Thank you to the publisher for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Pomona is rich, well her family is, so she has a trust fund and lives in her own unit of her the family floor of their Manhattan hotel. Her life is about attending galas and partying and not much else. Until the day her grandma is murdered and all funds have been frozen until the murder is solved.

Pomona lives on the couch of her brothers girlfriend for a few days then moves into the apartment of her former nanny's son Gabe. While living with Gabe Pomona discovers her love her baking and realizes that she is actually a good baker while she is living with Gabe. She also realizes how hard working actually is and decides with Gabe's help to investigate the murder of her grandma. She knows the murderer has to be someone close to or in the family and the police have no leads. Can Pomona After solve the murder??

I enjoyed this book. It was an entertaining read. I'll be reading more from the author.

This book is such perfection! Sophie Kinsella meets Crazy Rich Asians meets Finlay Donavan. Such a cute and cozy read, especially considering its about solving a murder!

Pomona is beyond rich and never had to worry about anything, besides what she's going to wear to her grandmother's next gala. She's never been looked at as overly smart, but that's okay, because she's just having fun. She has accepted her role within the family. All of that comes to a screeching halt when her grandmother is discovered dead. Not just normal died of old age, but brutally murdered!

Pomona is determined to find the murderer, or she will lose her fortune and have to live like all the boring poor people. As she is forced to temporarily join the normal world, she is disgusted and shocked at so many things, but also discovers passions she never knew she had before.

I really enjoyed this book. The storytelling flowed so well, and the characters were perfect, so easy to follow and like/hate! I easily read this book in just a weekend!!

this book is OUT NOW, add it to your TBR asap!!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own

Paloma Afton is basically what would happen if Alexis Rose from Schitt’s Creek decided to become a detective—charming, a little chaotic, and way sharper than people give her credit for. She’s got great one-liners, and absolutely zero chill when it comes to solving a murder.

This book is such a fun ride—equal parts twisty mystery and laugh-out-loud humor, with a heroine who refuses to be underestimated. If you love Only Murders in the Building-style amateur sleuthing with a side of sass, Paloma Afton Can So Solve a Murder is definitely worth picking up.

My only slight criticism, and maybe this was my own fault, was that I anticipated this book being much more of a “romance” story than a “women’s fiction” story. I tend to prefer romance, but I still really enjoyed this one!

Thank you Bellamy Rose, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the e-arc of Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder! It was a fun blend of London Tipton vibes and amateur sleuthing.

Pomona Afton is the typical hotel heiress — sleeping and branching during the day and going to galas and nightclubs after dark. She’s never had to think about money, cooking, or where she would sleep at night.
All of that changes in a blink when her grandmother, the matriarch of Afton hotels) is murdered. Due to a change in her will, if her death is ruled as suspicious, her remaining family would lose their inheritance and their homes in the hotel. That leaves Pomona with no where to go, except to a small apartment and her new roommate, Gabe— who so happens to be the son of Pomona’s childhood nanny.

While no one else in her family seems to care, Pomona and Gabe team together to try to solve the murder. Pomona learns a lot about herself, like how she’s not actually an airhead heiress, like her family sees her. The longer her and Gabe work together, the closer they get to one another. But as they seem to hit dead end after dead end, Pomona isn’t sure the murder can be solved before her inheritance is taken away for good. Although she wants to solve her grandmother’s murder, she also comes to realize that maybe money isn’t everything.

I really really enjoyed this book! Although there’s not a lot of romance in this book, I would still consider it closed door. The romance aspects are more Pomona and Gabe flirting and realizing they like each other than anything more than that.
I enjoyed the sleuthing and was trying to see if I could solve the murder before Pomona (I had a lot of wrong guesses).

All in all this is a good book if you want a little bit of murder mystery, but would rather pair it with romance than thriller!

4/5 stars
🫑 spice (closed door)

This book is a genre bender- blurring the lines of cozy mystery and romcom. It felt more the latter to me, personally. Pomona is an out of touch heiress who stumbles her way through “real life” incidents, all while trying to solve her grandmother’s murder in order to reclaim her inheritance. She is helped by a hunky guy who has WAY more patience than anyone would. It’s overall a quick read, but relatively predictable. A vacation read for sure. 3 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this arc!

This was a fun murder mystery set in the rich world of an heiress trying to regain her trust. Pamona is a little clueless and out of touch but quickly became a charming character to root for!

Thank you to Atria Books for the advance reader copy and to Simon Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

This was a quick and comedic murder mystery. Pomona Afton is a wealthy socialite who lives in a suite in her family's hotel. That's true right up until her grandmother is killed, and she and all of her family are disinherited due to a clause in her grandmother's will about unnatural death.

I enjoyed seeing Pomona learn about living in the real world and having to take responsibility. And I found her way of trying to solve the mystery incredibly amusing. She gains a great sidekick and some good friends, as she goes. Even more than the mystery, for me this book was all about a great character arc.

Bellamy Rose narrated beautifully. I think her voicing of Pomona is a big reason why I liked her and related to her from the start despite not always appreciating rich, out of touch characters. I definitely recommend the audio format for this book.

This was a fun romcom/murder mystery and a very easy read. I did laugh at parts and it did give a few good twists!

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder is oozing Schitt’s Creek vibes. With a little Knives Out action mixed ins The plot is that when the matriarch of a wealthy hotelier family is murdered, the rest is the family gets totally cut off unless they can solve the murder. And Pomona, a socialite influencer, steps up to figure it out and get her life back. This book had me cackling. Pom was Alexis Rose. It was silly and snarky with a sweet romance. And all the messaging that money isn’t the most important thing. Just one of those charming, cute books that exudes happiness.

Thank you Atria Books for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own.⁣
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I’m a week behind pub day, but if you’re looking for a fun distraction I recommend Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder! This was such a fun read!⁣ I binged this in under a day! ⁣Also, if you like audiobooks, Jennifer Jill Araya’s narration was fantastic!
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Pomona’s life is turned upside down when her grandmother is murdered and her trust fund is frozen. She ends up teaming up with her former Nanny’s son Gabe to solve her grandmother’s murder. She started off wanting her life back but ends up growing so much in the process. This is perfect if you like the Finlay Donovan series or the Tita Rosie’s kitchen series!

This book was SUCH a fun read. Outside of the mystery, Pomona’s character growth was excellent- I love how she took the initiative to navigate her new life as best she could. But in terms of the mystery, I think it was very well done. It was filled with red herrings and the ultimate twist was shocking! I like twists to be probable but not predictable, and this was definitely that.

3.75 rounded up

What a delightful, cozy mystery this was! Pom Afton is a hotel heiress whose family is stripped of their fortune when Pom's grandmother, the matriarch of the family, is murdered. In order to get her family's money unfrozen, her grandmother's killer must be found. So we go on a journey with Pom, a journey to discover her grandmother's killer and a journey to find her worth outside of her family's money.

I loved watching Pom grow throughout this novel! She learns who she is and finds value in herself, but she is able to do this without giving up her whole personality. A woman can have expensive taste and still be a good person 😋 This kind of development in a character like this is tricky, in my opinion, but Bellamy did it so well!

This book sneakily talked about some great topics like friendship, what it means to be family, and a person's value in the world, but all of it without breaking the lighter tone of a cozy mystery. It all fit in nicely with the plot and Pom's growth without feeling like a side conversation just to make a point. It served the characters rather than acting as preaching points.

There is also a touch of romance in this book, too, and we all know how much I love that! It was a sweet, slow burn romance that didn't overshadow the primary mystery plot. The arc of the romance made complete sense and didn't feel rushed. It was perfectly done!

At times, I struggled to grasp the passage of time in the story. Had a week passed, or just a day, that kind of thing, but it didn't hinder my reading too much. The mystery itself was a bit slow at times (a lot of talking versus action), and I had predicted the ending, but it was still a very enjoyable read! The writing was well done, and Pom's voice was clear and distinct throughout the whole book, and I loved that! I would not hate seeing another Pomona Afton mystery!

I loved everything about this! Sure, of course, you’re supposed to hate Pomona a little in the beginning -she’s the quintessential spoiled, rich girl – but as the book goes on, you learn to appreciate her and root for her as she finds her footing and her place in the world without the fortune. I enjoyed how she quickly, but grudgingly, found a way to support herself and worked to find out what happened to her grandmother, even if she didn’t really like her (or any of her family, it seems). She’s fun, creative, and willing to prove everyone wrong about her. This was perfect the way it was but I wouldn’t be sad if it was a series…

imagine if london tipton tried to solve a murder? yeah i’m sat!!

pom goes on a journey and a half (or really to queens and back) to get her lavish life back but comes back with a deeper understanding of her privilege and relationships with friends and family? all while spilling the best of new york socialites’ tea? say less, i love a book with heart and humor!!

seriously reading this book was such big fun but it was also really sweet and i loved the focus on self-awareness and self-discovery! i just wish gabe’s character had been more involved. even though he had pretty high stakes in the investigation, his whole storyline and persona lacked the same spark that pom had

the mystery plot and pom’s personal growth really take center stage (i mean she is THE pomona afton after all) and the transformation is so gradual but it packs a big meaningful punch

if you like…
🔍comical whodunnits
✍️critiques on high society and class
🏙️being snobby about new york neighborhoods
🤍themes of self discovery
✨the vibes of dcom’s get a clue
…then you’ll love this!

thank you netgalley and @atriabooks for a copy of this arc!

Oh Pomona! I had such a good time getting to know her and watching her solve her grandmother’s murder while also learning who she really wants to be in life. This book is a cozy mystery meets romance meets redemption story.

This story captures all of the common critiques of the wealthy class and those who seem to just be skating by in life thanks to family money. What if they lost it all? Would they crumble or would they thrive? That’s exactly the debacle we watch Pomona struggle with. The story is charming and heartwarming with a side of a really fun caper.

The mystery of having to solve who killed Pomona’s grandmother is what drives the story, but isn’t always the main focus of the story. I certainly walked into this one thinking it would be more center stage, but ultimately I really loved what Rose produced and the ways in which the mystery element did shine through. It’s the propulsive factor behind a lot of Pomona’s actions and motivations without giving off a procedural vibe.

This story is fun and delightful!

This murder mystery by Bellamy Rose Books had me hooked from the start with its perfect blend of suspense, romance, and a rich girl-to-rags story. Pomona Aston, a hotel heiress who’s used to living the high life, must now team up with Gabe, the son of her childhood nanny, to solve her grandmother’s murder before her family’s assets are frozen forever. The twists were unpredictable, the romance was adorable, and Pom’s transformation from a spoiled socialite to a determined sleuth was both entertaining and heartwarming, making this a delightful, fast-paced read.

I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. "Pomona Afton Can Solve a Murder" is precisely what a well-written, light-hearted murder mystery should be.

We meet our protagonist, twenty-eight-year-old Pomona, who embodies a mix between Paris Hilton and modern influencers. Coming from the famous Afton lineage, she was undoubtedly born with a diamond-encrusted platinum spoon in her mouth. Yet, it quickly becomes apparent that she is regarded as the underdog in her family. Her parents never miss an opportunity to remind Pomona of her supposed shortcomings. Constant criticisms from them and their grandmother lead her to believe that she is limited and not enough, and they see her brother Nicholas as a prodigy, who, by the way, is a great side character along with his girlfriend, Jessica. However, when her grandmother—a matriarch and honestly quite possibly the most terrible person—is found murdered, all family assets are frozen ( a clause that the grandmother put in in case of unnatural death). This situation forces Pomona to fend for herself, throwing her out onto the streets unless the culprit is caught. .

The author paints a vivid picture of Pomona, who tends to judge people based on their appearances, clothing, and how they treat her. You will be baffled and honestly annoyed at her sense of entitlement, but that comes from her upbringing and not having enough good influence around her. But you also see she is not a bad seed or malicious but a misguided one.
To be fair, she hasn’t had many positive influences apart from her beloved nanny, Andrea, who sees something in her that her family does not.

At times, I found myself getting frustrated with Pomona's portrayal; I wondered if anyone could be that shallow and oblivious. However, I realized that her behavior reflects the obtuseness we've often seen in reality TV stars ( remember someone screaming about women not working hard enough). Despite this, the author does a commendable job developing Pomona's character. While she starts as somewhat naïve, entitled, vapid, and shallow, she grows on you to the point where you root for her. There’s a side romance that adds to the charm, and you can’t help but cheer for the adorable leads.

One aspect I didn’t particularly enjoy was the persistent focus on the clothing and brands Pomona or others wear. Given her character, this emphasis made sense at the beginning, but as she evolved, it felt excessive.

Overall, this was such a fun and enjoyable read that I highly recommend it as a great beach book!
solid 4 stars

I want to Thank Netgalley and Atria Books for giving me this incredible opportunity and I cannot wait to read from Bellamy Rose

Okay, this was just a blast to read - short and sweet and funny, with lots of great food descriptions (which I should have expected from the author). The author wrote Sadie on a Plate, Best Served Hot, and Love You a Latke, some of my favorite food-related romances, but the name switch is due to the genre switch. Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for early access to the ebook in exchange for my honest opinion. It is now available everywhere, and I definitely recommend it!
Afton Hotels are a big deal, and Pomona is the granddaughter of the founder, who has since passed away. His wife, Pom’s grandmother, currently is in charge - well, for the first few pages of the book before she is murdered! After getting kicked out of her apartment in the hotel due to a recently added stipulation in her grandmother's will, Pom has her eyes opened to the way the majority of people live - working every day for minimal pay and sharing a bathroom with a roommate! She decides she is going to do her part to assist in solving the murder so she can transition back into her usual lifestyle. She also gets into baking, since the baked goods at the cafe where she works are gross. I loved reading about her experimentation in the kitchen! I am NOT a baker, but I love reading about other people making baked goods. Pom is a fashionista, and at one point she mentions how “in” metallic sneakers are right now, and considering I have been wearing my metallic sneakers with everything lately, it made me feel super fashionable.

This was a ton of fun! I anticipated enjoying this but it was so much better than I thought it would be. The romance was done deftly and the characters made mature decisions.

4.5 stars

A murder mystery x romantic comedy crossover? SAY LESS. I loved everything about this book.

This story was reminiscent of Gossip Girl and Carmen San Diego. It had all the Upper East Side vibes, scenery, and snobbery mixed perfectly with a whodunit mystery, also throwing in the friendship & love blooming between Pom and Gabe. YES, a million times yes. This story read like a 2 hour romantic comedy movie that I ate up in one sitting. When I see it in shelves, I'll be sure to add it to my shopping cart as my little trophy.