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2.88 AVERAGE
2.88 AVERAGE
Enemies to lovers plus a haunted castle in Scotland? This sounded like the perfect cozy romance to start the fall season! However, this book fell flat for me.
I have a hard time loving a book if I don’t like the main character and unfortunately in this book, I did not like our FMC. If you do enjoy an aggressive heroine, you’ll probably like her more than I did.
The first half of the book was a little slow for me and I didn’t really care for any side characters. The book picked up when the ghost/ mystery part of the plot kicked in about halfway through and I did enjoy that aspect of the book.
Some things I enjoyed about this book
I have a hard time loving a book if I don’t like the main character and unfortunately in this book, I did not like our FMC. If you do enjoy an aggressive heroine, you’ll probably like her more than I did.
The first half of the book was a little slow for me and I didn’t really care for any side characters. The book picked up when the ghost/ mystery part of the plot kicked in about halfway through and I did enjoy that aspect of the book.
Some things I enjoyed about this book
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Enemies to Lovers
I picked up If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens on a lazy afternoon and was immediately captivated. The intriguing title and cover art drew me in, and I couldn’t put the book down until I finished it.
This enemies-to-lovers romance has a spooky twist, throwing feuding horror writers Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm together on a writer’s retreat at a haunted castle in Scotland. From the first page, Pen and Neil’s banter crackled with sharp wit and tension, making their mutual annoyance—and undeniable chemistry—completely addictive.
Pen, grappling with writer’s block after her public fallout with Neil, is equal parts fierce and vulnerable, and I loved rooting for her to find her spark again. Neil, meanwhile, is battling his own insecurities after Pen’s scathing critique of his work left him questioning everything. Their interactions are laced with humor and biting commentary, but it’s the way they slowly come to understand each other that truly pulled at my heart.
And then there are the ghosts! The haunted castle is practically a character in its own right, with its atmospheric chills and spine-tingling encounters. The paranormal elements aren’t just window dressing—they drive the story forward, forcing Pen and Neil to confront their fears (and their feelings) while navigating a real-life ghost story. The supporting cast of spirits was particularly memorable, bringing humor, poignancy, and a touch of menace to the tale.
While some of the plot points were a bit predictable, the combination of sharp dialogue, sizzling romance, and eerie thrills more than made up for it. Wilkens balances humor, romance, and spookiness in a way that feels effortless, and I couldn’t get enough of Pen and Neil’s fiery, funny, and ultimately sweet relationship.
If I Stopped Haunting You is the perfect read for fans of romances with bite—equal parts sexy, spooky, and satisfying. If you love enemies-to-lovers stories with a supernatural twist, this book is a must-read. For me, it was the perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon, and I’ll be thinking about Pen, Neil, and those unforgettable ghosts for a long time.
When you find out an author is lying about their heritage. Which is your heritage.
This drew me in quickly with the writing that led me into the creepy setting. The dual narrators, chapters felt like overload at the beginning but, began to work in the second half of the book. I have a question, why is it implied indigenous people write horror? I am hoping Colby Wilkens plans to take this dual into a sequel!
This book had good spooky vibes and was a perfect audiobook to listen to on Halloween.
I was really excited about If I Stopped Haunting You book based on its premise and things I'd heard about it before I read it! Ultimately, I have some mixed feelings now that I've finished it. I'll start by saying, this book was really compelling - once I started reading it, I didn't put it down until I was finished with it. That said, there were several moments where I considered not finishing it because some of the haunted house/ghost story plot was actually pretty creepy and I am a giant baby about scary books/I wasn't expecting it from what sounded like a romcommy premise. I thought that aspect of the story, although it went harder than I thought it would/would have liked, was entertaining and wrapped up well.
The romance side of the story was not so cut and dry for me. I appreciated that Neil and Pen were both complex people with a complicated shared past, but I felt like we never really reckoned with their individual or shared pasts and their identities in a way that felt satisfying enough to make me believe that they were ready to jump into each other's arms, fall into bed together, and live happily ever after. They had fine chemistry, but the pacing of their relationship and the quick pivot into sex didn't feel as believable as them seeing ghosts all throughout this castle.
I believe that Wilkens is herself a biracial white/native american author so I loved getting to see that native representation/the complexity of identity politics hinted at through our romantic leads (but maybe could have used some more nuance there). I think if you can stomach your stories a little more toward scary than spooky but cute and you are a die hard enemies to lovers fan, this could be for you and it's being released at the perfect time for that!
The romance side of the story was not so cut and dry for me. I appreciated that Neil and Pen were both complex people with a complicated shared past, but I felt like we never really reckoned with their individual or shared pasts and their identities in a way that felt satisfying enough to make me believe that they were ready to jump into each other's arms, fall into bed together, and live happily ever after. They had fine chemistry, but the pacing of their relationship and the quick pivot into sex didn't feel as believable as them seeing ghosts all throughout this castle.
I believe that Wilkens is herself a biracial white/native american author so I loved getting to see that native representation/the complexity of identity politics hinted at through our romantic leads (but maybe could have used some more nuance there). I think if you can stomach your stories a little more toward scary than spooky but cute and you are a die hard enemies to lovers fan, this could be for you and it's being released at the perfect time for that!
look, as much as i understood pen’s anger towards neil, she fucked up when she threw the book at neil, permanently scarring him. i was absolutely horrified to read that scene, but, i wanted to give this one a chance.
at least until both her and neil started getting lusty moments over absolutely nothing. if you know me, you know i despise insta lust because i think it’s a cheat code used by a lot of authors to avoid writing proper relationship development. based on some of the reviews, i don’t think it would change for the better.
also, apparently the author also lied about being native, so i will be returning this book back to the library.
at least until both her and neil started getting lusty moments over absolutely nothing. if you know me, you know i despise insta lust because i think it’s a cheat code used by a lot of authors to avoid writing proper relationship development. based on some of the reviews, i don’t think it would change for the better.
also, apparently the author also lied about being native, so i will be returning this book back to the library.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
I’m not a huge fan of any sort of horror or thriller. My brain is already messed up as it is.
I really don’t need any external factors to ramp my anxiety up. But I can’t resist a good enemies to lovers. I’m not one hundred percent sure I would call this enemies to lovers. I feel like it’s more animosity to lovers. At least on Penelope’s part.
I don’t think Nate ever held animosity as such aside from the normal animosity one would hold against someone who has attacked you. I do feel like the relationship (not the lust) could have been expanded on a little bit better. On Penelope’s part, it seemed slightly forced and on Nate’s part it seemed wholly lustful.
Speaking of lust, the smexy scenes weren’t bad. At. All. I genuinely enjoyed them. The horror part of the story, though, takes the cake. I used to love watching Scooby Doo as a kid and it sort of felt like that but for adults. Mind you, I scare pretty easily but the descriptions and the language used was so captivating, I genuinely felt scared alongside Nate and Penelope.
IISHY was an interesting read. A definite departure from my typical. But not a bad one. I liked how the story was paced pretty well and the fact that it hit on several topics in the book world that are definitely worth talking about. Mainly about BIPOC authors and characters. I liked it.