Stories have an incredible ability to shape what we believe about ourselves. The narrative begins on the day we are born. If you slept through the night, you were a good baby. Read early? The smart one. Spent a lot of time in the emergency room getting stitches? The clumsy one.
This week, both novels feature protagonists who find love as they strive to rewrite their stories.
Malice by Heather Walter tells the Sleeping Beauty tale from the villain’s perspective. While Alyce has a blessing of magic, it’s the wrong kind. Orphaned as a baby, she is subjected to countless cruel attempts to bleed the dark forces out of her. When that proves unsuccessful, she consigns herself to a life in the shadows of her lovelier good-magic counterparts, the Graces.
Friendless her entire life, Alyce is astonished when a chance meeting with Princess Aurora leads to a connection she has never experienced. At the risk of a spoiler, I will only say that saving herself and Aurora will require Alyce to reimagine herself as a hero.
Pest by Elizabeth Foscue is much lighter and wry fare. Hal, whose father owns a pest-control business, grew up with the nickname “The Bug Girl.” Unfortunately, that is not a moniker that opens doors to the popular clique.
Single-mindedly focused on winning a college scholarship that will send her far away from her stifling small town, Hal is on high alert for anyone who might compete with her for the grant. When she learns her neighbor Spencer, seemingly dumb but good-looking, is in the running, Hal sets a plan to derail him. She doesn’t expect Spencer to charm the bug-patterned socks right off of her along the way.
Want more romance reads? Get the best love and romance novel recommendations, handpicked by our experienced editor, straight to your inbox each week. Sign up for little infinite’s Romance Newsletter, here.
