If I Stopped Haunting You follows Pen, Neil, and their friends as they go on a writing retreat to a haunted castle. Nail and Pen have a tumultuous past that is explored early on within the book.

I think for me this book had a lot of issues.

The side characters Laszlo and Daniella felt as though they were mere accessories to the story and they only existed to bring the two main characters together. They were genuinely flat characters and any dialogue involving them was so out of the realm of reality that it made them annoying to be around.

The overall "mystery" of the book was underwhelming when it came to the ending. It was fairly clear from the beginning the general reason why the person doing the haunting was there, and when the details came out there was nothing so shocking that suspense was added.

My main gripe with the book is that the romance didn't feel authentic. The banter was bland. The reason for their discourse in the beginning was so mild that if either character attempted to communicate their whole reason for being "enemies" would not exist. Once the two characters decided they liked each other, it went from 0 to smutty in 60 seconds flat. I just simply was not rooting for them.

In general, I felt like the book was trying to do too much. It was trying to take on the racial publishing issues like Yellowface, but did so in a poor manner. It tried to create suspense, thrill, mystery, and fear but just ended up creating a very basic mystery plot with no meaningful twists. It tried to create a romance that was unsuccessful. I think if one of these aspects was taken out and the care and time put from into the other two pillars of the story, it may have been successful. May have. But we will never know.

Thank you NetGalley and Publishers for giving me a free ARC to review.

If I Stopped Haunting You follows two Native rival writers away on a writers retreat in a haunted castle in Scotland. As a native girl myself, seeing a large cast of both Native and queer characters made me very excited. I felt very scene when our FMC, Penelope, discussed her struggles of not feeling "Native enough" due to her fair skin and not being enrolled in a tribe. This is a very real feeling that myself and many others have experienced and I was grateful that issues like this were discussed including the issue of white washing our stories or adjusting them to be more digestible for a white audience. Overall, I found that the discussed of social and cultural issues were well done.
I really wish that there was some more accountability taken by the characters. Our MMC, Neil, admits that he may not have stood up for himself or his community enough and wants to do better with his future books, but Pen never outwardly apologizes for physically assaulting him at a public panel. She apologizes for hating him and not seeing where he was coming from but she never looks at the scar that she was responsible for and says "I'm sorry, I want to do better" in any type of capacity which made me kind of sad. I was hoping for some growth from her in that aspect to really redeem her character.
The plot was interesting with the haunted castle and such but I kind of wish that we had more details by the end. I feel like the characters were making a lot of assumptions and I wish there were some more solid clues but then the ghosts just tell them everything and the question of if Pen is related to them still remains a mystery which felt a little flat at the end.
Overall I had fun reading the book. I just wish the characters had a little more depth to them outside of being angry or horny. I'm really rooting for Colby though and will reread this once it is published to see the final result and plan on reading the next book! First books are incredibly difficult but I see potential in her writing.

A writing retreat in a haunted Scottish Castle?? Two enemies forced to share the castle for the week?? Ghosts?? A mystery is involved?? Spooky romcom?? Say less 😮‍💨

This book was so fun to read. I loved the BIPOC and queer representation in this book. I think Colby did a great job at writing characters that are relatable - they make mistakes and they’re trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / St.
Martin's Griffin for providing me with a digital review copy of this cute, spooky romcom in exchange for my honest opinions

DNF! The main character was insufferable. I would not recommend this to anyone I know. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am going to have to DNF this at 34%.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot keep forcing myself to read this.

The FMC is horrible, she’s violent and rude to get her point across which I dislike. She literally threw a book at someone’s head and made them bleed because she got too angry. Didn’t love that.

The MMC was just… there. He wasn’t much.


The ghost situation was annoying more than interesting, and I hate the Scottish accent being way overdone with the dialogue. That’s all I have to say on that.

I was looking for a spooky, sci-fi fantasy with a twisted romance to help give me some Halloween vibes, and this enemies-to-lovers book set in a Scottish haunted castle seemed like an absolutely perfect match.

I greatly appreciated the author’s note at the very beginning of the book to warn readers about topics and scenes that would happen in the story. I wish all books had this type of note before you invest several hours reading a story you had no idea would include triggers you want to stay away from.

The story starts with some good promise with a flashback bringing the reader up to speed on the feud between fellow Native writers Penelope (Pen) Skinner and Neil Storm. Thanks to this book’s tantalizing cover, the reader knows these two are going to end up together at some point – it’s just a question of when.

Once the characters are left alone at the haunted castle with some spooky warnings, things started falling apart for me. I really wanted to like Pen and really wanted her and Neil to reconcile, but they (along with the other two writers on the retreat) were difficult to relate to and mostly just annoyed me. I’m not sure if the retreat just needed a few more diverse characters or if the ones present were all just underdeveloped and poorly represented.

The plot seemed somewhat shallow, obvious at times, sometimes repetitive, and really strange. If “strange” meant creepy and actually helped the story’s spooky vibes, I’d say it was a good thing. However, by “strange” I mean the story felt oddly disjointed and bizarre. The author spent the most time describing the spicy scenes, so everything else felt forced and lackluster to just move the characters along to the next spicy encounter.

When the climax of the whole haunted castle mystery was finally revealed, I felt confused and disappointed. This could have been such a better story had the writer developed more of the mystery, more of Pen and Neil’s non-physical relationship, and less about the spicy encounters (many of which felt awkward and poorly timed).

Sadly, this book fell flat for me. Had the focus been more on the story and development of the main characters’ relationship to give the book a more complete feel, it could have been better. However, if you’re mostly into this book for the spicy scenes, there are plenty to choose from once you get about half-way through the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review.

** Features: **
- Native American and biracial main characters
- Cozy enemies-to-lovers romance with a touch of ghostly shenanigans
- Book about writers and writing
- Set in a haunted Scottish castle

** Summary **

Penelope’s career is in shambles. After an argument at a Native authors panel ended with her chucking a book at literary legend Neil Storm, Penelope is left without a publisher and without ideas for her next book she has sworn will squash Neil once and for all. Meanwhile, Penelope’s outburst has made Neil question himself in a way nobody has before and it has left him struggling to start his next best seller. When an opportunity to attend a writer’s retreat in a haunted Scottish castle presents itself, both Penelope and Neil hope it will be the answer to their writer's block. But in order to turn inspiration into success, they’ll have to survive the ghosts, and each other, first.

** Thoughts **

Don’t let the three star rating scare you away! This is such a fun read and is perfect for the spooky season. This book reads a lot like a cozy novel with just a sprinkling of paranormal horror to give it an interesting edge. I am a sucker for books about writers and I love how this one touches a little on the challenges of being a Native (or honestly any minority) author. I don’t really find Penelope a likable character, but I understand what Wilkens was going for and can appreciate it. The romance between her and Neil develops quickly which could be a positive or negative depending on your preference. This book bit off a little more than it could chew and small parts in its execution prevented it from realizing its full potential. Still, it is a great read for those who are looking for something light and are interested in dipping their toes into a little bit of spooky fun as well.

Though this book pleasantly surprised me, I’m not sure if there is enough to make it stick with me. There is a strange lack of certain details that cause what should be impactful moments to fall flat or feel a bit silly/over the top. Add to this some tiny incongruities that pop up every few pages and it just feels like this story aimed a little too high. I love a good Scottish castle, but I almost wonder if having a different haunted setting would have provided more natural opportunities for the story to explore its more serious themes.

Started 9/16/24, DNF at 15% on 9/20/24. I really hate to DNF this one, especially an ARC, but it is going nowhere for me. It sounded like a good time, promising romance alongside horror. So far, I've found it repetitive, with wholly uninteresting characters, and I struggle to maintain any focus while reading. No romance yet for these two who hate each other, and little indication of any upcoming paranormal or horror. I don't care what happens here, and I'm bored, so I give myself permission to stop reading. No rating, only b/c it's an ARC. Hope your reading results are better than mine.

ARC received from St. Martins Griffin via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and sweet romance. I really enjoyed this novel.

"An enemies to lovers romance with a spooky twist where two feuding writers end up on a writers retreat together at a haunted castle in Scotland.

It's been months since horror author Penelope Skinner threw a book at Neil Storm. But he was so infuriating, with his sparkling green eyes and his bestselling horror novels that claimed to break Native stereotypes. 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.

Neil wants nothing less than to be trapped in a castle with the frustratingly adorable woman who threw a book at him. She drew blood! Worse still, she unleashed a serious case of self-doubt! Neil is terrified to write another bestselling "book without a soul," as Pen called it. All Neil wants is to find inspiration, while completely avoiding her.

But as the retreat begins, Pen and Neil are stunned to find themselves trapped in a real-life ghost story. Even more horrifying, they're stuck together and a truly shocking (extremely hot) almost-kiss has left them rethinking their feelings, and...maybe they shouldn't have been enemies at all? But if they can't stop the ghosts pursuing them, they may never have the chance to find out.

Full of spooky chills and even more sexy thrills, If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens is the funny, fast-paced romp romance readers have been waiting for!"

And maybe they can help each other to be better writers? After dealing with the ghosts that is.

If you're going into this as a romance novel, I don't think you'll be too disappointed. It's an enemy to lovers story - where they are two Native authors, pitted against each other for publishing.

It's a cute story to start. They are on a writing retreat set in a haunted castle in Scotland. But the haunting is very light to start and really only gets a spot in the story sporadically until the 20%. It's not terribly compelling, so I don't think it's a great reason to jump into this story.

Maybe because I don't read a lot of romance, I thought some of the romance scenes were awkward. The weird moment where they wondered about ectoplasm (ew) and the interruption of Daniela felt like odd additions that I found gross, not romantic.

However, the banter was cute. I liked how the two main characters struggled to define their writing and their stories - pushing themselves to discover what kind of authors they wanted to be. It was light, cute and I went into it expecting just that.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I tried to get through this one but ended up DNF-ing it. Penelope was just not likable at all. She was basically a narcissist who gaslit everyone around here. Cute cover though!

I was incredibly excited to read this one, having read the blurb and seeing it was an enemies to lovers which is undoubtedly one of my favorite tropes. I was chomping at the bit to get my hands on it. It also has the haunted backdrop and being placed in Scotland sign me right up!

While I was excited for those aspects it ended up falling a little flat for me. There were just too many things happening which left me confused and left some things unfinished or just glossed over completely. I feel like this book had so much possibility but needed to be developed more and some plot points that could have been better explained or just explained at all.

Trying to figure out all the differing situations left me drained. It would have been so much better had it stuck to one and really delved deep into it. All and all I didn’t hate it but I would have liked more.

I gave this a 4.5 Star rating! Rounded up on Goodreads.

Okay, keep in mind I’m a romance reader who dabbles in very light horror. Minimal scary, zero ghosts, never creepy children, and low levels of gore for gore sake.

Hear me out though, I’m not exaggerating when I tell you I COULD NOT STOP READING this book DESPITE being scared out of my wits.

Seriously though, this story gripped me from the start and I had to know what was going to happen and WHYYY.

👻Enemies to lovers
👻Rival authors
👻Dual POV
👻Haunted castle
👻Writing retreat
👻Ghostly backstory

Pen and Neil are both Indigenous authors in the same genre. While they should truly be bolstering each other up, they end up pitting themselves against each other. After a debacle that nearly ruins them both, they end up at a writing retreat together in a haunted castle.

Colby Wilkens weaves Pen & Neil’s story with the story of the woman in black (or actually white) in a way that had me spellbound. I was excited to see how Pen and Neil could overcome their differences to work together to learn more and eventually understand what was going on in the haunted castle they were staying in.

<<I would recommend to proceed with caution below, I tried to keep the review spoiler-free, but I don’t want to spoil anything on accident! >>

No time of day is safe, daylight meant nothing! The way the ghost and her haunting evolved was exhilarating and terrifying. There’s 🌶️🌶️ spicy scenes that helped break up a lot of the tension which was surprisingly fun! I am definitely interested in finding more spooky romances now!

The ghost devolves throughout their stay from a woman in white in despair to become something lost and terrifying. I felt like the ghost and her story were able to find some justice and understanding. I enjoyed the ride tremendously.

One note: There’s a stop in another castle on their way to the destination castle in the beginning I didn’t quite understand, but it had a really great scene in it that opened up the potential for breaking down the walls between Pen & Neil.

I had to DNF this book. Penelope was terrible and I could not continue reading her mistreatment of Neil. She just seemed super jealous and full of herself and there wasn't enough growth of her character for me to want to continue reading. It's disappointing because I was really interested in the premise and was looking forward to this as a fun, spooky fall read. Sadly that is not what I got at all.

I went into this one with super high hopes for a good romantic spooky read and unfortunately very disappointed. I didn't really like the FMC all that much and that really made it hard for me to read. I hope others found it more enjoyable than I did.

DNF
I tried several times to get into this book but something just wasn’t clicking for me. Reading is subjective and I appreciate the opportunity to give this book and author a shot. The concept seemed good, so I would be interested to try a different novel by this author in the future.

Thanks NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

After a very public altercation with fellow author, Neil Storm, Pen Skinner found herself trying to pick up the pieces of her broken career. In an attempt to write again, she accepts an invitation to a writer's retreat in a haunted Scottish castle, and lo and behold, so did Neil. Trapped within the walls of this castle, the two find an undeniable attraction and connection as they set forth to solve the mysteries contained within its walls.

This book had an interesting premise and combination of elements. I found the publishing drama, the public feud, the ghost story, and the romance all interesting. I think, at times, they didn't fit together well. The story felt a bit disjointed, or I felt somewhat lost.

I see that many people did not like Pen, but I think she as misunderstood. I feel like some of her issues stem from something that was touched upon very briefly. Both Pen and Neil were mixed race (white and indigenous). While Neil presented with darker skin and hair, Pen looked white. She also was not enrolled with a tribe, and again, this was touched upon briefly, and all that left her feeling "less than" when it came to her identity as an indigenous woman. Here she was, writing stories to properly represent her community, and it was Neil enjoying all the success by leaning into and propagating stereotypes. I felt those were good reasons for her frustrations.

There were also some fun and lighthearted moments in this story. It was those times where Pen showed her full self, and I rather enjoyed watching her and Neil form a friendship.

Overall, I found this book to be both interesting and entertaining.

Overall this was ok. There was a lot of repetition though. I was looking for something different and this is definitely that. I hated the lead character. I also don’t like that the spice was oddly placed.

Romance with a fantasy/supernatural/paranormal twist is my new favorite sub-genre and If I Stopped Haunting You fell squarely into that category. The Incident at the beginning of the book was such a funny meet-ugly for Pen and Niel and had me really excited for the rest of the book. The gothic, haunted castle setting for a writing retreat was so much fun and the author used a lot of classic horror motifs that were fun to spot.

I wouldn't say that this was ever actually scary or unsettling because Pen and Niel were so un-serious about the hauntings but it was a fun Fall read. I wish the central mystery had been a little more fleshed out or had one more twist and I think the tension between the main characters could have been a little more drawn out, but overall I had such a good time.

I also particularly enjoyed the conversation about Native and Indigenous authors finding space in the publishing world, struggles about identity, and how difficult it can be to stay true to your truth and story in the face of the pressure to conform. These voices are so important and I hope to read more from this author in the future!