Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

35 reviews

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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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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lez_whale's review against another edition

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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!< 

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megs23's review against another edition

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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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ceruleansweater's review against another edition

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funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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goldenhour_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5


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annabeedell's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Overall a very enjoyable read. I found myself skipping ahead on the page trying to figure out what was next and not wanting to put the book down (everything you want from a thriller novel). 

I found this book in a Little Lending Library on my street and picked it up since I recognized the title. Like many books I read I went in completely blind in terms of what this book was about. Going into it I though this book fell more into the general fiction category rather than thriller genre, but I was wrong. I enjoyed reading this book but that did take me by suprise. I don't think I will read the sequel just yet, and maybe get it on audiobook or wait until I am in a mood to read a thriller. At this moment, I don't feel particularly inclined to read the sample of the sequel that is included at the end of the book. I enjoyed Elle Cosimano's writing overall and I think I will try to read more of her young-adult novels. 

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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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nellkristen's review against another edition

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4.0


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caitlinjadams's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

Love love love! Intriguing, funny, page turning, full of heart and hijinks and a delightful juxtaposition of grounded and heightened. I’m going to stop reviewing and start reading the sequel now. 

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