If I stopped haunting you

Colby Wilkens

Book - 2024

""If you're in the mood for a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance but also a chilling haunted-house horror, GET YOU A BOOK THAT CAN DO BOTH! I blazed through this book in one sitting because I just couldn't wait to find out what would happen next!" - Alicia Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of With Love, from Cold World An enemies to lovers romance with a spooky twist where two feuding writers end up on a writers retreat together at a haunted castle in Scotland It's been months since horror author Penelope Skinner threw a book at Neil Storm. But he was so infuriating, with his sparkling green eyes and his bestselling horror novels that claimed to break Native stereotypes. And now she's a publishing paria...h and hasn't been able to write a word since. So when her friend invites her on a too-good-to-be-true writers retreat in a supposedly haunted Scottish castle, she seizes the opportunity. Of course, some things really are too good to be true. Neil wants nothing less than to be trapped in a castle with the frustratingly adorable woman who threw a book at him. She drew blood! Worse still, she unleashed a serious case of self-doubt! Neil is terrified to write another bestselling "book without a soul," as Pen called it. All Neil wants is to find inspiration, while completely avoiding her. But as the retreat begins, Pen and Neil are stunned to find themselves trapped in a real-life ghost story. Even more horrifying, they're stuck together and a truly shocking (extremely hot) almost-kiss has left them rethinking their feelings, and... maybe they shouldn't have been enemies at all? But if they can't stop the ghosts pursuing them, they may never have the chance to find out. Full of spooky chills and even more sexy thrills, If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens is the funny, fast-paced romp romance readers have been waiting for! "I didn't realize I needed a romance book married to cozy horror but now I'm wondering where this particular mashup has been all my life. Can't wait to read the next!" - Jessica Clare, New York Times bestselling author"--

Saved in:
1 copy ordered
Subjects
Genres
Romance fiction
Paranormal fiction
Novels
Romans
Published
New York : St. Martin's Griffin 2024.
Language
English
Main Author
Colby Wilkens (author)
Edition
First edition
Physical Description
pages cm
ISBN
9781250292902
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Penelope has one well-respected but slow-selling book. While speaking on an Indigenous fiction panel, she angrily throws a copy of it, hitting Neil in the head, and drawing blood. Formerly friends, she is now furious at Neil for the depictions of Native American characters in his best-selling series, which she thinks are harmful stereotypes. When she is invited to a writing retreat at a haunted Scottish castle, she first verifies that Neil will not be there; but arriving, she discovers he has become a last-minute substitution at the retreat. The four writers, abandoned by the groundskeeper, and soon snowbound, have strict instructions to not venture into the haunted wing. But Neil and Penelope are teamed with each other for writing exercises that take them to parts of the castle where there are secret passageways, incidents involving visions and blood, and a scary, rotting ghost. The journey from enemies-to-lovers through multiple horror tropes leads to scorchingly hot sex.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Enemies become first friends and then lovers in Wilkens's uneven debut. Native American horror author Penelope Skinner's dream is to represent Native populations in a culturally appropriate way in the genre she loves. So she's none too happy with popular fellow Indigenous author Neil Storm when he perpetuates troublesome stereotypes in his latest blockbuster. In fact, she's so incensed she has a very public meltdown. Four months later, thanks to the machinations of their mutual friend, Laszlo, they're stuck together at a writing retreat in a Scottish castle that turns out to be haunted. The horror-tinged romance that follows moves at breakneck speed, careening between moments of laugh-out-loud humor and chilling encounters with the ghost of a young woman who died waiting for her love to return. The characters similarly move between extreme emotions at dizzying speeds with little room for nuance. The novel's strength lies in its exploration of authorial intent and inequity in the publishing world, and in the spotlight it shines on Native characters, who remain underrepresented in romance. It's not perfect, but readers who like their romances both spooky and meta will want to give it a chance. Agent: Rebecca Podos, Rees Agency. (Oct.)

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review

DEBUT Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm, both Indigenous American authors, had an argument at a very public, crowded event. In the months since, both have had writers block, and Penelope's reputation is heavily tarnished. When a mutual friend invites them both to a writing retreat at a haunted Scottish castle, they each accept, unaware the other is attending. They're both horror writers, but neither Penelope nor Neil believes in ghosts. When strange noises start, they look for logical reasons, and when the odor of decay and rot permeates the air, they assume it's coming from outside. When terrifying visions appear, however, they decide to stick together to watch each other's backs. As the eeriness increases, their chemistry becomes unbearable. Trapped in a haunted castle while afraid for their safety is not the time to fall in love, but as they work together to solve their ghostly mystery, that's exactly what happens. The ghost encounters are spooky and, along with the worldbuilding, create a perfectly gloomy, creepy atmosphere. VERDICT This forced-proximity, enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy has plenty of chills and thrills. Readers will stay up late, with all the lights on, to finish Wilkens's satisfying debut.--Heather Miller Cover

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.