I thought this was cute but the added bits of the novel written by the main character were a little confusing at first.
it did seem long though. like it needs to be condensed. the plot was cute and I love mysteries that have added romance.

ARC REVIEW (1/21): she doesn't have a clue by jenny elder moke 🔦 with a colorful cast of characters and a cellar full of wine, anything can happen- from murder to a second chance at love!

this book was such a surprise! I picked it up through the macmillan audio influencer program on a whim & ended up loving it! to start off, the setting was impeccable- a high-end wedding on a private island off the coast of seattle during a thunderstorm. aside from the poisons and dead bodies, how could you not love the idea of that? 👀

there were so many laugh out loud moments, thank goodness I was listening to this audiobook while taking some book pictures at home! the narration by sarah mollo-christensen was phenomenal! I did end up guessing who the culprit was but it didn't take away from the riot of this mystery! the only thing that had me grimacing were the spice scenes, a bit abrupt and on the cringe side.

a book I’d recommend to all the cozy mystery lovers who want to touch of romance 🕯️ 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a charming romantic mystery. The setting of an isolated island in the middle of a storm added to the stakes of the mystery and the ambiance of the romance. The added dynamic of the murder taking place during a wedding weekend also added so much drama and intrigue to the story. I thought both the romance plot and the mystery plot were really well done and well balanced.

Kate was a wonderful MC. She is a mystery writer so her knowledge and expertise trying to solve the mystery made sense and she was very fun to follow. This was a fun book that didn't take itself too seriously and was a good time.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this audio book. A destination wedding on an isolated island at the estate of wealthy relative, mystery writer in attendance- needs to solve the case as she is prime suspect as her books are being acted out. Entertaining- lots of similar books but a tad different. Look for it coming out January 21,2025!

This book is a fantastic blend of cozy mystery and rom-com that had me laughing the whole time.
It has all the ingredients of the perfect cozy mystery. Start with a wedding on a private island that has been cut off by a storm, a historic home with secret passages, and a body drop and you have the perfect recipe for an Agatha Christie mystery. Mix in family drama with disinherited relatives and you have plenty of suspects to go around. Add in the trope of a mystery author protagonist who is being framed, and you would have a typical literary cozy mystery. Unfortunately, for Kate, " She doesn't have a Clue.". Unlike the amature detective book character she created, Kate is totally incompetent. The insecure woman is constantly channeling her creation. Her bumbling on top of all the tropes makes for a very funny story. With a groom who is an ex-finance, and an old friend who was almost a lover in attendance, Moke turns this mystery into a spicy rom com. The plot was far fetched but there were so many suspects, I was actually kept guessing. The author includes great banter and lots of funny moments. I loved the second chance romance. However, readers will want to be aware that there are a few very spicy sex scenes. The locations and timing of some of them, pulled away from the fun of the mystery. As much as I enjoyed the book, it has so much going for it, if she had kept those scenes closed door, the book would have had a much wider appeal.

The audiobook was narrated by Sarah Mollo-Christensen who does a fantastic job. Her comedic timing is perfection and her versatile acting provides easily identifiable characters. I alternated between the audiobook and the ebook which were both provided by the publisher. Although I usually prefer text, several times I found myself continuing to listen when I could have started reading. The narrator was that entertaining. No matter which format you prefer, I can honestly say that if you like cozy mysteries or spicy romcom, you will want to read this one.

This was a cozy mystery with one of my favorite genre settings, a gothic manor with lots secret passages, and even more family secrets. I really enjoyed the premise of this story, a bunch of authors and their publisher and editor thrust together for what should be a joyful marriage celebration. Of course things aren’t as happy as they seem, when a dead body, or two turn up. The pacing was done well and it was easy to feel invested in the story since each character was described so well. I also loved that there was romance alongside the mystery. The only reason that I can’t give it 5 stars is because it did feel a bit like the plot of another recently published holiday cozy mystery. But it was still super fun and enjoyable! The audiobook was impeccable and the narrator really brought every character to life. I honestly kept forgetting that it wasn’t duel narration because her voice for Jake, Australian accent and all was so incredibly good!

Paradise Problem meets Finlay Donovan - very cute story of a writer who attends the wedding of her ex (and agent) on a private island. She engages in an investigation of the attempted murder of the bride and the story unfolds from there.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue was my first book by Jenny Elder Moke and I loved it! This book is the perfect mix of mystery and rom-com with a dash of who-done-it. The main character is Kate Valentine, a second chance romance mystery author who is attending her ex-fiance's wedding (who also happens to be her editor) on a private island, and runs into Jake Hawkins (the one that got away). Now if that scenario isn’t enough, add some wedding festivities, a family inheritance, lots of wine, and a dead bride found by none other than Kate Valentine.

The story is well written with great pacing. It flowed well and I was able to keep track of the many characters, which can sometimes be hard if the book isn’t written well. She Doesn’t Have a Clue was an enjoyable book that I finished in two days and I look forward to reading more books from this author.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration by Sarah-Mollo Christensen was good. Her voice is natural for storytelling and made it easy to finish this book in a few days.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Jenny Elder Moke for providing an ARC in exchange for honest thoughts.

I gave this book 4 Stars

I laughed and swooned my way through this delightful read! I couldn’t get enough of the characters or the murders that kept happening. Almost happening…

The chemistry between the MC’s was evident from the very first chapter. I loved learning their backstories (dramatically, as suspects were crossed off the list), and loved that Jake always knew exactly what help Kate needed just in time. And he didn’t blink at her murder board, or hideous sweater, or any of her other quirks.

I thought the “story-within-a-story” storyline was excellent. Seeing Kate in real life vs Kate as her stories’ protagonist really hit home how different they were. I thought the end was a nice setup to merge their personalities.

She Doesn’t Have a Clue is a romance meets mystery read, and I had a great time with it. Kate agrees to attend the wedding of her ex fiancé on a private island and predictably chaos ensues, which just so happens to follow the plot of her mystery books. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Kate and Jake as they explored their relationship and stumbling blocks to their romantic history. They had great chemistry and banter even when Kate made frustrating decisions relating to Jake. I do think Kate grew as a character during the story. However, as much as I was here for the romance, I was all about the mystery plot line. I enjoyed the parallel to Kate’s mystery books as well as Kate trying to place herself in her FMC’s shoes to solve the mystery. I also thought the author did well with sprinkling the clues in that point to the suspect especially looking back at the story. I was shocked in a good way by the reveal. I read this via audiobook and Sarah Mollo-Christensen did wonderful in her narration. It was easy to keep the different characters separate. Mollo-Christensen also nailed Kate’s awkwardness and the comedic moments. I would highly recommend the audiobook if you’re planning to read this.

This definitely wasn't what I was expecting. This was so good, but closely mirrors haunting ever after. This was a great book.

The audio was clear and concise. I liked that the voices weren't monotone, and the voices fit the characters.

She Doesn't Have a Clue is a romantic mystery about a writer/amateur detective who is attending her exes wedding at a private venue, when a murder takes place! The storyline was fun, but a bit jumbled to listen to as an audiobook when going back and forth between Kate and being Loretta, perhaps I would have enjoyed reading a physical copy more to keep things more organized in my brain. The narration itself was fantastic though!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

This book would be three stars, but there was an excessive amount of F-words for no reason and a few scenes I fast forwarded through due to explicit material. The storyline was entertaining though!

Jack of all trades, master of none. I love cozy mysteries and I love romance. This had both, to an extent; not clean enough to be cozy but it did have an amateur sleuth and an interesting cast of supporting characters. There was a ton of romance in it, too – not the fade-to-black, closed door variety you would expect from a cozy – so this book definitely had its feet in both genres somewhat. While it has both of these elements, it doesn’t quite excel at one or the other and flounders in between. Add in Kate’s mystery novel in progress with cut scenes of Loretta doing sleuthing in a parallel universe and it all becomes somewhat jumbled. I enjoyed the stories but didn’t feel they all came together well enough to carry it all.

I absolutely adored this. It was an absolute joy to read! Once I started, I just didn’t want to stop. It was the perfect mix of romance and mystery. The narration is fantastic. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this audiobook ARC!

3.25
I was here for the romance portion of this book and eventually got there for the murder mystery component. I love that Kate (a mystery writer) is attending her exes wedding on a private island with various other writers/publishers/literary people, because why not. I thoroughly enjoyed the back and forth between the character (Loretta) she created and her own parallels. I was a bit overwhelmed by all of the potential suspects and each of their motives, however I thought the solving of the mystery was entertaining in the not-so-fun estate on the island.

It gave me a bit of Finley Donovan vibes, which I think is a compliment since its a 5 book series (and the characters in this book know how hard a series is).

Also, I thoroughly enjoyed this as an audiobook. I think the narrators fit the characters well.

What a joy to listen to! This audiobook was the perfect mix of humor, mystery, and romance!

When Kate, a murder-mystery author, gets invited to the wedding of her ex-fiancé, she is roomed with her long-time crush Jake Hawkins. Then, when an attempted murder begins to look suspiciously like the murders from Kate's books, Kate is desperate to prove herself innocent and become a detective herself.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story; it had me laughing, gasping, and swooning! All of the characters involved in this story were joyful additions to the plot, adding depth to the mystery and to Kate. I loved Jake and Kate's past, their (sabotaged) miscommunication was actually quite sweet, although my heart hurt for them and their time wasted. I was slightly disappointed with Jake's attitude and actions in the 3rd act, but he redeemed himself in the end!

Do I think Kennedy deserves better and Spencer is basically a wet-noddle? Yes. But I still adored the plot twists in this story!

Thank you so much for granting me this ARC, the narrator did an amazing job of captivating Kate's personality and the many tones this story had!!

Thank you so much for the chance to have an early listen to this audiobook! I loved the characters and the banter between the MCs. The plot was very reminiscent of Every-time I go on vacation someone dies which I also loved. Definitely a fun read!

This book was so much fun. I’m not a fan of the narrator, but this book hooked me and kept me interested. It was fun and sweet and I couldn’t wait to finish it to see how it would end.

🎧 Book Review 🎧 I feel as though it is inevitable to attend a wedding with an ex present, it’s a whole new level when the groom is your ex-fiancé -yikes! Add another former romantic love interest, handsome Australian hottie, Jake, as a fake date for the weekend on an island and the whole thing is a steam pot about to explode. But the weekend is off to a rocky start when it’s more than just some old feelings stirred up and the bride is almost poisoned and dead bodies turn up. I love a good whodunnit thriller and I love a rom com, put them together and it is the perfect combination! She Doesn’t Have a Clue is the book for all those mystery lovers out there who might just wear a heart on one sleeve and their crime solving kit up their other one. Jenny Elder Moke creates an entertaining and flawless blend of the genres that seamlessly flow like champagne at happy hour and Sarah Mollo-Christensen narrates the book like a toast at said nuptials. She Doesn't Have a Clue is a real treat and while coming back from this destination wedding is no guarantee, this one is a definite yes to RSVP to!