3.5 Stars

Sunshine Vicram knew that moving back home to Del Sol, NM was going to be an adjustment for her and her daughter, Aurora. But she also wasn't quite expecting just how fast she would be diving right back in to all of the craziness that Del Sol has to offer.

From her surprise "election" as the newest sheriff, which results in the nuttiest first day on a job... EVER, to her embarrassingly obvious crush on Levi Ravinder, Sunshine is quickly reminded of all she left behind... and the memories that she can never quite decipher...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Bad Day for Sunshine was the suspenseful and hilarious introduction to the new Sunshine Vicram series, which features a brilliant and vivacious sheriff who has a knack for solving the toughest of cases. And when the quirky town of Del Sol, New Mexico welcomes her back with open arms, the hijinks and mysteries can not be stopped...

Sunshine was such an interesting character, who held many secrets that are slowly starting to unravel. I loved her sharp brain, her relationship with her daughter, and her devotion to her family. But, I definitely wanted much MORE from her encounters with the mysterious Levi.

The plot was engaging and fun, and the hilarious and heart pounding cases that were soon piled onto Sunshine's shoulders were incredibly compelling. The incomparable characters from Del Sol were a riot, and you know... I also need MORE LEVI. This book was definitely light on the romance and focused on more of Sunshine and her law enforcement aptitude, but I dare you not to get hooked on Sunshine and her unforgettable experiences...

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

Sunshine Vicram becomes the new sheriff of Del Sol, New Mexico after her parents enter her in the election without her knowledge.
Working in the town she grew up in has its perks and drawbacks. She gets to work alongside her best friend Deputy Quincy Cooper, but Mayor Donna Lomas is not a fan. She intends to look into the election process to find out how Sunshine won.
Her teenage daughter Auri is branded a narc before she even sets foot on her new high school campus after the police raided a summer party and confiscated the booze.
Luckily, a cool guy names Cruz seems to be interested in her despite her reputation.
When high school girl Sybil goes missing and an escaped fugitive is seen in town, Sunshine has her hands full on her first day of work.
To complicate matters further, her childhood crush, the gorgeous moonshiner Levi Ravinder, is searching for his missing autistic nephew Jimmy.
This was a light hearted and entertaining mystery. With amusing, quirky and offbeat characters and lots of action and romance.
The first of what promises to be a lively series!
Thank you St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

When I heard that Darynda was writing a new series, I admit I was a little nervous. Would I like this new series, with no paranormal, no Chuck, no Reyes? Would it be like a Charley 2.0, only with boring, mundane humans instead of demons and celestial beings? I’m pleased to say I needn’t have worried — not only is A Bad Day for Sunshine a fantastic first entry in a promising new series, but Sunshine and Quincy and Auri are all very much their own characters and certainly won’t draw comparisons to Chuck and crew.

The story starts out with Sun and Auri relocating to Sunshine’s hometown as the new sheriff. Circumstances surrounding the election which landed her the job are, uh, ahem, a little sketchy, but that doesn’t stop Sun from jumping right into the position. Though it does help that there’s a crime that takes place almost as soon as she walks through the door of her office. A teen is missing and Sun and her team are trying like mad to find her before it’s too late.

There was so much to like about this first installment, but my particular favorite aspect has to be the relationships Sun has with both her daughter and her best friend/partner, Quincy. Auri was a delightful 14 year old and I loved how the book also focuses on her trying to navigate a new school, a new life, a blossoming relationship all while trying to survive being not only the new kid, but the new kid who probably narcs on everyone because her mom is the sheriff. Auri gets bullied quite a bit in this story, and I loved how her family and friends were there to support her and have her back.

There were several mysteries to be had with this first installment, and I particularly liked how Sunshine couldn’t fully remember her past and the events and circumstances that drove her away from her hometown in the first place. Little by little her memories come back until the big, heartbreaking, ugly picture was revealed. Her strength and her resiliency made her such a dynamic character, and certainly one of my new favorite fictional ladies. There’s also a hint of romance between a certain broody, dark male and Sunshine and I can’t wait to see how that plays out. Jones is a master with the dark and broody male (hello, Reyes), and I’m so glad she’s given us a new one to fawn over.

Bottom line — A Bad Day for Sunshine is a fantastic first entry in a new and fun mystery series. Highly recommended, and if you’re a fan of Darynda’s Charley Davidson series, there are a few surprises in this book that you’ll enjoy finding.

*eARC received via NetGalley.

I am a tremendous fan of Darynda Jones. Having read her Charlie Davidson series, I was eager to dive in, and she did not disappoint. Sunshine Vicram is the new sheriff in her hometown of Del Sol, New Mexico.

Sunshine is a fun lead. She is sassy, intelligent, and hilarious. Her initial days on the job are portrayed with endearing lightheartedness, and drama when appropriate. Conflicts in Del Sol, at times, have an otherworldly edge which the entire cast takes in stride. No disbelief or arguing the logic, the cast accepts it and does what is necessary. A deeper mystery is at play here as well, one that I cannot wait to experience in more novels.

If you have read Charlie Davidson, you will love Sunshine. If you haven't, but like a good crime mystery with humor and heart, you should give A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones a try.

Overall, tries to be too many things at once. There are plenty of characters and plenty of witty banter. Multiple mysteries are at stake including the abduction years ago of the current sheriff and the current abduction of a local tween girl. Then there is a rooster theft and an escaped convict. All in a day's work but a bit much to smoothly wrap up. A great cliff hanger ties it all up in somewhat neat little package. I liked the characters enough to read the next entry in the series a try.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

If you thought that Sunshine was just going to be another Charley, you were so wrong.
I loved the goofy situations that come up in the book, it is certainly recognizable as Jones' writing, I was thrilled that Sunshine is her own character.

What I did not like? The near YA thread that half the book takes following her daughter, Aurora. She cute and smart but I wasn't in the mood for angsty teen love. A bit of a buzz kill when there are other age appropriate hotties running around.

Pretty sure I see what is coming in the next installment.

Charley and I had love at first sight relationship (that had it's ups and downs) but Sunshine is going to have to work a little bit harder to win me over.
I will certainly be checking out the next installment.

Thanks Netgalley for showing me the love (in exchange for an honest review)

Full review on GoodReads; https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3166915752

I had a hard time getting into this book at first. Too Stephanie Plum-ish for my taste. But when I got to the last 1/3 of the book, I couldn't wait for the mysteries to be revealed (alas not all of them - there was the inevitable cliffhanger at the end which promises another book)

My main irritation with the book was how the narrative switched between characters with absolutely no warning. No separate chapters, no paragraphs, just one sentence with one character and the next sentence - boom - a different character. It was very distracting.

Overall, a pretty entertaining book

Emotionally thrilling, sexy, fun and action packed adventure filled with intriguing and engaging charters, witty and memorable dialog, heart racing twists, unexpected turns and an exciting journey! Really loved this story.

I loved the Charley Davidson series, and I was so sad to see it end, and SO glad that Darynda Jones is starting another series. And now I'm even happier - I loved this book just as much as (and maybe even more than) Charley. It was funny, had a good mystery, and fantastic characters all round. Sunshine isn't a copy of Charley either - she's great in her own right - smart, funny, and competent. I highly recommend this book - both to people who liked the Charley Davidson series and people who felt that Charley was too snarky.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for letting me read it!

I have been wanting to read a Darynda Jones novel for some time now, so when I saw the chance to grab this advanced review copy from NetGalley, I jumped all over it.

Sunshine Vicram is back in town after some shenanigans pulled by her parents, getting her elected as the sheriff of Del Sol, New Mexico, and supplying her with an adorable home for her and her daughter, Aurora.

Right off I liked Sunshine and Auri’s relationship, their verbal banter leads to some very humorous dialogue, and I could see there are some underlying problems.

Sunshine has a past that demands answers and she is going to find them
Auri has seemed a bit off since the New Year’s party she went to when they arrived.

Del Sol is a small town with all kinds of crazy going on. We have some unique, quirky, entertaining characters and lots of secrets surround them. There is a sense of mystery underlying every event that transpires and no one gives answers easily.

I enjoyed the beginning of the book, but began to wonder what all the hoopla was about Darynda Jones’ work. The fun writing and character’s personalities had me liking them and the undercurrent in town made me think there was danger coming, but where is that feeling that I can’t stop reading until I have all the answers? At 30%, I became more involved, but the verdict is still out.

At 62%, Darynda Jones got my attention with a twist and I even teared up thinking about Auri…and the rest of the pack. After this it moved quickly. I know how this will end, but the last third of the book is what made it all worthwhile, keeping me glued to the pages.

Well…I love it and, even though this story is told, I am sure there is more to come for these fabulous characters and I hope to be there with them.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of A Bad Day For Sunshine by Darynda Jones.

A Bad Day for Sunshine
A Novel
by Darynda Jones
St. Martin's Press
You Like Them
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 07 Apr 2020 | Archive Date 07 Apr 2020

Great mystery! Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the ARC. It is #1 in a series and you will want to read #2.

The author of the paranormal Charley Davidson mysteries begins a new comic and romantic mystery series with A Bad Day for Sunshine.

Sunshine is the name of the Sheriff of tiny Del Sol, New Mexico. Del Sol is her hometown that she left at seventeen after a tragic incident. Now, on her first day of work, a teen, Sybil, has been kidnapped. Sun, along with her daughter Auri, must find her before it’s too late.

Wow, I really enjoyed this new light-hearted but intriguing mystery. Not as zany as Stephanie Plum in her heyday but definitely better than Stephanie now, Sunshine has a witty outlook on life. Plus, with two and a half hunky men in her life (I’m giving childhood BFF Quincy partial credit), no wonder Sun is always cracking jokes. The mystery at the heart of this tale is just complex enough to keep your attention. But the characters will make me come back for book two. 4 stars for A Bad Day for Sunshine.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the quirky characters in this book. I thought it was interesting how the events in the book were interspersed with humor so as not to bring the content down. I look forward to the next one in the series. I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

Jones created a fun, new small-town with a group of madcap characters, and a favorite heroine. I was hooked from the beginning and enjoyed meeting every one. The biggest question is how long do we have to wait to hang out with this zany cast of characters again?

Sunshine Vicram is the new Sheriff of Del Sol. As she starts her first day, a kidnapping has occurred which leads to another missing person and the discovery of a long dead body. As Sunshine works to solve these crimes, along with her deputies and her own curious daughter, Auri, she finds clues to her own unsolved mystery from 15 years ago. Can she determine who is behind the crimes before she ends up as another victim?

Full of laughs, action, and suspense, this page-turner kept me eager to read on and solve these mysteries! Sunshine is sassy, fearless, determined and imperfect. I loved her from the first page. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next installment!

This is a brand new series by the author. If you loved the Charley Series you’ll love Sunshine just as much! Sunshine ends up moving back to her town of Del Sol once she becomes sheriff even though she didn’t know she was a in the running for the position but her parents helped her out she’s not sure how they did it but wants to figure it out. Sunshine figures that this won’t be that bad because nothing really happens in Del Sol what could possibly go wrong?!? I really enjoyed this book and the author did amazing story as always.

I have an admission to make - I find it hard to focus in this new, weird world we live in. So if book can capture my attention and hold it, I cherish these moments. Darynda Jones's skill with words is effortless and I completely forgot what a genius she is. I adored her Charley Davidson series, in fact, it is one of my top three paranormal/UF series forever and ever. I was thrilled and excited to start A BAD DAY FOR SUNSHINE, the first in this brand new series.

Thick clouds soaked up the vibrant colors of daybreak and splashed them across the heavens like a manic artist who’d scored a new bottle of Adderall.

In it we meet Sunshine Vicram who reminds me a lot of Charley with her snarky sense of humor. But she isn't a carbon copy - Sun lacks the ADHD-like quality Charley has. She is rational, and loves her daughter with the fire of a thousand suns. Her relationships with Auri, her parents and bestie Quincy are something to aspire to. They are simple, easy, effortless and full of affection. After over a decade she moves back home as the new sheriff of Del Sol, New Mexico and not everyone is happy about that. While she's there she is determined to find her assailant, who abducted her and held her for days. However, she doesn't have access to her memories from that time so she's completely in the dark.

Much more complicated is Sun's relationship with Levi Ravinder, the man she fell in love with when they were kids. He and his family antagonized her so, admittedly, at first it's a little hard to see why Sun is so fascinated with him. But in that regard he is like this author's other hero Reyes. We get glimpses but haven't even scratched the surface, yet we see already the potential of him becoming just as beloved as Reyes is. He is enigmatic, charismatic, mysterious and a little dangerous. He screams bad boy with a heart of gold.

He was everything she’d ever craved. Every fantasy. Every lascivious thought. All wrapped up into one, powerful predator.

I love that we get a second point of view, which is not of the hero - no, it's Sun's daughter Auri's who is her mini-me, a super-smart cookie with so much kindness and love in her, she's simply amazing. Watching her fall in love with her schoolmate Cruz was one of my highlights in this first book - this wonderful guy who is a bit of a loner, deserves a sweet girl like Auri.

“How bad was it?”
“What?”
“The teasing.”
Auri wilted. “Not bad. I’ll probably never live it down, and I’ll need a lot of therapy, but all in all, not bad.”
Sun nodded, wondering how she of all people raised such a horrible liar.

The superbly done and I was pretty surprised in the end. There are several different story arcs running parallel but I was never overwhelmed or confused - that's how clever Darynda Jones's writing is. After finishing A BAD DAY FOR SUNSHINE we'll all have theories about the tragedy that happened to Sun, and Levi's role in it. The author steers us in this direction but I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't get whiplash from the twist, once it's revealed.

Don't make the mistake of comparing the Sunshine Vicram series with Charley Davidson and expecting the same all over again. They are fundamentally different (although there is an Easter egg hidden in there that totally made my day) and you will have a much better reading experience if you read this without this particular expectation.

This book took me out of my head and gave me reprieve from the craziness we experience at the moment. I can't wait for the next installment - I'm already deeply in love wit these characters and completely invested. This series is a breath of fresh air, full of wit, suspense and light angst. Definitely an auto-read.

“The mayor would like you to call her with an update.”
“Oh, okay, can you take down a message for when she calls back?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She made sure her badge was securely fastened to her belt, then said, “Okay, it’s three sentences.”
Anita nodded, pen at the ready.
“Bite. My. Ass.” The poor girl actually wrote down all three words before looking at her questioningly. “I know it’s a bit cryptic, but she’ll figure it out.”

This book captivated me right from the beginning. The title character and the writer’s style convinced me that I would really like this book. I’m guessing that’s why I had a sleepless night, but it was well worth it. I was pleased to find out that this is the first book in a new series – I will get the next book as soon as it is available. Sunshine comes back to her hometown after a long absence, having won the election for sheriff. Very surprising to her as she didn’t even know she was running! She also is trying to solve the mystery of who attacked her years ago. The town and the characters are somewhat quirky. She has a teenage daughter who takes after her and is very interested in solving crimes. She also has a romantic interest from years ago. What else do you need in a book??? I’m now impatiently waiting for the next book in the series!

Also reviewed on B&N and kobo

Popular author Darynda Jones has published the first volume in a new series. The series, titled
Sunshine Vicram, is a rural police procedural set in the fictitious town of Del Sol. "A town full of sunshine, fresh air and friendly faces. (Barring three of four old grouches.)"
Del Sol has a new sheriff in town, which is odd, as Sunshine Vicram, our hero, does not remember running for office. She and her daughter, Auri -- short for Aurora live on property owned by Sunshine's parents. It is the first day on the job for Sunshine, and the first day at the high school for Auri. The reader sits on the edge of their seat wondering if they will make it through.

Jones writes non stop action bolstered with snappy dialog that is often hilarious. The same is true for the inner monologues. In this book, we only know the inner monologue for Sunshine and Auri.
Jones is a master plot smith. Layers of characters, completing layers of actions all knit together. At times, a reader might have trouble keeping the large cast in mind. However as the series grows each person will become more well know.

Jones' is best known for her paranormal grave series. She has moved her setting from the paranormal places to one where things are always just a bit "off". Her love of describing really 'hot' men and women remains. In the uncertain times we are experiencing Jones new series offers a welcome diversion.

Full disclosure: I received this ARC from netgalley and Macmillan in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for the opportunity, (less)

My first by this author and I really liked it.

The characters, Sunshine and Auri are wonderful and you will love them.
The mystery is well developed and will keep you turning pages to the end.
I look forward to more books by this author.
A must read.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my review.
A big 4 stars and high recommend from me.