ARC ebook received from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Was sadly delayed in reading and reviewing this fun and delightful work.

A first (and last) date turns into a raccoon chase and Sunshine finds herself in the midst of a crime scene where Levi, her first love, stabbed a man who he's sure he's killed and who got away after defending a man attacked in his bar. Sunshine's daughter Auri keeps sneaking out, sometimes with her friends Sybil and Cruz, sometimes not, into a mystery of missing persons that go back to the Dangerous Founding Daughters - and Mrs. Fairborn's secrets.

The mystery of Sun's kidnapping may be unravelling with her memories giving her more glimpses of what happened. Sun must also solve another disappearance, a missing boy who's father was involved with a lot of money that also went missing - a boy she had failed once to find.

One top of it all is the very real danger Levi remains in as long as he is free and his uncle and the former corrupt sheriff are kicking up trouble.

I love anything Darynda Jones writes. I was so happy to get back to Sunshine and her crazy world. Life is never dull in New Mexico as she tries to keep the streets of her town safe. That seems to be a harder job with bar fights, her daughter tracking a serial killer, and Levi, her heartthrob around every corner. The story is another fun-filled excursion in the life of Sunshine. There is never a dull moment. Jones writes with wit, sarcasm, and a whole lot of fun. 4 stars. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC. I loved it.

A small New Mexico mountain community might seem a sleepy backwater place from a law enforcement point of view, but not even a day off for a blind date can be uneventful for Sheriff Sunshine Vicram. Madcap humor, B&E, murder, moonshiners, an escape artist raccoon, and the rumor of a secret society are only a few tantalizing bits that awaited me.



After book one, A Bad Day for Sunshine, I was rarin' to delve back into the kooky, hilarious, and engagingly twisting romantic suspense that picks up where that book left off. For those coming new to the series, make sure you start at the very beginning.



Sunshine has her hands full in this one. Her parents are setting her up on dates, the mayor wants her to find proof of some legendary secret group, her best friend is hiding something from her and brought the trouble-maker raccoon, and now her mysterious secret crush Levi Ravinder gets her involved in a murder investigation in which things are definitely not cut and dry. But, wait, there's more, on the side and definitely on the down low, her daughter, Auri, is sneaking out with her friends and investigating a serial killer cold case that heats up quickly and, the kicker comes when Sunshine is offered a devil's bargain to get the truth about her teenage abduction and rape that she desperately wants to have the truth because she suspects Levi was involved.



There is a lot going on and I enjoyed much of it. I have to admit that Auri, as bright as can be in some areas, was woefully naive and it up-scaled into real trouble just as I feared. I'll give the author respect for making Auri feel the consequences so she can truly learn from her mistakes. Auri's side story was superseded in my mind by all the advancements in the series that were begun in the first book. I didn't expect to get so far forward with The Daughters mystery, Sunshine's past, or the scorching hot romance that was sparking to life between her and Levi.



The book set it all up well so that the big climax was solid gold and even afterward there was a nice finish and set up for the next book that has me excited to grab it up. This is only book two so a good time for those who enjoy tons of humor, spicy slow burn romance, and a twisting suspense altogether in one place really should get on board.

I think I found another favorite author. Darynda Jones writes the funniest stories around plots of chaos. Loved the witty banter and how her characters are not always what the seem. The strong women characters are a breath of fresh air. They can save themselves even if they need a little help. Can’t wait for the next one.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Jones has done it again. Her latest Sunshine Vicram novel is as entertaining as the first. Fans of snarky heroines will want to snap up both books in the series.

With comedy and laughs from Sunshine‘a aging, retired parents, danger, thrills and adventure from Sunshine’s job as the sheriff, and cozy mystery sleuthing from Sunshine’s daughter, Aurora Dawn, thus novel is perfect for fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series.

Darynda Jones’ second book, A Good Day for Chardonnay, in the Sunshine Visgram series grabs your attention right out of the gate. The story has fantastic twists and turns, and the perfect combination of intrigue, suspense, mystery, surprises, and of course romance, to keep the pages turning from start to finish…and before I knew it, when I was just gearing up for the next layer of the couple’s intriguing story and riding the high of so many pieces to Sunshine’s puzzle…with Levi’s involvement…coming together, that I was not prepared for the end…the best authors always leave you wanting more and in anticipation of the next installment.

Ms Jones has tee’d up Sunshine and Levi, et al, for the next phase in their narrative…if the next installment is anything like the first two books in the series, we’re in for another wild ride. I especially enjoyed all the stories within the story that gives rise to so many different directions the series can take…I already know that’ll I’ll enjoy Sunshine’s stories just has much as I enjoyed the Charlie Davidson “Grave” series.

This ARC book was complimentary, provided by the Publisher and NetGalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

I read this without realizing that it was the second in a series! I will be going back to read the first one for sure.

This is very much in line with the Janet Evanovich/Stephanie Plum novels, except Sunshine is slightly better at her job. She still has all kinds of fun, crazy things happen to her, which make her a really fun character to go on adventures with,

Can't wait to she what she gets up to next!

This one definitely gets 5 stars! There may be spoilers ahead.



As always, great action and several mysteries going on that kept me guessing. But the best thing about this was the story going on with the main (and secondary) characters. We found out more about Sunshine's abduction all those years ago, we found out about the Dangerous Daughters, we found out more about the Ravinder family and we fell in love with the people of Del Sol even more than we loved them before.

I laughed and I sobbed like a big ole baby. Honestly, I cried more than once with this. Thank heavens I was listening because I wouldn't have been able to see the page through tears LOL The ending has me ANXIOUS for the next one. I absolutely can not wait!!!!

Be prepared. You are going to need a box of tissues…and possibly a box of wine to get through this story.

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram felt good this morning when everything in her town seemed to be going quite well. At least it was going well while she was drinking her morning coffee. Ah, what a blissful five minutes.

But since this morning’s caffeinated zen wore off she has been set up on another horrible blind date by her mother with a man who is either completely clueless to Sunshine’s lack of interest or is practicing to become a stalker because he is there every time she turns around. Each of these recent blind dates are getting worse and worse and Sunshine is beginning to wonder what she must have done to her mother to warrant this much punishment.

Sunshine’s BFF, Quincy is attempting to recruit a raccoon as his new partner-in-petty-crimes and while they could use another officer, she isn’t sure the little masked trash panda is the best choice. Then again, maybe she can put him on the search for the Dangerous Daughters, the mythical founding women who secretly run this town, which the mayor keeps insisting isn’t an urban legend and she wants Sunshine to bring them down.

Sunshine then gets a note from a guest of the State, one Wynn Ravinder, uncle of Sunshine’s life-long crush Levi Ravender, currently doing time for murder. Wynn indicating that he needed to see her because he has information about her abduction and who killed his brother, Kubrick. Which is very interesting as it seems at last count 14 other people have come forward to confess that they were responsible for stabbing Kubrick. This pisses Quincy off since he bet the confessions would top out at 13.

Speaking of, it has also become disturbingly stabby around town starting with a man getting viciously stabbed outside of Levi’s bar, and Levi getting hit by a truck as the perpetrators flee. Of course, Mr. Macho refuses to go to the hospital and disappears when Sun tries to force him. Levi won’t respond to her calls because he is avoiding her…or because he is dying somewhere? Well, that’s some extra helping of whipped stress to add to her crazy pie. But what Sun can’t figure out is how this stabbing has anything to do with her only unsolved kidnapping case from five years ago, since that missing kid suddenly shows up in her town. And why are there men watching the station waiting to see what Sunshine and her officers are up to? Is this about the stabbing victim or the missing person? Or are they just tourists who want to know where’s the best place to get donuts?

And if a five year old missing person case isn’t weird enough, her daughter Aurora is determined to prove that tiny, meek Mrs. Fairborn is a serial killer responsible for the series of missing people some thirty years ago, and she has dragged her friends into it for a little juvenile B&E. Good thing her mom’s the Sheriff.

I love the characters that Darynda Jones has created in this series and the irreverent humor she blesses them with. Sunshine appears to be clueless and a bit flaky, but always proves that she has been paying attention all along, even more than the readers. I love the bond between Sunshine and her daughter Aurora; as well as Sunshine and Quincy, who prove why they are such perfect BFFs. And I am absolutely stealing their box wine reference of cardordeaux.

We even get somewhere with Sunshine and Levi’s romance, even though he seems to spend most of his time avoiding Sunshine. Hopefully, we work on their love life a little more in the next story.

We do get many answers to things which were introduced to us in Book 1, which is very nice–especially since they went along with my guesses–including what happened to Sunshine during her abduction when she was 17. And I wasn’t kidding when I said to make sure the tissues are handy. We have a lot of fun, as we do in any Darynda Jones book, but bad things happen too and not everyone is going to make it home.

While we get lots of changes and lot of answers, this series is far from over and I am very excited about that news.

I love the characters in this series and the relationships they have with each other. The snarkiness and funny parts are always great. There was a lot going on in this one, maybe a little too many storylines, but I still enjoyed it. I also like that we got some answers and am looking forward to the next one.

First off, A Good Day for Chardonnay is the second in the series, and it really is better to read #1 first. It will give you a much fuller picture of our main characters and their backstories.

I really enjoyed A Good Day for Chardonnay. Sunshine is a fabulous character, sarcastic, funny, loyal. She is surrounded by quirky but incredibly helpful and supportive friends, some of who are on her staff, and parents who are caring but have a bad habit of meddling in her life. She’s got a smart 16-year old daughter, who has a boyfriend that is way cooler and competent than any kid I knew at that age.

There’s a lot going on in the book. Sunshine Vicram is still looking into a case from her past. Auri, her daughter, thinks she’s on the trail of a serial killer who was active in the 50s and 60s. And then there’s a stabbing in town that leads to a major investigation. It’s definitely action-packed but maybe a bit over-complicated.

The characters are definitely the highlight of the book. They’re quirky and charming, even the bad guys are interesting. The case is absorbing and the dialogue is often funny, although sometimes it tries a little too hard. I did get tired of how often the characters are broken or break or shatter.

This is also a romance. Sunshine and Levi have a lot of history, and the attraction between them is obvious. I actually really like them as a couple, well if they were a couple, which they’re not, but kind of are. They work together well. The sex scene was surprising though. I hadn’t expected a graphic sex scene and to be honest some of the phrasing was rather cringy. It just felt out of place.

I’m looking forward to the next one. There are definitely situations that still need resolving and I can’t wait to see what trouble Sunshine and her gang get into next.

This book was a AMAZING! Darynda Jones does it again! These characters are so addicting, I kept waiting on one to enter the scene while someone else was already in it. Every character is likable and enjoyable ( I am looking at you Levi). I really enjoyed the twists and turns this book took me on and I cannot wait until the next book in the series.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book 2 in the series.

I am really enjoying this series. I love Sunshine and Auri, they're both fun and have a great relationship. They're both fun, smart and sassy. Sunshine's parents could use being a little less indulgent with Auri, though, haha. Levi, at times makes me want to slap him, with his macho man act.

All in all, I found this book a fun, fast read and I am very happy that all the mysteries within the mystery have wrapped up. It will be interesting to see where things go next.

A Good Day for Chardonnay is a day of who did what, when, and who means what in whose life? What a whirlwind of adventure, mysteries, laughter, and emotions you can’t help but feel through and through. Darynda hits it right to the core!

If you read the first installment, you know that Sunshine, the new Sheriff in town has gotten her toes wet and settled in a bit. In this installment, Sheriff Vicram will have a murder mystery, crazy raccoons, possible one-night stands, love interests, daughter detective, and a secret society in her hands but the story goes a bit deeper into the lives of Sunshine and her daughter Auri. Yes, there are mysteries to be solved but the relationship between Sunshine with Auri is what stood out the most for me. Auri being the daughter of Sunshine, will test the waters and boil it up to a troublesome heat. Let’s just say, Sunshine will have to shine her light on her but it gets very messy indeed. Their story reminded me of me as a mother and me as a child…made me laugh and tear up a bit. While their story is told in both their POVs, Aurie’s voice is a very big part of this book. I wonder if the parent’s story will end and the child’s will begin. A new series perhaps?

Other aspects made this book awesome. The humor of course cannot be forgotten. It is what makes Vicram who she is after all. As well as her relationship with her family and friends who understand her coffee addiction and never-ending banter and smart comments.

The relationship between Sunshine and Levi. Of course, this is not to be missed but there’s no way of describing it without giving any spoilers. I can say it will get pretty hot between them.

I have to say…another good read from Mrs. Jones.

Trigger Warning: Sunshine’s past/unresolved abduction is mentioned a bit more here. While nothing graphic or explicit is mentioned, it may still be a trigger for some.

This novel is a continuation of the Sunshine and Auri Vicram book . This book follows A Bad Day for Sunshine
It is amusing, light hearted and fun to read. It has murder, a major crime, a kidnapping and a continuation of Sunshine’s efforts to resolve her kidnapping many years ago…..and Levi Ravendar,,,,,,
The short remarks before each chapter from each of the towns businesses are just terrific.
There is no deep thinking required to read this book, the author shows you what has/is happening and ties it all together in the end.. Great characters….a wonderful book for your fall reading.

Happy Sunday book friends! This is the second book in the Sunshine Vicram series and it was just as good, if not better than the first.

Sunshine is the newly elected Sheriff in a small town in New Mexico, although it’s a known fact she didn’t run, her parents got her elected. She has a sassy, smart and twin like daughter, Auri and an obsession with the famously handsome Levi Ravinder.

I really enjoyed this one and recommend to anyone and especially those who have loved the Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels. This series has a bit more mystery/crime focus, which I really love. It has every element you could think of.

Thank you to Darynda, St Martins Press and NetGalley for the review copies!

There is something about the Sunshine Vicram series that just makes me happy and cozy. It has mystery, a bit of fated romance, Gilmore girls-esque mother-daughter banter and love, endearing town residents, all with a bit of tension and danger to finish it off. Buckle in for just one long fan-girly scream because there's no way I can coherently describe the chaos that is this book.

There is so much going on! Jones loves to juggle plot lines and its easy to get a little muddled. From the overarching plot of closing her own cold case, to every day cases like a stabbing outside a bar. If you've read Jones before you know what you are in for, if you haven't stop now and go back to A Bad Day for Sunshine.

I was excited to see the cold case had some fresh air breathed into it again! Jones is inching us towards explanations but there are a number of obstacles to overcome first. Like false confessions for a start. The current case that falls into Sunshine's lap is linked to one of her first cases as a detective. It also just happens to involve Levi. Readers get to spend more time with Levi and the electric chemistry between the two morphs away from that insta-love feeling into an attraction with more roots. Well, as mature as we can expect our beloved Sunshine to be. Auri decides to play detective to solve a cold case of her own. I appreciated that most of the POVs were limited to Sunshine this time around. As much as I love Auri, I have a hard time understanding hormonal teenage moments.

I raved about A Bad Day for Sunshine last year and how much I enjoyed Sunshine and Auri's relationship but I'm going to do it again. That mother/daughter bond gives a straight shot of cozy feels and humor. Auri's voice definitely reads as a teenager to me and as she attempts to solve a cold case on her own, the Adult/Mom in me was incredibly tense and shouting "Don't DO THAT!" Her nonsense and know-it-all stance has me fearing the teenage girl stage looming beyond these toddler years with new terror.

This book is essentially a muffin basket full of goodies that won't curse us. I loved this book and I am so ready to sink into the rest of the series! I have questions that must be answered! Excuse me while I go binge more Jones books in an effort to ward off the dread that I have to wait another year for my next fresh dose of Vicram.

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

These books, by Darynda Jones, are phenomenal! They are funny...as in laugh-out-loud moments throughout, engaging, adventurous and I will never tire of reading about a strong female lead character! The town is interesting and has a unique "vibe" that makes me long to visit such a place and check out the surroundings. The relationships, the banter, the dialogue--it all comes together perfectly to provide such an enjoyable reading experience! I recommend to the fullest.

Sunshine Vicram, or Sun as her friends call her is the sheriff in the New Mexico town of Del Sol. "All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind that starts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven). Turns out, that’s about as easy as switching to decaf. (What kind of people do that? And who hurt them?)"

Even the synopsis of the story is glee-filled. It brightens my day and I could read and dream I am in Sunshine's world for the rest of my life.

Darynda Jones is a genius when it comes to her characters! She makes them quirky, realistic, and oh, so loveable! As always the headings to each chapter are an instant laugh that makes them so tweetable. I think that Ms. Jones has given me a well-rounded favorite character that I would love to really be friends with. I know Sunshine and I would hit it off in a second.
Darynda Jones is also a genius when it comes to her writing style. It is easy, like listening to your best friend telling you about her day while sitting down at the dining room table in the evening sharing what else but a glass of Chardonnay and a charcuterie board filled with crudites, cheeses, meats, dips, and delicious slices of rosemary & garlic infused sourdough bread.

A Good Day for Chardonnay is just pure fun rolled into one good mystery! I love her mother's pesky, wacky lady friends in this episode and her friends/fellow cops are so quirky. I laughed so hard. Laughter is good for the soul, right? This book is what is needed in the world right now!

Do you enjoy mysteries with a bit of romance and the perfect humor mixed in? The second book in the Sunshine Vicram series, A Good Day For Chardonnay is the book you’ve been looking to read! If you haven't read this series yet, you can start with this book, but I would suggest reading A Good Day for Sunshine first as it adds so much continuity to A Good Day for Chardonnay, besides you don't want to miss the laughs and great writing in the first book anyway, do you?

I busted a gut reading Sunshine’s newest escapades. I think you will too.