Loved the humor. Some of it was over the top, but overall quite entertaining. Lots of fun, but some serious, heartwarming and heartbreaking moments. Will there be a third book? I hope so. I do skip over the foul language and intimate details, but the story amused me and kept me engaged.

Normally, this type of book is right up my alley but I cannot get into this particular book. The female main character seems solid and perhaps I would like her in a different setting. The author is popular so I will try again at a later date. DNF

A Good Day for Chardonnay is the second in a new series by author Darynda Jones, featuring Sunshine Vicram, a thirty-something woman who is the sheriff in a small town in northern New Mexico. I have not read the first in the series but Jones does a good job of filling in the backstory so I never felt lost. While this is a mystery/thriller, it read more like a funny cozy mystery for much of the book. The writing style reminded me a bit of the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich, which is funny in itself because the audiobook narrator, Lorelei King, narrates a lot of those books too! There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments but the story itself is a serious one and fairly complex, with a number of different interlocking crimes, including a cold case of several missing persons and untangling the story of Sunshine’s own abduction when she was a teenager. Her feisty teenage daughter, Aurora, figures into the story in a big way.

Ultimately, while an enjoyable read, I didn’t find the characters compelling enough to seek out the first book in the series or plan to read any future books. "Too many books, too little time."

I switched off between the ebook and the audiobook, so thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read/listen to an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Warning - references to teen abduction/kidnapping and rape

My only complaint is that the third isn’t out already!!! If I could give this book 10 stars I would! I have always loved Darynda Jones’s novels but this new series takes the cake! I couldn’t put it down! Sunshine and Auri made me laugh non stop and I couldn’t put the book down. I listened to the first one on audio, and I will say it helped to have Lorelei King’s voice in my head when I was reading. I loved all the characters, from silent and angry Levi, to handsome and funny Quincy. I enjoy how Sunshine took the bull by the horns and embraced her new position, even though she didn’t ask for it. I also appreciated the delicate balance between her ethics and making stuff happen. I am anxiously counting the days until number 3 is out (which is saying something because two hasn’t officially come out!)

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

I’m just going to come right out and say it-this second outing in the Sunshine Vicram was even better than the first simply because I was NOT expecting the level of emotion caused by this book! I rely on Darynda’s writing for humor and snark with a side of heart and this time it came with a big old sucker punch of sadness. There were two points where I cried big, ugly snotty tears and they both involved a certain character who is not Sun or Levi. (That’s as much as I am going to say becaise I do not want to give anything away!)

For readers that don’t care for angst, there is also a LOT of humor starting with Sun’s blind date with a pest control entrepreneur followed by her BFF Quincy’s battles with Randy the raccoon. Since all of Sun’s relationships are a potential source of levity, especially with Auri and her parents, I can safely guarantee there will be more laughs than tears! All in Del Sol is not light however, the big question spilling over from the first novel is what is the truth behind Sun’s abduction as a teenager and her daughter Auri’s father? Was Levi’s uncle Kubrick working alone, or was there another Ravinder involved? How does Levi fit in and what exactly does he know? I can assure you that we actually get some of the answers in this book, but there are always more mysteries to be found when Sun is involved!

First Levi is injured at the Roadhouse Bar and Grill going to the aid of an old friend who is somehow connected to an old case of a kidnapped boy Sun had never been able to solve. Then Auri and her friends Sybil and Cruz throw themselves into an investigation of an old series of missing person cases, plus toss in a hitman and a secret cabal responsible for running the town…one thing you can be sure of is that a sheriff’s work is never done in Del Sol! (Especially a sheriff who still has no idea why her parents schemed to get her elected, and whose best friend iis hiding a big secret from her!)

Darynda deftly weaves the many plot points and a large cast of secondary characters into an entertaining and at times heartwrenching tale that is sure to please her longtime fans and hopefully bring in new ones. (Definitely read ‘A Bad Day for Sunshine’ first!!) A third in the series has not been announced yet, but there absolutely has to be one because there is more we need to know about the residents of this quirky town!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the chance to read this early!!

I reviewed this title for Mystery Scene Magazine be sure to see my full review in the fall issue of the magazine

I always look forward to Darynda Jones books. I know that I will get to laugh (possibly out loud drawing strange looks from those around me). I know there will be plenty of sass and a good dose of hotness. She has long been one of my favorite authors. With her latest installment of the Sunshine Vicram series, she absolutely does not disappoint.

I love the characters in this series. Each personality is well thought out and the main cast of characters complement each other in such a way that I would love to be a part of their world. They draw you in and keep you firmly with them until the last word. I love the witty interactions that lace the more serious storylines. I love the way that this multi-faceted story is so expertly woven together that I could not put it down because I needed to know what was going to happen next.

I completely loved this book. Along with the humor and mystery, there were a few tears involved as well. I cannot wait until the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC to read and review.

A Good Day for Chardonnay is the second book in Darynda Jones' Sunshine Vicram series. Here and happy to report that the things I found to be an issue in book 1 weren't in book 2. I have to admit, I have fallen in love with this series way quicker than I expected to after the first book. I devoured this one and that ending! Left me ecstatic for the next book.

It might be because it's book 2, and I've already been introduced to the characters, but Sunshine, her daughter Auri and all the side characters were wonderful to be back with. The sarcastic banter between Sunshine and Auri was endlessly entertaining. So was her relationship with her best friend Quincy. I was happy to be able to get to know Levi's character more, I sure do like him and was so happy him and Sunshine finally had a break through between them by the end.

In A Good Day for Chardonnay, Sunshine has a case that the man she loves has tangled himself in, a blind date she has to dodge, a break in a cold case that never left her, and a daughter who keeps finding herself in trouble, on top of all that her memories from the time she was abducted 15 years ago are starting to resurface. I know that seems like a lot, and it is, but it all blended together smoothly. Where the last book left us with so many unanswered questions, this one answered most of them and left me satisfied.

This is such a fun book! It has everything: mystery, romance, heat, laughs, it does a lot and it does it well. A Good Day for Chardonnay is the second in a series and, even though it's probably best read in that order, the author does a good job integrating the background so anyone jumping in here won't be lost. I read this first book and was a bit lost at the time with all the characters, but now I want to go back to it because book 2 really gripped me. I love quirky, original book with a big heart. This one is exactly that. It's a little weird, even campy, but in all that funny strangeness, the characters are tremendously likable and say to relate to. The mystery keeps the pages turning, and the romance is spot on, not set aside even with everything else going on. Even though I'm not usually one to commit to a series, Sunshine, Auri, Levi, Cruz and this entire town have me hooked.


I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sheriff Sunshine’s latest case has ties to an unsolved case from her rookie days that still haunts her. Meanwhile, her daughter Aurora investigates a townsperson who she believes is a serial killer. The mayor offers Sunshine an ultimatum as to finding the identities of the members of a secret society, and Sunshine uncovers new information regarding the events surrounding her abduction as a teen. The book has a strong romantic subplot that involves three very different suitors along with the laugh out loud humor and quirky characters that have become Jones’s signature.

While the novel is jam packed with mysteries, Jones seamlessly balances them in such a way that all are full developed and have interconnecting elements. This installment works well as a standalone. Just enough information about the world is given to get new readers up to speed and refresh the memories of fans without slowing things down. As I mentioned earlier, Jones is known for creating humorous characters and situations, however, the book has plenty of heart.

I can’t wait to see what goodies Jones has in store for future books in the series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group, for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

Rarely do I read a feel good book but sometimes I just need to feel human again and have a few giggles and this author totally comes through for me.

I fell in love with Sunshine Vicram and her quirky little town when I read A Bad Day for Sunshine and now I cannot get enough of this series. And Levi 😍🔥.
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A Good Day for Chardonnay is the second book but can be read as a stand alone, but I would recommend reading the first book to get the complete back story on all of the characters. This book has everything!!! Mystery, romance, witty humour and banter and characters which you will love. Is it cheesy at times? Absolutely, but it’s all part of the charm. I can’t wait for the next book!! 4.5⭐️

Darynda Jones at her finest - yet again! Filled with mystery, humour, and loads of sexy Levi. What's not to love??

Darynda Jones hit another one out of the park. The new Sunshine book had everything you come to expect from Darynda, mystery, witty comebacks, secret love interest, and many twists and turns. When one of her past cases comes back she not sure that she really sees what she is seeing. A bar fight leaves one in the hospital and Levi with major injuries that he refuses to take care of. The search is on for the boy that has been seeing with Kevin who is now in the hospital. When Sunshine sees his image in the security video she knows that it is one of the cases that she wasn't able to solve before she moved back home. Now she trying to put the pieces together of the kidnapping and also trying to keep Levi and her daughter safe. As the book goes on Sunshines starts having flashbacks from when she was kidnapped when she was younger. She is slowly putting the pieces together of what happened to her and who killed her abductor. I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book.

Giggles, gasps, heart palpitations, tears, anxious, sleepless, happiness, sorrow, and absolute love, those are some of the feels I got from this book. I couldn’t have loved it more. You’ll need tissues boxes, coffee, pints of ice cream, and face cream to keep those laugh lines to a minimum.
Sunshine doesn’t get to sit down much in this book. The mayor is on top of her, her daughter is like her (LOL), her parents are setting her up on blind dates, the town has been getting stabby, strangers in town, bodies and the past is creeping back. Her time with relaxing with a glass of chardonnay and a good book are only a dream.
Darynda Jones writes characters that I want to be BFF’s with. I never miss a book written by her. I really relate to them and like them. Sunshine, Levi, Auri and Cruz, and the supporting cast of perfection, all so fun.

This is the second installment in the Sunshine Vicram series, and I thought this book did a great job of keeping with the themes from the first. I will admit, the story line is a little slow to begin with, but suddenly you are fixated on the story and it will become a book you cannot put down! Some of the unknowns from the first book are answered in this installment, and we are left with some new questions at the end of the book. Will Sunshine and Levi ever get together... what about Auri, and hew new found father, how will this complicate her life? I think readers will enjoy getting the answers, but also being setup for a 3 book in the series1

While I'm much more of a whiskey gal than Chardonnay, I can say that I drank this one up and could not put it down!

Sunshine Vicray is back with more adventures, continued interactions with a raccoon, and a daughter that is just like her!

Auri takes after her mom, and when she finds a box of newspaper clippings in her grandparent's attic, she goes off on an adventure with her BF to find the truth. What she doesn't know is that she's about to stumble upon a mystery that leads her to drama and danger. All this happens when Sunshine is chasing an attacker, and finding that her first case of a kidnapping has just happened again with the sibling of the first missing child. At each turn, Levi is there.

This second in the series has more story to tell, and while unlike others with major unknown cliffhangers, this one left with an ending that absolutely leaves the story open to continue.

I'm a huge fan of Darynda Jones books, and this one was no different!

A Good Day for Chardonnay
Sunshine Vicram, Book 2

I Picked Up This Book Because: Because I have to!

Media Type: Digital ARC
Source: Netgalley
Dates Read: 4/8/21 - 4/24/21
Stars: 5 Stars

The Characters:

Sunshine Blaze Vicram:
Aurora “Auri” Dawn Vicram:
Levi Raviender, Cruz de los Santos, Quincy Cooper, Cyrus and Elaine Fryer(Sunshine’s parents)

The Story:

Too much happened in this book for me to try to summarize. So I’m going to say I love these characters. I dare say I love them almost as much as I love Charley, Reyes (who I think we see), Cookie, Uncle Bob, et al. I am happy to report that I was right about my prediction from the first book. I know I will be listening to the audiobook when it is published and maybe I’ll be able to string together some decent words for a review then but I’m excited about it like I haven’t read it yet.


The Random Thoughts:



Challenges:

TBR 20 in 21 - Newest on your TBR
Year of Smut 2021 - A book with food on the cover

Is there anything better than a good series with a hot male lead, a hilarious kind hearted but feisty heroine and a whole lot of mystery? I think not!

If there is one thing all of us Jones fans know, is that this woman can write and her leading characters are completely unforgettable. They are people you want to know and call friends and her mysteries are always ones you don't see coming.

This second installment in the Sunshine Vicram series was everything I was hoping for and so much more. I adored the first book but this one, went even further and I just couldn't get enough of it. And can we talk about that ending? Holy moly I want more!

This is one series all fans of the author should be rushing out to buy and read, it truly is just so much fun!!

I have read all books by the author's of this title, and this book did not disappoint. A Good Day for Chardonnay tells the story of a female sheriff in the southwestern part of the United States. Part mystery, part humorous, immensely readable, this book is perfect for an afternoon at the beach or time at home.

Where do I even start, except where the hell is the next one? Normally, I would be worried about a second book lacking what the first one brought. That does not describe what happened in A Good Day for Chardonnay, which was just as good if not better than the A Bad Day for Sunshine. This was a non-stop action mystery with just the right sort of funny that had me finishing it in one sitting. Well done, Darynda Jones, this one is a keeper. I've already preordered the hardcover so I can read it whenever I want, especially before the next one. At least I'm hoping for a next one.