The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is a book that pulls you in and doesn’t let go—its tension, its world, its characters embedding themselves under your skin. Brigitte Knightley, known for her masterful banter and agonizing slow burns, delivers a romantasy brimming with sharp wit, simmering chemistry, and a world so immersive it feels like you could reach out and touch it.

Aurienne Fairhrim is a healer of unparalleled skill, a healer/researcher devoted to curing the incurable. Osric Mordaunt is a gentleman assassin, deadly and insufferably charming in equal measure. When a cruel twist of fate forces them into an alliance—she, in need of funding; he, in need of saving—what begins as pure resentment slowly, and much to their displeasure, twists into something far more inconvenient.

Knightley’s signature wit is all over this book—sharp, clever dialogue and effortless prose. The dual third-person POV is so well done, allowing both Aurienne’s stubborn pragmatism and Osric’s lazy brilliance to shine. The pacing never drags, the world-building is intricate and immersive without feeling like an exposition dump, and the magic system is woven seamlessly into the story.

And the romance? Slow-burn in the truest sense—charged glances, unspoken longing, and the delicious ache of he falls first, he falls harder.

I was hooked from the get-go. I highlighted entire pages. I was kicking my feet. I was employing an alarming amount of restraint to not binge-read the entire thing in one sitting. And now, I have to wait for book two? Unbearable. If you love enemies-to-lovers with electric tension, hypercompetent idiots denying their attraction, and a fantasy world woven with care, this is a book you’ll want to devour.

I really enjoyed this debut fantasy! I discovered it here on Goodreads and immediately knew I needed to read it. Luckily, it popped up on NetGalley in February and my request was granted! It's a blast from the beginning and I think a lot of folks will enjoy it.

After downloading the ARC I was made aware that the book is built on Harry Potter fanfic, which is uh... not great. I am of the belief that it is up to us to make HP culturally irrelevant, and that includes developing fan works and books explicitly inspired by those dynamics. In this case, the book is built on Hermione/Draco fan fiction. The author has stated that this isn't an adaptation of her popular fanfic (and thus the original isn't being pulled down) but anyone vaguely familiar with HP can see where many of the characters and aspects of the world come from. The story itself is definitely original and there are a lot of characters that wouldn't map on to HP, but there's enough that it bothered me.

On its own merits, the book is delightful. I love the FMC Aurienne. She is regarded as icy by many, and some readers might struggle with her (because complicated female leads don't always go over well) but I personally related to her. She is incredibly dedicated to her work and doesn't easily shift from her principals. Much of what she does in the book (that is against her ethics) is at the behest of one of her superior's that she respects. Aurienne can fall into some black and white thinking, but in a way that rings authentic to my personal autistic experience. While I didn't relate to Osric the way I did Aurienne, he is a hilarious lead character. My eARC is full of highlights from all the funny lines. Aurienne also has a magical familiar that is very grumpy and loves to yell at Osric.

When the tags say slow burn, trust me, it means that. This is the first book in a series, and it isn't the romance novel format of one couple per book. I won't go into spoilers, but plot-wise, the book didn't end where I thought it would. The bickering-to-kissing ratio of the book is heavily skewed toward bickering. I assume this will change in later books as the slow starts burning.

I found the world really fun. It's a fantasy England that is still separated into smaller kingdoms. There are various magical organizations, some of which are loosely associated with a kingdom. The book does a good job of breaking down how the world is organized, both political and magical. As we go through the story, we see a pox that is going through the children of the kingdoms. Aurienne and her fellow healers are desperately trying to stem the tide of sick and dying children (the only ones affected by the disease). They can't get funding from anyone to research vaccines or treatments and are struggling to handle it all. While it largely exists in the background of the story, it becomes increasingly clear just how important it really is. At times the political world mirrors our own, and can actions can hit a little close to home. This does a good job of providing the building blocks for a series-long arc.

Overall, I will be recommending The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy and likely buying a copy myself. But I also encourage readers and authors to do some due diligence and work to pull HP influences out of your work and reading habits.

Honestly, I don’t really know what I was thinking when I requested this. I saw one person raving about it and requested on a whim without really reading the summary. Had I read the summary I would’ve known that this is not really my usual type of read. I do think this will be a complete hit with the right audience, I just wasn’t it.

It’s so hard to separate this book from the fic it was inspired by for me. I respect the work the author did to make this world its own but I think there was something lacking. I also was disappointed to get to the end and discover this was a duet (that’s on me for not realizing) but I didn’t feel like the romance lived up to my expectations for a book one setting up for a sequel. I love a slow burn but I need a bit more of a resolution to really feel invested in the love story between Osric and Aurienne. The witty banter and writing style was great and what I love about Brigitte’s writing.

- I think it’s going to take a minute for me to work out the magic system
- We love a good Möbius strip reference
- Likewise for the Danelaw
- Osric is so Draco-coded it hurts I love it
- I feel the same way about bellend as I do about wanker—we really ought to use it more frequently in North America
- Skulduggery!!
- This dialogue is killing me I’m dying
- YAAAAAAAAS PINK HEART SHAPED SUNGLASSES
- I wasn’t expecting onions to be so prominent in this chapter
- Xanthe is indeed a storm
- I like her
- You know, I could have gone my whole life without reading the phrase “fondling the pendulous balls”
- Ngl that’s a pretty baller business card
- Aurienne very much seems like someone who Gets Shit Done
- These deofol things are cool, I wonder if they were modelled after Patronuses?
- I see we’re starting with last names
- *rubs hands together* I wonder how long that’s gonna last 😎
- Okay I know that this is an original story but the MCs are still Draco & Hermione I’m sorry I don’t make the rules
- It’s always a good sign when the FMC describes the MMC as a monumental twat 
- Imagining not-Draco being called Onion Boy brings me a lot of joy
- Buttock folliculitis this dialogue will actually be the death of me 
- I like to think that Aurienne & I would be friends 
- Alright I do feel a tiny bit bad for Osric even if he is insufferable 
- As a history major I am loving this experiment-that-is-not-an-experiment
- Hopefully we do get some dancing around henges 
- Also these pub names are sending me
- “I can reschedule the murder” GOODBYE 
- She’d be far more tolerable dead 
- Spoken like a man about to fall in love 
- “SHAG HIM” 
- Ahh the foreshadowing 
- A frazzled & slightly moist fool has got to be the worst kind of fool tbh
- “Has anyone been here since the fall of Byzantium” Brigitte really wrote this for the history nerds 
- “They call him the Clydesdale” good fucking bye 
- Literally all of this dialogue is gold I cannot stress that enough 
- I want We don’t arbitrate, we execute on a t-shirt
- Posture like a damp croissant 
- These food insults are top tier 
- Okay but unsolicited etymology is arguably the best kind of etymology 
- I desperately want Mordaunt to be healed pls Brigitte I am begging
- It’s happeniiiiiiiiiiiing
- The UST in this book is truly masterful
- No notes
- I am so glad I’m not eating while reading for once like dear god
- Hey if someone can be mostly dead then you can kill someone a little just saying
- Brigitte can really paint a picture with her words… Although sometimes I wish she wouldn’t 
- In Aurienne’s defense if I saw a man kill FORTY people with nary a bootlace I would also clutch my metaphorical pearls 
- Moist Oyster????? She has to be using a word generator at this point like how else do you come up with these pub names 
- I thoroughly enjoy how Aurienne makes Osric meet her in clinics for questionable afflictions 
- Damn I want the sweep of my skirts to bespeak scorn–definitely something to strive for 
- Okay I think the Bunghole has got to be the worst bar name so far 
- I will be genuinely shocked if anything surpasses it 
- I do super appreciate that there’s a glossary at the beginning of this book but it would also be nice to have a list of each Order & their specialty & subset (where applicable)
- For example, someone who walks the Dusken Paths shows up & is specifically an Agannor but I don’t know what that means 
- Aurienne showed up as a sex worker good for you girl 
- I like how Cerys’ nipple pasties are a separate entity 
- Yessssssss bring on the jealousy 
- Osric is definitely thinking of Making It Bounce 
- I am absolutely making use of the words vaginal desiccant 
- Most likely to describe US politicians tbh and/or Ben Shapiro 
- Madam Miffle & Cerys make an excellent girl squad 
- I would 100% read a book about them 
- Can you kill someone 26 different ways with a potato? Inquiring minds want to know Brigitte 
- Survival instincts of a crumpet el oh el 
- You know it’s all downhill when the jealousy surfaces & both sides are trying to convince themselves they don’t find the other attractive 
- Brigitte you can’t mention all these ways to kill people without providing details!! How does one use creme brulee as a murder weapon?? The people deserve to know!! 
- There is a special place in my heart for authors who use the word willy nilly 
-
- A MERKIN
- Osric it is rude to just leave your dick hanging out like come on
- Alright Brigitte I know you are the Queen of UST but can these two just bang pls I am begging you
- The little French bits make me laugh
- How on earth does a feather grow evasive
- This book is nonsense in the best possible way
- Wellesley is garbage
- Listen Aurienne the murder was justified
- HAS WELLESLEY BEEN MANUFACTURING THE VIRUS I STG
- Acts of Warranted Brutality is a bit of a mouthful for a kitten, no?
- Well fat lot of good killing Brythe did he didn’t even get any answers
- Poor Osric I would not like to faint face first into pudding
- Oop we’ve made it to Osric calling Aurienne darling
- I do love fun chapter names, I’m glad those are coming back
- Aurienne does excel at eight word horror stories
- How does one blink moistly
- Now we’re wanking over each other bless
- Ooooo drunk confessions are the best
- They’re dancing in the rain 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹
- Wellesley deserved to die a much more painful death
- Who manufactures a virus that kills children??!!
- BRIGITTE WHAT THE FUCK KIND OF ENDING WAS THAT OH MY GOD I AM TOO OLD FOR CLIFFHANGERS LIKE THIS

Alert the press: I have found a new addition to the very short list that is my favorite books of all time.
The fantasy rom-com of my dreams — the wit, the magic, the writing, the magnificent slowburn romance between two fantastic characters. I read Brigitte’s fanfiction prior to this, and I love how her writing has somehow gotten better, while also continuing to have the same fantastic humor and romance. This was potentially the funniest book I’ve ever read, and I am DYING for book two. My god, you will never be able to get me to shut up about this book.

I am obsessed with this book! The villainy and humor gave me total Dreadful vibes, while the academia and banter felt straight out of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries—and I could not get enough. The tension, the wit, the slow-burn romance? Absolute perfection. Brigitte Knightley has created something truly magical, and I’m already desperate for the next book to release. Easily one of my favorite reads this year—I need more now!

A huge thanks goes to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been excited about this book since I first heard DMATMOOBIL was being edited and conventionally published. And I was not disappointed.

At first, I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to separate these characters out from the Draco and Hermione, the characters that inspired this story. Knightly did a great job of keeping Osric and Adrienne in the same archetypes as D/H but has developed them into entirely new, fully formed characters.

Another fear I had was that the story would follow the inspiring story beat for beat. And while the inspiration will be clear to anyone who has read DMATMOOBIL, this is a new story, with different plot points, story arc and character arc.

Now for my review of the book as its own work. This is an incredible, suspense filled enemies to lovers story. For those of us that enjoy romance books, this one is full of a lot of juicy tropes: slow burn, enemies to lovers, morally grey shadow daddy mmc, a quick touch of fake dating, and the list probably goes on. But the story has come together (at least for me) in a way that isn't stale. For one thing we don't have a sunshine/golden retriever foil in our fmc. She can be just as acerbic, arrogant, and inflexible as our mmc.

Throughout the book, as our main characters are grappling with shifting perspectives on what is right, we see their affections of one another grow. Their banter is delicious. I laughed out loud many times.

All in all I loved this book, and am now dreading the wait until book 2. But am looking forward to being able to pick up a physical copy when it hits the bookstore shelves in July.

This was an easy read that kept me engaged and interested the whole time! A delightful enemies to lovers story that keeps readers on their toes the whole time! I can’t wait for more from this author!

Ooh I am so conflicted with this one. This book started out SO strong. The quirky writing style, the banter- I was fully laughing out loud which is something I NEVER do while reading books.

The enemies to lovers setup is definitely there. The slow burn is definitely there. But I found the plot to be lacking for a book this length. Around the 60% mark I think is when I started feeling a bit less excited to pick the book up and continue.

There are some really good moments in here, and overall enjoyed reading! Just think for the amount of plot, this book could have been maybe 150 pages shorter.

Grateful to have received an eARC for this one, it was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025!

3.5 stars. I do not think this is a bad book my any means. It's just not the type of thing I connected with. I did read Brigitte's famous fanfic last year and it felt very similar to how I felt about this. A few moments of me chuckling at the banter, but overall just fit a bit too much. It's really hard for me to pinpoint what I didn't connect with. I think with this story I just wanted a little more plot and a little less "super clever banter." I can completely see why someone else would rate this 5 stars. For me, it was a let down.

First, the good. Knightly is a master at writing funny, cute banter between the two main characters. The magic system she has created is super interesting and different from what you usually see. I'm enjoying the mystery, even if it did take a while to get around to it. I love a slow burn, and this is the absolute slowest.

However. However. There is a line with fantasy books where the names for places, magical systems, jobs, money, and whatever else go from not of our world but reasonable to outlandish. I can't tell you what that line is, but I can definitely tell you when a book has crossed it. It's especially obvious when they are used as a replacement for actual world-building. It took a throwaway line until almost halfway through this book before I realized that this was apparently supposed to be some kind of alternate history version of 1800s England. That should have been established in the first chapter. Her world seems interesting, and there are definitely things I liked (the critique crickets!), but it was not well-developed enough to get a good sense of it. Going from writing in an already-established world to an entirely newly created one must be an incredibly difficult change, but I wish that a little more had been done with it.

She has the same problem with her characters. We get small glimpses of who they are late in the story, but they're so shallowly drawn that it's difficult to connect to them. Also, not every character needs to be completely absurd. It felt like every character had the same brand of unhinged, Gilmore Girls-esque facetiousness in their dialogue, that most of the side characters could have been interchangeable with just a few minor adjustments.

I also had a bit of an issue with the mystery as a whole, and the ending. It took far too long to get around to what was actually happening, and then, when we finally did, it was over. I understand that this is the first in a series, but even books in a series should have an ending. This didn't end; it just stopped. It wasn't a long book; there could have been a few more chapters to set up the next book a little better.

Anyway, though it might sound like I hated it, I didn't. It was cute, and I'm curious enough to read the next.

This story is an enemies-to-lovers for an assassin and a healer. It follows Osric and Aurienne who find themselves having to work together for their own goals. I really enjoyed the banter between the two of them, and I also really enjoyed the world Knightley put together. I did find the humor a bit much at times, but that could just be as a reader and wanting more tension/yearning between the two instead in those moments. This kind of reminded me of a cozy fantasy more so than an actual romantasy. I enjoyed it and I'm curious about the sequel, but as a romance reader, I just wanted more romance.

When I say I want a slow burn, THIS is what I mean! Brigitte did such a great job fleshing the story out and it’s only the first book! The story was full of witty banter and tongue in cheek humour between Aurienne and Osric which was such a delight to read! I was chuckling to myself throughout the book. It took me some time to get into at first, but once I was in I was IN! Aurienne is a healer and has a brilliant mind and a sharp tongue, and Osric is a sarcastic assassin, and seeing them go back and forth was so fun. I will say this is a very STEM heavy fantasy with medical-like terminology throughout the book, and I did enjoy it! It was refreshing to read. I look forward to the next instalment!

I wanted to like this but around 50% I was just done. I can’t finish it. I’ve been reading it for a month and couldn’t tell you one thing I’ve really enjoyed.

I love this authors previous works so I am bummed it didn’t work for me but it is working for so many others and I love that!! I will be revisiting at a different time probably when the audiobook is out, but for now here are my thoughts.

The magic system is a huge problem. There is no explanation of how things work and it’s frankly just confusing. The world building needs to be more fleshed out as well and the writing was kind of messy. I don’t want to have to take a step away from the story to look something up as often as I did.

I actually did enjoy the characters for a bit there but some of the jokes are tired.

Big thank you to Berkeley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC 🫶🏻

This book had everything I love—sharp banter, simmering tension, and a slow-burn romance that had me hooked from the start. The magic system was intricate and well thought out, adding layers of depth to the world and the characters’ struggles. The push and pull between the leads kept me on edge, and I couldn’t get enough of their dynamic. I’m already counting down the days until the second book because I need more of this world and these characters!

Everybody was raving about it but this has to be my biggest disappointment of the year so far.

To be fair, it’s probably only written for dramione fans.

In my opinion, The urge to fall for your enemy wanted to be funny and failed dramatically. The dialogues are cringy and the penis jokes superfluous.
On the other hand, the world building is lacking and the characters particularly bland.

It might just be a case of it’s not you it’s me case but I disliked every aspect of it.

Oh. My. God. That slowburn was absolutely DELICIOUS! Good slow burn is so hard to do. You have to maintain the tension but giving in too soon can ruin it all. You also can't be too slow or not have the tension, otherwise it gets boring. Brigette Knightley manages it perfectly. The tension is there from the first interaction, and builds oh so slowly. It's tantalizing! The world felt a little confusing at first, but you learn a lot throughout the story and it makes more sense as you go along. The magic system was cool and I liked the way each person had their own 'cost'.
The characters were so cool. Osric is such a force and I love how sassy he is. Very Dorian a la TOG. Aurienne is a badass. She works herself so hard and cares so much. She hides it behind her prickly exterior, but I can't wait to see more of her heart in the next book.
Overall, one of my favorites of the year so far. I am so excited and can't wait to find a beautiful copy to buy.
Thank you so much Berkley, Ace, and Netgalley for the ARC.

From the start something about the story and the voice felt so nostalgic. It has a lot of elements that makes fanfic so addictive with A+ banter and so. much. pining. This consistent denial of how they feel despite how they slowly became closer to one another was ADDICTIVE! The writing is so skillfully done. It is poetic when it needs to be and hysterically funny just when you want it most. Overall, this was a fun and unputdownable read

Infinite thanks to Berkley Publishing for the advanced copy!!

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy was one of my MOST anticipated reads for 2025 and it did not disappoint.
This published work is not the reworked fanfic from AO3, HOWEVER, Brigitte kept the dramione fans fed with the Easter eggs sprinkled throughout the work. 💖🕶️💍🐈‍⬛
TIUTFFYE follows Aurienne Fairhhrim (woman in STEM) and Osric Mordaunt (assassin-for-hire), sworn enemies by their respective Orders. The two strike a deal by way of money, lots of it, and a firm nudging from Aurienne’s superior. The forementioned money is intended to fund pox vaccinations in exchange for Aurienne’s expertise in healing Seith degeneration (part of their corporal magic system) in Osric. As you can guess much forced proximity ensues. Similarly to DMATMOOBIL, the pairing follow the moon cycles hoping there is some truth in the old ways that may perhaps heal Osric. All the while, trouble is brewing from another Tīendom as suspicions arise around the pox research and the mysterious donation to the cause.

Enter with caution: serious slow burn and enemies to slightly less enemies inside.

Do not be confused—this is not a romantasy, but moreso a STEM romcom within a fantasy setting. The banter and humor is top notch and scratched the most delicious itch in my brain. The best way I can describe the vibes and humor is an amalgamation of The Princess Bride, Monty Python & A Knight’s Tale. LOTS of cheeky, naughty jokes as well!