Another brilliant read. Darynda is an amazing author, an absolute artist with words. The way she writes her characters, their thoughts, and plot is nothing short of amazing.

Darynda Jones delivers another excellent excellent installment to the Sunshine Vicram stories. Part mystery, hot romance, and a sleuthing daughter. Secret societies and more. All make for an excellent second book to their series. I cannot wait for her next one!

WOW!!!! A Good Day For Chardonnay is awesome!!!! I could not put it down. It pulls you in right at the start. It continues Sunshine's story from A Bad Day For Sunshine. Mysteries are revealed and more mysteries are discovered and need answering. Love the interaction between all the characters.This book has all the feelings you can imagine. If you don't have family' or a bff you can be sarcastic with like the ones in this book, you are missing out on a lot of laughter. I will admit that some of the story will have you in tears. And when it is getting really good and you can't wait to read the next page, in ends into a cliffhanger.

I love Darynda Jones' writing.

This is the second book in a new series- smart, attractive single mom whose parents arranged her election as a small town sheriff.

This brings Sunshine - yep, that's her name - back to town and in touch with her BGFF Quincy, as well as the elusive love of her life, Levi.

The story picks up a couple of unsolved mysteries and opens up new ones.

You get to know Sunshine's daughter, Auri, who is almost as mature as her mom.

For fans of adult romances, there are a couple of steamy scenes. A lot of snarky dialogue and the open ended ending making the perfect segue to the next book.

I'm looking forward to the next book!

mystery, thriller, situational-humor, verbal-humor, law-enforcement, suspense, romance, family-dynamics, friendship, attempted-murder, murder, murder-investigation*****

Hard to put down! All kinds of cops, all kinds of fun, a plot line that has many threads woven together to keep us reading through to the end and waiting for the next one! It also has plenty of misdirection, plot twists, and red herrings. Sunshine's daughter is fifteen now and just as unruly as her sheriff mother and unusual father. Especially after his friend was stabbed, beaten, and run over by a truck. The publisher's blurb is pretty good at providing hooks and hinting at an overview, and I see no need for spoilers. Just let it grab you by the imagination so you can enjoy the fun stuff while working out the tough stuff. I absolutely loved it!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from St Martin's Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

I wanted to love this book because to me it radiated some of the same style as one of my favorite series, the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. However this one didn't quite stack up.

I found a lot of the prose in this novel to be very cheesy. It almost seemed like Sunshine was trying too hard to be cool for her daughter Aurora (yes those are their actual names, will get to that in a second.) and it came off as cringeworthy and eye-roll inducing. Some of the phrases that they come up with are just too much, especially about STDs? Just doesn't have a natural flow to conversation that would make it authentic.

I absolutely cannot stand when a novel has ridiculous names. Sunshine, Aurora, Poetry? Really? Adds to the inauthenticity for me, but I understand that could be a personal issue.

It also seems like a lot of plot lines were started and then just dropped. Particularly the 3 second romance between Sunshine and her partner Quincy. What was the purpose of starting that to drop it within 5 pages? Awkward and waste of time.

I also felt like the quotes from the signs at various businesses that kicked off every chapter were irrelevant and strange. To me it didn't add anything to the story and was another attempt at trying too hard to be funny.

WOW, just WOW!! The quirky residents of Del Sol are back and Sunshine has her hands full. So much happening in this installment. Mystery, romance, and lots of laughs makes sleep overrated. It’s a very good day for chardonnay, and it’s always a good day to read Darynda Jones.

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

A Good Day for Chardonnay is the second book in the Sunshine Vicram series. It’s nice to go back to the quirky, little town of Del Sol, New Mexico. The Queen of Snark is back and she has her job cut out for her as she deals with Quince’s rodent problems, the whole town confessing to an old murder, the attack on a friend of Levi’s (with Levi in the cross fire), and the blind date from hell. The book brings back the characters of our favorite sheriff’s office with the addition of Deputy Poetry Rojas. We also have our favorite redhead aka Aurora Dawn Vicram and her BFFs, Sybil and Cruz. The story is fast paced with a fair amount of humor and a touch of melancholy. Can’t wait for book three!

The title of this book is fantastic and drew me in! This book was fantastic. Was one of those books I could not put down. Makes a great beach read!

Sunshine is back and this second book is even better than the first! I am already anxiously awaiting her next adventure. From the Snark Queen Darynda Jones, Great Day for Chardonnay is a fun mystery that I did not want to put down!

The second book in the Sunshine Vicram series lives up to the first. Snarky humor, crime fighting, and lust in the small town of Del Sol, NM. There were a few plot points that had some holes but as long as you don't take enforcement of the law too seriously and just enjoy the ride it's pretty fun.
I'm already looking forward to book #3!

I enjoyed the first book in this series, so when I got an email from NetGalley that this second book was available I snapped it up. I think I liked this one even more than the first book.

All the familiar, quirky characters from the first book are still around. There’s a lot going on, what with Levi getting in the middle of a fight that puts his friend in the hospital, a rascally raccoon wreaking havoc, Sunshine and her best friend Quincy exploring each other with hilarious results, and Sunshine’s daughter secretly investigating a long time resident as a possible serial killer. The action never lets up. There’s plenty of humor as well, with lots of bantering conversations.

While Sunshine is investigating that fight that appears to be more than just a bar fight, she’s contacted by Wynn Ravinder, who is incarcerated, and who claims he has information about Sunshine’s abduction seventeen years ago. Sunshine has very little memory of that incident, or the weeks leading up to it, and she is eager for answers. I loved her interactions with Wynn, and finding out a little more about her past, despite Wynn not being completely trustworthy.

Meanwhile, she is still pining for Levi Ravinder, who is determined to hunt down the three strangers who were involved in that fight. Even after being hit by their truck, he refuses to go to the hospital, and Sunshine spends much of her time trying to track down Levi and force him to get medical care. I was really glad that Levi was very involved in the story and we got to spend quite a bit of time with him.

And then there’s Auri, Sun’s daughter. After seeing some old newspaper clippings about a string of missing persons cases many, many years ago, she is convinced that Mrs. Fairborn, who used to run a boardinghouse out of her home, was a serial killer, which leads to Auri – and her friends Cruz and Sybil – getting into all kinds of trouble. And here I thought my daughter was a handful!

The writing is breezy and flows along nicely, and while most of the characters are a bit quirky and out there, they are all still well written and believable, not to mention relatable. I especially liked Levi (of course!), but am also very found of Quincy and Cruz, along with Auri and Sunshine’s parents. The mayor, not so much. The subplot about the mayor and a rumored secret society called the Dangerous Daughters was a little too out there, and I wouldn’t have minded if it were cut out completely. And the book ended a little abruptly. Not exactly on a cliff hanger, but without a full resolution. Other than those two issues, I have no complaints. This was a fun read, and I look forward to a third book. I certainly hope there will be a third book!

The second book in the Sunshine Vicram series is just as snarky and laugh out loud as the first one. I did find the story a little slow to start but then it really took off and ended exactly like I'd hoped it would. I'm so looking forward to more Sunshine and Levi and also more Auri and Cruz.

There were so many mysteries happening all at once but in the end they all intertwined and mostly came to a conclusion. I say mostly because I imagine some storylines will continue on into their next book of adventures. Lots of fun, suspense, mayhem, tears and romance. I can't wait for more!

I was SO excited to get my hands on an e-ARC of A Good Day for Chardonnay. I fell in love with Sunshine, Auri, Cruz, Quincy, Levi, and the other quirky residents of Del Sol in A Bad Day for Sunshine and could not wait for the next installment in the series.

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram is back and investigating the attempted murder of a friend of Levi's who was attacked outside of his bar and whose assailants also attacked Levi when he tried to intervene. Sunshine is also continuing to investigate the abduction that happened to her when she was a teenager and the new information that had surfaced surrounding that. Meanwhile, Auri, who just can't leave a mystery alone, is on the trail of a longtime resident of Del Sol who she believes could have been a serial killer.

The characters are fun to read, witty, and well-developed and the storylines in this series are entertaining and compulsively readable. I flew through this book and was eager to get back to it every time I had to stop reading. I absolutely love this series and cannot wait for the third installment. I groaned out loud when the book ended because it was fantastic and I kept wanting it to go on and on. I eagerly anticipate the third book in the series and highly recommend this series for fans of romantic thrillers, witty mysteries, and the like.

I adore anything written by Darynda. Her characters are so witty, sarcastic and fun. In this book the main character, Sunshine is dealing with lots of stressful situations both personally and professionally. There was a very dark turn at one point and if you want to find out how it ended - READ THE BOOK. I did have a bit of confusion at one point but hopefully the next book will clear it up as this book seemed to clear up a piece of the puzzle so I am hoping that trend continues. There were a few plot points left open, which leads me to think that there will be another book in the series so here's hoping.

This series just gets better and better!

Sheriff Sunshine (I LOVE that name!) Vicram has her hands full with a pesky raccoon, a smart and devious daughter, a possible octogenarian serial killer, and a man-sized crush on the mysterious Levi Ravinder, who may or may not, be part of her own abduction years ago.

Thanks to a quirky cast of memorable characters, the pages fly by- it’s nearly impossible to set this book down, so don’t say I didn’t warn you!

When a stranger with Ninja-like moves is accosted and stabbed at Levi’s bar, Levi runs to the rescue and gets hit by a truck for his efforts. Sunshine is called to the scene and immediately realizes there’s more to the story than either man wants to share.

Frustrated, she tries to arrest Levi for his own safety, but he disappears practically before the cuffs go on. With her best friend and chief deputy, Quincy, warning her to not jump to conclusions, and a child who went missing seven years earlier suddenly showing up in the middle of things, the plot gets thicker.

Meanwhile, Auri, Sunshine’s impulsive teenage daughter, recruits her boyfriend Cruz (I adore him!) and her best friend (who coincidentally has visions of her own death) to investigate a cold case in the town– and bites off more than she can handle.

There are a lot storylines merging in this book, but it’s all done so well that I never felt lost or confused. This is one of those books that you dread to see come to an end.

I can’t wait to see what Darynda comes up with next!

“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”

NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

Ms. Jones has done it again. This book was like a roller coaster ride. You start of slow and the ascent makes your heart palpitate. Then you drop. Oh what a ride this book is. Thankfully they'll be a part three and I hope we don't have to wait another year to get it.

All of your favorites are back in addition to some new faces. The parallels between Sunshine/Levi and Auri/Cruz are hard to miss. Join us on this fantastic ride!

I am a big fan of Darynda Jones and have read every book she has published. Each book is just as good as the one before it. Her chapter headings are creative and funny. The characters are interesting and diverse with personalities that leap off the page.
Whenever someone asks me for a recommendation, the first author I recommend it Darynda Jones. I am a youth services librarian so her books are not appropriate for that demographic but the kids visit the library with an adult.
I really would love to see her write a Juvenile Fiction book for ages 8 - 11.
What else can I say except that if you haven't heard of Darynda Jones, haven't read one of her books, then what are you waiting for. Stop reading this and go find one at your local library or bookstore.

Super-fun read! It's easy to see why the series has such a huge following. Sassy characters and a good mystery . . . with a last page that should put "to be continued" in all-caps!

A Good Day for Chardonnay – Darinda Jones

Much to my surprise and delight, St. Martin’s Press granted me a sneak peek at the next novel in the Sunshine Vicram series! (At least I hope and pray it’s planned to be a series!)

Sunshine Vicram is the Sheriff for the small, sleepy town of Del Sol, New Mexico, where a typical day involves a complaint about ‘Doug the Flasher’ and perhaps a wayward rooster, but today is very different. As Sunshine suffers through a blind date arranged by her parents and plots their demise, she receives a call from her Deputy regarding an unwanted visitor. Calling in all the troops, she flees her date in search of a marauding raccoon.

Meanwhile, over at the Roadhouse Bar and Grill, there’s been a stabbing, leaving one man critically injured, and Levi Ravinder, Sunshine’s longtime crush, also injured after being struck by a fleeing pick up truck. The Ravinder family is well known in the area for their criminal exploits and were also believed to be involved in Sunshine’s kidnapping many years ago – an ordeal she has very little memory of. While Levi seems to be law abiding and has turned the Ravinders’ moonshine business into a legitimate, profitable business, Sunshine still fears the unknown – and the possibility that Levi may have been involved in her captivity, which left her pregnant.

As Sunshine and her crew begin their investigation, Sun’s teenaged daughter Aurora is conducting her own investigation. Over the last several decades, people who have stayed at the local boarding house in Del Sol have mysteriously gone missing – those disappearances were never solved. Auri suspects that the elderly Mrs. Fairborn, who confesses to every crime in town in elaborate detail, just might be the killer.

As events heat up and a child goes missing, Del Sol is anything but sleepy, as Sun, her team, and a deputized Levi race to find the answers to the goings-on around town – in doing so, Sunshine finally finds some answers of her own...

Oh my goodness, I loved this book even more than they last one! With plenty of suspense and mayhem, yet laugh-out-loud funny, this book will keep you flipping pages right to the end, and then desperately wanting more! Bring out a bottle of Chardonnay as you enjoy this 5 star read!!