Book Review: Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano

Title: Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead

Author: Elle Cosimano

Series/Standalone: Finlay Donovan Series (Book #2)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Mystery, Cozy

Pages: 357

Publisher: Minotaur 

Year Published: 2022

Format: Audiobook

"Finlay Donovan is- once again- struggling to finish her next novel and keep her head above water as a single mother of two. On the bright side, she had her live-in nanny and confidant Vero to rely on, and the only dead body she's dealt with lately is that of her daughter's pet goldfish. 

On the not-so-bright side, someone out there wants her ex-husband, Steven, out of the picture. Permanently. Whatever else Stevenmay be, he's a good father, but saving him will send her down a rabbit hole of hit-women disguised as soccer moms, and a little bit more involvement with the Russian mob than she'd like. 

Meanwhile, Vero's keeping secrets, and Detective Nick Anthony seems determined to get back into her life. He may be a hot cop, but Finlay's first priority is preventing her family from sleeping with the fishes... and if that means bending a few laws then so be it.

With her next book's deadline looming and an ex-husband to keep alive, Finlay is quickly coming to the end of her rope. She can only hope there isn't a noose at the end of it..."

My Rating: 4/5

This is a fun series. I love the concept of this cozy mystery. A romance suspense novelist gets tied up in a world she's never imagined being a part of herself. A love interest with spice, but not to much, and a mystery that is goofy in many ways but with real consequences. I loved the humour, the friendships and the writing. Overall, very fun. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Title: Daisy Jones & The Six

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary

Pages: 368

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Year Published: 2019

Format: Audiobook

"Everyone knows DAISY JONES & THE SIX, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity... until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it's the rock 'n' roll she loves most. BY the time she's twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she's pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Bill goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly, capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice."

My Rating: 5/5

I listened to the audiobook of this novel, and it was absolutely excellent. I love Taylor Jenkins Reid's ability to pull you in and make you feel like you want to see all the things that the famous person has been in previously. I'm grateful that when reading this, the show had been produced (not that I'll watch the show), but this means that there are some songs that helped me fully immerse myself in the story. The twists, the turns, and the different voice actors make for a great atmosphere.

Can't wait to read more of her novels in the Reidverse.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny