I love the ship that this original fic is based on, BUT the world building in here was so lacking. I also really didnt' like the tone, but I think it would appeal to some readers.

I just finished the irresistible urge to fall for your enemy by @brigitteknightley and I was blown away!! The writing style took a second to get used to but once I did I had so much fun. This is a slow burn (like very slow) and they are genuinely enemies and not just dislike to like. They cannot stand each other and honestly I love that for them. It made such a fun dynamic to read and the characters felt like real people with real flaws. The world was super interesting, while not explored much I was itching for more information about the magic system and the different orders and their lore.
Brigitte’s writing is witty and enjoyable and made me fall in love with the characters and hate them at the same time in a good way 😂

5 ⭐️

I cannot wait for the next book because I needed it like yesterday.

Thank you so much for the arc Brigitte and @thebookishtype_hau

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this a copy of this eArc.

I was looking forward to this book since it advertised as a slow burn but I found myself not wanting to pick it up much because of the writing. I felt lost a lot of the time or really had to work out what the author was trying to say. I will say there were a few times I laughed out loud but overall the world building and plot dragged for me. I definitely think this will be a hit with the right people. I might just be over romantasy at this point.

DNF
I wanted to like this book, I really did. Im a huge Dramione fan so I was so excited to see that this story was coming out. But I had such a hard time with the way this book was written. I think it was trying so hard to not be Dramione that the world building ended up being a bit confusing and had me lost in certain sections. I was just completely taken out of it because I didn't understand what was going on.

With a glint in my eye and a smirk on my face I ate this book up. Such a fresh blend of humour, language, history, adventure. and fandom that had me delighted ‘til the very end.

I really enjoy being thrown in to a world without much background knowledge so it was fun to learn about the Tīendoms as the story progressed instead of a long winded worldbuilding before the story gets going; I felt like I watched this instead of read it. The highbrow vocabulary and the lowbrow humor had me questioning myself (do I actually think this is funny?) but for whatever reason, it worked and I can’t wait to read the second book in the Dearly Beloathed series.

I think this book will have commercial success. If you enjoy the romantasy books that have been published in the last couple of years, you will most likely enjoy this. This was not a 4 or 5 star read for me, for numerous reasons. However, I think people will enjoy the banter, the slow burn, and maybe the humor.

Aurirenne is a Healer and Osric is an assassin, members of two opposing orders. He finds himself with an illness that is draining his magic and she appears to be the only person who can help him. The story follows their journey trying to find ways using old magic to heal Osric, hiding from their respective Orders, and trying not to fall for each other. The burn is very slow and this is a duology, so I assume most of the burn will be in the follow up novel.

The world is very undefined and undeveloped. It's set in London, maybe in the 1800s, but I'm unsure. The pacing was off because the overarching plot was not revealed until almost 75-80% point of the book. The main characters lacked depth to me. You could tell they were modeled off of fan fic Draco and Hermione but they don't have much depth themselves. The magic isn't well explained. The use of Old English was jarring and the humor didn't work for me, most of the time.

The Patronus-like beings, the deofols, were fun and the little interactions with the side characters provided good dialogue and helped build the story up a bit.

This a romantic comedy with magic, a romcomasy if you will. The humor will work or some and not others. But don't go into this thinking because he's an assassin it will be dark or serious. Again, if you love a shadow daddy romantasy, you'll have fun. This just didn't work well for me.

This is absolutely everything I need in a Dramoine fanfiction turned published book! I absolutely adored this book and was totally enthralled... I am definitely planning on reading Brigitte Knightley's AO3 backlog...

Holy cow, this was immeasurably good from start to finish. I found the magic elements so easy to understand but also so intriguing. I've love the idea of forbidden love and perseverance. The character growth is so phenomenal and the story really builds. I feel so attached to these characters and the witty banter had me kicking my feet and squealing with excitement. I am so grateful for the chance to read this book. Thank you Netgalley for giving me the chance to devour this! ♥️

Oh my, the banter in this was absolutely exquisite. Truly one of a kind. Knightley is one my list as a must-read author now and I loved the slowly unfurling plot and romance. The pacing was on the slower side but it felt right for the story and I appreciated that. Can't wait for the sequel.

Osric is a member of the order of assassins who is in need of a healer because his magic is rotting. He is told there is only one person who may be able to help him, Aurienne who is both scientist and healer and a member of the moral good, an enemy to the order of assassins. In desperate need of funding for her research, Aurienne agrees to try and help him even though he is everything she detests. An attraction begins to grow which they both fight against.

I enjoyed that this was a true enemies to lovers. Both the characters genuinely dislike each other at the beginning of the book and it is a slow burn that takes its time to build up. there is a lot of world building and language that takes a minute to get into and understand. The mystery and adventure element does keep you intrigued throughout the book.

I adored this book. From the characters, to the world building, to the romance, I loved it all. TIUTFFYE had be laughing almost constantly, Knightley is just so good at adding comedy to her writing and banter.

The magic system is complex, but well thought out. It really made the story feel real and shows just how great Knightley is at crafting a world with a unique magic system.

The romance is amazing and a true slow burn. Like if you googled definition of slow burn it would be this book. it was full of little glances and longing and tension. I ate it up.

I am now desperate for the sequel.

It's perfect.

This was the funniest book I've ever read 😂 I'm forever amazed at Brigitte's ability to be SO DAMN WITTY. She writes a delicious slow burn full of banter. One minute I'm giggling, the next I'm swooning 🤌

The Orders and magic in The Irresistible Urge are very interesting. I'm excited for the potential of more in the next book. I enjoyed the underlying mystery along with the main healing journey plot between Aurienne and Osric. I enjoyed both characters separately, and loved them together. Forced proximity is just superior in every way. The slow burn is sloooooow y'all.

I loved being thrown into a new world.
I loved having to look up vocabulary.
I loved the STEM vibes.
I loved Osric's forearms.
I love Brigitte Knightley!!!!!

Highly, highly recommend. This isn't your typical fantasy romance, but definitely give it a shot! It was so so fun.

*The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy does have similar vibes to Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love (and a few easter eggs), but it's an ALL NEW STORY babyyyyy!!! All hail BK 🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

There is nothing new in this Dramione inspired story.

I don't know what exactly I was expecting ... but it definitely wasn't a story that was built on Rowling's world (especially in this day and age?). To say I was disappointed is an understatement.

The characters seemed more like outlines of beloved characters rather than their own versions? The world-building was just NOT there and the author is making a huge assumption that we know HP. I don't? This could have been really great if the author took the time to build her world and her characters. As I write, it's already becoming forgettable.

If you are a diehard Dramione fan and you'd like a quick fix, this may serve that itch. But if not, you'll be left feeling ... meh.

I didn't really enjoy The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy. I had a difficult time following along. The world building was extremely lacking. I felt like I was just thrust into the world with no background. For example, a war with France was casually mentioned with no context. I struggled grasping what/if there was a time era in this book. The world and magic system were poorly explained. The writing style wasn't my favorite. The third-person narration made it difficult to connect with Aurienne and Osric. The storytelling reminded me of Assistant to the Villian and The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels. This definitely was a quirky read! The main characters, Aurienne and Osric, weren't my favorite. They felt shallow and underdeveloped. Although their banter was fun, I just didn't feel connected to their relationship. By the time I got to the end of their slow burn, I was indifferent. The pacing of this book could have been better. Some points felt exciting and others felt dragged out. Despite its faults, there were some fun aspects to the story. I thought the deofols were neat. I also liked the critiquing crickets. Overall, I thought this book could have been better if the world was developed more and the pacing was more consistent. Thank you to NetGalley and Ace for the ARC.

I was so excited to have been approved for this arc. This was exactly what I’d come to expect from Brigitte. Absolutely brilliant and hilarious of course. Osric is very confident as we like him lol and an assassin. Aurienne is a brilliant healer. They hate each other but must work together. This is a true slowwww burn enemies to lovers. I laughed so much and I’m so excited to get more of the romance in the next book.

Whewwwwww a slow burn for sure, but your girl is locked IN.

The super cool world created here is expertly crafted, and I loved how we learn more and interesting details as we go.

I really loved this one - I only want a little more payoff from the romance. But alas, book 2, care we go!!!!

Set in an alternate version of the UK and based on the incredibly popular fanfic, this was a fun read! The world-building got a bit complex at times and I wondered if this truly needed to be a duology, BUT at the same time I really did have a blast with it!

I didn't know this was a duology and now I NEED the sequel right now! Enemies to lovers with witty banter and slow burn spice, this was perfect, I will say even though it's not meant to be the OG fanfiction it did feel like you had to of read that in order to really grasp this book, especially the world building, I love this author and its obvious she can write a great story that keeps you hooked, the characters felt real and I loved the banter especially, can't wait for book 2!

I enjoyed reading this book, but it took a while for me to complete. Something was nagging me while I read reading it, and it clicked for me when I saw someone say that it was based on a fanfic. The banter - *everyone* is witty and funny and has the perfect comeback - the vague period setting.... Yes, this was a very fanfic-y novel.

However, despite that, I did enjoy reading it. The characters were a bit one-note, but the humor, wit, and romantic progression kept my attention throughout my reading sessions. It did a good job of drawing me in, and while it did kind of end abruptly, I wasn't surprised since it is a part of a series. I would have been more annoyed had I not been aware of that.

Overall, it was a good read, and I will be reading book two.