Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder surprised me in the best way. I came in expecting a fluffy cozy mystery, but what I found was a clever blend of sass, scandal, and self-discovery—all wrapped up in a murder investigation that kept me hooked from page one.

Pomona is the kind of character you can’t help but root for. She starts off as a down-on-her-luck heiress who’s more Prada than practical, but watching her evolve into an amateur sleuth with real grit and heart was so satisfying. She’s witty, self-aware, and just flawed enough to feel real. Her voice is sharp and funny, and I loved being in her head as she pieced together the mystery.

The plot itself has all the best cozy elements—family secrets, a nosy main character with no real credentials, and of course, a murder that hits close to home. I did suspect the killer before the big reveal, but that didn’t take away from the drama or emotional payoff. The motive behind the murder genuinely surprised me and added depth to what could’ve been a one-note villain.

I also really appreciated the romantic subplot—it’s slow-burn and swoony without taking over the main story. Gabe is charming and grounded, the perfect foil to Pomona’s sometimes chaotic energy.

I will say the pacing lagged just a bit in the middle, but it picked up quickly once Pomona got serious about her investigation.

If you love cozy mysteries with strong female leads, a touch of glam, and a solid mystery at its heart, this one’s worth picking up.

Thank you to Atria for the eARC!

Pomona Afton can SO solve a murder and spoiler: she did! After Pomona’s grandmother, the head of the Afton hotel chain, is murdered following a charity gala, everyone learns that this murder was anticipated. At the last minute, her grandmother added a clause to her will: if she dies from foul play, the whole family’s assets will be seized and their trust funds will be frozen until the murder is solved.

Pomona, a rich socialite who’s never worked a day in her life, has to give up her personal chef, her driver, and the rest of her lifestyle in a mere 30 minutes. However will she learn to slum it like a regular person until the police figure out what happens to her grandmother?

With nowhere to turn, she calls her childhood nanny, Andrea, who tells her that her son is looking for a roommate. Pomona moves in with Gabe, gets a job at the coffee shop he manages, and overall begins to live in the real world for once.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the setting and premise and felt the cozy mystery was well thought out. I guessed why the murder happened, but not who did it, which is rarely ever the case and it made it fun. Pomona grows a lot as a character throughout the story and honestly I really grew to love her!

Thank you Net Galley and Simon and Schuster for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

✨ Review: Pomona Afton Can Solve a Murder by Bellamy Rose ✨

I absolutely loved this book! If you’ve ever wondered how Paris Hilton might solve a murder, this is the book for you.

Pomona’s character was such a delight — her fall from grace and awkward attempts at blending into “normal life” had me laughing out loud. Getting a peek into her chaotic inner monologue made her even more endearing (and hilarious)!

I also really enjoyed Gabe’s character. He was charming and a great balance to Pomona’s larger-than-life personality, though I would’ve loved to see a bit more character development for him.

What really worked for me was the relationship between Pomona and Gabe. I loved how their dynamic started off as hostile — full of witty banter and clashing egos — but gradually grew into a true partnership as they worked together.

The murder mystery itself was a little predictable at times, but the why behind it kept me guessing until the end. Overall, this was a fun, fresh, and highly entertaining cozy mystery that I would absolutely recommend!

Wealthy, aimless hotel heiress Pomona Afton has never had much to worry about besides placating her older relatives. The twenty-something spends her days figuring out what she’s going to wear to whichever party is next on her schedule, and doing whatever fashionable things the other pretty young people of her social set are currently into. So when her grandmother and family matriarch – and all-around unpleasant person – Marion Afton calls her repeatedly ahead of the benefit gala Pomona’s mother is throwing one evening, she knows it’s a conversation she can’t dodge, especially since Marion has been grumbling more about disinheriting people than usual lately.

Interestingly, Marion wants to meet in person. Pomona manages to fob Grandma off till brunch the next day, but a night of post-gala partying means that she misses even more calls. Contrite and a little hung over the next morning, Pomona heads upstairs to the luxury apartment where Marion lives in their flagship hotel. To her horror, she finds her grandmother brutally stabbed to death.

Pomona has barely gotten over the shock of finding her grandmother’s corpse in such a horrific fashion when even more bad news hits. Marion had recently changed her will, stipulating that in the case of her unnatural death, all her assets are to be frozen, with the business placed in the hands of a caretaker council who will do the bare minimum to run it for a year. Her family is to be kicked out of all of her properties in the meantime, and will forfeit any right to her estate if her death remains unsolved once the year is up.

Homeless and far poorer than she ever expected to be, a desperate Pomona winds up turning to her former nanny Andrea for help. Andrea suggests that Pomona move in with her son Gabe, who needs a roommate. Despite a lot of initial awkwardness, Pomona and the much more down-to-earth Gabe strike up a friendship motivated by a desire to solve Marion’s murder, as Andrea could definitely use the generous bequest previously promised to her in Marion’s will.

To her surprise, Pomona finds herself surprisingly good at investigating, with or without Gabe. He certainly doesn’t have the same people skills that she does, though he does have other strengths:

QUOTE
He couldn’t take time off again to come on this last-minute investigation with me–his manager was apparently coming in–which, honestly, fine. After the way he’d bungled things with Fred, me taking the lead on this one seemed appropriate. And I could afford to take the time off–the money in my account from that long-ago sunglasses campaign would pay for several months of rent and living expenses as long as I was careful about my spending. I’d never been careful about spending before so hopefully this would work out. Gabe had advised a spreadsheet, but I had zero desire to involve spreadsheets in my life.
END QUOTE

As Pomona learns how to be independent – and, finally, to be appreciated for who she is and what she’s capable of, instead of being boxed into what’s expected of her – she also gets closer to the truth about what happened to her grandmother. Marion had suspected that one of her heirs had murderous intentions towards her. Had she been right? And will Pomona be able to unmask a killer without risking death herself?

This warmhearted novel expertly blends murder mystery with romantic comedy and more than a smidgeon of coming-of-age story. For being a spoiled and often oblivious heiress, Pomona is surprisingly relatable. Her family has never really given her a chance to grow, quashing any of her attempts at achieving independence from their rigid set of expectations. It’s so great to watch her slowly come into her own:

QUOTE
Mom cast a disdainful eye at the remainder of my sandwich. “Are you sure you want to eat that? You don’t exactly have the funds right now to buy an entire wardrobe in a larger size.”

I had about a quarter left: the best bite I’d been saving for the end, the one with the perfect harmony of ingredients, the vegetables in balance with the cheese and bread. I stared at it. A month ago it would’ve transformed in my mind’s eye into a giant writhing cockroach, and I would’ve dropped it on the plate in order to earn the slightest glint of approval in my mom’s eye.

But this was now, and now I crammed the entire thing in my mouth at once. “Yum,” I said around the mouthful of food so big I could barely even chew it. I could choke on it, and I’d die triumphant.
END QUOTE

I very much hope this is the first in a series, as Pomona and Gabe are a delightful sleuthing duo. Bellamy Rose writes with both heart and a hilarious sense of humor: the rhino jokes in the first chapter had me cackling. Perhaps most importantly, she knows how to sustain suspense in both her mystery and romance plots, making for a sweetly satisfying combination of both.

Is it wrong to say this was a ton of fun, even though there was a murder? Pomona Afton is an affluent hotel heiress, who's maybe a a touch out of touch with the general population. When her very unlikeable Grandmother is murdered and everyone's trust funds are frozen, Pom decides she needs to solve the murder so she can get her life back. This story played out like a movie in my head, there were a lot of hilarious moments, heartfelt ones and growth (on Pom's part). I liked her chemistry with her forced roommate, Gabe. I thought the unwinding of all the suspects was well done and kept you guessing. Overall a ton of fun and enjoyable read. A great combo of cozy mystery with rich people behaving badly. Can't wait for the next book!
Thank you Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the copy through NetGalley.

The beginning was a little slow for me, but it quickly picked up and I dove in and absorbed this as quickly as I could. I loved her character development and how the investigation progressed. The ending was a little predictable but I loved the journey to get there! Can't wait for more!

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder is an engaging cozy mystery that keeps you guessing. The protagonist, Pomona, is both charming and clever, and her knack for solving problems adds a fun, relatable touch. The plot is well paced, with plenty of intriguing clues and subtle twists that kept me hooked from start to finish. Rose balances the mystery with light humor and warm characters, making it a compelling read without feeling too heavy. Overall, a solid addition to the cozy mystery genre. Entertaining and well crafted, definitely worth a read!

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder by Bellamy Rose
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When heiress Pomona Afton finds that her grandmother has been murdered her life drastically changes. Now she is renting a room from a man she just met, working at a coffee shop, all while being cut off from her trust fund. Can she solve who killed her grandma and get her life back to normal?
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What I liked:
-Pomona is pretty ignorant and very spoiled at the beginning of this story and I LOVED seeing her learn that she wasn’t truly happy.
-There were a lot of people Pomona suspected throughout the story but I kind of knew who it had to be early on.
-I really liked Gabe and enjoyed seeing Pomona make friends with Gabe and learn a lot from him.
-I really, really liked the scene where Pomona had dinner with her brother and his girlfriend. 💜
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Overall this was an entertaining murder mystery with a romcom flair to it.

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder by Bellamy Rose turned out to be a fun entertaining romantic mystery novel. I had downloaded it and was not sure I would read it. Then looking trough my pile for something quick and light I thought ok give it a quick try.

It did not disappoint. If you like a romance novel this is fits the genre and adds a mystery to the plot. Pomona is a spoiled brat. At the age of 20 something, she lives in a hotel that her family owns. She has all the money, clothes and wait staff she could every want. She does not work, left college and just parties and posts online. She is an influencer, sharing her lifestyle to viewers for ratings.

Then her Grandmother is murdered and all te money and luxury living is pulled out from under her. She has to go out and live like the average person in New York. Her childhood nanny sets her up as the roommate with her son, Gabe. Gabe helps Pom get a job in the coffeeshop he manages.

Pom starts to learn what it is like to really be a caring human being. She learns to actually care about other people, not just take advantage of those around her for her own gain.

Of course Pom and Gabe start to work together to find out who killed her grandmother. There is light suspense, romance and humor. A good book for a snowy day or a beach read.

This was a highly entertaining and swoony read, I super recommend this for folks who like cozy murder mystery romance! ++ the MC has amazing Alexis Rose vibes <3

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

This book is a mystery rom-com in which a spoiled hotel heiress must solve a murder. I loved the characters, I was truly wrapped up in the mystery. I love the authors writing style. I was sooo excited when the ending suggested this will be a series?! This was funny in all the right places and a delight to read.

Pomona Afton went from spoiled heiress to practically penniless overnight.

This was such a fun and easy read! It was a murder mystery, but it wasn’t all that dark or gruesome.

I loved seeing Pomona’s character grow. She had to learn to live without everything she was used to. And she became more humble.

Gabe was so kind and sweet, if not a little gruff at first. He was helping Pomona solve who murdered her grandma for his own reasons, but he ended up growing closer to Pomona during that time.

There were so many twists and suspects. I did predict whodunnit, but it was still fun watching Pomona and Gabe try to figure it out.

Thanks to Atria for the eARC. All thoughts are my
own.

The cover was trendy, the title had me hooked—but the book? Not so much. Shallow, narrow-minded characters that left me rolling my eyes. Gabe was the only one I’d grab coffee with. The mystery felt more like a surprise guest at a party than an actual twist—no buildup, no payoff.

This was an easy and fun mystery. It's a good "bridge" mystery for teens or young-20-something's who are working their way from YA into adult titles. I like to think of it as a mystery, if the CW orchestrated it.

A spoiled socialite is cut off from all her money and kicked out of her suite at their family-owned hotel after her grandmother is murdered, which triggers a clause in her will, freezing all assets unless her murder is solved and resolves her family members of guilt.

She had a premonition someone wanted her dead. Turns out she was right. Pomona, at once completely clueless but also more capable than her family gives her credit for (think Cher from Clueless), finds a place to live (with her former nanny's son), finds a job (at a coffee shop, but it's a job), and decides to find the killer with the help of her new roommate (who just might be something more?).

It's hilarious and heartwarming, and I loved watching her entitled demeanor thaw into something much more human and relatable. She acknowledges her privilege and begins to see the world differently, no longer taking her wealth and opportunities for granted. And the romance was swoony and I felt like their relationship developed super naturally.

I couldn't put it down. It was compulsively readable.

This cozy murder mystery was a fun and fast-paced read! Pomona and the other characters were so well-rounded and subtlety funny. The plot was interesting and provided plenty of twists and red herrings, with a surprising, satisfying ending! If you think you know who-did-it, you're probably wrong. I always admire a female ameture sluth, and watching Pomona transform into a vapid socialite into a smart goal-oriented young woman was amazing. Definitely would recommend to those who love a smart cozy mystery.

I really enjoyed this romantic murder mystery. Imagine a hotel heiress a la Paris Hilton, but somehow likeable a la London Tipton from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody or Alexis Rose from Schitt’s Creek, has to solve her grandma’s untimely death via stiletto, or risk losing her inheritance forever. And add in a hot sidekick. It’s a fun time!

I tried, but it wasn’t as much fun as I wanted it to be. The mystery felt obvious, and the characters ran flat for me.

3 ⭐
This lighthearted mystery follows Pomona, a disowned heiress turned amateur sleuth, whose determination to solve her grandmother's murder brings her through new scary new territory (Queens) and into the arms of her hero (and new flatmate). If you can imagine that Paris Hilton and Only Murders in the Building had a love child, this would be the result.

Overall, it's an easy, entertaining read for fans of cozy whodunits and amateur detective stories. I enjoyed this story and give it a solid three stars.

Thank you Net Galley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A lighthearted mystery with a touch of romance. Spoiled heiress, Pom, has her life turned upside down when her grandmother is murdered. Her trust fund is frozen and she kicked out of her palatial hotel suite until her grandmothers murder is solved. She teams up with her new roommate to try to get her life back.