Second in a series. I have not read the first book. And some may say that would be necessary. I was able to keep up with the storyline without reading the first book. And I am also thankful that time wasn’t spent explaining things one would read in the first book. I hate when a story is repeated in second book for those who didn’t read the first book.

I listened to this book through NetGalley. Narration was good for the most part. I really didn’t like the narration of the daughter. The narrator made her sound like an 8yo girl instead of the nearly 15 the child is. So hard to listen to a teen banter about sex and drugs but sounds like an 8yo. This would not be an issue with the written word.

Be aware that sex pops into the story in the most unexpected moments. So do not listen if a child could walk into the room unexpectedly or use headphones. Language may be considered vulgar for some. If penis and clit, for example, are words you find offensive then this book isn’t for you.

Aside from these minor issues, the book is a great cozy mystery. The characters are likable. The story is engaging. The chapter titles deserve their own accolades. I laughed at each and everyone of them them.

Another amazing book from Darynda Jones. She’s definitely an insta by author for me.

A Good Day for Chardonnay is the second in the Sunshine Vicram series. So. Go read the first if you happen to stumble up this review. (Then go read her Charley Davidson series.)

What I loved: the CHARACTERS. Darynda never disappoints me with her amazing characters from the main and supporting. Sunshine and Auri, her daughter, have the most amazing relationship. Auri has such a good heart and she reminds me to hug my 5 year old daughter because she’ll eventually be a teenager. Just kidding, kind of. Sunshine is so dedicated even with all the quips and witty dialogue. Cruz, Auri’s boyfriend is such a sweet kid. And the friendships Sunshine forms are just beautiful. The romance in this romantic suspense was perfect and steamy. I love Levi forever.
Darynda takes the suspense in a thousand different directions with so many plots. She does this smoothly and effortlessly.

What I didn’t like: I have to wait so long for the next.

The narration was done flawlessly. The narrator, Lorelei King, captures the tone and sarcasm so well. She is perfect for this book, she really brings the entire characters to life.

If you are a fan of the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones, you will adore this series. If you haven’t read anything from Darynda Jones and love witty, hilarious, dialogue and perfectly detailed characters with complex yet smooth storylines, then give this series a shot!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy to review. All opinions are my own.

This was an amazing and hilarious book! I haven’t read the first one in the series but definitely will!!

Love Darynda Jones and this newest series doesn't disappoint. Hilarious, fun, and nonstop action. Characters are all so quirky and lovable. Looking forward to future books in this series.

This is SUCH a brilliant series!! Sunshine's stories are my first foray into Darynda Jones' brain but they will NOT be my last... This second in series is another marvelous story, full of laughs, heart-warming relationship explorations, and engaging mysteries. The audiobook narrator is wonderful and absolutely captures the tone and tenor of the series and characters. It was the perfect blend of entertainment, pathos, and hilarity and I loved every minute of it!!

well narrated. the book is amazing but this was a good reading of a book! i enjoyed listening to the authors voice

This little cozy mystery romance was shockingly good. I really liked the humor and small town feel. This is book 2 but can totally be read as a stand-alone.
The unsolved mystery kept me interested but I went a little crazy waiting for these two to get together.
It was fun and entertaining. I feel like this could easily be made into a TV series. There’s a lot of colorful people living here. I listened to this and it was narrated by Lorelei King. She did a great job. I highly recommend it for a summer read.
Thanks Macmillan Audio via Netgalley.

Your favorite small-town sheriff is back in Book 2 of the Sunshine Vicram series. It starts out with a bad blind date, a frisky raccoon, and those pesky unresolved feelings Sunshine still has for Levi Ravinder. Sunshine's daughter Auri shows that she is definitely her mother's daughter when she undertakes some amateur sleuthing of local cold cases behind Sunshine's back. And what appears to be a stabbing at a bar fight turns out to be so much more.

Fast paced and funny, this is everything we've come to love from Darynda Jones. The series features a large cast of quirky characters, many of whom are even further developed in the second book. I enjoyed this thoroughly and can't wait to see what happens next!

This is the second book in a new series. I wasn’t sure about this book so before I requested it, I decided to borrow and listen to the first couple of chapters in book 1 in the series to see if I was interested. Let me just say, I requested this book before I was done with chapter 1! It is hilarious!! If you enjoy Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, you will love this series as well. The mother- daughter dynamic is very reminiscent of the Gilmore Girls. Oh and when you get this series, get the audiobook version, the narrator is amazing—she has so much sass and her comedic timing is impeccable, she makes it even better. I love the beginning of each chapter. they are hysterical! I cannot wait for the next book in the series and I’m so sad I’m already done—I’m going to miss the characters until the next one!

Wow! What can I say other than Darynda Jones is one of my favorite authors. This book was really well done. It had the right amount of mystery to keep the book moving. The big reveal at the end wasn’t a surprise. Anyone paying attention should be able to figure it out, I would have been pretty upset if it hadn’t ended that way. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series. The teens steal pretty much every scene and the fact that the grandparents are so clearly out of their league, even with plenty of practice is hilarious. And, of course, Loralei King nailed the narration, she remains one of my favorite narrators!

I received a copy of the audiobook from NetGalley. (less)

OMGosh.! Witty, fast paced, engaging., and seriously I thought funny (that may depend on your sense of humor), but with a deep sense of care and love at the same time.

The writing was of such comedic nature, it often caught me off-guard in nearly every diagalog with every character! Much of the time I was smiling - if not just right out laughing. Sassy, snarky, sometimes cheesy, but always impeccable timing. First time I’ve read anything by Darynda Jones, and now she’ll be on my reading radar and I will take note of previous, as well as her future works.

The narrator, Lorelei King, was spectacular - an absolute perfect choice in voice range and quality, completely bringing the entire story and cast to life! She was amazing, and without a doubt, one of the best narrators I have ever had the privilege to listen to.

So....this was a story buffet. Mystery, comedy, a bit of suspense, family dynamics, loyal friendships, heroes, heroines - A Brilliant cast of characters perfectly entertained.

Warning: DOES contain SELDOM scenes of STEAMY (descriptive sex) romance that may not be desired by readers, and is definitely NOT suitable for children. My personal reading/listening preference would have been to leave out the detailed sexual descriptions allowing the reader to allude (or not allude) to the imagination.
4.25 stars - rounded up to 5 for the narration.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced digital audio version in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.

It's so refreshing to read a novel that has several strong female characters. I’m not normally a fan of audio books, but I loved Darynda Jones's book, and the narrator did a masterful job. I was so engrossed in the story that I was upset when I was forced to set it aside. I can't wait to read the next Sunshine Vicram adventure!

Audiobook narrator: The narrator of this book, Lorelei King, did an excellent job with this book. She voiced the humorous parts with such comedic timing that at it made me laugh out loud! The steamy romance scene was also very well done.

The Story: This was a 5 star book for me because of the characters, the setting, the humor, and the steamy romance.

The main character is Sunsine Vicram, the funny and smart Sheriff of Del Sol, New Mexico. Although Sunshine is the main character, she is joined by a lot of quirky, lovable characters. Not the least of which is Quincy, her friend since childhood and undersheriff of Del Sol. Quincy is a big strong Captain America-type with real emotions and a healthy fear of racoons. (I wouldn’t mind Quincy getting his own book in this series.)

The angsty romance/mystery between Sunshine and her sexy almost-old-flame Levi Ravinder was my favorite part of the book. Their open door romance scene was nice and steamy!

Lastly, there are several interesting storylines that are begging to be told in future books in the series, and I cannot wait for it! I give this funny, steamy, mystery book 5 bright, shiny stars! This will be a top read of 2021 for me!

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of A Good Day for Chardonnay by DARYNDA JONES. Did I say Darynda Jones? Why? I love her! I devoured her Charley Davison series and I will devour this one too. This was the second in her Sunshine Vikram Series. And my most anticipated release of the year! Since there was a "holy shit" cliffhanger at the end of this book I will be anticipating the next installment with bitten fingernails. Not really but I CAN NOT WAIT!

I loved this! Darynda Jones is one of the queens of mystery. Excellent plot points, characterization, and plenty of humor blended with a gritty story. Lorelei King is the queen of audiobook narrators. Perfect execution!

Ah. Yeah. So, um....There's a lot to unpack here.

First, let me say how much I really enjoy Jones' nonstop, zingy wit. I also love her screw-ball protagonists, and she does the child-raises-parent trope very well. That's all stuff I enjoyed in her previous series too.

Howeverrrrrrrr...

Something she also brought over was her tendency to write alphahole love interests and plot points that are just like....what???

I was onboard with a lot of things set up in the first book, and willing to overlook a few rough spots, but the continuation/conclusion of some of those storylines in the sequel just felt like a stuck landing (that's when it's bad right? A bad landing? Whatever. Shaky. It felt shaky. I could see those plot ankles wobbling.) I don't want to get too deep in the weeds because, spoilers, I guess, although I will be mentioning a specific thing later that uh yeah. ANYway.

Another thing that worked in the first book and not in the second for me was Ari's POV/storyline. Finding and saving the life of her friend created high enough stakes that her actions felt reasonable (fourteen year old level dumb but reasonable). Her objective in the second book...just...didn't have the same urgency or, frankly, LOGIC.

Ok, so this last bit is kinda spoilery....but not....but kinda--Anyway you've been warned.

So, The whole setup is that Sunshine thinks she was raped during the time she can't remember, right? Only it's been ~*HEAVILY*~ implied that Mr Alphahole....oh my god I literally can't remember his actual name because I was just inserting "Mr Alphahole" whenever the narrator said his name -- Ok, so it's heavily and unsubtly implied that Mr. Alphahole is Ari's actual father which would of course mean, in romance book logic, that Sunshine was not, in fact, raped. BUT MR ALPHAHOLE LET HER BELIEVE THAT SHE WAS. FOR FOURTEEN FRICKEN YEARS. There's this hand wavy bit at the end where they try to make excuses for him but I just didn't buy it. I just...was a lot more frustrated than entertained by this installment.

Levi! His name was Levi. Whatever I'm not changing it.

It's a normal day in the mountainous tourist town of Del Sol, NM. Sadly, four months into the tenure of Sheriff Sunshine Vicram, she knows that "normal" means anything can happen and usually does. How on earth her parents managed to put her name in for the election without her knowledge and win is beyond her understanding. But it brought her and her teenage daughter, Aurora, back to her hometown. For good, at least until the next election, unless the Mayor decides to fire her. Sunshine's day starts with a raccoon on the loose in town, wreaking havoc. No sooner than he is captured, the day escalates into a bar fight with one seriously injured fighter and two others on the lam with another soon-to-be-dead fighter, based on the volume of blood left behind. Successful moonshine distiller and ex-bad-boy Levi Ravinder was also in the fight and seriously injured but refused to go to the hospital. Sunshine knows he isn't guilty of anything, but as usual, he isn't talking. Add to that the ongoing mystery of Sunshine's abduction fifteen years earlier, Aurora's pursuit of a serial killer responsible for several missing persons over the years, and the fact that someone in the Ravinder family is trying to kill Levi makes for an action-packed story. Not to mention the raccoon who managed to escape his cage.

I enjoyed Darynda Jones' first series, One Foot in the Grave, but I like this one even better. All the supporting characters are quirky and entirely believable: Sunshine's parents, her hunky deputy, and life-long best friend, and the other staffers at the station. Even the old lady who confesses to every crime in town is not beyond belief. Best of all is the loving relationship between mother and daughter. There are plenty of laughs in A Good Day for Chardonnay and a puzzling mystery to boot.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advance digital copy. Lorelei King is one of my favorite narrators, so it was great to hear her telling the story. I am looking forward to the next

Darynda Jones is crushing it!
While the characters are as funny as the ones in Charley Davidson, do not expect the steamy bits we got from that series.
It's entertaining and I'm totally on board with more Sunshine Vicram!
Much love to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for my digital copy.

While I’m much more of a Chianti kind of girl, every once in awhile a glass of crisp, cool chardonnay hits the spot on a hot summer night.

So it goes with my reading preferences too, and occasionally I need to take a break from dark and twisty thrillers with bright and sunny mysteries. Enter Darynda Jones’s humorous Sunshine Vicram series and this July’s release of book 2, A Good Day for Chardonnay.

First of all, if you haven’t already read its predecessor, A Bad Day for Sunshine, you’ve wandered into the wrong review and should redirect yourself accordingly. Start there where Sheriff Vicram, her daughter Auri, and the larger cast of Del Sol, New Mexico characters and their backstories are introduced.

Then pick back up with Chardonnay where you’ll find a very satisfying - if unnecessarily overstuffed - continuation of the plot. Big questions are answered, including “will they or won’t they” about a major relationship. Now let’s just say hypothetically that they will…

… and they will in the type of graphic open-door fashion where all the c-words I loathe come into play (so to speak, wink wink). Turns out this particular vintage of chardonnay is quite hot and spicy, so you’ll need a glass of water nearby. Or if you’re like me, earmuffs.

The audiobook is narrated by the always spectacular Lorelei King, who fans of this particular genre of mystery+romance+humor will recognize from similar books like those of Janet Evanovich. She has a way of nailing the sass and snark of these characters like no one else. I hope she sticks around to read book 3, because this one sure ends on a big cliffhanger.

I really enjoyed A Bad Day for Sunshine and this second book in the Sunshine Vicram series does not disappoint! The relationship between Sunshine and Aurora is so endearing, the terribly cheesy humor makes this a fun read, and the suspense mixed in creates a story that could appeal to all kinds of different readers. You could read this second book without reading the first, but you'll miss out a bit not having knowledge of Sun's kidnapping in the past... but Jones does a good job getting the reader up to speed. As far as the audiobook is concerned, the same narrator read the first book and I thought her performance was great! She has just enough inflection in her voice to differentiate characters without making it a big deal. Both this novel and Bad Day are chocked full of business, which I really enjoyed because it gives the reader more than one thrill to follow. Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the Advance Listener Copy! Highly recommend this series! I can't wait for more. Review posted on Goodreads.