I admit that I had more than a few difficulties at first between the language intermingled with vocabulary that moves between the courtly and the outdated and these two particularly different characters. World Building is also not easy to grasp at first, but after a while (past about 35 percent) I began to enjoy it so much that the end disappointed me not so much because it doesn't really has an ending, but because I suddenly had to stop laughing.

Ammetto di avere avuto piú di qualche difficoltá all'inizio tra la lingua frammista di vocaboli che si muovono tra l'aulico e il desueto e questi due personaggi particolarmente diversi tra di loro. Anche il World Building non é facile da afferrare all'inizio, ma dopo un po' (superato il 35% circa) ho cominciato a divertirmi talmente tanto che il finale mi ha deluso non tanto perché non finisce quanto piuttosto si interrompe all'improvviso, ma perché ho dovuto smettere repentinamente di ridere.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

ARC Review: A Clever, Ambitious Fantasy Romance with a Slow-Burn Payoff
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book ahead of release. I was especially curious going into it because I’d previously enjoyed the author’s popular Dramione fic Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Falling in Love. While this isn’t a direct rewrite, I was really intrigued to see how that distinctive voice would carry into original fiction.

This book is witty, bold, and full of charm — it has a distinct narrative voice and a unique approach to fantasy romance that I think many readers will find refreshing. The world is imaginative, the banter is sharp, and the ending is genuinely lovely (I'm curious how this will continue in the sequel!)

That said, it took me a while to connect with the characters. The story leans heavily on humour and irony, and while the tone is playful, it often undercuts emotional beats or character depth. I found myself wanting a bit more sincerity earlier on — especially as Osric is introduced with a lot of posturing and flair but not much substance or emotional grounding until much later.

Again, while I know this isn’t a rewrite of Mortifying Ordeal, I did find it quite similar in terms of its unique, quirky writing style — and in a few elements of the plot.

Personally, I was surprised by how similar Osric felt to that version of Draco: self-aware, dramatic, and a bit ridiculous in his charm. It was fun at times, but given that he’s meant to be a trained assassin, I expected something a little more dangerous or morally ambiguous. For me, that mismatch made it harder to buy into the stakes or tension early on.

In the final stretch of the book, though, the emotional arc finally hits close to home. The romance starts to breathe, and there's a particular scene between Osric and Aurienne that was moving and well done. The prose in the last chapters is beautiful, tender and resonant. I found myself enjoying those moments far more than anything in the first half of the story.

And honestly? The very last page might’ve been my favourite part — which… not sure what that says, but there it is.

Readers who enjoy snarky banter, slow-burn tension, and a very self-aware narrative style will likely enjoy this one. It didn’t fully land for me, but I’m glad I stuck with it. The payoff is real — you just have to be quite patient.

Title: The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy
Author: Brigitte Knightley
Publication Date: July 15, 2025
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy is a romcom fantasy that follows Osric Mordaunt, a member of the Fyren Order of assassins, and Aurienne Fairhrim, a member of the Haelan Order of healers. Set in a unique world where the use of magic is determined by the Order you are in and is governed by what they call Seith. When Osric's seith is in dire need of healing, he blackmails Aurienne to help him find a cure even if she detests him and everything he stands for.

They are forced to work together as they attempt to heal Osric through a series of increasingly ridiculous situations, and the more time they spend together, the more they start to develop an irresistible attraction to each other. The rivalry of Osric and Aurienne as they come from opposing Orders adds tension to the slow burn romance which is an absolute delight.

The banter is phenomenal with plenty of dry humor and snark that I literally laughed aloud several times. Brigitte Knightley is unquestionably a master of ingenious storytelling. It's a fun and creative approach to romcom fantasy. One problem, though, is the use of excessively complex vocabulary, which made me pause and look up words, distracting me a little. If you're not a fan of overly complicated words and made-up terms, the author's writing style may be a little difficult to follow. All things considered, I would absolutely read the next installment of the series.

Readers who appreciate an engaging fantasy world and a fun enemies-to-lovers slow burn should definitely pick this one up.

I’m new to the Dramione fanfic world so maybe that’s why this book wasn’t necessarily for me… but as a big HP fan in general and a lover of a slow burn, I thought I’d be okay. I won’t lie, I feel really conflicted about how I feel about this book. Some parts had me kicking my feet and all giggly about this blossoming romance, but others had me seriously question whether I should give up with the book all together. I’m still not sure how I feel tbh.

The romantic fantasy-comedy I’ve always dreamed of — clever, magical, beautifully written, and featuring a slow-burn romance so perfectly drawn out between two unforgettable characters. And yes, they’re absolutely giving Dramione-coded energy. I’m fully obsessed, and there is quite literally no chance of me shutting up about this book anytime soon.

The magic system is original and rich, and the characters are fleshed out in such a way that while it evokes the vibe of its inspiration, it feels entirely fresh and new. The banter is sharp, the jokes are wonderfully ridiculous, and yes, I laughed until I cried more than once.

I really liked this first book. I admit because of the well deserved hype around it, my expectations were incredibly high. The build up of the relationship between the two main characters was nicely done and I liked the order system Brigitte Knightley implemented. Thank you to the publisher for the arc!

I on the whole did enjoy this book, I knew this was based on a fanfiction and could tell that in the writing style but in the BEST way. I wholeheartedly enjoyed the banter and dialogue between the main characters and did not feel like it was over done at all.
I also enjoy the slow burn aspect, Very slow burn in this case things don’t heat up till 80% in the novel.
The things I struggled with most was the magic system which felt complex at times and difficult to follow. Also the plot, it felt a bit drawn out finding a cure for the MMC and then 80% in it felt like we had a whole new plot element. It felt like a book where not a lot really happens, I understand another book is coming where I hope we get more happening with the storyline.
I on the whole enjoyed most aspects of this novel but felt if some bits are worked on it would be even better.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Group for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Le tenía muchas ganas a este libro y me costó infinidad engancharme a la historia y terminarlo.
El desarrollo del mundo no es suficiente y el sistema de magia está demasiado complicado y confuso. También muchas palabras creadas que no entendía su significado, vocabulario complejo e innecesario.
Yo no he leído el fanfic y no se si han quitado mucha información.
Los personajes no me gustaron, el humor entre los protagonistas fue demasiado y la bromas donde incluían genitales eran desagradables y excesivas.
Yo amo un buen slow burn, pero este es excesivo y siento que no avanzó ni la trama, ni el romance.

The premise of the story was good. Although I have struggled a lot with the odd choice of words. Unfortunately, this reads like fanfiction. I have nothing against them, but I had hoped that the author would move away from that style. I was very close to DNF due to the odd choices of words.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Group for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve looked forward to this one for a while, but unfortunately it just didn’t hit the mark for me.
I found the dialogue to be unrealistic and far too quick. There wasn’t enough world building for me, but somehow the magic system was too complicated with lots of different terms to learn. All in all it just felt like good fan fiction.
If you’re into slow burn romance however you may enjoy it!

4⭐️If you’ve ever secretly rooted for Hermione and Draco and wanted that energy in a lush fantasy world — buckle up.
This book delivers slow-burn tension, snarky convos, and two very smart people doing very dumb things in the name of denial. The FMC is all logic, principles, and sharp comebacks and she is basically stuck working with a rival broody assassin!!!!
They clash, they argue and they sass but it is all delicious.
The world itself I personally found rich and detailed, with some heavier moments and plague (so, y’know, very chill), but the real heart of the story is reading this beaut slow burn.
Slightly slow in spots, but you get over it and get to some really interesting scenes. Definitely here for book two :)

Oooh this was so much fun! First of all, thank you so so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC!

Rating- 4.5

When I first saw that the author of Draco Malfoy and The Mortifying Ordeal of Falling in Love (DMTMOFL from here on) was publishing a book I was so excited to read it. DMTMOFL is by far the best fanfiction I have ever read (and there have been a few of those- I fell down that rabbit hole for a couple of months straight) and I couldn't wait to read more of the author's work. For any who have read DMTMOFL, the banter and enemies-to-lovers arc is done impeccably, and this was much the same here. Storywise and characterwise, The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy was very similar to DMTMOFL (we've basically got a slightly more morally questionable Malfoy in Osric and a sharper version of Hermione). Although the two works are very close in this regard, it wasn't a problem for me as the writing style, particular the dialogue and interactions between the characters was so engaging and funny.

The one small thing that makes this slightly less good than DMTMOFL for me (apart from the fact that I now need to wait for the next book) is that some of the descriptions and internal monologues towards the middle of the book dragged a little, but overall this was still a hugely enjoyable and fast-paced read!

Thank you again to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC!

One of the best books I've ever read, and I can't wait to read the next one. The real torture is not going to the fanfic I have saved to see how it end.
Given that this started as HP fanfiction, I did not feel like I was in that universe. This did indeed feel like it's own complete universe, even though understading the actual world was a bit complicated.
This is very much a character driven plot, not really plot driven. But the character work is just impeccable, the banter is some of the best banter ever written, the slow romance is just *chef's kiss* and OMG, please give me the sequel ASAP!

**2,75/5**

„A knight of shining armor he wasn’t, but a knight in shining passive aggression - yes.“

✨ ememies to lovers
✨ SLOW burn
✨ Starcrossed
✨ He falls first
✨ Women in STEM

What I liked:
- The explanation of the magic system from a medical point of view was very unique and interesting to read. The fmc studies the degeneration of the magic due to physical injury and how it affects a person. Never read a book with such a medical background of magic before.
- The different Orders are really interesting, especially the Hedgewitches are so mysterious and intriguing.
- The banter in the beginning was great and it was easy to get into the story.

What I didn’t like: (Please don’t read this if you’re excited for the book, I don’t want to spoil your experience just because it didn’t hit for me!)
- The character development. I know that the fmc is a healer, has morals, has a family and comes from new money. I know that the mmc is an assassin, has no morals, has no family and comes from old money. That’s it. They’re both intelligent and constantly bicker with each other but they never have a single deep or serious conversation.
- The book felt more like comedy for most parts and after a while the banter and constant dick and balls jokes got annoying. Nothing was taken serious. Not even the names of the pubs etc.
- There are no real side characters. A mentor of the fmc who appears a few times and a „friend“ of the mmc who appears two times. One time he is drunk and worried about his bollocks, the other time he appears in a doctor’s office for nipples …
- They hate each other because they’re from different Orders, no personal reason. (He’s more annoyed by her than hates her) I don’t felt like that was reason enough to hate the mmc that much and for that long.
- At 80% it felt like we got a new plot and the healing journey and saving the mmc was dismissed.
- Most of the worldbuilding concentrates on the different Orders, but they’re are mostly only explained in the glossary! Same as everything else about the magic system.

That you Little, Brown Book Group UK for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Btw I read the fanfiction this book is based of and I absolutely love it.

It’s with a lot of regret that I give 2 starts to one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I’m a huge Dramione fan, and when I found that a book was going to be officially released, I was very excited.

However, I feel this story if missing a lot. A lot of character development, a lot of world building development. For the ones that read already her work, I’m sure this story makes sense. Nevertheless, I found the whole book very confusing, not only due to the words that were purposely created for this story, but also for the unnecessary complicated words throughout the book.

Thank you Little Brown Books and Brigette Knightley for the e-ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️ INFINITY STARS!

I read DMATMOOBIL back in 2023 and it is a top 3 Dramione fic for me. I knew going into TIUTFFYE that it wasn’t a rewrite but a story inspired by the fic, and it was EVERYTHING I wanted.

The banter was immaculate, their wit and sass was amazing, the world building and detail were fantastic, the mystery was captivating, the YEARNING was top tier, and the little tidbits that called back to the fic were so special.

I was constantly grinning, and laughing out loud at some of the things Aurienne and Osric would say to one another. I absolutely LOVED that, even though he was an assassin, she was not afraid of him one bit. I also loved Osric's ego and confidence, nothing really shook him... until... (no spoilers!).

I also cried! Because of course I did.

I almost didn’t want to finish it because I knew I was going to be sad when it was over. I don’t know how I'm going to get through the wait until book 2, but I do know I will be thinking about Aurienne and Osric every day until then.

This was truly a special book, and I'm really excited to get my hands on a physical copy to reread so I can flip back and forth between the glossary and pronunciation guide, because I KNOW I was not saying those words right in my head.

All the love and flowers to Brigitte for this masterpiece!!

Thanks again to Little Brown Books for the opportunity to read this early :)

Things to know before starting this book, it's a slow burn, like s l o w burn, the banter is bantering & it's real enemies to lovers (eventually).
The premise is certainly interesting, he's an assassin who needs healing and she's the only person who can heal him, but she doesn't work with assassins. But through circumstances they end up working together, most of the banter comes from the tension between the two characters.
I did have to push through the first 15/20% as there's a lot to deal with, with a new to me magic system, world building etc but once I had a grip on it, it started to flow a bit better (I was having to flick back to the glossary at the front so much I ended up taking a picture of it for ease of reference).
I didn't know about the author's previous fanfic's and I was getting major HP vibes at points and I tried not to let this put me off, but ultimately it did taint my feelings towards the finished product.
I was hoping for some reward for pushing through and finishing the book, but there's some much left in the story that isn't resolved and is waiting for the next title in the series, and I'm not sure I'm that invested in the story to pick up the next book.
I can see it being very popular for some people, this one was just not up my street unfortunately.

Where to begin? You are immediately immersed in a fantasy world perfectly shaped and the glossary at the beginning is of essential help, so no one should be afraid of the series of words to familiarize their self with. It will all become clearer later.

Then I can say that I loved everything about this book. It is the perfect mix of romance, humor, and unexpected twists that kept me hooked from the start. It was so funny that I’m still laughing, because the dynamic between Aurienne and Osric was epic. Their banter is filled with intelligence and irony, and is made of haughty puns, dry comebacks and underlying attraction, that you can practically feel the sparks flying through the pages. I think this witty and caustic banter is absolutely the highlight of the book and I couldn’t get enough of it!

The chemistry between the two characters is in fact electric: what starts as pure animosity slowly transforms into something deeper, making their gradual fall for each other incredibly sweet and engaging. I sooo loved the way their relationship slowly changed—from deep hatred and total incompatibility, it gradually transformed first into tolerance, then respect, and finally into true attraction, leading to love. At least, from Osric’s side, as he’s the one who falls in love first and hard.

Osric and Aurienne are equally witty and funny, and even though they claim to be “opposites,” they are so similar that they are drawn to each other like magnets (even if they constantly wish they weren’t). They are effectively one the opposite of the other: he’s a Fyren, she’s a Haelen; he kills and she heals. Yet over the course of the story, they start to blend into each other for the better: she kills a villain, and he gets stubbed to the gut and kills a “a work colleague", one of his own, to protect her. Aurienne is by far one of my favorite FMCs, tough, competent, brave, and a woman of integrity, and I love the way Osric is, the villain MMC who hates everybody but her.

Their eventual connection feels both inevitable and utterly heartwarming. You barely even notice when they start working together instead of against each other… it happens so slowly and delicately. The pacing was simply PERFECT, and the way it ended is perfect too: with a big open question for the next book’s answers.

I think this gorgeous story balances humor with emotional depth, and what I loved most was exactly the perfect mix of light-hearted, snappy dialogue and moments of vulnerability that made these characters feel relatable and authentic. If you love enemies-to-lovers romances with sharp wit, genuine emotion, and unforgettable characters, you must read this book! I can’t wait for it to be released so I can get my paperback copy—let alone the sequel!! How will I survive until then???

Last but not least, I want to thank the author Brigitte Knightley and NetGalley for allowing me to read this masterpiece in advance in exchange for an honest review.

I’m convinced the author picked thru my brain, cooked, served a seven course meal and said enjoy. Well I’m here to tell u i just dined at a six star restaurant peopleeeee

I had the best time reading this like genuinely and truly couldn’t get enough of it to the point I tried stretching it out for days bc I didn’t want it to enddd 😫

OSRIC THE MAN THAT U ARE 👑✨ he deserves all the ego boost bc he rlly is THAT man. The way the book started and with his pov took me outttt lmao his inner monologue AND dialogue is my favourite thing ever ever ever. I love love LOVE me a sarcastic clever witty man and that he IS. Gosh it’s like mmc heaven for me. The way he ticks all my boxes plsss 🙏 come kiss me Osric I’m free all day every day 💋

Aurienne is such a competent and strong fmc. I adored her love for her work and respect for her colleagues. You can feel the admiration and fascination she has for her work.

I was litch doubling over scrrreaming laffing the whole way thru 😭😭 the clap backs and insults were so peak you literally couldn’t hear me laughing bc I was OUT OF AIR dying from how long it had me laughing 😭🤚

It was HILARIOUS seeing her clutch her pearls everytime Osric would do smth that horrified her lmaoooo. The way they would roast each other every time they interacted pls I couldn’t stop the shocked bark of a laugh every time.

as a Brit it’s so hard to find authors who do banter and witty writing in a way that actually is my type or makes me laugh and so this was such a RARITY for me. Their humour is so mine and it genuinely drove me insane bc I was like when will I ever find this heaven againnnnn 🙏😫

I love that neither of them even start to think of each other as a romantic interest until very late in the book bc it made it that much more perfect for their characters.

Boiiii u haven’t seen or read a slowburn until you’ve met these two. I was litch burning with the urge to knock their heads in and be like KISS RIGHT NEOW.

Anyway, TRUST that this book will be the most fun engaging time ever especially if you love dry humour. I just knowwww imma need the physical copy to cherish on my shelf.


ೃ⁀➷ Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC! ♥︎

<b> An assassin with an illness only curable by ONE healer. A healer who refuses to cure assassins. What ever will they do?? (definitely not fall in love) </b>

<b> Meet Osric Mordaunt and Aurienne Fairhrim. Enemies at first sight. </b>

(Thank you Brigette Knightly and Netgalley for giving me an eARC of this book! It was one of my highly anticipated releases for this year so I am beyond grateful for having early access!!)

Here is the situation:

Osric Mordaunt has a serious problem. His power is decaying and as a shadow walking assassin-for-hire, his power is his lifeline. Without it, his superiors will have no choice but to cull him. Enter: Aurienne Fairhrim, a top notch, best-of-her-kind healer and the only person capable of helping him. There is just one little problem - healers DO NOT under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES work with assassins. That is the rule, and Aurienne Fairhrim does NOT break the rules.

WHY should you read it??? Let me list the reasons:

1. This is a story that finds a way to be truly unique DESPITE the use of every trope you could ever want in a romantasy. It is a SLOW burn where HE falls first (enough said).
2. FMC in STEM!! the fact that we get a good look into Aurienne’s life as a healer and a researcher scratched the deepest itch in my STEM-girlie brain (not to mention that we got all of this in a <I> fantasy </i> story, A+).
3. Osric “that was a mistake” Mordaunt 👏🏼👏🏼 → aka: an assassin who is GOOD at his job (and also protective 👀)
4. an interesting sub-plot! we love when it is more than just the romance
5. DUAL POVs - nothing better than being in both character’s heads
6. enemies who actually hate each for more than one page

I could go on, put you get the point. If ANY of these elements appeal to you, you will LOVE this story!!

WHY didn’t I give it 5 stars??

→ This may come as a shock given everything I just said BUT I considered DNFing this book in the first 20%. Their “banter” and humor was too on the nose for me. I was in the trenches a little with them actually hating each other and found myself questioning whether I liked either of the characters. The epidemic + burnt out health workers was hitting a little too close to home. Overall I was on the verge of calling this book ‘not my style’ and putting it down. I am SO GLAD I kept reading. By the time I reached 50%, I was having the BEST time. Mordaunt + Fairhrim for life <3 Needless to say, this has now re-enforced my fear of DNFing books → (I still think there are some elements of it that are not for me and that’s where it loses a few point but that is totally personal preference.)