I technically rated this a 3.5.

First of all, I didn't realize that this was a series. I kept waiting for the action to happen and I feel like it was a prequel to the actual story. Yes, there was plot, but it felt like it was all rising action and not a complete book. I really like the world, but the world building needed some work. I enjoy books that throw you in and make you read between the lines to understand the world, but this was a weird mixture of them explaining small details about the world without painting a larger picture of the world. That is the opposite of what books with light worldbuilding are supposed to I feel like. Also, I feel like the chemistry between the two main characters was a bit manufactured but I began to see where everything was going closer to the end, so I feel slightly better. Still, it was very touch and go with the feelings rather than a slow crescendo. I enjoyed it, but I am not sure if I would pick up the next one.

I fear this one was over my head and missed the mark for me. I just don’t think I ever really *got* what the author was going for. I saw such amazing reviews but I never connected to the characters or story. There was a lot of witty banter, but also things that didn’t make sense to me and I struggled to feel any type of way about either of the characters. I think if you go in expecting a dry humor rom com fantasy ish book, you will be happy with this read.
Thanks to Berkley, Brigitte Knightley and Netgalley for an early copy.

I loved this so freaking much. The dialogue between every character is so funny. The mains are quick whited and entertaining. I enjoyed the story, though I do wish there was more substance to the world. It wasn’t hard to follow, however, but there are things that don’t make too much sense to me.

Overall, 5 stars for the vibes, the entertainment, and Osric being exceptionally hilarious.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc 💖

“He looked at her as one who wished to worship, and one who wished to defile.”

This book is a slow burn romantasy with sharp wit, a unique magic system, and one VERY reluctant partnership between a non-nonsense healer and a morally questionable assassin. From the beginning, I was intrigued but the setup: two characters from rival Orders forced to work together to investigate a mysterious illness. While it takes a little time to get your footing in the world (and yes, I referenced the glossary more then once😅), the story is rich and layered once you settle in!

Aurienne and Osric’s dynamic is the highlight for me—dry, biting banner and tension that builds steadily over time. It’s not a quick burn romance by any means, but if you’re in it for the long game, it’s well worth the ride! Some of the early pacing felt a little dense, and I wished for more exploration of the Orders and magic system, but the character development and chemistry absolutely delivered. I finished this one desperate for book two and fully invested in wherever this story goes next!

Read if you like:
🗡️ Enemies to lovers
🔥 Slow burn
🧪 Women in STEM x brooding assassin
🐾 Magical animal companions
✨ Unique magic system
🗣️ Dual POV

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy hits shelvesJuly 8th, and I highly recommend adding it to your summer TBR—especially if you’re a fan of Draco Malfoy and the Absolute Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love (iykyk 😉)!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Broody, funny, witty, and FINALLY a SLOOOOW slow burn!!! I really loved Aurienne and her confidence in herself. She was such a strong FMC and I always love that in a fantasy!

I love an enemies to lovers and this one was fabulous! The author created an interesting and immersive world with developed characters. There was snarky banter and good wit too! I'm interested to see where she takes the story in the next book.

A witty and slow-burn enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance featuring a healer and an assassin who are forced to collaborate. Their sharp banter and reluctant chemistry make this a page turner!

This is being marketed as a “romantasy” but I firmly put this in the cozy fantasy genre with tons of British humor, sarcasm and crude jokes galore. We have a healer x assassin from different orders who both think they’re the main character of the story. I’m talking arrogant to the point of insanity, and this is what I’d consider a TRUE enemies to lovers story. These two actually LOATHE and roast each other everytime they are in the same vicinity. A few made-up words (such as blaecblade) could’ve benefitted from the glossary, but there is a lot of 17th & 18th century language mixed with Brit slang so can see how some people are feeling lost on that front. I absolutely loved this. The story was unique and had me chuckling everytime I picked it up. I am also so excited this is only a duo. We need more duos in our lives. No more expanded series. I loved it & can’t wait for book 2!

Though The Irresistible Urge to fall for your Enemy is not a fanfic, Knightly is known in the fanfic community for writing dramione fanfics. As such, this fantasy romance is very dramione-coded.

I’ve been reading a lot more romance this year than ever before, and I couldn’t help myself when I saw that this enemies-to-lovers romantasy was available on Netgalley. The premise for this one sounded fun and lighthearted, and it lived up to my expectations for both.

Set in a magical kingdom with different regions, our main characters are Aurienne and Osric, who are wielders of magic in differing factions of society, the Healans and Fyrens. When Osric contracts a deadly illness, Aurienne, as a skilled healer, is the only one who can save him. The two of them strike a deal with Aurienne agreeing to help Osric in exchange for Osric’s contribution to fund research into why a long-forgotten illness is spreading among poor children.

The plot stakes were set up nicely at the beginning, and it was a true slow burn enemies-to-lovers, with Osric and Aurienne hating each other at first sight. There was a lot of raunchy humor and banter all throughout this.

However, there were some aspects I didn’t enjoy of this novel, including the writing. At times it felt a bit juvenile, and there was also far too much telling for my preference.

This book is part 1 of a trilogy, which I had no idea about when I started reading it. It ended on a major cliffhanger, and I’m honestly not sure if I’ll continue reading it.

This might be for you if you are looking for:
- a fun read with a strong romance plot
- high stakes
- banter for days

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley is sharp, swoony, and hilariously addictive. Packed with tension, banter, and just the right amount of heart, it’s enemies-to-lovers at its most fun.

I enjoyed this one a lot! I’ll be transparent and say it took me about 30% in to actually get hooked because the writing had a very witty and humorous style that’s very different from the authors I usually read in this genre. Either way, I gave it a chance and it didn't disappoint! 🤩

I definitely think this book is for those that LOVE that comedy and sarcasm tone, because this entire book is about two enemies who have to work together even though they don’t want to. AKA TENSION. AKA FORCED PROXIMITY 🔥

𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍. 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚. 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚. 𝑶𝒔𝒓𝒊𝒄 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝑭𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍. 𝑯𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒚. 𝑯𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔. 𝑯𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒄𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎.

Osric and Aurienne have the funniest relationship I’ve seen in a long time. No, I’m not talking about the romance relationship, I’m talking about that acquaintance with a sprinkle of friendship and a dash of slow burn romance 🫠 (gimme)

The plot was very direct, and the tiny adventures they went on to solve it as well as having the reader be invested to see if the friendship blooms into something more had MEEEE! AT THE EDGE of these pages ‼️

Anyway, I had fun! I definitely recommend it to those looking for a slow burn with humorous writing and that enemies to lovers vibe.

I’m not a fan fiction reader, but I definitely got caught up in the Dramione-to-trad hype this year.

And maybe that’s why I didn’t quite connect with this book? I’m sure it will land with the right people though!

Things I liked:
- Enemies to lovers
- Osric. He did grow on me.
- The last 20%. As soon as the chemistry kicked in, I was so down.

Things I struggled with:
- The pacing. And similarly, the SLOWEST of burns.
- The made-up magical words, paired with heavy-handed thesaurus usage, made for slow-going at times. I get that the latter was intended to provide color in our super smart FMC’s chapters, but sheesh…
- The ending? That was it?!

Lukewarm response aside, will I read book 2? Probably.

Thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for access to the ARC!

#TheIrresistibleUrgetoFallforYourEnemy #NetGalley

thank you net galley & publishers for this e-arc!!

oh boy where do i start!! first things first, i think a lot of people are intrigued by the idea that this may be a revised version of a very loved fanfic and while i see glimpses of it here and there, it is not what some might be anticipating!! it really is its own original world building.

i do truly like how layered this fictional world is and its situations are, it’s immensely detailed but i think it can feel overwhelming! especially because there are many times where i feel either character goes off on internal tangents to describe the world we are in like i’m being read something from a history textbook. definitely needed some breaks here and there for someone just jumping into this (but honestly most fantasy novels can feel like this!)

this is also a SLOW. BURN. emphasis on SLOW. if you don’t like that, this may not be for you. i would say sometimes it was pushing it but also i love a good slow burn and that last 10% made it all worth it lol. i think the ending is what gives it the 3 stars for me.

this is an enemies to lovers, banter HEAVY (not sure if i loved it the whole time but good moments here and there), fantasy novel between a healer and an assassin and said assassin is trying to save his magic one way or another. love the concept, liked the slow burn, but felt it lacked in the world building aspect! great introduction though and can’t wait to see what else bridgitte writes!

This book has reminded me that sometimes I am, in fact, a hypocrite.

I have been known to criticize books I've read that have gone through the fanfic-to-trad pub pipeline for not holding up for anyone reading them without pre-existing knowledge of the source material. And though, having read it, I can confirm that The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy is a new original story rather than the rework of DMATMOOBIL I went into it expecting, I do think it's probably still guilty of falling into some of the same fanfic conversion pitfalls in ways that weren't super obvious to me now that I'm the one reading it with the source material in the back of my mind. So while it was a bit of a surprise at first to read other reviews for this book and see criticisms that this book was lacking in world-building and character development, in hindsight, I can definitely see where they're coming from.

And thus, I am forced to accept the label of true and proper hypocrite, because true though those critiques may be, they were simply not things that bothered me at all while I was reading this.

I went into this book primed for a fun, slightly campy Dramione fic-esque book, and that's exactly what was delivered. The burn was ultra-slow, the plot was just enough there to keep me engaged, and the banter had me cackling at my Kindle in unfortunately public places. I was just such a fan of Osric and Aurienne's dynamic and their unlikely, reluctant partnership, and watching them bicker while showcasing equal parts emotional immaturity and technical hypercompetence was thoroughly entertaining to me. While, again, this is not just a DMATMOOBIL rewrite, fans of that fic will recognize some of the echoes here as the two go on mythology-driven sidequests hunting for magic of legend, and given how much I enjoyed that element in DMATMOOBIL, it was a no brainer that it would also be a hit for me here.

While all reading is subjective, I think this is most definitely going to be a book where your mileage will vary based on what you're coming into this book with. I think it will work best for anyone with a fanfiction background (and of course, DMATMOOBIL fans especially) who are primed to enjoy stories mostly driven by seeing characters banter and be angsty for most of the page time. While I think this book will still be enjoyable to those who fall outside of that specific niche, I think you should set your expectations accordingly that this is a comedy first, a fantasy second, and a romance third. You will probably know within the first few chapters whether or not the writing and the sense of humor will work for you, and I think you can pretty safely follow your instincts on whether it's worth continuing based on that.
For me, this is a book I was fortunate to be the exact target audience for, and you will absolutely see me eagerly awaiting the next one in the series.

This is my ideal enemies to lovers/romantasy book, it was absolutely fantastic!!! Fair warning though, I thought it was a standalone and was sorely disappointed, but that’s just means there’s more good stuff on the way!!

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Dearly Beloathed Duology. I got this ebook for review from NetGalley.

Thoughts: This was very well done and I enjoyed it a lot. This book tells you exactly what it is going to be, a slow burn enemies to lovers story. What I didn't expect was the intricate world, the complex characters, and how engaging I found both the story and the characters.

Aurienne is a Haelen (healer) and is struggling with the other Haelen to stop a horrible Pox that is killing the poor children of the city. Meanwhile, Osric belongs to one of the dusk orders, he is a Fryen (assassin) and is falling ill. Aurienne is the only Haelen specialist with the power to help him with his magic ailment, but Aurienne would rather see a Fryen die than help him. Fortunately for Osric, the Haelen order desperately needs funding to discover a vaccine for the Pox. If he provides that funding Aurienne will work to provide a cure for his incurable illness. The two hate working together but end up strangely drawn to each other as they spend more time together.

This is definitely a slow burn romance, but that isn't all there is to the story. I enjoyed learning about both Aurienne's and Osric's trades. Aurienne's healing is very scientific and detailed in nature, and that was intriguing to read about. Osric's trade is a bit less savory, but still interesting to read about...I particularly enjoyed his ability to shadow walk. Each of them has a very black and white opinion of the other, but as they get to know each other better they find that they are much more complex. This is something everyone can learn from; people are always much more complex than the first opinion you make of them which is often based on your own personal bias.

Added into the forced relationship between Osric and Aurienne is an intriguing story. This starts out fairly simply with a disease, the Pox, that needs solving. However, the story grows much more complex as it continues with politics and intrigue between both countries and the Orders involved. I thought this was all nicely woven together.

This was effortless to read, the writing flows beautifully and the story is a lot of fun. The dialogue between characters is sharp and witty and I loved it. I enjoyed this more and more as the story went on and am eager to read the second half of this duology when it releases.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I ended up absolutely loving this. I loved the characters here; they are complex and engaging. I loved the world building with the magic, different Orders, and both the political and Order conflicts. I absolutely loved watching Osric and Aurienne get to know each other and realize they are more than just their stereotypes. I look forward to reading the second book when it releases. I would recommend to those who enjoy an intriguing fantasy story with magic and some politics and don't mind a slow burn romance as the focus.

The two main characters, when you squint, you can see their origins in the authors first plans for this story. the cover alone is going to appeal to some readers and drive away others. Which is a shame considering the world-building and author's voice turned out to be refreshingly original, if a bit over-the-top British.

Notes for the publisher: please put book #1 on the spine.

This was such a fun and cute read—I had a great time with it! If you didn't know, this book was inspired by the Dramione fanfic Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love, which the author turned into an original story. You don't need to have read the fanfic to enjoy this, though-aside from the "enemies" dynamic and the character traits, it stands on its own.
That said, I thought the banter and chemistry between Osric and Aurienne were really well done-the tension, the snark, the moments of vulnerability were all there.
The humor did get a little repetitive and a bit immature at times (borderline cringe), and I caught myself skimming through some of the more drawn-out bits
The first half dragged for me. It took a while to get into the story, and I found myself wanting more emotional depth, especially from Aurienne's POV. I connected much more with Osric. This leans more rom-com with fantasy elements than epic fantasy, so if you're expecting deep lore or complex magic, you won't find that here!
Now, the second half really picked up. I was fully hooked and had a few moments where I was straight-up giggling and kicking my feet. The last 100 pages were easily my favorite, and I'm excited to see where the series goes next!

3.75

TLDR:
- Rating: ★★★★★
- Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Romance, Comedy, Fantasy


FULL REVIEW:

Let‘s talk The Irresistible Urge to Fall in Love with your Enemy. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Bridgette Knightly debut novel, it’s actually my first ARC and I’m super grateful to the author and publisher. It releases July 8 and it’s actually one of my most anticipated releases for 2025. Just a little context for those that don’t know it’s from the same writer that wrote the popular Dramione fanfic Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love. While there are similarities, it’s a different magic system and the characters motivations for their forced proximity are different. These are two different works. It’s a slow burn enemies to lovers duology, you’re left on a big cliff hanger where it left me wanting way more. Fore warning, this is very slow burn and there is no smut. Fingers crossed that changes in the second book, but if it didn’t that’s totally ok. It doesn’t need smut, because the plot is chef’s kiss.

**From this point on there will be light spoilers.**

The story is told in two perspectives the FMC Aurienne who is part of the Haelen Order - they are a healer collective and she is one of their top healers. The healers main motivation / oath is “Harm to None.” The MMC Orsic is part of the Fyren order and they are known for being cutthroat assassins with their main motivation being selfish - like money and power. A fun little tidbit, it’s Dramione coded in the way they address each other by their last names until they start developing feelings and then they start using their first names.

Back to the plot, their paths cross when Orsic internal magic system called Seith is diseased and the only person that is qualified and competent enough to help him research a cure using ancient magic is Aurienne. This ends up taking them both on research excursions during different moon phases that feels like a quest where they have face moral dilemmas, learn more about each other, and inevitably their feelings start to grow and they become more comfortable with each other even though their ideals are vastly different.

I gave this book 5 stars and hones tly it’s my first five star read in awhile. The book is beautifully written, the jokes feel high brow, and the banter is delicious. I love how Orsic’s character is written, he’s really witty and charming and Bridgette’s writing styles has definitely blossomed since DMATMOOBIL.

There are definitely callbacks and at times it feels like DMATMOOBIL but The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy is its own book in its own right. Anyways, I have a signed hardcover pre-ordered from Barnes & Noble and I can’t wait to get it when it releases on July 8.

After seeing rave early reviews for this book I had high hopes for this enemies to lovers romantasy. Unfortunately, the overly complex world building took me out of the story and made the beginning quite confusing for me to follow. It felt like all the interactions between the main characters were bogged down by unknown terms and hard-to-follow conversations. Overall, a disappointing read for me.