Let me start with, I loved this novel. Like, immediately began looking up other books by this author because I found this one so enjoyable. I just felt like this one hit all the right notes - I enjoy a cozy-ish mystery, a love interest, a locked-room (or rather, a secluded island) element, and, of course, a quirky cast of characters. This was such a fun, engaging, and thoroughly entertaining book that I was so sad to finish because I kept wanting more!

If you’re looking for a book that’s equal parts romance and mystery, this is for you! There main character Kate is likable, somewhat disaster-prone, and entertaining, and the love interest is charming and adventurous.

The mystery had it all: secret passages, red herrings, inheritances and family drama, ex-lovers, and a slew of potential suspects. And to top it all off Mole weaves in various steamy scenes between characters.

Although it’s not my particular cup of tea, it would be great for someone who loves a romance heavy mystery! The narrator was fantastic too,

Thank you to #MacMillan and #NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke was a cute read. I found it to be just fine, and the narration was good as well.

This book is perfect for fans of the Finlay Donovan series. It is a quirky mix of mystery and romcom. I enjoyed watching Kate figure out the clues and the second chance romance with Jake. There was a lot going on but it flowed well and I didn’t know who the culprit would be until the result was known. The spice was at a skippable level for me but if you are open door reader, it wouldn’t bother you. There are parts where she flips into an inner monologue with one of her book characters and that was a little hard to follow on audio but once I knew to expect it, it was less distracting.

The narrator was a good choice and performed all of the dialogue well including accents.

I received an advanced copy of this audiobook via NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Content Notes: Some strong language, 2-3 open door romance scenes

"She Doesn't Have a Clue" is an entertaining and light read that delivers satisfyingly on the rom-com mystery hybrid. The dialogue sparkles with humor and the characters are delightful. The mystery is a locked room type and very meta considering Kate is a mystery writer who prefers to live in her characters' world than in real life. There are plenty of twists and turns and just the right amount of red herrings to the mystery to keep mystery fans engaged. The mystery is on the cozy side as we don't witness the actual murder. There is also a sweet, slow burn, second chance romance between Jake and Kate. The chemistry between Jake and Kate sizzles and the tension between a will they or won't they romance will meet the expectations for romance fans. The romance is on the steamy side and open door. Overall, this book made me smile and laugh out loud especially during a very stressful week.

The audiobook narrator is fantastic. I was very impressed by how well they distinguished their voice for the large cast of characters. Their male voices, particularly Jake's Aussie accent was spot on.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue is a wild ride filled with quirky humor, clever twists, and plenty of steamy moments. While the constant chase to solve the mystery felt a bit overwhelming at times, lovers of the trope will likely revel in the chaos. It’s weird, witty, and full of charm—what’s not to love?

Moke definitely delivers a memorable story, though parts of it may feel like too much for those who prefer a tighter narrative.

A unique mix of romance and mystery story about Kate, a best selling mystery author who attends the wedding of her ex-fiancé on a private island off the coast of Seattle, Washington.

After a dead body is found, every wedding guest is a suspect and only Jake, aka Kate's biggest romantic regret, is willing to help her catch the killer. This is a light hearted mystery but I found it was well done and kept me guessing. I enjoyed how Kate embodied her fictional detective character throughout the novel like what would Loretta Starling do?

The romance aspect is light but fun and done well. Tropes include second chance, forced proximity and one bed.

The narrator, Sarah Mollo-Christensen, did a great job with the various voices for characters. I really felt like I could envision the characters.

Thank you Minotaur Books for the ARC.

This was a cute book. It was partly a mildly spicy rom com and partly a mystery.

I liked the personal growth in the main character, who was very awkward and kind of bumbling for much of the book. She's a bestselling author of mysteries and sees herself as a less cool version of her main character.

The setting is on a remote island during a storm, which is fun and kind of a locked-room scenario of a sort.

The two main male characters were fun and interesting, and the triangle dynamics made for some interesting drama.

I thought the mystery was pretty simple but the book was fun overall and I enjoyed it.

I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator was fine.

{ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕗𝕖𝕔𝕥 𝔾𝕚𝕣𝕝 by Tracy Banghart}
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Narrator(s): Angie Kane
Length: 7h 33m, 304p
Source: ALC/ARC - NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, Macmillan, TBR & Beyond
Release Date: November 19, 2024
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Jessa is the “perfect girl” and she’s okay with it…
…until a sleepover turns into a nightmare and the Perfect Girl becomes the target of a deadly stalker.

Think 90s slasher/thriller vibes, y’all.
The FMC, Jessa, was naive and a bit too much of a people pleaser.
It took about 77% of the story for her to catch on and start doing something.
The twists and turns were a bit predictable but nevertheless fun and thrilling.

The sweet little side romance was done well and added depth to the story.
Tiny’s side story also added quite a bit of drama as well.
I liked most of the characters and they each had just enough to bring them to life.

A quick, fun, reminiscent flashback to my youth and the pop culture phenomenon that gripped us all with urban legends and survival horror films.

🎧 NARRATION:
Angie Kane was fantastic!
I thought her voice paired well with our characters and she brought Jessa to life.
Well done production and all around 5 stars on the narration side.

{I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook & book. All reviews are my own.}

Kate is a successful mystery writer attending the wedding of her ex-fiancé who is also her book publisher.
The wedding is set on a private island (of course the new bride is an heiress), and of course, there is bad weather! Oh no, the power has gone out. The house is creepy and old! There is a dead body!
There is also a really hot Australian second chance romance, and Only One Bed.
This book was really fun. It combined key elements of classic mysteries with key elements of romcoms and it actually blended together really well. There were some funny moments, some steamy moments, and some true sleuthing moments. It was a bit confusing at times when she slipped into her main character's alter ego, because on audio there was nothing to indicate it wasn't Kate anymore.
The house was full of secret passageways (my dream) and angry people (not my dream) who all had various motives for wanting the heir Hampstead fortune dead.
Unfortunately, the book was also kind of cheesy at times, and the ending took forever. It just kept going, and going, and then there was an epilogue too!
I would rate this a really good 3.5 stars, just didn't quite squeak out 4 for me.
I really appreciate the arc!

First off i TRULY enjoyed the audiobook. The narrators are great! Jake the Australian? 😍 FANTASTIC. I love the details in the murder mystery and the crazy love connections! You don’t really hear or read stories about writers and the aspect of their jobs. I found this awesome, cute, funny, and a tad bit SPICY! I can’t wait to read more of your books!!! 👏🏻 thank you for the amazing opportunity!

3.5 - overall pretty decent audiobook!

Narrator is 5 stars. The character voices are really good and extremely distinct which makes listening to a multi character book way more enjoyable.

It’s a combination of whodunit mystery and a smidge of romance. The FMC is Kate, an author of mystery novels. She’s on an island for her ex-fiancé’s wedding. One issue I had was that Kate switches into her main character Loretta’s point of view which can be really confusing.

I enjoyed the twists and turns (even if I guessed it early on) but had fun listening along the way. Definitely grab the audiobook version!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke was a lovely little mystery with great characters and some SPICE!!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This mystery/romance book failed to wow me. I found the main character and the rest of the characters, minus the steamy romantic male lead, to be rather tedious. Some parts of the book made me laugh, but oftentimes in between a rare laugh I found myself disinterested in what happened to the ultra-wealthy family who owned the small private island the story takes place on. Additionally, the MC came off as whiny and incompetent to me.

I am torn between rating this book as two or three stars, so I am landing with 2.5 stars rounded up. This book is what it promises to be: a mystery/thriller/rom com about a female mystery book writer who attends her ex-fiancé's wedding to find herself solving the mystery behind who attacked his bride following plot points from her books. With such a fun premise, I feel like this should have been a book I loved, but for me it failed to meet its potential.

I really enjoyed this book! If you’re a fan of Finlay Donovan I think you’ll enjoy this too! I loved that Kate gets lost in her author thoughts to help her solve the mystery and the Knives Out vibes of the mansion guests. While I did guess who the killer was, the ending still had twists I didn’t expect. Now I just wish the Loretta series was real!

This story was so much fun! If Knives Out threw a wedding at The Onion, this is probably what it would look like. I enjoyed all the characters and didn't figure out the mystery before the lead did, so that's always good. The narrator is excellent.

I LOVED this book. It was so fun and get me engaged the whole time. Mystery romance for the win!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publsiher for this early review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke is a delightful rom-com mystery! This charming story cleverly uses mystery author Kate Valentine's own fictional plots as a backdrop for real-life murders at her ex-fiancé's lavish wedding. The private island setting and the reappearance of Kate's sexy old flame, Jake, only add to the intrigue. I especially enjoyed that the story is told entirely from Kate's point of view, making her both relatable and engaging. The combination of romance, suspense, and humor is well-balanced, making this a thoroughly enjoyable read!

Thanks for opportunity to listen to this book.

This was a cozy mystery and a spicy romance, all rolled into one!
Secluded island, and a storm.
Second chance at love, handsome Australian surfer.
A death at a wedding.
A mystery author who's mission is to figure out what happened.....

I really enjoyed listening to this one, and I especially loved the Pacific Northwest setting. I've read quite a few books recently with an author main character- and with a wedding as a central theme. But I still got right into the mystery, was trying to unravel clues and figure out "who done it", and definitely was committed to the romance storyline!!!

This Rom-Com Mystery was an absolute delight to read!

Kate has a mind for confident sleuthing, commanding a room, and delivering cutting one-liners. Unfortunately, these things are ONLY in her mind. As an author, she knows what her heroine detective would do, but as a person, she’s finding a real life murder mystery to be much harder to navigate. And I loved her for it! She was observant and clever, but also humanly biased and flawed.

There’s an entire cast of characters with distinct quirks, ambitions, and motives. There were enough personalities to keep me on my toes and keep me thinking, without being overwhelming and difficult to follow. It hits that sweet spot. I was rooting for the romance, gasping at turning points, and laughing out loud at both the banter and comedic timing.

I loved the journey, and would like to share what is quite possibly my favorite quote from Jake. “So what are the itchy dragon penises telling you about who poisoned Kennedy?”