I really enjoyed this romantic mystery novel that follows mystery author Kate Valentine to her ex-fiancé’s wedding. Her plus one is Jake Hawkins, the Hotstralian one who got away. As the wedding festivities progress, Kate keeps finding dead bodies, making her a prime suspect, especially when one of the targeted people is her ex-fiancé’s bride.

Not only was this a fun, locked room mystery but there was some great romantic sizzle here as well. I really like Kate and Jake as a pair and as sleuths. I’m unsure if the author plans to make this a series, but I would love it if she did.

This was an interesting mystery with subplots of romance! I think personally I would have like more background on the main characters, because I felt a little lost for a part of the book, but overall it added to the intrigue. With that, I think it was a solid adult debut, and I want to learn more about the characters. I found some of the transitions from mystery to romance a little forced or rushed, but it very possible I missed context clues that the author provided. Overall, this was entertaining!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

This book started out slow for the first one-third of the book. I did not figure out who the killer was. It was on okay book. I don’t know if I will read anymore by this author or not.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke
Narrator: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
Rating: 4 stars
Pub date: 1/21

Thank you so much to SMP for my advanced copy and to Macmillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook.

Kate Valentine is a bestselling mystery author who reluctantly agrees to attend her ex-fiancé’s wedding. Things take a wild turn when the bride is poisoned, a dead body shows up, and Kate finds herself living out a plot straight from her own books. Teaming up with her biggest "what-if," Jake Hawkins, she dives into a maze of grudges, secrets, and lies to uncover the truth.

This is the perfect mix of a rom-com and a locked-door mystery. It’s a fun ride with quirky characters and lots of twists and turns. There are plenty of red herrings and “wait, what?!” moments that make it hard to put down.

Kate is a bit of a mess at the start and it’s great watching her find her confidence again. The romance between her and Jake is slow-burn perfection—just the right mix of tension and sweet moments. While the pacing dips a little in the middle, once the story picks up, it’s a total page-turner until the end.

With murder, drama, and some swoon-worthy romance, this one really has it all. I loved the audio version with Sarah Mollo-Christensen really bringing all the characters to life!

If you love mysteries with a side of romance and lots of juicy secrets, you’ve got to check this one out!

This book opened on an absurd, fun note that set a great tone for the rest of the story. The meet cute (or meet again?) was ridiculous, in the best way possible. Books about writers/publishing are always a bit hit or miss for me, but I found Kate’s job as an author to add a fun element to the story and the narrative through which we see the story unfold. I think the cross-genre of mystery and romantic comedy can be tough but this was pulled off really well — there was a good balance of locked room mystery that was genuinely twisty, a funny narrative voice, and romance with plenty of chemistry.

Fun read.

Love the mystery-rom “genre”. Unfortunately, for me, it was quite obv who the killer was from the start. However, I did enjoy the slow unraveling of the characters and their relationships. It wasn’t as fleshed out as I hoped but was still a fun and quick read.

3.75 ⭐️

This was a fun, fast paced read that’s a clever mash up of the cozy, locked room mystery and romance generes.

Kate is a mystery author suffering from writer’s block as she finds herself attending her former fiancé’s (and current publisher) wedding. Throw in hunky Australian Jake as her plus one and several attempts, seemingly pulled from her books, on the bride’s life and Kate’s in for a wild weekend. Spurred on by the detective from her hit series, Kate tries to figure whodunnit before it’s too late.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

This book was such a pleasant surprise – perfect for reading on a winter snow day. It was a juxtaposition of multiple genres – including a romance, mystery, and comedy. But, taken together, they all worked perfectly and resulted in an entertaining read that featured great character development and detail by the author. Even more interesting, there was a parallel to the main character’s fictional mystery series and the plots within the same, as well as real-life drama with her publishers. While the first part of the book was a little slow (detail and character building), the rest of the book flew by – especially when the drama started to unfold! Overall, a nice ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ read.

🥂Book Review🥂
She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice:🌶️
Publication Date: 01/21/2025

Kate Valentine, author of a cozy mystery series, decides to attend her ex-fiance's wedding on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest, and she literally runs into her former friend (and crush) Jake Hawkins on the trip to the island. Once on the island, trouble and mystery abound.
This was an... interesting read. I enjoyed the plot and setting with its Agatha Christie vibes (hello remote island in the ocean and murder occurs). It was a little difficult to follow the story with it bouncing between the actual story and the story the female sleuth Kate Valentine was writing in her head. Some of the characters were hilarious, and others made me want to throttle them (I'm looking at you bridesmaids!). The banter between Jake and Kate was great, but the misunderstandings had my eyes rolling.
Overall, it was a great read, and I would probably bump up my rating with a re-read in the future.

Thank you to @minotaur_books and @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

🏷️: #ARCreview #ARCRead #SheDoesntHaveAClue #bookstagram #cozymystery #romcom #romance #spice #NetGalleyReview #MinotaurBooks #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke was an entertaining book, and I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the novel. The characters were fun and kept me engaged, especially the FMC. She’s a bestselling crime thriller author who draws inspiration from the heroine in her books when things get overwhelming.

The twist ending kept me guessing, and the setting of a historic mansion on a private island off the coast of Seattle added an atmospheric touch that elevated the story. The secluded location, combined with the stormy weather and opulent wedding backdrop, created the perfect setting for a mystery.

Our FMC, Kate Valentine, is a bestselling mystery author who ends up at her ex-fiancé’s wedding—a lavish affair on a remote island. She plans to fake smiles, sip champagne, and finish her latest manuscript, but things take a deadly turn when the bride is poisoned and a body turns up. Suddenly, Kate finds herself caught in a real-life mystery that mirrors her fictional plots. With a storm trapping everyone on the island and tensions running high, Kate must figure out who the killer is—and the only person willing to help her is Jake Hawkins, her biggest romantic regret.

This was an entertaining read with a mix of mystery and romance. While it didn’t leave a lasting impression, it was a fun ride from start to finish. I’d recommend it as a quick, light read or a palette cleanser between heavier books.

Thank you, NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books, for the ARC & ALC of this novel.

Kate’s adventure as a mystery writer acting as an amateur sleuth during a wedding weekend on a secluded island was fantastic! There were so many red herrings, so many fun little plot twists, and excellent banter among nearly every character. The fun added bonus of a romance alongside Kate’s character arc was great! This was written really well, and I would highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the early copy!

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the digital copy of She Doesn’t Have a Clue in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun mashup of mystery and romance. Kate Valentine is invited to the wedding of her ex-fiancé/editor and the marketing director for the publishing house she writes for, which already doesn’t sound ideal. Then add some murder, old best friends/flings, and a small island in the midst of a storm, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

I found our main character, Kate, relatable with her desire to live vicariously through characters and to avoid conflict. I also loved the mystery aspects of this novel! I thought many moments were clever and well plotted. I also adore Jake and his adoration of Kate. It was such a fun combination of genres.

I did fine certain aspects of character development to be a bit unfinished and a lot of tropes were relied upon. I also felt that the back and forth from romance to mystery was a bit jarring at times and would stilt the romance. There was also so many ridiculous things happening all at once, so the ending conclusion felt like a lot had to be wrapped up quickly.

Overall, however, I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend it as a fun, quick romantic mystery.

Kate is trying to write her next mystery novel. What better place to get inspiration then at her ex fiancé’s wedding party. And to make it more perfect, a meet up with another guy who got away?

This book was fun right out of the gate. The author had me rooting for Kate. The chemistry between Kate and Jake was palpable right away.

I was amused the whole time.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 2/5 🌶️🌶️

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: January 21, 2025

She Doesn't Have a Clue is great! The book has such a wonderful mix of mystery, romance, humor, and coziness. It feels like a modern-day take on the classic mysteries that we all know and love.

I was instantly intrigued by the interesting world that the author created. It was such a blast following along with the main character, Kate, who is witty, determined, and entertaining. I found myself rooting for her throughout the story!

The plot has the perfect amount of twists and turns to keep you guessing without being too complex. There are a couple of slower moments, but the book flows pretty well overall. All in all, I was completely invested in what was going to happen and was happy with how everything came together in the end.

Overall, a fun book that’s perfect if you love a locked room/cozy mystery combined with some spice/romance. An enjoyable escape that I’d recommend for all fans of romance and mystery!

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke is the first book I've read by the author - I was also able to listen to the audiobook ahead of its release thanks to NetGalley, the author, St.Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio.

I had high hopes for the book based on the summary and the first few chapters. I'm all about a story that takes place on an isolated island, during a storm, with the main female character attending the wedding of an ex-fiancee while a wealthy family is fighting over an estate. Usually those events make for a suspenseful and thrilling read!

However, in the end, I found the novel to be silly more than anything else. Perhaps it's just me but if a group of people accused me of murder, a spicy romp with a long-admired person would be the last thing on my mind.

There were multiple times throughout the story when Kate, the main female character, found herself in a sticky situation that made her look like she was still holding a flame for her ex-fiancee and was actively trying to sabotage his wedding. And instead of facing the problems herself, she tapped into the fictional character she's writing about - Loretta who is a detective by day and a bartender by night. Then, after tapping into the Loretta part of her brain, she was frequently distracted by Jake - the gorgeous Australian former-surfer turned thrilling adventure tour guide who travels the world. Jake was also a character in Kate's book series whom she calls Blake.

When a member of the feuding wealthy family member dies, Kate's actions are dealt with in a silly, rather than serious, manner. Even if this was marketed as more of a cozy mystery, it was still improbable that Kate would obsess over Jake and her physical attraction to him.

I rated this three stars in the end. While it was absolutely entertaining, especially the audiobook, I found the characters and plot rather foolish. However, I would still absolutely recommend the book especially if you enjoy a preposterous cozy mystery mixed with some spice or if you need a mindless and light read.

Thank you to Jenny Elder Moke, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love the cover, unfortunately, I only liked the book itself. It was a little too slow for me. The characters feel flat and didn't seem to care what was going on.

I had fun with this book. I enjoyed the second chance at romance a bit more than the mystery (which was still fun!). The mystery has family drama unraveling like a yarn ball. It just keeps going in a "can't look away" kind of way - it felt to me like a romcom version of the Inheritance Games with murder sprinkled in. I enjoyed the awkward to sizzling chemistry of the love interests so much. I also liked the MC's occupation of being an author of mystery novels, and how she draws on her book's main character for guidance. As for reading, I didn't have pacing issues and thought each scene flowed to the next. This was a fun one.

Thank you NetGalley, Jenny Elder Moke, and St. Martin's press/Minotaur Books for an eARC of this book.

A fun read. Fast paced and interspersed with text from the mystery books written by Kate, the main character. Will Kate evolve the real life mystery on the island where they are stranded?

Such a fun read! I love a good stranded, locked room mystery and this did not disappoint. The characters were fleshed out and the plot flowed with lots of twists and turns with a few red herrings too. I loved the two main characters, Kate and Jake and their relationship. I also enjoyed the pieces of Kate's book and her growth in the story. To me, this was what I wanted The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year to be. If you like a little romance with your mystery, this is for you!

This is an entertaining, well-written, murder mystery novel. It has a likable female protagonist, an engaging male protagonist, an interesting cast of secondary characters, wit, humor, romance, a vividly described setting, and a satisfying conclusion. Many thanks to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur books, NetGalley, and Ms. Jenny Elder Moke, from whom I received an advanced reader copy of this fantastic novel. This is my honest opinion.