Book Review: Without a Clue

I have really been enjoying mystery and romance hybrid books so I was excited to read Without a Clue by Melissa Ferguson. I have loved a couple of other books by Ferguson, especially How to Plot a Payback.

I also enjoy books where authors are thrown together and have to solve a mystery, which kind of reminds me of one of my favorite books, The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter, in which the author-characters are all invited to a castle and they have to solve a mystery.

Yet Ferguson’s books are slightly different; while romantic with lots of banter, they are closed door or “clean” romances. I read all types of romances, and don’t require a “clean” one, but rest-assured you still get the banter, yearning, and tension in this book that many readers go to the genre for.

First Impressions

To be honest, I was not a fan of the opening scene. It felt confusing and a bit weird. I wanted to get to know the main character, Pip, better as a person rather than have her get mad at an annoying guy on the beach. Then all of the author characters, the Magnificent Seven, were introduced relatively quickly. It was a bit of a jolt for me. I had trouble rooting for the main character when I didn’t know anything about her yet.

Stick with It

However, I am glad I kept reading because I had fun with Penelope/Pip and Nash’s love story. I was also reminded of Only Murders in the Building, with the amateur sleuthing and the intergenerational cooperation and humor. The cruise setting kept it fresh.

As for characterization, I liked how even though there were several different authors, they all had their own distinct personalities, and I was rooting for Pip and her character arc.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.