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stardustandrockets's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Abandonment, and Body horror
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Pregnancy, and Violence
rchulin1's review
funny
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Colby Wilkens debut novel was such a nice read a perfect book to read in between series’s and even to get you in the spooky spirit
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Racism, Alcohol, Blood, Sexual content, and Violence
xxflowerbabyreads's review
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Gore, Racism, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
christyreads_n_rambles's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Rival writers find themselves on the same writers retreat in Scotland, both being too stubborn to leave they find themselves in a spooky castle for a week. This spooky enemies to lovers is a fun read with a lovers plot and a spooky sub plot.
!!!!!!!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What I enjoyed:
-Spooky vibes: this was a romance I never knew I needed, the spooky sub plot kept me reading when the romance was a bit predictable
-Enemies to lovers: I am a sucker for the trope what can I say
-Diversity of characters
-Real world issues digested: the problems BIPOC writers experience while trying to write their truths
-Witty Banter: the amount of highlighting I did of just pure comedy gold between the characters is unbelievable.
-Backstory Connections: Pen is on a journey to rediscover herself as is the ghost of the story
Where did it fall flat?
- Enemies to lovers: WOAH NELLIE! The development of this enemies to lovers happened very fast and left little to entice a reader to read on as it was predictable where it was going, the way it was met to be slowed by the internal conflict of the characters was more so an annoyance than anything
-Ghost stories: The backstories of the haunted backstory fell flat on it's face I was really hoping for a more tragic story the ghost had tormented people for centuries and it seemingly was not a good enough reason in my eyes
All in all I think as a writers first book it has good bones, I enjoyed the writing and the bones of the story, but it felt as though we were missing the meat of the story it had good build ups to everything and felt as though it plateaued in the end.
!!!!!!!!!POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What I enjoyed:
-Spooky vibes: this was a romance I never knew I needed, the spooky sub plot kept me reading when the romance was a bit predictable
-Enemies to lovers: I am a sucker for the trope what can I say
-Diversity of characters
-Real world issues digested: the problems BIPOC writers experience while trying to write their truths
-Witty Banter: the amount of highlighting I did of just pure comedy gold between the characters is unbelievable.
-Backstory Connections: Pen is on a journey to rediscover herself as is the ghost of the story
Where did it fall flat?
- Enemies to lovers: WOAH NELLIE! The development of this enemies to lovers happened very fast and left little to entice a reader to read on as it was predictable where it was going, the way it was met to be slowed by the internal conflict of the characters was more so an annoyance than anything
-Ghost stories: The backstories of the haunted backstory fell flat on it's face I was really hoping for a more tragic story the ghost had tormented people for centuries and it seemingly was not a good enough reason in my eyes
All in all I think as a writers first book it has good bones, I enjoyed the writing and the bones of the story, but it felt as though we were missing the meat of the story it had good build ups to everything and felt as though it plateaued in the end.
Content Warnings
Minor: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
beckyremillard's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Penelope Skinner is an author who has been rivals with Neil Storm, especially after a book panel that cumulated with her throwing a book at him. Now they’re unintentionally (on their part anyway) staying at the same haunted castle for a writing retreat. Romance and mystery ensues.
This book was fairly average for me. I didn’t fully buy Penelope and Neil’s relationship because I don’t feel there was as much tension as a typical enemies to lovers.
The mystery also had decent build up but the reveal wasn’t anything crazy and honestly they we just told what happened at the end, so what was the point of Penelope and Neil looking for answers. They didn’t find anything on their own - they had to be shown and then told everything at the end.
Has some spicy and spooky moments, but not my personal favorite. I did appreciate the BIPOC perspectives though, that bumps up the rating for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for a chance to read and review this eARC!
This book was fairly average for me. I didn’t fully buy Penelope and Neil’s relationship because I don’t feel there was as much tension as a typical enemies to lovers.
The mystery also had decent build up but the reveal wasn’t anything crazy and honestly they we just told what happened at the end, so what was the point of Penelope and Neil looking for answers. They didn’t find anything on their own - they had to be shown and then told everything at the end.
Has some spicy and spooky moments, but not my personal favorite. I did appreciate the BIPOC perspectives though, that bumps up the rating for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for a chance to read and review this eARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death and Pregnancy
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