Kate is a mystery writer who receives an invitation to her ex- fiancés wedding on a private island. When she arrives to the boat to take her to the wedding, her former crush appears claiming to be her plus one for the weekend. Of course a storm comes to the island and murder and mayhem ensue. Everything was a bit over the top and silly but in a good way. I love it when a cozy, locked room mystery is done correctly and this one was. 4 ⭐️ I’d recommend to my friends for sure when thiss comes out in January. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins press for an ARC copy.

Unfortunately, She Doesn’t Have a Clue fell flat for me. While the premise had potential for a fun mystery, the plot felt predictable and lacked real excitement. The main character didn’t stand out, and the pacing was slow, making it hard to stay invested. I was hoping for more twists and depth, but the story felt underdeveloped. It’s not a terrible read, just not as engaging as I had hoped. Fans of light mysteries might enjoy it, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

I was kicking my feet and giggling the entire time. Very real, flawed relatable characters. I love a mystery rom-com so I couldn’t put this book down until I finished it. I already want to reread it and avoid the rest of my TBR.

She Doesn't Have a Clue started with a captivating premise that immediately drew me in, and I had high hopes for its potential. Unfortunately, the narrative was weighed down by excessive information and pacing problems, making the reading experience feel more like a chore. I often found myself struggling to stay engaged as the story unfolded, which was disappointing given its intriguing concept.

If the plot had been streamlined and the characters introduced in a more cohesive and thoughtful manner, I truly believe the story could have been something special. There were moments of brilliance that shone through, hinting at the what the author could offer with a bit more refinement. Ultimately, it feels like a missed opportunity, leaving me wishing for a more polished version that could do justice to its original promise.

Please note, I do not publish negative reviews on any of my platforms.

This is a cute mystery with a good romance subplot. If you lean more towards romance than mystery, then this is the book for you.

Kate is a mystery writer who is attending her exes wedding on a secluded island. Jake, the one-that-got-away, is also going. When a poisoning occurs, Kate is considered the main suspect. Kate and Jake work together to find the real villain while exploring their unresolved feelings for one another.

Jake and Kate have lovely chemistry. You can’t help but root for them from the start. As for some tropes you have one-bed, second chance, and fake dating.

The author interludes passages of the Loretta mysteries that Kate writes. These were such fun additions to the story. I would totally want to read these if they existed in real life.

While I had predicted the ending, it didn’t stop my enjoyment of the book. Overall, it was a fun, cosy time.

Fun, romantic, spooky - I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more from the author. I highly recommend.

I had so much fun reading this nd can’t wait for everyone else to get the chance to experience it too!!!!!

This book is mostly romance, but with a bit of mystery and a lot of drama! It was a quick and easy read with swoony characters and a gripping plot, and I loved it!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy

I really wanted to enjoy this book. I had a lovely time reading Ally Carter's new book The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, and this seemed to be similar. I will say overall the reading experience was comforting, not unlike putting Knives Out on the television and being able to watch casually. I read this book over the course of a couple of days, and aside from mixing up Steven and Spencer's names on occasion, I had a really easy time reading the book.

My main problem with the book comes from the romance. I am all for a mystery/romance combination, but the pacing on the romance was extremely off to me. There were multiple times when a murder attempt had just happened, or in one instance, the person she suspected had escaped the room after shoving her into a secret passage and instead of chasing after her to try to keep her from murdering the bride, they are immediately making out in the secret passage.

I also felt like the wrap-up of the mystery was a bit oddly paced, in that there were a number of red herrings and false accusations throughout the book during which all of the characters were discussing and pointing fingers at one another, so for the true reveal to be solved by allowing Marla to run free with a cougar initially felt tonally off.

Overall, I did not hate my experience reading this book, and I would read things by Jenny Elder Moke in the future, but I think potentially my expectations were set too high.

I was intrigued when I read about this book so I was excited to read the ARC. It was a fun romcom mystery with a lot of characters. I loved the main character and loved the mystery and it's twists and turns. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

i’m kinda stuck between 2-3 stars. i feel like this book had potential but it kinda just lost me, the plot felt too slow and the constant hesitancy in dialogue was hard to get through. i got to the point where i was skipping chapters to try and get to the conclusions of the storyline.

by the cover i was expecting it to be some sort of halloweeny warewolf or mystical story but it was murder mystery/ glass onion feels of being stuck during a storm on a remote island with hidden doors and attempted + murder mystery to be solved. it was just redundant for me

this one was fun and romantic. I liked the way he was with her everywhere. I liked the spooky vibes in time for October

I finished She Doesn’t Have a Clue this afternoon and I already want to go back to it. Jenny Elder Moke is a magician capable of making a haunted island with a murderer and an errant cougar running around seem idyllic and capturing. I absolutely loved this story and how it was told by Kate’s perspective but the reader gained insights into other storylines simultaneously. Info needed to fill in gaps was dangled perfectly in front of the reader and kept the feeling of suspense on each page. This was just super fun to read abs try to solve as the story evolved. The conclusion was a bit lackluster for me, as i thought it had so much sinister potential. That said, I will be recommending this and gifting it to friends when it releases.

So cute! I loved this book! the characters were relatable, pacing was good and I flew through the story. It was a quick read but well worth it!

In January, when you're tucked into a cozy blanket and looking for a fast-paced and lighthearted who-done-it - consider this one.

A large cast of characters, all diverse and unique enough to easily keep them all straight, a plot that keeps twisting and twisting, and a romance that you can't help but root for.

The FMC is not Miss Marple by any means, so don't expect any top-level detective work from her. There were times when I wanted to yell at her through the pages, some items seemed SO obvious. She wasn't my favorite FMC I've read, but admittedly she does have some good character growth at the end where she shows some self-awareness. She certainly falls on the silly clumsy scale more than the serious intelligence scale. And while there were times of frustration while reading it, I encourage the reader to push through, look for the humor, and know that there will be some character growth and self-awareness coming!

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for a digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have been enjoying the emergence of rommystery books lately! Thie was a fun mix with some moving plot. Check it out!

I absolutely loved the witty banter, inner monologues, and path to killer-reveal of this book. It was such a fun read and all the character ensembles reminded me of a modern, twisty Agatha Christie (which never fails to be fun). There was so much happening in this book, it was super chaotic. Kind of in a way that reflected Kate's inner thoughts and demeanor. But it was also so relatable to me. Kate is such a funny narrator and lead character to have as the one to solve the mystery, it really helped me connect with the story.
The chaos did lead to quite a bit of confusion for me at first while I was trying to adjust to everything that was happening, but once I did give into it, the story became so fun. Even though there were lots of characters to keep track of, I love having an ensemble like that to boost the story. Kennedy, Spencer, and Jake were all so fun. Jake especially - I loved reading the dialogue in an Australian accent and going naur all the time.
As an experienced mystery reader, the suspense wasn't something that was uniquely special or exaggerated, but still it kept me curious and intrigued most of the way. I loved the fake outs and the crazy locations/situations that somehow fit in because of the private island setting.
If this book had sequels or a series, I would definitely read it just for the fun vibes of the main characters and their dynamics.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I give this 3.5 stars.

It sounded so good but I was overwhelmed by the amount of characters thrown out so early. For me, it was difficult to keep track of each person.

I also had a hard time picking up the book to read. To me, it felt a bit dragged in certain spots. The scenes with the two MCs seemed rushed and out of place. It seemed like they didn't care that a murder happened.


I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I love rom-coms and locked-room mystery books, so a book that combines both seemed like the perfect combination. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite meet my expectations.

The book follows bestselling mystery author Kate Valentine, who is invited to her ex-fiancé's wedding who also happens to be her editor at Simon Says Publishing. The wedding is set to take place on a historic private island estate off the coast of Seattle. On the boat ride to the island, another ex, Jack Hawkins, a former surfer from Australia and her co-author of their adventure series, shows up, mistakenly invited as her plus-one.

Once there, anything that can go wrong does, starting with a dinner reception gone awry and ending with a body on the steps of the basement. When life begins to imitate one of her books, Kate steps into the shoes of Loretta, her series heroine, and takes it upon herself to solve the mystery in the middle of a storm that cuts off access to the island and other odd occurrences.

On the surface, the book has all the ingredients for a great story: hidden passages, family drama, intrigue, steamy scenes, second-chance romance, and murder. However, the flavor felt a bit muddled for me due to the slow pacing, detailed backstories, and info-dumps in the early chapters.

The book also includes excerpts from Loretta’s novels as Kate imagines what Loretta would do in certain situations. Initially, it was confusing when the text shifted between Kate’s and Loretta’s perspectives without a clear break. I get why Kate put herself in Loretta’s shoes, but after a while, the Loretta sections became irritating. Additionally, the steamy scenes during the murder investigation felt slightly out of place for me and further slowed the pace, though other readers might enjoy this blend of romance and mystery.

The plot could have used some tightening, which I think would have made it a more engaging read. That being said, I did enjoy the book, particularly the final third. I didn’t guess who the murderer was and really liked the setting. The humor, character interactions, and twists kept me entertained. The parallels between the plots of Kate’s novels and the mystery were a nice touch, and the sleuthing sweater Kate wore endeared her to me. Therefore, I decided to rate it 3 out of 5 stars. I recommend this book to fans of both romance and mystery genres, especially those who appreciate a quirky mix of both and don't mind a slower pace or steamy episodes thrown in amidst the action.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.