"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!

Firstly, would like to thank Orbit and NetGalley for approving me to read this ARC for an honest review. I am not going to lie, this is one of my 3 top anticipated reviews this year. I am a massive Dramione fanfic fan (DMATMOOBIL being one of my favourites!) and was so excited when I was approved to read this, I dropped everything I was doing to read this. I was excited to see the similarities and changes made from the Fanfic to the traditionally published story and it did not disappoint.

The story follows Aurienne and Osric who are both from different orders. Aurienne is a healer and Osric is an assassin and in a twist of fate, Osric is in need of a healer but Aurienne is a member of an enemy order but also very straight laced and morally good. This is a slow burn, truly enemies to lovers story. They are forced to work together to try and heal Osric from his ailment which solving why a pox virus is spreading.

This book was hilarious and the plot kept you hooked and intrigued. The characters and the situations they find themselves in made me belly laugh at times and the internal monologues of these two showed how compatible they really were. I loved the interaction between the two main characters, the fact that they are denying their attraction to each other only pushes them closer together and fuels the subtle flirtation between them. It shows that even as enemy orders, they can and do work well together.

The way the book ended, had me yearning to read the next instalment straight away. The tension and yearning build was spectacular and I cannot wait to see this build and build in the next book! This was a 5 star read for me and now I have to hurry up and wait for the next book.....sigh!!!

I struggled a lot with what to rate this one because I LOVED the banter and interactions with the characters. I was giggling a lot and highlighting so much. But that’s the only thing I liked about the book.

I’m not sure if it’s because they had to work so hard to make sure it wasn’t anything Harry Potter like but the world and the lore was SO confusing. And the actual plot was really boring and not interesting? I have a feeling if I read the actual fan fiction I would really enjoy it but I think the translation to a published book has fell flat.

This was honestly so much fun to read! I laughed so much throughout this book. I will say it is overwhelming in the first few chapters, learning the different words and the world building, but after you get past that, it is such a fun plot and the banter is top tier!!

The magic system is actually really interesting, and I wish we got a bit more explanation on it and the different orders, but I have a feeling we will get more of that in the next book.

Aurienne is a healer and such a sweetheart. I really liked her character and how sweet she was. Osric is a broody, confident guy who literally is so funny! This was honestly such a fun enemies to like? i wouldn't say lovers just yet.... But the tension between these two is so good!
Between the dry sarcasm and the hilarious banter, I couldn't put this book down. The chemistry between Aurienne and Osric is just so good, and I'm so excited for the next book in this series.

The plot was so interesting, first starting with Osric needing a healer, and now they have to work together for that, plus something even bigger and more serious. I have a feeling I am going to love this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for this ARC!

The cover of this book caught my attention and I just HAD to read it. Now, the story didn´t impress me at first. It´s a good thing I never dnf, because I wanted to dnf this one a couple of times. The writing was ok but the characters and overall story didn´t stand out to me.

However, around 60% into the story, I finally connected a little with the characters, the story picked up and I could finally laugh at the interactions between our main characters. There turned out to be a lot of build up, which is fine for a first book in a series, but here I just didn´t vibe with it. The ending did leave a lot of interesting questions and I am still curious about the bigger things so that´s good at least!

I don’t want to give too much away with this one because I think it is 100000% necessary to go into it almost blind, but you’ll enjoy it so much if you like;
- intriguing and unique world building
- enemies to tentative lovers
- murder, very graphic, fun, torturous murder with flair
- constant sass and bickering
- world politics (that get them in trouble)
- fantastical storytelling and dialogue
- crass humour
- he falls first
- assassin X healer

This one has got to be one of my most anticipated books of 2025, and with good reason because I enjoyed it so freaking much! I’m still kinda reeling from how good the tension was between the two characters, as well as how amazing the world building and uniqueness of storytelling.
I know that this one originally started out as fanfic on AO3 and I am gutted that I never got the chance to read It their first, but honestly, i would have never guessed that this novel started out there!

There were so many aspects of this that I enjoyed immensely, but I can safely say that this wasn’t at all what I was expecting when I first lost my mind over seeing I had been approved for an ARC copy. The marketing for it makes it seem like a romantasy, enemies to lovers, pretty standard fantasy that would have a similar kind of style to ACOTAR or Fourth Wing, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

I think there are some people that are going to struggle with getting into this one and actually enjoying it, because the author has really went out of their way to make it as unique as possible. There are so many different words to learn, magic systems to grasp and the ways that the characters all communicate with each other is so interesting and almost lyrical/whimsical that it was almost hard to read at times.
I made the comparison when talking to some mutuals about this that had also read it, that it kind of gave me similar vibes to the way that Terry Pratchett wrote his Disc World Series. It is fantasy in every aspect of the world, and people who really want to be immersed in a completely new and different universe (that only has slight similarities to ours) will enjoy this so much!

I also really freaking enjoyed the banter between Osric and Aurienne. It is abundantly clear that they are ENEMIES first and foremost. There is no love lost between the two of them at the beginning and the only reason they come to a kind of mutually beneficial agreement is because Osric gives her an insane amount of money to heal him, money which is needed to find a cure for a deadly pox.
They go basically the entirety of the book hating each other, bickering back and forth, and almost holding each other hostage in these negotiations. Osric the poor fool doesn’t even have any luck being healed (as far as we know) in this book because nothing works. They turn to ‘the old ways’ to try and find a cure, based on some rather dubious ancient accounts. Our man Osric is desperate, obviously.
While they are enemies the whole way through, it is super fun to see them constantly bickering and insulting each other, even more so when this slowly changes into a respect for what the other one can do with their powers. INEVITABLY this ends up with them falling in love (or slight adoration) with each other, but neither of them want to admit it.
THIS BOOK IS THE DEFINITION OF SLOW BURN, ok? Nothing happens at all until the very end and then bam! Book 1 is over and we’re left gasping.

I want to say a million thanks to the Brigitte Knightley and Little Brown Group for giving me the chance to read this, I doubt I will be able to stop thinking about it any time soon!

Well... This was definitely something.
Let's start with the positive things, because even though I rated this 2 stars, there were definitely things that I liked. The banter was amazing and some passages were so funny that I was laughing out loud. And I'm not talking about the numerous penis/ball jokes. Those didn't work for me at all.
Then what I didn't like. There is almost no world building. It's kinda set in London, maybe in the 19th century, we have things like ghostly animal familiars, hedgewitches and sects with people using seith (magic), but the magic system was never really explained. There is a glossary in the book, but it should still be explained in the story!?!? Honestly, I have no idea how the magic system works.
The characters are all flat (even the main characters) and the slow burn is truly slow, but it's not really burning. More like glowing a tiny bit, but maybe the payoff will be in book 2.
The writing style was trying too hard. I'm not a native English speaker, but I rarely have to look up words to understand a story. But here?!?!? There were so many words I have never heard of before and it definitely wasn't helping with the overall reading experience.
Sadly, this book wasn't for me at all, but I still think that there are readers out there that will love this book. I just wasn't one of them.

I know Brigitte Knightley was laughing maniacally at her desk when she wrote the ‘ending’ for Onion Boy and Unmovable Bitch in this book. I hope you are happy, Brigitte!
This is a hard book to write a review for because we first need to be clear about what genre this book is. Some people call it the latest romantasy enemies-to-lovers team (ahem, the author's marketing team). Other arc readers call it a romantic comedy or a fantasy comedy with a romantic subplot. I will call it a fantasy romance the way Wuthering Heights is categorized as a classic romance. The horror and cutthroat aspects are inextricably intertwined with the “romance.”
The big mortifying ordeal of an elephant in the room
This book is not the fanfiction ‘Draco and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love.’ Don’t go into this book expecting that; you will be severely disappointed. A lot of reviewers are lying to you and are stating this book is “Dramione Coded” or “Draco and Hermione” coded. The stories are completely different, and there are very small nods to the original fanfiction. As someone who loved the fanfiction and loves Dramione, I assure you Osric and Aurienne are not Hermione and Draco. They may fit into the archetype of enemies to lovers and are incredibly smart, suave people. Yet this is where the similarities begin and end.
Orisic and Aurienne
I found Orisic and Aurienne to be unique, original characters, and I was intrigued to learn their backstories as the story progressed. I am happy the author did not rush into the transition from enemies to lovers in this book, and the tension at the end was chef’s kiss. I will say that I am more partial to Osric’s POV than Aurienne’s. Osric is no Draco Malfoy, but he has a light-heartedness and self-assurance that nicely contrast with the grim nature of his work and the universe in which he operates.
I love that there is both internal conflict keeping them apart (Orisic’s vocation and Aurienne’s virtue signaling) but also an external one (basically everyone trying to kill them). The trust and respect for each (which so many authors forget to establish) was earned over time. The love we shall save for book two.
The plot and the vibes
One comparison ran throughout my brain during this book—Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles. This is because of the book being set in a 19th-century Britain equivalent. However, it was also because of the very British tone of the book and the grim, horror undercurrent that lay underneath every description. I mean, Onion Boy literally has a hellhound as his marker of Tacn. I think the grimy nature of the universe really lent itself to the mystery element of the story. The harsh realities of the world, coupled with crude references to anatomy, center us in reality. It is hard to romanticize this universe. Yet even in a gray world, there are moments of beauty to wonder at. Anyone who has experienced British weather can testify to this.
The basic plot was unique and engaging enough to keep track of. A healer who is being financially coerced to heal a murderer? Count me in! I love that the author did not try to smash in tropes and instead focused on creating an organic story. The characters remain true to their characters throughout the story, and so it felt plausible that two isolated characters who have a unique connection to death could start to feel something for each other. Special shoutout to Aurienne’s family. They were by far my favorite inclusion in this story.
The magic system
This might be a controversial opinion. I enjoyed the magic system and found it easy to understand. I would have liked to know a bit more about how the Order worked and why exactly there are different factions. Yes, I know there is a glossary at the back that explains this. I want it to be integrated into the main book. I have a feeling we will learn that in the next book. I absolutely loved the Deofol inclusion. What a beautiful idea and great way to communicate with each other. Each character’s Deofol really brings an added layer to the complexity of the relationship.
Why is this four stars, not five?
To be blunt, ‘too much of a good thing’ does exist. This book should have been a longer standalone, not a duology. The original premise, curing Osric, was overshadowed by the secondary plot, which only picked up 70% in. We never really felt any urgency or consequence surrounding Osric’s injury, which was meant to be the primary source of tension between the two. I think if the story had really banked on the mystery aspect and had forced the two to work together, the story pacing and build-up would have been better. Again, my mind is on the Sherlock Holmes and Hound of Baskerville vibes, so this is where my mind is going.
Be honest; subjectively, why is this a 4?
There were too many dick and ball jokes for my personal taste. Every other page there was a reference to a p****, v*****, or c***. It was a bit too crass and vulgar for my British sensibilities (which is ironic because I am sure the author herself is British). Despite it not being my cup of tea, there were still so many laugh-out-loud moments for me. I also found both characters incredibly dry and swarmy. I think this type of British humor is reliant on tone and timing, which did not always come across on the page in this specific story. I would bet that I would have preferred an audio version of this book instead of a physical one. In simply written form, the characters felt very stiff with each other throughout the book. As a result, while I usually like slow burn, I was not fully invested in their banter and “burn.” To be honest, I am still not fully convinced Aurienne likes him beyond lust. I am ready to be convinced in book two that these two have better chemistry with each other than they did with the secondary characters they were flirting with.
A final gripe—I don’t understand the random capitalizations. I think I am just not cool enough for Osric and Aurienne.
Conclusion
I will be asking for an arc of the second book as soon as the opportunity arises. I expect to see depth and pining between our two main characters. We saw stirrings of this in the last few chapters, so I know that our ABSOLUTELY EVIL GENIUS AUTHOR has more of that in store for us. There were so many memorable moments between the two, and I have a feeling when I read the story back, there will be little details and quips I missed upon first read. Here is a little summary of what to expect.
• Enemies to reluctant allies to lust partners
• Knife to several throats (and genital areas)
• Cute animal secondary characters
• Little spice, agonizing pining
• My pinky touches your pinky.
• Spy work
• Murder. Graphic murder.
• Blunt, dry humor
• Many crass sexual innuendos
• Bisexual main characters
• Healing trope (duh). Please kiss my wound better trope.
‘He no longer owned his heart. The thief was unconscious of her crime. She asked, “Is something the matter?” And, for once in Osric’s life, the lie didn’t come easy. It was too enormous. He shook his head and held the truth between his teeth.’

I went into this not knowing it was originally a fanfic, and I was not disappointed! The banter, the slow burn, and the quirky writing made for a thoroughly enjoyable read! I also loved all the murder mystery and secrecy. I do wish the pacing could have been tightened a little, as this starts to drag around 60%. I also think the world isn’t as fleshed out as it could’ve been. The magic system is also poorly explained. Still, I definitely look forward to reading the next book - I’m invested in these characters!