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 bad day for sunshine review | A good day for chardonnay review

AMAZON | GOODREADS |★★★★

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.