Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC. I was excited to read this, but unfortunately this was not the book for me. I came for the horror and found myself disliking the romance.

Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm are invited to a writers retreat at a haunted castle in Scotland by a mutual friend.
After an appearance at Book Con where Penelope threw a book at him, Neil has not been able to write. Penelope
hasn't been able to write after the release of her only book. Both are hoping the retreat will help them move forward.
Due to the snow, they are stranded at the castle and mysterious things are happening. The two join forces to discover the
story behind the haunting, resolving their differences. Touches on the difficulties BIPOC writers face in the industry.
Quick spooky read.
#IfIStoppHauntingYou #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

Was super excited to start this one for the Native representation and to explore a more diverse tbr. But I really could not get into this and the dynamic between the two main characters seemed incredibly forced. This was especially true as the female main character physically scarred the male character. Was just not for me.

A quirky idea but not for me. I found the story a drag to get though and couldn’t connect to the characters or the romance.

I wanted to like this book; the premise is a good one, but I did not enjoy the main character at all. She was very self-centered and demeaning of others' work. I felt bad for her love interest in the story; She was jealous of his success, and he could not stick up for what he wanted in his own writing.

Plot was just okay. Felt like it dragged on, And the dynamic between Pen and Neil felt forced. The main characters and side characters weren’t interesting enough.

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me on any level. I was intrigued by the Native representation and mixing horror and romance, but the characters never felt good together, which is key in a romance for me. The main female character felt abusive, and the main male character seemed too malleable for a successful author. The ghost was the best character.

If I Stopped Haunting You || Colby Wilkens

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book! Releases 10/15/2024.

"I worried if I stopped hating you, things would change; I would change. But everywhere I went, you were there, haunting me, reminding me of every time I've every been wrong, of every time I've ever failed."

Penelope "Pen" Skinner and Neil Storm are Native authors, who write in the horror/paranormal/thriller genre. A few months prior at a book event, Pen loses her cool with Neil, resulting in a public outburst and a book thrown at his head. She's so angry that he's been a sell out as a Native author, and on top of that, more successful than her.

Flash forward to present day, Pen has struggled to write, and has been invited to go on a writer's retreat with a few other authors. Unfortunately for her, one of those authors is Neil, who also has had writer's block since that infamous day a few months prior. When the group is snowed in at a haunted castle in Scotland, Pen and Neil are forced to realize they actually respect each other and hate leads to desire. There's one catch, this haunted castle has an angry spirit haunting it, and if they can't discover the reason she's hanging around, they may not make it out alive.

I had higher hopes for this book. To be honest, the first 60% was very frustrating. There wasn't a build up in the enemies to lovers story line, it's almost immediately that the enemies start to have lustful feelings for each other, so when they do get together, there wasn't the tension build up, making it not very satisfying. Pen spends so much of the first part of the story trying to stay angry and Neil seemed over-the-top horny. The last 40% was more fun, as this section really got to the meat of the mystery of the ghost in the castle and had a few areas that were creepy, which is what I want in a story about a haunted castle. The romance was good once the main characters got over themselves a little bit. I found Pen to be more frustrating than Neil. This still could be a decent read if you're looking for something a little spooky around Halloween, but not so terrifying that you can't sleep at night.

-romance
-haunted castle
-enemies to lovers
-forced proximity
-mystery
-3rd person POV, dual POV

spice 3.5/5

*DNF at 25% *
Unfortunately, If I Stopped Haunting You, did not pull me in. The book started out with promise, I was interested in the plot that was being set up, but it quickly fizzled out. The premise was there, I just think it needed more meat to it. There was a lot of promise in the conflict and chemistry between the two main characters. I just felt that Neil Storm, the male main character, needed more to his character to stand on his own. His POVs did not hold up on their own. Additionally, when they got to castle it felt like the author wasn’t giving me enough as to why the castle was important to the plot.
In the end, I found this book moved too slowly for me to want to continue, despite the promise of the plot. That being said, I did enjoy the premise of the plot, as well as the juxtaposition of the haunted house and the character’s struggles was extremely promising. I think that there is an audience for this book, I think someone who enjoys more of a slow burn book would enjoy this book more so!
***Thanks to St. Martin's Press through NetGalley for providing me an ARC for my honest review!***

Thank you to Net Galley and SMP for this advanced copy.

There are several things to like about this story. A GORGEOUS cover, for starters! Also the Indigenous and LGBTQ+ representation was so genuine, and I will always allow space on my shelf for underrepresented voices. The setting itself and the premise were both unique and escapist. I love the idea of dueling authors. Unfortunately, I found the chemistry lacking between Pen and Neil. Pen's character was somewhat juvenile, in that she would throw/"play" hit Neil. While I understand this is a relationship dynamic some couples have (I in fact share a similar love language with my husband) it missed the mark here. Coupled with the fact that we see them go from this to pure lust, quickly, and under extreme duress, is where the story lost me. I found myself wanting a bit more of the middle stages, the brushed touches characters try to explain away, Pen changing her attitude and habits. My favorite romances come away with the characters changed, and unfortunately I didn't see enough of that from this one.

This is my own view and someone else may LOVE this book. I think it would be great for spooky season; maybe that's part of my disconnect here.

A horror / romance mashup? I didn't think it would work, but it DID and Wilkens is brilliant for it. If I Stopped Haunting You is tightly paced, hitting beat after quick beat that hands off the baton from romance trope to horror trope and back again.

I liked that both the MMC and FMC were flawed people--you know, real people like the rest of us--but Wilkens never let their personal foibles overshadow the horror or the romance plots. The blurb absolutely buries the lede on the Native American representation, so it was a happy surprise. I am not Native myself, so I can't speak to the authenticity or accuracy of the issues she writes about in regards to both of the protagonists' identities, but from my perspective, it seemed authentic and truthful. The spicy scenes were also well-written, though for my taste, there should have been more. Lots of slow burn buildup, but it was worth it.

I did think the horror aspect was too easily and neatly wrapped up. I definitely had the "wait, that's it?!" feeling toward the end; that could be a "me" issue because I'm not a regular horror reader, but I also think it could be a pacing issue, since most of the horror plot is put into the last 1/2 to 1/3 of the book, when I would have appreciated more at the start.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and it will be perfect come autumn as a refreshing October rec among all the other paranormal romances.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

I was intrigued by the horror aspect of this novel but felt that it didn't deliver in a cohesive way. It became a bit of a joke by the end. I'm sure there is an audience out there for this novel sadly it just wasn't for me.

It is not often that I read horror, but when I saw the synopsis of this book, I immediately wanted to dive right in. I’m quite glad that I did! This book nearly perfectly blended elements from horror and romance, and had me laughing at times as Laszlo and Daniela continued to make bets on their friends. This book had me on the edge of my seat and even caused me to jump when a bird chirped outside, because of how freaked out the book had me. Although some people complained that the enemies to lovers part of this book didn’t last long enough, I think that it lasted long enough to establish what they were and then moved on to understand each other (reluctantly), which is the part of enemies to lovers that I believe is the best. Overall, this book was very enjoyable to read, and I will happily read anything else this author writes.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC!

This was CUTE. I loved the side characters, the plot, the main characters, the angst., the ghost, the spice. I was worried the ghost was part of said spice- but fear not! It was not.

Was it realistic ?

No.

But it was fun, and it was refreshing!


Thank you NetGalley for allowing an arc in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed the premise of this novel, from the writer retreat in the middle of nowhere in Scotland, the rivals to lovers, and the paranormal plotline?? Sign me up. I read this book in one day because the writing flowed well and was entertaining the entire time. While I enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope that was portrayed in this book, Penelope Skinner, the MFC was pretty unlikeable in many aspects. She was very aggressive with the MMC, throwing things at him regularly, and she blamed him for her own mistakes in her career. However, while this brought down my review to a 3.5-4 star (rounded up for the review), I still enjoyed this book and would recommend it for those looking for a paranormal romance and as a cozy autumn read (possibly with warnings about the MFC's actions). I will also be keeping an eye out for more of Colby Wilkens works as they are a fellow PNW individual!

If you like:
- paranormal romance
- rivals to lovers
- mystery / plot-twists

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens in exchange for my honest review.

I DNF'ed this at around the 25 percent mark, I loved the title and the concept. A romance that's enemies to lovers and a haunted castle? Sign me up.

However, there were issues from the jump of what makes the main characters enemies, Mostly with Penelope. She's insufferable to be in her POV. From the jump, she's victimizing herself. Even worse, she assaults Neil unprovoked in public. And then blames him for the downward trajectory of her career? Yes, there is tension between the two. But it feels like Neil bowing down to Pen as she slowly chips away at his resolve.

Also the switch up from we don't like each other to constantly checking each other out is jarring. You can have tension without them wanting to jump the other's bones all of the sudden.

This just wasn't for me.

This book was not my cup of tea. I was initially intrigued by the romance x horror premise, but unfortunately it just didn't hit the mark for either of those genres for me.

2 stars!

This was unfortunately a little bit of a yikes. The most likeable character was in fact the ghost as I hated both of the main characters. They kept going through an extremely repetitive cycle of hating each other, and then lusting after one another, and I literally started skimming because I was so over it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"If I Stopped Haunting You" by Colby Wilkens blends a delightful enemies-to-lovers trope with a spooky supernatural twist. Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm, feuding writers with simmering tension, find themselves reluctantly sharing a writers retreat in a haunted Scottish castle. Their animosity is palpable, fueled by past clashes and professional rivalry. However, as paranormal events unfold around them and they're forced to confront their fears together, their mutual disdain begins to transform into something more complex and intriguing. Wilkens skillfully intertwines humor, suspense, and romance, crafting a narrative that keeps readers engaged with both the eerie atmosphere and the sizzling chemistry between Pen and Neil. "If I Stopped Haunting You" promises a thrilling ride through ghostly encounters and unexpected passions, making it a must-read for fans of spirited romance with a chilling edge.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If I Stopped Haunting You, the debut by Colby Wilkins, is not quite what I thought it would be judging by the cute cover which looked like a cozy mystery.

The blurb promised gothic, paranormal horror with elements of romance and humor, but overall the plot seemed to meander all over the place and could have benefited from some heavy editing. It felt like a round robin kind of endeavor where several authors took turns in adding elements that never really came together in a cohesive manner.

Parts of the story were repetitive and while I love a good enemies to romance story, this one seemed to veer from hate directly into instalust then somehow feelings between the two characters.

I enjoyed the discussion on Native representation and BIPOC authors as they’re topics that don’t seem to get enough attention usually, and it was refreshing.

If you want a fast paced entertaining palette cleanser of a book in between heavier reads, this may be a good choice. You just need to suspend your belief and hold onto this weirdly entertaining ride.