Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice by Elle Cosimano
I didn’t this this series could get any crazier, but Elle Cosimano proved me wrong! And I’m glad. I loved book 3 where Finlay and Vero attended the citizen’s policy academy and I loved this follow up, where they escape to Atlantic City to rescue their car (and Javi). Today I’m sharing all my thoughts on Finlay Donovan book #4 so keep reading for my full Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice book review.
What is Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice about?
Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero are in sore need of a girls’ weekend away. They plan a trip to Atlantic City, but odds are—seeing as it’s actually a cover story to negotiate a deal with a dangerous loan shark, save Vero’s childhood crush Javi, and hunt down a stolen car—it won’t be all fun and games. When Finlay’s ex-husband Steven and her mother insist on tagging along too, Finlay and Vero suddenly have a few too many meddlesome passengers along for the ride.
Within hours of arriving in their seedy casino hotel, it becomes clear their rescue mission is going to be a bust. Javi’s kidnapper, Marco, refuses to negotiate, demanding payment in full in exchange for Javi’s life. But that’s not all—he insists on knowing the whereabouts of his missing nephew, Ike, who mysteriously disappeared. Unable to confess what really happened to Ike, Finlay and Vero are forced to come up with a new plan: sleuth out the location of Javi and the Aston Martin, then steal them both back.
But when they sneak into the loan shark’s suite to search for clues, they find more than they bargained for—Marco’s already dead. They don’t have a clue who murdered him, only that they themselves have a very convincing motive. Then four members of the police department unexpectedly show up in town, also looking for Ike—and after Finlay’s night with hot cop Nick at the police academy, he’s a little too eager to keep her close to his side.
If Finlay can juggle a jealous ex-husband, two precocious kids, her mother’s marital issues, a decomposing loan shark, and find Vero’s missing boyfriend, she might get out of Atlantic City in one piece. But will she fold under the pressure and come clean about the things she’s done, or be forced to double down? (from Amazon.com)
My Initial Thoughts
I loved how this book started. Finlay and Vero are fresh from a grueling week at the citizen’s policy academy and have to go on a road trip to Atlantic City. They tell everyone it’s just a girl’s trip, but really they have to hunt down the loan shark who stole their car (and have Javi locked inside it).
But of course Steven gets mad at that. He tells Finlay she can’t take the children over states lines without his permission and insists on coming with them. I mean, it’s not the worst idea in the world. They do need a babysitters for when they need to go out and do their detective work.
But then Finlay’s Mom insists on tagging along. And suddenly a quick road trip to settle their debts and rescue Javi becomes a major ordeal. But that’s to be expected. Fans of the series know by now that these books are a hysterical runaway train of impossible situations.
I’m Starting to Question Everything I Know About Atlantic City
I’m so confused because I always thought Atlantic City was this dirty questionable place (Thanks Sopranos!) but in the Finlay books it actually seems fun? I’ve never been to a casino but now I kind of want to go play some slots. Lol. I’d rather go to Las Vegas, but since I live in Pennsylvania, Atlantic City is much much closer.
Have you been to Atlantic City? Is it fun? But in a gross way? Let me know in the comments.
So Many Funny Moments
- The whole Ike situation with the tooth
- Kevin Bacon (IYKYK)
- Delia and Zach getting lost in the casino
- Vero and Javi – are they enemies or are they lovers? Who’s to say?
- Sylvia being ready to party in AC
- Finlay’s Mom having the time of her life at Chubby’s
The Finlay Donovan Series as a Whole
I’ve read four books in this series now. And while I still love the series and found this book to be really funny, I’m also getting a little tired of the mob aspect. I kind of wish they would clear their names and get involved with a new crime or mystery.
I’m still wondering what Steven is hiding. It’s been very clear from the first book that he’s not an honest man, in his personal life and in his business life. He’s hiding something and I really hope it’s not something that will hurt Finlay or the kids. Despite that fact that he makes a trash husband, he really does seem to care about his family and not want anything bad to happen to them (including Finlay).
Finlay and Nick
In the previous book, Finlay and Nick revealed their big feelings for each other. And I loved getting to see their relationship grow. But I’m also scared. At what point is Nick going to find out the truth about Finlay and Vero? It’s giving me anxiety, so I guess I need to go read book 5 next.
In Conclusion
Thank you for checking out my Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice book review!
Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice is another fun installment to this series. Things just keep getting crazier and I’m living for it. The plot wasn’t totally for me, but the characters are what I really love about this series. I was happy to see love blossoming for both Finlay and Vero. It will definitely be interesting to see what happens next.
