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narwhal23's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Violence, Sexual content, and Murder
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Blood, and War
relin's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
4.75
The structure of this book was really interesting. Reading both the life of the author and the lives of the characters in the fantasy romance book she is writing was really interesting and fun. Though I found it hard at times to jump between all of the perspectives. It was a fun journey though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death, Xenophobia, War, and Murder
kys_chai_and_books's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Tropey in the best ways possible! A very fun read that's perfect for a stressful work week or a vacation read.annapox's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Before the actual review, I just want to say that after borrowing this book from the library I found out that the author is probably a TERF. This did not affect my star rating, but it does affect my willingness to buy the book.
This book is still worth a read. The concept is original, the story is fun, and the writing is mostly satisfactory. Some aspects could have been fleshed out more, but overall I enjoyed it. I'd recommend trying to find a cheap secondhand paperback copy. I read it on the Libby app, and I didn't have the benefit of the different fonts to help me distinguish the author character's story from the protagonist's story.
This book is still worth a read. The concept is original, the story is fun, and the writing is mostly satisfactory. Some aspects could have been fleshed out more, but overall I enjoyed it. I'd recommend trying to find a cheap secondhand paperback copy. I read it on the Libby app, and I didn't have the benefit of the different fonts to help me distinguish the author character's story from the protagonist's story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Gore, Blood, Classism, Confinement, Ableism, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, and War
kayceeisbookish's review
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Compelling and unique. Jill Bearup has gifted us with a truly wonderful and hilarious experience in this novel, the ability to see a glimpse of what it's like during the chaos of the writing process. The emotional rollercoaster both for Rosamund and Caroline's diverging (and sometimes merging) plot points were do amazingly meta. I wish this type of 4th wall breaking book was a type of genre, so I could get more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Grief, Murder, and Violence
biojesspj's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
So fun to read! Having the characters talk to the author is a great way to sort of break the fourth wall without actually talking to the audience, and it's a fun insight into how writing stories works for many authors. Even without the author interactions, the story would be great to read as a standalone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Sexism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Minor: Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail
The main character'd spouse had been dead nearly a year at the beginning of the novel, and the grief and cause of that death are important to the plot.bree_h_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
After my disappointment with Assistant to the Villain I was nervous to see a short video series turned book again. Fortunately Just Stab Me Now was an amazing read and effectively turned the author’s Fantasy Heroine series into an excellent book. It was simple and delightful and has a great sense of humour.
All the characters felt very well rounded and realistic. I mostly understood their motivations and why they felt the way they did. They were all enjoyable characters. I especially enjoyed watching them interact and play off each other. I especially liked the exploration of grief and falling in love again that was explored with Rosamund.
The dual plot lines helped keep me invested and tied well together. I liked seeing how they impacted each other and I felt like they were both interesting. I wasn’t expecting so much storyline from Caroline (the author character) and it was really interesting. It was built well off the Fantasy Heroine series and the trope subversion was as delightful as always.
My only issues with the book were that the romance felt a bit rushed and that the ending felt a bit abrupt. I think the end of the book would have benefited from a bit more time to be built to. It just felt like a very sudden, somewhat unsatisfying ending. I also felt as if the romance was a bit rushed, within a couple weeks someone’s already developing feelings for someone they’ve hardly spoken to and it just caught me off guard.
Overall a fun read! I definitely recommend it to anyone familiar with Jill Bearup’s Fantasy Heroine series. I would be curious to see how anyone unfamiliar with the series feels about the book and its writing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Grief, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Sexism, War, Pregnancy, and Misogyny
queen_cocolatis's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really adored this book.
I was a fan of the YouTube series and knew it was something I had to look into.
I loved the extra details and POVs. Robin completely stole my heart as the favorite.
I adored how it had both fantasy and modern day. It felt like a first draft while also being a completed book (which was the exact vibe Jill was going for, and I ate it up)
I honestly wanted to highlight every little reference I could remember, which was quite strange, as I’m not an annotating kind of gal.
I adored the extra detailing of Leo actually being a stepfather, the children’s qualms with it. And even Rosy’s acknowledgments of Hego and her grief. To the point I really want a whole prequel about their romance! I also love the hint at Leo and Rosy having a baby at the end.
Any fan of the romance trope, with actually intelligent characters as the MC’s will adore this book. It’s a solid 4/5 for me.
My only gripes at times were pacing, and the constant breaking within chapters that caused me to sometimes loose focus or who was talking. Although that was just a me issue.
If Jill decides to write a sequel, or even a whole different book, I’ll definitely be picking it up.
I was a fan of the YouTube series and knew it was something I had to look into.
I loved the extra details and POVs. Robin completely stole my heart as the favorite.
I adored how it had both fantasy and modern day. It felt like a first draft while also being a completed book (which was the exact vibe Jill was going for, and I ate it up)
I honestly wanted to highlight every little reference I could remember, which was quite strange, as I’m not an annotating kind of gal.
Any fan of the romance trope, with actually intelligent characters as the MC’s will adore this book. It’s a solid 4/5 for me.
My only gripes at times were pacing, and the constant breaking within chapters that caused me to sometimes loose focus or who was talking. Although that was just a me issue.
If Jill decides to write a sequel, or even a whole different book, I’ll definitely be picking it up.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Grief, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Sexual content, Pregnancy, and War
bubbles12000's review
funny
relaxing
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Pregnancy, Violence, War, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
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