Kate, famed author of a best selling mystery series is mysteriously invited to her ex-finace's luxary wedding, hosted in an old remote house, by his very rich very famous very scary and successful Aunt Rebecca. Despite knowing it's probably a bad idea she heads to the island with her ex-best friend / dream man Jake whom she had a falling out with two years ago and hasn't spoken to since.
This was almost wonderful? It's weird because I didn't hate it as a whole, I enjoyed reading it and wanted to know what came next. However each element was so infuriating? Kate was one of the most infuriating main characters I have ever had to read about. Constantly making just downright stupid mistakes, getting in everyone's way and miscommunicating to an absolutely INSANE point.

This genre crossing novel is a delightful blend of cozy, locked room mystery and lighthearted rom-com, and somehow it works.

Kate Valentine is a bestselling mystery writer attending the wedding of her editor on a secluded island, which wouldn’t be unusual except the groom is also her ex-fiancé. Making the situation even more awkward is the presence of Jake Hawkins, a hot Australian that is Kate’s “one that got away”. While on the island stuff happens. The bride is poisoned; maybe? Kate discovers a dead body. Bad weather rolls in knocking out the power and stranding the guests. Oh, and someone seems to be framing Kate.

Jenny Elder Moke uses some interesting techniques to bring the story together, such as having Kate turn to Loretta, the fictional heroine of her books, to try to the identify the killer. Jake and Kate team up to solve the mystery while their attraction heats up. It’s all in good fun and never takes itself too seriously. A little spice, occasionally interrupted by mayhem, adds to the overall enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

A solid cozy romance mystery. The pacing and tension was a little light for my taste but I enjoyed the setting and characters and think there is a lot for readers to enjoy.

She Doesn't Have A Clue is a fun, lighthearted, cozy, fast paced, locked room romcom mystery. It was my first deep dive into this genre and I enjoyed it. I thought It was really entertaining. The whole adventure throughout the whole book promises for an unputdownable read. The goofiness and clumsiness of the FMC truly brought on such a fun aspect to the investigation, it left the book feeling so much more light even if there was a murder to be solved.

The characters were well developed, they were fun, quirky, and had their own distinctive personalities. The relationship between the FMC & her love interest added on some sizzling chemistry and absolutely charming banter. I loved that there were a lot of characters to suspect, which brought on so many different theories. There is also some nice character growth to look forward to.

A very fun book for lovers of the cozy mystery romcoms. This one brought on many fun aspects and a good story. Curl up on your couch with a hot drink and a blanket, enjoy !

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @minotaurbooks & @jennyeldermoke for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a a weird book. The FMC was a writer, and she was so in her own damn head about her books that multiple scenes were interrupted by her remembering her own books and someone having to bring her out of her own mind about it. No one even died until about halfway through either, and the whole book read like a poorly written cheesy clue whodunnit and not in a fun way. In a "This feels like the authors first book ever and she tried really hard to emulate the style and intrigue and dramatism of Clue and missed it by a long mile" way. I struggled really hard with this one, truly.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded to 4 !
This was a cute romcom / mystery read . Although I struggle hard with 3rd person pov - the book was cute . I think I would have enjoyed listening to this as opposed to reading it as there were different characters and would have been fun to hear the narration . Also I think it helps us who struggle with 3rd person hope but overall cute read - cute , weird at times , romantic , fun mystery with awesome banter !

Thank you St Martin’s Press & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest opinion !

In the story we meet mystery author Kate Valentine who is attending the destination wedding of her ex-fiancé and publisher at a remote private island. What is meant to be a uneventful, relaxing vacation to celebrate the love of two individuals quickly starts to spiral when things start to get strange. Life truly starts to imitate art as events that took place in her novels start playing out in real life. Can Kate take on the persona of her intrepid fictional detective Loretta and figure out what is really going on?

She Doesn't Have a Clue is the perfect mix of locked room mystery and romantic comedy that is perfect for lovers of mysteries, rom coms, or better still both. The story is a unique premise and contains many of the classic elements mystery readers love in an atmospheric read. It's set in a spooky mansion with plenty of dark and stormy nights to set the tone. Add to that the vast amounts of family drama centered around inheritance and ex-lovers and you have one perfectly captivating read. There is quite the cast of characters, each unique enough to stand out from the rest, with plenty of suspects and clues for readers to sift through. The main characters have chemistry that leaps off the page. While the story centers around a murder investigation, it remains lighthearted throughout thanks to the comical antics of the main character. My only fault with the book lies in the choppy writing style that can make the book hard to follow at times. It looks like there will be a second in the series at some future date which I am eagerly anticipating.

I had a lot of fun with this!!! It was cute and fast paced, and right up my alley!
The mystery was fun and well crafted, not too difficult, as I guessed the culprit 40% through, but it felt fitting for the book!
Weirdly, it felt like the book was missing 30 pages at the start, as it started very suddenly. Also, Jake and Kate's relationship history didn't really make sense until far later in the book than it should've. Honestly it made me feel like I'd been dumped into the middle of a series.
3.5

I should have enjoyed She Doesn’t Have a Clue. It has so many of the elements I like – an isolated location, a closed circle of suspects, a spooky mansion, a quirky main character/ amateur sleuth. Turned out I was annoyed by it most of the time, but not quite enough to quit.

Kate has come to her ex-fiancé’s wedding at a mansion on an island in the middle of a storm. Kate is a mystery writer and has a habit of lapsing into thinking about her characters and how they would respond to events in her life, which can be a little confusing at first. The first person she runs into is Jake, aka the love interest, a man she used to work with until “the incident.”

When the bride is maybe poisoned, maybe suffers a case of food poisoning, but survives, Kate starts digging around. Plenty of people at the wedding have reason to want the bride dead, including Kate arguably. When she stumbles across the dead body of the bride’s aunt, Kate knows there’s a murderer on the island.

The whole thing is a little too much. Kate misunderstands people and situations so badly that it almost seems purposeful. And everything she does seems to make her more of a suspect – granted someone’s trying to frame her, but still. On top of that, we have secret passages, the lights keep going out, the storm is raging outside, and the place is filled with taxidermied animals. Kate bumbles through the investigation, Jake (mostly) by her side, with the occasional steamy sex scene to remind you that the romance is as important as the mystery.

This one just wasn’t for me. Looking at the reviews though, most people seem to like it, so maybe don’t listen to me.

“She Doesn’t Have a Clue” is the perfect atmospheric romantic mystery to read! Kate is a cozy mystery author, and when she’s mysteriously invited to her ex’s wedding she must put those skills to the test. Suspicious events start to mirror the plot in Kate’s cozy mystery books. And someone is trying to frame her nonetheless. The cast of characters are charming and eccentric, not to mention they have the motive and opportunity for murder. Kate must set out to solve this mystery and try not to fall for Jake, the handsome Australian acquaintance. I enjoyed the vibes of this book, the personalities and the romance!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

4.5 ⭐️

This was actually so fun! The audio was very well done and kept me engaged from start to finish! The FMC was a quirky and funny and kept a murder mystery plot pretty lighthearted and i enjoyed that!

It gave me comedy / mystery clue game vibes and i ate every second of it up!

During reading how the FMC kept going back to what her character in her book would do - i actually totally 100% believe that’s how authors are! 😆

I would absolutely recommend this book to my peers and would read more by this author. Def recommend consuming via audio!

A murder mystery writer gets caught in the middle of weekend wedding gone wrong. Kate is attending her ex-fiancés wedding which seems like a bad idea from the start. Come to find out it’s on an island, there’s a storm heading right towards the island and Jake, an Australian surfer who she hasn’t seen in two years is also attending said wedding. A lot of the events that take place coincidentally line up with Kate’s bestselling book series, which doesn’t look good for her sake. Kate and Jake team up to solve the murder mystery and clear Kate’s name. I really enjoyed the mystery and the romance that developed between Kate and Jake. There were a few 🌶️ scenes. I definitely didn’t expect the ending.

4 ⭐️

Thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke is such a fun mix of rom-com and locked-room mystery, all set at a high-society wedding on a private island. It follows Kate Valentine, a bestselling mystery author who reluctantly heads to her ex’s wedding—thinking she’ll just grin and bear it—only to find herself in the middle of a real-life murder mystery. Her longtime crush, Jake, shows up as her unexpected “plus-one,” and before she knows it, the bride is dead in a way straight out of one of her books. Now, Kate has to channel her fictional detective to solve the mystery, keep herself out of trouble, and figure out where things stand with Jake.

The story has a lively, memorable cast, from clumsy, quirky Kate to the eccentric wedding guests. The slow-burn romance and witty banter between Kate and Jake bring in a lot of laughs, and while Kate’s not exactly Sherlock, her growth and determination are endearing. There’s plenty of suspense, along with classic family drama and inheritance schemes to keep things interesting.

This cozy mystery-romcom hybrid is perfect for a lighthearted escape. I’d give it a solid 4 stars, and I’m already looking forward to the next book! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press | Minotaur Books for the ARC.

In this genre-crossing novel, mystery author Kate Valentine travels to a secluded island to the wedding of her ex fiancé at the mysterious request of the hostess. When she arrives, she is shocked to see her old crush, Jake, has mistakenly been added as her plus one. Things begin to go wrong immediately, from storms to attempted murder to actual danger. Kate asks herself what her main character, Loretta, would do in order to solve the many mysteries of the weekend.

This novel was an interesting blend of a cozy mystery with a bit of rom com mixed in. I enjoyed the elements of the characters being trapped on the island with an incoming storm and the wealthy, over the top family dynamics. The rom com tropes of forced proximity and second chance romance combined with a bit of fake dating were fun additions to the story as well. I was able to guess the villain at the beginning of the book, although there are definitely a host of characters to keep track of, which can be a bit confusing. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a cozy mystery with a bit of a romance to it.

Thank you to Jenny Elder Moke and Minotaur books for the digital arc and opportunity to be an early reader and reviewer.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
🌶️🌶️ 2/5

First, thank you to NetGalley and Jenny Elder Moke for allowing me to read this ARC early and share my honest thoughts with other readers.

This was such an interesting story, the perfect combination of wedding romcom and spooky mansion locked-door mystery. There are so many characters and yet the story never feels overwhelming trying to remember who is who and what their motives are. There are so many great red herring moments and epic plot twists!

The female main character starts out a bit whiny, and weird but in all fairness who wouldn't be when they have to attend their ex's wedding to someone else? It all comes together when you start to see her adorable quirks and self-confidence return along with a slow burn, enemies to lovers, second chance romance that is its own tangled web to unravel.

There are a few sizzling moments that slowly burn throughout the book which is perfectly balanced between the FMC and MMC dicovering and uncovering clues and secrets about the guests all around them. There is everything from gripping horror to family secrets to inheritance stealing to backstabbing... even a few love triangle moments!

This book truly has it all, it's a must read from me. The only reason it isn't 5 star is because it ended up being kind of slow and heavy about 20-40% in, but once I made it to the 50% point, I read it like a runaway train and could not stop!

Highly recommend!

This was such a fun read. I loved the way the author smoothly transitioned between the main character Kate and her alter ego Loretta. The story kept my interest from the beginning. The pairing of rom-com and murder mystery worked really well. I can’t wait to read whatever this author releases next! Thanks to the publisher and to Jenny Elder Moke for the opportunity to read this advance copy..

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke is the first book I've read by this author and it definitely won't be the last. This was a lovely mix of a classic murder mystery and a heartwarming rom com. I loved how this felt like a game of Clue. And it had so many of my favorite aspects in a mystery, including the creepy mansion and endless drama. The romance felt so real. The banter was amazing. And the little bit of spice was pretty nice too. This is a must read for fans of romantic murder mysteries.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue is a thoroughly enjoyable mix of mystery and romance that kept me hooked from start to finish! Jenny Elder Moke’s adult debut brings readers into the chaos of a luxurious, secluded island wedding, complete with a murder mystery, old flames, and enough secrets to keep everyone on edge.

The story follows Kate Valentine, a bestselling mystery author, as she reluctantly attends her ex-fiancé’s wedding on a private island off the coast of Seattle. Already uncomfortable, Kate’s weekend takes a dark turn when the bride is poisoned, and she stumbles upon a dead body. With a plot that mirrors her latest novel, Kate finds herself embroiled in a real-life mystery, with her ex and “biggest romantic regret,” Jake, by her side as her reluctant partner in sleuthing. The chemistry between Kate and Jake is palpable, and their banter adds a fun dynamic amidst the suspenseful twists.

The lavish setting, quirky wedding guests, and wine-soaked drama create an atmosphere that feels both glamorous and dangerous, making for a perfect whodunit. With a cast of colorful characters and plenty of surprises, She Doesn’t Have a Clue is a must-read for fans of mysteries with a dash of romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was the perfect mix of fun and cozy murder mystery rom-com with a story within a story aspect. There were some unrealistic moments, sure, but overall it was an amazing book to pass time.

Being totally honest (also, got an ARC so giving my feedback) it was fine. I did DNF at the 42% mark mostly because I realize it just wasn’t for me.

It’s giving romcom, but like cheesy romcom. Nothing bad with it but it made me feel like it was slightly more YA than what I like to read (not as in I read hardcore R stuff lol more like the way it felt a bit too hallmark)

It’s def a fast paced read so that’s why I’m not giving it 2 stars. It’s a chill book but perhaps not something I’d run to get.