I loved the first Finlay book and enjoyed the second so I was really looking forward to the third one. It was ok. I felt like it was very cheesy and not very realistic.

✨REVIEW✨
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun
Elle Cosimano
out 1/31/2023!

picking right up from the end of the 2nd book, Finlay is once again behind in writing drafts of her newest book and also kind-of-accidentally wrapped up in criminal business with her friend/nanny Vero. in the name of research for both her time-pressing duties, they sign up for a civilian training academy. but of course, secrets and drama ALWAYS spill out at camp!

- Finlay and Vero have to figure out a contract killer’s identity for a Russian mob, all while training + living with cops for a week
- third book in the Finlay Donovan series
- cozy mystery and some romance
- funny characters + criminal situations

when diving into the Finlay Donovan world, I embrace the chaos + mayhem of the ridiculous situations because it creates the perfect environment for laughs + intrigue! being the third book in, I know what to expect & it has always delivered. personally, it wasn’t as exciting as the first two but I’m sticking to this series - whenever Finlay and Vero get into accidental mischief, I’ll be there to read about it

✨thank you @netgalley and @minotaurbooks for this e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!✨!

Thank you @minotaur_books @netgalley for my review copy!

📖Finlay and Vero are back with more antics. When a mob boss blackmails Finlay into discovering the identity of a dirty cop and taking care of the problem, Finlay and Vero sign up for the citizen police academy week.

💭This is the third book in the Finlay Donovan series and I’ve grown to love these books. I’ve seen some reviews complain about the series being too repetitive and I totally understand that. It is kind of the same premise in each book. However, the more I’ve gotten to know the characters, the more I’ve loved each book. They keep me guessing and I love the bond Vero and Finlay have created. I do hope the author wraps up the series soon though, because the storyline is getting a little stretched.

📚Read this if you enjoy “fun” murder books like the Dial A for Aunties books or The Thursday Murder Club series.

✍️How I rated other books by this author:
Finlay Donovan is Killing it- 3⭐️
Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘em Dead- 4⭐️

The Finlay Donovan series is just plain fun to read. Yes, the situations Finlay and her sidekick Vero find themselves in are utterly unrealistic, but it's a fun series to read when you just want to escape for a bit.

This installment is no different, this time they're at a citizen police academy while trying to figure out who the dirty cop is who is working with the Russian mob guy Feliks. The characters are fun, the storyline is fun, and there's a little bit of a romance storyline. These books remind me of the Stephanie Plum series from Janet Evanovich. They're a good time.

Of course, this left us on a cliffhanger, so I'm looking forward to seeing what Finlay and Vero get themselves into in book 4.

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

A hilarious, intriguing crime drama that I couldn’t put down!!! It’s over the top fun escapades and lots of wild scheming by my most favorite duo of mystery-comedy characters. This 3rd in the series installment includes MORE romance 💕 and is not as lighthearted as the first two books.

It involves a chaotic citizens police training camp course—taught by Det. Nick, and a very scary Russian mob boss calling in favors. Will they finally find out who EasyClean is. Is the contract killer a cop???

Fin and Vero are each other’s ride-or-die, they’re such a hoot which is why I can’t get enough of this entertaining series. ❥ 4/5 stars — Pub. 1/31/23

Much thanks to the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

In this third installment of the series, Finlay Donovan is back with her partner-in-crime and nanny, Vero. After destroying a luxury car during their latest escapades, the Russian mob bailed her out and Finlay now owes them. They suspect a mysterious contract killer is part of the police force, and instruct Finlay to figure out who it is. Finlay and Vero enroll in the citizen’s police academy, hoping to determine who the killer is and free themselves from their debt to the mob.

This laugh-out-loud, dark comedy series is perfect for fans of the Netflix show Dead to Me, and I cannot recommend it enough! You absolutely need to read the previous two novels in the Finlay Donovan series prior to this book; I’ve read them each a year apart from one another but I think it would be even better to read them consecutively! However, if it has been a while since you read the first two novels, the author does do a really nice job sprinkling in details from the previous two books to spark your memory without being too much of a full-fledged summary. This is truly a five-star series that is so much fun to read, and I cannot get enough of the Finlay/Vero duo—truly two of my favorite fictional characters. The ending sets the stage for a book four, so I cannot wait to see where Finlay Donovan’s story takes her!

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an e-ARC!

I loved this book! I think this was a faster read than the second book, but maybe that was because I already “ knew “ the characters. This one kept my attention and true to the series was so hard to put down!

Fans of the Finlay Donovan series will definitely enjoy this third installment. The plight of the two main characters (Finlay and her sidekick Vero) is furthered in multiple ways. There are the usual shenanigans which are, as always, a fun distraction from reality for the reader. Vero is my favorite character in these books, so I enjoyed learning more about her backstory and her secrets.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the complimentary ebook in exchange for my honest feedback and rating.

Finlay & Vero are back and up to their usual shenanigans. I really enjoyed their friendship and banter in this one. I also liked that we got to learn a little more about Vero’s past, and her relationship with Javi. I can’t wait for the 4th book to explore that a little more (I hope). This one had me truly laughing out loud at some moments. I was invested in trying to figure out who Easy Clean was along with them and was honestly shocked by who it was. Just like the first 2 books, the ending will leave you needing to know what happens next now. Also, Stephen still is the worst and I def need to know what is going on with that man (if you read, you know what I mean). Hoping we will learn more about that in the 4th book as well.

My one complaint is that nothing really happens until the end. As well, it’s very similar to the first two books with Finlay and Vero getting themselves stuck in crazy situations and figuring out how to not get caught. I still thoroughly enjoyed this one! If you loved the first 2 books, then I highly recommend reading this one!

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press & Minotaur Books, for this advanced copy!

* I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this book. All thoughts are my own.

4.5 stars

Every book in this series is a really good, light read but this just may be the best book in the series so far!!! The Vero drama wasn’t my favorite but the police academy was really entertaining and Mrs. Haggerty was just hilarious! We finally get a little more from Nick and Finlay. And of course, the ending sets the next book up. So hopefully I’ll see more of Finlay Donovan in 2024?!

Definitely recommend this series, and this book!!!

I really enjoyed the third installment of Finlay Donovan's (and Vero) misadventures. Another reviewer described Jumps the Gun as feeling a little side-questish, and I agree, but that wasn't a bad thing. I think that Jumps the Gun is a great setup for their next conundrum and I look forward to reading all the future books! Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.

It’s another rapid-fire adventure in babysitting and assassination as Finlay uses a week in the citizens police academy to ferret out a hired killer and do some much needed book research. We get some happy endings and tons more questions than answers, but I’m looking forward to seeing how she’s going to stumble through her next bit of on-the-job training!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

I can't see myself ever getting tired of Finlay Donovan. Do I want a life like hers? Absolutely not, but do I enjoy a peek into her crazy adventures? So much. I love the snarky dialogue and the hilarious situations that Finlay and Vero find themselves in, almost through no fault of their own. With each installment of the series, we get a little more background and a little more depth into not only Finlay's life, but Vero's. Please keep this series going for a long, long time!

I absolutely love this series.It is so much fun. Finlay and Vero are at it again. They are caught up in impossible situations with horrible people. This time they are given an ultimatum from a Russian Mob boss, trying to negotiate with a loan shark, and Finlay still has to turn in her manuscript for her latest book to her editor. And yes she is still trying to figure out what she should do about the hot cop, Nick. This had some really funny scenes—the mock trial was HILARIOUS!!

Elle Cosimano please keep this series going!! I look forward to them so much.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️

#NetGalley #FinlayDonovanJumpstheGun #ElleCosimano

5 Stars ( I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

The third instalment in the Finlay Donavan series is my favourite book in series so far, book two was good but this one knocks it out of the park!!! We get to see more of the police force that Nick is a part of, dive deeper into Vera’s background and more semi criminal activity. I was constantly on the edge of my seat at all the twists and change up’s, as well a little bit of a competition element. Plus a guest appearance from a favourite character near the end made happy, even if it wasn’t the most comfortable situation. I needed to this short because otherwise this gushy review will contain spoilers and I have also gotten my sister hooked onto this series as well.

Finlay Donovan is at it again, and Elle has delivered another masterpiece in this series that I never want to end, yet also desperately want to end just so I get Finlay and Nick together and every last question I have solved!

Finlay and Vero are in hot water. On the heels of Harris Mickler, Carl Westover, Steven's attempted assassination, and Feliks breathing down their necks wanting the name of EasyClean, the women can also now add loan sharks in New Jersey to their ever increasing stress management load. Oh, and Sylvia wasn't impressed with Finlay's latest book ending because her heroine still hasn't ended up with the hot cop. With Steven returning, the pair send the kids to him for protection, and they devise a plan to find the dirty cop that's EasyClean and get Vero's loan shark problem handled in the safest place possible: a week-long police camp with none other than Detective Nicholas Anthony. Or is it that safe? Nick's partner Joey is still wary of Finlay, Nick's ex-partner Charlie is all about bending the rules, and Wade is an ex-cop who used to be deep undercover. Can he be trusted? In the swirling chaos, there's only one thing we know for certain: wherever Finlay goes, hilarity and hijinks are sure to follow.

I cannot get enough of this series. As a person who always reads the ends of books first, this is the one series I always wait until the final page to see where we're headed next. It's the reason I devour and also try to savor them because I need to know and never want them to end at the same time. If you love I Love Lucy and a little murder mystery, you'll love this series. Plus, Nick is in it, and at this point who DOESN"T want Fin and Nick together? All I can say is, how fast can Elle put out book 4 because the final pages of this book will leave you speechless and waiting for more.

Elle Cosimano knows consistency. The third book in the series follows Findlay and Vero as they attempt to discovery Easy Clean’s identity and get the money Vero needs, all while being trapped within the walls of a citizen’s police academy. This “who-done-it” style mystery was captivating and suspenseful, but more than that, hilarious. I definitely recommend this book and series to readers of all genres—it’s the perfect gateway into mystery books!!

I know I will be in the minority here based on other reviews on this book and series overall but I had realllllly high expectations that did not satisfy what it needed to satisfy. I was expecting a full blown adventurous mystery that was a complete page turner and blew me out of the water. Unfortunately, I did not get that. However, it was still a very enjoyable read and the adventurous mystery was there, I just think too many parts of the book were long, boring, dragged and did not keep me interested. It also doesn’t help that I am reading this book before I’ve read any others from the series, although it was pretty easy to follow along and I feel like I didn’t necessarily miss anything huge by not reading the first two books. Overall a fun read, it just dragged. 3⭐️

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this title via NetGalley.

after reading the first two books I was so excited to get my hands on this one and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!

I will admit this book is a bit less murder-y and follows a bit of a different story line than the previous books because we see a bit less of finlay's outside life and more of a restricted scenery but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.

despite this, this book was still very action-packed, especially towards the end, and I could not put it down until I was completely finished. we get to see finlay deal with the expectations of russian mob boss Feliks who wants her to find contract killer "easy clean" for him. so, finlay and vero spend a week in the citizen's police academy where they are able to get closer to the cops, suspecting that the killer may be an officer themselves (gasp).

overall, I thought this story was just so fun and full of action including all sorts of sleuthing, stolen vehicles, and breaking and entering in true finlay donovan fashion. such a fun read and I already cannot wait for the next one, especially after the ending of this one which had me schocked! highly recommend picking up this book if you have enjoyed the previous books in the series :)

Perhaps other readers will be familiar with the Finlay Donovan series. However, this was my introduction to the single mother all too familiar with the criminal mind. There are more plot twists and turns around luxury cars, the Russian mob, dirty cops, handsome cops - all wrapped in a novel that will hold your attention and make it very difficult to put down. Toss in an ex-husband and children and you'll root for Finlay as she navigates through all of this. This novel will leave you wanting more!