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lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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
4.0
After thoroughly enjoying "Finlay Donovan is Killing It", I was so excited to pick this up in preparation for the Literally Dead Book Club discussion.
"Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead" picks up immediately after the conclusion of the first book. Finlay is struggling to continue writing her book and is still trying to navigate how to coparent with her ex-husband. Someone has ordered a hit for Steven, Finlay's ex-husband, so on top of worrying about his parenting, Finlay is worried to leave her children alone with him. At least she has her partner in crime, Vero, but Finlay quickly suspects that Vero may be hiding something from her...
Although I did not enjoy this quite as much as the first one, I am still enthralled by Finlay as a character. The plot of this series is going off the handle a little bit, which is highly entertaining, but makes it feel less realistic. The situations Finlay and Vero find themselves in are wild, and I do not think the average person would be able to get out of them quite so well. Although this is fine for a novel, what I love about Finlay is how relatable she feels, so for me as a reader, I want the story to feel more realistic.
I love how close Finlay and Vero are. Their friendship is something to aspire for and they are the epitome of "ride or die". Having the support of another woman does make it more probable to me that Finlay is navigating this situation more sanely.
The love triangle between Finlay, the law student, and the detective was something lighthearted and fun to read about. I think it again makes it more realistic that Finlay might know what she is doing because she has the advice of two different people with criminal knowledge. I am excited to see her relationships develop more in book three!
I love that Finlay remains a powerful, strong woman who is taking on her situation head on. I also really love that her novel she is writing is loosely based on her current predicament. Having to write out what is going on I think is helping her process her crimes and uncover the bad guys.
I am still enjoying this series and I am so excited to see what antics Finlay gets up to next!
"Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead" picks up immediately after the conclusion of the first book. Finlay is struggling to continue writing her book and is still trying to navigate how to coparent with her ex-husband. Someone has ordered a hit for Steven, Finlay's ex-husband, so on top of worrying about his parenting, Finlay is worried to leave her children alone with him. At least she has her partner in crime, Vero, but Finlay quickly suspects that Vero may be hiding something from her...
Although I did not enjoy this quite as much as the first one, I am still enthralled by Finlay as a character. The plot of this series is going off the handle a little bit, which is highly entertaining, but makes it feel less realistic. The situations Finlay and Vero find themselves in are wild, and I do not think the average person would be able to get out of them quite so well. Although this is fine for a novel, what I love about Finlay is how relatable she feels, so for me as a reader, I want the story to feel more realistic.
I love how close Finlay and Vero are. Their friendship is something to aspire for and they are the epitome of "ride or die". Having the support of another woman does make it more probable to me that Finlay is navigating this situation more sanely.
The love triangle between Finlay, the law student, and the detective was something lighthearted and fun to read about. I think it again makes it more realistic that Finlay might know what she is doing because she has the advice of two different people with criminal knowledge. I am excited to see her relationships develop more in book three!
I love that Finlay remains a powerful, strong woman who is taking on her situation head on. I also really love that her novel she is writing is loosely based on her current predicament. Having to write out what is going on I think is helping her process her crimes and uncover the bad guys.
I am still enjoying this series and I am so excited to see what antics Finlay gets up to next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Violence, Murder, Blood, and Death
kaitlynnnng's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I want to know more about Vero and her full story.
I don’t know if I fully trust Julian, Parker, or Joey.
This book’s ending was much less of a cliff-hanger than the first book’s was.
I don’t know if I fully trust Julian, Parker, or Joey.
This book’s ending was much less of a cliff-hanger than the first book’s was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Stalking
luverbyrd's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Death
scherbs's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Gun violence
Moderate: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence
megs23's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Cancer, Gore, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Stalking, Kidnapping, and Murder
calliehale's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Cancer
beckyremillard's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping
theverycraftyvegan's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Right out of the gate I still hate her husband, Steven, and I also hate Julian. Finlay deserves better than both those clowns. The moments she has with Nick are tense and passionate and he is clearly the right choice for her. But where’s the fun in that. ;)
I love how many of the characters make repeat appearances in this book. I also love that it was less murdery and all about the mystery.
And the revelation at the end was delightfully hilarious. Another very enjoyable book by Elle Cosimano.
I love how many of the characters make repeat appearances in this book. I also love that it was less murdery and all about the mystery.
And the revelation at the end was delightfully hilarious. Another very enjoyable book by Elle Cosimano.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Death
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Infidelity
aqtbenz's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Violence
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I find this series to be a better version of the Stephanie Plum books and certainly better than the latest few.
Finlay is hilarious and I love that Vero is getting more depth as is Steven.
I can't wait to see where things go with the "hot cop" LOL aka Nick. I have to say if my life was that nuts I'd turn it into a book too!
Overall this book was really fun and I'd say better than the first. I recommend these books to anyone who enjoys funny mysteries with a dash of romance.
Finlay is hilarious and I love that Vero is getting more depth as is Steven.
I can't wait to see where things go with the "hot cop" LOL aka Nick. I have to say if my life was that nuts I'd turn it into a book too!
Overall this book was really fun and I'd say better than the first. I recommend these books to anyone who enjoys funny mysteries with a dash of romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Death, Blood, Gun violence, and Murder
Minor: Animal death
The animal's death is just a dead goldfish