I have been following Colby Wilken's writing journey for years and I'm so excited to read her first published book!

If I Stopped Haunting You is a hate to lover romance between to Native American authors, one who sold out to be published and the one who holds it against them. Both our leads, Penn and Neil , have depth and the story is engaging as they uncover the history between the ghost that haunts the castle. The sexual tension between the two of them builds perfectly and results in delicious steam.

I thoroughly enjoyed the forced proximity set up during a writing retreat in a haunted Scottish castle with snowball fights, secret passages, whiskey, copious orgasms, ghosts and a happy ending.

I really loved this cover but the story itself ended up not being fantastic. It was a little bland at times and didn't hold my attention. especially in the second half. It's a cute spooky story but not one that I'd revisit.

I really loved the concept of this one, but unfortunately the execution fell flat for me. The setting in Scotland was fun, and I enjoy books about authors. I just could not connect to either of the main characters, and thought the fmc in particular was quite toxic.

If I Stopped Haunting You started pretty strong I liked the premise and the setting. Thought both main characters were likable enough and first half of the story moved along pretty fast. Unfortunately for me the ghost story part fell a little flat and seemed rushed at the end. Overall was a cute story and would recommend. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was similar in vibes to Ali Hazelwood- but with ghosts and native american fiction writers?? I mean, what a synopsis. It was really cute, I just found that sometimes they went from being scared out of their minds of ghosts to horny and doing it against a wall a little too fast- I would've liked more of an ease into those more intense scenes.

This one wasn’t for me. Right from the prologue I could tell that there were going to be problems for me as a reader and they unfortunately didn’t resolve or get better. It’s a fun premise but the execution of it didn’t work for me. I think some readers will enjoy it, though. 2.5 rounded up

2 stars
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This one hurt a little. I was drawn to the book because of the blurb but the blurb might have been the best part.

This book opens a lot of avenues to explore, but not all of them are done well. I found I liked how this book showed Indigenous people trying to fit themselves into this White box for viewership. It handled the situation of Neil going against his morals well and truly wrapped that plot line up nicely. The haunted castle element was an okay backdrop, but did little to really further the story. Drop them into a desert and you’d get the same outcome. The storyline just didn’t add anything to me. It was certainly a fun story, but it was rushed and had little bearing on the actual love story. It lacked depth. But the main plot, this romance, was subpar at best. Penelope throws a book at him (leaving a SCAR), and I’m suppose to believe they’re in love without a sound apology? Nah. It wasn’t believable. It could have been set up as a really fun enemies-to-lovers, but it was too quick a transition for me.

The characters did little for me. Book throwing Penelope is (obviously) immature and needed to handle her big emotions like an adult. I knew in the first chapter I would have beef with her and I was not wrong. She was unapologetic throughout. Neil had some important growth, but just felt a little flat. I loved Laszlo, but that’s about it.

This book will have its audience, but it won’t be me, sadly.

2.5/5 stars

Wanted to like this book but it was a chore to get through the first half and it left me not caring about the main characters throughout the rest of the story. I really enjoy a good enemies to lovers but I felt like this one was a bit too much and the turn around to romance was forced. There were good moments in the story but overall, not my favorite.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.

Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm do not like each other. Yet, they find themselves locked together for a week on a writers retreat in a castle that may or may not be haunted. There’s mystery, romance, Native American representation, and castle in the middle of Scotland.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, but felt like it started to slow down right around when I wanted it to start picking up. Overall it was cute and I did have fun reading it, the mystery was fun and made me want to keep going. But I found myself feeling a little bored on more than one occasion.

If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens is a captivating blend of supernatural elements and heartfelt romance that keeps you engaged from start to finish. The story follows the journey of a young ghost named Tessa, who finds herself stuck in a limbo between the living and the dead. When she meets the charming and troubled human, Ben, their connection sparks a series of events that challenge both their worlds. Wilkens does an excellent job of creating a vivid atmosphere filled with emotion, making you root for Tessa as she navigates her unique predicament while trying to help Ben confront his own demons.

What I particularly enjoyed about this book is how it balances lighthearted moments with deeper themes of grief and healing. Tessa's playful spirit shines through, even as she grapples with her haunting existence, and her relationship with Ben is both sweet and poignant. Their chemistry is palpable, and the emotional stakes rise as they work together to uncover the truth behind Tessa's death. While some plot twists may feel familiar, the heartfelt writing and relatable characters make If I Stopped Haunting You a delightful read. If you're in the mood for a romantic ghost story with a touch of whimsy, this book is definitely worth adding to your reading list!

I was intrigued by the promise of a spooky love story set in a haunted castle in Scotland, but in the end, this book didn’t resonate with me. At the heart of the narrative — the love story between Neil and Pen was underdeveloped and felt disjointed at times. The ghost scenes weren’t particularly scary and didn’t add a lot to the story. Plus, the plot didn’t always make sense, and some of the twists felt forced. Overall, it had its moments, but it left me wanting more.

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

I had high hopes for "If I Stopped Haunting You" by Colby Wilkens, but unfortunately, it fell way short of my expectations. This book promised an intriguing blend of horror and romance, but it failed to deliver on both fronts.

Okay, right off the bat, paranormal/thriller isn't my normal genre. I dont really like being scared while reading a book especially where I live, and usually the only author I read in this category is Amanda McKinney and that's because she's awesome. So when I read the description of this book it sounded interesting, and not too terribly terrifying, lol, yikes! This is also a new author for me, and I like to venture out once in a while to try new reads, I'm so glad I did with this one.

I started off with this story not too sure because I don't particularly care for racism laced stories, and it seemed like the beginning of this book like was going in that direction, but I'm so glad I pushed past the first couple of chapters to find to the characters, Neil and Pen, who are struggling authors trying to get past writer's block, both holding grudges towards each other for their own reasons that cause them to back away from the publishing scene. They are forced into a writer's retreat, unbeknownst to each of them, in a haunted castle in Scotland, and this is where the fun begins. Even though to me this book was pretty scary in places I honestly found this book really good. Loved the setting in Scotland, loved the old castle, loved the sad heartwarming love story between Georgina and Archie, and boy the chemistry between Pen and Neil was pretty off the charts once things got going. Daniela and Laszlo were a bit irritating, but there's always a couple in a book so that's a given. Will definitely look this author up for other reads in the future.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.

I received a free e-arc from the publisher & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Two rival authors wind up at a writer's retreat in a haunted castle because their mutual friend is a people-pleaser who isn't comfortable with confrontation. Except they're really not just rivals - I mean, they ARE. They're pitted against each other by the publishing industry, and Penelope feels morally superior because she hasn't caved to the pressure like Neil has.
There was a scene that was just absolute nightmare fuel that I really regretted reading at night, home alone. So that definitely left an impression.

My issue is that I don't feel like Penelope really expressed her regret for her actions or showed growth from it. I think this could have worked a lot better if it was a slower burn, or with more background. As someone who has a temper, it's important to see how people apologize and work to do better in the future. I didn't see her do that work, it seemed like she'd hidden and wallowed for months before being invited to this retreat.

Overall, I think it takes the rivals/enemies to lovers dynamics too far which is usually a trope that I love. It was alright, the writing was good, I found the main character deeply flawed and unlikable in a way that just didn't vibe with me.

This was a hard one to like: the main character was kind of dumb, abusive, annoying, self righteous, and self absorbed. The male love interest was bland and milquetoast, just letting others push him around. So we have a screaming, nasty, insulting woman wailing on a guy just because his book sold more than hers. Why ever in the world would I want to root for that relationship?

Story: Native American writers have a hard time - so much so that horror novelist Pen is completely disgusted by fellow writer Neil Storm and his sellout bestseller (a book insulting to Native Americans). Pen loses it at a con in which they are both panelists, throws a book at Neil, and storms off, much to the disgust of the crowd. She blames him for ruining her career and for why her book didn't sell and she now has writers block. But fate has more in store for the star crossed couple when they find themselves shacking up in the same very haunted Scottish castle.

So unfortunately, the writing here was very off. Characters were flat or one sided and the first half of the book has no relation to the second (the first half is the feud and the second starts with the couple magically making up and dealing with a ghost). The sudden, "oh yeah, I guess I was kind of stupid." realization by Pen right in the middle is so abrupt as to cause whiplash and destroys any chance of an organic denouement by the end.

Honestly, I disliked every moment I had to spend reading this. It was banal, full of nearly every romance trope and cliché out there, with none of it coalescing into an original, fun, or engaging story. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

finished this one this morning, wish i could say i loved it :(

the FMC just didn’t do it for me she was very mean & very gaslight-y

like she absolutely loathed this man to the point she thru a book at him & it left a scar, to when they went on the writing trip she started feeling things for him??

the ghost plot line was also so random and just like ended the conclusion to that just felt like the author was like “well i have. 30 pages left let me wrap this up” honestly that’s how a lot of things felt it was like the author just couldn’t pick one thing to focus on so it felt like nothing really concluded in the end i still have questions

**I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

First I was immediately drawn to this cover when I requested an ARC. It gave me fall/spooky season vibes without being terrified. When I dove into this book I never actually thought I would find this much enjoyment but I was laughing, smiling and giggling throughout this WHOLE book.

4 beautiful stars for this book, and is this a debut from this Author? if so, WELL DONE!

You are following Pen who is Native/Indigenous (which she refers to herself as only half) which does impact how she sees herself as "not enough." She wrote one book but has struggled to find her footing in the publishing industry and also struggles to write anything outside of that book. When at the beginning of the book she is at bookcon and Neil Storm (her rival in the native/indigenous writing world) is making a speech and she blows, telling him how he did their people wrong and how he "white-washed" his book to appeal to the white people. She even threw a book at him! Several months later she is on a writing retreat with 2 of her friends and Neil Storm shows up. All 4 of them are stuck in this castle in Scotland, and it is a haunted castle.

We are thrusted into rivals to lovers, rom-com laugh out loud moments, a mystery with the hauntings and so much more. I absolutely LOVED this book!

An alluring premise, this story drew me in with elements of paranormal, enemies to lovers romance, and a nod to horror, as well as an incorporation of indigenous representation that was nice to see. Unfortunately, the attempt to weave these elements came at the cost of quality in developing any to full fruition. The enemies to lovers trope was fun, but started with a bit too much intensity of hatred (assault?!) and underdeveloped background to feel complete. In addition, the characters were so unlikable on their own that it was hard for me to root for them. Overall, there were some enticing elements that need to be more fleshed for this novel to really land.

If I Stopped Haunting You definitely has an intriguing premise - an enemies to lovers romance between two horror writers, Penelope and Neil, whose last interaction involved Penelope throwing a book at Neil's head during a book conference panel - with enough force to leave a scar. But they both find themselves dragged on a writing retreat in a haunted castle - both in need of a fresh start on a new book. And of course the ghosts seem to take a liking to Penelope and she is all too curious to ignore them and find out more about their history in the castle. There is definitely tension between Neil and Penelope - and of course their hatred suddenly turns into longing and lust. Bringing in the discussion of indigenous authors in book publishing was interesting- but it was quickly abandoned as a major point and lost as the book became more of a light romance with elements of horror. Overall it was an entertaining read. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel.

There were some great things and some not-so-great things in this book. The premise was interesting, but the backstory felt incomplete - it’s implied to the reader that the two main characters have been enemies for years, but the main “incident” only happened four months prior. In addition, the characters felt immature for their age (30s), and the paranormal mystery was lackluster. The explicit scenes were well done, however.