never bet against finlay donovan

After a very intense citizen’s police academy experience, thriller writer Finlay Donovan and her nanny/accountant/assistant/devil on her shoulder Vero are ready for a girls’ weekend in Atlantic City. Finlay’s mother agrees and decides to join them. And when Finlay’s ex-husband finds out that she plans to take their children to New Jersey, he refuses to let them go, unless he can come along. Finlay has no choice but to agree. You might think that the girls’ weekend is really important to her.

But if you know her, then you might not be surprised to find out that she’s actually going to Atlantic City to chase down the loan shark who stole the Aston Martin that was gifted to her by a Russian mobster, find Vero’s childhood boyfriend who was kidnapped with the stolen car, and try to stop the dirty ex-cop who’s been trying to blackmail her. Basically, the perfect family weekend.

Oh, and when the Russian mobster that has Finlay on his radar is rumored to being flying to New Jersey himself, the police come too and park themselves right across the hotel hall from Finlay and her kids. Of course, one of those cops is Finlay’s sister. And another is her new boyfriend.

So all Finlay has to do during her girls’ weekend is to rescue Vero’s boyfriend, find an expensive car that’s registered in her name and may be sporting a bullet hole or two, figure out how to pay off Vero’s loan shark, find a missing thumb drive, and keep all of that secret from her ex-husband and her current boyfriend. Oh, and she and Vero have those two dead bodies they found that they need to keep on ice. And her agent has been trying to get ahold of her. Hollywood is wanting to make a movie of her latest bestselling novel. And while they’re in town, they may as well hit the casino, the spa, a strip club, and maybe a wedding chapel, just for the full Atlantic City experience.

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice is another crazy roller coaster of a story, where a mom and writer finds herself in a situation that she couldn’t have crafted herself, no matter how talented a writer she is. With her ride-or-die Vero beside her, it seems like Finlay can think her way out of any sticky situation. and with her friends and family, she is able to find a new life after her divorce that makes her happy and fulfilled.

I have loved Finlay Donovan since Elle Cosimano first introduced her, and I am here for anything she brings. The books flow one to the next, and Finlay and Vero’s adventures offering up so much fun and adventure for readers. This is book 4 in the series, with a novella about Vero’s adventures to boot, and as soon as I finished this book, I just wanted to go back to the first and read them all again, all in a row. These characters are women I’d love to have as good friends, the stories are creative and thrilling, and the writing sparkles from the page. If you haven’t yet spent time with Finlay, you are missing out.

I listened to Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice on audio, narrated by Angela Dawe. She has been with Finlay since the beginning, and it shows. She owns the voice of Finlay like a pro, and she tells her story with confidence, compassion, and the audacity this character so richly deserves. It would be the perfect audiobook to listen to on your own girls’ road trip, loan sharks and dead bodies not required.

A copy of the audiobook for Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice was provided by Macmillan Audio through NetGalley, with many thanks.