The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy

Dearly Beloathed #1

by Brigitte Knightley

The first in a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy duology featuring a scholarly healer and a gentleman assassin, set in an exquisite fantasy world, perfect for fans of The Love Hypothesis and Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

Osric Mordaunt, member of the Fyren Order of assassins, is in dire need of healing. Naturally – such is the grim comedy of fate – the only healer who can help is Aurienne Fairhrim, preeminent scientist, bastion of moral good, and member of an enemy Order.

Aurienne is desperate for funding to heal the sick - so desperate that, when Osric bribes her to help him, she accepts, even if she detests him and everything he stands for.

A forced collaboration ensues: the brilliant Woman in STEM is coerced into working with the PhD in Murders, much to Aurienne's disgust. As Osric and Aurienne work together to heal his illness and investigate the mysterious reoccurrence of a deadly pox, they find themselves ardently denying their attraction, which only fuels the heat between them.

Romance tropes
Enemies to lovers
High interaction slow burn
Hypercompetent idiots
He falls first and harder
Evisceration as a love language

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Enemies To Lovers, Audiobook, Fantasy Romance, Fiction

416 pages, Hardcover

First published July 8, 2025

About the author

Brigitte writes what she wants to read: enemies-to-lovers romances that put the unresolved back in UST. Her debut novel, THE IRRESISTIBLE URGE TO FALL FOR YOUR ENEMY, is coming out July 2025 (Berkley / Orbit UK).

Instagram: @brigitteknightley
Newsletter signups: brigitteknightley.com

Author illustration by @gingerhuneybee.

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️ ⭐️ This is one of the wittiest, sharpest, and most deliciously antagonistic romances I’ve ever read. I'm giving this infinity stars and honestly, that still isn't enough


"Isn't forgetting you preferable to continuing to hate you?"
"I'd rather you hate me than not think of me at all."


WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ fantasy romance
✨ healer x assassin
✨ hate at first sight
✨ mutual loathing
✨ enemies to (not quite) lovers
✨ forced proximity
✨ opposite attract
✨ the SLOWEST of slow burns
✨ he falls first and harder
✨ major denial of feelings
✨ “touch her and die”
✨ 1.5/5 spice
✨ the best banter ever!!!
✨ intellectual humor and overall fantastic writing
✨ magical adventures and shenanigans
✨ mystery
✨ cozy but also high stakes
✨ interesting magic and world
✨ first in a duology / open ending
✨ TW: graphic violence, torture, murder, medical content including fictional diseases affecting adults and children, and depictions of sick children in a hospital-like setting.


My Thoughts:

I AM IN LOVE!!!! Seriously, one of the best books I've ever read! I haven’t laughed this hard while reading in a long time. The banter?? Immaculate. The tension?! Juicy. The denial of attractions / feelings??? Olympic level.

I was already feral over the concept of a healer and an assassin (who absolutely hate each other) being forced to team up. But what blew me away was just how smart and funny this book is. It's like watching two hyper-competent prideful people try to out-snark, out-principle, and out-deny their way into falling in love.

Let’s talk about Osric (my favorite unhinged assassin 🥷). Osric is dramatic, sarcastic, self-assured to the point of delusion, and somehow still charming as hell. Basically, he's an irresistible bastard. His internal monologue had me crying on the floor laughing so hard. He’s 100% peacocking at all times, not because he likes Aurienne (sure lol), but because he’s just that guy - egotistical AF and flustered by how completely unimpressed she is. And it drives him crazy! He is chaos. I love him.

Opposite him is Aurienne 👩‍⚕️ - a morally rigid healer with absolutely no time for Osric's bullshit. She’s brilliant, prideful, deeply principled, and kind of a bitch (but, I'm into it). With her sharp tongue, cutting dry humor, and an unshakable sense of superiority, she meets every ounce of Osric’s nonsense with absolute disdain. She's so tightly wound “she could do a Kegel and snap your c*ck off,” and honestly? Pop off queen. Aurienne doesn't just resist Osric. No, she refuses to acknowledge his existence beyond what’s medically necessary. And yet, somehow, their dynamic is electric. Watching her barely tolerate his presence while he slowly spirals into emotional ruin is one of the great joys of this book. It's truly glorious. 😂

But underneath all the sarcasm and standoffishness, a little romance blooms. You might have to squint to see it at first, but little by little, it starts to show. This truly is an enemies-to-lovers story that doesn’t just flirt with hatred. It deep dives into it, and then emerges with feelings. Reluctantly. Osric begins to admire Aurienne for her intelligence, beauty, stubbornness and he genuinely has faith she’s the only one who can save his life. And somewhere along the way, his hate disappears and is replaced by something way more complicated (and totally unwanted). The moment he realizes he's already in love with her? Absolutely devastating (for him lol). And so perfect.

Meanwhile, Aurienne is still in full denial mode, holding onto her moral high ground and trying not to care. Osric wants her badly but will try and definitely fail to resist. That push and pull is exactly what’ll make the next book so much fun!!!! Watching them fight their feelings and slowly give in is going to be a wild ride. I NEED THE NEXT BOOK, LIKE, YESTERDAY!

Now, let's talk about spice. It's minimal but what we got was good! Ostic's solo scene!!!! Screaming! When I read, "He did not, in his defense, touch himself. Not immediately, anyways," my heart exploded, the sound that left my mouth was ungodly, and I proceeded to black out for the next page and a half. 🔥 I was levitating. My body wasn’t ready. Honestly, I blame Brigitte Knightley because she edged us the entire book, and by the time she threw us a single crumb of spice, my ovaries detonated.

And then that kiss!!! OMG! It was so emotionally loaded and intense I swear time stopped. I was holding my breath the whole time. Easily one of the most magical moments in the entire book. Fulfilling, electric, and once it was over, I wanted to cry because what do you mean we have to wait for book two for more?!?!?!

Okay, onto topics that are less romance related . . .

The plot itself? Super satisfying. While the romance is front and center, there’s also a really solid storyline that unfolds alongside it. Osric and Aurienne go on several quests: some to heal him, others tied to the mystery of the spreading pox, and a string of assassinations (mostly on Osric's end). Everything is connected, and the mystery slowly unravels in a way that keeps you guessing.

Some of my favorite moments:
🖕 Their hate at first sight meet-cute (the loathing had me hooked)
🌅 The lighthouse convergence (magical and so atmospheric)
🍻 The Bunghole spying operation (I need to see Aurienne's "Make It Bounce" top lol)
🩸 Osric shadow-walking at Wellesley’s castle (I gasped!)
💦 Osric being very not innocent in Aurienne’s bedroom while she’s asleep 😈
💋 The kiss (still not over it)

The world building. I, personally, didn't have any issues with it, and in fact enjoyed how it was done. You’re essentially thrown into the world without an info dump and you pick things up as you go. It’s immersive, occasionally a little confusing, but always intriguing. And as you dive deeper, you find a rich and layered world with political intrigue and unique magic. The Tacn, the magical orders, and the deofols (who have personalities and talk!!) are such cool elements! We’ve only just scratched the surface, so I can’t wait to find out more in the next book.

But just FYI, it's not immediately clear if this is an alternate version of our world or time period, or something else entirely. There are nods to the Julian calendar and real-world countries, but also magic, kingdoms, and ancient orders. Personally, I didn’t mind the ambiguity. It added to the intrigue and made it feel unique.

And finally, the writing. I think Brigitte Knightley is one of the most talented authors of our generation. I love how she weaves together such an intriguing story with sharp wit, emotional depth, and genuinely laugh-out-loud moments. Her prose is clever without being overly pretentious. And the dialogue? Unmatched. Every conversation is a game of verbal chess, and she writes with this effortless intelligence that perfectly mirrors her characters.

That said, the writing style might not be for everyone. This book doesn’t let you turn your brain off. The humor is sarcastic, dry, witty, deadpan, and unapologetically smart. It leans into wordplay and clever dialogue, which fits the characters perfectly. I personally had to look up a few words (and I’m not mad about it), but it never pulled me out of the story. If you’re not into that kind of humor or prefer lighter reads, this might feel dense. But if you get it? It’s hilarious. If you enjoy smart, layered writing that makes you work a little and rewards you for it, you’re going to eat this up.

Overall, if you love enemies-to-lovers, rich banter, sarcastic humor, magic, and mystery, you need this book. Osric and Aurienne are absolute disasters in the most delightful way, and I am begging the book gods for the sequel ASAP.

And while there are nods to DMATMOOBIL, this is 100% an original story and truly stands on its own. I believe fans and new readers alike will enjoy it very much!


Thank you NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review! As always, all opinions are my own.


-

Update 07/30: I just finished the audiobook and it is amazing as well!! Both narrators are fantastic! I LOVE their voices and think they were cast perfectly. So whether you read the book or listen to the audiobook, you can’t go wrong.

-

Favorite Quotes:

It was hard being perfect in an imperfect world, but Aurienne managed. If she had a flaw, it was that she was the Best, and she knew she was the Best. Some called it arrogance. She called it competence untainted by performative humility.
_______

Aurienne had touched a great many unpleasant things in the course of her career - secretions, purulent exudates, effusions of every description - but none were as loathsome as a Fyren.
_______

"Insult me again and I'll have your head."
"You'd be in possession of at least twice the amount of brains, then."
"Perhaps I should let you. It would be the charitable thing."
_______

What a pity this Haelan was of use to him. She's be far more tolerable dead.
_______

"Is that blood?" asked Aurienne.
"Just a bit of battle sweat," said Mordaunt.
"Yours?" asked Aurienne, with a moderate effort to keep the hope from her voice.
"No," scoffed Mordaunt. "What a stupid question."
_______

"You - you killed someone while they were eating yoghurt?" asked Aurienne.
"Yes. It was good yoghurt, too."
"You ate the yoghurt?"
"After he was dead, yes. He'd hardly touched it. What? What's the matter? Have you mistaken me for someone respectable?"
_______

He was a Fine Specimen in the way an abscess might be a Fine Specimen - the best, most shapely, most beautiful abscess in the world still brimmed with foulness and ought to be incised and drained.
_______

How intimate it was to feel Fairhrim's breath against his skin. Bit tingly. Bit pleasurable. Bit disturbing. Nothing about Fairhrim was pleasurable.
_______

"You'll fix me or die with me," said Osric.
"Oh? It's threats now, is it?"
"It's a thing called incentivisation."
_______

There was such witchery in a pair of bright eyes. Pity they had to be hers.
_______

"I am a great appreciator of beauty," said Mordaunt. In the face of Aurienne's raised brows he added, "You look as though you doubt me."
"Killing is the ugliest thing there is."
"One must fund the beauty somehow."
_______

Impressive, how Fairhrim could fix her stare right between his shoulder blades, so hard that he could feel it. Bit stabby, really.
_______

He looked at her as one who wished to worship, and one who wished to defile.
_______

Hate could feel strangely like something else.
_______

"Pretty?" interjected Mordaunt. "Who's prettier, her or me?"
This gave the bandit chief pause. He pressed a meaty finger to his chin and consulted his colleagues.
Aurienne begged them to flee while they could; Maudaunt hushed her and said, "Let them talk."
The bandit chief emerged from the conference and said, "About the same."
Aurienne gasped in outrage. Mordaunt, labouring under the delusion that he was prettier, also gasped.
"Well," said Mordaunt, "now you're definitely going to die."
_______

He was, indeed, very good at what he did. The problem was that what he did was Very Bad.
_______

Osric swept a hand through his hair. She ignored him. He flexed his abs. No reaction. He bit his lip. Disregarded. He made a deep guttural sound when she wiped cold hlutoform against him. She told him to act like a grown man. She was the Worst.
_______

She instructed him to dress and exited the room, and thus deprived herself of further viewings of his superb masculinity, which was her loss.
_______

"I don't want further deaths on my conscious - "
"Solution: stop having a conscience."
_______

Fairhrim had no business having Thighs of Interest.
_______

Was she beautiful? No. Osric was a great connoisseur of beauty. She was not beautiful. All there was to see here was an annoyingly unafraid gaze and a maddening mouth that alternated between sprouting nonsense and overly sharp sense at random intervals. She was pretty at best. Just pretty.
_______

“What did you do?"
"He fell."
"He fell?"
"Yes. On the fork."
"He fell on the fork? Twenty times?"
"Yes. Due to . . . fear."
"What was he afraid of?"
"The fork."
_______

How could he not admire her? He liked rare things. He cherished the exceptional.
_______

She wasn't charmed by him; she wasn't frightened by him; she wasn't seduced or intrigued by or remotely curious about anything to do with him. Who did she think she was? Her utter lack of interest killed him. He hated her.
_______

"There's fuckery underway."
_______

Aurienne rolled her eyes so hard, she saw her frontal cortex.
_______

"You're a common thief."
"Common? How dare you?"
_______

Osric continued to feel superior to Fairhrim, and all was well in the world, except for the knife in his gut, and the fact that she might, after all, be prettier than him.
_______

He did not, in his defense, touch himself. Not immediately, anyways.
_______

Osric did not want Fairhrim to be beautiful. He was susceptible to beauty. He was an Appreciator of beautiful things. He wanted to acquire them. He wanted them to be his.
_______

She was a thing between desire and impossibility.
_______

I would like to die suffocated by your thighs did not seem an appropriate response at this time.
_______

What was between them? An ebb and a flow, curiosity and guilt, today's fatal daydream and tomorrow's scars.
_______

But she had looked up at him, and he had discovered how her wet hair caught pentagrams of stars, and watched raindrops trickle down her throat and make a necklace of moon glitter there, and the kleptomaniac urge had risen, and he, weak-willed fool that he was, had yielded to it.
_______

It hadn't been love at first sight, but at last sight.
_______

[Brigitte Knightley]

Formal content notes
The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy is an adult, enemies-to-lovers romantasy featuring an assassin and a healer. It contains elements that may not be suitable for all readers, including swearing, graphic violence, on-page torture of minor characters, on-page deaths of minor characters, medical content including fictional diseases affecting adults and children, and depictions of sick children in a hospital-like setting. Please read with care.

This is the first in a slow-burn duology, so there is limited sexual content, located at the end of chapter 18 and midway through chapter 19.

Informal content notes by which I mean AO3-esque tags
assassin x healer; shadow daddy zaddy vs ice queen; unlikeable FMC they said and it’s just a woman with a spine; girlbossing too close to the Declaration of Geneva; She Wears Her Hair In A Tight Bun To Demonstrate How Repressed She Is; both of them think they are the main character; romcom or true crime documentary? u decide; bouillabaisse of author’s favourite tropes; reluctant attraction; excruciating slow burn u have been warned do NOT @ me; why kiss when you can bicker; it's about the Yearning™; magical calendars; gaslamp fantasy; alternate UK; thin places; Old English unapologetically butchered i'm sorry professor; forced collaboration; defenestrating heteronormativity; fictional men may have been harmed in the making; they are down bad crying at the gym; what is love if not idiocy persevering; crime as a bonding activity; can't be traumatised if you're the traumatic event; bioterrorism

[Stella]

I'm here for the dramione fanfic authors to traditional published authors pipeline.

[Jess Owens · Rating 2 out of 5]

Big sigh.

*Edit 3/7/25 to add: Thank you to Berkley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I would like to start off by saying the general public (romantasy lovers) is going to eat this up. I have read the romantasy books and if they like what's been coming out, they'll enjoy this. Also, I do read Dramione fanfic and have read this author's fan fiction. I won't be commenting on it here because we don't review fan fiction and this is NOT a re-write. This author does have a very popular Dramione fan fic but THIS STORY IS NOT HER FAN FIC RE WORKED. Let's make it clear!!!

Aurienne is a Healer. Osric is an Assassin. He has an illness threatening his magic and she's the only one who may be able to save him. This is how their paths cross. She must figure out how to save his magic, while they both hide their interactions from their respective Orders, and resist the urge to fall for each other.

Now, I have seen reviewers that gave this 2-3 stars and say that it would be for Dramione girlies. I am a Dramione girlie and this was not for me and there's many reasons. Let me list them for you.

The world building, just kidding, there isn't any! We know this takes place in London, there's some kingdoms and possibly a war brewing with??? Is it France? Unsure. That. Is. All. I don't know the time period, I'm guessing a 1800s ish? because of some words used (jiggery-pokery, pettifogging <
The magic system-- it exists?? But it's never explained. It's just there and I have no idea how it works. We know there are Orders and that our main characters, Aurienne and Osric are members of two of eight Orders. But the most you learn about the Orders is in the glossary in the back and that is unacceptable. It should be better explained throughout the story.

Speaking of the characters: dull, flat, and lacking. Aurienne is a Healer, she has morals. Osric is an assassin, he's dark and broody. I guess you can see the Dramione inspo but just barely because these characters exist in many romantasy. There isn't much "Dramione-coded" about it except they're "enemies to lovers." I can't tell you much about either character because the author doesn't tell us much about them. They're enemies because they're in opposing Orders. She's good, he's bad. She's healing, he's killing. She came from a loving family, he didn't. That's about it.

And since the characters fall flat, so does any semblance of romance. This is a slow burn, so there's nothing that happens until like 90%. You did get some internal conflicting thoughts about the other (this is dual POV) around maybe 50-60% but the burn is glacial and the burn isn't burning, it's lukewarm at best. They have no chemistry because they're not fleshed out characters. There were distinct moments I should have felt something but didn't because the characters are cardboard cutouts.

Other things that didn't work for me: the humor. It's so many dick and ball jokes and other stupid humor that did not make me chuckle. There are critters called "critique crickets" that critique people who cross their path. Some examples: "Face like a bollock.", "suck a fart out of my arse", and "perhaps you should deal with your daddy issues first." I never cracked a smile.

ALSO, this is basically a romantic comedy with fantasy. A romcomasy? Whatever, it's a very unserious book. His killing is there and we get some descriptions of the kills, so maybe a little gore. But none of it is that serious. Everything is a goddamn joke.

The banter was decent but then I got tired because that's all there is. Like we get it, they're quippy, give me something else. The random big words thrown in. I love learning new words but they need to make sense for the story and these seemed like every few pages, the author went to the thesaurus app and swapped out a word like "inutile" instead of useless or "opprobrium" instead of criticism.

There was also random French. There are two characters from France, but there are random French words thrown in even when those characters weren't on page. Sorry, we're in London, and I don't speak French. Thankfully on the Kindle, it helped me translate, but it was just obnoxious. Why are we saying "saucisson" just say sausage My point still stands that there is random ass french in this book and it's stupid. "Perhaps des circonstances insolites--a freak accident of some kind." You could just say "unusual circumstances." EYE didn't like it and this review is subjective. DUH

AND, AND! The author kept capitalizing random things. I know this happens in fantasy because they make up their world and certain words but sometimes, it made no sense. For instance: "Aurienne said that this was Most Inopportune." or "...part of her brain that wished her to take note that he was, once again, Being Handsome." or "Osric pondered Why That Could Be." Annoying.

*Edit 3/7/25 to add I did like the deofols which were like a Patronus familiar. They don’t choose them, they manifest in childhood (kind of reminded me deamons from His Dark Materials but not exactly). Honestly felt they had more personality than the person they belonged to lol.

I could go on and on about the text and writing of this story because there was so much that bothered me. It's not the worst thing ever written but it is a disappointment. This is a duology and I don't know why. This would be better paced as a standalone. The whole curing him thing was getting boring after a couple times of them meeting, but at 70-80% we find another plot. Had that been introduced earlier, this could've been a better story. Again, the burn is sloooooowwww and lukewarm.

Also, this story ends so weirdly. It didn't feel like a concluding chapter of a book. It felt like we got cut off mid-paragraph. I went to the next page looking for more story and it was over. The heck?

Overall, not a fan and I won't continue with the next one. I can forgive a lot in a story if I'm invested in the characters but I didn't get that here. Sometimes the characters don't even have to be the best but if the plot and world is good, I can vibe. But the vibes were off here! Again, the romantasy girlies will probably eat this up because this is another "good girl" falls for a "bad boy" story. But it's really all jokes and banter, and then hope we cure his illness. I can't take this serious as a published novel. But that's just me and my OPINION.

[Clace · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.57!

I went in only knowing that this author was famous for her Dramione fanfics, which meant that we were already at a very rocky start, but to my surprise, this book did not read like a Dramione fanfic at all; it was a story of its own. That doesn't disregard its flaws because there are a lot. The cover and the premise made this book sound so fun, and I honestly was set to have such a fun time with this one, but I am so disappointed that it didn't work out 😔 because this could've been the book that got me out of my slump.

The things I liked:

- The characters and their banter were the only thing that made me finish this book because if it wasn't their I would easily dnf this book but some of the scenes with the characters and their interactions just the general humor in this book was very well done because I found myself laughing and smiling to some of the scenes but it was definitely not enough to save this book.

- The slow burn nature that this book took made this book tolerable because, to some extent, there was yearning and not just insta lust, which, if it was there, would have made me hate it, so in a way this was another thing about this that I was able to appreciate.

Things I did not like:

- The length/pacing: This book was 100 or so pages too long, with such long chapters and such a slow pace that it put me in a much worse slump, and it did not help with the pacing at all.

- The worldbuilding: Non-existent.

- The plot: Not interesting enough to keep me captivated.

- The romance: I was not invested at all, maybe if this aspect delivered, I would have rated it much higher, but it didn't because for me the chemistry, tension, feelings were so bland!!

- The writing: It's not that I didn't like it. It should be in a more neutral zone because I'm unsure what to make of it. In some scenes, I was devouring, but in some scenes, I would stop and look at what I had just read, trying to comprehend if it was real.

Overall, a disappointing read
__
Im so excited to start this, even though I hate the concept of a dramoine fanfic, but ignorance is what I will follow here! Hope it's amazing!!

-Recommended by Iqra

[chan ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was fun, but i have to agree with Monte... this ends really abruptly and not in a cutesy cliffhanger way. still excited to read the next book though.

[zuza_zaksiazkowane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m invested

[Iqra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m convinced the author picked thru my brain, cooked, served a seven course meal and said enjoy. Well I’m here to tell u i just dined at a six star restaurant bitchessss

I had the best time reading this like genuinely and truly couldn’t get enough of it to the point I tried stretching it out for days bc I didn’t want it to enddd 😫

OSRIC THE MAN THAT U ARE 👑✨ he deserves all the ego boost bc he rlly is THAT man. The way the book started and with his pov took me outttt lmao his inner monologue AND dialogue is my favourite thing ever ever ever. I love love LOVE me a sarcastic clever witty man and that he IS. Gosh it’s like mmc heaven for me. The way he ticks all my boxes plsss 🙏 come kiss me Osric I’m free all day every day 💋

Aurienne is such a competent and strong fmc. I adored her love for her work and respect for her colleagues. You can feel the admiration and fascination she has for her work.

I was litch doubling over pissing myself scrrreaming laffing the whole way thru 😭😭 the clap backs and insults were so peak you literally couldn’t hear me laughing bc I was OUT OF AIR dying from how long it had me laughing 😭🤚

It was HILARIOUS seeing her clutch her pearls everytime Osric would do smth that horrified her lmaoooo. The way they would roast each other every time they interacted pls I couldn’t stop the shocked bark of a laugh every time.

as a Brit it’s so hard to find authors who do banter and witty writing in a way that actually is my type or makes me laugh and so this was such a RARITY for me. Their humour is so mine and it genuinely drove me insane bc I was like when will I ever find this heaven againnnnn 🙏😫

I love that neither of them even start to think of each other as a romantic interest until very late in the book bc it made it that much more perfect for their characters.

Boiiii u haven’t seen or read a slowburn until you’ve met these two. Fuck I was litch burning with the urge to knock their heads in and be like KISS RIGHT NEOW.

Anyway, TRUST that this book will be the most fun engaging time ever especially if you love dry humour. I just knowwww imma need the physical copy to cherish on my shelf.


ೃ⁀➷ Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC! ♥︎

𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
The ending 😭 I love them so much

𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
EDEN - ORKID
With and IE - JENNIE
Villain - Fordo


𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:

“Irresistible Bastard Meets Immovable Bitch”

‘There hasn’t been a cow here in months. Present company excepted.’

‘There was a heap of steaming excrement right in front of Aurienne, and it could talk. ‘

‘Aurienne was overcome by a desire to step on his head and drown him.’

‘Mordaunt said that what Aurienne really wanted was a more Elastic Spirit; she was an unbearable combination of high-handed and small-minded.
Aurienne said thank you, she would consult him next time she needed advice from an Abscess with inferior hair. Mordaunt, vexed, said how dare she, when her bun looked like a perfect onion?’

‘Did it make your skin smooth, at least?’
‘As a baby’s bum.’
‘Like your brain, then.’

‘You are a Phenomenon.’
‘Don’t compliment me,’ said Aurienne.
‘Does it make you uncomfortable?’
‘Yes.’ 
‘Good. I like to see you suffer.’ 
This was accompanied by a wink. Odious. 

‘Can you stop fingering him while I’m speaking to you?’
~ 😭😭😭 this out of context is fucking HILARIOUS

‘If there are any at the top, I’ll ask them prettily to leave so we can carry on with our time-wasting unobserved.’
‘I should do it,’ said Osric. ‘I’m prettier than you.’
Fairhrim threw her head back, said, ‘Hah!’ as though Osric had made a good joke, and kept walking. ‘

‘All forty died.  Aurienne clutched at her pearls. ‘

‘Osric swept a hand through his hair. She ignored him.
He flexed his abs. No reaction.
He bit his lip. Disregarded.
He made a deep guttural sound when she wiped cold hlutoform against him. She told him to act like a grown man.
She was the Worst.’
~ BAHAHAHA I LOVE HIM

‘You do realise,’ said Wellesley, ‘that you’ve only got one man here.’ 
‘No,’ said Aurienne with ruefulness born of sad truth. ‘I’ve got a monster.’ 
Now Mordaunt moved.
~ SCREAMING THAT WAS HOT

‘Have you seen his ears?’
‘What’s wrong with them?’
‘They’re massive.’
‘They aren’t.’
‘Look at those things, scooping up the very air. Could he leave some decibels for the rest of us?’ 
~ LMFAO IVE NOT LAUGHING THIS FUCKING LOUD IN YEARS 😭😭😭

“(Such witchery, such witchery in a pair of bright eyes.)”


𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀:
You’re never gna find a book like this ever and it fills me with despair because same 😫💔


─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

ASSASSIN X HEALER YES PLSSS IM SOOO EXCITED FOR THISSSS

[Madison Kait · Rating 5 out of 5]

i unironically LOVED this

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and let me tell you, IT DELIVERED!!! Words can't describe how much I love this book. The vibes... the vibes were perfect. I want to read it again!!

Osric, a member of the Order of assassins, who's slowly dying.
Aurienne, a healer, who hates his kind.
She is forced to help him because his offer to give a donation that would fund the vaccine for a disease that's running rampant among children is too good to pass up.
Trying to find a cure for his illness and investigating the strange occurrences happening around Aurienne's Order, they may discover there is more than hatred between them.

This was truly an enemies to lovers, the way they hated each other, the banter, the insults, it was everything. I laughed so much. A true rom-com.
I don't always like this kind of a slow burn because they're rarely done right, but the author has done it amazingly.

I also loved the magic system and the writing.
I can't wait for book two..

I higly recommend it and I can't wait to have it in my hands!

*Thank you to Netgalley and to Little Brown Book Group UK for providing me with an ARC.*

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

When someone tells me there's a book waiting at my digital library with an enemies-to-lovers trope, I jump on it without hesitation! This is my addiction and even my vice! The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy delivers everything I crave in a romantasy—razor-sharp wit, a simmering slow burn, and a rich, immersive world that pulls you in from the first page.

Picture this: two characters, Aurienne and Osric, who absolutely cannot stand each other. But oh my goodness, their banter! I found myself literally laughing out loud at their exchanges - they're both so quick-witted and sharp-tongued. And the way they slowly, painfully start to see each other differently?

The best part is that it's not just surface-level enemies-to-lovers (you know the type, where they're supposedly enemies but they're making eyes at each other by chapter three). These two have genuine reasons for their animosity, and watching their walls come down bit by bit was absolutely delicious. I kept wanting to shake them both while simultaneously wanting them to never stop arguing because their chemistry was just that good!
Knightley didn't just give us a romance, though - she wrapped it in this gorgeously crafted fantasy world that had me completely hooked. There's this whole mystery element that kept me guessing, and the adventure aspects had me on the edge of my seat. But it never overshadowed the romance - everything worked together perfectly.

And that ending? Utterly brutal in the best way, leaving me desperate for the sequel. If you love slow burns that actually take their time, enemies-to-lovers where the enemies part isn’t just a label, and world-building that enhances the romance rather than distracting from it—then drop everything and read this book.

A very huge thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for sharing this irresistible romantasy's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

medium blog
instagram
facebook

[Paige · Rating 2 out of 5]

“It hadn't been love at first sight, but at last sight.”

Sigh, this was such a letdown... I knew this was a reworking of fan fiction, but even if I didn't know this going into it, it would have been obvious. (*full disclaimer, I have NOT read the fan fiction*).

Aurienne is a scientist and agreed to heal Osric, despite her internal conflict with his role as an assassin, in order to get funding. They are forced into proximity and end up joining forces to investigate the spread of a deadly pox. This is marketed as a slow burn and enemies-to-lovers, which I do agree with (a small win). It's a VERY slow burn, which is one aspect I appreciated. Aurienne is a strong minded moral character, who really couldn't have cared less about Orisc for the majority of the book. Osric had his ego wounded due to the lack of attention, which led to some witty banter between them. Unfortunately, I couldn't connect to the romance as much as I should have because I was struggling to grasp the world which was not developed at the start of the book.

The writing was clunky and the magic system lacked sufficient description. The world building was essentially non-existent with the fan fiction world removed. Third person perspective isn't my favourite, however, it generally works well in fantasy settings. That said, the dialogue read like: "she said" "he said" and there was too much of it. I barely had the chance to form a thought because of the constant dialogue. There wasn't space left for imagination and it made the characters feel one-dimensional.

This book leans more on humour rather than strong fantasy themes. Think of books like Butcher and Blackbird and Lights Out (humour over dark romance) and Assistant to the Villain (humour over romantasy). I lost count of the amount of sexual jokes that seemed so out of place. It was an odd contrast to the romance itself being non-explicit.

While this didn't work for me, that's not to say it won't work for others. I'm sure readers of the original work will hold higher sentimental value to these characters and enjoy the experience more than I did.

Thank you Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

These sorts of books (fanfiction) rarely work for me and this was no exception. The writing was so over the top and annoying, I did not feel any connection to the main characters or any characters really and there was no world building to speak of. They mentioned London sometimes, there was magic and they belonged to these orders but nothing was explained in a satisfying way. I had no real concept of this world, its characters or the time frame it was supposed to be set in.

And that confused me sm up until I found out about the fanfiction. Then all of a sudden, it made sense. Because if you write fanfiction the world and the characters are already established. You don’t need to work on that because most people already know Hermione and Draco, you don’t have to develop these characters because they already exist. But if you take the fanfic out of its natural habitat then that background information falls away, and you do need to work on characterisation and world building and chemistry between them to create a new story that can stand on its own. And that just didn’t happen here imo.

All the above is obviously enough to make me dislike the book but to top it all off there were these weird immature dick jokes everywhere. Idk if I even want to call them jokes because I didn't find it funny, but other people seemingly did so take that as you will.

Saved my personal highlight for last: there was this scene in which the mmc woke up in the middle of the night and just decided to masturbate (while fantasising about the fmc) while said fmc is asleep on the sofa right next to him. Like this dude just whipped out his dick and jerked off while she was sleeping. That's so fucking creepy. And it’s not like they’re together or anything at that point, also wouldn’t have made a difference to me.
I mean, wtf?! I already didn’t like him, you didn’t have to try so hard to make him even creepier.

So yeah, read at your own risk, I guess.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

___
This looks … interesting 🤭👀

[yuvi • ia · Rating 3 out of 5]

oohhh i read it. and im conflicted lol.

rtc ig?

━━━━━━━━━━
❀reading progress❀
━━━━━━━━━━

---okay so i don't remember ANYTHNING and i do mean ANYTHING from 'draco malfoy and the mortifying ordeal of being in love' (i'm so due for a reread) but i just read the blurb and it says healer×assassin 🫠🫠🫠

---ch 1 is titled 'irresistible bastard meets immovable bitch'.
sigh

---on ch 1?2? i don't exactly rmbr and i'm too lazy to check that rn lol. but this book is so (un?)intentionally funny lmaooo

"the onions had spoiled his aura of menace"

---oh damnn. i didn't even realise it but the ch's are reallyyyyyyyyyy long😭(it's not as if i hate long ch but i thought that i was 4-5 ch's in but turns out that i'd only read till ch 2 lmao

---Osric opened the cupboard to discover that the gowns were, judging by their colour and size, intended for little girls, rather than men who liked to cultivate an air of sinister elegance.
...

Fairhrim jutted her chin towards his gown. “That is quite the ensemble.” “Fetching, isn’t it?” “Did you try the adult cupboard?” asked Fairhrim. “What adult cupboard?” asked Osric. “The one you’re sitting on.” “Oh,” said Osric.(He had not tried the adult cupboard.)

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
side note
started- april 12
finished- april 15

━━━━━
❀pre-read❀
━━━━━
GUYS i'm so SORRY for being lowk inactive for the last few days it's just that i was busy with tournaments and all. and now i'm exhausted asf😔🙏i promise i'll be active again. after some days lol. hopefully?
anyway
reading two books (which were originally dramione fanfics) at the same time is probably not my brightest idea but here goes ntg, ig😝

br with phideliaaa

[Nancy •͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ · Rating 4 out of 5]

──⟡⋆˙✩ 4.25 stars ✩ ⋆˙⟡──

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ 𝙒𝙝����𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢? 𝘼𝙣 𝙚𝙗𝙗 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙬, 𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩, 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮’𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙖𝙮𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙬’𝙨 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙨. *ೃ༄

Next book. Now. Give it to me.

ೃ⁀➷ All my fears were for naught—this book delivered. From the characters to the humour to the sizzling slowburn, it had me up way past my bedtime (until my device died and forced me to sleep).

Setting: Historical with modern flourishes—Basically we get the aesthetics but not the misogyny.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ִֶָ𐀔 βօօҟͲąցʂ 𓍯𓂃

➽ Icy Healer x Charismatic Killer (yes, it rhymes!)
➽ Slowburn enemies to lovers
➽ Mutual swimming in DE-nile river
➽ Narcissist meets another narcissist
➽ They fight over who's prettier
➽ Osric stress-eats chocolate
➽ Adoption of stray dogs and cats

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕋𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕀𝕤 𝔸𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥: ℕ𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕪 𝔼𝕕𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 ᯓ★

Osric has an illness only Aurienne can cure. But he’s BAD, and she’s not having it. Not even for twenty million. … Okay, yes. For twenty million. (To save the orphans, obviously. She has morals okay?)

ೃ⁀➷ 𝔸𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕟𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕚𝕣𝕙𝕣𝕚𝕞: “𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙙. “𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚𝙨.”

Think queenly hauteur meets medical genius. Cold, elegant, authoritative, and arrogant. Positively draped in disdain. She speaks in logic, walks in perfection (with perfectly straight posture and everything!), and has no time for your nonsense. Legend behaviour only.

𝙁𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙢 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙊𝙨𝙧𝙞𝙘 𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧.
“𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚?” 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙊𝙨𝙧𝙞𝙘.
“𝘼 𝙙𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮.”

Bonus points: On occasion, she wears pretty dresses, laughs, and dances with orchids in her hair. I love my queens feminine and badass. Because contrary to popular belief, they are not mutually exclusive

ೃ⁀➷ 𝕆𝕤𝕣𝕚𝕔 𝕄𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕒𝕦𝕟𝕥: “𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙨𝙤 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙢. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣.”

Feline, dangerous, smirking. Irreverent gaze and an insolent mouth. He’s all loose morals and sharp edges, with a cynicism that conceals a surprising softness (like the fact he adopts every stray he sees). His body’s a map of scars, and his charm is a weapon—except it doesn’t work on her.

“𝘼𝙢 𝙄 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪?”
“𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙤𝙩𝙖 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢.”
𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙫𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙙 𝙊𝙨𝙧𝙞𝙘. “𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜?”
╰┈➤Cue ego damage.

ೃ⁀➷ 𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖: 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨. 𝙋𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨.

Opposites in every possible way—she heals, he kills. She’s light, he’s dusken shadows. Their powers literally cancel each others. The chemistry is molten but slow—a delicious descent from enemies to reluctant allies to “Why are you hot though?” to that one kiss they now both pretend never happened.

My favourite part? How IMMOVABLE she is in the face of his flirtations. In fact the title of the first chapter is: Irresistible Bastard Meets Immovable Bitch.

Osric walks in thinking he’s God’s gift to women, because after all, is there anyone who can resist those perfect sharp cheekbones of his? But Aurienne’s like: TSK. I totally have the better cheekbones. Nothing to be impressed about.

No “body-betraying syndrome” here—she’s composed, calculating, and entirely unbothered. And I am HERE for it.

Watching his ego take hit after hit? My new favorite hobby.

ೃ⁀➷ When he falls, he falls HARD. He makes me want to bang my head against a wall.

Aurienne: “𝙄𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪?”
Osric: “𝙄’𝙙 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡.”

Let me go bury myself and contemplate my existence in the darkness of my grave.

ೃ⁀➷ Osric realizing he’s royally screwed:

𝙃𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙃𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙞𝙙—𝙜𝙤𝙙𝙨, 𝙨𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙞𝙙. 𝙃𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙚. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙚𝙙, “𝙄𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧?”

JHCSDLHFLDUIFBEFHEUIFHFEWJFLBHEWFBEHFBNERJFHLWEAJKDJWKLEJDWEHFRBFEWNBJCDSBJDSLBFEWKBFEJKBFJFBRNFR

I'm okay. Just a sudden attack on my HEART.

ೃ⁀➷ Important Dog Interlude: As I said before, Osric adopts strays. And he names them things like:

Rigor Mortis. Arson. Perjury. Forgery. Outraging Public Decency. High Treason. Diverse Felonies. Crème Brûlée

Yes. It's TRUE. He calls them by these names too! With a STRAIGHT face.

ೃ⁀➷ Also? The Humour.
It hits. Sharp, dry, occasionally buried under ten layers of archaic vocabulary no one uses anymore (I was flipping through dictionaries like a scholar). But once you settle in, it’s exquisite.

I loved every second of this book. okay that's an exaggeration. I did have minor complaints every so often

The author promised a slowburn and delivered one that’s still simmering. I can’t wait for the second book to finally serve it. They didn't get together in this one, which is exactly as I like it! There are series out there with FIVE books but the main characters get together in the first book. TF am I supposed to read the next four books for?!

“𝙒𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧,” 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙. “𝙒𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩.”
𝙊𝙨𝙧𝙞𝙘 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙧. 𝙃𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙩. 𝙃𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙩.

WHEN is the next book coming out?! I will be insufferable until I have it.

ೃ⁀➷ Fantastically bad at conclusions as always (glad something hasn’t changed), but I have a feeling the next book will sweep me off my feet like my personal prince charming.


⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ ρ𝕣ꫀ-𝕣ꫀꪖᦔ ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

Finally. FINALLY. This has got to be one of my MOST anticipated books of the year. Going into this with all my hopes and dreams, a starry eyed girl.

If it doesn't deliver, I'm going to CRY. And then cry some more.

also here's the title of Chapter 1: Irresistible Bastard Meets Immovable Bitch LMAO

[Uswah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ (rounded up to 4)

The best way to describe this book is: FUNNY ASF but filled with TENSION 👀

Oh God, this book was so funny 🤭 and made me cackle in a non-human way (at public 😔). And the tension 👀 It’s really thick (yes, it’s NOT gone now. It’s still sitting there, unresolved) that’s why I need a second book 🙂‍↕️ I desperately wanna know what happens next between them 👀🤭

I’d say the start was really hard to get into 🙂‍↕️ so if you’re thinking of DNFing or anything, don’t — JUST DON’T. Keep reading and you’ll get hooked soon. The start was interesting 👀🤭 but difficult to get into. BUT WORTH IT 🙂‍↕️ I had so much fun reading this and boy oh boy, I never laughed so much reading any other book 😭

The enemies-to-lovers was ENEMIES-TO-LOVERING 🙂‍↕️ The main characters had my attention immediately 🙂‍↕️

Osric, lmaooo this guy 🤭🤭 Words can’t describe his character, y’all have to read this book to know what I’m feeling 🙂‍↕️ But dayummm, the guy he is 👀 And Aurienne, well I love her so much 🤭🙂‍↕️ She’s the kind of FMC who is lovable from the start and definitely not annoying 🫂 and well Osric is Osric 🙂‍↕️ Obsessed with him 🤭 Just gimme the next book already 😩

Overall, this book engaged me and entertained me till the end 🙂‍↕️

Yea, that’s it guys. Love y’all 🫶🩷

———————————————————
⋆༺𓆩🗡𓆪༻⋆ pre-read ⋆༺𓆩🗡𓆪༻⋆

Challenge: Asking my friend to pick a number from my TBR (part 8)

I asked my bestie Grace to pick a number, and she chose 868 👀 I’ve been hearing so many good things about this book 🙂‍↕️ so, I’m lowk excited. And this edition 🤭🩷🎀 It’s sooo pretty, omggg, I’m obsessed 😍

[cora · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

the irresistible urge to be entertained against my will.

occasionally cringe, but the kind worth embracing.

[sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars . ⊹ ･ﾟ𖥔 ₊ ˑ
⤷ I had some high hopes and expectations for this book (as seen below) as I have read some disappointing romantasy as of late.

The book was hilarious and full of wit from beginning to the end. I don't think I have laughed as much from reading a book ever. Our two main characters Aurienne and Osric were such a delight to read about and I connected with them both from the start. Their dynamic was filled with constant snarky banter and I devoured every single interaction they had. This was a true enemies to lovers. The burn was so slow and the chemistry was off the charts. They begun with repulsion (mostly from Aurienne) to a reluctant partnership, to friends to quiet yearning. I am such an advocate for a real slow burn and this one is it my friends.

The writing style took me a minute to get used to. I kind of wish I read this one on kindle so that I could of been using the dictionary function thats how much this book tested me lol. The world building and the magic system were extensively fleshed out. I can't wait to see more of the other Orders in the next book.

I do think this book could have been a standalone. There wasn't a lot going on until the second half, and that is why I've rated it 4 instead of 5 stars. Maybe the first half could have been condensed a bit. But then maybe their romance would have lacked the substance and realistic slow burn that it was? Either way I am so happy I picked this one up! Hanging out for book 2

Pre read
Please give me what I am desperately craving (morally grey mmc who is an asshole to everyone even to the fmc but not all the time to her he has to be sweet but only sometimes otherwise I will get bored I also want them to have a whole lot of tension and a slow burn but not a fake slow burn I want a real slow burn and some sarcasm and banter tooalso an appropriate level of yearning tattoos preferable but not a deal breaker as the scar on his face in the cover is doing it enough for me I also need the plot to keep me interested with a respectable amount of action and things going on outside of the romance. bonus points for either “who did this to you” or one bed trope)

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Star Read!

🗡️ Bookish Thoughts
This book was absolutely hilarious! Both the MMC and FMC were so ridiculous and slightly unhinged, and honestly they deserved each other.
Osric and Aurienne foreverrrrr 🫶🏾🫶🏾

I laughed through the entire book. The magic system was fun, and I really enjoyed the world building. It’s a witty and chaotic fantasy romp. Don’t take anything too seriously and just enjoy the ride.

💬 Favorite Quote:
“It was hard, being perfect in an imperfect world, but Aurienne managed.”

🩷 What to Expect:
• Witty banter
• Enemies to lovers
• Forced proximity
• Morally gray MMC
• Healer FMC
• Deadly disease
• Political sabotage
• Slow burn
• Found family
⸻

📖 Final Score: 5 stars
📅 Pub Date: July 8, 2025
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[bee · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.75 ★’s

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me at all. However, I want to emphasize that just because I didn't like this it doesn't mean others won’t enjoy it. This was my personal experience so please respect my opinion.

I just want to say I never read the original fanfic so I don't have any sentimental attachments that others might have. The slow burn enemies to lovers is what attracted my attention.

The thing with fanfiction is there is already a pre-existing world and established characters the reader knows and loves so the writer doesn’t need to create those things because it’s already done for them.

The problem with this book is the author hasn’t been able to fully develop a new world or characters in my opinion making it hard for me to immerse myself and get invested in the story.

Characters were one dimensional and had no depth. World-building and magic system was poorly explained and all over the place.

I didn’t enjoy the writing either. The author has this way of using a mix of overly complicated vocabulary and made up words which I found distracting.

The banter was funny at first but there's only so many cock and ball jokes I can take until it gets jarring.

In the end because I couldn't connect to the characters this didn't work for me. I think people who read the fanfic might have a better experience and I do think if you like slow burn enemies to lovers you should still give this a shot.

[Mira · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 75%. It was a complete disappointment. All those made-up terms gave me a headache. The characters didn’t work for me at all, and I didn’t feel any chemistry between them. I honestly found the humor terrible😬

[ClaudiaTalksFilm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need this book injected into my veins

slowburn banter-filled perfection full review to come closer to publication

[✨⚡ Kelcey (felinebooktrovert) ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her touch was an aching, fragile beauty. It was a hinge that swung him into something else. An awareness. An understanding that came in a bursting, ecstatic, agonised thrill.

3.75 stars

This was quite the read! There were so many outrageous parts I lost count, but they were still enjoyable and so funny.

I think the writing here is pretty unique and it took some getting used to. But I think it worked pretty well for what this story was trying to be, a satire imo. But with this writing style I think it lost some depth to it. I feel like I could have connected to these characters a little more if there was tidge more depth.

And I'll also say that this had a pretty slow start and took awhile for something to really spark in the story, but overall I enjoyed how unique this was and just how ridiculous both characters were in their own way ❤️

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

[AG (semi-hiatus until April 30th) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the arc!

🌟✨️/5

I'd never have picked up a book with *that* title (I really don't like the enemies to lovers trope) but there was a huge emphasis on how slow the slow burn was, which is why I picked this up. This can be a fun time if you don't take it seriously and that's probably why I'm not the right audience for this.

The good:
● The one thing I'll give this book credit for is that the slow burn is genuinely slow. The MCs don't start developing feelings for each other right until the end.

The bad:
● The protagonists felt like caricatures. We're TOLD that these are their personalities but they neve felt like they had any depth. Their pasts and motivations weren't fleshed out except for a half hearted sob story for Osric involving an abusive father.
● I was totally unconvinced by the 'enemies' part. Aurienne hates Osric with every fibre of her being based on what she's heard of his order. Again, we're TOLD that they hate each other but the hate felt quite unfounded.
● Since that author had to develop her own world and magic system when TIUTFFYE, inspired by a fanfic, was to be traditionally published, the book completely failed as a fantasy. There was no explanation about how exactly the eight orders worked. The lore about ley lines and fairies (???) wasn't explained either. Somehow, Norse gods were named..?? I gave up trying to make sense of it quite early on.
● The first chapter involved a lot of name dropping, which didn't allow me to settle comfortably in this world. This is set in a alternate London that doesn't really feel modern but the dialogue definitely does. That was weird.
● The plot is...nonexistent. I'd call this a 'no plot no vibes' book. Literally nothing happened except the protagonists going from place to place every full moon night in order to try to find a cure for Osric and ultimately failing. The rest of the book involved infodumping about the medical system in this world. I'd call this a 'no plot no vibes' book.
● What was up with the random capitalisations? There were several instances like ' Only One Man', 'Not Pliable', 'Very Bad', 'Worth Something' that made the reading experience even more aggravating.
● I'm someone who often laughs easily, no matter how immature or unoriginal jokes are, which is why I tried to warm up to the 'humorous' writing style. All I've got to say is that if more than half of the jokes weren't about genitalia, I'd have enjoyed them a lot more. It just gave me the ick. The book alternates between being pretentious and immature the whole way.
● No review of this book can be complete without mentioning THAT one problematic scene towards the end. (Iykyk)

I honestly regret reading this book (No one's surprised at this point). I'm sure it'll find an adoring audience like other romantasy novels. I'll not be continuing the series.

[megan ◡̈ · Rating 2 out of 5]

1/18 reread/update: alright so i knew i was going to have major book 2 fomo after seeing it go live on netgalley and i thought hm let me just try again and this time i’ll start where i dnf’d the audiobook last time (51%) and maybe ill enjoy it better having cut all of the boredom i suffered through the first half. and shockingly i had a great time having done that 😂. i was able to enjoy the process and the banter better. i still think that its just an ok book so far but maybe its just a slow series starter. anyways my final rating on this book will be 2.5 and i will be trying out book 2.
~~~~~~~
ok so from two star to one star trying to reread with the audio…. let me start by saying the narrators are great which usually can get me through just about any audiobook. however, this is so horrifically boring it’s painful. i made it about 30% my first try and this one i stuck it out till like 51% but i am unwilling to torture myself any longer lol
~~~~~~~
oof okay i am so sad to be saying this but this one almost completely fell flat for me, i was so excited for this one as i am very much in my dramione and marauders fanfic era right now and knowing this was one of the most beloved fics turned trad published had me bouncing off the walls excited to read it but i think there was just way too much that needed to be expanded upon… the world building and magical system is the biggest, there were things here and there where i could tell was tweaked from the og inspo which was great but the things that were brought into the new universe really needed a more in depth understanding.

while the banter between the two MCs is funny and you can definitely get the dramione vibes from it there really wasnt anything else that made me connect to these characters, outside of the bantering they felt very flat and one dimensional… theres honestly not much between them that makes me excited to read about them unless they’re bickering.

i will 100% be revisiting this book though once i can get my hands on the audiobook, maybe with the help of narrators bringing them to life itll be a bit easier to get into and help me fall in love with the characters the way i would have liked to. i think this has the potential to be really great and i do think a lot of people are going to love it but as of right now i am not one of those people 😭

[Dab · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars

This was so funny, I’m still laughing.

The first impression was not great; I don’t like having to learn a bunch of new words just to understand a book, but I quickly got over it. The magic system was not that complicated, and the glossary at the beginning made it very easy to follow.

Aurienne is a healer, and “harm to none” is her life motto. Osric is an assassin, proudly enjoying a conscience-free existence. As it turns out, Osric desperately needs a healer, and Aurienne is his only hope.

This was a brilliant enemies-to-lovers story. I absolutely adored the author’s sense of humor and writing style. The dynamic between Aurienne and Osric was delightful; the haughty puns, the dry comebacks, and the extraordinary eloquence and intelligence shining through their banter. I couldn’t get enough of them.

I loved how their relationship slowly evolved from animosity to curiosity and then to a very inconvenient attraction. I can’t wait for the sequel to see where this story takes us next.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.


—-


Approved for the arc 🥳🥳🥳 I love, love, love books about nerds🥰


Thank you so much NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK.

[Krysta ꕤ · Rating 2 out of 5]

“He looked at her as one who wished to worship, and one who wished to defile.”

i don’t have much to say about this, it simply just wasn’t for me. the writing and the world building were severely lacking, I’m pretty sure that there’s info missing due to the fact that it’s a fanfic. the humor was trying too hard and very childish, the amount of penis jokes were beyond me. Osric and Aurienne had no spark, Osric especially was kinda obnoxious.. to say the least. the plot is a lot of them walking around and repetitive scenes of Aurienne trying (and failing) to heal him. my copy was short— under 300 pages and it still felt long.

➵ many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Berkley Publishing for the arc, all opinions are my own.

[BookishByTammi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️ This was so much fun! True enemies, a healer and an assassin forced to come together to try and heal Osric, real slow burn, hilarious banter and lovable characters.

I found myself actually laughing out loud while reading this and grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Arrogant, self absorbed Osric was hilarious and stick up her ass Aurienne was funny without even trying. I loved them both and understood them well
I miss them already and will definitely be reading book 2!

The plot is quite low stakes so far and felt more like a rom com in a fantasy setting rather than your typical romantasy. There’s no rebellion or dark lord to overthrow, no weak orphan human girl finding out shes the most powerful in the realm.
It was actually quite refreshing to read something so unique.

Highly recommend!

[gabbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up ⭐

I consider myself immune to the charms of romance novels, especially enemies-to-lovers. It’s a trope I’ve rolled my eyes at more times than I can count. But apparently, all it took for me to eat my words was this book.

This book had me absolutely feral. Like, full goblin mode. I was kicking, crying, frothing at the mouth, I may have actually yelled “CAN YOU PLEASE JUST KISS ALREADY, I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE” at my Kindle.

Meet Osric Mordaunt: professional murderer and heartthrob. He’s used to getting his way, whether by dagger or dimples, until he runs into Aurienne Fairhrim: a healer from the Healan Order with a spine of steel and morals to match, who is apparently immune to all known forms of charm. Osric is dying (awkward), and he needs her help. She says no, because knowingly helping murderers is not exactly in her job description. But Osric has money, and the Healan are in desperate need. There’s a mysterious, deadly pox outbreak, and the vaccine needs funding. So Aurienne grits her teeth and signs up for the world’s most ethically questionable job.

If you’re here for love at first sight, this ain’t it. The slow burn here is slow. The kind of torturously, deliciously drawn-out tension that has you whispering "just one more chapter" at 2 am, desperate for a single crumb—a stolen glance, the brush of a hand, literally anything. By the time something finally softened between them, I’d been mentally shaking the book and begging for action for at least a hundred pages.

I am normally bored to death by this exact trope. The brooding MMC, the enemies who "hate" each other but can't keep their eyes off each other... I've read it a hundred times, and I'm over it. I feel like MMCs are often only attractive because... well, because they're attractive. Like, the author just tells you that he's a hot man, and you take their word for it. Osric is different. He's arrogant, but he's also funny and smart. Their dynamic never slides into creepy possessiveness or other weird, creepy behavior. The author managed to keep Osric feeling lethal and interesting without making his main appeal the whole "he could kill Aurienne if he wanted to" thing (honestly, that's not the selling point people seem to think it is). For once, the tension wasn't just "look how dangerous and tall he is, and wow, he's so nice for not murdering you!" There’s even a fight scene where I had the irresistible urge to climb into the book and shove Aurienne out of the way. That never happens to me because I’m usually too busy rolling my eyes at the theatrics. If you had told me a Dramonie fic would be the thing to melt my icy heart and have me down bad for a fictional murderer, I would have laughed. But here we are. Osric, call me pls.

The banter is razor-sharp. But the fun doesn't stop at the dialogue; the prose itself is frequently ridiculous in the best way. The kind of absurd, self-aware humor that makes you snort on public transport and then immediately pretend you were coughing. I've never laughed this much reading a book.

"The man nodded in friendly understanding. He had the largest penis that Aurienne had ever seen. It nodded, too. Mordaunt steered Aurienne towards the rightmost corridor. The penis all but waved goodbye at them."

I went into this expecting thin world-building that would serve mostly as set dressing for the banter to play out against. What I got was a surprisingly robust world: an alternative, whimsical UK where science and magic coexist. I personally really enjoyed the blend of science and magic.

It would have been a 5-star read, but it's so dense with terminology. Old English, French, pseudo-French... I don't even know what it was. All I know is that I Googled a lot. I also spent the entire book vaguely confused about the Paths and Orders. Turns out there's a guide at the end of the book, which I didn’t see until I had already spent the entire book confused about why they were never properly explained. Probably my fault, but it still put a damper on my experience.

For one brief, shining moment, I thought the sequel was already out. Now I find out I have to wait until July. The suffering is real. Send thoughts and prayers. 😔

[Kayla’s Book Binge · Rating 1 out of 5]

Am I being punked? I’m waiting for Ashton Kutcher to pop out and tell me this was a joke and then hand me the real book. Worst reading experience of my life.

First off there is no world building. It felt like I was thrown in the middle of a series and all the world building must’ve happened in a previous book because it sure did not happen in this one. There are so many fantasy words with no explanations. Then the glossary that’s in it is the equivalent of “Here damn.” You need to explain what things mean at least once in the book??? Instead it sounds like they went on a word scrambler website, mixed together a whole bunch of words and then expect you to just understand what they mean. If someone has to go to the glossary to understand anything, then that means you did not do a sufficient job at building your story within the book. A glossary is meant for you to reference but it should not be in place of the story building.

Speaking of words… The way they all speak in this book is unlike anything I’ve ever read (derogatory) Everyone speaks in emotionless, deadpan, out-of-pocket lines that I can’t even describe. It felt like if the mad hatter tried to write a serious book. None of these characters have any emotions and the amount of cock jokes was absurd. This book had the humor of 7th grade boys. A your mom joke in 2025? Really? Cock hairs, curly pubes, cock shaped items, uneven balls, milk gives you wet shits. BE SO FOR REAL. It’s also aggressively British yet they throw in random French words with no translations. At times it read like a fantasy medical book which was just so unnecessary. Talking about episeithium and paraseithoum under acute stretch conditions like why?????

You cannot convince me there’s any type of romantic connection between the two main characters. Like I said, they’re all emotionless and have no depth. On top of everything it was also extremely boring. It’s just stretched out filler. I’m given ZERO reason to care about any of these characters.

I felt illiterate while reading this. There’s gotta be an inside joke that I’m not in on. I guess it’s because it was a fanfiction? I didn’t read that but this is supposed to be a BOOK now which means you have to create your own STORY without knowing any prior background. It genuinely made me feel dumber as I kept reading and now I’m just angry as I sit here writing this.

Thank you Berkley for this ARC, these are my honest thoughts.