I liked this overall. I listened to it so I missed how they ended up in a writers retreat in Scotland and why (other than where else would you find a haunted castle? Haha). These are 2 indigenous horror writers, who don’t like each other (enemies to lovers). Who go to Scotland, stuck together in a haunted castle, who come to like each other. This was good, not great. The friends were also entertaining.

I had high hopes for this book and I think I just had a hard time connecting with the characters. I think this could be lovely for another person! It was quite repetitive at the beginning, which I struggled with, but for a debut novel, I can overlook it. I'll be interested in seeing how Colby continues to grow as she publishes more books.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What happens when two authors that hate each other are forced to go to a writing retreat in a haunted mansion? Penelope Skinner can't even stand to look at Neil Storm in fact the last time they were together she threw a book at his head. Now they are in Scotland and have to figure out how to work together. The Idea if a spooky enemies is something i would love but these characters are horrible. They were so boring to read about and you actually didn't want to them together. The spookiness was nonexistent so unfortunately this was not for me.

DNF @ 24% - I wanted to like this book even despite the news that came out about this author claiming to be indigenous even though she’s not (based on research done by an indigenous research group who traced her roots all the way back and found that she is, in fact, white). Going in with that knowledge made me get the ick pretty quickly. It’s a no for me.

Where do I even start?

This book has so many red flags. The FMC is an immature woman who talks and acts like an emotionally shorted child.
She breaks down Neil's character and career at any given opportunity. I had such high hopes for this book to and did I judge it by its cover? Yes, I did.
However, in my opinion I would not recommend this book.

Also where is the slow burn if the main characters "fall in love" over the course of a few days? I felt for Neil as he not only is gaslighted throughout this entire book but is also physically harmed by the FMC with a book?

I found it sad to say the least that Colby Wilkens has been impersonating as a POC and has no real ties to native descent.
Dont bother with this book. If you want a real slow burn with POC I recommend the Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I stopped reading 6% in. The FMC throws a book at the MMC's head and then blames the loss of her career on him. First red flag. Then, as I'm checking some reviews to see if I could continue, I discovered that the author has a history of pretending to have Native American ancestry and has built a brand about being Native American when she isn't. She's also never apologized for that. Absolutely not. So not only is the writing mediocre at best, the author is a liar. That's a hard no and I will not continue this book or read anything else she writes.

This was a soft DNF for me. I wasn’t really a fan of the narration and struggled to find the main character appealing for about the first 15% of the book so I’d set it down with every intention of picking it back up. However try as I might I just could not find any interest in picking it back up so I’ve decided to DNF it completely. I will say although the concept was intriguing the characters were just so unlikable to me that I feel I would have not enjoyed this regardless. Overall the story was interesting but the tone and personalities of the characters did not work for me.

Self-described “white/Native and queer” writer Colby Wilkens has been called out by the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds, who say she has no native ancestry. So I will not be reading or reviewing this book.

Bored. I was soooo bored. I didn't make it past the halfway mark. So I tried the audio. Still bored. Giving up at 31%. Sounded like my cup of tea but was apparently not.

This was a beautifully haunting exploration of grief, love, and letting go. Wilkins’ lyrical prose is both evocative and immersive, drawing readers into a deeply emotional journey. The narrative flows smoothly, balancing raw emotion with poetic introspection. A poignant, well-crafted novel that lingers long after the final page—an unforgettable reading experience!

This was a really interesting story that I enjoyed, however learning about the author's dishonesty regarding her Indigenous heritage kind of cheapened it.

I... have so many questions. This was one of the weirdest books I've ever read. I read romance, all different types and somehow this was like most bizarre thing I've read in a while.

I feel like I spent more time rolling my eyes or scratching my head confused than anything else. If I could describe this so simply, there were sentences that clearly meant to be heartfelt, but presented like a man, when he's had a thought that he thinks is so brilliant and profound, but then it's just like "we are all different" and you have to sit there and nod encouragingly at the big thought they had at the ripe age of 38.

I really don't get the chemistry between the characters. They "hated" each other for years, she threw a book at his head, she hates his lack of morals or lack thereof and yet they reside in the same house together for not even 48 hours and they are having sex immediately. How? Why? So many times.

This was absolutely not the book for me, when in many ways it should have been. I feel like the story was still written as if it had something deep to say, but it didn't. They would get scared by the "ghost" and then just be so incredibly honey the have sex on the hallway floor where the two other guests could just wander by. They break into the home's private liquor cabinet and drink potentially expired alcohol? For why?

Penelope is like the dumbest character I have ever had the displeasure about. Why did she do half the things she did? 🤷‍♀️ Neil is okay. The side characters are honestly the best thing about this.

I am reviewing a bit late and it has been a while since I finished the book, but I absolutely loved this story and the romance was PALPABLE. I will absolutely be re-reading for next halloween

I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn't get past the main character committing a violent act and then blaming the victim for the effect this act had on her career. She threw a book at a fellow author's head at a public event and was shocked when there were actual consequences.

this was such a good read, I loved it. I loved the setting and the characters.

side note, the allegations against the author kind of made me feel icky.

This writers retreat was fun and spooky. Enjoyed the enemies to lovers vibe. This was just the right amount of spooky mystery and romance.

There were parts of this story that I really enjoyed but for the most part I had a hard time trying to figure out what the author was trying to accomplish.

This was NOT for me. But based on other reviews who was it for? The writing was mediocre at best. The plot was weird and the characters didnt have any tension! I struggled to get through any of this.

I just didn't get into it. I honestly can't say if that was a failing of the book, of me, or a product of circumstances but at this point in my career as a reader if it didn't hook me it just does t cut it. So unfortunately I can only give it 2 stars. I guess if I had to pin down a critique I'm just bored of enemies to lovers

~ARC review~

Here's the thing- I wanted to like this book so badly, but unfortunately it just didn't work out that way. li you enjoyed this book- then that's great! But I didn't for a few reasons:

1) The development of the plot & the relationship between the mmc & fmc seemed undecided. It was constantly going back & forth, and frankly didn't make sense. It felt like everything was one step forward, 5 steps back & there was little progress made.

2) The horror element was poorly written and I felt very bored reading what was supposed to be tense & scary. And the ending was ultimately disappointing.

3) The writing itself was underdeveloped, it was hard to follow. There were abrupt stops where it should've been smooth flowing.

4) Sex scenes at the wrong times. For example the fmc & mmc have sex right after literally running for their lives when encountering a ghost. Idk about you, but that is not where my mind would be aiter running into a ghost.

5) The reason for the animosity between the imc & mmc is honestly ridiculous- this is a personal opinion, but l've met toddlers with better behavior.

6) The fmc was toxic, abusive, and very skilled in gaslighting. She throws items at the mmc in situations where she's upset or stressed. She also blames the mmc for their issues & takes zero accountability for the first 75% of the book.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc!