This was so much fun! And if you’re a Golden Girls enthusiast, all the little nods to the show were like little Easter eggs throughout and I loved it! This read almost exactly like an extended episode and the mystery was simple and straight forward but the twists at the end still threw me for a loop, which is what I adore about cozy mysteries. The expired cheesecake codename was genius. The St. Olaf wedding traditions on top of all the natives and Rose losing her marbles over it all was a breath of fresh air between the investigation and police visits. Do I recommend this? Absolutely. If you like the Golden Girls or cozy mysteries this is 100% for you!

I was unable to finish this and thus will not be posting a full review. The premise was ok and I love the show but this was not well done. I didn't care for it. Thank you for the opportunity.

This was a good read!! The author as able to get the banter spot on to make you feel like you are watching an episode of Golden girls. The only thing I didn’t like was the club scene as I didn’t feel seem like something Golden girls would do. Overall a cute read !!

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the arc!

I love that this is my first read of the new year. This gave me everything. It was truly like watching an episode of Golden Girls! I loved the 80s references and references to some past GG episodes.

Please click the social media link to see the rest of my review that includes spoilers.

There are some good things about this book and some not-so-good things.
The good: the book captures the characters pretty well (minus Dorothy's retroactive acceptance of Blanche's sexuality). I could hear each woman's voice in the dialogue. The author captures the time period perfectly. I mean banana clips! Core memory unlooked!
The not-so-good: Each woman doesn't get to shine. The book solely focuses on Dorothy and Rose and Sophia and Blanch only appear in capacity in how they relate to those two. Also, there's not much funny. This is a cozy mystery about the Golden Girls, there should be some laugh-out-loud funny. The humor here relies on just the peculiarities of St Olaf.
The story itself is a bit strained but I was so glad back to be in the world of these characters. I hope the stories continue fixing their errors and keeping their good bits.

Thank you Hyperion Avenue, NetGalley, and to the author for this ARC!

This was such a fun, and cozy read! I found myself laughing out loud several times. This novel takes the personalities of The Golden Girls, adds a slice of cheesecake and a bit of mystery and ties it up into a fun novel! I cannot wait to read more in this series if the author writes another! This would be a perfect rainy day read, or one to throw in your bag for a pool day!

This book was perfectly cozy! I loved the Golden Girls and the book had them spot on. It was such a fun ride with a handful of serious spots. In the end, it was happiness and girl friendships. Perfect!

If you’ve ever wished for The Golden Girls to star in their own cozy mystery, Murder by Cheesecake is the perfect treat. This hilarious and charming whodunit brings Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia back to life with their signature wit, sass, and an unfortunate case of murder-by-dessert.

The story kicks off when Dorothy’s terrible date turns up dead—face-down in a cheesecake—threatening to ruin both a wedding and a perfectly good dessert. Rose is juggling a high-pressure St. Olaf-themed wedding, Blanche is dealing with her usual romantic entanglements (and hot flashes), and Sophia, well… she’s just along for the chaos. With suspects everywhere and Dorothy under suspicion, the Girls take matters into their own hands to catch the killer.

Courage absolutely nails the humor and dynamic of the original show, making this mystery feel like an extended Golden Girls episode with a side of intrigue. The pacing is light and fun, the mystery keeps you guessing, and the banter is spot-on. Whether you’re a die-hard Golden Girls fan or just love a good cozy mystery, this book is a total delight.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee, grab a slice of (hopefully murder-free) cheesecake, and enjoy this nostalgic, laugh-out-loud mystery. I can’t wait for the next one!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Murder by Cheesecake is the first novel in the Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series and it’s everything I didn’t know I needed! From the hilarious dynamic between Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia to the quirky twists in the murder mystery, this story was such a fun escape. It brought back all the best moments of the beloved show, and it was a treat to see these iconic characters coming off the page in a fresh new way.

As someone who grew up watching The Golden Girls on reruns, it was such a blast to hear their voices and antics in this cozy mystery setting. The banter between them was as sharp as ever—whether it was Dorothy’s sarcastic remarks, Blanche’s flirtations, or Rose’s innocent humor.

The story itself was lighthearted yet filled with plenty of intrigue. I had a great time reading it and couldn’t help but chuckle at the antics of the Golden Girls as they navigated the mystery. It's a cozy, heartwarming read.

Thanks to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for the ARC!

I love the Golden Girls. I use to watch it so much growing up and I still do at times. So when I seen this book, I got to excited! I liked the premise and how it started out. But I found myself getting bored with it pretty fast. It was hard to keep picking it up to read. This just wasn’t for me.

I want to thank NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue; an imprint of Buena Vista Books for the ARC of Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Murder Mystery by Rachel Ekstrom Courage in exchange for an honest review. -

Rose is planning a wedding for her Niece, Nettie in Miami Florida. All the St. Olaf traditions will be in place. During one of the many St. Olaf celebrations, a man is found dead in the freezer of the hotel. Can the girls solve the murder in time before it ruins the wedding?

What a cozy fun murder mystery story! Being a longtime fan of the Golden Girls television show, I was very excited to read this book, and it did not disappoint! The funny quips that the girls had in the television show translated seamlessly well into the story and I found myself laughing out loud. You can picture the girls sitting in the kitchen talking just like the television show with their banter and sarcasm. A great read for people who love the Golden Girls or anyone who likes a cozy murder mystery. My only problem with the book was I read it too fast! I just hope there are more stories to come.

This hit the cozy mystery spot perfectly. Oh, Rose! It was like watching an episode of Golden Girls play out in my head. Loved it! The essence of all four women came through.

Everything I hoped it would be and more! Perfectly captures the Girls' voices, the show's comedic vibes, and the pastel-tinged Miami of the 80s. I hope we get a million more books in this series!

If you absolutely love and adore the Golden Girls, you will love this story. Unfortunately for me, I am not as well versed with the golden girls so I found this story difficult to follow. The plot felt clunky at times and not progressing. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The first in a new cozy mystery about The Golden Girls.
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Dorothy dips her toe back into the dating world again only to have her obnoxious date end up dead in a hotel freezer. Now the Girls must handle wedding preparations for Rose’s cousin, while also trying to figure out who would kill Dorothy’s date and ruin a perfectly good cheesecake in the process.
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I’m not much for the cozies, but this was adorable for fans of The Golden Girls TV show. It’s set in the 80s, just like the show was, and the characters were spot on from Rose’s naïveté to Blanche’s promiscuity to Sophia’s wit to Dorothy’s sharp tongue. It took me back to the GG days of my youth! This is the first in a series and I’ll be reading more! This book releases April 15!

CW: death, murder, violence, kidnapping, abandonment, misogyny, fire, alcohol, injury

If you enjoyed watching the Golden Girls on television, then you will enjoy reading their zany antics in this book. From murder, to kidnapping and nefarious characters, the Golden Girls were led on a merry chase to get the niece of Rose to the altar. Thank you Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue Publishers for a copy of this cozy mystery. I voluntarily read and reviewed this enjoyable new series.

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.