This book has so much potential. I have been making an effort to read more diverse books, and If I Stopped Haunting You is the debut novel from Colby Wilkens, a self described queer white and Choctaw-Cherokee author with a heart for adventure. It's two feuding writers who end up tricked into going on a writing retreat with a group of well meaning friends at a haunted castle in Scotland. It's checking all the boxes for me, especially as a spooky season girlie, but unfortunately it just didn't all come together in the end.
I was immediately drawn to the character of Penelope Skinner. She's a frustrated writer who is part white and part indigenous. I am also of mixed parentage, so some of her thoughts and feelings are very familiar to me. The added stress and unrest from her inner identity politics has impacted both her writing career and her personal relationships. She's especially critical of Neil Storm, a best selling author whose horror stories are praised for breaking Native stereotypes. Penelope doesn't see it that way, and that's where the story starts to go off the rails for me.
The level of anger and lack of impulse control Pen is working with make her tough to like. She comes off as childish and petty, and vindictive at times. She's so seemingly closed off to any but her own experience struggling to publish authentic Native stories that she can't or won't look deeper at Neil to see and understand that what a writer intends isn't always what ends up in the hands of readers due to the marketing and politics of publishing. All she sees is his success by telling less than authentic stories of Native people. That whole plot is pretty esoteric in a book that's blurbed as a being full of "spooky chills and sexy thrills". The scares are more eerie than scary to me (I realize that's subjective), and the spice also fell a little short in my mind. I think that may be because I had such a hard time wanting Pen to succeed and seeing how Storm could be interested in light of her behavior.
Overall, there were parts I really enjoyed, but I'm left feeling frustrated by unrealized potential.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC opportunity.

3.5⭐️

What a fitting read for Indigenous People’s Day! This book is a rivals/enemies to lovers story set in a haunted castle in Scotland with ghosts who need closure. Both the FMC and MMC are Native American horror/thriller authors who had quite a public falling out on a book panel and who had both fallen into writing slumps since that blow out.

While I wouldn’t classify this book as “horror” (and I am by no means a professional in that genre), the ghost activity definitely had spooky vibes and got my heart racing a little bit! And there was definitely spice, for those who like spice in their books (personally I can take it or leave it, and ended up skimming a lot of it).

I did enjoy the dialogue about BIPOC authors throughout this story.

I’m not gonna lie, I was really nervous to start this because of the mixed reviews. However, I did not have a bad time reading it, though I don’t disagree that Pen wasn’t the best FMC. But I feel like she grew throughout the book, so even if she started off a pretty horrible person, she did open up and work through her issues which made her more likable (for me) by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

👻🩵 If I Stopped Haunting You ARC Review 🩵👻

Thank you so much to Colby Wilkens and St Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read and review this book!

If I Stopped Haunting You is a standalone paranormal horror romance. After an embarrassing outburst at a writing panel, Penelope has been a recluse. Her career is struggling and she needs inspiration, so she accepts an invitation to a writing retreat in Scotland. But when her writing rival arrives at the same retreat, can she be the bigger person and find inspiration when she needs it most?

This was an interesting read. While this book was set in mostly in a Scottish castle, the main characters were indigenous and this played a big role in the plot of the story. Penelope was a strong character, but I personally struggled with some of her choices in this book - but that’s a “me” issue and not a book issue. Storm was a fun character and I enjoyed him in this book. In general I enjoyed this book, but it felt like there was a lot going on plot wise that sometimes made it overwhelming

Overall this was a three star read. I feel like this book was a good read but had a lot going on in some parts. This book does have some potential triggers, so please check if you’re sensitive. This book was a bit of a slow burn but did have some spicy scenes later on, so two flames for spice

If you’re a fan of romance with spooky vibes, career rivals and Scottish castles, then absolutely pick this one up.

Send a bunch of writers to a haunted Scottish castle where they may or may not cling to each other in both fear or longing? Sign me up! I was really excited to read this book which sounded like a spooky romance combined with paranormal elements. And sometimes two halves make a whole, but in this case, it felt like I was getting either or instead of both. I got big time Scooby Doo vibes (that is a good thing!) and loved the mysterious aspect of this book. It definitely was not horror and I never felt scared while reading, more intrigued with how the castle was interacting with the occupants. This was actually my favorite part of the book. Unfortunately I just wasn’t feeling the connection between Neil and Pen. Pen has misplaced anger at Neil for how he’s handled his fame and what could’ve started as bantery enemies-to-lovers just felt sad and bitter from Penelope’s end. I applaud Wilkens attempt to discuss inequalities in the publishing industry with indigenous peoples, but the message was lost amidst Pen’s inability to control her actions. I think it was mainly because of this that I had difficulty feeling like Neil would want to give her a second chance. Just because you’re attracted to someone physically doesn’t necessarily mean there’s an emotional connection.
I do think Wilkens has a strong writing future ahead of her and will give her next book a chance, it’s just that this one fell a little flat for me. As for the audio, I really enjoyed Kyla Garcia as Pen and thought her delivery was great. Curtis Michael Holland was fine for Neil, but didn’t care for his supporting characters voices as much. I received an ALC from Dreamscape Media and an ARC from St. Martin’s Press. All opinions are my own.

Overall, I enjoyed most of this book, some parts just fell a bit flat for me. I feel like some of the romantic aspects of the book were rushed, and while I love enemies to lovers, I think the relationship would have benefitted from a bit more build-up or communication. For the horror in this book, I wish that the plot line had also been explored more. I feel like I was left with more questions than answers by the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the e-ARC of this book.

If I Stopped Haunting You is the perfect read for this spooky season. My first from Colby Wilkens and it won't be my last. The book was an easy read with well-thought-out characters and a storyline that is fresh and inviting. The premise of two frustrated writers, one very successful and the other not so much, captured my attention since I'm a rabid reader and someone who has tossed around the idea of publishing a book for years now. Although Neil and Penelope have had a less than friendly experience with one another, when both find themselves at a haunted castle for a week-long writer retreat with two other fellow authors, the animosity between them becomes the least of their issues as the mystery of the woman in black begins to take over every waking thought. And as strange noises, voices in their ears, and other otherworldly occurrences make them jumpy more than once, both Neil and Penelope find that through writing exercises and eventual truths being laid bare to one another, that perhaps their time in this Scottish castle was more than a simple happenstance.

Wilkens uses her own part Native American heritage to commiserate with Penelope, in particular, as she fights to be heard as an author true to her roots yet not necessarily looking the part. Her battles with Neil come from pure exasperation that her debut novel portrayed her people as they are, as opposed to what Neil was forced to write, which only ingratiated himself to the white world and not his culture. Their war of words was a key component of this book and although Penelope often took to battling it out with Neil in a more physical way, I didn't see her overly violent as other reviewers have pointed out. In fact, their passion for their culture along with their craft is what brings them closer together and allows Neil to fully see why Penelope may say and do the things she does, even if he might get hurt in the process.

I loved these two together and enjoyed their amateur sleuthing as they seem to be the only ones who can solve the mystery of Georgina and Archie and the whys of their ongoing presence for the last century or so. It's those crazy moments that allow Pen and Neil to form a bond they didn't know could even be possible between them, leading to finally finding the loves of their lives in each other. A true hate/love kind of coupling that found its footing with a little prompting from some determined spirits.

I enjoyed this book even though there may have been a few cheesy moments that had me me rolling my eyes a bit. But it's unique and I always appreciate when a writer creates a story from what they know and what might be closest to their hearts. Colby Wilkens did just that with If I Stopped Haunting You and it's a wonderful debut from this talented author.

4 solid stars!

Thank you Net Galley for providing an e arc. If I Stopped Haunting You was advertised as an enemies to lovers tale about two native writers coming together to solve a mystery of a haunted house. What, wasn't advertised and unfortunately a huge turn off for me was the domestic violence the main female character makes the MMC go through. The FMC was rude, and down right unbearable in the first fifty pages. The writing was clunky and the story overall was dull.

Both the romance and the paranormal mystery were really enjoyable!

I received a free copy of, If I Stopped Haunting You, by Colby Wilkens, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

All in all, this is a nice, cozy read.

I was provided both a print and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the narrators. The dual narration worked really well here, as the book alternated between Pen and Neil's points of view and I thought both narrators did a great job telling their story and capturing the emotions as they move from enemies to writing partners to something more,

This was a fun enemies to lovers, romcom with a paranormal twist. Pen and Neil are both horror writers. Neil is well known, but Penelope takes issue with some of the stereotypes he uses in his books. When they are on a panel together she loses her temper and calls him out and throws a book at his head sending both of their careers into a tailspin. Fast forward to Scotland several months later, when their mutual friend invites them both to a writing retreat to mend fences and get everyone out out their writing funk. The four friends are to spend a week in a haunted castle in remote Scotland to get some inspiration for their books. The forces proximity in the spooky setting make Neil and Pen face some truths about each other and their writing in a long overdue conversation. Once that is out of the way they realize there is more to the castle and the stories the locals tell about it. Not only do they begin exploring the castle for ghosts and mysterious entities, they also start exploring their feelings for each other leading to a fun and steamy time.

This was a really fun book. The banter between the characters was funny but balanced out with some very real conversations about the publishing industry as a BIPOC writer. The characters had good chemistry and once things heat up between them things have a nice amount of spice. The plot was engaging, and while I didn't find it scary it was spooky. The author did keep me guessing as to whether or not the castle was truly haunted or if it was a hoax until the end, I was pleasantly surprised by the resolution.

Overall this was a really fun read and I look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

As a horror novel this was super great. It was eerie and gave me the heebie jeebies a few times. As a romance novel though? Stack to the roof with problems. Pen was unredemable and so unlikeable. She is terrrrible to Neil. She continues to beat him down and they should have honestly stayed as enemies.

Another spooky read in the books for this season. This is my second ghost related book and I must say that “If I Stopped Haunting You” has to be my favourite of the two. The ghost story plot line had me hooked from the beginning and I wanted to know why the castle was being haunted. I loved the Scotland locale. Penelope and Neil had just the right amount of enemies to make things extra spicy when they became lovers and the forced proximity was a great addition to the mix.

Penelope and Neil are at odds because of an incident 4 months earlier at Book Con but their animosity runs deeper than that because of professional decisions made. They find themselves at this writers retreat together without knowing that the other would be there because of their mutual friend. The snow has them stuck in this castle where they have to figure out if their hate is actually because of an intense liking of each other or even could we dare say love? The plot itself was so much fun, I loved the chemistry between the characters and the only thing that I didn’t really love were the secondary characters who seemed to just get in the way. Great read overall and perfect for this spooky season.

Just in time for spooky season, we have a great enemies to lovers/ghost story. Native American horror authors Penelope and Neil have a big blowup at a book conference. This has rattled both of them, and they are both suffering from writers block. Looking for a solution, they both end up on a writer's retreat in a Scottish haunted castle. This leads to them having resolve their anger with each other, to be able to solve a ghost mystery.

There was great banter in this book. It had a great blend of romance and mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. I enjoyed this book.

I would like to start by saying thank you to Colby Wilkens and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book was wild, if I’m being honest (not in a good way). The MFC, Penelope, was so hard to root for. This girl threw a book at the MMC, Neil, in public… and as if that was not enough she then proceeded to gaslight him into thinking it was his fault.

I originally chose this ARC because I love Enemies to Lovers plots but they weren’t even enemies in the traditional way. The MFC was just a straight-up literary villain and the poor MMC fell victim to her manipulation and abuse.

I wanted to enjoy this but it just was not my cup of tea at all.

DNF 10% - Our main characters are just very angry and I’m not here for that energy right now.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wouldn’t mind joining a writer’s group at a castle in Scotland. I would, however, draw the line if someone told me it was haunted. That said, the haunting made absolutely no sense to me, and I wish the author had done something different with it.

It was the romance and enemies to lovers situation that saved this novel. I loved the two supporting characters (totally would be friends with both Lazlo and Daniela). I also found the reasoning for them being enemies to be stupid and annoying. However, it still worked for the chemistry between the two.

Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

3.5/5 ⭐
2.5 🌶️

The story follows two Indigenous authors, Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm, both in the horror genre. Neil is the 'Prince of Horror' making sacrifices and decisions that have given him access to the white publishing world. Penelope, a white passing indigenous woman, is not Native enough and has had to work harder at every turn to get one book published. The book opens with an explosive argument between the two at a convention leaving Neil with a scar and Penelope a ruined career. Fast forward 4 months, both are tricked into a writer's retreat in a haunted castle in the Scottish Highlands. Tension is high as fear is induced and the walls that both characters have put up are starting to crumble and the burning desires take hold. Will these two characters give up the ghost of the past and let their romance burn or will they continue to push each other away?

This book was a bit out of my comfort zone and at points scared me so bad that I had to read something else to go to bed (didn't help that the wind was really bad that night too). It was nice to tiptoe out of my comfort zone but I am not sure if horror romance is going to be a subgenre that I visit often. This book was perfect for spooky season and the enemies-to-lovers was very, very believable. There were things that I didn't like, but overall this is a great book that people who enjoy horror and romance will definitely enjoy!

Thank you @netgalley and author Colby Wilkens for a copy of this e-arc!

2 stars

This one is kinda hard to review. I liked the premise, and the plot was okay but the characters were just meh. They weren't fleshed out very well, especially Daniela and other guy. Neil was okay and Pen was kind of a b. They played it out like a 3rd grade romance where they insulted one another until they realized they actually just wanted to get in others pants. So all in all not terrific.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my free arc in exchange for an honest review.

If I Stopped Haunting You is a perfect book to read during the spooky months. The ending made my heart melt and I enjoyed that there was no third act break-up. This book really made me want to go spend a night in a beautiful castle. I kept picturing the castle from the tv show Traitors the whole time, which I loved!
Thank you Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC!

Similarly to the conflicting feelings the characters have for each other throughout this novel, I have no idea how to feel about this novel because I personally feel like it was a mess.

I went into this thinking it was going to be a romance novel mixed with some light fluffy haunting, but it was a full blown attempt at adding a horror element to it. And I hated it. The tone between the romance aspect of the book plus this scary ghost element did NOT mesh well for me at all, and instead felt underdeveloped and gimmicky.

For example, every time something horrible or tragic happened regarding ghost activities in the house, Pen a Neil (the two main characters) just wanted to bang each other. This was the major reason why I questioned why even have this incredibly scary supernatural side plot if the characters don’t even seem to be affected by it?

I truly believe this book would have worked if it was one or the other: a romance OR a horror novel, but that spooky side definitely would have needed work. I feel like the mystery behind the ghosts was interesting, or justified the haunting at all.

I am giving the book two stars because I was able to finish it instead of DNFing, but I can say for certain this novel was not for me.

Could it be someone’s favorite book? Sure, absolutely. But it wasn’t for me.

Thank you St Martin’s for the e-arc approval via netgalley.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

While I did enjoy the characters and the overall plot, I don't believe Neil and Penelope's relationship. I felt that their animosity towards one another was pretty unwarranted. I also didn't think that (given how they were both characterized as a bit stubborn and petty) that they would forgive each other so easily... like literally within the span of 24 hours of being stuck together. It didn't seem plausible to me (as a fellow petty/stubborn person). I'm hoping the final versions is longer than what I read and the relationship a bit more stretched out. I can understand that "theres a fine line between love and hate" but there line seemed nonexistent essentially when they were forced to be together. I guess that isn't a bad thing for a romance novel but I think I was expecting a good blend of horror and romance but that's not what this book is. It's mostly a romance with a ghost nearby.