I love a book that takes place in the Pacific Northwest. When I read the description of this book that is what hooked me. The Descriptions of the PNW, the ferry and the surroundings were spot on.
This book was a funny book, slow & unbelievable at a few spots but a good mystery. The narrator was great and really moved the story along There was so much happening during this wedding on a PNW island that at some times you had to suspend disbelief. The main character is an author of mysteries. Unfortunately she is a terrible investigator and isn't good at reading people. Throughout the book the character from her book talks to her to try and help her figure out what and why all this weird stuff is happening. She has a great helper but even he doesn't believe some of the stuff that is going on and what she is saying until he sees it with his own eyes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Kate, famed author of a best selling mystery series is mysteriously invited to her ex-finace's luxary wedding, hosted in an old remote house, by his very rich very famous very scary and successful Aunt Rebecca. Despite knowing it's probably a bad idea she heads to the island with her ex-best friend / dream man Jake whom she had a falling out with two years ago and hasn't spoken to since.
This was almost wonderful? It's weird because I didn't hate it as a whole, I enjoyed reading it and wanted to know what came next. However each element was so infuriating? Kate was one of the most infuriating main characters I have ever had to read about. Constantly making just downright stupid mistakes, getting in everyone's way and miscommunicating to an absolutely INSANE point.

This was absolutely a riot! I loved every minute of the twists and turns and will be recommending! The narration was spot on!

The audio was slightly confusing at first when the POV (?) would switch. Once I figured it out it was fine. The story was okay, the ending was meh. I didn’t feel much of a connection with the love interest.

She Doesn't Have a Clue is a mature romantic mystery from a debut adult fiction author (Moke has written YA novels). The story is set on a privately-owned island off the coast of Washington state, where guests have assembled to witness the wedding of a prominent young member of the wealthy family that owns the island and the editor of a small but prominent publishing house. Kate Valentine, author of a short series of mysteries featuring Loretta, an amateur detective that is published by same publishing house, has been invited by Rebecca, titular head of the wealthy family. Clues point to plots of Kate's novels. The romance is predictable but the solution to the mystery is not, at least not until near the end. Moke does a good job of keeping the twists and turns coming, even though some of them seemed barely plausible and even though her main character is not entirely likeable. Sarah Mollo-Christensen is a reliably good narrator and she enhances the audiobook with her expert narration. Fans of the genre will devour this book quickly.

3.5⭐
Genre ~ romantic comedy
Setting ~ private island off the coast of Seattle
Publication date ~ January 21, 2025
Publisher ~ Macmillan Audio
Est Page Count ~ 336 (p+ 42 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 10 hours 24 minutes
Narrator ~ Sarah Mollo-Christensen
POV ~ single 3rd
Featuring ~ locked room (island), forced proximity, murder mystery, slow burn, minimal steamage

Kate is off to her ex-fiance's wedding when she runs into her crush Jake, literally slams right into him as she makes a running leap onto the boat before it leaves the dock. Bet that would have been a hoot to see ~ I know, I’m awful.

Kate is a bestselling author of murder mysteries with the main character named Loretta. When certain things starting happening that resonate with her books the fingers are pointed at her. Loretta's name pops up quite often and it took a hot minute to realize Kate was pretending to be in Loretta's head in order to solve the mystery. She and Jake work to clear her name, and that's not the only thing they work on, wink wink.

There are quite a few unlikable suspects and a lot going on, but I enjoyed the sleuthing and secret passages found along the way.

Overall, this was a fun time with some pretty good banter, too.

Narration notes:
Top notch job! She really did all of the different character voices flawlessly. She even did a nice Australian accent for a man.

I LOVED this audiobook. It kept me guessing from start to finish. I enjoyed the narration a lot. It had great thrill and comedy points. The plot of the whole book was very interesting and it really kept my eye. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes to keep on guessing!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a great book!! It had me hooked from page one! I couldn’t put this down. I finished it in one sitting. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters. This was a first for me by this author but it will not be my last!!

This genre crossing novel is a delightful blend of cozy, locked room mystery and lighthearted rom-com, and somehow it works.

Kate Valentine is a bestselling mystery writer attending the wedding of her editor on a secluded island, which wouldn’t be unusual except the groom is also her ex-fiancé. Making the situation even more awkward is the presence of Jake Hawkins, a hot Australian that is Kate’s “one that got away”. While on the island stuff happens. The bride is poisoned; maybe? Kate discovers a dead body. Bad weather rolls in knocking out the power and stranding the guests. Oh, and someone seems to be framing Kate.

Jenny Elder Moke uses some interesting techniques to bring the story together, such as having Kate turn to Loretta, the fictional heroine of her books, to try to the identify the killer. Jake and Kate team up to solve the mystery while their attraction heats up. It’s all in good fun and never takes itself too seriously. A little spice, occasionally interrupted by mayhem, adds to the overall enjoyment.

I alternated between the audio and digital versions of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed Sarah Mollo-Christensen‘s narration. She brought Kate to life in a way that made her an endearing and sympathetic character.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Kate Valentine, best selling mystery author, arrives at a private wealthy island for her ex-fiancés high-end wedding. When there is a mixup and she is stuck sharing room with Jake, her old colleague and biggest romantic regret, she starts to wonder why she ever agreed to come.
As the festivities begin, the bride appears to have been poisoned, and Kate stumbles across a dead body in the wine cellar, she soon realizes that a lot of the events unfolding mirror one of her best selling mystery novels.
I enjoyed this book so much! A perfect blend of a cozy murder mystery with a second chance romance, this book will give you all the feels. Well written, perfectly paced, and with the perfect atmospheric setting, this will have you thinking that you’re living out a real life murder mystery on the set of Clue.
The narrator was also phenomenal. She effortlessly switched between characters and accents, making them even more likable than they already are.
Overall, I highly recommend this to anyone who likes a good whodunnit and/or a cute romance. This was my first book by this author and will not be my last.
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Jenny Elder Moke for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a romantic comedy about a best selling author named Kate. She goes to a private island for the wedding of her ex-fiancé (scandalous! but, she was invited). On her way there, she runs into her crush, Jake, who is the supposed star of her best selling novels about a heroine named Loretta. Chaos ensues, and Jake and Kate must work together to figure out who is causing such a commotion and trying to murder the bride. The story was very entertaining, however, one of the mail characters is Australian and I did not care for the narrator's attempt at an accent. It did not deter me from finishing this lovely book though

For me personally, this was a hard book to listen to on audio. The narrator has a great voice. However, with all the switching back and forth between the mfc book and her real life, mixed with all the characters, I was super confused and lost. So I ended up dnf the book at about 35%

Multiple narrators would have been amazing for this book, in my opinion, but I am excited to get a copy of the physical or ebook to dive back into this rom-com mystery!

She Doesn't Have A Clue is a fun, lighthearted, cozy, fast paced, locked room romcom mystery. It was my first deep dive into this genre and I enjoyed it. I thought It was really entertaining. The whole adventure throughout the whole book promises for an unputdownable read. The goofiness and clumsiness of the FMC truly brought on such a fun aspect to the investigation, it left the book feeling so much more light even if there was a murder to be solved.

The characters were well developed, they were fun, quirky, and had their own distinctive personalities. The relationship between the FMC & her love interest added on some sizzling chemistry and absolutely charming banter. I loved that there were a lot of characters to suspect, which brought on so many different theories. There is also some nice character growth to look forward to.

A very fun book for lovers of the cozy mystery romcoms. This one brought on many fun aspects and a good story. Curl up on your couch with a hot drink and a blanket, enjoy !

🎧 The narration by Sarah Mollo-Christensen was good. It might not have been my favorite as I did get some characters mixed up sometimes if I wasn't perfectly attentive. Apart from that it was a good production and the narrator did a good job bringing the story to life.

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillanaudio & @jennyeldermoke for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

She Doesn’t Have A Clue was a fantastic whodunnit mystery that kept me guessing! Kate Valentine is the author of a popular series of mystery novels. When she is invited to her ex’s wedding on a private island and bodies start appearing, Kate and the rest of the wedding guests can’t help but notice the similarities between Kate’s books and real life…
This story was so much fun! I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook and the narration was great! The narrator has a nice voice and was very good at changing voices, tones and accents for each of the different characters.. I would absolutely recommend this book!

I absolutely loved this novel, and listening to the audiobook version made it even more enjoyable! The narrator did an incredible job bringing the characters to life, especially Kate and Jake, whose dynamic was absolutely hilarious. The story itself is a delightful mix of mystery and humor, keeping you hooked from start to finish. The banter between the characters is top-notch—it’s quick, witty, and filled with heart, and I found myself laughing out loud more than once.

Kate is the perfect blend of awkwardness and charm. She’s this lovable, quirky weirdo who, despite her clumsy moments, shows a remarkable strength and capability when she’s pushed to believe in herself. Her growth throughout the story was so satisfying to witness, and it felt incredibly relatable. Then there’s the fascinating role of her literary creation, Loretta, who acts almost like a guiding force for Kate. The recurring question, “What would Loretta do?” provided an anchor for the narrative, offering a clever layer of introspection and humor as Kate navigates her personal challenges.

What truly stood out to me was how well the audiobook captured the essence of the characters and the story’s charm. The voice performances added so much depth to Kate’s awkwardness, Jake’s wit, and the overall quirky atmosphere of the novel. I had such a fun time listening to it, and it honestly felt like I was right there with the characters, experiencing all the laugh-out-loud moments.

I can’t recommend this audiobook enough! It’s the perfect mix of humor, mystery, and heart, and I’m sure listeners will love it just as much as I did.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke is an absolute gem of a novel! The story stands out with its unique perspective, blending the fictional protagonist’s voice seamlessly with the unfolding mystery. The witty narrative keeps you engaged from the very first page, and the sharp, clever twists ensure it’s utterly unputdownable. Sarah Mollo-Christensen’s narration perfectly complements the protagonist’s lively and quirky personality, making the entire experience even more immersive. (I received an advance listener copy and all opinions are my own.) A must-read for anyone who loves mysteries with a fresh, fun approach—this one will have you hooked!

This was a fun read. It gave me Clue vibes and the cast of characters were great. I honestly had no idea who did it until it was revealed at the end. I did find confusing at first when it would switch back and forth between the main book and then the FMCs own mystery novel characters. I got used to it as time when on.
The romance was sweet and the banter was fun. I enjoyed this a lot. I’d give it a 3.5/5 stars

She Doesn’t Have a Clue
Jenny Elder Moke

Meet Kate Valentine, a bestselling mystery writer. Kate is late turning in the draft of her latest Loretta Starling book. She has agreed to attend her, editor/ex-fiancé’s wedding. Of all the places she wants to be, this wedding would be the last on the list. Maybe the change in atmosphere will encourage her writing. After all the wedding is on a private island off the coast of Seattle, two days of Champagne and a fake smile.
Kennedy is the bride to be. Everyone expects Kate to throw a fit. Kate accidentally bumps into Kennedy, who landed in the gift table. At the rehearsal dinner Kennedy’s grandmother announces she is giving the island away. A short time later the bride is found dead. A storm blows up taking down the wedding tent. Kate and Jake begin their investigation and find another body.
Kate has feelings for Jake. But she felt rejected and refused to act on her feelings.
This is a humorous mystery second chance romance. I love it. What a great read. I love the way Loretta tried to give Kate clues, but Kate always managed to ignore them…after all this wasn’t a Loretta Starling mystery, this was a Kate Valentine mystery. It was fun watching Jake and Kate together. There were several characters in this tale but most of them were background characters. The secondary and main characters were interesting and well done.

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy. My reviews are always my personal opinion.

I really liked the idea of an author solving a real life mystery and being framed for it. Kate and Jake were adorable. There were times I thought correctly about the person who was guilty but then questioned myself. Overall I enjoyed the book.

A murder-mystery rom-com! I loved it! It kept me guessing right up till the end. The characters are likable. It was a rom-com that actually made me laugh. The pacing was perfect. Absolutely recommend! I’ll be looking up more from this author.