This book had me howling.
The banter was great. I know this is Dramonie fan fiction but it’s excellent. Excellent world building excellent characters I haven’t laughed so hard in long time. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and fantasy slow burn Rom com.
I loved it and preordered the book!

To say I absolutely adored this book would be an understatement! I knew from the very first line, from the very first chapter title, that I was going to love it. Not only is it going to be one of my top reads this year, but it’s gone straight to my favourites list as a top read of all time.

I really loved the setting and the fact we were in some alternate reality version of the UK. All the different place names had me laughing out loud and gave the story a whimsy feel. The magic system was also really unique with the different orders, the concept of Bright vs Dusken, and the fact that magic flowed from a tãcn. I particularly loved the deofols and how they were reflective of their owner but still had a fun, snarky personality of their own.

The humour, for me, was one of the stand outs here - I don’t think any book has made me cackle half as much as this one. The sharp banter, the clever insults, the witty back and forth between Aurienne and Osric was absolutely *chef’s kiss*. THIS is how you do enemies to lovers!

And of course, our two MC’s, Aurienne and Osric. How I adore these two. Aurienne is The Best (obviously). I loved her brutal wit and that fact that she owns how brilliant she is. It’s refreshing to have a FMC who is genuinely the very best, knows it, and is admired/respected for it. I also enjoyed how she began to question her morality as the story went on. As for Osric - he is so arrogant but in the most charming, loveable, hilarious way. He has as wicked a sense of humour as Aurienne, and they are well matched in their verbal sparing. Their reluctance to work together and their mutual loathing (turned a reluctant mutual pining) had me on the edge of my seat as the story progressed. That last paragraph - UGH! So poetic. I’ve re-read it 3 times already.

For anyone who hasn’t read the fanfic this is based off - neither have I, but you better believe it’s going to be my next read because I’m now obsessed. Not quite sure how I’m going to wait for book 2 after that ending, I already feel the need for a re-read to be back in this world with these characters. 💖🦢✨

SO GOOD I AM FANGIRLING SO HARD RIGHT NOW

DMATMOOBIL lovers rejoice — this book stands up to, if not exceeds, the heights of hilarity and reluctant, yearning, Austen-esque romance of the fanfic. Taking the rough idea of the character and plot dynamics of the fic, this book completely reskins it in a new world with a new magic system and slightly different characters, though the ancestry of inspiration is recognizable. The writing is sharp, brilliantly lucid, and laugh-out-loud hilarious — especially Osric and Aurienne's snappy exchanges of exceedingly dry, British insults. This ain't some feeble pretense of enemies-to-lovers, but the genuine article. And I can't praise Knightley's prose enough — so colorful, so precise, so vocabulary-expanding, utterly economical yet written with an eye for poetic (and sometimes graphic medical) detail, in exactly the necessary amount to paint a picture while keeping scenes moving; there's never a dull moment. The rest of us may only aspire to such literary heights. My only sadness is that this seems to be the start of a duology or trilogy, and unfortunately none of the slow-burn tension is resolved in this volume, as it leaves off approximately at the midpoint of the plot arc; I shall have to impatiently await the next instalment, whenever that may come, for any resolution. (Or just reread DMATMOOBIL. Probably that. It's never a bad idea.)

Thank you Lord, Jesus, Netgalley and the publisher (I am an atheist) from the bottom of my soul for the arc.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is a fun fantasy romance with major dramione vibes! I absolutely adored Osric and Aurienne and their romance had me on the edge of my seat. Brigitte Knightley has woven such a perfect and entertaining slow burn, enemies to lovers romance that had me swooning throughout the entire book. I am so desperate for more and waiting for the sequel will be complete torture!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. From the first chapter to the moment I finished, I was captivated.
I’m utterly heartbroken that I have to wait for the second book 💔

The pacing? Perfect. The world building? Spot on.
The magic system? Stunning. Honestly, for me the book has everything you could possibly need from enemies to lovers, a delicious and painfully slow burn and hilarious banter. This book had me kicking my feet like a lovestruck teenager and laughing out loud from the get go.

I cannot and will not shut up about this book and cant
recommend it enough 👏

Thank you to NetGalley and The Little Brown Book Group for the opportunity to read this masterpiece 🙇‍♀️


Review to be posted to Fable, Goodreads, Instagram & Amazon (when published)

I loved the idea of a STEM-based romantasy story & the dual pov worked really well in this book - Osric’s pov in particular was always fun to read, while Aurienne’s also provided valuable insight into the plot. The writing had some really beautiful moments (such as the scene at the lighthouse) but it took me a while to get used to the writing style, and some of the humour became very repetitive by the end of the book. It was hard to read at times due to 1) an overuse of obscure words that made me glad I was reading on kindle so I could look them up, and 2) the capitalisation of so many words, even when they didn’t seem to have a different meaning in the book.

I understand it was written with a sequel in mind but in my opinion it should have been kept as one book or paced differently, as it felt like an odd place to end the book. Still keen to read the sequel as I was really enjoying the dynamic between Aurienne and Osric by the end, and interested to see where the plot will go!

Thank you to NetGalley & Orbit for the arc!

This was such a good read!!! I enjoyed it immensely and more than I thought it would . The banter is witty and clever and the partnership between them was balanced perfectly between actual working and the very slowly building relationship. Now THIS was a real enemies to lovers !
I do wish the glossary was at the beginning rather than the end and would have made me 100x less confused than I was . The writing was amazing at times but also unnecessarily wordy in others , using substitutions of words that could worked better had she used the simpler version and made the writing less stilted . The author also capitalized words and while it was unique and quirky , it was sometimes over kill.
I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE NEXT BOOK!!!! WHAT A TEASE OF A LAST PAGE !!!

This was a delicious infuriating slow burn. Aurienne and Osric are both such strong willed stubborn individuals and I loved their banter and development of their relationship.

The cliff hanger had me gasping but it just adds to the beautifully built up slow burn. I cannot wait for book 2.

- Enemies to lovers
- Women in Stem
- Magic
- Slow Burn
- Morally Grey MMC

Thank you to NetGallery, Little Brown Book Group and Brigitte Knightley for my ARC copy.

I absolutely appreciated the real enemy to lovers trope, the world building was exquisite, I may not be partial as I really love Dramonie fanfic, but this hit just the right spot in every sense. The magic system was different but still easy to understand. I can't wait to hold a real copy of this book in my hands.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy was the witty, banter-filled, stabby, stubborn, slow-burn romance that it was said to be, and it lived up to every expectation. Brigitte Knightley’s mind is a wonder! This book was well written and the story was set at the right pace. Every part of it was engaging! I thoroughly enjoyed Aurienne and Osric’s partnership and look forward to reading more in the series!

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for approving me to read this early, it was one of my most anticipated reads for this year. I’m rating it 3.75 - 4.0 stars.

The book has such a great presence, its witty and dry humour had me hooked plus the natural charm this enemies to lovers fantasy held was so enjoyable. The magic and world is unique with lots of layers, and I hope in the next book we get to delve more into this.

My only gripe is I wish it was longer, I felt like where the book leaves off is a little unsatisfying because we were just seeing the connections and truth all come together. I just wanted to continue on, which is still a good sign because I’m 100% going to read the next book.

4.5 stars rounded up

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy follows Osric Mordaunt, a member of the Fyren Order of assassins, who is in dire need of healing. Unfortunately for him, the only healer who can help is Aurienne Fairhrim, preeminent scientist, bastion of moral good, and member of an enemy order. After Osric makes Aurienne an offer she can’t refuse (a large sum of money towards funding for healing the sick) the two work together to heal his illness and investigate the mysterious recurrence of a deadly pox. However, they also find themselves ardently denying their attraction, which only fuels the heat between them.

Going into this book, I knew it was based on a Dramione fanfic. Although I can see that the characters are Dramione coded, this book and characters really stand on their own.

The writing in this book is very unique in its style. It oscillates between poetic prose and juvenile, crass bursts of humour. I don’t think this type of writing will be for everyone, but I personally loved it, and it is one of the funniest books I’ve ever read.

I adored the characters and their dynamic. The mutual loathing (and pining, later on) was palpable. Aurienne is a brilliant woman in STEM with a razor-sharp wit, as well as a penchant for following the rules. I really enjoyed seeing her loosen up throughout the book, and grapple with her morality. Osric is a charming, arrogant assassin with a talent for murder. Like Aurienne, he had a wickedly dry sense of humour, and the banter between them was fantastic. Although they had opposing orders and morals, it was so fun seeing them reluctantly work together, and to see a friendship and attraction build.

The romance was the slowest of slow burns, and although I was expecting (and wanted) a little more action, I think what we did get was realistic for the characters. I’m really excited to see how the romance progresses in the next book.

The magic system was very unique, and I loved learning how it worked and how the different orders used their magic. I also enjoyed that the magic has limitations and consequences for using too much. I adored the magical familiar characters, who, like their bonded humans, had so much personality and snark. The world building was not super complex, but I feel like in this it didn’t necessarily need to be. I did feel like a few things were glossed over, but it didn’t bother me all that much as I was having such a fun time.

The plot and the mystery that was unravelling kept me engaged, and I am so excited to see what the characters discover and get up to in the next book.

I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for a fun, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romantasy with plenty of wit and snark, set in an interesting world with a unique magic system. Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit, and Little Brown Book Group UK for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! The snark, the banter, the humour - it was perfect! I won’t rehash the synopsis here as you can read that in the book description but I will say that if you like your romances a little bit mean but with heart at the core then this will be perfect for you. Both Osric and Aurienne are such fun characters and complete opposites on the surface. I can’t wait to see their relationship progress in the second book. There isn’t much romantic action in this first book which I was completely fine with as I was just along for the laughs and seeing the characters develop. The magical elements were well done and I can’t wait to read more in the second book. 4.5 stars from me.

This book was insanely good. One of the easiest five star ratings I have ever given!! A true enemies to lovers.

It follows Osric Mourdant, a member of the order of assassins who requires healing and the only healer who can help is Aurienne Fairhrim, who, much to her disgust, only helps as she needs funding to help sick children. She is good and he is bad but they have one thing in common… they detest each other.

There were many things I loved about this book. First of all the banter and insults that Osric and Aurienne throw at each other is second to none. They are both super quick, witty and smart, so it makes for some hilarious conversation. Also, this is truly an enemies to lovers, they soften to each other exceptionally slowly and in a believable way. Also, the magic system was really interesting, I haven’t seen it done this way before and I liked learning about it and how it works. There is also something happening in this world that is unravelling as Aurienne and Osric work together and hints at something corrupt happening at the higher levels of the orders that kept me intrigued throughout the story and I am dying to read the second book already!

This story is rewritten from a popular fanfiction that I loved and I was worried going into this that I would compare it to the fanfiction and it feel lacking because of it. That definitely wasn’t the case here. While there are some subtle nods to the fanfiction, this is a new world, with new characters and I didn’t feel like I was rereading the fanfiction at all.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a smart and strong FMC and a morally dark MMC. While this book does have a focus on a growing romance between the main characters, it still has a really intriguing fantasy storyline which is perfect for those who prefer their books with a fantasy plotline rather than just a romance.

Brigitte has absolutely smashed this. I cannot wait to read the second book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a satisfying mix of mystery, alternative UK history, fantasy, and a touch of romance. Not to mention humour - this won’t be to everyone’s taste, but I was chortling out loud for long stretches of reading time. I really appreciated the length of time the author took to set everything up with regard to plot, (non-heteronormative) world-building and the relationship between the protagonists; the story moves at a good pace but everything feels earned. I also appreciated the genuine and justified enmity between the protagonists, which very, very slowly transforms into a conflicted respect and affection of sorts over time. I’m already looking forward to the author’s next work.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I went into this book with high hopes—the premise sounded fantastic: a scholarly healer forced to work with an assassin? Enemies-to-lovers slow burn? “He falls first and harder”? Sign me up! Unfortunately, while the idea had a lot of potential, the execution fell flat for me.

The world building and setup were interesting, and I liked the concept of Aurienne and Osric’s opposing roles. However, the characters themselves felt lacking in personality. Osric, in particular, was meant to be the “bad guy, assassin” but I never really got that from him—his character just didn’t carry the edge I was expecting. And while I knew this was a slow burn, the romance was almost nonexistent for most of the book, only showing up in the last 20 pages (and even then, just barely).

The writing itself was fine, and I appreciated the effort put into the plot, but I just didn’t feel invested in the characters or their dynamic. I ended up giving it 3 stars, mostly because those final pages finally gave me something, but overall, this one didn’t quite deliver what I was hoping for.

Would I pick up the sequel? Maybe—but only if I hear that the romance actually takes center stage next time.

This book was so much fun! I loved everything about this story, it pulled me in from the start and I was sad when I ran out of pages to read. It had some of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity and a very slow-burn.
I was giggling, yelling at my Kindle and kicking my feet. The tension, the banter, the chemistry and the yearning between the main characters was so good.
Also, the writing style was phenomenal and the magic system was really unique.
Thanks to the author for the Mind the gap I was laughing out loud every time.
I am so excited for the second book. Give it to me now, please and thank you.

One of my favorite quotes:
“What was between them? Once it had been a theater of war; now it was a no man's land. They had grown entangled in each other through reciprocities. Healing and killing, killing and healing.”

Okay I screamed when I got the email from NetGalley that I was approved for this arc. I have seen so much about this book already, and how it’s on the way to become one of the big romantasy hits of 2025, and after having read it I can completely understand this!

This book is such an easy read, but still super intriguing. I finished it in a bit more then a day and really loved to read it. I appreciate that we have an enemies to lovers trope which start with both the FMC and MMC with complete confidence and being completely full of themselves (which give amazing interactions 😆), instead of a FMC that is still developing. Don’t get me wrong I like that too, but this was honestly such a refresher.

On top of that Brigitte Knightley developed a neat magical system, it’s complex but still explained in a way that it is not to hard for the reader to understand. I appreciate that she also made some serious limits to the magic that people can use, which in a weird way makes it very realistic.

Moreover, this book is a slowburn and I mostly like how this was executed, however sometimes I felt that it was a bit wobbly when we were to start to cross the from enemies to lovers, I feel that there could sometimes be a little more finetuning. But that is just me being nitpicky ;)

All in all a super nice read that I can Definetly recommend you to pick up this summer if you are into enemies to lovers, amazing banter and good magic systems!

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy was one of those books I instantly knew would be one of my top reads of the year, and after finishing it in under 24 hours, I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint. I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard while reading—not just chuckling, but genuinely bursting into laughter. This book is hilarious. It’s also one of my favourite enemies-to-lovers stories, packed with back-and-forth banter that lasts for pages and still leaves you wanting more.

From the very first chapter, the personalities of the main characters are clear and compelling. And don’t even get me started on the chapter titles—each one had me eagerly anticipating what the next one would be. The humour in this book is contagious, and I loved every moment of it.

One of the toughest challenges fanfiction authors face is reimagining the world they’ve created, and Bridget Knightley does this effortlessly. She crafted a stunning magic system centred around different guilds, which I couldn’t get enough of. The fact that the glossary was at the start of the book, instead of the end, was a thoughtful touch. I loved how the two main characters (Osiric and Aurienne) belong to opposing guilds that can’t stand each other—true enemies-to-lovers material with a perfect slow-burn romance. You’ll be desperate for more after each chapter, filled with witty banter and subtle yearning. This slow-burn is something fanfiction authors excel at, and Knightley nails it.

The characters are fantastic. They have so much in common, but their core beliefs about right and wrong create tension between them. Aurienne is desperate to avoid violence as a healer, while our Assassian, Osiric, struggles to resist his darker instincts in her presence. I loved how they genuinely disliked each other at the start, but the change in their dynamic was so subtle that you could almost miss it. By the halfway point, their antagonism begins to shift into mutual admiration, and the transformation is beautifully done. There were even moments where Osiric imagined future arguments with the healer, and I was completely hooked.

The plot is expertly woven together. There are multiple storylines that come together in a stunning and satisfying way. I couldn’t get enough of it.

This is one of the few books I've ever read that gets the 6 star perfect rating from me!!! I cannot wait for more.

Okay, first of all, huge thanks to @orbitbooks_uk for the gifted arc, BUT WAS I THE ONLY ONE WHO DIDNT KNOW THIS ISNT A STANDALONE?! @brigitteknightley what have you done to me?! 

After reading The Irresistible Urge to Fall for your Enemy, I am no longer sure that I had previously ever read a true enemies-to-lovers and this is just the absolute PERFECT one. 

Osric is a shadow, he is a hired murderer until he discovers that he is dying and the only one who can save him is Aurienne. There's only one problem. His people hate her people and vice versa. The only way he can enlist her help is through bribery (or kidnapping) and a wish upon some old fairy stories that moon magic is real. 

Over their months of trying to help Osric, they uncover some hard truths about their world, the rulers of their world, each other, and themselves. 

How much of yourself, your morals, your ethics, are you willing to give up for love? 

Absolutely phenomenal. This book had me stomping my feet, cursing, and yelling at the pages. I was so invested in this story and it is A SIN, A SIN I TELL YOU, that I have to wait so long for the rest of this story. 

"I'd rather you hate me than not think of me at all" 

Collapsing on the ground, writhing in emotional turmoil. THIS. IS. PERFECT.

Be sure to pick up your copy on July 8th!!

#irresistibleurgetofallforyourenemy
#dmatmoobil @littlebrownbookgroup_uk