An absolute treat - a cozy mystery that brings fresh energy to the genre. Rose has crafted a protagonist in Pomona Afton who is both endearingly quirky and surprisingly clever. The story unfolds with wit and charm, balancing lighthearted moments with genuine mystery-solving tension. What sets this book apart is how it embraces the fun of amateur sleuthing while still delivering a satisfying and well-plotted whodunit. The supporting characters add rich flavor to the story, and the pacing keeps you guessing until the very end. Whether you're a devoted mystery fan or just looking for an entertaining read, Pomona Afton's first case is sure to leave you wanting more.

I think for me this book is not meant for myself… I do think that it was very well written and I think someone who loves a true crime and romance kinda book will enjoy it as a little bit of comedy. I am more of a small town romance and fantasy reader myself so the true crime I just wasn’t feeling as much.

Murder mystery romance? Sold. This was funny and a quick read. The mystery was but predicable but I didn’t mind. Worth a read.

This was a cute murder mystery with a little romance thrown in. We meet wealthy Pomona Afton, who is used to the high life, living in a penthouse in NYC and going to fancy parties. Her world gets turned upside down when her grandma gets murdered and all of her assets are frozen. She ends up broke living in an apartment with a handsome roommate. Pomona needs to solve her grandmother’s murder fast so she can get her life back and maybe start fresh with her new beau.

I enjoyed this mystery. I don’t read many murder mysteries with romance in them, but this was a refreshing change. I enjoyed Pomona, at first I thought she would be annoying, but she grew on me. I thought the story was well done and the length was just enough. If you are looking for a fun cozy mystery with just a hint of romance I would recommend you pick this up!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a nice book, i like how it was set up . The story was enjoyable. The character has a good growth thru the whole book. It was overall a good read

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this, but Pomona and her baking prowess won me over. Learning who your real friends are hurts whether you’re a hotel heiress or Jane down the street. Trying to figure out who your friends are while investigating your hateful grandma’s murder is a whole other level of stress.

Watching Pom grow and repair relationships as she navigates the chaos her life had become was my favorite part of the book. The murder solving was good, but I also loved the desserts and wish the book had some recipes at the end!

I love murder mysteries. and I'm a sucker for romcoms so this is 100% up my alley. When Paloma's grandmother is murdered, the Upper East Side heiress she has to solve the murder or all her family's assets are frozen. While she solves the mystery she is kicked out of her penthouse and has to move in with Gabe, the son of her former nanny.

The murderer was kind of predictable and I definitely guessed who it was before the end. Not a bad read. It was light and easy.

3/5 stars

This was a fun mix of romance and mystery, but wasn’t too heavy so I got to enjoy the story!

Pomona was an interesting narrator. I appreciated her humor, but found her a bit annoying at times, especially when her disconnect with everyday life got a little too exaggerated. However, I assume that was the point. Her growth as a character was good to see, but I felt it could have been developed a bit more. While I did like some aspects of her relationships with other characters in the book, they all felt a bit fake at points so it was hard to trust everyone else in the book.

I loved Gabe though. I wish we got to learn a bit more about him, but I thought he was a great compliment to Pomona. Their banter was fun, and I loved how he let her fail a bit on her own but was still always there to catch her if needed. He was the one character I felt that I could trust.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of this book was that the romance took a backseat to the mystery. It was a relatively straightforward case (I figured it out quite early), but that did not make it boring at all! The mystery and romance complimented each other nicely, and it was refreshing to see that one didn’t overpower the other too strongly.

Overall, this was a fun, light read that is perfect for a reader looking for something quick and easy.

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder is a fun, frothy mix of rom-com and mystery with sharp banter, a spoiled-but-growing heiress, and a charming grumpy-sunshine romance. Pomona’s quest to solve her grandmother’s murder (and reclaim her trust fund) is filled with humor, high-society antics, and a dash of heart. While the mystery is light, the banter and opposites-attract chemistry with Gabe shine. A delightful read for fans of murder, mayhem, and makeovers!

I’m not gonna lie I went into this a little skeptical. At first the fmc really bugged me because like girl shut up. I was worried she was gonna be completely insufferable. But she grew on me really quickly! She was very funny and witty and I liked watching her grow and discover new things about herself. I’m not a big mystery reader just because I always end up figuring it out beforehand and that happened in this case as well but it was still really funny and definitely a cozy mystery type. I wish there was even more romance but it was also nice to just see the relationship develop from strangers to something more versus having to see all their problems and drama and stuff like a usual romance. Overall I’d definitely recommend to someone looking for a light fluffy romance w a little character development and a little stabbing 🔪
3.75 rounded up to 4

Schitt's Creek meets Only Murders in the Building in this new funny and heartwarming mystery by Bellamy Rose.

Pomona Afton can so solve a murder. At least she's going to need to solve a murder if she wants her hotel heiress life back. Pomona finds herself with a single suitcase and nowhere to live when her grandmother is found murdered. Through a recent clause in her grandmothers will Pomona, and anyone else with a claim to the old woman's fortune, will but cut off until the murderer is brought to justice.

This was such an enjoyable read that hits on big themes of privilege, racism, and class divide balanced with humorous antics from the main character. Pomona's internal journey and maturing was really fun to watch and hits a similar stride to Schitt's Creek. Add in a kooky cast of New York City characters not unlike Only Murders in the Building, and you have an instant hit!

This was such a surprise for me! It encompassed all of my favorite tropes. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the advanced copy! I will be on the lookout for what this author does next!

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder is a single-POV murder mystery. Socialite Pomona Afton has her life turned upside down when her grandmother is murdered. The will specified that in the event of a suspicious death, all assets would be frozen so Pom finds herself penniless and homeless. She decides to temporarily room with Gabe, the son of her former nanny, and the two team up to figure out who the murderer is!

This was my first Bellamy Rose book and I enjoyed it so much! It was fun and funny and I liked the mystery. I loved watching Pomona’s character growth throughout the book. Definitely recommend!


Read dates: 02/10/2025 - 02/11/2025
Goodreads review: 02/11/2025
Instagram review: 02/12/2025
Blog review: 03/18/2025

If Serena Van der woodsen joined Only Murders in the Building.

The book follows Pomona Afton as she navigates life as a "regular person" after she discovers her grandmother's murdered corpse, and is therefore frozen out of her heiress bank account. If the matriarch's murder isn't solved within a year, the family will forfeit the money and inheritance. Distraught after working one shift at a coffee shop and living with a (hot) roommate in an apartment that's a little too far east for Pomona's liking, she is determined to solve her grandmother's murder. Also in tow as her partner in crime is Gabe… her childhood nanny's son turned roommate.

I can't say the story is super shocking. I found many of the elements to be predictable. But it's still fun. Almost a mix of a Crazy Rich Asians or Gossip Girl Style comedy, regarding how out of touch the wealthy are, mixed with your average fun rom com mystery. It's short enough that none of the humor or mystery feels drug out. It is at times pretentious and insufferable, but that's half the fun.

Overall, would recommend if you're looking for a light-hearted, cozy mystery and/or loveee consuming media about pretentious rich people who suddenly lose everything.

Such a delightful read!

This is a mystery, but definitely a lighter read and it was just what I needed when I picked it up. I love the journey that Pomona went on throughout the book, and her growth was wonderful to read. This is a perfect book for someone looking for a fun read with some romance and a touch of a mystery.

This book took me longer than usual to finish, and it was a relatively shorter book than my usual so for me that says a lot about a book. It was cute and bubbly and fun, but there was a lot of cheese. In general the writing was smooth but here and there I feel like it was just random weird filler? And the ending was kind of weird and abrupt, like I felt like a few more pages would have been good. Or even another paragraph to be honest. In general it was a cute book, it was close-door and minimum bad language. I feel like the confrontation scene towards the end was just like… not how something would really happen? But whatever. Just feel like there was stuff missing. But truly the writing in general was nice, it wasn’t overly cringe and was quite fluent!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC ready in exchange for my honest review!

This book was so fun!

I loved going on this journey with Pomona. While the mystery was solid, watching Pomona grow and really blossom into a wonderful and confident person was my favorite part of this book. I also enjoyed her relationship with Gabe and appreciated how they challenged one another.

If you had a soft spot for Cher Horowitz back in the day and enjoy a cozy mystery, I definitely recommend Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder by Bellamy Rose. Check it out when it’s released on March 18!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a sweet, fun, quick read that had me giddy. I loved this heiress meets Only Murders in the Building vibe. Pom was such a fun character who was quick and smart and reminded me of when I loved reading Harriet the Spy as a kid. And Gabe was such a sweetheart - her partner in (solving the) crime who ends up helping her figure out her happiness outside of money. I had a great time and always love a murder mystery with romance!

4 ⭐ 0 🌶️

This was really cute. A romantic mystery with an FMC that goes from riches to rags and grows up a lot while she figures out her new life.

I really loved Gabe, he was so sweet and kind and his longtime crush of Pomona was too cute. This one had no spice, just some smooching, but I loved it anyway. I loved watching Pom grow and realize what a, to be frank, horrible human she was. She was so likeable by the end.

The mystery was a lot of fun too. It kept me guessing even when I thought for a minute it was going to be insanely obvious. And the end was perfect.

Pomona Afton is an influencer and hotel chain heiress. Never having known a hard day of work (other than being hung over from clubbing), and never having been shut off from a never ending stream of funds, Pomona has never had to plan for the future. Everything changed the morning Pomona found her grandmother's clearly murdered body. Little did Pomona or her family know, but Grandmother had recently changed her will to shut off any access to the family money, business or assets in the event she was murdered. Pomona, suddenly homeless and penniless, and due to a very poor publicly streamed decision, without a job, Pomona moves in with the son of her former nanny who had been in need of a roommate. Suddenly forced to work, Pomona sees a different side of life and of herself.

This was a great mystery. It was unique and kept me guessing whodunit pretty close to the end. This is a great addition to Young Adult collections.