Thank you to Atria books and NetGalley for the availability to read this ARC. I really enjoyed this read and liked how it mixed romance with mystery. I felt like the novel flowed well with the plot and the dialogue. I appreciated the character development for Pomona while also acknowledging that things previously would have been different for her.
I look forward to future titles by this author!

This was a fun, fast paced read that was definitely more cozy than serious. Pomona is a spoiled party girl who discovers her hotel magnate grandmother dead. After her grandmother's death, Pomona and her family find themselves kicked out of their penthouses and locked out of their trust funds. While her parents and brother have places to land, Pomona finds herself turning to her beloved nanny for help - in the form of her cranky son, Gabe. Together, the pair embarks on their own investigation into the murder so Pomona can go back to her "real life" and get out of Gabe's hair, and apartment. Along the way there are hijinks and shenanigans, a budding romance, and personal growth.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Pomona starts off as the stereotypical rich girl who has everything handed to her but her growth seemed to follow a mostly genuine trajectory. Gabe was a delightful grumpy to her sunshine and it was fun watching him being impressed by her and helping her learn her worth.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

If you’re in the mood for a cozy mystery with a little sass and a lot of growth, Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder by Bellamy Rose might just hit the spot. This was a fun read, and while it had its share of lighthearted moments, it also gave me some surprising twists that kept me guessing along the way. It's expected to be published in March 2025, so keep your eyes out for this one.

The story centers around Pomona Afton, who starts as an over-the-top spoiled brat, completely reliant on her cushy life. But when her wealthy grandmother is murdered and the will freezes all of the family’s assets for a year—unless the murderer is found—Pom is thrown headfirst into the real world. Watching her fumble (and fail!) through her first job and then slowly transform into a more grounded, relatable character was so satisfying.

The mystery itself was also enjoyable. I’ll admit, I thought I had it all figured out within the first few chapters. I was patting myself on the back, ready to solve the case before Pom. But then Bellamy Rose threw in some fun twists that kept me on my toes. It wasn’t mind-blowing or overly complex, but it was layered enough to keep me engaged and turning the pages.

I also loved the cozy vibes woven throughout—baking, cozy apartment feels, and the dynamic relationships Pom builds along the way. There’s a nice balance of humor and heart, and the ending ties everything up in a way that leaves you smiling.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a little character transformation and some unexpected turns, this one’s worth picking up. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from Bellamy Rose.

3.5 stars rounded up!

Pomona Afton is New York City's it girl. The heir to a hotel conglomerate, she has always had everything she could ever want at her fingertips. So when her grandmother is murdered and leaves a provision in her will that if she dies unnaturally all the assets will be frozen until the murderer is caught, Pomona is suddenly homeless, broke, and completely unaware of what it takes to make it in the world.

No one has much faith in Pomona to make it on her own -- after all, she's never had a job or filled her days with anything more than shopping and partying. But when she moves in with her former nanny's son she realizes there is no one in a better position to team up with him and solve her grandmother's murder. And while doing so will restore her coffers, her fall from grace has opened her eyes to her ability to be more than just a party girl.

Sweet and fun!

This book is described as a murder mystery rom com. I feel like the "rom com" aspect wasn't at its fullest potential & felt more like an afterthought. I did enjoy the way the murder mystery kept you on your toes for sure!

This book was so fun! Started off by giving some Schitt's Creek vibes which I was so here for and mixed with a murder mystery was a blast. I loved Pomona and her character growth, Gabe was so sweet, and I am always won over by a good cat. I really enjoyed this and hope there's a sequel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this free advanced copy. This book has a really fun premise and was an enjoyable, quick read for me! I love the "socialite fallen from grace" plot, and feel like the mystery plot added some fun variety. I did take a while to get into the book, because I feel like the first half was a little slow to pick up. Overall, reading this book was a great way to spend some of my weekend!

It takes the murder of her not so nice grandmother to make Pomona her life as she knew it was gone. Basically left with the clothes on her back she is forced to make her way without her wealth. She is determined to solve the murder to get back her old life. She enlists the help of her new roommate Gabe. This leads to some entertaining sleuthing. As she settles more into her new life she realizes how shallow she was. There is more to life than galas and social media. This was fun read. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily

It's a great murder mystery! Pamona Afton is such a charming main character. As a big fan of stories about the upper-class elite, I thought this book was a great way to incorporate that with the murder mystery genre without being too dark or intense.

This one wasn’t my cup of tea. Think Paris Hilton solving the murder of her grandmother. It was slow and it just didn’t capture my interest.

Pomona is a socialite who loses access to that life when her grandmother is murdered. Instead she moved in with her former nanny's son and the two work together to solve the murder.

Around the second half of this book, it really picked up for me. Once she started actually working on moving forward and focusing on doing things, it got more enjoyable and fun. I really enjoyed Pomona's arc and her character growth. It felt fun to see her grow and change.

so much fun! i loved these characters so much. the writing was fantastic. i was never bored and kept wanting to read all night until i finished

This was cute, but lacked any oomph. The mystery was the best part, but felt silly and the barely-there romance lacked chemistry. Good for a lighthearted romp, especially if you like Only Murders in the Building or Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series. Perhaps I went in with too serious of expectations. Probably great if you love cozy mysteries, I think those just might not be for me!

This book was so much fun! I truly enjoyed Pomona's character arc, and although she was frustrating at times, it all worked out for the best in the end. This book is perfect for both cozy mystery lovers and traditional mystery fans. Pomona Afton is a well rounded and well written character that jumps off the page, reminding those of the gaps in class that affect us all in different ways.

Thank you so much Atria for this advanced readers copy! The book itself was interesting and had cute concepts and some mystery as well. It felt like Gossip Girl meets CSI! Reading and seeing the relationship between Pomona and Gabe develop was extremely satisfying. Trying to figure out the mystery of the murder was probably my favorite part aside from the romance.

Review to Come

I love the cover design ❤️
The description peaked my interest…
This is a new author to me.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC of this book. This was such a fun and lighthearted read. Pomona Afton is like Paris Hilton meets Nancy Drew. She's spoiled (at first!) but good-hearted, and it was fun to watch her evolve as a character while working to solve her grandma's murder. The romance is also quite sweet. I can't wait for the sequel!

Pomona is a wealthy hotel heiress. She is also a social media influencer. Life is good, if not quite a bit shallow. But her grandma is killed. And Grandma suspected that one of her relatives would kill her. So, her will calls for Pomona and her family to be kicked out of the hotel until the murder can be solved.

Faced with dwindling options, Pomona goes to live with the son of her former nanny. Together, they set out to solve the murder so that Pomona can have her fortune restored. But she's also falling in love.

I really liked this book. The writing is fast-paced and entertaining. The characters are well-developed and amusing. My only criticism is that the author spends quite a bit of time dwelling on Pomona's feelings about her former life and where her life is headed. Let's get back to solving the murder! But all-in-all, the book is quite entertaining.

Wow! I really liked this one!!

It was engaging and fun. The author had a big task with making this Paris Hilton inspired character a likable and compelling character but she did a great job. The other characters were also super fun. Especially Gabriel. What a sweetie. I loved the conversational tone and the inner dialogue.

The mystery was pretty obvious but it was a fun ride to see Pomona get to the conclusion!’ Most fun was the development she went under and seeing her come to important realizations about herself and her place in the world. But I also appreciated that didn’t mean she lost who she was as a person along the way.

There were some sentences that didn’t quite make sense to me and I would have to reread several times to make sense of which is probably my main negative.

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder was exactly the book I needed! It was suspenseful, full of humor and heart, and a great whodunnit! I highly recommend this for anyone wanting an engrossing can't-put-it-down book!