People seem to have a lot of issues with this one. It’s fine. It’s not super exciting, but it’s not terrible. Super easy read with characters that were kind of annoying but bearable. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ahhh this cover!! I love it, so cute. I ruined this for myself by reading bad reviews so keep an open mind going in and try to avoid that lols

Had to DNF this one because violence (even small) between main characters isn’t my bag,

Thank you for the ARC opportunity!

I absolutely adored this book and I'm eager to add it to my bookcase as a prized possession. Initially skeptical about the premise of two enemy writers, I found the storyline refreshingly unique and engaging. The blend of horror and paranormal elements captivated me from start to finish. I couldn't help but root for Penelope and Neil throughout their journey. Needless to say, I can't wait for the next installment in this series!

DNF

From the first few chapters, this book was a no for me.
There is no reason for a grown woman to be throwing a book at someone, I don’t support violence between love interests

Thank you to netgalley and st martins press for providing me with an arc of this book.

I was drawn in by the interesting cover and I’m always here for more Native romances, so I was excited when I received an arc. I think this is a premise with a lot of potential, but after the prologue and seeing that the end-game romance is Pen, who literally physically assaults Neil, and Neil, it’s difficult for me to want to get invested in these characters or this story. I think I’ll give Colby’s sophomore book a chance but this one was one I couldn’t invest in.

This was a fun read with a beloved trope well done. This was a little spooky, a very unique plot, good chemistry and good character development. It was a well written debut novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I couldn't get past the first few chapters. It's just not acceptable to have a heroine physically assault her love interest and then justify it like her violence was warranted.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy.

This was a DNF in the prologue.

The blurb says she throws a book at him which could mean anything based on situation but she throws it at his face which knocks him out of a chair and cuts him. Violence between main characters is a no for me.

Thank you to the publisher, the author, and Netgalley for sending me an early copy!

I loved this! I loved the Native rep, the abundance of paranormal activity, the bi rep, and the swoony enemies to lovers romance. There’s clear attraction between the characters from the jump, but also hate which makes for great tension throughout. Plus, there are ghosts so the stakes feel real. If any of these aspects interest you, give this book a read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I enjoyed this slow burn book. The paranormal code have been a little more fiery chemistry between the main characters made this an enjoyable reading experience that I highly recommend.

This was one of the most spellbinding reads I’ve opened in so long, I’ve been ready for my spooky season reads and this was JUST what I needed. I cannot suggest this enough if you’re looking for romance with a twist

The premise of the story, enemies to lovers stuck in a haunted Scottish castle, is what drew me in! I enjoyed Colby's writing style and the representation of Native American culture along with LGBTQ+ community. I enjoyed the horror elements throughout the novel! The tension between Pen and Neil was, unfortunately for me, resolved too quickly. It was difficult to grasp the fast burn. Fans of quickly resolved tension and rapid romances will enjoy this work!

An interesting take on romance, but add in a haunted castle.
Neil Storm and Penelope Skinner had a falling out four months before this story takes place. Pinned to be rivals in the writing world because they're both Native American authors, their feud comes to its boiling point at a book convention, causing Pen to throw a book at Neil. Then their mutual friend Lazlo invites them both (without saying that the other is coming) to a writer's retreat with his friend Daniele to a haunted house in Scotland, to help get their creative minds flowing since they both have writer's block. The groundskeeper Fanny gives them cryptic warnings about this haunted castle, one being not to enter the west wing. But Pen feels drawn to the west wing. Why is she drawn to it? Who is the mysterious black ghost Franny warned them about?

This story had a lot of potential. I'm all for throwing in some paranormal moments into a romance novel. But I feel like the romance was forced at times. It felt like we jumped into steamy scenes and kind of threw the actual plot to the wayside. I did like how there was no third-act miscommunication or falling out. Instead we have Pen wanting to solve this mystery and Neil chasing after her because he wants to protect her. The descriptions of the settings and the castle were well-written.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for approving me for this ARC!

Rating: 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟's

-》Review《-
This book flaunts being both a "steamy hot enemies to lovers romance" and a chilling haunting horror story. To be frank, it wasn't much of either. The two main characters, Penelope and Neil, quickly go from hatred to sex scenes, and the scenes aren't that steamy. I attribute this to the lack of buildup, I love slow burn stories and seeing two characters come together over time while slowly falling in love. This book was the opposite of that, Penelope and Neil go from disliking the other person to sex scenes in the next chapter.

Nevertheless, there is still a massive page turner aspect to this book! I read it in a solid two days, and keep coming back to read even just a few pages during my bathroom breaks at work 😅 It is well written, and although it's cliché, it's the haunted house cliché you wanted.

This book won't be everyone's cup of tea, and I feel that it is falsely advertised as both a streamy romance and a thriller. To me, it was more of a romcom/parody of a haunted house. The characters seem like your classic 'How to not survive a horror movie' type, and watching them consistently make dumb decisions keep me reading.

Overall, if you like romcoms and clichés then this is a book to add to your shelf! It comes out October 15th, so you can read it with a cup of hot chocolate in an oversized sweater, perfect autumn romcom 🫶

I loooved this book. It comes out this October and it’s the perfect spooky vibe for romance fans. Sure the main character starts out rough, she literally throws a book at him in a rage that smacks him right in the face. But I fully disagree with other reviewers that she beats him down, she explains why his book was disappointing to her and they come to understand each other. All while set to a mystery involving a haunted castle in Scotland. It was just spooky and spicy enough to cozy up with a coffee and a warm blanket this fall. 🎃👻

Thank you to St Martins Press & NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When I first started this book, it took me a little bit to get into it. I was not a big fan of Penelope for about the first half of the book. It was obvious she was not only disappointed in Neil’s writing, but also she was extremely jealous and sometimes that just rubs me the wrong way. But as the story went on, their enemies lovers story ended up being a good one. The haunted castle was written very well. This will be a perfect read for spooky season. If you’re into haunted houses, the Scottish Highlands, enemies to lovers and slow burn spice….I’ll think you’ll enjoy this one.

Thanks to netgalley for the EARC.

My students really like the theme of enemies to lovers. I as well as haunted houses and more paranormal themes. I think they will enjoy this book, I as an adult didn't like it as much as i think they will. Mostly the main characters didn't seem fleshed out so their relationship wasn't believable.

So....this was a book. I wanted to like it because the premise was spooky yet romantic, which is right up my alley. Plus, enemies to lovers is my kryptonite, but this relationship made me so uncomfortable. Neil and Penelope are supposed to be my "enemies-to-lovers" couple but they felt like the single most forced couple in existence. Instead of building up tension and chemistry between them, they hook up way too fast. It made everything else about this book fall by the wayside.

This was a cute romance with a haunted house(or rather mansion) writer retreat setting! It was different than I expected in terms of the paranormal aspect but I liked it a lot. Rivals/enemies to lovers trope served but I didn't really love the romance? I liked how they could connect over their background but the relationship itself wasn't one I felt a connection to.