Like the first book in this series, Cosimano knocked it out of the ball park with another fun read! Finlay Donovan is back at it again with her antics and I was here for it. I enjoyed getting to know more about Vero in the sequel as I was super intrigued with her character in the last book,

The audio for this book was perfect and gave the story much more personality. I can't wait for more books by Elle Cosimano!

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘em Dead is a fast pace listen. As soon as I started listening I was hooked and unable to stop listening. The story was so good!! A few times, it had my heart racing, only to bust out laughing at the next instance.
This book certainly had me guessing who was behind everything. I’m so eager to learn more about Vero’s past. We get a few snippets, but I need more. I absolutely love the connection that Finlay and Vero have. I felt like the humor was a bit subdued in this book.
If you enjoy a good mystery involving a hit mom for hire, with mob ties then be sure to check this series out.
4.5 stars
——
Audiobook Review
The audiobook was fantastic. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The narrator does a wonderful performance portraying Finlay and the secondary characters. It was easy for me to follow along. I thoroughly enjoyed the accents used and it elevated the listening experience. I highly recommend the audiobook.
5 stars

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead was just as enjoyable as the first book in the series. Finlay has received a new contract for her books and is in a better place financially, but still seems to have writers block. Once again, her agent is hounding her about her next book and she is scrambling. Vero has moved in with them so she now has a live-in Nanny. Steven's girlfriend is on house arrest and they are no longer together with him living temporarily in the trailer he uses as an office on the sod farm. When she and Vero find out that someone has taken a hit out on him, she is back in action. She might not love him, but he is the father of her children. Getting back involved with the Russian Mafia, finding a dead body and trying to deflect questions and interest from Nick, her sister's cop friend, she bumbles around trying to save her ex-husband while keeping out of jail herself. This situation could be just what she needs for her new book.

Elle Cosimano introduces us to new characters in this book. Vero and Finlay stumble upon the dark web and need help making sure no one can trace them. We meet a couple of young men who can do that, which seems to be the way it is in real life. We also meet Theresa's parents and sister, as well as Bree's parents. All are involved in the happenings in this story. Detective Nick Anthony plays a much bigger role in this book. He pops up several times when Finlay needs him and she is beginning to develop some feelings towards him. I do like him, but he seems a bit too good to be true, is he bending the law to get Finlay to like him? There was a lot happening in this book that kept me on my toes. There were a lot of twists and some crazy characters. These books are just plain fun, so don't expect it to be realistic, just sit and back, hang on and enjoy the ride. I did a read/listen with this book and once again, enjoyed Angela Dawe's narration. She has great voices for the various characters and her expression is perfect. I will say that I enjoyed the audiobook more than the sections I read, but the story shines through no matter which format you select. Once again, I recommend this book and series for those who enjoy a fun, romantic comedy and mystery.

𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚞𝚗𝚗𝚢 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚢, 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞!

𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚕𝚊𝚢 𝙳𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚅𝚎𝚛𝚘 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚞𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚞𝚙 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚞𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚘𝚜. 𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚕𝚊𝚢 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚛𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚡-𝚑𝚞𝚜𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚍. 𝚂𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗’𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚞𝚢, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚏𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚍𝚘 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚖. 𝙷𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚅𝚎𝚛𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚌𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚐𝚘 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚝.

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚕𝚊𝚢 𝙳𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚍𝚟𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚋𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎 (𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗). 𝙴𝚕𝚕𝚎 𝙲𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚘 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚌𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚓𝚘𝚋 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚛𝚔𝚢 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕 𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚙𝚕𝚘𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚜, 𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍. 𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚍𝚎𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚢 𝚏𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚖 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚢!


𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑴𝒂𝒄𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒏 𝑨𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒐 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 ❣︎

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this title in return for my honest opinion.

This series falls into a genre that I usually don't pick up, but I found the first book at a time when I was feeling bogged down by heavier fare and its light and easy vibe was just what I needed.

I enjoyed the first book for what it was, but this one was better in so many ways. Everything seemed cranked up just a touch without ever tipping into excess. The mystery was more compelling, characters were more morally gray, and while it's not my thing I can appreciate that the romance(s) felt more fleshed out and spicy. All of this was exceptionally lampshaded and there was also a fair bit of metatextual humour that at one point had me fearing for a characters life.

As I received an Audiobook ARC I should speak to the quality of the recording itself. The narrator was excellent. very emotive and well paced, not so slow that I needed to crank it to 2.5x speed but clear enough that I could.

A very enjoyable read that has left me looking forward to the follow-up. This book was straight-up fun. 5 Stars.

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead (Finlay Donovan, #2) audiobook was entertaining, laugh-out-loud funny in addition to having suspense and mystery. If you want to be engrossed in a thriller while laughing, this is your book! I loved Finlay Donavan #1 and book #2 is just as good, if not better! What a talented author and the narrator is PERFECT - she can do male and female voices and each character has a distinct voice so there is never a confusion on who is talking.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy for the audiobook!

I was so thrilled to have this available on audio! Thanks - Netgalley!

I loved the first Finlay Donovan book and because it ended in a cliffhanger I knew there would be more! Finley is back with Vero by her side, trying to manage life, get Finley's new book written, and keeping the kids alive - oh, and also trying to figure out who is trying to kill her Ex!

Vero is still mysterious, Nick is still hot, and the Russian mob is back too. This was a fun one and I am glad I got to read it. As always, I think the first book was better, but I think this series will continue to entertain readers for quite awhile!

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022 and it certainly didn't disappoint. I love reading about Finlay and Vero's antics and just when it seems like they couldn't get any crazier...they do. While not always the most believable, these books are so fun. I listened to the audio and the narrator was excellent. Highly recommend!

Finley and Vero are back! They are an unlikely duo of "hit women" due to a misunderstanding and are still finding themselves in some deep trouble. Finley is working to get her novel done and juggling her ex-husband Steven, a younger guy Julian, and a handsome cop, Nick. When she finds out there is a bounty on her ex-husband's head, she stops at nothing to get him (and her children) out of danger. Finley and Vero get into a ridiculous number of sticky situations but still manage to come out on top.

This was a quick, light read (listen) filled with cheesy dialogue. The plot was overly convoluted and every detail was explained to the reader. There were a ton of characters and it was hard to keep track of how everyone tied together and why they mattered. The ending left room for another book, which I will likely read just to see what Finley and Vero get into next.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an free copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I have not read the authors previous work but I had heard a lot about it, I still went into listening to the audiobook with a clean slate and open mind.

Finlay Donovan, the stories main characters and point of view in which the story is told, is funny, relatable, smart and someone who I’d want to be friends with. For a mystery/suspense meets kinda romance-eque I wasn’t expecting to laugh quite as much as I did. The precarious situations Finlay and her best friend slash nanny, Vero, find themselves in is both amusing and entertaining.

The struggles Finlay tries to balance; writing deadlines, children, her ex, an overzealous mother and a growing body count are relatable. While the average suburban mom isn’t an author or a contract killer, we are all juggling so many hats on our heads that we get it. We get where Finlay is in her life and it makes her instantly likable.

This books left some questions left unanswered and that doesn’t always thrill me as a reader especially when they’re big. Like the dirty cop and Vero’s background. But I hope more will be revealed in future books.

There needs to be a an Oscar for best-supporting role in a book and when there is it should go to Vero! She is dynamite in this sequel, Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead! Her witty humor and comebacks are just so spot-on.

I really enjoyed Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, but I think I love this second book even more! There is action, suspense, mystery, shoot-outs, romance, and female and family love. Finlay's life is not perfect. She is a divorced mother of two with an "accountant/nanny" that helps her in her murder-for-hire side gig. In this book, Finlay finds out that someone has put a hit out on her ex-husband, Steven, and her and Vero needs to find out who it is before something happens to Steven or their kids. This book has a lot to love and I hope that the author continues the Finlay Donovan series (maybe even adding one from Vero's perspective....please, please, please).

I've listened to the audio of both Finlay Donovan books and the reader is fantastic. Different voices for each of the characters and the emotional connection that I'm looking for in an audiobook.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for granting me a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review!

Quirky, funny, mysterious with a side of romance.

I loved following the duo again in their failing attempts to make a situation better. Per usual Vero and Finlay are in money troubles again, and when they come a cross a hit for Finlay's ex-husband, they kind of start to wonder if they should just do it, and collect the money. I mean it is kind of a race, since someone else is already on the job. In the end the duo starts to investigate who would want Ex dead, and who is the murdered bent on killing him.

With a fast moving plot, and loveable characters, this book delivered a lighthearted mystery that I needed and have been waiting for. I wish we learned more about Vero and her problems, but it seems that has been left for book 3. Can't wait!

Thank you to the publisher for my ALC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to listen to and review.

This is quickly becoming a favourite series of mine! I wish Elle Cosimano could write faster. I love Finlay and Vero and how they work together. The fact that Finlay is a mom and has a love triangle going is entertaining. This is the second book in the series (I'm hoping it's a series). They have both ended with a preview of what the next book could be.

Finlay! What did you get yourself into now?! Last time we left, she found out that someone put bounty on her ex-husband’s head. So at least we knew where the story would start, but my… oh my… She managed to get herself in bigger trouble this time. Although significant characters made it to the end, this plot line was too dangerous even for her romance/thriller books. Maybe she should take a step back and don’t let her imagination dictate the real life 😅

Finlay had to find who was after Steven - not only for his sake, but mainly to keep her kids safe. Now that Steven got a home, he was demanding that kids would stay with him. What if people who were after Steven attack him when kids were around? So it was time for Finlay and Vero to join forces to figure this out. More they dug, more they found connections to usual suspects. However, none of them really fit the bill. After few life threatening events, Finlay would finally figure out who wanted Steven dead. But you won’t believe who that person is!

If you loved Finlay as a mother who tried anything and everything to make things work for her children, you are gonna love her this version of her even more. She is no longer quiet, tired, and hopeless mom, but a boss lady! Cannot wait to more of her adventures!

Holy crap, all the stars! I finished this in one sitting. ONE. SITTING.

I’m always nervous when a first book in a series is so excellent, and that maybe the second won’t live up to the hype, BUT THIS SECOND BOOK DELIVERED AND I CANNOT (AND I MEAN LEGIT CANNOT) WAIT FOR THE SECOND BOOK!

If I had a nickel for every time Finlay Donovan had a dead body in her car that she didn’t kill, I’d have two nickels, but it’s still weird it happened twice!

This installment of Finlay Donovan is just as exciting, funny, and page-turning as the first. Another fun twisting turning cozy mystery that scratches all those itches!

To be honest and upfront, I was scared that it wouldn’t live up to book one. I found the first book to be perfect but I’m here to say, Elle Cosimano did it again! The second book was just as perfect as book one. Another fantastic read with the same awesome duo of Finlay and Vero. Between the writer and the narrator, it was so hard just turning it off to do regular daily things. I drove to work listening to this and debated on calling off, just so I could finish this. Highly recommend to anyone who loved Finlay Donovan or if you just need a great read.

A HUGE thank you to NetGalley & MacMillan Audio for allowing me to enjoy this sequel that was just as good - if not better than the first!

I thoroughly enjoyed Finlay and Vero’s relationship in the first book, and in the sequel, we really get to see these two strong, dare I say badass women support each other in amazing and hilarious ways. The only thing I missed in this follow up book was Findlay’s wig and scarf combo!

This is a strong follow up to Finlay Donovan is Killin It. First, this narrator is perfect. I think she embodies the characters' voices perfectly! As far as the story, it has the same vibe with quirks and shenanigans that Finlay gets into. Some decisions that Finlay made or things that occurred were pretty out there/stupid, but I think that's what you'd expect from a stressed out mom wrapped up in an insane murder conspiracy. I just love all of these characters. Even the love triangle, which I typically do not enjoy in books, just works so well and I love both love interests. The ending/reveal totally surprised me and also just fit so perfectly with the story! I can't wait to keep following Finlay in all her adventures.

Struggling to finish her next book, Finlay is managing (Barely!) to keep her life together. A single mom of two, divorced from her cheating husband, and deadlines looming, the only dead body she wants to deal with is her daughter's pet goldfish. And then she discovers someone wants her ex dead. It shouldn’t be her problem, but he's a good dad to their kids. Next thing she knows her attempts to save have her disguising herself as hit-woman on a women’s forum. How can it get worse! How about the Russian mob, a hot cop wanting back in her life, what secrets is Vero keeping? Let’s not forget there’s a book that has yet to be written. YIKES!

I am new to author Elle Cosimano which, pretty much lets you know I didn’t read the previous book in the series. I never let that stop me from trying out a book. Not too much backstory is provided for the previous book other than some occurrences, so I did stumble along trying to piece things together. Besides that, Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead was a darn good book. Goofy and snarky, it kept me on my toes. The characters were funny and likeable. Finlay is just a hoot! The predicaments she gets herself into were a combination of eyerolling catastrophes and cringe-worth chaos...all done with her handy nanny – slash - accountant -slash – bestie by her side. There seems to be no limit to what Finlay and Vero will do to find out who is out to kill Finlay’s ex-husband and I for one enjoyed each little dilemma.

At this point I should probably mention this review is for the audiobook. As much as I enjoyed the story itself, what really sold it for me was the narrator. Angela Dawe is outstanding! Holy cow did she nail this book. Her coverage of each character and convoying all their nuances blew me away. Her range of voices as she slipped into each character left no doubt in my mind who was speaking at the time. If only all narrators were this good!

My final words - great book, outstanding narration and lots of laugh has landed Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead with a solid 4.5 stars score from me. I would have totally kicked up another notch if it wasn’t for feeling a little loss about a few things. It’s very much worth the listen and will be something I recommend. Can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!


Stars: 4.5
(The story – 4 Stars, Narration – 5 Stars)
I received this audiobook from Netgalley. I was not compensated for the audiobook other than the entertainment it provided. All thoughts and opinions are my own.