Main Characters:
-- Kate Valentine – best-selling author of the Loretta Starling mystery series, tends to live her life considering what Loretta would do, broke off her engagement to Spencer six months prior
-- Jake Hawkins – former professional surfer from Australia turned elite travel guide, worked with Kate on a couple of travel/adventure books
-- Loretta Starling – the fictional main character of Kate’s series of books, works as a bartender in the evening and an amateur sleuth during the day
-- Spencer Lieman – Kate’s literary agent at Simon Says and former fiancé, started dating Kennedy almost immediately after he and Kate broke up
-- Kennedy Hempstead – heir to the Hempstead fortune, insisted on having her wedding to Spencer on the family’s private island
-- Rebecca Hempstead – matriarch of the Hempstead family, controls the disbursements of the inheritance money to all of her nieces and nephews
-- A whole host of characters too numerous to mention who could be the killer on the island

Based on the description alone, this story has a lot of potential, but for me, the execution left a lot to be desired. Set on the private Hempstead island off the Pacific Northwest coast, the story centers around the wedding of Spencer and Kennedy. As Spencer’s former fiancée, Kate is surprised she received an invitation, with a hand-written note from Rebecca Hempstead. She’s even more surprised to see Jake Hawkins…and to find out that Kennedy invited him and told Spencer that he is Kate’s plus one.

When a storm knocks out power and prevents people from leaving the island, someone tries to poison Kennedy and another person ends up dead. To make matters worse, the crimes seem to be following the plot of one of Kate’s books, turning all eyes on her as the prime suspect. Chaos ensues, and Kate decides that she needs to channel her inner Loretta and figure out who’s behind all of it, all the while sharing a room with Jake and trying to calm the attraction she’s had to him since “the incident” two years ago.

I feel like this is supposed to be a campy, fun amateur mystery, almost like Clue. You have a gossipy wedding planner who can’t talk about former clients by name but wants to talk about all of them. “Our clients value discretion above all else, so while nondisclosure agreements prevent me from naming names, let’s just say I’ve fixed a tear in a bridal gown of a certain American to a certain royal and personally stocked the bar on the private plane of a certain billionaire on the way to his private island wedding.”

You have the nieces and nephews of Rebecca all waiting for their own inheritances. Add to that the authors of Simon Says protesting contract delays with management, and there are a lot of people who might want to see one or two people dead. Since the whole book centers around Kate’s point of view, we know she is not the killer, but someone is definitely trying to set her up.

As I said, there is a lot of potential here. I did not guess the killer, so in that respect, the story did its job. When the killer is revealed near the end, I was definitely surprised, but the convoluted reason for the crimes and the way we get there…whew, it was a lot of work.

First, I had a hard time keeping everyone straight. All of the nieces and nephews have problems and reasons they need money, but their characters don’t feel different enough to be able to remember who’s who. Kate is oblivious to the issues the other authors are having with their contracts despite the fact that she claims to be friends with some of them. And every time someone seems to get stuck somewhere in the mansion where the wedding is being held, there’s a secret passage discovered. Every time. It’s too convenient.

Second, this is apparently the author’s first foray into adult fiction from young adult. There’s the obvious romance element between Kate and Jake, with a little added tension because Jake seems to think that Kate is not over Spencer. The author includes two steamy scenes between Kate and Jake, but they just feel awkward and unrealistic. In one of them, Kate gets trapped and almost falls to the bottom of an old manual lift, covered in cobwebs and spiders, when Jake comes to her rescue. She literally strips off her clothes because a spider crawls into her bra…and then she and Jake have this supposedly romantic and amazing sexual encounter. Ewww!

Third, I couldn’t stop thinking to myself, Kate is not an investigator! She’s a writer. Yet she goes through life asking herself what Loretta would do, daydreaming her way through scenes where other characters literally have to snap her out of it because she’s writing the scene in her head. She’s flighty and thinks that because she researches for her books, that it makes her an investigator. She keeps talking to Jake about her murder board and her wall of suspects and how they’re going to solve the crime. She…is…a…writer!

And finally, the fact that Kate feels the need to investigate hinges on the fact that no one can get on or off the island because of the storm, so the police are nowhere in sight. Convenient, since no one can control the weather. But you expect readers to believe that a wedding of this magnitude, an heiress to a huge fortune, would not have ample security or law enforcement in place?

Every time the author included an excerpt from one of Kate’s books, it pulled me out of the story. Every time Kate talked about “her investigation,” I rolled my eyes. I just really didn’t enjoy this at all.

Not sure what type of novel She Doesn't Have a Clue is supposed to be. It came across as a mixed bag of rom-com and cozy mystery. The novel is part of a series, but can be read as a standalone. Thought I seem to think that the story within a story angle would have been more acceptable had I started and appreciated the first novel in the series.

It seems to me that the narrative struggled between rom-com and murder-mystery. With a heavy hand on the rom-com aspect. A bit off putting for me.

The characters are okay. It's just that I found the cutesy/corny name calling a bit annoying (i.e. Katey cakes.)

She Doesn't Have a Clue wasn' a novel for me and a DNF at 34% One star. I didn' like it.

I was invited to read a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. This review is my own and reflects my thoughts and opinions.

This was an entertaining murder mystery with romance. It’s very silly at points and some characters are quite annoying but overall it’s a fun ride. Some of the spicy scenes popped out of nowhere.

I received an arc from Netgalley and the publisher.

2.5 stars
The problem with this book is it is a somewhat cozy mystery that decided to throw in an enemies to lovers rom-com trope which isn't the problem, but rather it's that the romance part is totally open door--I had to tap through several pages on my Kindle to get past these scenes since I don't read open door. It was so uncomfortable because they would be in the middle of tracking down a killer then next thing you know clothes are coming off in all kinds of locations. I like my mysteries to be free of sex scenes, so this ruined the rest of the story for me which had potential. The location is an isolated island on a stormy weekend in a mansion for a wedding. Also, I felt like this was part of a series. I expected to see this was book 2 or 3 because there was so much back story that was skimmed over as if to remind us of what we'd read in an earlier book, but there is no earlier book! So mostly a miss for me.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun and unique whimsical myster/romcom, that I highly recommend. I will definitely be reading more of this authors work

She Doesn’t Have A Clue by Jenny Elder Moke, Kate Valentine is attending her agent/ex fiancé‘s wedding to Kennedy. All she wants to do is get through these two days and with a little bit of wine, she wants to call it done and dusted. unfortunately, for Kate, the first wrench in her plans is getting on the boat that will bring her to the private island. Kennedy’s family owns where the wedding is going to be. because there is where she finds Jake Hawkins, a very fresh romantic regret. when the bride is poisoned just like a character in her amateur slueth series, hello second wrench, but when she is made to look like the murderer, she really starts to lose track of all the tools interrupting her plans. The only thing that a certain and steadfast is that Jake is the only one it seems on her side, but will her amateur detective skills help her solve the multiple crimes/murders or will she need real life intervention? will she even live long enough to tell Jake how she truly feels? I listen to the Kindle book and the audio version of this novel. what I started the audio with Sarah Molow-Christensen’s no reason there was no way I was going back to the kindle book. She said such a great tone and is such a great storyteller along with awesome characterization, and in my opinion makes her one of the most topknoch narrators. I have listened to. I don’t know if it’s just me or the narrators are getting way better but the past few audiobooks I have listened to has had some really great narration and that definitely includes this book. It was funny and I mean lol fall on the floor, laughing funny and you can definitely see how Kate was swoony over Jake. if this was a first book in a cozy mystery series, I would definitely sign up to read the rest. It really was an awesome awesome book! #NetGalley, #McMillanAudio, #JennyElderMoke, #SheDoesn’tHaveAClue,

A very fun and entertaining cozy mystery that should be on your radar coming out next month is She Doesn't Have a Clue. While I originally planned to do the audiobook, which was delightful for the 30 mins I listened to, Christmas break started and I ended up switching to my kindle since my kiddos were home. This is a fun lock room story set within a fancy manor on a private island off the coast of Seattle. Our main leading lady Kate, is a best selling mystery writer who gets invited to attend her editor's wedding, which she really doesn't want to attend since he is also her ex-fiance, who dumped her a mere 6 months ago. But alas she goes and before she knows it she literally runs into Jake, her hot Australian colleague whom she couldn't be more awkward around. Off to the manor they go and before the rehearsal dinner is even over Kate's being framed for murder! This book reminded me of an adult Nancy Drew as Kate tries to solve the murder herself and clear her name, with the help of hunky Jake by her side. We also have a Veronica Mars shoutout so I knew this book was right up my alley. If you like a mystery that isn't dark, has some romance, and lots of humor this would be a perfect pick. Thank you St. Martin's Press and Macmillan for the gifted copies in exchange for an honest review. Pub Day is Jan 21st.

Such a fun read! I loved Kate and Jake so much. Best Murder-rom-com-Franken-book I’ve read in a while.

This was an intriguing mix of mystery and romance with a unique setting—a high-end wedding turned murder investigation on a private island off the coast of Seattle. The murder mystery was well-crafted, and I really enjoyed following the hunt for the true killer. Jenny Elder Moke does a great job weaving suspense into a backdrop of complicated relationships, old grudges, and plenty of secrets.

The love triangle added an interesting layer to the story, and the slow-burn second-chance romance between Kate and Jake was a definite highlight. Their shared history and moments of vulnerability felt genuine and engaging.

That said, the pacing of the book felt uneven at times. The beginning dropped me into the middle of the action without much setup, and some moments felt rushed, jumping quickly from one event or emotion to the next. While this kept the story moving, it also made certain scenes feel a bit jumbled.

Overall, She Doesn’t Have a Clue was an enjoyable read with plenty of twists, a strong mystery, and a touch of romance. It may not have been a standout for me, but it was definitely a fun and intriguing ride. Fans of destination mysteries and second-chance romances will want to give this one a try!

This book is wacky. It gives the requirements for a mystery and then adds more. Some of those “more” were not my cup of tea. For example, the amateur was wrong more than right. She also was annoying. However, I liked her over everyone else, and their judgy ways. I actually wanted Kate to be right and everyone else including the “perfect” bride to get hurt. Like seriously hurt.

I didn’t figure out the killer because there was just too much going on. I actually forgot a key point because I was more annoyed than I was logical. I guess the kooky, wacky cozy mysteries are just not for me.

Overall, I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars.

3.5 stars. A murder mystery meets rom-com. The story remains lighthearted even though murder is involved. The FMC really sells a lot for me. Overall the story is captivating.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“She Doesn’t Have a Clue” is a marshmallow of a book: sweet, fluffy, and fun, but lacking in substance. Kate is a total mess of a main character who cannot stop acting sketchy if her life depends on it (and in this book it does), but she still manages to be endearing and leaves you wishing her the best.

I liked the idea of the romance between the two main characters more than the actual execution. They fell into miscommunication tropes almost constantly and the spicy scenes took me out of the story each time because I just couldn’t wrap my head around wanting to get physical when there is a murderer on the loose.

The savings grace in this book is undoubtedly the villain reveal. It was very well done and a nice tone shift from the flighty, silly main character to our villain’s dark intentions.

An engaging and amusing romantic mystery. The house on the island is probably my favorite part of the story. The main characters are entertaining and enjoyable. There were several intimate scenes which I skipped over. I am sure I missed some funny banter by doing that, but didn't care to read the details. A clever mystery that kept me guessing. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

This book had the perfect blend of humor, intrigue, and spice! It took all the best mystery tropes, locked room where everyone has a motive, and combined those with some spicy second chance romance.

Kate, the mystery writer, was a great main character. She was as likable and relatable as she was chaotic. The book kind of gently poked fun at the fact that she assumed that writing mysteries gave her a leg up on solving them. And Jake was the perfect romantic hero (Australian accent!) The supporting characters were very memorable as well.

The over-the-top setting of a house full of mysterious rooms and secret passageways on an inaccessible island where a storm cuts off power and communication made for both intensity and humor. And offered plenty of places for almost hooking up!

Overall this was a fun and spicy mystery and I could see this becoming a whole series!

Thank you to @Netgalley and @minotaur_books and for the chance to review this ARC.

This is my first time reading this author and I've enjoyed it very much. I had a bit of a slow start getting into the characters and storyline. About 1/4 of through the book I felt like I connected with Kate. She is funny and insecure about life, love and relationships of all kind. A girl so much like most real life women. I enjoyed her bantering with Jake as well as their fireworks when together. Overall, I liked the story and characters and would recommend this book.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue is a cute, cozy, mystery with some awkwardness, some spice, and some fun. Kate has agreed to attend her ex fiancé/current editor’s wedding, against her better judgment, but an expected weekend of free champagne, some emotional awkwardness, and closure ends up being far more eventful than Kate anticipated when the bride is poisoned and everyone suspects Kate. Throw in a blast from her past in the form of Jake, the hot Australian she befriended years prior, had a falling out with, and is still her biggest regret.
Jake was freaking adorable, charismatic, and the only person willing to help Kate investigate the mystery before mob rule takes over. It was a bit hard to watch Kate constantly get (metaphorically) stepped on, as she’s not great at standing up for herself and you might struggle with a bit of secondhand embarrassment, but you’ll find yourself rooting for Kate and despising a lot of the other character who are quick to blame her for everything going wrong (and there’s A LOT going on). The tension between Kate and Jake was good, you’ll want to punch her ex fiancé, and you’ll have fun trying to solve the mystery with Kate & Jake 🏰🏝️⛈️🕵️‍♀️
Thanks @netgalley for the ARC!

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke is a delightful mix of mystery, romance, and humor, set against the backdrop of a luxurious wedding on a private island. The premise of a bestselling mystery author stumbling upon a real-life crime at her ex-fiancé’s wedding is both engaging and clever, offering plenty of twists and turns. Moke brings a colorful cast of characters to life, each with their own secrets and motivations, and her sharp writing keeps the reader intrigued. Kate Valentine, the protagonist, is relatable and flawed, which makes her journey through this unexpected mystery both entertaining and authentic. The romantic tension between Kate and her former lover, Jake, adds a layer of complexity that fans of second-chance romance will appreciate.

However, while the story’s blend of mystery and romance is enjoyable, the pacing at times feels uneven, with moments of tension being overshadowed by lengthy descriptions or the chaotic nature of the wedding. The resolution of the mystery may also feel a little too neatly tied up, with a few character motivations left somewhat underexplored. Despite these minor drawbacks, Moke’s writing is engaging enough to keep readers hooked, and the setting, along with the quirky characters, makes for an enjoyable, if not entirely unpredictable, read. She Doesn't Have a Clue is perfect for readers seeking a light, entertaining mystery with a dash of romance.

A cute mystery. Kate is an author who is attending her ex fiancé's wedding on a remote island. Who should come along but Jake who she has an awkward past with. As the story unfolds, we find that not everything is as it seems. Once the bodies start to fall, Kate is in the race of her life to find out what happened before she is blamed. The setting was a character all it's own. Kate's sense of humor and tendency to rely on her own fictional character to help solve the mystery added to the fun. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! I was intrigued by the premise of a mystery that’s also romance and the fact that the main character is an author. I enjoyed the mystery aspect, and the fact that Kate feels like she has to channel Loretta (her literary heroine) to be able to fumble through solving this mystery. The parallels between her books and her current situation were done well with flashes to Kate’s novel as the mystery thickens. The dialogue and events were witty and funny. The romance with Jake works, and he makes a great sidekick. Weirdly, what I felt didn’t work was the spice of the romance. It honestly seemed to interrupt the story, and I sort of skimmed through those parts to get to the meat of the mystery more often than not. Overall, I can see this being a fun beach read. FYI sexual situations and profanity, definitely an adult novel

Okay friends. If you love mystery, rom-com, Agatha Christie vibes, and stormed-in in an island with some crazy, rich people - you need to add this to your TBR!!! It comes out Jan 21!!

If you loved The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one. It has similar main elements minus the Christmas vibes.

So Kate (our female lead) is the writer of the famous detective mystery series. She received an invitation to attend her ex fiance’s destination wedding that ultimately lead to her playing detective herself when she stumbles upon a dead body in the family manor. That’s pretty much the plot!!

This will have a second chance romance storyline and i’d say 1-2 spicy scenes that you can skim to make the book a pure mystery romcom. :)

I enjoyed this one. I laughed out loud a couple of times. The dialogues were great. It’s a whodunit so lots of characters but not confusing at all! Definitely add to your list if you want to do some amateur sleuthing at a destination wedding!!

💭 Did you read Nancy Drew growing up?
☕️ Yesss! It’s what made me love the genre since I was a kid and yet, I still haven’t read an Agatha Christie book 😂