Strange search histories and trashy romances gone wrong have been perfectly embodied in Jill Bearup’s “Just Stab Me Now.”
The reader is taken through two different stories: the unfortunate position Lady Rosamund Hawkhurst finds herself in after her husband’s untimely death, and the stressful life of Caroline Lindley, another character who is writing a book about Rosamund and the lives of the other characters inside this novel.
Caroline just wanted to write a book with some of her favorite tropes, but her “characters” had other ideas.
Rosamund slowly uncovers the mystery behind her husband’s demise, becoming more and more suspicious of the strange guard her queen provided her, Captain Leo Collins, and even her hot childhood best friend, Robin. Caroline, on the other hand, can’t believe her strong female protagonist is so old. Thirty-six. She’s ancient.
And besides that, all of Caroline’s characters are uncooperative. Robin can’t keep his mouth shut, Leo can’t be a proper hot enemy for the life of him, and Rosamund just does whatever she wants. But, within Caroline’s real life, she encounters the same problems upon realizing just how much Rosamund’s hot enemy Leo is similar to her editor Henry.
The characters may be the best part of this book. Caroline’s frustrations are more than relatable for any author: trying so hard to make characters fall in love, but it’s as futile as jamming together the wrong puzzle pieces. An author usually has an outline, but sometimes the story just goes the way it wants.
Of course, there’s also the usual questioning of one’s sanity upon the realization that they’re thinking about and sometimes talking to their made-up people in a made-up world nearly all day, rather than being in touch with reality.
The two best escapes from reality seem to be reading and writing. So reading about writing can take one out of their own stressful reality entirely to see not one, but two stories intertwined.
The way Bearup makes sense of these two stories is incredibly impressive. It’s very interesting to see the parallels between the stories. Characters proven to be very different people are put in similar positions and look to each other for guidance.
The book is an incredibly unique take on well-known young adult romance novels. While many books seem to be exact copies of each other, with a love triangle and a “strong female protagonist” that’s far too young, this one takes that idea and makes it go wrong.
Creative writers who need a break from their supposedly relaxing hobby should read this book. It’ll have them laughing out loud with its witty lines about everything from random research that comes with writing to an unfortunate case of grand theft equine.
No matter what an author likes to write, they’ll certainly agree with Jill Bearup’s portrayal of just how deranged all authors seem to be. I give this novel five out of five stars.