I think I got through about 60% before finally DNFing this one. I was really rooting for the couple and I thought the setting of an actually haunted castle was intriguing and really caught my interest. However, I just didn't really care for the pacing -- like there was a lot of lead up of them being rivals (which was definitely compelling) but then they just got together? I was confused and then just fully uninvested.

I really wanted to love this book. I’m a huge romance reader and the premise of this novel sounded amazing. There were things I liked, but overall, I was really disappointed. The pacing, in particular, was really, really weak. Nothing happened for the first half of the book. I’m all for a slow burn, but…. This was more like a tepid bath than a slow burn. Nothing happened with the romance. Nothing happened with the ghosts. There was no tension in the friend group. Nothing.
Also, pen kind of sucks. She’s way too hard on Neil for no actual reason.

This was a decent romance book. Though promoted as a 'horror-romance', this book is more romance than horror. Even at that, the horror elements of this book are poorly done. The characters were decent, the romance alright making it a good one-time read for a romance reader wanting to read something a bit different.

I DNF'd this book! I just could not get into the writing style of the author.
It seems so cringe and cheesy for me and I could not continue or enjoy the book at all.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read the advanced copy of this book. It was a fun combination of steamy romance, thriller, and horror. It had all the needed pieces to be a cozy and compelling favorite. A wildly dramatic set up for an enemies to lovers plot, a cast of unique and quirky characters, a haunted castle in Scotland, and an underlying POV/criticism for how indigenous people’s stories are white washed.

The BUT coming is- the story is very clunky. There is beautiful writing and really thoughtful perceptions shared, but it was almost still in an outline format. Like there was a goal of everything that needed to happen in a given chapter or scene, but the emotional and/or action transitions were sometimes missing. It kept pulling me from the story.

An example that comes to mind is when Pen and Neil track down the “tap-tap” and end up going to Daniela’s room and interrupt her spicy video call. There were sex toys of all over her bed, she reveals her and Penelope’s previous interlude to Neil, and then kicks them out of the room, The scene immediately transitions to Pen thinking about how she’s drawn to the West Wing. The reader is left totally hanging. That was a weird and funny scene to have landed in and whether or not Pen and Neil are even fazed by it is not addressed. It was like the record skipped and I missed part of the story. That happens a lot in this book. I’m holding this review back from other sites until publication to see if anything is smoothed/fleshed out, I’ll definitely raise my rating if so, because all the goods are here,


Another note- Penelope assaulted Neil at the book convention and whether Neil had secret shame about the choices he made or not- it wasn’t cool. Her obstinance to fully recognize how out of line she was and her crappy apology felt super toxic. I did get emotionally invested though- silver lining!

I think this is a good book but just not the book for me. I loved the representation and the premise of this book but unfortunately the execution was not there for me and the plot didn’t hold my interest.

What better setting could there be for a group of horror and paranormal writers than a haunted castle deep in the snowy wilds of Scotland?

The weeklong writer's retreat may have sounded perfect to author Penelope Skinner, but things go wrong from the start. Only a few months earlier, she sparred with her literary arch nemesis Neil Storm at Book Con. The acrimonious panel of Native horror writers ended with Pen throwing a book at Neil's head and etching a black mark next to her name in the publishing world. Pen hasn't written a word since; unfortunately, neither has Neil. The lingering writer's block casts a formidable shadow on both of their burgeoning careers.

While Pen and Neil lock horns and glare daggers at one another, a ghost lures Pen toward a forbidden wing of the castle and haunts the hallways with a rotten stench of decay and ominous glowing eyes. Is the ghost seeking to kill? Hoping to reveal long-kept secrets?

As the mystery deepens, Pen and Neil are the only ones who seem to notice any paranormal activity. Drawn together to figure out what's happening, they are forced to face the truth underneath their feelings. With a new-found understanding, respect, and relationship secured, the only question remaining is, will they survive the week?

IF I STOPPED HAUNTING YOU is spooky, sweet, and steamy. My black heart wished for Pen to be the target of more imminent danger rather than Neil, but that is little more than plotline preference. There is much to like in this debut from Colby Wilkins, and I look forward to reading more from her.

This was such a fun and unique book! I loved the blend of romance and like spooky vibes/horror. It is not going to be a book for everyone as it was a bit weird at times and the plot wasn’t quite what I expected but I really enjoyed it and the characters (bonus they are Native American which is so cool and underrepresented in media). Will be adding to our library.

"I didn't realize I needed a romance book married to cozy horror but now I'm wondering where this particular mashup has been all my life. Can't wait to read the next!" - Jessica Clare, New York Times bestselling author

I couldn't have said it better myself. This book was such a fun read. I was surprised by the combination of romance and horror, and how much I loved it. The horror elements were just enough to entertain and keep you on the edge of your seat without overpowering the other parts of the book.

I do wish we got a little more insight into the other characters in the story, but perhaps that leaves the door open to other books. ;)

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and think it's a perfect spooky season read! I'm so excited to share it with others! My review is live on Goodreads now and I will promote this book this fall on my Instagram.

I really wanted to love this book, but it feel short.
What drew me to the book was the fact that they are two Native Americans, you rarely see that in romance. But the romance felt forced and you didn't feel the connected between the two characters.

The horror aspect was annoying - honestly the ghost was the best character in the whole book. The "horror" couldn't decide if it wanted to be creepy or an annoying part of the story.

Also, you meet the main character physically assaulting the love interest.. and she's abusive the rest of the book and is told as the guise of her being jealous of his success as an author.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC. I was excited to read this, but unfortunately this was not the book for me. I came for the horror and found myself disliking the romance.

Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm are invited to a writers retreat at a haunted castle in Scotland by a mutual friend.
After an appearance at Book Con where Penelope threw a book at him, Neil has not been able to write. Penelope
hasn't been able to write after the release of her only book. Both are hoping the retreat will help them move forward.
Due to the snow, they are stranded at the castle and mysterious things are happening. The two join forces to discover the
story behind the haunting, resolving their differences. Touches on the difficulties BIPOC writers face in the industry.
Quick spooky read.
#IfIStoppHauntingYou #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

Was super excited to start this one for the Native representation and to explore a more diverse tbr. But I really could not get into this and the dynamic between the two main characters seemed incredibly forced. This was especially true as the female main character physically scarred the male character. Was just not for me.

A quirky idea but not for me. I found the story a drag to get though and couldn’t connect to the characters or the romance.

I wanted to like this book; the premise is a good one, but I did not enjoy the main character at all. She was very self-centered and demeaning of others' work. I felt bad for her love interest in the story; She was jealous of his success, and he could not stick up for what he wanted in his own writing.

Plot was just okay. Felt like it dragged on, And the dynamic between Pen and Neil felt forced. The main characters and side characters weren’t interesting enough.

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me on any level. I was intrigued by the Native representation and mixing horror and romance, but the characters never felt good together, which is key in a romance for me. The main female character felt abusive, and the main male character seemed too malleable for a successful author. The ghost was the best character.

If I Stopped Haunting You || Colby Wilkens

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book! Releases 10/15/2024.

"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 every been wrong, of every time I've ever failed."

Penelope "Pen" Skinner and Neil Storm are Native authors, who write in the horror/paranormal/thriller genre. A few months prior at a book event, Pen loses her cool with Neil, resulting in a public outburst and a book thrown at his head. She's so angry that he's been a sell out as a Native author, and on top of that, more successful than her.

Flash forward to present day, Pen has struggled to write, and has been invited to go on a writer's retreat with a few other authors. Unfortunately for her, one of those authors is Neil, who also has had writer's block since that infamous day a few months prior. When the group is snowed in at a haunted castle in Scotland, Pen and Neil are forced to realize they actually respect each other and hate leads to desire. There's one catch, this haunted castle has an angry spirit haunting it, and if they can't discover the reason she's hanging around, they may not make it out alive.

I had higher hopes for this book. To be honest, the first 60% was very frustrating. There wasn't a build up in the enemies to lovers story line, it's almost immediately that the enemies start to have lustful feelings for each other, so when they do get together, there wasn't the tension build up, making it not very satisfying. Pen spends so much of the first part of the story trying to stay angry and Neil seemed over-the-top horny. The last 40% was more fun, as this section really got to the meat of the mystery of the ghost in the castle and had a few areas that were creepy, which is what I want in a story about a haunted castle. The romance was good once the main characters got over themselves a little bit. I found Pen to be more frustrating than Neil. This still could be a decent read if you're looking for something a little spooky around Halloween, but not so terrifying that you can't sleep at night.

-romance
-haunted castle
-enemies to lovers
-forced proximity
-mystery
-3rd person POV, dual POV

spice 3.5/5

*DNF at 25% *
Unfortunately, If I Stopped Haunting You, did not pull me in. The book started out with promise, I was interested in the plot that was being set up, but it quickly fizzled out. The premise was there, I just think it needed more meat to it. There was a lot of promise in the conflict and chemistry between the two main characters. I just felt that Neil Storm, the male main character, needed more to his character to stand on his own. His POVs did not hold up on their own. Additionally, when they got to castle it felt like the author wasn’t giving me enough as to why the castle was important to the plot.
In the end, I found this book moved too slowly for me to want to continue, despite the promise of the plot. That being said, I did enjoy the premise of the plot, as well as the juxtaposition of the haunted house and the character’s struggles was extremely promising. I think that there is an audience for this book, I think someone who enjoys more of a slow burn book would enjoy this book more so!
***Thanks to St. Martin's Press through NetGalley for providing me an ARC for my honest review!***

Thank you to Net Galley and SMP for this advanced copy.

There are several things to like about this story. A GORGEOUS cover, for starters! Also the Indigenous and LGBTQ+ representation was so genuine, and I will always allow space on my shelf for underrepresented voices. The setting itself and the premise were both unique and escapist. I love the idea of dueling authors. Unfortunately, I found the chemistry lacking between Pen and Neil. Pen's character was somewhat juvenile, in that she would throw/"play" hit Neil. While I understand this is a relationship dynamic some couples have (I in fact share a similar love language with my husband) it missed the mark here. Coupled with the fact that we see them go from this to pure lust, quickly, and under extreme duress, is where the story lost me. I found myself wanting a bit more of the middle stages, the brushed touches characters try to explain away, Pen changing her attitude and habits. My favorite romances come away with the characters changed, and unfortunately I didn't see enough of that from this one.

This is my own view and someone else may LOVE this book. I think it would be great for spooky season; maybe that's part of my disconnect here.