Recommended: eh...
for sex scenes and some ghost plot, but not for compelling action or ghost plot resolution that is satisfying or feels in any way like it mattered, for weak enemies to lovers premise

Thoughts:
Boy do I wish I wasn't so irritated with this book. It made me angry and annoyed pretty regularly. There's a lot to cover....

Starting with the (few) things I did like, I enjoyed seeing two indigenous authors and the fact that it was part of the identity and story for both of them, but didn't 100% define them. They had other traits and desires and goals in life, while also being in touch with their heritage and family roots. I also liked that it was set in Scotland, although ultimately that wasn't seen much and didn't really matter as any remote place would have done.

That's it, I think. ON TO THE RANT!

The enemies to lovers premise is weak tea. It's the sort of thing where you get into it and go "THAT'S THE REASON?" Pfft. I think I just need to stop reading anything that says E2L because hey, I usually hate it.

Second up, is it me or is most of this story sex? I'm pretty sure it was. I remember sex and a few ghostly things happening, but we'll start with the sex. It's frequent. If you're here for that, you're in for a treat. I read the audiobook because my digital copy was unavailable, and HO-LY SHIT. I had to skip a solid 20-30 minute chunk that was just multiple chapters of them having sex that I was surely not going to listen to (not for me, thanks). And that was just one scene. Honestly by the midway point I ended up having to skip sections multiple times, so who knows what I missed in those scenes if anything. They did seem to sneak small plot stepping stones in the midst of the fornication so 🤷‍♀️

Also, they did sex things in the middle of also being like "I genuinely feel at risk of death here." So it was kind of a danger bang, but also so insane for them to be like "I fear death, but he / she is pretty hot so I guess I'll ignore the whole death thing for now." I get that it can make people stupid, but my god. Also used the phrase "finger banged" which I just really hated.

Speaking of things I hated, why the fuck was Daniela even there? Talk about a useless character. I'm pretty sure she was just there to be someone to hate and to make it not be an awkward threesome of characters. But also, four people is the writing retreat? That seems weirdly small to me even so. Anyway, Daniela. Pretty sure she could have been 100% removed and the story would not matter at all except to be slightly less annoying. Who even was she to the others?

Ghost stuff: meh. I was hopeful that hauntings would mitigate the constant sex-having but they in fact seemed to make them both hornier. The ghost plot was not very exciting and in the end I just felt like there was no reason for it to have affected them specifically so it didn't make much sense. The payoff was very weak, unless I missed something during the parts I skipped of sex, and it almost felt like someone going on a murder spree, eating a snack, and then going "ah sorry about that, I was just a bit hangry." 😵

And finally, the end. I never liked either of the main characters. I didn't especially dislike them I guess, but never cared about them or their feelings or success and so on. But the most egregious issue that made me loathe Penelope ("Pen", gag) is that she never even bothered to get a read on how people received her actions and stories before just spiraling for literal years into assuming she's a hated piece of shit. All of this was over nothing.

Overall, this annoyed me because everything felt pointless and there was too much sex with not enough ghosts and none of it mattered. Oy.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC. This is my honest review which is probably pretty clear.

"If I Stopped Haunting You" by Colby Wilkens is a uniquely engaging blend of supernatural elements and heartfelt romance. The witty banter between the characters brings a refreshing humor to the story, balancing the more emotional themes of loss and connection. Wilkens crafts an imaginative narrative that explores the complexities of love across different realms, making it both fun and poignant. The character development is strong, drawing readers into their struggles and triumphs. Overall, this novel is a charming and whimsical journey that leaves you contemplating the ties that bind us, even beyond the grave.

Extremely disappointed to read about possible fraudulent behavior by this author.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

DNF. The heroine was very unlikable. Then the author was outed as falsely Indigenous.
0 stars if I could.

I’m disappointed to see the allegations regarding the author claiming to be of indigenous descent while in fact having no genealogical or American Indian ancestral tie to the indigenous tribe as found by the tribal alliance. I cannot support an author who uses Native American stories for profit while falsely claiming she is of that heritage.

I also had major issues with the actual story involving the FMC using physical violence against the MMC for the sake of creating an enemies to lovers storyline. My favorite part of the book was the representation but again, I’m disappointed to now know it doesn’t come from an indigenous perspective. I appreciate the gifted copy from NetGalley and St Martins Griffin

While horror is one of my least favorite genres, I actually quite enjoyed the goose bumps and hair-raising scares as I moved through the book. I would certainly recommend the story to those who like haunted castles and do not mind being frightened. (For this part alone, I would give a 4.5-star.)

In addition, I have always liked the story-within-a-story design. With the heroine digging into the past of haunted mansion, the story had an element of mystery/suspense, (A 4-start for the subplot.)

I had to admit that when I came across the introduction, the title caught my attention because the description said "steamy enemy-turned-lover romance." However, the chemistry did not work for me. For those who are looking for a hot romance, hmm, this title is not on the top of my list. (A 3-star for romance.)

The author is problematic and is not taking accountability for her actions. I found out that she pretended to be Indigenous.

Editing to add: Turns out this author is not Native American as she has been claiming to be. I will not be reading any future books from this author, and I hope everyone out there looks into this matter further because what this author has done to the Indigenous community is despicable.

I DNFd this book at about the 50% mark. I just couldn’t get invested in the characters, and didn’t enjoy the writing. Then I saw the allegations that came out about this author, and decided to stop reading.

I was going to rate this higher until I found out that the author lied about being Indigenous. It is 2024 almost 2025… why are we lying about who we are?

Due to the recent news about Colby Wilken's misrepresentation of her identity, I will not be reading or reviewing this title.

I am requesting that the author and publisher both make the necessary apologies to those in the marginalized community affected by this dishonesty, and I hope for better oversight on these matters in future acquisitions. I also request that the publish exert increased efforts to lift and support authentic Native American voices.

This book was good! A new author to me and I really enjoyed the story and the romance. It was perfect for Fall and had me laughing and swooning! Definitely pick this one up this season!!!

The author pretending to be Native and using it as a marketing scheme is already disgusting, but the fact that this book portrays violence towards Native peoples? Truly wild.

Penelope and Neil are both horror writers that go on a writers retreat together in a Scottish haunted castle.

They have alot of tension between the both of them throughout the book. I did enjoy the spookyness of the haunted castle.

However, I did find a few moments to be a bit repetitive.

This is a good cozy mystery with some steamy moments.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

DNF

This cover is so swoony, and I was excited to read an ownvoices book featuring Native characters.

I was uncomfortable with the on page violence, and that the FMC seemed unrepentant. I don't think it's healthy to be in a relationship with someone who gave you a physical scar, even in fiction.

I'm always so excited to read a book by an indigenous author, but not by pretendians.

It wasn't even good too, soft DNF at 56% before the information came about about the authors lies, and it's now an official DNF there.

I had a lot of issues with this book. The first and biggest being how just unlikable and mean the main character, Pen is. I feel she was super intolerable and more than just borderline abusive. The premise of the book was good which was why I requested it. I think it was written well enough which is why i decided to give it three stars but it just wasn’t what i wanted or thought i was getting.

Additionally, I have decided to withhold my review on goodreads and storygraph because I 1) Don’t want to hurt the ratings more and also 2) The author is undergoing some very serious allegations at this time and I don’t wish to bring any light to her at this time.

Penelope (who goes by Pen) is an author who had a feud with another author named Neil Storm. She disagreed with him stereotyping of Native Americans and ended up throwing a book at him. Present day, she is excited to go on an excursion to spend a week at a "haunted" Scottish Mansion. That is until she finds out he is there, and the mansion might actually be haunted.

I usually don't like rom-coms, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It wasn't over the top most of the time and I liked the enemy to lovers feel. In addition, the enemy to lovers wasn't immediate. They definitely hated each other for quite a long time, although you started to realize there were feelings hidden behind it.

Another saving grace behind this book was the horror part. Staying at a haunted mansion split up the rom-com quite a bit. The horror part wasn't super scary and there was a mystery wrapped around it. Every chapter you were wondering why the ghost was still at the mansion and the mystery was revealed at a perfect pace.

I started reading this book but it was brought to my attention about the author and I will not be continuing the book.

The premise of this book sounded wonderful, but I will not be reading or reviewing it because the author is pretending to be Indigenous.