at the end had me laughing out loud. I wish it was like Netflix and I could have the next book right away. I find these books well written funny charming fun and still keep me guessing a great fresh take on cozy mysteries.

The second book in Elle Cosimo’s Finley Donovan series is just as impressive as the first! This is in my opinion the perfect book club pick! There is so much to talk about in this book, from incredibly relatable single mom Finley’s hectic and hilarious life, the iconic love triangle trope with a hot younger guy and a reliable and stable man, along with mob intrigue. This book is hilarious, well-thought out, and highly enjoyable. I have been recommending these to all of my friends and I hope you enjoy it too! Thanks so much to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Finlay & Vero are back to find out who exactly has placed a hit on Steven, and put a stop to it, even if he really might be the kind of guy who’s earned it.
I love the relationship between Finlay and her family, which includes Vero.
Add in the classic love triangle between Finlay, Julian and Detective Nick and you’re in for an enjoyable read.
I can see even more coming for these characters and I am excited!

A great addition to the series-Finlay is once again solving a crime but she isn't really sure how she got here. The cast of characters we met in the first book are all here and things are really starting to make sense, until another wrench gets thrown in.

Thank you so much to Minotaur Books and Elle Cosimano for allowing me to read this one early. You can find this book on shelves February 1!

Finlay Donovan is back at it again. After devouring Finlay Donovan is Killing It earlier this year I was super excited to receive an early copy of the second in this series. This one is super fun, truly an easy escape and kept me thoroughly entertained the whole time. Was is as good as book number one? Not quite, but I still highly recommend it. I can’t wait for book three, I really hope there is a book three!

Finlay Donovan is, yet again, still struggling with writers block. She’s juggling her editor, her two children and also dealing with her ex husband. The one shining star is Vero, her live in nanny and best friend. Someone out there wants her ex husband dead and it’s actually not her this time. Vero is keeping secrets, Detective Nick is determined to be in her life and Julian is still in the picture too. How will Finlay keep it all together? Can she solve this mystery and keep the cops and the mob both out of her hair?

Finlay and Vero are in for a whole new adventure after learning someone put out a hit on Finlay's ex husband, Steven.

This book cracked me up! I was worried it wouldn't live up to the first one, but Elle Cosimano did not disappoint. I did not see the ending coming but I absolutely loved it and was excited to see it left room for another book in the series...!?

Finlay and Vero are at it again, and I hope they never stop. This dynamic duo delivers the perfect combination of friendship, suspense, action and humor. They prove once again that they are the type of friends that would help you hide a dead body. This fast paced thriller had me on the edge of my seat, keeping me laughing along the way. I am already looking forward to the next installment of their madcap adventures. These are without a doubt two of my all time favorite characters. I definitely recommend joining them on their latest reckless undertaking full of danger, surprises and mostly fun. Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for my advanced copy.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I quickly fell in love with Finlay Donovan and her nanny Vero. These two women are the perfect imperfect duo. This sequel was just as entertaining as the first story and I thoroughly enjoyed each page.

Part contemporary fiction, part mystery with just enough romantic tension added in, made me devour this book. The characters are so well thought out and they all bring something special to the story.

Holy cannoli. I didn’t remotely think it was possible to outdo Finlay Donovan is Killing It, but apparently it was, because it did. Finlay 2 makes Finlay 1 read like a trailer to an even better movie. It was that good. Once I started reading I simply couldn’t stop. I read it all in about 12 hours- and I have zero regrets. Hands down five stars.

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead is the follow up to 2021's big-hearted Finlay Donovan is Killing It. The second installment follows Finlay and Vero as they try to uncover both who has put a hit on Finlay's ex-husband (an unsurprisingly long list), and who may have accepted the offer.

Book 2 has just as many hijinks and escapades as book 1, making it just as delightful. The tone of this book is pretty similar to the first. Elle Cosimano has found something that works and I believe fans of book 1 will be just as into book 2. I think I may have liked it even a bit more, as I had a better expectation going in. With book 1, it took me a while to suspend reality and just enjoy where the story took me. With book 2, I was able to do that right off the bat.

For this book, I loved that we got to delve further into many of the characters from book 1. I also really love Finlay and Vero's friendship. It's probably one of the high points of the series for me. I would love to get even a bit more of that in book 3. My biggest complaint, and let me preface it by saying that I am fully on #teamnick, is I would love to see Finlay more invested and trusting of him. I'm not big on love triangles, and while the love triangle in Finlay is not too in-your-face, I would still like it better if it were resolved sooner than later (and resolved in the manner I prefer, lol).

Lastly, the mystery genre can be oversaturated with dark, tension-filled reads. The Finlay Donovan series is a nice departure from that and provides something fun and different. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to readers, especially to those who were fans of the first novel.

4.5🌟 SHE’S BACK! 👏🏼👏🏼 I really missed the wild adventures of Finlay and Vero! Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy!

Yet again, Finlay and Vero find themselves in a the middle of chaos. Finlay is desperately trying to finish her next novel and keep her head above water when she finds out that someone wants to kill her ex-husband Steven. Steven may be the worst… but he’s still the father of Finlay’s children and she needs to save him. With the help of Vero, we follow Finlay as she tries to save Steven, dodge the Russian mob, figure out her love life, write her next novel, and oh yeah, manage being a mother.

As a fan of the first book, the second book was a strong follow up. I thought there was great character development and the storyline kept me on the edge of my seat while hysterically laughing. Although there are some explanations of what happened in book one, I do recommend reading the first book of the series before jumping into book two.

Some of the craziness is totally unrealistic but that’s what I love the most! Seeing Finlay and Vero figure out what the heck to do to get out of the insane situations they find themselves in is so exciting.

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is available February 1, 2022 - if you haven’t read the first book you have time!

If you’ve followed the adventures of Finlay who is your favorite character?

Four and a half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano is the second book in her very popular Finlay Donovan series but can be read as a stand-alone. I was anxiously awaiting this installment as I enjoyed her first book in this series very much, and this second book did not disappoint!

Finlay Donovan is a struggling novelist and single mother of two small children. When she finds out someone is trying to kill her ex-husband, Steve, she immediately works to find out who is trying to kill him. Although he is a thorn in her side almost all the time, she doesn’t want the father of her children dead. Working with her live-in friend/nanny/housekeeper, Vero they race the clock to find out who wants Steve dead.

This cozy mystery is hilarious. I loved this book as much as the first book in the series and was delighted to be back with Finlay, Vero, and all the other characters. I enjoyed the mystery as it kept me guessing until the very end. The book is fast-paced as Finlay and Vero work together to figure out who is trying to kill Steven.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fun cozy mystery. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

How could you not love Finlay Donovan? She's kind of a mess, and yet, she's out there solving crimes and writing about crimes and sometimes kind of committing crimes. This book is as funny as the first, with another fun mystery to boot. Grateful to Netgalley for the ARC so I could read the first and second back to back for even more fun.

As sequels go, this one is pretty good. It felt much the same as the first, an interesting story with hijinks. However, like the first, I felt this one wrapped up a little too simply. I want characters to face consequences and I think the plot could benefit from reasonable endings, not fantastic ones. If you enjoyed the first, you'll enjoy the second much the same.

Finlay Donovan is addictive. Fast-paced, and witty, I honestly can’t get enough. Waiting for access to book 3 is going to be painful.

Finlay Finlay Finlay. No matter how much you try, you always end up right at the scene of the crime with a few dead bodies to add some drama. After the HUGE cliffhanger at the end of Finlay Donovan is Killing It, I was beyond excited for the sequel. I am so grateful to Netgalley, Elle Cosimano, and Minotaur Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is unlike anything I've ever read (excluding the first Finlay book of course). Throughout the book, Finlay finds herself in many "sticky" situations to explain herself out of, all while juggling book deadlines, two kids, and ACTUAL contract killers. She can't trust even those closest to her but also forges some unlikely alliances.

What I loved:
- Finlay! She is amazing, relatable, funny, and an absolute hot mess. Vero and the whole crew of side characters also add so much to the story, and I'm excited to learn more about Vero in the next book.
- The writing style: Cosimano crafts such a seamless narrative, I wasn't even bothered by the fact that the book is in first person. (If you know me, you know I don't like the first person.) In fact, I loved listening to Finlay's inner monologue as the world around her got even more chaotic.
- The plot twists! Every time I thought things were already crazy enough, the storyline shifted again. Also, I was a huge Julian fan at the end of the first book, but now I have to admit that Nick is edging him out.

What I didn't love: That I have to wait super long for the next book to come out!!

Overall, this series is a must-read for anyone and everyone! Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead comes out February 1, 2022, go preorder! And while you're waiting read the first Finlay book!!!

I will post a mini-review on 12/27/2021 on my Instagram @bookswithsiddhi as well as the full review on my StoryGraph. I will upload my full review on my Instagram @bookswithsiddhi the first week of January (so that it is closer to pub date).

finlay donovan is BACK! i was super excited to get my hands on this one, thanks to netgalley and st martin’s press. i honestly didn’t know what to expect with the sequel because i loved the first one so much but elle delivered!

finlay and of course vero, get themselves into another huge mess but are we surprised?? so many times i would think how the heck are they getting of this?? i just love both of them together. this book has so much going on which i enjoyed, the characters are so likeable and there is still that mystery of what will happen. are some things a little unrealistic? yes…but i love the characters and story too much to care!

this one doesn’t come out until february 1st so you have time to read the first one, finlay donovan is killing it, before then! and I really hope elle puts out a third one!