Letterbox Love #79

Letterbox Love is a way to show you all of the lovely, lovely books I’ve gotten in the post, bought and everything else over the last week. Summaries are taken from the cover, or Amazon/NetGalley/Goodreads in the case of e-books, unless otherwise stated. Hosted by Narratively Speaking.

For review:

Cleo, Lucy Coats (e-proof)

Her precious mother is dead – and it wasn’t an accident!

The young Cleopatra – Pharaoh’s illegitimate daughter – must flee the royal palace at Alexandria or die too. As her evil half-sisters usurp the throne, Cleo finds sanctuary at the sacred temple of Isis, where years later she becomes initiated into the secret Sisters of the Living Knot.

But now Isis’s powers are failing, Egypt is in danger, and Cleo must prove her loyalty to her goddess by returning to the Alexandria she hates. She must seek out the hidden map which is the key to returning Isis’s power – on pain of death.

But will she be able to evade her horrible sisters? And will she find the dreamy Khai, the uber-hot librarian boy she met as she fled Alexandria years before? Cleo’s powerful destiny is about to unfold...

Gorgeous and evocative, this captivating new YA novel imagines the life of a teenager Cleopatra  before she became the icon we think we know.

I’m a huge fan of Ancient Egypt and Cleopatra so I’m looking forward to this. Thanks Orchard Books!

Haunt: Dead Wrong, Curtis Jobling (paperback)

Will and Dougie are adjusting to the slight change in their friendship dynamic...

Will’s dead but Dougie can still see him. Weird, admittedly, but there are some positives: solving a murder mystery, becoming a local hero and getting their girl of your dreams are pretty big perks for Dougie.

But what happens when the girl is Will’s crush too? The first (and last!) girl he ever kissed? And why has Dougie’s dad been acting all weird ever since Will died? Just as things are beginning to go right for Will, it seems he coulnd’t have been more wrong.

The first book in this series, Dead Scared, was such good fun. Looking forward to this! Thanks S&S!

The Strawberry Sisters: Perfectly Ella, Candy Harper (e-proof)

Oldest sister Amelia wants to be Left Alone to have deep thoughts, so she's grown a fringe to hide under. Second up is Chloe who's sport-crazy and in training to be a wrestling star (this week anyway). Little sister Lucy is the cute one who's training an army of earwigs. Then there's Ella. The middle one who's still trying to figure out what makes her 'perfectly Ella' and how to stand out in a house full of big personalities. And now there's a new Strawberry Sister. Baby Kirsti who lives with Dad and his Finnish girlfriend. 

Along with her sisters and one very tired Mum who's struggling to keep it all together, Ella's mall home is crammed with almost-finished homework, nearly-clean jumpers and a vampire bunny called Buttercup. With so much going on, life can sometimes feel totally crazy but the Strawberry Sisters have a secret weapon against the craziness of the world they live in, each other. 

This sounds adorable - makes me think of Natasha Farrant's Gadsby series. Thanks S&S and NetGalley!   

Hook’s Daughter, Heidi Schulz (paperback)

It’s not easy being the daughter of Captain Hook.

Jocelyn dreams of following her father – but her grandfather send her to finishing school instead. When Captain Hook meets his end, Jocelyn sails to Neverland to avenge him. But she hadn’t bargained on ticking crocodiles, lazy pirates and a trouble-making Peter Pan...

This sounds like so much fun - thanks Chicken House!

Bought:

The Ruby Circle, Richelle Mead (paperback)

They will be tested...

Their forbidden romance exposed, Alchemist Sydney and royal Moroi vampire Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both their kind.

When the life is something they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire vampire world and alter his and Sydney’s lives forever.

I do have the US hardback pre-ordered, but I snapped up the UK edition so I can read it and make sure I avoid spoilers! It’s a brilliant ending to the series.

My Heart and Other Black Holes, Jasmine Warga (paperback)

Physics nerd Aysel and popular, handsome Roman are practically strangers, but they’ve been drawn into an unthinkable partnership. In one month’s time, they plan to commit suicide – together.

With the deadline getting closer, something starts to grow between them – a feeling Aysel never thought she would experience. It seems there might be something to live for, after all – but is Aysel in so deep she can’t turn back?

Teen suicide seems to be popping up all over YA at the moment but I’ve heard that this is stunning. Fingers crossed!

Sophie