Member Reviews

3.5 ⭐️
Nothing is more humbling than a fall from grace, especially for Pomona Afton. This spoiled socialite’s world gets turned upside when her grandmother is brutally murdered. In order to restate her fortune and status, Pomona must solve her grandmother’s murder.

This book was full of drama, twists, and a sprinkle of romance. I really enjoyed watching this character grow from a vapid party girl to a critical thinking crime solver. It amazed me how the author evolved this character throughout the book. The change from a total self centered brat to a critical thinking and caring individual was truly spectacular.

The reason for the somewhat low rating is because I guessed the murderer pretty early on. However, this could be because it was marketed for fans of Gossip Girl so I looked at it through a teen drama lens. Overall, it was a fun book and I really did enjoy it.

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Rom-com meets murder mystery vibes is sooo the type of book I wanted for a fall read! I was instantly hooked with the trust fund inheritance plot line as well! Overall I really enjoyed this. I did guess the killer early on. But Gabe was the cutest love interest!! So sweet and supportive.

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What a fun cozy murder mystery. This book was a first for me by this author and I do not think it will be the last. The story itself was engaging and exciting. The characters, although I could not relate to such overly rich people like Pom, were empathetic and real. The mystery itself drew you in, sending you in multiple directions. I enjoyed the arc of Pom's personal growth, and it reinforced how important good friendships are for people. The romance was a nice slow build, which worked perfectly for this book. I had so much fun reading this, I could not put it down. Disclaimer: I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

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Thank you to Atria Books & NetGalley for a chance to read this ARC!

I’d give this a 3.5⭐️

This is a fun, pretty light mystery. I will say I felt like I struggled a bit to stay interested with the first half of the book, but the second half made up for it! I can definitely say the reveal at the end surprised me. I wish we got a liiiiittle more romance between Pom & Gabe.

Overall, a great debut from the author!

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This was such a cute quick read, it was a 3.5 read but I rounded up because I didn’t guess the killer. It was very easy to get into, and who doesn’t enjoy a murder mystery with some romance in the mix. Squeaky( meatball), the cutest cat ever, was obviously the best thing to happen, Pomona’s mother was diabolical for what she did. I honestly did not expect the murderer to be who it was. I'm not great with figuring out who did it, despite watching all of Criminal Minds, Bones. It gives such fall vibes, it was a cozy murder mystery. I loved Vienna and wished we got to see more of her. For a second there I thought Pom and Vienna had dated because of all the drama there, would have been nice to see. Also, I’m not trying to spoil it, but there is a special place for her mom because wow every time she opened her mouth I wanted to throw something at her. I’m glad Pom was able to find herself, and stand up for herself. Thank you NetGalley and Atria/ Emily Bestler Books for giving me the opportunity to read this for an honest review.

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4.5/5 ⭐

A rom com murder mystery? Sign me up! This book was great.

Pomona Afton's life is turned upside down after her grandmother is murdered and must move out of the Afton Hotel and start her life over until the killer is caught. So, she goes on the move to investigate, discovering secrets and betrayals along the way.

The love interest, Gabe, was so sweet and supportive and introduced Pomona to her love for baking.

I liked how well rounded the characters were, and how Pomona changed through the book. I wish the ending would have elaborated a little more on her friend, Opal.

(I guessed who the killer was early on from the hints)

This was a great, quick read!

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it was so much fun! interesting and full of action. thank you to netgalley and atria for giving me access to this book!

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So cute! I definitely got Finley Donovan vibes. Pomona was likable enough and Gabe gave off leading man vibes. I would have loved a little more from the characters and their relationship. It almost had enough to get me really sucked in. I enjoyed the mix of murder suspense and rom-com. It kept me guessing between suspects but ultimately craved just a bit more. Overall I enjoyed this and can foresee more from Pomona.

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I loved Pomona! She's such a great character and had exponential growth through the book. The mystery was fun to read through and the writing was top notch. I'd love some more Pomona books!

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I absolutely loved this book! I flew through it in one sitting. The story was fast-paced and kept you wanting to read more. Pomona is such a wonderful character, and I loved her arc. It made me so happy to see her create new goals and reach them, despite her family thinking she wouldn't. I enjoyed the sprinkle of romance between Pom and Gabe, as well. It was built up perfectly, and I love them together. I am recommending this book to literally everyone because it's my new favorite!

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this was a cute, fun, fast read. I liked the main character and her family dynamics and personal growth.

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If you are fan of romance and murder mystery books, this book is for you. The main character Pom is a New York socialite who's grandma is murdered. Pom is on a mission to solve the murder since all of her family's money and properties are taken until the murder is solved. Pom teams up with an unlikely source to solve the murder, Gabe the son of her former nanny. Pom and Gabe from two completely different worlds but come together to solve the murder. there was a lot of unexpected twist and turns throughout the book. I was shocked when the killer was revealed.

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I was invited by the publisher to review this book. Pomona is rich and entitled heiress, who stumbles into her grandmother's murder scene. More trouble abounds when Pomona learns there was a clause in her grandma's will, which stated that if she died of unnatural causes, the family assets would be frozen until the truth of her death was figured out. Thus, Pomona finds herself pushed into a new way of life, and it starts with having to share apartment space with Gabe, the son of her former nanny. They both have a will to solve the murder: Pomona, so she can go back to her swanky way of life, and Gabe, so his mother can get her retirement money.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved watching Pomona grow and gain some strength in her character. I enjoyed how Pomona and Gabe interacted, and I felt they had good chemistry, but also good resolve together. I liked that each character played off of each other, and amplified the other person.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books/Emily Bestler Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked Pomona! Rose's brilliant writing perfectly portrayed Po's character. The book is full of action and a look at family relationships. All the stuff I enjoy in a story. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

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This cute millennial mystery has everything you want in a cozy: family, pets, and baking--but it's the main character's personal growth journey that makes it a standout. There are times you may wonder if Pomona Afton can indeed solve a murder, but there's no doubt you'll be rooting for her to succeed.

(This review will be posted publicly closer to release date.)

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Bellamy Rose was a new to me author and I just love when the stars align and you feel so connected to a book and it’s characters you can simply not put the book down but when you finally finish and you do, it’s like you miss being in that world and miss your friends. I loved this book soooo much!

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Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Atria for this advance readers copy in exchange for my honest feedback! This was a great cozy mystery read with a dash of romance! Love the mixture. Very cute. I hope this is the beginning of a series!!! Well done!

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I almost DNFed this twice but I'm glad I stuck it out to the end because the ending was cute and the discovery at the end was kind of predictable to me, but it wasn't terrible.

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This was so cute! I loved the main character and her development and the mystery had me super invested. I wish we got a little more with the main characters but they were still really cute together and a good match! Also the cover is beyond adorable.

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Pomona Afton is a spoiled little brat who relies on everyone else to do every little thing for her...at least for the first few chapters. When her truly awful grandmother gets murdered (no surprise there), Pomona and everyone else in her family will lose everything if someone doesn't solve the murder. What happens next is an adventure into adulthood as we watch Pomona grow up, figure out who she is and fall in love all while gaining some much-needed self-respect. I love how Pomona took many deep breaths and became a better person throughout this book. Also, yay Gabe!!
If you're into cozy mysteries then you'll love this book. It's fun, it's empowering and it's a good reminder that everyone deserves a second chance.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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