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.

This sets up to be a great enemies to lovers with
a spooky vibes setting, but then it falls apart. There’s no lead up to any good tension or feelings, just “we don’t hate each other anymore, hurray!” The ghost aspect was actually creepier than expected which was great. The reason for the haunting though?? Totally didn’t get. I kept waiting for a plot twist that wasn’t there.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St Martin Griffin for the ARC! The book started off a bit slow for me and the third person pov kept throwing me off during the entire book. I wasn’t really seeing the chemistry between the mc’s at first but then it hit me like a train! Both the romance and the paranormal mystery were really enjoyable! I personally would’ve liked a bigger plot twist at the end but overall I enjoyed the story! Loved the Indigenous queer rep!

I went into If I Stopped Haunting You expecting more of a romcom, but it was actually quite creepy?! I’m definitely not complaining though, I thought it blended well together.

First off, I love that Colby Wilkens is a BIPOC author who is addressing BIPOC representation in her writing. It’s something I don’t see much of and it’s great.
I loved the setting for this. A writer’s retreat at a haunted castle in Scotland? Sign me up.
The characters all had great banter and it was enjoyable to watch the enemies turn to lovers and begin to understand each other on a better level.
The haunting was downright terrifying at times and kept me on the edge of my seat often. The descriptions of the ghosts were something I’d expect to find in a much different novel and were so good.
One of my favorite parts were the excerpts from each of the characters books. I’d love to be able to read all of those books, including “Fight Me”.
Also, as a Pride and Prejudice girly, I would be amiss if I didn’t give an appreciative shout out to the Darcy hand flex moment we were given. Thank you Colby!

Overall I thought this was a really strong debut. I loved that it wasn’t your typical contemporary romance and all the unique elements it brought forth. I’m excited to learn that it’s a series and I can’t wait to read the next ones!

Thank you to Colby Wilkens, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for this eARC.
Publication date 10/15/24

📖 + 🎧: If I Stopped Haunting You-a standalone

✍🏾By: Colby Wilkens-debut author

🗣️ Narrator: Curtis Michael Holland and Kyla Garcia voice all the characters. The narrators' voices fit the characters with standouts from Pen, Neil, Laszlo, and Daniela. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.

🏃🏾‍♀️‍➡️ Run Time: 10:10

📅: Publication Date: 10-15-24 | Read: 10-13-24

Genre: Paranormal/Contemporary Romance, Adult Fic, Multicultural Interests, Horror, Fantasy

Tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, rivals, LGBTQIA+ rep, indigenous rep, gothic, haunted castle, ghosts

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Griffin, Dreamscape Media, and Colby Wilkens for this ARC and ALC 👻! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are mine alone.

🌍 Setting: Scotland

⚠️ TW: racism, assault-h on H

☝🏾POV: dual, 3rd person

💭 Summary: Penelope is disgruntled with Neil as both are indigenous horror writers, but Neil caters to white readers. Penelope wants him to go back to his roots and represent Native Americans without typical stereotypes. In a heated argument at the Indigenous Fic panel at Book Con, Pen hits Neil with a book. She ruins her career, gets dropped by her publisher, fighting writers block. When their mutual writer friend Laszlo invites Pen on a writing retreat four months later, she agrees not knowing Neil would be there too. They are staying at a Scottish castle with ghosts in the hallways and bickering with Neil as they join together to understand the spirits within.

🚺Heroine-Penelope "Pen" Skinner- biracial horror writer

🚹 Hero-Neil Storm- indigenous/Native American horror writer, more successful than Pen

🎭 Side characters

-Laszlo-mutual friend to both Pen and Neil, a writer

-Daniela-bisexual, had 1 nightstand w/ Pen, a writer

-Georgina and Archibald "Archie" Skinner - ghosts with a story to tell

🤔 My Thoughts: Happy Indigenous Peoples Day! I read this at just the right time. Halloween, spooky castle vibes featuring a multicultural couple that go from rivals to lovers. I'm glad Pen eventually admitted she was jealous of Neil, and that caused her to behave so badly. Pen's undeserved anger and violence towards Neil was a turn off in the beginning, but she did redeem herself. Neil saw the error of wanting approval instead of writing from his heart. I didn't see this as horror; it was paranormal at best-just a few ghosts with a sad ending.

🌶️Spice 4/5
🗣️Narration 4/5
😭Emotion 3/5
🧑‍🤝‍🧑Couple 3/5
️⭐Rating 3.5/5

I love that were finally getting Indigenous romances from Indigenous authors. This was the perfect book for this month with the haunted, secluded castle and the seclusion for taut enemies to lovers tension. I really enjoyed how the author used Penelope and Neil to highlight the challenges of being an Indigenous author by using their conflict. Penelope was such a strong character that was easy to root for. She fought for what she believed in and wasn't afraid to challenge the status quo, even when it impacted her so badly. I liked Neil's growth. He showed how it's okay to reevaluate life choices and how to do better. The teamwork, the haunting, and the spice were the trifecta for such a fun book, and I can't wait to read her next one.

This book had a unique meeting as it follows Penelope Skinner, a Native author who is on a panel with another author, Neil Storm. While Penelope tried to make her book a success, it's nowhere near as popular as Neil's. Due to that, the two get into an argument during a panel and she throws a book at his head.

From there, her life basically goes into a nosedive as she can't seem to get inspired and hasn't written anything since. However, things start to change when her friend invites her on a writing retreat at a spooky castle, and who else is invited? Neil Storm. While the two admittedly can't stand each other at first, it slowly morphs into attraction.

Penelope is understandably hesitant given everything in their past but that's not all. The castle they're staying at is haunted and Neil and Penelope are the only ones who can see the ghost. While the two are trying to write and figure out their feelings, they're also trying to figure out what's going on with the lady of the manor.

As the story unfolds, we learn more about Neil and Penelope's writing journeys and personal lives while also delving into the ghost and why she's still haunting the castle. While things seem bleak, Colby Wilkens manages to pull it all together in the end and gives us a satisfying story that did feel a little bit meta. Once you get to the end of the story, it all makes sense.

If I Stopped Haunting You did have the bones but something was missing for me. Maybe it's just me, but I didn't fall in love with this story as I hoped. However, it does get me more excited to try out Colby Wilken's upcoming release which is If I Dig You. It's an f/f romance between archeologists which just sounds delightful.

I wish I could've loved this but this wasn't my favorite! The concept was really cute, but I couldn't connect with the characters! Thank you so much for the early copy to read and review!

Penelope Skinner has been holed up in her home ever since she threw a book at Neil Storm’s head. Much to her protest her friend Laszlo recruited her for a writer’s retreat in Scotland. Now, she’s snowed in at a castle with Laszlo and much to her surprise the infuriating Neil Storm. And on top of that the castle is haunted. What could go wrong?

First thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this book, I thought it would be the perfect spooky season read which is why I delayed in reading it for so long. However, it ended up falling flat for me in a few ways.

First, the character of Penelope was frustrating at times. She placed so much blame on Neil for ruining her writing career and how he wrote his book. She was very whiny and negative at times that it was hard to keep focus on the plot.

I also found the “gothic horror” to be lacking. Without saying too much, a few ghost and a castle dont necessarily make it gothic horror. Which seemed to go along with the various plot holes and inconsistencies that occurred throughout the course of the book. At times I was left confused and having to go back and read a few previous pages to try and make sense of what was going on. Especially when there seemed to be a lot of jumping around, causing a break in the reading experience.

Overall, this book wasn’t terrible. Between the plot holes there was a good story here that made it engaging enough for me to finish the book. Plus it gave me the push to look for another book to continue through this spooky season. If you’re looking for a quick spooky season read with some spice then feel free to give this book a read when it releases October 15th.

A side character makes a comment about how he doesn’t visit his sister because she lives in Georgia, and as someone who lives in Georgia, it almost made me stop reading, but I continued hoping the romance and horror would save it. However it did not. First the romance was terrible and toxic between our two mcs. I did not buy the enemies as it felt more one way from Penelope and she hates him for what seems like such a dumb reason. Granted I am not Native American and cannot comment on how Penelope should feel based on Neil’s book, but it felt like something that could have been discussed in a less public way than it was. Then Penelope continues to blame Neil for her lack of success and makes herself the victim when its nobody’s fault but her own. And Neil’s only role was to apologize and take the blame for Penelope’s anger. Then there is the horror, or actually lack of it.

Overall, I really did not like this book.

Happy Pub Day and thanks to #partner @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the digital ARC of Colby Wilkens’s If I Stopped Haunting You.

If I Stopped Haunting You is an enemies-to-lovers romance that incorporates a consideration of publishing trends for indigenous horror with a super-spooky Scottish haunted house story and an open-door romance story with LGBTQ+ representation. Yes, it may be a lot. But it’s a lot of fun.

Penelope Skinner is one novel into her writing career when she makes a potentially career-ending move: during a conference panel about indigenous horror books, she launches her own hefty novel at the head of Neil Storm, an infinitely more successful author who Penelope considers to be a sellout because of the way he uses Native stereotypes in his most recent book.

The scandal chases Penelope into hiding until her friend Laszlo invites her to a writers’ retreat in an isolated Scottish castle. She’s eager to get a grasp again on her writing career . . . and then she discovers that Laszlo has also invited his friend—and her nemesis—Neil and her ex-girlfriend Daniela. Not awkward at all.

They make it to the castle, complete with a horrifically creepy introduction from the caretaker, before completely falling apart. And then a mix of (un)healthy competition, jealousy, and denied chemistry ensues, all while the four writers are trying to churn out new books and a ghost seeks out a new audience for her story.

Wilkens’s mix of romance and the paranormal here mostly worked for me, and I appreciated the sincere consideration of what the publishing industry is looking for in the works it promotes by indigenous authors. I did feel, at times, that the parallels between the romance and the paranormal were a little jarring, but overall, I found If I Stopped Haunting You to be a compelling debut romance with some thought-provoking questions at its heart.

I was SO excited for this book because who wouldn’t want to read a book set in a haunted castle in Scottland??? The premise just sounded awesome.
If I Stopped Haunting You follows Penelope, an Indigenous writer who has been experiencing some tough times lately. She hasn’t produced a book in over 5 years and the whole literary world hates her after a public spat she initiated at a book convention.
The other side of this spat belongs to Neil, another Indigenous writer who had no problems lately. Penelope can’t stand the sight of him because she believes he’s had no problems in his life for two reasons: he is a man and he looks Indigenous. Penelope has struggled her whole life with people saying she isn’t Indigenous enough because her skin tone is white.
Lets start with the pros: setting, location, and writing. I really liked Colby Wilkens writing. It was easy, but I didn’t feel lazy. I have Wilkens’ next ARC on my kindle, and even though I didn’t enjoy this one much, I will be reading her next. Of course, the setting and location were great. I enjoyed the spookiness of the castle, but I wish we got to see Scottland more.
Now for the cons: The characters and the plot. I didn’t like Penelope and I only kind of liked Neil. I didn’t like the decisions that were made and I didn’t like how Penelope treated Neil. The whole reason her feud with Neil began was so dumb and I couldn’t believe someone could dislike someone so much because of such a pointless reason. I also didn’t enjoy how insta-lusty the relationship between Pen and Neil was. There was no longing, no love, no pining. Instead, Pen absolutely hates Neil on day one and wants to jump his bones on day two. Some people may enjoy that kind of romance, but I want there to be some substance in the relationship.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If I Stopped Haunting You is a spooky, rivals/enemies to lovers rom-com.

Penelope Skinner is an author struggling with a severe case of writer’s block. After a very public and embarrassing incident with a popular, and very good looking fellow author Neil Storm, she has been shunned by the publishing industry. She needs an idea now, or will give up writing for good. When a friend invites her to a writing retreat at a Scottish castle, the reclusive Pen decides to take a chance with the hopes of resetting her writing career. But when Neil shows up at the pub for the same retreat, Pen knows this week will be a disaster. But when strange things keep happening at the castle, and the attraction between Neil and Pen heats up, the retreat turns out to be an unexpected adventure in more ways than one.

I enjoyed this fun and spooky rom-com. Pen and Neil are rival writers turned enemies after Pen calls out his writing in an embarrassing public spectacle. So they have a lot to overcome for this relationship to even begin. I appreciated the diverse cast, and the focus on indigenous characters. I thought that Pen’s critiques of Neil’s writing were a bit of a metaphor for the industry as a whole, and I appreciated how the author dealt with that issue in addition to portraying indigenous characters with accomplished and fulfilling lives. The added plot of the haunted castle was fun and made it a great read for spooky season. I also enjoyed the dual POV, as we get to see the story from both Pen and Neil’s perspectives. At times the story felt a bit repetitive, particularly the two characters repeating the same argument over and over. Overall this was an enjoyable and quick read, and perfect for fall. I’m giving it a rounded up 3.5 stars.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.