I have a lot of thoughts about this book, so buckle up! First off, I did enjoy it. There were several aspects I wish had been expanded upon and I’m definitely going to be picking up book two, if only for the slow-burn romance.

I haven’t read any Dramione fan fiction and while it’s not necessary to enjoy this book (it’s supposedly not based on the original fanfic), I can definitely see the influence in both the characters and the world-building.

The world really intrigued me. I have a master’s degree in medieval history and Latin, and I’ve also studied Old English, so the historical and linguistic elements really appealed to me. I loved the concept of an alternate history where the Norman Conquest never happened, leaving kingdoms like the Danelaw and Wessex still in existence. I would love to see even more expansion in that area in the second book, the potential for rich world-building is huge.

That being said, the writing style felt inconsistent at times. The use of overly elaborate language could be jarring, especially when paired with some of the more juvenile humor (seriously, how many genitalia and toilet jokes does one book need?). It created a strange tonal dissonance that made it hard to stay fully immersed.

The magic system was a standout. I found the concept of seith, magic tied to the body, really unique and well-executed. While other elements like tācn and dēofol (which seem to have been inspired by Patronuses) added interesting depth. I also enjoyed learning about the different magical orders and the glimpses we got of some of others.

As for the romance, Osric and Aurienne’s relationship is a true enemies-to-lovers dynamic, with the slowest of slow burns. There’s a lot of banter (perhaps a bit too much at times) but I loved their interactions and there were several genuinely laugh-out-loud moments. By the end, I was fully invested in Osric’s yearning and didn’t want the story to end.

Which brings me to my biggest gripe: pacing. It took me a long time to really get into the book. For much of it, it felt like not much was happening, yet there was also an overwhelming amount of information being thrown at the reader. It wasn’t until about the 80% mark that I truly felt hooked and then it ended just as it was getting good! I think I would benefit from a reread understanding the characters and world more now.

Overall, there’s a lot I enjoyed about this book and I’m definitely looking forward to picking up the sequel. It feels like book one was laying the groundwork for something bigger, I’m excited to see where the story goes from here.

If verbal sparring were a sport, Osric Mordaunt and Aurienne Fairhrim would have Olympic gold. This book is enemies-to-lovers perfection: sharp, hilarious, and crackling with chemistry. Their banter is savage, smart, and so good it made me laugh out loud!

These two truly can’t stand each other—until suddenly they kind of can, and then you’re screaming into your pillow because it’s so good. The insults fly, the tension builds, and before you know it, you're totally invested in their love-hate chaos.

Equal parts laugh-out-loud funny and surprisingly heartfelt, this book is a masterclass in romantic tension. Oscric and Aurienne are a mess in the best possible way—and I adored every page of it.

Thank you to Little, Brown Group UK and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I’ve been anticipating this book since it was first announced, and I feel incredibly lucky to have read it early. From the marketing, I was expecting a darker romantasy tale centered on a healer and an assassin. But to my surprise, and delight, this book leans far more into witty banter and heart than grim grit, it’s genuinely funny and unexpectedly lighthearted at times.

The story follows Aurienne, a principled and overworked healer, and Osric, a sharp-tongued assassin losing his magic. Their dynamic is fascinating, not quite enemies-to-lovers, more like antagonists to reluctant allies, with slow-burn romantic tension brewing beneath the surface. She agrees to help heal him in exchange for financial support for her cause, but neither expects the other to challenge their worldviews so deeply.

Aurienne and Osric are philosophical opposites, she preserves life at all costs, while he deals in death. I loved how their beliefs remain in conflict throughout the book, even as they slowly grow to respect, understand, and care for each other. Osric is forced to reevaluate the value of life and loyalty, Aurienne learns the importance of self-worth and boundaries. Their development, both as individuals and as a pair, was really compelling to follow.

That said, there were a few points where the book didn’t fully hit the mark for me. The worldbuilding felt a bit underdeveloped, particularly around the magic system and the multiple “orders” introduced early on. Some of the setting and language choices, mixes of French and English, mentions of places such as Strathclyde (which is in Scotland), made it a bit difficult to place the world geographically or culturally. The characters’ backstories also felt a little thin in places, which I expect because of the author’s background in fanfiction, where source material already exists. But given that this is a first in a duology, I’m hopeful we’ll get more depth in the next book.

Despite those small ticks, this book was a joy to read. The dialogue is filled with British-style humour, which won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me, it worked brilliantly and made the characters’ dynamic even more entertaining. I’d absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys witty, character-driven romantasy with a slow-burn relationship at its core.

This book was my exam-season saviour, engaging, funny, and exactly what I needed to escape the stress.

4/5

I was really excited for this as my first ARC and I REALLY wanted to love it but I’m just not sure it was my cup of tea. I didn’t dislike it but I felt like the storyline was a bit slow for me and I wanted higher stakes, or maybe a cliffhanger ending. I kept waiting for a twist or something to go really wrong but that didn’t really happen and it left me wanting more.

I liked the banter between the characters and the humour in the book (shout out to some of the pub names such as the Randy Unicorn or the Moist Oyster, which were very unserious), but at the same time I didn’t really buy Osric and Aurienne’s romance. Maybe it was just too slow a burn for me? Or maybe I just didn’t fancy the MMC enough myself…

I liked the writing style and will probably still read the sequel but unfortunately only 3 stars from me!

The Irresistible Urge To Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley ✨❤️‍🩹🗡️

I was never a Dramione stan BUT I think I finally get it now 😅

This book is so fun, the world is magical and enchanting, the humour is a little dry but also very witty (the best combination imo) and the tension between the two MCs is sizzling (albeit slowly)!!

Aurienne is honestly so funny. she is so capable, sassy, fearless and lacks a certain tolerance for nonsense which I adore.
Osric is also extremely funny, usually at the expense of the healer but I do love the way he ruffles her feathers. His vibes are screaming “touch her and die” and I’m HERE for it.
I also love love love the contrast between the healer and the assassin, it’s really clever!!

I do feel like the writing was a little dense at times and that the story occasionally lost momentum BUT i still really enjoyed it & I’m thoroughly looking forward to the next one!!

This book comes out on the 8th of July 2025 😍⭐️

⭐️ 3.5/5
🌶️ 1.5/5

Thank you NetGalley & little brown group UK for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
All opinions are my own.

Rating: 5/5

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is an absolute delight. I found myself laughing out loud more times than I can count—a rare and welcome experience. The humor leans toward the silly and lighthearted, and it worked beautifully for me.

What truly stood out was the banter—witty, fast-paced, and thoroughly entertaining. Not only between the romantic leads but throughout the ensemble cast, the dialogue felt authentic and sharp. I found myself genuinely inspired by the conversations, and I can see myself revisiting them for writing inspiration.

The romantic tension was handled well, integrated seamlessly into the story without overpowering the plot. While the ending felt a bit sudden—perhaps due to a decision to split one larger story into two parts—I’m eagerly anticipating the sequel and fully expect it to deliver just as much joy.

Sincere thanks to the author for this joyous read, and to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This review reflects my honest opinion.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy is so much fun from beginning to end! I laughed throughout and want to read it all over again.

I liked the premise of this book - an enemies to lovers opposites attract slow burn romantasy where a healer is forced to help an assassin. There was a charming irreverence to the characterisation at times, where the author pokes fun at their MCs' foibles, and some chemistry between the two. I enjoyed some of the banter between the characters, but the interminable dirty jokes and continual bickering got old pretty quickly.

I found that the worldbuilding was sketchy and the pacing was off - the middle was slow and the repeated trials of healing were just repetitive. The ending was the kind of abrupt stop where nothing is resolved and the second book in this duology probably should have been combined with the first.

Will I pick up the second book in the duology? Probably not. This wasn't really for me, but there is enough banter and irreverence that many will find it a fun read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley is a delightful, heartwarming rollercoaster of a read! Knightley’s writing is absolutely delightful. Her banter is so sharp and witty that I was literally giggling out loud and kicking my feet like a teenager. Seriously, this book is a breath of fresh air in the world of enemies-to-lovers.

The main characters, Osric and Aurienne, are such polar opposites. He's a deadly assassin, and she's this brilliant, moral scientist who despises everything he stands for. The way Knightley weaves their conflict, showing how they truly loathe each other yet can’t help but be drawn together, is just… *chef’s kiss*. And the slow burn? Oh boy, it's *so* slow (in the best possible way. We’re talking glacial pace burn here. But it makes the moments of tension and attraction feel all the more satisfying.

Now, the only downside (and it's a small one) is that I had no idea this book was part of a duet. So, it definitely feels unfinished. It’s like they cut the story in half, which left me wanting more immediately. I was hoping for the main arc to at least wrap up before setting up the sequel (with a continuation). But honestly, it’s a minor issue because the story itself is so much fun.

So yeah, I’m definitely on the Brigitte Knightley train now and can’t wait to dive into more of her work. If you like slow-burn enemies-to-lovers with witty dialogue and complex, irresistible characters, this one is a must-read. Just be prepared for the fact that you’ll be counting down the days until book two!

The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley is an absolute gem—a sharp, witty, and emotionally charged enemies-to-lovers romance that delivers on every level.
It has sparkling dialogue, electric chemistry, and layered characters who just jump off the page. Knightley crafts a romance that’s both heart-poundingly intense and genuinely heartfelt. The tension is perfectly paced, the banter is addictive, and the emotional payoff is deeply satisfying. It’s a standout in the genre and a must-read for anyone who loves a smart, swoony love story with bite.

I was a big fan of this when it was a fanfiction so was excited to see this 💖



I loved how the story progressed and plot followed however it wasn't an easy jump into the story with all the terminology and lore.
However this was a great read, really funny and such a good slow burn

A 3,75 star ⭐️
Being big fan of the fanfiction of this book I was wondering how she would give a spin on this :)

I really enjoyed the storyline but the writing style wasnt really my cup of tea. The long difficult names and the less common words used made it wasnt as comfortable read as normal.

It had some fun in it but somehow I was hoping for more somehow..
It felt like There were somethings missing not sure how.

Still I think it wasnt bad at all but maybe my expectations were just to high for this release.

3.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

First, I want to say finally a (recent) book that is sold as slowburn that I can actually say its a slowburn. Is so good to see their relationship building up slowly. Plus 0 attraction at the beginning, they really dont like each other and their attraction grows along with the romance. No "my body betrayed me" when they still supposedly still dislike each other. And no "I have loved you since the first day" when we as the reader didnt know and ruining a decent build up for absolutely no reason. Finally!
(I confess I rolled my eyes when I saw he has shadow powers, it really isnt the books fault but Im getting tired of it. But its not that present in the story and I like how it was used, so its fine)

The book and the writing is easy and fun to read, with low stakes and humor. Really enjoyed the tone of the story and I would have loved if the book was just them going around looking for the cure for his disease, it was turning into a confortable read and their dynamic was really fun. But the stakes do get higher at the end.

However, this book has the same issues a lot of books of fanfic authors going published has: the lack of worldbuilding and character work.
While reading fantasy, its normal to be confused at the beginning, but I kept reading and I was still getting lost so I had to read the glossary. I think glossary is something that should help you but you should not *need* it to read the story and unfortunately I did need it, and still had more questions about the world. But at least I could follow the story.

And about the characters, even if the last part of the story we start to know more about them, I still felt we didnt really know enough. And I think this is the main reason the romance didnt hit as hard as it should for me, because otherwise it has everything I usually like.

Its a bit frustating because I can *see* the potential this has to be something I would absolutely love. Overall I still had fun and I will definitely read the next one and will wait for anything else the writer writes. Like I said, I see a lot of potential here.

Oh and I have to mention: I feel like the people who liked evajacks will really enjoy this.

OMGGGGG I NEED BOOK 2 IMMEDIATELY!!!

This was such a funny, brilliant book!!

The writing was impeccable- there’s just such love for languages and poetry in this book, and I learned some new words too!! Just such masterful storytelling!

This is the slowest of slow burns - but there was enough to distract me from the fact that they hadn’t really gotten together at the end of the book. But he has definitely fallen for her 😂 for a book with no explicit spicy scenes, there’s a lot of innuendo and raunchy writing 😂

Thank your for providing me with this eARC.
Unfortunately, I had to dnf this one. I managed to read 41%. My normal threshold for dnf-ing a book is 33% but I gave this one another chance, in case it gets better. It didn't, at all.
I hated every second of it.
Why? For many reasons but mainly: This book thinks it's funny. It's not. I have never found a book this annoying. The puns and attempts at witt that are crammed into every corner clash so horribly with the old-timey speech of the dialogue it destroys any atmosphere or coherent worldbuilding this book might have had (and there wasn't much to beginn with).
The chracters are flat and unlikeable, and even 40% in show no sign of improving even a little.
Magic concepts are not well defined and just cramed in because they are cool, not because they make sense.
It's just a mess all over.
The content warnings of the book (which was a positive, thanks for including them) speak of 'brief sexual content'. Which is fine for me, I can skip brief sex scenes. What I could not skip, were the constant sexual references and attempted jokes. They were not funny, I found them disgusting. Although I do have to give the book credit, for the most part the way characters speak to each other is without constant unconsensual sexual innuendo (one of my biggest gripes with Romantasy).

In short: I hated this book so much, if it was FanFiction (and the writing is very reminicent of that style), I would not have continued to chapter two. And FanFiction is free and my standards are lowe as for a published novel.

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.