I was not the right audience for this book. I thought that it would be mainly a mystery with a side plot of romance, but the romance was so in the way that when the main characters thought they knew who the murderer was, they paused worrying about it to have sex.

I enjoy romance when it feels realistic, but I couldn’t buy into their relationship because I couldn’t buy into Kate’s character. Her dialogue and choices read like she was a teenager rather than a full adult. The mystery was interesting, but the plot was choppy, like it was trying too hard to balance being two different things. If I found Kate more likeable, this would have been easier to overlook, but there wasn’t much to hold onto.

I did enjoy the narrator for this audiobook.

ARC received from Macmillan Audio via Netgalley.

If you loved Knives Out and Nancy Drew, here is a book for you.

Kate writes mysteries for a living, but her life in launched into one when she attends a wedding on a remote island off the coast of Washington. From poison to sabotage to family arguments to way too much wine, so many things are going wrong and Kate finds herself wondering what would her protagonist Loretta Starling do in this situation?

She Doesn't Have a Clue was such a fun mystery with loads of humor and suspense. I really enjoyed the FMC Kate and her stumbling fish out of water investigating. Jake the Australian as the love interest was a nice touch. The audiobook was extremely well done and the narrator did an excellent job giving each character their own distinct voice, especially Jake's deeper Australian accent.

Tropes:
* Locked room
* Forced proximity
* Stormy nights
* Inheritance drama
* Ex lovers

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed Jenny Elder Moke's previous books so I thought I would enjoy this one as well, even though it's not quite my usual genre. Unfortunately, I did not.

The main problem I had with it was the protagonist and POV character. She was so incredibly dumb. She bumbled her way through the "investigation," going around accusing everyone willy-nilly when she thought she'd found a clue that pointed to them. She was also kind of ditzy and incredibly irritating.

The romance was also really irritating. I'm not sure if it was supposed to be a love triangle, but on the one had we have her friend that she hasn't seen in awhile that she has a huge crush on, and on the other hand you have her ex, who is the one getting married. She bumbles through the scenes with them as well and I just kept wanting to facepalm.

She also is a mystery writer and it's sometimes unclear whether the things that are happening are happening to her or to her protagonist in her head. Because she tends to rewrite everything that happens into potential scenes for her novel. And she asks herself what her protagonist would do so often (because her protagonist is everything she isn't - smart, capable, forceful, etc) that she sometimes forgets that she's not actually there. Which is confusing both to the other characters and to the reader.

If that's not confusing enough, the actual murder attempts are copying scenes from her books in an attempt to frame her. It's all very meta and not in a fun way.

If there had been a character I could latch on to I might have made it through but I couldn't stand any of them. They were all just so irritating and had no redeeming qualities.

I listened to the first 50% mainly because it was too much effort to figure out what to listen to instead. If I hadn't been listening to the audiobook, I wouldn't have made it nearly that far. I stopped when I realized that I had no idea who the murderer was but more importantly, I had no desire to know who the murderer was because I disliked every character so much.

The audiobook narrator was decent but a lot of the character's voices sounded very similar and were sometimes hard to distinguish. And the main character's ditziness came through in her voice which just made it unpleasant to listen to.

*Thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing an early copy for review.

I really can’t decide how I felt about this book. So we have Kate, who for some reason is at her ex fiancés wedding and ends up with her ex crush as her fake date. But to make this even more complicated, the bride survives an attempted poisoning after the rehearsal dinner, and several of the guests think that it was Kate. So Kate decides that the best thing for her to do is to solve the murder herself. Shenanigans ensue.

You can definitely see the clue inspiration with the extreme personalities of many of the side characters. Just in case you didn’t understand the fact that Jake was supposed to be attractive the first time it was said, the author felt the need to mention it every time they referenced him in the first few chapters. I really enjoyed the characters of Kate and Kennedy and the design of the conflict in the storyline. Unfortunately, most of the other characters are unbearable which makes getting through several of the group scenes in the book feel like a chore.

After we started to get into the mystery of it all, it did start getting better, but the book still became a game of “guess the tropes.” Considering that the FMC is an author herself, I was wondering if this was intentional on the author’s part. I did end up guessing the murderer a little over halfway through the book though, but it was fun watching them get theirs in the end.

I thought that the audio narrator did a great job with the different accents and voices to set the characters apart.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

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.

🎧 Sarah Mollo-Christensen did a great job at narrating as Kate. A little quirky, stuck in her own head, and constantly putting herself in her characters shoes. It made for a fun and enjoyable time + I didn’t want to stop listening.


Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my alc. All opinions are my own

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke

Blurb: "With a colorful cast of characters and a cellar full of wine, anything can happen—from murder to a second chance at love—in Jenny Elder Moke’s half mystery, half romance adult debut set at a lavish destination wedding."

This was my first read by Jenny Elder Moke and it didn't disappoint! She has a few young adult fantasy titles that I'm adding to my TBR because I enjoyed this one so much.

Kate Valentine writes mystery novels about an amateur detective named Loretta and she finds herself at the wedding of her former fiance/editor. She has to asked herself "what would Loretta do?" a lot because she finds a body. There are a lot of complicated rich family dynamics, but have no fear because Jake, the hot Australian, is there to help her track down the clues.

I did catch some hints and figured out "who dun it" about half way through but I enjoy that, personally. It means that it made sense instead of pulling things out of nowhere at the last minute. This is a mystery, not a thriller, so it's not scary at all. There are two descriptive open door scenes.

The narrator of the audiobook is Sarah Mollo-Christensen and she is a new favorite of mine. She reminded me of Julia Whelan in the best way. It sounded like there were multiple people in the audiobook cast but there was only one talented one. I want to listen to more audiobooks read by her. She does a great Australian man accent, but what I think is even harder is making all the Americans all sound unique, at which she did a great job.

It will be available in January so put the audiobook on hold on Libby!

This was a perfect mix of romance and mystery. I saw @booksmartkate ‘s review and knew I needed to try this one out, and I’m glad I did! I love romances when there’s an interesting plot alongside it, so this mystery of a murder attempt at a wedding was just the perfect story to be going on.

One thing I generally don’t like with mystery/thrillers with romance is when the love interest is a suspect. Because if you ever even have a slight suspicion the person you’re interested in actually killed someone- that’s not really a great foundation for your relationship. (Unless you’re into that sort of thing, lol.) But this story didn’t do that, and I’m very glad it didn’t. Because I loved the love interest, Jake. (Was it because he was Australian, and said things like “mate”? That might have influenced me a bit… 💁‍♀️)

I might have been distracted by the smeggsy scenes a bit to try to figure out who the villain was in this story, because I was actually surprised. I think this was a really fun and cute book overall, great for those that want to mix the two genres!

𝘼 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣:
Okay I swore that there were multiple narrators because I couldn’t believe the narrator also did Jake’s voice. Ngl, Jake’s voice was actually kind of hot 😂, so props to Sarah Mollo-Christensen!

This book was really fun. I found myself laughing out loud. The plot of this reminded me of clue but sooo many mishaps haha. I really liked the MCs. I found them both likable even with their faults. I'm a sucker to friends -enemies- to lovers. I think there insecurities were relatable and the growth was👌🏻 Also the narrator really brought the characters to life. They were distinguishable.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for the gifted copy.

for some reason i just couldn't get into the audiobook . i made it to 7% and just can't get myself to listen to rest of it. normally i would but this time i just cant do it. the premise does sound interesting maybe i will read the ebook when it releases

This was a fun fall read! I really liked the premise, and thought it was well executed. I also enjoyed the narrator.

3.5 ⭐️ If you loved the charm, humor and crazy antics of the Finlay Donovan series, I think you will like this book! This is a locked room murder mystery crossed with a romantic comedy with a touch of spice (more on that later), sounds crazy, right? This is a fun book that doesn’t take itself too seriously and was the perfect read between mediocre and heavier books. The murder mystery part isn’t overly dark or sinister because it is infused with so much bumbling comedy and romantic tension. I received an advanced listeners copy of this book and highly recommend the audio version. It is a single narrator by Sarah Mollo-Christensen. She does a fantastic job with the voices of the other characters and accents (there’s a ‘Hotstralian’ = hot Australian, compared to a Hemsworth. Need I say more?).

I loved the first half pacing of this book, it kind of jumps you right into the story following Kate (a writer of a series where her heroine solves murder mysteries) who is traveling to a remote island where her ex-fiancé, who also happens to be her editor, is getting married to the woman he left her for. An almost death and a body later, Kate and the Jake (the hot Australian) sleuth around trying to capture the murderer. At first I found it odd when the book quickly switches to the POV of Kate’s fmc (Loretta) from her books as the plot line of the book mirrored their current reality but then I got used to it and kinda liked it. It helped showcase Kate’s character growth and journey. Admittedly the second half lost me a bit, I was having a hard time keeping all the secondary characters straight but I didn’t figure out the murderer, which always makes me happy. Another strange aspect of the story that kept me from rating this higher was the oddly placed spice scenes, there are two that I recall and both times it felt weird considering there was a murder to solve and they just go for it… weird. The spice was mild in my opinion but it just didn’t feel like it fit. A closed door might have suited this one better but overall it was OK by me. Jake and Kate’s chemistry wasn’t off the charts but it was cute with some mildly fun banter thrown in.

Overall this was a breezy fun read and would definitely read a second book from this world, as it definitely leaves the door open to follow Jake’s brother in a sequel.

Thank you MacMillan Audio for this advanced listeners copy in exchange for my honest review. This book is set to publish on January 21, 2025.

SHE DOESN’T HAVE A CLUE is a steamy 2 hot pepper romance merged with a madcap mystery.

Take one plucky yet addlebrained herione who happens to be a bestselling mystery writer. Add a marriage on a private island. Have the marriage involve the heroine’s ex fiancé. Throw in a new love interest for the heroine who happens to be the one who got away. Then a family fracas that leads to an attempted poisoning and a murder. Plus … a storm that threatens everyone and everything.

It’s a sexy Agatha Christie mystery comedy for millennials.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator, great differentiating voices- especially accents! The characters were interesting and messy and the mysteries were fun. But for some reason I had a hard time staying focused on this one and it took me many days of listening for a bit (and then completing other books in the meantime) to finish. This one wasn’t a favorite for me but I’m sure others will love it.

Aside from some geography based mess ups, this is a decent mystery/romance. Mysteries are not my favorite genre but I want to like them and this one was engaging and not predictable.

Kate Valentine is a successful mystery writer who was invited to her ex-fiancé's wedding on a private island near the San Juans. Her former friend and long time crush, Jake is also there. The cast of quirky invitees leaving the reader guessing whodunnit, as Kate dons her "sleuthing sweater" and tries to be like Loretta, her plucky main character. Hijinks ensue.

The story dragged on a bit and many of the characters were insanely unlikeable. However, Kate and Jake were not, so it was not too hard to enjoy the read. I would give it 3 stars.

The narrator was good and even did a great Australian accent. There were a few times that things were pronounced incorrectly though. I cannot blame them for geography mess up, as the text says Orca Island instead of Orcas Island.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and Net Galley for the ALC! All opinions are my own!

She Doesn't Have a Clue is a PERFECT balance of mystery and romance! There's a central love story BUT there's also murders and suspicious happenings! As someone who is a romance book lover who sometimes listens to mysteries, this combo had the perfect balance, it almost felt like a romance book that had a mystery plot and not the other way around (which is DEF what I prefer)! This audiobook is so entertaining and the different characters speaking is still clear (even though there is only one narrator) which is REALLY difficult! I really enjoyed this story and it may be one of my favorite romance/mystery stories that I've listened to this year! I also loved Kate, the main character, because she is goofy, clumsy, and SO relatable and funny!
Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for an early copy of this audiobook! 💖

This was soo cute! Like Hallmark meets the Glass Onion. Murder, mystery, and romance.

I loved every second of this book! From the itchy sleuthing sweater, to the hot Australian and the ex-fiancé pining. It’s fun, it’s fast, and it keeps you hooked.

Kate receives a mysterious letter inviting her to her ex-fiancés wedding where everything that could go wrong does. A massive storm trapping them on the island, dead (or almost dead) bodies popping up, cousins trying to get their hands on the family fortune, and a delicious sort of ex boyfriend appears. Kate and Jake pretend to be a couple but the tension is just blooming between them. Who knows if they will give in 🤫🫣

Someone seems to be framing Kate by making it seem like her murder mystery is coming to life. Can Kate solve it in time and save everyone?? You’ll have to read it find out.

You’ll love this so much and want to read Kate’s actual books. See if you can solve the murder before I did 😉

Thanks Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. I really enjoy cozy mysteries and was excited about the concept of a locked-room cozy mystery/romcom, but it ultimately fell flat.

There were aspects of the mystery element that I enjoyed. Well-crafted red herrings compelled me to keep reading to find out whodunnit. I also loved how the events of the weekend mirrored plot lines from the main character’s book — clever, literary, and a delight for anyone who enjoys books about books/authors/writing. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much where the “good” ends for me.

First, the balance between romance and mystery felt off. The romance didn’t feel organic and didn’t advance the primary mystery plot. Worse, it came across as a distracting detour rather than adding tension or stakes. Romance in mysteries works best when it’s woven into the fabric of the story, with chemistry and angst building while characters work to solve the crime. A steamy make-out session while the rest of the island searches for a murderer? It just didn’t fit.

Second, while I’m okay suspending disbelief for a cozy mystery, this one pushed me too far. The bride is poisoned, requires resuscitation, and then just gets up as thought nothing happened — and no one is remotely concerned? Please.

The audiobook, narrated by Sarah Mollo-Christensen, is solid. Her performance was engaging, though her breathy style isn’t quite my cup of tea. If you decide to try this book, the audiobook is definitely worth considering.

Anyways, this one wasn’t for me—and that’s ok. If you give it a shot, I hope you enjoy it!

2.81/5 stars, rounded to 3

This story was not my favorite. It had romance and mystery themes which I thought I would like, but just didn't jive with it for some reason. The narration was good and her different voices for different characters was nice to keep track of them. There were a few spicy scenes and lots of drama from the family members.

I received this audiobook from NetGalley and @Macmillan.Audio in exchange for an honest review.
This book was fun! I really enjoyed the narration. She did a great job differentiating the cast of characters and I was particularly impressed by her male voices and, specifically, the Australian accent. It was the perfect thing to listen to while getting work done around the house.
As someone who lives in the PNW, I always enjoy reading novels set here and this was no exception. The setting/weather was an important element in the story and I felt like it was an accurate portrayal. The main characters had great chemistry. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

This was a whacky blend of cozy murder mystery and second chance romance that takes place on a remote island off the coast of Seattle during a destination wedding of bestselling author Kate's ex, Spencer.

When bodies start turning up in circumstances that eerily resemble scenes from Kate's books, things start to get serious and the more time she spends with fellow guest Jake, the one who got away, the more old feelings from the past get dredged up.

Full of action, tons of forced proximity open door spice, ridiculous accidental deaths and even a cougar on the loose, this book will make you laugh, swoon and cackle with glee. A hugely entertaining adult fiction debut by a new to me author who I will eagerly look forward to reading more from.

This was also great on audio narrated by Sarah Mollo-Christensen who does an impressive job narrating the full cast of characters, including Jake's very convincing Australian accent. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!