Attending a wedding on a secluded island in a gorgeous mansion sounds like a dream. And it is, until absolutely everything goes wrong—namely, the man getting married is your not only your editor, but also your ex-fiancé. The woman he’s marrying is the salt of the earth ✨and✨ the one he cheated with. Cue the sad violin and gear up for some truly unending drama.

Kate is a mystery writer in a bit of a slump who takes the “write what you know” thing a little too seriously. Crazy that she was shocked when her ex-friend and longtime crush, Jake, admits that he’s known someone who is ✨”eerily” similar to him✨ in her books is, in fact, him. It’s not a shock to anyone, in fact.

The main character of aforementioned novels is a “bartender by day, detective by night”—even fictional characters don’t need sleep—who she channels constantly for advice. “What would Loretta do?” Probably mishandle evidence, since that seems to be a theme.

Chaos ensues when the bride is poisoned in a manner very reminiscent of Kate’s books. Don’t worry, they don’t follow that little nugget for very long. Then, finally, it almost starts to get good when another guest is found dead.

The blurb read like a thriller-romance with a bit of a comedy, but ended up being way more cheesy rom-com with an un-refrigerated body, and had me screaming “someone, please stop handling evidence and call the cops!” No one actually considered it, I think.

I enjoyed the chemistry between Kate and Australian hottie, Jake, but the plot sagged in the middle and it started to drag. I’m glad that ended up being a huge part of the plot since the whodunit wasn’t a massive mystery. The secret passages were a hit, I would have had a blast wreaking all sorts of havoc frolicking through those things.

Overall, it was fine. I liked the chemistry between Jake and Kate, and I loved the setting. Plot-wise it dragged and there were a few things that drove me a little nuts. Again I say: why did no one mention calling the police!? And why did no one smell the would-be (should have been) ✨rotting corpse✨??

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, the author, and netgalley for the ARC!

This was a fun and easy mystery to read! The main character was quirky and the other side characters were a good mix that made for an interesting list of potential suspects. While this book had some surprises the main who done it surprise was a little too obvious for my liking, but it was still a fun and cute read!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. I could not get into this story and was not able to finish.

Attending the Ex fiancé’s wedding? Guaranteed drama! Adding in an Australian to the mix is like giving candy to a baby. I admit the intrigue of the mystery paired with a romance is the thing that hooked me. It felt a little disconnected to be honest, though. I would definitely recommend if you’re looking for a different kind of romance than the typical stories coming out lately.

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke is a fun combination of mystery and romance. Kate is an author of murder mysteries and bumps into an old flame while on the way to her ex-fiancé's wedding. I enjoyed the mystery aspects of this story more than the romance. Moke did an excellent job writing all the different characters. This was a fun read and I'd definitely pick up any other books the author writes.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This one is match up of two of my favorite genre's cozy mysteries and rom coms. However it ended up not being my favorite of the genre blends mainly because I ended up enjoying the mystery aspect way more than the romance aspect. But I'm still willing to give the author another try.

What a fun and cozy read! I love a good, cozy mystery. This would be great to curl up and read on a rainy day.

Thanks, Minotaur Books, for the arc!

I was super excited for SHE DOESN'T HAVE A CLUE, but I didn't read it immediately. That was a good thing because I would have dnf'd very quickly. At least this way, I only thought about dnfing it a few times, but my curiosity about the mystery won out, and I finished it. This book is described as "half mystery, half romance," but to be completely honest, it did not feel cohesive. It felt like Jenny Elder Moke had two separate books, ripped them in half, shuffled half of each together, and did her best to edit a cohesive story.

The plot was pretty good, but as I mentioned, it was the mystery that kept me intrigued.

And this is coming from me, a person who loves romance books and steamy scenes. There was too much romance/steam, and it was unnecessary for the plot. Those scenes felt forced and shoved in randomly. I liked Kate and Jake's backstory, and it would have been cute in addition to the mystery, but not forced upon us, such as when they are hiding from people in the next room in a hidden passage and suddenly start making out and Kate exclaims, "Jake, I need you inside me now!"

If it had been just a mystery, this book would easily be a 5 star. I bet if she had written a romance, it could also be a fun 5 star. But together, no, it just doesn't work. Or maybe this book didn't work for me. I did like the mystery enough that I'll see what she comes out with next for her sophomore book, but if it's marketed as a 'half mystery, half romance,' I'm not sure how quick I would be to pick that up.

[3.5 stars]

So so fun! Do you like mystery? Suspense? How about a wedding murder? Maybe even a hot Australian love interest? Personally, I love it all. She Doesn't Have a Clue follows the life of our main character, Kate, while she attends her EX FIANCES wedding. Talk about messy. But the mess does not even stop there because she's attending with her hot australian bestie that Kate has been drooling over for yearsss. And AND Kate writes murder mysteries! What is a more perfect way to set the scene and solve a murder than to have a mystery novelist do it herself.

Keeping this short and sweet to avoid spoilers, but if you want a fun murder mystery that is not too heavy and has a bit of spicy, then crack open She Doesn't Have a Clue!

Note || Thank you immensely to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for providing me with this digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

It took me a bit to get accustomed to the story, but once that happened, I was a delightful mix of rom-com and cozy mystery! This book had everything it needed to make a great mystery—a private island? Yes. Wedding mayhem? Yes. Ex-fiancé awkwardness? Yes! Dead body? Yes!

I don't read a lot of mystery-romance books, but this was a great introduction to the genre. The book is about Kate Valentine, a mystery novelist who somehow finds herself at her ex-fiancé's wedding. Throw in a suspicious murder, an old flame (Jake—the dashing MMC), and a lot of wine, and we've got a full-blown whodunit on our hands. Whereas I had anticipated a high-stakes, breakneck thriller, this proved to be a light-hearted, humorous mystery. The novel was reminiscent of a Hallmark movie on a remote island—cute, cheeky, and effortlessly engaging.

And the truth? I didn't care for that one whit. I completely fell in love with the quick-witted repartee, the humor, and the scorching chemistry between Kate and Jake. It’s a fun, cozy mystery with just the right touch of romance—a perfect, easy read. If you’re looking for a mystery that leans more on humor and charm than nail-biting suspense, this one is definitely worth picking up!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for an early release copy of this book. If you are looking for a cozy mystery with low stakes, this book is for you. The setting had great potential - a private island off the coast of Seattle - but the suspense and thrill were lacking. There was great chemistry between Kate and her Aussie sidekick.

I had a really fun time with this read, but I do think that it may be victim to a slight mis-marketing issue. I've seen it marketed as half romance/half mystery and I think that is a little misleading. I love both romance and mystery as genres so I was all-in on this read. However, I do think that if you are going to try and blend genres, then you need to make sure both sides are equally well-developed and well-executed and in the case of this read, I think it fell a little short. This read, to me, like a cozy mystery with a heavy romance subplot.

The mystery elements were fantastic. It is squarely in the cozy mystery category and Moke captures the vibes perfectly. We have a cast of colorful characters stuck on an island together when the bodies start dropping. I love that the characters all have different levels of connection with each other which leads to various different theories for motives which makes for a fun mystery. I found the different investigation paths to be well thought out and fun to see the characters explore. However, I did find that when we get to the ending reveal, so much had happened in the book that I and the characters were just a bit tired out. I wanted the reveal just a little bit earlier or maybe to have a bit of a break before the reveal in order to catch our breath. I enjoyed the actual reveal but the pacing was just a little off.

The romance elements were a bit of a miss for me only in that I felt we needed more time to develop them. On paper, we hit all the usual romance plot points, but I felt like we missed out on a lot of the emotional development parts of the relationship because our MCs were too busy solving the mystery. Also, the transitions between the mystery plot and the romance plot were more jarring than I think they should have been. At times, it felt like there were two distinct drafts of this plot - one pure mystery and one pure romance - and the final draft was just trading off on chapters between each of them. I think this would have been more successful if the romance was focused on a little less and instead of trying for it to be a dual plot line with the mystery, that it took a step back to become a subplot. I think Moke did a great job hitting the romance beats and I would be interested in reading a full adult romance from her in the future.

The cast of characters was by far the best part of this read. We get some messy relationships, complex family dynamics, rich people problems, and a lot of scheming. I loved that our MC is a mystery writer who is at this wedding as a sort of outsider so we get a lot of the character reveals through her investigation. While some of the characters were a little over the top, I found all of them to feel realistic and not too caricature-y. There is a fairly large cast of characters, but Moke does a great job of really honing in on a detail that makes each individual character stand out which makes it easier for the reader to keep them straight. I also liked that we get introduced to the characters pretty steadily at the beginning, but with enough of a gap between them to give us that time to let the details sink in.

Overall, this was a really fun cozy mystery with a strong romance plot. Great cast of characters with a fast paced mystery investigation. I would have liked to see the two genres blended together a little bit more.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC. Publication date was January 21, 2025

A mystery book about a mystery writer with a love triangle and some spice…do I need to say more? Maybe not, but I will.

The FMC is very likable. She’s very easy to relate to. I love that as she’s trying to solve the mystery in her real life, she slips into the mindset of the FMC in her books.

I love the banter between the FMC and the MMC. It’s a second chance for their love story, but they both are holding on to old hurt feelings.

IMO, the love story is the main focus with the murder mystery being an added bonus. I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a romance or a mystery!

Kate agrees to attend her ex’s wedding since both the bride and groom are her bosses. Strange things seem to be happening in trying to destroy the wedding and she’s suspect number one. She is determined to figure out what’s happening.

This book was a fun read. I really enjoyed the mix of romance and a cozy mystery with locked room vibes due to the isolated island setting. The characters and the mystery with plenty of red herrings to throw my guesses off were well written. It was a joy to read.

a delightful blend of mystery, romance, and witty banter set against the backdrop of a luxurious destination wedding on a private island. Kate Valentine, a bestselling mystery author, finds herself trapped at her ex-fiancé's wedding, where the champagne is flowing, and old wounds are festering. When the bride is poisoned and a body is discovered, Kate suddenly finds herself in the middle of a real-life mystery—one that mirrors the plot of her latest book.

The story’s charm lies in its quirky, well-developed cast of characters, the picturesque setting, and the cleverly executed mystery. Kate’s dry humor and snarky internal monologue make her a relatable and entertaining protagonist, and the romantic tension with Jake Hawkins, her biggest past regret, adds a fun layer to the story. The pacing is fast, the stakes are high, and the twists keep coming as the island's secrets slowly unravel.

Look this was cute. Did I love the FMC? No. There were definitely times that I wanted to reach into the book and grab her by the shoulders and give her a shake. BUT she had the kind of character growth that we love to see and overall this was cute

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, St. Martin's Press, and MacMillan Audio for the gifted e-book and audiobook! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Private island, fake dating, forced proximity, slow burn, author

I enjoyed this. I read it as an ebook and listened to it. Both were great. I enjoy the mix of romance and thriller. It was very entertaining.

I was so excited for this book! It had all the elements I love in a mystery: an isolated island, wedding drama, and a dead body! PLUS the humor, heart, and romance of a rom-com… best of both worlds right?! Put it all together, and it was ultimately a fun and wild ride. I loved the cast of eccentric characters! Their quirky shenanigans added a fun entertaining element. It’s hard to classify this book as one genre. If a cozy mystery and a rom-com had a baby, this book would be the result. There’s sleuthing, mystery, drama, and laughts, resulting in a light read that’s entertaining and different. 3.5 stars rounded up

In the end this was a fun little mystery but I would have never remember that the main mc's were adults if it wasn't for the reminders of being an author and the couple of steamy moments. The mystery was well done and the comedic timing of one-liners was entertaining.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press Early Readers and Netgalley for access to an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.