"The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy" by Brigitte Knightly is the funny, cozy romantasy we've all been waiting for. Aurienne Fairhrim is one of the best healers in her order, she is strict, plays by the rules and does whatever necessary for those in need. Even when "those in need" is the stoic, assassin Osric Mordaunt. There orders don't exactly see eye to eye; she heals, he's a dealer of death. However, when he makes her an offer she can't refuse she must put her bias aside to help him... and to not get kidnapped (which he threatened to do).

Knightley knows how to write a slooowww burnnnn, but since the story is chalked full of banter and TENSION it easily grabs readers and doesn't let them go. These character's are wonderfully stubborn in all aspects of their lives (especially their feelings). However, it's so easy to see their passion for what they do and who they love. Such a fun, cozy read!

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy has an interesting plotline with political intrigue, but a lot of going on. The world is vast and full of new magic, but the reader is easily taken out of the fantasy world with references to real locations. The ending feels abrupt, with no real resolution to any of the story's conflicts. The quips and the banter are humorous, and humor is often strewn into more serious moments to make them more lighthearted. Some moments are unnecessarily crass, and I could have done with fewer dick jokes. I'm left wanting more.

DNF.

Interesting premise and obsessed with the fanfiction foundation. However, struggled with everything else. 3rd person writing felt extremely detached in this one. Banter between the characters was fun but ultimately did not feel connected to them. Nor did I really connect with the romantic aspect. The world building was almost non-existent as I feel like we were kind of plopped into the world without any further context. Also weird pacing with some fairly long feeling chapters. Overall just did not work for me.

The book title, the cover, the chapter titles, the characters, the story (the list could go on) it’s all gloriously perfection.

I needed this book in my life. The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy packs all the best of tropes: the slowest burn, he falls first (and hard), enemies-to-friends-to-soonish-lovers (probably in the second book), she’s his only hope, and a fairytale romance you will LOVE. And the banter!!!

Plus you will be belly laughing from start to finish. This book has everything. Character driven with a feisty MC and a feistier + grumpy love interest. It’ll be hard NOT to want Osric and Aurienne to fall madly in love and have a dazzling happy ending because they are melt-your-heart AMAZING characters.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is a race across the map of Victorian London, as Osric and Aurienne try to find a cure for Osric’s depleting magic, while trying not to kill each other along the way. It’s pure magic to watch these two walk across the pages with a swanky and confident ease that will captivate non-romantasy readers. My fantasy romance loving heart was overjoyed to read The Irresistible Urge to Fall for the Enemy and I CANNOT wait for next book.

If you love The Assistant to the Villain series you will NOT want to miss this one.

Go add this one to your book cart friends STAT as it’s a book you should have in your life this summer.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy completely delivered on everything I want in an enemies-to-lovers romance. This book had me hooked from the first tense interaction to the final, aching pag, and now I’m in emotional chaos waiting for the second part of the duology.

It’s got all the tropes I live for:

Enemies to lovers (like, actual enemies)

High-interaction, slow-burn perfection

Hypercompetent idiots who could take over or heal the world if they stopped bickering for two seconds

He falls first and harder (always superior)

Evisceration as a love language (10/10, no notes)

The slow burn is painfully good in the best way. Every glance, every argument, every soft moment beneath all the prickly edges is charged with tension. And then there’s that moment where she takes care of him, while not hating herself for doing so? I’m unwell.

The plot is angsty, layered with real stakes and sharp emotional beats, and the political element adds a whole extra level of intrigue and urgency. It’s not just about whether they’ll fall in love, it’s about how much they’ll have to lose when they do.

Now let’s talk about the humor. It’s sharp and a bit crude at times, and definitely not going to be for everyone… but for me? It was hilarious. I laughed out loud more times than I can count. The banter is elite, the snark is next-level, and the comedic timing somehow lands even during the angst. That’s talent. The critique crickets and their "familiars" so funny.

Honestly, I adored this book. If you love slow burns with serious tension, enemies-to-lovers that go all in, and characters who could cut each other down or save the world together (depending on the day), you need to pick this up. And then scream with me about how badly we need book two.

One thing I do want to point out is that this is not a revised version of DMATMOOFIL.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and ACE Publishing for a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had a lot of fun reading this! The writing was so funny and the dryness of both characters' humor was fun in the way they played off each other. The world-building was immersive. I am both furious and excited by the ending; the emotional moment! But also, the suspense is unresolved! I will, of course, be reading the rest of the series, as soon s possible!!!

Aurienne is a healer with the desperate need for medical funding to curb the spread of a deadly pox disease, and Osric is a wealthy assassin in need of healing for rapid deterioration of his magic system. They both need each other as a means to an end despite their orders being at odds with each other.

I love the representation of queer relationships between side characters (and mentions of past relationships for the main characters) in this book. This book is definitely a slow burn, as promised, with the romance portion finally sparking around the 60-70% mark.

It did fall flat in a few ways. First, the wording was very flowery with lots of French terms that I had to look up. On one hand it encouraged me to widen my vocabulary but on the other, I was having to use the look up feature on my kindle constantly. I can see this being frustrating for readers who have the physical copy. Second, the plot was slow moving at first but it did get better. The book ends on a delicious cliff hanger. I look forward to seeing more of the other orders in the next book.

The world building was well rounded in my opinion. I appreciate the glossary of terms in the back and the attention to detail. If you love the game Hogwarts Mystery then you will find humor in the different waystones, their pubs, and funnily named hamlets scattered throughout the book.

Overall, I will continue this series. Thank you to Berkeley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Y‘all this is a SLOWBURN enemies-to-lovers romantasy that‘ll make you laugh out loud and have you frantically searching for a sequel to add to your TBR list. Full disclosure, I did not read the Dramione fanfic, but I was well aware of the fanfic‘s existence and it’s glowing reviews. As soon as I heard the fic was being turned into a book, I was constantly refreshing NetGalley in hopes of getting the ARC. And y’all it was worth the wait!

Osric Mordaunt is an assassin with a body count in the hundreds. Aurienne Fairhrim is a brilliant healer and scientist, his enemy, and unfortunately the only one that can save Osric‘s life and his Seith. They hate each other, but when Osric offers Aurienne the one thing she desperately needs to potentially save thousands of sick children‘s lives, she’s forced to attempt to heal him.

There’s plenty of witty banter in this story and both characters are highly educated. Aurienne is a BAMF woman in STEM and sadly I am not. I had to look up A LOT of the medical lingo and other words. This book is a blast to read, but it’s denser and slower than I was expecting, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The author does a fantastic job building a whole new magical world that I want to spend more time in. I loved the deofols, they reminded me of the daemons in the His Dark Materials universe. A couple of the scenes made me laugh out loud and they’ll continue to live rent-free in my head. It was so refreshing to read a romantasy where the characters aren’t instantly attracted to each other, despite the mutual hatred. I thoroughly enjoyed the slowburn, but (MINOR SPOILER ALERT) I honestly wasn’t expecting the book to end with them STILL in the slowburn. It made me even more desperate to get my hands on the sequel, so I guess the author knew what she was doing 😂. The book isn’t PG-13 though, there’s some masturbation scenes, and obviously it gets bloody and gorey with Aurienne and Osric‘s professions. Loved the touch-her-and-die scenes and the strong female representation including the side characters! Overall, I enjoyed the book and I will definitely buy it!

I am SO excited for the sequel, I literally cannot wait to read more! Many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and thank you Brigitte Knightley for writing this lovely book!!!

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy!

This book is truly for the banter-loving bookworms because Brigitte truly served the best back-and-forth banter between the characters. The characters personalities were hilarious and had me genuinely laughing out loud the entire time I was reading.

While I felt the worldbuilding was slightly lacking and the content was very medical-heavy at times, overall I enjoyed the story and the writing style. I will definitely be checking out future projects by Brigitte!

this started out a 4 star, but i'm deciding on a 3! a good 3. i really enjoyed osric's and aurienne's banter (when it happened) and the premise was there. they just spent so much time in their head hating each other. i also found the king chapters sooo hard to get through. they were so long, with no pay off as most chapters didn't end in a cliff hanger. the pacing could use some work but a decent foundation to build upon! i'm really enjoying this world and can't wait to see more of it. thank you netgalley for the arc!

It takes a special talent to not only write a fantasy book, but have it be laugh out loud funny AND full of so much pining and tension. Without a doubt, @brigitteknightley nailed this. This book comes out in July but I couldn’t wait to read when @berkleyromance granted me this early copy…and, yes, it’s absolutely everything.

More to come closer to release day but if this isn’t already on your radar, you need to preorder because this book has everything:

- Bantering with your enemy…god forbid a girl has hobbies
- Osric “down bad, crying at the gym” Mordaunt
- Aurienne “if a man talks sh!t then I owe him nothing” Fairhrim
- Everyone is bi!
- She’s a Phenomenon healer, he’s got the skin of a k!ller
- “Will they or won’t they” and it’s SLOW BURNING
- He’s so vain. But so is she.
- A lot of talk about nipples, most of it hilarious
- She goes from “stop unaliving people” to “if you must” real quick
- Chemistry so thick it’s practically a science classroom
- PhD in Yearnalism

Be prepared to be sick of me talking about this book. Sorry not sorry.

First things first, I loved this authors fan fiction work. Since this book is going to be part of a duology, I feel as though the world building was severely lacking. There could have been less witty banter (most of which was amusing but some of which was tedious and a bit immature) and more explanation of the world and magic systems. Additionally, even though this is going to be a duology, the ending of this book was a bit baffling. It was barely the end of a paragraph let alone the ending of a book, I turned the page expecting to find more book and was confused when there wasn't any more. The slow burn romance is a bit promising but could have been a tad bit faster in my opinion. Unfortunately, I do not think I will read the sequel as this falls a bit flat to me but I still have all the love for the author and I am proud of her for being traditionally published. I also thank Netgalley for the ARC!

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is a captivating read that, while originally rooted in fan fiction, has transformed into a unique and engaging novel in its own right. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though I’ll admit it took me a bit of time to separate the story from its fan fiction origins and appreciate it as something new. Aurienne and Osric have undeniable chemistry, and their witty, sharp banter is a major highlight of the book. The tension between them is electric, making every interaction feel charged with emotion and humor. While some of the world-building was a bit harder to follow at times, the intrigue and character dynamics kept me turning the pages. The author’s voice shines through, creating a story that feels both familiar and fresh. This novel has absolutely left me wanting more, and I can’t wait to see what comes next in this world.

I really wanted to love this one but it just didn't work for me. The world, magic system, and characters felt flat and undeveloped. I think the book could use additional revisions.

I know the concept originated from a fanfiction and it left me wondering if this book suffered because of that. Taking two fully developed characters and trying to place them in a new world, as new characters, while stripping away the background information doesn't really work.

In my opinion, it could use additional revisions.
I think there is potential if these new independent characters and world are developed more. I'm it's current state, I had no reason to be invested in them or the issues they were facing.

The writing style felt clunky. The humor felt forced and out of place rather than being fun banter. I like silly humor but this felt immature rather than actually being funny. I cannot read one more joke about a penis. 🙄

While this didn't work for me, I think the book will still find its audience.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the advanced copy.

I'd like to start out saying that by about one third of the way into The Irresistible Urge I knew it was unequivocally a five star read for me! This book was incredibly engaging, had me laughing, had me squealing, and had me somehow rooting for the "villain".

Speaking of the villain, let's talk about our MCs.

Aurienne Fairhrim is a BAMF Haelan healer who's damn good at what she does and isn't afraid to say it. She's strong - even in the face of mortal peril - and I don't think I could love her any more. Her dry humor and sarcastic attitude only added to her untamable charisma. Did I mention I love her? I want to be her friend, I want her to be the big sister I never had. There is nothing I love more than a strong FMC, and Knightley delivered,

Osric Mordaunt is our stabby, scarred, cleft chinned MMC. I love him. I... love... him. He is able to shadow walk and do so whilst looking devilishly handsome. He is just as sarcastic as Aurienne, only much more whingey and prat-ish and murdery.

I did see some reviews talking about the lack of world building and confusing magic system, so I went into TIUTFFYE with a little trepidation, but was pleasantly surprised. While yes, I can agree the world building is very minimum, I had no troubles diving right in. No part of it was so confusing that I couldn't understand. I'm not sure if that is just because I am an avid reader of fantasy or not, but I felt like it was completely fine!

TIUTFFYE is really for the Dramione girlies! If you read fanfiction at all I can promise you, you'll be obsessed. While this book is very different from Knightley's fic, there are several nods to it and I found it so fun to pluck out those little gems.

If there is one thing Knightley excels at, it's banter. Gods, did I laugh! I laughed the entire way through. The pining was intense, the story was rich with magic and mystery, the characters were so well developed. Overall... this book was a bloody good time! I cannot wait to get my hands of one of my (three) physical copies and one day read book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for allowing me to read this as an ARC - what a fun experience it was!

I loved this book- it has so much depth and the world is very well-realized. I didn't realize it was going to be a duology, but it does make sense with how the plot moves. I do feel like this pretty evenly split as a fantasy/steampunk book and romanc-y, though there isn't a HEA in this bo0k. I was really impressed with the author's ability to add so much charge to a pretty chaste book. The pacing and tension are really great, I might have breathed an actual sigh of relief when we find out the deterioration has slowed. Really gripping, and I cannot wait to get the next one.

4/5

Osric Mordaunt belongs to an order of assassins and his magic is running out, an illness that will spell his demise. The only person who could potentially cure him is Aurienne Fairhrim, a renowned healer—belonging to their enemy faction, the Haelan Order, who would never be called upon to aid him. Luckily, he’s not above a little bribery through program funding to get her to help him cheat death. The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is an enemies to lovers tale with unforeseen levels of loathing, longing, and the slowest of slow burns. In an alternate England of magical orders and competing factions, Knightley brings together two people who in all likelihood are poised to eventually kill each other, but instead follow the clues to curing a magical illness while fighting their growing connection. The main dynamic is certainly the strongest part of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy, lending this novel's snarky humor and baffling romance. Aurienne is my favorite of the two, determined in her call as a healer, more than a little arrogant, and committed to her academic endeavors. Osric provided that pathetic brooding killer for hire perspective whose morals are firmly in the grey area but in facing down death in his degenerative illness and the loss of his magic sees his worldview utterly shaken. I went into this with not expecting the first in a series, but Knightley paces this novel to perfection, in both the external plot and the romance, and where we land will inarguably bridge to a brilliant finale.

Thank you for the free eARC, Berkley Romance and Ace Books!

In the first book of this duology, Osric is a deadly assassin who is stricken by a disease that will ultimately be fatal. He seeks out Aurienne, a healer, who he believes might be able to help heal him in an untraditional way. However, she requires a lot of convincing because she believes Osric has no morals and isn’t worth saving.

I haven’t read this author’s beloved fan fiction, so I don’t have any comparison. However, I found this book fun and enjoyable, mostly because of the humor. The characters don’t get along and the banter and insults fly for most of the book, and several parts actually made me laugh out loud. The romance is truly filled with pining and the slowest slow burn I’ve read in a long time. I would guess that the second book might have more romance, but I really did love the second half of this book with several great scenes stealing the show. In addition, the deofols (animal sidekicks that manifest in a person’s childhood, unique to each individual and represent their personality) were a fun addition. I kept imagining this book as a movie and thinking how much fun it would be!

What to expect from this book:
- Enemies to lovers
- He falls first and harder
- Opposites attract
- Sloooow burn
- Quippy, witty banter
- Fantasy, minimal world building, cute animal sidekicks
- Healer x assassin shadow walker

I absolutely fell in love with Brigitte Knightley when I read her Dramione fanfic Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love. Truly it's one of my favorite stories of all time. I enjoyed this excellent book just as much, and I can't express how thrilled I am that this is hopefully just the beginning of a beautiful friendship between myself and Knightley's books. I almost didn't request this on Netgalley because I wanted to perhaps wait until it came out on my birthday week as a gift to myself. But, I'm glad I went ahead and requested it because now I can pick it up for my birthday and read it again! Knightley has a real gift for balancing romance and a very intriguing plotline, and her character development is fantastic. Also, I adore her writing style - I found myself laughing out loud on multiple occasions. Furthermore, I deeply appreciate that she didn't end the book on a giant cliffhanger - I appreciate series that give each book a satisfying conclusion. I think authors sometimes feel that they need cliffhangers so you'll come back for the next one, but Knightley proves that's not necessary - I'm still very, very much looking forward to the next book.

Not for me, but can see why people will love it! Fell flat compared to her fanfiction, which I absolutely adore. Will still continue to read what this author puts out in the future!