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!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. Although intended to be a bit of a caricature, Pomona was multi-dimensional and likeable. The amount of romance was just right and added to the story. I look forward to future books by the author.

3.75/5 rounded up

Thank you Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the advanced reading copy!

I really enjoyed this book! Expected a cozy mystery and definitely got some of thurs vibes, plus some romance and a coming of age story!!

Pomona could have easily been an insufferable main character — spoiled and ignorant and conceited. However, I really loved her. While she did definitely have some flaws, she grew so much throughout the book and had more insight than I would have expected from this character.

Gabe was so sweet and a great counter to Pomona’s chaos. He was steady and supportive and their dynamic was so cute!

The mystery itself was intriguing, too! I really wasn’t sure where things were going and the author did a great job of creating red herrings that were believable enough to add some twists and turns throughout. This one might not totally blow your mind but I do think most readers will be surprised by the way things turned out!

Overall had lots of fun with this one and kinda got the vibe they’re setting up for a sequel/series?! I would definitely be down for that!

This was my first time reading Bellamy Rose. It was relatively well written, and the book was an easy read. The plot was never too "graphic" and was a simply sweet ending. The "Heiress/Social Media Queen" plot didn't really resonate with me. Would recommend for a light read with nothing too intense.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this story and give my unbiased opinion.

Schitt’s Creek is 100% my comfort sitcom, so when I saw a new mystery novel centered on a spoiled heiress who must solve her grandmother’s death to gain back her trust fund, I was all in!

Pomona Afton finds herself evicted, credit cards, frozen, and nowhere to go after her grandmother’s murder freezes the family assets until the crime is solved. She is rescued by her former nanny’s son, Gabe, who needs a roommate in his tiny apartment and who offers Pomona a barista at the local coffee shop he manages. She convinces him to assist her in solving the murder so she can get back her life and get out of his hair ASAP!

I adored Pomona’s ‘fish out of water’ experience as she rides the subway, works for tips with disgruntled customers, and is forced to cook her own food. The plot is also packed with plenty of rich people behaving badly, back-stabbing, drama, and twists! The more time Pomona and Gabe spend together however, their chemistry escalates to something they both must determine if it is ‘real’ or could be something worth pursuing.

With a great balance of humor and heart, tons of character growth, and a satisfying reveal, I had a great time with this story. My only complaint is that is read more YA or NA to me, as Ponoma had a naivety that made her act younger than other mid-20 something characters.

Thank you to Atria books for my gifted digital ARC and finished copy in exchange for my honest review!

This book is about a spoiled heiress getting a reality check when her grandma is murdered and she's disinherited from the family. Unless.... she can find the murderer before the deadline and her money is permanently gone.

This was a really interesting premise that I enjoyed reading. Very short and sweet book. Pomona was a little annoying but that was how she was designed and it was nice to see her character develop throughout the book as she realizes how much work it actually is to survive in NYC. The murder investigation also felt very straightforward as we were led through the story. 3.75/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.