was good, but I struggled with the pacing of the book. Unfortunately I couldn't really relate to the characters so I lost interest super quick, but I did like the writing overall and would pick up other books by the author!

I enjoyed this book, but it was nothing special or memorable to me. I thought the story was interesting and it had a lot of humour which made me laugh out loud several times. I didn't really feel the chemestry between the main characters at all times, but it was still okay. I'm not sure I will continue this series.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy is so delightfully hilarious and I genuinely can’t wait until the next book!

Brigitte Knightley has such a distinct voice and incredibly strong character writing. I adored Aurienne and Oric; their chemistry is perfect and so palpable throughout the story. I loved seeing their relationship progress - the angst, the yearning, the bickering. All of it was such fun.

I felt the world was slightly underdeveloped, but didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story, I’m looking forward to seeing how the story progresses and need more of this ridiculous duo in my life!

I would definitely recommend this to lovers of misguided romance in a low fantasy setting.

I really wanted to love this and I have tried for over a month to get through it, but I think this one just is not for me. I made it about two thirds of the way through before deciding to set it aside. On paper it had everything I usually enjoy: a slow burn, enemies to lovers and a morally grey male main character. Unfortunately the execution did not land for me.

My biggest hurdle was the humour. I simply didn’t find it funny to the point I started to find the humour bizarre. As the humour is so constant it pulled me out of the story rather than enhancing it. Osric should have been a character I loved, but instead I found him loathsome, while Aurienne came across as stuck up, which made it hard to connect with either MC. The premise itself felt original, and my disappointment had nothing to do with the fact it was marketed as fan fiction. The pacing for me was also really off, but I wonder if that is a causality of disliking the humour

I was determined to finish, so I picked up the audiobook in the hope that narration might change my experience. While the narrator did a solid job, the story just didn’t improve for me, and I quickly realised I was listening just for the sake of finishing, which made the whole thing feel like a chore.

Normally I am good at choosing books I will enjoy, but every now and then one does not click, and sadly this was one of those. It is a real shame because the editions of this book are stunning and I had even pre ordered a couple in advance.

For me this was very much a marmite read. It was not for me, but I can see how it might work for others.

This was my first time reading a Dramione-fanfiction-turned-trad-published book, and I am… rather apathetic about it.

There were things I liked and things I didn’t like, but they all accumulated into a blended mush of not really caring about anything within the story.

Let me start by saying that the author can clearly write. If I were going to compare it to something, I would say it is very reminiscent of Assistant to the Villain. It has the same dramatic, over-the-top vibes to it that need to be taken with a pinch of salt (which might not be everyone’s cup of tea).

Her dry, sarcastic sense of humour was the ultimate redeeming factor, and I found the banter to be incredibly creative and smart, with one of my personal favourite quips being ‘this specimen had the fortitude of wet quiche’. I shall now be adapting this into my own repertoire.

There were also some beautiful poetic lines threaded in, with certain scenes making me think ‘shit, I wish I had written that’.

Unfortunately, these factors were let down by the story itself. I honestly feel like the fact that this started as a fanfic was a hindrance to the final product. Not enough worldbuilding was undertaken to compensate and flesh out the missing prior knowledge that readers would have had when it was set within the HP universe. Great reams of new terms and glossary definitions were thrown at us in the first chunk of pages to try and bring us up to speed with factions and places, which instantly made my brain want to shut down. However, these did little to actually inform me of what was going on in the world and what time period we were in. There were also entire pages of magical scientific explanations that I feel should have been interesting, but were, in fact, rather dull.

Add to that some incredibly slow pacing, and I found that the interactions between the MMC and FMC were the main thing propping up the narrative. However, even that wasn’t enough, as I ended up putting the book down for weeks for a break and then picking it up again.

If I am to read a slow burn, I need yearning and strife, and to be left giddy over scenes where we are finally delivered something. I felt none of this. In the end, I wasn’t actually rooting for them to get together. They are just too different; their morals are polar opposites, and the attraction they obviously feel is not a good enough reason to abandon their principles in order to be together in the end.

In essence… I enjoyed the writing, but I just wanted so much more from it than what it delivered. I honestly believe that if the author were to produce her own work without an initial basis in a pre-existing universe, she could create something amazing.


Would I read again? Maybe, if I were to read book 2 when it comes out.
Would I recommend it? Potentially.
My star rating: ★★★★

I’ve picked this up a few times and unfortunately I just cannot get into it. I am gutted as I really wanted to dive into this book, but for some reason it’s just not for me - I think maybe it was the writing style.

Sadly I think this is a case of right book, wrong reader.

Thank you for the opportunity to read.

3.5 ⭐️

Admittedly, my reasons for requesting this book (thank you @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for approving!) was because it is based on a Dramione ff. Having read the book, the respective female and male protagonists have the Dramione aesthetics but otherwise bring their own quirks to their personalities. The author has thankfully used their creative and imaginative freedom to flesh out the characters to complement both the narrative and their own individual arcs.

The writing style itself is very unique, alternating between poetic prose/Old English and then dark comedy, and many times "laddish" humour. When I say I haven't read anything like this before, it is no exaggeration. I found the writing a little jarring when I first picked up the book but gradually adjusted and found it quite an enjoyable reading experience. Brigitte Knightley is in a league of her own.

The plot hinges on an opposites attract/enemies to lovers(ish) trope. This was a *very* slow burn. Aurienne is a healer, a STEM genius with a sharp wit who follows all the rules and has a deep conscience which ensures she never stays off-path. Comparatively, Osric is an assassin, zero conscience and a dry humour, would add to his kill numbers just for the sake of it and ethics and morality doesn't exist in his vocabulary. The mutual hatred (and pining) was expressed well in the book, any indication of attraction or admiration was quickly conveyed as disgust by the respective leads so you don't actually see them acting on their thoughts until around 80% of the way through. The dialogue and dynamic between them keeps things interesting and the author also uses the opportunity well for world building in the meantime.

The magic system is new and there are consequences for using too much which was interesting. The supporting characters enhanced the plot, the familial messengers brought their own snark, wit and humour to the narrative. At times, I did get a bit lost as it felt like there was too much going on, and the writing felt abit slower paced in the middle of the book but it picked up again after the halfway point.

I'm hoping there is more romance in the next book - on balance, there was probably enough here as an introduction. I loved seeing the bond strengthen between Aurienne and Osric, and I did find myself swooning and championing them towards the end. I wasn't sure if I'd read the next book (the world building was feeling a bit complex for me) but of course I'm now fully invested in their story and can't wait to see how it concludes.

What to expect:

- Healer FMC x Assassin MMC
- Forced collaboration /Forced proximity
- Unique magic system
- He falls first (and harder)
- Forbidden romance
- Witty banter
- (Very) slow burn romance
- Dark humour
- Trigger warnings

Thank you so much @netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for providing an arc in exchange for an honest, unedited review.

dnf @ 32%

I wanted to love it and I thought the premise had promise. But it's definitely not the book for for me, I just did not click with the writing style. And it definitely would have ended up being just a three star read or lower but I don't see the point in continuing unfortunately. I was unsure 11% and I thought I'll stick it out a little while longer but honestly the lack of world building or even true plot development just had me confused.

I received an Advance Reader Copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review — and I genuinely had the best time reading this.

This debut is a clever, genre-bending blend of romantasy and comedy, anchored by an enemies-to-lovers relationship that unfolds through biting sarcasm, magical mayhem, and some of the funniest banter I’ve ever read. The pacing leans slow-burn (truly slow), but that only makes the tension more rewarding.

Knightley crafts a whimsical yet emotionally grounded world, with a lead duo who are as combative as they are compelling. Osric and Aurienne’s dynamic is savage, witty, frustrating, and deeply satisfying.

The writing sparkles with intelligence, and the prose often reads like fanfic in the best possible way: indulgent, self-aware, and deeply entertaining.

Readers who enjoy fantasy with strong character voices, chaotic magical energy, and sharp romantic tension will love this book.

And perhaps the most exciting part? This is only book one. That’s clearly just warming up.

🎉 Huge thanks to NetGalley and Little brown book group UK for the opportunity to read and review this

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free ARC in exchange for a review!

So I think this is an alternate history timeline? There is a very brief mention of how they should have just "let the French have their bloody Norman Conquest and be done with it", so I think that's part of the conceit, which is fun! And, there is some excellent humor here! I especially enjoyed Mrs. Parson and her relationship with Osric. I also always love a trigger warning in a book.

But, okay, here's the problem with a glossary at the beginning of a book. I think it gives the author an excuse not to fully explain things in the text. And the issue is, the glossary at the beginning is a lot of information that I don't understand without context, and by the time I've gotten to the context in the book, I've forgotten the information, and especially in an ebook, I'm not gonna keep going back and forth for info that should be at least summerised in the text.

The magic system is very complex, and it took me quite a bit to sort out what was happening, and I'm still not fully sure I understood it properly but I was able to make it work. The "cost" is an interesting concept and I would love some more exploration of it! For some reason, every place and pub name in the book is vaguely sexual, which is... a choice. I live in the UK so I get the joke, but it was a lot at points.

Also, the thing is, the book did such a good job of convincing me that Aurienne and Osric totally hate each other and are completely incompatible that I don't actually believe they'd ever really be into each other? Either they have to have massive personality and morality overhauls or total character assassination. It's a struggle to balance enemies to lovers, but there has to be something drawing the characters together other than plot, and I just didn't find that here.

It's a pretty wacky ending, and I assume that a second book is forthcoming. Whatever my issues, I did overall enjoy the story and the wacky weirdness of it all, so I will be picking up the second book, also out of curiosity for where the hell this is going. Three confused but entertained stars!

If you want a slow burn romance here is your book for you! A full book of slow burn enemies to (hopefully in the future) lovers banter. It was witty and enjoyable and I can’t wait for the next book!

I liked it more than I thought I would honestly.

One thing you should know about me is that I dont like Hermione and Draco fanfictions, so I was surprised when I later on realized that this was EXACTLY that. And it was surprisingly pleasent. The banter, the love story, the snickering, the whole progress of them slowly finding each other was EVERYTHING!

The writing style of Knightley played a huge role, since thats somethiong that can ruin a story if poorly done, but I actually liked it a lot. Very good pacing, a little bit too descriptive sometimes but nothig that really throws you off.

Overall a very cute and well written love story. Definitely recommend!

4/5 Stars for me

Get ready for this!
If you are down for the best banter, for "he falls first and harder", for tension, yearning and the slowest slow burn which includes that you won't have mich spice in here (but who needs this if the tension makes up for it?) - this us your book and your call to read it!
The ending tho? Really abrupt. It is a duolgy but we aren't talking cliff hanger, we are talking it just ends. basically mid-scene.
This book leans strongly towards humour, ceep that in mind, but it worked so well for me!

I confess I struggled with The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy. It took me a while to get into the writing style and the novel felt a lot longer than it is. I paused at 40% because very little actually happened and although I picked up the novel a few weeks later and found the second half much easier to read, my overwhelming reaction was 'Is that it?' While things finally happened the pacing remained very slow and nothing came close to being resolved.

Given the writing style grew on me and I ended up finding the over the top descriptive language amusing, I will continue with the series (although it should be confined to a trilogy at most).

I LOVED this book!!

The enemies in enemies-to-lovers hit so hard, and the slow burn (that's still going!) just made it even better. The story was so easy to follow but still engaging.

My personal favourite part is that there is a biological explanation behind their magic and why it can be hindered sometimes. The science of it all made me so excited and so happy, especially as a scientist.

10 out of 10 for everything, I can't wait for the next one

I had never read the fanfic that was written before this book so I went into it without that bias. And honestly, I don't get why the marketing was so focused on the Dramione aspect of this. There was nothing that reminded me of the source material for the fanfic tbh and it felt like it stood well on its own feet.

We follow Osric, an assassin and Aurienne, a healer as they reluctantly come together to save Osric's life. They come from opposite worlds and despise each other. But since this is a romantasy there is an attraction growing between them slowly. And I mean slowly. The slow-burn was one of my favourite parts of the book. The other highlight is the banter, which is outstanding!

The worldbuilding is very intricate and an integral part of the story. Although, at some points the narrative loses itself in all the details a bit. In these moments the pacing was a bit wonky. I like well described fantasy worlds but here it could have used a bit more show don't tell.

But I really liked the two main characters and their relationship with each other. I wish more books would take their time to develop a couple especially with enemies to lovers.

I also really enjoyed the writing style. It felt light and fresh and a breeze to read.

I'm very much looking forward to the next book.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy is a fun, romance that delivers on charm and emotional moments, though it didn’t fully capture me in every aspect. Brigitte Knightley writes with a playful, engaging voice that makes it easy to connect with the story’s humor and romantic tension. The “enemies-to-lovers” dynamic is handled with energy, and there are several scenes that genuinely made me smile or root for the characters.

The pacing is generally lively, and the dialogue sparkles at times, giving the story a sense of immediacy and intimacy. However, I found some parts of the plot predictable, and certain character arcs felt underdeveloped. The emotional stakes could have been higher in places, which made it difficult to become fully invested in the romance or the conflicts between the leads.

That said, the book has clear strengths. Knightley’s writing is approachable, witty, and warm, and readers who enjoy light, character-driven romance will likely find plenty to enjoy. The narrative voice keeps things entertaining even when the story hits familiar beats, and the story’s charm comes through despite some unevenness.

Overall, I’d rate this a solid 3⭐️ read — enjoyable and often fun, but not entirely memorable. It’s a good pick for readers looking for a light, romantic read with humor and heart, even if it doesn’t break new ground in the genre.

This was so fun! It was full of banter, quick wit, and I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers aspect of it as well. I also really liked the magic system and felt it was unique. Such a fun time and I cant wait for book 2!

Having turned the final page of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy, I’m left utterly charmed and delightfully frustrated - the smoldering tension between Osric, a dying assassin, and Aurienne, a brilliant healer bound by her ethics, crackles with stubborn resistance and sharp wit. The slow-burn romance unfolds with teasing banter, bawdy humor, and moments that made me laugh out loud, even while the stakes rose in a world plagued by magic-ending illness and political peril. Every reluctant interaction pulses with chemistry as they deny their attraction - each glance and quip feeling like a victory worth savoring. Knightley’s clever world-building, vivid magical system, and the delightful contrast between Aurienne’s no-nonsense intellect and Osric’s irreverent flamboyance ground the slow burn in something substantial and uniquely engaging. I closed it with a grin, already aching for the next installment in this thrilling duology.

I liked how unapologetic the MMC was about his profession as an assassin. Not sure what that says about me.

I guess maybe that embracing who you are is essential to a healthy happy life?

weird thing to take from this book of murder and espionage and healing and romance

but here we are