Member Reviews
Elle Cosimano did it again!
I LOVED this book so much! It is fun, fast paced, and engaging! I keep turning the pages as fast as I can to find out what is going to happen with Finlay and Vero next! I love the relationships between the different characters and watching them develop as the book series goes on!
If it’s about Finlay, I’m reading it!
Read if you like:
🩵fast paced mystery
🩵 fun, lovable characters
🩵lighthearted thrillers
🩵a mom as a BA main character
🩵you’ve read the other Finlay books!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for a chance to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review!
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice is the fourth book in a series. Finlay, who is an author, meets with her agent in the first book at a Panera and while talking about the plot of her new book, someone overhears and thinks Finlay is an assassin. That person then asks Finlay to kill her husband. The series follows Finlay and Vero (Vero is hired to be Finlay's kids' nanny) as they navigate through a bunch of shenanigans.
I absolutely loved the first two books in the series and then the third one fell flat. It just didn't feel like it had the same comedy and excitement which was such a bummer. I'm so glad that I picked this one up because Elle Cosimano has redeemed herself. This was brilliant. I loved being able to see the friendship between Finlay and Vero grow and see more about Vero and her love interest Javi.
The only reason this book was not a five star is because I felt like there should've been more of a recap about what the other three books were about. Some things weren't as fresh in my memory and I would've enjoyed it more if I would've remembered all those details.
Still a solid book and I look forward to what comes next.
Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for an ebook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I've loved the Finley Donovan series up until this point. I felt like this was too rushed and it was so outlandish it bordered on ridiculous.
Thank you net galley and publisher for this ARC. This is the 4th book in the series - I enjoyed how funny and silly everything was in the book, just like the other books in this series.
"Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice" by Elle Cosimano is a wild and entertaining ride filled with humor, suspense, and unexpected twists. Cosimano delivers a thrilling sequel that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
The story follows Finlay Donovan and her partner-in-crime, Vero, as they embark on a risky mission to Atlantic City. What starts as a girls' weekend quickly turns into a high-stakes adventure involving dangerous loan sharks, missing loved ones, and a decomposing body. As Finlay and Vero navigate the murky waters of deception and danger, they must juggle a multitude of challenges, including meddling family members and a suspiciously eager police officer.
Cosimano's writing is sharp and witty, infusing the narrative with clever dialogue and laugh-out-loud moments. The characters are vibrant and relatable, each with their own quirks and flaws that add depth to the story. Finlay, in particular, shines as a flawed but resilient protagonist who must confront her past while navigating the chaos of the present.
What sets "Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice" apart is its perfect blend of humor and suspense. Cosimano keeps readers guessing with a fast-paced plot that is full of surprises and unexpected turns. From the seedy casinos of Atlantic City to the halls of the police academy, the story is packed with action and intrigue that will keep readers hooked until the very end.
Overall, "Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice" is a thoroughly enjoyable read that will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series. With its memorable characters, clever writing, and thrilling plot twists, this book is a must-read for fans of mystery and humor.
The fourth and final installment of the Finlay Donovan was silly but absolutely as fun as the other books. I love Finlay and Vera's relationship. The plot lines are so absurd and fun to read. This wasn't incredibly innovative, but it was a satisfying read nonetheless.
Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced reader copy.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for granting me an e-arc!
Finlay Donovan and Vero return for another adventure, this time in Atlantic City, NJ. Picking right back up where the last book left off, Finlay and Vero are looking for Finlay’s Aston Martin, which was taken by loan shark Marco to partly pay Vero’s debt to him. Finding the car is key to finding Vero’s friend and childhood crush, Javi, who has been taken as collateral. Marco wants his nephew, Ike, back in return for Javi, but he is dead thanks to Finlay and Vero.
The women set off to Atlantic City to find Marco, but their plans are made more difficult when it becomes a family vacation, with Steven, the kids and Finlay’s mother all in tow. When Finlay and Vero manage to escape from the others and sneak into Marco’s hotel room, the whole course of their trip changes as they discover two dead bodies: Marco and one of his lackeys. On top of trying to find Finlay’s car and Javi, the two women must now try to solve Marco’s murder so they don’t get blamed for it themselves. Things become even more difficult when Nick, Finlay’s sister, Sam and Charlie show up to further investigate Ike’s death.
The Finlay Donovan books are always so much fun to read! I’d say these are cozy mysteries that are clever and funny. I recommend them to anyone that is looking for a fast paced read or enjoys mysteries, books with a good sense of humor, or some drama.
The fourth instalment in the Finlay Donovan series starts with Finlay and Vero taking a mission critical road trip... with Finlay's kids, mom and ex-husband in tow. There are more bad guys, more dead guys, and cops and FBI agents literally sleeping next door. For those who didn't love the third one (aka me), the fourth one puts us right back into the wild Finlay action, and even gives us a dog named Kevin Bacon.
As always, the humour reigns supreme with this outrageous and outlandish series. I love how the cast of characters is expanding and widening the Finlay-verse. Also, Finlay and Vero should teach a course for wannabe contract killers- these two can really think on their feet. Did it take a hard left turn past believable three books ago? Yes. Does that make me love it any less? No. Finlay + Vero are my absolute model for ride or die BFFs and you cannot convince me otherwise. I will read about these two until their old age, So bring on book twenty five- I'm ready.
Book Name: Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice
Author: Elle Cosimano
ARC
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for an ARC of Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano
Stars: 5
Spice: 0
Book 4 in the Finlay Donovan Series
Cliffhanger- Lite
Fast Paced
FMC POV
Contemporary Comedy Mystery with Romance Subplot
- Thoughts.
- Antics in Atlantic City
- rom-com meets murder mystery
- Kevin (lol)
- Kidnapping Gone Wrong
- Loan Sharks
- LOL Inducing
- Fun and Funny
- Fun addition in series
- Love Momma Donovan
- Romance is starting to lack
Elle Cant Miss! She just cant!
These books are So fun and funny! As a Mom, I love the toddler antics as they feel so true to my life. I love the deep friendships and dynamics between all the women in this book and the Antics in Atlantic City (OMG laugh out loud worthy)
Spoilers……
My gripe… my one lone gripe is I'm not feeling Nick in this book and the lying we see Finlay do around him is starting to make me not like her with him. I think we need a new MMC or something. I feel like Nick loves the idea of Finlay and not her… so I’m excited for book 5 and where we take this character… I'd love to see a dude like Rio from Good Girls... (Swoon) but when Finlay can share more with her dirtbag ex than with her MMC love interest I am not feeling it… I will DNF this series so hard if we move to a “get back with Cheater Ex” scenario.
Vero and Finlay ended the last book missing someone important to them missing and they want to get that person back. To that end, they are heading to Atlantic City. They say it's for a girls' trip but somehow Finlay's children, mother, and ex-husband all end up coming along.
They get to Atlantic City and meet the loan shark, but it all goes downhill from there. They're unable to make a deal and then the loan shark ends up dead. But how are they supposed to handle this situation? Especially when Finlay's sister and boyfriend show up on the scene.
These books are so well plotted with all of the pieces fitting together nicely and the ending come to a nice knot but still with a bit of a cliffhanger. There is always some disbelief of suspension that goes just a little too far for me but an overall nice read. Definitely read the other books in this series first.
Four stars
This book comes out March 5, 2024
Follows Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun
ARC kindly provided by St. Martin's Press and NetGalley
Opinions are my own
The fourth installment of the Finlay Donovan series picks up right where the last book left off. The reader joins a road trip to Atlantic City where Finlay and her nanny sidekick, Vero attempt to find Vero’s boyfriend and untangle themselves with the Russian mob. They quickly discover two dead bodies and are joined by the rest of the cast of quirky characters.
The Donovan series is a rom-I com meets murder mystery with a PG-13 spice level. It’s a fun and easy read I recommend to anyone looking for something light and enjoyable. Also, if this is your first book in the series, there are enough details to fill in any gaps from the prior three books. Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice can stand on it’s own.
Elle Cosimano has done it again! This next installment of Finlay Donovan is hilarious, laugh out loud funny! Finlay and Vero head to Atlantic City to find Javi. As usual, situations get complicated, and they find themselves wrapped up in more than they bargained for. This time, Finlay’s mother, kids, and ex-husband are along for the ride. From disguises to some seedy locations, Finlay and Vero are exciting to follow in this action-packed novel! Highly recommend!
I will be withholding my review due to the St. Martins press marketing boycott.
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.
If and when the issues are addressed I will update my review here and on my goodreads page.
Thank you to Net Galley and Minotaur for my complimentary copy of Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
While this is the fourth installment in the series, it may be read as a standalone. I have not read the other books and I was able to enjoy this story. That said, I would have enjoyed it MORE had I read the previous books. This book picks up immediately following the conclusion of book 3. It took me a few chapters to get everything sorted out.
This was a fast paced mystery set in Atlantic City. Finlay and Vero get into all kinds of mischief while trying to have a “girls weekend”. The action and adventure are non-stop though some scenarios seem almost impossible. I am late to the Finlay fan club and I can see now why she is so popular.
I read for entertainment and this one did not disappoint. This series is perfect for fans of the Stephanie Plum series.
I recently discovered the Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano after a trip to one of my local independent bookstores. I was looking for a new read, and while typically I am at a point where I have a hard time starting series due to the commitment, I took the bookseller at her word that it was a great read and purchased the first book in the series. When I saw that a fourth book was coming out, I frantically purchased the other two in the series, and binge read them in about a day each to prep for the new book.
I really enjoyed Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice. If you are a fan of Janet Evanovich, you'll really enjoy the series. We have another plucky, haphazard heroine finding herself and her sidekick in several sticky situations. I'm going to try to avoid too many spoilers, but because of what I want to say, there may be a few general spoilers ahead. You've been warned.
I try not to compare books too much, but as this has been really hyped as Evanovich-esque, I did see the similarities but I also saw where it deviates and is its own series. One thing I was getting really tired of in the Evanovich series was that Stephanie Plum can't make a decision about her love interest, and the plot line was getting pretty stale in my opinion. I've been reading Evanovich since I was in high school (still remember the awkward comment when a teacher noticed I was reading Hot Six during our free reading time), and I do have a secret love of books in this vein, with comedy and seriousness lumped together. Finlay works through her love interest plot line, and we are four books in without the continued back and forth. I really appreciated that part of this book. I also like how she and her ex start to have a sort of evolution into a more mature co-parenting discussion.
I know one of our bad guys was introduced in the third book, and boy I think I was as disheartened as the characters were to discover this. It almost hurt a bit to see this guy that's supposed to be one of the good ones turn out to be dirty. I also had some questions as all the main loose ends (with the exception of one) were tied up, how we were going to get to a next novel. Cosimano does a great job of setting up the suspense for the fifth novel. My only disappointment is now that I've read this immediately after publication, how long do I have to wait until the next book. One of my pet peeves are people who are harping on the author for their next book as soon as they read the most recent release, and I won't be that person, but I'll be eagerly anticipating the next book in the series. I read this book as an ebook, so I think I have to go out and get the physical copy to re-read. I have a hard time finding time to re-read books with how many other "new" books I'm reading, but I think I'd make time for this one.
Please be advised I received a free Advance Readers Copy (ARC) from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love these characters. I'd follow them anywhere, even Atlantic City. In this latest installment of Finlay Donovan, Cosimano has Finlay and Vero on a girls trip... with Finlay's ex-husband, her kids, her mom, and is that her hot cop boyfriend and the rest of that crew too? As usual, hilarity ensues.
Angela Dawe's narration adds so much to these novels. I always recommend reading these on audio because of the humor and life that Dawe brings to each character.
I did feel this dragged a little in pace for points, but overall I really enjoyed this latest installment and will be excited to read whatever comes next for Finlay.
Wow! I rated this 4.5 stars on Storygraph, but rounded up to 5 stars on Netgalley and GoodReads. This was a fun, wild ride with Finlay, Vero, and just about every character mentioned thus far! I loved the first book in the series so much, but I think this one takes the cake with how action-packed it is! It's crazy to read how much went down in one weekend - from sneaking off to all the secrets kept. And...the ending...is there more for Finlay Donovan (or perhaps her neighbor)?!?!
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Elle Cosimano for the opportunity to read, rate, and review an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion.
I am so honored to have been given the chance to read an advanced copy of Finlay’s next adventure. This book is a home run. The adventure and trouble that Finlay and Vero find themselves in are just next level. Ex-husband Steven and Vero’s childhood crush Javi get tangled up with the ladies. This read is a good time. Finlay and Vero find themselves in Atlantic City involved with loan-sharks and kidnappers. Oh and Finlay’s mom decided a to tag along and make it a girls weekend!!! Thank you Elle Cosimano and Minotaur Books.
I’ve been down with Finlay since book one and absolutely love her hot mess mom vibe. The hijinks her and Vero get into are over the top and hilarious and make for a fun read.
I had read book three a while ago so it took a little while to jog my memory on who was who and where Finlay last left off. If you enjoyed the first three books you’ll like this adventure with Finlay too.
Read for:
🤷🏻♀️ Single Mom
🚗 Best Friend Roadtrip
🪩 Atlantic City
🦈 Kidnapping Gone Wrong & Loan Sharks
😂 Laugh Out Loud Shenanigans
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 / 5
I was really excited to learn about this book. The series is just a ton of fun and slides effortlessly from one book to the next- though that does mean that these are books you need to read in order. In November We got a novella that gave some information into Vero’s story, just in time for book four where we are chasing leads on the shot up Ashton Martin and Vero’s long time crush. In normal Finlay fashion, things get out of hand quickly. Be it with party hungry hackers, semi-famous dogs, or the ex that will not give up… Finlay’s overwhelmed. But they have a loan shark to find, a hero in distress to rescue, a dirty cop to lose and a newly minted boyfriend that she needs to keep out of the way. What could go wrong?
I will say that this one was almost too silly- don’t get me wrong, I loved it… but we are starting to get just a bit over the top. It’s always been chaotic, mad-cap fun… but it became a bit extra. I mean, honestly. I am a fan of Janet Evanovich’s work- especially the Knight and Moon series- so I am used to a bit of rediculousness. I appreciate it, even. And we get that type of fun here, with fabulous characters that I actively miss when I put the book down. Even for me, though, this was borderline obsurd in parts. Still, it was well written, stayed in the same style as the other books and made for a fantastic read.
I wanted to check in with the audiobook because book 3.5 had a different narrator, and I wanted to make sure Vero would be the same. Stacy Gonzales is a fine narrator, but I had listened to all the other audiobooks for this series and the change in voice and tone was off putting. Here, the whole cast is read by Angela Dawe, and it’s amazing. Between getting it in eBook or audiobook I would most likely buy the audiobook- the whole series is very well done for one, and it’s the way I am used to going through Cosimano’s books.
This was a fun, insanely fast read. I feel like the story is getting to a good place, the characters are growing, and the antics are just spectacular. Don’t go in expecting it to take itself seriously, or looking for a cozy mystery (close, but I would say no). On the other hand, if you are looking for a fun who-done-it type of mystery; this is it. For me it was a four star book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
On the adult content side, there is a ton of language, sexual content, drinking, gambling and violence. While geared towards adults, nothing was to the point that I would not give this to a new adult- 16 and up maybe?
I was lucky enough to recieve an eARC of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. My thanks, and my apologies once again for being late.