The writing style in this is genuinely hilarious and so so unique! It was the main thing that kept me turning the page, rather than the plot or characters. Its snappy, witty, and sarcastic in a way I've never read before - so refreshing!

Unfortunately the plot and characters just weren't for me! I thought the logistical back and forth travelling lasted for too long without really leading anywhere, and I just didn't really believe the chemistry or supposed 'enemies to lovers' plotline between Osric and Aurienne. I never warmed to either of them.

It definitely picked up towards the end for me, but I don't think I'll be picking up any future books in this series.

This was very different to romantasys I have read before. A unique concept and interesting plot with some hilariously quirky characters! This served me well as an easy holiday read.

The humour in this book is its biggest commendation. I found the characters super funny and it actually had me laughing out loud on multiple occasions. The banter between our FMC and MMC was brilliant. I loved Aurienne’s plain speaking nature and how she just doesn’t stand for any nonsense she is given by Osric. She felt very iconic to me as a character.

I love a good romantasy with a mystery embedded in its plot so I was definitely onboard as these two tried to uncover the mystery behind the resurgence of the pox. The story was heaped in clever twists and fantastic banter throughout.

This is a very slow burn romance with almost little to no pay off at the end so if that’s not your jam, I don’t think this will be the book for you. Some incredibly sweet moments between Aurienne and Osric though and I’m anticipating things to heat up in book two.

My biggest draw back with this one is the world building - or lack thereof. I spent a lot of the time when reading this wondering when and where we were. I just couldn’t capture a clear picture of the setting or magic systems in place. A lot of jargon that could be confusing at times as well.

Holy moly, I think this is my fave of the year so far!?!

Thank you to NetGalley, Brigitte Knightley and the publishers for this ARC, (my first NetGalley ARC!), and it did not disappoint!

I had no idea going into this book that it was originally a Dramione fanfic and had discovered it around halfway reading, but if I had never found out until after, I honestly don't think I would have connected any dots (but the character art should have maybe hinted this to lil old me, whoops!).

We really do find ourselves a TRUE enemies to lovers, which builds EVER so slowly (did it ever end!?) but I think was done so well. I LOVED the witty and sharp banter so so much, I found myself giggling away to myself so many times. I have no idea if the author is British, but the dry and witty banter definitely read like a Brit had written it, and I think this to me made it even the more enjoyable. I was yearning SO badly towards the latter half of the book, and especially at the end, and to leave it on that cliffhanger has got me needing the sequel asap!

Our MMC, Osric (our Draco coded fellow), to me reminded me lot like Flynn Ryder from Tangled, and I am not complaining of that at all! Our FMC, Aurienne (our Hermione coded gal), was also really enjoyable to read and wasn't overly portrayed as being stuck up in comparison to Osric, but enough to create wit and banter. This was my first experience of reading an MC in STEM, which I did enjoy and didn't feel like I had jargon being shoved down my throat of which I didn't understand, and was also able to be pulled into some of the humour as well as the darker subjects.

I enjoyed the world building and how there were magical elements within the world but also within a 'normal' world. And of course I appreciated the Cumbria mention 🙂‍↕️🫡. There was a lot of world explanation at the beginning in the glossary, and although it may have been a bit overwhelming, we didn't visit all the Orders/areas of the world just yet but enjoyed the world building we did experience.

I've since preordered a special edition, and maybe this will be the first book I actually tab and physically highlight, I loved it THAT much! I highlighted many quotes on my kindle, one of my favourites being 'he looked at her as one who wished to worship, and one who wished to defile', like my LORD! I am in LOVE.

I had a thoroughly fun time reading this book, I loved our main characters, along with their deofols and a backlog of other characters, and the worlds we visited.

Well done Brigitte, thank you so much for the opportunity of the ARC, I am chomping at the bit for the sequel!!

The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley
DNF

I really wanted to love this one, but I struggled right from the start. The glossary and the way the magic system was introduced just felt super overwhelming and hard to follow. I kept trying to push through, but I just couldn’t get into the flow of the story.

I think this could totally work for readers who enjoy deep, detailed worldbuilding right away, but sadly it wasn’t for me this time.

It’s taken me a little while to decide how to start this review… For the first 20%(ish) of the book, I was growing increasingly more certain that I was going to DNF this and that I couldn’t possibly give it more than 2 stars. There is a unique magic system and world that we are immediately thrown into, with very little explanation or information about it to help our understanding. Add to that the fact that this author’s vocabulary is unlike most books that I have ever read. For each sentence, I felt like I spent much of my time debating whether to search up the definition of at least one word, try to work it out from the context or just forge on regardless without actually knowing what it means. Honestly, it was pretty hard going, throwing up words that, for the most part, I was sure were pretty made up. BUT, I stuck with it because the characters intrigued me and the enemies-to-lovers banter was pretty darn good. And do you know what? I am SO glad that I did stick with it to the point that when I finished it, I immediately searched up to see when book two is going to be released!!
After it all, I absolutely loved this (even though the ending is a MAJOR cliffhanger) and eagerly await the sequel to this.
Thank you to Brigitte Knightley, Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for allowing me to read this ARC in return for my review. All opinions are my own.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Osric Mordaunt, member of the Fyren Order of assassins, is in dire need of healing. Naturally - such is the grim comedy of fate - the only healer who can help is Aurienne Fairhrim, preeminent scientist, bastion of moral good, and member of an enemy Order.

Aurienne is desperate for funding to heal the sick - so desperate that, when Osric bribes her to help him, she accepts, even if she detests him and everything he stands for.

As Osric and Aurienne work together to heal his illness and investigate the mysterious reoccurrence of a deadly pox, they find themselves ardently denying their attraction, which only fuels the heat between them.

Unfortunately, I believe this book should have just stayed a fanfiction. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it as fanfiction. As a result of this, there is no world building whatsoever. London and Kent are mentioned, French words are sprinkled without and there is the mention of the Norman Conquest. The magic system isn’t really explained either so I don’t know how it works.

I agree, this is a slow burn, enemies to lovers and nothing really happens until you hit the 90% mark but then it falls flat. I felt really detached from the characters, I wasn’t rooting for them or cared what happened. I am really disappointed as I was really looking forward to this book and I genuinely tend to enjoy everything I read, whereas unfortunately I feel as though I wasted my time reading this book.

The humour was really hit and miss for me, there were so many dick and ball jokes, piss was mentioned a million times as well as the word anus. Some things I did smile at whereas other things I cringed at. Also so much unneeded complex vocabulary was thrown in, it very much felt like a thesaurus had been used every couple of words.

Perhaps you would enjoy it if you have read the fanfiction before, but it really wasn’t for me (which is saying something as it takes a lot for me not to enjoy a book!) I actually came close to DNFing.

Again, thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for allowing me to read this ARC in return for my review. All opinions are my own.

This book was not for me.
I felt like the world building was missing, with the exception of the info-dump before the book even started which was a lot to absorb in a few pages with no context. There was huge potential here but it seemed to be skipped over.
I also just could not cope with the constant toilet humour, it was just way too much for me and i didn't find it funny or endearing at all.

There were a few times throughout the book where i chuckled at their banter, and the story started to get a bit more interesting right at the end. I feel like it could have been done in one book rather than two.
But the toilet humour just made it a no for me personally.

I think there’s a clear divide in reviews for this book based on whether people have a connection to the original fanfic or not. I really tried to separate the two while reading, and I think without the background world knowledge provided by the original IP this work does suffer a little.
That said, it’s still a lot of fun, the enemies to lovers is still really well done and if you’re a fan of cheesy tropes and witty banter (I am, I say this as a compliment!) I think you’ll like this book :)

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Going into this I did not know that this is was basically fan fiction and after finishing reading it that makes sense.
There was literally no world building at all and I felt quite confused at certain points, if there was an extra 50 pages that contained world building that would have made the book a bit better. I feel like the character and storyline fell flat as well for me. For these reasons it had me questioning if I should DNF this book, but I carried on as I received this book as an ARC.
This book also has a glossary so as soon as I saw that I kind of knew I would not get along with the book.
I think this book was just not for me but I can see a lot of other people liking this book.

Loved loved loved it. The banter between the two main characters is perfection, great to have two characters so sure of themselves while navigating their feelings and interactions with each other. The world building felt embedded and understandable and made for seemless reading. I loved it.

*Thank you to the author and publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I really enjoyed this! I had read her Dramione fic earlier in the year seeing the buzz that it was being published and was interested to see how it would be prepared for publishing. However this is basically a completely different book!

The plot follows Osric (draco coded) who has been diagnosed with a terminal magic illness which will result in him losing his magic. The only person who can potentially attempt to heal him is Aurelia (hermione coded). However Osric and Aurelia are in opposing magic guilds, Aurelia in the healers guild and Osric in the assasins, and they are sworn enemies. Osric will go to any dirty and twisted length to be healed and in an enemies to lovers slow burn plot he gets Aurelia’s unwilling assistance.

What I liked:
-I really like the way she writes.
-The witty banter between characters is so fun and laugh out loud.
-The plot is really creative and interesting and I liked the world building (although I found it a bit confusing at times).

What I didn’t like:
-10 pages of glossary in the front to explain the world building, i prefer world building to be within the book and found there were maybe too many fantasy words with not enough in book explanation.
-the world building was very cool but very extensive and confusing, I still don’t understand the different magic guilds and countries. How did they come to be? Why are they so seperate? Is this magical world on top of reality or is this a completely different fantasy world?
-it felt too short? or not fully wrapped up. we have three plots/arcs started (medical cure, attacks/political/plague, romance) but only the romance reaches a vague conclusion. Very set up for a sequel

Overall I would recommend it and read a sequel. The entertaining prose and plot and fun romance banter makes up for the unfinished arcs and confusing but cool world building.

Congrats on the debut!!!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐔𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐊𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐲
~ 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝑩𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒅 #𝟏

The first in a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy duology featuring a scholarly healer and a gentleman assassin, set in an exquisite fantasy world, perfect for fans of The Love Hypothesis and Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

This book was utterly hilarious and fun to flip pages and read as until there was nothing left. The premise of the book was chaotic, which set the perfect tone. The magic system was certainly unique and introduced prior to reading but the introduction of the unique properties, elements and groups was very well done.

I found the plot to feel purposefully slow-moving as every action was created with intent to build up towards something that was yet to be realised. The banter between them is top notch and has me wheezing and laughing the entire time during these interactions. The hate at first sight is evident and it's a true enemies-to-lovers dynamic, where hate, loathe and murdering each other is on their mind constantly.

Aurienne and Osric matched one another's energy to perfection and were wholly unafraid to make their reluctant partnership as difficult as possible for the other. I loved how Osric continued to challenge Aurienne on her morality. The way Aurienne continues to try and heal Osric's ailment despite her personal opinions on the matter.

Can't wait for the next installment!

This is how slow burn should be done!

I absolutely loved the irresistible urge to fall for your enemy, it was slow burn at its finest. In the book we follow Osric, a member of the order of assassins and Aurienne who is the best scientist in the country, and a member of an enemy order. The whit and banter in this book had me genuinely laughing out loud. Osric has an unknown illness, and Aurienne has a Pox outbreak and thus the two are forced to work together despite hating each other, Aurienne is of the highest morals while Osric cannot understand anyone with a conscience. There is a beautiful fantasy setting with political intrigue and even a dance or two, some scenes had me smiling so much my face hurt.

I did feel the ending was a little rushed but that may be due to me not realising it was the end, I couldn't put the book down and I could have read a lot more!

This is a fantastic debut and I cannot wait for the next book in the series to see what happens to our two main characters.

Thank you to Netgalley, Brigitte Knightley, and Orbit Books for sending me the ARC copy of this book.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book at 30%. I'm a very picky reader when it comes to romantasy. I tried hard to continue this book for the world-building that I really liked, but the main characters felt a bit too flat for me. I don't like that their approach and discussions feel so repetitive and forced. After a couple of their meetings, I felt like I was reading the same chapter over and over again. Personally, three-dimensional characters are a priority in a story, and I was missing that here. The book has a very good base and a storyline, but something was missing that I couldn't get past. The book isn't bad, it just wasn't for me.

This book absolutely delighted me! What makes it stand out most is the witty, sharp, and downright hilarious writing. The humor is so well done—it had me smiling and laughing all the way through. The banter between the two main characters is everything. If you love quick comebacks, playful tension, and enemies-to-lovers energy with bite, this one’s for you.

While I originally thought it might be a standalone (and honestly, it could’ve worked well as one), I was surprised to learn there’s more to come. Part of me really wanted the resolution to the main quest by the end—but at the same time, the world has so much potential that I’m genuinely excited to see where the story goes next.

Fresh, funny, and full of charm—this was such a joy to read. I highly recommend it if you’re in the mood for something clever and character-driven with a healthy dose of attitude.

the irresistible to fall for your enemy is the first book in a romantasy duology. it follows Osric Mordaunt and Aurienne Fairhrim.
Osric is a member of the Fyren Order of assassins, who is in dire need of healing and the only one who can help is Aurienne, a scholarly healer from the Haelan Order. their Orders hate each other, and Aurienne is no different. she hates Osric and all that he stands, but when he offers the funding she desperately needs to heal the sick, she accepts. as they work together to heal his illness and investigate the reoccurrence of a deadly pox, they soon find themselves annoyingly attracted to each other.

this was such a great read, i had the best time!! the world building was so interesting and i loved getting to understand the magic system!! the writing was quite unique and i loved how it flowed with the story. it helped with the way lines were delivered and was laughing throughout the book!

Aurienne is a great fmc. she loves structure and rules, but she also loves a good challenge. she is constantly learning and upping her skills, and even if she seemed arrogant, it is well deserved. my girl worked hard!! she is also a very caring person (even if she does not show it often). her character development in this is absolutely amazing and i can't wait to see more in book 2!!

Osric is my man. he is so funny and such a great character. i loved his pov so much and he got me laughing but also tucking my hair behind my ear debby ryan style. he is unapologetic in who he is and he is quite unhinged, and i LOVE it.

onto the romance... now THIS is how you do a good slow burn enemies to lovers, like the slow burn was slow burning!! these two actually had a good reason to hate each other and it made sense, and the tension had me pacing back and forth in my room. also the banter? PERFECTION! i loved every single scene they had together and the fork scene was so iconic

thank you so much to netgalley and orbit for an earc!!

The irresistible urge to fall for your enemy follows Osric who is in dire need of medical help. The only person he can trust with his condition is Aurienne who is morally opposed to the idea of helping an assassin. But she needs funding desperately for the hospital she is working at. So they strike up a deal: she will try unorthodox methods to try and heal him in return for a sizeable anonymous donation to help find a cure for the pox threatening the children.
The dynamic between the two characters was fun, their interactions were very witty. It is a slow burn romance which is a plus.
I think I’ve come to the conclusion however that fantasy that tries really hard to be funny just doesn’t work for me.
The way the setting was described and the way the characters spoke were contradictory, as the way they spoke was very modern and it kept taking me out of the story.
The book is also very heavy on the medical jargon, and I found neither character to be particularly likeable by themselves. The best bits were their scenes together.
Overall, it’s an enjoyable read just not an absolute favourite for me.

4.5 ☆ Irresistible Bastard meets Immovable Bitch

I really didn't know what to expect when going into this book, but all I can say is I had a complete blast!
Really enjoyed this, the witty banter, and the tension between the two perfectly imperfect main characters had me smiling and laughing throughout.

Now THIS is how you do enemies to lovers - I'll need Book 2 immediately!

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me an e-Arc of this, without a doubt i'll be buying a copy for my shelf on release.

If this book isn’t already on your radar, it should be!

This book follows a healer and an assassin who must work together to cure a fatal disease, all while trying not to kill each other in the process.

One thing about the book that I wasn’t expecting was how funny it was. From the very first page to the very last, the humor never let up for a second. This humor really shines in the banter between our two leads, who complement each other so well. Where Osric is carefree and witty, Aurienne is more stoic and dry in her delivery.

This is a real enemies-to-lovers dynamic, and I ate it up. These characters genuinely hate each other, and it’s not just vibes either. The hate is rooted in who they are fundamentally as people, and it just worked so well. The romance is also very slow burn, which is my preferred style for romance and romantasy. I want to feel the tension between the characters. I want to be on the edge of my seat when they start to soften toward each other. I want to be reading until 2 a.m., unable to put the book down because he just noticed the color of her eyes. That’s what I want, and that’s what this book gave me.

The world building was a little sloppy for my taste. I’m not quite sure if this takes place in our world or if it’s a slightly altered version of it. I wish we had more information about the world as a whole—how it works and the dynamics between the different orders. I think more setup would have helped make some of the plot less confusing. I really enjoyed Knightley’s writing style; it’s very unique and worked really well with the plot of the story. However, at times it was a little much and would have benefited from another couple of rounds of editing.

As a whole, this was a well-crafted story that felt like the perfect length. It wasn’t too long or too short and set up book 2 really well. I’m very interested to see where this story goes moving forward.

Thank you so much to Orbit UK for gifting me an ARC of this book ahead of its official release.

A hilarious charming book, that has left me desperately wanting book 2! I haven’t laughed this much reading a book in perhaps ever – I HAVE to know how it ends.

From the get-go you are immediately thrown into the world and story, there’s no info dump or endless world building (in fact all you need to know is provided in a very helpful glossary). There’s no preamble, and it’s really refreshing as you are immediately hooked. You’re not waiting for the story to start.

After the glossary, any extra world building is interwoven throughout, generally introduced through conversations between characters, which made it feel very natural. You are never overwhelmed by a barrage of information that you’ll forget three pages later. Instead, you learn what is necessary when it is necessary.

The story is interesting and captivating.

It’s an enemies-to-lovers (the factions they are part of are enemies) Assassin x Healer romantasy, in which Aurienne (the FMC healer) is forced to help cure Osric (the MMC assassin) of his affliction. Interwoven into this healing journey is the mystery of a deadly pox that has re-emerged with deadly consequences. It’s a romantasy x mystery combination, that is also a slow burn. For most of the book the romance takes a back seat – it has a legitimate captivating plot beyond the romance.

The characters are amazing and so well created.

The banter? The tension? Perfection!

Osric is a fantastic MMC. He is a self-absorbed, arrogant, sarcastic, clever, witty and I love his dialogue and inner monologue. From the very first line, I wanted him to succeed. Aurienne is a competent, strong, clever FMC who knows what she wants and doesn’t want to compromise her morals. She whole heartedly believes in what she does, has excellent wit and is not afraid to go toe-to-toe with Osric.

It felt like I was reading a rom-com, and I wouldn’t hesitate to read it again.