A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones

Available April 7, 2020

First of all, if you haven't read Darynda Jones' Charley Daniels series, stop and go read it right now.  Better yet, listen to the audiobook. The audiobooks are impeccably done by Lorelei King and I heard her voice the whole time I was reading A Bad Day for Sunshine.  And guess what! Lorelei King is narrating this book as well! If you're familiar with Jones' previous Charley Daniels series, you will notice that Sunshine Vicram and Charley have the same sarcastic and witty personality, but are still very distinct characters.

Darynda Jones is back with a hilarious new series about a small town sheriff with a troubled past and the antics that go on in a crazy small town in New Mexico.  Sunshine Vicram is voted in as sheriff after her well meaning, but meddling parents nominate her. Moving back home proves to be very stressful for Sunshine and her teenage daughter Auri. While Sun is busying dealing with a town falling apart around her, a kidnapping, and a sexy crush from her past, Auri is struggling to fit in at high school after the school heart throb takes a special and protective interest in her. And, they live in an apartment above Sunshine's parents' garage. Nice and close.

Darynda Jones does an excellent job writing about relationships of all kinds. Sun and Auri have an incredible relationship and their conversations kept me giggling from beginning to end.  It was fun to watch Sunshine be a fierce Mama Bear and Auri wants nothing more than to be the perfect daughter for her mother. Friendship, family, co-workers, they're all written as though every single person is the most loyal and fierce friend. Sunshine knows her family and friends would move heaven and earth for her and she would do the same for them.  The banter between the police officers was also an absolute delight.

A Bad Day for Sunshine is so fast paced and full of action. In the midst of a kidnapping investigation, there is also a mysterious connection between muffins and mayhem. Not to mention some shenanigans going on at the high school and the mystery of the missing deputy. I appreciate how relatable all the characters are. You can feel how exhausted and stressed they are but they have to keep moving forward and be there for the people who are counting on them.

There is a lot going on in the background for this book. It's very much a first book in a series and Jones has laid the groundwork for some really interesting follow-up novels. There's a hot and steamy crush from the past, the mystery behind Sunshine's own kidnapping, the real reason that Sunshine left town all those years ago, and most importantly-who is Auri's father. I'm hooked and I can't wait for the next books to come out.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title.  All opinions and mistakes are my own.

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