Book Review: Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice: 🌶️
This review may contain minor spoilers.

This next installment of Finlay Donovan takes the crew to Atlantic City. Finlay and Vero are on a mission to save Javi and find the Aston. Shortly after they arrive (with the kids, Finlay’s mom, and Stephen), the Fairfax County PD arrive to stay just across the hotel. This book includes all the scheming we've come to expect.

While I did enjoy the new setting and the fun background Atlantic City offered, I was disappointed we didn't get to see more of Vero’s POV. After the Vero novella I was convinced she would have the story told from her side. Would love to read this entire book from her perspective - the hotel, casino, garage, Javi - so many pieces of the story that I want to see thru her eyes.

Some of the storyline did feel repetitive from previous books. At this point I need Finlay to be honest with Nick and see where that takes their relationship. It already has been hinted at that he knows more than he's letting on, so I need that “secret” not to be a main plot point anymore. Would enjoy if the story was more like her novel where the cop knew what he was getting with the assassin.

I do want to know what happens next, but please oh please let Vero tell the story 🙏.

I received an eARC from NetGalley & Elle Cosimano for my honest review.

Thanks to #stmartinspress and #netgalley for this complimentary ebook that I coupled with the audiobook. The narrator is fantastic and makes the book so colorful with all of her voices!

This was yet another kooky, fun, fast-paced mystery with Finlay, Vero, and friends! All the action and LOL moments we have come to expect in the Finlay Donovan series are definitely present in Cosimano's fourth installment. Pick it up and get ready for a wild ride!

What a fun follow up in Finlay and Vero's adventures. This time they are in Atlantic City hunting down Javi, this was mean to be a girls trip to avoid getting anyone else involved again, and quickly turned into a whole family adventure. I laughed so many times and enjoyed this book so much. So glad we finally go to learn even more about Vero!!

Hoping there is another one in the series!

Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love getting back into this world. I thought this was an exciting next step and it was cool to see more of Vero’s life and Finlay moving forward with Nick. I still can’t believe everything they got into, but it makes for the best entertainment

Another crazy adventure for Finley and Vero this time takes them to Atlantic City. There’s gambling, hookers, a weirdly rabid dog, death and deception around every corner. This one truly bordered on the ridiculous but that won’t stop me from reading the next one! Thanks to NetGalley for this read !

Read Completed 2/12/24 | 3 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for approving my audiobook review copy. This did not alter my reading experience or review in any way.
I didn't have good luck after the last FINLAY DONOVAN (#3) so I wasn't sure how this was going to go. I hoped it would pick up again, but it kind of just felt like the same thing over and over again. This series has already slid into "too silly" territory like Stephanie Plum did and I just don't need another series like that. The first two book were much more fun but still mildly believable. There are just too many zany things happening now.

I also feel like the plot is not progressing AT ALL. It's the same plot tied into all of the books, which makes for more of a series that you have to follow instead of one you can kind of pick up anywhere, but I feel like it's not moving forward. It's the same thing over and over and I'm just really not interested in it anymore. Sadly, I think this is my last Finlay Donovan novel. I knew this would be my make-or-break, and I think I'm breaking up with this series.

This is such a fun series! I love Finlay and Vero. This book includes a road trip and a lot more involvement from Georgia (sister), Susan (mom) and Javi. Several things are answered that have been hinted at in the previous books and makes for a very satisfying ending.
I laughed out loud and continued to root for Finlay and Vero as they continue to solve/stumble upon more and more crimes. I highly recommend these books!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Let the games begin! If you’re worried that Finlay and Vero have slowed down and are trying to lay low, don’t be. This book is full of everyone’s favorite off the wall antics, dead bodies and hot cops. It will have you laughing out loud. I loved the Atlantic City setting! It’s a must read if you are following the series.

Thank you @minotaur_books for the advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Have you been to Atlantic City? I haven’t but I’ve been to Vegas a few times.

Formal review to come - But I just LOVE this series! It’s goofy and funny and just a perfect silly escape. Vero and Fin just are LOL funny and ridiculous, even if everything they find themselves into is so improbable.

The gang’s back together and this time we’re going on a road trip! What initially began as a girls’ weekend in Atlantic City (aka, tracking down a loan shark, rescuing Vero’s longtime crush, and recovering a lost car, all while avoiding the mob), quickly turns into a full house: two kids, their grandmother, an ex-husband, several cops, and an FBI squad in tow. Things go from bad to worse when Finlay and Vero stumble upon two dead bodies, a dog named Kevin Bacon, and a thumb drive holding the key to $14 million in cryptocurrency.

Four books in and you know what you’re going to get: a wildly entertaining, highly bonkers story that’ll keep you glued to the page. What’s fun about this series is that each book picks up almost exactly where the previous one left off. In the case of FINLAY DONOVAN ROLLS THE DICE, there’s only been a week since the events of FINLAY DONOVAN JUMPS THE GUN. & if you’re like me and haven’t done a series reread the books are great at recapping everything that’s happened along with reminders of who’s who.

Cozy mysteries work when the reader sits back and enjoys the ride without giving too much thought to what’s happening. A fortune teller? A custody arrangement for a dog? Evading police *and* FBI chaperones multiple times? Stealing an Aston Martin from a shady car shop with even shadier ties to the mob? SURE! Don’t think too hard and you’ll have a great time.

While I loved the casino/Atlantic City setting, I do think plot-wise this was a bit weaker than the earlier books but the ending is a MASSIVE bombshell that sets up a fifth (!) book beautifully! FINLAY DONOVAN has been a go-to rec of mine from the first book and I’ll absolutely be riding this train to the end.

This latest installment in the series wastes no time, picking up immediately after the chaotic events of the Citizens’ Police Academy in the previous book. Finlay and Vero, under the guise of needing a girls’ weekend in Atlantic City to recuperate, embark on yet another adventure: settling a dangerous debt, recovering a stolen Aston Martin, and rescuing Vero’s friend, all while evading the grasp of Felix, the Russian mob boss.

It's a trademark move for Finlay and Vero to find themselves knee-deep in trouble, but one unexpected twist? They end up accompanied by Finlay's ex-husband Steven, their children Delia and Zach, and her mother, because, of course! When Detective Nick Anthony, along with an FBI agent and several FCPD associates, including Finlay’s sister Georgia, unexpectedly appear in Atlantic City to protect Finlay, chaos ensues in typical fashion. Expecting anything less than over-the-top madness from a story featuring Finlay and Vero misses the essence of this series. Much like Lucy and Ethel in "I Love Lucy," the humor thrives on ludicrous and absurd situations. If you're seeking realism, this series may not be for you! Set aside your logical brain and simply embrace the madness! However, I can understand if some readers feel fatigued by the sheer silliness. While I personally love it, it may not be everyone's cup of tea.

Though it was hinted at the end that this is not the end of the Finlay Donovan story (despite everything mostly feeling like a happily ever after), it will be the end of the Finlay Donovan story for me. Picking up exactly where the last book left off, I just couldn't get behind what happened in this fourth installment. Not only were there *way* too many people in Atlantic City (Finlay, her mom, Vero, the kids, Steven, Nick, Charlie, Sam, Georgia, an FBI agent and even Cam and Joey), but the shenanigans Finlay and her partner get up to in this book are even more ridiculous than before—and they never seem to get any sleep, after having barely slept in the whole last book. Though the last few chapters were entertaining and finally wrapped up plotlines that had been dragging for so long (which was very satisfying), I honestly do not care what else these people have to do. Let's just all move on with our lives.

2.5 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[ thank you @minotaur_books & @netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own! ]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars

THOUGHTS:

This review will be more on the short & sweet side. I don’t want to give spoilers away!

I will say, don’t pick this up if you haven’t read the first three books, definitely not a stand alone book. I mean, you totally could but I don’t think you would be able to appreciate it as much. This book immediately picks up where we left off from Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun.

I really loved this one! I was constantly laughing and this was classic Finlay & Vero shenanigans. I was stressed with situations they got themselves in and how it was going to play out… But of course, it always worked out for them. 😂

And that ending sentence?! Ohmygosh! I’m so curious if what’s going to happen in the next book!

As one of your influencers, I am unable to accept or request any ARCs from St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and related imprints at this time. As you are likely aware, there is an active boycott of your publishing house due to the failure of St. Martin’s Press to ensure the safety of their Arab, Muslim, and Palestinian influencers. Over 7,500 influencers to date have signed the petition demanding that St. Martin’s Press meet the incredibly reasonable demands below.
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Your refusal to engage with the influencers who provide you with free labor is both disheartening and offensive. As such, I will no longer be accepting ARCS from this publishing house until steps are taken to meet the demands Readers for Accountability have laid out for you.

Read this one on a train trip and want to thank NetGalley for the ARC to read and review!

I've read all of the Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan's books - this is #4. IMO they are a direct map of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series (which I've read 100% of), sharing completely over the top plot lines, divorced protagonists, very quirky casts of characters, hot boyfriends, fire/explosions in every book, eccentric bad guys, and a consistent cast for every book that the reader grows familiar with. The only difference is Finlay is a mom of 2 small children and her sidekick Vero is her nanny, vs. Stephanie having no children and her sidekick is an ex-prostitute.

The other difference is in Evanovich's books we have new plots and new bad guys in every novel, vs. the ongoing plot we see in Cosimano's series to date that has to do with the Russian mob, a fancy car, and bookies. I personally feel the Finlay books have almost jumped the shark with this latest installment and I'm kind of tired of reading about this set of bad guys and feel this storyline has run its course. I mean, I still like the book and its fun, non-stop action, but the number of characters is too high (between family members, cops, FBI, bookies, mob people, lawyers), and the action is so far-fetched it kind of takes away from the story for me. Finlay and Vero literally go almost 24-hours a day writing/drinking/scheming/having s*x/fighting bad guys/you name it, and the plot elements around the bad guy bodies and handling them was kind of ridiculous. The side-story of Finlay's book agent seemed kind of under-developed and boring where that could be kind of a more compelling/serious part of the storyline.

Cosimano does a good job writing about the relationships between Finlay and her ex, and also with Vero, and I'd like to read more about this in a slightly more authentic way, as well as Finlay's life as a mom and writer. It is a fine line between writing the 'fun' kind of adventure procedural this book is without it veering into the land of too much/beyond unbelievable - aka, silly!

This is 3.5 stars for me, but I really hope to read about Finlay and Vero in a new storyline for the next installment.

Finlay and Vero are at it again! On the heels of Jumps the Gun and straight out of the Police Academy, Finlay, Vero, Stephen, Grandma and the kids load up the car and head to Atlantic City to find the missing Aston Martin and Javi. What they don't anticipate on this "girls weekend" is for the Fairfax PD to show up too, only further complicating their investigation and search for Javi!

Oh gosh, I laughed at these two. I think Vero may be my favorite sidekick character ever! She is a spitfire and SO funny!!

I have loved every book in Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan series, and I think her latest, Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice, might actually be my new favorite in the series.

It wouldn’t be a Finlay Donovan book if Finlay and Vero, her nanny/partner in crime, weren’t up to their ears in trouble and this time the trouble they’re in has them taking a road trip to Atlantic City. They tell Finlay’s family that it’s a much needed girls’ getaway, but in reality, they are actually attempting to negotiate a deal with a dangerous loan shark, rescue Javi, Vero’s childhood crush who has been abducted, and find a stolen car. When both Finlay’s jealous ex-husband Steven and her mother insist they are coming on the trip too, things just go from bad to worse and Finlay and Vero have their work cut out for them. Needless to say, shenanigans ensue!

I really enjoyed this one! The road trip from hell was hilarious and had me laughing out loud several times. There were also plenty of twists and turns as Finlay and Vero try to accomplish what they set out to do, and I always love that these books have almost a cozy mystery vibe even though they’re also pretty action packed and Finlay and Vero are almost always dealing with shady characters, usually mobsters. I also really enjoyed seeing just how much Vero cares about Javi. I felt like that was a side of her I hadn’t seen before in the earlier books.

I don’t want to give anything away, but if you’re looking for a fun book to dive into, I highly recommend this one.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I abosolutly love this series, and this book does not disappoint. This time, we follow Finlay and Vera as they head to Atlantic City to save Vera's boyfirend with two children, a mother, and an ex-husband in tow. This book is a perfect blen of mystery, thriller, and comedy. If you enjoy mysteries that make toy life, then you will enjoy this book.

Rolls the Dice is #4 in the Finlay Donovan series, and it was so much fun. Finlay and Vero's shenanigans went a little off the rails in Jumps the Gun and there wasn't a strong enough mystery element to redeem the story for me. But this one had all the things that made me fall in love with this series in the first place. This time the duo + everyone and Finn's mom are off to Atlantic City to save Vero's old flame who was kidnapped at the end of the last book. After their eventful roadtrip to AC, their rescue mission almost immediately becomes more complicated with the discovery of a couple dead bodies, and Kevin Bacon.

As much as I enjoyed this one, I'm really not sure if I would recommend it as a standalone. There's just so much that has already happened that's still relevant and most of the characters have been introduced previously. So if you're looking for a new silly + cozy mystery series to get into, I highly recommend starting this one from the beginning!
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Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me a digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

2.5stars
First, special thank you to St.Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and MacMillan Audio for the complimentary copies in exchange of my honest review.
I was honestly very excited to have a copy of Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice. I have come to love the characters and I was looking forward to another laugh trip. Unfortunately, I am sad to admit that this series has reached the end point for me. With Book 1, I was literally having a blast that made me want more. Book 2 and 3 were similar because it was a little trying too hard to outdo the first book and it just felt forced at some parts even though the humor was still top-notched! Maybe because for book 2 and 3, the story was fueled by Vero who was literally calling the shots every step of the way.
Book 4- yes,I am finally talking about this book. I felt just flat. The scenarios they have to go through with the dead bodies were utterly ridiculous and unbelievable that I found my self rolling my eyes to oblivion! The only thing good about this for me was everybody seem to have the happy ever after. I need a new series, I can lay Finlay Donovan to rest at this point.