The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy sounded like (and actually started like) a super fun fantasy romance with an interesting plot and a lot of tension between the characters. And actually, during the first chapters it made me chuckle with its jokes and banter.

Unfortunately, the banter was not enough to keep me interested in the story and the jokes got a bit too repetitive. Although I was super curious about this magical world, there were not a lot of explanations on how things worked.

I did finish the story, as I said, I was curious but even with the huge cliffhanger, I am not sure whether I will be reading the next book.

I love a good enemies to lovers and this delivered but with a comedic twist!

It took a while for me to get to grips with the magic system and world, however, once I did I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how the magic works in this world. The banter throughout kept me gripped and I did love the absurdity of some of the moments in this book.

I don't want to spoil too much but if you like enemies to lovers, with a complex magic system and some funny moments this is worth a read.

I can't wait to see what else is instore next for these characters...

When I got the notification that I had been approved for this, I was so excited! I love a good enemies to lovers so had high expectations. A few people had mentioned it had Draco and Hermione fanfic vibes too so I was hoping it would be a 5 star read.
The premise of the story was an interesting one and I liked the idea of two ‘Orders’ or groups of people being forced to work together even though it is forbidden.
The writing style is very casual and it made it an easy read - almost like a ‘fly on the wall’ style with some ‘breaking the 4th wall’ type moments. If you want a true enemies to lovers, I wouldn’t suggest this book as there was more of an ‘annoyance’ between the two of them rather than hate. It was humorous and I liked the fact that it felt very ‘British’ in the humour it used. I do feel however that the plot wasn’t very gripping and I was disappointed by the ending.. it felt very unfinished but not in a way that a well crafted cliffhanger leaves you.

Brigitte Knightley’s debut romantasy is a delicious slow-burn enemies-to-lovers tale, brimming with wit, yearning, and absurdly sharp banter. Set in a richly imagined fantasy world, it follows Osric Mordaunt, a morally grey assassin, and Aurienne Fairhrim, a brilliant healer from a rival Order. Forced to work together to cure a deadly illness, their reluctant partnership sparks tension, snark, and undeniable chemistry.

Knightley’s writing is clever and theatrical, with dialogue that dances between hilarious and heartfelt. The characters are delightfully flawed, Aurienne is prickly and righteous, Osric is charmingly insufferable and their dynamic is pure chaos in the best way. The world-building leans Victorian with a twist of magical academia, and while the pacing is slow, the payoff is worth it.

Some of the humour is dark and the prose occasionally dense, but the emotional beats land beautifully. It’s a story of grudging respect, reluctant admiration, and the kind of hate that feels suspiciously like love.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy is a quirky, trope-filled enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance with a distinctly fanfic-adjacent flair—and depending on your reading tastes, that’s either a selling point or a warning. Drawing inspiration from the author’s popular Dramione fanfiction roots, the novel carries that same chaotic charm and sharp banter that longtime fanfic readers will recognize. But where fanfiction often leans on shared character knowledge, this book sometimes stumbles in establishing its leads—Aurienne and Osric—as fully independent, well-rounded characters. They’re enjoyable, stubborn, and sparring constantly, but they often feel like shadows of their original fanfic counterparts rather than fully realized figures in their own right.

That said, the world-building is surprisingly solid. Once you get past the early info-dump (which can feel a bit like being dropped into a magical Wikipedia article), the setting opens up in interesting and original ways. The stakes rise toward the end, and while the plot has a few detours, it manages to tie itself back together for a satisfying conclusion.

Humour is central to this book’s identity, and it’s unapologetically “online”—think capitalized Irony, absurd metaphors, and more than a few penis jokes. For some readers, this tone will be delightful; for others, it might feel a bit too immature or jarring. The writing doesn’t aim for elegance—it leans into its own brand of chaotic irreverence, which works well as a fun, unserious read, especially between heavier novels.

Romance-wise, the slow burn might surprise readers expecting instant sparks. The emotional development is there, though sometimes overshadowed by the snark. It’s more about tension and grudging admiration than sweeping declarations, which may appeal to fans of drawn-out dynamics.

Overall, The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy is an entertaining, if uneven, ride. It doesn’t quite live up to the hype for those expecting a polished fantasy romance, but it’s a fun, feisty book with a unique tone. Perfect as a palate cleanser when you’re in the mood for something unserious, tropey, and a little bit unhinged.

was v excited for this but i feel it'd be hard to read without the context of harry potter. not sure how i feel about the publication of harry potter fanfiction from an ethical standpoint.

Ich habe die Fanfiction nicht gelesen, auf der das Buch beruht. Aber der Fakt, dass es auf Dramione beruht war für mich ein großer Faktor das Buch lesen zu wollen. Aber auch ohne den Dramione Bezug hätte ich das Buch lesen wollen. Allein der Titel und das Cover sind sehr ansprechend und der Klappentext hätte mich endgültig überzeugt.
Schon beim Lesen des ersten Kapitels war mir klar, dass ich das Buch lieben würde! Dieser trockene, dunkle Humor ist einfach herrlich und das Buch lebt von den Schlagabtauschen der Hauptcharaktere. Die Liebesgeschichte ist wundervoll umgesetzte, dabei tue ich mich mit Slowburn Romances oft schwer. Hier hat es mir jedoch sehr gut gefallen.
Generell sind die Charaktere sehr gut durchdacht und wachsen einem schnell ans Herz. Auch das Magiesystem hat mir sehr gut gefallen.
Der Schreibstil ist wie bereits erwähnt durchzogen von Sarkasmus und schwarzem Humor, gleichzeitig aber auf seine eigene Weise wunderschön und leicht zu lesen. Einfach ein wundervolles Buch.

The slow burn was so satisfying. The relationship built up at just the right pace, and when the emotional walls finally came down? Worth every moment of angst. Both leads felt real, flawed, and layered — I found myself rooting for them even when they were being absolute idiots to each other (which, to be fair, was kind of the fun of it).

A few plot points were a little familiar, but honestly, I didn’t mind. It’s the kind of story you read when you want something a little dramatic, a little romantic, and totally addictive.

Highly recommend if you’re into rivals who can’t stand each other… until they absolutely can’t stay away.

A very fun read. Had a blast reading it. I really enjoyed how the author managed to carve out their own world from the inspirations. The Orders are interesting and not hard to follow. Very interested to see how the story will move forward.

Reading wise, some of the text had a white background, so reading it in dark mode was impossible, but I would assume, that would be fixed for official ebook versions.

I feel honoured to have been allowed to start reading this early. I had planned to finish it before release, but life got in the way.

Thanks to NetGalley for sending me an advance copy of this book.

I can't believe this book exists and I didn't know about it, I loved it and I can't get over it.

Let's start with the author's pen, mother of mine, I love it, I feel like she has a very light pen, all the info she gives you is very interesting and it doesn't bore you or feel heavy.

Osric is the love of my life, it's clear to me and I just loved this character, every moment was a laugh, every thought was like, this man doesn't take anything seriously.

Now yes, the tension between the two, I ADORE, is that they can't stand each other, they both think the other thinks he's smarter and more handsome, but they are two sides of the same coin and I love them, because they are definitely perfect for each other.

I loved that it's a slow burn, I feel like the way they interact and like each other little by little makes their relationship the cutest.

THE PLOT, I love it, I was super hooked, the world is fascinating and the orders interest me a lot, I hope to know more about each one in the next book, but the best thing is how you know they hate each other and they are complete opposites and yet they are perfect.

Anyway, I hope to read the next one soon, I loved this book 100%.


‘You are a Phenomenon.’
‘Don’t compliment me,’ said Aurienne.
‘Does it make you uncomfortable?’
‘Yes.’
‘Good. I like to see you suffer.’
This was accompanied by a wink. Odious.

3 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

I picked this one up because it kept appearing on romantasy recommendation lists, and while it certainly fits the genre in some ways, I wish I’d had a clearer sense of what to expect going in.

Brigitte Knightley has a sharp, clever sense of humor—but it leans heavily toward the crude and overtly sexual, which may not be for everyone. The worldbuilding, while unique, didn’t fully draw me in. The setting paints a bleak, deeply unpleasant society: corruption runs rampant, academia is undervalued, children suffer from a plague no one seems to care about, and violence and moral ambiguity are everywhere. There’s magic, but it’s mostly used for healing or killing—and possibly also for sex—though part one doesn’t delve much deeper into its mechanics.

The setting is especially puzzling. The world appears to be an alternate version of England, with references to historical figures like Franklin, Byron, Curie, and Lovelace. Yet there’s little explanation of how this world diverges from ours. The presence of electricity contrasts with old-fashioned clothing like long skirts, garters, and knights in armor. It’s an intriguing aesthetic, but it lacks clarity.

Stylistically, this reads a lot like fanfiction—which isn’t inherently a bad thing, but it may not work for readers unfamiliar with that tone or structure. Characters are introduced as if the audience already knows them, with minimal background or development. Eventually, I picked up that the leads were likely inspired by Hermione and Draco, and that “deofol” seem to function as both daemons and patronuses, but these connections aren’t immediately clear.

While there are flashes of clever prose and amusing banter, the story relies so heavily on crude humor that it undercuts the emotional and narrative depth. For instance, the scene set in a brothel reads more like an extended list of AO3 tags than a fleshed-out setting. And despite the abundance of sexual references, there’s surprisingly little actual intimacy.

If this were fanfiction, I might have stayed for the character dynamics alone—but as a standalone, original work, it didn’t fully engage me. I wouldn’t recommend this to readers who aren’t already comfortable with fanfic-style storytelling, but it could appeal to those who enjoy irreverent humor and morally gray characters in romantasy settings

First of thank you so much netgalley for giving me an early copy of this, shame on me that it took me so long to finish.
I am reviewing this because I got an early copy and sadly I think this just wasn‘t for me.
I firstly want to say the banter in this is immaculate, it was the best thing of the whole book for me. I am also supporting dramione fanfic authors getting published, absolutely love this.
Now onto the book. I got caught up with the Hype and expactations with this. I Never Read a dramione fanfic before and i‘ve heard also a lot that this is nothing like the original.
It just didn‘t catch me. The characters felt kinda bland and most of the story as well. What was really bothering me tho was the there was no World Building, it felt like it was expected to just know the world through the glossary and this just threw me off. I couldn‘t get immersed in this. If you want to read a Slow Burn with a lot of banter and are just there for that, definetly pick it up. The expectatipns for this just were to high i think. Hope everyone else really enjoys this!!

I was hoping to fall in love but the writing style did NOT work for me at all I fear. But this could just be a me thing so to anyone who enjoys:
-Enemies to lovers
-He falls first
-Slow burn
-Hypercompetent idiots

Give this a shot if this sounds like your thing!

Thank you Orbit for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

razor-sharp banter, a snarky-soft heroine, and all the delicious enemies-to-lovers tension I could ask for.

You know that feeling when you want to fall head over heels for a book, but instead you just… trip a little and awkwardly keep walking? Yeah. That.

This one starts with all the right ingredients: snappy dialogue, crackling tension, and a heroine who’s equal parts smart-ass and soft-hearted trauma burrito. She’s flawed in a way that feels real (and not like a quirky Pinterest board), and her internal monologue had me cackling, then wincing, because same, babe.
The cast around her? Solid. Protective siblings, ride-or-die besties, even a mentor character who radiates emotionally-repressed wisdom. It should’ve worked.
But somewhere after the midpoint, the story started recycling itself. Same arguments, same miscommunications, like déjà vu with better outfits. And don’t get me started on the prose—t veers into “look what I found in the thesaurus!” territory way too often. I’m all for fancy words, but if I have to Google every third sentence, I’m gonna file a formal complaint with my brain cells.
Also… is it me, or did this read like Dramione fanfic in indie cosplay? Not a bad thing (we’ve all been there), but the character parallels were almost too loud. Like, someone turn the Hogwarts dial down, please.
I’m curious enough to check out book two, but only if it brings something fresh. Otherwise, I’ll just re-read the first half of this and pretend it was a short story with potential.

I didn't like it, I know the origin of this book but it changed so much that is not even the same. It was a total new story! Which surprised me and I was so glad!
But it was difficult to engage and get fully immersed.
Somehow felt like it needed more world building so some things would make sense.
I do not like publishing reviews when the book was not to my taste but if needed I will.
Probably will reread at some point so maybe everything makes more sense.

Really Enjoyed it. Wheeze laughed at the critique crickets but my god it ended very suddenly. I've just now read that there's going to be a sequel but even still, the ending just lost it a star. I’m looking forward to book 2.

I had seen this everywhere on social media and was hooked on the premise of it being an opposites attract romance. It’s slower burn than I’d normally read but I enjoyed the dynamic between the two characters and the latter third was incredibly pacing and gripping. I’m interested to see where book 2 takes things!

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy via Netgalley.

Gut, aber nicht wie der OG fanfic. Figuren, world-building, auch Dialoge fand ich überflüssig....

Tut mir leid, aber ich bin enttäuscht. Buch ist sehr gehyped, aber grundlos

This started off delightfully funny, and I really enjoyed the banter between the two leads. However, their encounters soon became quite repetitive. I found the use of obscure language more distracting than clever. I don’t mind the occasional flourish, but having to pause to look up words like solipsistic, obstreperous, cicatriced, soi-disant, and oeillade took me out of the story and seemed unnecessary.. I'm still interested enough in the overarching plot to continue with book two, but I do think this story would have been stronger as a standalone. With the humour already starting to wear thin by the end of the book, hopefully the sequel changes things up a bit to keep things engaging.