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Just Stab Me Now
A desperate mother. A dubious escort. And a deranged author who won’t leave them alone.
Caroline Lindley is determined that her new romance novel will be her best one yet. Fantasy! Formal gowns! Fencing! And, of course, a twentysomething heroine to star in an enemies-to-lovers plot with all of Caroline’s favourite tropes.
But Lady Rosamund Hawkhurst is a thirty-six-year-old widow with two children, her sole focus is facilitating a peace treaty between her adopted nation and her homeland, and she flatly refuses to take the correct approach to there being Only One Bed.
What’s an author to do?
Based on her popular Fantasy Heroine YouTube Shorts series, Jill Bearup’s debut novel brings us the best of worlds both meta and medieval-inspired. Terry Pratchett aficionados will enjoy the political intrigue paired with convivial, tongue-in-cheek satire. And then there's the slow-burn, fade-to-black romance too . . .
If you loved Stranger Than Fiction and The Princess Bride, you will soon find yourself cheering on enemies-to-BFFs Rosamund and Caroline as together they learn what it means to be the hero of your own story.
Caroline Lindley is determined that her new romance novel will be her best one yet. Fantasy! Formal gowns! Fencing! And, of course, a twentysomething heroine to star in an enemies-to-lovers plot with all of Caroline’s favourite tropes.
But Lady Rosamund Hawkhurst is a thirty-six-year-old widow with two children, her sole focus is facilitating a peace treaty between her adopted nation and her homeland, and she flatly refuses to take the correct approach to there being Only One Bed.
What’s an author to do?
Based on her popular Fantasy Heroine YouTube Shorts series, Jill Bearup’s debut novel brings us the best of worlds both meta and medieval-inspired. Terry Pratchett aficionados will enjoy the political intrigue paired with convivial, tongue-in-cheek satire. And then there's the slow-burn, fade-to-black romance too . . .
If you loved Stranger Than Fiction and The Princess Bride, you will soon find yourself cheering on enemies-to-BFFs Rosamund and Caroline as together they learn what it means to be the hero of your own story.
309 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 5, 2024
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October 16, 2023A satirical, meta book about historical/fantasy romance tropes? This book is *made* for me, and I’m only mad I’m not the genius who came up with it.
Also, a heroine in her mid-thirties? BLESS.
The moment ARC calls go out, I’m snapping this one up!
Also, a heroine in her mid-thirties? BLESS.
The moment ARC calls go out, I’m snapping this one up!
August 23, 2024
The first thing you should know about this book: it's the meta fantasy romance of your Dreams. Of mine at least! It's Absolutely Fabulous; I adored the characters and plot, and it's clean, and it's not toxic or nasty or completely implausible.
If you haven't yet seen the Fantasy Heroine series, you should watch it first, and then enjoy this delightful novel. Jill pulled off the transition between video and book charmingly.
My new favorite description for this type of book is "this is not fluff, but it's what fluff should be." I want to read more novels like this, please, instead of all the YA "fantasy" being published nowadays.
I don't know how else to describe Just Stab Me Now. If you like good, fun fantasy, healthy relationships and especially ✨romance✨ — particularly romances that make fun of of common clichés, you will enjoy this novel.
If you haven't yet seen the Fantasy Heroine series, you should watch it first, and then enjoy this delightful novel. Jill pulled off the transition between video and book charmingly.
My new favorite description for this type of book is "this is not fluff, but it's what fluff should be." I want to read more novels like this, please, instead of all the YA "fantasy" being published nowadays.
I don't know how else to describe Just Stab Me Now. If you like good, fun fantasy, healthy relationships and especially ✨romance✨ — particularly romances that make fun of of common clichés, you will enjoy this novel.
Shelved as 'tbr-books-i-own'
February 18, 2024it arrived and it's so pretty omg <33 i'm so excited to read it
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preorder placed !!!
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ooooo the cover <33 it just fits the whole vibe of the story so well
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considering this is based on her youtube shorts series (which i love) i'm expecting this to be a light-hearted humorous satire. though either way, i'm curious to see how it plays out (also praying we get a good cover please)
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preorder placed !!!
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ooooo the cover <33 it just fits the whole vibe of the story so well
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considering this is based on her youtube shorts series (which i love) i'm expecting this to be a light-hearted humorous satire. though either way, i'm curious to see how it plays out (also praying we get a good cover please)
January 14, 2024
Firstly, I want to thank the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Secondly, a little disclaimer: I have the impression that my review still might be a little biased by the fact that I followed the Shorts series this book is based on from the very beginning, so I was quite excited to see everything put into paper. But other than the vibes (which I loved!), there are two more points to consider:
Format/writing style -> this is, of course, the biggest and most difficult aspect of this book, and the one I was the most curious about. Going from the more direct and dialogue-driven construction of the shorts to the slower-paced written word was a challenge for certain, since the task was to, somehow, create a connection between a made-up-and-yet-independent-story-and-characters, and the real life of the author writing it. Sometimes it worked so well that the result was absolutely chef's kiss; other times, the two worlds remained a lot more compartmentalized, and it left somehow a void where that connection should have been. Overall, it was quite well written for being a debut novel, and given the difficulty of the style chosen, I'd give the writing a 3/5.
Plot and characters -> let's be honest, none of us took this book in their hands for the p l o t. Still, in its simplicity it is quite entertaining, and it makes the perfect background for the characters to grow and develop their relationships. This story is incredibly character-driven, yet the plot is not neglected, and the result is an enjoyable, light read with perfectly balanced moments of tension and comics exchanges.
The only downside in this complexity is Henry's character, which I would have loved to see slightly more of in the form of his texts with Caroline or comments to her draft. A lot more focus was put into the fantasy relationship, and the comparison to the "real life" one wasn't as strong as it could have been. Still, it gets a 4/5.
All in all, the perfect read to escape from your problems for a while! Everything flows smoothly, perfect length, enjoyable plot. Point just for the fact that I had Jill Bearup's voice in my head while reading, the writing was 100% her style.
Secondly, a little disclaimer: I have the impression that my review still might be a little biased by the fact that I followed the Shorts series this book is based on from the very beginning, so I was quite excited to see everything put into paper. But other than the vibes (which I loved!), there are two more points to consider:
Format/writing style -> this is, of course, the biggest and most difficult aspect of this book, and the one I was the most curious about. Going from the more direct and dialogue-driven construction of the shorts to the slower-paced written word was a challenge for certain, since the task was to, somehow, create a connection between a made-up-and-yet-independent-story-and-characters, and the real life of the author writing it. Sometimes it worked so well that the result was absolutely chef's kiss; other times, the two worlds remained a lot more compartmentalized, and it left somehow a void where that connection should have been. Overall, it was quite well written for being a debut novel, and given the difficulty of the style chosen, I'd give the writing a 3/5.
Plot and characters -> let's be honest, none of us took this book in their hands for the p l o t. Still, in its simplicity it is quite entertaining, and it makes the perfect background for the characters to grow and develop their relationships. This story is incredibly character-driven, yet the plot is not neglected, and the result is an enjoyable, light read with perfectly balanced moments of tension and comics exchanges.
The only downside in this complexity is Henry's character, which I would have loved to see slightly more of in the form of his texts with Caroline or comments to her draft. A lot more focus was put into the fantasy relationship, and the comparison to the "real life" one wasn't as strong as it could have been. Still, it gets a 4/5.
All in all, the perfect read to escape from your problems for a while! Everything flows smoothly, perfect length, enjoyable plot. Point just for the fact that I had Jill Bearup's voice in my head while reading, the writing was 100% her style.
February 7, 2024
This book was my most anticipated book of the year. It did not disappoint. I do wish some more flashbacks to Hugo had been included. I recall some of them had been released as bonus material on her website. Perhaps a prequel is in order? It manages to take the series of shorts we know and love and make it fresh by expanding on the characters. Leo is the best romantic lead I've read in a while. Sabers at dawn to anyone who says otherwise. This is a very meta book. It made my literary theory and criticism brain happy to see how art imitates life, and life imitates art both in the story and the commentary on how fans pestered her into writing this book, and yes there really is fanfiction already.
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March 24, 2024DNF. This definitely wasn't my cup of tea. I'm noticing more and more that satire and parody can be extremely hit-or-miss for me, and I think it's because satire is extra subjective, since you can't ignore the message: the message has to be front and center for the satire to work.
Just Stab Me Now is a satire of bad fantasy romance and bad fantasy romance authors. Whether you enjoy it depends on your definition of "bad fantasy" and "good fantasy."
The book has a meta-narrative structure where the author protagonist, Caroline, is struggling to write a fantasy novel. Caroline spends a lot of time arguing with her characters, trying to force them into certain predetermined tropes (which tropes Just Stab Me Now argues are bad.) Around the halfway point, Caroline decides to let her characters "be themselves" and run the plot according to the tropes THEY want to follow. These tropes, it's implied, are Better.
The problem is, I didn't like the new direction any better than the old one. The new plot revolves around a political arranged marriage where the characters repress their feelings and just forge ahead out of "duty" and "self-sacrifice" and "what's best for the family" and what-not. And if you know me, you know that's my absolute LEAST FAVORITE TYPE OF ROMANCE, whether in a fantasy world or a historical one. I don't want to read about characters entering a political marriage out of duty, even if they fall in love later on. That premise is not interesting or appealing to me.
So obviously, I'm not the target audience here. But I also felt irritated by what I perceived as the book's superior attitude, how impressed it was with its own satire. To me, it seemed to be saying, "look, those other fantasy romance novels are Bad and Silly. This one is better, and different." I didn't feel that it was better; but I also didn't feel it was even particularly new or different. I've definitely seen Leo and Rosamund's romance dynamic before--awkward but gentlemanly male lead, strong-willed woman who ignores her emotions and focuses on lOGIC, slowburn tension, etc. etc. etc. These are common romance staples, not new inventions. In that sense, I don't think Just Stab Me Now necessarily understands the genre it's satirizing.
Just Stab Me Now is a satire of bad fantasy romance and bad fantasy romance authors. Whether you enjoy it depends on your definition of "bad fantasy" and "good fantasy."
The book has a meta-narrative structure where the author protagonist, Caroline, is struggling to write a fantasy novel. Caroline spends a lot of time arguing with her characters, trying to force them into certain predetermined tropes (which tropes Just Stab Me Now argues are bad.) Around the halfway point, Caroline decides to let her characters "be themselves" and run the plot according to the tropes THEY want to follow. These tropes, it's implied, are Better.
The problem is, I didn't like the new direction any better than the old one. The new plot revolves around a political arranged marriage where the characters repress their feelings and just forge ahead out of "duty" and "self-sacrifice" and "what's best for the family" and what-not. And if you know me, you know that's my absolute LEAST FAVORITE TYPE OF ROMANCE, whether in a fantasy world or a historical one. I don't want to read about characters entering a political marriage out of duty, even if they fall in love later on. That premise is not interesting or appealing to me.
So obviously, I'm not the target audience here. But I also felt irritated by what I perceived as the book's superior attitude, how impressed it was with its own satire. To me, it seemed to be saying, "look, those other fantasy romance novels are Bad and Silly. This one is better, and different." I didn't feel that it was better; but I also didn't feel it was even particularly new or different. I've definitely seen Leo and Rosamund's romance dynamic before--awkward but gentlemanly male lead, strong-willed woman who ignores her emotions and focuses on lOGIC, slowburn tension, etc. etc. etc. These are common romance staples, not new inventions. In that sense, I don't think Just Stab Me Now necessarily understands the genre it's satirizing.
December 29, 2023
I had the absolute pleasure of doing the last round of developmental/supplemental editing this novel and absolutely loved it! I can’t wait for the finished version and am sure it will be even more delightful then! This is what the Romantasy genre should strive to be - fun, lighthearted, witty, and swashbuckling and actually healthy relationships! Honestly a meta Princess Bride what more could you ask for?
February 11, 2024
Had a lot of fun with this one! Sadly it didn't quite live up to the YT Fantasy Heroine series. But still, a lot of fun. Caroline's interactions with her characters is definitely my favourite parts of the book.
March 18, 2024
4
Pretty much exactly what I expected/wanted from a novelization of this series! The writing isn't always stellar but it's a debut and a strange premise that needed lots of balancing that doesn't always totally mit the mark.
*Full review to come*
Pre-review comments below
am I a little worried about how this is going to actually read? yes. am I preordering it anyway because I loved the video series? .....absolutely.
Pretty much exactly what I expected/wanted from a novelization of this series! The writing isn't always stellar but it's a debut and a strange premise that needed lots of balancing that doesn't always totally mit the mark.
*Full review to come*
Pre-review comments below
am I a little worried about how this is going to actually read? yes. am I preordering it anyway because I loved the video series? .....absolutely.
February 29, 2024
So, the way this book is written there is essentially 3 worlds:
1. Is the real world where Caroline is living her day to day life, doing her job, dealing with a crappy boss, having a crush of her editor Henry, and most importantly writing her book.
2. Is Rosamund’s fantasy world. It’s about her journey with her “Hot Enemy” Captain Leo Collins to Rosamund’s country of origin with a letter from the queen of her current country where she and her children live, to try to initiate peace talks and end the war. This is the actual book Caroline is writing, word for word.
And
3. Is inside Caroline’s head. This is not her real life or her novels, but instead her imagination as she talks to her characters and works through the story. It appears as the fantasy world freezing, except for one character for Caroline to talk to. Many of these scenes are written from the character’s perspective, and they don’t remember these conversations as the novel continues, but it can leave them with vague impressions of what to do next.
So, as a reader what I would expect with these parameters is for both Caroline and Rosamund to have well developed interesting personal storylines, and for the conversations between them to be both funny, but also show how Caroline works through her story struggles and how Rosamund as taken to having a mind of her own, and for their relationship to go from one of butting heads to understanding aka enemies-to-BFFS as promised.
This is a lot to balance, and on top of this it’s not just Caroline and Rosamund who have povs, but also Leo who’s Rosamund’s love interest, Robin who’s Rosamund’s childhood friend, and Henry, Caroline’s editor and love interest. So, there’s 5 povs spanning over 3 worlds with 2 different storylines, which is a lot to balance.
And while I did enjoy the book, I don’t think it struck the best balance.
Overall, my main points are:
1. Caroline’s storyline isn’t utilized that well. The beginning of the book doesn’t feature Caroline’s life much at all, and she’s the only character from the real world is actually fleshed out. I like the parallels between her real life and the fantasy story both with her love interest and her villain. However, I feel like we barely see her life until the end and at that point I don’t care about the solution, because I was barely there for most of her life. Especially, her romance with Henry which was barely relevant. I think Caroline’s story either needed to be more simplified and smaller just kept to her interactions with her characters, and her comments with Henry on the book document, or it needed more meat so that her world, that is actually supposed to be the real world, felt more fleshed out and lived in.
2. The fantasy storyline is my favorite part. It’s a simple plotline, since the romance and characters are the main focus. And I liked that simplicity, it was fun and wholesome. Instead of the story being about a bunch of crazy action and magic it was able to focus on the characters. It’s in a vaguely historic setting. There’s not really any magic, just two fantasy birds the caladrius which their tears can glue wounds together, and phoenixes which their blood can be drank for medicinal purposes. The focus is Rosamund’s slowly growing relationship with captain Leo during their journey to end the war between the kingdoms of Bevoria and Abrenia through diplomatic means. There are several fight scenes, and several more dangers they face, but overall the what is most important is their relationship not the action. The action scenes are fine, but very short so the story can continue. The vast majority of this novel is Rosamund’s story. Unlike Caroline’s story, Rosamund’s story is fleshed out with a fully written beginning, middle, and end. Due to it being a “first draft” within the context of the novel it is not always as fleshed in setting descriptions, and one scene is something Caroline says she’ll write in the next draft, but reading the book Rosamund’s didn’t feel like a book within a book, it just felt like an actual book. The character’s in Rosamund’s world felt real along with their world. It’s very true to the original Fantasy Heroine shorts series and if you like the shorts this expands upon them in a very faithful and enjoyable way.
3. The next level of the story is Caroline’s interactions with her characters. I enjoyed most of these interruptions, but sometimes I wasn't a fan. The way they are formatted results in Rosamund’s story coming to a complete halt, so they often messed up the flow of certain scenes without enough payoff to justify them. Due to the format Caroline’s presence is not s seamlessly integrated into Rosmund’s world since we are essentially just reading Rosamund’s story instead of Caroline always being present as a narrator. So, there were a couple quips I felt were unnecessary, but overall I enjoyed almost all of the longer scenes, and a lot of the short quips. These scene were the best part of the story to add meta commentary, were some of the silliest parts, but could also be surprisingly deep allowing us to see the inner depth of the fantasy characters and they discussed their thoughts with Caroline.
Now I want to talk about the characters since this is probably the main draw of this book, and is the main focus. First, I want to start with the 3 pov fantasy characters. The characters were really well written. They were all true to the shorts, but with expanded depth. I will say though due to there being so many pov characters I think there were multiple times where scenes that were more important to one character were given to another which overall weakened the impact of the scene. I did appreciate how this book didn’t force each pov character to rotate in a specific order chapter by chapter and instead chose the character needed most for each scene, but there were several times where I think the wrong character was chosen.
4. Rosamund was the most well-rounded character, and I really enjoyed her perspective. Her past felt fleshed out, and I loved being in her head. Rosamund didn’t feel like a character, she felt like a person. Her dedication to her mission, her love for her kids, her love and grief for Hugo, and her growing love with Leo felt so organic and natural. On top of that her romance with Leo felt so genuine and it didn’t feel tropey. And my issue isn’t when a book has a trope, but when a book feels like an amalgamation of tropes that’s when it becomes an issue. However, with this book their romance felt real. It wasn’t overexaggerated or campy, but subtle and believable. It was a nice sort of slow burn on Rosamund’s part. Not too slow, because look and the size of this book, but I would qualify the romance between Rosamund and Leo as one.
5. Speaking of Leo, he was also well written, but I feel he could’ve been fleshed out more when it came to his past. However, overall I enjoyed being in his head. He’s the quiet type, but instead of being angsty he’s shy and it was cool getting to know him. He was kind of adorkable when it came to social interactions he wasn’t used to. Specifically, Rosamund’s children. Also, one of my favorite times Caroline interrupts in a scene is to talk with him, because I think it especially commented on some of the unhealthy romance trope people like, but not in a preachy way. I also think it made Caroline think more about her characters and how she was writing them, along with fleshing Leo out.
6. Robin was the funny friend character. He wasn’t a particularly complex character, but it was nice to have an extroverted fun character to balance the quiet and serious Rosamund and Leo. However, I also like how Robin isn’t just a fun character. He also helps the other characters work through their feelings, and actually gives them good advice. Specifically, Leo and Charlotte. I also like how Robin was the most meta character having originated from a different novel idea Caroline had, resulting ideas from his past story slowly bleeding into this one, because try as Caroline might she couldn’t just strip Robin of his origins. Also, there’s a sentence near the end that gives Robin some extra depth, but I won’t elaborate here.
7. The fantasy side Characters. One thing I think this novel does well is making characters likeable and interesting in a short period of time. For example, Rosamund’s two kids Edmund and Charlotte are not introduce until the end, but the little we get of them is done with so much care. A lot of times kids are written as just one note and existing to make other characters look better, but these kids feel real. This is a romance novel about a widow with two kids, so understandably they have thoughts on what’s going on and their trepidations are treated both seriously by the author and the other characters which I really like. Also, there is a flashback scene to when Rosamund met her husband, and the author really does a good job fleshing him out and making me sympathize with Rosamund and her love for Hugo in such a short period of time.
8. Now let’s go to the real-world story and start with Caroline. While I do like her character, due to the limited time we spend in her world I’m not as attached to her journey. Caroline’s struggles are pretty average. She has a crappy boss, hates her job, and is too shy and unsure to ask out the person she likes. Her real life loosely reflects her novel, though her and Rosamund are pretty different, and part of her journey is realizing she needs to be brave like her character. Which I like that idea for her character, but with her scenes being so limited it didn’t have as much of an impact as it could’ve. And then there’s something about her learning to appreciate those around her, and stop isolating, but it’s essentially one throwaway conversation and it doesn’t feel particularly meaningful when we never meet these characters mentioned. I think we either needed more of Caroline’s storyline fleshing out her life and the people it it more and her relationship with Henry more, or for Caroline’s story to be cut out and for this to just be the finished story of Rosamund.
9. Now for the worst pov character… Henry. Henry’s personality is that he is a stickler as an editor and that he likes Caroline. Both of these feel kind of like informed traits too. Now this book only really needed Caroline and Rosamund’s povs, but I don’t dislike Leo and Robin’s. I dislike Henry’s pov being included. All the povs in this story are Caroline or her characters, they all come from Caroline’s mind and are essentially Caroline’s pov. So, Henry’s pov feel out of place. On top of that all we learn from his pov is that he’s in a similar living situation as Caroline, renting a house with a bunch of strangers who can be annoying at times, and being a hermit is his room, like Caroline. And the other thing we learn from his pov is that he likes Caroline. The thing is if we only learn about characters through their own point of views they start to feel like disconnected people in a vacuum. I think the romance between Caroline and Henry would’ve benefitted a lot more if instead we learned more about Henry by having him and Caroline interact and get to know each other instead.
10. Let’s talk about the side characters in Caroline’s world. They were the barest of bones barely even characters. The only ones we really saw in person were her boss the CFO of her company George, and the CEO of her company Eunice. Which even then they’re just the bad boss, and the good boss… that’s all there is to them. And I think this has more to do with a lack of time and maybe even interest spent on Caroline’s story, because I thought the side characters in Rosamund’s story were enjoyable. One character I did enjoy was Caroline’s mom, mostly because she kept ordering striped shirts online to be mailed to Caroline because, she knows Caroline likes them, even though Caroline now feels she has more than enough. That was very momish to me, and I liked that. However, even then Caroline’s mom becomes a confidant to her, but only at the end of the novel when she’s not talking to Henry as much. This isn’t due to an evolving appreciation of her mom, but moreso because, the mom wasn’t ever mentioned until she could be a prop for the story. Which I’m not a fan of.
11. Finally let’s talk about the writing. I love the word choices and sentence level writing of this book. The formality of how the characters speak really does transport me to an older time. I feel a lot of fantasy book I’ve read recently read like modern day, but these characters speak like they’re in a fantasy world which added to the immersion of the story. I was sucked into Rosamund’s world almost instantly.
12. The setting. The characters and writing did suck me into Rosamund’s world and I believed I was there. However, there wasn’t much setting description. I will admit my brain tends to fill things in, so this isn’t very detrimental to my reading experience, but it is definitely a factor. I think this book was able to away with this more due to it technically being Caroline’s first draft of Rosamund’s story, but even then, the settings aren’t described in Caroline’s world either. Overall the descriptions were sparse, and left more to be desired.
13. Finally, let’s talk about the pacing. This book is 311 pages has 5 pov characters and two completely different worlds with different; storylines… I think you can figure it’s fast paced. However, I’ve notice a lot of fast paced books nowdays fall into the problem of feeling like they’re specifically for people with short attention spans who’d rather be watching tiktok. However, despite the fast pace this book does have down time. There are quite a few moments where characters are traveling or working when so there is a nice flow to the story. My two biggest issues with pacing is how back heavy Carolines story is being sparse at the beginning of the novel, and then being given a more reasonable amount of page time near the end. Then the second issue if how there are two really important, and exciting scenes in Rosamund’s story that should’ve been written straight through, but instead get broken up by other characters perspectives unnecessarily. Which ultimately hurt the pacing.
So, my overall thoughts on this book is that the main draw is the characters. The plot is simple and straightforward, and I like the story. I do think Caroline’s story wasn’t given the time it deserved, but I loved Rosamund’s fantasy storyline. I enjoyed the writing, but the setting descriptions were sparse.
If you are a fan of the original fantasy heroine shorts, I would definitely recommend this book. I was a fan of it too and I really enjoyed getting to see the story given more detail and a more wrapped up conclusion. And I especially enjoyed the characters being fleshed out, in a way that both added depth, but was also very true to their characterization in the shorts. That was spot on.
If you’re not already a fan of the shorts I don’t know if you should pick this up. I think it has to do with if you like the premise, and if you prefer character driven stories and don’t mind the critiques I gave.
However, despite my critiques I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun quick read, that added depth to the story and characters I was invested in. And I would say while Caroline’s storyline was fine, I liked what it was going for, I loved Rosamund’s story. It was a simple fantasy with a simple plot, that allowed me to just sit back and enjoy the wholesome romance and the loveable characters who felt real.
1. Is the real world where Caroline is living her day to day life, doing her job, dealing with a crappy boss, having a crush of her editor Henry, and most importantly writing her book.
2. Is Rosamund’s fantasy world. It’s about her journey with her “Hot Enemy” Captain Leo Collins to Rosamund’s country of origin with a letter from the queen of her current country where she and her children live, to try to initiate peace talks and end the war. This is the actual book Caroline is writing, word for word.
And
3. Is inside Caroline’s head. This is not her real life or her novels, but instead her imagination as she talks to her characters and works through the story. It appears as the fantasy world freezing, except for one character for Caroline to talk to. Many of these scenes are written from the character’s perspective, and they don’t remember these conversations as the novel continues, but it can leave them with vague impressions of what to do next.
So, as a reader what I would expect with these parameters is for both Caroline and Rosamund to have well developed interesting personal storylines, and for the conversations between them to be both funny, but also show how Caroline works through her story struggles and how Rosamund as taken to having a mind of her own, and for their relationship to go from one of butting heads to understanding aka enemies-to-BFFS as promised.
This is a lot to balance, and on top of this it’s not just Caroline and Rosamund who have povs, but also Leo who’s Rosamund’s love interest, Robin who’s Rosamund’s childhood friend, and Henry, Caroline’s editor and love interest. So, there’s 5 povs spanning over 3 worlds with 2 different storylines, which is a lot to balance.
And while I did enjoy the book, I don’t think it struck the best balance.
Overall, my main points are:
1. Caroline’s storyline isn’t utilized that well. The beginning of the book doesn’t feature Caroline’s life much at all, and she’s the only character from the real world is actually fleshed out. I like the parallels between her real life and the fantasy story both with her love interest and her villain. However, I feel like we barely see her life until the end and at that point I don’t care about the solution, because I was barely there for most of her life. Especially, her romance with Henry which was barely relevant. I think Caroline’s story either needed to be more simplified and smaller just kept to her interactions with her characters, and her comments with Henry on the book document, or it needed more meat so that her world, that is actually supposed to be the real world, felt more fleshed out and lived in.
2. The fantasy storyline is my favorite part. It’s a simple plotline, since the romance and characters are the main focus. And I liked that simplicity, it was fun and wholesome. Instead of the story being about a bunch of crazy action and magic it was able to focus on the characters. It’s in a vaguely historic setting. There’s not really any magic, just two fantasy birds the caladrius which their tears can glue wounds together, and phoenixes which their blood can be drank for medicinal purposes. The focus is Rosamund’s slowly growing relationship with captain Leo during their journey to end the war between the kingdoms of Bevoria and Abrenia through diplomatic means. There are several fight scenes, and several more dangers they face, but overall the what is most important is their relationship not the action. The action scenes are fine, but very short so the story can continue. The vast majority of this novel is Rosamund’s story. Unlike Caroline’s story, Rosamund’s story is fleshed out with a fully written beginning, middle, and end. Due to it being a “first draft” within the context of the novel it is not always as fleshed in setting descriptions, and one scene is something Caroline says she’ll write in the next draft, but reading the book Rosamund’s didn’t feel like a book within a book, it just felt like an actual book. The character’s in Rosamund’s world felt real along with their world. It’s very true to the original Fantasy Heroine shorts series and if you like the shorts this expands upon them in a very faithful and enjoyable way.
3. The next level of the story is Caroline’s interactions with her characters. I enjoyed most of these interruptions, but sometimes I wasn't a fan. The way they are formatted results in Rosamund’s story coming to a complete halt, so they often messed up the flow of certain scenes without enough payoff to justify them. Due to the format Caroline’s presence is not s seamlessly integrated into Rosmund’s world since we are essentially just reading Rosamund’s story instead of Caroline always being present as a narrator. So, there were a couple quips I felt were unnecessary, but overall I enjoyed almost all of the longer scenes, and a lot of the short quips. These scene were the best part of the story to add meta commentary, were some of the silliest parts, but could also be surprisingly deep allowing us to see the inner depth of the fantasy characters and they discussed their thoughts with Caroline.
Now I want to talk about the characters since this is probably the main draw of this book, and is the main focus. First, I want to start with the 3 pov fantasy characters. The characters were really well written. They were all true to the shorts, but with expanded depth. I will say though due to there being so many pov characters I think there were multiple times where scenes that were more important to one character were given to another which overall weakened the impact of the scene. I did appreciate how this book didn’t force each pov character to rotate in a specific order chapter by chapter and instead chose the character needed most for each scene, but there were several times where I think the wrong character was chosen.
4. Rosamund was the most well-rounded character, and I really enjoyed her perspective. Her past felt fleshed out, and I loved being in her head. Rosamund didn’t feel like a character, she felt like a person. Her dedication to her mission, her love for her kids, her love and grief for Hugo, and her growing love with Leo felt so organic and natural. On top of that her romance with Leo felt so genuine and it didn’t feel tropey. And my issue isn’t when a book has a trope, but when a book feels like an amalgamation of tropes that’s when it becomes an issue. However, with this book their romance felt real. It wasn’t overexaggerated or campy, but subtle and believable. It was a nice sort of slow burn on Rosamund’s part. Not too slow, because look and the size of this book, but I would qualify the romance between Rosamund and Leo as one.
5. Speaking of Leo, he was also well written, but I feel he could’ve been fleshed out more when it came to his past. However, overall I enjoyed being in his head. He’s the quiet type, but instead of being angsty he’s shy and it was cool getting to know him. He was kind of adorkable when it came to social interactions he wasn’t used to. Specifically, Rosamund’s children. Also, one of my favorite times Caroline interrupts in a scene is to talk with him, because I think it especially commented on some of the unhealthy romance trope people like, but not in a preachy way. I also think it made Caroline think more about her characters and how she was writing them, along with fleshing Leo out.
6. Robin was the funny friend character. He wasn’t a particularly complex character, but it was nice to have an extroverted fun character to balance the quiet and serious Rosamund and Leo. However, I also like how Robin isn’t just a fun character. He also helps the other characters work through their feelings, and actually gives them good advice. Specifically, Leo and Charlotte. I also like how Robin was the most meta character having originated from a different novel idea Caroline had, resulting ideas from his past story slowly bleeding into this one, because try as Caroline might she couldn’t just strip Robin of his origins. Also, there’s a sentence near the end that gives Robin some extra depth, but I won’t elaborate here.
7. The fantasy side Characters. One thing I think this novel does well is making characters likeable and interesting in a short period of time. For example, Rosamund’s two kids Edmund and Charlotte are not introduce until the end, but the little we get of them is done with so much care. A lot of times kids are written as just one note and existing to make other characters look better, but these kids feel real. This is a romance novel about a widow with two kids, so understandably they have thoughts on what’s going on and their trepidations are treated both seriously by the author and the other characters which I really like. Also, there is a flashback scene to when Rosamund met her husband, and the author really does a good job fleshing him out and making me sympathize with Rosamund and her love for Hugo in such a short period of time.
8. Now let’s go to the real-world story and start with Caroline. While I do like her character, due to the limited time we spend in her world I’m not as attached to her journey. Caroline’s struggles are pretty average. She has a crappy boss, hates her job, and is too shy and unsure to ask out the person she likes. Her real life loosely reflects her novel, though her and Rosamund are pretty different, and part of her journey is realizing she needs to be brave like her character. Which I like that idea for her character, but with her scenes being so limited it didn’t have as much of an impact as it could’ve. And then there’s something about her learning to appreciate those around her, and stop isolating, but it’s essentially one throwaway conversation and it doesn’t feel particularly meaningful when we never meet these characters mentioned. I think we either needed more of Caroline’s storyline fleshing out her life and the people it it more and her relationship with Henry more, or for Caroline’s story to be cut out and for this to just be the finished story of Rosamund.
9. Now for the worst pov character… Henry. Henry’s personality is that he is a stickler as an editor and that he likes Caroline. Both of these feel kind of like informed traits too. Now this book only really needed Caroline and Rosamund’s povs, but I don’t dislike Leo and Robin’s. I dislike Henry’s pov being included. All the povs in this story are Caroline or her characters, they all come from Caroline’s mind and are essentially Caroline’s pov. So, Henry’s pov feel out of place. On top of that all we learn from his pov is that he’s in a similar living situation as Caroline, renting a house with a bunch of strangers who can be annoying at times, and being a hermit is his room, like Caroline. And the other thing we learn from his pov is that he likes Caroline. The thing is if we only learn about characters through their own point of views they start to feel like disconnected people in a vacuum. I think the romance between Caroline and Henry would’ve benefitted a lot more if instead we learned more about Henry by having him and Caroline interact and get to know each other instead.
10. Let’s talk about the side characters in Caroline’s world. They were the barest of bones barely even characters. The only ones we really saw in person were her boss the CFO of her company George, and the CEO of her company Eunice. Which even then they’re just the bad boss, and the good boss… that’s all there is to them. And I think this has more to do with a lack of time and maybe even interest spent on Caroline’s story, because I thought the side characters in Rosamund’s story were enjoyable. One character I did enjoy was Caroline’s mom, mostly because she kept ordering striped shirts online to be mailed to Caroline because, she knows Caroline likes them, even though Caroline now feels she has more than enough. That was very momish to me, and I liked that. However, even then Caroline’s mom becomes a confidant to her, but only at the end of the novel when she’s not talking to Henry as much. This isn’t due to an evolving appreciation of her mom, but moreso because, the mom wasn’t ever mentioned until she could be a prop for the story. Which I’m not a fan of.
11. Finally let’s talk about the writing. I love the word choices and sentence level writing of this book. The formality of how the characters speak really does transport me to an older time. I feel a lot of fantasy book I’ve read recently read like modern day, but these characters speak like they’re in a fantasy world which added to the immersion of the story. I was sucked into Rosamund’s world almost instantly.
12. The setting. The characters and writing did suck me into Rosamund’s world and I believed I was there. However, there wasn’t much setting description. I will admit my brain tends to fill things in, so this isn’t very detrimental to my reading experience, but it is definitely a factor. I think this book was able to away with this more due to it technically being Caroline’s first draft of Rosamund’s story, but even then, the settings aren’t described in Caroline’s world either. Overall the descriptions were sparse, and left more to be desired.
13. Finally, let’s talk about the pacing. This book is 311 pages has 5 pov characters and two completely different worlds with different; storylines… I think you can figure it’s fast paced. However, I’ve notice a lot of fast paced books nowdays fall into the problem of feeling like they’re specifically for people with short attention spans who’d rather be watching tiktok. However, despite the fast pace this book does have down time. There are quite a few moments where characters are traveling or working when so there is a nice flow to the story. My two biggest issues with pacing is how back heavy Carolines story is being sparse at the beginning of the novel, and then being given a more reasonable amount of page time near the end. Then the second issue if how there are two really important, and exciting scenes in Rosamund’s story that should’ve been written straight through, but instead get broken up by other characters perspectives unnecessarily. Which ultimately hurt the pacing.
So, my overall thoughts on this book is that the main draw is the characters. The plot is simple and straightforward, and I like the story. I do think Caroline’s story wasn’t given the time it deserved, but I loved Rosamund’s fantasy storyline. I enjoyed the writing, but the setting descriptions were sparse.
If you are a fan of the original fantasy heroine shorts, I would definitely recommend this book. I was a fan of it too and I really enjoyed getting to see the story given more detail and a more wrapped up conclusion. And I especially enjoyed the characters being fleshed out, in a way that both added depth, but was also very true to their characterization in the shorts. That was spot on.
If you’re not already a fan of the shorts I don’t know if you should pick this up. I think it has to do with if you like the premise, and if you prefer character driven stories and don’t mind the critiques I gave.
However, despite my critiques I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun quick read, that added depth to the story and characters I was invested in. And I would say while Caroline’s storyline was fine, I liked what it was going for, I loved Rosamund’s story. It was a simple fantasy with a simple plot, that allowed me to just sit back and enjoy the wholesome romance and the loveable characters who felt real.
November 16, 2023
I started watching the author’s Fantasy Heroine Short series on YouTube last year, and as an author who loves the fantasy genre myself, I was hooked. Then I learned there she was going to turn it into a book and I was ecstatic.
Just Stab Me Now is an absolute delight to read. It is a humorous romantasy with a fast paced and compelling narrative. The tension between Rosamund and, well, everyone, leaves the reader wanting to keep turning the page. I would say it has something for most people. Swords, intriguing political plots and subplots, romance, and more. It will appeal to fans of the enemies to lovers trope as well as forced proximity, arranged marriages, and self-sacrificing heroes. I read this as an ARC and I cannot say enough good things about it.
Just Stab Me Now is an absolute delight to read. It is a humorous romantasy with a fast paced and compelling narrative. The tension between Rosamund and, well, everyone, leaves the reader wanting to keep turning the page. I would say it has something for most people. Swords, intriguing political plots and subplots, romance, and more. It will appeal to fans of the enemies to lovers trope as well as forced proximity, arranged marriages, and self-sacrificing heroes. I read this as an ARC and I cannot say enough good things about it.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
February 25, 2024I’m not going to give this a star rating because it feels unfair given how fast I DNFed this book, I didn’t even finish a chapter. That being said this book is very meta, with the characters and the author writing the book interacting on page.
The meta aspect as well as the immediate introduction of way too many fantasy characters and locations was a turn off. I couldn’t keep anything straight because half of what was being discussed was unexplained fantasy stuff.
I’m sure this is fun for some people but this book is just not for me.
The meta aspect as well as the immediate introduction of way too many fantasy characters and locations was a turn off. I couldn’t keep anything straight because half of what was being discussed was unexplained fantasy stuff.
I’m sure this is fun for some people but this book is just not for me.
Want to read
October 26, 202310/26/2023: I. Cannot. Wait. I love the YouTube series, and I am thrilled she turned it into a book.
March 18, 2024
I got this because I thoroughly enjoyed the YouTube shorts. I will say that I absolutely enjoyed this version as well. I would say that this is definitely a book for adults, simply because of the *hem* rather intimate details of a marriage in the book.
February 5, 2024
I bought the book because I very much enjoy the author's videos on Youtube, and the Fantasy Heroine series of shorts was delightful. So I went in expecting to like the book (I already knew the plot and enjoy the Bearup's humor, which presumably translates from video to page). At the same time, I expected to have it give it some grace, being written by a Youtube content producer who has never written (nor considered writing) a book before and accomplished it in roughly a year.
Honestly, I thought the book was better than most recent fantasy I've read. It's utterly delightful and much more fleshed-out than the videos. Without already knowing it, I'd never have expected this was essentially a fan-service by someone who has never tried to write a book before nor ever intends to write one again--it's actually a well-written book. (And for those of us who care: the editing is superb--it's not riddled with errors like some self-published novels and even some mainstream.) In contrast to the dark and gritty stories that have become so popular recently, it's the sort of light, clean, swashbuckling romance that tends to find a permanent place on my shelves.
And it's actually romantic*. Very slow-burn, and the payoff is wonderful in the end. The romantic tropes are frequently subverted, but not in the usual ways (as some subverted romantic tropes have become so common that they're cliché.) As much as it jokes about being Enemies-to-Lovers, it isn't really; there's no heated bickering with sparks flying that accumulates to the leads letting passion take the better of them. Rosamund and Leo are way too pragmatic and, honestly, way too kind. She's dealing with grief and fear for her children; he's doing his best to protect her (and not just physically--emotionally, she's been through the ringer and he's very sensitive about it).
*Sex does not a romance make; it's all about the emotional connection between leads. And while Marital Consummation is important to the plot, it's part of the payoff in the end (and fade-to-black).
People like to liken anything and everything to The Princess Bride; but this is one instance where I'd say, if you like the Princess Bride film, there's a good chance you'll like this. It's similar low-magic fantasy, with sword-fighting, a bit of revenge/justice, and, eventually, true love. The plots aren't alike, but it has a comparable light-hearted, swashbuckling character to it, along with the sense that it's a story being told (or in this case, written) with "real-world" intrusions. Just delightful.
Honestly, I thought the book was better than most recent fantasy I've read. It's utterly delightful and much more fleshed-out than the videos. Without already knowing it, I'd never have expected this was essentially a fan-service by someone who has never tried to write a book before nor ever intends to write one again--it's actually a well-written book. (And for those of us who care: the editing is superb--it's not riddled with errors like some self-published novels and even some mainstream.) In contrast to the dark and gritty stories that have become so popular recently, it's the sort of light, clean, swashbuckling romance that tends to find a permanent place on my shelves.
And it's actually romantic*. Very slow-burn, and the payoff is wonderful in the end. The romantic tropes are frequently subverted, but not in the usual ways (as some subverted romantic tropes have become so common that they're cliché.) As much as it jokes about being Enemies-to-Lovers, it isn't really; there's no heated bickering with sparks flying that accumulates to the leads letting passion take the better of them. Rosamund and Leo are way too pragmatic and, honestly, way too kind. She's dealing with grief and fear for her children; he's doing his best to protect her (and not just physically--emotionally, she's been through the ringer and he's very sensitive about it).
*Sex does not a romance make; it's all about the emotional connection between leads. And while Marital Consummation is important to the plot, it's part of the payoff in the end (and fade-to-black).
People like to liken anything and everything to The Princess Bride; but this is one instance where I'd say, if you like the Princess Bride film, there's a good chance you'll like this. It's similar low-magic fantasy, with sword-fighting, a bit of revenge/justice, and, eventually, true love. The plots aren't alike, but it has a comparable light-hearted, swashbuckling character to it, along with the sense that it's a story being told (or in this case, written) with "real-world" intrusions. Just delightful.
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](https://cdn.statically.io/img/i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645808644i/7494844._UX200_CR0,6,200,200_.jpg)
May 23, 2024
Three stars is 100% because of my slumpity slump slump.
It wasn't bad. I enjoyed many things about it—the meta-ness of the world, Rosamund, Leo, and Robin, and while I appreciated the first-drafty nature of it all, I think I ultimately wanted...more? There was so much happening in this book, with the relationship between Caroline and Henry, Caroline and the Mystery of her Job, and then the entire fantasy book being written and Caroline's constant interjections, that it didn't feel like all the things had enough time to be properly developed.
But as a fun, lighthearted and cozy read complete with a very logical, very rational heroine, it was a fun romp.
It wasn't bad. I enjoyed many things about it—the meta-ness of the world, Rosamund, Leo, and Robin, and while I appreciated the first-drafty nature of it all, I think I ultimately wanted...more? There was so much happening in this book, with the relationship between Caroline and Henry, Caroline and the Mystery of her Job, and then the entire fantasy book being written and Caroline's constant interjections, that it didn't feel like all the things had enough time to be properly developed.
But as a fun, lighthearted and cozy read complete with a very logical, very rational heroine, it was a fun romp.
September 19, 2024
این کتاب خیلی حس خوبی به ادم میده
داستان راجب یک نویسنده تازه کار هست که همیشه فن فیک مینوشته و برای بار اول میخواد کتاب خودشو بنویسه اونم تو ژانر انمیز تو لاورز و تاریخی اما خوب... همه چیز طبق نقشه پیش نمیره چون شخصیتهای داستان بجا اینکه شخصیتها باهم بد باشن تصمیم میگیرن به هم کمک کنن 🤭😂(اخ که چقدر کارولین از دست شخصیتهای کتابش حرص خورد😂)
یعنی عملا ما ۲تا داستان توی یک کتاب میخونیم
۱- تاریخی عاشقانه رزاموند و دشمن جذابش
۲- داستان امروزی از زندگی روزانه کارولاین که نویسنده هست
داستان عاشقانه رزاموند و دشمن جذابش خیلی ملیح و دلربا بود از اونا که فقط حس خوب بهت میده و داستان کارولاین و چالشهای شغلیش و درگیریهاش با شخصیتهای داستان هم خیلی خوب بود و در تمام طول مدت داستان یه طنز باحالی جریان داشت😍
اخرسر هم اینکه دنبال یه داستان خیلی خیلی قوی نباشید این کتاب متوسط هست اما پر از حس خوب و دوست داشتنی🫠
پ.ن۱: یک دشمن جذاب هم نداریم
پ.ن۲: یک رابین هم نداریم 🚶🏻♀️🚶🏻♀️
داستان راجب یک نویسنده تازه کار هست که همیشه فن فیک مینوشته و برای بار اول میخواد کتاب خودشو بنویسه اونم تو ژانر انمیز تو لاورز و تاریخی اما خوب... همه چیز طبق نقشه پیش نمیره چون شخصیتهای داستان بجا اینکه شخصیتها باهم بد باشن تصمیم میگیرن به هم کمک کنن 🤭😂(اخ که چقدر کارولین از دست شخصیتهای کتابش حرص خورد😂)
یعنی عملا ما ۲تا داستان توی یک کتاب میخونیم
۱- تاریخی عاشقانه رزاموند و دشمن جذابش
۲- داستان امروزی از زندگی روزانه کارولاین که نویسنده هست
داستان عاشقانه رزاموند و دشمن جذابش خیلی ملیح و دلربا بود از اونا که فقط حس خوب بهت میده و داستان کارولاین و چالشهای شغلیش و درگیریهاش با شخصیتهای داستان هم خیلی خوب بود و در تمام طول مدت داستان یه طنز باحالی جریان داشت😍
اخرسر هم اینکه دنبال یه داستان خیلی خیلی قوی نباشید این کتاب متوسط هست اما پر از حس خوب و دوست داشتنی🫠
پ.ن۱: یک دشمن جذاب هم نداریم
پ.ن۲: یک رابین هم نداریم 🚶🏻♀️🚶🏻♀️
February 13, 2024
This one just made my heart feel all warm and cozy.
It takes the idea that characters sometimes take a life of their own -- much to their authors' consternation -- to the extreme. Caroline, the author, finds that her characters are all strong willed and, for the most part, ridiculously practical. It gets in the way of all the enemies to lovers tropes she's hoping to use, trending towards a slow burn... if there will be any burn at all.
Meanwhile, in the real world, Caroline has her own issues with work and love and critiques!
It's a humorous, witty ride that is JUST as good as the skits it's based on. (Seriously, go look them up on Bearup's YouTube or TikTok channels!) They're so iconic I could HEAR Bearup as I was reading, sometimes, even though I'm not usually that auditory with my reading!
It takes the idea that characters sometimes take a life of their own -- much to their authors' consternation -- to the extreme. Caroline, the author, finds that her characters are all strong willed and, for the most part, ridiculously practical. It gets in the way of all the enemies to lovers tropes she's hoping to use, trending towards a slow burn... if there will be any burn at all.
Meanwhile, in the real world, Caroline has her own issues with work and love and critiques!
It's a humorous, witty ride that is JUST as good as the skits it's based on. (Seriously, go look them up on Bearup's YouTube or TikTok channels!) They're so iconic I could HEAR Bearup as I was reading, sometimes, even though I'm not usually that auditory with my reading!
February 23, 2024
I am not a full romance fan. Not that I don't like that, but I don't like when it is the main and most of all only point. It is nice when it shows how this intersects with life and what it can bring, and most of all when it is also a tool for commentary.
This just does it full force. I devoured the second part of the book, even though I knew most of what would happen (if you haven't seen the youtube short series, do yourself a favor and do, you won't regret it) and I liked it slightly less then the first half due to one, spoiler, reason, but I just appreciate the very well done meta commentary on tropes, so much.
Also, so much appreciation for... Let's call them aesthetic choices. Bravo.
A 9/10 that has to become a 5 star because this is just that unique. Lovely.
This just does it full force. I devoured the second part of the book, even though I knew most of what would happen (if you haven't seen the youtube short series, do yourself a favor and do, you won't regret it) and I liked it slightly less then the first half due to one, spoiler, reason, but I just appreciate the very well done meta commentary on tropes, so much.
Also, so much appreciation for... Let's call them aesthetic choices. Bravo.
A 9/10 that has to become a 5 star because this is just that unique. Lovely.
January 31, 2024
I wanted to love this book more than I actually did.
But before I get into the particulars, I want to speak to the author:
Back to the rest of you.
This book is an extremely ambitious metanarrative that I think even experienced authors would struggle to make work. It may not have lived up to hopes raised by the YouTube Shorts series that inspired it, but all threads of the story are coherent, the plot is intriguing and unique, and I have to say that it was fun.
I LOVE the no-nonsense female heroine in her thirties who is adept at sewing and knifework with equal competency, and values both skills as useful. Femininity and self defence are not contradictory! Also the male romantic interest is respectful and sensitive without his masculinity being sacrificed. *perfection* Both plots are simple but the way they're interwoven adds complexity. I was hoping for actual editorial notes from Henry - Caroline keeps referring to his stickler ways, but the only interactions we actually get he's a bit soft. I think the fantasy romance plot does too much heavy lifting in the author/editor romance and that's a shame. And this problem pops up in other areas too.
The key to getting fully invested in this book is remembering which storyline is actually the main narrative: that of Caroline writing her first original work of fiction and her first experience with wilful original characters who come with more personality and plot history than is usually possible in fanfiction, all while dealing with a very stressful situation at work and navigating a transitioning relationship with her "hot editor". The way that this narrative comes around to show that Caroline's book is a reflection of her real life in more ways than just the appearance of the two main characters was a nice touch that I wasn't expecting at first. But this is where my real disappointment starts, because I (and I expect many others) was anticipating that the historical fantasy story would be the main narrative, with funny interjections from the author. And having just read 2 Brandon Sanderson books in that style, it was easy to compare and be disappointed. Once I realised the main narrative was not the one I expected, I then also had to often remind myself that Caroline is a mildly successful fanfiction writer and this is her first draft, so the writing in the fantasy story is deliberately unpolished.
Though I got used to it eventually, I'm not sold on the level of awareness the characters have about the author. Specifically, I don't like how the author pops in and out of existence mid action, thereby freezing everything else in time. I don't see the need for the characters to physically see Caroline and I feel like it would have been more natural and amusing to have the author talking in the characters' heads. There are plenty of precedents to format the voice a character hears in their head in italics, and it would have gone a long way toward avoiding confusion.
Not only was this format confusing, but the constant stopping in the middle of scenes for Caroline to interject quippy one-liners was jarring. Nice as it was to see some of my favourite moments from the Shorts series play out in the context of a fuller narrative, the interruptions materially affected my engagement with the story. Again, a more streamlined approach like 'the voice in my head' would have bounced me out of the action much less and would have achieved the same narrative result. How cool would it have been to see Rosamund having an argument in her head while trying to focus on fighting off an attacker? The short snappy witticisms of Caroline that didn't actually change the decisions she was commenting on would have rolled into the action much better, and the longer arguments between character and author after or before a scene could just as easily have happened with dialogue in italics, with the added bonus of some other character catching them talking to themself - a universal human experience that everyone can find funny.
This choices to make the author's story the main narrative and have her physically appear in her fictional work are really my only problems, but they're big enough that they stopped me truly enjoying the things I did like: the characters are interesting and funny, the plot is engaging, and there are knives EVERYWHERE. There is so much potential for this to have been truly brilliant, and falling short of the mark made it hard for me to read.
But before I get into the particulars, I want to speak to the author:
Back to the rest of you.
This book is an extremely ambitious metanarrative that I think even experienced authors would struggle to make work. It may not have lived up to hopes raised by the YouTube Shorts series that inspired it, but all threads of the story are coherent, the plot is intriguing and unique, and I have to say that it was fun.
I LOVE the no-nonsense female heroine in her thirties who is adept at sewing and knifework with equal competency, and values both skills as useful. Femininity and self defence are not contradictory! Also the male romantic interest is respectful and sensitive without his masculinity being sacrificed. *perfection* Both plots are simple but the way they're interwoven adds complexity. I was hoping for actual editorial notes from Henry - Caroline keeps referring to his stickler ways, but the only interactions we actually get he's a bit soft. I think the fantasy romance plot does too much heavy lifting in the author/editor romance and that's a shame. And this problem pops up in other areas too.
The key to getting fully invested in this book is remembering which storyline is actually the main narrative: that of Caroline writing her first original work of fiction and her first experience with wilful original characters who come with more personality and plot history than is usually possible in fanfiction, all while dealing with a very stressful situation at work and navigating a transitioning relationship with her "hot editor". The way that this narrative comes around to show that Caroline's book is a reflection of her real life in more ways than just the appearance of the two main characters was a nice touch that I wasn't expecting at first. But this is where my real disappointment starts, because I (and I expect many others) was anticipating that the historical fantasy story would be the main narrative, with funny interjections from the author. And having just read 2 Brandon Sanderson books in that style, it was easy to compare and be disappointed. Once I realised the main narrative was not the one I expected, I then also had to often remind myself that Caroline is a mildly successful fanfiction writer and this is her first draft, so the writing in the fantasy story is deliberately unpolished.
Though I got used to it eventually, I'm not sold on the level of awareness the characters have about the author. Specifically, I don't like how the author pops in and out of existence mid action, thereby freezing everything else in time. I don't see the need for the characters to physically see Caroline and I feel like it would have been more natural and amusing to have the author talking in the characters' heads. There are plenty of precedents to format the voice a character hears in their head in italics, and it would have gone a long way toward avoiding confusion.
Not only was this format confusing, but the constant stopping in the middle of scenes for Caroline to interject quippy one-liners was jarring. Nice as it was to see some of my favourite moments from the Shorts series play out in the context of a fuller narrative, the interruptions materially affected my engagement with the story. Again, a more streamlined approach like 'the voice in my head' would have bounced me out of the action much less and would have achieved the same narrative result. How cool would it have been to see Rosamund having an argument in her head while trying to focus on fighting off an attacker? The short snappy witticisms of Caroline that didn't actually change the decisions she was commenting on would have rolled into the action much better, and the longer arguments between character and author after or before a scene could just as easily have happened with dialogue in italics, with the added bonus of some other character catching them talking to themself - a universal human experience that everyone can find funny.
This choices to make the author's story the main narrative and have her physically appear in her fictional work are really my only problems, but they're big enough that they stopped me truly enjoying the things I did like: the characters are interesting and funny, the plot is engaging, and there are knives EVERYWHERE. There is so much potential for this to have been truly brilliant, and falling short of the mark made it hard for me to read.
February 5, 2024
I stumbled across the Fantasy Heroine shorts on YouTube a while ago, and it felt like someone had gotten inside my writer brain and documented the experience. Okay, not absolutely ALL of it, but so MUCH of it! I have had uncooperative characters hijack my plots in spades, and I fell in love with both Caroline (because author sympathy) and Rosamund (because more of the kinds of choices that I would actually make). So when I heard there was a novel coming, I needed to try it, but I wasn't sure how on earth the whole convoluted meta-narrative would work in the form of a book. But it did! It really did! I was delighted to find how seamlessly we transitioned back and forth from Rosamund's book to Caroline's real life to their snarky interplay. And random interpolations from Henry, the "hot editor" that made the metanarrative even more fun and the author part of me even more connected. Also, I loved how we were able to flesh out some of the more murky details from the shorts series while leaving some things to be "worked out later" by Caroline. ;)
Some important notes on content--
Okay, that ended up being a lot of notes, but because this one is slightly out of my usual reading genres, I wanted to be sure to put it out there so nobody's taken off guard. I loved the story, and the talk about (possibly but not actually) writing an intimate scene is really the only thing that knocks the half-star off for me. But with the way it was handled (and the fact that I knew it would be handled that way), I didn't have a problem finishing the book. With that one caveat, I adored the story and enjoyed the (sometimes embarrassingly accurate) picture of an author's mind. Rosamund and Leo were always going to be favorites, and I ended up falling for Caroline more than I expected to or already had. Would highly recommend to those who like writing or picking apart writing tropes and aren't sensitive to the content noted above.
I guess part of what I'm trying to say is that I wouldn't have read the story Caroline wanted to write, but I loved the story Rosamund ended up living, and I was able to kind of wave Caroline's spicier ideas away because "well, that's not actually going to happen." If that makes any sense. :D
4.5 stars
Some important notes on content--
Okay, that ended up being a lot of notes, but because this one is slightly out of my usual reading genres, I wanted to be sure to put it out there so nobody's taken off guard. I loved the story, and the talk about (possibly but not actually) writing an intimate scene is really the only thing that knocks the half-star off for me. But with the way it was handled (and the fact that I knew it would be handled that way), I didn't have a problem finishing the book. With that one caveat, I adored the story and enjoyed the (sometimes embarrassingly accurate) picture of an author's mind. Rosamund and Leo were always going to be favorites, and I ended up falling for Caroline more than I expected to or already had. Would highly recommend to those who like writing or picking apart writing tropes and aren't sensitive to the content noted above.
I guess part of what I'm trying to say is that I wouldn't have read the story Caroline wanted to write, but I loved the story Rosamund ended up living, and I was able to kind of wave Caroline's spicier ideas away because "well, that's not actually going to happen." If that makes any sense. :D
4.5 stars
February 18, 2024
Dnf at 41% this was a jumbled mess, full of grammatical mistakes. I liked the concept but the writing was just not good.
March 8, 2024
I love the YouTube skits and this book was just as fun and chaotic as the skits. I loved this book, from the writing style/format to the characters, it was a delightful read from beginning to end.
July 1, 2024
3⭐️ Unique concept which oddly reminded me of a webtoon. Dual romance storylines: one fantasy and one real life. In the real life storyline, an author is writing a novel and falls in love with the editor. In the fantasy storyline, two characters are falling in love (written by the author). The author has conversations with her characters throughout the book to point out the irony in romantic novels and figure out her own love life. The storylines align more as the book progresses and eventually converges at the conclusion of the novel.
May 30, 2024
Much to love
I'm not normally one for meta narratives, but this one is a blast. Winsome, charming, full of love for the genres as well as insight into both genre and the writer's life, I laughed often and still took hard blows to the gut when they came. Happy endings all around.
I'm not normally one for meta narratives, but this one is a blast. Winsome, charming, full of love for the genres as well as insight into both genre and the writer's life, I laughed often and still took hard blows to the gut when they came. Happy endings all around.
April 26, 2024
2 points for a clever idea. I, unfortunately, didn't have time to look up the YouTube videos which might have diminished my enjoyment. I guess I was expecting something a bit more or less (depending on how you term it). I'd love to work it up as an editor... I guess that's part of the joke.
March 28, 2024
SO CUTE!
love the romance tropes and the characters not obliging with what the author wants .
First 30 pages had me so confused but I got gripped so quickly
love the romance tropes and the characters not obliging with what the author wants .
First 30 pages had me so confused but I got gripped so quickly
April 22, 2024
I loved the concept of this story and the first chapters made me laugh… but then the story got increasingly boring.
March 6, 2024
TL;DR: I prefer the movie to the book adaptation.
I was excited for and simultaneously dreaded getting to read this.
Jill Bearup's Fantasy Heroine shorts were lightning, striking out bangers again and again. They play to her strengths as an actor, and shorts as a medium of entertainment. There are nuggets of delightful spice - and, when considering how one might go about adopting the story into a book that would requite all the minutia of setup and the connective tissue of narrative logic, and a meta subversion on top of that... It seemed increasingly impossible to do it good unless in the hand of someone great™, with an awful lot of literaly wit -- and debut authors, alas, don't tend to come fully grown into greatness.
The text is, understandably, unwilling to ditch iconic lines - so, they lose their momentum, chopped apart by setting descriptions, all spice lost without good acting. (The audio book might be the better experience?) If Just Stab Me Now were to execute its core concept appel great, it would have to commit to the necessary changes and do what can be done in writing alone, i.e. tailor itself to the medium. As is, a New-Adult*-thin** is stretched across writing that struggles to be either fantastic or charmingly mundane.
* (derogatory)
** (non-deragotory, since that is the Point™)
I was excited for and simultaneously dreaded getting to read this.
Jill Bearup's Fantasy Heroine shorts were lightning, striking out bangers again and again. They play to her strengths as an actor, and shorts as a medium of entertainment. There are nuggets of delightful spice - and, when considering how one might go about adopting the story into a book that would requite all the minutia of setup and the connective tissue of narrative logic, and a meta subversion on top of that... It seemed increasingly impossible to do it good unless in the hand of someone great™, with an awful lot of literaly wit -- and debut authors, alas, don't tend to come fully grown into greatness.
The text is, understandably, unwilling to ditch iconic lines - so, they lose their momentum, chopped apart by setting descriptions, all spice lost without good acting. (The audio book might be the better experience?) If Just Stab Me Now were to execute its core concept appel great, it would have to commit to the necessary changes and do what can be done in writing alone, i.e. tailor itself to the medium. As is, a New-Adult*-thin** is stretched across writing that struggles to be either fantastic or charmingly mundane.
* (derogatory)
** (non-deragotory, since that is the Point™)
April 3, 2024
Maybe 2.5 stars... Maybe.
This is an original idea (I think) of the author chiming in on their characters' story. At first, I found it irritating but quite quickly got used to it and even kind of enjoyed it at times. It was also entertaining to quite literally be part of the creation of the plot and how the author's own life influences the characters and vice versa.
So, the premise was relatively interesting, but the plot is what ultimately became my issue. It's very cliché and I'm pretty sure it was intended that way, but I was hoping it to be more original. Most things were just scratching the surface, like the secret brotherhood thing that was going on with Leo, Robin and Hugo that was basically not explored further after being introduced to the reader. Leo also fell SO HARD for Rosamund after what felt like five minutes and I just didn't buy the intensity of his feelings.
Mainly though it was Caroline's personal life I didn't understand why we had to follow it. Sure, it was cute to see more of her relationship with Henry but it also wasn't necessary for the story. And don't get me started on her work drama which had no real purpose — it was just a waste of words. I'd much rather we would have been able to read more about Rosamund and Leo and skip Caroline's storyline altogether.
This is an original idea (I think) of the author chiming in on their characters' story. At first, I found it irritating but quite quickly got used to it and even kind of enjoyed it at times. It was also entertaining to quite literally be part of the creation of the plot and how the author's own life influences the characters and vice versa.
So, the premise was relatively interesting, but the plot is what ultimately became my issue. It's very cliché and I'm pretty sure it was intended that way, but I was hoping it to be more original. Most things were just scratching the surface, like the secret brotherhood thing that was going on with Leo, Robin and Hugo that was basically not explored further after being introduced to the reader. Leo also fell SO HARD for Rosamund after what felt like five minutes and I just didn't buy the intensity of his feelings.
Mainly though it was Caroline's personal life I didn't understand why we had to follow it. Sure, it was cute to see more of her relationship with Henry but it also wasn't necessary for the story. And don't get me started on her work drama which had no real purpose — it was just a waste of words. I'd much rather we would have been able to read more about Rosamund and Leo and skip Caroline's storyline altogether.
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