Thank you to Berkley Romance for the review copy!

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is probably the funniest book I’ve ever read. Along with the laugh out loud moments, it had the vibe of the 2005 Pride and Prejudice Darcy hand flex, you know what I mean? Like the TENSION was so good that it felt swoony when they BREATHED in each other’s direction.

The beginning was a little slow for me, a lot of the world building is in the opening glossary, so you really get dropped into a built out world and have to just figure it out. Aurienne and Osric are TRUE enemies to lovers, which I know a lot of readers are hungry for, but I at first didn’t love that they started off as strangers. I like a rivals to lovers because the hatred is so intimate, you know? But the slow burn paid off SO well - so maybe I’m a convert to slow burns after reading this one? Both the romance and plot really took off and was un-put-downable for the second half, which made me appreciate the beginning more. It felt a little bit like SJM plotting - starts a little slow, and maybe the characters are not super likeable at first, but by the end you love them SO much.

Dramione lovers may be wondering - how close is this to fanfiction the author wrote? I haven't read it, but several people in my group chat did, and my understanding is that they vibes are the same, but the plot is pretty different. The world is very different than I would expect from HP fanfiction.

If you like dry wit, true enemies to lovers, women in STEM, magic, and fairytales, this one is for you!

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is out July 8, 2025, so you have time to get your pre-orders in. You’ll want to read this right away! (I do slightly regret reading this so early because I am DESPERATE for book 2.)

I have never highlighted more passages in a book in my entire life. On multiple occasions I thought to myself, "This is getting ridiculous. You've highlighted the entire book." To which I responded to myself, "That's fair, accurate, and yet I should probably highlight some more."

If you're here because you love DMATMOOBIL, you already know Brigitte Knightley (isthisselfcare) may not have invented witty-banter, puns, or dad jokes, but she did perfect them.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy is exactly as the title implies. It's a enemies to lovers adventure about two idiots (who are actually incredibly smart but also very, very dumb) falling unwittingly but unequivocally in love while searching for a cure to an incurable disease. "Who wouldn't want to heal this?"

Aurienne is the Best and Osric is the Finest Specimen. That's really all you need to know. Oh and that I loved this with my entire fucking being. And I will continue to be insufferable until Dearly Beloathed #2 is available to annoy the shit out of Berkley until I get an advanced copy. But if you want to know more these are my favorite tropes as defined by the author (mostly):

- unlikeable FMC they said and it’s just a woman with a spine
- both of them think they are the main character
- why kiss when you can bicker
- it's about the Yearning™ (I personally think it's more about the simping)
- forced collaboration
- they are down bad crying at the gym
- crime as a bonding activity
- orgies of self-sacrifice
- Acts of Warranted Brutality and other Diverse Felonies
- I'm caring for you, not about you. (lies)
- She even snuck in broom thighs

The humor in this book is so to my taste.
"Osric called her a Self-Righteous Plague. She called him a Foppish Crouton."
"Aurienne, sick with convulsions of guilt, wished
she could be as lackadaisical, but no-- she was highly daisical."
"They named the kitten Acts of Warranted Brutality."
“—but I am, nevertheless, choosing to put my trust in you.” “Don’t. I don’t know where it’s been.”

The slow burn is for real.
"He looked at her as one who wished to worship, and one who wished to defile."
"Her touch was an aching, fragile beauty."

I wish Aurienne (the Hermione character) was more likable. She's a bit too much like Osric (the Draco character). In the original story I loved Hermione's character so much, and I don't remember her being so arrogant. That is a small thing though. The story is a fun time.

Absolutely 5 stars! I think this is the funniest book i've ever read. I was laughing out loud at almost every other page and have recommended it to everyone i know.

This book is beautifully written in its humor and wit, in the subtle romantic interest that grows slowly between the healer and the assassin, in the tragic plot of disease and illness and in the interesting setting and magic system that graces these pages.

When faced with an incurabley fatal disease, Osric the assassin has one hope... Aurienne the healer who absolutely refuses to heal him due to his profession. But when their interests collide, so does the banter, wit and sparks of forbidden attraction between the two. Together they uncover a plot that is enormus in its undertaking and their association may be even more deadly then originally thought.

Brigitte Knightley’s The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy delivers a compelling enemies-to-lovers romance wrapped in a high-stakes fantasy setting. Osric, an assassin, and Aurienne, a healer, are sworn enemies forced into an uneasy alliance to combat a deadly disease. As they clash over their loyalties and methods, their undeniable chemistry adds to the tension, making for an addictive slow-burn romance.

Knightley crafts a richly detailed world filled with political intrigue, moral dilemmas, and sharp banter. Fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night and From Blood and Ash will love this gripping mix of fantasy, romance, and reluctant partnership.

Enemies to Lovers Romantasy!! YES! Very slow burn, hilarious banter. I'm obsessed with it. I'm obsessed that the author of Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal has gone traditional and written this amazing story. Can't wait till the next one.

I am quite literally obsessed with Brigitte's writing style and ability to write banter. This was such an enjoyable read in terms of getting to know these characters. I'd say it was equally plot and character driven, and I'm actually hoping she writes more?? Like the end was kind of open and I would be obsessed with reading more about these two and this entire world she has built. Also, I've added so many words to my vocabulary because of this book!!

- enemies to lovers (ish)
- slow burn

This is definitely a romance book, but the romance is very subtle, builds over time, and the ending might be a little different than what you are used to with romance books in the genre right now.

This was a highly anticipated read for me as a Dramione lover, but it definitely fell flat for me. I wanted to DNF this book several times throughout. The character names are absolutely atrocious and take away from the story. I understand that names of people, places and things had to be changed but this was overkill. She even changed the name for magic. Magic did not need to be changed. The names of things were so overwhelming and complicated that it made the story unlikable and confusing. The world building was also lacking for me as well. You were essentially thrown into this world with a very very short glossary and had to just figure the rest out for yourself. The FMC was terrible. She was so uptight and not a likable character at all. The MMC was ok. Nothing really made me like him or dislike him. I love a good slow burn, but this was way too slow. It’s so slow I’m not even sure I would categorize this as a romance.The ending of the book was also very abrupt. It was as if you were reading along and then it just ran out of words. Is the story and plot line good yes! Absolutely love the plot. This has the potential to be an amazing book. But it definitely needs better world building, a smaller vocabulary (had to look up multiple words for their meaning), pull the stick from the FMC’s bumhole, different noun names, and the slow burn needs to be sped up.

Fanfic turned published book! Ahh this is SO exciting! I loved the fanfic of this story and it was so cool to see the differences and how this story came to life! Loved it.

This book was so good! I fear I am going to be inconsolable until the second book comes out. I NEED to know what happens next.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! My favorite read of the year, truly PERFECTION! I have been a fan of Brigitte since she was writing fan fiction, so I already knew I'd love her writing style, and I was not disappointed. The plot and these characters are amazing. It's laugh out loud funny & the tension is *chef's kiss* I will be shouting about this book from the rooftops!

absolutely hilarious and brilliant, with some of the best banter I’ve ever read & true enemies to lovers!!!

Aurienne and Osric were a DELIGHT I love them so so so much!!!!! They are the level of witty I aspire to be. A healer and assassin who are mortal enemies, forced to work together??? Amazing, I will eat it up EVERY TIME. The most delicious slow burn romance, and I mean SLOWWWWW 😅 I can’t believe we left off on that ending, I need book 2 ASAP 🥲

I just really REALLY wish we had some more world-building and explanation of the magic system because your girl was CONFUSED AFFFF trying to figure out what these words mean 🤣🤣 I’d like to think I’m pretty good at defining via context clues but man it was rough sometimes. Also I’m not sure if this will be switched in the published version, but the pronunciation guide being in the first couple pages rather than the last would’ve been SO helpful lmao 😭

Thank you so so much to Berkley and Netgalley for this arc!!! I giggled and yearned right along with our characters & I’m so excited for the next one!!! 🥰🥰

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is the debut novel by Brigitte Knightley, the fanfic author isthisselfcare of Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love. A dramione fanfic remixed for traditional publishing, this is a true slow burn enemies to lovers romantasy. I loved it!

Aurienne is a magical healer, a Haelen, who specializes in the treatment of magic blockages. When Osric, a magical assassin, is suffering from such a blockage, he threatens to kidnap her and force her to fix him. Ultimately, they agree to a deal - he will donate a large sum of money to the efforts to immunize against a deadly childhood infection that her order is struggling to contain, and she will attempt to do the impossible - reverse the death of his magic (seith) channels. What unfolds is a lot of hilarity, delicious banter, and ultimately, affection & attraction.

I adored this! Definitely slow burn but with lots of interaction. The banter and humor reminded me of Assistant to the Villain and was a whole lot of fun.

✅ Dramione fanfic gone mainstream
✅ Romantasy with minimal spice (on-page masturbation)
✅ Enemies to lovers (but actually)
✅ He falls first
✅ Forced proximity
✅ Bisexual MCs & queer rep

So, so good. Next up - Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love.

📅 The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy will be available July 8th, 2025. Preorder it now!

🙏 Thanks so much to Brigitte Knightley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for this ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own!

"Am I persuading you?" "Persuasion would require an iota of something like charm". This vexed Osric. "I'm not charming?" "No," said Fairhrim.

I had no idea this book was initially a fanfic so that was a fun tidbit to learn *don't judge me*. For me, 'The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy' is a fantasy read sprinkled with moments of romance. Just to confirm this an extremely long slow burn with an enemies to lovers at the start. But it's built heavily on the lore of the world Brigitte has created. With interwoven commentary on healthcare and politics.

I have to praise the poetic imagery, especially in my favourite scene at the light house (I have a few more but due to spoilers I'll keep them to myself). I'll also add who knew cutlery would play such a role in this book? If you're looking for good banter, magical lore, and simmering chemistry it's strong with Osric and Aurienne.

However, I need to point out that at times, the story felt bloated and often meandered with fanciful descriptions. It sometimes deflated the story's punch. In addition, many storylines were left open-ended to be dealt with in Book Two that I'm wondering how all of it will be addressed.

My thanks to Berkley Publishing for providing the ARC!

oof okay i am so sad to be saying this but this one almost completely fell flat for me, i was so excited for this one as i am very much in my dramione and marauders fanfic era right now and knowing this was one of the most beloved fics turned trad published had me bouncing off the walls excited to read it but i think there was just way too much that needed to be expanded upon… the world building and magical system is the biggest, there were things here and there where i could tell was tweaked from the og inspo which was great but the things that were brought into the new universe really needed a more in depth understanding.

while the banter between the two MCs is funny and you can definitely get the dramione vibes from it there really wasnt anything else that made me connect to these characters, outside of the bantering they felt very flat and one dimensional… theres honestly not much between them that makes me excited to read about them unless they’re bickering.

i will 100% be revisiting this book though once i can get my hands on the audiobook, maybe with the help of narrators bringing them to life itll be a bit easier to get into and help me fall in love with the characters the way i would have liked to. i think this has the potential to be really great and i do think a lot of people are going to love it but as of right now i am not one of those people 😭

This book did not disappoint. I haven’t even finished it yet, but it’s already one of my favorite books of the year. The only reason it’s taking me so long to finish is that I’ve been busy with work; otherwise, I would have finished it already because it is such a fun read. It’s the definition of a romantasy rom-com. Thank you so much for the advance reader copy. This is how I would love all Dramione fanfics turned into published works. It definitely felt like I already knew the characters, and while it was different from DMATMIOBIL, it retained all the aspects that made me fall in love with the fic. The only complaint I have is how complicated the magical world is, and I needed a bit more explanation on the world-building and magic system at the beginning but I was still able to thoroughly enjoy the plot. I have already talked about this book multiple times on my page and plan to continue to do so as I keep reading it.

Here it is—my most anticipated read of the year.

The moment this ARC went live, I (along with thousands of others) scrambled to request a copy. When it landed in my inbox yesterday, I dove in headfirst. At the cost of sleep and next-day productivity, I devoured it in a single overnight sitting - nary a regret to be found!

Brigitte Knightley is an international treasure—she had me grinning from the dedication page (if you know, you know). Osric and Aurienne are an absolute delight, their sharp-tongued animosity crackling through every interaction. The banter? Impeccable. The tension? Electric. Their enemies-to-lovers arc is a masterclass in slow-burn storytelling, unfolding with perfect precision.

The pacing is just as finely tuned. There’s no filler here—every chapter builds with intention, keeping the momentum steady and the intrigue high. For those with a medical background (or just an appreciation for smart world-building), the blend of fantasy and magical realism is utter brilliance. The parallels to nervous system demyelination and the nods to the women who pioneered scientific and medical advancements add another layer of depth and genius that had me enthralled.

Longtime fans of Knightley’s non-published work will be thrilled by the subtle allusions she’s woven in—little gifts from an author to her readers that are following her journey. And if this is your first experience with her writing? I envy you. What I wouldn’t give to experience her prose for the first time again. Prepare to be grinning, gasping, pining, and kicking your feet like a giddy fool.

This is a phenomenal debut from an author I desperately hope to see more from. Berkley, if you’re reading this, publish her grocery lists, her sticky notes, anything (everything). I will read it all.

Mark your calendars: July 8, 2025. That’s the day you sprint to your nearest bookseller. Or, if you’re like me and prefer the luxury of having it appear at your doorstep, pre-orders are open—hint hint wink wink. Now I shall begin manifesting the sequel’s publication in record-breaking time.

A superlative-filled thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | Ace and NetGalley for the eARC!

Please please read this book it is everything and more THE enemies to lovers is so ddodososi gorgeous please read this

If you loved the style of humor in Assistant to the Villian, I think this will be right up your alley! Unfortunately, it was a DNF for me around 65%.

Some thoughts:
- The deofols as animal sidekicks were cute, and it was fun seeing the personality similarities between them and their owners
- It was a fantasy world, but it didn’t feel super well developed so a lot of the terms and places felt a little randomly tossed out there which was a touch confusing
- By 65% the characters still felt one dimensional and I didn’t feel any chemistry between them, it made it really hard to be invested in their relationship
- I would’ve liked to see some more tiny similarities or something along the way so the reluctant allies storyline felt a little more fun and less stiff

Now this is the enemies to lover slow burn romance that the book girls are YEARNING for. And when I say slow burn I mean it. The banter between our two main characters? Everything you could hope for and more.

While I couldn’t describe the overall book as light hearted, since our MMC is literally an assassins who does his job on page, the story was still infused with wit and funny moments that was refreshing to read and helped take me out of our world and into this new one.

Also be warned you are dropped directly into the world and it took me a few chapters to orient myself. Thankfully there is a glossary and map which helps.