I’m having a hard time with this book. The premise is fantastic and screams something I would love but it’s not grabbing my attention well. I am not good at not finishing books, I tend to power through and do it quickly but not here. I will finish, don’t get me wrong, but it’s taking me awhile to read. It’s actually really hard for me to put my finger on what is throwing me about this book - I don’t love the writing style but it’s not poorly written, the characters are interesting yet their storylines feel off, I’m so so intrigued but yet struggle to read it when I do pick it up. Curiosity will kill the cat and I’ll see this through so maybe my opinion will change by the end.

A group of horror, thriller, and paranormal authors stay in a haunted Scottish castle at a writing retreat. The story primarily focuses on Neil and Pen, two authors that can't stand each other after Pen threw a book at Neil at a public author panel event. Not only do they have to compete on the shelf as BIPOC authors with the same genre, but they also have to deal with the general publishing industry prejudices against BIPOC authors which were called out multiple times in the book. Being forced to stay in the castle due to a storm, Pen and Neil start to warm up to each other while also solving a mystery.

This book focused A LOT of the writing and publishing processes. I thought the haunted aspect was fun and my favorite parts were the ghost scenes and the ambiance of the haunted castle in the first half of the book. However, what didn't work so much for me was the crossover between the spooky scenes and romance. I would have liked to see more relationship development and the way the ghost story played out was silly to me.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 40%

Okay, this was brutal. It was repetitive, to the point of feeling aimless. The plot was weak, and the writing didn’t craft any sort of story or progression. The characters were flat, and everything dragged.

Part way through reading, I switched to audiobook thinking it was maybe me. The audiobook was actually worse, the female narrator was okay but the male narrator was brutal. Off-brand Kronk with dodgy inflection and timing.

Unfortunately, I do not recommend this book in any form.

*ARC received from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. ALC received from Libro.FM in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing the ARC.

I've been on a spooky romance kick lately, but this book didn't really do it for me.

The relationship between the two main characters at the beginning is very contentious, and while I love a good enemies/rivals to lovers story, the opposite of this animosity did not have the payoff I wanted to see in order for the transition to be believable. Additionally, the spooky side of this book felt like it didn't mesh well at all with the romance side, leaving the reader confused with both sides of it. I would have liked to see a bit more cohesion throughout the story.

Interesting premise, but not a super amazing execution in my book.

This book has everything anyone could want for a spooky romance! From an in-depth ghost background story to spicy scenes in a haunted castle, this story has it all. I really loved that the focus of this story was on two rival writers, both of whom were Indigenous and whose cultures were major parts of their identity. It was a serious slow burn, enemies to lovers, forced proximity romance more so than a horror/paranormal novel. Despite how much I enjoyed, I also had several issues with the writing of this story, mainly with a lack of tying up some minor loose ends and the pacing. There were times that reading this flew by for me, but others were dragged on and felt like this could’ve been a few dozen pages shorter. Overall, I enjoyed the elements of humor balanced by seriousness of paranormal activities, and if you enjoy some spice this definitely has it!

I thought this would be the perfect little spooky love story, but I felt like it couldn't decide if it wanted to be a rom-com or a horror story. I wanted the perfect blend, and it just wasn't there. I was wishing it would have been just a horror story. The FMC was irritating and selfish. I wanted more from her.

There were a couple things I really liked about If I Stopped Haunting You. I like that the characters are honest about minority representation and argue about selling out for a publishing deal and the cost of doing so vs fighting for the book they wrote.

The other thing I really liked was the mix of spooky and romance. There were a few parts that gave me chills but then we’d flip back to our main characters admiring their feelings for each other.

Unfortunately, the peak of the story fell very flat for me. The ghost mystery gets solved but it was very uneventful. With how much drama and build up there was the story didn’t match the build. Yes, the story was scandalous for the time period but it seems extreme to have that kind of activity. Maybe more detail to the ghosts’ pasts would help. For how much time is spent trying to solve the mystery the explanation we get is a let down.

This book is very conflicting.

At one end, I believe its themes are very important in regards to BIPOC authors not getting the same opportunities as others, and also the complex situation of writing for the white gaze versus writing something that doesn't pander. I really think this story puts these prominent issues right on display from the start, and it's important to read and understand the reality of this.

However, there's also the fact that I wish there had been more development between Pen and Storm. The prologue alone threw me for a whirlwind because I was not expecting such a harsh reaction over Pen's frustrations. After an incident like that, it's hard to understand how Storm could start to be attracted to her before they even make it to the castle (even if he wouldn't admit it to himself, but it was quite obvious). I really believe they needed more time to develop as characters before the romance started kicking in.

The concept is really cool, though. And again, the theme surrounding publishing and BIPOC authors is super important and it's always great to see books talking about it, so I enjoyed that.

Two authors, Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm appear to be in a love hate relationship. Pen is mad because Neil compromised his manuscript to please his agent in order to sell books. During an author panel Pen attacks Neil who is very popular and known as The Master of Horror, in which this attack ends up hurting her career or lack thereof as she only has written one book, so she ends up working as an editor. Pen having severe writers block gets invited to a writing retreat which will be at a haunted castle in Scotland without knowing Neil will be there, this makes for a very interesting read.

This is a cute story, and I really like the characters and reading what comes along for Pen and Neil together in this haunted castle. It's also interesting to see if Pen can make Neil really understand how and why she is so angry towards him.

This book gets steamy in some parts, but I still enjoyed the story line.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was looking forward to this as a haunted romance by an indigenous author, in time for Halloween… but it was a bit confusing… it started out as the main characters snipping at each other because of a conflict in the past - as indigenous horror authors where one sold out and “whitened” down his book because the publisher insisted on it, and the other was upset because he became successful and no one wanted to read her truthful messages and she was basically nudged out of selling anything. They came to blows at a speaking panel or book convention? I dunno, it was all the way back at the beginning of the book.

They were both attending a writers retreat a long time later, having been tricked into going by a mutual friend, but it was taking place at a haunted castle in the Scottish countryside. It goes from being an enemy or rivals story to a ghost or horror story to an insta-love story - it’s just extremely confusing because it’s very all over the place! Is it romance or is it a horror/ghost story? It goes back and forth without settling into one genre very well, or being a scary romance (romantic suspense).

I’ve read many that cross genres and this didn’t settle into one easily and felt like it was trying to make a big statement about not accepting indigenous authors. I really wanted to like it so much more!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin), and this is my honest feedback.

Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm are both Native authors who write horror books so you’d think they’d get along and support each other, but ever since Pen threw a book at Neil months ago they have been feuding. Now they both find themselves on a writing retreat in a haunted Scottish castle. There is no way to avoid each other and with the haunted soul pushing them together it may just be too much to resist. Will Pen and Neil go from enemies to lovers? Will they help the ghost haunting the castle before it’s too late for all of them? How will this fated story end?

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this book up, the description and cover were intriguing but the reviews I’d seen had me hesitant. This book had promise and some solid ideas, but not everything connected for me like I had hoped. The romance was good and the haunting, spooky parts were good, but they didn’t connect for me for some reason. I wasn’t invested in any of the characters and didn’t really care how things ended. The writing was good and easy to follow, but there was just something that didn’t hit for me in this story. It was a decent read, especially for October, but I think there was a lot of unreached potential that would have made this a five star read for me.

If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens was the best contemporary paranormal romance story!
This book was just perfect!
This was absolutely delightful. The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish. The characters were charming and witty. I highly recommend this fun and quick read
I can’t wait to read Wilkens second novel If I Dig You!

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book was exactly what I needed. It was spooky, it was steamy, AND had cute lil’ ghost story? Yes. Plus native representation and a spooky Scottish castle. Happy Halloween 🎃!!!

This novel had a solid premise but I found its purpose got lost along the way. Neil is a perfectly fine mmc but he lacks a backbone in regards to Penelope. He forgives her for assaulting him very quickly but she offered no apology. He accepts her criticism, rash behaviour and blind hatred towards him even when undeserved. Penelope herself is lacking in accountability for her words and actions despite being frequently unfair. She admits to being jealous, petty, succumbing to blind hatred and yet faces no consequences.

Having both characters be Native authors whose career choices have pitted them against each other is a solid premise for a novel. Loved the representation, and the reference to how unjust it is that Neil would have to edit his novels to make them “palatable” to white readers. However with such a serious backstory to their dislike of each other, the instant-lust romance, and the ultimately anticlimactic haunting took away from the relationship of the characters being developed more fully.

If I Stopped Haunting You follows two authors who strongly dislike each other but accidentally end up at the same writers retreat in a haunted castle.

The premise of this book sounded absolutely outstanding and I was really excited to see Native representation in romance from a big 4 publisher. Unfortunately I ended up DNFing this book at the 38% mark.

This book didn’t really do anything outlandish, it was more just a lack of development that caused me not to continue. The characters had little depth and the “enemies to lovers” dynamic relied on too much “telling” and not enough “showing.” The main characters just kept rehashing the same argument over and over. I didn’t foresee giving this book anything higher than a 3 star rating in the end, and I have other things to read!

I also really did not appreciate how violent the FMC was with the love interest. In the first 40% alone she had already put her hands on him two or three times, and it didn’t seem like the narrative was going to recognize that at all. I’m not sure what that behavior was adding to the character dynamics!!

This book brings together two Indigenous writers at a haunted Scottish castle for a writers' retreat. It's got that enemies-to-lovers vibe with a dash of horror, which immediately piqued my interest. Penelope (Pen) Skinner and Neil Storm have a complicated history, especially when it comes to their professional lives, and now they’re stuck together at this retreat, both battling writer's block.

The tension between them is real. Pen is pretty outspoken and fiery, and she’s not a fan of Neil's last book, which she thinks he sold out on. Neil’s side of things? He has a scar from this crazy lady. Well, he’s definitely attracted to Pen, and there are a some steamy moments, but they felt a bit forced, like they didn’t naturally fit into the flow of the story.

Now, the spooky castle part? That was more my speed. The creepy atmosphere and haunting builds slowly, with each of them wondering if they heard something, and then gradually ramps up to the haunting. There’s some genuinely eerie stuff going on in the castle, which was fun.

Overall, the premise—haunted castle, writers' retreat, two people who can’t stand each other—was super promising, but the execution didn’t quite hit the mark for me. That said, I did appreciate the insights into Indigenous authors and the lack of representation in the writing world. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, Laszlo and Daniela.

1 ⭐

This was a DNF for me. I was not too fond of the characters from the beginning. I tried to get past it and reached 20% but couldn't.

Today is Indigenous People's Day, which felt like a good time to share If I Stopped Haunting You, a romance/horror story that features an Indigenous couple.

Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm are both Native horror authors - but that is where the similarities end. They cannot stand each other - and haven't seen or spoken since a public spat at a book convention resulted in Penelope throwing her book at Neil - YIKES. So imagine their collective surprise when they both show up at a supposedly haunted castle in Scotland for a writers' retreat. t becomes obvious to everyone that ttry as they might to avoid each other - they can't escape the chemistry and sexual tension. And when they are pretty sure they see actual ghosts... well, all bets are off.

Horror is typically not my jam, but this one coupled with an excellent enemies to lovers storyline was one that I quite enjoyed! A perfect companion for spooky szn. The character development was great, and I thought thethe spooky elements really complemented the incredible chemistry of Pen and Neil. m

Author Colby Wilkens also wove an excellent critique of the publishing industry/book community at large and how bipoc authors, particularly those from the Native American community are treated and how their stories are often changed to be more "palatable." I appreciate the candor here, and it was a good reminder for me in how I approach my bookstagram and reviews.

If I Stopped Haunting You is out TOMORROW!!! Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

I really wanted to love this book because the description had me super intrigued, a writers retreat in Scotland at a haunted mansion (yes please!), and I love a paranormal enemies to lovers romance but I was kind of disappointed and didn’t live up to my expectations.

The animosity and the enemies to lovers part was resolved fairly quick between Penelope and Neil. I wished it was dragged out a bit longer. And their relationship development felt kind of rushed and borderline abusive, physically and emotionally, as she assaults him a few times throughout the book and blames him for the consequences of how she acted. I didn’t really connect with Penelope at all through the book, she was immature and annoying, and didn’t seem to get any better towards the end. Neil was more interesting but didn’t seem to have a lot of character development. The supporting characters, Lazlo and Daniela, were entertaining and fun. Lazlo was definitely the one keeping order on their retreat and organizing writing activities. Daniela was being cheeky and mischievous throughout the book.

For being in Scotland on a writers retreat, it didn’t seem like they got a lot of writing done. It was mostly based on solving the mystery of the haunted mansion. And honestly, I was hoping for something more horrifying and fear gripping because that whole haunted mansion and ghosts plot was kind of cliche and predictable, not in a terrible way, I was just hoping for more action and suspense.

Overall, it was an okay read, not really for me. The only reasons I finished this was because it was fast paced and I was interested in seeing how the author wrapped it up. Despite some of my criticisms, I did love the paranormal aspect, the native representation, and the dual pov’s.

It's been months since horror author Penelope Skinner threw a book at Neil Storm. And now she’s a publishing pariah and hasn’t been able to write a word since. So when her friend invites her on a too-good-to-be-true writers retreat in a supposedly haunted Scottish castle, she seizes the opportunity. Of course, some things really are too good to be true.

Contrary to the low ratings on Goodreads, I did enjoy this book and didn't necessarily find a lot wrong with it! However, there were some unexplainable things that left me in doubt even after finishing the book.

Penelope & Neil are 2 authors who don't get along but are forced on a writers retreat together in a haunted castle. Well, we see, I've read plenty of "paranormal romances" in the past that had nothing to do with the paranormal, but unlike them, this was spooky with some jump scared as well.

I really enjoyed the banter between Penelope & Neil & understood where Pen's problem with Neil came from. I wish they continued with the enemies banter for a little longer. Them getting together came really fast & it wasn't my style.
But the subplot of the haunted castle was fascinating. I enjoyed all those backstories & how Pen & Neil teamed up to solve it.

As I said before, there were a few questions that were left answered for me regarding the spirits, but nevertheless, it was highly entertaining. Absolutely loved the Scottish backdrop!

<i>Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.<i>