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2.88 AVERAGE
2.88 AVERAGE
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Penelope Skinner is a Native horror writer who gets thrust into the spotlight after throwing a book at fellow Native horror writer Neil Storm and accusing him of perpetuating negative stereotypes. The fallout has her battling writer's block bad enough that she splurges on a last-minute trip to Scotland with her best friend for a writer's retreat in a supposedly haunted castle. The problems begin when she discovers that not only is the castle most definitely haunted, but even worse, Storm is also participating in the retreat.
I enjoyed it while reading, but promptly forgot almost all about it when I finished the story. It's enjoyable but not memorable beyond appreciating that it tries to emphasize the hardships of BIPOC authors and what they have to do to get published.
Wilken's writing is good, but the switching between romance scenes and horror ones felt abrupt enough that I wonder if these were originally two ideas that got meshed into one as both elements feel incomplete.
Then there's the fact that my favorite part of enemies to lovers is the banter and seeing how the characters interact before they admit that they're crazy for each other, but we hardly get any of that as both Penelope and Neil handle things by avoiding each other or keeping quiet when they're forced to be together. Then it turns out it's just a big misunderstanding and insecure personalities and we skip most of the bantery goodness.
In the end, it's a story that I don't regret reading but doesn't stand out from the rest enough for me to want to rave about it. It has its good points but the mediocre ones outweigh it.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the read!
I enjoyed it while reading, but promptly forgot almost all about it when I finished the story. It's enjoyable but not memorable beyond appreciating that it tries to emphasize the hardships of BIPOC authors and what they have to do to get published.
Wilken's writing is good, but the switching between romance scenes and horror ones felt abrupt enough that I wonder if these were originally two ideas that got meshed into one as both elements feel incomplete.
Then there's the fact that my favorite part of enemies to lovers is the banter and seeing how the characters interact before they admit that they're crazy for each other, but we hardly get any of that as both Penelope and Neil handle things by avoiding each other or keeping quiet when they're forced to be together. Then it turns out it's just a big misunderstanding and insecure personalities and we skip most of the bantery goodness.
In the end, it's a story that I don't regret reading but doesn't stand out from the rest enough for me to want to rave about it. It has its good points but the mediocre ones outweigh it.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the read!
Found out after I started reading that the author is problematic, decided to DNF.
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So bad. Took me a month to read this because I was not feeling it at all. The writing wasn’t great. I guess it got slightly more interesting toward the end but overall I just found myself skimming pages so I could be done with it faster.
I was excited to receive this ARC ebook from NetGalley and the publishers because it looked like such a great, spooky read for the season!
If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens is an enemies-to-lovers romance set in a haunted Scottish mansion. It follows two feuding Indigenous authors, Penelope and Neil, who find themselves in a forced proximity situation during a writer’s retreat. Neither expected the other to be there, especially after Penelope threw a book at Neil’s head during a very public discussion panel. Since the incident, both writers have been creatively stuck, hoping this retreat will cure their writer’s block. But they soon discover they’re living in a real-life ghost story while snowed in at this spooky castle.
I enjoyed the spooky ghost elements of this book, and the representation of two Indigenous main characters was a major highlight. That said, the characters did feel quite young. Penelope, in particular, comes across as immature—throwing a book and then blaming Neil for the fallout was a bit much. Once they arrive at the castle, the enemies-to-lovers arc kicks in almost immediately, making it feel like an insta-love situation. It did make me laugh, though, when they’d be in the middle of a spooky, haunting scene and suddenly be all over each other.
Overall, this book is a light and enjoyable standalone romance, great if you’re looking for a quick, palate-cleansing read.
If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens is an enemies-to-lovers romance set in a haunted Scottish mansion. It follows two feuding Indigenous authors, Penelope and Neil, who find themselves in a forced proximity situation during a writer’s retreat. Neither expected the other to be there, especially after Penelope threw a book at Neil’s head during a very public discussion panel. Since the incident, both writers have been creatively stuck, hoping this retreat will cure their writer’s block. But they soon discover they’re living in a real-life ghost story while snowed in at this spooky castle.
I enjoyed the spooky ghost elements of this book, and the representation of two Indigenous main characters was a major highlight. That said, the characters did feel quite young. Penelope, in particular, comes across as immature—throwing a book and then blaming Neil for the fallout was a bit much. Once they arrive at the castle, the enemies-to-lovers arc kicks in almost immediately, making it feel like an insta-love situation. It did make me laugh, though, when they’d be in the middle of a spooky, haunting scene and suddenly be all over each other.
Overall, this book is a light and enjoyable standalone romance, great if you’re looking for a quick, palate-cleansing read.
If I Stopped Haunting You was unfortunately not my cup of tea.. It is a debut novel and there is potential there but I can't say this was enjoyable. Pen (the FMC) was absolutely annoying and incredibly childish - truly terrible. The MMC was also not super likeable. I typically LOVE enemies to lovers but these two were not worth the journey. Unfortunately the writing just wasn't strong enough to make up for the characters.
Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Griffin for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Griffin for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.