What a cute read this was! It was like watching an episode of The Golden Girls. The author did a wonderful job of catching the essence of all four of the golden girls. From the sarcasticness of Sophia, the naïveté of Rose, the sternness of Dorothy and the sex appeal of Blanche; the characters were well represented. The outfits they wore and the thigs they said, seemed on point.

I was so excited to read a story of them, solving a cozy mystery together and hear more about the St. Olafians. I did enjoy the story; it wasn’t a perfect story, but it was a really good first start to a series. I will definitely check out more books in the series. It made me giggle out loud at times. Definitely worth a read; a great summer book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house in the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for review based upon my honest opinion.

I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have received an advanced copy of Murder by Cheesecake from the author, and Hyperion Avenue! 🫶

I absolutely love Golden Girls so when I saw that this book was on NetGalley I ran so fast to request. The show itself is a comfort series for me and this story felt like me watching an episode of The Golden Girls. It truly was so fun and so entertaining and I loved it immensely. All of the characters are amazing and I loved the mystery going on so I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Golden Girls and mystery!

I actually really enjoyed this one! I will say this much—it definitely felt like the author was trying to channel the Golden Girls themselves, and I appreciated that. Some parts were a little ridiculous, sure, but that’s part of the charm with cozy mysteries. As a freshman attempt at creating something that fans of the Golden Girls can enjoy, I give it four stars for that alone. I really hope there’s a second book in the works, because with a little positive feedback from Golden Girls fans, this could grow into a truly stellar series.

OMGosh!! If you are a fan of Golden Girls....run out and grab this book! This felt like an extended episodes of GG! A St. Olaf wedding, a murder, laughs, and so so many inside jokes of the show! This was fantastic!

Good concept, loved the nostalgia throwbacks, but the writing was just very basic. Seemed more like juvenile fan fiction than adult fan fiction. Didn't really grab me and keep me engaged.

A must read for any Golden Girls fans! The author did a great job of capturing the characters I know and love! The jokes were all spot on and perfect for each personality. This whole book felt like getting brand new episodes of the show. I hope to see more Golden Girls mysteries from this author in the future!

The girls are back to solve a mystery at Rose's niece's wedding. This was so fun and Courage did such a great job of writing all the girls' personalities.

"Golden Girls" holds a sweet spot in my memories, so when I saw "Murder by Cheesecake" was the first book in a new cozy mystery series featuring the Golden Girls, I had to check it out. I was a bit skeptical at first, and remained so throughout reading the story.

While the author had the girls all pegged and was able to have them act in the manner one would expect knowing the franchise, having them solve a mystery was a stretch too far. It all felt a bit forced.

If you read it as a fun homage to the TV series, it's a nice reminder of what made the show so special. But them as detectives didn't work well at all for me.

Thank you to Rachel Ekstrom Courage, Hyperion Avenue, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

The girls are back and have stumbled upon a murder! While all the essential elements are there, it seems like the soul of the Golden Girls was missing, making the book feel a bit forced. It might have been that the plot centered around a murder mystery that wasn’t quite convincing. Since the foundation of the story was a little shaky, the parts meant to add depth ended up feeling superficial and a bit forced too. Sadly, the Golden Girls characters came across as a bit cliché, and the plot felt quite weak overall.

I really enjoyed this book. It was like watching a new extended episode of The Golden Girls. I hope the next book doesn't have as much St Olaf traditions. I feel some of this dragged on too long and distracted from the main plot of the book.

Murder by Cheesecake definitely reads as an extra long Golden Girls episode just with a little extra exposition. It was a fun treat for fans of the show. At times the story read as a script and the characters voices were so evident, which means if you are not a fan it will probably be confusing. I enjoyed it although it is less of a whodunit and more of a ladies running around pretending to investigate while being them.

I wanted to really like this story but it was a struggle for me. I picked it up because I know the characters and it sounded like a cute story, but to have the characters explicitly described in their attire and quirks was a little annoying at times. Overall, it was cute but not something I’d recommend.

Picture it: West Fargo 2025.

My grandmother loved the Golden Girls, so I grew up watching reruns before bed with her in the summer when I went to visit. I have such fond memories of it, that I still put the show on today on occasion before bed.

So when I saw a book with those 4 familiar faces on the cover, I HAD to read it! I’ve tried cozy mysteries in the past and always been disappointed and decided they just weren’t for me. Give it a Golden Girls theme and I am all about them! I so enjoyed this book. I could see the living room as it was described in the book. Hear Rose as she told yet another Saint Olaf story and don’t get me started on Sophia’s comments 😂. It was perfection of 4 ladies I feel like I know personally. And of course you can’t have the golden Girls without cheesecake! So I whipped up my favorite chocolate chip cheesecake for the occasion.

I was so excited for this book as The Golden Girls is my ultimate comfort TV series alongside Murder, She Wrote. I really enjoyed this book, it was a great way to revisit the girls with a cozy mystery spin. I appreciated some of the recalls from various episodes of the show, but I found that some of the lines were forced notably Sophia’s. All in all, an enjoyable quick read. Looking forward to the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was like going back to an episode of golden girls. It was a cozy mystery but with the quips from the characters you would expect. I can not wait for additional books.

The Golden Girls is one of my favorite TV shows from my childhood. This book brought it all back with a fun, cozy mystery.

I was both curious and amused. Luckily, it delivers! The author captures the humor and personalities of the iconic foursome—especially Rose and Dorothy—with a fun, slightly exaggerated tone that feels like extended fan fiction in the best way.

Sure, some plot points stretch believability (as cozy mysteries often do), but the charm and wit make up for it. If you love the show and enjoy light, playful mysteries, this one’s a treat. Just don’t go in expecting realism or deep critique—go in for the laughs and nostalgia.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I am a big fan of Golden Girls and was so excited for this book. But alas, I was deeply disappointed. I loved reading about the "girls" and I felt the writing stayed true to their characters, but the plot was not quite there. The crime aspect and the resolution was not really up to par. It might be worth the read for some, just for the bit of nostalgia.

A Golden Girls themed romance and mystery--count me in! Im excited that this is a beginning of a fun new series. A very special novel with endearing characters and a humorous mystery to solve. Loved it.

While I loved the nostalgia of the Golden Girls, I love them in 30 minute bites. This was a whole cheesecake and then some and not in a good way.