This one is for the Dramionie girlies!

Osric Mordaunt is an assassin, one of the best in his order known as the Fyren. Aurienne Fairhrim is also the best in her order, a healer from the Haelan. The Fyren and Haelan refuse to work together because their mission statements are in opposition: Haelans vow to never harm or kill and the Fyren harm and kill people for money.

This leaves Osric in a bit of a pickle since his seith channels (source of magic) are slowly dying after an unfortunate injury that wasn't properly cared for. Seith channels when dead remain dead, but Osric heard that Aurienne has theories that could heal what was once dead. He breaks into the Haelan order and threatens to kidnap Aurienne if she doesn't help heal him, and he offers her an enormous amount of money to help with the Pox outbreaks. Fast forward a bit and they strike a deal. What you end up with is a lot of snark, obvious hatred of the other and an adventure to perform the impossible.

I had fun with this story. Having read the original fanfiction it made me even more excited to see how the story was going to play out. There are a lot of differences of course, giving the book it's very own new fantasy world and magic system. I really enjoyed Osric and Aurienne and their distaste for each other. It is always so much fun when the main characters just downright despise each other. And not the pretend hating, but actual hatred. The quips and sass were dry and clever.

I enjoyed learning about the Fyren and Haelan orders. At first I was overwhelmed because there are a lot of new words and group names, but it all came together. Unsurprising the reader does get to see a slow softening of the main characters towards each other. The title of the book definitely hints at an eventual love story between the main characters. Buckle up because we got ourselves a slow burn. This is book one in a duo so don't expect it to be dripping with romance. You'll get sarcastic banter, you'll get frustrated thoughts from the main characters and it is delicious.

Overall very enjoyable. There was one thing that bothered me in the book: word usage. There are a lot of really long words in this book that I have never heard of or ever seen before...that were not "fantastical" in nature or created for the fantasy world. I felt a bit annoyed when I would come across a really strange word and look it up and for example have it mean something as simple as "a picture". I think having long words in books is great here and there, but it felt too frequent that it took away from the story.

Synopsis: Osric's a talented assassin who's magic is at risk due to a rare ailment. Aurienne's a talented healer with a special skillset that may help her heal Osric. Their magical orders are at odds (one kills and one saves) and Aurienne's willingness to heal Osric will not come without a cost, but Osric is willing to make a generous donation to help stop the mysterious spread of a recent epidemic that is primarily impacting children. Osric and Aurienne embark on mostly ill-fated jaunts to find a cure for Osric and, possibly, find the source of the epidemic.

Knightley has a unique voice as a writer and is clearly very smart with a talent for weaving words together in both a beautiful and funny way. Her prose is very unique and I look forward to seeing what else she writes in the future.

This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025 and unfortunately it really didn't work for me. I was confused throughout the entire book. The plot felt disjointed. The jokes were not written for my sense of humor. I'm really hoping the sequel will be better, like I said I do think Knightley is talented, but this didn't do it for me. Very sad.

This was such a fun read and very unique! I really enjoyed the characters and their dynamic. It kept me really invested in the story.

3.5/5⭐️
1/5🌶️

Aurienne Fairhrim is the best of the best. As a top of the line healer, she’s the one you want when you’re ill. And Osric Mordaunt? He’s in dire need of healing, and he’s decided he’s getting Adrienne’s help by asking nicely… or by bribery or threatening kidnapping. When the offer made is one she can’t refuse, Aurienne must push aside her morals to try to help a male who has turned out to be her biggest enemy.

This was a fun story! The burn was super, duper slow, but the storyline was enticing. I equated it to a Dramione medical drama! Our FMC was bookish, rigid in her beliefs and solely focused on doing good and causing no harm… while our MMC is kiiiinda her exactly opposite. Morally grey (and sometimes black!), very unserious and ready to stick his blade into anyone who gets in his way. The wit was incredible, the writing was SO FUN! So many instances had me snorted out loud. I generally like my romances with a biiiiiit more heat (we went from total disdain to thawing at around 80%) but I like the set up for the rest of the series. The little side mystery thrown in kept me intrigued too, but again, this didn’t happen until around 80% in the book. I’ll be interested to see where to where this story progresses! Give me more Aurienne… I really liked her!

What I Loved About This Story:
✨VERY Dramione coded
✨Medical mystery drama
✨So much flipping DISDAIN… into more?
✨Our FMC was so dry and didn’t take any of our MMC’s shiz
✨The writing style was hilarious

Thank you for the free book @BerkleyRomance and @ACEBooks! I am grateful to be a Berkley Romance 2025 Influencer and given the opportunity to read this book early; my review is all my own.

Went into this book with completely wrong expectations (thanks, marketing). This is comedic fantasy, which I am not a fan of at all. If I had known that, I would have never requested this ARC.

The writing is all over the place - I made 60% before calling quits for my sanity.

The characters had no depth; everything was surface-level with jokes and dry humor … Don’t get me wrong; the banter was fun for the first three chapters, but then it just became exhausting.

IF YOU LIKE COMEDIC FANTASY, then this is for you.

the irresistible urge to fall for your enemy | brigitte knightley

4.5⭐️

_____

I had the absolute best time reading this! It kept my interest from page one and had me giggling the entire time.

It was a little crass and cavalierly murder-y, so if that's not your thing, now you know. (neither bothered me, I found it all pretty hilarious)
The Goodreads synopsis calls our MCs "hyper competent idiots" and basically that sums up the vibes of this perfectly!

The world building/magic system wasn't overly complex and made sense to me, even though the set-up took second place to the character intros.

I did NOT know going in that this is a duology. I started to realize about 90% in 😂 and honestly I'm already planning to re-read before book two, and I'm excited about it!

For the DMATMOOFIL girlies:
YES, I did read the fanfic! And I loved it! I think it's pretty safe to say that if you are a fan of that, you'll enjoy this too. It's different - but feels the same! Same dry humor. Same fantastic banter. Same overall vibes. If I didn't know already, I would absolutely be able to tell they were the same author. Which made me happy.
(and don't worry - you get your taste of Draco coded MMC!)

THINGS TO LOVE:
+ a healer & an assassin
+ an incurable disease
+ they're forced to work together
+ suuuper slow burn
+ STEM vs old world magic
+ emeny Orders
+ ridiculous situations
+ a grumpy kitten and a hoard of dogs
+ reluctant connection

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{a gigantic thank you to Brigitte, Berkley, Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for the advanced copy!! Out 7/8/25}

i can’t even explain what this book did to me. it was chaos. it was tension. it was the slowest burn of bad decisions and somehow i wanted more.

was it a good idea? no. did i care? absolutely not. something about the way they hated each other… yeah. i’m not coming back from that.

if you get it, you get it.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Her touch was an aching, fragile beauty. It was a hinge that swung him into something else. An awareness. An understanding that came in a bursting, ecstatic, agonised thrill.

3.75 stars

This was quite the read! There were so many outrageous parts I lost count, but they were still enjoyable and so funny.

I think the writing here is pretty unique and it took some getting used to. But I think it worked pretty well for what this story was trying to be, a satire imo. But with this writing style I think it lost some depth to it. I feel like I could have connected to these characters a little more if there was tidge more depth.

And I'll also say that this had a pretty slow start and took awhile for something to really spark in the story, but overall I enjoyed how unique this was and just how ridiculous both characters were in their own way ❤️

This is a fantasy romance for anyone who loves a complex, world-building fantasy.

Osric Mordaunt is a member of the Fyren Order of assassins. He is ill with a deadly disease that affects his ability to use magic and will kill him if he cannot find a cure. The only person who can help him is Aurienne, a member of the Haelan Order who also happens to be his sworn enemy. She has been inundated with trying to cure a pox that is killing children everywhere. Osric donates money as a way of convincing Aureinne to help him.

She has no choice but to accept because it's the only way she can heal the children.

It took a while to develop the story and initially, both characters were insufferable, pompous jerks with whom I did not feel a connection. The illness of the pox was triggering.

TL;DR: Very funny, but oh so boring

Seriously, this was some funny writing. The confidence of Aurienne and Osric made for some hilarious scenes between the two of them, especially since they're enemies in every sense of the word. They both thought they were right and that their way was the only way. It was everything.

Unfortunately, not much happened throughout this book. The pacing was incredibly slow. The moments of action were nice, but there weren't enough of them. I think part of the problem is that the conflicts of this book were slow-burning issues. Osric needed healing, the children needed healing, and then a new conflict about halfway through. It was all a long-term game and I had almost no interest in sticking around.

At times, the fantasy lingo was also a bit much. But truly that wasn't my biggest issue.

Overall, it was fun when it was fun. Incredibly boring the rest of the time.

While The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy didn't resonate with me personally, I think that there is definitely an audience who will enjoy this story.

First, something worth noting is that, as Knightley has stated, The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is not a rewrite or retelling of her well-known Dramione fan-fiction Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love. Instead, TIUTFFYE is a new story featuring Knightley's favorite tropes.

It's worth noting for readers that a glossary and map are included in the beginning of the novel, and an explanation of the Orders and pronunciation guide are included at the back. If you want a lighthearted read, enjoy bodily humor, and like an enemies to lovers tale (well, not quite in this first book of the Dearly Beloathed series), then you may love The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy.

The story in TIUTFFYE revolves around a scholarly healer, Aureinne, and an unremorseful assassin, Osric. Osric has an affliction that is sure to prove fatal, so he seeks the care of the most renowned healer he can find, Aurienne. Aureinne saves lives while Osric takes them, so they are diametrically opposed individuals. Additionally, they belong to different Orders that are enemies. There isn't much of an explanation about the Orders in the text aside from the fact that the Fyren (Osric) and Haelan (Aurienne) don't interact or get along. The section The Orders at the end of the book provides some background information about the Orders and their traits, but it feels disjointed to try to assimilate that information separately as opposed to in the story itself. Similarly, the glossary provides information about six words/terms, but there are many others that are not included (at least in the ARC). There are also words for things which are confusingly different. For instance, hlutoform is basically an antiseptic and used as such, but there is a unique term for it.

The two pieces of TIUTFFYE that didn't resonate with me personally were the world building and the humor. The world created here isn't easily comprehensible or understandable. It has a magical, gritty London atmosphere overall, but the text itself doesn't lay the groundwork for the world we're reading. Instead, the story relies heavily on the Glossary, Orders, and Map to provide us with background on the setting and societal structure. Regarding the humor, be prepared for a lot of bodily jokes and references. Just glancing at the chapter titles, you can get an inkling as to the type of humor you'll find here with headings such as: "The Bunghole" and "Mr. Hungwell." The humor didn't strike me as offensive, just unfunny. And, references to farts, balls, tits, etc. are pervasive throughout the entirety of the book, so it isn't included in just a few scenes. I found it hard to focus on wanting Oscric and Aurienne to fall for one another amidst all of the jokes.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I honestly do not know how I will survive the wait for this sequel. This book was dark but the romance was beautiful. It was addicting from start to finish, a true enemies to lovers.

2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect with this release. I know that this is based off of a Dramione fanfiction that has undergone some changes and being traditionally published. I have not read the fanfiction is it based off of, but I could 100% see Draco and Hermione in these characters.

I want to start by saying I did DNF this book at 33%. Let's talk about why. My major issue was just the language overall in this book. I found it really hard for me to understand what was going on due to the overwhelming amount of made up terminology and character names. It made it really hard for me to get invested in this story and reading started to feel more like work. I wish that some of the language had been simplified.

Now let's talk about what I loved. This book had so much potential for me. There were so many times that I was actually laughing out loud at some of the dialogue between the two characters. I loved the true enemies to lovers that was being represented in this and the story overall felt very unique.

Even though this book wasn't for me personally, I would still recommend for anyone who is a Harry Potter/Fantasy lover to give it a try. I think this book is going to be truly loved by the fantasy community.

I’m not usually into 3rd person but this captivated me and I couldn’t put it down! The chemistry between them was everything.

This book was so incredibly unique! The writing style was unlike any I’ve ever read. It was a bit slow at the start, but it picked up and then I couldn’t put it down.

The banter was everything I wanted and more. I will be impatiently waiting for the next book!

Unfortunately i ended up DNFing this one. While the description was really intriguing and i love that us was based off of a fanfic, the story just didn’t work for me.

Primarily this is due to the lack of world building. The reader is thrown into the world with zero knowledge of what is going on, ultimately leading to a very difficult to follow and confusing start. while there are info dumps of information, it is still really both underwhelming and overwhelming at the same time. A lot of this probably boils down to this being a fanfic initially, so the world was already developed, so the world and magic systems had to be redeveloped, but they just were not well done.

The banter between MCs was fun and funny, but that’s about it. The characters ended up feeling one dimensional.

Overall 2 Stars for me.

This was fine - I think a little less fan fiction-esque than what I had hoped for and I would have no idea that this was Dramione influenced if I picked it up blind. The banter was the strength in the writing, and the ending plot developments made me curious to pick up the finale if it indeed sticks with being a duology. But overall, mostly a "B," meaning fine but not memorable

I really wanted to love this…but I quite honestly hated it. I gave up around 70% but pushed myself to finish when I should have just DNF’d.
The ending felt flat. Like we were cut off mid chapter, no real conclusion and was sooo unsatisfying.
The romance was awful. I love me a good slow burn, but this had none of the build up or fanfare and at the few moments & when it did, it felt like an afterthought.
Which all makes me sad I hated this, I really love the concept and this world sounds like it’s right up my alley…I mean enemies to lovers??? Come on, that’s literally the best…but this? No thank you!!

For fans of an enemies-to-lovers slow burn told in a sassy voice. This story follows Aurienne, a healer, and Osric, an assassin in need of healing. The focus of the story is predominantly focused on their relationship and seeking a cure for Osric. If you are looking for a book with heavy worldbuilding beyond their journey, this is not the book for you. I had fun with the style that the book was written in and the humor throughout. I don't know if this will carry into the final draft of the book, but the first letter of random words was capitalized. Sometimes it made sense and sometimes it didn't.

This absolutely delivered on what the title promised. It’s a fun, clever enemies-to-lovers romance packed with sharp wit, strong personalities, and laugh out loud banter. The slow burn and yearning were chef’s kiss and kept me completely hooked. The writing style was playful and unique, though it took me a few chapters to fully get used to it. It’s definitely more character-driven than plot-heavy, with lots of dialogue, but it mostly worked thanks to the witty writing.

The world building felt a little vague and could use more depth. I wasn’t totally sure what time period the story was set in, and that lack of clarity made it harder to fully immerse myself. That said, the magic system was really cool and definitely has me curious to see where it goes. I also appreciated the glossary since there were quite a few unfamiliar terms.

The deofols were easily one of the highlights for me. They added a chaotic energy to the story, and I’m hoping we get more of them in the next book. I went in thinking this was a standalone, so the ending caught me off guard, but it sets things up nicely for the next book, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes. If you like clever, chaotic romantasy with great banter, you’ll probably enjoy this.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley, for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.