There were a couple things I really liked about If I Stopped Haunting You. I like that the characters are honest about minority representation and argue about selling out for a publishing deal and the cost of doing so vs fighting for the book they wrote.

The other thing I really liked was the mix of spooky and romance. There were a few parts that gave me chills but then we’d flip back to our main characters admiring their feelings for each other.

Unfortunately, the peak of the story fell very flat for me. The ghost mystery gets solved but it was very uneventful. With how much drama and build up there was the story didn’t match the build. Yes, the story was scandalous for the time period but it seems extreme to have that kind of activity. Maybe more detail to the ghosts’ pasts would help. For how much time is spent trying to solve the mystery the explanation we get is a let down.

This book is very conflicting.

At one end, I believe its themes are very important in regards to BIPOC authors not getting the same opportunities as others, and also the complex situation of writing for the white gaze versus writing something that doesn't pander. I really think this story puts these prominent issues right on display from the start, and it's important to read and understand the reality of this.

However, there's also the fact that I wish there had been more development between Pen and Storm. The prologue alone threw me for a whirlwind because I was not expecting such a harsh reaction over Pen's frustrations. After an incident like that, it's hard to understand how Storm could start to be attracted to her before they even make it to the castle (even if he wouldn't admit it to himself, but it was quite obvious). I really believe they needed more time to develop as characters before the romance started kicking in.

The concept is really cool, though. And again, the theme surrounding publishing and BIPOC authors is super important and it's always great to see books talking about it, so I enjoyed that.

Two authors, Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm appear to be in a love hate relationship. Pen is mad because Neil compromised his manuscript to please his agent in order to sell books. During an author panel Pen attacks Neil who is very popular and known as The Master of Horror, in which this attack ends up hurting her career or lack thereof as she only has written one book, so she ends up working as an editor. Pen having severe writers block gets invited to a writing retreat which will be at a haunted castle in Scotland without knowing Neil will be there, this makes for a very interesting read.

This is a cute story, and I really like the characters and reading what comes along for Pen and Neil together in this haunted castle. It's also interesting to see if Pen can make Neil really understand how and why she is so angry towards him.

This book gets steamy in some parts, but I still enjoyed the story line.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was looking forward to this as a haunted romance by an indigenous author, in time for Halloween… but it was a bit confusing… it started out as the main characters snipping at each other because of a conflict in the past - as indigenous horror authors where one sold out and “whitened” down his book because the publisher insisted on it, and the other was upset because he became successful and no one wanted to read her truthful messages and she was basically nudged out of selling anything. They came to blows at a speaking panel or book convention? I dunno, it was all the way back at the beginning of the book.

They were both attending a writers retreat a long time later, having been tricked into going by a mutual friend, but it was taking place at a haunted castle in the Scottish countryside. It goes from being an enemy or rivals story to a ghost or horror story to an insta-love story - it’s just extremely confusing because it’s very all over the place! Is it romance or is it a horror/ghost story? It goes back and forth without settling into one genre very well, or being a scary romance (romantic suspense).

I’ve read many that cross genres and this didn’t settle into one easily and felt like it was trying to make a big statement about not accepting indigenous authors. I really wanted to like it so much more!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press (St. Martin's Griffin), and this is my honest feedback.

Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm are both Native authors who write horror books so you’d think they’d get along and support each other, but ever since Pen threw a book at Neil months ago they have been feuding. Now they both find themselves on a writing retreat in a haunted Scottish castle. There is no way to avoid each other and with the haunted soul pushing them together it may just be too much to resist. Will Pen and Neil go from enemies to lovers? Will they help the ghost haunting the castle before it’s too late for all of them? How will this fated story end?

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked this book up, the description and cover were intriguing but the reviews I’d seen had me hesitant. This book had promise and some solid ideas, but not everything connected for me like I had hoped. The romance was good and the haunting, spooky parts were good, but they didn’t connect for me for some reason. I wasn’t invested in any of the characters and didn’t really care how things ended. The writing was good and easy to follow, but there was just something that didn’t hit for me in this story. It was a decent read, especially for October, but I think there was a lot of unreached potential that would have made this a five star read for me.

If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens was the best contemporary paranormal romance story!
This book was just perfect!
This was absolutely delightful. The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish. The characters were charming and witty. I highly recommend this fun and quick read
I can’t wait to read Wilkens second novel If I Dig You!

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book was exactly what I needed. It was spooky, it was steamy, AND had cute lil’ ghost story? Yes. Plus native representation and a spooky Scottish castle. Happy Halloween 🎃!!!

This novel had a solid premise but I found its purpose got lost along the way. Neil is a perfectly fine mmc but he lacks a backbone in regards to Penelope. He forgives her for assaulting him very quickly but she offered no apology. He accepts her criticism, rash behaviour and blind hatred towards him even when undeserved. Penelope herself is lacking in accountability for her words and actions despite being frequently unfair. She admits to being jealous, petty, succumbing to blind hatred and yet faces no consequences.

Having both characters be Native authors whose career choices have pitted them against each other is a solid premise for a novel. Loved the representation, and the reference to how unjust it is that Neil would have to edit his novels to make them “palatable” to white readers. However with such a serious backstory to their dislike of each other, the instant-lust romance, and the ultimately anticlimactic haunting took away from the relationship of the characters being developed more fully.

If I Stopped Haunting You follows two authors who strongly dislike each other but accidentally end up at the same writers retreat in a haunted castle.

The premise of this book sounded absolutely outstanding and I was really excited to see Native representation in romance from a big 4 publisher. Unfortunately I ended up DNFing this book at the 38% mark.

This book didn’t really do anything outlandish, it was more just a lack of development that caused me not to continue. The characters had little depth and the “enemies to lovers” dynamic relied on too much “telling” and not enough “showing.” The main characters just kept rehashing the same argument over and over. I didn’t foresee giving this book anything higher than a 3 star rating in the end, and I have other things to read!

I also really did not appreciate how violent the FMC was with the love interest. In the first 40% alone she had already put her hands on him two or three times, and it didn’t seem like the narrative was going to recognize that at all. I’m not sure what that behavior was adding to the character dynamics!!

This book brings together two Indigenous writers at a haunted Scottish castle for a writers' retreat. It's got that enemies-to-lovers vibe with a dash of horror, which immediately piqued my interest. Penelope (Pen) Skinner and Neil Storm have a complicated history, especially when it comes to their professional lives, and now they’re stuck together at this retreat, both battling writer's block.

The tension between them is real. Pen is pretty outspoken and fiery, and she’s not a fan of Neil's last book, which she thinks he sold out on. Neil’s side of things? He has a scar from this crazy lady. Well, he’s definitely attracted to Pen, and there are a some steamy moments, but they felt a bit forced, like they didn’t naturally fit into the flow of the story.

Now, the spooky castle part? That was more my speed. The creepy atmosphere and haunting builds slowly, with each of them wondering if they heard something, and then gradually ramps up to the haunting. There’s some genuinely eerie stuff going on in the castle, which was fun.

Overall, the premise—haunted castle, writers' retreat, two people who can’t stand each other—was super promising, but the execution didn’t quite hit the mark for me. That said, I did appreciate the insights into Indigenous authors and the lack of representation in the writing world. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, Laszlo and Daniela.

1 ⭐

This was a DNF for me. I was not too fond of the characters from the beginning. I tried to get past it and reached 20% but couldn't.

Today is Indigenous People's Day, which felt like a good time to share If I Stopped Haunting You, a romance/horror story that features an Indigenous couple.

Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm are both Native horror authors - but that is where the similarities end. They cannot stand each other - and haven't seen or spoken since a public spat at a book convention resulted in Penelope throwing her book at Neil - YIKES. So imagine their collective surprise when they both show up at a supposedly haunted castle in Scotland for a writers' retreat. t becomes obvious to everyone that ttry as they might to avoid each other - they can't escape the chemistry and sexual tension. And when they are pretty sure they see actual ghosts... well, all bets are off.

Horror is typically not my jam, but this one coupled with an excellent enemies to lovers storyline was one that I quite enjoyed! A perfect companion for spooky szn. The character development was great, and I thought thethe spooky elements really complemented the incredible chemistry of Pen and Neil. m

Author Colby Wilkens also wove an excellent critique of the publishing industry/book community at large and how bipoc authors, particularly those from the Native American community are treated and how their stories are often changed to be more "palatable." I appreciate the candor here, and it was a good reminder for me in how I approach my bookstagram and reviews.

If I Stopped Haunting You is out TOMORROW!!! Big thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

I really wanted to love this book because the description had me super intrigued, a writers retreat in Scotland at a haunted mansion (yes please!), and I love a paranormal enemies to lovers romance but I was kind of disappointed and didn’t live up to my expectations.

The animosity and the enemies to lovers part was resolved fairly quick between Penelope and Neil. I wished it was dragged out a bit longer. And their relationship development felt kind of rushed and borderline abusive, physically and emotionally, as she assaults him a few times throughout the book and blames him for the consequences of how she acted. I didn’t really connect with Penelope at all through the book, she was immature and annoying, and didn’t seem to get any better towards the end. Neil was more interesting but didn’t seem to have a lot of character development. The supporting characters, Lazlo and Daniela, were entertaining and fun. Lazlo was definitely the one keeping order on their retreat and organizing writing activities. Daniela was being cheeky and mischievous throughout the book.

For being in Scotland on a writers retreat, it didn’t seem like they got a lot of writing done. It was mostly based on solving the mystery of the haunted mansion. And honestly, I was hoping for something more horrifying and fear gripping because that whole haunted mansion and ghosts plot was kind of cliche and predictable, not in a terrible way, I was just hoping for more action and suspense.

Overall, it was an okay read, not really for me. The only reasons I finished this was because it was fast paced and I was interested in seeing how the author wrapped it up. Despite some of my criticisms, I did love the paranormal aspect, the native representation, and the dual pov’s.

It's been months since horror author Penelope Skinner threw a book at Neil Storm. And now she’s a publishing pariah and hasn’t been able to write a word since. So when her friend invites her on a too-good-to-be-true writers retreat in a supposedly haunted Scottish castle, she seizes the opportunity. Of course, some things really are too good to be true.

Contrary to the low ratings on Goodreads, I did enjoy this book and didn't necessarily find a lot wrong with it! However, there were some unexplainable things that left me in doubt even after finishing the book.

Penelope & Neil are 2 authors who don't get along but are forced on a writers retreat together in a haunted castle. Well, we see, I've read plenty of "paranormal romances" in the past that had nothing to do with the paranormal, but unlike them, this was spooky with some jump scared as well.

I really enjoyed the banter between Penelope & Neil & understood where Pen's problem with Neil came from. I wish they continued with the enemies banter for a little longer. Them getting together came really fast & it wasn't my style.
But the subplot of the haunted castle was fascinating. I enjoyed all those backstories & how Pen & Neil teamed up to solve it.

As I said before, there were a few questions that were left answered for me regarding the spirits, but nevertheless, it was highly entertaining. Absolutely loved the Scottish backdrop!

<i>Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.<i>

This book has so much potential. I have been making an effort to read more diverse books, and If I Stopped Haunting You is the debut novel from Colby Wilkens, a self described queer white and Choctaw-Cherokee author with a heart for adventure. It's two feuding writers who end up tricked into going on a writing retreat with a group of well meaning friends at a haunted castle in Scotland. It's checking all the boxes for me, especially as a spooky season girlie, but unfortunately it just didn't all come together in the end.
I was immediately drawn to the character of Penelope Skinner. She's a frustrated writer who is part white and part indigenous. I am also of mixed parentage, so some of her thoughts and feelings are very familiar to me. The added stress and unrest from her inner identity politics has impacted both her writing career and her personal relationships. She's especially critical of Neil Storm, a best selling author whose horror stories are praised for breaking Native stereotypes. Penelope doesn't see it that way, and that's where the story starts to go off the rails for me.
The level of anger and lack of impulse control Pen is working with make her tough to like. She comes off as childish and petty, and vindictive at times. She's so seemingly closed off to any but her own experience struggling to publish authentic Native stories that she can't or won't look deeper at Neil to see and understand that what a writer intends isn't always what ends up in the hands of readers due to the marketing and politics of publishing. All she sees is his success by telling less than authentic stories of Native people. That whole plot is pretty esoteric in a book that's blurbed as a being full of "spooky chills and sexy thrills". The scares are more eerie than scary to me (I realize that's subjective), and the spice also fell a little short in my mind. I think that may be because I had such a hard time wanting Pen to succeed and seeing how Storm could be interested in light of her behavior.
Overall, there were parts I really enjoyed, but I'm left feeling frustrated by unrealized potential.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press/St. Martin's Griffin for the ARC opportunity.

3.5⭐️

What a fitting read for Indigenous People’s Day! This book is a rivals/enemies to lovers story set in a haunted castle in Scotland with ghosts who need closure. Both the FMC and MMC are Native American horror/thriller authors who had quite a public falling out on a book panel and who had both fallen into writing slumps since that blow out.

While I wouldn’t classify this book as “horror” (and I am by no means a professional in that genre), the ghost activity definitely had spooky vibes and got my heart racing a little bit! And there was definitely spice, for those who like spice in their books (personally I can take it or leave it, and ended up skimming a lot of it).

I did enjoy the dialogue about BIPOC authors throughout this story.

I’m not gonna lie, I was really nervous to start this because of the mixed reviews. However, I did not have a bad time reading it, though I don’t disagree that Pen wasn’t the best FMC. But I feel like she grew throughout the book, so even if she started off a pretty horrible person, she did open up and work through her issues which made her more likable (for me) by the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and SMP for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

👻🩵 If I Stopped Haunting You ARC Review 🩵👻

Thank you so much to Colby Wilkens and St Martin’s Griffin for the opportunity to read and review this book!

If I Stopped Haunting You is a standalone paranormal horror romance. After an embarrassing outburst at a writing panel, Penelope has been a recluse. Her career is struggling and she needs inspiration, so she accepts an invitation to a writing retreat in Scotland. But when her writing rival arrives at the same retreat, can she be the bigger person and find inspiration when she needs it most?

This was an interesting read. While this book was set in mostly in a Scottish castle, the main characters were indigenous and this played a big role in the plot of the story. Penelope was a strong character, but I personally struggled with some of her choices in this book - but that’s a “me” issue and not a book issue. Storm was a fun character and I enjoyed him in this book. In general I enjoyed this book, but it felt like there was a lot going on plot wise that sometimes made it overwhelming

Overall this was a three star read. I feel like this book was a good read but had a lot going on in some parts. This book does have some potential triggers, so please check if you’re sensitive. This book was a bit of a slow burn but did have some spicy scenes later on, so two flames for spice

If you’re a fan of romance with spooky vibes, career rivals and Scottish castles, then absolutely pick this one up.

Send a bunch of writers to a haunted Scottish castle where they may or may not cling to each other in both fear or longing? Sign me up! I was really excited to read this book which sounded like a spooky romance combined with paranormal elements. And sometimes two halves make a whole, but in this case, it felt like I was getting either or instead of both. I got big time Scooby Doo vibes (that is a good thing!) and loved the mysterious aspect of this book. It definitely was not horror and I never felt scared while reading, more intrigued with how the castle was interacting with the occupants. This was actually my favorite part of the book. Unfortunately I just wasn’t feeling the connection between Neil and Pen. Pen has misplaced anger at Neil for how he’s handled his fame and what could’ve started as bantery enemies-to-lovers just felt sad and bitter from Penelope’s end. I applaud Wilkens attempt to discuss inequalities in the publishing industry with indigenous peoples, but the message was lost amidst Pen’s inability to control her actions. I think it was mainly because of this that I had difficulty feeling like Neil would want to give her a second chance. Just because you’re attracted to someone physically doesn’t necessarily mean there’s an emotional connection.
I do think Wilkens has a strong writing future ahead of her and will give her next book a chance, it’s just that this one fell a little flat for me. As for the audio, I really enjoyed Kyla Garcia as Pen and thought her delivery was great. Curtis Michael Holland was fine for Neil, but didn’t care for his supporting characters voices as much. I received an ALC from Dreamscape Media and an ARC from St. Martin’s Press. All opinions are my own.

Overall, I enjoyed most of this book, some parts just fell a bit flat for me. I feel like some of the romantic aspects of the book were rushed, and while I love enemies to lovers, I think the relationship would have benefitted from a bit more build-up or communication. For the horror in this book, I wish that the plot line had also been explored more. I feel like I was left with more questions than answers by the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the e-ARC of this book.

If I Stopped Haunting You is the perfect read for this spooky season. My first from Colby Wilkens and it won't be my last. The book was an easy read with well-thought-out characters and a storyline that is fresh and inviting. The premise of two frustrated writers, one very successful and the other not so much, captured my attention since I'm a rabid reader and someone who has tossed around the idea of publishing a book for years now. Although Neil and Penelope have had a less than friendly experience with one another, when both find themselves at a haunted castle for a week-long writer retreat with two other fellow authors, the animosity between them becomes the least of their issues as the mystery of the woman in black begins to take over every waking thought. And as strange noises, voices in their ears, and other otherworldly occurrences make them jumpy more than once, both Neil and Penelope find that through writing exercises and eventual truths being laid bare to one another, that perhaps their time in this Scottish castle was more than a simple happenstance.

Wilkens uses her own part Native American heritage to commiserate with Penelope, in particular, as she fights to be heard as an author true to her roots yet not necessarily looking the part. Her battles with Neil come from pure exasperation that her debut novel portrayed her people as they are, as opposed to what Neil was forced to write, which only ingratiated himself to the white world and not his culture. Their war of words was a key component of this book and although Penelope often took to battling it out with Neil in a more physical way, I didn't see her overly violent as other reviewers have pointed out. In fact, their passion for their culture along with their craft is what brings them closer together and allows Neil to fully see why Penelope may say and do the things she does, even if he might get hurt in the process.

I loved these two together and enjoyed their amateur sleuthing as they seem to be the only ones who can solve the mystery of Georgina and Archie and the whys of their ongoing presence for the last century or so. It's those crazy moments that allow Pen and Neil to form a bond they didn't know could even be possible between them, leading to finally finding the loves of their lives in each other. A true hate/love kind of coupling that found its footing with a little prompting from some determined spirits.

I enjoyed this book even though there may have been a few cheesy moments that had me me rolling my eyes a bit. But it's unique and I always appreciate when a writer creates a story from what they know and what might be closest to their hearts. Colby Wilkens did just that with If I Stopped Haunting You and it's a wonderful debut from this talented author.

4 solid stars!