This series has struck the perfect balance of humor and solid mystery, and this final (sob) book in the trilogy wraps up the running storylines perfectly and leaves these characters I've really enjoyed in a good spot. There's certainly room to expand if Darynda Jones picks up these characters again.

This series has been so entertaining. I love the small town setting, the quirky characters and the mystery in each book.

I think the third book did a great job of wrapping everything up.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

This story has some humorous moments but lots of times where she should have simply known better or were the consequences of past unwise actions. Well written interesting story,

I love this series so much and I am very sad this is the last book. That being said, I loved this one just as much as the first two books. The different relationships in the book and the witty banter between everyone really made me wish the story didn’t have to end. I’m crossing my fingers that, through some miracle, we get a fourth book one day.

I loved all the books in this series!! This is another fun and entertaining story. It has just about everything in it from drama, action, teen angst, mystery, violence and romance. I recommend it!

The conclusion of this trilogy is just as good as the rest. Sunshine is a sheriff in Del Sol and things aren’t going great. A series of women have gone missing. Her childhood crush grew up in a crime family who doesn’t want his company legit. Her daughter is extremely intelligent and is determined to follow in her mother’s footsteps. She’s only fourteen, but that fact doesn’t seem to be stopping her. Sunshine is still dealing with a trauma from her past. Not to mention, her mother’s book club that wants to be involved in the investigation. There is something for everyone: drama, action, romance and comedy. The headers in the chapters are hilarious. I highly recommend this book. This is billed as the end of the trilogy, but I am not ready to say goodbye to these characters. Please let them continue!

Also reviewed on B&N under 1IrishEyes430 and Kobo under IrishEyes430

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram is back in the third installment, A Hard Day for a Hangover, with her inspiring detective daughter, Auri, best friend forever deputy, Quincy and her baby daddy, Levi, plus all of the quirky and lovable characters from their small town of Del Sol, New Mexico. Sunny is trying to solve the assault of a young Jane Die found on the side of a canyon and deal with Levi’s horrid family trying to kill both of them, along with their daughter.

I laugh out loud way too much while reading these books. I enjoy the smart, witty banter between Sun and Levi and Sun and Quincy, well pretty much between Sun and anyone. With just enough suspense and action to keep you on the edge of your seat, and romance to bring a smile to your face, I feel like these books are just the perfect blend for a great read! I can’t wait to see what the crew is up to in the next book.

Darynda Jones is one of the few authors that is on my “will order without even knowing what the book is about” list. I know I’m always in for a good time and a few laughs while reading her books. And while I was a wee bit saddened when her Charley Davidson series ended… although she’s continuing it with short stories about some of the characters…. Sunshine Vicram is just as good, but in a less supernatural way. And there may have been some rumors of turning Sunshine into a TV or movie series…. !!!

One of the things that made the Charley Davidson series so spectacular was the relationship between Charley and her BFF, Cookie. Jones has been able to continue that loving and sassy relationship between Sunny and her daughter, Auri. We also get a sexy as all get out and brooding love interest in Levi… and we get to see the aftermath of the bomb that was dropped in the previous book in regards to Levi and Sunshine…. So worth it!

Auri really shines in this one and I enjoy how Jones switches the chapters back and forth between Auri and Sunshine. It really keeps the book moving. We get more of Randy the raccoon, which is hilarious. And while the topic of the story is dark, it went in a different direction than I thought, which is just another way to show how fantastic of an author Darynda Jones is.

I love the Sunshine Vicram series and will read every book that is part of it. I think this one might be the best one yet, with all the fun elements I've come to expect from this series plus some answers to the Sunshine/Levi relationship that I've been impatiently waiting for. If you need a fun read that will suck you in, this series is for you. I already can't wait for the next one!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m sad that this series is over, and feel like there are a million other stories that could be told, but I’m so happy that everything was tied up in the end and that this didn’t go stale. Our major mysteries were solved, we got a mostly happy ending, and our central characters are all in better places than when we started.

Set in a small town in New Mexico, Sunshine Vicram is the sheriff and must try to figure out what happened to a teen who was found on a cliff almost naked. Her daughter, Auri, wants to help and begins doing her own investigation. Danger mounts the closer they get to the truth.
Opinion
Darynda Jones is a fabulous novelist. She knows how to write a book that not only keeps you on the edge of your seat but has you laughing and wondering what will happen next. I found myself copying down the chapter intros because they fit my life to a T.
The story has so many elements that keep the reader interested. There is Sunshine'e love interest, Levi and her best friend, Quincy. Sunshine's parents and daughter play an important role as well as the people in Auri's orbit. This book has such a small town feel that you might think you actually know the characters because they've become friends.
Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Events are driving toward a crisis point in Sheriff Sunshine Vicram’s personal and professional life so a date night with tequila seemed like a good idea at the time… then her day starts early with one thing after another. I have loved this series from page one and got all sorts of squirmy with excitement when I was ready to dive into this latest. Small town police work, a quirky set of family and friends, an even quirkier love life, and loads of wry humor, snappy dialogue, and a delicious twisting plot made this a fast, intense read.

A Hard Day for a Hangover is book three in the Sunshine Vicram series of tightly connected books that definitely work best in order.

With each chapter headed by a hilarious quote and each moment Sunshine or her daughter Auri think or speak, there is definitely a humorous overlaying tone to the book. But, there are layers showing that while bantering like Olympic pros, the gals are coming to terms with the past, figuring out inter-personal relationships, family, love, and cogitating on their latest cases. Yes, Auri sticks her intuitive nose in once again to be a high school wunderkind of a detective exasperating her mother and others because she gets into some dangerous situations.

I liked seeing more startling details of Sunshine and Levi’s pasts filled in as well as seeing Sunshine and her department working on the latest case. She has the most eclectic law enforcement team and they get the job done. So many threads were going in this book that I wondered if some of it would carry over into another book. I’ve gotten used to all the balls in the air that can happen in Darynda Jones books and so was able to keep up with all that was going on just fine.

The case wasn’t that difficult to work out and was not meant to be since the focus was on Levi and Sunshine’s romance- which ‘oh yes’ I was glad to see reach the point of resolution- as well as the big confrontation building that started way in the past with Levi’s family and involving Sunshine, too. Interesting choice for that particular climax moment.

This one wrapped up in a way that could mean the series is finished, but there was also still plenty of material that could lead to more in the series. I am definitely hoping there is more as I enjoy the world and the characters so much. Humor blended with solid romance and suspense elements that romantic suspense fans shouldn’t hesitate to add to their reading pile.

A Hard Day for a Hangover is perfect! The things I look for in a perfect novel are: 1) great characters, 2) sweet relationships, 3) conflict to bring everyone together, 4) a little bit of complexity and 5) a happy ending. Ms. Jones adds laugh-out-loud humor, irreverence and a (sort of) slow burn romance. Perfection!

They main players work together and separately to solve a very odd mystery involving a series of missing women. Only they don’t know it is a series at first. As all the pieces come together the group will face a very dangerous situation.

There were so many great heartwarming moments involving just about every major and secondary character. Sunshine and love interest Levi, Sunshine and daughter Auri, Sunshine and partner Quincy, Auri and Levi, Auri and boyfriend Cruz, Quincy and Cruz, Sunshine and her dad, and even Auri and her archnemesis Lynelle. So basically, the entire cast ends up a) getting involved in the mystery solving and b) getting involved in each other’s lives.

This book is going to make you laugh, cry, and, finally, end up with a big smile on your face! Fans of the author and this series don’t need to be told that this book is one of the best ways to spend a few hours. If you are new to the series, reading this book will likely make you want to back track to book 1. I recommend starting at the beginning just because all three books are so good!

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.

(FYI my review will go live on my blog on 12/11/2022. Behind on posting due to illness.)

A Hard Day For A Hangover

A Hard Day for a Hangover by Darynda Jones is the third book in the series that began with A Bad Day For Sunshine. Things remain very unsettled as Sunshine Vicram has told Levi Ravinder that he is a father and the man up and disappeared. The fact that he took her deputy’s patrol car, said Deputy is Quincy Copper who also happens to be her best friend, is another issue that could cost the new sheriff of Del Sol New Mexico her job. If that is not enough, Sunshine and Quincy are looking at some sort of assault as the book starts.

Doug Pettyfer apparently flashed the wrong person as he has a knitting needle firmly implanted in his neck while he sits in the local medical center. He claims a gang attacked him, but considering Del Sol is a small tourist town in the middle of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, gangs aren’t an issue. Doug keeps talking and with every statement it is clear he is lying about what he was doing, where he was at, and how he got impaled.

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram and her team do not have time for Doug’s nonsense. They have two missing people to find.

One is Levi and it has been two days since he stole (or borrowed in Sunshine’s mind) the cruiser. After all, the car was quickly recovered, so it was just temporally borrowed.

Clay Ravinder needs to be found and put into protective custody before Levi finds him and settles some things. The reason Levi is looking for him is complicated and ties into the previous books of the series and therefore is a spoiler.

All that and a couple of other things are already going on when Deputy Salazer informs her that they may have a body out at Copper Canyon. Drew Essary was out hunting and spotted it through binoculars. The body is on an incline deep in the canyon. He was going to try and reach it, but doing so will cut him off from cell service. Salazer is headed out to cordon off the area and Vicram and Cooper will respond with their rappelling gear.

It isn’t long before they receive word that dead body is not dead. The person is a badly injured female in her late teens or early twenties. Rescuing her and then finding out what happened to her drives the novel forward alongside several complicated secondary story lines that have been playing out this entire series.

A book and a series that is very good and well worth your time. Because A Hard Day for a Hangover by Darynda Jones resolves several things that have been going on in various secondary storylines, it is best to read in order, starting with the first book. You will be glad you did.


My reading copy came courtesy of an ARC through NetGalley.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2022

Sunshine Vicram is back and on another mystery, this time involving her daughter. What is going on? Who is behind the mystery? Will Sunshine solve the mystery and find love at last? For fans of Sunshine, this story finishes the trilogy in a thoughtful manner.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Sunshine Vicram series is a mix of things. It's got police procedural and a mysteries to investigate. It's got a whole YA vibe with so much of Auri's thoughts and adventures, and also with Sunshine not remembering her teen kidnapping event. The feel is also very cozy mystery because of the really quirky characters and their unique habits. Each chapter starts with a witty wisdom.

"If I'm ever murdered, feel comfort in knowing that I ran my mouth until the bitter end." --- Journal entry: Aurora Vicram


I find I had to suspend disbelief quite a bit with the quirky aspects which the federal or state law enforcement would probably not let slide. Auri's involvement and interviewing witnesses and sometimes meeting suspects is also not typical. It frightens me a little for her safety also. It's one thing for her to do tech work blowing up or enhancing a photo so her mom can see more, and another to meet people face to face. She does a good job of ferreting out information, though.

Finally, Sunshine is remembering things and realizing details from her kidnapping and her past with Levi. I was frustrated with their inability to talk to each other and finally they did talk and stop avoiding each other.

"It's like you said, Sunny. Life's too short to sit on your ass and be stupid."

"Yeah, I don't think I said that."

"Or wear boring clothes."

"Nope."

"Or drink bad coffee."

"Yeah, I may have said that."


The series is very fun to read with great humor. I am interested to see where things go forward because many questions were answered and A Hard Day for a Hangover could be a satisfying ending. It also could be a step into new circumstances with the new characters and relationships forged so far.

I absolutely loved the first two books in this series and I have to say that this book was even better than the first two! This book has it all - quirky characters, sassy teens, fun banter, romance, plot twists and even raccoons! I wish that there were more books planned for this series.

A Hard Day for a Hangover by Darynda Jones is the third novel and conclusion of the Sunshine Vicram trilogy. Romance, humor, suspense and a mystery await you. It was bittersweet and even though I pine for more, Jones delivered a blockbuster conclusion with plenty of fireworks.

The Sunshine Vicram trilogy was a blast from beginning to end. I am so sad to see it end. I loved getting to know Sunshine, her daughter, and Levi Ravinder. Secondary characters from her parents to townsfolk rounded out this trilogy and made me feel a part of the small town whose body count is a tad higher than one would prefer… LOL

Sunshine has her hands full. She is dealing with an unconscious girl, theft and an escaped prisoner. Not to mention worrying about Levi killing his uncle. Then there is the romance and telling Auri about her birth and father. Eep!

The perfectly paced suspense/mystery thread with plenty of twists as even Auri finds herself in the crosshairs of a shooter is perfectly paired with the family drama, side stores and swoony second chance romance.

While each book has a case to solve, I recommend reading/listening to the trilogy in the order of its release. The overall story arc, relationships and small-town antics will be lost reading out of order. Don’t cheat yourself. On the plus side, if you haven’t started, you are in for a treat and can binge from beginning to end.

Jones makes you want to pack up and move to Arizona. She’ll have you joining the local sheriff’s office despite the raccoons. I am hoping we revisit and get Auri and Quincy’s story one day. That girl is going places if she doesn’t give her family a heart attack first!

A wonderful, satisfying conclusion that closed threads and left me smiling. The possibility for more stories is there, and I’d be first in line to read them. Perfect for fans of romantic suspense, small-towns, and mysteries.

A Hard Day for a Hangover is the third in a series that keeps getting better and better. Darynda Jones’ quirky characters blends so well with the criminal mystery in this book. It has taken a while for that to happen but now this is better than the only quirky murder mystery that I liked, Fargo.

Missing women, an unconscious Jane Doe, a head strong daughter who decides to investigate on her own and the drama with Levi Ravinder, it’s enough to make some run away from home. However, Sheriff Sunshine Vicram digs in and sticks to the case, the family, and the drama.

Along the way some answers or reveals on some element of mystery surrounding this series. Fans will be delighted with this newest books. Don’t miss A Hard Day for a Hangover.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the 3rd and final book in the Sunshine Vicram series and they must be read in order. I will say that you will not be disappointed.  It has everything that you could possibly want in a book. There's so much comedy that will have you in stitches, mystery and suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat and a slow burn romance that will have you falling in love by the end of the book.
Since this is the final book I'm always afraid that it won't conclude in a way that it should but Darynda Jones did this ending in such absolutely perfect.
I highly recommend this series, it's my favorite series of 2022.