"Murder by Cheesecake" was such a cozy hug of a read. I’m not really a cozy mystery kind of reader, but I AM a massive Golden Girls stan, I could not wait to read it once I heard about it, and I was so happy and surprised when I saw that my arc-request was approved! Rachel Ekstrom Courage PERFECTLY captured that familiar wit and charm of our divas- Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia. It honestly felt like I was right there with them as they worked together to solve a mystery, clearing Dorothy’s name and making sure that Rose’s niece’s wedding went off without a hitch. The plot was impeccably paced, the book as a while was super funny, and full of surprises—Drag queens! Absurd disguises! A thrilling chase! And..........St. Olaf stories!!! Hahahahaha. I had such a great time hanging out with these ladies again. I would love this to be a series that continues because I've already read this twice and the trip down memory lane that this book sent me on has me wanting to go for a third read. PLEASE more golden girls!!!

5/5 stars. Absolutely wonderful and exactly what I needed to read during these crazy times.

I’ve decided not to finish this book, not because it’s not cute and fun, but because it just doesn’t feel like something I want to read.

All of the characters are true to the characters in the show, and the light comedy is there. I can’t pinpoint it, but maybe because this is such a long running and well love show, I just want to watch it as a show.

And the deciding factor for me: in just the two chapters I read, there were an insane number of typos and formatting issues. I’m just not going to go forward with this one sorry.

If you love The Golden Girls then you’ll feel like you’re back in your living room with Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia on your TV. I could hear each one of them in my head as I was reading. I really loved that aspect of it.
The mystery was just ok to me. It wasn’t my favorite read but it kept my interest for the most part.
It sure did make me want to start watching The Golden Girls again.

If you love the The Golden Girls and cozy mysteries, you’ll have a good time with this book! It’s not a great mystery but it does a good job of capturing the wit and emotions of the characters from the tv series, which made it enjoyable.

This book was an absolute love letter to the Golden Girls. It was so well written and the characters were so true to their tv counterparts that it felt like a lost episode.

I enjoyed the banter and the writing style. The dialogue was spot on and accurate to the TV show writing.

I was very excited to read this one as I enjoy watching the Golden Girls. Since its on reruns, I felt that the mention of the sitcom name and characters would jog anyone's memory. However, I could not proceed any more than 10 pages. I understand that there is a need to establish characters and settings, but I think it was overdone in this book. I don't know if it is because this is the debut of the series or something else, but I wished it had less of it.

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for giving me the opportunity to read this!

3.5 ⭐️. If you're craving a dose of 1980s nostalgia with a side of whodunnit, "Murder by Cheesecake" might be just the treat you're looking for. This cozy mystery reads like a lost episode of *The Golden Girls*, capturing the voices and personalities of Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia. Each character is instantly recognizable and a joy to revisit. The cover art is also worth mentioning – it's eye-catching and perfectly sets the tone for the fun, lighthearted read inside.

The premise of a murder mystery intertwined with the lead-up to a wedding is intriguing. However, while the wedding preparations and the general Golden Girls hijinks were entertaining, I felt the actual mystery took a bit of a backseat. I would have loved to see more time dedicated to the investigation itself, with more clues to keep me guessing. The 1980s references sprinkled throughout the book were a delightful touch, adding another layer of nostalgic charm.

While some details might be a tad off for die-hard Golden Girls purists, overall, "Murder by Cheesecake" delivers a light, fun, and nostalgic reading experience. It's a greay book for when you're in the mood for a quick, comforting escape.

. I’m a fan of the show Golden Girls and my girlfriends and I refer to our selves as such these days! I thought the book did a great job of keeping to the essence of the show and its characters. It was appropriately humorous throughout the book. I did feel as though the St. Olaf wedding traditions were a little extra and got boring and I almost DNFd it at one point, but I’m glad I preserved. The mystery wound down nicely with an unexpected twist. There were parts in this advanced copy where the grammar was off, but overall not a terrible read. We’ll see if I decide to read the sequel.

This feels like an episode of the golden girls the author did their research

Duo POVS and Duo storylines!

Our favorite group solving a cozy mystery what's not to love!

The characters are true to themselves you'll definitely hear their voices in your head if you are familiar with the show

Even if you haven't seen the show this is still a great mystery!

The humor and charm is definitely there

I was not the target audience for this book, though I thought I was when I first picked it up. If you like cosy mysteries, some zany chaos, and you enjoyed Golden Girls you will love this book. It was a fun time with a lot of heart and humour, but the book is done a disservice by being written as though you already know and love these characters - which was an issue as someone who has never seen an episode. About halfway through the book I stopped and did some googling to learn a bit about these characters which made it easier to keep everyone straight and understand the humour better.

I did think the mystery was a fun time, though it had a lot going on. If you have never seen the show, maybe watch a few clips on youtube to help you understand who everyone is and what the humour is meant to be before you dive in. Had I done so this would likely have a higher rating, and I'm excited to see this book find its people.

Holy Golden Girls.

From all of us that grew up watching this show and that are now obsessed with murder mysteries, we thank you for writing this!! This was the perfect mixture of cozy mystery mixed with humor from Rose and Dorothy.

Reading this feels like watching an episode of The Golden Girls and I can't wait to read the next book!

A delightful cozy mystery filled with charm, humor, and an unforgettable cast of characters. With a Golden Girls-esque dynamic, the story unfolds like a classic episode, full of witty banter, intriguing twists, and a dash of nostalgia. The vivid storytelling makes it easy to picture every scene, immersing readers in a lighthearted yet engaging whodunit. Perfect for fans of quirky sleuths, strong friendships, and mysteries that keep you entertained from start to finish.

This reads exactly like a screenplay of an episode, in the very best way. A book I didn’t know I needed with lots of details from the show. Thank you for being a friend (and for working through a mystery!).

Sofia, Dorothy, Blanche, and Rose are all gonna have Rose's cousin Nettie's wedding in Miami, and their gonna make it beautiful since they can't have it in St. Olaf, but it still has to be like the tradition they do in St. Olaf, thou. Everyone gonna have a plus one to the wedding, so Dorothy found someone one a VHS video dating site Henry. But Henry turned out to be a jerk. Henry was found dead in the freezer right before the wedding by the girls, and now they have to find out who murdered him because Dorothy is a suspect, and someone hid him in the freezer with the cheesecake to die. This was a very good cute book. And if u love the Golden Girls like I do when reading this book, u will hear their voices. I can't wait to read more of this series.

I was given a copy by the publisher via NetGalley (Thank U), and all my opinions are my own.

Just finished "Murder By Cheesecake," a #GoldenGirls murder mystery novel that I got a digital ARC of from #NetGalley. Fun and often silly, the story details how the girls work together to help Rose plan a wedding bringing together a couple from very different families while also helping Dorothy prove that she didn't kill her planned date for the occasion.

The two plot lines have clashing tones befitting the women they center on. Rose's plot involves inscrutible small town traditions and culture clash, while Dorothy's plot is more serious. As the story, the tone of the two plots begin to merge and mix.

Through it all, the Golden Girls stick together and help each other, even while dealing with their own struggles. Overall an entertaining read for fans of the TV series.

As soon as I knew this existed, I had to read it. The Golden Girls is one of my favorite shows. Having the ladies be involved in a murder investigation was a brilliant idea.

For the most part, I enjoyed the book. I do think that the wedding planning and St. Olaf traditions were a bit much though. I absolutely love Rose but she was almost unlikable here. Too much time was spent repeating the stakes and not enough time was spent on the actual murder until closer to the end. It took me a while to really get into the story, until maybe the last 30% when I couldn’t put it down.

Since this seems to be the first in a series, I’m sure I’ll be reading them all. I’m happy to just spend more time with the ladies in their world.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this early in exchange for a genuine review.

The perfect trip down memory lane for fans of The Golden Girls and cozy mysteries. Can’t wait to see more in this series!

5 ⭐️ for nostalgia! It was a good cozy mystery, and a good palate cleanser but it felt like it was trying to do too much at once so it started dragging for me. I did love learning about more about St. Olaf’s wedding traditions though!

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun read! Very much a cozy mystery!

This book felt like watching the Golden Girls! I loved getting to see these characters interact in book form after enjoying them on the TV screen for so long.

This was a light and fun Mystery that is perfect for when you are needing a lighter read!


Will be reviewing on Instagram @Kayree_reads on March 25

This book exceeded my expectations. The witty banter, hilarious digs, and Miami vibes we are used to getting from the Golden Girls comes through on every page - it reads just like an episode of the show! This was an incredibly fun, cozy read and I cannot wait to see it become a series.