🎲 Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice - Elle Cosimano

4.25 ⭐️- Once a year or so, Elle Cosimano calls me out for saying “I don’t do series” when she releases a new Finlay Donovan installment. I LOVE these books. I get so excited to read them, audio them, recommend them. This series (I can’t wait for more, omg who is she?) is so fun, hilarious, and obscure, but also mysterious and feel good? How does she do it? Idk but keep em coming!

Finlay Donovan and her nanny, Vero, are headed on a girls’ weekend trip! They are headed to Atlantic City but the odds are not in their favor as they actually head to a meeting with a dangerous loan shark. When Finlay’s ex husband Steven, her kids, and her mom also end up on this trip, Finlay and Vero have a few more meddling passengers along for the ride. Through moments of stress, chaos, disaster, and confusion, will Finlay and Vero be able to dodge their extra vacation guests, the loan shark, and the FBI to find Vero’s missing boyfriend, cover up more secrets, and payback a substantial debt?

This is not a standalone so if you’re reading this and you seem interested, go back and jump into Finlay’s van in book one! (I’ve reviewed them all and I highly recommend!) Okay so, this was a fun one. The Atlantic City casino backdrop, the sketchy Rose Motel hotel vibes, the whole damn family and then some, and hilarious and unexpected twists and turns; it was all great. The best thing about these books, hands down, is the female friendship and bond that Finlay and Vero have. They never doubt each other, they support each other, and they’re always there, LITERALLY, no matter the circumstances. If you’re looking for a light hearted, funny, crime series with the best characters, you’ve come to the right place. Again, I don’t love getting into series, but Finlay, I’m definitely along for the rest of the ride. This one wrapped up a storyline in the series nicely, but still left of open for me. I already can’t wait for book 5.

I love all 4 books in this series! I listen to the audiobooks and the narrator is perfect for this series- great voices, tone, timing, everything! I did a full reread (relisten?) ahead of this one and was reminded just how much I enjoy this series. I love that this book had almost all the minor characters involved in the storyline. Highly recommend this series, especially the audiobooks!

I literally LOVE this series!! So fun and loved getting an opportunity to read an ARC to see what happens next. Highly recommend!

Another Finlay book that I absolutely loved! This one especially had me cracking up wondering how her and Vera would get out of this mess. Realistically I don't think this would have worked but it did have me laughing and now I have to patiently wait for the next book to come out.

Oh yes… Finlay and Vero are back and I couldn’t be happier! i always look forward to a new book in this series, it is funny, wild and exciting. What more could you want!

This time Finlay and Vero are off to Atlantic City to take care of Vero’s debts and recover something very dear to her. It picks up right after the last book so these books really do need to be read in order. The whole gang is back in this new story, even Nick the hot cop. Things get steamy with him and Finlay finally.

As always, the body count is high, the girls get themselves involved in plenty of scrapes and come face to face with dangerous people. But, these ladies are clever and resourceful, which makes for hilarious reading.

After the final page of this one I have high hopes for a book 5.

Thanks so much to St Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books for my advanced copy to read. A binge read that made me laugh out loud. Published on March 5th.

3.5 stars

I have loved the entire Finlay Donovan series, but the stories have declined slightly with each book, and this one followed the same trajectory. While part of the appeal of what happens to Finlay is that the events are just so far out there, but this one just went way too far. Every other chapter had some completely outlandish thing happening.

That being said, it was still a fun read. I liked the ending and would absolutely continue with the series to see what Finlay and Vero get into next.

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

Finlay's Back and just as feisty and funny as ever! I loved this installment and the promise of what's to come from the epilogue.

This book was fast paced and kept up the hijinx that I was used to from previous books and did a nice job of wrapping up the original story that started at the beginning of the series. I hope to see more of Kat in the future as she's one of my favorite characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice by Elle Cosimano will be released on March 5th, 2024.

Oh. My. Gosh. Okay, so you know how you find a book or a series and you just non-stop think about it? You know those books that you can reread as many times as you want and know that you will NEVER get tired of them? The Finlay Donovan series is one of those. Each year when a new one comes out, I start all the way back at book number one and refresh myself. When I was approved for the fourth book I was so excited that I /may/ have screamed with excitement.

I don't even remember how I came across the series back in 2021, I think, but I am so glad that I did. I'm going to try my best to give you a rundown of the series without spoiling the past books, and then I will continue with my review.

Finlay Donovan is a mom of two young kids who is just not having the best time. An author who hasn't hit her mark (pun intended) just yet and has her editor breathing down her neck; She is dealing with the divorce of her husband and an ensuing custody battle and having to navigate a new life for herself and her children while her husband does everything possible to make things difficult - including letting go the nanny who had been a godsend for Finlay. After meeting with her editor about a deadline that she is way behind on, the negotiations of a book deal are overheard and taken the wrong way - turns out, that someone has a husband they want gone and they have mistaken Finlay as a hit man. This is just the start of a flurry of wild adventures and close calls, only getting more intense when the nanny, who is under the impression no one is home, comes to collect her stuff and encounters Finlay with a dead man - an unintentionally dead man.

Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice is the fourth installment of the Finlay Donovan series. In this story, Finlay and Vero embark on an adventure to Atlantic City to deal with some old debts the young nanny acquired in her past. You can imagine how well that is going to go for them, right? In true Elle Cosimano fashion, Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice perfectly captures the fun, the suspense, and the sexiness of the past three books while also managing to not drag the storyline out and make it boring.

I'm going to be honest and say that this is not a preferred genre of mine. I had never read this type of book before and I am so glad that I ventured outside of my comfort zone because this is by far one of my absolute favorite series. I recommend it to everyone who will listen. And the audiobook? If you have the choice between reading the physical copy or listening to the audiobook, GO FOR THE AUDIOBOOK. The book is great when read on your own, but Angela Dawson creates something so unique. The voices, the emotion that she adds to the story - it is so good.

Also? She has got to be the QUEEN of cliffhangers. I was sitting here with my jaw on the floor as the book wrapped up. How am I supposed to wait for the next one without going crazy?????


If this book could have more than a 5-star rating, it would be given it.

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano
Rating: 4.5 stars
Pub date: 3/ 5

This is the fourth installment of the Finlay Donovan series, and the stakes keep getting higher and the antics even crazier. The story picks up right where book three leaves off, and since I won’t spoil it for you, I encourage you to start with book one and work through fast paced, suspense, hilarious, and often ridiculous, cozy mystery series.

Our favorite characters are present and accounted for while Finlay and Vero head to Atlantic City to solve another crime, get back something that belongs to Vero, and get the mob off their backs. There’s a car chase, a few dead bodies, and a lot of roadblocks in their way before they can achieve their goals.

You have to suspend your disbelief a little to enjoy this series, and the only reason it works is because of how well-developed the characters are. The friendship and banter between Finlay and Vero is amazing, and the whole series feels like an ode to the power of female friendships. I also love the quirky side characters, Finlay’s kids, and of course, the handsome and charismatic cop, Nick.

The ending was perfect and let us know which character will be at the center of all the action in the next book. If you haven’t checked out this series yet, what are you waiting for?

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for my advanced copy.

Elle does it again with another Finley (& Vera) story with lots of twists and turns. This book picks up right where book 3 ended. (For those of you wondering, yes reading the other books are needed). This was the perfect read for the beach as you are engulfed in the actions of each of the characters, wondering what they will get into next. And as Finley’s agent always asks - is the hot detective in this - and the answer is yes! All of the loose ends were tied at the end but the last line of the book opens the door for another (I hope) adventure.

Thank you ti NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoy reading the Finlay Donovan series! Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice is well written, funny and totally over the top!! With so many characters, I do wish the author would recap a little more in the beginning of each book. I have read the books as they are released so I feel a little lost each time that I start the new book in the series. The book ended with a huge cliffhanger and I can't wait for the next Finlay Donovan book!

Finlay and Vero are back, and they’re two of my favorite characters EVER!
Seriously, @ elle can write twenty more books in this series and I’ll read them all!


The first few pages already made me laugh out loud! Vero bickering with Steven is one of my favorite things ever LOL


If you read this series, you have to completely forget about reality, forget what’s plausible and go with the flow. Just have fun. If you stop to think “they would never be able to move dead bodies around a fancy hotel”, you’re not going to have fun.


I loved it, and I’m so glad this spontaneously became a #buddyread with @ jess LOL


4 stars

I always love tagging along for Finlay's and Vero's adventures, but this book felt kind of like a train wreck. I had trouble keeping up with everything that was going on, and the timeline was confusing at times. The pacing was nonstop, and it would have been nice to catch my breath every so often.

I did enjoy the chemistry between Nick and Finlay, which has been the case since book one. I mostly felt bad for Nick in this one, since Finlay basically just lied to him the entire time.

All in all, this is a series that should have been wrapped up by book two or three at the latest.

I had so much fun reading this ARC. This book specifically spotlights the friendship between Vero and Finlay. I had fun seeing the characters in a new setting. The ending was satisfying and I did not see all the twist coming. Such a fun read!

I can always count on a Finlay Donovan book to have a balance of all the things that I enjoy in a book: laughs, mystery, romance, adventure, and a cliffhanger. Together, Vero and Finlay are searching Atlantic City for Javi and their car (both taken by the mob) while eluding their unexpected guests (her ex-husband and the authorities). The adventure they take us on along the way is hilarious and engaging as they encounter different members of the mob, cover up crimes, and elude their friends and family throughout Atlantic City. The ending was a major cliffhanger that I did not see coming, and the perfect set up for the next installment!

Again. I liked it. It was fun and wild but it was also getting so unrealistic and I know it won’t stick with me. The books are all very tied together which I like in a sense as I read them all quite close together. But it also gave the books a lot of sameness.

It’s light and fun and entertaining.

Will I read the next book if there is one? Yes, yes I will.

3.5 out of 5 rounded up!

First up - thank you to Minotaur Books for the eARC!

This series is for my mystery and true crime lovers that want a ridiculous (I mean REALLY unrealistic so you gotta be okay with that), fun (the drama and ridiculousness makes it fun, I promise), and hilarious mystery series!

This book was slightly better than book 3 (if I gave quarter ratings it might be a 3.75) but not as good as 1 and 2. The Atlantic City/casino setting really kept it from being a 3 star read for me. I loved all the shenanigans Finlay and Vero got into on this one due to the setting. However, there was SO much going on and so many characters involved that I think all the surprises and twists lost their effect after a while? I’m going to keep reading this series, but the first one is my favorite by far.

I thought maybe this one would be the last in the series (I’m just not a huge fan of long series), but it looks like after this ending we’ll definitely be getting more!

****Publishing March 5, 2024*****

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Finlay and Vero are headed to Atlantic City to take care of some unfinished business. This time having to confront a loan shark in order to save her childhood crush, Javi. But first they must pick up her kids from her ex-husband, Steven. Steven demands that Finlay can’t take the kids out of state without his permission, so Finlay invites him to tag along. Will they be able to accomplish what they have set out to do or will they run into road blocks with Steven, Finlay’s mother, and the kids tagging along?

This fast-paced story will have you turning the pages to find out how Finlay and Vera get out of the predicaments they happen to get into! Expect the unexpected! I didn’t see the ending coming! Just a fun and entertaining read that will have you shaking your head and laughing at times! Finlay says she is done with the mob and police work to focus on her life and bring an author, but can she really stay away? An entertaining book to read for a book club or take on a vacation!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press (Minotaur Books), I was provided an ARC of Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley

This book takes you on a thrilling ride through the vibrant setting of Atlantic City. As a fan of the Vegas atmosphere, I found myself nostalgically immersed in the vivid descriptions of the location.

One of the highlights of this book is the dynamic relationship between Finlay and Vero. Their chemistry shines through the pages. It’s evident that Finlay’s character has evolved significantly throughout the series, and in this installment, her newfound confidence is palpable. Watching her grow and adapt with each book, is a rewarding experience for readers invested in her journey.

The mystery woven through the story kept me guessing until the very end. The twists and turns kept me engaged and eager to uncover the truth. I appreciated how everything came together seamlessly, leaving me satisfied yet eager for more.

The epilogue delivers a surprising revelation that sets the stage for the next installment, leaving you anticipating what’s to come in the 5th book. I can’t wait to dive into it and continue following Finlay’s adventures.

Another fun Finley & Vero adventure! I love hanging out with these two! Are some parts wildly unlikely and unrealistic? Yes, but who cares? It works for the story and the stories are fun, exciting, and keep you guessing on what really is going on and who we can trust. I am already awaiting the next book!