If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens

In the misty highlands of Scotland, where ancient stones whisper secrets and shadows dance in candlelight, Colby Wilkens sets her debut paranormal romance “If I Stopped Haunting You.” It’s a tale that aims to blend spooky chills with steamy thrills, enemies-to-lovers tension with ghostly interventions. While the premise sparkles with potential, the execution sometimes stumbles, leaving readers caught between moments of delight and disappointment.

A Castle Built on Shaky Foundations

Penelope Skinner and Neil Storm, our feuding protagonists, arrive at a remote Scottish castle for a writers’ retreat, each nursing wounded pride and creative blockages. Pen, a one-hit wonder struggling to recapture her mojo, sees Neil as everything wrong with the publishing industry—a sell-out pandering to stereotypes. Neil, battling self-doubt beneath his bestseller facade, can’t shake Pen’s stinging criticisms. Their animosity crackles with potential energy, but Wilkens sometimes relies too heavily on tell-don’t-show, info-dumping their backstory rather than letting it unfold organically.

The castle itself emerges as a character, with creaking stairs, hidden passages, and an ever-present aura of unease. Wilkens excels at building atmosphere, painting vivid scenes of mist-shrouded grounds and candlelit corridors. However, the pacing in these early chapters can drag, with repetitive descriptions and circular arguments between Pen and Neil slowing the narrative momentum.

Bumps in the Night (and Day)

As strange occurrences mount—whispers in empty rooms, doors slamming of their own accord – the enemies-to-lovers dance begins in earnest. Wilkens shows a deft hand with building sexual tension, crafting scenes crackling with unresolved attraction. A particular highlight involves a snowball fight that turns heated, leaving readers as breathless as the characters.

The ghostly elements, while intriguing, sometimes feel underdeveloped. The spirits of Georgina and Archie, star-crossed lovers from centuries past, have potential for rich emotional resonance. However, their backstory often feels rushed, relying on convenient journal entries and info-dumps rather than organic revelations.

Character Compass: Finding True North

Pen and Neil’s journey from antagonists to allies to lovers forms the heart of the story. Wilkens deserves praise for crafting complex, flawed characters with room for growth. Pen’s prickliness masks deep-seated insecurities, while Neil’s swagger conceals genuine artistic angst. Their gradual softening towards each other, punctuated by moments of vulnerability and humor, rings true.

However, the character development isn’t always smooth sailing. Pen’s motivations sometimes feel inconsistent, swinging from righteous anger to doe-eyed admiration with jarring speed. Neil’s internal struggles, while compelling, occasionally veer into repetitive navel-gazing. Secondary characters like Laszlo and Daniela, while providing comic relief, remain largely two-dimensional.

Love in the Time of Poltergeists

The romance itself is a mixed bag of swoon-worthy moments and frustrating missteps. Wilkens has a knack for building anticipation, crafting scenes laden with sexual tension that will have readers squirming in their seats. The first kiss, when it finally arrives, is electric. However, the transition from enemies to lovers sometimes feels rushed, with major emotional hurdles cleared off-page or glossed over in montage-like passages.

Intimacy scenes are steamy without being gratuitous, though some readers may find the frequency and explicitness surprising for a debut in this genre. Wilkens deserves credit for addressing issues of consent and communication, even if the discussions sometimes feel a touch heavy-handed.

Things That Go Bump (and Grind) in the Night

The paranormal elements of the story provide both its greatest strengths and most glaring weaknesses. When Wilkens leans into atmospheric horror, the results are genuinely chilling. A scene involving a decaying ghost pursuing the protagonists through narrow castle corridors is pulse-pounding. The mystery surrounding Georgina and Archie’s tragic past offers intriguing twists and turns.

However, the rules governing the supernatural elements often feel nebulous and convenient to the plot. The ghosts’ abilities and limitations shift seemingly at random, undermining the tension in crucial moments. The resolution of the haunting subplot, while emotionally satisfying, relies heavily on convenient coincidences and last-minute revelations that strain credulity.

A Voice Finding Its Rhythm

Wilkens’ prose shows flashes of brilliance mixed with moments of unevenness. Her descriptive passages shine, bringing the castle and its eerie atmosphere vividly to life. Dialogue, particularly the banter between Pen and Neil, crackles with wit and sexual tension. However, internal monologues sometimes become repetitive, rehashing the same insecurities ad nauseam.

The pacing suffers from occasional unevenness. The middle section of the book drags, with the ghost hunt and romantic development feeling like they’re treading water. The climax, by contrast, feels rushed, resolving major plot points and character arcs at breakneck speed.

Representation Matters: A Mixed Report Card

Wilkens deserves commendation for centering Indigenous voices in a genre that sorely lacks diverse representation. Pen and Neil’s discussions about the challenges facing Native authors in publishing feel authentic and necessary. However, the exploration of these themes sometimes lacks nuance, resorting to broad generalizations rather than diving deep into the complexities of identity and artistic responsibility.

The queer representation, while present, feels somewhat surface-level. Daniela’s relationship with Zoe, while cute, remains largely in the background and doesn’t significantly impact the main plot.

Final Verdict: A Promising but Uneven Debut

“If I Stopped Haunting You” is a book of contrasts – soaring highs and frustrating lows, moments of genuine insight and scenes that fall flat. Wilkens shows immense potential as a voice in paranormal romance, particularly in her ability to craft atmosphere and sexual tension. However, the novel suffers from pacing issues, inconsistent character development, and a sometimes muddled supernatural plotline.

Strengths:

• Atmospheric setting and vivid descriptions
• Strong sexual tension and steamy scenes
• Compelling central conflict between Pen and Neil
• Attempts at diverse representation in a genre that often lacks it

Weaknesses:

• Uneven pacing, particularly in the middle section
• Inconsistent character motivations
• Underdeveloped supernatural elements
• Heavy reliance on convenient plot devices

For readers seeking a spooky romance with a dash of social commentary, “If I Stopped Haunting You” offers an intriguing, if imperfect, escape. Wilkens is an author to watch, and her future works may iron out the kinks present in this debut.

Who Should Read This Book?

• Fans of enemies-to-lovers romance looking for a paranormal twist
• Readers interested in diverse voices in romance and horror
• Those who enjoy atmospheric, gothic settings
• Anyone seeking a steamy read with a side of spookiness

Who Should Skip It?

• Readers expecting hard-core horror or intricate supernatural worldbuilding
• Those sensitive to explicit sexual content
• Fans of slow-burn romances (the transition here happens relatively quickly)
• Readers looking for deep explorations of Indigenous issues in publishing (while present, the treatment remains somewhat surface-level)

Comparable Titles

For readers who enjoyed “If I Stopped Haunting You,” consider these similar books:

• “The Ex Hex” by Erin Sterling – Another paranormal romance blending humor, steam, and supernatural elements
• “Cemetery Boys” by Aiden Thomas – A YA novel featuring queer, Latinx representation and ghostly romance
• “The House in the Cerulean Sea” by TJ Klune – While not explicitly romantic, it offers a similar blend of found family, gentle magic, and LGBTQ+ themes

A Word on Sensitivity

While “If I Stopped Haunting You” doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, readers should be aware of potential triggers including:

• Discussions of racism and marginalization in publishing
• Explicit sexual content
• Mild horror elements and descriptions of decay
• References to historical violence and war

In Conclusion: A Haunting With Promise

Colby Wilkens’ debut may not be a flawless masterpiece, but it showcases a fresh voice with immense potential. “If I Stopped Haunting You” offers readers a unique blend of romance, humor, and supernatural chills. While it stumbles in execution at times, the core story of two writers finding love amidst personal demons (both literal and figurative) remains compelling.

For those willing to overlook some rookie missteps, this Scottish castle getaway promises steamy nights, spooky frights, and a love story that bridges both the living and the dead. Wilkens is an author to watch, and her future works may well iron out the kinks present in this promising, if uneven, debut.