DNF @ 10%. The plot was moving too slowly and there wasn't enough dialogue to keep me interested. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader. All thoughts are my own.

(3.5, rounded up to 4)

Bellamy Rose's "Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder" is an utterly delightful blend of murder mystery and rom-com, served with a sharp sense of humor.

The story follows the glamorous and privileged heiress Pomona "Pom" Afton, who finds herself abruptly stripped of her comforts when her grandmother is murdered and all family assets are frozen until the killer is identified. The book’s high-stakes premise combines with Pom’s personal journey, turning the heiress into an amateur sleuth as she learns to navigate the real world and solve the murder in one fell swoop.

Rose’s narrative strikes the perfect balance between intrigue and hilarity, with Pom’s misadventures offering plenty of hijinks and charm. Pom is a captivating heroine, flawed but endearing, and her evolving dynamic with Gabe, the son of her former nanny, adds a sweet romantic subplot. Gabe’s grounded perspective complements Pom’s larger-than-life personality, and together, they tackle the mystery with humor and unexpected competence. The inclusion of quirky, "Schitt's Creek"–esque humor ensures the tone remains breezy, even amidst the murder investigation.

With its lively pacing, sharp wit, and cast of memorable characters, "Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder" is a thoroughly entertaining read. Bellamy Rose delivers a sparkling debut in the mystery genre, complete with her signature flair for romantic chemistry and vivid storytelling. Fans of cozy mysteries and rom-coms alike will relish this tale of a fallen heiress learning to stand on her own, all while solving a murder with charm and determination.

From the very first page, I was utterly enchanted by this delightful gem of a book. A perfect blend of romance, humor, and just the right touch of mystery, it offers a wonderfully light escape that lingers long after you turn the last page. The story centers around Pomona Afton, a privileged young woman who, despite her initial spoiled and clueless demeanor, quickly becomes a character impossible not to love. Her hilarious misadventures and genuine evolution into a more self-aware, grounded individual make her journey of self-discovery both satisfying and heartwarming.

Pomona’s transformation is at the heart of this novel, and it’s beautifully captured. What begins as a tale of a rich girl stumbling through life turns into something much more meaningful—a story about finding one’s purpose beyond the comfort of privilege. Watching Pomona navigate her personal growth, particularly as she begins to form real, heartfelt relationships, is a rewarding experience that left me cheering for her every step of the way.

And then there’s Gabe. He is the perfect foil to Pomona’s whirlwind of chaos—gentle, kind, and quietly encouraging in a way that makes him impossible not to adore. His quiet strength and support are a beautiful contrast to Pomona’s initial naivety, and I absolutely loved how he introduced her to the joys of baking. What begins as a simple shared activity between them transforms into a passion that helps reshape Pomona’s world and her sense of self. Their romance felt like a classic romcom dream—sweet, tender, and crackling with chemistry. Each scene between them made me smile, and their connection felt both inevitable and incredibly special.

The relationships in this book are truly enchanting. Not just the romance, but also the way Pomona forges meaningful bonds with those around her. Watching her evolve from a self-centered young woman into someone who embraces her own flaws and strengths is beautifully rendered. It’s a journey of self-discovery that feels genuine, and one I was privileged to follow.

While the murder mystery at the core of the plot may not be the most intricate, it provides an entertaining backdrop to the characters’ development. The unconventional detective work adds a charming layer of humor to the narrative, and while the focus is less on the whodunit, the journey itself is thoroughly engaging. The killer's reveal wasn't much of a shock—it was pretty easy to guess halfway through—but I still had a fantastic time watching it all unfold.

TY to Atria Books and Simon & Schuster Audio for the gifted early copies!

Pomona Afton Can So Solve A Murder is Schitt’s Creek meets Only Murders in the Building and the best way to describe it is just FUN! It’s got a real mystery, plenty of amateur sleuthing, and none of the usual cheesiness that you often find in cozy mysteries. The characters are real CHARACTERS (you know what I mean) and I couldn’t get enough of them. I’m desperately hoping for a follow up with Pomona and Gabe!

The only thing “missing” from this book is the romance — it definitely takes a backseat. This was totally fine for me, but if you’re expecting more of a mystery/romance combo, you might be a little disappointed.

Audio: Jennifer Jill Araya does a great job bringing Pomona’s saga to life. While I don’t think it would make my list of *best* audiobooks, it’s a solid and steady performance that I’d easily recommend to anyone interested in this story!

Think: If Alexis Rose tried to solve a murder to get her family fortune back, what would have happened?! Pomona Afton CAN solve a murder, and I really enjoyed watching her grow as a character.

A debut novel and the first in a new mystery series. Pomona Afton, a hotel heiress who is used to her Upper East Side life. She discovers the body of her dead grandmother after leaving a gala. It turns out the grandmother was beloved and was a little paranoid. She left a clause in her will freezing all her assets if her death comes from foul play.

Pomona is a clueless rich girl who doesn’t know how to survive in the city without her trust fund. But this death gives her a purpose. If she can solve the mystery she will get her assets and inheritance back. Locked out of her penthouse apartment she turns to Gabe, the son of her former nanny. He allows her to move into his small space. And he agrees to help her as his mothers retirement is also locked up by the freeze. He is a cinnamon roll sweetie. He is kind and earnest and attractive too.

The mystery isn’t difficult to solve. But a lot of the fun of this story is Pomona undergoing personal growth from the spoiled rich girl to someone who cares about others. Gabe is there as a partner in mystery solving and potential romance. Even though they are living together they don’t get beyond kissing and agreeing to a date in this book.

I enjoy cozy mysteries but I have a hard time committing to a new series until I’ve read more than one book. But this has good bones to build on and I look forward to the next book.

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder is a new cozy mystery by Bellamy Rose. This book a a great pick for those who love:
* Fish out of water stories
* New York City
* Murder Mysteries
* Clean romance
Pomona Afton’s world is flipped upside down when her grandmother is murdered. Without access to her trust fund and apartment, Pomona is forced to make it in the real world. Pomona teams up with Gabe, her former nanny’s son, to solve the mystery and regain her social status. This was an easy read with a few laugh out loud moments and some pretty good twists. It also appears that this book is the first of a series. I give it a 3.5 for being a solid mystery with a satisfying ending. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an advanced reader's copy of the book for my honest review.

This book made me think of a combination of Gossip Girl and Knives Out. Heiress, Pomona Afton, has her trust fund frozen after her grandmother is murdered. To get her money, the case must be solved. In the midst of using all her detective skills to solve the murder, she is forced to live with the grumpy son of her former nanny. This story was easy to follow and kept me hooked. I didn't have any guesses as to who murder grandma, but I am a terrible guesser anyway. This murder mystery has a sprinkle of romance, which is all it takes for me to give a book a shot, and I'm sure glad I did! Thank you to the author and publisher for the gifted finished copy and eARC. All opinions are my own.

Instagram post will be live 13Mar25.

4.5 stars

The vibe of this book was Schitt's Creek meets "The Maid" with a touch of "Gossip Girl." This was a cozy mystery with a fun romance subplot. Honestly, I loved each character's growth arc. Pomona turned from partier socialite to a powerful woman with a better understanding of the real world and a big heart for helping those around her. Gabe is the perfect man to be by her side. I enjoyed watching her find herself while putting on her detective hat and learning to believe in herself. I would definitely recommend this book and I will be reading more books by this author.

I went into this book with no expectations - I did not remember what the book was about - and I was so pleasantly surprised! It was just a fun book. I thought that the characters were cute - I liked the rich to rags storyline. I felt that Pomona went from an obnoxious, ultra wealthy, rude young woman to a hard working, appreciative and sweet young woman. It was enjoyable to watch her change and grow and learn from her former self. I liked the subtle love story - although the chemistry was felt from the start, I liked that it was just a part of the story and not the main theme. The mystery had no crazy twists and turns, but was fun to read. The book was lighthearted, fun and kept me engaged from the start. A perfect book to escape the realities of life.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

i really REALLY liked the premise of this. pomona has to figure out who killed her grandmother in order to receive her inheritance - okay YES. i'm here for it.

unfortunately, the execution was not it. pomona as a character felt like an over exaggerated version of piper from it happened one summer. she was spoiled, self-centered, had zero self-awareness, and some how watches one youtube video and becomes a baking prodigy? okay. lol. she was insufferable. i thought she'd have a redemption arc, but it wasn't enough to make me feel anything for her.

the rest of the story felt entirely cliche. the characters were surface level boring, the mystery plot was predictable and unenticing, the dialogue felt juvenile (these characters spoke like YA characters but were pushing 30???), and everything worked out so perfectly that i didn't even end up caring about literally anything. it all felt so shallow. this had so much potential!!

With some heavy *Only Murders in the Building* energy, I adored Pomona Afton and this cozy murder mystery.

After Pom’s grandmother is found murdered, everything is frozen and nothing can be touched - no more living in the family hotels, no more trust fund - unless the murder is solved. What’s a spoiled heiress to do? She calls up her former nanny (with whom she’s still close) who lets her know that her son is looking for a roommate and he can probably hook her up with a job. She moves in, tries working and decides that solving the murder would be easier than working everyday, and goes about doing just that, with the help of her new roommate, Gabe. Since the entire family is surrounded by lawyers and wont speak with outsiders, Pomona has the best chance of actually being able to find the guilty party, and regain her life.

I really liked Pom as a MC, I enjoyed this fun debut, and I look forward to reading more of the author’s future titles.



*Thank you to Atria/Emily Beatles Books and NetGalley for the DRC*

a very fun read! the description fit it perfectly! i laughed a lot and loved pomona and gabe as a team. i wish it were a little more suspenseful, but i would absolutely still recommend. hoping pomona finds herself in some more crazy situations!

If you enjoy Hallmark Mystery movies, you’ll love this part RomCom/part Mystery book. A spoiled heiress temporarily loses her trust fund and living quarters after her grandmother is murdered. She’s forced to move in with a roommate and get a job. Meanwhile, she and her handsome new roommate decide to investigate the murder together however, it also leads to a wonderful love story. I enjoyed Pomona’s character growth throughout the story and can’t wait to see what she investigates next!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

3.5⭐️This was a light, easy, fun read.

Pomona is a stereotypical trust fund girl with zero ambitions aside from partying. Then, one morning, after a night of drinking, she finds her grandmother has been murdered.

The family finds out that Grandma's will states that all assets are frozen if she dies of "unusual circumstances." Pomona must now figure out who killed her grandmother.

Along the way to solving the murder, Pomona learns important life lessons and who she really wants to be.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

Pomona Afton is American royalty. Her silver spoon has never known tarnish… until now. When the Afton Matriarch, her Grandmother, is brutally murdered the family’s inheritance is frozen. Pomona finds herself without… without money, without a home, without her friends. Pomona’s childhood nanny suggests she moves in with her son, Gabe, who’s in need of a roommate. Gabe and Pomona become a team- focused on finding a murderer and consequently becoming each other’s champion.

You’ll love this story of Schitt’s creek meets Maid To Order (1987) with a murder mystery twist. @bellamyrosebooks I hope this isn’t the last of Pomona and Gabe- I loved every bit of this. PS- red stiletto on cover is perfection.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for this #advancedreaderscopy -publication date is 3/18/25

#2025bookchallengebook19of100
#pomonaaftoncansosolveamurder
#netgalley
#stilletoscankill

What do you get when you cross a Paris Hilton (or London Tipton for my Disney channel girlies) with Only Murders in the Building? This quick little mystery!!

Pomona Afton is THE it girl, and alongside her gang of gals with equally silly names (including Coriander, a spice I would never have guess could be a name), is living it up as part of the wealthy elite of NYC. That is, until her grandma, the matriarch of the family hotel business, is found murdered in her apartment. With no warning, Pom is left homeless, jobless, and broke- and with essentially no skills to fix her circumstances.

Our gal is sweet but kind of clueless, well intentioned but unaware, and resilient even if she doesn’t want to be. Pomona’s skills of charming people, pushing herself to improve, and committing to the bit make her a fun character to spend a few hours of reading with!

The murder mystery aspect feels very OMITB, and Pom is a fan of a true crime podcast in the same vein as the show which was a nice touch! I was able correct from my earliest guess (go me!!), but unraveling everything was a fun experience!

Thanks so much to Bellamy Rose and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Pomona Afton is one of those fallen-from-grace society elites that has an endearing personality along with her reality check. This book was fun and Pom had no shortage of witty one-liners in her inner dialogue. If you're looking for an elaborate mystery, this may not be for you, but it is a fun story of a young woman who's had it all but suddenly has nothing. The mystery didn't have too much actual investigation and there didn't seem to be too much emotion in any aspect of the story, but it all worked together for an easy, light read that I'd recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books & Bellamy Rose for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a fun mystery debut for Bellamy Rose! Don't you just love a pen-name-pivot to a new genre?! I've read her work as Amanda Elliot so I am not surprised at all that I enjoyed this so much.

Anxious readers that stay away from mystery- this book will be very palatable for you. The stakes are low and I LOVED how a little romance was mixed in! It's very much giving Schitt's Creek plus Adult Gossip Girl and Pomona reminds me so much of our beloved Cher, from Clueless.

This was a fun murder mystery with a little romance mixed in. It definitely kept me hooked from the beginning. I loved the character growth that happened with Pomona. A quick and easy read!


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!