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

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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tori2629's review

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lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

A very fast lighthearted read in the realm of murder mysteries. Not bad, if you're not looking for anything too serious.

This book is a much lighter mystery/crime novel than I am used to reading. It's not exactly a romance novel, but it reads like one, and I'll admit, romance is not my favorite genre. There's no dark and gritty detective vibes, even around the serious events (ie. murder, blackmail, etc.) It's described as "funny" by many reviews. I personally didn't find it "laugh out loud" funny, but guess I can get why some would.

I think that overall, it is more character focused than plot. The actual driving mystery is not super strong. The investigations and subsequent resolution is played much more loosey-goosey than I am used to and there are a lot of "convenient solutions". I raised an eyebrow at more than a few lines, thinking "Wow. This would definitely not fly on Forensic Files, or even CSI...maybe not even Brooklyn 99... " But, at the same time, Finlay's struggles with her kids, her ex, and her career were almost too realistic early on. Vero's superhuman ability to come in and save the day

to move in, take care of Finlay's kids, clean Finlay's house, organize her entire life, AND meet with would-be "clients" in just a few days!?

- was not as much. But hey, it's not that kind of book. I did like that as a duo, their relationship was pretty fun. The romance aspects I could take or leave. I'll probably end up reading the other two books in the series, just to see what happens, but overall it was just alright for me.

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taelights's review against another edition

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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.

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kaitlynnnng's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I really enjoyed this book. It was the perfect mix of lighthearted yet suspenseful.

At times, it reminded me of Law & Order: Organized Crime, but that isn’t a bad thing.

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megs23's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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karsynelayna's review

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adventurous funny mysterious tense 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

4.5

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books4em's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Definitely loved Finlay Donovan is Killing It! I greatly enjoyed the twists and turns that this story went through and the massive cliffhanger it left us on. I will most definitely be getting my hands on book 2 very soon! The only reason this wasn’t 5 stars for me was because I wish there was more detail into the murderer as I thought it was kind of glossed over. The last 50 pages also seemed a bit rushed, but not badly. Loved the relationships in this book, especially the funny dynamics between Finlay and Vero (she’s hilarious). Can’t wait for the series to continue!

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