This is a very funny book. It has romance, comedy, and is a mystery book. It’s quite different. The main characters Kate is a writer who is bent framed for murder. She use'sher main character as a muse to solving the crime. She bumbles about causing really funny scenes. I really enjoyed the author’s style of writing. I liked following her clues to catching the killer. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Cozy mystery meets romance. 
Some cozy mysteries do have a bit of romance. This one had a bit of spicy romance. It was a fun story. It mixed the two genres very well. Kate’s mind works exactly like I would think an author’s does. Going straight into what her characters would do. And Jake is the hot Australian that got away. We always need one of those. I really enjoyed this. It mixed two things I love.

Okay I love the nickname “Katey Cakes” hahaha that was so cute. I really loved the murder mystery aspect of this book. It was fun and kept me on my toes and I truly had no clue who did it! But when I found out it made sense. At the same time, the spice scenes felt SO OUT OF PLACE….. like you spend so many chapters solving a mystery and then OOPS, pause, spice scene, resume investigation and so forth. I didn’t like that, the relationship just felt really random because of that. This book probably could’ve done so well as just a murder mystery but it is what it is. Glad it was a HEA. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5/5 rounded up

Thank you Minotaur Books for the advanced reading copy!

Romance and mystery are my two favorite genres, and reading them mixed together was super fun! The balance between these two genres was very well done, with enough of both to satisfy the itch! The setting was atmospheric and fun -- who doesn't love a remote manner wedding?! There were a lot of characters involved in the mystery aspect, though and it was fairly difficult for me to keep track of all the suspects and their potential motives. Some characters, like the bride for example, felt like they were there only to complement the FMC's story and goals, rather than be their own person, which was a bit irritating. While it took me a second to get into this one, I did enjoy it overall! Overall, though, this was a fun read that drastically picked up in the second half, keeping me totally drawn in!

3.5 stars

A somewhat madcap sexy mystery featuring the hapless Kate and eventual love interest Jake. Kate writes mysteries with a strong and fearless main character, Loretta. Clearly Loretta is who Kate wishes she was but Kate is made of lesser stuff. She withdraws from all social and business activity for the better part of a year after her fiance leaves her for another woman -- even though she didn't really want to marry him.

So why does she find herself on a deserted island at an old castle for the destination wedding of the same former fiance? When the bodies start falling, Kate channels Loretta (with Jake's help) to solve the crime and manages to shed some of her baggage in the process. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 stars. I'll be honest, I think I read this too close to The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year. The murder mystery writer FMCs, traveling to secluded houses with secret passages and a murder mystery to solve that mimics the plot of a book one of the characters has written were all echoes of each other in those two books. I kept hearing familiar plot lines of the other book and that probably impacted my enjoyment and the ability to isolate this book in and of itself.

Overall, this was a well done mystery romance. The plot as I mentioned above was pretty standard fare and echoes closely some other books - but generally speaking it was intriguing and fast-paced. There were some interesting and unique elements that ended up loosely tying together but also felt like a bit of a stretch - the big game hunting/cougar on the island was one example of that.

I will say I was more engaged with this book in the second half - the first half took a while to come together for me and there were a lot of characters but not really a lot happening (it felt like). The second half pulled everything together nicely and moved at a much quicker pace. There were a couple of twists that I didn't see coming which kept me engaged - I enjoyed the cleverness that was employed to piece the twists together in service of the ultimate ending.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book.

This was Jenny Elder Mike’s first attempt at an adult novel. If had a few misses but on the whole it was a delightful romp.
Kate Valentine is a quirky mystery author who is having a little writers block. She attends the wedding of her ex fiancé, who is also her editor, on a lavish private island that the brides family owns. Why did she agree to go? Her draft of her next book is late and the thought of a weekend as a single. Ugh. As she jumps to catch the last ferry to the island, she literally falls into the lap of her old friend Blake whom she has had the serious hots for. Maybe this won’t be such a dull weekend. The weather turns frightful and the whole party is stuck until the storm clears. The bride is poisoned in an all too close story line of her latest novel . Who would do such a thing? It is up to Kate and Blake, to solve the mystery before the blame is put on her shoulders. Can she find the killer among the crazy family and guests before there is another attempt? My one criticism is the sex scenes were a little too graphic. They just do not seem to flow with the feel of book on the whole. They seemed like they were just thrown in for what reason? I think they would have been so much better with being a little less graphic and more romantic to feel like the rest of the book.

Bestselling mystery author Kate Valentine reluctantly attends her ex-fiancé’s lavish wedding on a secluded island near Seattle. But the celebration takes a dark turn when the bride is poisoned and a body turns up—eerily mirroring the plot of Kate’s latest novel. With stormy weather trapping the guests and tensions running high, Kate teams up with her charming yet regretful ex, Jake Hawkins, to solve the mystery. As secrets unravel and suspects multiply, Kate must channel her fictional heroine, Loretta Starling, to catch the killer before the island becomes their final chapter.

She Doesn't Have A Clue by Jenny Elder Moke

A high-end wedding on a private island off the coast of Seattle sounds like something out of a magazine. But for bestselling mystery author Kate Valentine, it’s more like a nightmare. Why Kate agreed to attend her ex-fiancé’s wedding is its own enigma, but she’ll plaster on a fake smile for two nights, with the aid of free champagne, naturally. And because the groom happens to be her editor, she’ll try to finish a draft of her latest Loretta Starling mystery as a wedding gift. But when the bride is poisoned and Kate stumbles across a dead body, she finds herself in a real-life mystery that eerily echoes the plot of her latest novel.

This was a wild ride, a lot chaotic, and sometimes you wanted to yell at Kate.... or maybe that was just me.There's a lot of characters to keep up with, all with a motive of their own, and everything happens within 24 hours making you wonder how it's all fitting in. The murder mystery and sleuthing is paired with a second chance romance, and as much as I love a second chance, this romance felt entirely out of place in the events happening in this haunted mansion.

Overall, an entertaining read with a satisfying ending.
Thanks, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was fun! I did enjoy the story and the main character (An author) was super likeable. I enjoyed the fact that there was enough going on it kept me engaged but it did feel like there were too many variables and people in the story and that was kind of hard to keep track of. The story itself kind of makes up for that as it was a cozy, fun read!

Ahhh this was seriously so much fun!! I’ve been slowly dipping my toes into the romcom genre this year (I prefer them as mostly audiobooks I learned) and I’ve gotten pretty lucky with every rare one I’ve decided to give a go! I just knew I had every chance of enjoying this one though lol. I’m not a big romcom reader/watcher, however I’m a HUGE mystery fan and this book was the perfect blend of the two.

A locked room (island) murder mystery with a bit of second chance romance and a lot of humor really just did the trick for me on this one! The setting of an island they’re all trapped on during a raging storm where everything seems to go wrong was PERFECTION. But also the Steve Irwin type of hottie and the super sleuth who’s always stuck in her own head but is also hilarious also really just made this book for me lol.

Also there was a HUGE cast of characters to keep up with and really made me question everyone! lol Even though there were so many different kinds of people, they were easy to distinguish and it didn’t get confusing at all but really lend to the mystery and intrigue!

Overall, I would definitely read more mystery romcom’s, it truly was so much fun!

The story was okay, the ending was meh. I didn’t feel much of a connection with the love interest. I almost didn’t finish but am glad I stuck with it and got to the end

She Doesn’t Have a Clue is a twisty mystery with plenty of drama, humor, and a splash of romance, but it also comes with a few bumps along the way. It’s one of those books that tests your ability to keep track of a sprawling cast of characters, multiple subplots, and overly dramatic revelations—all while the main character teeters between solving a murder and navigating her own chaotic life.

This book throws you into the deep end with a slew of characters—some family, some friends, some enemies. Keeping track of who’s related to whom, who’s rich, and who’s scheming can be overwhelming at first. Add in the fact that Kennedy, the bride-to-be, is suddenly called "Ken" midway through the story, and I was convinced there was an entirely new character introduced. If you're picking this one up, I highly recommend having both the audiobook and Kindle version handy—flipping back to clarify relationships saved me more than once! (as did consulting my notes I take on the characters)

The plot alternates between real-world events and the main character, Kate Valentine, mentally framing everything as if it’s part of her Loretta Starling mystery series. This added some insight into how Kate’s mind works and how she WANTED to be. However, it also slows the pacing at times. Kate’s self-absorbed tendencies don’t help, either—particularly her choice to not report a death...Despite this, I loved the chemistry between Kate and Jake. Their banter and eventual teamwork balanced out some of the more frustrating aspects of Kate’s personality. By the end, their partnership felt earned and satisfying.

The finale is... a lot. While the stormy wedding, hidden passageways, and long-buried family secrets felt perfectly on theme, the sudden appearance of a cougar (!!) pushed things into the absurd. I could almost picture the dramatic movie adaptation, but it was hard not to roll my eyes. There are also loose threads left dangling—Serena’s true identity and the publishing house mole are hinted at but never resolved, leaving me scratching my head.

Audiobook Note:
The narrator deserves a shoutout! She brought the story to life with just the right tone for this blend of suspense and humor. Her performance made the twists more engaging and helped me push through the denser sections of character-building. Still, when I got confused, it was nice to have the print version to consult, which I did a lot.

Tough Timing for My Reading List:
I made the mistake of reading this book alongside No One Was Supposed to Die at the Wedding, another stormy, remote-island wedding mystery where someone is out to kill a member of the wedding party. Talk about double the chaos! The overlapping settings and themes made it harder to keep the stories straight, so I’d recommend spacing out your murder-mystery-on-an-island reads if you’re planning to pick this one up.

Final Thoughts:
While She Doesn’t Have a Clue has its flaws—an overly large cast, a few too many loose ends, and some far-fetched moments—it still delivers a fun and engaging read. If you enjoy stories where personal drama collides with murder mysteries, or if you’re a fan of books that blur the line between the fictional and the meta-fictional, this could be worth checking out. Just be ready for a little confusion along the way and a plot that gets a little wild at the end.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue IS a mystery romance. Marketed, signed, sealed, delivered. And it isn’t bad on either front; the plotting is quite competent and both the mystery and the romance are tied with neat bows at the end.

But for as good as the plotting is, the characters really did not work for me. Our lead, Kate, cluelessly and immaturely bumbles her way through both plots. That either is resolved in her favour is less a natural-feeling authorly sleight of hand to tip the scales and more a forceful authorial shoving.

Unlike some readers, I didn’t mind when Kate lapsed into Loretta’s POV/narration. Frankly, I found Loretta’s voice to be more engaging than Kate’s was for much of the time. However, it was at time more a crutch for the author than a tool and by the end it wore thin.

So in the end…I think this book will have its fans, but it wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

This is the perfect blend of cozy mystery and rom-com! I would say it would make for a great Hallmark movie, but it is too good for their network. Maybe Netflix, Amazon or Max.

Kate is attending her ex-fiance's wedding, and she is so excited (not) to be there. Enter Jake. Fake dating and one bed trope. 🛌 In one of those situations that we all know will only lead to platonic friendship. Lol

I absolutely loved this book. Truly had no idea who the murderer was until the very end. It was someone that I had thought, 'I wonder' , but then immediately moved on because there were so many other suspects and red herrings. If the author turned this into a mystery series (which I don't think is happening), I definitely would read all of them.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

A bit overdramatic for me. The cougar rescue mission at the end felt like a few steps too far. The mystery was OK but there was too much added for drama that made this feel too farfetched.

A remote island. A fierce storm. A mystery writer with writer's block, who's attending her ex-boyfriend's wedding. Let's add that the ex-boyfriend is also the writer's editor, who's not-so-patiently waiting for her next manuscript. As if all of that isn't bad enough, the bride is poisoned and our writer, Kate Valentine, keeps discovering bodies. With the help of Jake Hawkins, the devastatingly handsome adventurer who inspired her fictional leading man, Kate must find the real killer before they strike again.

Jenny Elder Moke has debuted with a richly entertaining mystery, chock full of colorful characters and beautifully written scenes that are both harrowing and comedic. I highly recommend this cozy mystery with a little romance thrown in.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc. This is not my first book by this other but I definitely preferred her Samantha Knox YA books to this because honestly, Kate is rather obnoxious as a protagonist. I'm calling this an amateur sleuth mystery vs a cozy because there is a large subset of the cozy community that insist on 'clean reads' (I hate that term, it's judgemental to me). There are tons of F bombs in this and several long sex scenes (one of which I admit had my eyes rolling because 1 minute before she had spiders in her clothes which is why she took them off. Nope sorry, I don't go from spiders in my clothes to sex)

Mystery author, Kate has been invited to a private island off the coast of Washington State to attend the wedding of her book editor and former fiance, Spenser and the part owner of the publishing house, Kennedy, whose family owns the island. Her Aunt Rebecca 'the Bull bitch of Wallstreet' owns it, Vanderbuilt style and she has more of less disowned the family. Kate isn't sure why she's here other than Rebecca invited her. She goes mostly because many of the authors of Simon Says books are there and she ends up forced to share a room with Jake, the hot author of the Wandering Australian (okay technically Kate ghost wrote them for him) and we get this weird romantic triangle between her him and Spenser who might still have feelings for her.

The island is neat though it's described as dangerous because wild animals roam it (Rebecca was a big game hunter) so you have to stay on the paths. Okay unless these paths have Zoo quality fencing, what does that matter?!? Wild animals can walk a path, just saying.

The one bright spot is Kate gets to meet up with her friend Marla whom she's been ghosting and gets to try to make it up to her. But in short order someone messes up the rehearsal dinner speech making Kate storm out. THe bride to be gets poisoned (non fatally) and someone is trying to frame Kate using the plot of one of her books and honestly Cassidy and Juliette don't even wait for that, they start accusing her of attempted murder just because she left the dinner early (do people do this? it felt forced and weird).

There are many attempts to ruin the wedding and then there's the storm that cuts them off from the mainland and a real death occurs. Trying to clear her name and protect Kennedy from a third attempt on her life, Kate decides she can help solve the mystery with Jake and Marla's help.

Things that annoyed me. Jake said it. Kate is childish. Often. She jumps to conclusions and has so many misunderstandings it's not making for a rom-com, it's straining belief. If I were Jake, I'd be running for my life. Even after they hook up, she still assigns really negative qualities to him, right to his face. Also Kate's fictional sleuth Loretta helps her solve this murder so we have many What Would Loretta do chapters/paragraphs as Kate's brain works through things. It happens too often an too early to be effective.

I did get a kick out of one of Kate's suspects calling out the entire cozy/amateur sleuth subgenre asking WHY would anyone confess to a non-police civilian? Yeah I've always wondered that myself (I mean don't get me wrong, I like the subgenre but that is weird)

I'm not sure I'd read more of this if there is more. Then again with how it ended this might be a stand a lone. As I said in the beginning I've liked others of her books. This one just wasn't for me.

ARC review - pub date 01.21.25

Kate Valentine is an author of a cozy mystery featuring a female sleuth, Loretta, and when she finds herself in a real life whodunnit on an isolated island, she refers to her own internal Loretta to try and solve the crime.

This one will be perfect for fans of cozy mysteries, romantic suspense, whodunnits and Mary Kay Andrews books.

3.5⭐️ I enjoyed it! The only thing I struggled with was there were SO many characters to keep up with i kept getting confused 😵‍💫 still a great story though.

Narrated by Sarah Mollo-Christensen who did an INCREDIBLE job , navigating through all the characters flawlessly. I’ll be seeking out more books she has narrated!

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Minotaur Books & MacMillan Audio for my ARC/ALC!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Kate Valentine is headed toward a secluded island for a weekend wedding. The groom is her ex-fiance and editor, the bride is the marketing director at the publishing firm that Kate writes under, and her "one that got away" turns up on the boat headed for the island and weekend wedding. Oh, and she's four months behind on her newest title, and the close friend she's been ghosting greets her and Jake, the "one that got away," as they arrive on the island. Fantastic. As the wedding weekend festivities get underway, it is clear the guests are in for a drama-filled show thanks to the wealthy bride's family that owns the island and can't get along. As the resident murder-mystery author, Kate channels her main character, Loretta, to assist her in explaining what is behind the strange things happening. Things such as an attempted poisoning of the bride, a stolen heirloom necklace, electrical and sewage outages in what guests are quickly calling the house a house of horrors, and then the dead body that makes an appearance. All the while, Jake, "the one that got away," is distracting Kate, although that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

This was okay. It was a fun idea, and I was digging it at first, but as the story went on, it got to be too much and dragged out before what felt like a rushed conclusion. This is Moke's first title under the "adult" heading; her other titles have been labeled YA. In an attempt, it seems to me, to establish herself as an adult fiction author, she included steamy sex scenes. They are clearly not YA, but also a little unnecessary. If adults are reading this book, they know what's up - and down - and don't need the kind of description Moke included. That, of course, is my opinion. I'm guessing other readers will appreciate and enjoy the steamy scenes. An element of character development was missing for all the leading players: Kate, Jake, Spencer, and Kennedy. At specific points in the story, I see how Moke attempted to flesh each character out more, but it still felt lacking. And the who of the who-dun-it needed to be explained better in terms of why the who was doing it. I really enjoyed the book's first half, but it's the last half that felt much harder to get through.