i absolutely love this book. it's fun, ironic and sassy, and the plot is so intriguing. i adore the characters, and how for once we actually have enemies that don't fall for each other after two chapters. a new favorite, for sure!

You can tell when someone has had fun writing something and this gives that vibe! I truly laughed out loud at some of the witticisms between A and O.

We jump right into the story without being inundated with exposition, which I greatly appreciated.

The powers and mythology at play is intriguing and a combination of norse/gaelic as far as I can tell, and feels fresh.

The story itself moves forward with purpose, and the focus slowly moves from our central problem into our central relationship. I was sad when this ended so soon!

Definitely recommend for those who enjoy Lemming or Hazelwood or Kingfisher, as this has similar style and/or character building.

Ohh how dare you hook me like this Brigitte Knightley. I was obsessed with this entire read and the whole book was just mwah, delightful. And as I see it’s the first in a (what sounds to be an amazing series) I will be eagerly awaiting the next one!

The world building was amazing and it was so well put together. With the different orders and the magic element giving it a fantasy feel, the romance aspect too was so addicting.

I love a slow burn and all the tropes in this were made to hook me and keep me coming back for more. We have a stab happy dashing scarred hunk and a clever but takes absolutely no bull female MC who I identified with immediately. I seriously loved all the characters and the standoffish banter between them both was both so funny. The way they bounced off each other made for great reading and that coupled with the fab writing made it an easily enjoyable read.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and I'm here to - gleefully - tell you, that I was NOT disappointed. I had read Brigitte's work before (DMATMOOBIL, hello) and I had loved every second of it, but she managed to be funnier and wittier in this book (something I genuinely didn't think was possible because I was already giggling and kicking my feet then). The writing is delicious, witty, funny and hilarious (I understand I'm using synonyms, but it is needed). The plot was interesting and it moved on a natural pace, to the point where I finished the book and I'm perfectly happy with how everything turned out (even if, yes, I am foaming at the mouth at the thought of the next book, because I need it. Bad.)

The banter between these two was delicious, their arcs beautifully done (I genuinely can't wait to see what happens to these two as they unravel in the next book), and the chemistry had me BLUSHING. I mean, I am always down for a "MMC fell first AND harder" kind of situation, but Osric really saw it as a challenge. This man is a loser for her, and I am delighted.

All this to say, that if you're looking for a witty, original and funny fantasy read with lots of clashing and pining, please pick up this book. You won't regret it.

Just a little quote that I loved:
"He no longer owned his own heart. The thief was unconscious of her crime. She asked, 'Is something the matter?'"

This book was a lot of fun. The dry, dark humour in this stole the show for me. I laughed out loud multiple times. They were so direct, so blunt and so crude, at times. I really enjoyed it. It felt like a dark satire. The critique crickets were excellent, I only ever wanted more from them!

I loved the dynamic between Osric and Aurienne, how they both needed each other but yet both hated each other. The reluctant growth that Osric starts to go through is great. You can feel the pain it’s causing him to develop any form of feeling.

The storyline was interesting, I’m very much bought into needing to know who is doing what and why! I got used to the terminology and characters quite quickly, which as a novice to the fantasy world, is a definite positive.

The only thing I wanted more of was chemistry and tension between Osric and Aurienne. For me, they go for too long where they only hate each other. I felt like needed more of a push/pull earlier on. I wanted more of a forbidden lust feeling between them to really hit that spot.

This was such a good book and I can’t wait to recommend it!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

Brigitte Knightley has absolutelt no business being as witty as she is.

I absolutely adored DMATMOOFBIL so I went into this book with high hopes and was absolutely not disappointed. Brigitte was able to write this story in a way that felt new and fresh but had a lot of nice nods to the original work.

It is the slowest of burns which I am a big fan of and I have seen the main characters described as highly competent idiots which sums them up perfectly.

The story starts with Osric, an assassin from a dark order, learning he has an incurable condition and his only hope is to convince Aurienne an incredibly talented healer to find a cure for him.

I have not chuckled to myself so many times reading a book ever, the humour is dry and just so well done. I often find humour in books can feel forced which was not the case here at all. As I said Brigitte has no business being this witty!


My only (very petty and extremely minor) note is that the chapters are quite long and this is something that I personal struggle with as I tend to have to find a few minutes here and there to read and don't like putting a book down mid chapter. So if you're like me and struggle with longer chapters just something to keep in mind

I had the best time reading this!
A hilarious take on a high stakes dramatic fantasy romance. I was hooked on every sarcastic comment. The wit and humour was brilliant, I’ve never laughed so much reading about death and debauchery.
I didn’t realise how special the experience would be to read a book written in British English, with the typical dry humour and ridiculous choice of insults and swear words which are quintessential of our native way of offering each other. It gave the book such a unique and special quality.
The story itself was addictive and I am desperately hoping there are more to follow after THAT ending!

As this book is inspired (but as I understood it, it’s not the same story; I haven’t read the fanfic, though) by the author’s Dramione fanfiction, I will take this into account for my review because it has affected my reading experience.
Speaking as a long-time Dramione reader, this was a fun story with a lot of nods to this familiar-feeling character dynamic and references to other aspects of the HP world, but twisted to be able to publish this story. Looking at this story from a reader’s perspective that doesn’t have this specific fanfiction-reading background, I’m not sure, they will have as good of a time here.
The thing with fanfiction is that there’s already a world and characters established. The reader already loves both. The writer doesn’t need to endear the reader to the characters or do a lot of explaining of the world.
So the problem with this book is that the characters here work all right as Dramione stand-ins, but they are not fleshed out enough to make one care about them beyond that, in my opinion. The world-building felt more like window-dressing as well, which is okay, I think, because it’s not a fantasy book first.
I got the impression that there was put a lot of focus on making this story as witty and banter-filled as possible. The story doesn’t take itself seriously, which helped me to put into perspective my expectations. It almost read more like a parody than a romantic comedy. I suggest giving the sample a try to see whether you vibe with the humour or not. There’s a certain kind of pattern to how it’s delivered that I can image can come across as repetitive or even annoying after a while when you’re not into that. For me, all the witty-ness, no matter that it sometimes felt forced, was what I enjoyed most about this book. I wanted to know what the author would come up with next.
Unfortunately, the romance and whatever stakes there might have been, got smothered by the comedic elements for me. I wish there had been consequences for Osric as an assassin because of his illness, but it didn’t really cause him any significant problems, so it was hard to feel the urgency for a cure. Maybe that’ll be shown in book 2. Aurienne and Osric also didn’t feel much like enemies because they came across as annoyed with each other rather than full-out hating each other. And while they have opposing ethics as healer and killer, the killing aspect is not really presented in any serious way whatsoever. Quite the opposite, actually.
After having finished the book, I don’t think much has happened after all. There was a bit of mystery surrounding the pox situation that was mildly interesting.
All in all, I think Dramione fans with a love for banter will likely have a good time with this story. It worked as the palate cleanser I wanted it to be. I appreciated the creativity in the comedic writing. I laughed a lot, for sure. I might consider reading the sequel.

Characters: 3.5/10 x4 (Bad-Mediocre)
Relationships: 3/10 x4 (Bad)
Atmosphere/Vibes: 8/10 (Great)
World-building/Setting: 4/10 x2 (Mediocre)
Writing: 8/10 x4 (Great)
Plot/Pacing: 3.5/10 x3 (Bad-Mediocre)
Enjoyment: 7/10 x5 (Good)
Total: ~5.2 = 2.75*

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*ad/gifted* Thank you to the Little, Brown Book Group for sending me an e-arc of this novel in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley is a highly anticipated read for me and many other fans of Knightley’s previous work. For those who may not be aware, the author previously wrote a very popular fanfiction, DMATMOOBIL. Having read her earlier work years ago, I decided not to revisit it before diving into this book, so that I could approach this story with a fresh perspective.

In this novel, we are immediately submerged in the action, learning about the worldbuilding as the story unfolds. Although the beginning starts off slightly slow, I found this approach to be an effective way to gradually reveal information about the plot and characters. Reminders of the world and its magic system can also be found in the glossary, which I found very helpful. The magic system and its explanations are also fascinating and unique.

We follow the story of Aurienne, a healer, and Osric, an assassin, as they are forced to work together to search for a cure to an incurable degenerative condition. Their rivalry (they come from opposing orders), adds tension to the sloooow-burn romance which is absolutely swoon worthy. The clash of these two characters is incredible. I loved how the third-person perspective allowed us to hear their inner thoughts.

This was, hands down, the funniest book I have ever read. Brigitte Knightley expertly interweaves dry, witty banter, snarky characters, and tongue-in-cheek humour in the most perfect way. I’m quite particular about humour in books and films, but this is exactly how it should be done. The ability to write humour in this way is an absolute skill and I am here for it!

I believe that this romantasy will be part of a duology so I can’t wait to read the next instalment of the series. This book was absolutely charming in the best way, with lovable characters, a great plot, and an intriguing world.

Publication date: 8th July 2025

I didn’t know a lot about this book going in, simply that it was based on fan fiction and that was enough for me to be interested. I didn’t read the original version before this book got official published, but I though this book was a perfect mix of well thought out original universe while still having elements of fan fiction.
I had a bit of Love Hypothesis vibes because of the sort of academic settings. I was also not expecting this sort of writing style and it definitely reminded me of the Emily Wilde’s series. That being said, I did find the first 30 percent of this book a little hard to get through because of the writing style. I felt like I needed to get used to this writing style but also to the specific terminology of the universe.
Overall, a really great book !

I should have known better than to read this so far in advance of publication date but I couldn’t help myself!! When is book 2 coming?! Absolutely loved this slow burn enemies to lovers book. It was funny. Like ACTUALLY laugh out loud funny. Arienne is a healer from the GOOD order and Osric is an assassin for hire with seemingly no moral compass from very much the BAD order. There was such development from both main characters, the situations they found themselves in flipped from the sublime to the ridiculous. The side characters-my goodness Xanthe-I loved her, want to be her when I’m 200 years old, Leofric-bonkers and definitely one to avoid but hilarious and Parson-basically the current keeper of our MMC, easily flipping between compassion and brutality. I’m so sad it’s over I can’t wait for the next part!!

This was DELIGHTFUL. I always say that it's incredibly difficult to write enemies to lovers in a convincing way because it requires the slowest of slow burns. But this book—it's perfectly done. And it's also VERY funny.

I’ve never read a Dramione fanfic in my life, and while I know this book is an original story, it definitely gives off strong Hermione/Draco vibes. Both characters are sassy, bossy, and very self-aware. It was great to follow Osric and Arienne’s journey as they get to know each other and soften a bit. Their banter is just fantastic—this author has a true talent for writing dialogue that is both funny and feels incredibly natural. I was kicking my feet all the time.

And about the slow burn—the tension it builds is so thick, you could probably cut it with a knife. Impeccable. But it also makes me crave book 2 ASAP.

The worldbuilding is very interesting and well done, which I think is important for books by authors transitioning from fanfic to traditional pub. The setting takes place in an alternate UK in the 19th century, where the 1066 Norman Conquest never succeeded. I believe the published book will include a map, but for now, you can find it on the author's Instagram, and it really helps visualize the world.

You do need a moment to fully grasp the magic system and its rules—it’s quite particular, as it includes a lot of 'body magic' elements. But once you do, you realize how it seamlessly incorporates a regular STEM romance dynamic into the fantasy realm. Plotwise, the book gets the job done. The story itself works well within the boundaries of this world and its rules. Yes, it’s all quite tropey, but still well done and not forced. When I read the premise I was like—how can a fantasy book be promoted as something for fans of Ali Hazelwood? Yeah, I get it now. 🙃

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. After reading numerous novels about soft heroines with troubled pasts, I was craving something different, and this one truly delivered. The sequel will be one of my most anticipated reads and I'll definitely grab it as soon as possible.

First and foremost I must thank NetGalley for approving my request literally five minutes after I pressed the button. I honestly did not expect you to approve it that fast, so a big smooch for you.

5/5 for everything
Probably too high of expectations going in but if I hate something, I will hate it.
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Alternative Title: The Ganglion and the Fusspot

I remember when I first read DMATMOBIL in 2023 when I was avoiding (ironically) my Ethics in research class prep because it sucked. While I can obviously see the writing of Brigitte and how it hasn't really changed since that fic was published, this book is soooo not that. Yes, there are parts of the story that have come from DMATMOBIL but Brigitte has obviously made it her own world and incorporated her own magic system into this world whilst still having some nice callbacks to her roots. (e.g. the pink, heart-shaped glasses on a skull)

I will admit that when I saw how close to the end I saw the book was and I started speaking to my Kindle as though Brigitte was trapped in there writing it for me, I wasn't disappointed, frustrated yes – slow burn do be slow burning – but I will definitely read this again (a lot probably, definitely). I really liked how well the chemistry was between all of the characters (platonic and otherwise). While I would've liked to be frustrated with a single POV and second-guess myself with the classic "does she...? no? yes?", I LOVED the dual POV and the second-guessing of myself at certain points and honestly I haven't felt that from a new book in ages.

To go back to Brigitte's writing style. Oh hell yes, she writes like she has rewatched Easy A (first film that I could think of that had the same speech style) a billion times with how the banter goes back and forth, honestly, I kept giggling way too loudly and the walls looked upon my chaotic nature with far more concern than inanimate objects should have.

I loved the adventure that they had to go on, the disgust they have for each other (almost as much as I have for them 😏) is palpable and is, for sure, a fine line that they are honestly leaping across like they are in the Olympics and aiming for a gold medal.

Additionally, I'm so excited to see where they go and what Brigitte is going to do to hurt me in the future with the brick wall she kissed and lovingly built before she drove over me with the cement mixer.

I'm so excited to see where she goes in the future, she is for sure an instant buy which WILL hurt my bank account.

And now I am going to consume other content to forget basically everything until the official Irresistible arrives through my postbox and wakes me from my slumber like I am Nosferatu.

This has no business being as good as it was for being a debut novel. Thank you God for Brigette Knightley. From the world building to the plot and characters, this was flawless. The writing style was so good and both Osric and Aurienne were so complex and real. The banter and the chemistry was on point; never in the book did any of their interactions feel like they were pushed or out of character. The way you can see how they slowly start to develop feelings and care and trust for each other through the things they go through and adventures they do together, it’s just everything to me and I can’t wait to see how all of this develops even more in book 2 (which we’ll be praying it comes out soon because if I have to wait a long time for it, I will simply die). This is literally the definition of the AO3 tag "idiots in love" except they're not in love because this is an excruciatingly slow slow burn, it will have you just longing for the characters to be in the same room. Trust me when I say if you love classic fan fiction tropes, you will ADORE this.

> Enemies-to-lovers
> High interaction slow burn
> Hypercompetent idiots
> He falls first and harder
> Slaughter as a love language

"Their star-crossed tācn pressed against each other’s. Their Orders were in their veins, as inescapable as their own blood.” Brigette you are insane, I can't handle this. As someone who read the fanfic back then, I can say that I went with a lot of expectations for this book, and this was all I wanted and more. It was such an original and fun novel and I can't wait to read all of the other books Brigette Knightley will put out in the future, because she just became one of my favourite authors.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Orbit for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!