This book was cuteee!! I'm definitely going to revisit it during spooky season because reading this in spring was not the vibe. Anywho, the characters were really well done, and the plot was engaging. I liked how the story was layered, almost like a cake with one layer of romance, a layer of humor, then a layer of mystery/paranormal. I find it funny that other reviews mentioned how the main character was abusive. She threw a book at a man, are you telling me that you've never thought about throwing a book at a man? Nevertheless, a great book!

I unfortunately had to DNF this at 45%. I had high hopes for this book, the synopsis of the book sounded good, the cover art is beautiful and I'm a sucker for an enemies to lovers..it's my favorite trope. But Penelope and Neil just weren't it for me😩 They were just were at each others throats when most enemies to lovers, there's some witty, sarcastic funny banter but with them it was down right toxic fighting. I also felt like the side characters, mostly Laszo, were way to prominent in a lot of the dialogue..sometimes I felt like way more than the two main characters were talking to each other.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

I really wanted to love this book, but it was not to be. While there were some parts I loved (the prologue, some moments of banter and one or two passages where I could visualize the spookiness), the end product just fell a bit flat. The biggest let down is perhaps the fact that this book is marketed as an enemies-to-lovers romance-horror. The relationship between the two main characters was more based on lust than actual romance, and they were lusting after one another within 24 hours of them finding out they were on this writing trip together. It felt extremely rushed, but is also felt forced, like the plotpoints were not happening naturally but because the author made them happen. As for the horror-aspect, this was not horror. And that's coming from a grade A scaredy cat who avoids horror movies as much as possible. While I had hoped the horror wouldn't be too much or too gorey since it was a combination with romance, I didn't expect it to just have some spooky vibes. There are maybe two scenes in which the author describes a ghost as a decaying corpse in some detail, but this was less exciting than scenes in which the MC's were just exploring the forbidden west wing of the haunted house, in which I could really feel the tension. In conclusion: it was a bit spooky, but not horror per my definition.

The combination of horror and romance intrigued me, but sadly it didn't work in this book. The tonal shifts between some passages were so abrupt, that it felt like there were two different books mashed together. For example, and maybe it's just me, but I found it very weird that the two MC's were literally attacked by a ghost, barely escaped, and then were like "well let's have sex now, we could die, but we're too horny". I mean, I have read/seen things in which people almost died, defeat the evil and then have sex to celebrate the fact they survived, but while the danger is still there? Literally just a couple rooms over? Is this a trope I was (blissfully) unaware of?

I appreciate both characters being flawed and essentially being opposites of one another, however, I don't understand why the author decided to mitigate the assault of the FMC (her throwing a book out of jealousy and rage at the MMC in the prologue) by having readers on online forums support her actions. While the FMC did show regrets of her assault in the book, this was before she knew people supported her, and I can't help but wonder if the growth she seemed to show would realistically still be intact after finding out. This is not to say that characters have to become perfect beings after their journey, but calling the FMC a 'hero' instead of holding her accountable is baffling to me.

Sadly this book was a miss, but as I did enjoy parts of the writing, I will probably give this author a second chance. I have read the synopsis of her second book coming in 2025, an adventure romance, and I have good hopes for it.

What do you do when your envy leaves you frothing at the mouth about another author who you consider a sell out to the white man? You commit assault, right? That's the only reasonable thing to do when you, a white-passing Native woman who writes Native horror, finds the most famous Native horror author lacking authenticity. Penelope is unhinged, and it's honestly hard to see what Neil sees in her, besides her beauty, but the nutty antics these characters endured kept me reading. The story unfolds in a haunted castle and sexual tension blends with terror as the ghosts creep on these two while they're dry humping one another in stairways and hallways and towers. Pen and Neil have to be the horniest couple ever, running from a decaying corpse one minute to jumping each other's bones the next. I guess the smell of decay is an aphrodisiac. The truth is, this story is nutty from start to finish, but I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s for the ARC.

When Pen chucks an actual book at Storm’s head during a writing conference, it seems like there is no turning back in this heated writer rivalry. That is until they find themselves thrown together at a writing retreat. Oh, and that retreat just happens to be in a haunted castle with actual ghosts.

I really liked the premise of this novel– the rivalry, the gothic setting, the focus on indigenous stories, and the criticism of the publishing industry. I found the creepy parts creepy (to be fair, I am a certified baby when it comes to horror), and the steamy parts steamy. However, I found the pacing and the speed with which the main characters went from hate to love to be a bit jarring. Overall it was a fun read best enjoyed around the end of October.

The premise of this book is so cute and the storyline was definitely something to keep you intrigued but the way the FMC bothered me every page was just too much to really enjoy the full story of what it could've been!

Would definitely recommend for people to check out for a feel good romance, but be wary of the FMC and their tendencies.

ARC from Netgalley

I adored this book! The beginning is slow but I didn't mind it. I loved how she would push him away and he wouldn't go. He would reel her back in. He didn't give up hope. He was an absolute sweetheart! I loved this romance🥰

I really wanted to like this book. It has a great premise but I honestly DNF at the 25% mark. I tried starting back up but just could not connect with the characters or the story, which is disappointing. I'm sure this story will find plenty of people who will enjoy it but it just was not me.

This was such an interesting premise that snagged my attention! I did enjoy this book but overall I found it to be good but not great. I finished it, enjoyed it, but I found myself getting distracted reading this. I would probably recommend for someone who enjoys spooky/romance but I wouldn’t pick this back up.

Likes:
Setting of the book and overall premise was awesome. I also love a spooky/thriller romance type of book. The actual spooky parts of the book are really good and the ghost stories were fun for me. Also solid representation with LGBTQ+ and Native American MCs. Really rare to see.

Dislikes:
I don’t always read other reviews before going into ARCs but I was prepared for lack of chemistry and character development. I would say this is accurate for me personally. I just didn’t feel like Neil and Pen were enough? I think there could have just been MORE MORE MORE of them. Honestly I think a true enemies to lovers vs old friends to lovers would have been more compelling for me in this type of book.

I loved this book and really enjoyed getting to know the characters! This book made me want to go and find every single thing the author has wrote and read that too!

Romance and ghosts? Not usually my thing, at all, but I was hopeful. I'm really glad I gave this one a go. This romance takes on the enemies to lovers, maybe even a bit of the slow burn type of story and adds some interesting elements when our main setting is an actual haunted castle (in Scotland).

Penelope and Neil are both authors, both writing in the horror/thriller genre. Both are also Native American, and face stereotypes that attempt to hinder or quiet their voices and their work. After an incident at an author's conference, which ended with Pen literally throwing a book at Neil, the two don't speak, and neither of them have been able to write or publish new work. Queue a college roommate/best friend that believes the ultimate writer's retreat is just what everyone needs, even if he doesn't mention to Neil or Pen that the other is coming along.

The retreat goes spooky right away, with not only the castle being haunted, but of course, the retreating authors are snowed in. Secret passages, apparitions, forbidden rooms... what could go wrong?

The romance portion of the story is what you'd expect from a friends to lovers romance. The methods for forcing the characters together takes an unexpected twist when the ghost story and haunted castle come into play. I am not usually a thriller or horror or spooky type of reader, but I actually wanted the horror aspects of the story to develop a little more. There are a few very tense moments, and a few very cheesy moments. The story of the ghost(s), who they are, why they are trapped... all add to the experience.

This book was a nice blend of spooky and steamy! I am a huge enemies to lovers fan, and I appreciated the little quips throughout the book. I did feel like it lagged at times, and that it could have been more action packed in many scenes. The premise was great and the writing was creative, so I enjoyed it enough! I would go so far as to say that I’d read a sequel, if there were another book written.
Thank you for the ARC!

I really wanted to love this book, but I just couldn't get in to it. The pacing was inconsistent, so I had trouble settling in to the reading. I also feel like the dialogue got really repetitive, which made it seem like the plot wasn't being pushed forward. The FMC and MMC were both difficult for me to relate to, as I felt like I didn't get to know them very well throughout the book. They felt very two-dimensional. I did really enjoy the concept of meshing together romance and horror, though, and I do feel like the concept of the book is really promising. I think with some heavy editing on the dialogue and pacing, this book could end up being great.

The premise of this book had such good potential!! The setting and the vibes were a good blend of spooky and romance. However, the whole book felt very rushed with minimal character development. I’m always going to be a sucker for enemies to lovers but overall this one just missed the mark for me.
Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

I loved this book. The blending of haunted house and rivals-to-lovers romance is done so well that it felt natural. The reveal about Neil's tattoo is tied with Anthony Bridgerton's speech about honor as one of the most unexpectedly romantic moments ever. I'm praying Wilkens turns this into a series of interconnected standalones.

When it was all said and done, I was hoping to feel a little more and connect with the main characters a bit more than I did. This isn't a spoiler because it happens in the first few pages of the book, but I was really put off by the FMC attacking the MMC with a book. It feels like it was written to make her seem frustrated and relatable, but it's giving assault. Made me scratch my head for sure. That's really the only critique I have. The spice was there and the spooky aspect was genuinely creepy, pretty well-written. Feels like it will be a hit come spooky season for those looking for a paranormal romance.

I loved the premise of the book and the horror romance blend had me intrigued. Sadly I didn’t think it delivered and I couldn’t invest in the characters’ story.
Thank you Netgalley for the arc!!

If stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens arc review. I was lucky to get an advance reader copy of this novel through net galley. First can we talk about how cute the cover is that what first drew me in to this story it like the perfect spooky romance story and it the fits the story so well. The book is an enjoyable Enemies to lovers story. Mixed with haunted houses vibes. In this story we meet writers ✍️ Penelope skinner and Neil Storm who are two feuding writers who end together at a writers retreat in a haunted castle in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿. I literally love that this book take place in Scotland one of my favorite places to visit it so beautiful it creates the perfect back drop for this story. So the more time these two spend together they begin to be trapped in a real life ghost story can they work together to solve the ghost mystery or will the past and feelings get in the way. I had so much fun reading this story it was entertaining and mystical and amazing spooky and romantic vibes all in one. It was so good time from beginning to end. Definitely give it a chance you won’t be disappointed. This book comes out October 15, 2024 right in time for spooky season 👻 .

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel.

I was really excited to read this novel. The premise of two writers who hate each other and end up stuck together in a haunted castle in Scotland REALLY appealed to me. I love a good enemy to lovers story. Unfortunately I DNF (made it 150 pgs). I tried to power through, but I just didn't feel the chemistry between Neil and Pen (Penelope). I didn't feel any really connection to them at all, honestly. They felt a little flat. The other characters might as well have not existed (which is a missed opportunity b/c this really felt like a scooby doo kind of story and I'm all in for that kind of ghost story/mystery).

The story seemed to drag and there really wasn't enough action. I was intrigued by the haunting but not enough to continue on. It took so many chapter to set up the story and there was a lot of history between the characters that I didn't fully understand -- I'm still not fully clear how they were all friends etc. . The characters are supposed to be in their 30's (I think) but they came across so much younger. Overall, it just didn't work for me.

Penelope (who goes by Pen) is an author who had a feud with another author named Neil Storm. She disagreed with him stereotyping of Native Americans and ended up throwing a book at him. Present day, she is excited to go on an excursion to spend a week at a "haunted" Scottish Mansion. That is until she finds out he is there, and the mansion might actually be haunted.

I usually don't like rom-coms, but I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It wasn't over the top most of the time and I liked the enemy to lovers feel. In addition, the enemy to lovers wasn't immediate. They definitely hated each other for quite a long time, although you started to realize there were feelings hidden behind it.

Another saving grace behind this book was the horror part. Staying at a haunted mansion split up the rom-com quite a bit. The horror part wasn't super scary and there was a mystery wrapped around it. Every chapter you were wondering why the ghost was still at the mansion and the mystery was revealed at a perfect pace.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys rom-coms, mysteries, or horror.