The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy: A Slow Burn Enemies-to-Lovers Romantasy

In The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley, master assassin Osric Mordaunt falls dangerously ill, he knows his fellow Fyren Order will execute him for weakness—unless he secures help. His only hope is Aurienne Fairhrim, a strait-laced healer from the rival Haelan Order. Aurienne, overwhelmed by an outbreak of a forgotten Pox among struggling children, needs funds to launch a life-saving immunization program. When Osric breaks into her headquarters to bribe her into curing him, she reluctantly agrees.

Forced to collaborate, the lethal duo searches for an ancient remedy to both Osric’s mysterious disease and the resurging Pox. Along the way, their fierce mutual distrust and pulsing attraction spark a slow-burn romance neither can ignore. Expect witty banter, high-stakes danger, and a clever twist on enemies-to-lovers set against a richly imagined fantasy world.

You can get a copy of The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley on Amazon or Bookshop.

If this has you intrigued, read an excerpt from The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy below.

Excerpt Preview From The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley

1

Irresistible Bastard
Meets Immovable Bitch

Osric

It wasn’t until Aurienne Fairhrim that Osric learned eye contact could hit like a knife. She stood, upright and austere, in the confines of a daguerreotype, pinning him with black-bright eyes.

“Her?” asked Osric.

“Yes, sir,” said Physicker Fordyce.

“Must it be her?”

“You really haven’t a choice, sir.”

Osric dropped the daguerreotype. It landed on his desk, from which vantage the woman’s penetrating gaze found a new victim and perforated the ceiling. Also ornamenting Osric’s desk unpleasantly were Aurienne Fairhrim’s curriculum vitae and a list of publications verging on the infinite.

“She’s one of the Haelan,” said Osric. “Her Order won’t work with mine. She’ll refuse as a matter of principle.”

“She may, sir,” said Physicker Fordyce. “You asked us who could heal you-not who would.”

“Don’t be cheeky.”

“No disrespect meant, sir,” said Fordyce. “The Haelan Order’s members are matchless healers, and Aurienne Fairhrim is herself unsurpassed among them. She’s a phenomenon when it comes to the seith system. If she declines-“

“Of course she’ll decline; she’s a Haelan.”

“-then Physicker Shuttleworth and I will do our utmost to slow the degeneration.”

“How long have I got left?” asked Osric.

Fordyce glanced at his colleague. Osric waited for the latter to say something of use, but Physicker Shuttleworth merely looked frightened, had a panicky spasm, and choked on his own saliva.

Fordyce found his courage among his colleague’s sputters. “It’s difficult to predict with any sort of accuracy.”

“Answer me,” said Osric.

Excerpted from The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley. Reprinted by Permission of Ace Books, an imprint of Berkley Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2025 by Brigitte Knightley.

Ready for More?

If this glimpse has you hooked, grab your copy of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy. Once you’ve finished the full adventure, come back and share your thoughts in the comments—I can’t wait to hear which twist surprised you most!

You can get a copy of The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy on Amazon or Bookshop.