The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley is more than just a mouthful - it's actually a highly entertaining fantasy rom-com starring a chaotic assassin called Osric and a hypercompetent healer called Aurienne as they're forced to work together for each other's greater good (see: he blackmails her into healing him from a magic-ending injury). It marks the first in a highly addictive, highly witty duology, and we here at Hachette are obsessed!

What can you expect?

- Proper enemies to lovers (in fact, by the end of this book, only few steps have been made to lovers, each moment more thrilling than the last)

- Proper slowburn romance (fleeting glances! swift remarks! slowly finding the other an attractive human!)

- Hypercompetent idiots 

- He falls first (and much harder)

- Slaughter as a love language 

Meet Osric Mordaunt

Osric is a Fyren, an order of assasins trained in shadow-walking. They are notoriously costly to hire and notoriously lethal. He thinks the world of himself and has no qualms in letting you know. 

Meet Aurienne Fairhrim

Aurienne is a Haelan, an order of healer-scholars who use their seith (their magic) in healing and research, leading to significant advancements. Aurienne is highly capable and will tell you so.

The world building: a brief overview 

There is one key thing to know going into TIUTFFYE and that is magic is called 'seith'. Everyone can use seith for basic applications, but advanced study and specializations requires initiation into an Order, and mastery of an Order requires a tacn. 

A tacn is a symbol seared into the palms of full members of a given Order. It allows them to control exponentially greater flow and manipulation of seith - at a cost.

The two Orders you will get to know the most are Fyren and Haelan, assassins and healers respectively. 

When you pick up TIUTFFYE, Knightley has handily included a short glossary at the beginning covering these terms! 

Who's the author?

This is Brigitte Knightley's debut novel. She is known in fanfiction spaces for her incredible commitment to the mastery of the slowburn. This book however is NOT her fanfiction. 

Her official bio if you please: 

Brigitte's modus operandi is to write what she wants to read: enemies-to-lovers romances that put the unresolved back in UST. Her work is enjoyed by fans of slow burns, tongue-in-cheek romcoms, and suffering.

Check out her Instagram here!

What are people saying?

'I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard while reading—not just chuckling, but genuinely bursting into laughter. This book is hilarious. It’s also one of my favourite enemies-to-lovers stories, packed with back-and-forth banter that lasts for pages and still leaves you wanting more.'

'And when I say I want a 'slow burn' it's this. THISSSSS is what I mean (authors take note please) I want to be burned by the slow burn, I want it to be excruciatingly infuriating where I am YELLING at the pages to just KISS already and THIS. IS. IT. This is how you do yearning. This is how you do longing. The 'I hate you but we need to work together' forced proximity with the side glances and Mr Darcy-esque hand flexes and sprinkled in there are the adorable "I don't like them that's ridiculous" while they drool and stumble over their words. And the banter - THE BANTER.'

'THIS BOOK. This book wrecked me in the absolute best way. The delicious slow burn, the tension, the YEARNING. The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is the kind of slow burn that has you screaming into a pillow because the tension is that GOOD.'

What are we at Hachette saying?

'I knew from the very first sentence - It wasn’t until Aurienne Fairhrim that Osric learned eye contact could hit like a knife. - that I would love this book. It's truly laugh out loud funny, filled with the most incredible banter between Osric and Aurienne that left me smiling like an idiot at words on paper. TIUTFFYE is unlike anything else I've read recently, with a legitimate slowburn that had me squealing whenever eye contact was prolonged. Give me proper enemies who slowly realise they find the other hot and of use any day of the week! I cannot wait for this to be out in the world and to see the joy it will bring readers' - Claudia, Campaign Executive

'When I say I want enemies to lovers SLOW BURN, this is what I mean! Brigitte Knightley is a huge talent and is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with! The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy is filled with the best witty humour and is writhe with tension. The ultimate loathe to love you book that I am still thinking about today!!' - Kelly, Field Sales Executive

'The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is an incredible debut! It's hilarious, charming, and set in a wonderfully crafted fantasy world that I couldn't help but fall into' - Alyssa, Product Coordinator

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is out NOW!

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