Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder is Bellamy Rose‘s first book in the mystery/romantic comedy genre. It’s a clean (no profanity or sex scenes) mash-up of Clueless and Only Murders in the Building.

Pomona Afton is a spoiled, Upper East Side hotel heiress who discovers that her mean, greedy grandmother was murdered. Unfortunately, Mrs. Afton was paranoid enough that she included a clause into her will mandating that all the family assets get frozen if she should die an unnatural death. Immediately Pomona is locked out of her penthouse and has no choice except to move in with a roommate. Her beloved former nanny offers up her son’s cramped apartment, complete with irritable son, Gabe.

Pomona is a fish-out-of-water once she loses access to her trust fund. It’s like that old reality show with Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie, except Pomona is a lot more likeable. Pomona realizes that she will have to solve her grandmother’s murder because her family isn’t helping the police. Gabe is invested in helping her, both to get her out of his apartment and so his mom can collect her retirement. Naturally Pomona and Gabe fall for each other, but can a relationship between these two last?

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder is a fast-paced, clean and hilarious mystery/romance with engaging characters. It’s a definite page-turner that will keep readers engrossed over a weekend. This book would make an excellent TV movie

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Atria Books for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a cute story, the FMC was a bit stereotypical rich girl and the pacing was a bit slow. the mystery was cute and the couple was sweet. The spice was low.

Pomona Afton is a party girl socialite, whose family owns several hotels. She just loves to have a good time going to galas and doesn’t have a care in this world. Her grandmother is murdered which then triggers a clause in the will - if her grandmother dies of unnatural causes all of the assets are frozen. Now Pomona has 30 minutes to gather her belongings and leave her apartment.

She ends up calling her former nanny who tells her that her son, Gabe, is looking for a roommate. Pomona moves in with Gabe and starts working at the coffee shop he manages. When the police have made little progress in finding the killer, Pomona decides to investigate the mystery herself…with Gabe’s help of course!

I liked how Pomona and Gabe balanced each other and worked together. There was a little bit of romance between them but really the focus was on solving the murder, which was fine with me. I enjoyed watching Pomona figure it all out while she worked on herself and what she wanted to be when she grew up.

I do wish that we had more information about Gabe’s mom. Something was going on with her and Pomona’s grandmother but we never found out what that was. I need some answers here!

This was a quick read and recommend this if you enjoy

🕵🏻‍♀️ cozy mystery
🕵🏻‍♀️ Only Murders in the Building vibes
🕵🏻‍♀️ socialite meets the real world

I just wasn't a fan of this one... I kept reading because the premise had potential but it was never developed. Pomona (?!) Afton was boring, even while investigating a murder. And that's saying something. Hope you have better luck!!

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder comes out next week on March 18, 2025, and you can purchase HERE.

The first time Grandma called, I ignored her. That probably sounds heartless to you, but only because you're picturing a stereotypical grandmother. You know, one who bakes cookies. Gives lots of hugs. Loves her grandchildren unconditionally.

Marion Elizabeth Hunter Afton hugged you as if your clothes, no matter how clean, would dirty her impeccable tea dress. Any cookies she'd bake would probably have arsenic in them.

So when my phone lit up with GMA MARION as it buzzed against my breakfast table, I pushed it to the side so I couldn't see it. It was early still, or at least early for a Saturday. For all she knew, I was sleeping.

This cozy mystery mixed with a little romance broke my streak of hating that genre mashup! I couldn't stop reading about this heiress with a murdered grandmother who lost access to her riches and hotel-home. The pacing was quick but carefully plotted, and the romance added a sweet and believable angle without ruining the feel of the mystery. This title was described as Cher from Clueless meets Only Murders In the Building, and I think that description is spot-on. Pomona is loveable, not just in spite of but because of her quirks, and her character growth is endearing to watch. Would definitely enjoy more titles from this author - she also writes rom-coms under "Amanda Elliot", and some of those books are definitely on my TBR!

CWs - Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Blood, Murder, Classism, Racism, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Cannibalism

After Pomona’s grandmother dies, her grandmother’s final Will and Testament freezes the family’s inheritance unless her murder is solved within one year’s time. Pomona and her new roommate, have to start at the beginning and determine who of her grandmother’s enemies had the best motive– which doesn’t really narrow it down. Hidden secrets and new family dynamics are unburied, and Pomona’s life will never be that carefree again.

If you liked Schitt’s Creek and love a murder mystery, this is going to be right up your alley. After her grandmother’s death, Pomona has 20 minutes to pack a bag and leave the hotel premises. Her old nanny hooks her up with a place to live with her son, Gabe, when she can no longer stand to live with her brother and his girlfriend. Pomona has never lived in the real world and has approximately zero life skills, so her new life has a lot of growing pains.

With this premise, the book is a perfect mix of character driven and plot driven storylines. The murder and the loss of her inheritance pushes along the murder solving plotline and in the meantime, it pushes her character growth to learn how to make it in the real world. Every chapter has a little more character growth, and by the time you reach the end of the book, Pomona learns that she isn’t as useless as her family made her think. While the murder isn’t very complex and the clues easily lead the reader to the murderer, it creates a fun secondary storyline to help push along Pomona’s character growth without getting bogged down in internal monologues. There is a tertiary romance storyline, but it is extremely low-key and very sweet. It was nice that the romance was an outcome of her character growth instead of propelling the growth.

I don’t know if this will remain a standalone, as there was a brief hint at the end that it might not be, but if it’s not, then I will be ready for the next book!

#netgalley #pomonaaftoncansosolveamurder #atriabooks

First thank you to atria and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis: Pomona afton leads a very luxurious life living in her grandparents hotel. However that all comes to an end when her grandmother is murdered and she is kicked out until the killer is found. She has to live with her nanny’s son and they pair up to solve the crime.

What I liked: this reminded me of shitts creek in that it was smart, funny, clever and lovable. Pomona come be the spoiled brat but she has a lot of depth and notices people around her. She is treated like a spoiled brat and totally underestimated by many. I loved how she confronts people and gets so many details out of them. Gabe is the love interest but he provides a safe place for her and lets her grow up.
The case itself was super fun and I read this so fast. I want more books with Pomona.

This is a joy to read! It's a cozy mystery with a side of romance. Everyone in the family is a suspect and Pomona is the only one trying to solve her grandmother's murder. I found Pomona so lovable. Having lived her whole life spoiled and privileged she actually cares to learn new things, grow, and be kind. It was an enjoyable and refreshing departure from my usual romance only line up.

Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this eARC!

Pomona Afton Can So Solve A Murder 🛍️🔪

All her life Pomona (Pom) has been a spoiled little rich girl. Growing up with moneys flowing through her account, she has never had to face the real world. That is until her grandmother is murder in her pent house. Pom thinking she can cash in on the assets is wrongly mistaken when all the funds are frozen. In the event of a wrongful death, her grandmother put a clause in her will to freeze all assets. Pom must figure out who the grandma killer is and why they did it. Can she figure it out or will she have to couch surf until she gets back on her feet?

This book was great! It was funny, witty, and kept me interested from start to finish. Pom is the top of the top until she isn’t and it is portrayed very well. I loved how the author made her figure out how to survive in the real world. And made her become the ultimate sleuth to figure out who killed her grandma. It is mystery with a dash of romance. My favorite!

Read if you like:
Amateur sleuths 🕵🏼‍♀️
Cozy mystery 🔎
Riches to rags 💰
Character growth 📈

Ratings:
⭐️: 3.5/5
🌶️: 0/5
📖: 255
📚: mystery
🍾: 3/18/25

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder by Bellamy Rose is a quirky, clever, and charming mystery with a dash of humor and heart. Pomona’s determination and wit make her an engaging sleuth, and the twists kept me guessing until the end. The small-town vibes and lovable side characters add an extra layer of fun. Perfect for cozy mystery fans who enjoy a spunky heroine and a bit of chaos along the way!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bellamy Rose, and Atria Books for the eARC! This laugh-out-loud murder mystery was such an enjoyable read. The perfect blend of comedy and intrigue kept me hooked, making it a fast-paced page-turner—I just had to find out whodunit! Absolutely loved it!

I absolutely loved Pomona and her antics. I want more of Gabe. I really enjoy amanda elliots writing and this was no different. Can’t wait to see what mysteries Bellamy continues on with!

Mystery Rom-Coms are a new favorite genre, and we need more of them! This is a funny, engaging book with a strong mystery element. Pomona has nice growth that is believable throughout the book, and the relationship between her and Gabe is sweet! (No explicit spice). I love the New York City setting as well. Overall a very fun read, and I highly recommend it!

It was the perfect mixture of mystery and romance. It was funny, real, mystery driven, cheesy, and romantic! And I did not see that plot twist coming! It was such a fun read and I hope to read more from this author!

This was such a fun book! If you love a Paris Hilton/ London Tipton/ Alexis Rose type of character as much as I do, this is a must read!

When her grandmother is murdered, Pomona Afton, hotel heiress and party girl extraordinaire, finds herself cut off from her trust fund and kicked out of her hotel apartment after it's found that her grandmother's will states that all assets will be frozen if she is to die from "unnatural causes" until the murderer is caught. This forces Pomona to reassess her life choices as she has no where to go and no career to fall back on. Spurred on by the encouragement of her new roommate (and the son of her old nanny), Gabe, Pomona decides that they way to taking back control of her life is to solve her grandmother's murder.

Though this is a murder mystery, I would say that the real story here is the personal journey that Pomona goes on as she realizes how much more there is to life than just which party she's going to next. I equally loved watching her become so passionate about baking and deciding that she has tolerated other people's dismissal of her ambitions for far too long. I'm not sure how the author managed to make a spoiled, rich girl so endearing, but there were several points where I wanted to reach into the book and give Pomona a hug. That being said, I did still enjoy the murder mystery plot line. I did start to suspect who the murderer was pretty early on, but I thought the author did a great job of making other characters look suspicious. The romance in this book was the icing on the cake. I absolutely adored Gabe and felt like he went on a personal journey of his own as he helped Pomona get back on her feet. And dare I say that I thought the author left the ending open for another book? I honestly hope so, because I would love to see Pomona tackle another murder investigation. With Gabe, of course. We can't forget about him.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

I really thought I was going to love this one -- when I got it emailed to me, it was marketed as a Dan and Blair inspired romance and I think that hyped it up way too much and it ended up falling a little short. I definitely got more of an Alexis Rose vibe from her, which I loved! I love me some Alexis. But other than me liking to FMC, I couldn't really get myself to care about the other characters. I felt like the friendship/partnership between the two main characters was too immediate when it came to wanting to solve the murder/becoming partners. I know it was for personal gain, but it just seemed a little unrealistic.

It was an okay read, but it was definitely not what I expected it to be.

This was a fun, easy read! If you are a fan of reality TV level drama, Kardashian-esque dynamics, and unexpected romance, this is the book for you. Pomona Afton, of the Afton hotel family, has made it through her life thus far on her good looks and trust fund, but questions everything when a death in the family causes her to lose everything in the span of an evening. We spend a large portion of this book on her journey of rediscovery and self-worth, with the sleuthing skills coming in the back half. I enjoyed the twists and turns that it took, and laughed at how outlandish normal, everyday tasks seemed for her. I found the ending to be wrapped up rather quickly, but despite this, found the solution to the mystery to be rather satisfying and unexpected.

This was SO fun. Think Alexis Rose solving a murder and you’ve got the gist of Poloma Afton Can So Solve a Murder. It took me a minute to warm up to Pomona, but once I got to know her and understand her I found her very endearing and funny. I laughed out loud several times. Her internal monologue was hilarious.

The murder mystery aspect was really fun as well and kept me guessing! I really expected that the romance would be center stage with the mystery just kind of happening in the background but it was kind of the other way around! The romance is there in little bits but it’s definitely not the main course (which I ended up really enjoying). Would I have been upset with more Gabe? Absolutely not. But I still had a blast reading this! I will definitely be picking up more of this author’s books for sure!

Pomona Afton Can So Solve A Murder
By: Bellamy Rose

“I’m ready to do whatever it takes so that I’ll never have to do that again.”
“Meaning”
“Let’s solve a murder.”

Thank you Atria and NetGalley for the free book! All opinions are my own. #Atria

This is such a smart and fun whodunit -- a perfect mix of intrigue and deception combined with humor and personal growth. I recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining murder mystery!

Pomona’s grandmother is murdered and the family soon learns that she had a provision written into her will that freezes all of the family’s assets upon her death. This condition can only be lifted if the murderer is caught. Locked out of her penthouse and practically penniless, Pomona finds herself living with Gabe, her former nanny’s son. After a disaster-filled morning preparing coffee for ungrateful customers, Pomona soon realizes that the only path forward is for her to find the murderer herself.

This was such a cute and cozy mystery. I read it in less than a day and enjoyed each and every twist and turn. The romance is light but sweet and the side characters are mostly awful which made solving the case even more fun. This one is an enjoyable ride from start to finish!

Read if you like:

Whodunits
Cozy Mysteries
Character Growth
Riches to Rags
Spice Free
Books with series potential

I really liked this! It felt like a Gossip Girl character was trying to solve a murder and I loved every second of it. Pomona started out as an unlikeable person in the beginning but grew a lot throughout the story. Great character development and a solid mystery plot line. Great read!