Enemies to lover in a haunted castle sounded like a really fun & spooky premise, but unfortunately this book fell a bit flat for me.

The enemies to lovers made sense and felt genuine (she literally throws a book at him), but they went from hate to like really quickly and it didn’t really make any sense to me, especially when they hadn’t resolved much between them.

The spooky scenes / horror aspect was really cool, but the steamy scenes around the spooky stuff definitely pulled me out of any sort of tension or sense of danger. Like, “oh no, scary ghost lady!” But then let’s make out against this wall??? Didn’t work for me.

Also, there were a lot of questions I had in the end that were never resolved:
•Why were Pen & Neil the only two who could see the ghost?
•Where were the other two characters the entire time?
•What was the point of Pen having the last name if it isn’t revealed she’s related?

While the spooky stuff / horror aspect was chilling & fun at times, “we’ve got some Dorian Grey-level shit going on here” had me laughing out loud, overall I felt like this one just didn’t live up to what I was hoping it could be.

Thanks to NetGalley & Colby Wilkens for providing me with an advanced reader copy. All thoughts shared here are my own.

This book was such a quick and fun read! I was interested from the very start and stayed that way throughout. The slow burn actually was, and wasn’t an insta-love kind of thing. However, this was marketed as being horror, but it wasn’t at all. This was generally pretty light. It had the potential to be creepy, but that part was kind of glossed over. Overall this was an easy and enjoyable read, I’d definitely recommend checking it out! 4.5 ⭐️

This book was S...L...O...W...

And honestly, the big reveal for the haunting was lackluster. The romance was okay. I think I'm just not a person who enjoys being in the characters heads this much. Listening to the FMC's internal monologue on why she was suddenly having feelings for the MMC just wasn't interesting to me. (honestly, she said why at least 6 times in one paragraph).

The premise of the book was interesting, but ultimately it fell short for me. The story starts with Penelope, our female MC, throwing a book at the head of the male MC so hard that it leaves him bleeding (and with a scar) in public. In front of a room full of people. That left a bad taste in my mouth, even though this is painted as a sort of in-joke between them later on- I think there could have been a way to show the depth of her anger without demonstrated physical harm. The story wanted to be several things at once, but ultimately there wasn't enough time given to any one of them. The horror aspect worked with descriptions of the things that go bump in the night, but the sex scenes in and around the sightings made it feel unintentionally campy and undercut any tension or sense of danger that had been building before that. I think this book could have been great as a study of their relationship and their reckoning with the pressure of the white publishing industry because the author tied that conversation, and the nuance within it, back to their tension and distrust well. It also could have worked as a snowed-in horror (those descriptions had me turning the lights on), but combining all of those factors was tricky.

Received an ARC copy of this in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley, Colby Wilkens, and the publisher!

This was honestly a pretty fun romp of a book. Enemies to lovers in an actual haunted castle? Writers retreat in Scotland? Yes, please. Sign me right up! The premise is incredibly fun and I loved the spooky atmosphere. There’s a point where the FMC is zoning out a bit and writing about cheese and it honest to god cracked me up, because sometimes it do just be like that.

The majority of my complaints are pretty minor in the grand scheme of things. I do feel that the story started slow and that it was difficult to connect with the characters since their tension felt incredibly forced at first, but I was pleasantly surprised that things fell into place relatively quickly. It’s dialogue heavy, the romance itself felt like more of an afterthought because most of my attention was on the ghosts, and the side characters could probably have been fleshed out a bit more, but over all, this was a great read that will be absolutely perfect for spooky season.

Firstly, I extend my gratitude to NetGalley, the publisher, and Colby Wilkens for providing me with an advanced reader copy. All thoughts shared here are my own.

From the moment I laid eyes on the captivating cover of "If I Stopped Haunting You," I was eager to immerse myself in its pages. As a fan of both spooky settings and paranormal romance tropes, the premise held promise.

The narrative revolves around a group of four horror authors on a writer's retreat in a Scottish castle rumored to be haunted. While Penelope and Neil, with their tumultuous relationship, take center stage, the supernatural element adds an intriguing layer to their story.

What I Loved:

1. The atmospheric setting of a haunted Scottish castle instantly drew me in, offering a delightful blend of mystery and allure.
2. I am a sucker for a good snowed-in trope, adding an extra layer of charm to the setting and elevating the overall reading experience.
3. The enemies-to-lovers trope, coupled with a slow-burn romance, added depth to the characters' relationships and provided moments of intrigue and anticipation.
4. There are definitely some laugh-out-loud moments sprinkled throughout the narrative, adding to the enjoyment of the reading experience.
5. The representation of BIPOC characters, LGBTQ individuals, and the exploration of Native American culture within a predominantly white industry were commendable aspects, shedding light on important issues and promoting inclusivity.

Room for Improvement:

1. Despite the promise of an enemies-to-lovers narrative, the chemistry between the main characters fell short for me. Their relationship lacked the spark and depth needed to fully invest in their romantic journey.
2. Penelope's character, while intriguing, often came across as overly self-blaming and passive. I wished for more moments where she took charge of her own narrative and confronted her challenges head-on.
3. The horror aspect of the story felt underdeveloped and rushed. I anticipated a gripping mystery to unravel, but the resolution of the ghostly hauntings left much to be desired. The supernatural elements lacked depth and failed to significantly contribute to the overall plot.

In Conclusion:

"If I Stopped Haunting You" offers an enticing blend of spooky ambiance and romantic tension, making it a compelling read for fans of paranormal romance. While it excels in setting and representation, the narrative falls short in delivering on its promises of both romance and horror. Despite its flaws, it remains an enjoyable read, leaving room for growth and potential in future works by Colby Wilkens.

I enjoyed this steamy, sweet and suspenseful enemies-to-lovers romance. Nothing like forced proximity in a haunted castle to make things exciting. Both being successful Native American writers, Pen and Neil have a lot in common but can barely stand being in the same room together and have said hurtful things to each other and about their careers. Being stuck on a writer's retreat together, they realize maybe it's not just hate they feel for one another. A fun and refreshing read especially for horror lovers out there.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

It’s no secret I love a great steamy enemies to lovers romance. And this one is amazing! This one has some great banter with tension, and a great horror aspect to it. It’s a great addition to your spooky season as well.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If I Stopped Haunting You is the perfect blend of romance and horror all wrapped up in a writing retreat in a haunted castle! This book somehow manages to be fun, sweet, and terrifying all at the same time while still managing to address some bigger issues with the publishing industry today. Both authors in the story struggle with either being "too Native" or "not Native enough" in a publishing world that aims on limit and pit POC against each other. Seeing the way this issue challenges and forces the two main characters to come together and reflect on their own issues and insecurities, all while being haunted and falling in love with each other just sold this book for me!

I wanted to like this book, however I was unable to finish it. The book just didn't grab my attention, and I couldn't find myself wanting to go any further.

This drew me in quickly with the writing that led me into the creepy setting. The dual narrators, chapters felt like overload at the beginning but, began to work in the second half of the book. I have a question, why is it implied indigenous people write horror? I am hoping Colby Wilkens plans to take this dual into a sequel!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review this advanced copy. The premise sounded like a fun escape from more standard fare, with a horror/romance/humor description, and a high rating at this early point collectively on GoodReads.

I so wish I could give it a better review for all of these reasons, and to support the author. Her being Native American and queer, and weaving those aspects into the novel, especially makes a negative review more disappointing to have to write. The queer part was written adeptly and lightly with side characters and humor. The NA part with commentary by characters on the difficulties and trade-offs for aspiring BIPOC authors was threaded into a main aspect of the romantic plot.

Unfortunately, I don't have much else good to say here. The writing was not poor, which saves this from being a 2 rather than 3 star review. But there was nothing notable nor worth spending time on, in the goofy and obvious romantic and "horror" plots. The "haters to lovers" romance and where it was going had no real tension. The sex scenes, written with some attempt at detail and vividness, felt empty and boring. The ghostly plot was like being hit over the head with a hammer, so extreme and lacking in any subtlety or even possibility of semi-believability. While I realize this was not supposed to be exactly believable, it was just beyond any way to even approach it. I was glad to read this in two days as I wouldn’t have wanted to waste more time, but I did decide to complete it in exchange for the favor of an early read and review.

I wish the author the best of luck in her future endeavors.

This was a fun one!
Enemies to lovers trope. Haunted house. Mystery to solve.
What was done well:
-The character depth of Pen and Neil. I liked getting to know them as people and they felt 3 dimensional.
-The insight to the publishing world. It was really interesting to see the competition of 2 Indigenous authors vying for shelf space. The issues that they both had with publishing.
-The romance. Even with the whole haunting thing going on, the romance felt believable. (There is a fair amount of spice in this one)

What could have been done better:
-I think the story line could have been fleshed out a bit more. The mystery with the ghosts had some more story to tell.
-The timeline. Sometimes I felt like time was just lost, like we jumped forward.

Overall, it was a solid read that combined 2 genres I wouldn't have thought would go well together.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for an early copy for review.

4 stars! This book was a lot of fun. I liked both MCs, but sometimes the FMCs motivations were a little murky and not explained until the MMC POV figured it out. Loved that both MCs had normal body types. I also stan the rise of lower stakes horroromance (that’s a term now, right?). It’s ripe for an external 3rd act conflict that gets resolved together. The writer stuff felt a little meta at points, but it was still enjoyable.

Really enjoyed this one! The balance of spooky and sexy is great. The characters and chemistry are what shine here. More Native romance please! and where can I get my F*ck the colonizers swag??

The premise of enemies-to lovers trapped in a haunted Scottish castle on a writers retreat sounded great to me. Unfortunately this book didn't really deliver like I had hoped. I am not a horror reader at all but even so, this wasn't scary in the least. It felt more an episode of Scooby-Doo complete with ghosts, secret passages, and paintings that watch from the walls. The characters also felt immature (more like 20 than early 30's) and pretty one dimensional. They ridiculously fell into every scary movie cliche including not asking their friends for help even though they supposedly feared for their lives. The only thing that kept me reading was to find out the "mystery" of the ghosts and even that fell flat as well. #NetGalley

Wilkens weaves a story of love, lust and haunting that captures the readers attention. The reader is drawn into the story within the story. Her characters are well developed throughout as to get a glimpse into their actions and reactions to each other and their environment. I recommend this book for those that enjoy a bit of mystery and a lot of steaminess.

Okay, whoever said romance and horror can’t coexist clearly hasn’t read this book and it shows.

Set within the walls of a remote, possibly haunted Scottish castle, this book has so much to love!

From the slow burn between Neil and Pen that is so hauntingly good, to the representation (!!!) - this book was truly an unexpected surprise in the best way!

For fans of The Dead Romantics and The Haunting of Bly Manor, this book did not disappoint so don’t be scared and give it a try!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

DNF @ 55%

Aw man I really wanted to like this but unfortunately it didn't quite come together for me. The premise is so intriguing. I loved the native American rep and I appreciated the conversations about the difficulties in getting positive rep published. I also loved the bi rep as well. I adore when MCs are bi in straight romances. It's so cool to see that normalized. Unfortunately the emotional development just wasn't there for me in this book. The attraction was there from like chapter 2 but I wanted to see them having conversations that moved their relationship forward and that wasn't happening which was very frustrating. The dialogue felt a bit clunky and that meant the elements of the story didn't quite gel together. The things that made this book not work for me might be because this book is a debut. I feel like this author has the potential to be a favorite of mine because her characters and premise were so intriguing so I definitely want to read her future books.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

i was not expecting to love this as much as i did! it was a little fast-paced, but still had all the perfect elements of a slow burn. the enemies banter was SO GOOD, and there was sm tension i just wanted to shove them into a closet. i adored the representation the author included and their writing style was simple to follow + so good, perfect for a romcom such as this one. the little suspense, side of mystery thing made the reading experience all the more enjoyable.

the romance was ROMANCING in the way i needed it to. i love the growth between the characters and seeing their relationship flourish once they got down to communicating was so wholesome and sweet. perfect for mystery lovers who also love romance!! would highly recommend!