What a great story. I love Pomona! What a great character and Gabe was also a great addition to this story. I could not stop reading this story, the character and scene development was great so I felt like I was watching this great movie in my minds eye.

I highly recommend this book.

I want to thank NetGalley and Attia Books for this advanced copy and this is my honest opinion.

First off, thank you so much to NetGalley, Bellamy Rose, and the publishers for an ARC of this debut novel!!

From the first page, I knew I was going to like this book. It drew me right in. It was my first murder/mystery, romantic/comedy. And boy did it deliver! It was fun, fast paced, and more thoughtful than I expected.

I loved Pomona and how she slowly found herself by losing everything. I love how she grew, realized some not nice things about herself and adapted. And changed. And wanted to be better for herself and make a change in other lives as well. Not for anyone’s approval, but her own. I really loved that. She reminded me of all the best parts of Alexis Rose. She is one of my new favorite literary characters.
I also enjoyed Gabe and how they could admit their mistakes to eachother so there was no “miscommunication trope” in this book. I liked how he made her want to stand up for herself and the romance wasn’t the main focus of the story.
The pacing was perfect, the way they moved from suspect to suspect and when the murderer was revealed, it was perfect. I also enjoyed how she mended the broken relationships in her life as she went along and became the best version of herself.
This book was fun read. I can’t wait to see what else Bellamy Rose publishes! I’ll be adding her to my automatic author buys!

I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book!

This book was a very enjoyable read. I read it in a few sittings and was hooked after just a short time reading. The story was well paced and the characters were well developed.

📚 Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder
✍ Bellamy Rose
📖 Cozy Mystery
⭐3/5
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➡ When the matriarch to a hotel empire is found stabbed to death in her hotel, her entire family suddenly finds themselves disinherited from her estate. To win back access to her trust, her granddaughter Pomona takes things into her own hands but she finds that to catch a killer, she may just get a little help along the way.
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🙏 Thank you to Atria Books, NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy of Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder. All opinions are my own.
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🎯 What I loved: Picture Paris Hilton getting accidentally disinherited and having to solve a murder while getting her first actual job and you've got the concept of this book. It's light and perfect for someone who wants a mystery but without any creepies or chills. There are a few LOL moments and some sweet reflections on friendship and family.

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: When a story is centered around a riches-to-rags heroine, I tend to expect a lot of character growth but I didn't see much of that in this book. I'm not sure if it was the way that it was paced or that the 'growth' was essentially the main character being okay with lifting a finger, but I struggled to find Pomona endearing or see her evolution demonstrated throughout this story. There were also a lot of loose ends that were never tied up. For example, we never truly find out why Pomona's grandmother wanted to meet with her so urgently the morning of the murder or what was going on financially with the hotel chain. In such a short book, I would expect the loose ends to get tied up because you don't really have time to forget about them between the beginning and end.
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Read if you love:
* lighthearted mysteries
* riches to rags stories
* family secrets
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See also: The Maid, Someone Else's Shoes, Finlay Donovan is Killing It

Fun modern take on a cozy mystery. More for millennials than boomers, all the fun and none of the recipes

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for the ARC!

This combined two of my favorite things- Rom Com and Murder Mysteries. Yes please! This was a quick read that was also a lot of fun.

Pomona Afton's goes from a life of luxury to a life of, well, not having any money after her grandmother is murdered and must move out of the Afton Hotel and start her life over until the killer is caught. As she's navigating this new life, she discovers secrets along the way as she begins her investigation into the murder.

The love interest, Gabe, was just what you want from a book boyfriend- sweet and supportive.

The biggest thing I liked about this book was Pomona's character arc and how she changed throughout the book. Well done!

I'm excited to read more (if there are more!). Pom's got some more cases in her, I know it!

Better than expected. A fun mystery and I liked Pom more than I thought I would. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Give me a murder mystery with a love story any day! I enjoyed being on this journey with Pomona as she navigates life and trying to solve her grandmother’s murder. Then add in Gabe and I was hooked!

This book was so fun! I didn't think I would like Pomona at the start of the book, but she quickly turned herself around. I'm not sure how realistic Pom's mind shift was, since it was like she experienced something one time and changed her attitude immediately. This definitely helped with the pacing of the book, though and kept it interesting.

The touch of romance was perfect in this book. Their banter was great and I loved the scenes where they were on bluetooth with each other so they could really get to know and understand each other.

When I started the book, it seemed like a lot of things pointed toward one person being the murderer but I was definitely incorrect. I don't read a lot of murder mysteries, so I was not expecting that person to be the killer.

Overall a great read that I would recommend!

Legally Blonde meets Only Murders in the Building and it's delightful. This is a story that doesn't take itself too seriously yet keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting for more clues. I adored the entertaining ensemble of characters, the hilarious dialogue, and even the lessons that our heiress heroine learns in the midst of solving the case. And the romance plot was icing on the cake. 4/5⭐

Pomona Afton, a hotel heiress, has lived a life of luxury for her entire life. Therefore, when her grandma, head of Afton hotels, winds up murdered, Pomona suddenly finds herself on the street with no job, no place to live, and no money due to a clause in her late grandma’s will. In order to get her life back, Pomona must take matters into her own hands and solve the murder.

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder was a cute and lighthearted book that reminded me a little bit of the Finlay Donovan series. This mystery didn’t take itself too seriously and was filled with lovable and quirky characters. The mystery itself was not very hard to guess, but the best part of the book for me was Pomona's character growth as she had to make ends meet in the real world. Overall, I enjoyed this novel and would recommend to anyone who likes cozy mysteries with a touch of romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

The writing was fairly good, but I couldn’t get very invested in the characters or the story. Pomona seemed to be a conglomeration of various trust fund babies on social media…a world I’ve never been interested in. Her character did have some growth throughout the story however, which was fun to watch.

If you loved Knives Out, you should definitely give this book a read. It had all of the twists, murder investigations, and snobby rich people you could ever want, and had a side of a very cute romance. This book is about a woman who learns how to live in the world after she’s forced out of her apartment, locked out of her bank accounts, and forced to live with a very cute guy and an even cuter cat. Plus, they solve a murder together! (I don’t know how much the cat helps but I digress.)

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pomona Afton isn’t your typical spoiled, partying heiress. No. She’s a spoiled, partying heiress that is determined to solve her grandmother’s murder. Not just because all of her assets have been frozen and she was kicked out of her family’s hotel and lost everything she’s ever had…. But that definitely has something to do with the reason why.

After losing everything when her grandmother was brutally murdered, Pom teams up with Gabe who teaches her things about the real world while also helping her find her grandmother’s killer. Throughout the journey Pomona learns about herself and the people around her in ways she’s never thought of before.

I thought this was a cute and funny book! It was a fun take on a murder mystery romance and it kept me engaged the whole way through. There are definite twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster, NetGalley, and Bellamy Rose for the eARC!

I was OBSESSED with how cute this is! It reminded me of a hallmark mystery movie. Very cozy but also has you looking on your toes! Loved this!! Fantastic work, definitely recommend.

I ate this book up! This book is filled with humor like Schitt’s Creek and Only Murders in the Building and it was so fun. I was so invested in this mystery that I couldn’t go to bed until I figured out who done it.

Pomona, a Paris Hilton-esque hotel heiress, finds herself trying to solve her grandmother’s murder as her grandmothers’s will states that all accounts are frozen until the culprit is found. Pomona is thrust into the real world with no place to live, no job, and no skills - moving in with her nanny’s son is her only option. These two become novice detectives unearthing family secrets to solve the crime and unfreeze their expected inheritances.

Pomona learns the importance of surrounding yourself with people who love you fully, that money doesn’t buy happiness, and that she can prove herself even when others underestimate her.

This was such a fun and cozy mystery rom-com! While mostly lighthearted, there were some emotional moments that I loved so much.

I genuinely really loved Pomona. She had her moments of being stuck up and mean, but ultimately she’s a kind person. Gabe was just so lovely. Their team up was just so fun, cute, and hilarious. The side characters were interesting and fleshed out.

The mystery was so well done. While a bit predictable, I was still impressed with the execution of the story. The pacing was perfect. The writing was easy to read and fit the story well.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I don’t normally read mystery rom-coms, but this made me want to explore this genre more! Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder and Bellamy Rose can So write a book! This was absolutely one of my most fun reads in a minute. Pom, a hotel heiress who finds her self suddenly cutoff following her grandmother's murder, is our leading lady taking us along with her as she learns to navigate the real word, solve a murder, and fall in love at the same time. Fans of Ally Carter will love this one!

Think of a hotel heiress like Paris Hilton, but losing everything because of a clause in a will. Because of the untimely death of her grandmother, Ponoma has to leave the Afton hotel with a bag in tote and move into an apartment, shared by Gabe, the son of Pom's old nanny. Rather than sitting around, Pom decides to try to solve the case herself. The story is a fun read, captivating writing from the start of the novel.

Okay, let’s start with the obvious: this book is exactly what you’d expect from a rom-com murder mystery—glitzy, snarky, and absurdly fun in concept. But like Pomona herself, it sometimes trips over its own designer stilettos trying to juggle the drama, the humor, and the whodunit.

Pomona Afton is every spoiled heiress stereotype wrapped in sequins and topped with a martini. She stumbles into her grandmother’s murder like she stumbles into every scene: clueless but fabulous. Her transformation from "Do I have to touch the subway pole?" to amateur sleuth is entertaining, if predictable. The problem? She’s more “TikTok influencer solving crimes for clout” than Nancy Drew. She’s hilarious, but her character growth feels rushed, like she suddenly trades her Louboutins for morality in the last 50 pages.

Then there’s Gabe, the grumpy hot guy from the wrong side of the wealth gap. He’s basically the human version of a fixer-upper: rough edges, hidden charm, and just enough emotional baggage to keep things spicy. The chemistry between him and Pom is chef’s kiss, but their enemies-to-lovers arc? Predictable as a Hallmark holiday movie, and I say that with love.

As for the murder mystery, let’s just say Grandma Afton’s murder had all the intrigue of an episode of Clue for Rich People. The setup is fun—paranoid society queen slips a “solve my murder or lose all the money” clause into her will—but the mystery itself feels like it’s playing second fiddle to the romance. Pom and Gabe’s sleuthing often veers into Scooby-Doo territory, minus the dog and with way more champagne.

What did work? The dialogue. The banter is on point, the insults are delightfully biting, and Pomona’s inner monologue could have its own reality show. The commentary on class differences hits some solid emotional beats, but it’s hard to take seriously when Pom complains about losing her penthouse while eating ramen for the first time.

Final thoughts: This book is like a sparkly cocktail at an exclusive party—fun, a little shallow, and best enjoyed with zero expectations. If you’re looking for a rom-com murder mystery with ridiculous antics and rich-people drama, this is for you.