I’m not a huge fan of any sort of horror or thriller. My brain is already messed up as it is.

I really don’t need any external factors to ramp my anxiety up. But I can’t resist a good enemies to lovers. I’m not one hundred percent sure I would call this enemies to lovers. I feel like it’s more animosity to lovers. At least on Penelope’s part.

I don’t think Nate ever held animosity as such aside from the normal animosity one would hold against someone who has attacked you. I do feel like the relationship (not the lust) could have been expanded on a little bit better. On Penelope’s part, it seemed slightly forced and on Nate’s part it seemed wholly lustful.

Speaking of lust, the smexy scenes weren’t bad. At. All. I genuinely enjoyed them. The horror part of the story, though, takes the cake. I used to love watching Scooby Doo as a kid and it sort of felt like that but for adults. Mind you, I scare pretty easily but the descriptions and the language used was so captivating, I genuinely felt scared alongside Nate and Penelope.

IISHY was an interesting read. A definite departure from my typical. But not a bad one. I liked how the story was paced pretty well and the fact that it hit on several topics in the book world that are definitely worth talking about. Mainly about BIPOC authors and characters. I liked it.

If I Stopped Haunting You is a fun take on the antagonist-to-lovers trope. Some things that I enjoyed about the book:
Being locked in an honest-to-god locked, haunted castle in Scotland lends the story a bit more authenticity for the gothic horror vibes. The gothic atmosphere and the humor is just too good. And the amount of banter between the MCs was perfect.
My criticisms include: Penelope is a little too impulsive, and too immature. Her initial reaction to Neil and the book throwing doesn't make much sense. I get that Penelope feels very strongly about the characterizations, but explosive anger is not a good look on anyone. The pacing is a little off as well, but I guess that can't be avoided considering that the event they're at is only ongoing for so long, but it felt a little too rushed on the relationship.
Overall, this was a fun and light-hearted read that I enjoyed.

(Additionally, I would be remiss not to mention the controversy surrounding this author. It is not my place to speak on the situation that the author is in, but if you are someone who does not separate the art from the artist you will want to proceed cautiously.)

I was provided with an ARC of the novel in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you to St. Martin's Press| St. Martin's Griffin and Colby Wilkens for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

It has come to light that this author lied about her Indigenous ancestry and ties to the Cherokee Nation. In an industry where Indigenous voices are so few (2% or less), this is goes beyond selfish and hurtful. I fully believe Colby lied (or leaned into the lie she’d been told by her family) because she knew that playing the “Native card” would give her a better shot at publication. This was not an innocent mistake. She was given the resources to research her family history and claim her culture. She declined. She was only interested in being Indigenous for self gain and exploitation, not represent and serve her community.

I will never read anything she might publish in the future and I hope her agent and publisher are seriously considering if they want to be aligned with her.

0/5 stars but I am forced to give 1 to post this review.

I was planning on reading this, until I found out the author is a terrible person & basically took the “Yellowface” book too far.

I absolutely loved the confluence of a creepy haunted Scottish castle and a blossoming romance. There was some fun (but yet scary) ghost stuff but also some fun spice! This is a great book to read leading up to Halloween, especially if you really love being creeped out but also need a little romance in your life sometimes. Tropes featured include will they or won’t they and enemies to lovers. The narration for the audiobook was on point and added to the story, if audiobooks are your thing!

I really tried to read this one, but I could not get into it. Penelope is an awful abusive character who blames all of her problems on Neil because she couldn’t control the awful things she did and said to him in front of an audience. Also their arguments have been super super repetitive

I loved the setting in this book. The haunted secluded castle in Scotland had the perfect dark almost gothic vibes that I love in a ghost story. I really liked the ghost story part of the book. I think I may still have nightmares the scene where the two characters go to the basement and see the ghost for the first time. I thought this story line of the was really good.
Where I had issues was, I pretty much hated the main character, Penelope. I hated how she treated Neil, she came across as petty, mean, jealous and rude most of the time. I just couldn't understand her hatred of Neil. The enemies to lovers bit of this book felt super forced and super contrived. She really had no reason to hate him. I had a hard time with the chapters that were in her point of view.
I did like Neil. I liked his character; I found these issues he had with giving up his true story to his publisher for one that is more "saleable" very relatable. I feel like this is a common issue, the idea of selling out to be successful and how he had to cope with that.
The characters I loved the most was Daniella. Her constant betting on, and her over the top amazing personality, the scene where they interrupt her on her facetime call may live rent free in my brain for a while.
Overall there were lots of good things about the book, but I felt it was a little all over the place. I am having a hard time nailing down how to explain the book, it was a spicy, paranormal with so intense scary scenes, but then some laugh out loud funny scenes, but some deeper mean of life and love parts. It was a little all over. I loved the setting; I loved the ghost story and gothic vibes, the romance was a little forced and the characters were a little weak. Not a bad read for a rainy autumn afternoon.

If I Stopped Haunting You has a promising setup—rival authors at a haunted Scottish castle—but struggles to find balance. The supernatural elements are intriguing, but they’re quickly overshadowed by a romance that escalates from enemies to lovers too abruptly. While the banter between main characters starts strong, the story shifts focus to frequent smutty scenes, leaving the ghostly mystery underdeveloped. The castle setting and descriptions shine, but the rushed romance and scattered plot left me wanting more depth. A decent read, but it didn’t fully deliver on its potential.

ITjank you Netgalley for the ebook arc, but I will not give a complete review until the author shows proof

I am unsure how to rate this after news have come out about the author falsely claiming to be indigenous. But focusing on the book - I found the enemies to lovers to be too quick and weakly developed. Overall easy enough to read but this was overall a disappointment

"She liked being comfortable, liked the familiarity of her home and her couch, and coming here to Scotland felt like her own, private challenge."

First and foremost, thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review!

This book was... okay.

I feel like it definitely COULD have been something good, but I felt like it didn't quite hit the mark for me.

They put a lot of emphasis on the whole native narrative at the beginning of the book, and while it was mentioned once or twice later on, it didn't end up being a main driver of the full-book narrative. I also feel like they went from loathing each other to jumping each other's bones REAL quick -- and the author spent more time on the spicy stuff than actual character development.

And yes, there were ghosts, but I couldn't enjoy that part because I was distracted by all the other stuff going on.

This book was a hot mess. Wilkens managed to create an unlikeable, untrustworthy protagonist, which in a romance makes the book nearly unreadable. Not to mention the cultural appropriation and weird ghost sex. Wilkens is a no for me.

DNF 40 percent I tried to read this one twice but could not get into it I DNF at 40 percent I kept losing interest in the characters and the plot. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

In the beginning, I found this story quite enjoyable. I liked both Pen and Neil and enjoyed their rivalry even if the reason was a bit petty.
I loved the Scottish setting and the castle where the writing retreat is set. As the story progresses we start to get a glimpse of the supernatural, and a mystery of the past begins to unfold. At the same time, Neil and Pen are looking into the mystery and experiencing the supernatural they are getting closer, and closer. And before you know it they are getting busy.. ALOT and the mystery and supernatural aspect begin to take a backseat.
While I loved the setting and descriptions, I wanted more of the supernatural and less of the romance. It went from I hate your guts to Rip my clothes off very quickly and I think I would have appreciated more of a slow burn in this instance.

I feel strange reading this title now that the author is under question for misrepresenting herself as a Native author. This is especially ironic as the prologue of the book is focused on the hypocrisy of this very idea.

Regardless, I read the prologue and was immediately turned off by Pen's physical violence that injures another person. It is completely beyond reasonable and I have no interest in reading a story that celebrates and rewards this absurdly unprovoked violence.

Not reading further.

This was an absolute NO for me. Premise was promising but the main character was infuriating and self centered, not to mention also abusive. Like WHAT. Hell no.

This work is told from a dual POV, both of which were written quite well at the beginning. I enjoyed getting to see the story from both sides, especially relating to their conflict, and how it affected them both differently. But as the book went on, I realized that we learned almost nothing about these characters outside of the actively happening plot, which made them feel quite flat and underdeveloped. The secondary characters may not have even existed for much the same reason.

The author did a good job bringing the setting to life. The haunted castle, the isolation, and the descriptions of the rooms was enjoyable and was probably the strongest part of the book. The mystery was just okay, but you could tell that it wasn’t meant to be more than a supplement to the romance. That was actually true for every element of the book – they took a backseat to the romance, which left most of the book lacking depth and development.

The book is significantly more spicey than spooky, which was not the direction I’d hoped it would go. If you’re looking for a light romance with some supernatural elements, then you may enjoy this one. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I had really high hopes for this novel, as it sounded like a super fun mix of romance and the paranormal. Unfortunately, this one really missed the mark for me. He wrote characters she didn't like, and then she assaulted him. It took me a long time to finish this book, and I was only able to because I try to avoid DNFing ARCs, as I am grateful to receive them.

If I Stopped Haunting You promises a unique blend of gothic mystery and romantic tension, but it doesn’t fully deliver on its potential. The concept of a haunted castle as the backdrop for an enemies-to-lovers storyline is intriguing, and Wilkens does a great job setting the atmospheric tone. The spooky vibes and eerie descriptions add an enjoyable layer of suspense.

However, the story falters in its execution. Penelope’s grudge against Neil, while central to the plot, feels overly drawn out, making it harder to root for their eventual connection. Their chemistry shines in moments of banter and vulnerability, but the pacing of their romance often feels uneven.

The mystery surrounding the castle is engaging at first but unravels too quickly, leaving some threads unresolved. Supporting characters, while charming, don’t contribute much to the narrative, and the ending feels rushed, losing the emotional impact the premise deserved.

Despite its flaws, this is a fun read for fans of lighthearted gothic romances. It’s worth picking up if you enjoy spooky settings with a sprinkle of romance, but it may not leave a lasting impression.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!
Such a cute (and sometimes creepy-in the best way) enemies to lovers story, where two authors who have tussled quite publicly before try to rid themselves of writers block at a writing retreat in a supposedly haunted castle in Scotland.
The added representation of Native/BIPOC authors and the struggles they face was included seamlessly in the story, and educational to me.