*ARC* i was so lucky to get this arc copy of one of my most anticipated reads of the year & it did not disappoint!! I loved it🖤💚

I will start by saying that if you go in with preconceptions that is is like ‘draco malfoy & the mortifying ordeal of being in love’ then you wont like this because it is not the same story. So just remember it’s completely different when you go into it.

I need to talk about these characters. The banter in this book was top quality & like nothing ive read before. It made me physically laugh out loud at times with how well it was written. Brigitte absolutely nailed the dry sarcastic humour of Aurienne & Osric, coming from someone who has that same type of humour it was impeccable 👌🏻
The slow-burn was slow-burning!❤️‍🔥There is another book coming after this and it’s refreshing to see the slow burn continue & not have the main characters fall madly in love right at the end.

The magic/world was a little confusing at first and it took me a couple chapters to engross myself in it but once i had, i couldn’t put it down. I do wish some things were explained more in detail & not just glossed over but i feel this is more romance than fantasy & so i didnt deep it too much. Im not there for the fantasy world as much as i’m there for the romance. If you take the ‘fantasy’ out the story would still be the same. If anyone gets confused reading then read the glossary at the end, dont do what i did & not realise it was there😅

I cannot wait for release day so i can buy all available copies & spread my love for it even more, and i cant wait for the next book to find out what happens and for Osric & Aurienne to realise they love each other💓

I guess I am not the intended audience for this book. Please don’t hate me. 2.5 stars rounded up.

I really wanted to love it. It has the cozy slightly clinical vibes of Emily Wilde’s, with the borderline meta “he’s so bad” energy from Assistant to the Villain, with some lovey dovey mixed with political background maliciousness of The Princess Bride…But with A LOT of potty and sexual humor thrown in that just did not work for me.

Word count roundup:
• 13 penis’s
• 10 pubic’s or pubes
• 21 tits, nipples and nips
• 15 balls or ball

And it’s a slooooooow burn - so these are not occurring in the bedroom…

They are all written in a jokey salacious (and at time slightly vulgar) way, and I guess this much condensed in a small space is not my humour. I didn’t expect it and it didn’t land for me. It was oddly sexual, without being sexual?

I do so hope you love it - I really did want to. But if for some reason that many penis mentions does you in like me, now you know. *I swear I’m not a prude.*

I also found the pacing a bit off, and seriously think it should have been a standalone story. The conclusion feels more like an oddly timed intermission that is just unnecessary and affects the overall delivery of the story.

In any case, thank you to Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy comes out on July 8th.

This book was amazing, laugh out load, slow burn, enemies to friends, a few small tropes that slip in like, touch her and die, turning up injured on a door step, the banter between the two main characters is hilarious and though it didn’t end on a cliffhanger it did just end without a conclusion to a lot of questions so I’m really hoping this is a series.
I would highly recommend this book, I remember seeing this book as a recommendation and they suggested it was like the characters Hermione and Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter and from the moment I started reading it I totally could see that too. I was sold on this book with the first line / chapter header, so here it is for you ;
“Irresistible Bastard Meets Immovable Bitch”

Possible spoilers
This is about two characters that collide out of necessity. Osric is an assassin who’s having problems with his magic and Aurienne is a healer who’s dealing with a pox outbreak in children.
After going through the obvious (to him) ways of getting Auriennes help - flirting being one of them 😂 they end up in a monetary agreement. He funds the pox vaccine research and she heals him from eventual death. This results in them both hating the arrangement. Lots of funny trips to get healed and events along the way further there hatred for each other , but you know what they say about hate and love … it’s a very thin line and they stretch it!! By the end of the book one of them has worked out that they actually love the other.

This book shattered my skyhigh expectations and left me absolutely FERAL for more. Thank you so much Brigette 😭😭😭

I want to start by saying that I read this as an ARC reader, but I was determined not to let that (and my love of Brigette’s previous work) influence my review. I went into it expecting a decent read. What I got, was one of the best books I’ve ever read, genuinely.

If you’re looking for a proper fantasy with an elite slow burn, the most delicious banter and a magic system that actually feels fresh, this it IT!!! 👌

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is what you’d get if Romeo & Juliet happened in an alternate fantasy version of the British Isles, except Romeo is a stabby, morally black assassin and Juliet is a hyper intelligent healer who is completely disinterested in his existence. Until she isn’t… 👀

From the very first chapter, I knew this book was something special. The writing is unique, clever, and so sharp that I was highlighting entire passages, including the chapter titles. I’ve never highlighted so much of a book in my life. 

I’m a huge fan of Knightley’s writing style. She uses a lot of big words (which I maybe had to look up once or twice…thank you Kindle dictionary 😂). But somehow she doesn’t make you feel like she’s swallowed a thesaurus, it just flows. The descriptions of even the most mundane things add such depth and flavour to the story. It might not be every one’s cup of tea, and could be described as flowery, but I loved it.

I went into this ready for heavy world building, and BOOOOOOY it delivered. The magic system is intricate and different from anything I’ve read before, I loved the Deofol and the Tacn system, it just all felt so well developed. The explanations for which are woven so seamlessly into the plot that I never once felt like I was being spoon-fed lore like some fantasy books (there’s also a glossary, which helps!).

If you’re here for the romance, I’ll warn you that this is a true slow burn, a proper enemies to lovers, where they genuinely loathe each other before the tension starts creeping in and they aren’t going to wake up one morning and suddenly rip each others clothes off, but that’s part of what makes this book so good. It keeps you wanting more, the romance feels realistic, the tension is so palpable you could cut it with a chainsaw, and the banter? I was CACKLING. I’ve never highlighted so much in my life. Standout moments include “onion boy,” “pube plait boy,” “harmacy,” and “acts of unwarranted brutality.” This book is so funny!! I was chuckling out loud constantly. It’s got that dry, witty humour that’ll make you grin even when things get intense.

I was also really pleasantly surprised to find that while this book clearly takes inspiration from its Dramione counterpart, DMATMOOBIL, it’s a completely new story. Sure, there are sprinklings of references throughout (signet rings, heart-shaped glasses), and the characters bear a clear resemblance to our favourite bookish swot & lithe, white-haired wizard, but they also feel unique and fresh.

Honestly, I happily could’ve read another 100 or 200 pages of this book. There was so much going on, and I just didn’t want it to end. But that said, there’s no filler content. The pacing is absolutely perfect, every single page had me totally absorbed.

And THEN I got to the end and realised this is only part one. I feel so stupid because I was NOT READY. I NEED answers. I NEED book two. Right now.

I can’t wait for this book to release so I can share in the love for it with friends & the wider book community. You deserve every success. 💕

Thank you SO much to Brigitte and the publishers for sharing this story with me. I can’t wait to get my hands on the physical copy in July!

P.s (I'd give it 6 stars if I could!!!)

I was fortunate enough to be approved for this ARC and omg, I loved this book so much!

before I start my review, I have to admit that while I'm familiar with the Dramione phenomenon and have heard of the more popular fanfics, I've never actually read a Dramione fanfic (though I have plans to do that soon!). however, this didn't dampen my enjoyment of the story at all, because the book has enough original substance to stand on its own and leave its mark.

the world depicted in this book is a fantastical version of the United Kingdom where travel is a seamless affair with the help of strategically placed waystones (in proximity to pubs 🍻), and where you can't escape the iconic Mind the gap. aside from the setting, the magic system is unique and complex without being overly complicated to understand. it was really interesting to read about seith (and what happens when you deplete yourself - I love it when there are actual magic limitations in fantasies), the many different Orders and how each has a specific way of using seith.

and oh, the slow burn 😩 it's as slow as it gets, and I ate it up. the description of the book is very accurate in saying that he falls first and harder and it was a delight to see Osric very (!) slowly start to warm up to Aurienne (I can't wait to read the sequel and not have to settle for literal crumbs haha).

what really shined in this book was the humour! there were countless times when I actually laughed out loud because of the wordplay, the banter or the images evoked. and I'm not just referring to the interactions between Aurienne and Osric - here, every character has some sort of funny streak and the result is a seamless blend of really enjoyable characters and witty conversations.

one thing that I didn't particularly like was the overuse of complicated words. it happened quite frequently for me to be engrossed in the story, and suddenly I come across a word I've never seen before and have to pause and look it up. I understand what the author was going for with this approach, but sometimes it was a bit much, precisely because it can often pull the reader out of the story.

all in all, this was a great book that I think readers of slow burn romantasy will really enjoy!

Let me tell you—Brigitte Knightley has created the perfect fantasy rom-com, with the slowest of slow burns. But fear not—you won’t even notice until, suddenly, you find yourself swooning over a mere hand kiss (guilty as charged!).

The TENSION in this book is everything. The sarcasm and wit woven into the narration will have you laughing out loud.

The world-building takes a little time to fully grasp, but that’s to be expected in a duology that leans heavily into the romance—otherwise known as the “the world would be better off if you were never born” a (almost) quote by Aurienne.

And as for the ending? Don’t worry—it’s not a soul-crushing cliffhanger. Sure, you’ll be desperate for book two in about two seconds, but you won’t be left crying and begging the author for mercy. (That said—if you’re reading this, please hurry! I *need* that sequel!)

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC!🩷

Osric and Aurienne are going to live in my brain rent free for the foreseeable future 🤭 this book made me cackle and laugh out loud, the puns, the use of slang, the ridiculous situations were just *chefs kiss* the banter was on point and ugh the slow burn was yummy 🧎🏻‍♀️

I also loved the world building and the magic system, it felt very unique and the lore and language translation and semantics scratched by philologist brain so good 🫶🏻 ngl I learned a lot with this book, so well researched
AND the writing omg so witty and fun and beautiful, i basically highlighted every page on my kindle lmao

I can’t wait for July to get the physical version and annotate the hell out of it 🩷✨🧐

p.s. I need the next book asap 😚

This was one of my highest anticipated reads of the year and when the parcel came in the post I *screamed*!!! I love the dry humour that this author does so well, and on many occasions I was laughing out loud. For me, I wish there was just a bit of tension between the two of them, whereas for the first 50% if not more it was just pure hatred. I would have loved “I want you but I can’t have you”.

The book has been advertised as slow burn and enemies to lovers, and both things are very very true about The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy ! The animosity between the MCs allows for beautiful banter and tension all throughout the book, and every dialogue is a lot of fun.

The world building and political intrigue is very well thought out and kept me on my toes, I can’t wait for the next book.

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me at all. I found characters and world-building to be severely underdeveloped making it hard for me to connect and get invested in the story. I didn't like the use of overly complicated vocabulary and found it overwhelming. I think people who have sentimental attachment to the original fanfic might enjoy this more than me.

i was lucky to receive one of my most anticipated reads this year as an arc and my god that was actually phenomenal. i don’t think i’ve ever laughed out loud so much reading a book. it was the funniest wittiest piece of literature. it was so dramione-coded and i loved every second of it. it wasn’t a re-write of dmatmoobil but it gave off the same exact vibes and it made me feel just like i did when reading the ff. and the heart-shaped sunglasses and the signet ring!!! the way i screamed (iykyk👀). i have not read a proper slow-burn enemies-to-lovers in soooo long and this was exactly that! it was made very clear that they both wanted each other dead very much. but then we got those teeny tiny sprinkles of ‘what if?’ between them, and it was just enough to make me giggle and kick my feet in the air🥹i loved the forbidden aspect of their romance. i ADORED their characters. the banter was absolutely✨chef’s kiss✨the world-building was impeccable. the way we were introduced to the details of this world was truly done so well by knightley. ngl this gave off quite an ali hazelwood-esque vibe in the sense that i felt quite stupid at times while reading it..there were A LOT of words that i had to look up😅i also loved that we had a lot of conversation and not just narration. the writing style was unlike anything i’ve read before and i think it’s one of the reasons why i enjoyed it so much. the only downside was that this book ended!!! how am i meant to wait till the next one?🥲 this has definitely made it onto my favorite books of all time list and i’m not exaggerating❤️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars obviously. i knew i was going to love it but that truly exceeded any and all expectations👏🏼

thank you so much to littlebrownbookgroup_uk / orbitbooksuk for the arc! and to brigitte knightley for writing this masterpiece obvs😌

A true enemies-to-lovers slow burn tale in every sense. I really enjoyed this read! It was well-paced, so funny, full of witty banter, atmospheric and interesting.

I found the world building to be quite immersive and I was able to get a good scope on what I imagine the different settings looked like from the descriptive writing. Coming from DMATMOOBIL, it was so easy to separate the two worlds and magic systems once I had gotten into the flow of the story.

The writing style did catch me off guard at the beginning but I was quickly able to grasp it and thoroughly enjoyed the verbal beatings between Osric and Aurienne — I did actually lol several times.

I’m so invested in seeing what happens next (don’t make me wait too long please!!) and though I wished for a few more intimate moments within this book, I still absolutely loved it. Can’t wait for more within this universe!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this e-arc book ahead of release.

Sadly I was only able to read to 50% before I made the decision to stop reading. There wasn’t enough character development for me personally and the book felt more plot driven. I didn’t like the characters much but I feel this was because I wasn’t given the chance to? I know others will love this and the vibes so I’d still recommend to people to try!

This is the ultimate enemies-to-lovers story, a slow burn that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Osric, an assassin from the Fyren Order, and Aurienne, a scholarly healer, despise each other but when circumstances force them to work together, tensions rise in the best way. She’s the only one who can help, and he makes her an offer she can’t refuse.
This book had me laughing out loud, the banter is sharp, the chemistry is electric, and the story is utterly addictive. The plot is so engaging that you’ll devour it in one sitting. This is the first book in a duology and I can’t wait to read the second one.
This truly will be one of my favorites reads this year.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC!

A slow burn enemies to lovers inspired by the Dramione fic DMATMOOBIL? Yes, please and thank you. One of my most highly anticipated reads of 2025 and it did not disappoint.

What to expect:
Slow burn
Enemies to lovers
Forbidden love
Who is prettier?
He falls first
Acts of warranted brutality
Witty banter
Morally grey MMC
Sharp wit and dry banter
Forced proximity

Osric, our morally grey MMC, is an assassin (Fyren Order). He’s arrogant, with a penchant for violence. Aurienne, our stubborn, razor-sharp-witted FMC, is a healer (Haelen Order)—and, unsurprisingly, they absolutely cannot stand each other.

Osric has a problem: he’s dying, and the only person who can heal him is, of course, Aurienne. Naturally, she refuses—until he makes her an offer she can’t resist: funding to inoculate against the pox.

The banter between these two had me laughing out loud. They’re both so arrogant, with equal disdain for each other, which really fuels the tension and slow burn. The way they slooooowly begin working with each other instead of against each other during their misadventures was perfection. I devoured the buildup of tension and loved seeing the loathing transform into hate-yearning.

We’re immediately thrown into the action, and I won’t lie—I was a little confused at first by the Seith and Orders, especially with some words in Old English. But as the book went on, I grew to love it, and I think Brigitte did a wonderful job creating something unique. The deofols were intriguing, and I loved how they reflected their characters' personalities.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this. If you like enemies-to-lovers stories where they are truly enemies, witty characters, beautiful imagery, and unique magic systems, you’ll love this.
The ending left me desperate for the sequel!

Thank you NetGalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK and Brigitte Knightley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oof, I wish I had realised that this would be a series, rather than standalone, because I'm hanging by my fingertips with the number of loose ends at the ending!
I was a huge fan of Knightley's Dramione fanfic and fell in love with her new characters. At times, I felt the novel was wordy and perhaps a little repetitive, but overall it was rich in humour and paid homage to the beauty of a well-done, torturously drawn out slow burn. I'm really looking forward to the next instalment.

This book was a blast of pure fun and I had such a great time. It is very, very funny and extremely gentle and silly and soothing, which is maybe a weird thing to say about a book that is ostensibly about assassins and poxs and many, many murders, but here we are. The pace is slow, the romance (which is excellent) is the slooowest burn and I thought it was all delicious. I went into this thinking it was a stand alone so I got a bit stressed around the 90% mark when there were so many loose ends still loosening about, but I am already really looking forward to book 2. If you’re looking for a bit of escapism and rich world building then this one is for you.

I haven't giggled this much while reading a book in a long time (if ever). The BANTER, the character dynamics, and the perfectly timed sarcasm just gets the reaction out of you no matter the scene. I think that even if you're not familiar with Dramione or the original text, you'll still love this book—there’s not a deep character arc, but that doesn’t stop you from falling for Aurienne & Osric’s dynamic. Plus, the world-building and exposition are really well done! This is a true slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and I’m already excited for the second book in the duology.
Thenk you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Orbit for the ARC copy of this book.

I was ecstatic to have been selected to ARC read "The Irresistable Urge to Fall For Your Enemy," having already being a huge fan of Knightley's fanfic, "Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Idea of Being In Love."

Fans of the enemies to lovers and slow burn tropes will fall in love with Aurienne and Osric, two highly skilled and highly competent members of their opposing Orders, who must work together to prevent a deadly virus from sweeping through historic Britain—if they can stop hating each other first!

This book was incredibly witty with great characterisation, excellent dialogue, and memorable quotes.

Like other reviewers have previously stated, I would also have liked some more world building, and found it difficult to remember the various terminology (which was rectified by the glossary provided at the end of this ARC.

The Irresistable Urge to Fall For Your Enemy is very quickly ramping up to be book of the year for me, and I am very much looking forward to reading the next installment in the series.

This was a super fun, unique story that was an absolute joy to read!

Aurienne is a delightfully rigid character with a cutting sense of humour. She is smart and a rule follower but is forced to bend the rules to assist Osric with his declining health issues after he strikes a deal with Aurienne's superior. Osric is her opposite - a contract killer who she despises as she is a healer and her creed is "Harm to None". The ensuing interactions are hilarious - filled with banter, occasional innuendo and a terrific back and forth that just gets better the further you read into the novel.

The last 25% was unputdownable! The action, the reveals, and the yearning between the characters was so, so good that I ignored my entire family until I finished the novel. I had hoped that the slow burn would start earlier as it barely started as the book ended and I felt that it fell short in that regard.

Thank you Orbit and Netgalley for the early review copy.