Take a photo of a barcode or cover
2.88 AVERAGE
2.88 AVERAGE
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Maybe I wasn’t in the mood to read this style, but it barely kept my attention. Another factor could be the dual POV in 3rd person.
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As a horror reader, this was a nightmare to read. What do you MEAN you’re fucking horny after seeing the ghost with her flesh rotting off?? The tone of this book jumps radically, and often without preamble. It swings wildly between romance, horror, and political commentary. Since it’s trying to do all those things at once, it’s not really doing any of them effectively. The shifts are mostly just jarring and out of place.
The setting is absolutely perfect. Scotland is one of my favorite places to visit. There is the feeling of romanticizing the beauty of the highlands but also the eerily quiet and knowledge of the sinister history and potential for paranormal activity.
Such good character building for both Penelope and Neil. Did I want to punch them a few times for being ridiculous and somewhat clueless? Yes. But hey that’s how we are in real life too.
The ending is cute and sums up well. I loved that it ended with the play off of Daniela’s book.
The part that could’ve been executed better was the wrap up of the ghost story and why the ghosts were lingering. The reason for the ghosts not having moved on didn’t live up to the anticipation from the haunting events. There wasn’t enough resolution for me to feel closure.
Such good character building for both Penelope and Neil. Did I want to punch them a few times for being ridiculous and somewhat clueless? Yes. But hey that’s how we are in real life too.
The ending is cute and sums up well. I loved that it ended with the play off of Daniela’s book.
The part that could’ve been executed better was the wrap up of the ghost story and why the ghosts were lingering. The reason for the ghosts not having moved on didn’t live up to the anticipation from the haunting events. There wasn’t enough resolution for me to feel closure.
‼️Updated from the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds: Colby Wilkens, an author, claims to be white and of Cherokee and Choctaw descent. The Tribal Alliance Against Frauds investigated her claims and found no Native ancestry at all. The full report is available on the Tribal Alliance Against Frauds’ website under the tab on the upper right part of the page labeled “More,” then under the heading “Investigations.” https://tribalallianceagainstfrauds.org.
This information is also updated on my GoodReads. Profiting off indigenous people when you are not connected to them any anyway is never okay. I received Colby Wilken’s second book, but will not be reviewing in light of these claims.‼️
Okay this was a bit too horny for a haunted house book. I thought the enemies to lovers was a bit fast paced and considering the woman was physically violent toward the dude, it was a little concerning with how quickly they got over and under each other. Falling in love in a haunted house? Fine (I loved "Haunting of Bly Manor" ) but having hot, horny sex, in a castle that is haunted? No. Absolutely not. You would never catch me naked in a bed that could possibly be haunted. I am not getting taken out by a ghost, naked. Let's also talk about the ghost. Absolutely terrifying. The description, perfect. Why's she was haunting the place? Not so much. It was boring. Barely even a reason to haunt the place. Like what sort of reason was there to stick around? No one remembered your name? Big whoop! Your husband was literally haunting the cellar!! Just go downstairs and see him. It made no sense whatsoever! It could have had so much more potential, but I got let down soooooo bad.
This information is also updated on my GoodReads. Profiting off indigenous people when you are not connected to them any anyway is never okay. I received Colby Wilken’s second book, but will not be reviewing in light of these claims.‼️
Okay this was a bit too horny for a haunted house book. I thought the enemies to lovers was a bit fast paced and considering the woman was physically violent toward the dude, it was a little concerning with how quickly they got over and under each other. Falling in love in a haunted house? Fine (I loved "Haunting of Bly Manor" ) but having hot, horny sex, in a castle that is haunted? No. Absolutely not. You would never catch me naked in a bed that could possibly be haunted. I am not getting taken out by a ghost, naked. Let's also talk about the ghost. Absolutely terrifying. The description, perfect. Why's she was haunting the place? Not so much. It was boring. Barely even a reason to haunt the place. Like what sort of reason was there to stick around? No one remembered your name? Big whoop! Your husband was literally haunting the cellar!! Just go downstairs and see him. It made no sense whatsoever! It could have had so much more potential, but I got let down soooooo bad.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2.5.
Enemies to lovers? More like enemies where one person hates the other and the hated one is in love with them. I found Penelope’s one-sided hatred for Neil a bit annoying, especially since they should be working together in the industry, not against each other. You never do get to see very many Indigenous characters in writing, especially romance settings, so it was a bit of a breath of fresh air to see some representation for once. (The author has been involved in a controversy for not being open about the fact she’s not actually registered as Indigenous, but we’re setting controversy aside and focusing on content.)
Now, the plot. This set up had potential. Four writers on a retreat in a haunted castle, a ghost only Neil and Penelope can see, and unresolved sexual tension. Great! A snow storm sealing them in? Fantastic! What happens next? Well, the longest smut scene I’ve ever come across. Can we get back to trying to solve the mystery behind the ghost in white, please? Less bumping uglies, more sleuthing!
I feel like if you enjoy reading instalust and characters ignoring the fact that they want to get into each other’s pants for like 200 pages, you’ll probably enjoy this more than I did.
Enemies to lovers? More like enemies where one person hates the other and the hated one is in love with them. I found Penelope’s one-sided hatred for Neil a bit annoying, especially since they should be working together in the industry, not against each other. You never do get to see very many Indigenous characters in writing, especially romance settings, so it was a bit of a breath of fresh air to see some representation for once. (The author has been involved in a controversy for not being open about the fact she’s not actually registered as Indigenous, but we’re setting controversy aside and focusing on content.)
Now, the plot. This set up had potential. Four writers on a retreat in a haunted castle, a ghost only Neil and Penelope can see, and unresolved sexual tension. Great! A snow storm sealing them in? Fantastic! What happens next? Well, the longest smut scene I’ve ever come across. Can we get back to trying to solve the mystery behind the ghost in white, please? Less bumping uglies, more sleuthing!
I feel like if you enjoy reading instalust and characters ignoring the fact that they want to get into each other’s pants for like 200 pages, you’ll probably enjoy this more than I did.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
If I Stopped Haunting You is a spicy and entertaining enemies-to-lovers romance with plenty of paranormal touches that are often fun nods to horror classics such as Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House. The enemies-to-lovers trope between the main characters Penelope and Neil also delves into how they have been pitted against one another by traditional publishers as "the competition" in large part because there are still abysmally few Native writers who have managed to successfully break into traditional publishing. Both Neil and Pen are horror writers and indigenous people who have each struggled to tell their authentic stories because the publishing world still seems to want to whitewash their experiences or promote negative stereotypes about their people. Despite the fact that Pen and Neil start out as rivals in the story, they've both secretly admired one another too. Neil has admired Pen for being brave and not letting any publisher coerce her into telling her stories differently from how she wants to write them. Pen admired Neil's earlier work and looked up to him as a role model she could aspire to be like as a writer until she felt he sold out to achieve traditional publishing success. But as they are holed up together for a writing retreat at a haunted castle they slowly begin to understand each other more fully and their attraction begins to transform their animosity into passion of a different kind. As for the ghost story, the hauntings in the castle are introduced in creepy and fun ways such as the feel of cold fingers grazing one's neck, names whispered in one's ear, and the compulsion of Pen to want to open that door in the forbidden and spooky west wing they've been told to stay away from. It lends a bit of mystery to the story as well that made me want to keep reading to figure out how they would resolve whatever was keeping these spirits trapped in the castle. All in all I recommend this book for fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope who also like a bit of spookiness mixed in with their romance. I want to thank both NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the chance to read this free eARC in exchange for this honest review.
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
After reading this book, I realized the author lied about being indigenous to help promote this book which is really upsetting.
Also I don't like how Penelope doesn't properly apologize for her actions because her implusiveness and anger are the reason for her downfall. I'm surprised nobody got on her for that because yeah, you definitely deserve to opt out being an author. No book in 5 years and then you had this whole scandal. Girrrl please. Niel is wayyy to nice and forigiving because he somehow falls for her before she even realizes her own wrongdoings.
Also the mystery of the haunted house was interesting, but I'm a little confused as to why they were heartbroken over the truth? Like c'mon it isn't that devasting. Sad, yes, but not unique. I was hugely disappointed that she used the story of their love as her new book because it shows Penelope's lack of creativity. At least Neil can come with stories, but you just use someone else's. I know Daniella did the same thing, but she used them as inspiration.
Also I don't like how Penelope doesn't properly apologize for her actions because her implusiveness and anger are the reason for her downfall. I'm surprised nobody got on her for that because yeah, you definitely deserve to opt out being an author. No book in 5 years and then you had this whole scandal. Girrrl please. Niel is wayyy to nice and forigiving because he somehow falls for her before she even realizes her own wrongdoings.
Also the mystery of the haunted house was interesting, but I'm a little confused as to why they were heartbroken over the truth? Like c'mon it isn't that devasting. Sad, yes, but not unique. I was hugely disappointed that she used the story of their love as her new book because it shows Penelope's lack of creativity. At least Neil can come with stories, but you just use someone else's. I know Daniella did the same thing, but she used them as inspiration.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes