Member Reviews

I feel so incredibly lucky to get to read this book before it’s out in the world! Finlay Donovan has been one of my favorite series and I was so excited to be back with her and Vero in their nonstop shenanigans!

This book picks up right where the last book ended and brings you back to Finlay still trying to figure out her love life while having to deal with her ex-husband, kids and all the drama they have gotten into!

Without giving much away, you will love this one! Finlay and Vero enroll in a citizen police academy where they are trying to uncover more clues about Easyclean and Finlay tries to decide just how she feels about a certain detective.

I loved this book and also adored that there is an open ending meaning i am truly hoping Elle is working on the next one! 👏🏻

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for this eARC!

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Finlay Donovan still can't catch a break. Feliks, the Russian mob boss Finlay tangled with in book 2, is still running the show behind bars. He wants Finlay to find (and kill) Easy Clean, the contract killer who's horning in on his territory.. Meanwhile, Vero owes a loan shark in Atlantic City, NJ $200,000 While this is all happening, they decide to lie low and join a citizen's police academy run by hot cop Nick. Finlay still has to meet her book deadline and raise her kiddos all while dodging the mob and trying to help Vero pay her debts.
This is #3 in this ongoing series and there will DEFINITELY be a 4th, at least, because this ended WAY more cliffhanging than book #2.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this e-arc.*

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Widely entertaining! I just can’t get enough of Finlay & Vero.
Laugh out loud adventures on the edge of ridiculous yet also on the fun side of believable.

Book 4 just can<t come soon enough - Ride or die Goals!

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As always Finlay and Vero are very entertaining. It was the first time listening to the audiobook and was exactly what I hoped it would be, a fast and entertaining read.

The audio was excellent. The voices were on par with what I imagined and matched the characters perfectly.

And I can't wait to read more.

At the end of each book I always want to know what will happen next. These books are so addicting and so much fun. All the shenanigans. And the possible romance. The amazing friendship between Finlay and Vero - really love their unwavering support of each other. And of course all the side characters I've come to love.

A really great third book, hope many more are to come.

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A wickedly clever sequel to the always entertaining Finlay Donovan series. Fans of the first two will enjoy this third one, as Finlay and Vero keep hijinksing their way out of fire pans and into fires, this time at a police academy (yes, hot cop Nick Anthony is present...and how). While this one felt a little draggier in places than the tightly constructed first two, and had me laughing out loud a bit less, it's still funny, over-the-top in the absolute best way, and kept me hooked for a fourth - and however many more we get in the series.

Thanks to Minotaur Books for the advance review copy!

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The third installment of this series is just as fun and funny as its predecessors. It's the Stephanie Plum series meets Netflix's Dead To Me: a little dark but a lot of fun, with a sprinkle of mystery and romance. An easy and fun, quick read!

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Thanks to Netgalley for the audiobook and Advance Reader copy of this book. Finlay has become one of my favorite series and this one left me with a cliffhanger ending.

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Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy of Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun (Finlay Donovan #3) by Elle Cosimano. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was laughing-out-loud.
Finlay and Vera, her nanny/accountant, are up to their usual shenanigans. In the book they are trying to find the identity of a guy that goes by the name Easy Clean. Their sleuthing leads them to the conclusion that Easy Clean is a cop. So Finlay and Vero sign up for a citizens police academy. Finlay and Vera's hijinks at the academy will have you laughing-out-loud. I can not wait to see what Finlay and Vero get into in the next book installment of Finlay Donovan.

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I cannot get enough!!!

Finlay and Vero are back at it, jumping right off the cliff(hanger) that Elle Cosimano left us on in book 2. The action and the banter and hilarious moments are all just so *chef's kiss*. There are a few more side characters in this one, so learning who is who took a little bit of time, but that would be my only note on this one. I cannot wait until the fourth one to see what Vero and Finn get up to next!

Thank you to Netgalley and Mintoaur books for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Finlay Donavan Jumps the Gun
Finlay Donavan #3

By Elle Cosimano


A Funny Romp Through Misadventures

⭐️⭐️⭐️


SUMMARY
Finlay Donavan is an author and a single mom. She has a way of getting into trouble. Now she has accidentally destroyed a super expensive car that she and Vero, her nanny and partner in crime, had “borrowed.” A mob boss named Feliks wants Finlay to do him a favor and beat the cops in finding out the name of a certain contract killer. But what if the contract killer is a cop?

Finlay and Vero decide to attend a citizen police academy, which is being coordinated by the handsome cop Nick. Finlay and Nick have a short history, but with her background, she is not so sure she should get personally involved with a cop. As the police academy begins, Finlay troubles ramp up. From trouble with the kids, trouble with Nick, and trouble with Feliks. She and Vero have their hands full. Will she be able to identify the name of the contract killer in time to prevent any more trouble?


REVIEW
FINLAY DONOVAN JUMPS THE GUN is a funny romp through the misadventures of a writer/mother trying to get out of her past troubles with a mob boss. Finlay and Vero’s characters and their hilarious exploits will have you rolling your eyes.

Elle Cosimano had written a creative story that crosses many genres. It’s part comedy, part romance, part women's fiction, and part mystery. Fans of wacky comedy will love this one. Finlay and Vero get in over their heads without a thought and will take you on a wild and crazy ride.

I recommend reading the first and second books in the series before reading this one. Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I always love going on adventures with Finlay and Vero, and this installment of the series is every bit as good as the first two books. It's packed with hijinks, humor, a sprinkle of romance and of course some adventurous thrills. Expect the unexpected with this crazy pair!

Finlay and Vero are still after EasyClean from the second book, while keeping the wrath of mob boss Feliks at bay. You will think the good guys are bad guys and vice versa and everything in between. I like that this is an easy read without a whole lot of thinking or a whole bunch of complex characters I need to keep up with. I was able to put down this book for a bit and pick up right where I left off without missing a beat.

I've always been on Team Nick, and in this book you start to see that spark get a bit brighter between good cop Nick and Finlay. The end of the book will leave you hanging, so be prepared for that. To me, this suggests there will be a fourth book in the series, and I will be all over that. I can't wait!

Special thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I am a romance reader through and through, but, wow do I love the Finlay Donovan series. It’s hard to write a review for this book without giving away spoilers, but we do pick up where book two left off and Finlay Donovan and her nanny/accountant/sidekick Vero are still tied up with & in debt to several criminal rings, including Feliks Zhirov and his Russian mob. This book had twists, turns, hilarity, sizzle, and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last word (and cliffhanger!).

Unlike other series of standalones, Finlay Donovan is best read (:cough: LISTENED TO on audio :cough:) in order. Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies.

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Much thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC on the latest misadventures of the most unlikely detective duo ever.
I should point out that anyone prepared to dive into the crazy world of Finlay Donovan should NOT start with this one, book #3 in the series. This is as far from a stand-alone as you can possibly get.
To fully savor and LOL at the full comedic madness of the Finlay-verse, it's wise to start from the origins of Finlay, a harried, divorced mom of two small children......she's kind of a mash-up of Stephanie Plum, Lucille Ball, and Nancy Drew. Through little or no fault of her own, she finds herself constantly mixed up with a powerful Russian mobster, contract killers, and assorted goons, crooks and police. She not only ends up juggling guys with the hots for her but some bodies to bury as well....literally....(don't ask.)
And Finlay's aided and abetted in all her escalating moments of screwball danger by Vero, her equally madcap, trouble-prone nanny and partner-in-chaos. They're a dream team of incompetent sleuthing and their hilarious efforts to get the bottom of things keeps you smiling and turning the pages at maximum speed.
The result is always the same in all 3 books.....a super fast and funny read whose last page leaves you hungering for the next one.
"Jumps the gun" finds our less-than-dynamic duo forced to honor a favor called in by Feliks the Russian mob boss.......identify and eliminate 'EasyClean' a mysterious hit-man whom Feliks has targeted for hitting. And who's EasyClean? Finlay and Vero think he's a cop, so off they go to a "Citizen's Police Academy",. It's a sleepaway camp for civilians who want to get to do cool cop stuff, as taught to them by real police officers.
Finn and Vero face quite a task.....figuring out who, among the unusual suspects of the Academy's staff of police instructors might be EasyClean.....and this even includes detective Nick Anthony, whose simmering sexual chemistry with Finlay heats up rapidly.
By this time, you can rest assured that multiple twists and turns will make this' foolhardy investigation go awry in all sorts of directions. But as I mentioned before, I'd consider this is a 4 star read only if you've taken in the previous books. Diving into this one to start with will only make you wish you'd caught up with Finlay from the beginning. Anyone who especially adores comedy-mysteries shouldn't miss any of these.

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I you liked the first two books you’ll most likely enjoy this next chapter in Finley and Vero’s escapades. Or, you may be tired of their shenanigans and ready for to move on. Don’t get me wrong, I like Finley and Vero. But I’m ready for a new storyline. And TIRED of cliffhangers. It’s an engaging, well-written book. Just not for me.

Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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Elle Cosimano did it again!
I laughed so much with this book, the stakes were high, the mystery kept be captivated and I didn’t piece things together before the characters which it’s always a plus in my book!
I can’t believe this book hasn’t been out yet and I already need book 4 in my hands!!!
This book truly had everything that makes Finlay Donovan a hit, but in a refreshing new (but also familiar) way.
I am still team lawyer but I can accept my team lost and Nick is a good romantic interest.

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Finlay Donovan and her nanny/accountant/sidekick Vero are back for another zany, over-the-top adventure! Readers of the series may remember that Russian mob boss Feliks hired our beloved accidental assassins to discover the identity of the contract killer known as EasyClean. Finlay and Vero suspect EasyClean may be a cop, so they've signed up for a civilian police academy to see if they can track him down. The academy is, of course, run by none other than hot detective Nick. You wouldn't think these two would be able to get up to much mischief when surrounded by police officers...but you'd be wrong. Let the hijinks commence!

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun starts with a hilarious scene in a Wal-Mart men's room, and the shenanigans don't let up until the very end, when Elle Cosimano leaves us with a very enticing, very cruel cliffhanger. This third installment of the series is filled with the action, drama, misadventures, humor, and sexy moments I've come to expect from these books. What's impressive to me is that, even three books in, this series still feels fresh and fun rather than formulaic. Finlay and Vero give me intense Lucy and Ethel vibes, and I'm here for it.

As we get further into the series, it does get harder to keep all of the characters and complex plot points straight -- it took me a while to find my footing with this one because it picks up essentially right where Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead left off, and it's been a year since I read that book. This is a series I'd recommend reading in quick succession, if possible, just to remain up to speed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for a digital ARC.

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Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is the third book in the series. Finlay is a recently divorced mother of two young children. Through a series of crazy mistakes, missteps and misunderstandings Finlay has become an assassin for hire. The twist is she hasn't killed anyone. In this book Finlay and her friend and nanny Vero have destroyed a luxury car that they used to rescue Finlay's ex in the second book. The Russian Mob was able to get her out of debt, but now she owes them. The mob boss is in prison, but that doesn't stop him from giving FInlay orders to find a contract killer before the police do. Unfortunately it looks like the hitman might be a cop. Fortunately, Finlay's love interest, Nick, the sexy detective, starts a citizen's police academy (probably inspired by Finlay's antics) and that gives Finlay and Vero the perfect opportunity to snoop out the real killer. Easy to fit in among dodging the mob, spies, and facing a hidden part of Vero's past. All while trying to parent her two young children. Elle Cosimano is a master at juggling humor and suspense. Fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum will love Finlay Donovan as will anyone who enjoys a good read. Thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read an ARC.

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I was so ready for another installment of Finlay Donovan. And she did not disappoint. Finlay and her sidekick/nanny/friend Vero are back again for more shenanigans!
The plot line this time still involves mob boss Feliks, but this time the setting is a police academy citizen’s course. So not only does Finlay need to address the latest problems, but now she needs to do it amidst the ever-present police officers and detectives, including hot cop Nick.
If you’ve enjoyed the previous two books, you’ll like this installment too! Thanks to St. Martin’s Press Minotaur for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

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I really enjoyed this entry in the Finlay Donovan series. Maybe, a bit more than the last one. It was funny, mysterious, and kind of sexy. The main setting within a pseudo-police academy was rather unique, as well.

My one and biggest gripe came at the end. This book didn't have a clear and satisfying ending. While there were some continuous threads throughout the series that you find in many cozy mysteries, book three didn't even wrap up any minor threads, unless you count Nick and Finlay's sort-of relationship. I'm okay with an open thread or two, but give me a small bit of closure, at least. 4/5 stars after subtracting one for that all-encompassing cliffhanger.

Notes on the audio:
Strong audio narration. I love when a narrator captures the voices and inflections, male and female, without making me cringe. Angela Dawe nailed it.

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Typically, I am not a person who enjoys series. I like to read one book and move on to the next. However, after reading the first Finlay Donovan book, I immediately wanted more and read the second one. While that one wasn’t nearly as good as the first, I found myself continuing to think about the characters and stories. I didn’t plan on reading the third one as soon as I did, but I was too curious to see what came next.

I think the first story was my favorite because of the unexpectedness of it all. I really enjoy this one as well but I felt as if there were so many characters to keep track of and so much happening. I felt like it didn’t really slow down (which can be a good thing!). I wanted a little time to process everything that was happening. I’m upset that it ended the way that it did because now I have to wait for the next release to find out what happens next.

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