Every page is a delight.

Murder by Cheesecake reminds me of why I fell in love with reading.

Filled with heart-warming banter and over-the-top silly St. Olaf traditions that kept me laughing and feeling good about being alive.

Wonderful wonderful. My only question is when will we see the next one?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this read!

This one was a really fast read for me. Great for a Saturday or Sunday read.

Enjoyed it and would recommend.

Four stars.

I wanted to love this. It just fell flat for me. As a lifelong lover of the golden girls. I was bored by the read. I had to DNF 20% in.

I started watching Golden Girls when it originally aired. I was a teenager babysitting on Saturday nights, looking for something to watch after the kids were in bed. My fascination for the girls continued, serving as a comfort show to watch and rewatch over the years. Murder by Cheesecake did not disappoint. From the first words on the page, it brought the characters and era to life--from cheesecake to St. Olaf, this book was true to the original Golden Girls.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this before publishing date. I was so excited to read a golden girls book but I will say this was just ok. It was fun and funny and points but it was hard for me to binge read it. Took a long time to get through it. Still cute and fun to hear more of these characters stories.

Murder by Cheesecake had all the makings of a cozy, nostalgic read, but unfortunately, that’s about where it ended for me. I loved being back in Miami with a Golden Girls-inspired setting, but the actual murder mystery took a backseat to an overload of other details. Instead of diving into a compelling whodunit, the book spent too much time on side plots and filler, leaving the mystery itself feeling underdeveloped. While the nostalgia factor was fun, it wasn’t enough to carry the story. I wanted more intrigue and less distraction.

Okay …this was exactly like an episode of Golden Girls, but longer. Lol. A cozy mystery where Dorothy’s obnoxious boyfriend is found dead, in a hotel freezer. We get to read about how Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia work together to try and solve the mystery of who the murderer is. The author really got these characters down pat, that's for sure. It started out so enjoyable and funny. But it started to fizzle out as I got more into it. I was wanting more mystery and less about the wedding that was taking place. Either way, I found it to still be entertaining and do think I will for sure be picking up the next in the series. I mean, the GG just make me laugh, and sometimes it's just what hits the mark when you need to escape the crazy world out there.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I feel like the author nailed the personalities of each of the Golden Girls and the plot was just as fun as any episode. Definitely recommend for any fans of the show

Murder by Cheesecake is a quippy murder mystery where our favorite Golden Girls find themselves caught in the chaos of a St. Olaf wedding—plus a murder, to wit!

As a lifelong fan of our Miami ladies, I thought this book would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite my plate of cheesecake. The dialogue pacing felt off at times; more than once, I found myself flipping back to make sure I hadn’t skipped a page. Some scenes dragged on, while others jumped abruptly from calm conversations to exaggerated outbursts. The author also leaned heavily on Golden Girls references—sometimes to the point of excess. What I always loved about the show was how naturally the humor flowed, with witty remarks sprinkled in at just the right moments. Here, it sometimes felt forced.

That said, the scene-building was fantastic—I could picture the ladies' house as if I were watching an old episode. And when the humor landed, it really landed. Fans of the show will appreciate the nostalgic charm, but the comedy doesn’t need to be so overdone to hit home. The heart of the idea is there, but for me, it just missed the mark.

As a huge Golden Girls fan, I was thrilled to learn of this book's existence. It felt like running across an entire episode I had somehow missed after years of binging reruns. I have to give major props to the author, who brought Bea, Rue, Betty, and Estelle back to life by perfectly capturing the voices of their characters and for reproducing the essence of the show's voice and setting. I even found myself laughing out loud at many of Sophia's on brand quips.

Anyone who knows the Golden Girls knows they are no strangers to amateur sleuthing (The Case of the Libertine Belle anyone?), so dropping them into a cozy mystery makes perfect sense. I enjoyed the fish out of water vibes of Rose's entire St. Olaf family in Miami (even if most of them were extremely harsh on poor Rose). Dorothy's inner struggle with her dating insecurities also resonated, and I felt for her when it all went south. My one minor qualm was that it took a little longer than I would have liked to get into the mystery itself, but that's a very minor issue when you get to spend more time with beloved characters. I look forward to the rest of the series and hopefully getting a mystery where Blanche is front and center next time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC of this book.

I just loved this book from start to finish. I loved being able to hear their voices in my head while I read along. Golden Girls was a childhood favorite of mine and my mom's to watch together. It's definitely a classic. But this storyline was fantastic. I knew something was off from the beginning and I definitely didn't see the end coming. This book kept me wanting to read more all of the way through. This for sure needs to go on your TBR for this year!

Book Review: Murder, Cheesecake, and Classic Golden Girls Humor
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Rachel Ekstrom Courage. @rachelekstromcourage
Publisher: Hyperion Avenue @@hyperionavebooks
Thank you @netgalley for my ARC


Murder by Cheesecake, the first in the Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series, is a delightful return to Miami’s most iconic retirees—now solving crimes with their signature wit and sass. With a storyline that plays out like a two-part episode of The Golden Girls, this book perfectly blends comedy, nostalgia, and an engaging whodunit.

When Dorothy’s VHS-dating-service match winds up face-first in a cheesecake at Rose’s St. Olaf-themed wedding, the Girls must step in to clear her name and keep the wedding on track. The plot is filled with hilarious moments, classic one-liners, and all the quirky charm that made the show a classic. From Blanche’s romantic escapades to Sophia’s sharp comebacks, each character feels true to the beloved TV series.

The mystery itself is lighthearted yet engaging, reminiscent of Murder, She Wrote but with extra laughs. The banter and pacing make for an easy, enjoyable read, and fans of the show will love the inside jokes and nods to past episodes. While some St. Olaf references and wedding preparations stretch on a bit long, the overall experience is like sitting down with old friends for a cozy evening—cheesecake included.

This book is a must-read for Golden Girls fans and cozy mystery lovers alike. It’s fun, nostalgic, and exactly where the spirit of the Girls should live on. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the series has in store!

#GoldenGirlsMystery #MurderByCheesecake #CozyMystery #GoldenGirls #CozyCrime #FunnyMystery #WittyWhodunit #MiamiSleuths #TVShowRevival #NostalgicReads #BookLover #CozyReads #MurderSheWroteVibes #ClassicComedy #SassySleuths #CheesecakeAndCrime #readers #read #books #ReadingCommunity #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #readreadread #readersgonnaread #bookstagrammer #booksbooksbooks #readmorebooks #bookshelf

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley.

I am a huge fan of the Golden Girls and Cozy Mysteries so when I saw this book announced I immediately added it to my TBR.

Rachel Ekstrom Courage also must be a huge fan of both because she really came up with solid GG MM story!

The challenges of taking 4 beloved TV characters is a complicated one and add the fact that Courage tried to impart each actors performance and delivery into her pages and you get a precarious endeavor.

I think the characters are well thought out and felt genuine to the GG world. But you can’t nail the comedic gold these 4 actors had on screen. It just doesn’t translate to book. However Courage’s attempt is about as good as you can get. The book feels like reading a TV script in novel format. I wouldn’t be shocked to found out she was a writer on the show even as the story just flowed like a very long TV special.

So what does that mean? Lots of jokes? Yep! Simplistic plot? you got it! A unnecessary drama caused by high emotions? Check and mate! I can see this book being divisive because of this exact thing. You end up with borderline corny jokes and repeated gags. You end up with characters who can’t regulate emotions for the sake of creating plot. And you get a very basic and simple writing style. It’s really not the ideal approach for prose a the formulae works for a 29 min TV episode.

However, It’s not a bad thing if you can appreciate that this is exactly matches the format of the show. As much as I repeatedly watch GG, it’s hard to binge without feeling like the shoes predictability starts to stand out so bad it affect your enjoyment and you have to take a break. So if the TV does that, can you expect the same feelings to bubble reading this book or a long series of these stories?

It’s hard to say if the book is worthy of a series and if the novelty of it would wear off. But I don’t think you could find a book any better to match the GG style and heart that Courage writes.

There’s so many nods to the show and jumping in with the established backstories of the women. It’s overly simplistic writing style is a bit off putting in parts where the plot slows to focus on the cozy parts of these books and the mystery element gets a very strong TV treatment and not a good whodunnit book treatment. But I personally felt the same feelings these 4 woman on screen give me and that to me was worth the read!

If you like a book with charm and heart and have a love for the coziness of light murder mysteries and nostalgia for the 80s sitcom then this is a great book to pick up. It did feel like reconnecting with an old friend.

3.5/5 overall

3.5 stars

I went into this read with very high hopes. I am obsessed with the Golden Girls! It is one of my comfort watches from way back. That said, the author did keep the characters true to the original series. She did not try to alter them OR modernize their setting, still delightfully 80s (VHS dating service anyone?). I loved that I felt it was an episode.

The plot and its pacing are what pulled this down from 4 full stars for me. Between the wedding and its planning, the dating service, and the murder, the girls were trying to accomplish so many things. The story would get very slow and then speed up. It is a cozy mystery, so lots of things happen off page as well. I might have enjoyed it more if the St. Olaf traditions/wedding requirements were dialed back. Part of the charm of those stories is they were short and just added comedic relief to the show. It wasn't the entire show or episode.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, but I'm not sure I'll continue reading the series at this point.

I loved watching The Golden Girls tv show (and still love the reruns) so I was excited to see this book was coming out. It was amazing! It was apparent that the author was a true fan of the characters from the tv show since she flawlessly portrayed them in the book. And made them cozy mystery sleuths which is just the cherry on top of the cheesecake! A fun romp through Miami as Rose tries to help plan a wedding for a St. Olafian and, with a well-planned mystery that had me guessing until the very end, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more in this series!

Murder by cheesecake has to be one of my top reads for 2025 so far! This book bought back some great memories and I absolutely enjoyed and loved reading this. I'm sure my grandma was smiling down from heaven & laughing along with me the whole time! 🖤#thankyouforbeingafriend

Who doesn't love the Golden Girls?!

Murder by Cheesecake immediately transports you into the home of our lovely ladies and you are welcomed by their trademark banter. If you loved the show and miss their big personalities, this is the book for you. It is a cozy mystery, with the typical dramatics we can expect from the gals.

I enjoyed the storyline, the banter was spot on. This is not your typical dark and suspenseful murder mystery - it is truly a cozy one. The length of the book could have been a little shorter, but it just gave us a little more to love.

Take a trip down memory lane with our Golden Girls!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this golden murder mystery.

The book captures the spirit of the Golden Girls well. However, there were a few slight discrepancies such as Dorothy having so many thoughts about Sophia’s barbs when she probably has the most insults in the actual show. The St. Olaf stuff was overkill. It’s cute and funny as a little story within an episode but it grows tired when the plot is centered around it. The cops were caricatures and really could have been toned down. I hope the editor spends plenty of time on all of the formatting issues before releasing. It was hard to read at times with the lack of spaces and crammed paragraphs. It’s cutesy. Enough Golden Girls for the show’s fans. The mystery is decent with a little (very 80’s) twist. I think most fan of the show will enjoy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance ebook copy!

As a lifelong fan of the Golden Girls, I was excited when my library ordered a copy of Murder By Cheesecake. The Golden Girls and cozy mysteries -- sounds like a winning combination!

The story felt like reading an extended episode or a made-for-TV movie. The vibes were wonderfully '80s (VHS dating services! AquaNet! Crimped hair!) and I was relieved the author didn't try to modernize the setting. The mystery itself was a bit flimsy, and it was overtaken at times by all the wedding planning, but the ending made up for it. The St. Olaf traditions and history got somewhat old by the end of the book; Rose's stories are best in small doses, but the St. Olafians themselves were good people. I loved all the callbacks to various episodes, especially the theft of Rose's beloved bear Fernando.

The book itself was a quick, light read. If you're a Golden Girls fan or a fan of cozy mysteries, you'll enjoy this one.

This book delivered on exactly what it promised. I felt like I was dropped into a wild episode of the Golden Girls. This story centers around Rose’s “niece’s” wedding and the outrageous St. Olaf traditions that go along with getting married. About halfway we encounter a murder that our four lovely ladies must solve.

Courage definitely knows how our Golden Girls behave. You got all the sarcastic wit of Dorothy, feminine sensuality from Blanche, a ditzy heart of gold from Rose, and sassy stories and quips from Sophia.

Thank you to Hyperion Avenue publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review