This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

This was a fun cozy mystery. I loved how it is based on the Golden Girls and it was fun to read. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! What a fun read this was!

I'm a big fan of mysteries and a HUGE fan of The Golden Girls, so this book was absolutely written with me in mind as an audience member. It's a quick read with lots of fun twists and turns, not to mention all the wink-wink, nudge-nudges to classic episodes. The author does an incredible job of capturing the unique voice and personality of each of our favorite ladies!

My one and only complaint, and it is extremely minor, especially considering that it was an ARC, is that the book needs one more good pass-through by an editor. There weren't a ton of typos, but the ones that were there distracted me enough to be noticeable.

I also love that the book will include the recipe for Rose's St. Olaf's Kiss cheesecake, which I'll definitely be baking too much of. I'm so excited to read more in this series, and I can't wait to see what misadventures the girls get up to next!

First of all I've never watched golden girls (too young), but that didn't stop me from enjoying this book. Absolutely loved whole vibes and so many different details I haven't heard of such as VHS dating services. Its only 4 and not 5 because I did feel it was a bit lengthy near the end. Also thank you for the opportunity for an ARC from NetGalley.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

If you are a Golden Girls fan, you will absolutely die over this cozy mystery. I am not typically a fan of these types of books written that springboard off of a well-established universe and franchise, but this was super fun. The writing of the characters felt very authentic to who we know them to be from the show, and the laugh out loud moments baked into the story were perfect. I am looking forward to reading the next installment(s) in this series!

I was very excited and dove right in. The description of the settings, house, characters, movements were exactly spot on. I loved it just as much as I thought I would!

Going in I had certain expectations of this book and it DELIVERED. Such a fun mystery that made you feel like you were watching an episode of the golden girls. The banter between Rose, Dorothy, Blanch, and Sophia was hilarious. Rose always looking for love but ultimately this gets her in some sticky situations. The storyline with Nellie was unique and fun with good pacing. I will absolutely read more from this author!

This was a fun quick read. It has all the nostalgia and humor as The Golden Girls show we all know and love. Throw in a side of mystery, and it's a great read for fans.

A cozy low-bar murder mystery AND the Golden Girls? Fill my library please! The first in a new cozy series based on the classic sitcom, Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, & Sophia are immersed in wedding prep for Rose’s beloved niece, determined to make every St Olaf tradition happen. During one of the first events, they happen upon a dead man in the hotel freezer…and soon one of the Golden Girls becomes prime suspect #1. Tasked with clearing their names and planning a wedding, a little bit of suspense and a whole lot of quirky hijinks ensue.
I had so much fun reading this and couldn’t wait to dig in (books and cheesecake are the same in that way!) This is definitely a cozy story with a lot of cheesy moments inspired by the show (maybe just a bit too much St Olaf shenanigans) so go into that prepared. The author perfectly portrays each personality that we’ve come to love (and see as friends) over the past 30-40 years.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This comes out 4/15/25.

If you adore the Golden Girls and also love cozy mysteries, definitely pick up this book! The four women we all know and love were perfectly portrayed in this book full of heart, wit, and cheesecake. This is one of my favorite reads of 2024!

Murder by Cheesecake is a delightful blend of mystery, humor, and nostalgia that brings the Golden Girls back into the spotlight, this time as amateur sleuths. Combining the sass and camaraderie of Dorothy, Blanche, Rose, and Sophia with a classic cozy mystery setup, this first installment in the Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series is as satisfying as a slice of cheesecake (just without the murder).

The story kicks off with Dorothy’s ill-fated VHS dating experiment, which introduces her to a date so obnoxious that his demise in a hotel freezer—smack dab in a cheesecake—feels almost poetic. Unfortunately, the murder derails Rose’s meticulously planned St. Olaf–themed wedding week for her cousin, leaving the Girls scrambling to clear Dorothy’s name, solve the crime, and salvage the celebration.

The charm of this book lies in its faithful portrayal of the Girls. Dorothy’s sarcastic quips, Blanche’s flirtatious antics, Rose’s endearing (if baffling) St. Olaf traditions, and Sophia’s sharp one-liners all shine, creating a narrative that feels like slipping back into an episode of the beloved TV show. The banter is sharp, the humor is relentless, and the characters’ personalities leap off the page.

The mystery itself is cleverly constructed, filled with quirky suspects, unexpected twists, and plenty of red herrings. The stakes are high but balanced by comedic moments, including fish-themed wedding events and Blanche’s relentless matchmaking attempts. The blend of humor and suspense keeps the pacing lively and ensures readers stay hooked until the final reveal.

Murder by Cheesecake is a deliciously fun cozy mystery that will thrill Golden Girls fans and mystery lovers alike. It’s a perfect recipe of murder, friendship, and cheesecake-fueled antics, proving once again that these Miami besties can tackle anything—even a murder investigation. If you’re looking for a lighthearted whodunit with plenty of laughs, this is the book for you.

I cannot get enough of this book! It is fast-paced, witty, and completely embodies the characters that we know and love from the Golden Girls. I can hear every passage in each character's voice and see their physical traits and characteristics. When reading about Blanche, you can see her in your mind's eye patting her hair and rushing to her room for perfume; Rose stopping mid-walk to count cheesecake's in her head; Dorothy and Sophia rolling their eyes at each other as they banter back and forth. This is such a cute, cozy read and I am loving every minute of it!

The story details the efforts that Rose goes through to plan a traditional St. Olaf wedding in the sunny weather of the Miami beaches. Meanwhile, Dorothy attempts to secure a date for the wedding and, in doing so, inadvertently meets the victim of a crime. The plot is a theatrical work of art that brings all the personalities from the show to life and provides fun twists and turns to keep you flipping to the next page. I highly recommend this book for a quick, light-hearted read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy to read and review.

4.25/5⭐️
First - thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue publishing for the opportunity to read an ARC of Murder by Cheesecake ahead of its April 2025 release.

This Golden Girls themed mystery sends our old friends on QUITE the journey when Rose is tasked with hosting the perfect St Olaf themed wedding for her cousin Nettie. All is going according to Rose’s (very strange) plans, until Dorothy’s (ex) date ends up dead - in the St Olaf’s Kiss cheesecake, no less! When Dorothy becomes the prime suspect, our girls are sent on a truly twisty path to clear her name!
Murder by Cheesecake is a truly cozy, nostalgic, wholesome mystery featuring some of my favorite Golden Girls!
Firstly, aesthetically, this book is amazing! The cover, the little illustrations on each chapter title, the chapter names, everything!
This book is a witty, bantering, funny gift!
Using the Golden Girls characters in a mystery like this is truly a unique and exciting concept that I really enjoyed! Seeing our girls on an new and unexpected adventure like this was truly a treat!
The author did an amazing job of capturing our favorite girls’ personalities on paper (specifically Sophia!) ! It transported me back to my teenage days , laying at home enjoying a Saturday afternoon with the Golden Girls! The story itself was fun and exciting and kept me guessing, there’s definitely unexpected twists all around and everyone is a suspect! This story will grab hold of you and won’t let go until the last page!
The only reason it’s not a 5 star for me personally, is I felt like the plot took a good chunk of the book (probably about 150pgs) to get REALLY super exciting for me , but it was still really pleasant and easy to read!
The plot was unique, easy to follow, and captivating! If you love the Golden Girls and a wholesome mystery, definitely pick this one up in April 2025!

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

Hats off to Rachel Ekstrom Courage for bringing our beloved Golden Girls to life in the pages of this cozy mystery! She did a fantastic job of writing these characters and keeping them true to their TV persona's.

I was both excited and hesitant to read this book. I have been a Golden Girls fan for decades and was worried the author wouldn't do them justice. But she did! From Blanche's flirtatious ways to Sophia's sassiness to Rose and her St Olaf ways to Dorothy's dry humor, the author brought these characters to life in a new way. I could hear their voices as I read the book and it brought back great memories of watching the show. It was also a nice trip back to the 80s with references to music, products, etc.

This story had all the vibes of the Golden Girls and was easy and fun to read. I am hoping the rest of the series is just as good as this one. I am also hoping we will get an appearance from Stanley.

This book definitely gets my recommendation. It's fun, entertaining, and a great way to spend time with the Girls again.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion which I have given.

I have loved the Golden Girls since I was a little girl and was excited to read a cozy mystery in this world. I always enjoy cozy mysteries and was invested in what was going on. The plot of this was perfect and was invested in what was happening in this. The characters felt like they were supposed to and enjoyed getting back to this. I enjoyed how good Rachel Ekstrom Courage wrote this and hope there is more to these Golden Girls cozy mystery series.

I was really excited to find out there was a Golden Girls cozy mystery. I grew up watching Golden Girls and have watched the entire series on streaming several times. I also love cozy mysteries so this should've been a match made in heaven. However, I found some issues with this book that were hard to ignore. First of all, Sophia doesn't use a cane in the series. I'm not sure why the writer had Sophia using a cane. But it's a very glaring error throughout the book that could've been avoided had the author done some research on the show itself instead of maybe relying on past memory of watching the show. Another thing that simply felt wrong was how horrible Rose treated Dorothy. The Rose in the show was never that mean. I also feel like the author made Sophia a little too mean with her wisecracks to everyone compared to how the character was on the show. And the author failed to bring forth Dorothy's dry wit and sarcasm. The mystery itself was good, but the characterization of the Golden Girls failed for me with the exception of Blanche.

Now, for things that annoyed me but didn't affect the rating since this is an eARC. To the publisher, please put a version of the eARC out that at least is formatted correctly and has at least been proofread by an editor. This appears to be almost like a first draft with all the spelling and grammatical errors in it. Also with the formatting, words kept running in together to make one huge word instead of a sentence. And paragraphs ran together so it was difficult to figure out who was saying what sometimes. And what is with the giant clip art before each chapter? Just... no.

To be honest I don't know if I'll read the next book in the series. I may give it one more chance to see if the author corrects the characters to be like they were on the show. But, then again, life is short and my TBR list is long.

When I saw that there was a Golden Girls cozy mystery coming out, I knew I would enjoy it, but I was totally unprepared for how much I loved this book! It was great to be back in Miami with some of my favorite characters, and you can tell the author is a fan since there are several references throughout the book to episode plots and she uses the established history.

Dorothy was always my favorite character and I enjoyed being in her head as she tries to clear her name when her date is murdered and she’s accused of the crime. We also get a fair amount from Rose’s perspective as she plans her cousin’s wedding in Miami and helps Dorothy. The characters are true to their personalities in the show and sound exactly like you’d expect leaving you feeling like you’ve just watched an episode but with murder.

Overall, I cannot recommend this enough and really enjoyed the mystery element as I wasn’t quite sure who was the culprit until the very end. There were some minor editing errors that I’m sure will be fixed in the final version, which I’ve already preordered for my shelf.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this early copy!

A laugh out loud funny book. With lots of nostalgia of the Golden Girls
Grab a cheesecake and decor this book! Can not wait for the second book in the series.

A cozy mystery featuring the Golden Girls? Sold. This is a must read for all of my fellow elder millenials who grew up with the Golden Girls.

Poor Dorothy getting the rotten end of the stick, per usual, but the girls all coming together to solve the mystery and clear her name.

Cozy. Cheesecake. Golden Girls. Mystery. St Olaf, VHS dating service.
If any of things appeal to you, this is your sign to go buy this book.

I, for one, will be reading this whole series as it comes out.