Darynda has done it again! I read this book in lieu of sleep and at any break I caught at work. Aaaaand then I re-read it ... the official release isn’t for months and I’m already desperate for the next installment.
There’s a lot going on in this book. But I enjoyed that. I think it helped me get to know Sunshine, Auri, and their circle of friends. I can’t wait to get to know them all better.
It was some of the best “feelings” from Charley Davidson meets early Stephanie Plum - two series I’ve read and reread.
I’ll update this review when we get to release date with more details and possible spoilers. Suffice it to say, this new series isn’t to be missed! Smart, funny and touching.

A Story of Love, Hate, and Justice

Sunshine Vicram is the new sheriff of Del Sol, New Mexico. She didn’t exactly run for the office, her parents entered her name in the race and she was elected before she knew the election was even taking place. But, it’s good to be home, and the job will be easy this sleepy little town. Then her first day in office turns into a disaster. It all starts with a plateful of muffins, but you can read about that later. Her daughter runs into bullies in the high school, a chicken sparks a feud between neighbors, and a young girl is kidnapped, igniting national attention and bringing her in contact with her secret love from long ago. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to come back home after all.

This is by far one of the best novels I’ve ever read. So much more than a mystery, it’s the only book I’ve ever finished reading and then went back to page 1 to read it all over again. Right away, not days or hours, but right away. The characters come to life on the pages and they are portrayed in a way that I laughed with them, cried with them, and felt the love and heartbreak with them. Darynda Jones has an outstanding ability to write emotions into her characters that surpasses most authors. I highly recommend A Bad Day For Sunshine, and I’m anxiously looking forward to the next novel in the Sunshine Vicram series.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free book in exchange for my honest review.

I’m impressed with how the story slowly unfolded, just tickling my interest, letting me get to know the characters, and making me chuckle with their conversations. Made me feel like I was there. And there was also that special moment with mother and daughter that made my heart ache along with them. By the end of the book, they have totally engaged my interest that I really want to know what happens next.

While I hadn't read Ms. Jones before, I am very aware of her popular Charley Davidson series, and even have books one and twelve of that series in my TBR. So when an email showed up from Netgalley about this book, the first in a new series, being available, I jumped on it.

It's one of those books that is filled with quirky characters and outlandish situations. Starting with Sunshine becoming the sheriff of her home town after winning an election that she had not even entered. Her friend and coworker, Quincy, tells her she killed it at a the debate. How...? Sunshine never does find out how her parents managed to get her elected behind her back, but she is still glad of the opportunity to move back to her home town, if only to investigate her own abduction when she was seventeen, of which she has very little memory, and the perpetrator was never caught.

Much of the dialogue was quite amusing, with quips being tossed back and forth between the characters like a volleyball, while Sunshine and her deputies race against the clock to find a missing teenager who had premonitions of her own abduction and murder for years. I sometimes got a little confused as something would come up from Sun's past. For instance, one minute her childhood rival and bully Hailey is snarling insults at her, and the next they're hugging in a coffee shop storeroom, followed by a short info dump to explain their situation, although I'm still not completely clear on why the two women have to pretend to hate each other when anyone else is around. Plus there was just soooo much going on, like dozens of tiny little side plots. Despite that, I like the author's writing and the story was engaging for the most part. And when Sunshine and her daughter finally had a heart to heart, no more secrets, talk about what happened to Sunshine when she was seventeen, I cried right along with them.

While Sunshine is apparently surrounded by handsome burly men, Levi of course stood out from the others. An enigma, who I'm sure we'll learn more about as the series progresses. I have some theories about him, and I loved the conversation between them when she went to his house to thank him for something and ended up standing beside his bed interrupting his nap to talk to him.

If this review comes across as my feeling a bit ambivalent about the book, I guess I am a little, but the bottom line is I did get quite caught up and raced through the last quarter or so, and I look forward to the next book. And definitely need to get a start on the Charley Davidson books.

Sunshine Vicram and her daughter Aurelia have returned to Del Sol, New Mexico after her adoring yet meddlesome parents put Sunshine's name on the ballot for sheriff and she won. Her first day starts with a flasher, a stolen rooster, a missing teenage girl and an escaped convict. Auri's first day at school isn't much better. The only things going their way is the presence of Levi Ravinder an old wished-for flame, a sexy U.S. Marshall, and a handsome classmate of Auri's who seems interested. Fast moving, clever and at times out-right funny story that is not to be missed.

This is a really good read that will keep you riveted to your seat as the story unfolds. The mystery is well written and will keep you guessing until the end. The added elements of additional unsolved crimes keep you guessing and wanting to find out who dunnit, especially the mystery of Sunshine’s past. I highly recommend this book to all mystery lovers.

A thrilling, riveting page turner. The quirky secondary characters along with the amazing main characters make this a remarkable read. I couldn’t put this book down but I didn’t want it to end. Please tell me there will be more books with these characters!

Quirky, funny, with enough mystery to keep you guessing. While I figured out who did it in the main mystery, the motive kept me guessing. Sun, Quincy, Auri, Cruz, Hailey and Levi were all fun characters and their interactions kept me coming back for more. I can’t wait to see how Sun and Levi’s relationship evolves in the next book.


Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A Bad Day for Sunshine is the spit fire book about a female sheriff in Del a Sol, New Mexico.
With dizzying plots and twists a mile a minute.
Excellent read.

This is the first time I've read one of Darynda Jones' book and it won't be the last. This book was so thrilling I could not put it down. I was totally surprised who kidnapped SybiI but then things started falling into place. I do wish things had been settled between Sunshine and Levi. I would recommend this book to likes to be on the edge of their seats.

A Bad Day for Sunshine is a strong start to a new series. Strong and well-rounded characters, realistic and entertaining dialogue, and Darynda Jones' engaging writing style make for a winning combination, and I already can't wait for the next. I was thrilled to be able to read an ARC for this series, and read it whenever possible... and often when I should be doing something else... because it drew me in immediately. I read this as quickly as possible to get to the next scene, all while dreading when I'd be done with it because I didn't want it to end. I absolutely loved this book! I was inclined to because I love Darynda Jones and enjoyed her First Grave/Reaper series, but each series has potential to stand on its own merits. This one definitely has me hooked.

Sunshine Vicram is a force to be reckoned with. A Bad Day for Sunshine gave enough information about Sunshine to give context to the story while hinting at so much more to come. The cast of characters is both realistic and intriguing -- her parents and their influence on Sunshine getting elected as Sheriff; her daughter Auri who is so like her mother but is dealing with high school and her understanding of her past; Quincy, the best friend and lifetime friend; Levi, knight in shining armor with complications; Cruz, Auri's knight in Army jacket... So many more to mention and I want to know more about everyone. The series kicks off with the story of a missing child with ties to several characters. It's a mystery with a touch of paranormal, nods to the Charley Davidson series, humorous dialogue (seriously how I talk with my friends and kids), and so many more stories to tell. I can't wait for the next one and will strongly recommend.

Thanks for the opportunity to read this in advance and provide feedback. Darynda Jones hit the ball out of the park!

I received a free ARC ebook from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited when I got notice about the auto approval of this book was open for 48 hours and I scooped it right up. This sounded so right up my alley and I was right. This book made me laugh, wonder, cry even, worry, and so much more. I was sick so that is also part of why I gobbled the book up so quick but it was also an amazing ready that was just so easy to dive into.

I loved Sunshine, I loved her parents, her daughter, and her co-worker, and wooooo someone cool me off about Levi. He is gonna cause some steam up in here soon I bet. I cannot wait to get into the series. I love that there is action, real life stuff, not just with her but with her daughter. But you also get a ton of laughs at the same time. She channels her inner 'Stephanie Plum' to me or at least the town does lol.

I cannot wait to read more! It is going to be a long wait.

Review of uncorrected digital galley

Sunshine Vicram, the newly-elected sheriff of Del Sol, New Mexico, has her hands full on this, her first on-duty day. There’s a kidnapper, a stolen prized rooster, a missing teenage girl, and a boatload of angst courtesy of her daughter’s high school classmates.

Filled with the author’s trademark snarky attitudes and witty come-backs, the story is less about plot [of which there is very little] and more about characters [of which there are a great many]. The vivid descriptions of the town and its weather provide a strong sense of place that serves to anchor the narrative.

The missing teen is, ostensibly, the primary focus of the plot; a plethora of sub-plots . . . including the rooster, the eyeliner, the mayor and the Dangerous Daughters, and an unrequited, not-so-secret love . . . have a place in the telling of this tale but too many of them remain unsettled at the end of the story. A stronger focus on the plot could have resolved this for the majority of these scenarios and provided some satisfactory answers for readers.

The downsides . . . .
There is such a thing as too much snarky wisecracking. And the unnecessary overuse of a particularly offensive expletive is demeaning [and lowers the rating for the book].

A couple of mystifying glitches interrupt the smooth flow of the narrative. First, there’s a character in jail, locked in his cell. Suddenly he’s grabbing a rifle from the back of the sheriff’s cruiser. Huh? At the very least, the telling of the tale needs the cell door to be unlocked.

Then there’s the gravely injured teenager who stumbles into urgent care. Following emergency surgery for multiple stab wounds, he simply walks out of the hospital. And in this tiny, little town where everyone knows everyone else, no one knows who he is because he gave a fake name? What?

The thing most likely to frustrate readers of “A Bad Day for Sunshine" is that so many questions remain unanswered. But the failure of the author to deal with the mystery that serves as the elephant in the room throughout the entire narrative is far more problematic. Given that it is the underlying theme for the entire story, leaving it as a cliffhanger for the next book in the series is a disservice to everyone reading this book.

Del Sol, New Mexico is a microcosm of craziness, depending primarily on the antics of its citizens to carry their unfolding stories. Since the characters are so interesting, this works passably well and leads to several sweet moments. But it does little to invest the reader in the story. That said, the subplot with the forever-absent Lieutenant Bobby Britton plays out perfectly and is one of the highlights of the narrative.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press and Net Galley
#ABadDayForSunshine #NetGalley

First, Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press for providing A Bad Day for Sunshine in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the Charley Davidson series but admit that I only made it through book 6 before I moved on to something else. I enjoyed all of the books and Darynda Jones writing style but lost interest after a while. That said, when I saw a new book was available, I rushed to NetGalley for a chance to read it.
I knew nothing about the story going in and it was a new experience for me. I generally read reviews and know what I’m in for before I start. BUT overall, I enjoyed the read. I love a mystery and although this one was filled with a lot of mysteries that were left open ended, I enjoyed the world-building and introduction to the new characters. The book felt more like a preview than a full novel, but I had fun and read it in less than 2 days.
What I enjoyed: The characters. Sunshine and her daughter Auri, who is a freshman in high school are great narrators and their banter is fun to read. Sunshine and her daughter return to the small-town Sunshine grew up in after her parents some how get her elected as sheriff (strange but I decided to go with it). Sunshine isn’t sure she wants to be back because something bad happened to her when she was 17. That something leads to a load of questions. I will say there were a number of clues into 1 mystery (too spoiler to get into) that I question why it’s a mystery to begin with, that said I’m very eager to see how that mystery plays out because I honestly don’t see it.
The big mystery is a missing girl. While trying to solve that, 4 million other things come up and for me that was the frustrating part of the story. I felt like we were given SO much info that we couldn’t focus on the important stuff. WE have the main mystery, we have the Sunshine mystery of what happened when she was younger, then we have the “how did she get elected”, what’s going on with the Mayor and the ex-sheriff, the rooster, the Ravinder family, the book club, the Daughters, I honestly don’t know if that is everything. Like I said, there was a LOT going on. Oh, the eye liner thing that totally threw me. I like backstory but this was jam packed and maybe too much.
There are some great characters besides Sunshine and Auri. Quincy, Sunshine’s bff (I can’t decide if he’s into her or not), grandma and grandpa (great support system for Sunshine & Auri) Jimmy (sweet kid), Cruz and his dad are just fun, Zee (is a bad ass) and then you have Hailey and Levi (there are a ton more characters). Let’s talk about Levi, I don’t know if I’m getting too old for bad boys who treat women badly or what, but I was so frustrated with Levi’s bullshit. Get over yourself dude. If you have a problem with Sunshine then tell her because you’re hot and cold attitude is what I expect from a 12-year-old, not a grown man. I am interested to see where that relationship goes AND I really hope that Sunshine and Quincy have a 100% platonic relationship because it would be so great to read!

I will 100% check out any book Jones writes. I just love her sarcastic, witty dialogue and love for all things food/coffee. And I enjoy mysteries. I will keep an eye out for another one of these.

Ladies and gentlemen, the one and only Darynda Jones did it again! After her last series, I thought to myself "how can I live in a world without Charley and co?"... Well, I can by reading A BAD DAY FOR SUNSHINE!

The plot is interesting, the pace of the book is awesome, since it kinda reminds me of how the world is slowing down while you're pumped up on caffeine, and the characters are all so easy to fall in love with!
Not only are the mysteries keeping you on your toes, but the sheer sassiness, the snarkiness and all the other 'ness' you can think of are reunited in this wonderful first book. And let's not forget the shoutouts from her past series, which seems to be set in the same world... Sorta.

I can't wait for the next one, some questions need answers and quick (pleaaaaaase!!!!). I definitely recommand A BAD DAY FOR SUNSHINE to all my grimlets and more! ;)

If you liked the Charlie Davidson books, you'll like this. Here we have Sunshine and her daughter Auri having just moved to Sun's hometown, after being elected sheriff for her first day on the job. She doesn't know how she was elected since she never tried to win that election, but here we are. For a first day on the job it is a dozie, missing children, stolen rooster and being mom to a new high schooler. We meet many characters who all carry their own stories. We also get to know her daughter, Auri, and a good assortment of people in her life. There are two separate story lines running and the interconnect many times which I enjoyed. With a sense of humor, and little snark it's a good mystery to some extent. This takes place over three days, most story lines are wound up, just the overlaying mystery of what happened to Sunshine when she was seventeen still has a way to go. Looking forward to the book in this new series. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced ARC

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, and honestly I’m not sure what to say about the book or what to rate it — probably somewhere between 3 & 4 stars, so 3.5? It’s certainly not bad, but it’s not as good as I’d hoped it would be. I really enjoyed the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones, so I definitely wanted to read this one. However, that may be a drawback because it felt so similar to the other series and I was hoping for something fresh. There was A LOT going in this book too that seemed a bit unnecessary and confusing at times. It was still very entertaining, definitely kept my attention and kept me guessing. And I still want to read the next one to see what happens!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, the publisher, and everyone else involved for letting read this advanced copy!

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE THIS NEW SERIES.

you're always hesitant to read an author after they end one of your favorite series.

New series doesn't disappoint - star crossed lovers, goofy best friend, snappy repartee between mom and teenage girl, THREE mysteries and only TWO are resolved.

One sentence... whose your daddy?

Looking forward to the sequel!

Very good mystery, lots of red herrings kept me changing my mind and really thinking it all through trying to keep on the right track. Warning, it is book #1 in a series and you'll definitely want book #2.

I am a huge Darynda Jones fan, so when I saw her name as the author, I jumped on this opportunity to read this NetGalley ARC.

Though the are some similar relationships (a mother, her smart and savvy daughter, and a distinct hottie), this book is a huge departure from her Charley Davidson series, though it is also just as full of suspense, and twists and turns, and all-out laughter as you have come to expect from Ms. Jones. Sprinkled through the text are some of the best fiction lines I have ever read in my life!

I had some "what I thought were good guesses" as I read, most of which were blown out of the water in spectacular fashion. When I thought there was something so obvious that it couldn't be missed, but was, it turned out that there was a darned good reason for it!

If you're a Darynda Jones fan (as you should be), I wouldn't pay too much attention to those who think this book is a disappointment. I had two other ARCs with reading deadlines in-hand before I got "Sunshine," and opening Sunshine made me completely forget about the other two.

The only thing that consistently bothered me was the non-graphic way Jones switched points of view within a chapter. With no line feed separation spacing, no graphic (***, or ---------------------, or +++++++++++, or anything whatsoever) separation, no nothing, just the next line not indented introducing what could easily have been a completely new chapter, in some case, and was just switching back to the other POV. Your brain does a double-take and comes to a complete halt, every single time. The layout needs work.

Since this book has yet to be released, Amazon won't let me leave a review. As soon as the book comes out, I'll be there so doing.