Audiobook review: A Hard Day for a Hangover by Darynda Jones
Beginning within a day or two after the conclusion of the previous book, A Hard Day for a Hangover opens with Sunshine dealing with the repercussions of too much tequila. She’s remembered much of the time from her youth, which until recently remained a huge mystery, and she’s trying to figure out her personal life. Like the previous two stories, mayhem ensues as a few situations all come to head in the town of Del Sol, including a threat to Levi, a violated and left for dead Jane Doe, the break-in of a home, and the local flasher stabbed in the neck with a knitting needle.
With so much going on, A Hard Day for a Hangover has moments of frantic chaos, yet the author does a good job of juggling all the storylines until Sheriff Sunshine and Auri figure out the facts and the storylines come together. However, it is easy to miss small details with all that is happening. Auri continues to take an active role investigating crimes, even though she nearly died just days ago because she got in over her head. I was happy to see Auri be more open with her mom in sharing her thoughts about crimes and the associated research while not making as many bad decisions with her personal safety.
I’ve come to adore Sunshine Vicram and her precocious daughter Auri. With a close-knit, Lorelei-and-Rory, mother-daughter bond, the pair is ridiculous, outrageous, loyal, and above all else, loving. Their banter is huge part of what makes the story so much fun. With an amazing group of supporting characters, the author has created a community that I care about and want to read more of. One thing that is frustrating, however, is that both Auri and Sunshine are extremely intelligent and can put clues together to solve a case, but then utterly clueless when it comes to their personal lives. How is it that they cannot see what is so obvious to others?
Narration: The story is shared via the alternating third person POVs of both Sunshine and Aurie. The narrator remains the same female voice for both POVs and changes with dialogue. Although a few of the voices sound similar, Ms. King creates a cast of dozens, adjusting each for gender, age, etc. Her males are deeper; Levi is sexy and rough. Her females range from average to deep timbre. She does younger (teen) amazingly: her Aurie sounds just like a fresh, sometimes angsty, teenage girl. Ms. King’s performance adds value to the overall experience, submersing me into the story.
Overall, I really loved listening to A Hard Day for a Hangover and hope that there will be more stories from Del Sol. With that said, I love how this one wrapped up pretty much all of the ongoing stories, bringing closure and new beginnings to the citizens of Del Sol.
ETA: The author posted on Facebook that this is the end of the trilogy (sobs).
NOTE: I don’t normally add content warnings; however, there is a school shooting type situation in this story that may difficult for some to read.
Ratings:
Story: A-
Narration: A+
Jen
About the Book:
Some people greet the day with open arms. Sheriff Sunshine Vicram would rather give it a hearty shove and get back into bed, because there’s just too much going on right now. There’s a series of women going missing, and Sunny feels powerless to stop it. There’s her persistent and awesomely-rebellious daughter Auri, who’s out to singlehandedly become Del Sol’s youngest and fiercest investigator. And then there’s drama with Levi Ravinder—the guy she’s loved and lusted after for years. The guy who might just be her one and only. The guy who comes from a family of disingenuous vipers looking to oust him—and Sunshine—for good.
Like we said, the new day can take a hike.
Author: Darynda Jones
Narrator: Lorelei King
Series: Sunshine Vicram #3
Genre: Mystery, Action, romantic elements
Audiobook Release Date: December 6, 2022
Publisher: MacMillan Audio
Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
Source: Publisher
Audio Speed: 1.3x
Purchase info:
Amazon/Audible (affilate link)
Reviews in the Series:
A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones (Sunshine Vicram #1) – Audiobook Review
A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones (Sunshine Vicram #2) – Audiobook Review