Time for another round of Yvo’s Shorties! This time around a detective thriller sequel and a contemporary romance that both turned out to be winners for me.

Title: Play Dead
(DI Kim Stone #5)
Author: Angela Marsons
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Detective
First published: May 20th 2016
Publisher: Bookouture
Finished reading: June 12th 2021
Pages: 392

“No matter how you tried to outrun your past there were memories that refused to go away. And with the memories came the rush of emotions, as though it was yesterday.”


myrambles1reviewqqq

I know that it took me long enough to finally start this series, but now that I’ve met Kim Stone I’m not letting go. Play Dead is already book number four and my fifth DI Kim Stone adventure, and this sequel has once again proven to me that the series is a worthy new favorite. The books are consistently strong and I simply love my time with Kim and their team as they investigate new intriguing cases. Play Dead is another dark one and I loved the incorporation of the body farm into the plot. There is some focus on developments in the personal life of the main characters as well as the case itself, and as always I just LOVE the banter between the characters. The case itself has lots of twists and turns and plenty of suspects to keep you busy… The chapters written from the POV of the killer added a nice touch. As a whole Play Dead is another excellent sequel and I already can’t wait to see what the next book will have in store.

Title: People We Meet On Vacation
Author: Emily Henry
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
First published: May 11th 2021
Publisher: Berkley Books
Finished reading: June 18th 2021
Pages: 384

“Like a good book or an incredible outfit, being on vacation transports you into another version of yourself.”


myrambles1reviewqqq

I’ve been really looking forward to Emily Henry‘s newest adult contemporary romance title ever since I read Beach Read last year. There has been a lot of hype around People We Meet On Vacation, and I tend to be wary when it comes to hyped books as I don’t tend to get along with them… But I’m glad to say that this story turned out to be an exception to the rule. True, I still prefer Beach Read, but People We Meet On Vacation has a lot of elements I loved and it’s the perfect summer read. I always love a travel element, and this story offers a very high dose of travel and multiple destinations through the many Summer trips Poppy and Alex go on. The story switches between the present Summer trip and those set during the past twelve years, showing how their friendship grows and develops over time. I do have to say that things could get a tad slow and frustrating in points, and while I like a good slowburn and ‘friends to lovers‘ trope, I do wonder if things were a bit too slow (especially since their bond is so obvious to everyone but themselves). Alex and Poppy are easy to like in general though, and I did like the way the story wrapped up in the end.

You can also find me at Goodreads. Twitter. Instagram. Bloglovin’.