Our favorite accidental hitwoman is back! In book three of this series, Finlay and her BFF Vero are back to their familiar shenanigans and mom life. The story begins where book two ended, after the Russian mob did Finlay a favor, she now owes them. We follow Finlay and Vero as they try to identify an anonymous hit man known as ‘EasyClean’ and as they reluctantly enroll in a ‘citizens police academy’ hosted by the hot-cop Nick.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is full of more outgarous hijinks and mishaps. Just like the prior books in the series, the reader must suspend their beliefs in the situations that our protagonist finds herself in and instead use their imaginations. At the heart of the story is a mystery but there are also several subplots going on.

Even though I enjoyed reading this one, the first book in the series is still my favorite. But of course no sequel is ever as good as the original but those who enjoyed the prior two books in the Finlay Donovan series will also enjoy the newest addition.

And yes, without giving anything away, there is a high possibility that there will be a book four in the series. I also feel like book four will be a good stopping point in the series and Finlay’s story will have run it's course. After all too much of a good thing can turn into something not so good.

Finlay Donovan Jumps The Gun will be available on January 31, 2023. Many thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

Cosimano does it again! I so enjoy the Finlay Donovan series. It manages to be funny, serious, and suspenseful all at once. As an avid reader, it can be hard to surprise me, but I truly did not know who the culprit was until the end. Great writing!

This is my absolute favorite of Finlay and Vero’s adventures. My main critiques with the second book, specifically, is how many times can you accidentally murder someone, etc, without it eventually catching up with you?

This book takes a break from hit woman gone wrong in the best way possible. I love the mystery/detective aspect of this book. I love the police camp, it is a great way to get all of the characters that we care about in the same place and force action into existence. I also love the new characters we are introduced to and the deeper levels we get into the characters we already know. I will say, I NEVER would have guessed who EasyClean was and I thought I knew and didn’t want to be right- luckily I wasn’t.

I was really worried after the second book that Finlay Donovan wasn’t going to be one of my favorites anymore but this book won me back and then some. I cannot wait to learn more…about literally everything. I need more.

Whether you consider them the terrible or terrific twosome, Finlay Donovan and her cohort/nanny/accountant, Vero, are back to once again stir up trouble, and maybe catch a bad guy. If they are lucky.

This book centers on identifying EasyClean, their nemesis who happens to be a hitman. Other than doing so may save their lives, they are being blackmailed by another bad guy. Just another day for this romance author. However, no matter how hard she tries to distance herself from trouble, it just keeps finding her.

I'll never agree with some of Finlay and Vero's decision making, but it makes for entertaining reading. This installment also brings Finlay and Detective Nick Anthony closer together. Will one of them finally make a move? They will if Vero has anything to say about it.

Other questions that come to mind:
Will achieve their goal of identifying EasyClean?
Will Felix Zhirov reveal their identities?
Will Vero solve her money problems?
Will Finlay ever finish her book?

While Finlay and Vero are pretty good at getting answers to at least one of the questions above, their careless actions seem to lead them to a slew of more issues. Which means . . . this isn't the last we'll be seeing from this duo. As always, buckle up!

While I liked book one the most, the second and current book have a bit more fluff. They seem to be a bridge between the first book and the finale. But they are still enjoyable because of the whirry writing and characters.

First up: a great book, written well and so engaging -- but I didn't finish it. After reading more than half the book, I realized I was uncomfortable with just how deep a hole Finlay has dug for herself this time.

Book 2 in the series was amazing because the author Cosimano managed to pull everything together beautifully and satisfyingly. But this time, I couldn't see that happening and (illogical, I know) I didn't want to hang around to see how she would do it this time.

But the sparking dialog, and heart-warming friends and family, were still great. I hope to get back to a place in my life when I can stand the tension of seeing how the bad themes get resolved to end satisfyingly.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the chance to read this in advance. Pub date is Jan 31, 2023.

One of the best opening chapters of a book I have ever read!!! Elle Cosimano hits it out of the park again with the 3rd instalment of Finaly Donavan. Highly recommend if you are looking for a fun, chaotic in the best way, cosy mystery. This book will have you laughing out loud, hot with angry and swooning.
Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy

Going in, I had extremely high hopes for Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano because my love for Finlay and Vero has been unwavering - and wow, did it deliver!!

I don’t want to give too much away but my god, the antics that Finlay and Vero find themselves in are both hilarious and unbelievable. And honestly, I think that’s what makes me love them even more.

Just so we’re clear, I’m very much still on Team Nick and love him so much. I need Finlay to just go ahead and eat her dessert because that man is incredible for her. Their moments together throughout the book fueled me.

I could genuinely read these books for the rest of my life and be wholly satisfied. Luckily, another book is being written and I can’t wait to have it in my hands!

If you haven’t read this series - what are you waiting for?!

I get SO EXCITED every time I see Elle Cosimano post a teaser on Instagram about the latest book in the Finlay Donovan series. Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun is another great edition to this series. It's the perfect sort of book when you want a character to root for who is badass and yet relatable. As a mom, I love seeing another mom who's active with her children star in a book like this!

This time around, Finlay is in deep trouble with the Russian mob. She must find a contract killer--the problem? That killer might actually be a cop. Finlay and Vera get in trouble all over again as they try to solve the case!

Accidental hitwoman Finlay Donovan finds herself owing the Russian mob while avoiding the suspicions of the police, including a dirty cop. Finlay and her live-in nanny fall into zany situations full of danger as the mystery takes unexpected twists. Expect the same silliness, ex-husband frustrations, and romance as before. Since the plot deals with consequences of the previous two books, readers should start with the first in the series.

✨Book Review - Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano✨


Finlay and Vero are in debt to the Russian Mob and they are looking to collect. They want Finlay to find a contract killer before the cops, but the kicker is, the killer might be a cop. 😱 As luck would have it, hot cop, Nick, had a citizens police academy and Finlay and Vero have made the list. It gives them time to learn from cops and use that to figure out who might be the killer.

Elle Cosimano did not disappoint with this one. I love the dynamic between Finlay and Vero. They trust each other, can tell it like it is, and always know they can count on each other for anything. Vero had me laughing out loud in a couple of scenes. Mostly when they are on the training course at the academy (don’t worry, not a spoiler 😉). There’s just something so fun about reading this series and I can’t wait for the next book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ STARS

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've seen rave reviews for this series so knew I had to take a chance. It was good but I think I needed more "backstory" so wish I'd read at least one other before taking on this one! Finlay and nanny Vero are on the run from Feliks, a "mob guy" who clearly is bad news and will stop at nothing to gain an advantage. It's fast, furious, and funny and I can see how people love this series. I may return to read another one as it's got a lot of action and adventure.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Finlay Donovan is one of my favorite cheer-me-up heroines! I want more of Finlay. (And now I'll go back and read the whole series.)

Pros: The Finlay Donovan series is lots of fun—it reminds me of the Stephanie Plum series with a main character who doesn’t always make the best decisions, but the reader still cheers for her. I find myself not caring much about the mysteries in these books and caring much more about Finlay and Vero and the comedy of errors they get themselves into.

Cons: This isn’t a con, but I do suggest readers read this series in order rather than pick this up as a standalone.

3 stars = I liked it!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this book.

Finlay and Vero have found themselves between an rock and a hard place again. Or to be more specific: at a police academy training while trying to keep a mob boss and a bookie off their backs.

This is the 3rd book in the Finlay Donovan series and my favorite so far! This one is funny as hell but now with the backstory/character development making you that much more invested in everything that happens. I think this feels much more similar to the first book than the second but I love the continuation of the story line carried through all 3. There is one more in the series and I cannot wait to get my hands on it!

I love Finlay (even though I HATE the spelling of her name) Donovan and her hijinks. I couldn’t put this one down. The ending did feel a bit rushed and while I like that SPOILER ALERT

Stu turned out to be Easy Clean, it just really didn’t make sense. Maybe a little more back story or explanation is needed? I also hate that it ended on a cliff hanger. We better get another book!!

Yes, Yes, Yes! I loved this book as I have all the previous ones! This is such a fun and quirky book and I absolutely love the main character. I typically don't go for books like this but I most definitely will be in the future. Great tory line overall and will be recommending to my friends!

This third book of the series was fun. I definitely think there was more substance to the narrative with new adventures while also continuing the arc from the other books. Finlay and Vero are quite the team; reminding me a lot of Stephanie Plum and Lula from the Evanovich books.

Finlay Donovan is an author and single mom who's a pro at getting out bloodstains for rather unexpected reasons. She and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero get in one scrape after another, like being mistaken for a contract killer while discussing her next book in public or running afoul of Russian mobsters.

I’ve wanted to read this series and was eager to take a peek at this arc. I haven’t read the others yet, but it was easy enough to get caught up. Still, I’d recommend reading them in order.

There’s lots of humor and relatable mom moments amid the bonkers situations Finlay ends up in.

I am loving the character of Finlay Donovan! She is smart, sassy, brave, sexy, and a little crazy. I love the trouble she gets into with her accountant/nanny Vero and how she fights for everyone she cares about even while making one mistake after another. This mystery had me laughing out loud more than once. She solves the crimes with Lucy and Ethel antics. Do yourself a favor and grab this one as soon as it comes out.