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.
- Address and denounce the Islamophobia/racism from their employee.
- Offer tangible steps for how they're going to mitigate the harm this employee caused.
- Address how, moving forward, they will support and protect their Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab readers, influencers, and authors in addition to their BIPOC readers, influencers, and authors.
Readers for Accountability recently brought to your attention the threatening behaviors displayed by friends of your employee towards multiple members of their team. This not only includes online harassment with threats of lawsuits and reporting but has extended to tracking the whereabouts of a prominent Black creator whom you chose to unfollow.
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!
•
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.

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano is a good time! Think The Hangover movie but cozy mystery style. I love the characters, plot points, wacky situations and humor. The narrator contributes to the awesomeness that is the characters. I laughed out loud many times while reading this book. This series is an autobuy for me.

Finlay and Vero are up to their regular nonsense once again! In many ways, I feel like each book in the series requires more and more of a suspension of disbelief. But ALSO in many ways, that's the point of the series. They get up to some of the most outrageous antics yet in this book!

This book picks up right where the last one ends. The trip to Atlantic City starts out in pure chaos with the entire family tagging along. I was a bit worried that we'd be introduced to too many more characters in this book to keep the story going, but it was a perfect mix of people we already met and new folks to carry the series forward. Finlay and Vero meet issues at every single twist and turn, and hot cop Nick has his moments in this book, too.

The 'detective work' in this book is fun. We really do get to try to connect dots and figure out who the bad (and worse) guys are and try to figure out how Very and Finlay will get through it. I can safely say I had NO idea what to expect each page, but it kept me hooked and reading.

Overall, this series is super fun and worth the read, but you MUST read it as a series and not as standalones. We were left with yet another cliff hanger, and I'm anxiously awaiting book 5!

This series is everything zany, hilarious, and delightful. Finlay Donovan is one of those series that I know will be good for a laugh, some absolutely absurd situations, and some hot men. Detective Nick is everything. Finlay makes me absolutely crazy in the best way.

The narration is always A+ and definitely my favorite way to read these books!

Another hilarious adventure with Finlay and her bumbling but clever detective skills. No trouble is going to miss her, but she’s always ready with quick lie to smooth things over. This installment was super action packed, a mile a minute ride that never let up.

I think you’ll love the fast pace and funny situations, and the heartfelt interpersonal moments. A lot gets wrapped up here, but there’s plenty more up for grabs for another book!

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy. These opinions are my own.

Finlay Donovan is back! Elle Cosimano has just released the fourth book in this series - Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice.

This latest picks up exactly where number three left off - with our lead characters Finlay and Vero in the middle of another crazy situation. This time they're in a rundown hotel in Atlantic City. With Finlay's mother, her kids, her ex, her sister, four policemen, a mob boss, Vero's beau, a bookie, a teen computer wiz and...so much more. Whew!

The two leads bounce off each other and complement each other with different outlooks, strengths and weaknesses. Their dialogue is short and snappy. And I really like Finlay's inner thoughts.

Is this a dark murder mystery series? Well, no, it's not dark, despite the trail of dead bodies that seem to follow the pair. Also woven into the novel is a romance for Finlay. Did I mention she's a romance author as well.

Yes, the plot is over the top and there's a wealth of characters, but that's the fun with a read like this. Just go with it and see where Cosimano takes you. Keep your eyes for Kevin Bacon!

Many loose threads are tied up in the final chapters ... except that one... I look forward to the next book!

It was easy for me to jump back into the ongoing plot as I've read the previous three entries. I do think that a new reader would enjoy the series more if they started with book number one.

Fans of Janet Evanovich would enjoy this series.

I want first to thank St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley for the ARC of Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice by Elle Cosimano in return for an honest review. I was excited to see Elle Cosimano on Netgalley and even more pumped to see she had a new book coming out. I have read every book in the FInlay Donovan Series, and I have enjoyed each so much. When I say the excitement for this book was real, I mean it was REAL for me. I am eager to see where Book Five and Beyond will take us.

Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice is book four in a series, which makes it challenging to write about without giving away any spoilers from the previous books, but I will do my best. I highly recommend starting from book one in this series, though, because each book builds upon itself, and trust me when I say that the other books are worth the read. So, onto book four in the series. The story picks up right where book three left off, with Finlay and Vero returning home from the police academy. After the events during that week-long stent, they decided they needed to take the kids and have a girls’ weekend away. Keep in mind, though, that this is Finlay and Vero we are talking about, so the weekend away will not be rest and relaxation; instead, it will be hunting for Vero’s crush, Javi, and looking for a stolen car that is linked to Finlay in the worst possible of ways.

The road trip from the start does not go as smoothly as one would hope when Finlay’s mother decides that the girls need someone to watch the kids while they go off and hit the spas and casinos. I mean, come on, they are going to Atlantic City after all. Finlay and Vero obviously can not disclose the real reason for the trip to Finlay’s mom, so they agree to let her come along. The truly frustrating thing, though, is that Finlay is not able to take the kids across the State lines without her ex-husband’s permission, which he refuses to give. He does, however, suggest that he makes that trip with them, and unfortunately for Finlay, she has to agree. This is just a recipe for disaster because how are they going to go sleuthing with her ex around? Oh, I forgot to mention that Vero and Steven are mortal enemies.

After some hiccups along the way, they finally make it to Atlantic City, where they take up residence in two rooms at a cheap casino hotel. The challenges for Finlay and Vero begin now because they need to figure out how to get time alone to track down Marco and plead with him for Javi’s return. Is Javi even still alive? Vero is beside herself, not knowing where or how he is, which leads the reader to discover some of Vero’s backstory and her relationship with Javi throughout the years. I really felt for her once I got to learn more about her and the things that she had been through.

Finlay and Vero are finally able to track down Marco and let’s just say things do not go smoothly. He refuses to negotiate with them. What are a couple of girls to do? Well, of course, they decide to break into Marco’s suite to get clues as to Javi’s whereabouts and the Aston Martin. What they discover, however, is something that makes them look beyond guilty. I found the steps they took to try and hide the crime scene to be completely hilarious. One thing is for certain these two chicks have some cojones.

Things only intensify for Finlay and Vero when they get back to their room and discover that a few cops from their hometown, including Nick and Georgia, show up in search of a missing man named Ike (from the previous book). So much for that girl’s weekend that they were counting on to do some sleuthing and a rescue mission. Now, it is also about trying to keep their cool and escaping the group without being noticed, which has become even harder since there always seems to be a cop assigned to watching and protecting them (this will make more sense if you have read the previous books). All in all, I really enjoyed this book, and I am eager to see what happens in the next book because, man, Elle Cosimano really ended it with a cliffhanger.

If you are looking for a fun, cozy mystery-type series with an awesome group of characters and two kick-butt female leads, then please give this book series a go. If you enjoy books like The Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich, then I really think you will love The Finlay Donovan Series. They are laugh-out-loud funny, fast-paced, and full of mishaps and adventure. Again, I want to give a shout-out to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley for the ARC of Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice by Elle Cosimano in return for an honest review.

Trigger Warnings:
- Murder
- Kidnapping
- Gambling

Oh, Finlay…

Of course you’ve got to suspend belief a little with this series. If you’re wondering if F & V have calmed down or kept themselves out of trouble, I think you know the answer is no.

I actually liked this one more than books two and three. Book one is still the best, but I enjoyed this!

so thank you net galley for the arc. so i havent readany other finlay donovan books before but this one was so much fun. there mystery and comedy mixed together. problaby should have read the others inthe series first but still really good over all.

Finlay and Vero are on the road ! Immediately after the events of book 3, these two hooligans hit the road to save the day ONE more time … and this time they go with an entourage … to Atlantic City 🎲🌊🍸!

Shenanigan level = High.
Improbable situations = High.
Coparenting abilities = Medium. Finn’s working on it - ok?!?!
Honesty with others = still sub par but I guess when you’re hiding bodies it’s to be expected.

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Truly I love Finn … but her parenting leaves something to be desired. GUYS SHE BRINGS HER KIDS TO A.C. on a rescue mission. I mean she ended up having babysitters but still 😳.

I imagine in 20 years readers will talk about them like the Thelma and Louise of the book world- with fondness and a bit of “WtF were they thinking” head shaking.

Book 5, I’m ready for ya !