I loved this book! It was such a great read and put me right into the Halloween mood. I cannot stop recommending it to my friends

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me an early copy of If I Stopped Haunting You. At first, I loved the storyline of a spooky romance, but it just didn’t hit the mark. It was kind of all over the place, mashup of different things and lackluster. It wasn’t for me.

2.5 - This book unfortunately was a DNF for me at 40%. I thought this would be a fun paranormal romance but unfortunately I just could not get invested in the story. I did not like Penelope as a character and honestly did not buy into the romance between Penelope and Neil. I really disliked how Penelope treated Neil, especially throughout the beginning of the book, and while I hoped that the two would become more mature towards each other, I didn't see as much character development as I would like. I did think the setting of the book was cool, as it is set in a haunted castle, giving very gothic and paranormal vibes. The banter between the two main characters was also fun at times, However, because I couldn't connect to either of the main characters, and frankly disliked Penelope, I could not get myself to continue with the book.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the free book!!

I tried with this one. I skimmed most of it and wanted to slap the FMC for most of it. I did appreciate the nods to Native American history and/or culture.

There are definitely pros and cons about this book. I’m not exactly sure what genre this would fall under, romance, supernatural, gothic, creepy? And then throw in some explicit sex scenes and some BIPOC as well.

I enjoyed the writing retreat in an old haunted castle. That was pretty cool. I liked the supernatural, ghost storyline. Very interesting. I even enjoyed the friends to lovers aspect of it.

I would have liked a little bit more info about the Indian tribe background and the history behind it instead of just hinting at it. I thought the heavy sex scenes kinda took away from the story, especially the ghost storyline. And when you start talking about “ghost jiz” you lost me.

With that, it was a so-so read that left me not really wanting more.

Reading the synopsis and seeing the cover, I had such high hopes for a story combining romance and horror. Unfortunately, many aspects just didn’t work for me.

I had such a hard time connecting with the lead characters. They were immature, entitled, and in some instances downright abusive. There was no way I was going to believe that they suddenly felt attracted to each other. This caused their so called romance and hookups to just come across as forced and cringy. The side characters were more interesting, but lacked any interaction and development. It felt like they were added just because a story should have a cast.

The horror elements ended up fizzling and just summed up to a typical ghost story. There was nothing about it that felt original, intriguing or even remotely scary.

After trudging through the book, I checked other reviews to see if I was completely off base with my assessment. I not only discovered that it was a unanimous conclusion, but there is a lot of controversy surrounding the author in regards to her heritage claims - which is also a topic brought up in this book. I was shocked to see the publisher ignoring these claims and continuing to support the authors new works next year.

Support Native voices, folks. Glad the publisher has decided to cancel the author’s planned next book,

If I Stopped Haunting You is an enemies-to-lovers romance. Penelope and Neil are both horror authors, but Neil is well-known, influential and a bestseller, while Pen only has one barely acclaimed book. As a result, she begrudges Neil, his connection with his Native roots and ease with success. Neil doesn't understand why Pen can't stand him, but they are put in situations they never expected when they're stuck at a writer's retreat in a haunted Scottish castle. Their feelings for each other develop and flourish, especially to resolve the mysterious haunting and to inspire their next novel.

This one missed the mark for me. It lacked the charm, genuine voice, and overall input downable quality. Sorry but it wasn’t for me.

⭐️: 2
DNF. I tried to get into it, but it didn’t hold my interest Maybe I’ll give it another chance at a later time.

Colby Wilkens’ If I Stopped Haunting You is an inventive and bittersweet exploration of love, loss, and letting go. Blending elements of magical realism with a deeply emotional narrative, Wilkens delivers a poignant story that lingers in the reader’s mind long after the final page.

The novel follows [insert protagonist's name], a restless ghost bound to their former home, watching life pass by without them. When a new tenant moves in, they must confront the unresolved emotions tying them to the living world. What begins as a haunting gradually evolves into an unexpected connection, forcing both the ghost and the tenant to face their pasts and reevaluate what it means to move on.

Wilkens’ writing is both lyrical and haunting, perfectly capturing the ethereal nature of the protagonist’s existence. The narrative strikes a delicate balance between humor and melancholy, offering moments of levity that make the heavier emotional beats all the more impactful. The dialogue is sharp and authentic, and the growing relationship between the ghost and the tenant feels organic, filled with tenderness and tension.

One of the novel’s strengths lies in its exploration of grief and healing. Wilkens uses the ghostly premise as a metaphor for the ways people cling to their pain and memories, unable to let go. This thematic depth gives the story a universal resonance, even as it remains grounded in its supernatural elements.

While the pacing can feel slow in parts, the introspective moments add richness to the characters and their emotional journeys. Some readers may wish for more detail about the ghost’s backstory or the rules governing their spectral existence, but the ambiguity ultimately serves the story’s meditative tone.

Rating: 4.5/5

If I Stopped Haunting You is a beautifully crafted novel that transcends its ghostly premise to tell a deeply human story. Perfect for fans of introspective, character-driven tales with a touch of magic, Wilkens’ latest work is a haunting experience in the best possible way.

I was really excited when I first started reading this but my mood started to sour pretty quickly as I read. Penelope and Neil are in a terribly toxic relationship. Penelope treats Neil horribly - literally throwing a book at his head and leaving a scar in the opening of the story, and then blaming him for the incident ruining her career. His self esteem plummets from the incident, and her associated insults regarding his treatment of Native characters in his books, and she never takes any accountability for the way she approached him, only saying, finally, "I guess I was jealous."

I did enjoy the nuanced discussion of Native identity, enrollment, and representation. The side characters were great. The romance storyline was unfortunately lukewarm for me, and the spooky story didn't really grab me either.

I want to recognize that there is an ongoing controversy over Colby Wilkens possibly misrepresenting herself as a Native woman. I don't think it's really my place to pass judgement on someone's Nativeness, and I know that to be enrolled costs a lot of money, and is a process that not all Native people can or choose to undergo. That being said, there does seem to be something a little off. I'm reviewing this book without that in mind, but I did want to include a link to the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds findings. https://tribalallianceagainstfrauds.org/colby-newbold-wilkens

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an enjoyable enemies to lovers! Two authors who have nothing in common find themselves in a castle in Scotland for a writers retreat. To add to the fun in this one is that this castle is haunted. This was a fun spooky romance.
Thank you #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I so badly wanted to love this. The premise is one I found interesting but the execution was lacking.. I love a strong willed FMC but Penelope was insufferable. The character development felt rushed and the plot just felt like it was lacking something.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I can’t recommend this book knowing what I know about this author. I will say the chemistry fell short for me and I didn’t find this very interesting at all.

If I Stopped Haunting You just fell short for me. The two main characters did not have the chemistry or connection, and their relationship felt so rushed. The "haunting" aspect of the novel fell short for me as well. While I loved the idea of a spooky romance, it just didn't do it for me.

There was something about this book that didn’t sit right with me and I can’t figure out why. But I hesitate to recommend this book to anyone.

After reading the description, I was interested in this book and thought the cover was cute. I loved the concept and "enemies to lovers" is usually my jam. I ended up DNF'ing it in March, I just didn't find the book interesting and it didn't keep my attention.

This week, I thought I would give the book another try and finally finished it, but I wish I left it a DNF.

For me, the thing that bothered me the most was the main character assaulting their counterpart and victim blaming. Perhaps that is a trigger for me. The "to lovers" progress didn't feel organic. I was also looking for the side characters and the paranormal aspect to have more development. The progress felt very rushed.

Ultimately this book isn't for me.

I think I am in my spooky romcoms era because I have been really liking books like this. I loved this book and it was so cute! Highly recommend!