Story focuses on Pen (Penelope) and Neil, both Native authors who are “enemies”and who have been invited by a mutual friend to a writing retreat in a haunted Scottish castle. Pen believes Neil has sold out and caved to his publishers rather than sticking to his Native roots and publishing a Native story. This culminated in a yelling match during a book panel they’re both on, and Pen throwing a book at Neil which scars him. Fast forward several months, Pen believes her publicly attacking Neil has cancelled her and that she has no real fans.

Overall, this is a quick enjoyable, read. A romcom horror story isn’t something I’ve really read before. This could have been a terrible combo but I ended up really liking it. The horror, comedy, and romance are woven together well and in a way that doesn’t feel disjointed. A few critiques- for two people who supposed hate each other and are rivals, they get over their dislike you’re quickly. Pen’s character feels almost bully-like. She basically admits she was jealous of Neil’s success and the way the industry works so she took it out on Neil, someone who was succeeding where she wasn’t. Last the haunting aspect feels anticlimatic - there isn’t really an explanation for why they have to solve the mystery besides the unknown of what might happen (will they die?!). And is Pen related to the ghosts?! Why use the same name otherwise but not have that be part of the plot?

The setting for this book was great but overall this book was a miss for me. The characters had more in common than they realized which was great and they could have built the relationship from that but the buildup of their relationship felt hurried and undeveloped. Was unsure why they decided they liked each other besides physical attraction. It seems like the animosity from the main female character was excessive for what the wrong doing was at the beginning of the book. It made it harder to like her.

Super quick read about two people who have more in common than they think. However, their development and story felt hurriedly. Not as spooky as I had hoped for. It was just okay.

This is the first time I have heard of this author. With that being said it was an ok read. It kind of dragged and took a bit to get into it and honestly the build up to the ending was disappointing.

Fabulous setting, the characters were a bit underwhelming and parts of the story felt undeveloped. An entertaining read, but I wouldn't read it again.

I've been following Colby Wilkens for a few years, and IISHY has been on the top of my "wildly excited about" list since she announced it in early 2023. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Laugh out loud interactions, fully spooky hold-you-breath moments, Indigenous leads, a haunted castle, a true slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers story...this book has it ALL. Plus a dual POV? Bisexual characters? I'm in love. I cannot wait to see what else Colby writes!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

The "enemies to lovers" romance between Pen and Neil was enjoyable, as was the teasing they endured by friends/fellow writers Laszlo and Daniela. The horror element of the plot was not scary or creepy, but rather was quite amusing.

I found that this started out a little slow for me, it took me quite a bit to really get into. I loved the mix of romance and horror, I've never read another book with the same mix. However while the horror aspect was nice and fleshed out for me the romance felt a bit rushed.
It was still a good book that I enjoyed.

Let's chat about this intriguing read I got from NetGalley! " If I Stopped Haunting You" by Colby Wilkens takes two native authors who can't stand each other and throws them into a writers retreat at a haunted castle. Spooky, right? 👻 If you're into cozy books with a dash of enemies-to-lovers romance, this might be your next read.
I'll be honest—I struggled to fully connect with their journey from enemies to lovers, but the second half of the book really picks up the pace! Plus, big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to dive into this story! If you're craving a book that's perfect for cozy weather, give "A Haunting at Dawn" a shot.

I had almost now idea what to expect when I went into this debut romance. I was hoping for a little more steam and a lot more tension than what I got. But this story of two horror writers on a writing retreat in a haunted castle was very fun.

After a contentious panel at Book Con, Pen and Neil are not friends. They are less than thrilled to end up at this retreat together. But when proximity and ghosts keep them paired up, they find that they have more in common than they realized.

The set up and the setting are both spot on, but I really wanted more character development for both of them. I felt like questions were left unanswered and background info was needed both in the romance and in the ghost story. There is so much potential here that I am rooting for Wilkens and what comes next.

What a delightful read! The enemies to lovers was really more on Penelope’s side I think. I appreciate that she stood up for what she believed in. I’m glad that Neil was so supportive of Pen.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a paranormal mystery bully enemies to lovers book. It was about two native authors who don’t like each other go on a writers retreat in a haunted castle. It was new to see the fmc be the bully and come to terms with her issues. I like the dual pov with Neil. It was nice to see how a mixed race pov on how she never felt enough for each side of her.

The beginning of this book started strong right out of the gate. You immediately get into the story and know the characters you’re going to be reading about. However, after that, the story lagged for a while for me. The idea of “wait- is this castle actually haunted??” Is what brought me back into the book- which I feel like was over half way through the book.

The idea of the ghosts, plus their budding love story, are what pushed me through this story but I kind of lost the other aspects of the story and ended up not caring about those. The backstory as to why Penelope and Neil disliked each other so much was definitely valid but with everything else going on I didn’t care about it as much as I wanted to.

Penelope and Neil are both writers and end up having a rough start when they meet at a Q and A for Indigenous writers. Due to an incident that occurs there, Penelope gets shunned from the book community. Months later they’re forced to reconnect in an alleged haunted castle for a writers retreat and must deal with each other everyday.
3/5 ⭐️
3.5/5 🌶️

3/5 ⭐️

I enjoyed this romance / scary story, it is not super scary but overall it is entertaining. I was not a fan of the FMC but really liked the supporting characters. If you are looking for a quick cozy read, this is the book for you. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Griffin for this ARC

This was a cute enemies to lovers spooky romance.

It was a sweet whimsical read overall and the story was fast pace and interesting.

The characters were two dimensional but that didn't stop me from enjoying the overall story.

Did you said spooky season, the only bad thing abiut this is that i read it ahead of its time and the vibes are definitely fall spooky. But aside loved every second of it, this was such a fun read .

*If I Stopped Haunting You* by Colby Wilkens falls short of its potential with repetitive storytelling and a lackluster execution of its central theme. The focus on "the Incident" between the main characters, Penelope and Neil, becomes suffocating as the narrative fixates on the conflict surrounding cultural representation in Neil's writing. The constant rehashing of the same arguments and grievances makes the story feel stagnant and unoriginal, leaving readers frustrated by the lack of character growth and development.

Throughout the book, the heavy-handed emphasis on the feud between Penelope and Neil over cultural appropriation overshadows any other potential plotlines or character dynamics. The one-dimensional nature of their interactions and the lack of evolution in their relationship make it difficult for readers to invest emotionally in their journey from enemies to lovers. The repetitive nature of the dialogue and narrative beats ultimately detracts from the potential depth and complexity of the story, resulting in a dragging and monotonous read that fails to engage or captivate.

The first half of the book is a little slow but the second half keeps You entertained and wanting to know more. I enjoyed this book more than I thought. It’s a perfect match for those cozy fall days in September and October.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press Griffin for a complimentary copy.

I unfortunately dnf'd this book fairly early on because i immediately disliked the fmc. She's mad at a fellow author for being more successful than she is and resorts to name calling and violence instead of being happy for him. I found it to be an instant no and couldn't finish to see if she grew

I simply can’t do it. DNF at 35%. There is entirely way too much info dumping and telling, and jg does not feel like a romance at all. I know it’s horror romance, but not even the “horror” is taking away from the romance. The MCs are some of the most unlikeable I’ve ever read, and I can’t bring myself to endure further torture.