Caroline Lindley's quest to craft the perfect romance novel is all about her favorite tropes: fantasy, formal gowns, and fencing. With a protagonist who's a thirty-six-year-old widow, Lady Rosamund Hawkhurst, instead of the stereotypical youth, Caroline steps into uncharted territory. Rosamund has her own battles, with a real war to end and children to protect. Circumstances escalate as Caroline's dialogue with her editor uncovers surprising parallels between fiction and real life, particularly when it comes to Rosamund's dashing adversary. Jill Bearup's novel 'Just Stab Me Now' unfolds a witty and heartfelt journey through the melding of the meta and the medieval, where swords are optional but being a hero in one's story is paramount.