I really liked the plot of the book “She Doesn’t Have a Clue” as well as the MMC Jake. They really saved the book for me. Jake is an ex surfer who has been working in the tourism industry and is back trying to fix things with his love interest Kate. Kate is at her ex-fiancée’s wedding at the invitation of the brides aunt and right away strange things start happening. She first runs into her ex-friend slash potential love interest and then starts seeing suspicious behaviour from the guests. All this leads to a poisoning of the bride and a death at the wedding. It is up to Kate and Jake to solve the mystery and ensure everyone leaves the private island safely.

Jake wasn’t perfect by any means but he always looked out for Kate and forgave her outbursts and drunken behaviour. There was a lot of miscommunication between the two and although some was necessary it seemed excessive and frustrating at times. I found Kate dealt with her fears through alcohol consumption and avoidance or lashing out and I didn’t really love that. The plot of the mystery on a private island was great and I loved the eccentricity of the brides family. The solution to the mystery was really great as well. Despite my feelings for the Kate, I found myself rooting for her relationship with Jake. I read through the book very quickly and as much as the FMC annoyed me the other characters and the storyline made it a 4 star read in my opinion.

This was a fun story. Is fun the right word? Exciting, adorable, hot, funny, and murder mystery-esque. I adored Kate and Jake. They had a lot of chemistry. I could relate to Kate in so many way. She was smart, but ripping at the seams with the various anxieties she held onto. I love that Jake was patient and clear. I thought the plot was clever. I could have used more banter between the two but I loved what was there. I think it all worked really well and made for a really great evening read. I'd definitely recommend to anyone looking for a romance mystery with some slow burn spicy scenes.

This was a fun and wild ride! I love the mix of mystery and romance, throw in a second chance, friends to lovers plot, and I’m sold! I love that all of the characters have professions in the literary world. Main character Kate is a writer who uses her own amateur sleuth main character as a sort of alternate personality throughout, as she tries to figure out who the murderer on the remote island she is stuck on is. To add to the drama, this is all taking place at her ex’s wedding. There is a quite an eccentric cast of characters, and they all added so much entertainment.

If you read or listened to The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, or were a fan of the movie Clue, I think you’ll enjoy this one too! It has similar vibes.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the arc!

3 stars

Parts of this book really worked but other parts didn't as much for me. It is always hard for me to believe someone would keep certain things like a dead body a secret and also...be able to bang like IMMEDIATELY after seeing one? The mystery to me was interesting but there were so many things happening at once it was hard to follow at times. And the reveal was...eh, didn't make all that much sense to me. I think the romance was pretty good and at times I would have preferred to focus more on that. I felt things for the MCs and I felt it was really well written but this makes me feel that a mystery romance isn't my preferred genre.

Regarding the audiobook, I loved the narrator. I felt she was really good throughout and I was impressed with her male Australian accent! I don't know if I would have finished the book without it being the audiobook though.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this eARC and ALC!

3.5 rounded up. Cute rom-com cozy mystery mashup (yes, you read that right!!). I had to suspend disbelief that a body was found and not reported so a mystery writer could play detective...and yet this worked for me. I loved the banter between characters, comedic mishaps, and trying to figure out whodunnit.

Kate is an author who was invited to her ex-fiance's (AND boss) wedding to the girl with whom he cheated. She's thrown into an attic room with her ex-crush as her unexpected plus-one at a private island estate near Seattle. We quickly find out she's still crushing hard on the ex-crush AND a body is stumbled upon during wedding festivities. Without giving any spoilers, this is the gist and it's a fun ride, even if a little over the top unbelievable at times. It gave me 'Knives Out' vibes with some spice and I could see this book being made into a GREAT movie!

Thanks to Jenny Elder Moke, Minotaur, and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a little silly and more romantic than I anticipated but mixing fake dating with a cozy mystery? Count me in! The setting was good but there were parts of a book within a book that didn't always work for me. Still, love a good cozy mystery and the characters were great. Give this a try!

She Doesn't Have a Clue comes out next week on January 21, 2025 and you can purchase HERE.

"For the record, the only reason I didn't kiss you last night was because you were clearly drunk, clearly upset, and clearly still hung up on your ex. Who you were just embracing in the dark, I'd like to point out again."

"Well, joke's on you, because you already kissed me," Kate said, crossing her arms. "At the rehearsal dinner."

"I didn't kiss you," Jake said. He'd dropped his voice low, the vibration of it changing her heartbeat. "You kissed me. And you were doing it for him. When I kiss you, it will be for you and me. Nobody else. And you'll be stone-cold sober."

I tried to get into this one, but the writing was a bit too silly for me which made it hard to get into. But if you’re into silly cozy mysteries you’d probably love this! The writing was good, it was just too silly for me.

This was a fun cozy mystery, with a romance subplot.

This was big murder mystery vibes, where the whole book took place in one weekend on a private island; a wedding weekend that had murderous undertones.

I found the story a little hard to follow, as there were a lot of different characters who kept popping in and out. It wasn’t until the second half of the book that I was really in it.

I also found it a bit predictable, and I picked up on who the killer was in the first few chapters.

The romance felt a bit forced in this story - I love romance books, and that’s one of the reasons I picked this one up, but it didn’t feel necessary here.

At her ex-fiancé’s lavish island wedding, mystery author Kate Valentine finds herself embroiled in a real-life murder mirroring her latest novel, forcing her to team up with Jake, her biggest romantic regret, to solve the crime before another guest dies.

This novel is 50% mystery, 50% romance, and 100% romp. It’s hilarious and improbable and tons of fun. I loved the characters and felt more invested in them than I normally would for a murder mystery. The excellent audio narration helped make this a highly entertaining book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Mystery writer Kate Valentine finds herself swept up in a real-life locked room murder mystery, a lá Agatha Christie, when she shows up to her ex-fiance’s wedding on a remote private island. With the help of the one that got away, her Australian co-partner in crime Jake Hawkins, she’s determined to embody her own crime-solving heroine Loretta Starling and figure out just who tried to poison the bride-to-be (and get everyone to stop pointing fingers at her).

With the high stakes, locked room mystery-vibe of this book, it had all the best parts of Knives Out, Glass Onion, Murder on the Orient Express, and so many other fun and funny murder mysteries. Kate was a hilarious and relatable protagonist, and Jake was so game to solve mysteries just to spend time with her. It took a bit for the story to get going, but once it did, it was a fun time. And the story kept me on the edge of my seat to figure out just who the culprit was!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re a fan of books that explore multiple genres, this one is for you. A little bit steamy romance, a little bit mystery, throw in a secluded island with a storm coming in, and drama drama drama!! Highly recommended.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue isn’t going to be for everyone, but it was definitely for me. Jenny Elder Moke is a new to me author. I really enjoyed the main character, Kate and how messed up she was in a cute way. The murder mystery on an private Island during a wedding weekend was engaging and I had a hard time putting this book down.

Kate is a writer who spends a lot of time in her own head, or more accurately in the head of one of her characters from the mystery books she writes. It becomes even easier for her to get lost in that fantasy life when at the wedding of her former fiancé, on a historic private Island, one of the attendees turns up dead. Kate is off to try and solve the mystery, since someone seems to be using plots from her books for the murder. To add to the chaos, Jake (not Blake from her books) is also at the wedding and someone has put him as Kate’s plus one. Kate may have harbored a huge crush on the adventurer she helped co-write books for, but does he also have those kinds of feelings for Kate?

This book has a few ridiculous moments, that I found hilarious, but humor is really subjective so this book is either going to really work for you or not. As various calamities plague the house, a storm also approaches and traps everyone one the Island in a house with intermittent power, at least one dead body and a so many taxidermized animals anyone might feel uncomfortable. There are also a long list of suspects who all have some kind of motive to kill.

I really liked Kate and her, I can be just like Jessica Fletcher and find the killer, attitude. With her can do attitude and slightly itchy thinking sweater she is off to solve the crime(s). The mystery of who is trying to possibly kill the bride and definitely killed another guest was interesting and fun with some false leads and twists. But the will they/won’t they tension between Jake and Kate was what I was really into. While you are pretty sure they are meant to be, I enjoyed the journey and revelations along the way.

The mystery was fun, the humor was great and the romance was swoony. This book made me want to look into the authors catalog and see if there was anything else I could pick up.

“I’ve waited years for this,” he said, his breath warming the inner shell of her ear. “And I’m going to take my time. Every last minute of it, Kate. Until neither of us can stand up again.”

For readers who:
-like cozy mysteries
-think authors make fun central characters
-love romance
-enjoy a good destination wedding

3 1/2 stars
Part cozy mystery and part romance, Kate is an author who finds herself at her publisher/ex-fiance’s destination wedding. And who shows up but her crush who broke her heart years ago? And then suddenly, there’s a murder and a string of crimes that all reflect Kate’s books. Will her crush help her solve the mystery - and finally kiss her - before the book ends?

This was cute. I liked the characters and the cozy mystery. Some of the characters were really over the top, but that’s typical for mysteries and romance, so it’s on brand. I didn’t want to stop reading, so that’s a good sign. Fun and easy.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While an entertaining read, this book was a little farfetched for my liking, and though I know it's a book and not real, some things were just a little off-putting with the murder mystery. Also, things just did not flow well within the plot. It jumps from worrying about relationship issues, a murder, random spice scenes thrown in, back to relationship issues, back to murder. It was just overall inconsistent in what the book was trying to be.

The overall atmosphere of the book just felt like a cozy, rom-com mystery and did not provide any major thriller elements to the murder mystery at all, which some may like, but unfortunately it was a miss for me. The characters were also rather calm for having stumbled across a dead body with a scheming plot involving them forming against them. Give the book a try though as others have liked it, and it may be up your alley.

I ADORED this book so much more than I thought I would. If you're a fan of Nancy Drew, true crime, and mysteries that take place on a remote island where a wedding is supposed to take place - look no further. I thought the two main characters were so fun, that I hope this ends up being a series where I can tag along with even more mysteries. And while I guessed the culprit pretty early on (the only thing keeping this from five stars), I still enjoyed the ride! This book was silly and fun, while tackling some more serious topics. I would highly recommend!

This was a book I wanted to like based on the description. It sounded fun and light, quirky and enjoyable.

Maybe that's what it was aiming for, but the reality was a plot that dragged, unlikable characters, and a book that seemed desperate to keep moving in the hope that no one would notice that nothing about it made any sense.

Bestselling author Kate is behind on her next Loretta Starling, amateur detective, book. So naturally she goes to her editor's (and ex-fiance's) wedding on a private island in the middle of nowhere, to be with other people from the publishing group she's been dodging, along with the new bride's super rich family. Then she learns there's a last minute addition of her hot Australian crush Jake who she had some awkward misunderstandings with a few years ago and never spoke to again. Which would be normal wedding awkwardness until the bride's body is found (by Kate) in the wine cellar and she seems like the culprit. It's all downhill from there.

When stressed, Kate has the habit of asking herself "what would Loretta do?" and imagining her main character (her exact opposite) in the scene. Which took getting used to as a reader. It took more than half way through the book to figure out it wasn't Kate trying to overcome writer's block or channel her inner detective, but that Kate is just a mess and she wrote Loretta as a confident character to be her opposite-and possibly her inspiration. The reader never figures out why Kate's a mess, or get really a feel for much of Kate at all other than her apparent spiral after being dumped by the ex-fiance she didn't even love and her issues with Jake. She's a terrible detective, completely unsubtle, in an Agatha Raisin/Stephanie Plum kind of way, without their charm or humor.

This was probably a book trying to be a rom-com with a mystery twist. But it seriously lost its way and ended up not managing to be especially enjoyable for me. One star of this review goes to Jake and Fluffy for being the two most entertaining characters on the island.

I recommend skipping this one, despite the cute cover and promise of the book blurb.

I received a DRC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

"She Doesn't Have a Clue" by Jenny Elder Moke attempts to blend the charm of classic teen detective stories with modern rom-com sensibilities, creating an engaging if somewhat uneven mystery experience. The novel draws clear inspiration from beloved properties like "Nancy Drew" and "Knives Out," offering readers a fresh take on the young detective genre.
The story's greatest strength lies in its genre-blending ambitions. By mixing murder mystery elements with romantic comedy beats, Moke creates an intriguing premise that sets it apart from traditional teen mysteries. The partnership between the main characters as they work to solve the murder while clearing their own names provides some of the book's most engaging moments.
However, the execution doesn't quite live up to its promising concept. The middle section loses momentum, and the mystery's resolution leans into familiar territory that might feel a bit too reminiscent of Saturday morning cartoons for some readers. While the romantic subplot adds another layer to the story, it never quite finds its footing, though the investigative partnership between the leads offers enough chemistry to keep readers invested.
What "She Doesn't Have a Clue" does accomplish is creating an accessible entry point for readers interested in mystery stories with contemporary touches. The lighter tone and genre-mixing approach make it a suitable choice for those who prefer their mysteries without too much darkness, even if more seasoned mystery readers might find themselves wanting more depth.
For fans of cozy mysteries and light romantic subplots, this book offers an easy weekend read, though it may not leave a lasting impression once the case is closed.

Kate is a bestselling author of murder mysteries. She is currently in the process of writing a new book while on her way to a private island off the coast of Seattle. What is happening on this private island you may ask? Kate is on her way to see her ex-fiancè’s wedding. While on her way there she literally bumps into her crush Jake.

Many odd things start to unfold while she is there. She learns that her crush Jake was actually invited to be her plus one for the wedding. Which means they will need to share a room. On top of that, the bride gets poisioned. So Kate turns to her murder mystery solving skills to figure out what could have happened.

I did have a bit of a hard time during some instances where it was hard to tell what was the actual story or the story Kate was writing. It took me a minute to realize that Loretta was just Kate pretending to be her in real life to help solve some mysteries on the island.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable read. It is good slow burn murder mystery that will make you not want to put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun read! It’s a mix of cozy mystery and romance (with just a little spice), which might be my new favorite genre! I loved the hijinks and crazy coincidences. The main character is an author with no sleuthing experience, who then throws herself into the role of primary investigator, which made for a great time!

This book had it all: romance, drama, rich people and their problems, and wild animals! The writing gave the feeling of not taking itself too seriously. I had a fantastic time reading it, and would absolutely recommend.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue is a murder-mystery-romance set on a private island in the PNW. Oh, and did I mention, it’s about a murder mystery writer getting mixed up in an actual murder mystery? Lots to digest in that description, but ultimately it was a really fun read! It has fake dating along with revenge dating, and some forced proximity with a smattering of complicated history among characters. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this book as a fun easy read — just maybe not a read for someone heading to their own private island escape!