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.

This one was billed as a rom com and a murder mystery - those are two of my favorite genres so I was excited to dive in. Unfortunately the book meandered a little too much to keep my full attention. By the time the murder happened I was already running out of steam. I also felt like more tension could have been built between the FMC and the MMC - which is what I would expect of a rom com. When they got together I didn’t have that yay! moment that I usually do because I wasn’t very invested in their relationship. Maybe this one was trying too hard to cross genres.

On the flip side, there was sharp dialogue and I enjoyed reading about the publishing industry (FMC is a cozy mystery writer). There was some confusion sometimes because the book would pivot to the FMC’s book series characters - but that sort of felt like fiction mimicking reality.

The idea was great but the execution could have been a little tighter. The ending set up the next book - I’m curious enough that I’ll give the series another shot.

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Jenny Elder Moke for the ARC.

Not normally a cozy mystery fan but this one may have changed my mind, guess I just needed a little romance and spice with the mystery. I thought this one was pretty entertaining and quick read, I liked the FMC and it had some good twists along the way. Would recommend rating 3/3.5 stars. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you love a locked room mystery, a touch of spice, books about the book industry and murder at a wedding, this book is a must-read!

Whether you’re a fan of cozy mysteries or just looking for a fun, lighthearted escape, She Doesn’t Have a Clue is a must-read. It’s a playful, feel-good mystery that will leave you guessing—and smiling—until the very end!

This was great and the twist was pretty surprising! Was a little worried about the scorned ex aspect of this book but it was more played out by other characters in the book not the FMC. The whodunit plot is great but the I wanted more from the romance! Would still recommend!

She Doesn't Have a Clue was a hit! The story was such a fun mix of mystery, humor, and charm—it felt like a modern twist on classic sleuthing tales. I was drawn into the quirky world Moke created, and the main character was such a delight to follow. Her wit and determination kept me rooting for her the whole way through.

The plot had just the right amount of twists to keep me guessing without being overcomplicated. That said, there were a couple of slower moments where the pace dipped a bit, but it didn’t ruin the overall experience. By the end, I was fully invested in the resolution and satisfied with how everything came together.

If you’re looking for a lighthearted mystery with clever characters and a dash of humor, this book is a must-read. It’s such a fun escape—I’d definitely recommend it!

An amazing premise like this will always make me want to read a book? Murder mystery AND romance? Sold. The twists and turns combined with plenty of steamy romance made this a fun, fast read. Would recommend.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue was a promising premise but missed on a few things for me. Firstly, there were so many people, I had trouble remembering who they were. When the murderer was revealed, I had totally forgotten that persons storyline. Secondly, it was too slow. Although there were quite a few twists they still didn’t keep my interest piqued. Thirdly, I was more annoyed by the Loretta side comments than entertained. I did enjoy Kate and Jake. They had real chemistry.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

A destination wedding on a private island off Seattle sounds like bliss, doesn't it? But it turns out to be nightmare for author, Kate Valentine. Going into the wedding, Kate knew things would be 'interesting' as the groom is her ex-fiancé who is also her editor. There is nothing like mixing business with pleasure. Making things even more 'interesting' is Jake Hawkins, the one who got away and is her biggest regret. Making things worse is that she and Jake must share a room. Then Kate finds a dead body........

Part mystery, part romance, and part trapped room, She Doesn't Have a Clue was a cozy book/whodunit. Kate writes mystery novels and uses her skills to attempt to solve the mystery in this book.

I was hoping to enjoy this book much more than I did. This book moved a little too slow for my taste. While I enjoyed the mystery, I wanted a little more tension, dread, danger, and suspense. I never got the feeling that any of the characters in this book were too moved or freaked out by what was happening around them.

While I enjoyed this book, I doubt I will remember it in months to come. Others are enjoying this book more than I did, so please read their reviews as well.

First, I want to thank NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
This story hooked me right away and I loved the idea of combining a murder mystery & romance in more of a 50/50 split. I enjoyed the eclectic cast of characters and the overall setting for the mystery.
The middle did drag for a bit and it became a little repetitive - I get it - he smells good, but overall, I enjoyed my time reading this story and was thoroughly entertained. It also kept me guessing until the reveal.
I will definitely be keeping an eye out to see what’s next from this author.

Delightfully fun adult debut mystery. I really enjoyed Kate and Jake and the twisted plot of this ‘locked room’ style mystery. I really hope there are more featuring these characters. No spoilers here so can’t really say too much except give it a try and I hope you enjoy this.

Thanks to #netgalley, the publisher and author for this ebook ARC to read. All opinions are my own

I was intrigued by the premise of this novel, a cozy mystery set on a private island off the coast of Seattle: It turned out to have shades of romantic comedy as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Not what I expected. Thought it would be a sappy love fest. It was so much more

Enjoyed the read much more than I expected.

Recommend.

I picked this up since it was listed as a cozy mystery meets romance set at a wedding, and all of that sounded right up my alley. What's not to love- cozy mystery author invited to her ex fiancé's wedding where she stumbles on a real murder, add to that the sudden appearance of the one guy she has always had feelings for showing up and having to share the last hotel room... Sounds fun right?
Unfortunately, while the book had all the elements I enjoy, I think the execution was off somehow. There was a lot of misunderstanding used as plot, the main character is a terrible drunk yet drinks a lot and keeps getting into the same situation, the mystery was not super mysterious, and the two main characters have sex in a random bedroom in a completely full hotle while the hotel is possibly supposed to be flooding while knowing someone is in danger...
I felt like this was too over the top and the main character was too scattered for me to root for her to solve anything. I know others will probably love this tongue and cheek read, but it was not for me.

I know that the author is striving for a humorous mystery, but this was just too farcical for me. Nothing about it was believable, and I like just a tiny bit of verisimilitude in my mysteries. I didn’t find there to be much tension or cleverness in the plot and none of the characters were that entertaining.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I really liked this story. It was a good mystery that kept me guessing until the end.

Kate is invited to her ex-fiancé's wedding. Of course she isn't going to go. Until a mysterious note from the family matriarch shows up in her inbox. Kate is somehow roomed up with her ex best friend who she had feelings for a long time ago. Together they team up to find out how the bride was poisoned after the rehearsal dinner. Turns out maybe someone is after the bride is may be setting up Kate to take the fall.

Very fun, romantic light mystery. I did have a hard time getting into it at the beginning but then very much got caught up in the story. Kate is a fun mc and I enjoyed going along with her for this ride.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book. This book will be published on January 21, 2025.

A destination wedding; a dilapidated mansion on an isolated island; a murder with a large cast of suspects; and a quirky author/wannabe detective with her love-interest present: All of this provides the potential for a satisfying mystery/rom-com. However, the narrative felt too disjointed throughout the first half of the novel making it annoying rather than riveting. I almost didn’t finish it. However, I’m glad I persisted because the second half has several well-timed twists that made it suddenly more intriguing. It turns out that I wasn’t much better of a sleuth than Kate because I never suspected the murderer. There are lots of humorous situations that ultimately made this a lighthearted, entertaining second-chance romance revolving around a murder mystery.

Half mystery and half romance is an accurate description from this new release. Toss in a swanky wedding at an isolated PNW island estate, an elaborate cast of secondary characters, and a storm, and you’ve got a fun story. I love books about authors, so I was thrilled when the FMC, Kate, is a cozy mystery writer! Sprinkled through out the story where excerpts from Kate’s bestselling book series, and the mystery at the wedding parallels her own plots. I have to say, the second chance romance between Kate and Jake stole the show for me. I found their history (she was his ghostwriter for his traveling surfing books), mutual pining, and sizzling tension was what kept me turning the pages. The actually mystery was fun, but a bit complicated with many moving parts/possible suspects which made it hard for me to stay engaged while listening to the audiobook. However, I had a good time and was absolutely delighted for Kate and Jake’s steamy scenes and HEA.