Highs and lows in this one for me! I love a cozy mystery and the Golden Girls - so when I saw this on Netgalley I requested it right away. I loved how true the voices were to the GG ladies - you could see the characters shine through! Unfortunately, I did find the plot to be a bit slow and the mystery a bit simple for me. Blanche and Sophia also fell to the background - but guessing there might be more books where they will be featured. Ultimately, if you love cozy mysteries and the GG this is worth picking up! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an early copy!

A fun read for fans of cheesecake and The Golden Girls. A wedding, cheesecake, and murder—no worries, Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia have it under control.

Giant slice of nostalgia and wit

As someone who grew up watching the Golden Girls, I ran when I saw this book cover the first time. Throughout the book, I could just hear the dialogue in their distinct voices with that classic sarcastic delivery. I could see them sitting in their kitchen and living room, wearing flowy oversized fashions with shoulder pads. It was like reading a script of the show, but in standard book form. Even the transition music played in my mind between scenes. And the author threw in a solid amount of dated interior design and popular products to fully embrace the decade.

Overall, this book was exactly what I expected it to be - a light cozy murder mystery with some old familiar characters and as many St. Olaf references as possible. Was it the next Great American Novel? Of course not. Would it stand up as a murder mystery without our favorite foursome? Possibly not. But thankfully I was able to enjoy Rose, Blanche, Sophia and Dorothy try to get out of a real pickle.

Consider this book a great palate cleanser between epic fantasies or when genre switching.

Murder by Cheesecake was a dnf finish for me, and I did try more than once to continue. As a huge Golden Girls fan I think there is potential for this kind of book, but the way this was written made it just not work for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery" is a charming, fun-filled read that combines the best of cozy mystery with the lovable spirit of The Golden Girls! The author perfectly captures the essence of those iconic characters, blending their wit, humor, and heart into a lighthearted yet engaging murder mystery.

The story is full of clever twists, intriguing clues, and just the right amount of suspense to keep you hooked from start to finish. And of course, the cheesecake theme adds a deliciously fun touch throughout the story! Whether you're a fan of cozy mysteries or a die-hard Golden Girls fan, this book is sure to bring a smile to your face and keep you guessing until the very end.

If you’re looking for a delightful escape with endearing characters, a well-crafted mystery, and plenty of laughs, then this book is an absolute must-read. It’s the perfect blend of sweet and suspenseful—highly recommended!

I love the Golden Girls and couldn't wait to dive in to this new series featuring our favorite ladies! What a treat this cozy mystery was! Literally hearing their voices in my head as I read thru their lines made this even better. So excited to read what comes next!!!

A nostalgic, fast paced escaped from reality. I loved this book as I love Golden Girls. It was soooooooo good.

If you too love the Golden Girls then this little mystery is perfect for you! The author did a great job of capturing our favorite besties as they try to plan a wedding and solve a murder. Mystery was good and there is a lot of wedding stuff if that brings you joy ◡̈

Thank you to NetGalley, Hyperion Avenue, and Rachel Ekstrom Courage for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Right away when I started reading this books I could perfectly picture the girls in their house and hear their voices!! I love how lively this book felt!

What an adorable mystery book!!! Between planning a wedding and solving a mystery, what else could happen? This if definitely a book to read if you love a good mystery or The Golden Girls!!

All you need is good cheesecake & amazing friends💚

I am honored to be an ARC for one of my favorite TV sitcoms turned into a Cozy Mystery Book! I absolutely adore the Golden Girls and this book was right up my alley!!!

Golden Girls fans will love this exploration of the GG world and characters. I think the absolute strongest praise for this is the author's impeccable characterization of the ladies we know and love. The dialogue and the mannerisms are exactly what I would imagine from the Golden Girls and it felt so cozy getting to spend some time with them.

Unfortunately, the plot of this did not move along fast enough for me to keep my attention the whole way. I wanted to love it because I loved the characters, but I found myself caring less about the wedding plot and even the murder mystery as the story went on.

Using Rose's family wedding event as a center point was tough, because the constant ribbing of Rose and her eccentricities can get old pretty quick. I did like Dorothy being at the center of the murder investigation, as she is the one to always have a bit more logic behind her actions. I think Blanche and Sophia definitely fell in the background of this one, unfortunately.

This is a charming humorous first in series that I hope will continue on in eternity for readers. Thank you to the publisher, to Net Galley and to the author for this delightful read. My review opinions are my own.

This is a fun escape into the world of the GG that we all love. The author has all the right humor, mannerisms and personalities of each character. If Betty White were alive I am sure she would approve ! Each character is brought to life here and the friendships they shared. I loved the mystery and how Dorothy was involved . I will not give you spoilers as this is such a remarkable book you must read it for yourself. Enjoy this escape into the world of the GG and get out the cheesecake.

Well done to the author. I look forward to the next in series.

DNF - I can appreciate a good cozy mystery, but this was a little much. The Golden Girls theming is very heavy-handed which is kind of counterintuitive to appealing to fans of the show. I already know that Blanche has a southern drawl and Rose is an airhead - I do not need that explained to me extensively!

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the free ARC ebook of Murder by Cheesecake.

The Golden Girls is one of my favorite shows for as long as I can remember. The characters and story lines are always so funny, so I was so excited when I saw this book! Murder by Cheesecake follows our 4 ladies - Sophia, Blanche, Rose, and Dorothy in a really fun and lighthearted whodunit. It has a great mixture of mystery and small-town charm.

The ladies find themselves in the middle of a murder case that (obviously) involves cheesecake. There are funny moments, surprising twists, and classic Golden Girl character moments to keep you engaged. I loved reading this one!!

It’s a pretty fast and very cute read. There is some grammatical issues right at the beginning of the book and word spacing issues throughout. Overall, it’s a fun mystery book in the classic Golden Girls.

I was really excited about this one, but my copy is unformatted, so I am unfortunately unable to read it. (So for the unavoidable use of the un prefix there.)

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review! I look forward to checking out a finished copy in the future.

*My star rating is based on the brief amount I was able to read and what I imagine I would’ve given the title if I were able to finish it.*

I’m so impressed with how accurately Rachel wrote the characters in this book; it was exactly like watching an episode of the show! I loved it so much!

For those here for the cozy mystery aspect, this book absolutely delivers on that front as well. The story is mysterious enough to keep the reader guessing but doesn’t take itself too seriously and is light on the details involving the murder (etc).

I’d recommend this book and I’d grab the next book in the series ASAP (yes, this will be a series! 🥳) Thank you Hyperion Ave Books and NetGalley for being a friend (and sending me an ecopy!)!

This book had several positives. It was an easy read, with a simple mystery that had some good twists and surprises. The best part was how true it stayed to the voices and personalities of the Golden Girls. I could hear each of their voices throughout the book as I read.

The book was so specifically themed that I did need to be in the right mindset to read it, so it took me a little longer to finish it. Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who loves the Golden Girls and Cozy Mysteries!

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. #MurderbyCheesecake #NetGalley

This book was exactly what I needed. The golden girls is one of my comfort shows and this really brought the show back to life for me. I just know that Dorothy would love this incredible mystery book!

I was absolutely delighted to see a new series by one of my all time favorite show The Golden Girls.

This one is an absolute delightful novel and I could imagine the actresses throughout this fun mystery.

A murder during a wedding event and he was found in cheesecake!! You know it will be a fun mystery.

I look forward to this series.

It pains me to write this review, but I unfortunately did not finish this book. I read 20% and had to put it down. I am an avid fan of The Golden Girls and grew up watching the show with my mom and grandmother. It always brought me joy and laughter, which i was excitedly hoping for from this book.
I felt that the dialogue and story line was way too drawn out and overplayed. I would have loved to see a different spin on their characters a bit. The story was lacking some originality and I felt like I was reading the script of an episode versus a new and exciting storyline for the four ladies. It was also very long for a cozy mystery and I feel like this series would be better as a short-story or novella type book. I did love being back with Rose, Blanche, Dorothy and Sophia and they all had their unique quirks we all know and love, I just wish I wanted to keep reading, however I really struggled with the overly descriptive writing.