This was an intriguing mix of mystery and romance with a unique setting—a high-end wedding turned murder investigation on a private island off the coast of Seattle. The murder mystery was well-crafted, and I really enjoyed following the hunt for the true killer. Jenny Elder Moke does a great job weaving suspense into a backdrop of complicated relationships, old grudges, and plenty of secrets.

The love triangle added an interesting layer to the story, and the slow-burn second-chance romance between Kate and Jake was a definite highlight. Their shared history and moments of vulnerability felt genuine and engaging.

That said, the pacing of the book felt uneven at times. The beginning dropped me into the middle of the action without much setup, and some moments felt rushed, jumping quickly from one event or emotion to the next. While this kept the story moving, it also made certain scenes feel a bit jumbled.

Overall, She Doesn’t Have a Clue was an enjoyable read with plenty of twists, a strong mystery, and a touch of romance. It may not have been a standout for me, but it was definitely a fun and intriguing ride. Fans of destination mysteries and second-chance romances will want to give this one a try!

This book is wacky. It gives the requirements for a mystery and then adds more. Some of those “more” were not my cup of tea. For example, the amateur was wrong more than right. She also was annoying. However, I liked her over everyone else, and their judgy ways. I actually wanted Kate to be right and everyone else including the “perfect” bride to get hurt. Like seriously hurt.

I didn’t figure out the killer because there was just too much going on. I actually forgot a key point because I was more annoyed than I was logical. I guess the kooky, wacky cozy mysteries are just not for me.

Overall, I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars.

3.5 stars. A murder mystery meets rom-com. The story remains lighthearted even though murder is involved. The FMC really sells a lot for me. Overall the story is captivating.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“She Doesn’t Have a Clue” is a marshmallow of a book: sweet, fluffy, and fun, but lacking in substance. Kate is a total mess of a main character who cannot stop acting sketchy if her life depends on it (and in this book it does), but she still manages to be endearing and leaves you wishing her the best.

I liked the idea of the romance between the two main characters more than the actual execution. They fell into miscommunication tropes almost constantly and the spicy scenes took me out of the story each time because I just couldn’t wrap my head around wanting to get physical when there is a murderer on the loose.

The savings grace in this book is undoubtedly the villain reveal. It was very well done and a nice tone shift from the flighty, silly main character to our villain’s dark intentions.

An engaging and amusing romantic mystery. The house on the island is probably my favorite part of the story. The main characters are entertaining and enjoyable. There were several intimate scenes which I skipped over. I am sure I missed some funny banter by doing that, but didn't care to read the details. A clever mystery that kept me guessing. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

This book had the perfect blend of humor, intrigue, and spice! It took all the best mystery tropes, locked room where everyone has a motive, and combined those with some spicy second chance romance.

Kate, the mystery writer, was a great main character. She was as likable and relatable as she was chaotic. The book kind of gently poked fun at the fact that she assumed that writing mysteries gave her a leg up on solving them. And Jake was the perfect romantic hero (Australian accent!) The supporting characters were very memorable as well.

The over-the-top setting of a house full of mysterious rooms and secret passageways on an inaccessible island where a storm cuts off power and communication made for both intensity and humor. And offered plenty of places for almost hooking up!

Overall this was a fun and spicy mystery and I could see this becoming a whole series!

Thank you to @Netgalley and @minotaur_books and for the chance to review this ARC.

This is my first time reading this author and I've enjoyed it very much. I had a bit of a slow start getting into the characters and storyline. About 1/4 of through the book I felt like I connected with Kate. She is funny and insecure about life, love and relationships of all kind. A girl so much like most real life women. I enjoyed her bantering with Jake as well as their fireworks when together. Overall, I liked the story and characters and would recommend this book.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue is a cute, cozy, mystery with some awkwardness, some spice, and some fun. Kate has agreed to attend her ex fiancé/current editor’s wedding, against her better judgment, but an expected weekend of free champagne, some emotional awkwardness, and closure ends up being far more eventful than Kate anticipated when the bride is poisoned and everyone suspects Kate. Throw in a blast from her past in the form of Jake, the hot Australian she befriended years prior, had a falling out with, and is still her biggest regret.
Jake was freaking adorable, charismatic, and the only person willing to help Kate investigate the mystery before mob rule takes over. It was a bit hard to watch Kate constantly get (metaphorically) stepped on, as she’s not great at standing up for herself and you might struggle with a bit of secondhand embarrassment, but you’ll find yourself rooting for Kate and despising a lot of the other character who are quick to blame her for everything going wrong (and there’s A LOT going on). The tension between Kate and Jake was good, you’ll want to punch her ex fiancé, and you’ll have fun trying to solve the mystery with Kate & Jake 🏰🏝️⛈️🕵️‍♀️
Thanks @netgalley for the ARC!

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke is a delightful mix of mystery, romance, and humor, set against the backdrop of a luxurious wedding on a private island. The premise of a bestselling mystery author stumbling upon a real-life crime at her ex-fiancé’s wedding is both engaging and clever, offering plenty of twists and turns. Moke brings a colorful cast of characters to life, each with their own secrets and motivations, and her sharp writing keeps the reader intrigued. Kate Valentine, the protagonist, is relatable and flawed, which makes her journey through this unexpected mystery both entertaining and authentic. The romantic tension between Kate and her former lover, Jake, adds a layer of complexity that fans of second-chance romance will appreciate.

However, while the story’s blend of mystery and romance is enjoyable, the pacing at times feels uneven, with moments of tension being overshadowed by lengthy descriptions or the chaotic nature of the wedding. The resolution of the mystery may also feel a little too neatly tied up, with a few character motivations left somewhat underexplored. Despite these minor drawbacks, Moke’s writing is engaging enough to keep readers hooked, and the setting, along with the quirky characters, makes for an enjoyable, if not entirely unpredictable, read. She Doesn't Have a Clue is perfect for readers seeking a light, entertaining mystery with a dash of romance.

A cute mystery. Kate is an author who is attending her ex fiancé's wedding on a remote island. Who should come along but Jake who she has an awkward past with. As the story unfolds, we find that not everything is as it seems. Once the bodies start to fall, Kate is in the race of her life to find out what happened before she is blamed. The setting was a character all it's own. Kate's sense of humor and tendency to rely on her own fictional character to help solve the mystery added to the fun. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! I was intrigued by the premise of a mystery that’s also romance and the fact that the main character is an author. I enjoyed the mystery aspect, and the fact that Kate feels like she has to channel Loretta (her literary heroine) to be able to fumble through solving this mystery. The parallels between her books and her current situation were done well with flashes to Kate’s novel as the mystery thickens. The dialogue and events were witty and funny. The romance with Jake works, and he makes a great sidekick. Weirdly, what I felt didn’t work was the spice of the romance. It honestly seemed to interrupt the story, and I sort of skimmed through those parts to get to the meat of the mystery more often than not. Overall, I can see this being a fun beach read. FYI sexual situations and profanity, definitely an adult novel

Okay friends. If you love mystery, rom-com, Agatha Christie vibes, and stormed-in in an island with some crazy, rich people - you need to add this to your TBR!!! It comes out Jan 21!!

If you loved The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one. It has similar main elements minus the Christmas vibes.

So Kate (our female lead) is the writer of the famous detective mystery series. She received an invitation to attend her ex fiance’s destination wedding that ultimately lead to her playing detective herself when she stumbles upon a dead body in the family manor. That’s pretty much the plot!!

This will have a second chance romance storyline and i’d say 1-2 spicy scenes that you can skim to make the book a pure mystery romcom. :)

I enjoyed this one. I laughed out loud a couple of times. The dialogues were great. It’s a whodunit so lots of characters but not confusing at all! Definitely add to your list if you want to do some amateur sleuthing at a destination wedding!!

💭 Did you read Nancy Drew growing up?
☕️ Yesss! It’s what made me love the genre since I was a kid and yet, I still haven’t read an Agatha Christie book 😂

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke is a third person-POV romantic mystery. Best-selling mystery author Kate is a guest at the wedding of her editor/former fiancee, Spencer, and her small publisher’s marketer, Kennedy. As if that wasn’t awkward enough, her former almost-flame and someone she ghost wrote for, Jake, is also not only a guest but has been put on the list as her plus one. When Kennedy is poisoned and someone ends up dead, Kate is on the case to solve the murder and how it’s connected to her publisher.

The voice here will make or break the book for a lot of readers. The premise is very fun as Kate is not only a murder mystery writer, but she also thinks of moments in terms of her character, Loretta, taking over as a sort of security blanket. Loretta is the opposite of Kate in a lot of ways and the fact that their romantic situations mirror each other is not lost on most people (though Kate is in denial). The prose is humorous and at times and doesn’t take itself super seriously, especially when it’s leaning into the more romantic comedy aspects. It’s a fine line and I think it will work well for readers who really love a voice-y romantic comedy.

Jake and Kate haven’t really spoken in two years by the time the book opened. There was an incident that led to the dissolution of their relationship of Kate ghostwriting Jake’s travel stories, Wandering Australian. Kate is obviously missing their friendship and wants something more, but it takes alcohol for her to feel brave enough to tell him what she wants while Jake sets a firm line that he won’t do anything unless she’s sober. It’s a spicy second chance romance arc between them, complete with the misunderstandings some romance readers really love.

In the author’s note, Jenny Elder Moke refers to this book as a mystery-rom-com-franken book and I fully agree. The romance is too prominent to be called a subplot but it’s not the entire point of the book; the story would still exist if Jake and Kate’s romance wasn’t there. The murder mystery is the point as is Kate’s publisher, Simon Says, and stuff going on behind the scenes. I think this combination of genres, plus how character and voice-driven the narration is, is whyI enjoyed the book. I have found that I don’t tend to care for plot-driven mysteries in prose despite liking the idea of a lot of them, so something like this is more to my tastes.

I would recommend this to fans of voice-driven mysteries and readers looking for a mystery with a prominent romantic element

4.5 stars
This is a fun, entertaining read. Jake and Kate are interesting, relatable, intriguing, complex, wounded, flawed, strong, entertaining characters. I enjoyed their romance and the path it took to get to their HEA. The mystery was fun to read and sucked me just as much as the romance. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The story is easy to read and get into.

I enjoyed the audio version of this book and the narrator.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a fun mystery read. We meet Kate, a bestselling mystery author who is attending a wedding that she would rather not attend. From there, things go even more off track, and soon enough, she finds herself embroiled in trying to solve a murder. Even though she's a bestselling author, she has no idea how to go about solving this mystery. Aside from the mystery, there are a lot of interesting interactions between the characters. This is a perfect read if you love to read a sort of cozy mystery and try to see if you can figure out who did it!

Thanks to Minotaur Books and Net Galley for the arc!!

3.5 stars but rounding up for this murder mystery with some romcom vibes snuck in there!

Kate is a murder mystery writer who suddenly finds herself having to solve a murder, tapping into her alter ego/main character Loretta to try and make sense of things. This book has action, references to Mamma Mia, secret passageways, a love quadrangle and a wedding that just can’t catch a break, secrets, inheritances, and a private island owned by a woman obsessed with hunting! It sounds like it’s got a lot going on-which it does- but it handles it pretty well!! A very fun, simple and easy read!

Thank you so much to Jenny Elder Moke and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review!

This book is so effing charming! The audiobook has accent work too! This was all around fun and made me giggle. Hightly recommend!!!!

I absoltely loved the whole story and had a great time reading it.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
***My review contains slight spoilers.***
A murder mystery novel about an author stuck on a private island in the PNW sounds like a great idea for a book. And it is. Unfortunately the execution just wasn't there though. While the mystery was interesting and was what made me finish the book, the FMC was so terrible, whiny, and insecure and the love interest felt extremely forced. This also includes a miscommunication troupe and that's not my jam.
Here are several of my WTF thoughts as I read the book:
-If the FMC literally cannot take 2 steps in these heels without falling over or into someone, why would she pack them? Also, it seemed that she later could walk in them just fine when that falling over and stumbling scene was over. Weird.
-The love interest. One minute the FMC and the love interest are sleuthing but haven't had a chance to discuss their feelings toward each other which are complicated because they have history, and the next minute they're making out in a secret passageway. There was no flirtation. No witty banter leading up to this, just BAM. The whiplash was real.
I respect that the author was trying to go from writing YA to Adult, but just sticking a s3x scene or two in the book isn't how to achieve the goal. Especially when it is so out of the blue.
I was sadly disappointed with this read.

Jenny Elder Moke's She Doesn’t Have a Clue is a delightful, fast-paced contemporary mystery that effortlessly combines charm, wit, and intrigue. With sharp prose and a compelling lead character, this novel is a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries and humorous detective stories.

The protagonist, Reagan Prescott, is a smart, sassy, and relatable heroine who quickly wins the reader’s heart. As a talented but somewhat underappreciated sleuth, Reagan finds herself thrown into an unpredictable and often comical situation when she stumbles upon a high-society murder mystery. Her sharp observational skills, paired with her unorthodox approach to solving problems, make for a thrilling—and often humorous—ride through a tangle of clues, red herrings, and unexpected twists.

Moke has a knack for creating an intriguing plot without bogging the reader down in unnecessary details. Each chapter flows seamlessly into the next, and the pacing keeps readers engaged without sacrificing character development. Reagan’s relationships with the quirky cast of supporting characters are well-drawn and add depth to the story, enhancing the mystery without overshadowing the main plot.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its ability to balance humor with tension. Reagan's witty banter and sarcasm add a lightness to the otherwise intense mystery, giving the story a unique flavor. The author also does an excellent job of crafting a vibrant setting that makes you feel like you're walking through the streets of a bustling city or attending a high-stakes event. The world-building feels rich and immersive, making it easy to get lost in the story.

Ultimately, She Doesn’t Have a Clue is an entertaining read with just the right mix of suspense, humor, and heart. It will keep you guessing until the very end, and Reagan Prescott’s story is one that will stay with you long after the final page. Jenny Elder Moke has certainly crafted a memorable mystery that will leave readers eagerly awaiting her next book.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Kate, mystery author goes to a secluded island for her ex-fiancées wedding. Everything starts to go wrong as soon as she gets on the ferry. We get a murder mystery ala Clue (my fav), romance, and rich people scheming.

I had a blast with this one. I may have had a couple little instances of secondhand embarrassment when Kate is put in every awkward situation possible. An attempted murder followed by an actual murder kicks Kate into slueth gear. It doesn’t help that they seem to be conveniently inspired by her books. The setting of an old mansion on an isolated island was fun, then you add in bad weather? Even better. There are Clue vibes with the murder mystery, tons of people having motives, and other things you’ll have to read to find out. The second chance at romance with her old friend, Jake was fun and added to the story. I was rooting for these two to not only figure out the mystery, but to have a chance at something real. I’d recommend for fans of a whodunnit mystery and rich people drama.


Thank you to SMP and Minotaur Books for my arc. All opinions are my own