I was super excited about this one—really cool setting and premise! But unfortunately, the enemies to lovers progression didn’t feel believable in this case and it was hard to root for the couple because of it. Skinner & Storm were set up from the start as really loathing each other (at very least on her side) and their pull towards each other felt rushed and underdeveloped. The spooky mystery plot was cool, but I was really hoping to love these characters more.

I was so intrigued by a cozy horror romance! All of the ideas for this good were great, but I think there may have been a bit too much going on with the two genres, plus the important topic of identity,

If I Stopped Haunting You follows Penelope and Neil in the aftermath of a very public argument/ verbal(and physical) attack. Four months later they are stuck in a haunted Scottish castle with two other friends. Once there they are able to finally work past their differences and work together to figure out what sort of ghostly things are happening.

I really enjoyed the communication that develops between Pen and Neil. To me it felt like a lot of Pen’s complaints should be directed at the publishing industry rather than Neil himself but I do appreciate the Native representation and striving for respect and equality in publishing.
The mystery itself was very interesting at first but I found the solution a bit lackluster. I also feel the ending came a little too abruptly and left me with a few questions. I also never really felt any connection to the other two characters, but that’s understandable because the focus is on Neil and Pen.

Overall, I enjoyed their relationship development and the fact that Pen was very much herself. She was a bit unlikable but very passionate in her beliefs and I loved her for that. I absolutely adored Neil and want all the good things for him. The story itself felt a little too rushed for me, but I did like it and read it in a day.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are mine, freely given.

If I Stopped Haunting You is a romance novel about two rival native authors, Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm, who end up at the same writing retreat in a haunted castle in Scotland. Neil is well-known among the horror community, and Penelope feels that he should be using his fame to further native issues, rather than pandering to the general public’s understanding of native culture. Trapped in a castle together for a week, however, the two realize that they had misunderstood each other, and their values and goals align far more than they’d previously thought. . When they start seeing signs of a real-life ghost, Penelope and Neil team up to investigate the haunting.

This is first and foremost a love story between Penelope and Neil, and I really appreciated their characterization. Both are complex, interesting characters, and I loved how they started out a little trope-y at the beginning but became more fleshed out as they got to know each other. Penelope is deeply passionate about writing as an art, and values writing as an opportunity to communicate her values to the world. She is native, but is not enrolled with a tribe, and that paired with her lighter complexion gives her a deep sense of imposter syndrome that I can certainly relate to. Neil, on the other hand, is enrolled with his tribe and his own native heritage is more visably recognizable. He still feels strongly about his tribe and wants to do right by them, but he feels pressured by the publication industry to fit into a narrative that is more palatable for white audiences. The majority of their early conflicts arise from this dynamic, and I thought the discussion about native issues to add a meaningful layer to a novel that is primarily romance.

This book is definitely a mash-up of a classic ghost story and a romance novel, and I really enjoyed that mix. I like romance best when it’s just one layer to a more complex novel. However, there were some pieces missing from the ghost story, and that was a detractor at times. The heart of the ghost story is a mystery: who is the woman haunting the castle, and why is she there? There were several places in the narration though where there were some leaps of logic that I couldn’t quite follow. I’m not sure whether things had been pruned to keep the book concise, or whether the author thought her train of thought was easier to follow. It wasn’t confusing, exactly, but it did disrupt my reading and made it feel a little less real to me.

That being said, the unravelling of the ghost story was rooted in European history, and I loved the details woven in there (even the history geek in me would have been ready for more). The setting itself felt firmly rooted in Scottish history (and I appreciated the nod to Outlander), and the ghost story itself is set inside a larger story about Europe in the 1800s. From start to finish, I could feel both a physical sense of scale as well as a temporal one.

In all, I’ll give If I Stopped Haunting You an 8 out of 10. I loved the way the author balanced romance with the ghost story in a historical setting, and I think readers looking for something a little different will really appreciate what it’s trying to do, even if the plot sometimes skips by a little too quickly.

Wilkens effortlessly weaves together two things you wouldn't normally see paired: romance and horror. The slow, gothic elements mixed with the enemies-to-lovers twist, along with the Native American rep, was great to see in a modern book.

I thought this was a really cute romance novel with just the right amount of spook. I could have used a little more angst before the two main characters came together, but overall a very cute store.

When I tell you I ate this up, I’m being so serious. Genuinely I was in a reading slump and this got me out of it. I love the balance of romance and spookiness and I’m obsessed with the indigenous conversation, something I want to see more of in all genres (especially when the conversation doesn’t invalidate multi-racial and/or biracial indigenous individuals).

The premise of two rival authors, Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm, find themselves trapped in a castle with spirits, immediately caught my attention from the very beginning. The fact that two rivals, both struggling with writer's block for different reasons trapped together in close proximity and the enemies-to-lovers thrown into the mix pulled me into the story. I was so excited to read this book actually since it sounded right up my alley, but unfortunately my expectations for this book were not met.

I would like to start with the thing that I liked most about this book was and that was it's portrayal of indigenous writers and their challenges in the industry, similar to those faced by any other BIPOC author, is authentically depicted. I resonated with their professional obstacles and their genuine efforts to have their voices heard and accurately represent their community.

And for the things that I didn't like, the book promised an interesting mix of horror and romance, but it failed to deliver on both aspects. The characters, Neil and Penelope, were meant to drive the "enemies-to-lovers" plot, but their development felt rushed and artificial. Instead of building up tension and chemistry, they quickly transitioned from enemies to a romantic relationship without much emotional depth. The intimate scenes lacked passion and felt lackluster.

Penelope's character was particularly disappointing. Her actions, like physically assaulting Neil with a book, were unacceptable. She came across as manipulative and delusional, with no redeeming qualities.

The horror elements in the story were underwhelming and failed to evoke any real fear. The haunted castle setting felt cliché, and the ghosts lacked a genuine scare factor. I was hoping for a more unique and chilling experience, but it turned out to be quite dull. Overall, this book unfortunately wasn't for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Horror and romance are both two of my favorite genres. I have many fond memories of reading Goosebumps as a child, including classics like The Haunted Mask, Night of the Living Dummy, etc. which have seared themselves into my mind. So, when I heard this self-stylized cozy adult romance horror hybrid was being released, I knew I had to check it out.
I found this to be a very solid debut for anyone who enjoys the likes of these feel-good romances who are also looking for a bit of a genre mashup that is both chilling enough to effectively enhance the atmosphere of the story, and the emotional (and physical) vulnerability of the two leads as they slowly open up to each other, and not too disturbing that it loses its coziness. A quick, breezy read, with an engaging slow burn romance (which also gets quite steamy as it climaxes (haha) and some surprising and insightful commentary regarding the state of indigenous authors in the book industry. This aspect of the novel I’m mixed on, since although I recognize and agree with the message, I found that the execution could feel rather clumsy, with most of the issues communicated with heavy handed, didactic dialogue that sometimes clashed with the characters’ voices, lacking the creativity and charm in their charming banter and interactions with each other.
As with many of these feel-good romances, there are funny, charismatic friend characters, though one of them I did feel got the short end of the stick when it came to page time and development in the story, though I did like the overall cast dynamic.
The ghost-mystery side of the book I thought carried enough suspense and dread for most of the story. However, I found the actual resolution to be rather anticlimactic and left me with more questions than answers as to what the initial motivations of the haunting were in the first place, ex: why the ghosts act the way they do, in particular. This lack of clarity in motivations ultimately undermines the stakes of the conflict, but the romance is the story’s main focus, which for this reader at least, offsets most of that disappointment and is ultimately why I enjoyed this tale. She is an interesting new voice in the romance/horror sphere, and I’m definitely looking forward to both her next book and to see her further develop as a storyteller.

I had anticipated a captivating blend of horror and romance in Colby Wilkens' "If I Stopped Haunting You," but regrettably, it failed to meet my expectations. The characters, Neil and Penelope, lacked the depth necessary to sustain their 'enemies-to-lovers' journey. Their transition from adversaries to romantic partners felt rushed and lacked emotional resonance. Additionally, the intimate scenes lacked passion and intensity, failing to engage the reader.

Penelope's character, in particular, was poorly developed and unlikable. Her actions, including physical assault and manipulation, were unjustifiable, leaving her devoid of redeeming qualities.

The horror elements of the story were uninspiring, failing to evoke any genuine sense of fear or suspense. The haunted castle setting felt clichéd, and the ghosts lacked the necessary impact to instill terror.

Furthermore, the plot suffered from numerous inconsistencies and unresolved narrative threads, resulting in a disjointed and unsatisfying reading experience.

While I appreciate the opportunity to explore the concept of overcoming writer's block in a haunted castle, "If I Stopped Haunting You" ultimately fell short of its potential. It pains me to give a negative review, but this book failed to resonate with me, and I struggled to maintain interest throughout.

Thank you to Netgally and the publishers for allowing me to read this book early. This book was definitely not what i was expecting, i’m a sucker for romance and horror or any type of fantasy creature, so ghosts were right up my alley and although l’m not native i really enjoyed reading about Native characters and the bits of their culture and struggles that shine through in the story, it was very eye opening. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more of this authors work.

Frankly, I love brain cells reading this. The main characters have zero depth. Penelope is grating AF and incredibly naive and immature. She’s bratty and definitely doesn’t deserve praise for her actions just because she thinks her BIPOC hero is a sellout.

The romantic ~tension~ is there but frankly felt really weird when we’re supposed to also care about some haunted castle escapades. One moment they see a half rotting woman and smell decay and death, the next they want to have sex against the dusty library shelves, it just didn’t flow together.

Also the ghost mystery solving didn’t really end up meaning anything. There was really nothing deeper or tragically mysterious.

The side characters were also suspiciously aloof and just making bets on whether the main characters would fuck. Seems like strange friends. Despite ALL the characters being horror / thriller authors, none of them seemed to excel or have brain cells when confronted with a haunted house. I also don’t have a clue what the author was trying to say about Native American storytelling, representation in publishing, or connection to horror, it never gets discussed.

Oh I LOVED this book! It was such a nice breath of fresh air compared to the heavier books I've been reading this year. I feel like the authors writing got even better around the 60% mark, and I loved the characters. Though I feel we maybe got a *little* too much internal dialogue, I understand the feeling of anxiety, and self doubt the author was trying to portray and really loved Penelope and Neil! Also the descriptive scenery, the building anticipation between Will-They, Won't-They, AND of the GHOSTS? It was so good! The horror aspect nearly outweighs the spice (but just barely!) And I devoured this book in a week! This is a solid debut novel.

🖤 slow burn
👻 enemies to lovers
🖤 he falls fast & harder
👻 a haunted castle in the Scotland setting
🖤 ghosts
👻 writer's retreat
🖤 multiple POV

This book was such a fun enemies to lovers slow burn read. For starters…this cover snagged me and then the description. This cover is so perfect! I started this read almost immediately and took a few days to read it and loved it SO MUCH.

The characters were well done (I absolutely adored Penelope & Neil OF COURSE) and I absolutely loved the setting/backdrop (uhmmm yesss to a Scottish castle 🫶🏼) for this book. This book gave a very cozy romance & ‘soft horror’ feel and vibe (more romance vibe than horror feels I mean to say). These characters are stuck in this ghostly beautiful spooky castle and I’d love to tell you what the mystery is but I’ll let you read for yourself 🤭 to find out…

If you love a good slowburn, enemies to lovers read with fun banter, great main characters, fun side characters and a spooky mystery with some twists then this book definitely needs to go right on your TBR.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good thriller and romance, so I thought the horror + romance combo of this book sounded perfect! The opening scene was humorous. The romance side of this novel is strong - enemies to lovers trope, quite fiery and salacious. The supporting characters, Daniela and Laszlo, are fun and relatable. I didn't find the haunting/horror side of things to be as realistic as I'd have liked. Generally, horror has me on the edge of my seat, but I actually found it to be more comical than fear invoking. That said, while I did enjoy the book, it wasn't really what I expected, hence the 3 star review. I'd give it 3.5 if half stars were a thing.

Overall it's a good, fun read. Colby Wilkens is a lovely writer.

Thank you to NetGalley an St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not a horror reader. By that, I mean this was the first horror novel I've ever read (in my memory) and as a book addict, that's saying a lot. So, you can imagine how grateful I am that this wasn't actually that scary. There are a good number of horror elements, but this wasn't what I expected. To be clear, it's a medium-paced, enemies-to-lovers romance set in haunted castle because the MCs are paranormal fiction author on a writing retreat.

I wasn't very impressed by the horror aspect of thing coz it resembled books I read in middle school, so I'm not gonna linger on that. A sub-plot that really stuck with me was that on the representation of indigenous people. The MCs Penelope and Neil are native writers who struggle to make their voices heard, combatting stereotypes and publishing their works. This is actually the origin of the rivalry between them as the reader learns later in the story. As a South-Asian, I often find that there is misrepresentation of my culture in the west, and so the views in this book strongly resonated with me.

As for the characters in themselves, I think they could really be worked upon. They didn't have much of a personality that I could talk about. And here's the prime reason I am skeptical of the enemies-to-loves trope. The MCs wither have no reason to hate each other, or suddenly overcome their hatred for no reason. In this book, it's the latter. I'm not a fan of smut, and with this one it felt like the sexual tension became a whole subplot to make up for lack of personality. There was so much that could've been done with the native subplot or just building upon the MCs instead of making a mixed bag of tropes and genres.

PS- I love the cover and the title <3

Mein Leseerlebnis

Das Buch enthält eine Liebesgeschichte, die sich frisch und außergewöhnlich anfühlte. Romances, in denen die beiden Hauptcharaktere Autor:innen sind, zwischen denen es vor kurzem öffentlich zu einem heftigen Streit gekommen ist und mit einem Spukschloss als Ort des Geschehens, findet man nicht allzu oft.

Beim Lesen konnte ich mich gut auf den Schreibstil einlassen und habe die Fantasie der Autorin bewundert. Darüber hinaus hat in dem Liebesroman für mich leider nicht alles gepasst.

So fand ich die Hauptcharaktere zwar interessant, konnte sie mir aber leider nicht als echte Personen vorstellen. Das hat dazu geführt, dass ich zu ihnen keine gute emotionale Verbindung aufnehmen konnte. Darunter hat mein Leseerlebnis etwas gelitten.

Pens Verhalten zu Beginn des romance Buches fand ich übrigens ziemlich ,überzogen und etwas verwirrend. Hätte sich ihr gegenüber jemand so verhalten, wäre das in ihren Augen wahrscheinlich unverzeihlich gewesen (was ich ähnlich bewerten würde). Die Hauptcharaktere wirkten aufgrund ihres Verhaltens teils etwas jünger, als sie es wirklich waren. Das war nicht ideal für mich.

Darüber hinaus waren die Gruselmomente nicht mein Fall. Um genauer zu sein, fand ich sie nicht so wirklich spannend. Szenen damit haben mir wenig gegeben.

Ich habe den ememies to lovers - Roman bis ungefähr zur Hälfte gelesen und dann abgebrochen. Da ich emotional nicht bei der Sache war, hat das Weiterlesen keinen Sinn gemacht. Ich kann mit allerdings gut vorstellen, dass der Liebesroman für andere Leser:innen besser sein könnte, da er insgesamt viel zu bieten hat.

Keine Bewertung, da abgebrochen.

Für wen?

Wer frische, spannende Liebesromane mit besonderen Elementen mag, für den könnte “If I stopped haunting you” ein schöne Sache sein.

I really enjoyed the romance/horror combo, and the spice was perfectly spicy. Wilkens covers some pretty heavy and important topics around Native representation in literature, what it means to be a de-facto spokesperson for a whole culture, what makes someone "Native" enough, and more. I enjoyed watching the characters come to terms with their past and find understanding together.

I wanted to love this but it fell flat for me. It just felt like the pacing was off at times. It was unique and had an engaging plot line.

"If I Stopped Haunting You" by Colby Wilkens is a delightful blend of romance and paranormal mystery. The dynamic between Neil and Penelope, two writers with a shared heritage in horror, is electric from the start, and their tension-filled encounter sets the stage for a captivating story. As they navigate the haunted castle in Scotland, their shared ability to see apparitions creates a unique bond, leading them to team up to solve the mysteries lurking within. Wilkens expertly weaves together elements of romance and the supernatural, keeping readers on the edge of their seats while also tugging at their heartstrings. Perfect for fans of both genres, this quick read is sure to leave readers enchanted and wanting more.