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.

A horror / romance mashup? I didn't think it would work, but it DID and Wilkens is brilliant for it. If I Stopped Haunting You is tightly paced, hitting beat after quick beat that hands off the baton from romance trope to horror trope and back again.

I liked that both the MMC and FMC were flawed people--you know, real people like the rest of us--but Wilkens never let their personal foibles overshadow the horror or the romance plots. The blurb absolutely buries the lede on the Native American representation, so it was a happy surprise. I am not Native myself, so I can't speak to the authenticity or accuracy of the issues she writes about in regards to both of the protagonists' identities, but from my perspective, it seemed authentic and truthful. The spicy scenes were also well-written, though for my taste, there should have been more. Lots of slow burn buildup, but it was worth it.

I did think the horror aspect was too easily and neatly wrapped up. I definitely had the "wait, that's it?!" feeling toward the end; that could be a "me" issue because I'm not a regular horror reader, but I also think it could be a pacing issue, since most of the horror plot is put into the last 1/2 to 1/3 of the book, when I would have appreciated more at the start.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and it will be perfect come autumn as a refreshing October rec among all the other paranormal romances.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin for the ebook ARC. All opinions are mine alone.

I was intrigued by the horror aspect of this novel but felt that it didn't deliver in a cohesive way. It became a bit of a joke by the end. I'm sure there is an audience out there for this novel sadly it just wasn't for me.

It is not often that I read horror, but when I saw the synopsis of this book, I immediately wanted to dive right in. I’m quite glad that I did! This book nearly perfectly blended elements from horror and romance, and had me laughing at times as Laszlo and Daniela continued to make bets on their friends. This book had me on the edge of my seat and even caused me to jump when a bird chirped outside, because of how freaked out the book had me. Although some people complained that the enemies to lovers part of this book didn’t last long enough, I think that it lasted long enough to establish what they were and then moved on to understand each other (reluctantly), which is the part of enemies to lovers that I believe is the best. Overall, this book was very enjoyable to read, and I will happily read anything else this author writes.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC!

This was CUTE. I loved the side characters, the plot, the main characters, the angst., the ghost, the spice. I was worried the ghost was part of said spice- but fear not! It was not.

Was it realistic ?

No.

But it was fun, and it was refreshing!


Thank you NetGalley for allowing an arc in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed the premise of this novel, from the writer retreat in the middle of nowhere in Scotland, the rivals to lovers, and the paranormal plotline?? Sign me up. I read this book in one day because the writing flowed well and was entertaining the entire time. While I enjoyed the enemies to lovers trope that was portrayed in this book, Penelope Skinner, the MFC was pretty unlikeable in many aspects. She was very aggressive with the MMC, throwing things at him regularly, and she blamed him for her own mistakes in her career. However, while this brought down my review to a 3.5-4 star (rounded up for the review), I still enjoyed this book and would recommend it for those looking for a paranormal romance and as a cozy autumn read (possibly with warnings about the MFC's actions). I will also be keeping an eye out for more of Colby Wilkens works as they are a fellow PNW individual!

If you like:
- paranormal romance
- rivals to lovers
- mystery / plot-twists

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens in exchange for my honest review.