3.75
Rose’s cousin Nettie is getting married to Jason. Her parents aren’t involved so Rose volunteered to plan the wedding. The venue burned down in St. Olaf so they have decided to have it in Miami. Rose wants to have include all of the St. Olaf traditions included. Dorothy doesn’t want to go to another wedding alone so she decides to go in a date with a man she finds thru video dating service. They decide to meet at a diner and they haven’t even gotten the meal before Henry doesn’t the restroom and never comes back. He tells the waitress to let her know the bill is payed and he had to run off.
A few days later they go Jason’s parents hotel to start the wedding festivities. When Rose is taking the cheesecakes out of the freezer she finds a dead body that happens to be the man Dorothy went on a date with. Later the police find a note his is pocket with Dorothy’s name on it. She is now a suspect in a murder. The murder is ruining the wedding festivities. The ladies decide they need to solve the murder to save Dorothy from going to jail and to save the rest of the wedding.

This book really did feel like a long episode of the Golden Girls. The author really captures each of the characters language and mannerisms. Her GG knowledge runs deeps. I like the way the mystery unfolded. This is a perfect read for GG fans that love a mystery.

Murder By Cheesecake is the first book in a new cozy mystery series starring The Golden Girls. I wanted to read this book because I love The Golden Girls and also love cozy mysteries. It was a delight from the first page to the last.

Rose is planning a wedding in Miami for her beloved niece from St. Olaf. Her niece is engaged to a young man from a prominent Miami hotelier family, and there are clashes about the wedding plans. Dorothy wants a date to the wedding and decides to try computer dating. She meets a handsome man from the dating service for lunch and they hit it off ... until he pays the bill and vanishes mid-meal. Later he turns up in a hotel freezer, and Dorothy becomes a suspect in his murder. The Golden Girls work together to solve the mystery, while also helping Rose with her family wedding dilemma.

This mystery is well paced, with short chapters and lots of twists and turn. The author captures the personalities of Rose, Dorothy, Blanche, and Sophia perfectly. Murder By Cheesecake is so fresh and different. I can't wait for the next book in the series! Five enthusiastic stars from me.

This was an adorable read filled with characters we all know and love. This story is a deliciously clever cozy mystery that blends sass, suspense, and just the right amount of sweetness. When a wedding week turns deadly and a date ends face-first in dessert, it’s up to four fierce, fabulous ladies to crack the case. With sharp wit and lovable chaos, this story is a golden treat for mystery lovers and fans of friendship-fueled hijinks. Funny, fast-paced, and totally bingeable!

Thank you NetGalley & Hyperion Avenue for the ARC.
3 stars!

Loved it! It was fun to be able to dive back into the world of THE GOLDEN GIRLS. We have already purchased copies for our branches and I know that our customers will adore them.

I began this book with so much excitement as I am a long time fan of The Golden Girls television show. And I started to lose interest about 30% in. I went back to give it another try and then realized this just may not be for me right now.

There was no real need for character development here as the show has done that part for the author and I knew I would love the characters. However, I just wasn't feeling as though things were moving at a pace that worked for me. I also thought that the St. Olaf words and traditions became such a redundant part of the plot. It was almost as if the murder wasn't a pivotal part of the story, and the wedding planning took over everything.

The writing was solid and I wouldn't not recommend it to fans of The Golden Girls. It just didn't work well for me in the way that I expected it would.

Also FYI - there were so many issues with the kindle file I received that it made the reading that much more difficult.

We all stan Dorothy, Sophia, Blanche, and Rose—and this cozy mystery brings their classic antics to the page as they stumble into a murder investigation! Rose is planning a St. Olaf-style wedding for her cousin in Miami, but things spiral fast: the groom’s family is a nightmare, there’s a herring shortage, and a dead body turns up in the cheesecake cooler. When one of their own is accused, the Girls team up to crack the case.

The author really nails their voices, and there are lots of fun callbacks for fans of the show. It honestly felt like a super long episode of The Golden Girls, which was charming at first. But Rose’s St. Olaf stories—hilarious in small doses—started to wear thin, and the mystery itself felt a bit too light and scattered.

A fun read for die-hard fans, but I think I still prefer the Girls on screen where their humor shines brightest.

I am a huge Golden Girl fan and was so excited to read this! I felt like I jumped into another episode with the girls and since I have watched the show over and over it was nice to pretend this was a never released episode. I laughed so much during this book and loved each second I was able to spend with the girls! I highly recommend to all the Golden fans out there!

I loved this book! So cozy and funny, riddled with sass and wit just like our favorite ladies. I already love cozy mysteries, and I was excited for the nostalgia that would come along with The Golden Girls in one of my favorite genres.

The author did an amazing job capturing the personalities and humor of the ladies and also writing a cute story. I do wish that the pacing was a little better, and that there was more focus on the mystery than on planning for the wedding.

I will definitely continue this series for the humor and nostalgia alone!

This was a solid 3.5-star read for me! As a longtime Golden Girls fan, I couldn’t resist diving into this cozy mystery, and overall, it was an adorable and heartwarming experience. The charm of the characters we all know and love truly shines through, and the author did a lovely job capturing their personalities and quirks in a way that felt both nostalgic and fresh.

That said, there were moments when I felt the central murder mystery faded a bit into the background. The pacing occasionally wandered, and some parts leaned more into quirky side quests than building suspense. While that might be a downside for some readers looking for a more tightly woven mystery, I actually found the detours endearing. They added a layer of fun and gave us a more intimate look into the lives and friendships of these iconic women.

The writing was light and easy to follow, making it a perfect weekend or vacation read. It made me smile more than once, and I appreciated the way it balanced humor, heart, and just enough intrigue to keep me turning the pages.

I'm thankful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC—it was a delightful blend of nostalgia and cozy mystery comfort. If you're a fan of the Golden Girls and enjoy a low-stakes, character-driven whodunit, this one’s worth checking out!

Murder By Cheesecake is the first book in the new Golden Girls Mystery Series by Rachel Ekstrom Courage. The book features the four female characters from The Golden Girls television show: Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia.

The story is told from Rose and Dorothy's point of view. Rose is planning a St. Olaf themed wedding in Miami for her niece and her niece's fiance. Dorothy is trying to get back into the dating scene using a new VHS dating service.

When Dorothy's date is found face down in a cheesecake at the wedding venue, it throws a wrench in the wedding planning and makes Dorothy the number one suspect.

To save the wedding and keep Dorothy out of jail, the Golden Girls have to overcome a number of challenges involving the bride and groom's family and solve a mystery.

I really loved this mystery. Author Rachel Ekstrom Courage nails the voices. I felt like I was reading an episode of the television show. There were lots of witty jokes. It was fun reading about familiar characters in a mystery setting.

I liked that we got alternating POVs. I would have liked to read chapters from Blanche and Sophia's perspectives as well, but that may be something we get in future books since this book is just the first in a series.

There were a ton of 80s references, which really added to the fun. If you grew up in the 80s and watched the Golden Girls when it originally aired on television, you will get a lot of these references.

It was easy to relate to the characters and their plights: Dorothy wondering if she will ever find true love and Rose wondering if she can pull off a St Olaf wedding in Miami.

The book ends with a yummy cheesecake recipe.

I adored Murder By Cheesecake and can't wait to read the next one in the series when it comes out. In the meantime, I will be rewatching the television series!

Thanks to Hyperion Avenue and Net Galley for the ARC.

To this day, The Golden Girls remains one of my all-time favorite TV shows. As a child of the 80s, I grew up with Rose, Blanche, Dorothy, and Sophia. I knew I was a Dorothy from the first moment. Now, as an adult I my late 40s, I have a new appreciation for my favorite re-runs as I approach the age of these hilarious ladies. Of course, I leapt at the chance to read the first in a new cozy super-fan fiction mystery series involving these beloved characters! Overall, I will say it was well-done. The banter and the one-liners were on point. Each of the characters was truly captured by the story and felt authentic to the TV series. I literally heard the voices of each of the characters as I was reading and saw each of the characters as they were. The mystery unfolded in a way I could very much see the characters reacting to... almost like an extended sitcom episode or Golden Girls movie.

If there is a downside, I think readers who are not as familiar with the show may be a bit lost. If you aren't familiar with Rose's St. Olaf stories, it will seem very bizarre. But for those of us who love them, they are pure nostalgia.

I read the electronic text version, and I am not sure how the audiobook would work. Hearing the character's voices in my head as I read the text was what made the story extra special. Hearing someone else read the characters would take away from the experience in my opinion. But, I cannot fully say as I did not have the listening experience.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Fans of the Golden Girls will love this! I could hear each of the voices of the characters as if I was watching an episode of the show. While I’ve never been a huge fan of the show, I thought this was fun. The mystery was interesting and I loved the references to life in the 80s. I enjoyed investigating with Dorothy, who is competent as an amateur sleuth, but just as I was getting into the mystery each time, Rose and her St. Olaf traditions would be thrown at me and take me out of the mystery. This was fun but I am not sure if I will read another one.

As soon as I saw this cover I knew I needed to read it. The Golden Girls were a big staple of my childhood and adding some crime solving made this a true delight. Ekstrom Courage showed her deep knowledge of the GG lore as there are so many show shout outs throughout that fans will get but also readers who have never seen a single episode can also have a good time! This book is the perfect escape read…and will definitely have you craving so me cheesecake so I was thankful it came with a recipe at the end!

"Murder by Cheesecake" by Rachel Ekstrom Courage held a lot of promise. As a fan of the Golden Girls, I was excited to receive an ARC of this book, the first in a new cozy mystery series. The concept of Dorothy, Sophia, Blanche, and Rose solving a murder at a St. Olaf-themed wedding in Miami is undeniably appealing.

Unfortunately, the execution didn't quite live up to the premise. While I was expecting a simple, enjoyable cozy mystery storyline, the plot felt somewhat uneven. The mystery itself took a backseat to the wedding preparations and character interactions, which, while occasionally humorous, didn't provide enough suspense or intrigue.

My main issue was the imbalance in character focus. Dorothy and Rose took center stage, while Sophia and Blanche were relegated to supporting roles. This was disappointing, as the strength of the Golden Girls lies in their ensemble dynamic.

Despite these shortcomings, I'm not entirely ready to give up on the series. The potential for a fun, lighthearted mystery series is there, and I would consider reading book two to see if the author can find a better balance and deliver a more compelling mystery.

★★☆☆☆

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2.5 star read

I love the Golden Girls and this book read exactly like an episode but I realized I prefer to watch this humor.
Even though I could hear the characters in my head, reading the quips and descriptions of their physical comedy fell flat for me.
I would watch this episode in a heart beat but it lost some of their charm in the format of a book.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

"Murder by Cheesecake" is a light, easy, fun and nostalgic cozy mystery.

**Thank you Net Galley for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.**

If you are a Golden Girls fan & you love cozy mysteries! This book is for you!

It truly felt like I was watching an episode! Seeing the girls solve a mystery was everything I didn’t know I needed!

☆ARC REVIEW☆
Publication date: Available now.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Hyperion Avenue for an advanced copy in exchange for a review!

'Murder By Cheesecake' was a really fun and cozy mystery with tons of nostalgia! Sophia, Dorothy, Rose and Blanche's characters were depicted pretty accurately! I found it did move a little slowly at times and if you aren't an avid Golden Girls fan then I wouldn't recommend it because you probably won't get their humor.

"There's no use crying over smashed cheesecake."

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this great book. I felt like I was watching a Golden Girls movie! She nailed the characters and I read the entire book in their voices. It starts with Rose’s cousin getting married in Miami. Rose is determined to incorporate all of the St. Olaf traditions despite many challenges. When Dorothy becomes a suspect in the murder of her potential date, the girls have to solve the murder to keep Dorothy out of jail.

This was a cute, humorous mystery and I’m thrilled this is the first in a series!

The Golden Girls fan fiction? Sign me up. It's so funny to read characters that I have so much context for written by someone entirely different. I enjoyed the story lines and the author's obvious commitment to the original characters. This is a very laid back read, great for someone who is looking to kill time on a flight, may not recommend otherwise unless you're a diehard fan.