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booklovinmamas's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’m so thankful to my local library for having the audiobooks of the Sunshine Vicram Trilogy by Darynda Jones because I’m enjoying every second of these books. I finished listening to the second book, A Good Day for Chardonnay, and now I need to listen to the final book, especially since Darynda left me with a dang cliffhanger.
This trilogy definitely reminds me of Darynda Jones’s other series, Charley Davidson, but without the PNR elements. There’s a kickbutt, snarky heroine named Sunshine Vicram, who I friggin’ adore, especially since she has a daughter who acts just like her and wants to take after her mother. There’s also the guy that Sunshine has had a crush on for years, who is dark, mysterious, and swoon-worthy, named Levi Ravinder. She’s always arresting the guy for his own safety since he’s always getting himself into trouble or, in the case of this book, protecting his friend. Levi knows how to handle the Sheriff (Sunshine Vicram) with his sexy charm, though.
There are so many other characters that are in this trilogy that I love: Quincy, Sunshine’s best friend who works for her, and her parents, who are always trying to hook her up on dates, even if the guy is an assassin. Her parents, though, want her to make her move with Levi, and I’m all for Sunshine and Levi becoming an item, especially with the chemistry they already have for one another.
Once again, just like the first book, this one is action-packed, full of funny moments between the characters, and it’s dealing with yet another mystery or two. There were even teary-eyed moments in this book, so have some tissues.
When I started the second book, my biggest questions were whether Sunshine was going to find out who abducted her when she was seventeen years old and who Auri’s father was. Well, Darynda Jones definitely answers those questions and then leaves me hanging with a cliffhanger. Thankfully, I have the third book already and can start it right away.
I wish I could give this book (and the first book) more than five stars. That’s how much I love this trilogy. If you love mysteries with hilarious moments and a great cast of characters, then read this trilogy, and make sure to read them in order.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent and Kidnapping
bickleyhouse's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The second installment in the saga of Sunshine Vicram does not disappoint! Darynda Jones's sense of humor runs amok in this book. I swear I giggled at least once on every single page of this book. Okay, maybe not every page. There were a few where there may have been gasps of dismay/horror over something serious that was happening. Because Ms. Jones is excellent at mixing the things.
This tome has several different plots running at the same time, which definitely keeps it interesting. We begin with Sunshine on a blind date, set up by her parents. A guy named Carver. Is this his last name? First name? We don't know, and I'm not sure we ever find out, because he is never referred to as anything but Carver (I could be wrong about that). Then there is the raccoon, that they call Randy. The one they try to keep as a "pet" in the station.
Then we have a stabbing outside of a local bar, which is owned by the Ravinder family. The man who is stabbed and critically injured is a good friend of Levi Ravinder, for whom Sunshine has the serious hots. Levi, in trying to defend Keith (the stabbee), gets himself injured, but also critically/fatally injures one of the attackers. At first, there are no clues as to the motive in this attack, but as the investigation ensues, it turns out to be connected to a cold missing persons case that Sunshine had never been able to solve.
Then there's the case of Auri (Sunshine's daughter, Aurora), who is convinced that Mrs. Fairborn is a serial killer, and sets out to prove this. Mrs. Fairborn is at least eighty years old, I believe. This plot is adorable and hilarious, but gets very serious as it winds to a conclusion.
I can't even really decide which one of the plots is the "main" plot, because they all seem to get an equal amount of attention.
I simply love Darynda Jones's writing! I read all of the Charley Davidson novels (there may be a short story or two that I have not managed to read), loved them all, and am equally enthralled with this series, even though there is nothing whatsoever supernatural about this one. Her characters are easily lovable (except for the bad guys, of course), and I can't overemphasize the humor. It is so much fun to read a Darynda Jones book.
I will say that, toward the end of this one, it gets very "spicy," if you catch my drift. That aspect makes it borderline romance, but not quite. And I don't mind spicy.
Oh. And on page 138, Ruby Moore brings muffins. If you read the first book, you know what that means!
I know that our library already has the next installment, which, I believe, is called A Hard Day for A Hangover. I will be reading that soon.
As soon as I finish the other six library books I have checked out.
This tome has several different plots running at the same time, which definitely keeps it interesting. We begin with Sunshine on a blind date, set up by her parents. A guy named Carver. Is this his last name? First name? We don't know, and I'm not sure we ever find out, because he is never referred to as anything but Carver (I could be wrong about that). Then there is the raccoon, that they call Randy. The one they try to keep as a "pet" in the station.
Then we have a stabbing outside of a local bar, which is owned by the Ravinder family. The man who is stabbed and critically injured is a good friend of Levi Ravinder, for whom Sunshine has the serious hots. Levi, in trying to defend Keith (the stabbee), gets himself injured, but also critically/fatally injures one of the attackers. At first, there are no clues as to the motive in this attack, but as the investigation ensues, it turns out to be connected to a cold missing persons case that Sunshine had never been able to solve.
Then there's the case of Auri (Sunshine's daughter, Aurora), who is convinced that Mrs. Fairborn is a serial killer, and sets out to prove this. Mrs. Fairborn is at least eighty years old, I believe. This plot is adorable and hilarious, but gets very serious as it winds to a conclusion.
I can't even really decide which one of the plots is the "main" plot, because they all seem to get an equal amount of attention.
I simply love Darynda Jones's writing! I read all of the Charley Davidson novels (there may be a short story or two that I have not managed to read), loved them all, and am equally enthralled with this series, even though there is nothing whatsoever supernatural about this one. Her characters are easily lovable (except for the bad guys, of course), and I can't overemphasize the humor. It is so much fun to read a Darynda Jones book.
I will say that, toward the end of this one, it gets very "spicy," if you catch my drift. That aspect makes it borderline romance, but not quite. And I don't mind spicy.
Oh. And on page 138, Ruby Moore brings muffins. If you read the first book, you know what that means!
I know that our library already has the next installment, which, I believe, is called A Hard Day for A Hangover. I will be reading that soon.
As soon as I finish the other six library books I have checked out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
jjbaby72's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Medical trauma
stacy837's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, and Medical trauma
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