When 2 rival authors end up on the same retreat they find themselves working together to solve a ghost story.

I struggled with this one and really wanted to DNF but I can’t do that. The characters were not my favorite & I didn’t find them getting together to be believable. I really didn’t like the FMC. She didn’t have a lot of redeeming qualities. Not for me but maybe someone else will enjoy it.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

I try really REALLY hard to not DNF NetGalley arcs just because I try to read the whole thing to be able to give an honest review. But UGGH…this book. I tried. I really did. But DNF at 54%.

The FMC is just an awful person. I’m all for an enemies-to-lovers trope but this was just SO beyond. Pen physically assaulted Neil by throwing a book at his FACE during a BookCon panel, made him bleed, and LEFT A SCAR. And we’re just supposed to believe that 4 months later they’re both just magically past that and have the hots for each other? Just no.

I had so much fun reading this one ! Part Romance, Part Spooky, it was the perfect read for this fall !

If I Stopped Haunting You was a story about two Native writers who are enemies. They hate each other's guts. Penelope even threw a book at him at a book convention.
But when they signed up to be in the same writing retreat in a Haunted Castle in Scotland, the mystery of the ghosts brought them together.

The chemistry, the tension and the spice was amazing !

And the ghosts were really spooky ! I didn't know I would need a romance x horror book in my life but now, I need more !

Read this if you love :

✨ Romance ;
✨ Enemies to Lovers ;
✨ Books about books ;
✨ Opposite Attract;
✨ Spicy and Spooky ;
✨ Ghosts and Haunted House ;
✨ Mysteries.

I was looking forward to this paranormal romance and saved it for October…unfortunately this was a DNF for me at 24%…I just couldn’t get into it and didn’t like any of the characters. Bummer!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I wanted to like this one a lot as I love spooky, fallish vibes with enemies to lovers. It sounded right up my alley. But unfortunately, the FMC was just not likable. Very self-centered and even verbally abusive at times. On top of that, the development between them just didn’t seem believable.

This was not my favorite.. at all 😬
Honestly- I regret that I didn’t DNF.

I haven’t actively disliked characters this much in a while.
Thank you for the chance to read this one, I wish I had different feelings towards it!

This was such a good mixed genre horror romance… we need more Native voices in all aspects of fiction, and this was a goood mixture of fun, horror, and social commentary.

DNF at 22%

I realized at this point that I did not give a crap about either of these characters and what was going to happen in the story. I usually love a haunted castle but...this book started off rubbing me the wrong way with the FMC assaulting the MMC by throwing a book at him and it just really didn't get that much better. I had known about the assault from other reviews which is why I wanted to continue to see if it got better, but alas.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I wanted to like this one a lot as I love spooky, fallish vibes with enemies to lovers. It sounded right up my alley. But unfortunately, the FMC was just not likable. Very self-centered and even verbally abusive at times. On top of that, the development between them just didn’t seem believable. When its enemies to lovers, it really should be more of a slow-burn, but I felt like it was way too fast. Overall, I think we needed more likable main character and more character development in general.

Flawed characters are definitely not bad! But there needs to be some kind of character development and redemption in order for readers to like them. In this case, there wasn’t really any. I think the author can really grab readers more if she hones deeper into that.

2.5 rounded to 3. I was really excited for an enemies-to-lovers paranormal romance with If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens, but I struggled to get into it. Pen’s behavior was harsh, and she completely wrecked Neil’s self-esteem, making it hard to root for their relationship. While the book had a lot of great representation, it ultimately felt lacking and fell short of my expectations.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGlalley for providing me with an ARC.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin Griffin, and Colby Wilkens for the early access copy of If I Stopped Haunting You.

If I Stopped Haunting You is a paranormal romance novel that will leave you with chills.

For those that love reading books with:
Diverse representation
Horror and Hauntings
Enemies-to-lovers
Dual point-of-view
Writer protagonists

Colby Wilkens did a fantastic job at creating a creepy atmosphere and great tension between the main protagonists.

A ghostly enemies to lovers?! Say less. This was such a cute read! Rating is 3.5 stars, rounded down, I just wish more spookiness was added to the story. The pacing was a bit slow, but I still think this is a perfect pick up for a quick and fun fall read. I always enjoy a multi POV in a romance novel, it made it even more enjoyable, especially since this is a forced proximity of sorts.

Dnf at 31%. I really want to love this. The cover cat fished me. The main character threw a book at the other main character after yelling at him at a public event. Just never okay.

This book was such a fun read for this time of year. I have read several cute "spooky" romances lately where the paranormal is all friendly and harmless. This is not that book. It has such an interesting combination of rom-com and horror that I really loved.

Set in a haunted castle in the Scottish Highlands, four writers go on a retreat. Two of these writers hate each other and were not told the other was coming. Now trapped on this trip and snowed-in in a creepy castle, these two have to, not only survive the haunting, but each other as well.

I really enjoyed the read and recommend for anyone who wants a little bit of everything. A little dark, a little light, a little spice, and a little impending doom. It was a combo I didn't know I needed, but had a great time reading it. Thanks to Colby Wilkens, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Dual pov
Enemies to lovers
Writers
Haunted castle
Thriller romcom

“I worried if I stopped hating you, things would change; I would change. But everywhere I went, you were there, haunting me, reminding me of every time I’ve ever been wrong, of every time I’ve ever failed.”


Penelope is a half native writer who is on a panel but feels she doesn’t belong. Also also on the panel is Neil who is a best selling author that she despises. She calls him out on the panel immediately for writing natives in a poor light. It’s awesome to see someone callout someone in the wrong. Then she takes it too far by chucking her book at his head.

After the incident only one friend from the book world still talks to her and he convinced her to join him in Scotland for a writers retreat. That friend ended up hiding the fact that Neil, her sworn enemy, was also going to the retreat. This won’t be pretty.

The retreat ends up being just 4 people. Pen, Neil, Laszlo and Louise. Neil & Pen are angry of course and don’t want to spend time near each other but said they’ll just steer clear. On the drive to the castle they stop at a different castle that’s in ruins to explore it. Neil & Pen end up going the same way and get caught tresspassing. They sprint out & jump the fence but Pen has trouble due to her being so short that Neil hoists her up and his hand slips up her thigh and she liked it more than she should.

They finally arrive at the castle & the vibes are spooky. They find out that it’s actually haunted and they got a big discount because of that. Of course Neil & Pen argue any chance they get but during a game of truth or dare she dares him to go into the haunted cellar. She joins him and is terrified as she’s seeing things when others are not.

The night goes on & Neil finally sees & smells something creepy and runs into her room scaring her. He leaves and they go back to not caring about each other the next day.

Creepy stuff continues and they are bound & determined to get to the bottom of the mystery of who is haunting the castle.

The intimate scenes were good but felt like something was lacking a little.

By the end they solve the mystery and all figure out what they wish to write for their respective books.

I did enjoy this book and it was not at all what i expected. I went in thinking it was just a rom com with some spooky elements but it was way more. It was almost a thriller rom com and it was enjoyable.

Penelope also known as “Pen” Skinner is looking to improve her sales by appearing at Book Con. Unfortunately, her most hated enemy — rival author and former hero of hers Neil Storm – is also there, and she cannot play nice while in his presence. Pen feels her career has suffered as she has stay true to her culture and heritage. Neil Storm has sold out to Whiteness. It doesn’t help her her feelings that she’s White-passing, biracial and not registered with her tribe. Pen lays into Neil for writing misogynist hero who runs around shooting arrows from a quiver on his back.
Pen also doesn’t like the book title that she thinks is racist. Neil thinks that as a fellow indigenous writer that they should support each other. Her response is that he should write something with “real soul.” The audience disapproves. When Neil sneers at her critique, Pen becomes angry and throws her book at his head drawing blood and leaving a scar on his temple. Later she can’t seem to write a single word. .it appears that Neil can’t write a word either. Unknown to each other, they both have writer’s block. Then end up going to the same private retreat in Archibald Castle in Edinburgh, Scotland. Pen and Neil end up at the castle and deal with ghosts in the castle. Are they successful with the ghosts?

This book is part romance and part horror. I liked the book except for the last third part as the characters seemed to make illogical decisions at times.

We meet Penelope and Neil’s whose initial animosity stems from a public altercation at a book convention, now they find themselves forced in the same proximity again at a retreat.
This is an enemies to lovers story with a twist of spookiness.
If you like paranormal romance that reads like a cozy heartfelt romance with a bit of spookiness this is for you

If you’re looking for a spooky romance, pick this one up! It follows to rival Native MCs, as they are forced into a writing retreat together, in a haunted Scotland Castle. This one puts the E N E M I E S in enemies to lovers, when it starts with Penelope throw accusations at Neil during an authors panel, throwing them both into an uncomfortable and unfortunate situation, leading to writers block for both. A mutual friend accidentally has them on a writing retreat together and it definitely brings the spooky, creepy, steamy vibes. It’s a great end of October read!

I loved the premise of this book: authors who have always seen one another as hated rivals are forced into conversation at a writing retreat, learn their issues can be cleared up with some honest communication, discover they’re actually pretty hot for each other, and get wrapped up in a paranormal mystery. What’s not to love? And there were some parts I thought were well done. Once Penelope and Neil finally start talking, they are eventually able to see things from one another’s perspective.

Penelope was upset because Neil seemed to have it so easy as a man, and he wasn’t using his privilege to advocate for more Indigenous authors and books. His most popular book took the easy road of playing into all the stereotypes of Indigenous culture. Of course, she didn’t know that his original draft was NOT like that, and the only publishers who would print his book made him change things until it became something he didn’t even recognize. I’m not sure Neil actually disliked Penelope that much, to be honest. He seemed mostly reacting to how forcefully and negatively she treated him. As you would if someone literally threw a book at your face. There was also an interesting conversation about the downsides of the publishing industry, which were similar to issues brought up in Yellowface (which my book club recently read). Some publishers seem content having one token person from any given culture, creating a false sense of competition amongst aspiring authors, where they feel like they are fighting for the same spot on the shelf.

Unfortunately, despite the great premise and handful of positives, the book itself and the writing style had a lot of issues for me. Some of the descriptions just didn’t make sense, like you can’t glance at someone around a corner, or you can’t walk out of a room if you didn’t even stand up from the lap you were sitting in. This castle is pretty large, but they’d go from the east wing to the study to the kitchen to the west wing in seconds, up and down stairs, without mentioning how they got there.

The plot itself was rather strange. I am not a writer, so maybe this is how retreats actually function, but it seemed to jump back and forth between scheduled exercises and childish games pretty quickly. The tonal shift between romance and the “horror” scenes was very jumpy and uneven, and the whole plot with the ghosts didn’t even make sense. I’m still not sure what conflict Georgina needed Pen to solve. What was the point of going to the mausoleum, other than that it told us, the readers, what happened to the former castle residents? Did they reunite the ghosts? (Also, I’m fine with ghost sex, I’ve seen the show Ghosts. But this ghost sex was weird.)

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t always understand relationships that develop instantly based on chemistry, but Pen and Neil switching from “I hate you, you ruined my life” to “I want to have sex with you” in less than 12 hours seems wild to me. Can people really go from “I loathe you” to “You can’t deny the feelings between us” so quickly? Maybe the underlying idea is that they never *really* hated each other, like their meddling mutual friend Laszlo apparently could tell.

Speaking of Laszlo, another issue I had is the supporting characters in this book weren’t as developed as I would have liked. They seem to exist only to help move along the action between the main characters or tell us something we should find important about them. Laszlo was there because they needed someone to bring them together, who was proof that they were both decent people at heart. Daniela only seemed to be there because they needed a fourth person on the retreat and also some way to show Pen was bisexual. Why else would the first thing we learn about Daniela be about how she went down on Pen that one time at summer camp? We also barely got to know the castle’s housekeeper, who could have played a bigger role, and what was the point of meeting Laszlo’s sister in the first few chapters when she was never coming back into the story again?

There were also a few other things that bothered me, like Pen is described as having visibly lost weight because of the depression she’s been living with since the book-tossing incident, but then also unexpectedly curvy when Neil is feeling her up. Also, there’s no excuse for the number of times Pen becomes physically violent with Neil, including but not limited to throwing the book at him and pushing him in the library during an argument. Does she ever even apologize for the book-throwing or just explain why she did it? Because those are not the same.

In the end, I don’t think I’d recommend this one to my friends, but I would understand why someone would enjoy it and not be bothered by the same issues I am bothered by. It was a quick read, and on the surface, it was enjoyable. For the spice level, there are a few spicy scenes, and I would say they are about mid-level spicy.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book for review purposes.