Typically, second chance romance isn't high on my "favorite trope" list, but I did enjoy this book. It was engaging throughout & really well written.

Wowza! This locked-room mystery meets highly entertaining romcom promises extra fun and adventure, with sizzling chemistry between characters, delightful clumsiness, and the investigative skills of a heroine who happens to be a bestselling crime thriller author. She’s also a globetrotting, adrenaline-seeking ex-surfer from Australia—a real “Hotstralian” (think a Hemsworth brother, but hotter)! Oh, and there’s a love triangle, along with a murder mystery set on a historic private island estate. Throw in some Succession-style family scheming, backstabbing, and inheritance-grabbing, and you’ve got a story that's irresistibly intriguing and captivating.

I certainly couldn’t resist—I dove right in! The plot is incredibly promising. And even though there’s a murder on the estate, the story remains lighthearted, thanks to the goofy heroine and her vivid imagination, which allows her to see things through the eyes of her famous detective character, Loretta Starling.

Here’s a quick recap of the riveting plot: Bestselling mystery author Kate Valentine has no intention of attending her editor (and ex-boyfriend)'s wedding to the niece of the “Bitch Bull of Wall Street,” Rebecca Hempstead. But when she receives a special invitation from Rebecca herself, she's intrigued. How can she resist an exclusive event with only a handful of important guests, free champagne, and the chance to experience the historical estate’s many luxuries? Kate figures she can plaster on a smile and get through the festivities—but two things catch her off guard: First, her longtime crush, adventurer Jake Hawkins, is mistakenly invited as her plus-one, which means they’ll have to share a room and confront unresolved feelings. (Thank you, forced-proximity trope!) Second, the lovely bride, Kennedy, is poisoned in a manner eerily similar to a murder in one of Kate's novels, making Kate the prime suspect.

As if that’s not enough, Rebecca's inheritance plans are causing chaos among her relatives, and an ex-lover, now a drunk, is hurling threats and seeking revenge. Add to that a rebellious author leading a small protest against the latest PR policies at Simon Says Publishing (where the bride and groom hold high positions). With everyone seemingly scheming behind closed doors, it becomes clear that everyone has a motive. Determined not to be framed for murder, Kate channels her inner detective, thinking like her character Loretta to solve the mystery—with a little help from her Hotstralian Jake, who seems to be enjoying their fake dating as the wedding festivities continue. Sparks are flying, but danger is lurking—there’s a killer on the loose, and Kate must catch them before it’s too late. The only problem? She doesn’t have a clue!

Overall: This is a highly entertaining, well-developed murder mystery romcom, and it looks like Charlie and Juliette will be the leading characters in the second book—which I’m eagerly looking forward to reading!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for providing this riveting page-turner in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Imagine attending your ex-fiancé’s wedding—awkward, right? Now throw in a little murder, some high-end wedding drama, and a splash of romance, and you’ve got yourself a page-turner that’s impossible to put down.

Kate Valentine, a bestselling mystery author, finds herself trapped on a private island off the coast of Seattle, attending the wedding of her ex-fiancé. She ends up stumbling upon a dead body.

Kate teams up with Jake Hawkins, her biggest romantic regret, to catch the killer.

This book was so much fun! It’s been a while since I’ve read a mystery, and I was completely hooked from start to finish.

If you love a good whodunit and romance, this book is for you.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a really sweet, cozy mystery with a thread of romance throughout. It’s a Hallmark movie with a mystery, and it’s a great little palate cleanser!

I found some of the main character’s actions a little frustrating, but overall this is a fun little read!

3.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke is an entertaining contemporary fiction that crosses a lot of genres.

I enjoyed this murder/mystery, second-chance romance, and play on traditional serious sleuth novels.

The balance between sarcasm, slapstick humor, one-liners, and the real murder mystery was a nice balance.

The only reason I knocked it down a star was because of the “bedroom scenes” that seemed to come out of nowhere and were kinda graphic. I breezed over it and kept enjoying the plot otherwise.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 1/25/24.

I love love love the trope of attending the ex’s wedding, and it’s done so well in this book! It was really well written and a cute story overall!

A fabulous mystery reminiscent of Agatha Christie stories. It takes place on a private island, 80 miles from shore, where a family wedding is being held. A storm kicks up to cut them off, and our heroine is a mystery writer who finds herself here at the wedding of her ex fiance. And then murder and mystery. Excellent story with fun twists and great dialogue. Highly recommend.

Gosh, this was such a cute little read with a classic who done it mystery quality to it.

This was just the perfect palate cleanser I didn't know I needed , it was so cozy I can still see myself nestled on my couch with my quilt and fuzzy slippers.

Read this if you like :
* Classic Mystery
* Friends to Lovers
* Clean Romance
* Cozy Reads
*Wedding Destination themed Mysteries

Kate is a graceless character that you will grow to quickly love . Kate is a successful writer and is on her way to her ex-boyfriends wedding set on an eerie island , and if she's not careful she will miss the boat and the whole wedding , but to our surprise she pulls a wonder woman stunt and leaps on to the boat landing into the arms of Jake the hunky Australian who is a friend of the past.

As the boat sets sail things instantaneously get bizarre and as Kate bounces back and forth between her alter ego character Loretta the main character in her novels and looking for clues in the real world , Kate finds herself stumbling across a dead body , and is finding herself in hot water.

People start suspecting her as the killer, but hunky Jake sees things differently and he warns her to be careful and not to do any sleuthing on her own, but Kate can't help it she needs to investigate and catch this killer.

The story bounces between snip its of her novels and her lead character Loretta and to present time which added a different element which I truly enjoyed .

If you are looking for a contemporary romance with a bit of mystery that gives you all the feels and a cozy atmosphere then She Doesn't Have A Clue is for you !

Thank you Netgalley, St.Martins Press and Jenny Elder Moke for this fun , cute cozy ARC!!

Respectfully Another Read by Angie.

3⭐️

I can’t stand Kate as a main character. Her lack of ability to communicate is the main sticking point of all of her problems but she seems to blame everyone else. It really stood out when she was repeatedly accused of murder by a few character and her response was always something along the lines of ‘nuh uh!’ It made it very hard to believe that she was a successful author that was supposedly keeping the publishing imprint afloat. I enjoyed the other characters but they weren’t enough to sell this book for me.

There’s also a time and place for a sex scene. Immediately after getting rescued from a trap by a potential suspect caught you in while a raging storm is going on and a murderer is on the loose is NOT THE TIME! You especially don’t have time to cuddle afterwards! There was no sense of urgency and it drove me insane.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARc to me. I will not be posting this review publicly in support of the Readers for Accountability Marketing Boycott.

Thank you Netgalley..

I enjoyed this short, romcom mystery thriller... there were so many twists and surprises.. it kept me on my toes

I thought this book was GREAT! I loved how it sort of felt like a cozy mystery (I say this as a person who really hasn't ever read one but it's what I imagine they're like). I loved the romance storyline and the author REALLY keeps you guessing until the very end. I loved the reveals and how everything came together.

I thought the book was just okay. It took me a little bit to get into it but I never felt fully invested in it. I kept thinking I was starting in the middle of the series. There was also a lot of characters to keep track of and sometimes I would mix them up. I did have a lot of family stuff going on while I was trying to read it so that might have played a part in it. But I didn’t fully enjoy it. I do think others might enjoy this a little bit more than I did though. All thoughts and opinions stated are solely my own and do not reflect the thoughts of others. Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

This was the craziest rom-com I've ever read before. There were twists and turns galore. I loved Kate, the main character, and how we saw her grow into her own person as the book went on. One thing I'd say is that there were several typos throughout, so I feel another round of editing is necessary. Overall, it was a wacky and fun read!

A very easy read easy to follow. I read it in one sitting. It’s a mystery rom com. It’s not what I would reread but something I would recommend

She Doesn’t Have a Clue was a great read. It was both a romcom and a mystery and I loved it until the very end.

I absolutely adored this. It was an absolute joy to read! Once I started, I just didn’t want to stop. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Such a fun read. A lot to follow and a lot to take in in the beginning but it ended stronger than it began. A 3.5 overall rating from me.

I loved the setting and the idea of what was going on and the “murder mystery” that occurred but I felt there were too many side stories and a bit overcomplicated. I found myself zoning out a bit at first. The ending does tie everything together but getting there can be a bumpy ride. You will find the main characters fun and interesting enough to want to continue to read about.

That being said, my heart belongs with any Seattle based stories! So of course I loved that part of it.

Thanks so much NetGalley and SMP| Minotaur books for the eARC.

3.4
I really felt like I was supposed to get "neurotic Stephanie Plum" vibes here, and while that kinda happened, I also got a touch bored with the disjointed and occasionally disaffected setting/storyline/character combo.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.
I enjoyed the mystery and the romance. Cross-genre books are difficult to pull off and I thought this one was executed well. However, at points the quirky characters went past slapstick into just plain ridiculous.

An interesting mash-up of genres, a little drama, some mystery and a dash of romance. This was a really fun read! I definitely recommend checking it out.