DNF for me unfortunately. While I understand, this is a work of fiction, the opening chapter was very intense and over the top and did not feel believable. I managed to get a few more chapters in, but I knew this book was not going to be for me. Typically, I would not write a book I did not finish, but for the purposes of submitting this, I will select one star

Cute enough that I finished the book but unfortunately this isn't one that made me want to reread it. I liked the characters but felt they were just kind of cookie cutter in nature.

As someone who forgot the description by the time I started the book, the title gave the impression of an emotional and heartfelt story about a ghost watching over their highschool sweetheart or childhood friend.

Everything either felt forced or convenient. The two main characters are enemies for petty or immature reasons, and it's a horror book where the main characters are conveniently writers in the same genre. Penn seemed to say hurtful things just for the sake of keeping up the "enemies" status. The relationship doesn't feel fleshed out, and the book has too much repetition. They've already established their struggle with writer's block, and there's no need to hound it in to the reader's head.

I appreciated the diversity and LGBTQIA+ rep. I expected something different, but it was still entertaining!

If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens has a very interesting concept, however it fell short. I totally got this because I thought the premise was cool and was going to dive into some really weird situations. Unfortunately it was difficult for me to stay in the moment and get hooked on the story.

For some reason, something kept pulling me out of the book and it took a while to get through, but I pushed through because I was hoping things would get better. I hope that others get more from this and it does well. I just might not be the right audience for this.

*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of If I Stopped Haunting You from Colby Wilkens via NetGalley

After the Incident four months ago, Pen has been unable to get inspiration to write, so she agrees to join her friend Laszlo on a writing retreat in Scotland to try and get inspiration. However, when she arrives, her worst enemy Neil is there too after Laszlo said he wouldn’t be. Pen now has to suffer a week with Neil there and attempt to gain inspiration to write her next book. Neil has been unable to write since the Incident with Pen in the last four months, being filled with doubt after her words, and now has to spend a week with her in Scotland while trying to gain inspiration for his next book.
This is an okay book. I have mixed feelings. It seemed to start off pretty good, it hooked me, I was enjoying the story, and I did think I would enjoy the romance, but it went downhill for me. There’s a lot of repetition, especially about the two of them being uninspired and having difficulty writing a new book. The repetition got annoying after a few chapters. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters except for Laszlo. He was more of the comedic side of this story and helped break up the repetition in this book. Pen would say hurtful things at unnecessary times and you know it was just put in there to help us remember that her and Neil were enemies, but it felt unnecessary and made her come off as rather mean. Neil was just okay, rather sad and seemed to really allow Pen and others get under his skin too easily and came off as a coward and I don’t know what he saw in Pen. She was rather mean and he could do better. There were spooky moments in this book, and to be honest, I was confused about why we were in a haunted castle with these authors who hate each other and they’re trying to write. It seemed two completely different stories being turned into one, or attempted to. I think this could have just been a contemporary romance without the spookiness since that seemed to take away from the main story and I don’t know what the link was aside from them working together. Thanks to Netgalley the author and publisher.

this one was really good, i discovered a great author! i am following them on social media. a really good read!!

such a good comedic story that somehow also touches your hearts and delivers a good emotional ending for the characters and the story! i hope everyone enjoys how amazing this story unfolds

I did not enjoy the female main character & her dynamic with the male lead. Between that and the controversy with the author leading to her next book, If I Dig You, being pulled from publication, I have decided to not continue with this novel.

If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens is an enemies-to-lovers romance with a spooky twist. Penelope Skinner, a horror author who's still reeling from a public fallout with her nemesis, Neil Storm, is invited to a writers retreat in a supposedly haunted Scottish castle. Neil, who Pen has never been able to stand, is there too—and the tension between them is certainly thick.

What starts as a battle of egos quickly takes a more intriguing turn when they find themselves trapped in a real-life ghost story. As the haunting intensifies, so does their chemistry, leading to a seriously hot, almost-kiss that makes them rethink everything they thought about each other.

the author balanced the creepy vibes of the haunted castle with the interactions between Pen and Neil. The banter between them is fun and the build-up to their relationship is perfect.

If you’re in the mood for a light, fast-paced read with equal parts romance and thrills, this one hits the spot.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for a review copy. This is my honest opinion.

A strong start but I really couldn't get into this book. The writing was grating and the characters were awful, and not in the enjoyable way of enemies doing horrible things to each other before they fall in love.

unfortunately will not be reading due to scandal with the author and alleged misrepresentation of own-voices rep. too bad, premise sounded really fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

I hate to give negative reviews, but I struggled to finish this book and was not impressed by the main characters or the personal controversy the author has going on. It seems like so many others feel the same way from other reviews I've read. I went in with moderate expectations but somehow this still tanked them completely.

After the Incident four months ago, Pen has been unable to get inspiration to write, so she agrees to join her friend Laszlo on a writing retreat in Scotland to try and get inspiration. However, when she arrives, her worst enemy Neil is there too after Laszlo said he wouldn’t be. And now Pen has to suffer a week with Neil there and attempt to gain inspiration to write her next book.

Neil has been unable to write since the Incident with Pen in the last four months, being filled with doubt after her words, and now has to spend a week with her in Scotland while trying to gain inspiration for his next book.

And all of this done in a castle that is supposedly haunted. What could go wrong?

This is an okay book. I have mixed feelings. It seemed to start off pretty good, it hooked me, I was enjoying the story, and I did think I would enjoy the romance, but it went downhill for me.

There’s a lot of repetition, especially about the two of them being uninspired and having difficulty writing a new book. The repetition got annoying after a few chapters.

Their animosity towards each other was so strong that when they suddenly seemed to lust after each other and want each other, it felt like whiplash and was too sudden for it be believable or even considered as “love”. It’s more like they needed to get together and just get it out of their system, but I guess we’re calling this love.

I didn’t particularly like any of the characters except for Laszlo. He was more of the comedic side of this story and helped break up the repetition in this book. Pen would say hurtful things at unnecessary times and you know it was just put in there to help us remember that her and Neil were enemies, but it felt unnecessary and made her come off as rather mean. Neil was just okay, rather sad and seemed to really allow Pen and others get under his skin too easily and came off as a coward and I don’t know what he saw in Pen. She was rather mean and he could do better.

There were spooky moments in this book, and to be honest, I was confused about why we were in a haunted castle with these authors who hate each other and they’re trying to write. It seemed two completely different stories being turned into one, or attempted to. I think this could have just been a contemporary romance without the spookiness since that seemed to take away from the main story and I don’t know what the link was aside from them working together.

Overall, an okay book.

The cover is breathtakingly beautiful and it just caught my eye, I knew it would be a great read. But then I got the book and it was just . . . meh. Like I was so hopeful to see the combined genres of horror and romance. I will say that the writing style is great, and the enemies to lovers trope was good, it just wasn’t made in a way that was fulfilling to me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

So I'll just get right into it, the cheesy title definitely grabbed me initially. As the story progressed, which is clearly a romance based on the cover, I felt no character chemistry. Definitely a slow burn at the least. Then about 2/3 in the spice seemingly came out of nowhere and felt kind of cringey. I think the male main characters name also bothered me.

The other thing that just gave me the ick was after every spicy scene someone said 'thank you'. It just felt out of place and really took me out of the book in the last half of it.

Laszlo, a thriller author rents out a haunted Skinner Castle in the winter in Scotland for a writer's retreat, for a group of horror, thriller and paranormal writers, but most attendants back out in the last minute and there are only 3 other authors who attend. Two, Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm are unicorns, indigenous horror writers. They have history. Once Neil was Pen's hero, until he sold out to his publisher's changes. A few months ago she threw her book at him at Book Con. Both are also experiencing writer's block. Laszlo had planned several different writing exercises to help everyone get their groove back, but when he pairs Pen and Neil to work in the library, they get their first otherworldly experience. As the two try to solve the mystery of the ghosts they let down their walls with each other. All four become trapped in the castle in a snow storm with their car refusing to start. Their lives might be in danger, but only Neil and Pen are even experiencing the spectral visits. Are the ghosts matchmakers or are the two authors having a mutual breakdown?

I found the author's story compelling, even though the characters at times were annoying. I was gifted an Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalaley.com. this is my unbiased, honest and voluntary review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Unfortunately, despite multiple attempts, this was a DNF for me. The FMC was just so unlikable and I wasn’t invested in her story or success.

if this book has no haters, i am dead. a romance that starts with one of the love interests throwing something at the other’s head at a work event unprovoked is not a romance I’m on board for.

I couldn’t get into this book at all. And after finding out the author pretended to have a heritage she doesn’t actually have, I won’t be continuing to read it.

I was really excited about this book and while the story itself sounded interesting, it didn't live up to the synopsis.

I didn't feel the chemistry with the characters, but I did enjoy how the book put a lot of focus on Native experiences and the disparage.