Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Review: A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones


From the author of the Charley Davidson books comes a fresh, comedic mystery series that will have you laughing out loud and hanging onto the edge of your seat at the same time.


A GOOD DAY FOR CHARDONNAY by DARYNDA JONES
Series: Sunshine Vicram #2
Publication date: July 27, 2021
Published by: Saint Martin's Press
Genre: mystery, humor

 Add on Goodreads


SYNOPSIS

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.

Purchase your copy now!
Amazon |  B&N | BAM | Google Play | iBooks



Praise for A Bad Day For Sunshine (book one):

"Provides plenty of action. Recommended for fans of Linda Castillo and J.A. Jance." - Library Journal

"Jones has a real talent for balancing suspense with laugh-out-loud humor, never losing the tension from either." - BookPage 

"A Bad Day For Sunshine is a great day for the rest of us - captivating characters, great writing, pace, humor and suspense." - Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author 

"Fans of Jones’ bestselling Charley Davidson series and Janet Evanovich’s romps will devour this steamy series launch, which introduces both an irresistible pair crime-busting Gilmore Girls and a quirky, mysterious setting.” - Booklist 

"Compelling characters and a sexy, angst-filled bunch of mysteries add up to a winning series debut." - Kirkus 

"A Bad Day for Sunshine is everything you want from Darynda Jones … and more! Laugh-out-loud funny, intensely suspenseful, page-turning fun with a sassy new heroine you will love. Prepare to be hooked by this witty, sexy, and thrilling new series from one of my favorite authors!” - Allison Brennan, New York Times bestselling author 


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious RITA, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier, and her books have been translated into 17 languages. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, certain they went away the better for it. She penned the international bestselling Charley Davidson series and is currently working on several beloved projects, most notably the Sunshine Vicram Mystery Series with St. Martin's Press and the Betwixt and Between Series of paranormal women's fiction. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys. 

Follow her:

A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram)A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It's been over four months since I received and read A Good Day for Chardonnay. Just thinking about it and reading my notes in preparation to write my review, I'm already jonesing for a re-read. The minute this book landed on my kindle in March, I was ready to flip to page one and dive in immediately. The anticipation had been building for a whole year and my excitement never wavered. After the resounding success of the first installment, I didn't think it was possible for a second book to top it, but somehow Darynda Jones has pulled it off. This series is shaping up to be on my all-time favorites list. I couldn't be happier that my first series introduction to this author has gone above and beyond my expectations. I owe all of that to my book bestie for giving me the push to go outside my comfort zone and give this author a chance. (Thanks Astrid!)

As I returned to Del Sol and all of its quirky, off-the-wall inhabitants, I was reminded how my addiction built to the level it did. There is an instant, effortless, immersion into the story which has been incredibly hard to come by lately for me as a reader. It was such a relief to open a book and immediately become fascinated with what will happen on the next page and where the story will take me next. If there's one thing I can predict about the bitingly funny Sheriff Sunshine, it's that you NEVER know what's in store for her on any single day on the job. Between the town flasher, petty crime, the Dangerous Daughters, kidnappings, her daughter sneaking out, and Levi Ravinder popping up at unexpected times, she never gets a moment's rest.

I really loved getting Sunshine's daughter Auri's POV-possibly even more than Sunshine's this time. She is such a sweet, old soul inside of a teenager's body. Sometimes she seems wise beyond her years, and others her age shows as she makes impulsive decisions. Of course she inherited her mother's wicked sense of humor, which was absolutely hilarious and had me laughing out loud on too many occasions to count. The same goes for Sun and her best friend Quincy's conversations. They never give an inch when it comes to their banter.

    I’m giving you two days to tell me what’s going on, 
or I’m finding a new best friend.” 
“You can’t do that.” 
“Watch me.” 
“No, I mean you literally can’t do that. No one wants to be friends with you.”

There were so many different plot points, it could have felt chaotic and overwhelming, but I never once felt that it was too much of a mess to wade through. We had Auri meeting a new friend, finding a sweet boyfriend named Cruz, her investigations around town as she tried to identify a killer, Sunshine's complex relationship with the brooding Levi, and finally some secrets unearthed that I have been dying to see come to light. There is a little romance and passion in this installment between the two of them, but it's definitely a very slow progression. That is perfectly fine by me, as I know that there will be many books in the series and this is first and foremost a comedic mystery. Not only was I belly laughing at a lot of the dialogue, I even got emotional at some very heart-wrenching events that occurred towards the end. I was not expecting things to veer on that side emotionally at all, but I really got choked up over what Auri and Cruz in particular were going through.

This book reached me in a wide variety of ways, I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish, and I left the book once again desperate for more. I can't say enough about this FANTASTIC series, and I urge everyone out there to give it a chance. Even if you're not a mystery reader like me, I'm pretty confident that this series may be the one to convert you. Now excuse me while I go count the days left until I get my hands on the next piece of Sunshine's exhilarating adventures.

FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON: 

TwitterBlogEmailGoodreadsPinterestFacebook

0 komentarze:

Post a Comment