I'm so sorry for not liking this as much as I could. I just struggled to understand the world building and who the heck was who. maybe it was the writing style?

I probably would have liked this one more if I didn’t know it was based off a Dramione fanfic because it was so unserious that I just could not relate the two other than the FMC and MMC having similar characteristics to Hermione & Draco. That being said, it was a funny, yet at times very immature read. As someone who works in healthcare, I wouldn’t be surprised if others outside of healthcare who read this get confused with some of the medical jargon. I didn’t hate it, but I definitely won’t go out of my way to read it again.

Thank you so much to Ace Pub for an ARC & ALC in exchange for my honest review!

i don’t have much to say about this, it simply just wasn’t for me. the writing and the world building were severely lacking, I’m pretty sure that there’s info missing due to the fact that it’s a fanfic. the humor was trying too hard and very childish, the amount of penis jokes were beyond me. Osric and Aurienne had no spark, Osric especially was kinda obnoxious.. to say the least. the plot is a lot of them walking around and repetitive scenes of Aurienne trying (and failing) to heal him. my copy was short— under 300 pages and it still felt long.

Incredibly hilarious with brilliant characters who LOATHE one another’s very existence is pretty much my catnip and this book was an absolute delight. Knightley has crafted such a fun dynamic between her mains; the push each other’s buttons, exasperate one another, and are so diametrically opposite they are just outright mad at themselves for developing feelings. If you love banter, cool magical powers, animal familiars, forbidden romance, and heaps of delicious slow burn tension- this book is for you! I cannot WAIT for part two of this duology.

Aurienne and Osric can’t stand each other—and their snarky, laugh-out-loud exchanges had me hooked. This isn’t your typical “we-hate-each-other-but-not-really” setup. Their animosity runs deep, which makes their emotional unraveling all the more satisfying. The chemistry? Off the charts. Knightley weaves their romance into a beautifully built fantasy full of intrigue, adventure, and mystery, without ever overshadowing the heart of the story. And that ending? Painfully perfect. I need the sequel now.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! Pub Date: July 8, 2025

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to read this book because it was advertised to be an homage to dramione lovers. However, I did not get those vibes in the least. Both characters seem to genuinely dislike each other from the beginning and have to work together because of money (a lack of it) and impending death (of only one of them). About 30% into the book we get a moment where they have an "almost" moment and it was so out of character for them both that at first, I was confused about what I read. I had to restart the paragraph to realize "oh this is supposed to be the romance part that we have seen absolutely none of until now". I have laughed a lot at the antics of both of these characters however I am not rooting for them as a couple at all. I find it mildly distasteful to read the scenes of their "romance".

I gave this a real try, truly I did. I tried both the ebook and the audiobook. but let's just say it is obvious this is a fanfiction. I looked past a lot but I just couldn't keep going after they talked about how a man possibly went about his day with his "giant penis", and how he must swing it around his neck when it is "not erect". Would also like to say this might win the award for the most times "penis" or other words for it, are used in just the first 5 chapters of a book

Enemies to lovers? CHECK. Amazing banter DOUBLE CHECK.
Brigitte Knightley delivers a slow burn that’s equal parts sassy as it is swoon worthy. Our two leads go from verbal warfare to emotional whiplash, and honestly? I was here for every tension-filled moment. of it. This book was so much fun with sharp wit humor and the lovable side characters, and just the right amount of spice,
The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is the perfect read when you want to roll your eyes at the same time your falling head over heels inlove.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley was such a fun, addictive read. I’m always a fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope, and this book delivered. The tension between the main characters was off the charts, and I loved every second of their stubborn, snarky back-and-forth.

What worked for me was how both characters were flawed in believable ways. Their arguments felt real, their chemistry was undeniable, and watching them slowly let their guards down was satisfying. The story had just the right balance of humor, heart, and heat.

If you’re into romances that bring the drama but still have plenty of sweet moments. It’s playful, sharp, and honestly had me smiling the whole way through. I didn’t want to put it down.

DNF @ 35%. I was just bored. characters and plot weren't interesting to me, the banter didn't hit, the world building felt shallow, and the humor was very crude. Even putting that aside, I don't find assassin for hire (no ethics, no moral code involved) to be a compelling love interest.

This book made me absolutely feral. I'm going to need the next book in the series to come out yesterday, but alas, this first one isn't even out yet.

This is a TRUE enemies-to-lovers romantasy. They're not secretly attracted to one another and denying it, they legitimately hate each other upon first meeting because of their (seemingly) wildly contradictory worldviews and morality systems. Alas, believably constructed circumstances force them to work together, and top-notch insulting banter ensues. This book is so genuinely funny, both in the dialogue and in silly little details in the worldbuilding (the names of pubs were a personal favorite). The world-building is top-notch: unique enough to be interesting, well-constructed enough that I never had questions about what the heck was happening with the magic system or politics, and incorporated naturally enough that I didn't feel like I was getting big infodumps.

And the romance...ah, the romance. Osric and Aurienne are such beautifully drawn characters, each full of fascinating motivations, quirks, and flaws. Together they're simply electric. Their attraction to one another unfolds ever so slowly and believably, with each furiously trying to deny and resist it. So when those small romantic moments do finally happen, they're simply breathtaking. The writing style is just exquisite. An absolute masterclass in the romantasy genre.

Extremely slow slow burn romantasy where a big chunk of the book is quirky, sort of millennial style humor and banter back and forth. I could see fans of India Holton or Assistant to the Villian enjoying this. Unfortunately, the humor was not my style and so I did struggle a bit with how much the dialogue felt both twee and also had a shocking number of jokes about balls and butts. Like, truly, I cannot overstate.

I think that this was attempting to do a lot of things, and in that ambition, a number of them fell by the wayside. I’m not entirely sure what era this is supposed to be—certainly an AU, and I saw it described as gaslamp, but then some of the jokes and outfits didn’t make sense with gaslamp, exactly, and sometimes real-world locations would pop up. The characters had an interesting set up (I would have loved to explore the psychological impact of a slow motion disabling event on a character who clearly gets a lot of his self-worth from his competence as a killer) but then there wasn’t much pay off for it (he just sort of struggled to notice he was hurt?). I would have liked to see a lot more depth with the magic, and maybe that’s coming in the next book. I would have liked to know more about the Orders, though maybe that’s coming in the next book.

All of these issues are very typical for reskinned fanfic, though it’s my understanding that this book isn’t actually the fanfic reworked but rather an original work with a disturbingly similar title to capitalize off of the dramoine of it all. But if it’s not reskinned fanfic, where is the character development? where is the worldbuilding? it would make more sense if those things were meant to be assumed/taken from another work, but as is, they are just sort of missing in action.

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by ACE and Berkley Publishing Group.

When Osric Mordaunt, member of the Fyren Order of assassins, falls ill, he realizes he needs the expertise of a very specific healer. As fate would have it, that healer belongs to an enemy faction, the Haelan Order.

Aurienne Fairhrim and her fellow Haelan are inundated by sick children suffering from an outbreak of a long-forgotten Pox. Unable to get the funding needed to launch an immunization program, the Haelan Order is desperate for money – so desperate that when Osric breaks into their headquarters to bribe Aurienne to heal him, she is forced to accept.

As Osric and Aurienne work together to solve not only his illness but the mysterious reoccurrence of the Pox, they find themselves ardently denying their attraction which only fuels the tension between them.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy was on the top of my list for July releases, but this one fell flat. It was suppose to be a romantasy, but it felt like there was no romance. The worldbuilding was also super flat. I felt like I was just thrown into the worldbuilding with zero knowledge of what was going on. It really lacked any real background and even the magic system was not explained well. It just made it hard to enjoy the setting and atmosphere. The banter was fun at first but wore out quickly and just got repetitive. The characters lacked personality as well. There was just no depth with them so it was very hard to connect and root for them. Just when we kind of get into the flow of the book, it just abruptly ends. Maybe book two will be better? I know I am definitely in the minority, but some people might still enjoy this one more than I did.

Rating: 2.5/5

My only regret is that I read this too early and now will have to think about it every day for a year and change until the sequel comes out.

This will be one of my top books of the year. Dare I say it, it might be my favorite. I had such a fantastic time reading this that my heart dropped when I realized it was over. The banter, the (agonizingly) slow burn, the yearning, the shenanigans. HEAVY on the banter; the dialogue had me kicking my feet and giggling like a child. I haven't had this much fun with a book in months.

I also rarely purchase ARCs for myself after I've read them, but this might be an auto-buy for me. I can't imagine not owning this series. I'll have to reread it a few more times.

Thank you to Berkeley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of “The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy” by Bridgette Knightley in exchange for an honest review.

Osric Mordaunt has a serious problem. A skilled killer, he needs all of faculties to undertake complex, dangerous missions for the assassin’s guild. Unfortunately, he’s afflicted with a progressive illness and despite desperate (yet discreet) inquiries, it seems there is only one healer who may be able to help him.

Healer Aurienne Fairhrim has problems of her own. A mysterious illness is killing children, and Aurienne’s guild is powerless to stop it. They’re overwhelmed, physically, emotionally, and monetarily. So when Osric appears and offers Aurienne an enormous amount of money to help him, she cannot say no. Even if helping an assassin is ethically dubious at best.

Money notwithstanding, Osric’s condition is usually hopeless but Aurienne once had a theory about folklore and healing. She’s since abandoned her theory as fairytale nonsense but Osric convinces her to restart her research, with his assistance. So the two of them launch a desperate search for cures. While they’re at it, they learn that the children’s plague is not what it appears and they are quickly embroiled in international espionage.

It’s a fun story. Despite some dark themes, the writing has a humor that keeps things fairly light. Osric and Aurienne balance each other well, and while Osric is objectively a terrible person (assassin, duh), his character development is excellent. The worldbuilding is interesting. The Internet says that this story is a Hermione/Draco Malfoy homage, but honestly, only if Draco Malfoy had a personality beyond "Blonde and villainous."

The biggest issue with “The Irresistible Urge” is that this is the first book of a duology. It ends on a very frustrating note, in a “I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW” kinda way. Recommended for readers who can handle the wait, who like a little humor with their adventure, and for readers who are ready for a morally gray shadow daddy with platinum blonde hair.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝:
💞 The writing is exactly what you’d expect from the genius who gave us the iconic “Tell your cat I said pspsps.” Most of my annotations are simply me highlighting lines that struck me as funny, a few of which even made me laugh out loud.
💗 The worldbuilding is really unique and unlike anything else I’ve read.
💖 The slow burn is SLOW. Don’t get me wrong: I don’t mind the occasional fast sexual burn, slow emotional burn. But sometimes, I just want to be driven mad by just *how* long it takes for the MCs to finally do something. Irresistible Urge gave me exactly that.

One of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me. I want to be fully transparent: I went into this as a huge fan of the fan fiction it’s based on. But as I read, I couldn’t find a plot to hold on to, any emotional pull, or meaningful context. I felt completely disconnected from the characters and their journey, and trust me it pains me so much to write this review.


Thank you Berkley Romance for the free book! #BerkleyPartner #Berkley

Osric Mordaunt, an assassin, bribes healer Aurienne Fairhrim to save his life, even though they’re sworn enemies. As they work together to stop a deadly pox, the tension between them turns into something neither of them can ignore.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is Brigette Knightly’s debut and the first book in the Dearly Beloathed duology. The banter between Osric and Aurienne was off the charts, and I could definitely feel their chemistry. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic was really well done. The humor leans crude, which didn’t bother me, but it might not be for everyone. The worldbuilding and info-dumping were harder to follow in the audiobook, but the physical copy helps thanks to the glossary. The writing style took a bit to get used to, but I was definitely invested in the story. Now I can’t wait for the second book!

Fanfic to Trad Publishing: I love this idea. So many authors put their heart and soul into writing fanfic, and, because they are doing it for fun, it really reflects in quality. However, my concern is that it can be hard to translate it to the general public. The first difficulty is world-building. This book just stuck you right in the middle of it without any buildup and little vocabulary definitions. It came off as less important and lost the connection. This is also similar to character development. It felt as though we should have already understood the characters, which obviously would’ve been extremely natural in a fan fic. Lastly, the language was tough because it tried to hold the same magic, but didn’t have the lore to back it up. With all this being said, I think there needs to be more support to help translate a story to a larger pool of readers.

With that being said, if you know it was a fanfic first, it hits so different and I think a lot of these readers will enjoy it. But then again, I think I may enjoy the fanfic itself more because it just makes more sense and is true to what the author dreamed up?

Banter: The banter always makes a book for me. There was some good humor that matched the characters. I did notice that long periods of banter turned into “he said” “she said” sentence structures that lose character connection. This may also be a hit and miss for readers.

Length: This isn’t a standalone and honestly thought it was until 90%. Also, with the lack of world and character development, I think it should have been a standalone.

Overall, I wanted more and less at the same time. While it didn’t hit for me, if you’re interested in the story, I’d say give it a try cause I do see a lot of people loving it. I do think I’m gonna go try to find the original to read cause I do love my fanfic authors and I’m excited to read it in all its glory.

I had a very hard time getting into this book. Maybe it was because I have not read any Dramione fanfic. There were a lot of complicated names to remember and I had some trouble understanding some of the magic system and the world.
However, once I got into this book and got my footing, it did end up being a good read. I love the fantasy/romantasy aspect a lot and enjoyed reading something I really didn't have much experience with (inspired fanfic). Thank you to Berkley for the early copy arc.