I love reading Darynda Jones and I'm sure I would have enjoyed this book. Unfortunately, it's an audio book! My mistake for requesting it.

I'll listen to it if I ever figure out how to do it.

I am a huge Darynda Jones fan! I first stumbled upon her when I received an ARC of A Bad Day for Sunshine, and I was hooked. I love the her witty, fast talking characters, and all of her books are just so comforting to me. After reading the first two books in the Sunshine Vicram series, I went on to binge read her Charley Davidson series and the Betwixt & Between series last summer and I cannot get enough of her books.

With that said, Sunshine Vicram is back in Jones’ newest upcoming release A Hard Day for a Hangover. This story picks up days after the events of A Good Day for Chardonnay (book #2). When a young woman is found barely alive on a cliff, Sunshine and her team begin investigating not just this girl’s assault but also a few cold cases that have gone under the radar until now. To add on to Suns’ plate is her relationship status with Levi is coming to a head. After dropping some major information on Levi, at the end of the last book, Sun isn’t sure where they stand or even how Levi feels about said information. But that doesn’t stop her from trying to protect him when his life seems to be in danger.

I think this book answers a ton of lingering questions the other two have left unanswered, I actually like this one least. It has a solid plot with just the right amount of tension and humor. And while I still really enjoyed it, I felt that it wasn’t long enough and the ending was a bit rushed. I know these are lighter mysteries but it just wrapped up to perfectly and left little for me to mull over in the coming months.

The characters are all still great, though Auri still is completely unbelievable with the amount of shenanigans she gets into. But at least in this book, unlike book #2, she’s a bit more toned down and has some moments of clarity. I didn’t feel the romantic tension/chemistry between Levi and Sun near as much in this book. I wish there would have been more from them, and also from Quincy’s side as well. Overall I still love the cast of characters and definitely want to visit Del Sol.

I’ll reiterate that this is a great series for Gilmore Girl fans. The relationship between Sun and her daughter Auri mirrors the Rory/Lorelai relationship and wit. If you want a solid detective mystery, that has humor and a little romance, than you’ll love this series. Even though I’m grateful to have received an ARC, I’m now sad that I have to wait another longgg year for the next installment.

TW: assault (both sexual and non-sexual)


A Hard Day for A Hangover comes out December 6, 2022! Huge thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books.

I loved everything about this book. I will be going back and reading the first two in the series. THe narrator was fantastic!

I didn't realize this was a series and picked it up with this novel. Without backstory, there were a few key storylines I felt I didn't quite get, but it was incredibly easy to fall into the story without prior context. The characters are well thought out and the story had plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested. I'll definitely go back and read the first ones, too!

Darynda Jones somehow manages to write thrillers that feel light and fluffy while still including some rather serious topics/occurrences. I’m not sure how she does it! A Hard Day for a Hangover is the third book in her series featuring Sunshine Vicram, a thirty-something woman who is the sheriff in a small town in northern New Mexico, not too far from Santa Fe or Albuquerque. Jones fills in a lot of backstory, but if you haven’t read at least one of the previous novels, I think you’ll probably be a bit lost. (I was, with all the various townspeople mentioned, since it had been a while since I’d read the previous book in this series.) Because of the lightness in tone and amusing banter, including funny sayings and signs that start each chapter, it reads like a cozy mystery but there are some very dark goings-on in the story, so be prepared for that.

Sunshine’s feisty teenage daughter Aurora (best known as Ari) is a favorite character.

I switched off between the ebook and the audiobook, so thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to read/listen to an advance readers copy of this book. Lorelei King did a great job with the narration. All opinions are my own.

Warning - gun violence, references to teen abduction/kidnapping and rape (past)

A Hard Day for a Hangover by Darynda Jones is an interesting read. While I enjoyed the quirky characters and at times the storyline, there is a lot going on, most of which was unbelievable to me. Fiction I expect but many of the circumstances – especially the ones involving Sun’s daughter Auri, were over the top.

A Hard Day for a Hangover is an enjoyable read that I recommend if you are looking for an over the top storyline. Note: This did not feel like a thriller or mystery to me. The narrator, Lorelei King did a good job setting the pace and portraying the style of the novel.

Welcome back to Del Sol. Sheriff Sunshine Vicram is investigating what happened to a girl they found who is now in a coma, and it’s starting to point back to other occurrences in the years before Sunshine was sheriff. As always, her daughter Auri is doing her own sleuthing for this case which can only lead to trouble. Will the Vicrams be able to solve this case before someone else is hurt?

It was fun to enter the town of Del Sol again. These books have a ton of witty banter between the characters that strongly reminds me of Gilmore Girls. While that was fun in the first 2 books, I felt like it almost went so far that it took me out of the story this time around. I was often rolling my eyes and saying “yeah right” instead of finding it charming. My biggest pet peeve was that I could clearly see who the culprit was, but while Sunshine is a great sheriff and they constantly say how great of a sleuth Auri is, neither of them saw it until the very end. Don’t tell me they’re smart but then not show it. The mystery was lacking enough that I was all about the scenes with Levi. I liked seeing his relationship with Auri grow and wish we had gotten more of him.
All of that to say, if you really enjoyed the first 2 books, I’d still recommend reading this one for sure. I liked revisiting all the characters and I still flew though this quickly. Unfortunately, it just didn’t hit quite as well for me as its predecessors.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review.

This story kept me on my toes. The writing and the audio narration were a solid match.
The many twists and turns, combination of mystery, suspense and a little bit of romance sprinkled in, tied everything together perfectly. I hope there is more to come.

I received this book from the publisher through netgalley.com I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I am a huge fan of this series. This book is being billed as the end of the series but I really hope that isn't true. I love the characters, the quirky townspeople and all the craziness that happens in this small town. The witty banter and laugh out loud moments keep this book moving at record breaking pace.

Sunshine and her daughter Auri, who is a chip off the old block are so alike it's as hilarious as it is frustrating. They both seem to find themselves in situations that are dangerous, have whip smart minds and can solve a mystery like no one's business. Not to mention they both fell for the bad boy while in high school. Well Auri is just falling for him while Sunshine is still pinning for the one that got away.

Sunshines parents also live in Del Sol and are part of a secret group dedicated to keeping Del Sol running. They were single handedly responsible for getting Sunshine elected Sheriff.

If you like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series then this is right up your alley. (Although I think these are even funnier.) I can't tell you the number of times I have laughed out loud while reading one of these books.

This is a review of the audiobook of this novel.

I listen to this series for pure entertainment and this last installment, I think, is the best!!

While the first two seemed at times to be a little bit too silly, this book is packed with several mysteries to unravel.

The romance between Sunshine and Levi ramps up and there is more romance in this installment but it didn’t take away from all that was happening in Del Sol.

The novel begins with a hunter finding an injured young woman on the mountainside. It appears that she has been thrown from the cliff above after being brutally assaulted. Fortunately the rescue team was able to reach her.

After lots of digging, it appears that there is a pattern to these incidents and this is not the first!! The team of Sunshine, Deputy Quincy and others have to answer the usual questions of WHO, WHEN AND WHY???

While working this mystery there is another continuing and complicated threat against Levi’s life. He is struggling to maintain control of the family distillery that he built and made prosper. Levi Ravinder has a large family with some very dangerous, ruthless members who seem willing to stop at nothing to be rid of Levi.

Sunshine’s daughter Auri, age 15, likes to do a lot of sleuthing on her own. Despite promises to her mother that she will put this aside, Auri is too headstrong to listen.

PROS:
The description of the town of Del Sol, it’s inhabitants and the close bond they share
More than one mystery to solve
Characters that I enjoyed and cheered for
The narration of the audiobook was very good

CONS
Some unnecessary and constantly repeated descriptions of Levi’s “hunk” of a body, we get it already!
I wish that all of the action hadn’t been saved for the last 20% of the book, still it was an enjoyable audiobook

I would recommend this book to fans of this series and I strongly suggest reading the first two books before this one. There are quite a few characters that are important to know from the first two novels.

I received an digital ARC of this novel from the publisher and Macmillan audio through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to listen to this well narrated audiobook!

You get everything one comes to expect from Darynda Jones in this book, fast action, witty banter, sexual tension, and a big mystery to solve. It's not every book that will make you laugh while having tears in your eyes. Jones concludes her Sunshine Vicram series very well, but I would be lying if I said I didn't wish for more stories from the town of Del Sol.

It's hard not to fall more in love with the zany cast of characters in this final installment. You get to see growth in so many of them, and gain a greater insight into this town like none other. The audiobook was extremely well done, and engaging. You won't want to stop listening, I surely didn't.

I expected a fun ending to the Sunshine Vicram series, and Ms. Jones delivered! Like the first two books in the series, A Hard Day for a Hangover is laugh-out-loud funny. Ms. Jones wraps the storylines and character arcs up nicely in this third installment.

Del Sol is full of interesting characters - my favorite is the relationship between Sunshine and her daughter Auri. They have a playful, loving dynamic that really works well together.

I listened to the audiobook (thank you @netgalley and @macmillan.audio !) and Lorelei King is the perfect narrator for this series. She does a fantastic job bringing the characters and the antics to life. Really enjoyed listening to this, although I'm sure it is fun to read it as well.

I would recommend if you haven't read the first to in the series to read them before this third (and I think final?) book. The characters and storylines build throughout the series, and it is best to start at the beginning.

I will be extremely sad if this is definitely the final Sunshine Vicram book. I have loved all three of these books so much. The narrator, Lorelei King, is so good. I will always choose to listen to these books as she is just wonderful to listen to--bringing each character and the story to life.

This is another fun and exciting story. It has just about everything--drama, action, teen angst, mystery, violence and romance. It's another busy day for Sheriff Sunshine Vicram and the people of Del Sol, New Mexico. She and her crew are called to the scene of a girl who has fallen or been pushed down a cliff. As they try to figure out who did this, Auri (Sunshine's teenage daughter) won't stop doing her own investigative work into this case. Plus, the romance between Sunshine and Levi is resolved, which makes me extremely happy. I am going to miss all these characters!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an advance listener copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another solid addition to the Sunshine Vicram series, which I find to be a cross between Stephanie Plum and Veronica Mars. Love Lorelai King as narrator. Looking forward to future adventures and unraveling mysteries.

That was... a lot. Like, too much. What was all of that?

I was generally entertained but found myself saying out loud "What the?" often. There were way too many plots and surprises and "twists" and shocks for my liking.

I did like the little quotes and sayings at the beginning of each chapter. The audiobook was done well.

I've been absolutely pumped for this book since A Good Day for Chardonnay. Luckily for fans of this series, A Hard Day for a Hangover picks up immediately after the second book and provides enough backstory to give you a bit of a refresher in case you forgot some of the storyline.

There is plenty of humor that you've come to expect from this series, as well as small town antics (especially coming from Auri). Let's just say some questions will be answered when it comes to a certain relationship, there will be lots of emotions when it comes to other characters, and Randy the raccoon has its own surprise as well. Honestly, I kept finding things to do just so I could listen to this as often as possible.

The narrator, Lorelei King, does a commendable job in her performance, keeping a smooth, even pace and creating unique voices for a wide array of characters. Personally, I can't stand her voice for Auri (she sounds extremely juvenile), but it's not something that is going to turn me away from this book.

There are a few trigger warnings that listeners should be aware of: discussion of suicide and an active shooter situation.

All in all, if you love the Sunshine Vicram series, you need to get this in your hands as soon as possible. If you haven't yet met Sunshine and the residents of Del Sol, get right on it.

I listened to the Audiobook version of this book to see if it was better then the written one and it is, The audiobook version brings all the characters to life and its great.

I never get tired of reading Darynda Jones' books, there smart, fun, action pack and who doesn't like someone who likes coffee as much as I do.
The final story to this series, I'm very sad, is just as intense and action pack as all the other stories. The characters are so witty and sarcastic and I love it. I love that Sunshine gets what she always wants both for herself and her daughter and that all the loose ends in this series are all answered. I love how the whole town comes together when someone is in trouble and that their not afraid of getting their hands dirty to help. I also like that the secondary characters like Doug and Wanda add to the overall story and are just as important and hilarious as the rest of the plot. All I can say is I didn't want to put the book down even though it was bedtime and I had to get up early to go to work. :(

And I think this series should go on. I also like that reference to the Charly Davidson series, pretty funny.

I want to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this advance copy from one of my favorite authors

DNF at 26%

I just couldn't really get into this. I think my main issue is that I haven't read the other, earlier books in the series - while I feel this has potential to stand on its own, I think the background on the characters would be helpful for me to feel more interested in this story. I might give it another shot at a later time though!

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Darynda Jones for a copy of A Hard Day for a Hangover in exchange for an honest review. I really liked this one!! I found myself constantly rooting for all the likable characters throughout the entire story. I didnt realize that this one was the last in the series, but I still think it read as a standalone. Due to my love for this story, I cant wait to go back and read the first two in Sunshines series! This one is perfect for any mystery lover and it gave me cozy vibes but the story went deeper then most cozies do (at least in my opinion). I loved the narrator and they did a great job pulling me into the story and bringing it to life in my mind. This one is out on 12.6.22 and would make the perfect Christmas gift for any mystery lover in your life. 4.5 stars rounded up.

This has been one of my favourite series over the past couple of years. I'm constantly displaying and recommending the first two books, and I know I'll do the same with this one when it comes out.