This book was just ok for me. I listened to the audio as an advanced listener copy & the audio itself was good. 3.5 stars, maybe 4 even. The narrator’s cadence didn’t feel forced; they were paced well & brought some variation to the characters.

The story itself is what I just thought was meh. It felt like the author tried to meld a cozy mystery with a cozy romance and it just didn’t land.

If the story was developed in either direction, I think they would both work and be quite good, actually.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced listener copy.

I really enjoyed this romantic mystery novel that follows mystery author Kate Valentine to her ex-fiancé’s wedding. Her plus one is Jake Hawkins, the Hotstralian one who got away. As the wedding festivities progress, Kate keeps finding dead bodies, making her a prime suspect, especially when one of the targeted people is her ex-fiancé’s bride.

Not only was this a fun, locked room mystery but there was some great romantic sizzle here as well. I really like Kate and Jake as a pair and as sleuths. I’m unsure if the author plans to make this a series, but I would love it if she did.

Sarah Mollo-Christensen did a fantastic job as the narrator. The nuances in her voice as she portrayed each character made it easy to listen to and enjoyable.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke
Narrator: Sarah Mollo-Christensen
Rating: 4 stars
Pub date: 1/21

Thank you so much to SMP for my advanced copy and to Macmillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook.

Kate Valentine is a bestselling mystery author who reluctantly agrees to attend her ex-fiancé’s wedding. Things take a wild turn when the bride is poisoned, a dead body shows up, and Kate finds herself living out a plot straight from her own books. Teaming up with her biggest "what-if," Jake Hawkins, she dives into a maze of grudges, secrets, and lies to uncover the truth.

This is the perfect mix of a rom-com and a locked-door mystery. It’s a fun ride with quirky characters and lots of twists and turns. There are plenty of red herrings and “wait, what?!” moments that make it hard to put down.

Kate is a bit of a mess at the start and it’s great watching her find her confidence again. The romance between her and Jake is slow-burn perfection—just the right mix of tension and sweet moments. While the pacing dips a little in the middle, once the story picks up, it’s a total page-turner until the end.

With murder, drama, and some swoon-worthy romance, this one really has it all. I loved the audio version with Sarah Mollo-Christensen really bringing all the characters to life!

If you love mysteries with a side of romance and lots of juicy secrets, you’ve got to check this one out!

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke was an entertaining book, and I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the novel. The characters were fun and kept me engaged, especially the FMC. She’s a bestselling crime thriller author who draws inspiration from the heroine in her books when things get overwhelming.

The twist ending kept me guessing, and the setting of a historic mansion on a private island off the coast of Seattle added an atmospheric touch that elevated the story. The secluded location, combined with the stormy weather and opulent wedding backdrop, created the perfect setting for a mystery.

Our FMC, Kate Valentine, is a bestselling mystery author who ends up at her ex-fiancé’s wedding—a lavish affair on a remote island. She plans to fake smiles, sip champagne, and finish her latest manuscript, but things take a deadly turn when the bride is poisoned and a body turns up. Suddenly, Kate finds herself caught in a real-life mystery that mirrors her fictional plots. With a storm trapping everyone on the island and tensions running high, Kate must figure out who the killer is—and the only person willing to help her is Jake Hawkins, her biggest romantic regret.

This was an entertaining read with a mix of mystery and romance. While it didn’t leave a lasting impression, it was a fun ride from start to finish. I’d recommend it as a quick, light read or a palette cleanser between heavier books.

Thank you, NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books, for the ARC & ALC of this novel.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue is a cozy mystery with a romantic flair that will take readers to a remote island for a stormy wedding, and a murder or two.

Kate’s a successful author of a mystery series starring Loretta, but in her real life she is not a well put together leading lady. When she is invited to the wedding of her ex-fiancé publishing agent, she finds herself on an isolated island in a very rich family’s manor, with her Australian ex Blake to boot. But when the body’s start dropping and Kate is framed, she must partner up with Blake to solve the mysteries before she ends up behind bars.

This was the perfect mix of a cozy mystery and romance in one. I really appreciated how funny this book is - Kate is self deprecating and ridiculous, with some hilarious quirks about her. The cast of the wedding party, extended family, and publishing house adding a fun layer to the mystery of the plot, as almost everyone is hiding something and is deceiving people down every turn. This was an easy audio to listen to - I’d recommend using a higher speed of 1.5 or more, and the narrator is very easy to understand. I felt the balance between the mystery and romance was also perfect - it was not closed door but it is by no means an erotic tale, and the romantic part of the book makes perfect sense within the plot and I don’t feel like it took away from the mystery plot lines.

I really enjoyed this one and if you’re a cozy mystery fan who also likes romance, I’d give this one a go.

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke is the first book I've read by the author - I was also able to listen to the audiobook ahead of its release thanks to NetGalley, the author, St.Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio.

I had high hopes for the book based on the summary and the first few chapters. I'm all about a story that takes place on an isolated island, during a storm, with the main female character attending the wedding of an ex-fiancee while a wealthy family is fighting over an estate. Usually those events make for a suspenseful and thrilling read!

However, in the end, I found the novel to be silly more than anything else. Perhaps it's just me but if a group of people accused me of murder, a spicy romp with a long-admired person would be the last thing on my mind.

There were multiple times throughout the story when Kate, the main female character, found herself in a sticky situation that made her look like she was still holding a flame for her ex-fiancee and was actively trying to sabotage his wedding. And instead of facing the problems herself, she tapped into the fictional character she's writing about - Loretta who is a detective by day and a bartender by night. Then, after tapping into the Loretta part of her brain, she was frequently distracted by Jake - the gorgeous Australian former-surfer turned thrilling adventure tour guide who travels the world. Jake was also a character in Kate's book series whom she calls Blake.

When a member of the feuding wealthy family member dies, Kate's actions are dealt with in a silly, rather than serious, manner. Even if this was marketed as more of a cozy mystery, it was still improbable that Kate would obsess over Jake and her physical attraction to him.

I rated this three stars in the end. While it was absolutely entertaining, especially the audiobook, I found the characters and plot rather foolish. However, I would still absolutely recommend the book especially if you enjoy a preposterous cozy mystery mixed with some spice or if you need a mindless and light read.

The author's passion shines through in this book. The characters were great enemies to lovers. I just didn’t connect with it like I wanted to. It has great potential to appeal to other romance readers and I encourage others to try it out! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

I had fun with this book. I enjoyed the second chance at romance a bit more than the mystery (which was still fun!). The mystery has family drama unraveling like a yarn ball. It just keeps going in a "can't look away" kind of way - it felt to me like a romcom version of the Inheritance Games with murder sprinkled in. I enjoyed the awkward to sizzling chemistry of the love interests so much. I also liked the MC's occupation of being an author of mystery novels, and how she draws on her book's main character for guidance. The narration of the audiobook was good - Mollo-Christensen did a good job. I didn't have pacing issues and thought each scene flowed to the next. This was a fun one.

Thank you NetGalley, Jenny Elder Moke, and Macmillan Audio for an audiobook ARC of this book.

If you are a fan of Finlay Donovan is Killing It and Knives Out then this murder mystery is for you! This book had so many twists and turn that I did not see the killer reveal coming!

I found Kate's character to be super quirky but her constant need to use her fictional sleuth as a crutch to solve the mystery got a little annoying towards the end! I really enjoyed chemistry that Kate has with Jake's character brought to Kate's life. The witty banter and spicy scenes were excellent! While I did enjoy these two characters I wish there had been better communication between the two since they are adults.

This book takes place at a wedding but sometimes I was very confused on how all the characters were actually connected especially when it came to understand the inheritance that a few characters were fighting over.

I listened to the audiobook and thought the performance by Sarah Mollo-Christensen was well done!

Promoted as half mystery, half romance, I was excited to read this. Unfortunately, it seemed off balance with the romance part being much more interesting. I would have liked more of that storyline. The mystery side contained multiple whiny characters fussing about their possible inheritance. The female lead did not show much growth in her self-confidence which made her seem immature at times.

Kate is an author, famous for writing mysteries about Loretta Starling. Her editor happens to be her ex-fiancé and she finds herself on a private island attending his wedding when she finds herself in a real life mystery…and the only person helping Kate is Jake. Jake is Kate’s biggest romantic regret in life, and due to a mix-up, they are also forced to share a room.

This book was a fairly cozy mystery with a touch of romance mixed in. It was pretty lighthearted, which was fun, but not quite what I was expecting from a mystery dealing with murder and poisonings. It never really felt like the characters were scared of what was happening on the island and I would have enjoyed a bit more suspense. While it started pretty slowly as all of the characters were introduced, the plot really picked up in the second half of the book. It was a little predictable, but overall a fun read for those who are looking for a lighter mystery.

I listened to the audio and really enjoyed the narrator. All of the characters had easily distinguishable voices which really added to the story.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listener copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Think lock-door cozy mystery that takes place in a spooky mansion with a wedding backdrop and a sweet second chance romance. If this sounds good to you and you are a fan of whodunits with a romantic twist then She Doesn’t Have a Clue is definitely one that you should check out!

Bestselling mystery author, Kate Valentine arrives at the high-end wedding of her ex-fiance/editor on a private island with the hopes of finishing the first draft of her latest book. Kate is soon taken off course however when she stumbles upon a dead body after learning that the bride was poisoned and ends up searching for clues with her longtime crush. Discovering the identity of the killer proves difficult as it seems everyone has something to hide. Will Kate get a clue before disaster strikes again?

Let me start by saying that I really enjoyed the audio version of this book. The narrator, Sarah Mollo-Christensen, did such a great job portraying all of the different characters in the story. How she kept everyone straight is beyond me but each character had a slightly unique voice to match their distinctive personalities. I did have to pay close attention while listening though or I found myself losing the plot and it was sometimes hard to keep track of everything that was happening so if there was one drawback to the book then this was it.

Overall though, it was an enjoyable read/listen and one that I would definitely recommend if you are looking for a cozy mystery this winter!

A delightful mix of romance, mystery, and character development, She Doesn't Have a Clue is my favorite type of romance novel. With a strong current of twists and turns, the pacing keeps up throughout the story. The chemistry between the two characters is sexy, tender, and exciting.

What a fun concept! I love how bad our FMC is at being a detective even as a writer for these books.

Audio narration was absolutely fantastic and such a blast.

I'm really excited to see what else Jenny Elder Moke writes.

Aaaand another adult debut falls flat for me.  She Doesn't Have a Clue reads like YA with adult content, a common pattern I encounter when I read adult debuts by previously YA authors. I haven't read any of Moke's YA titles; they all released well after my love affair with YA ended, so I don't have any backlist comparisons to make in terms of writing style. I know I probably will not pick up any more titles from this author, as I didn't click well with the plot or characters in this one sampling.

I have put a number of romcom reads under my belt, despite my preference for fantasy, and Kate & Jake's love story didn't really stand out from the crowd. At the very least, I expected some cleverness from Kate in regard to the amateur detective work, but Marple Kate is not.  She bumbles around, makes assertions without a basis in any kind of experiential intuition, and often finds herself making mistakes with her hypotheses. Usually, crackpot/amateur detectives, or even the best professionals, have some kind of endearing idiosyncrasy.  Kate has—awkwardness. No specific type, either. Just a blanket, all-encompassing awkwardness.

One bright star in the story, Jake, shines through all the meh. He's a laid-back, romantic, and thoughtful lead who picks up the charisma slack from every other character.  Jake is the only reason I continued through the book instead of DNF’ing.  He brought an extraordinary comic relief to an incredibly uneasy story.

As for the overall plot, I usually peg the culprit in whodunnits early on, but for this one, I didn't invest enough in the story to expend any energy on figuring anything out. I didn't connect with any of the characters, the setting proved uninteresting to me, the mystery did not intrigue me, and I felt like a jet-lagged and exhausted guest trapped in an uncomfortable situation until I could get a ride out.

Moke's mystery had a tiny bit of a Christie feel to it, mostly similar to And Then There Were None, though I was a bit bored with Christie's story, it certainly wasn't because of the setting. Moke's setting juxtaposes a bit—a secluded Island with a a group of suspects who start dying off—at least there's an air of mystery to that. The story struggles mostly with trying to be both a romcom and a mystery without finding a good balance. Ultimately, the premise of going to an ex's wedding (all while maintaining a professional connection to said ex) served as a strong repellant for me.

Sarah Mollo-Christensen's voice matched the genre and really nailed the tone for this book.  The character voices and accents, and there were divers and sundry of them, all had amazingly distinct personages.  I've only heard a handful of narrators do this just as impressively. Great diction and wonderful voice personality made the book fly by in no time.

Overall, 5 stars for narration—Mollo-Christensen is a gem among narrators. I have to give the story a 2.5-3 stars. It looked like it would be fun, but I just felt uncomfortable with all the awkwardness oozing out of the whole thing. I think I may have walked around the whole time I listened with a semipermanent cringe on my face.

My thanks to Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for the ALC, for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion.

The twists, character growth, and romance make this book stand out in my mind. It was hard to put down!

Just when you think you know what's going on, things are shaken up. The twists were surprising enough to make me gasp and drop my jaw while still making sense. Shocking moments added layers without derailing or muddling the plot. The attention given to the setting and side characters kept me engaged without being overwhelmed with excessive detail.

Kate is an extremely likeable main character. She's confident in her abilities but remains open to accepting help and support necessary. I love the way she uses her writing experience to navigate the twists and turns throughout the story.

'Good Guy' types tend to feel fake and overly fluffed up to me. Jake is written in such a genuine way. He never faulters and is the kind of man I would trust to take care of my cat when I'm out of town.

The chemistry between the two is extremely believable. The pacing of their reconnection and relationship development was perfect. Nothing felt rushed or too drawn out, and their banter made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion.

Narration: This is my first time hearing Sarah Mollo-Christensen narrate and I've already added her to my list of favorites. Her accents are spot on! I love a narrator that makes me forget they're the only one voicing the characters. Sarah does that really well.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

It was okay. Nothing great or meaningful I will never remember this book. I didn’t think it was ever going to wrap

4.5 stars

The narration was so well done and fun to listen to. The transition from writing to audiobook is a perfect match.

This was such a light and fun book, but still had the mystery aspect I was hoping for. It's both funny and serious, without being too deep. A little romance, a little mystery, a little comedy.

This was an interesting mystery. Every time I thought I had it figured out, a new twist was thrown my way and I had to re-evaluate my hypothesis. I enjoyed the ending, it was perfect for everyone.

Sarah Mollo-Christensen did a great job narrating this novel and look forward to listening to more of their work in the future.

This was an interesting mash up of the romance/mystery genres. It was a fun listen.

First of all, what I liked about this book-
-wry comments that made me laugh out loud
-the narrator: amazing male Australian voice. Kudos to the narrator!! I will be searching out more of her work.
-book-ish world
-second chance romance
-Cozy mystery vibes with an amateur sleuth

Things that didn't work for me-
-the spicy scenes coming from nowhere and feeling very wrong. If I'd almost died, I wouldn't be immediately getting naked. Just saying.
-the overuse of the anxious imagining of Kate's protagonist in her own predicament.
-Kate's immature behavior and thoughts- I really enjoyed laughing at her, when I wasn't cringing at her antics.
-the cursing

Overall, the narrator wins the day and made it an enjoyable experience, but I didn't enjoy Kate enough as a main character to fully love this book.