Enemies to lovers meets Gothic mystery. A great crossover title for fans of "Do Your Worst" by Rosie Danan.

While I loved the idea of a writers retreat, some romance, and ghosts(!!!) the execution was a huge miss for me.

My biggest issues are with the romance and characters. Penelope was awful. I get frustration and anger, but she assaults Neil, in front of an audience, and then blames HIM for her career stalling? She is so immature, and there's no growth throughout. Neil isn't much better, he's just clueless and then Penelope gaslights him throughout most of the book. Neither have any growth as people, and their romance is totally based on lust. I have nothing against that, lust may be a great way to start, but I need something deeper to develop if you're going to call it romance. I also need some accountability for terrible behavior, if you're going from enemies to lovers, but this book doesn't do that either.

Since the romance was a miss, I kept hoping the haunting would be amazing and save the book. Unfortunately, again, it was a miss for me. It wasn't scary or even spooky, and I'm still not sure why they had to solve the mystery behind the hauntings...usually there are consequences that drive the action, but here there weren't, so it feels a little lackluster.

While I can't really recommend the book, I can say that these are my opinions and if the book sounds like something you would enjoy, give it a shot.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC, I'm sharing my thoughts freely.

Romance? Horror? Two of my favorite genres in one? Yes, please!

So it should be little surprise that I enjoyed If I Stopped Haunting You. But still, I’ve read books that, on paper, should have been perfect picks for me that missed the mark regardless. I think Colby Wilkens did an excellent job at balancing the horror and romance elements. It really goes back and forth between the two focuses pretty evenly. Every time it switched and I thought to myself how I wanted more of whichever aspect, it would return within a few chapters.

I did, however, feel If I Stopped Haunting You failed to stick the landing. No spoilers, of course, but I just felt a little letdown.

Still had a great time reading this one though! Its October release date is perfect, naturally. Solid debut for Wilkens overall.

DNF @ 27% — I was so excited for this one (enemies to lovers romance? Horror? Haunted castle in Scotland? Vintage looking cartoon cover? Sign me up for all of the above!) but the characters were so immature that I could not keep going. Pen is a struggling writer not willing to take any personal responsibility for her current struggles (throwing a book at another author on your panel will do that to you) and the attraction between them just felt… weird. It was giving bickering siblings energy.

I wasn’t buying into any of the elements of this book that I was excited about and in 2024 we aren’t wasting our time!

Bummed to be leaving this review, I had high hopes.

I wanted to LOVE this book but when I finished it there just felt like, there was something missing. It had all the makings for an epic enemies to lovers gothic romance with a side of rom com but just barely missed the mark. I did enjoy reading the first 75% of the book but felt very confused about what the mystery they solved even was? Was it a mystery or did we know the plot the whole time.

I loved the rivals-to-lovers dynamic in this book. It was believable and I loved all the characters. Penelope and Neil were in the wrong, and I was glad they talked things through. It took her a while to get there, but Pen did admit that her reaction was wrong, and Neil had his own internal problems to get through.

I don't read a lot of horror, so the paranormal aspect of this book fell a little flat for me. There was just something about it that kept me from fully loving it. It wasn't believable. Just something about how it all played out didn't work for me. Ghosts are a hard sell for me already, and the haunting left me confused and with more questions than answers.

But I was here more for the romance, so in the end, I enjoyed reading it and I loved the writing overall. The side characters didn't get much page time so I don't have any strong opinions about them. Laszlo and Daniela kind of suck as friends, and ended up being a little irrelevant to the plot. It makes me feel like there should have been more characters since it also seems like Daniela and Laszlo also barely interacted with each other. With only two of the four characters seemingly having any conversations it made the cast of characters feel "empty".

I will certainly be reading more from this author, I like her writing style.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the arc!

ok. so penelope was a bit of a bitch throughout the book. she had good reasons but overall i didn’t like how she treated neil. throwing a book at him and then acting like he ruined her career? when it was her actions that caused it???

otherwise from her consistently guilt tripping him and making him feel bad, i’d say it was a solid book. some good horror vibes while not being too scary as well as some pretty good romance scenes.

i would describe this as a cosy romance horror book.

I REALLY wanted to like this book but honestly i think most if not every character is insufferable. I’m also not rocking with the casual abuse home girl felt was NECESSARY a lot of the time. Overall i would probably read more by this author but this particular book was not for me

I really liked the storyline for this book. Two authors who despise each other and careers are at the breaking point inadvertently end up at a haunted castle, for a writing retreat, because of a meddling friend. There is a lot of angst and at some point unjustified anger from the FMC. I really like Neil but felt he was unjustly treated by the FMC at several points. Overall this was a good read and I’d probably read it again.

Unfortunately, for me, this book fell short. If I Stopped Haunting You, by Colby Wilkens is supposed to be a mix of horror and romance, with an enemies to lovers trope. The relationship between the main characters seemed extremely toxic. We experience a significant amount of the FMC’s internal monologue (which I didn’t enjoy, it didn’t keep me interested). She was abusive toward her love interest, and didn’t grow much as character through the story. It didn’t develop in the way an enemies to lovers story should - it went from enemies to lovers very suddenly. The plot was messy, and I struggled to finish this one. I hope others enjoy it.

I've definitely never read a book like this before. It's part romance, part mystery, and part horror. I liked the MMC, but the FMC was a bit hard to take. I know stress brings people together, but the from hate to love transition happened awfully fast. I also found the mystery part a bit too much of a quick solve. All in all, the book has good bones but the fleshing out was just okay.

This was not bad at all. The characters were well fleshed, the pacing was good and it was really funny at times.

I also really liked the mystery and was ultimately disappointed with its resolved. It felt rather anticlimactic after such a build up.

Romance wise, it was fine. Forced proximity, rivals to lovers, a little bit of spice. It was a little too fast burn for the premises but they just clicked really well together.

I love when ghost stories and romance come together so I would totally recommend it and I’m excited what else the author has in store.

I liked the way the story started with the “Incident” between Pen and Neil. I really enjoyed reading how both Pen and Neil were able to communicate with each other and put aside their animosity. In other books were used to seeing the enemies slowly turn to lovers but with Pen and Neil I loved the speed in which they started falling for each other. I loved how they both were able to be vulnerable with each other and explained to each other what they thought of each other back then and then now. Although maybe the speed of which they fell in love with each other is because of their forced proximity due to being trapped in a haunted castle together. Georgina definitely didn’t make their lives easier in the castle. It was scary, yet exciting learning more about Georgina with Pen Neil. I wish we could have gotten more info on what ended up happening with Georgina and Archie Skinner after Pen and Neil left the castle and whether Pen was or wasn’t related the late Skinners. In total honestly, Lazlo and Daniela were quite irrelevant to the story as they popped in here and there and didn’t even encounter the ghosts at all compared to Pen and Neil.

I devoured this book in a day. It was so good. I couldn’t put it down.
Romance, spooks, and good smut!! I didn’t expect the ghost story part to be so good, but I was surprised in the best of ways. Sometimes smutty books don’t always have a good story, but this one really did.
I loved how Pen was able to find herself and be her own hero. Neil supported her along the way, but she did it all on her own.
I hope everyone reads this book and enjoys it just as much as I did !

I actually enjoyed this more than I thought I would. A lot of the reviews were no-so-great, but I liked the blurb and decided to read it anyway. I had a good time. The pacing was okay for me — there was a lot going on and the tension was pretty high. All the things you look for in a horror-based rom com… I admit, Pen and Neil were kinda immature, but that’s where they need room for growth, right? Lots of pining from both perspectives in this one.

I can relate when you’re seen as “not _____ enough”. Not trying to get deep or anything, but I felt that those perspectives were pretty realistic and relatable. Even Neil’s perspective of losing sight of his own work. The industry/audience has a lot of influence and sometimes you start to change without realizing it. And side note: Cute tie in with the dedication.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

While I usually steer clear of horror books, having only explored a handful, my enthusiasm for romance novels is undeniable. Given the chance via Netgalley, I eagerly picked up "If I Stopped Haunting You" by Colby Wilkens with high hopes. Regrettably, it didn't live up to its promise of blending horror and romance seamlessly. The narrative was marred by plot holes and inconsistencies, making it feel disjointed. It appeared the author grappled with the story's direction, resulting in a convoluted plot. Though I'm not fond of negative reviews, this book didn't resonate with me, leading me to abandon it midway.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

This book had such an interesting and unique premise! Enjoyed learning about the rivalry between Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm. I appreciated their vulnerability throughout the book about learning about themselves. I thought that adding a ghost component was hilarious in a great way!

Vibes: rivals ro lovers, haunted houses, danger banging, and unfinished business

Heat Index: 7/10

Penelope Skinner carries a huge grudge against Neil Storm--and it culminates in her throwing a book at him at a conference. Why? Because Neil claims that his books break Native stereotypes, while they simply seem to embrace them. Penelope's been blacklisted ever since, so she's none too happy to see him at a writers retreat in a spooky Scottish castle. Neil isn't thrilled to see her either--but as they discover that the castle's ghosts may be realer than expected, they're forced to work together to help the spirits resolve their unfinished business... while fighting some of their own.

This was a really interesting, different debut--and I'm excited to see what Colby Wilkens does next. There's a lot delved into here, especially surrounding the politics of passing (as Penelope, who is Native, does), gender privilege, respectability, and the particular way that publishing treats BIPOC authors.

However, it's still first and foremost a romance, and a good one at that. Neil and Penelope have a crackling chemistry from the start, and it only intensifies as they spend time together in this castle... full of tight passages.... (in more ways than one).... and occupied by a ghost that's always showing up at the right times. (And by the right times, I mean the times that force Penelope and Neil emotionally and physically closer.)

There's some... interesting... genre marketing happening with this one, but I'm here to reassure you: 'tis a romance!

Quick Takes:

--Okay, so, the genre stuff. I've seen this marketed as "horror romance" or "horrormance". I am just... refusing.... with horromance. I'm done with the portmanteaus, I can't do it anymore. HOWEVER! I can see horror romance being a thing, maybe? I have yet to read it, but maybe? As a subset of paranormal romance? But it's tricky, and I still wouldn't say this aligns with any conceptualization I have of theoretical horror romance.

So, what is it? I'd say VERY light paranormal romance, or, more accurately, a contemporary romance with a sprinkling of paranormal. None of this is critique; the book is good no matter what it is. Just--if you like contemporaries and don't like paranormals, don't worry. Read this. You'll like it, and it's not scary, I promise. A little spooky, yes, but not scary. And if you enjoy some spookedy bump in the night stuff, you'll like this, too.

--I can see Penelope being a polarizing heroine. Mostly because she has, I don't know, an opinion. And she gives Neil shit. And she's not right all the time. She needs to consider nuance! Her hot takes have holes in them every now and then! She's a little morally rigid and judgmental! Gasp, horror.

Personally? Her flaws made her more human for me, and she's quite likable. As is Neil! I actually loved how palpable his irritation with Penelope was. Like--she didn't have the whole story, but she had his number, and he knew it, and that bugged him. Fun fun fun.

--The ghost story is cute. I will say that it's weaker than the romance, which is fine because this is a romance novel, but... I did expect a little more there. However, the way it resolved did amuse me greatly. There's one detail that I kind of can't wait to see unfold further.

--One thing I really liked about the way Colby Wilkens presented Penelope and Neil's contrasting opinions and experiences is that there wasn't like... a wholly right or wrong side? Both of them had points. Their histories were valid. I feel like there are going to be a lot of judgments made (especially against Penelope) but to be real, if you're white (like me) maybe you should.... pump the brakes.

--Random, but when Penelope and Neil have sex, she notes that he has a soft belly. Because he's a writer. He's a nerd. He sits at a desk a lot. I LOVED THIS. More body diversity in romance please, especially for heroes.

--There is a lot of "Neil is hard at an inappropriate moment" here. What a great choice. I approve. Yes.

The Sex:

It's definitely a sexy read--and one that handles sex in a smart way. You wait a while before Neil and Penelope get down to it... But once they do, they're all over each other. You have several penetrative p in v sex scenes, and a particularly delightful fingerbang (and, obviously, Neil goes down; you can sense it in him from the start). All of it is treated like sex, which I appreciate. However, I also liked that a throughline in the sex scenes is that Penelope guides Neil? It's not that he doesn't know what he's doing, but he doesn't know HER body yet. And it's totally cool for her to show him where to touch her and how, and HE thinks it's hot. It was both really consistent with their characters, and really good to see in a romance novel.

Here, we have a fun romance novel with a legit interesting, unique premise and point of view. Like, I can genuinely say that I haven't read anything like this before. It's funny, it's hot, and it covers issues you really don't see in the genre often at all. More, please!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Everything about this book seemed perfect to me. But dear lord, I’m 25% in and I’m so bored. I was excited about the paranormal aspect yet that is just now finally happening but it’s just not enough to keep me going. Then I was excited about having the main characters be Native, yet we only explored their history briefly in the first chapter and now we’re in Scotland?! Also, zero chemist between them. One quick touch in the woods and suddenly two people who hate each other are feel warm in fuzzy in their nether regions? Sorry, not for me.

Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm are horror writers who write about their Native American culture. Pen has had one book published and Neil Storm seems to be the Stephen King of Native writers. When they appear on a panel together at a book conference, Pen loses her mind and accuses Neil of selling out his culture to sell books. She actually THROWS a book at him that cuts his skin and leaves a scar.

I really just did not understand this book. One of the largest bones of contention is the authenticity of Native culture between two writers, so of course this author sends them off to Scotland to experience THAT culture. What a waste of a chance to educate people about what is and what is not Native culture. The fact that they are Native Americans seems kind of a throwaway issue instead of central to the story which is ironic as that issue is central to their antipathy toward one another. I also did not care for the main character(s). Pen is violent toward Neil; on more than one occasion. That is NEVER cool and Neil just seems like a one dimensional character who just takes it. This book defines toxic relationships. Also, the characters seem very young (especially Pen), but have somehow managed to be in the industry for some time (at least 5 years in Pen's case). Then we have to believe that utter loathing on Pen's part for Neil all of a sudden is insta-love and insta-lust. The ghost story is not bad, but I just could not get past the dislikes enough to care.

*Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.