"The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy" by Brigitte Knightley is an excellent debut novel. Our slow-burn/enemies-to-lovers girlies, this one is for you. The meticulous development of romantic tension was perfection. I loved the alternate English setting. There was plenty of twists that kept me immersed through the whole story. Thank you to NetGallery and Ace for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

If there’s one thing I’m certain of after reading The Assassin’s Cure (and it’s certainly not a cure for my feelings), it’s that this book is an absolute slow burn inferno wrapped in a cozy cloak of witty banter, science, and questionable medical practices. Let’s talk about the delightfully unlikely duo at the center of it all: Osric Mordaunt, an assassin, and Aurienne Fairhrim, a healer whose main passion in life is hating assassins and making sure they die (preferably on someone else’s watch).

The plot? Well, it starts like this: Osric gets gravely injured, and of course, the only healer who can fix him is Aurienne, a woman so committed to her science that she’d probably analyze your blood before saving your life. Sadly for both of them, they come from rival Orders, meaning this isn’t your typical “awkward first date” situation. No, no, this is more of a “bribe her to heal me while glaring at each other over a test tube” situation.

What ensues? A painfully slow (and equally delightful) enemies-to-lovers transformation, where both Osric and Aurienne spend approximately 99.9% of the time bickering, rolling their eyes, and ignoring the giant chemistry (literal and metaphorical) that’s brewing between them. If this book were a fire, it would be one of those tiny sparks you can barely see until, suddenly, BOOM! It’s a full-blown blaze of “I’ll never admit I like you, so let’s just keep kissing and stabbing each other emotionally.”

Let’s talk tropes, shall we? We have:

Enemies to lovers: Oh, it’s delicious. These two couldn’t be more antagonistic if they tried. But if you’ve ever wanted to see an assassin and a healer go from "I will absolutely kill you" to "maybe I’ll kiss you instead", you’re in for a treat.

He falls first, and harder: Classic. Osric may be an assassin, but he’s a murderous marshmallow when it comes to Aurienne. He falls harder for her than I fall for a warm cup of tea on a rainy day.

Evisceration as a love language: They verbally eviscerate each other with the finesse of... well, an assassin. But in that “I secretly admire everything you do, even if it drives me insane” kind of way.

The world-building? Deliciously intricate, with just the right amount of fantasy to make you wonder if you, too, could pull off a scientist-healer-meets-bloodthirsty-assassin love story in your next life. And did I mention the mysterious pox that haunts the pages like an evil plague fairy? It’s all very atmospheric—and not just in the "my clothes are on fire from all this sexual tension" way.

If you’ve ever thought, “I wish there was a book where I could read about a highly competent scientist begrudgingly helping a swoony assassin with feelings he doesn’t understand," then this book is your SOULMATE. But proceed with caution: you might find yourself feeling more chemistry than you expected and not just from the potions in the laboratory.

thank you netgalley for blessing me w an arc of this, one of my most anticipated reads of 2025!

as a fan of DMATMOOBIL(masterpiece), i had high hopes for this. i can imagine it would be extremely difficult to adapt something in this fashion, trying to create a balance between something so beloved but also having to change key parts. i’ve read similar published works that have missed the mark and lost the magic in that transition.

i am pleased to report that i absolutely ADORED this though. i think the author did an excellent job of creating something that felt both brand new (the plot, the magic world) and very loyal to the original work (the characters, the humour, the whimsy, THE SLOW BURN). familiar and new at the same time. the chemistry here is truly something else; i’ve never read such eloquent banter. i was laughing out loud on the subway reading this.

the fantasy world created here was very charming. there is a hierarchy/description of the different orders that I think would’ve been beneficial to read before diving in (it’s found at the end), but I was still able to enjoy and understand without having seen it til after i already finished. I am also glad for the dictionary feature on my kobo though as there were so many Smart and British words in here (i love to learn).

i think this story really hits its stride in the last 100 pages. electric!!!! my only complaint is that i must wait for # 2. i fear i already need to reread this. what a fun ride, truly. i can’t wait to see more from this author.

it’s so exciting that this will get to be enjoyed by a wider audience. it’s the dramione renaissance baby and we’re just living in it

I enjoyed the banter between Aurienne and Osric immensely, and I know that the major conflicts will be resolved in the next book in the duology. However, I couldn't help but feel like the slow burn in this book was a bit too slow for me. I also felt like the story just stopped at the end, but there was still so much left to resolve. That being said, I am excited to read the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of this book! And it didn’t disappoint.

While this is a SLOW BURN, the characters definitely had growth throughout the story. Osric is an assassin - I would say morally grey but he’s mostly morally bad (in the best way), and yet somehow has the emotional capacity to rescue stray dogs and fall for a healer. Aurienne is a stubborn know-it-all that puts up walls to protect herself, and of course their paths get intertwined and the slow burn ensues.

My first surprise was that this was so funny! The sarcastic and dry humor throughout would often make me laugh out loud. The banter was great. The writing style felt very similar to Encyclopedia of Faeries; technical, fantastical, whimsy, etc, but on the darker side.

I thought the plot of this was interesting and unique. It was a little slow to start, but once the characters began to open up, the story itself also flew by. Also, I’m obsessed with deofols! We love cute critters.

I am looking forward to seeing what the next book has in store!!

Did I drop literally everything else to read this highly anticipated book the moment it hit my eReader? And did it live up to my extremely high expectations? YES.

Here's the deal: this is a romance, and this is a fantasy. I don't mind calling it a romantasy. But it's important for romance readers to know that the fantasy is really pretty intense; and it's important for fantasy readers to know that the romance is the focus of the book. The fantasy drops you into the world building without a lot of assistance, which I personally love. It's historical fantasy that feels steampunky around the edges: there is electricity, "Lovelace" and "Curie" machines that are integrated with magic, medical research institutions that create vaccines (again with the help of magic), etc. No year is specified, and while large cities are identified (London, Dublin), there is no United Kingdom, just different regions that self-govern and magical guilds that exist alongside the formal governance structure. I mention this because it's important that if you pick this up, you'll need be comfortable with doing some of the world building work yourself.

On the romance front, this is a real enemies to lovers/slow burn romance. Healer Aurienne is bribed into treating assassin Osric. They're enemies in the sense that their magical orders and personal morals are diametrically opposed: she heals, he kills; she works for pennies, his focus is on making money. But, and this is really fun, this is not an opposites attract romance. No, their characters are really similar: Osric and Aurienne are both hyper competent, so confident in their skills that they're perceived as arrogant, share the same sense of humor, and are absolutely infuriated that they have to work together.

Some other things to mention: the prose is ornately witty, but the story has plenty of narrative heft. Really, this is a Wodehousian romantasy. Do note that Osric is an actual assassin, and engages with his profession and his colleagues on-page. (If lighthearted depictions of gore and torture aren't your thing, take especial note!! Knightley really emphasizes that Osric isn't an assassin with a heart of gold; rather, he'd totally off you if he thought he could get your actual gold heart out of your chest.) This is a suuuuper slow burn, AND it's the first in a duology. This means that it ends with pretty much every single plot point unresolved, including the romantic ones.

And, to address what might be the biggest question on your mind: no, this is not just a rework of Knightley's fanfic. There are some basic similarities in that Aurienne is a healer looking for the cure for a magical disease; said cure is related to regularly occurring natural phenomena. Osric and Aurienne meet for the first time in this book, and don't have a long-festering relationship based in hatred and competition, and as I mentioned earlier, Osric hasn't begun (or even thought of beginning) any kind of redemptive process.

Anyhow, I really loved this, and I can't believe I have to wait an undisclosed period of time to read the next book in the series.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing, for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book, inspired by Dramione (Harry Potter’s Draco Malfoy + Hermione Granger) fanfic, is a new, suspenseful science fiction/fantasy. Told in alternating POVs, the story follows assassin Osric and healer Aurienne as life and death situations force them into each other’s lives. This is a slowwwwwww burn romance, primarily focused on the science aspects and world building. Expect lots of murder, theory, mystery, and medical talk.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I really thought there would be more romance, but we had to wait until 90% to get even the smallest romantic action between the characters. I found a lot of the medical talk and murder very gory, and I was confused with a lot of the world building. Subsequently, I wasn’t very invested in the story. The characters weren’t too compelling for me, either, and I thought Aurienne was a bit too mean to be compared to Hermione.

I think true sci-fi fans might enjoy this book more, so if that’s you, give this new release a try!

An exciting ride into a vivid new world. Knightley is no stranger to compelling stories and eloquent prose, and The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is no exception. We follow Osric, a cocky, self-assured assassin for hire, as he searches for the the best healer to safe his deteriorating magic, and in turn, his life. Enter Aurienne, a member of the Haelen Order, who goes against everything Osric stands for (like murdering people for money). The two must work to save Osric using peculiar methods, while Aurienne and her Order also battle an illness plaguing young children.

Knightley displays incredible banter and favours a long, drawn-out and complex romance that festers like an un-scratchable itch. She's created an interesting world, and you can trace the roots of some of her ideas from the fandom from whence she came. It feels familiar just as much as it feels new, and I can't wait to see what she does with the rest of this story.

I understand and admire the idea to draw out the story into multiple books. It gives the world, and characters more time to settle into the story and in the reader, though I do think the plot likely could have been a bit more wrapped up. Don't get me wrong, I loved it and had such a great time reading it, but it also felt like nothing truly 'happened' and that we just kind of drew it out to set up the sequel (again, not complaining, just an observation for people who might not admire Knightley's work as much as I do).

Overall, I rated this one 4 stars! It was full of disturbing imagery, raunchy jokes and yearning. Excited to see where Osric and Aurienne go next, and looking forward to seeing Knightley blow up into author stardom as she deserves!

This book is fun and flirty! It reminds me of Apprentice to the villan but better. I loved the slow burn romance and the tension!

Book 1?? BOOK 1?! Be warned, dear reader. This book is amazing, funny, dark, quick-witted, and perfectly charming. However, I was unaware it was the first book of two, and now I am bereft.

I knew what this was when I went into it; as someone who spent her formative years in the dregs of ff.net, I've seen a lot. But never fear: this author takes the best of Dramione and turns it into something new and fresh. The banter is hilarious. The world building (while a little fuzzy at first) is extensive. The humor is dark and occasionally raunchy. Basically, this book is perfect if you are a true fan of enemies to lovers with a strong stomach for references like "titfuck." Just read it.

Irresistible Urge is a romp of a book. It has good world building, irreverent writing, and fun characters. The characters are based on Dramoine tropes, and while that is a fun and quick shortcut for characterization, readers who are unfamiliar with Harry Potter and the fan fiction realm may find the characters a little underdeveloped on the page.

The strongest part of this story is the details of this magical world. Knightley has obviously thought deeply about what this world is and has filled it with fun details and delights. I would like to see more stories set in this world and am excited to see how this story concludes in the second book.

This review honestly took me a couple days to process, as I am a huge fan of the author's work DMATMOOBIL, and went in hoping for the same kind of banter. Truly I knew this was a completely different book, but her banter always just jumps off the page and that is all I was hoping for again, in this story it's a hit or miss. Either the banter is on point and amazing, or there is just so little of it, you feel it's just there to move the story along but you have missed some parts. I hope in the second book there is more in depth scenes between Aurienne and Mordaunt, I would have enjoyed to know the conversations they had that seem to get glossed over. The magical illness was really interesting, I would have liked to know more lore about the different places they do to each month. The map is on point and as you read the story, it makes much more sense from the first time you look at the map.

I enjoyed this book so much, I didn't want it to end! I loved the irreverent tone, the language, the worldbuilding, and the characters. There were several pages where I just had to sit and hold my kindle close to my heart, so I could really soak up the words! There is delicious tension, the plot is unique, and I was so disappointed when it was over.

Brigitte Knightley's <i>The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy</i> follows Aurienne Fairhrim, a healer and researcher from the Haelan Order, and Osric Mordaunt, an assassin from the Fyren Order, as they race against time to find a cure for Osric's incurable illness, "seith rot.” Alongside this, they are attempting to unravel the mystery behind Platt's Pot, a deadly disease claiming the lives of children.

The story progresses through periodic meet-ups between Osric and Aurienne as they work to combat his seith rot. However, I felt the narrative could have benefited from more scenes in between these encounters to further develop them as individual characters. While the book captures the tension and chemistry between the leads, I wished for more exploration of their personal journeys beyond their shared mission—sprinkling character backstory into the last 15% didn’t quite suffice.

I’m also conflicted about the ending. They kissed, and suddenly they’re in love? It feels like I missed a few chapters that should have explored their deepening connection. For example, the author mentions they stayed up all night talking, but I would have loved to actually read those conversations to better understand their relationship.

Additionally, the dialogue and word choices were occasionally jarring. The author alternates between overly sophisticated phrasing/issults and casual slang, which sometimes pulled me out of the story. The dialogue and banter often came across as cringy, and much of the humor in the book didn’t quite resonate with me.

Despite these critiques, the novel offers an intriguing premise and a unique take on the enemies-to-lovers trope. However, in my opinion, it could have benefited from a bit more polishing. In the end, while I can appreciate the enemies-to-lovers dynamic and the puzzle-solving mystery, this one just didn’t work for me.

This book offers an irresistible blend of tension, intrigue, and romance set against a rich fantasy backdrop. The healing and assassinating worlds collide in a way that is both thrilling and heart-wrenching. With every page, the push and pull between Osric and Aurienne keeps you hooked, making you root for their inevitable romance while also holding your breath to see how their dangerous loyalties will ultimately shape their fate. I can’t wait for the next instalment already.

Full disclosure: I am MASSIVELY biased, given that I was a fan of the original fic that led to Knightley's discovery.

That being said, it's not MUCH of a bias; I dare anybody to read her prose and not be delighted. Exquisite banter, delicious pining, this book has something for everybody. I'm also completely fascinated by the world she's created in a way I haven't felt in some time... I'm impossibly impatient for the next installment already!!

Listen, I loved many fanfictions turned tradition publishing; I read and loved The Love Hypothesis so much, I basically started a fan club at my store for it. I love and read fanfiction all the time. And I love seeing so many well loved stories get a new shine.

HOWEVER, I do expect some fine tuning with characters, stories and writing... in my personal opinion, there was not enough of that done here. I knew right away this was fanfiction and not in a good way. The ridiculousness of the writing was hard to deal with and then we had other items that lucked luster; The dialogue felt cringey, the banter was not it and the information dumping was a bit much in the first chapter. The fact that both of these characters gave an air that we should love them right away, rubbed me wrong and I did not enjoy this book.
On the (only) positive side: the magically sickness plot actually interested me. The fact that this was a r0mance but I truly wish it had been a fantasy/science focused on the cure to a magical disease is sad.

I know many people love or will love this but this was NOT for me!

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy was a knock out of a debut! I absolutely adored Brigette's DMATMOOFIL and I just knew I would love her completely ORIGINAL work. While the characters feel very Draco and Hermione coded they are also so very different from those characters. I love that Brigette is explicit that these characters are queer and Aurienne is a woman of color. The fantastical medical mystery was so intriguing and the magic system was so new and fresh-- I really have never read another like it. I cannot wait for the next installment. Bravo Brigette!