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2.88 AVERAGE
2.88 AVERAGE
Summing up the plot of If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens: It's a whirlwind romance that uniquely blends a modern-day retelling of Austen's Pride and Prejudice and a gruesomely haunting mystery.
At the beginning of the story, I had some plot point confusion, which persisted throughout, but I was captivated once I reached the middle. The mystery, while not as satisfying as I had hoped, was in line with the book's romantic comedy genre. It was an easy read, with a dash of spice, and a unique narrative. While I didn't fully connect with all the characters, it didn't hinder my overall enjoyment of the book.
Thank you, NetGalley, author Colby Wilkens, and the publisher St. Martin's Griffin, for the opportunity to read and give my honest opinion on this book.
At the beginning of the story, I had some plot point confusion, which persisted throughout, but I was captivated once I reached the middle. The mystery, while not as satisfying as I had hoped, was in line with the book's romantic comedy genre. It was an easy read, with a dash of spice, and a unique narrative. While I didn't fully connect with all the characters, it didn't hinder my overall enjoyment of the book.
Thank you, NetGalley, author Colby Wilkens, and the publisher St. Martin's Griffin, for the opportunity to read and give my honest opinion on this book.
This author’s next book looks GREAT, but I just don’t think this book was well done. It was really slow and I almost gave up multiple times. The “enemies” aspect was childish and repetitive. The side characters added nothing to the book. And the haunting was honestly pretty lame. And the books-within-the-book didn’t sell me that any of these people would be bestselling authors. I just don’t think this book was really ready to be put out with major pacing issues and overall cheesiness and predictability. I’d probably read the next one, though.
Thank you Net Galley and publishers for letting me read an arc of this book in return for an honest review.
I thought I would enjoy this book more but I really didn't. It had some enjoyable moments, but the characters fell through. Both of the main characters were really annoying. Pen was abusive and whiny the whole book, and Neil was cowardly and irksome. If the book left out the whole "enemies to lovers" relationship trope and just made it into a ghost story about a haunted castle that some writers visited then it would have been better. It dragged and I couldn't get into it. I didn't like any of the characters and was happy to just finish the book. I've read worse and I've read better so overall it wasn't horrible. It just wasn't for me.
I thought I would enjoy this book more but I really didn't. It had some enjoyable moments, but the characters fell through. Both of the main characters were really annoying. Pen was abusive and whiny the whole book, and Neil was cowardly and irksome. If the book left out the whole "enemies to lovers" relationship trope and just made it into a ghost story about a haunted castle that some writers visited then it would have been better. It dragged and I couldn't get into it. I didn't like any of the characters and was happy to just finish the book. I've read worse and I've read better so overall it wasn't horrible. It just wasn't for me.
Pen skinner and Neil Storm are writing rivals after what happened at the last Book Con. Neither knew they would find themselves at an intimate, secluded writing retreat together.
While struggling to deal with their feelings for each other and their writers block, they stubble upon the ghosts haunting the castle. They decide to work together to solve the mystery of the hauntings.
Although this was a quick read, I found it hard to follow at times as there were some plot holes and inconsistencies throughout the story. I loved the premise of a romance and a horror mystery, but the combination didn’t quite work for me in this book.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC.
While struggling to deal with their feelings for each other and their writers block, they stubble upon the ghosts haunting the castle. They decide to work together to solve the mystery of the hauntings.
Although this was a quick read, I found it hard to follow at times as there were some plot holes and inconsistencies throughout the story. I loved the premise of a romance and a horror mystery, but the combination didn’t quite work for me in this book.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC.
I liked the setting, I liked the characters (although they seemed to have the same breakthroughs about themselves and each other multiple times without remembering that they’d already done it), and I liked the conversation about how Native authors have to contort themselves to be published by White publishers. but..there were a few plot holes and continuity errors that took me out of it, especially around the ghost story (which wasn’t particularly scary…? but that’s fine because I’m a ninny), which was supposed to be the main plot. and also one of the narrators had a terrible Scottish accent, which, like, ok, but I am who I am and it knocked it down for me a bit.
DNF @ 25%. I don’t know who this book is for, like who could possibly think Pen would be compelling to read about. She’s toxic. She gaslights. She has anger issues. She assaults people. Who green lit this book? This book might have worked if it was only marketed as a horror novel, because it was pretty terrifying.
Pen is bitter and angry because she can’t write for shit apparently and takes it out on the popular author at the Indigenous authors panel she’s on. She berates him publicly and then throws a book at his head hard enough to leave a scar. The next time they see each other, and he demands to know why she’s never apologized for her actions, she gaslights him by saying he should be apologizing to her for making it so hard for other Indigenous authors like herself to get published. Apparently this is all on his shoulders. This conversation is repeated more than once. She’ll flirt with him and then be irate about how she can’t get published and he should be helping her with that because he has a platform. The worst part is that he eventually starts to agree with her and apologize to her.
It’s such a specific situation and it’s hammered into the reader over and over again that Pen is such a victim, like it couldn’t possibly be that maybe no one wants to read what she writes because she isn’t a good writer? It’s so specific that it makes me wonder who hurt the author of this book? Is this based on real life? Is the call coming from inside the house?
If Pen wasn’t so fucking toxic and throwing books and roughly shoving people while gaslighting them, I would’ve been interested. Quite honestly, I wish this ARC request had been denied.
Pen is bitter and angry because she can’t write for shit apparently and takes it out on the popular author at the Indigenous authors panel she’s on. She berates him publicly and then throws a book at his head hard enough to leave a scar. The next time they see each other, and he demands to know why she’s never apologized for her actions, she gaslights him by saying he should be apologizing to her for making it so hard for other Indigenous authors like herself to get published. Apparently this is all on his shoulders. This conversation is repeated more than once. She’ll flirt with him and then be irate about how she can’t get published and he should be helping her with that because he has a platform. The worst part is that he eventually starts to agree with her and apologize to her.
It’s such a specific situation and it’s hammered into the reader over and over again that Pen is such a victim, like it couldn’t possibly be that maybe no one wants to read what she writes because she isn’t a good writer? It’s so specific that it makes me wonder who hurt the author of this book? Is this based on real life? Is the call coming from inside the house?
If Pen wasn’t so fucking toxic and throwing books and roughly shoving people while gaslighting them, I would’ve been interested. Quite honestly, I wish this ARC request had been denied.
This book had a lot of issues. I felt like I was missing a backstory of why the FMC would feel so negatively toward the MMC. She was so unlikable, unreasonable, and honestly, abusive. He was one note and had no backbone. I didn't care for the ghost story, which also felt incomplete, or the Scottish castle setting, which seemed out of left field with the Native author story line, which is also controversial (see below). I would not read further from this author, but I did finish this book since I received it from NetGalley and felt obligated to review it. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin.
After reading the book, I did a Google search on the author and found out that she has allegedly faked her Native heritage. If you are going to market yourself as a Native writer, this seems like something you should be able to prove in the year of 2024. Her next book has been pulled from publication. Further digging revealed she also was verbally abusive to fellow authors. She has taken no responsibility for any of these actions, much like her main character in the novel. This is not an author I would consider supporting.
After reading the book, I did a Google search on the author and found out that she has allegedly faked her Native heritage. If you are going to market yourself as a Native writer, this seems like something you should be able to prove in the year of 2024. Her next book has been pulled from publication. Further digging revealed she also was verbally abusive to fellow authors. She has taken no responsibility for any of these actions, much like her main character in the novel. This is not an author I would consider supporting.
DNF at 79%, was already completely disinterested and disconnected. When it was revealed the author was problematic it was the universes permission to let it go.
Update (11/15/2024): I have removed my rating and review of this book.
Please read this article for more information: https://nypost.com/2024/10/21/us-news/author-colby-wilkens-says-shes-native-american-tribal-alliance-disagrees/
Please read this article for more information: https://nypost.com/2024/10/21/us-news/author-colby-wilkens-says-shes-native-american-tribal-alliance-disagrees/
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes