I liked the witty banter and the overall story. For me the world building fell a bit flat. I will recommend the book in our store at any case.

Sometimes you just want a romance that's pure chaos, and The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy absolutely delivers. I loved this book. It's a hilarious, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers story featuring two characters who are, frankly, pompous idiots (and that's exactly what makes them so lovable). The banter is the highlight here. Every interaction between the leads crackles with wit, sarcasm, and just the right amount of absurdity. Their dynamic is less "will they, won't they" and more "how are they still this delusional about their feelings?" in the best possible way. Stylistically, the writing leans hard into telling rather than showing, but it feels like a deliberate choice that matches the rhythm of the story. Instead of feeling like the narrative is passive, Knightly uses these moments to deliver punchy, sharp commentary that keeps the humor front and center. If you're a romance reader who loves enemies-to-lovers tropes, clever dialogue, and characters who can't get out of their own way, this should be at the top of your list.

I really really wanted to love this. Unfortunately it just didn’t pull me in and I really wasn’t invested in this one. It eventually picked up and started to get interesting at 85% but by then it was so close to the end that it didn’t make up for how slow I found the rest of this book.

I found the world building a bit lacking (and honestly a bit confusing). I would’ve loved to have seen a bit more exploration of the world this book is set in and understand the magic system, however this was almost completely absent. There was a plot line but also nothing really happened? It felt like there was simultaneously too much but also nothing going on.

There are some humorous moments and plenty of banter between the MCs which was great! Also plus points for them actually being enemies!

This one just wasn’t for me unfortunately! 2.75 stars 🌟 thank you to Netgalley and Berkeley for the ARC

5⭐️

I could not put this book down.
It had me yearning and laughing in equal measure.
I was entertained from cover to cover and desperately need book 2 now.

Main points:
- Historical Fantasy
- Enemies to Lovers
- Slow Burn
- 3rd person
- Character driven

The crude sarcastic humour and banter between our two main characters, Aurienne and Osric, was executed perfectly and really fit with the characters and the story. There are so many lines and puns that stick out in my mind that will forever change my view of said things, but I will save the joy for you to discover 😂.

This is a true rendition of enemies to lovers. It is hard to convince me that two characters truly hate each other, but this book delivered and more. The slow burn had me yearning so bad for both the characters and I’m left desperate for more!

This is written in third person following Aurienne and Osric and is heavy on character dialogue. There is a glossary at the beginning to help you understand the different orders and their magic. I only looked back twice to refresh otherwise it stuck or was easy enough to work out with the context of the story. Given that it is a character driven story and a historical English setting (Mercia/Northumbria like times) there is little world building or exploration into the magic system other than what we need to know for the two characters. However, based on the ending I have a feeling book 2 will satisfy my curiosity and will need to delve deeper into this aspect to follow where I believe the story will go.

I can’t wait.

I will say, that this took me a few chapters to get to grips with as there was a lot of lore and world hurling and some of the terms were a bit confusing but once I got to terms with that I really enjoyed this book.

The banter between Aurienne and Osric was so fun and definitely delivered on the enemies part of the enemies to lovers. It did feel a bit slow at parts, until I remembered that this was the first book of a series of which was when the slow burn of the narrative and the romance made perfect sense. I thought the last 15% of the book was so good and I cannot wait to see where the story goes.

2 ⭐

I had high hopes for this book, but it fell short of my expectations. While I appreciated the concept behind the book, the characters felt flat and underdeveloped throughout the entirety of it, making it hard to connect with them and their views and choices. I felt like I was watching the story unfurl as a spectator without the ability to actually feel empathic toward the characeìters. The plot lacked depth and failed to capture my interest.

Overall, this book was a disappointing read. I wish the author spent more time with second characters as well, because I feel like they were left out a lot, even though they were interesting.

This was FUCKING brilliant!
Loved the mix of highly intelligent storytelling and hilarious vulgarity of this.
About the romance:
This is how you tell a perfect enemies to lovers from a dual point of view. Never before have I been more convinced of actual animosity between the two characters and their slowly growing affections.
About the world building:
I am in awe of the various intricacies of this world and how easy it was to understand it. In alle honesty, I'll have to reread this book to fully understand how Faihrhim has three different names, but that probably a me problem.
About the plot:
This was way more complicated than I thought it was going to be and I love it. This is *such* an intelligent story! At the 90% mark I started to realise that we will need a second (and maybe a third?) book to nicely wrap up all these storylines. And I am so invested in all the storylines... aaahhhh!
About the humour:
Best. Fucking. Humour. EVER. This is easily one of the funniest books I have ever read. I laughed aloud on nearly every page. Her humour is so dry and wonderful. I love how clever, witty, inventive and vulgar this was. Tbh I think I've never read a smegma joke before, and I am equally sure no one else could make me laugh about it, because I am very prissy thank you very much. Brigitte Knightley shows us that intelligence and graphic jokes can go hand in hand, it's just really rare. For starters, you need to be British to be able to write this.
I also laughed so much about words like killy (as in: did he have to look so killy?). Imagine being one of Brigitte Knightley's friends and enjoying her effortless sense of humour on a daily basis!

All in all, this was one of my favourite books ever. Loved loved loved it.

4.5 🌟

I WILL BE FERAL FOR THE FORESEEABLE THANK U LITTLE BROWN BOOK GROUP / ORBIT MWAH

I was just fed SO well. ENEMIES TO LOVERS AUTHORS TAKE NOTES PLEASEEEEE I AM BEGGING. Real conflict. Actual opposing worldviews. Genuine hate and disgust and yet. And yet and yet and yet. The yearning beneath it all is Exquisite.

Their banter had me laughing out loud actually, the dry British humour is so spot on and it’s something I notice some authors can really miss the mark on so this was a breath of fresh air.

Osric it seems I adore you. Free my man he did all of it but I don’t care. I love Aurienne as a MC please let down ur walls queen I want to know everything about you don’t be coy x

The glossary and pronunciation guides at the beginning were so helpful I love referring to things of that nature my brain is very small ! I did wish that we had a map at the beginning to refer to also but after a stalk of Brigitte’s instagram there is a map reveal post which I imagine will be included upon publication 🫶🏻

This could have had 500 more pages and I would’ve eaten it up tbh. I would’ve loved a bit more insight into the world itself/the time period we’re in but the characters and their interactions more than made up for that. A good slowburn is so rejuvenating for the soul. The worst thing about receiving an ARC for one of ur most anticipated reads of the year is how long you have to wait for the sequel but I will be sat 🫡

"The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy" is a wildly entertaining fantasy romance that completely swept me up from the first chapter. The world-building is impressively complex, layered with political tensions, history, and a vibrancy that make every page feel alive. It took a little time to get fully oriented, but once I did, I was hooked.
The characters are where this book truly shines. They’re flawed, dynamic, and so much fun to read. The tension between the leads crackles with every encounter, and even the side characters are given enough depth to feel like real people rather than background props.
The magic system is another highlight, intricate without being overwhelming, with clear rules and enough mystery to keep it exciting. It felt original and thoughtfully crafted, weaving naturally into the story’s larger conflicts.
Overall, this was an incredibly entertaining book that I didn’t want to put down. If you love enemies-to-lovers, vivid fantasy worlds, and sharp, magnetic characters, this one is absolutely worth reading.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the digital advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

For years to come, anthropologists and palaeontologists alike will be researching the sound I made when I got the email that I got this ARC. It’s only one of my most anticipated reads of the year! I loved the author’s previous work* and was incredibly excited to read her first traditionally published novel.
What can I say, I loved it so much. This book is incredibly hilarious, especially Osric’s chapters are so funny that I laughed WITH SOUND multiple times. The endless banter between Osric and Aurienne entertained me throughout. The vocabulary?? This was a lesson in etymology as well as a comedic writing 101. This is not your average fantasy romance with epic battles and fated mates and all that – and I love how this book almost doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still delivers the heartfelt moments when it needs to. And oh boy does it deliver on the YEARNING. The slow burn is SO slow, and I was kicking my little feeeet! Very often books advertised as slow burn aren’t slow enough for me, and these two seriously were ENEMIES. I love that it isn’t just a dislike, or based on a misunderstanding, as it so often is, but a real substantial difference in their worldview and beliefs. A healer who has sworn to do no harm and an assassin whose job is to do harm. And yet he is the sweet soft baby who (after 350 pages mind you) is the first one to realize that Aurienne might just be as pretty as himself, if not prettier?? And that he likes when she's bossy??

I really enjoyed the world Brigitte Knightley has created here, with the orders and the way the magic works. We don’t get a whole lot of worldbuilding regarding the Tiendoms, but then again that hasn’t really been that relevant in the story yet, so I remain optimistic that we’ll get more in book 2.

Here's the thing: I did see some flaws. Sometimes the silliness got a bit too much, when there really wasn’t a need for another dick/balls/butt joke that felt like a side quest from the already funny conversation around the plot. And I would have liked to see a bit more insight into Aurienne’s mind – while Osric’s thoughts and his general lovable idiocy are very clear, Aurienne’s chapters are told more matter of fact and don’t give the reader much about her feelings. That might have been intentional, as that would fit the character very well, but still, I wanted to see behind her mask more. All that being said though, I just loved the characters and their dynamic so much, and I love everything that makes me laugh so much, so it’s a 4.5 star read for me.

* I would like to acknowledge that this novel is inspired by the author’s previously written fan fiction based on a book series by an author I don’t support. I used to be a big fan, but I cannot enjoy the original work anymore as it, for me, will be forever tainted by that terf’s harmful legacy. Trans people are trans people and they deserve the same rights as everyone else, no question.

I was really excited to dive into The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy, I adore enemies to lovers and have heard great things. The book started off brilliantly, with a clear setup and strong enemy dynamics between the characters. However, the worldbuilding left much to be desired—confusing and minimal, it felt underdeveloped, and I would have loved a deeper understanding of the world. The pacing was another disappointment; I had hoped for a much snappier, more engaging narrative. The biggest letdown, though, was the bickering between the characters. Instead of the adult, sharp, and witty banter I’d expected, their exchanges felt more like the squabbling of very young children, which detracted from my overall enjoyment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for the advance reader copy.

I had seen a video about this being an upcoming duology based on a fan fiction and I was intrigued.
This is a fun story with the main characters have dual POV throughout the story.

We enter into an interesting magic system and different factions which don’t all get along based on their orders view points,

Our leads are funny and I enjoyed the slow crank of the romance element, the enemies vibes felt well written. Plus him falling first will always be a good read.

I look forward to reading the second half of the story and seeing where the romance goes.

really enjoyed this read! It was the perfect slow burn, like really building it up and developing the relationship. There’s a clear enemies line there that cannot be crossed. I also loved the fantasy world and thought that element of it was done well!

A well crafted magic system and a slow burn enemies (constantly bickering - loved that) to possibly something story. Irritatingly it felt like this book had at least another 25% left when it ended. Really didn’t feel like there was much of a climax and an awful lot of cliff to hang from.

First off, I would like to put out a warning about mature content, because for whatever reason, I missed it and was took by surprise in the moment (not in a bad way!).
Now, there are a lot of things I like about the book, e.g. the glossary and pronunciation guide at the beginning (and not the end) which give a quick overview and help navigate the world better from the get-go. Additionally, I would have loved a simple map just to have a visualiser of the land since the locations mentioned play an important part in the story. The world-building is exceptionally well thought out and written; I feel like I could jump right into it. My only issue was that I had to read the first chapters slower than usual because there was a lot of new stuff mentioned that I was still trying to connect.
While reading I felt like I got to know real people. Personally, I love strong and confident characters and the main characters did not disappoint! Although I couldn’t relate to Aurienne in the beginning, she grew on me after I got to know her better. An aspect I was especially drawn to is that the main characters are grown adults with life experience! Even minor characters are described so lively and diverse that I was able to recognise them with only a few details given.
The story stays true to its title - it is true enemies-to-lovers. Even though it is more fantasy than romance, it is what to be expected of a slow burn unfolding over multiple books. That being said - enemies-to-lovers-enjoyer know how to be patient. Although I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel and dive even deeper into the lore (because I know this is just the beginning). This is why I rate this book with four out of five stars.
Thank you Little, Brown Book Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

As a Dramoine reader, I cannot describe the excitement I had when I got an ARC of this book. I screamed, called my husband and could not believe my luck. This author has an incredible fanfic so this traditionally published rewrite was right up my alley. So my star rating probably seems surprising with this pre-amble. Here's what I liked about this book:

- This is a true enemies-to-lovers book, lots claim it, few live up to the hype, Brigitte 1000% delivered.
- The premise is incredibly intriguing
- Story really picked up at the 80% mark with lots of action, adventure and character development.

Some critiques I had that made this a three star rating:

- The world building is so abysmal that there were times I had to set the book down and roll my eyes. In one chapter a character has ancient animals that don't exist today on the walls while the next chapter has a lady of the night with a filmography featuring the title Big Tits 4. Where in time are we?? There's references to being French but no one seems to refer to themselves as English/British despite seeming to be in London. Where does London fall in the ten kingdoms? Who knows.
- The first 80% of this book was incredibly slow. Love a good slow burn but there was no burn, just slow. Really hard to get attached to these characters, their motivations and their development until the end. I got there, I'll read book 2 but I went through half this book thinking I would not because it was so snail paced.

Overall - if you're a Dramoine fanfic reader, I would lower your expectations, brace yourself for some really high amount of suspended belief to get into this world and hope that book 2 is infinitely better.

Review will be in my book emoji highlights on May 1st - https://www.instagram.com/keltaf/
*Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Despite this being one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, it unfortunately ended up not being for me—and ultimately became a DNF.

The premise held promise, but the execution just didn’t deliver. The worldbuilding felt paper-thin, especially considering the overly complicated systems of magic and lore the author tried to introduce. None of it felt grounded or fleshed out enough.

The characters lacked any real depth or development. Their personalities felt like cardboard cutouts, and I struggled to connect with any of them. What was supposed to pass for "banter" quickly became repetitive, cringey, and—frankly—immature. On top of that, the writing leaned heavily on the repetitive use of "said" in dialogue, which added nothing to the tone, pacing, or character development. It made the conversations feel flat and lifeless, and really took me out of the story.

And I won’t even go into the "nighttime scene," except to say that it was 100% ICK.

Really disappointed, especially given how hyped I was for this one. Sadly, not every book lives up to the anticipation.

This is the first in a slow burn romantasy duology and I have to say I cannot WAIT for the second book already (even though the first isn't even out yet!) this was funny the characters had hilarious banter and quick wit responses and I laughed out loud on a few occasions! The world building was excellent the pacing was done extremely well and I thoroughly enjoyed the read 🫶🏻
I especially approved of the curly haired healer (Haelen) and the white blond haired assassin anytime there was a description I practically squealed!!
So this book is inspired by one of my absolute favourite dramione fanfics "Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love" which was literally the cutest, fluffiest and funniest read ever, and I definitely see the similarities! The story is completely different as is the world building of course but the characters have off Draco and Hermione vibes with their witty back and forths, and I was totally obsessed the entire time!!!

This book wasn't for me unfortunately.

I wasn't aware that this was originally fanfiction, let alone of Dramione. A very toxic and confusing ship.

The world building didn't hit for me, the characters missed. I wasn't a fan of the banter. I just did not enjoy this, which is sad because I was looking forward to it (before finding out it was fanfiction.)

Thank you for the arc, I really appreciate it.

This is a true enemies to lovers slow burn! Everything I love in a book all wrapped up in one pretty little package. The characters are witty and the banter is next level! I laughed, cried, rejoiced, and wanted to throw my kindle across the room several times over. I cannot say enough good things about this book!