3 stars! 💫 Huge thanks to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the ARC! 💖

Okay, so here’s the scoop! This book sounded like it had all the right elements for a gripping mystery—isolated private island? Check. Wedding drama? Check. Ex-fiancé drama? Check! Dead body? YES, PLEASE! But... while it started with so much potential, it ended up being more of a cozy mystery/romcom than the heart-pounding thriller I was craving. 😅

Kate Valentine, our main gal, is a bestselling mystery author who ends up at her ex-fiancé's wedding (awkward, much?!). Add in a dead body, an ex-crush (hello, Jake 👀), and plenty of wine, and we’re in full-on whodunit mode. But here's the thing... the execution? Kinda slow 🕵️‍♀️🔍. I was ready for suspense and twists, but it was more like a lighthearted romp.

The mystery itself was fun, but it lacked that “OMG, who did it?!” tension that keeps you up all night. Instead, it felt more like a Hallmark movie set on a private island—quirky, playful, and light. 🏝️❤️ I wanted more suspense, but it never quite delivered that rush I was looking for.

What did work for me? The humor, the banter, and the sizzling chemistry between Kate and Jake (the Aussie ex-crush? 😏 chef’s kiss). There was so much back-and-forth that it almost felt like I was in a love triangle with dead bodies mixed in. 🙈

It’s a cute, cozy mystery with a dash of romance, but it just didn’t have the depth I was hoping for. Still, if you’re into breezy reads with more humor and less blood-pumping suspense, this could be your thing!

It was fun, but I’m not sure it’ll stick with me long-term. Others might totally love it though, so definitely check out their reviews too! 💖

this was a good book! I love a good destination wedding book, but it is becoming overdone and all of the books are like cookie cutter similar stories. This one fell right into that trap. If this is the first type of this book, then good, it will be new for you, but if you've read any of the hundreds of other destination wedding romance/thrillers then this will be the same as those

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Couldn't finish. Liked the characters and the idea of the premise, but it was a bit too frantic. I ended up putting it down and never going back. I think I would have liked more romance, fewer catty comments.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke was such a fun and thrilling read! The banter between the characters was top-notch—sharp, witty, and kept me laughing throughout. 😂 The murder mystery had me hooked from start to finish, with twists and turns that kept me guessing. 🔍🕵️‍♀️

The cast of wedding guests was absolutely delightful, with a variety of personalities and backgrounds that made every interaction entertaining. From the quirky to the downright suspicious, everyone added something unique to the mystery. And oh, the aunt—aka “Bitch Bull of Wall Street”—she was so mean it was almost impressive! Her biting remarks and icy demeanor added another layer of drama to an already intriguing story. 😳😈

As for the romance, I loved the slow-burn chemistry between Kate and Jake. I loved their ex-friends-to-lovers dynamic and watching their relationship unfold was like watching a tangled web slowly come together. Their moments together were sizzling, and I couldn’t get enough of them. 😏🔥

If you love clever dialogue, an engaging whodunit, and a colorful array of characters (with a little romance thrown in), this book is a must-read. Highly recommend! 🙌📚

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5

🌶️🌶️🌶️/ 3

This one just didn't work for me. The premise was good. It sounded like something I would like, but I never cared about any of the characters or what happened to them. I kept reading to see how it all tied together but even the answers were somehow unsatisfying.

I needed a cute light hearted read and this definitely did the job. I would describe this one as a cozy romcom with a hint of mystery. I enjoyed the characters: Kate and Jake. The plot was interesting and something I hadn’t read before . I can definitely see this one being a favorite

pretty cute romance and murder mystery where the two aspects do work very well together and very effectively. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

This book has all the makings of a cozy mystery. A remote island setting, a spooky mansion full of secret pathways, a cast of quirky characters, a scary storm, an unexpected power outage, etc. etc.

Protagonist Kate Valentine is a best-selling mystery author. Loretta Starling, the main character in Kate's best-selling series, is a crime sleuth of sorts. Kate channels Loretta throughout her crime solving journey and the result is a confusing, unnecessary framework that takes away from an otherwise OK book.

Jenny Elder Moke does strike a good balance between rom-com and cozy mystery...and some parts are quite funny. However the back and forth between Kate and Loretta was distracting and it really killed this book for me.

3.4 rounded down to 3.

4-Star Review: A Fun and Intriguing Whodunit!

Jenny Elder Moke’s debut novel is a perfect mix of humor, mystery, and romance! Set on a remote island during a lavish wedding, it offers a locked-room mystery, colorful characters, and a second-chance romance that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Kate, the mystery writer at the heart of the story, is both relatable and chaotic, often hilariously overestimating her detective skills. Jake, the charming romantic lead, is the perfect counterpart to Kate’s chaotic energy, and their dynamic adds great tension to the story! The stormy island setting, with secret rooms and a poisoned bride, creates plenty of suspense and humor.

The supporting characters are memorable, and the plot twists kept me guessing. This is a fantastic blend of mystery and romance that I recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for an advanced e-book exchange for my review.

Kate Valentine, a romance mystery writer, agrees to attend the wedding of her editor and ex-fiancee who is marrying the woman he jilted her for who also happens to work for the publisher. The wedding is being held at a private island in the PNW. Kate seems to handle a lot of her life through her alter ego book character, Loretta Starling. She is surprised to fine that the one who got away, Jake Hawkins, a Hemsworth Aussie lookalike, show up for the festivities as well.

Hilarity ensues as well as mayhem, a possible murder, and a host of slap stick comedic happenings with Kate the helm. Bad weather and creepy occurrences with Kate doing sleuth work pepper the weekend with a series of mishaps and drama making authors and spoiled rich kid family members.

Thank you St Martin's Press & netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this thinking it would just be a romance but I was pleasantly surprised when there was a fun mix of a locked room mystery within the book as well!! This book is the perfect mix of romance and mystery while not being too serious because it's a total rom com!! When Rebecca mysteriously dies in a similar fashion to how one of Kate's novel character dies in her books, Kate becomes the prime suspect for the murder of Rebecca. Using her detective skills, she tries to find the real murderer alongside Jake, her longtime crush. Will Kate be able to solve the mystery and find the real murderer or does she not have a clue??

If you enjoyed "the most wonderful crime of the year", or enjoy movies like Glass Onion, I would highly recommend reading this book too!

She Doesn't Have A Clue: ★★★☆☆ (3)

Pub date: Jan 21, 2025 - preorder yours now!

Tropes:
- rom com
- locked room mystery
- third person POV

A romp of a cozy set at a wedding on an island. Weddings are always ripe for drama but this time someone poisoned the bride! Poisoned the bride in a fashion just like in a novel written by Kate who was once involved with the groom. She knows she didn't do it but everyone else is pointing fingers. Luckily, Jake's there to help her sleuth. This mixes classic cozy tropes with a bit of rom com. It isn't too twisty, the characters are good and it made me chuckle in spots. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I really enjoyed this light hearted and fun story. I found myself laughing out loud at the shenanigans the characters find themselves in and I couldn’t wait for more! I immediately made my daughter read this when I was finished!

This is a murder mystery romance,that is an adult debut, told from a single pov of our FMC Kate who is a murder mystery writer. She is attending her ex fiancé’s wedding and runs into Jake there who is her biggest love regret as they were never really together. The wedding takes place on a private island in the PNW outside of Seattle. They end up not being able to leave the manor the wedding is taking place at due to a storm. Then things take a turn for the worse as they discover someone is trying to kill the bride using Kate’s books as a road map. I really was drawn into this book from the beginning with the writing style. Each chapter also ends in a dramatic fashion where you need to continue on with it. I was laughing at loud while reading this and also enjoying the back and forth with Kate and Jake. I would say the spice level is 3/5 ✨
This would be a great read during a storm ⛈️

I really thought I was going to love this a lot, but it just fell flat for me. I don't really know why but I just didn't really connect with Kate or Jake. I did like the setting a lot because I love the PNW. I might reread at a later date to see if it was just a case of wrong timing for me.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue

A Novel

By: Jenny Elder Moke

Publish Date: January 21, 2025

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books

Mystery and Thriller/Romance

200 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader

I would like to thank both NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for allowing me to read and review this book.

Book Review:

I ended up giving this book 4 stars. It did have a slow beginning and a format I had to get use to but once I finally figured it out the book was pretty good. If you are really paying attention to the clues, you will be able to figure who did fairly early on like I did. With that being said it was still a good read.

This story is mainly about Kate. There are a few other characters that are involved in the story, and you learn about them also. Kate is a writer, and she is struggling with her latest book and hasn’t turned in any chapters to her editor which are way pass due. She is invited to her editor’s wedding, but she hasn’t RSVP because of not her manual script. With a personal invite from the head of the household she ends up going to the wedding. Oh, the editor happens to be her ex-fiancé. Things are a little crazy there because it is on an island where you have to take a boat to get too. She almost misses the boat because an expected guest arrives. This person happens to be an old-time friend that departed from her life when she came onto him. Things go wrong form the beginning and she is trying to figure things out as the weekend goes on. An attempted murder happens on the night of the rehearsal dinner and people are accusing her because it is right out of one her books. She wants to solve this to clear her name. A lot of things are happening on the island that can’t be explained, and she is trying to figure this out. She also needs to figure out her personal life because it is a mess also. Along the way her friend is beside her most of the way even though she gets under his skin, and they fight a lot. Can she figure out who did it and does she figure out life? Will she end up with a new romance or will she be alone? You will have to read the book to find out.

Unfortunately, this book was a dnf for me.
I had a hard time getting into the book no matter how much I tried. The characters fell flat and the story wasn't intriguing for me.
I will still rate as 3 stars to no effect the authors ratings.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book. All thought are my own.

This was a really enjoyable romcom/mystery mashup! I enjoyed both the romantic buildup and backstory and the mystery. I really like this genre combination and am glad to see that more books are being published like this. (I made the mistake of reading it at the same time as The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year which is very similar and I got confused a few times, but I thoroughly enjoyed them both!)

This was such a FUN read! Murder mystery author, Kate, is invited to her ex-fiancé's wedding (who is also her current boss). When she shows up, she's accidentally roomed with her Australian friend, who she may or may not have a massive crush on. If that's not enough to make for a crazy weekend, the bride to be is poisoned and then Kate stumbles across a dead body.

I loved that that the FMC Kate was totally imperfect. She fumbled, made mistakes, got her words twisted but slowly allowed herself to be okay & learn to accept who she was. She was supported by a hilarious cast - the Australian adventurer, her ex and the woman who stole him, other authors and family members who make this story entertaining & fun.

It totally felt like an updated version of CLUE with people running all around trying to solve a murder and general craziness occurring! A definite must read!

Thank you to NetGalley & Minotaur Books for the advanced digital copy, all opinions are my own.

Thank you for the early access to this fun and lighthearted mystery. I loved the characters and how they grew together from a previous misunderstanding.