As always thank you netgalley and publisher for a copy!

It took me a few days after finishing to really think about how I felt about this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it as a whole, however I did dislike every character but the grandma, which is ironic. I felt like none of the characters really grew and they didn't have any redeeming qualities.


We follow Pomona after her grandmother was murdered and her 'fall from grace' as she attempts living well below what she's used to and her search for her grandmothers killer. She moves in with her old nanny's child and he helps her with interviewing her suspects and searching for the killer. I thought their dynamics were really cute though I wasn't sure how it was going to play out eventually. There were characters that didn't seem to add much to the plot. Over all it was cute and I would recommend it to a friend,

3.25 Stars

Pomona has more than a little bit in common with Alexis from the fictional Rose family. Both lived privileged lives off their family money, both lose everything in the blink of an eye, and both are determined to get back with they lost. Oh, but Pomona’s story does take a different turn. Her grandmother was murdered and until someone figures out whodunnit, the family is cut off financially.
Lucky for Pomona,her old nanny still cares about her and finds her a place to live… with Gabe, her son. Soon Pomona has him helping her find the killer and realizing there is more to life than just jet setting around the world.
A cozy mystery with a sprinkling of romance and learning how to be your best self.

4.5⭐

thank you Netgalley for providing a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

13+

—spoiler free—

romance: 4/10 (a few sweet kisses, mentions of the fmc having hookups in the past, mentions of an affair)

cursing: 5/10 (infrequent damn, hell, shit, ass, bitch. F-ck a few times. Semi frequent Lord’s name in vain)

violence: 6/10 (Pom’s grandmother is stabbed to death. Pom is attacked and threatened with murder)

other: Characters have a reported past of drinking and partying. Mentions of vaping. One side character is non binary. Pom supports art galleries exclusively for artists of color and queer artists.

first person, past tense

publish date: 3-18-2025

**“Never move to Florida, Pom. It’s all alligators and old people.”**


–OVERVIEW–

FIRSTLYYY when this book comes out I need to get myself a copy. Bc this was so freaking good. I was hooked from the first page.

Also, this book is 100% clean! Not even any fade to black scenes which I appreciated after so many books I’ve read this year having spice in it. I needed a break ahaha

The plot twists were so good, I had no idea who dunnit (tho I might just be high-key stupid…). It shaped up to be a great book that kept me super entertained.

The romance was super cute and I am in love with Gabe… Like seriously 🥲

It’s amazing. Genuinely. Please go read it.

The relationships in this book were so strong, and the forgiveness and apologies in this book was so heartfelt and I loved how the characters worked past disagreements.

-the writing-
While it wasn’t phenomenal it’s definitely better than books I’ve read in the past (COUGH Powerless. COUGH If He Had Been With Me. HACK). I hope this book gets all the hype it deserves and more.
I laughed out loud a couple times hehehehe

**His smile was like the rising sun, “You want to go to Jackson Heights with me?”
I linked my elbow with his. “I’d go anywhere with you.”**


–PLOT–

Pomona Afton as grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth. She had everything she ever wanted, clothes, money, boys. But it all comes crashing down after a clause in her Grandmother’s will put the whole company on pause after her untimely murder. The only way to reinstate the Afton’s Family Fortune is to catch the perp before a year passes. But to do so Pomona will have to have her wits about her… and possibly a little help from the son of her childhood nanny, Gabe.
Swimming in a sea of suspects and motive, will Pom and Gabe be able to catch the killer before it’s too late?

10/10 fast paced plot that had me on my toes.

**“Your grandma sounds like a bitch. I knid of want to kill her. Oh, wait….”**


–CHARACTERS–

POM
-> so, first off, her name is SO obnoxious. Like wtcrap is that? Pomona? Pom? POM POM? Was that on purpose? Bc it made me want to pull out all of my hair. And I get that she’s snotty, that makes sense, she’s supposed to be that way. But that didn’t stop me from finding her so annoying in the first quarter of the book. Tho, she got infinitely better as time went on and I found myself liking her more and more. There’s something charming about a character with a high society past being brought down so low she can’t even afford a taxi. It’s almost a good thing that her grandmother got murdered….
I loved that she had a baking addiction, and if I’m being completely honest there were several times as I was reading that I had to put the book down and bake *myself* something. I don’t have her skill though hahaha.

GABE
-> excuse me, hottie alert. Guys, he works at a coffee shop and takes night classes so he can become a TEACHER. If that’s not the cutest thing ever, I don’t know what is. I am now parital towards the idea of naming a future son Gabriel. Don’t tell my future husband.
He’s so humble and he has a shy side which I found so freaking adorable. 
He would not appreciate being called “cute” or “adorable” but he’s not around to give me the stink eye so I think it’s okay.

SQUEAKY MEATBALL
-> I don’t rlly have much to say abt this little ball of fluff, besides the fact that Squeaky and or Meatball are both hilarious names. And I love cats. So bonus points for him. He made me want to snuggle with my grandma’s cats, but unfortunately for me, my grandma lives five hours away 🤡


**Family wasn’t only flesh and blood, though. Family was about who  loved you and who built you up, not tore you down.**


–CONCLUSION–

Add this to your tbr and I will be a happy girl.
It’s a super light read, and has the murder mystery aspects while also still being lighthearted and fluffy.

**“I think everybody is capable of terrible things, that’s what makes us human beings.”**


–PLAYLIST–
I’ll just put ones in that I thought of as I was reading

no body, no crime - Taylor Swift
Anti Hero - Taylor Swift
You’re On Your Own Kid - Taylor Swift
Bones - imagine Dragons
Close to You - Gracie Abrams
Rise Up - Imagine Dragons
Whatever it Takes - Imagine Dragons
Sad Songs in a Hotel Room - Joshua Bassett
Perfect - One Direction

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

I enjoyed this book - the romance, the mystery and a well-written plot. Pom and Gabe were so great and I really enjoyed getting into this.

3.75 stars rounded up. This was a cute, cozy mystery with a little bit of romance. I enjoyed following Pomona's adventures as she works to solve her grandmother's murder.

This was such a fun read! Gave Alexis Rose and Only Murders In The Building vibes! I love a good mystery where it keeps me on my toes the entire time! I was rooting for the FMC to solve the mystery the entire time!

~3.5 stars rounded up~

This book was such a cozy and fun mystery read. This story focuses around Pomona Alton, a heiress who has a societal fall from grace following the bewildering death of her grandma. Without access to her high maintenance lifestyle and trust fund, Pomona must come together with a childhood acquaintance in order to solve her grandma’s murder and take back her life.

Pomona is very reminiscent of Paris Hilton and Alexis from Schitt’s Creek. The plot was very fast moving and entertaining to read. The main things that I didn’t love about the book was the way it changed scenes. Sometimes I would lose track of where they were geographically because of how the author transitioned from one paragraph to another. However, it was a nice low stakes, low stim mystery novel. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a more light hearted book.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC!

Pomona Afton, a spoiled heiress reminiscent of Alexis Schitt, lives a glamourous and leisurely lifestyle which she shares with all of her followers on social media. When she finds her grandmother murdered after an important gala, Pomona's spoiled-girl lifestyle is stripped away overnight and Pomona is locked out of her former life until she solves the murder and thus regain access to her trust fund. Desperate for somewhere to live and out of options, Pomona moves in with Gabe, the handsome son of her former Nanny, who offers to help solve the mystery so his mother can get the retirement money that she is owed from Pomona's family. Reluctantly at first, the two work to solve the mystery and discover that they are a great team with chemistry that cannot be denied.

I loved this book!! The characters were so lovable and Pomona in particular had great character growth from the start of the novel when read as irritatatingly superficial to the end when she gains confidence, a sense of her true self, and a piece of the reader's heart. Bellamy Rose writes a clever and funny cozy mystery that is Schitt's Creek meets Only Murders in the Building meets (insert your favourite rom com here). Bellamy Rose is no stranger to the rom com world as typically she writes under the name Amanda Elliot. After reading Pomona I will be reaching for Elliot's backlist in 2025 and cannot wait for the second installment of Pomona to come out.

Highly recommend if you are a fan of cozy mysteries or want to read a light thriller. I had a fantastic time.

Many thanks to Atria Books, Simon and Schuster, and Bellamy Rose for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars

This was just what I needed! It is giving Only Murders In The Building vibes and I am here for it! I've been on a thriller/mystery kick so when I was given the opportunity to read a cozy thriller/mystery, I jumped on it! It was a great read!

I really enjoyed this and did not want to put it down. I was fully invested in the story and gasped every time the evidence aligned for someone to be the killer. It may be obvious to some, but I didn’t suspect who it would be in the end and I was kept on the edge of my seat.

Even though a murder is described, I did not think the book was scary or gory. This was perfect for me because I often stay away from mystery or thriller books because of the gore aspect. This one is on the cozier side and I am glad that I picked it up!

I also enjoyed the romance sub plot and wish we could have gotten more! Their relationship was cute and I liked how they lifted each other up.

It was also nice to see Pomona’s character growth throughout the book and I enjoyed the epilogue!

I think if you want a light romcom/chic lit, you'll enjoy this more than a reader looking for a mystery (and to be fair, it's billed as a novel on the cover, but was shelved as a mystery/thriller on NetGalley). I liked it when I started it, read about 1/3 of it and then took a couple weeks away from it. It didn't really hold my attention, but I did enjoy it. Bellamy Rose is a great first time author and I loved Pomona's 1st person narration - she's kind of cluelessly hapless but also sweet - and the dialogue felt real between characters.

Pomona is a Paris Hilton-type character, enjoying her family's fortunes when her grandmother is murdered. She then is encouraged to figure out whodunnit so her family's assets can be unfrozen (her grandmother is worried this will happen so upon her mysterious death, Pomona and her family are kicked out of their hotel-house and have no resources. Pomona has to start living in the "real world."

I didn't love that she was immediately good at baking (or believe that she'd like it - it's messy and sweaty and you have to plan ahead) but I did like that she wasn't totally useless and had some skills - and baking was close to her heart because it was something she did with the only person she felt loved her- her former nanny Andrea (and Gabe's mom). Along with baking, she realizes she's good at talking to people/suspects and she starts to see how she could be a better person (like thanking her manicurist or not getting drunk every night and - gasp- rewearing outfits).

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

This is so Only Murders in the Building, and honestly, that’s exactly why it’s right up my alley. Who knew romantic, cozy murder mysteries could blend so perfectly (spoiler alert: they totally do)?

I absolutely adored Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder—so much so, I went ahead and preordered a physical copy just so I can dive back in and experience it all over again!

This was a super cute and easy read. I enjoyed the characters and the cozy thriller vibes to the story. It was a nice weekend read by the fire!

From the very first page, I was utterly enchanted by this delightful gem of a book. A perfect blend of romance, humor, and just the right touch of mystery, it offers a wonderfully light escape that lingers long after you turn the last page. The story centers around Pomona Afton, a privileged young woman who, despite her initial spoiled and clueless demeanor, quickly becomes a character impossible not to love. Her hilarious misadventures and genuine evolution into a more self-aware, grounded individual make her journey of self-discovery both satisfying and heartwarming.

Pomona’s transformation is at the heart of this novel, and it’s beautifully captured. What begins as a tale of a rich girl stumbling through life turns into something much more meaningful—a story about finding one’s purpose beyond the comfort of privilege. Watching Pomona navigate her personal growth, particularly as she begins to form real, heartfelt relationships, is a rewarding experience that left me cheering for her every step of the way.

And then there’s Gabe. He is the perfect foil to Pomona’s whirlwind of chaos—gentle, kind, and quietly encouraging in a way that makes him impossible not to adore. His quiet strength and support are a beautiful contrast to Pomona’s initial naivety, and I absolutely loved how he introduced her to the joys of baking. What begins as a simple shared activity between them transforms into a passion that helps reshape Pomona’s world and her sense of self. Their romance felt like a classic romcom dream—sweet, tender, and crackling with chemistry. Each scene between them made me smile, and their connection felt both inevitable and incredibly special.

The relationships in this book are truly enchanting. Not just the romance, but also the way Pomona forges meaningful bonds with those around her. Watching her evolve from a self-centered young woman into someone who embraces her own flaws and strengths is beautifully rendered. It’s a journey of self-discovery that feels genuine, and one I was privileged to follow.

While the murder mystery at the core of the plot may not be the most intricate, it provides an entertaining backdrop to the characters’ development. The unconventional detective work adds a charming layer of humor to the narrative, and while the focus is less on the whodunit, the journey itself is thoroughly engaging. The killer's reveal wasn't much of a shock—it was pretty easy to guess halfway through—but I still had a fantastic time watching it all unfold.

☆꧁𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙮; 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬, 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮.💌꧂☆

This author has now secured a permanent place on my must-read list. I find myself eagerly anticipating her next work, already consumed with excitement to explore the other gems she has crafted!

𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢/𝘌𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘉𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!

ARC provided by Atria Books and NetGalley (read via ebook)

Pomona Afton has it all. Youth, beauty, money and a posh apartment in one of her family’s high end hotels. She’s a party girl without a care in the world until her grandmother is found (brutally) murdered in her penthouse suite.

This unnatural death triggers a clause in her grandmother’s will. No one receives any inheritance or assets from her estate until the murder is solved.

Pom and her family are unceremoniously evicted from the hotel and only she seems determined to solve the murder and claim the huge inheritance. But the list of suspects is long and they are all related to Pom. How can she solve the murder, keep her family intact and reclaim her affluent lifestyle…and does she even want to.

Pom is compared to the character Cher from Clueless, and as I kind of see this towards the end of the story, the first 3/4 of the story she reminds me much more of how Paris Hilton was portrayed in the tabloids during the late 1990s-2000s. Just more self-centered, entitled and vapid than I attribute to the Cher character. But, definitely same category of rich, pretty party girl.

Regardless, Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder is a fun, quick read that kept me interested in both the whodunnit and in the character growth of Pomona during the process. It would be a great vacation/beach read.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this arc for my honest review!

This was my first read of 2025 and I truly enjoyed it. It was definitely wanted I needed after the holidays to have such an easy ready to start my new year

I really wanted to love Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder, but it missed the mark for me. The concept—a spoiled heiress turned amateur sleuth who learns to fend for herself while solving her grandmother's murder—is undeniably fun. However, the execution left a lot to be desired.

Pomona is a character who could have been endearingly flawed, but her over-the-top entitlement felt grating rather than charming. While there are glimpses of her growth, the transformation felt rushed and unearned. Gabe, her grumpy-but-hot roommate, had potential as a love interest, but their romance lacked chemistry and depth, leaving the rom-com aspect of the story feeling undercooked.

As for the murder mystery, it felt predictable, with obvious clues and a resolution that wrapped up too conveniently. The stakes, which should have been high given the frozen assets and family drama, didn’t carry the tension I was hoping for. Instead, much of the plot relied on repetitive banter and forced comedic moments.

That said, Bellamy Rose’s writing does have a certain charm, and I can see this being enjoyable for readers looking for a lighthearted, low-stakes read. Unfortunately, for me, it just didn’t live up to its intriguing premise.

The perfect cozy mystery meets rom-com. Perfect light read that had just the perfect amount of romance, mystery, humor to make you want to keep reading. Pomona is like Cher from Culeless. This is a debut book for Bellamy Rose however this is the pen name for Amanda Elliott who wrote Sadie on a Plate and Best Served Hot. I haven’t read either of these rom-coms but definitely will after readying this.

I really enjoyed this book! It’s a super cute mystery (I wouldn’t categorize it under cozy) with fun characters trying to solve a murder in NYC. This book had a few twists and turns that kept you guessing the whole time who the murderer was. I loved Pom, the main character, even though she slightly drove me crazy in the beginning but I grew to love her. I do love a flawed main character. Highly recommend if you need an entertaining, silly, and well written mystery!

This rom-com-meets-murder-mystery offers an entertaining premise with Pomona Afton—a spoiled heiress forced to step out of her comfort zone to solve her grandmother’s murder and reclaim her trust fund. Pom’s journey from privileged socialite to amateur detective has its share of humorous and heartfelt moments, especially as she navigates life without luxury and grows closer to Gabe, her grumpy yet endearing roommate. While the quirky premise is fun, the plot occasionally feels predictable, and the mystery's resolution lacks the punch needed for a stronger impact. Still, Pom’s character growth and her budding romance with Gabe make it an enjoyable, if not groundbreaking, read. A light, breezy story for fans of comedic whodunits.