Reviews with content warning for Stalking - Finlay Donovan Is Killing It

Finlay and Vero are awesome! The recently divorced mom of two kids who writes mystery novels becoming a mystery novel was a fantastic choice. Not only was it not cliche but every choice was something I could realistically see an average citizen doing, especially one with Finn's connections to both the police and murder. The romance was more of a sideplot which I actually appreciated in this book! I am super excited for the next one and can't wait to see where the story goes!

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madisbookshelf's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-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

4.5

A super heartwarming and adorable story that kept me on my toes the entire read! Finlay and Vero: The duo we never knew we needed...until now.
"Finlay Donovan is Killing It' by Elle Cosimano centers around Finlay, a burnt-out author and newly single mother of two, who is thrust into the middle of an active murder investigation following an unsuspecting visit to her local Panera.
The beginning of the story started out a little slow for my liking and I was honestly considering DNF'ing the book after the first few chapters. Ultimately, I decided to stick it out to the end and I'm more than happy that I did. The progression of Finlay and Vero's relationship was incredibly heartwarming and hilarious and was a major reason I decided to continue reading. Elle did an amazing job at formulating the perfect best-friend duo on paper. Watching Finlay and Vero grow from disgruntled boss/employee to sisters was a refreshing break throughout the chaos of the mystery plot. The overall murder mystery had a pretty solid wrap-up and didn't at all seem too far-fetched or predictable. I wish Vero's life and backstory was dug into a little more but understandably, this is a book about Finlay and not Vero lol.
I adore the story of Finlay and Vero and cannot wait to continue with the series!

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pernillelsk's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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alexlily's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

It's ridiculous and fun

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ceilidhwilliams's review against another edition

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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

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lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

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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.

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booksalacarte's review against another edition

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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.

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