I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies
by Jenny Elder Moke
Published by Minotaur Books on January 20, 2026
Setting: Hempstead Island, Washington
Genres: Romantic Mystery
Format: Audible Audiobook, Hardcover, Kindle, Paperback
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads
Bookhype
BookBub
Storygraph
Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Hobnobbing with Seattle's elite on a super-yacht, Juliette Winters is about to land the deal of the century—if she doesn't get arrested first. She Doesn't Have A Clue author Jenny Elder Moke returns with another riotous mystery rom-com that delights in rich people behaving badly.
Juliette Winters is used to taking care of business alone. She has no time for petty things like romance, friendships, or emotional commitments. Love is for people who believe in reality TV dating and holding hands in public. She's too busy dominating the publishing world by single-handedly saving her company from financial ruin with the book deal of the century.
Business magnate Warren Ellingham has guaranteed Juliette exclusive rights to his explosive memoir that promises to expose the secrets of his ultra-exclusive country club, Pacific Pines. But when Warren drops dead of an apparent heart attack and the memoir is stolen, Juliette suspects that someone was willing to resort to murder to keep their secrets from being exposed.
Enlisting the help of Charlie Hawkins, a doctor with a heart of gold and abs of steel, Juliette dives into the glamorous and messy world of Pacific Pines Country Club. As the investigation heats up, so does the tension between Juliette and Charlie. But Juliette can't afford any distractions because the bodies keep dropping, and Juliette is tee-d up to take the blame. If she doesn't uncover Warren's killer soon, the thing that was supposed to secure her future might just be the thing that ends it.
Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke takes place a year after the first book, and with a whole new heroine and hero taking the stage.
Can Juliette solve the murder of Warren Ellingham?
Juliette Winters
Juliette Winters is our heroine, and she’s trying to keep her company afloat with Warren Ellingham’s memoir. She is an impulsive character, but she’s a good character. Juliette is complex, and she is trying her best to do things a certain way. I didn’t really like Juliette at the beginning, but she did grow on me by the end. Sort of.
Charlie Hawkins
Charlie Hawkins is our hero, who doesn’t appear until a bit later in the story. He and Juliette had a bit of a rocky start to their relationship. Charlie is a heart doctor, and that is mostly the only reason why Juliette goes to Charlie. He is an awesome character. Charlie is a nice, sweet character who tries his best to do what he feels is right. I liked Charlie a lot better than I did Juliette. Their romance, though, is a good one.
Warren Ellingham
Warren Ellingham is our victim, and wow, was he not a good person alive. The only good thing people liked about him was his business sense. I had a feeling about who did it, and I am glad that I was right. He was a terrible person who kept money close to him. I can’t believe that he didn’t get killed sooner than he did. Yes, he was that bad.
Four Stars
My rating for Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke is four stars, and I do recommend it. I liked this book, and the first one that I read by Jenny Elder Moke. Ms. Moke is a great author, and I love her mysteries.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Elder Moke.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
Baroness’ Book Trove is an Amazon affiliate, meaning that if you purchase something, this blog receives a small percentage of the sale. Mainly, this helps cover the website costs and a few giveaways.
About Jenny Elder Moke
Jenny Elder Moke is the award-winning author of children’s and adult literature. She enjoys fast-paced adventures with plenty of mysteries, surprising turns, and laughs along the way. Her adult debut, SHE DOESN’T HAVE A CLUE, is a murder-mystery rom-com mash-up for fans of Clue and Knives Out. It releases January 21, 2025.
Jenny lives in Denver, CO. She is represented by Elizabeth Bewley at Sterling Lord Literistic.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2026 Cloak and Dagger
- 2026 Goodreads RC
- 2026 Medical Examiner Mystery RC
- 2026 Romance Book Reading Challenge
- 2026 Traveling the World
Leave a Reply