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.

I requested this audiobook on NetGalley based on the cover and the blurb and I am so grateful I was given an ARC to listen to! This was my first book by Jenny Elder Moke and it was FANTASTIC!! This was so fun to listen to and I loved the characters! There was a great mystery (I couldn’t guess the ending) and a love story! The narration was excellently done and I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves a modern mystery rom-com! 🎧🔎

Half mystery and half romance is an accurate description from this new release. Toss in a swanky wedding at an isolated PNW island estate, an elaborate cast of secondary characters, and a storm, and you’ve got a fun story. I love books about authors, so I was thrilled when the FMC, Kate, is a cozy mystery writer!

Sprinkled through out the story where excerpts from Kate’s bestselling book series, and the mystery at the wedding parallels her own plots. I have to say, the second chance romance between Kate and Jake stole the show for me. I found their history (she was his ghostwriter for his traveling surfing books), mutual pining, and sizzling tension was what kept me turning the pages. The actually mystery was fun, but a bit complicated with many moving parts/possible suspects which made it hard for me to stay engaged while listening to the audiobook. However, I had a good time and was absolutely delighted for Kate and Jake’s steamy scenes and HEA.

The narrator did an amazing job, especially with Jake’s dreamy Australian accent! They also perfectly captured Kate’s ‘bumbling’ amateur detective personality well, capturing her humor and adventures perfectly.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
She Doesn’t Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 326 / Genre: Mystery Romance
Audiobook Narrator: Sarah Mollo-Christiansen
Duration: 10 hours 24 minutes
Release Date: January 21, 2025

Bestselling mystery writer Kate Valentine has reluctantly agreed to attend her ex-fiance/current editor’s wedding, which is being held on a private island off Seattle. She’s further dismayed to run into Jake Hawkins, a hot Australian from her past, who embarrassingly turned her down the last time she saw him. But then someone turns up dead alongside clues that mirror the ones in her latest murder mystery and that also point to her as the murderer. But the good news is she gets to run around with hot Jake trying to find the killer and clear her name.

This was such a fun cozy mystery with a dash of romance. I really enjoyed the characters and the storyline. A perfect addition to your upcoming Valentines TBR, this book releases on January 21, 2025.

Thank you, @JennyElderMoke, @Macmillan.Audio, @StMartinsPress, and @NetGalley for my free copies.

Who doesn't like a little mystery mixed in with their romance? What could go wrong when you are invited to attend your ex's wedding? A mix of colorful mishaps lead to Kate being accused of sabotaging the wedding. When a unalive body turns up, things take an even bigger turn. As a mystery book author, Kate is on the case to get to the bottom of things and clear her good name with the help of her longtime crush, Jake. A mix of quirky characters and the storm of the century threatening the island where the event is being held are the icing on the *wedding* cake of this fun novel.

Kate is on her way to the wedding of her ex when she runs into her other ex, Jake. It turns out he needs to pose as her plus one even though he was sort of invited to this wedding on the island in the middle of a storm. When the bride suddenly seems to be poisoned and recovers but then they find her eccentric aunt murdered it is obvious there is a murderer amongst them. Kate is a best selling author of mysteries and she is convinced she can find out who the murderer is by employing her alter-ego, Loretta. This story was fun and full of twists and turns and some far fetched ideas but overall it was enjoyable.