Book Review: The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

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The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray is a historical fiction novel that spans many years and tells of the friendship between former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune. I don't know if I would have picked up this book if it hadn't been the August selection for one of the book clubs I belong to in my area because I don't read a lot of historical fiction. However, I am so glad that I read it and was able to learn many things I hadn't learned about in any of my history classes.  I don't recall learning anything about Mary McLeod Bethune, and she is an important part of American history. The things she helped spearhead to provide African American people equal rights is quite impressive. One of the things I was horrified to learn about is Franklin D. Roosevelt's resistance to stop lynchings because he was afraid of losing the Southern Democrats backing for his New Deal Bill. Another thing that I fo...
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Book Review: Finlay Donovan is Killing It (Finlay Donovan, #1) by Elle Cosimano

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Book Review Finlay Donovan is Killing It Finlay Donovan #1 by Elle Cosimano

Finlay Donovan is Killing It (Finlay Donovan, #1) by Elle Cosimano opens with a stressed out single mother of two named Finlay Donovan, and her babysitter is a no show.  Finlay meets with her book editor, and when they are overheard discussing the plot line of the book, Finlay is mistaken as a contract killer and accepts an offer to kill someone's husband inadvertently.

This novel was chosen as the August read for the book club I belong to.  I knew this book was a popular book but not one I would have picked up on my own despite it being in my favorite genre.  I struggled with the first 125 or 150 pages of Finlay Donovan is Killing It because the premise of the book was so far fetched.  It was almost a "Did Not Finish" for me, but I didn't want to show up without finishing the book.

With that being said, I was happy that I finished the book because there were parts that I ended up enjoying, but I'm not sure why people thought this book was funny.  It was a extremely dark book, and it reminds me a bit of the television show Good Girls.  This was a fast paced novel that I finished quickly over the weekend, and I would consider it a beach read despite the dark matter.

What I found interesting was that the twenty-two year old babysitter, Vero, seemed so much more together than Finlay, who was thirty-one.  I also thought it was strange that Finlay was in her thirties but had nothing in her wardrobe other than t-shirts, jeans, and sweats.  How do you not have any business casual clothes or dresses?

There are things I did enjoy about Finlay Donovan is Killing It.  One such thing is the relationship between Finlay and Vero.  I think it was great that Finlay had someone she could implicitly trust.  The romance part of the mystery was a fun part of the storyline and trying to figure out if Finlay would end up with one of the men she was "dating".  There is also a line that says something to the effect of women needing to support other women.  This is something I completely agree with, but not in the instance of killing someone.

Despite the farfetched storyline and the main character making really stupid mistakes, I gave Finlay Donovan is Killing It (Finlay Donovan, #1) by Elle Cosimano four out of five stars.


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