Review: A Hard Day for a Hangover by Darynda Jones

Author: Darynda Jones
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication date: December 2022

Some people greet the day with open arms. Sheriff Sunshine Vicram would rather give it a hearty shove and get back into bed, because there’s just too much going on right now. There’s a series of women going missing, and Sunny feels powerless to stop it. There’s her persistent and awesomely-rebellious daughter Auri, who’s out to singlehandedly become Del Sol’s youngest and fiercest investigator. And then there’s drama with Levi Ravinder—the guy she’s loved and lusted after for years. The guy who might just be her one and only. The guy who comes from a family of disingenuous vipers looking to oust him—and Sunshine—for good.

Like we said, the new day can take a hike.

A Hard Day for a Hangover is the third and apparently final book in the Sunshine Vicram trilogy.  I have no idea this was a trilogy and I was sad to hear that it was.  This series is a favorite of mine. If you haven't read the first two books, don't start with this one.  It spoils a lot of things from the first two books.

I don't want to give away too much.  I'll just say I really really enjoyed this one.  It had the same humor and snarkiness that I have been loving.  I love the relationships that Sunshine has with her daughter, parents and co-workers.  There were a lot of scenes that had me on the edge of my seat.  This final book is a great wrap up to the events that have been happening over the entire trilogy.  If it is really the last one, I am satisfied with how it ended.  I definitely recommend this one as well as the series.

Review: A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones

Author: Darynda Jones
Publisher: St. martin's Press
Publication Date: July 2021

Running a small-town police force in the mountains of New Mexico should be a smooth, carefree kind of job. Sadly, full-time Sheriff--and even fuller-time coffee guzzler--Sunshine Vicram, didn't get that memo.
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?)

Before she can say iced mocha latte, Sunny's got a bar fight gone bad, a teenage daughter hunting a serial killer and, oh yes, the still unresolved mystery of her own abduction years prior. All evidence points to a local distiller, a dangerous bad boy named Levi Ravinder, but Sun knows he's not the villain of her story. Still, perhaps beneath it all, he possesses the keys to her disappearance. At the very least, beneath it all, he possesses a serious set of abs. She's seen it. Once. Accidentally.

Between policing a town her hunky chief deputy calls four cents short of a nickel, that pesky crush she has on Levi which seems to grow exponentially every day, and an irascible raccoon that just doesn't know when to quit, Sunny's life is about to rocket to a whole new level of crazy.
Yep, definitely a good day for chardonnay.

A Good Day for Chardonnay is the second book featuring Sherriff Sunshine Vicram.  This one picks up a couple of months after the events of the first book.  Honestly, I wouldn't read this one if you haven't read A Bad Day for Sunshine.  That book is kind of spoiled in this one.  This time around, Sunny is busy solving why a man was stabbed in a bar fight, dealing with a rogue raccoon, and a daughter who is keeps sneaking out and finding trouble.

I loved this one just as much as the first one.  It has the perfect mix of laughs, drama, suspense and romance.  I love the relationship that Sunny has with her daughter as well as her parents.  I laughed out loud so many times reading this book.  In fact, I ran through a range of emotions within the short span of a few chapters.  The momma bear in me just wanted to hug Cruz and never let go.  Man that one scene toward the end wrecked me.  I don't want to spoil anything, but there are so many secrets exposed and questions answered.   You won't want to stop reading.  I hope the next book comes out very soon.  That ending left me craving more.  I highly recommend this one.  It's definitely going to be in my top 10 for this year!

 

Review: A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones

Author: Darynda Jones

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: April 2020

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o' joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.

Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, strong cups of coffee - and, now, a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff - thanks to her adorably meddlesome parents who nominated her--and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of this is reminding Sunshine why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that the trouble at her daughter's new school, plus and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and, well, the forecast looks anything but sunny.

But even clouds have their silver linings. This one's got Levi, Sunshine's sexy, almost-old-flame, and a fiery-hot US Marshall. With temperatures rising everywhere she turns, Del Sol's normally cool-minded sheriff is finding herself knee-deep in drama and danger. Can Sunshine face the call of duty - and find the kidnapper who's terrorizing her beloved hometown - without falling head over high heels in love . . . or worse?

A Bad Day for Sunshine is the first book in a new series featuring Sheriff Sunshine Vicram. Sunshine is the new sheriff in town having won a race she doesn't remember entering.  She is on a mission to find out what happened when she was a teenager.  She has almost no memory of her missing days.  Things get interesting when a teen goes missing from the high school.  A girl who predicted her kidnapping. 

I had this one on my TBR for a while and I'm regretting waiting so long to read it.  I really enjoyed the book. The humor in the book reminded me of Stephanie Plum books (the early ones).  I laughed out loud so many times,  The mystery was engaging.  There are a couple of mysteries actually. The characters were interesting.  I loved Sunshine.  I loved her relationship with her best friend Quincy.  Their banter was hilarious.  My favorite, though, was her relationship with her daughter, Auri.  It was caring, fun and loving. I just loved how close they were and how honest and upfront Sunshine was with Auri.    

The book ends in kind of a cliffhanger.  There are a lot of questions still left unanswered, especially regarding Levi.  The next book comes out next year and I can't wait to read it.

Review: Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones

Author: Darynda Jones
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date of Publication: October 2012

Ten years ago, Lorelei's parents disappeared without a trace.  Raised by her grandparents and leaning on the support of her best friends, Lorelei is finally beginning to accept the fact that her parents are never coming home.  For Lorelei, life goes on.

High school is not quite as painful as she thinks it will be, and things are as normal as they can be.  Until the day the school's designated loner, Cameron Lusk, begins to stalk her, turning up where she least expects it,  standing outside her house in the dark, night after night.  Things get even more complicated when a new guy—terrifying, tough, sexy Jared Kovach—comes to school. 


This book was a random audio pick from my library.  I hadn't heard of the author before, but it looked interesting, so I gave it a shot.  Let me just give a big "YAY" for the lack of love triangle in the book!  I think that made me love it all the more.  Imagine, a YA novel with no angsty love triangle.  If you are a regular to this blog, you know how I feel about YA love triangles...

Death and the Girl Next Door was a pretty fun book.  The characters were fun and believable.  They are teens who acted and actually spoke like teens.  The dialogue seemed very genuine and comfortable.  I loved the relationship that Lorelei has with her two best friends, Brooklyn and Glitch.  The banter between them was fun and had me laughing at times.  Jared is mysterious, brooding and sexy. Cameron is the outcast, loner who seems to hate him and is always trying to protect Lorelei.

There is a genuine mystery as to who Jared and Cameron are and the role they play in Lorelei's life.  I liked that the reader finds out right along with Lorelei. The tendency to keep things from Lorelei did get a bit frustrating at times. But in the end, I could see why things were kept from her.  There are a few twists toward the end that should prove to make the next book interesting.  Death, Doom and Detention comes out in March. I look forward to reading it.