Darynda Jones does it again! The magic she weaves into the second Sunshine Vicram novel outshines (pun intended) the first by a fraction. The story is much more everything; more thrilling, more dangerous, more spunky, more sexy, more sweet, more moving, more, more, more. The various subplots keep the story fresh and interesting while the major arcs maintain the reader enthralled. Can’t wait for the next installment!

Review: A Good Day For Chardonnay By: Darynda Jones

The Sisters are no strangers to Darynda Jones and her work. Several years ago we were in a reading funk after finishing an amazing paranormal series and feeling as if nothing we picked up lived up to our expectations. We saw Darynda Jones recommended multiple times in several reading groups and knew we had to give her a try. Fans of her Charley Davidson series won’t be surprised to hear that we were immediately hooked, and thus our obsession with author Darynda Jones came to be.


Initial Thoughts/Expectations:
We loved the first book in the Sunshine Vicram series, A Bad Day for Sunshine, and were beyond excited for the chance to review A Good Day For Chardonnay. We dove into the second book in the series expecting plenty of action, laugh out loud small-town antics, and answers to bring Sunshine (and us) closer to figuring out what happened during her abduction all those years ago. The first book left us with a myriad of unanswered questions and there’s nothing the Sisters enjoy more than a good mystery to unravel!

What We Loved:

There’s nothing better, in our metaphorical book, than a quirky small town - and Del Sol, with it’s over-the-top residents, fully fits the bill. All fictional cities should have a sweet old lady that confesses to every crime in town with one wild story after the next and a well-meaning neighbor that drops off cursed muffins. They never let Sunshine have a break and certainly keep the story entertaining. We fell in love all over again with the large cast of eccentric characters that pop up, usually at the worst times. Another interesting facet of the Sunshine Vicram series is how Darynda Jones takes the idyllic small-town theme and exposes the seedy underbelly, the behind-the-scenes of what really happens in these rural places when power and money attempt to supersede the law. The juxtaposition of having the mostly harmless, cooky residents running around wreaking havoc, while those that pose the most real threat of harm were making quiet moves in the background was jarring and kept us on edge. It’s all fun and games until it isn’t, and the threat to Sun and the gang just kept building.

The banter between the characters in Del Sol is what brings the reader back and makes it hard to put the book down. Tangents are never not taken and no townsperson, including the mayor, is safe from becoming an innocent bystander in a Sunshine bit. If you are a fan of Gilmore Girls, you’ll be sure to find many phrases with the potential to knock “Oy with the poodles already” right out of first place! The book delivers the comfort of running gags and not-so-disguised innuendo that are returned to just when you let your guard down, along with some hilarious moments of discomfort - such as a relationship detour that leaves you simultaneously turned on and weirded out. Come for the banter and stay for the plethora of other plot points that occasionally get to be the center of attention.
One of the plot points that often fights to be front and center is the mystery that is at the very heart of everything. Darynda Jones is masterful at scripting a mystery that will have you begging for answers, knowing that for every one answer that is revealed, there will be many more questions and mysteries to arise. The mystery introduced in A Bad Day for Sunshine continues and a new, unrelated set of mysteries intertwines, to create one heck of a rollercoaster ride from page one to the very end. And this rollercoaster ends at the precipice of another coaster, leaving the reader holding their breath in anticipation for the drop that promises so much!
We would be remiss if we didn’t talk about some of the friendships/relationships that brought so much depth to this story, but seeing as how this is a series, we really can’t say too much without giving away spoilers. As Sunshine/Levi ‘shippers, we were thrilled to see them forced to work together again! Darynda does an amazing job of building in the tension and heat, always leaving you wanting more.

What We Didn’t Love:
Let us preface this section by stating that we were thoroughly entertained by A Good Day For Chardonnay and Auri was one of our top favorite characters. That being said, we wish someone had given that sweet precocious girl a time out so she’d stop adding to the chaos that was running rampant in Del Sol. She’s the daughter of Sunshine Vicram, so we utterly understood her dogged persistence when it came to investigating if there had been a serial killer in their town all these years, but by the end of the book our nerves were frayed worrying about her! The kids being on their own side mission during the book was a great addition to the overall story, though, and just like every other adult Auri comes across, we just can’t seem to NOT love her.

Final Thoughts:
Crystal: I have previously gotten my Darynda Jones fix solely through audio narration including A Bad Day for Sunshine. Lorelei King does an amazing job narrating both the Charley Davidson Series and the Sunshine Vicram series and it amazed me how much I heard her voice as I read this second book in the series. Having read this book before audio was an option, I learned that there is definitely a different experience reading it versus listening to it. I had to put the book down so many times to regain my composure from laughing like a loon - I don’t know how Lorelei King makes it through some of those scenes while remaining in character. I aspire to be as witty as the characters in this book! I can’t wait for the next book. I wonder where Mrs. Jones will take us, but I have no doubt the ride will be wild and worth the wait!!!

Amber: A Good Day for Chardonnay has everything I want and need in a book; Large cast and over the top characters, mysteries around every corner, and an unrequited romance theme that makes my heart ache and gives me hope all at the same time. It’s rare for a book to make me sob like a baby as well as literally laugh out loud, but Darynda Jones’ will do It to me every time. If you like a well-rounded story with heartfelt emotion, intense action scenes, and genuine humor you cannot go wrong with this series. Make sure to start with A Bad Day for Sunshine and enjoy the ride!

SCHEDULED FOR POST ON FUNKNFICTION.COM ON JULY 22, 2021

As soon as I finished writing my review for A Bad Day for Sunshine, I started reading A Good Day for Chardonnay and it did not disappoint! It still had me laughing, guessing, and flipping the pages because I needed answers and to know what else was going to happen. I loved it even more than the first book — it was simply amazing!

I just love these characters and this world so much and I know my love will only grow the more we get to see of them and I hope that we get just as much Sunshine Vicram and Co. as we did Charley Davidson. They’re fun, a little frustrating (I’m looking at you Mr. Levi Ravinder), smart, witty, entertaining, sweet, and just a bunch of gems — especially Cruz. Oh, I just love that kid so much — he’s wonderful, he’s completely stolen my heart and his poem at the end brought tears to my eyes and if I could rate it, I would give it six stars — it was phenomenal!

A Good Day for Chardonnay had those mysterious beats, but it wasn’t as drive-me-crazy as before. We got to spend more time with Levi, which I appreciate, even though that man makes me shake my head sometimes. This book got me all up in my feels, it broke my heart and made me cry at times, but it also warmed and melted me too. I enjoyed it so much and I can’t wait until I can read book three!

A perfect summer read! I love everything Darynda Jones writes and she is great at writing fulfilling sequels. This book did not disappoint.. The slow-burn romance is done masterfully and the side story with the daughter added depth and mystery.. Sunshine is a great main character and I hope to see more of her in this (hopefully very long) series!

Darynda Jones has penned a laugh-out-loud, action packed, suspense filled novel. Yes, all of that in one 416 page book. I must admit that the pages turned so fast that I didn't even realize it was a long book, so don't let that deter you from this gem.

Sunshine is in love with Levi and has been since they were in school together but she can't figure out if he is interested in her. Levi is playing it cool, maybe too cool, he is waiting for Sunshine to make a move. The side characters add dimension to the story. There is Sunshine's trouble-magnet, daughter Auri, her deputies Quincy, Rojas and Salazar, her loving, helpful parents and the entire dastardly Ravinder clan. There are several mysteries to be solved and they are all successfully tied up at the end. There are a few loose threads that I'm sure will be addressed in the next book in the series. Although this is a definite stand alone novel you really will be happier if you read the first book also (A BAD DAY FOR SUNSHINE) and then wait impatiently, like me, for the next book.

A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones was sooo good. I loved every second of the book. It ties up the story.. Sun, Levi, Auri and the rest of the group are funny, and lovely.

I hope there is book 3

Darynda Jones wields a wicked sense of humor when she writes the Sunshine Vicram adventures, and her writing invites chuckles, sometimes even laughing out loud.

For instance, in the first few pages of this book, Sheriff Sunshine Vicram gets a call while on a blind date. Deputy Cooper calls about a big guy out of control, so Sunshine instructs him to call for backup, get everyone there, and she is on her way. The big guy out of control is a crazy raccoon who manages to escape in all the confusion. When finally captured, Randy, the raccoon, resides in a cage in the sheriff's office, creating even more havoc.

On a more serious note, Sunshine finds herself dealing with a bar fight that ends with a stabbing, keeping her serial-killer investigating daughter out of trouble, and trying to figure out who kidnapped her years ago.

In this second Sunshine Vicram novel, Ms. Jones combines humor, suspense, and deftly drawn characters to create an entertaining and engaging story. And she begins each chapter quoting a sign from a local Del Sol business. An example:
At that awkward stage between birth and death?
We can help you through it!
--Sign at Del Sol Brokerage and Psychic Readings

Or this one for the cat lovers:
If you don't talk to your cat about catnip, who will?
--Sign at Del Sol Veterinary Center

Sunshine Vicram is back with the cast of characters that make up Del Sol, New Mexico, and she’s funnier than last time. This book is equal parts witty, intense, and emotional and they come to together in the best way! There is definitely a lot happening in this book but it was so good and makes me anxious to read the next. The sarcastic banter, the sweet moments between parent and child, and the promise of a deep romance alongside a few mysteries....this book had everything I like in a book. 5 stars from me.


Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins for the arc.

Book source ~ NetGalley

Sunshine Vicram is back home in Del Sol, New Mexico where she grew up. Except now she’s the Sheriff and she has no idea how she won the election when she didn’t even run. Ok, that’s not true. She believes her mom and dad had something to do with it, but she goes along with it so they don’t all get arrested for fraud. With her is her adorable mini-her, Aurora or Auri to her family and friends. While Auri sneaks around trying to solve a serial killer cold case Sunshine has a lot on her plate to deal with including a bad bar fight, a pesky raccoon, a hunk named Levi Ravinder who may or may not have info about her kidnapping so long ago, and an unsolved case from her early days as a detective. She’s going in all different directions, juggling all these plates, but somehow Sunshine manages to not drop a single one.

There’s so much going on! I always think: what in the hell is happening? How is all of this connected? There’s no way this is going to come out coherently. However, Darynda Jones always manages to pull all these different threads together by the end of the book and in a way that not only holds my attention, but entertains, too.

The mystery (or I should say mysteries) keep me guessing and the revelation at the end of the book is something I figured out in book 1, but having it confirmed is satisfying. The characters are awesome. There isn’t a terrible one in the whole lot. Ok, there are some I want to smack, some I hate, some that make me drool, some that make me laugh…well, you get the idea. It’s small town living brought to life in the pages. The plot seems like such a mess, but it’s really not. I promise. The pace is just right for all that’s going on. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more Sunshine and gang shenanigans to come.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was my first time reading a book written by Darynda Jones, and it's the only the beginning. I just loved the way she writes, it's nice and refreshing. I was hooked from the very beginning, and I had to cut on my hours of sleep because I wanted to keep on reading. The characters are a riot, and I had a marvelous time reading A Good Day for Chardonnay. The mystery (or should I say mysteries) is gripping, and it got the gears in my brain working quite a lot. And that's what I like. I laughed so many times, and I talked about this book to everyone I could. Also, there are no spoilers for the first entry in the series which is great since I plan on reading it. Thanks again, I had a jolly good time reading this book. I give it six stars on five!

A little busy with a lot of plots and twists but a great read nevertheless. In this installment Sunshine finally remembers what happened to her 15 years ago, Auri and her friends try to solve a string of murders that happened many years ago and Sun and Levi finally take their relationship to the next level. Throw a pest control stalker into the mix, a mischevious racoon and some hilarious dialogue and you got a winner.
Sometimes Sunshine acts like a teenager and gets overly emotional but it's a fun fast-paced read. I can't wait to see where her relationship with Levi will take her.

Jones has written a fantastic sequel following a fantastic debut. Fans of Stephanie Plum will find something here, sure. But they will also find so much more. Highly recommend this for some crime fiction with a side of giggles.

I loved this book! Reading it reminded me of how much I loved the first in the series. I hope there are more!
Sunshine and Levi have a very complex relationship starting in childhood. Quincy and Auri and the rest are complex as well. This author has a talent for creating great characters. Each of her characters are multidimensional, and very real.
This is also a great story, actually several good stories.
I won't summarize. I'm sure others have done that. I'll just say that this is a must read!

Downright fun to read! I read the first in the Sunshine Vicram series and enjoyed it so much that when I spotted this one I couldn't wait to read it. The main character is Sheriff Sunshine Vicram in a quirky little town in New Mexico. She's got a stabbing on her hands, her daughter Auri is secretly hunting a serial killer, the owner of a local distillery -who she lusts after, but may be involved in her kidnapping when she was younger, whew! Then there's the mayor's obsession with Sunshine tracking down a secret organization called the Dangerous Daughters who she purports may actually run the town.

I love the quirky characters. The raccoon caper broke me up, laughing out loud. So much fun to read! Can't wait for the next in the series and hoping it comes very soon!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

A worthy continuation of a popular new series
Breathe a sigh of relief, Darynda Jones fans; if you liked the first book in this light series about New Mexico smalltown sheriff Sunshine Vicram, you will love this one.
If you think that being sheriff of a small town in New Mexico would be an easy job, you have never been to Del Sol. Sunshine doesn’t mind a bit when her boring date with the pest control technician her parents fixed her up with is interrupted by an urgent call from her deputy to report that his home has been invaded by a marauding raccoon. Her relief is short-lived, though, when her next call is about a near-fatal stabbing during a fight outside a bar owned by the family of Levi Ravinder, the man she has secretly loved since she was a little girl. Levi himself has also been injured trying to intercede. The plot thickens further, and to add to the fun, Sunshine’s 15-year-old daughter Auri secretly recruits two of her friends to solve a series of murders that took place many years ago. The teens think the murders might be connected to an elderly lady who now makes a habit of coming forward to confess to every crime that occurs in town.
Del Sol has a reputation as a quirky town, and the book highlights this reputation with an enjoyable quote from a local sign at the beginning of each chapter. One of my favorites was from the local Church on the Rocks:” Sunday’s service will discuss which page of the Bible explains how to turn water into wine. Come early. Full house expected.” There is even a rumor that there is a secret cabal called the Dangerous Daughters that has been running things behind the scene for many years.
The thriller plot is very nicely done, with some clever twists just when you didn’t expect them, although some of the actions of the characters are a bit unlikely and require a fairly strong suspension of disbelief. There were times when I thought Sunshine had little more sense than her 15-year-old daughter. There are several prominent romantic elements and some explicit sex; readers who enjoy this ingredient in their mysteries will find a lot to like. To others, Sunshine’s behavior once more seemed to be more like what I might expect from a teen.
If you have not read A Bad Day for Sunshine, I suggest you read it first. This is a series in which the characters’ lives and relationships are as important as and often central to the mystery element, and you will want all the context.
I received an Advance Review Copy from Netgalley and the publisher.

A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones is the second book in the Sunshine Vicram mystery series and kept me glued to the pages. It's been a year since the first book, A Bad Day for Sunshine, was released and I've been craving this next installment and it didn't disappoint.

There is so much to like in this book - quirky characters, laugh-out-loud moments, answers to some of the mysteries from the first book, a new mystery that involved attempted murder, Levi being hurt but too stubborn to admit it (what's new?), snarky dialogue and some serious sexy times between Sunshine and Levi (FINALLY!). Ms. Jones' has developed these characters so well that I feel right at home in their world. Auri is definitely a "chip off of the old block" when it comes to investigating mysteries. Plot twists, multiple mysteries, developing relationships, a new Ravinder character who may or may not be a friend and laughter that kept the tone of the book from becoming too dark made this one of those books that I could not put down until I finished it.

This book - I was absolutely blown away. I have had books that I've re-read, but this A Good Day for Chardonnay is the very first book that I literally wanted to re-read immediately. The story stayed with me for days, my brain cycling through the details. The characters. Just everything.

Sunshine's relationship with Auri, and the conversations they have, remind me 100% of my relationship with my daughter. And her friendships with both Hailey and Quincy are so perfect that you can feel the love she has for them pouring from the pages of the book.

But it's the relationship between Sunshine and Levi that I can't stop thinking about. The two work together seamlessly. Always (okay, almost always) on the same page.

As Sunshine's memories slowly come back from her kidnapping and subsequent rescue, the entire town seems ready to confess to the murder of her abductor. As the threads of A Good Day for Chardonnay we're woven together, I was absolutely captivated by every detail. And waiting for the third book in the series will be pure torture. This is definitely a book that I will be diving back into, and I can hardly wait.

This book was an emotional roller coaster. I went from laughing out loud (several times) to sobbing equally loudly. It would be hard to summarize this plot because there were so many threads and so much happened in this story. The book blurb gives some hint of the variety of things that happen in the book but leaves out a lot too.

I loved the way the characters - especially Sunshine and her daughter Auri - interact. The characters from the old woman who confesses to every crime and the flasher who haunts the park and the guy in pest control Sunshine's parents set her up with for a blind day and who now won't stop texting her all add interest, humor, and mystery to the story. The chapter headings which are adds for various local business also provide a lot of humor.

I like the romance plots too. Auri's young first love sort of romance with Cruz was touching. And Sunshine's growing romance with Levi Ravinder was also really entertaining. I liked the friendships in the story too. Sunshine's best friend is her Chief Deputy and he is quite a character. In fact, all the deputies are unique characters.

I really, really enjoyed this story and hope that there is more to come in this series. There were plot threads left hanging. I want to know what happens next for these characters.

*3.5 stars rounded up. The further adventures of Sheriff Sunshine Vicram and her daughter Aurora. Fifteen-year-old Auri is hoping to follow in her mother's footsteps as an investigator and becomes convinced a little old lady is a serial killer so she enlists her two closest friends to help her prove it. Just one of a few occasionally silly plot lines in the second book in this series. It takes till about the 50% mark really before an intriguing mystery begins to unfold and some loose pieces in Sunshine's lost memories begin to tie together.

I would call this a rom-com with a little mystery thrown in. The characters are thoroughly likable though the sex scenes are perhaps a little too explicit for some tastes. Scenarios can feel repetitive and overly emotional. Do sheriffs usually emote this much?? I'll keep reading the series to find out what happens next in the Sunshine/Levi and Auri/Cruz relationships.

I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity.

Second in the series and full of over the top scenes that left me laughing so hard it was difficult to breath. I loved how everything came together as different scenes wove a complete picture. Sunshine just cannot catch a break but in the end it is a good day.