𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝟻-𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎!

I honestly didn’t expect to find my favorite book of the year already in March, but I think The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley is going to be tough to beat. Not only did I adore this book, but I couldn’t even find a flaw. And trust me, I tried—this book is perfect.

What can you expect? A thrilling, #dramione coded, enemies-to-lovers romance featuring a reckless assassin, happily missing a conscience, and the no-nonsense healer he pays to help him out.
Get ready for denial, unwilling chemistry, slaughter as a love language, and, of course, a painfully slow burn that’ll have you on edge.

Aurienne and Osric will steal your heart. It’s a 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 enemies-to-lovers—lately, this trope has been seriously overused (so many books I’ve read recently can be boiled down to one of two scenarios: 1) they’re “enemies” because one of them stole the other’s candy or some other ridiculously trivial reason; or 2) they’re sworn enemies but are already in bed by page 23). This is the 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥. Not only do Osric and Aurienne come from opposing factions, but they represent everything the other despises. Watching them slowly realize the other isn’t just black or white, but full of endless shades of grey, was one of my favorite parts.

Add in an original world-building, a political intrigue plot that expands bit by bit, fantastic banter, and humor that’ll have you dying of laughter.

Did I mention the slow burn?

Slightly disappointed that this didn't resonate with me like I hoped but the buzz has been great so it looks like it has found it's right audience! The writing style is great, looking forward to future reads.

I took a while to come up with a rating for this one!

While I enjoyed my time with this story, I felt that the world building was both incredibly detailed but also not explained very clearly. There was so much terminology (granted, explained in the glossary), that I simply could not keep up, and as I was reading digitally, I just couldn't be bothered having to scroll all the way to the glossary to check the meanings. There were so many times when I felt confused at a medical explanation or term and it took me out of the story a bit trying to understand.

Having said that, the banter and relationship of the main characters were definitely a highlight. The slow burn was very satisfying, and I especially adored the second half of the book where both characters see each other more than just a means to an end. I thought the development of their relationship was done really well. And the banter.... incredibly satisfying.

The side characters fell a bit flat, and I feel like it would've made the world and the main story stronger if they were more developed.

Overall, a solid read, especially in the second half ( although I did not expect this to not be a standalone...).

Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital copy of this book!

This was so freaking good; I don't even know how I'm supposed to function now that it's over. I want and need book two immediately.

I am a huge Dramione girlie. I love them, and always devour any new AO3 fics. So of course, I've read Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love and adored it. It is one of my favourite fics of all time, and is a perfect example of why Dramione is the best. Now, whether this has affected my reading of Irresistible Urge, remains to be seen.

So I couldn't believe it when it was announced that DMATMOOBIL was being traditional published, AND being traditionally published by Orbit (one of my favourite publishers). I was beyond excited, and was already planning my shamelessly begging email request.

This book is so freaking good, I don't even know where to start. I love so much that although the characters have obviously been changed and adapted to fit the story, there are still shadows of Draco and Hermione. They're still in there, but not enough to put you off if you're not a fan of the ship.

And the humour! Oh my GOD this book is so funny. I'm such a boring reader who never laughs out loud while reading a funny scene, but this book honestly had me laughing out loud while clutching my sides. Brigitte has managed to perfectly capture the British humour; I can just imagine some of these exchanges happening.

The slow burn enemies-to-lovers is giggling, feet-kicking perfection. I'm not typically a fan of a slow burn (I'm too damn impatient) but maaaan this was good. You could see the hate bubbling into something more before their (and our) eyes; morphing into something akin to friendship or even more. I adored it. And I think the ending was perfect for the slow burn too; it doesn't feel too torturous or quick. It's a really nicely paced and effective slow burn.

I think the story gets better the further into you get; I feared at the beginning that I was struggling to properly engross myself in the story. However, the more the story developed and the relationship between the two of them developed, the more I struggled to put the book down.

I really enjoyed this one and cannot wait for MORE!

Coming out July 8th and I’m already sat for any special edition out there✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My reading experience can be summarized by “came for the Dramione fanfic vibes, stayed for

• the absolutely captivating and quirky writing style
• the laugh-out-loud puns
• the characterization
• a REAL slow burn enemies to lovers romance
• a simple yet effective worldbuilding
• did I say REAL SLOW BURN ENEMIES TO LOVERS ROMANCE? yes? Beware, it’s the slowest burn ever”

This is for you if you liked Assistant to the villain, The Love Hypothesis and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries✨

Thank you @netgalley and @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for giving me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

Alright, I received an early copy of The Irrestible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy , so I was pretty eager to read it, seeing all the stuff about it. Unfortunately, it took me a while to get into the book. The writing style, especially in the first few chapters, feels kind of disjointed and clunky. Sentences feel weirdly short, which made it a little difficult to understand what was going on.

However, once you get past the first maybe two chapters, the story really picks up from there and once Aurienne and Osric meet, that's when it truly shines. Their banter is absolutely hilarious, and the enemies-to-lovers (yes, they're true enemies) dynamic really makes the story what it is. Their reluctant partnership is born out of desperation from both their sides, Osric needs a healer for his sickness, and Aurienne needs funding to help battle against a vicious disease. As they work together, and grow slowly (and I mean slowly) close, their banter becomes more and more funny.

I did think the humour was a tad bit juvenile, but if you're like me, you'll end up finding it pretty funny after a certain point. What I would have loved though, was getting to know more about the magic system of the book. We did get a lot of hints about it, but perhaps a little more information would have been nice. It seems pretty interesting though, and hopefully we get to learn more about the power division in the next book.

Overall, The Irrestible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy was a pretty fun read, and I will be looking forward to book 2 when it comes out!

I went into this not knowing that it was basically fanfiction. Wish I had..

These sorts of books rarely work for me and this was no exception. The writing was so over the top and annoying, I did not feel any connection to the main characters or any characters really and there was no world building to speak of. They mentioned London sometimes, there was magic and they belonged to these orders but nothing was explained in a satisfying way. I had no real concept of this world, its characters or the time frame it was supposed to be set in.
And that confused me sm up until I found out about the fanfiction. Then all of a sudden, it made sense. Because if you write fanfiction the world and the characters are already established. You don’t need to work on that because most people already know Hermione and Draco, you don’t have to develop these characters because they already exist. But if you take the fanfic out of its natural habitat then that background information falls away, and you do need to work on characterisation and world building to create a new story that can stand on its own. And that just didn’t happen here imo.

All the above is obviously enough to make me dislike the book but to top it all off there were these weird immature dick jokes everywhere. Idk if I even want to call them jokes because I never found it funny, but other people seemingly did so take that as you will.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher Little Brown Orbit and author Brigitte Knightley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

The banter? Hello?! Miss Brigitte here knew what she was doing when writing their story.
But first let's begin from the very start. A deadly, charming assassin condemned to death by his own body rotting inside from the Fyren Order of Assassins by the name of Osric Mordaunt needs a healer, a good healer, and the only one that has a shot at saving him goes by the name of Aurienne Fairhrim. The problem? Aurienne is an Haelan, enemy order of the Fyren. who wants nothing to do with him.

But when fundings to save children become scarse, and Aurienne decides to take secretly the assassin unwillingly under her care, everything changed.

They're there opposite: light against shadow, life against death, good against evil. Aurienne wants nothing to do with him just as he much as he hates her being the only one that can save him.

Them being opposites is exactly what makes this book so interesting. Their banter was hands down one of the best I've ever read. And can we just talk about the slowburn inside this book? I was burned, skin scorched as I kept on going, flipping thought pages as I tried tasting more of their growing hating relationship.

The only reason this isn't a 5 star was because in some way it felt as nothing actually happened that made the plot move a lot. even if it did - and I assure you it did, it still felt as way too many doors had been opened and barely a couple had been closed, much less closure than I expected.

4.25⭐️ 0.5/1🌶️

ADD. THIS. TO. YOUR. TBR. NOW.

A few key features of The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy:
🖤 Enemies to lovers
🔥 Slow burn
💬 Witty banter
👀 Dual POV
❤️‍🔥 He falls first—and harder
✨ Dramione vibes

Three things I need to say right off the bat:

1 - I highlighted SO MUCH in this book. I had to restrain myself from highlighting full pages.
2 - The slow burn is deliciously slow 🔥
3 - How the HELL am I supposed to survive until the sequel is released?!😭

This book will hook you from page one and refuse to let go—even after you finish it.
Set in a fascinating magical world and told through dual POV, this story follows two intelligent idiots who both think they’re the main character.

And let me tell you, there’s no better witty banter than what happens between Osric (an assassin) and Aurienne (a healer). This is the kind of enemies-to-lovers I live for—just amazingly done.

I read the last 25% of the book SO slowly because I didn’t want it to end. I’m already itching for a re-read… or better yet, an audiobook with a full cast. I want this as a movie, a TV show—I want it ALL.

This book isn’t even released yet, and I’m already desperate for the sequel.😭

Every once in a while, a book comes along that completely consumes you, pulling you into its world so intensely that you forget everything else. The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy was exactly that for me. It was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, and I can confidently say—it exceeded every expectation.

For those who don’t know, this book is a reimagining of the beloved Dramione fanfic Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love, but it is so much more than just a rewrite. While the worldbuilding, plot, and character names have been transformed into something fresh and wholly original, the essence of Osric (Draco) and Aurienne (Hermione) is still beautifully woven into the narrative. There’s just enough familiarity to make longtime fans nostalgic, but the book also firmly stands on its own, creating an entirely unique and captivating experience.

🖤 What I Loved:

✨ Enemies to lovers & slow burn at its finest – There are few things I love more than a slow-burn romance filled with delicious tension, razor-sharp banter, and two characters who challenge each other at every turn. Aurienne and Osric deliver all of that and more. The chemistry between them is electric, the insults are laced with unspoken feelings, and the gradual shift from reluctant allies to something deeper is handled masterfully. And let’s be honest—Osric falls first (obviously), and I was right there swooning with him.

🔥 A plot that grips you from page one – What begins as a simple favor quickly spirals into a complex, high-stakes mission with political intrigue, danger, and the potential to stop a war. The way the story unfolds is brilliantly paced, keeping you constantly engaged while deepening the emotional stakes.

🖊️ The writing—just chef’s kiss – Brigitte Knightley didn’t just earn a spot on my favorite authors list—she bulldozed her way onto it with sheer talent. Her writing is sharp, witty, intelligent, and so effortlessly immersive that I found myself hanging onto every word. The humor, the depth, the tension—it’s all executed flawlessly.

⭐ Final Thoughts:

I truly cannot express how much I adored this book. If I could give it 10,000 stars, I absolutely would. From the phenomenal characters to the gripping plot to the exquisite writing, The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is easily one of my top books of 2025.

Now, the real problem? The agonizing wait for book two. Brigitte Knightley, please take pity on us!

📖 If you’ve read this or are planning to, let’s scream about it together! I need people to share this obsession with! 🙌

4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

I had fun with this one! It was my first fan fic vibe book and it was entertaining! I enjoyed the banter (even though sometimes I felt it was a bit silly goofy). This was a good slow burn enemies to lovers and fun romantasy! Sometimes I felt slightly disconnected to the plot but wasn’t too much of an issue for my understanding

this book is not out yet and I already read it two times, because I couldn't stop myself🤭

I love it so much, Aurienne and Osric banter is everything, I adore their dynamic and their arguments. It was so much fun, reading their interactions, the humour was top tier, can't count how many times I was giggling and kicking my feet over them

the plot was interesting, there were some shocking moments, overall it was delightful experience. Aurienne was great, she's the best, she stood on business and didn't take shit from anybody. Osric was... well he was just Ken (I love him too tho, cus the way he protected Aurienne - swoon😩)

and the slow burn is actually sloooooow, I love it so much that they don't immidiately jump each other

also I would add splash to content warnings and no, I won't elaborate, see for yourselves

Thank you Netgalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

So enjoyed this! Brilliant banter, adorable characters, hilarious dialogues,... it was everything you'd love about enemies to lovers, just superb. If it had 500 more pages, I'd read it, can't wait for this story to continue.

Took me a little longer then wanted as I stopped to read a new release.

I really was excited to read this book. To begin with I thought I may have to DNF it as as much as I love banter and humour it was a little too old timey in the way it was written but then I actually started to enjoy it and appreciate it!

Loved our characters and the overall story line. The humour and banter grew on me and I thought it was fantastic in the end. Very excited to see if a second book is released!!!

Thank you

I will admit I wasn’t sure about this when I first started. I found the writing to be a little clunky and it took a while to understand the world. I also found it confusing that the characters were either called either by their first name or last name depending on who’s POV we are in, but eventually I wrapped my head around it.

HOWEVER I really enjoyed this by the end! The story was fun, I enjoyed all the plotting and side quests they went on and talk about a slow burn!
At 40% I wasn’t sure I would read the second one, but now I definitely will be!

This book right here is how enemies-to-lovers should feel. The anticipation, the banter—UGH, it was all so goddamn perfect. Every interaction had me cackling and reaching to highlight every banger of a joke or insult. If you know me, you know I love a slow burn, and ohhh, did we check that box here. Each chapter had me begging for them to just touch hands or something???

I cannot rave about this book enough—everything hit perfectly for me. I don’t have a single criticism or bad word to say, just endless praise and so much love.

Brigitte Knightley’s writing is something special. It’s witty and entertaining without ever taking away from the plot. The start of any fantasy book can be a little daunting—we all know the struggle of getting through those first few chapters, lost and confused. But that was not the case here. I don’t know how Brigitte does it, but her world-building is so natural and effortless. Instead of slowly learning about the world, you’re just in it. No slow starts here.

By the time I finished, I genuinely wanted to cry because now I’m stuck waiting in suspense for the next book. And how is any book supposed to top this for the rest of the year?! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed out loud so much while reading, and my annotations? 90% of them are just me yelling LMAOOOO.

This is easily my favorite read of the year, and I don’t see anything knocking it off the top spot anytime soon.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this but omg I was literally obsessed and couldn't put it down! LOVED IT!!

Such a great book ( I’ve read the fanfic !)

Great transition from the original idea fantastic I can’t wait to hold a copy in my hands I throughly enjoyed .

Last person on earth you’d rather see give you help !

Witty , sexy and just what I was looking for

Ohh this one was really fun!

As not a romantasy lover when it's heavy on the romance, this one was a really good introduction. It wasn't spicy, slow-burn done RIGHT and I love that it's such different and witty personalities that combine in this.

Give me more romances like this and I would actually read far more.

I have always been a judge a book by it’s cover type of person, and as such I had really high expectations for this book… and oh god did it deliver. I will admit the beginning was a but confusing for me and it took me a few chapters to get into it. Once i did however I couldn’t let it go until i devoured the whole thing. The plot, the characters, the tension, the banter all met and exceeded my expectations. I would like to say a massive thank you to @LittleBrownUK for allowing me access to this ARC and a massive thank you to Brigitte Knightley for the journey she took me on.