Review: A Bad Day For Sunshine by Darynda Jones

A Bad Day for Sunshine
(Sunshine Vicram #1)
Darynda Jones
Release: April 7, 2020
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ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.

Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, its strong cups of coffee—and a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff--an election her adorably meddlesome parents entered her in--and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of it's reminding Sunny why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that trouble at her daughter’s new school and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and Sunshine has her hands full.

Enter sexy almost-old-flame Levi Ravinder and a hunky US Marshall, both elevens on a scale of one to blazing inferno, and the normally savvy sheriff is quickly in over her head. Now it’s up to Sunshine to juggle a few good hunky men, a not-so-nice kidnapping miscreant, and Doug the ever-pesky flasher. And they said coming home would be drama-free.

Review:

Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson series is an old favorite. A Bad Day For Sunshine has a lot of similar qualities - a snarky, mystery solving heroine obsessed with coffee and southwestern food, charming secondary characters and a misunderstood anti-hero love interest. It also puts the main character through similarly horrific events.

One major difference is that this book gives Sunshine's teenaged daughter almost equal page time. Aurora has her own horrors and her own misunderstood anti-hero as she starts at her new high school. She also helps her mom solve her case since Aurora was friends with the missing girl. I liked Aurora's POV but it took me a little while to get used to.

I love the quirky small town shenanigans, like the old man chasing the rooster down Main Street, but I might have liked to have more of them. The story was kind of dark and heavy despite the snark. Admittedly, that might be due to the fact that I read it right after the first few books of the In Death series. That was a lot of cases that bring up the heroines' childhood trauma for one weekend!

I'm fascinated by Sunshine's world and excited to read more in the series. I'm pretty sure I have some stuff figured out that Sunshine doesn't know yet and can't wait to see if I'm right.

    

4  stars

Romanceopoly: Spring - Green or Yellow on the cover

Early Review: Miss Frost Solves a Cold Case by Kristen Painter

Miss Frost Solves a Cold Case
(Jayne Frost #1)
Kristen Painter
Release: March 8, 2016
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Welcome to Nocturne Falls, the town that celebrates Halloween 365 days a year. 

Jayne Frost is a lot of things. Winter elf, Jack Frost’s daughter, Santa Claus’s niece, heir to the Winter Throne and now…private investigator. Sort of.

Needing someone he can trust, her father sends her undercover to Nocturne Falls to find out why employees at the Santa’s Workshop toy store are going missing.

Doing that requires getting to know the town, which leads to interesting encounters with a sexy vampire, an old flame, and an elevator that’s strictly off-limits. The more Jayne finds out, the more questions she has, but the answers lead her deeper into danger.

Will her magic save her? Or will she come up cold? 

Review:
You might have seen me mention how much I love Kristen Painter's Nocturne Falls PNR series. I guess I'm not the only one, because it has already spawned a spin off. The Jayne Frost series is also set in Nocturne Falls, the town where everyday is Halloween, but it's a mystery series. You don't need to have read any of the Nocturne Falls books to pick this one up. There aren't any spoilers, but there are plenty of  Easter Eggs for fans of that series.

Jayne Frost is the daughter of Jack Frost, King of the Winter Elves. She's also Santa's niece. So she has some pretty powerful magical mojo, but she's been bouncing between jobs at the North Pole, unsure what she wants to do with her life. Most recently, she's been been managing the naughty and nice lists.

Even tough I love the Halloween-themed kitch of Nocturne Falls, the whole Christmas-themed world of the North Pole felt a little over-the-top to me, kind of like a children's book or an ABC Family movie. I'm not sure if that's a personal bias (I really love Halloween) or just the fact that I've seen it portrayed too many times before. Fortunately, most of the story is set in Nocturne Falls.

Santa's Workshop has a chain of toy stores around the country which essentially provide market research for the company. At its flagship store in Nocturne Falls, employees have been disappearing.
Jayne goes in undercover as a new employee to find out what happened to the missing elves.

I loved Jayne! She has a distinctive voice, including her own elf swears - she says things like "snowballs." There's also a sexy vampire, an ex-boyfriend, some fun supporting elves, and a few cameos from Nocturne Falls regulars. The series starts off with more romance than I expected from a mystery. So while this is not technically a PNR, it will still appeal to romance fans.

As for the mystery, I sort of had things figured out before Jayne did. I was still surprised by a few of the twists. But I feel like there are holes in the villain's backstory that I wish were explained.

Still, I'm looking forward to more in this series. I loved the characters. I'm also kind of excited about the toy store setting. Having worked in retail, I see lots of possibilities! And I'll take any opportunity to spend more time in Nocturne Falls.

Recommended for fans of: Kristen Painter's Nocturne Falls series, cozy mysteries

ARC provided by the author

   1/2 

3 1/2  stars

Audio Review: Sixth Grave On the Edge by Darynda Jones

Sixth Grave On the Edge
(Charley Davidson #6)
Author: Darynda Jones
Narrator: Lorelei King
Release: May 20, 2014
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Audible

Few things in life can come between a grim reaper and her coffee, but the sexy, sultry son of Satan is one of them. Now that Reyes Farrow has asked for her hand, Charley Davidson feels it's time to learn more about his past, but Reyes is reluctant to open up. When the official FBI file of his childhood abduction lands in her lap, Charley decides to go behind her mysterious beau’s back and conduct her own investigation. Because what could go wrong?
Unfortunately, another case has fallen into her lap—one with dangerous implications. Some very insistent men want Charley to hunt down a witness who is scheduled to testify against their boss, a major player in the local crime syndicate. If Charley doesn't come up with an address in 48 hours, the people closest to her will start to disappear.

Add to that a desperate man in search of the soul he lost in a card game, a dogged mother determined to find the ghost of her son, and a beautiful, young Deaf boy haunted by his new ability to see the departed as clearly as he sees the living, and Charley has her hands full. The fact that Reyes has caught on to her latest venture only adds fuel to the inferno that he is. Good thing for Charley she's used to multi-tasking and always up for a challenge…especially when that challenge comes in the form of Reyes Farrow.

Review:

I adore the Charley Davidson series. I read every book shortly after its released and I always love them. Darynda Jones is an official auto-buy author for me...no questions asked. What I hadn't done, however, was try out this series on audio. For Sixth Grave On the Edge I decided to give the audiobook a try, since its one of the highest rated and most loved series on audio in the genre. And......I LOVED it!

Charley is back again and just as spunky, air-headed, and hilarious as ever. In Sixth Grave she is contemplating her decision as to whether or not to marry Reyes, which is the cliff hanger we were left with in the previous book. Charley and Reyes are so funny together! Such a weird balance of her humor and his darkness. I love them SO much and Reyes was as sexy as ever in this one. Readers will definitely be able to see how he is the current reigning winner of the Alpha Showdown (Vampire Book Club blog)! He's strong and lethal and SEXY!

In this book we learn a little more about who/what Charley is and her purpose, as well as some more of Reyes' background while on Earth. I'm aways amazed by the control Darynda Jones has in these books. She gives readers just a little bit at a time in each installment and she must be the most amazing planner ever to know just how much she wants to dole out in each book. Of course, she always leaves us wanting more more more! And, also as usual, we are left with another cliffhanger to keep us salivating until the next book!

Thank goodness we won't need to wait long. The seventh book will be out this October.  :)

Notes on the Narrator:Lorelei King is the perfect Charley. It took me a couple chapters to adore her, because I had always heard the pitch of Charley's voice a little different in my head, but once I got used to her version of Charley I loved her as the narrator. It's awesome to hear all Charley's hilarity in audio, especially all her great moments with Cookie. And her Reyes is wonderful. Spot on.

Recommended for fans of: humorous romance, mysteries, grim reaper stories, sexy Alpha Sons of Satan.

    

  5 / 5 stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1)
Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson #2)
Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson #3)
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson #4)
Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson #5)

Early Review: Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones

Fifth Grave Past the Light
(Charley Davidson #5)
Darynda Jones
Release: July 9, 2013
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Charley Davidson may not look like your everyday, run-of-the-mill grim reaper, but she has vowed to reap grimness wherever she goes despite this unfortunate fact. Sadly, she gets sidetracked when the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, moves in next door. As he is the main suspect in her arson case, she is determined to stay away from him until she can find out the truth. According to her therapist, however, she lacks conviction.


When dead women start appearing in her apartment - lost, confused and terrified beyond reason - Charley has no choice but to ask for Reyes's help, especially when it becomes apparent that her own sister Gemma is the serial killer's next target. With his ability to observe incorporeally, surely he can find out who's responsible. And even if he can't, he is the one man alive who could protect Gemma no matter who or what came at her. But he wants something in return: Charley. All of her - body and soul. And to keep her sister safe, it is a price she is willing to pay…

Review:

Charley, Reyes, Cookie, and Mr. Wong are all back in this fifth installment in the always freaking hilarious Charley Davidson series. Fifth Grave Past the Light is one of my favorite paranormal/romance/mystery/fantasy/WTF series and this one is one of my favorites so far! In the previous book, Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet, and in this one we really learn a lot more about what Charley and Reyes each are: where they come from, what their powers and abilities are, and where their relationship is going. I would have been fine with things staying on a surface level, but I must say that I really love getting to know these two characters on such a deeper level. We also get to learn a lot more about Swopes and what he went through in his brief trip to hell and I'm so glad that all finally gets revealed!

In this one Charley finds her apartment overcome by the ghosts of dead women. She suspects a serial killer and immediately sets about finding these women's' bodies with the help of her uncle. This was one of the better main plots of the books in this series, with the overwhelming number of dead people for her to help and the addition of a secondary plot involving a woman and her cheating husband. There are always, like, a million different plot threads in these books and the author manages to weave them all together amazingly well. My only complaint is that the resolution of the main plot doesn't have that big reveal feel to it that other books have typically had. The reason for this is because there are other plot threads that are ultimately more important to the series so they get more importance placed on them at the end and I'm really okay with that.

I've really loved how this series has moved into more serious territory while still maintaining the silly charm that's its famous for. If I had to describe this series with two phrases I would say sexy as hell and ROFL. Charley and Cookie are hysterical as always. They are one of THE BEST examples of Thelma and Louise BFFs in the paranormal genre and they crack me up every time they're together! The humor in this series has not gotten stale at all. How Charley manages to solve such intricate and gruesome crimes while being such a airhead is beyond me but she gets it done. She manages to be such an endearing character and if she was real I would totally want to give her a huge hug and them get margaritas together!

Now...remember when I used the phrase "sexy as hell" up there? His name is Reyes. Mmmmmmm...Reyes. Several books ago Charley described Reyes as "chocolate covered heroine" and I can't help but coming back to that over and over again because it is SO right on. He is a delicious man...dark, dangerous, possessive, and with a one-minded focus on Charley and Charley alone. In this one we get to see how other women in Charley's hometown respond to Reyes (which is awesome and hilarious by the way) but his "I-only-have-eyes-for-you-now-get-in-my-bed" attitude toward Charley just makes him even more delicious. And GOD ALMIGHTY his sexual prowess is just...YUMMY.

Overall this is another solid book in the Charley series. It made me laugh (and, if I'm being honest...snort), tear up, and swoon like crazy. I love where this series is going and I can't wait for what's next!

Recommended for fans of: chocolate covered heroine, Reyes, snarkity snark snark snark, Thelma and Louise, murder mysteries, and grim reapers.

This review is based on an advance copy of the book provided by the publisher.

    

  5 / 5 stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1)
Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson #2)
Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson #3)
Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson #4)

Review: The Lost by Vicki Pettersson

The Lost
(Celestial Blues #2)
Vicki Pettersson
Release: March 19, 2013
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Griffin Shaw and his wife were both murdered fifty years ago. Now a minor angel, Grif's been granted permission to solve the mystery of his own death... if he helps the Pure angels guide those souls who might otherwise be Lost.

Souls like Jeap Yang, a drug addict in his final moments of life. Grif knows that death is coming, but he cannot intervene. However, Grif's mortal lover, reporter Katherine "Kit" Craig, isn't constrained by angelic protocol. If she can stop a death, she will.

But as Kit is about to find out, there are things more traumatic and evil than murder. A strange new drug is literally eating tweakers' flesh from their bones, and Kit's crusade to get it off the streets is set to propel her and Grif into a battle with a vicious drug cartel. They'll have to scramble to stay alive, stay together, and choose their own fate... before it's chosen for them.

Review:

The Lost is the second in Vicki Pettersson's Celestial Blues series, which finds itself in a difficult to define genre that I would call paranormal romance mystery noir. The Lost continues the overarching mystery from book one - the search for the truth of Grif and Evie's murders - as well as adds a new human-based mystery involving a nasty new street drug.

Grif and Kit shine together again as a sometimes happy, sometimes dysfunctional couple. Their relationship is nothing if not complicated, with Grif being a Centurion angel stuck in a part angel-part human body and still dealing with the murder of himself and his wife 50 years ago. Even though Kit is quite often her sunny and hard-nosed-investigator self, she is a little darker in this book. She seems to have realized just how awkward it can be when your boyfriend still dreams about his dead wife nightly. I understood her thoughts and feelings on the topic, of course, but I felt slightly annoyed at how often she got upset at the situation in this one, considering how open-minded and content she seemed at the end of The Taken. This conflict came up often between Kit and Grif, but it definitely made their relationship seem more multidimensional and real.

Grif and Kit work together to help the police solve the deaths of local junkies dying from a horrible drug that rots people's skin and destroys their brain. The deaths were just as gruesome and the investigation just as dark and tension-filled as those in the first in this series, and these aspects contribute to the noir feel that I love about these books. That, along with the supernatural aspect of angels and demons and the rockabilly subculture that Kit is a part of, really make this series stand out in the paranormal genre. I can't even think of another series that is similar to this one, but please let me know if there are because I would be highly interested in reading them!

Some of the predictions I had while reading book one were proven right on track with this book, such as some of the story behind Grif and Evie's murders as well as the romantic interests of a side character who I felt seemed to pay special attention to Kit in The Taken. It was nice to see the big plot of Grif's murder continue and readers will enjoy the tidbits of information that get dangled in front of them. The way The Lost ended should certainly be called a cliffhanger and I am really excited to see how this unique trilogy ends with the final installment!

Recommended for fans of: noir, old school crime books, classic angels and demons, paranormal romance with complicated relationships, and fedoras.

This review is based on an advance copy of the book provided by the publisher.

    

  4 / 5 stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
From guest reviewer Cat @ Addicted to Heroines
The Taken (Celestial Blues #1)