If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens is a romance is a supernatural romance in that it's a romance where the main characters interact with the *cough* supernatural. I was originally attracted to the idea of a romance in Scotland in a supposed haunted castle, but found the supposed haunting part an afterthought and pretty silly.

At a writer's retreat in Scotland, Pen and Neil can't stand each other but soon can't keep their hands off of each other. Throw in a potential haunting and it's fun, if not very serious.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this in ARC in consideration of an honest review. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

I loved the idea of a romance/horror writer’s retreat gone wrong, but unfortunately this one fell a little short to me. Would have loved a little more character development between Pen and Neil.

Overall, I loved the concept of this book, and if you enjoy rivals to lovers, haunted castle vibes, give this one a try!

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

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This was a steamy enemy to lovers romance set in a haunted mansion. I liked the elements about being a BIPOC author and pressured to conform.

I thought the supernatural elements were rather weak and didn’t add much to the story. I was not particularly interested in the backstory and felt that those parts dragged and felt low stakes.

Pen and Neil both hate each other and lust after each other. After they're tricked into attending a writer's retreat together in a haunting Scottish castle, sexy fun times ensue. Between bouts of sex, they discuss their relative difficulties as indigenous writers in modern US publishing. There are also occasional interruptions to interact with the haunting, but the ghost plot line is pretty thin and the resolution doesn't really stick the landing.

3.5 stars

If I Stopped Haunting You is an exciting mashup of steamy romance and horror. I really liked the duality of the different genres all set in an atmospheric gothic castle in the Scottish Highlands.

Pen and Neil are both extremely relatable MCs and I enjoyed getting both their perspectives throughout the story. In terms of the plot, I appreciated the representation of Indigenous characters, especially the struggles they experience in the writing/book world. I wish the plot had made this a larger focus, but it seemed to get lost in the competing plots of the ghost story and the romance.

The ghost story is another area I wish was fleshed out just a bit more, with slightly more elements of horror. I’d honestly classify the level of horror as more suspense than the gruesome type you expect. However, I would recommend this story as the perfect entre into the horror genre for those looking for something a bit more light-hearted. Overall, this was a fun and cozy read, perfect for curling up in front of the fireplace on a chilly spring day.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adores this!!! The blurb (and cover) were the main reason why I decided to pick this book and I do not regret it a single bit. The premise was amazing and it certainly meet my expectations. It was a fast paced book and I cannot wait for otherd to read it as well.

An interesting combo of romance and spooky/paranormal activity. Four writers (experiencing varying degrees of writer's block) spend a week in a Scottish castle in hopes of getting some writing done. The only problem is that the castle might be haunted and two of the writers hate each other.

I read romance and avoid horror but I was intrigued by the premise and I would say this is primarily a romance (forced proximity, enemies to lovers) with a ghosts haunting castle sub-plot. Overall a fun read - I thought that Pen and Neil had good chemistry - though the pacing felt a bit off.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

This one was a little bit silly, in that the haunting ended up being something pretty mundane. I had wished maybe there was a better plot twist behind the haunting as opposed to.. the ghosts forgetting who they were. That, however, didn't stop me from loving this book. I truly do think we need not only more horror books written by BIPOC folks, but we also need more indigenous horror books. This whole cast of characters was very diverse, every character being queer, but also 75% of the main characters being indigenous. I loved their growth throughout the book, how Penelope learned to see past the faults she found in Neil, and how Neil learned that he can't let his publishers take away his identity from him. That he was an indigenous author, but one who pandered to a white audience because it's what his publishers wanted.

I would like to thank NetGalley, and St.Martins Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!!

oh my god I did not think I would love this one but boy was I WRONG!!! The minute I read the plot and saw that this involved a secluded haunted castle in the middle of nowhere i was sold. This is nothing like I’ve ever read before!! The paranormal stuff? The haunted castle? THE GHOSTS???!! The creepy/eerie setting??? And the spice between the 2 main characters???? Oh I ate this up. This was phenomenal I just couldn’t stop reading. The author did such an amazing job with putting all these genres together and mixing it up!! we got romance AND paranormal TOGETHER! It just worked so well!! I’m so looking forward to reading more of her work!

5 paranormal stars!👻👻👻👻👻

This was not at all what I was expecting. I am normally not a huge fan of horror but the way this book mixes in romance and a touch of fantasy really made it not so scary. While it definitely has the horror it also has a compelling story behind it.
The book doesn't stand on just romance and I really enjoyed the plot and how the two main characters were pretty against each other in the beginning.

This book fails as both horror and a romance. It’s not scary, it’s not romantic, and it’s not funny. It was also a slog to get through, even though I read it in a few days. This was probably the least joyful and least romantic romance I’ve read in quite some time. I also thought the prose was bland and couldn’t quite put my finger on why until I realized it lacked any sort of distinctive voice.

The main characters, Neil and Pen, go quickly from being “enemies” to hooking up with each other. There are several sex scenes, but none of them were very sexy. They felt clinical and emotionally detached, and like I was just reading about these characters doing things to each other instead of being fully immersed in their POVs.

Both characters are one-dimensional — neither one feels like they existed as people before showing up on the page here. I couldn’t even tell you where they lived or grew up. Their animosity toward each other felt inauthentic and cartoonish. And when they begin hooking up, we’re told they have feelings for each other, but their emotional connection is paper-thin. I could see them being friends with benefits after the book ends, but having an HEA? I don’t buy it.

I also didn’t buy the horror elements. Just because something has ghosts doesn’t make it horror. The ghost plotline feels half-baked. I thought it was building toward a much bigger resolution, but it just kind of fizzles out.

Pretty much the only good part was the characters’ discussions around their Native identities. I enjoyed that aspect, at least.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

10/10 would recommend to anyone looking for a cute quick read! The slow burn is there but with all the spooky aspects and funny side banter it is definitely worth it!

I was excited for the intersection between horror and romance promised, but unfortunately, I don't think this book delivered on either front. The relationship between the main characters was lackluster and I never bought that they were "enemies". The characters become way too horny, way too quickly, which hampered their emotional connection. The horror/gothic elements were interesting to see in a romance novel, but they themselves were not anything unique or scary. The overarching mystery was a bit of a disappointment. I thought the side characters, though initially intriguing, were woefully underdeveloped to the point of being mostly useless.

I liked the Scottish castle setting and the ending. The discussions surrounding the main characters' Native identities were well done and I appreciated the nuance the author included. The commentary on the publishing world in particular was very well written and welcome to see.

Although this book was not a favorite of mine, I am excited to see what this author writes next! This book conceptually was very interesting, and the author is a decent writer, so I would definitely read her next book.

I read this book early through NetGalley.

We all have our moments that haunt us. For Penelope Skinner it was throwing a book at Neil Storm at Book Con…when they end up on the same writing retreat in a castle in Scotland, they are forced into a temporary truce. Told from dual perspectives, If I Stopped Haunting You, is an absolutely delightful read! All the best tropes but in a real life haunted castle - sign me up! The writing is just wonderful - from the characters to the Scottish setting. I loved every minute of this book and honestly could not tell you if I enjoyed the suspense of Penn and Neil’s chemistry more or the hopes of ghost sightings!

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on Instagram in April!

Horror and romance don't seem like genres that could comfortably coexist, but Colby Wilkens makes it work. The story follows a group of four horror authors, two of whom might as well not even be in the story, as they go to a Scottish castle reputed to be haunted for a writer's retreat. Penelope and Neil have a contentious relationship (read: repressed longing/lust, and also she threw a book at him at a convention) discover that the haunting is real, and then they have to balance breaking through their writer's block, fixing the ghost problem, and wanting to screw for the rest of the book. I'm being flippant, but I also read it in two sittings, so this is a fun time.

The romance definitely outweighs the horror here, and that's okay. There are elements, like the other two writers, that feel lost or extraneous for most of the book, which isn't great, and I don't feel like Pen and Neil's Native identities were as strictly necessary as they're billed as. But as a racial and ethnic minority myself, I still love that that piece was there, because there's <i>nothing</i> like actually seeing yourself represented on the page, especially in a book that isn't about racial trauma.

All in all, this is a nice, cozy read. The balance isn't always right, but if you just want an escape, this is a very good bet.

Rival authors Neil and Pen are shocked to find they’re spending a week together in a remote haunted location as part of a very small writer’s retreat. They’ve had a rocky past, but a mutual friend has roped them into a situation they literally cannot escape. Writing takes a backseat to investigating the paranormal occurrences as these two are repeatedly thrown into situations by themselves. The story is set over the course of just a few days, but it is still a bit of a slow burn in terms of the book itself with most of the action between Neil and Pen happening after the 60% mark.

A perfect book for Ashley Poston fans that crave a slightly more sinister and tragic tale.

While I had to discontinue reading this book, it in no way reflects poorly on the author; rather, it speaks to my own experiences with paranormal activity.
Initially, I had anticipated a more lighthearted ghost romance. However, I quickly realized that it leaned more towards horror romance, prompting me to stop at the 35% mark to preserve my ability to sleep without needing the lights on LOL.
I want to emphasize that my decision is not a critique of the author's talent. The concept was genuinely intriguing, and I appreciated the inclusion of indigenous main characters and the Scottish setting (I love a good castle setting!!)
Despite my personal pause, I'll certainly recommend this book to friends who are more comfortable with occult themes.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was drawn to this book because of the combination of romance, paranormal, and mystery. The main characters were BIPOC (representation!), and I also learned more about Native American culture and the struggles that they go through with maneuvering through a ethnically White-dominated industry. I think this added a lot more depth to the characters as it speaks to their motivations and personalities.

I really liked Pen and Neil. They had such good tension and chemistry! Prepare for a slow burn romance. Neil had a vulnerability that I really liked and it was great to see him open up to Penelope. They had great communication and were there for each other throughout the book as they tried to figure out the backstory of ghosts and why they were being haunted.

And speaking of, I respect the commitment to discovering more about the ghosts, but at what cost? Throughout the book, I was mentally shouting at them to run and to not go in the creepy rooms. But maybe that's just me.

Overall, this was a good book that spans a lot of different genres and has something for everyone.

I was so charmed! Pen and Neil are a perfect rivals/antagonists to reluctant lovers pairing, and the rest of the characters are the perfect little cast. And the spooky mystery in the background is truly SUCH a treat- I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, just waiting for the next scare! Everything was woven together so delightfully, and I binged this in a day: I simply couldn't put it down. Highly recommend for a haunting little romance for spooky season!

This book is good, the cover is amazing, but the blurb on NetGalley made me think it would be more entertaining than it actually was.
If I Stopped Haunting You was really good in terms of enemies-to-lovers and steamy scenes, but lacked in-depth character development, especially after everything that happened in the first chapter with their back-and-forth argument at Neil's book talk.
I liked when they got stuck in the castle together, and when the ghosts started showing up, but the book felt sort of hollow for a large part of it. I felt like there was a lot of filler just to get to the sex and the mystery aspect was half developed. Every time the book actually had the tone of being spooky, one of the characters would say something goofy or they would have random sex and it would ruin the vibe.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC! Even though it wasn't exactly my type of spooky romance, I enjoyed the opportunity to read it.