Sun Vicram is sherif in her hometown of Del Sol, New Mexico. She left after she had been abducted and went to college before settling in Santa Fe with her daughter. Between the memory loss from the trauma and some small memories that seep through at times, she wants to find who saved her all those years ago.

With a man stabbed outside the bar owned by the one man she has ever loved, Sun finds her team seeking the men who did it. As they get more information, they get more clues and some things that add more fuel to different fires, but yet all stem from the same case. Sun is seeking justice for the injured man, for her abduction, and for ghosts from her past…even if she can’t remember it all.

I just discovered the second book in this series and devoured it before reading the first. OH. MY. GOD. This author must be my long lost twin and we were separated at birth, because she has my sense of humor and engages the same way I do with my daughter. My favorite part? The sayings leading into each new chapter…most of them had me laughing out loud. DO NOT MISSS THIS SERIES!

Sunshine is back! If you loved book one, buckle up and enjoy the ride! The story was just like a rollercoaster-slowly building interest to a point of intensity and then careening to a new destination and just when you think you're near the end, there's another surprise.
I fell in love with Sunshine Vicram in the first installment of this series, and if you read book one you know we were left with SO MANY questions! AHH! The wait is over and quite a few answers are revealed while still leaving you wanting more.
This book has great dialogue and such fun characters. Sunshine's daughter and parents continue to keep her on her toes and of course these is the smoking chemistry between Sunshine and the town dark horse, Levi Ravinder.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy, All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the laugh out loud sequel in Darynda Jones’ new Sunshine Vicram Mystery series and it definitely does not disappoint. As it opens, Sunshine is called to a bar fight where a man is severely injured. When she arrives, she finds Levi Ravinder, her crush since basically forever, is there and also injured. In an attempt to get Levi to the doctor, Sunshine has him arrested, but he escapes and goes in search of the attackers.

A well plotted mystery and suspense story, Sunshine is trying to keep the injured man safe while learning wha someone with his extreme skills is doing in her town. Levi is determined to find the perpetrators first, and keeps eluding Sunshine’s attempts to keep him in one place.

As in the first book, Del Sol is best represented by its assortment of quirky characters including Sunshine’s parents who seem to have more patience than a saint, her daughter whose intentions are good but whose decisions are more like those of any young teenager, and Quincy, Sunshine’s hunky deputy sheriff who calls out the entire force to capture a marauding raccoon. Along with these characters there is the 83year old who confesses to every crime in town, including the bar fight and the baker who strikes fear in the hearts of all the entire sheriff’s department. Why? Because whenever she brings baked goods to the department, something bad always happens.

As in the first book, there is information here that relates back to the kidnapping of Sunshine when she was a teenager. An uncle of Levi’s insists on her visiting him in jail where he says if she can get him transferred to New Mexico he has information about Sunshine’s case that he will share. He also confesses to being the one who killed the suspected kidnapper, but that is still in doubt.

Finally, the Dangerous Daughters play a part in this novel as well. As far is known publicly, they are a secret group of women who have banded together to keep the town safe. The mayor is threatening Sunshine if she doesn’t discover just who is involved in this group. Since Sunshine thinks she is already not one of the mayor’s favorite people, she feels as if she is in a tough spot, made tougher by the insistence of the Ravinder uncle that he be paroled. What if that blows up in her face?

Everyone takes a turn in the hot seat, including Levi, Sunshine’s parent, Sunshine’s daughter, and, of course, Sunshine herself. The pace is lightning fast and the book is hard to put down. Be prepared to read at least “one more” chapter and maybe several “one mores” before you put it down to do whatever the world is calling you to do. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good mystery and good fun with characters who are both unique and well developed.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced copy of the book for this review. The opinions stated here are entirely my own.

Be prepared for more Sunshine Vicram in book 2 wherein she must deal with a person injured from a bar room fight that isn't what it seems, an old case that might be connected, her daughter Auri searching for a serial killer, a unruly raccoon, and investigating her own abduction as a teen, which seems to involve her perennial crush, Levi Ravender, somehow. And the mayor is still on her to figure out who the Dangerous Women are. Be warned though, this ends with a major emotional cliffhanger! I love Darynda Jones's work so much.

For fans of Janet Evanovich, Carolyn Haines, and TJ Klune.

I would follow these characters anywhere. They are engaging, amusing, compelling, and even better in their second outing. Jones writes a taught action tale, a good mystery, and great, complex, flawed characters. The somewhat juvenile mooning of the lead character over the object of her crush is appropriate. But the eventual sex-scene was a bit over the top for me. Other readers may rejoice. I look for further adventures of Sunshine Vicram, her friends, her family, her crazy town.

I thought that Darynda Jones couldn't top her Charlie series, but she has. The story still has the spunkiness and wit of her Charlie's series but I like this more because its about real people and not the supernatural. This is a sequel to," A Bad Day for Sunshine," that explains a lot about what happened to Sunshine one stormy night. There is also a very good plot about a missing boy, missing money and a friend of Levi who ends up in the hospital and reminds me never to go on a blind date. Oh and the book talks about who's involved in "The Dangerous Daughters," and its quite a story in itself. Just read the story and find out.
And like all her stories its like being on a rollercoaster, where your scared, excited, thrilled and can't wait to go on the ride again.

I want to Thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advance copy of this fun book.

I love it! This town is full of crazy and amusing.  So entertaining from the very first page. I love this author's way of writing. Very witty. Very clever. A lot of sass. The mystery makes you feel like a detective yourself. The different connections between other characters will grab you before you can catch your fall. And OMG why do they avoid each other?! Why is it so difficult for Levy and Sunshine to be together?! Why are they so stubborn?! They are sizzling when they are near each other. And the connection Levi has with Auri is swoon worthy. Also I don't know if I love Levy or Cruz more. I can't pick, I don't want to pick! This book has many mysteries to be solved and you will need answers!! But you will fully enjoy the process.

Second in this new series and there is so much happening in this story, I found myself slowing down to grab all the nuances, much is buried among the humor and snark. Enjoyed this book, the Sunshine family and interactions are making me anticipate the next installment. A definite add to your TBR list.

4.5 STARS

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram would like to have things calm down at work and home for a while but that never seems to be her fate. She has too many things, people, and critters to wrangle with the help of her BFF deputy and motley crew of misfit toys. Sunshine has a deadly bar fight on her hands which involves the man she has loved her whole life, Lev Ravinder, who is quite an enigma to her. Sunshine knows his family was involved in her abduction years before and in this story, new evidence comes to light of exactly what happened. Also, to add to the fun, Sunshine’s daughter, Auri, decides to investigate an old serial killer mystery putting herself and her best two friends in serious danger. If that is not enough, Sunshine is under local political pressure to find out about a secret society who may or may not run the town.

Auri sees herself following in her mother's footsteps as a crime solver extraordinaire despite the fact of being just sixteen with limited resources and the need to constantly sneak out of the house because apparently nobody can keep that girl down or indoors. Sunshine has so many irons in the fire it is a wonder she can keep up. With Levi’s help, she investigates the knife fight and suspicious characters hanging around the small New Mexico town. Sunshine spends much of her time yearning for a real relationship with this man who haunts her dreams while knowing certain secrets revealed about his family may make that impossible. Clearly Levi has strong feelings for Sunshine and her daughter, Auri; however, he has his own issues to deal with and a family who seem to be less than upstanding citizens.

Some very significant and critical facts are finally revealed about Sunshine’s decades old abduction including most importantly, who Auri’s father may very well be. Sunshine has never really remembered what happened then nor the month prior due to a head injury and mostly likely, the trauma of the event.

Ms. Jones very enjoyable quirky style of writing that is always a mix of humor, oddball characters, and a body count thrown in along with sometimes convoluted plo lines will definitely take her readers on quite a ride. Caffeine and wine may be necessary requirements to get worked up and then calmed down for this adventure in reading. This second book in the Sunshine Vicram series ends in essentially in a cliffhanger which is clearly the setup for the next book.

Another "out of the park" home run for Daryanda Jones! This is her 2nd book in her Sunshine Vicram series and I am praying for many more to come! I simply adore her character Sunshine and her wacky, lovable family. And the hot guy she's been in love with for decades is an added bonus! Excellent writing style and wonderful plot development - complete with nail biting cliff hangers and a fantastic resolution that I didn't see coming. A must read for everyone! 🤗📖⭐️👍🏼

⭐⭐⭐.5
Awww there is no doubt that the name of this novel called out to me!!
This is Book #2 in the Sunshine Vicram series.
Sunshine is the elected sheriff in a small mountain town in New Mexico. She was elected even though she didn’t run.
True this is not my typically … “psychological thriller, twist and turn ~ who in the world did it” read!
But a fun and yes a laugh out loud read!

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for professional review purposes only.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July27, 2021

I always laugh out loud (and occasionally snort indelicately) while reading a Darynda Jones novel. And A Good Day for Chardonnay most definitely made me laugh. Sunshine Vicram is snark personified. I love her relationship with her daughter, her semi-professionalism with her colleagues, and how she threatens to murder her parents if they set her up on another blind date.

But I never thought I’d find myself tearing up reading a Darynda Jones novel — other than, of course, laughing so hard my eyes water. Yet she really brought the feels with this one. And it was wonderful.

I must admit…I like this series even more than I liked her Charley Davidson series. While both make me laugh, there’s just something about Sunshine and the gang in Del Sol that I so enjoy reading about. They are quirky, they are charming, and they wormed their way into my heart so quickly in A Bad Day for Sunshine that I can’t help but want to read more and more about them.

If you want a fun read with heart, check out Darynda Jones’ latest, A Good Day for Chardonnay. You’ll definitely laugh, you might cry, and you will certainly enjoy the read. 🙂 *Note: this is not what I would consider a “clean” read…think of it with probably an R rating for some language, sex, and violence. But I’m still going to give it 4.5 out of 5 stars, because I will read it again!

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the digital copy of this novel for review purposes. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my very own! 🙂

WTF?! My last and final thought after finishing this masterpiece of a 2nd novel in this series. Why must you leave it at that? 😩😩 I’ll just be here hoping it doesn’t take too long and watching like a hawk for book 3!!!
Obviously, I immensely enjoyed this follow up to A Bad Day for Sunshine. Honestly, I loved it more. I did really like A Bad Day for Sunshine and I admit, I’ve been stalking waiting for news of book 2 and could barely contain my excitement when I got an ARC copy. But, this book exceeded my expectations. Sunshine and Auri’s relationship and the way they play off of each other had, at times, given me Gilmore Girls vibes. Be still my heart! I love love the camaraderie, not only between mother and daughter, but Quincy, Rojas, Sybil, Cruz, Levi *waggles eyebrows* and the slew of nutty characters in town. Speaking of Levi, we get to see a lot more of him in this book and I’m not complaining! Some mysteries revealed, some yet to solve. So many crimes happening and I was totally in and along for the ride. Did not want to put this book down. I feel pretty comfortable with the town and many characters this time around and continue to adore the signs at the beginning of every chapter. I love how both Auri and Sun work different cases and how they end up intertwining. I think it adds something extra special getting the different perspective of a teen and her own “case” and relationships. I’m really, really looking forward to book 3 and can’t wait to see what comes next. 5/5 would recommend! Thanks so much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC copy to review.

I am very grateful that I got a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for a review which I am happy to provide, since I am a huge Darynda Jones fan.
First off if you are not familiar with the series you should read the first book first before tackling this one since this one picked up were the last one left off, but believe me it will be well worth it. I enjoyed the read so much that I pretty much devoured it the first time around, talk about reading way passed your bedtime. When I had finished I wanted to read the first book of the series again and then re-read this book at a more leisurely pace again. As before I loved the characters and the storyline and I can't wait to find out what will happen next. There was suspense, action and some steamy love making. Super entertaining read.

What a fun book! For anyone that enjoys Gilmore Girls banter, or the Meredith/Christina of Grey Anatomy friendship I say make a point to get this one this summer!

I loved the easiness and lighthearted character of this book, while it still remained a good "catch the bad guy" story too. Admittedly, I haven't read the first of this series (A Bad Day for Sunshine) but I am hooked and love the storytelling and POV the author brings to life. 🔎

I don't want to spoil anything, and I think I need to read the first book, but the Sheriff Sunshine and all the small town crime and figuring out romance is a story you need for your next beach day or lazy afternoon! Her daughter getting in on tracking down clues, and their lovable banter, it's all great! 4 stars!

I definitely did a happy dance when I got the ARC copy of "A Good Day for Chardonnay." <(^-^)<   >(^-^)>

"A Good Day for Chardonnay" starts where "A Bad Day for Sunshine" leaves off. This is book two in the "Sunshine Vicram" series, and I highly recommend that book one is read first.

"A Good Day" is a wonderful addition to the series. If you enjoyed book one, likely you will love this too. The characters are over-the-top witty, over-the-top beautiful/sexy, and borderline ridiculous. I love it. This book was a quick read that made me laugh and was just what I needed as a "raise my spirits" kind of book. Highly recommended for readers who like romance, a bit of mystery, and want to get invested in the characters.

There is an aspect of the story that I greatly dislike (the origins of one of the main characters, Aurora)- but I can set aside my dislike since the rest of the book is so good. Adding this tidbit in my review because I'm curious if other readers feel the same way.

Also, if you like witty billboards, check out the little quotes at the beginning of each chapter. They are hilarious and got me excited for every chapter of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Now I am anxiously waiting for news for book 3!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Sunshine Vicram is back! I have been so ready for A Good Day for Chardonnay, ever since I read A Bad Day for Sunshine last summer. I loved the characters, the witty banter, and the overall mystery that was tied into the first book, and book 2 did not disappoint.

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram, has been the sheriff for little over four months now. She’s getting into the swing of things and is finally getting a day off, that is until a bar flight leaves a man dead and another fighting for his life. It’s up to Sunshine to figure out who’s behind the chaos in her town all while trying to get her daughter Ari to stop investigating a serial killer and while trying to solve her own mysterious kidnapping from her teenage years. No biggie.

Jones does a great job of picking up right where book 1 leaves off and delivers even more humor and action than the first installment. I mean the whole Racoon debacle and Sunshine’s blind dates have basically nothing to do with the story line but they were some of my favorite parts of the story. Mix in the continuous development of the whole cast of characters and you’ve got yourself a page turning, heartwarming, and entertaining story.

Realistically, this book has all my favorite things. A stellar mother-daughter relationship with very Gilmore Girls type banter. A heart pounding mystery. A bigger mystery which we’ll get answers to as the series progresses. Great supporting characters that are well defined and a suspenseful storyline. Oh and also a secret society. What else could you want!

My only compliant is that Ari drove me crazy in this book, but I think that’s on par with her being a teenager so I won’t hold it against the book. Oh my other compliant is THAT CLIFF HANGER! Why Darynda, whyy!

Simply put, Darynda Jones, is a fabulous storyteller. If you need a fun mystery series for this summer, pour yourself a glass of chardonnay and pick the Sunshine Vicram series up! I legit cannot wait for book 3!

AMAZON | GOODREADS | ★★★★★

A Good Day for Chardonnay comes out July 27, 2021. Huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy for my honest review. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof_books.

OMG that was a wild ride! I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW!

As usual with Darynda, the story was amazing, absolutely riveting and funny. I read it in one sitting!
Without going into too much detail, this book follows immediately after the end of A Bad Day for Sunshine, the first book of this series and starts clear up some of the mysteries introduced in the book book while introducing some new ones. We also get some new characters that I'd really like to know more about, like Wynn.

The only thing I can criticise is that at times there were a lot of things going on. But let's be honest: that's life.

Book # 2 in Sunshine Vicram series

Return to Del Sol, Mexico - locals call Psych Ward
15 years away, back home - wants justice for events when she was 17

I love the sayings at each chapter!

Suspense builds, twists, don't turn around
Get answers to questions, leads to more questions - answers
more suspense, more twists!!