4.5/5
This book was so charming and good! The characters were well written and I had no idea what avenue the mystery element was going to go down next. I also loved that the romance in this book was kept toned down - it helped to keep the focus on the mystery while also making the main characters’ relationship seem more realistic.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing the e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This cozy mystery was a quick read but I did not really connect with it. The pacing was a little off and at times felt rushed.

I was pleasantly surprised by this cozy mystery featuring a down-and-out hotel heiress, Pomona Afton, who'd be right at home with Alexis Rose and Paris Hilton. After finding her grandmother dead and getting booted from the hotel in which she lives, Pomona moves in with her former nanny's son, Gabe. Together, Pomona and Gabe work to solve her grandmother's murder so that she can get her life back on track--although now that she's an amateur detective and budding chef, will she want to return to how she was?

I appreciated that attentive readers could put the clues together and guess the murderer by about the first third of the book. It made it more believable that Pomona and Gabe would be able to solve the mystery--they were complete novices, after all. Meanwhile, it was funny and heartwarming to watch Pomona grow up over the course of the book.

Probably a few too many side characters (I'm looking at you, Vienna, the ex-bestie who just sort of reappears), but overall it was a sweet rom-com of a mystery. It's definitely set up to be the start of a series, and I'm looking forward to what Pomona gets up to next.

3.5/5

This was so campy and fun!!! I basically read in one sitting. I found Pomona to be such a likable character and I loved her character growth throughout the story. Just goes to show that issues with standing up for yourself, setting boundaries, and self esteem can happen to someone in any tax bracket. I thought that whodunnit was well plotted out and I was ultimately satisfied with the conclusion of the story. I thought it was a good balance between romance/personal development and mystery. Overall, just a really fun time!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

This fun cozy mystery was a quick read. It has resonances of Schitt’s Creek and Only Murders in the Building, which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed getting to know Pom and follow her journey toward self-sufficiency and empathy. Would recommend!

Thank you to Bellamy Rose, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and NetGalley, for giving me an eARC of Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder.

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder follows Pomona, a spoiled heiress who has never wanted for anything in her entire life. When her grandmother is murdered and her assets frozen until the murderer is caught, Pomona is determined to take things into her own hands. Or she will be. First, she has to find a place to live and a way to earn some money, two things she has never had to worry about. Then with the help of Gabe, her former nanny's son, Pomona will set out to solve the murder.

This book was a quick, fun read. I enjoyed Pomona's rags-to-riches storyline. Even Pomona was able to acknowledge that yes, a month ago some of the things that she is currently doing she never would have dreamed of doing. This experience of losing everything is eye opening to her, eventually. First though, she is determined to survive largely out of spite alone. No one believes she can do it, and she is determined to prove them wrong. And that spite it what leads to her growth. We got to see Pomona figure out who she is alongside figuring out who murdered her grandmother. Her relationship with Gabe did feel a little forced, but the book is short so there is less time for the tension to build. Make no mistake, this is not really a romance story, it a mystery and a story of personal growth, with a minor subplot of romance. The mystery itself was fun because there were so many different people who could have killed someone who was just plain unlikeable. It was not a big shock at the end who killed the grandmother, though at the same time, there were several people who they could have said did it and I would not have been all that surprised. It is a fun mystery that kept me on my toes and engaged to the very end, and in all honesty, that is all I care about with mysterys sometimes.

This book definitely has the Heiress to Pauper vibes I was hoping for, but the plot seemed to drag out and didn’t move forward very quickly. I did enjoy the character development however.

This was a fun read. I loved getting to see Pomona grow from a seemingly vapid heiress into a woman who no longer bows down to others & believes in her own strength. Gabe was goals and had me swooning. The murder aspect added a nice mystery to an otherwise more light hearted romance.

it didn't fully meet my expectations. Pomona's witty, offbeat personality was enjoyable, and the plot had some nice twists. However, the pacing was uneven, and some scenes felt like they didn’t advance the mystery enough. The solution also felt a bit rushed. While it’s a light and entertaining read, I think it could’ve used more depth, especially with the secondary characters. Still, it’s a fun choice for cozy mystery fans.

Rating this 3.75/5

Pomona Afton is a rich brat who lives a life full of galas, parties, and luxurious vacations. When her grandmother dies under less than normal circumstances, all of the Afton family resources are temporarily frozen until the mystery of her death can be solved. Overnight, Pom finds herself homeless and almost broke, and she must solve this case to regain access to her trust.
This book kept me engaged right from the beginning. Pom's adjustment from luxury to working-class life reminded me of Alexis and David's plight in Schitt's Creek. The author manages to make her character just as adorable as the popular brother-sister duo.
The author has kept the story simple—a mystery with some romance in the background. The plot is fast-moving, not too complex, and interesting. I loved the Afton family politics and dynamics. The writing is witty and, at times, hilarious. Once, I laughed so hard that my coffee came out of my nose! While some elements didn't make sense, the book's entertainment value overshadowed these issues.

Advanced Book Review! Thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
“A spoiled heiress must investigate her grandmother’s death in order to gain back her trust fund, all while discovering how to be her own person and maybe even falling in love in this rom-com meets murder mystery.”
This is Amanda Elliot’s first novel under the name Bellamy Rose. A bit of a departure from her previous novels in that this is a cozy mystery, but I loved it just the same.
When Pomona Afton, an Upper East Side hotel heiress, modeled after Paris Hilton, finds her mean, greedy grandmother dead, she teams up with Gabe, the son of her former nanny to solve the mystery of her grandmother’s murder in order to save her fortune.
Ok hear me out, even though this book was about solving a murder, I found it truly delightful. Bellamy Rose manages to make Pomona Afton, a spoiled brat of NYC high society, quite a likeable character. I loved her banter with Gabe and the journey they go through with various characters in their lives to try to identify the killer.
I also really enjoyed reading about how Pomona’s life changed when she lost her money and how she realized that maybe the way she lived before wasn’t working anymore. The author gave her such a great character arc as she became more caring, compassionate and independent. I love how Gabe was kind of there to help show her the way but Pomona really went through a journey of self-discovery that was still really entertaining to read.
A staple of Amanda Elliot’s book is her writing about food and I love that she managed to infuse this book with descriptions of delicious-sounding food, mostly desserts, as Pomona begins to create a life for herself apart from her trust fund.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

I was super intrigued by this book because it reminded me of the tv show Only Murders in the Building. Mystery & romance is my jam so I was so hyped for this.

Rose does a fantastic job with this story. I felt the character of Pomona was so great. I really enjoyed her character arc. Watching her grow and form real relationships was a joy to read. Plus she's chaotic energy which is so much fun. Gabe was a perfect foil for Pomona. He's a gentle soul who really opens Pomona to seeing the beauty in small things. Their scenes together were so cute and had me audibly going awww.

They mystery definitely is reminiscent of Only Murders in the Building with unconventional sleuthing. I enjoyed these aspects of it and was thoroughly entertained.

If you enjoy mystery books with a classic romcom romance, give this book a try!

What if Paris Hilton lost her fortune after being cut off from her inheritance due to a family murder? To reclaim it, she must uncover the killer’s identity—that’s the premise of this book. Overall, I found it to be an entertaining and lighthearted whodunit mystery with a touch of rom-com. It was a fun, easy read, but not particularly memorable. The romance element didn’t resonate with me, but I thought the writing itself was excellent. I believe this is the author’s debut novel, and I’d be interested in reading more from her in the future. This did remind me a little bit of Ally Carter books like The Blonde Identity and The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, so if you loved those, you would probably enjoy this one too.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an Arc copy.

4.25

Super cute! At least for a book about a murder. Once I got myself past wondering how the Aftons still had working cell phones and nothing else. I am still wondering (cough cough). Burning question set aside, if not answered, I was able to enjoy the book for what it was. It is not Agatha Christie, but a cute story where I could empathize with Pomona and her struggles, even though I currently live about as far from the Upper East Side as one could get and have not recently lost a trust fund. A young, rich socialite as an amateur sleuth is new to me and a nice change from the small-town baker or innkeeper or artisan-cheese maker or owner of a small shop. Pomona’s transformation seemed realistic, though more likely over a slightly longer period of time than in the book. I also have to wonder if only she could have solved the mystery.

But enough about that. What the author did not answer (in addition to the phone question) is whether his name is officially Squeaky now or still whatever the new name was that was never mentioned again. We know she at least will always call him that.

I think this could possibly work for a series, even though there is an epilogue that peeks into the future. It is pretty self contained and you are not left hanging so that the author can stretch a character arc over the course of a series.

This is a clean cozy mystery, though that is more in hindsight rather than being screamed throughout. There is a cat, but he is not as prominent as some cat-lady sleuths. The book has a very manageable number of characters to remember—though I had a cat named Fred growing up and had to remind myself that Fred was a person at each mention—and would appeal to most amateur sleuth fans, even if you cannot relate to the New York social scene. Definitely worth a read!

Thank you to Bellamy Rose, NetGalley, and Atria Books for providing me with a free advanced copy of this ebook for my unbiased review.

#PomonaAfton #NetGalley

Pomona Afton can so solve a murder...and will so win over your heart!

When tragedy strikes the Afton family, Pomona loses everything about her charmed life and decides in order to save the family name and fortune, she will solve the murder of her grandmother. With the help of her childhood nanny's (when did he get so hot?!) son Gabe, she embarks on solving the case, finding herself along the way and learning who she really is without the glitz and glamor of high society life. Along the way, enemies are revealed, new friendships are formed, family bonds are strengthened, and lost cats are found!

This book was everything you could want in a cozy, romantic, and witty read. Pomona's inner dialogue is pretty entertaining, and it's really lovely to see her grow and mature as she navigates a new normal. I loved that she discovered new skills and really became an independent human. Gabe was just so sweet and the perfect match for her.

Sometimes the inner thoughts were a bit repetitive and long-winded, but it definitely didn't distract too much from the joy of reading this book!

4 stars for a heartwarming murder mystery (can truthfully say I've never used all of those words in one description for a book before)!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the ARC! This title will be published on March 18, 2025.

Spoiled heiress Pomona Afton is living her best socialite life — attending galas, racking up charges on the credit card that her grandmother pays off, club-hopping with her friends Opal and Coriander, etc — when the rug is pulled out from under her. Her aforementioned grandmother, head of Afton Hotels, has been murdered, and recently added clause in her will stipulates that none of her beneficiaries get anything until her murder is solved. So with the help of her new roommate, Pomona is out to catch the killer, while she also learns how to live without a penthouse and service staff.

As I read this, I felt like I was experiencing some weird Gossip Girl episode where Serena and Dan cosplayed as private detectives. While she's supposed to be a vapid socialite at the start, it took a bit too long for her to become a likeable character, for me to really care about Pomona getting her life back. It was OK, but nothing to write home about.

Pomona Afton Can so Solve a Murder is a bit romance, a bit cozy mystery and definitely fun!

When Pomona Afton stumbles out of a society gala and into her grandmother’s murder scene, her first thought it that her grandma wouldn’t be missed. She wasn’t the nicest lady and a bit paranoid, so much so that she had written into her will that if she dies under unsavory terms, her assets will be frozen. Overnight, Pomona is kicked out of her apartment in the family’s branch of hotels and with little money. Her family doesn’t seem too concerned with finding grandma’s killer, but Pomona wants her life back. She teams up with the son of her former nanny Gabe, who needs this murder solved so his mother’s retirement account is saved. Pomona and Gabe dig deep to get this murder solved, but easier said than done.

I thought this novel was charming at times. Even though Pomona is a spoiled heiress, it’s never annoying or grating. I enjoyed her journey throughout and her friendship with Gabe. I would say this book is more cozy mystery than serious mystery. It felt a bit fluffy at times. I wish there had been a bit more development and variety in regards to suspects. It might be the lighter tone that didn’t fully hook me with this one and it seems like the suspects were quickly dismissed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Atria books for a free eArc in exchange for my honest review.

If your favorite character from Schitts Creek is Alexis Rose you will definitely love this book!

I finished this book within a day, I could not put it down! I really really enjoyed Pomona's arc, it couldn't have happened any better than it did. I love how she slowly gained her confidence. To stand up to her family members and because of that gain their respect.

Nicholas, Jessica, Gabe and Pomona were by far my favorite characters in this novel. Their interactions warmed my heart and the eventual brother sister bond was beautiful. Certain things rubbed me the wrong way but it didn't diminish from the overall story.

A fun, light read. A little slow to get started but once it starts rolling along you just have to keep reading to find out who sealed grandma Afton’s fate. An interesting glimpse into the trials and tribulations, and glamour of ‘how the other half live’.
Thank You to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was a fun cozy mystery with a dash of romance. Though in the beginning it was a bit slower than I’d prefer, I did enjoy the whodunit aspect of it. I liked seeing Pomona’s character development as she learned how to live in the real world, while also playing detective trying to solve her grandmother’s murder.

Think of Pomona as Paris Hilton-ish, heiress to her family’s hotel empire. And now mix it with a little bit of Gossip Girl and Only Murders in the Building.

Thank you Atria and Netgalley for the arc!