I loved this book! the vibes were perfect for this time of year and the characters were beyond intriguing. so fun!

This was an easy, fun read that’s probably exactly what you’re expecting it to be. Spoiled, selfish heiress learns how to be a better person while solving a relatively contained mystery. I thought Pomona was a fun main character and I never got tired of being in her head, even when she was infuriating (which was frequent). There’s the beginnings of a sweet romance here, too, in addition to the mystery. Would recommend if you’re looking for a light, quick read that doesn’t require a ton from you.

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder (or as I lovingly refer to it in my book journal, PACSSAM) follows Pomona Afton as she navigates life as a "regular person" (aka someone who isn't an heiress to a hotel empire) after she discovers her grandmother's murdered corpse. Due to suspected foul play, Pomona's (and the rest of her family's) trust and assets are frozen, and they are given 30 minutes to escort the hotel premises (aka their home). 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 ("Was it even still the Upper East Side that close to the river?"), Pomona is determined on solving her grandmother's murder. Also in tow as her partner in (solving a) crime is Gabe… her childhood nanny's son turned roommate (I'm sure you can easily put the pieces together for what happens there).

This was a fun read! While Pom was mildly insufferable sometimes, you can't help but develop a soft spot for her as the novel progresses. While fast-paced, her character growth and reflections on her past behavior were nice to see. I wasn't expecting this from the novel heading in, but the mystery aspect of the novel kept me guessing. The book was short enough that I didn't feel like the story was dragging on -- the pacing felt steady across the mystery, romance, and self-reflection-to-become-a-better-person parts of the story. I would definitely categorize this as a "cozy" mystery, so very lovely to read with a fall ambience YouTube video playing in the background.

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.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!!

I thought this book was so cute and cozy. I loved the twists and turns and I honestly could not call that ending. I would absolutely read more of this series but it ended perfectly. The character development shined through and I loved how everyone interacted!

100% read this purely for the romance, and WHO WAS GONNA STOP ME. while mysteries aren’t typically my cup of tea, i can appreciate a well written one although im no pro by any means. i loved the side characters and the romance carried for me personally, but id definitely recommend!

What a charming book with Search Party vibes! Make it a Netflix series STAT. I'm not usually a mystery girlie, but this book might have converted me!

A fun, laugh-out-loud ride from start to finish.

Pomona Afton is a hotel heiress who has no concept of what it means to live and function in the real world, that is until her cruel grandmother is murdered in her own home. Pomona finds herself working for the first time, all the while trying to figure out who killed her grandmother in order to restore her family money.

I need another book with these characters RIGHT. NOW.

Pomona is spoiled for sure, but the character development is so well done that you will be rooting for her every step of the way. And Gabe? Swoon!

The blend of cozy mystery and rom-com is great, with all of the characters fleshed out so well that you never want the book to end. I can definitely picture this book as a tv show too as a mix of Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and grown-up Mean Girls.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this book! It was a great palette cleanser and so much fun to read. I loved seeing Pomona's character development throughout the story. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun read. It’s fantastical and cheesy but in a delightful way—like a Disney Channel original movie (and i mean that as a compliment). And while the characters obviously were not cops, there was never a point when i was cringing because they were dumber than was realistic.
I enjoyed seeing all the different relationships play out and seeing Pomona gain confidence in who she is and what she brings to the world.
I would definitely recommend if you want an light, entertaining read.

Pomona Afton loses everything when her Grandmother is murdered, triggering a clause in her Will that leaves the family with nothing. Can this spoiled heiress learn to stand on her own two feet?

This was a wild ride, and a really lovely story! I loved Pomona and twists were so clever. Definitely an author I'll be watching!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy to review

i wasn't a fan of the main character so that did ruin a bit my reading experience, i decided to dnf it but the writing was nice and the storyline intriguing enough that if i had liked pomona i would've definitely finished reading it.

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder was a fun mystery! I enjoyed stepping into Pomona’s world and seeing her grow and take on more responsibility through this story! Sign me up for book two!

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! Not knowing what to expect going into it besides knowing it combined my two favourite genres (romance and murder mystery) made for such a fun surprise as I was getting into the book. This is also the first murder mystery I’ve read in a while that threw me off the scent of who the actual killer was and didn’t have me knowing how the book ended in the first few chapter. Such a fun read with a peek into high society and the personalities you might meet while on the Upper East Side.

I really loved this murder mystery by @bellamyrosebooks - with a bit of romance and riches-to-rags thrown in. Pomona Aston is a hotel heiress who hasn’t made much of herself beyond being famous for being famous- with a huge trust fund and living in luxury Manhattan hotels. Suddenly her grandmother, the matriarch, is violently murdered. And her assets are frozen until the murderer is discovered. What can Pom do? She only has a little money and nowhere to stay. Her former nanny’s son becomes her partner in trying to solve this crime- although it appears the only suspects are members of her immediate family.

Pom is a lot of fun, this isn’t a touching book, but it did make me laugh. I love books about socialites in Manhattan, especially when they learn lessons and become hard working. I love every reference to high end designers and mean and snobby people getting murdered. I didn’t guess the killer at all, there are plenty of red herrings and twists and I was definitely rooting for the friends to lovers romance.

I hope we haven’t seen the last of Pom- I bet she can solve more murders.

Thanks to @NetGalley and @simonandschuster for the ARC. Book to be released March 18, 2025


#netgalley #bookreviews #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #booktok #pomonaaftoncansosolveamurder

This was a cute read (for the most part, considering there is a murder involved which is not cute)! I did not really like the character of Pamona at first. She was pretty spoiled, and while I realize that was the point, her perspective was still hard to read at times. However, with that being said, I did really enjoy her arc and the character development that she experienced throughout the course of the book. I ended up liking her in the end, and felt invested in her story. I did struggle a bit with her concern (or lack thereof) over finding her grandmother brutally murdered. While her grandmother was not a very kind person while she was living, it still felt just a little unnatural that no one seemed to grieve her at all and Pom had very little repercussions to finding her body (nightmares are mentioned only once, and it was more offhanded and in a joking manner).
I enjoyed the romance plot and it didn’t ever seem to overshadow the main plot of Pom solving her grandmother’s murder, making it feel more natural. Gabe’s character was a little flat, but again, the romance wasn’t the main point of the story so it worked.
I’d recommend this for someone that enjoys closed-door romance and is looking for a story with light mystery. I wouldn’t call this a “cozy mystery” or a “sweet romance,” but more so a combination of both.

This one is for those of us who grew up loving Elle Woods, Eloise (she’s 6! Lives at the Plaza Hotel), and Cher from Clueless.

I will never tire of an underestimated FMC who proves to be so much more - and Pomona Afton was just that. Pomona is just out-of-touch and air-headed enough while still being capable of self-reflection and growth. This was a fun and easy read with enough easter eggs peppered throughout to make solving the mystery fun for the reader, with a romance plot that felt natural to the story and the character’s development as well.

I would be happy to read a sequel or spin-off in the future.

This is a cute comfort read. Both the characters and the mystery itself could have been developed more (Pom's perspective at the beginning felt a bit exaggerated and the murder reveal would have been more gratifying if the reader earned it). That said, there are a lot of fun characters and humorous moments that make this a fun, if quick, read.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book, and when I saw it described as Schitt’s Creek meets Only Murders in the Building? I was hooked. Pomona loses everything overnight when her grandmother is murdered, and truly has no idea what to do next because she’s always had people around to take care of just about any task she might need. She’s lived a luxurious life. One thing leads to another and she ends up living with Gabe. These two get off to a bit of a rocky start (oof, it was rough), but I enjoyed watching their relationship develop…Pomona getting a pretty rough reality check, but Gabe helping her through it, and Gabe becoming someone who believed in her. This one definitely had twists I wasn’t expecting, and I enjoyed it!

[ARC fromNetGalley//Atria Books in exchange for an honest review]

I absolutely adored this. It was an absolute joy to read! Once I started, I just didn’t want to stop. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @atriabooks for an early copy of Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder by @bellamyrosebook @amandapanitch. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5/5
Release date: March 18th, 2025

Blurb: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder tells the story of Pomona “Pom” Afton, a spoiled hotel heiress who found her grandmother’s body murdered, and with her death came an ironclad will that locked away her trust fund and assets unless her murder was solved. With the help of Pom’s previous nanny’s son-turned-her-roommate Gabe, they investigate her grandmother’s murder and search for the culprit.

I couldn’t help but imagine Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd (Cher and Josh) from Clueless as Pom and Gabe; I mean their personalities just scream these Clueless characters! Anyway, this book was somewhat a delight to read, though at times I found myself needing to put down the book because of Pom’s character. She was naïve and I can’t help but have some secondhand embarrassment from how she thinks, but her character shined as the book progressed with her learning to cope with what she has after losing her family’s money and support. I also found myself being proud of her character when she found her calling in baking pastries and sweets; she channeled her anger and frustration with learning how to bake and be successful in selling them. The author did a great job with Pom’s character growth with her realizations as well.

Gabe has been a wonderful support system for Pom. Initially, I thought he would make Pom’s life even more difficult with her being naïve and everything, but he was very understanding all throughout the story as they investigated her grandmother’s murder. Their chemistry though, I found lacking in some ways because it felt rushed.

The murder mystery parts of the novel were quite okay as well. Pom and Gabe’s investigation wasn’t as in-depth as I would have liked, though given they have no experience with being detectives at all, I’d let it slide.

Overall, this novel was an enjoyable and light mystery/romance read. It’s a good palette cleanser and if you’re in a reading slump and in need of a change in genre, this might be a good book to pick up.