Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

Ooh I loved this one. Probably partly because this is set just right near where we live, but it's also so well written and very fun and super funny. I love the idea of just completely accidentally becoming a hitwoman. I'm very excited to read more of this series and more of this author in general.

Content Warnings

mrsmishler's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Content Warnings

ceilidhwilliams's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Content Warnings

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark funny lighthearted mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I picked this up because the third book in this series is the first book this year for the Literally Dead Book Club.
"Finlay Donovan Is Killing It" is a cute, cozy mystery about a woman trying to gain back some control in her life. Finlay is a struggling mother with two very young kids. She is an author who is struggling to produce her next great story. And she is struggling to move forward after learning that her husband had an affair and left her for their real estate agent. When a meeting with her agent does not go well, she is flabbergasted to discover that the woman next to them thinks Finlay is a hitman. But the offer to kill this woman's horrible husband is too good to not investigate a little...
First and foremost: Finlay's EX husband is such a prick. He cannot possibly believe he is anything resembling a good father and the fact that he found someone to cheat on Finlay with is absolutely ludicrous. I wanted to reach through this book and strangle him.
I really enjoyed seeing Finlay struggle so much in the beginning, and really work on finding herself and her self-worth by the end. She may be in a difficult chapter of her life, but she is an incredible woman who will do anything for her kids. She is also a talented author who can and will support herself and her kids with her books.
This mystery and murder is messy and screams amateur. You know that what Finlay is doing is wrong, but you cannot help but fall in love with her and root for her to be successful. I do think she would be struggling with the guilt of being responsible for someone else's death a little more than she actually does.
I am obsessed with Finlay, and I cannot wait to continue this series and see what antics she gets into next.

Content Warnings

booksalacarte's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Findley Donovan is Killing it- 2.5⭐️ 2🌶️

Finlay Donovan is killing it . . . except, she’s really not. She’s a stressed-out single-mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay’s life is in chaos: the new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors.

When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer, and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet . . . Soon, Finlay discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation

——————

✨My Opinion✨

This was a me problem, not a book problem. This book triggered me a little in the first 30 pages. I almost DNF’d and only continued because it was my bookclub’s choice for the month. It definitely got better than motherhood triggering beginning… but I wasn’t amazed.

The romance was barely there, and probably would have been better without it. But this is a nice fluffy pseudo-mystery read. Not my usual genre, but I can see how others who like the genre would love it.

I loved the partnership between Findley and her nanny. It was a great friendship/partner in crime relationship.

Content Warnings

taelights's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

Whenever I saw the cover of this book I always assumed these books would be horrible but like I didn't want to judge a book by it's cover especially seeing as I heard so much praise for this book but like anyone praising this book I'm convinced doesn't have taste. Like.... it was not good. Finlay was literally the least put together dumbest character I have ever had the displeasure of reading about. She literally only gets away with murder out of luck alone because there is no way she would actually be able to get away with it with all the dumb decisions she's made.

Also the lesbian cop sister was unnecessary, the cop romance was unnecessary, and Finley having not only 1 but 2 men somehow interested in her was unrealistic. This whole thing read like an unrealistic self insert fantasy.

Content Warnings

lez_whale's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The only reason that this book didn’t receive five stars is because I was under the impression that it was more lighthearted. I loved the plot, but it was more violent than I was expecting. However, the entire idea for the book was one of the most creative murder mysteries that I have read, not predictable at all. It was hard to see the protagonist making decisions that had such severe consequences, but every character needs their flaws! Overall, a great book.

Have the next in the series in hand, however, as the book ends on a cliffhanger!<

Content Warnings

grimmworld's review against another edition

Go to review page

It was not my cup of tea... Tried but really life is short... It gave off so many triggers dealing bad marriage... & that's all I want to say about this book..

Content Warnings

More...