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Reviews tagging 'Medical content'
The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley
62 reviews
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Torture, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic
adventurous
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to love this but I really didn't connect with the main characters. I found Aurienne to be off putting, her cavalier attitude towards Osric dying to be at odds with her Order. At one point she thinks about what a waste her attempts at healing him are when he should just die because he's a blight on the world. I really didn't like her and Osric wasn't a charming arrogant MC, he was just overtly narcissistic.
There was literally zero romantic tension until the last 100 pages. The banter was good but sometimes a bit much. The excessive "dick and balls" jokes and oddly out of place "wank" situations and "penis" appearances were surprising for a book with literally one brief kiss.
I loved the fanfic version soooo much and had really high hopes for this version. I'm ok it was 100% different but it just didn’t hit the same amazing feels and vibes.
There was literally zero romantic tension until the last 100 pages. The banter was good but sometimes a bit much. The excessive "dick and balls" jokes and oddly out of place "wank" situations and "penis" appearances were surprising for a book with literally one brief kiss.
I loved the fanfic version soooo much and had really high hopes for this version. I'm ok it was 100% different but it just didn’t hit the same amazing feels and vibes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
funny
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's like nothing I have read thus far. It's very comical and I enjoyed the banter between the main characters. It is written like a true enemies to lovers rom-com. Definitely not was I was expecting but it was an interesting surprise...all the language and genitalia remarks. I mainly listened to the audiobook but did read the physical book at the end but I felt it was difficult to keep up with what was happening and when. Let alone where the characters physically were sometimes and with who. I'm interested enough to read the next one to see what becomes of the main characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content
The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy was an enjoyable read. I was curious to see how closely it would resemble its source material, and to my surprise, it felt very original. My knowledge of the source material is limited, since I have not read the books and only watched the first two movies, but my point still stands. The sense of originality comes mostly from the world-building, which is what I would praise the most. I love how the Tīendoms are inspired by the Anglo-Saxon and Viking map of the British Isles around the 9th century. This gave the story depth from the very beginning, since it did not pretend to be something completely different or try to create an entirely new map that would be harder to pull off. It also avoided the risk of being boring, such as by simply mimicking 21st-century Great Britain. Instead, it struck a balance that made sense and allowed the world-building to feel semi self-explanatory. That said, there is still much in terms of politics and foreign policy that could have been explored. For example, we only hear about countries outside the British Isles in passing, with France being the only one mentioned. However, the book did leave a solid setup for deeper exploration in the sequel.
The magic system was also intriguing. Everything felt carefully thought out, with each term having its own etymology. The Orders and the way they function added an extra layer of fascination and kept me genuinely curious.
I enjoyed the romance as well. I am usually fond of the chemistry and dynamics between characters like Osric and Aurienne, on whom the leads are based. This is very much a slow-burn book, so readers will not find much in terms of actual romance until well into the story. Most of what we get at first is rivalry, banter, and denial, slowly giving way to a growing attraction. Personally, I did not mind the pacing. A faster development would have felt forced, and this way, it left plenty of space for more romance in the second book, which will now feel earned.
Overall, I am happy with my read of The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightly. I am giving it 4.25 stars and look forward to seeing the resolution of the series in The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy.
|—TL;DR—|
Focus Genre: Romantasy
Nostalgia: Disqualified
Personal Enjoyment: 4⭐
Plot: 4⭐
World-Building/Setting: 5⭐
- Magic/System/Tech: 5⭐
Characters: 4⭐
- Relationships: 4⭐ (Includes romantic and non-romantic connections)
Romance: 4⭐
- Chemistry: 5⭐
- Fluff: 3⭐
- Steam: Disqualified | In terms of, you'll only find two scenes of self-pleasure.
Writing/Prose: 4⭐
Pacing: 4⭐
Ending: 4⭐
=Overall=
4,17-stars⭐ ≈ 4,25-stars⭐
~24/08/25~
Pacing: 4⭐
Ending: 4⭐
=Overall=
4,17-stars⭐ ≈ 4,25-stars⭐
~24/08/25~
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Murder
Moderate: Child death, Sexual content, Torture, Medical content
Minor: Suicide, Death of parent, War
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content
Dark humor
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Let me start off by saying, I don’t give a fuck about world building and I’m not a fantasy girlie unless there’s a movie out about it aka Harry Potter.
I would have never read this book had I not known the author wrote my beloved fave fanfic “Draco Malfoy and the mortifying ordeal of falling in love”. Bridgette is the fucking queen of slow burns and I literally laughed out loud at least 1x per chapter.
I devoured this book whole like it was my last meal on earth. Here’s some tropes: who did this to you/I had no where else to go, hate at first, banter to get closer to them, a smidge of fake flirting and a fake kiss, yearning, SLOWWWWW burn, hurt/comfort, grumpy x grumpy, brain x brawn, jealously disguised as looking out for the other
I don’t like to read series but I fear I’ll have to since the story was not finished by the end of this book. LOVED EVERY MOMENT OF THIS BOOK.
I would have never read this book had I not known the author wrote my beloved fave fanfic “Draco Malfoy and the mortifying ordeal of falling in love”. Bridgette is the fucking queen of slow burns and I literally laughed out loud at least 1x per chapter.
I devoured this book whole like it was my last meal on earth. Here’s some tropes: who did this to you/I had no where else to go, hate at first, banter to get closer to them, a smidge of fake flirting and a fake kiss, yearning, SLOWWWWW burn, hurt/comfort, grumpy x grumpy, brain x brawn, jealously disguised as looking out for the other
I don’t like to read series but I fear I’ll have to since the story was not finished by the end of this book. LOVED EVERY MOMENT OF THIS BOOK.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really enjoyed this book! Cannot wait to read the next one. :) A great debut for Brigitte!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Violence, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content, Torture, Death of parent
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley is the first book in the Dearly Beloathed series. Osric is in desperate need of help from someone of the Haelan Order. But he is a member of the Fyren Order, assassins who are not well liked. He makes Aurienne and the Haelan Order an offer they cannot deny. In order to help each other out, they have to work together, which is not easy as natural enemies that have some chemistry.
I am very unsure about this book. I found it on social media and immediately pre-ordered it as it seemed right up my ally. Enemies to lovers, fantasy, slow burn. However, I have a kind of love-hate relationship with this book. On one hand, I understand the hype, on the other, I don't. Brigitte Knightley's writing style is quite poetic. I had a really hard time getting into the book. English is not my first language and I had to translate several words to get what they were talking about (let's not talk about the fact that I study this language...). So the text per se was hard for me to comprehend. Secondly, I did not the fully warm with the main characters. I think that this goes hand in hand with my understanding problems, but Osric and Aurienne seemed too distant. They also lack chemistry. I liked them more towards the end, but I still can't grasp them fully.
Don't get me wrong. I really enjoyed the plot. I love fantasy books with new plots and this book is definitely one of them. And don't get me talking about the cover. It is gorgeous! I will definitely read the next book, because I want to know what is going to happen to Osric, to all the children with Pox and to Osric's and Aurienne's relationship. Because this book is a real slow burn romance! I enjoy that.
As I said, I don't fully get the hype, but I enjoyed the book. Oh, and it has a map included which I LOVE!
I am very unsure about this book. I found it on social media and immediately pre-ordered it as it seemed right up my ally. Enemies to lovers, fantasy, slow burn. However, I have a kind of love-hate relationship with this book. On one hand, I understand the hype, on the other, I don't. Brigitte Knightley's writing style is quite poetic. I had a really hard time getting into the book. English is not my first language and I had to translate several words to get what they were talking about (let's not talk about the fact that I study this language...). So the text per se was hard for me to comprehend. Secondly, I did not the fully warm with the main characters. I think that this goes hand in hand with my understanding problems, but Osric and Aurienne seemed too distant. They also lack chemistry. I liked them more towards the end, but I still can't grasp them fully.
Don't get me wrong. I really enjoyed the plot. I love fantasy books with new plots and this book is definitely one of them. And don't get me talking about the cover. It is gorgeous! I will definitely read the next book, because I want to know what is going to happen to Osric, to all the children with Pox and to Osric's and Aurienne's relationship. Because this book is a real slow burn romance! I enjoy that.
As I said, I don't fully get the hype, but I enjoyed the book. Oh, and it has a map included which I LOVE!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Sexual content, Medical content, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Child abuse, Torture, Death of parent, War
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Look, you have to know what you’re getting. Did I get complex plot (not really), clear world building (no),easy intriguing political and magic system (like a smidge). But did I get 10/10 banter, hilarious characters, over the top in the best way descriptions of the MCs and the greatest insults and snark I’ve read since Terry Pratchett - yes, yes I did. I laughed so hard I cried multiple times, and then reread those passages before moving on, which to me is the final marker of a 10/10 book. I loved this and will not be absorbing any of the very valid criticism other people that, thank you very much. This gave the people (me, I’m the people), what she wanted.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Medical content, War
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Don’t let the cheeky title mislead you into thinking this is a lighthearted romcom. It’s a very full world with a full story, lots of witty banter, and very very dark themes and moments (not in a traumatizing way in my opinion, in extremely reflective way to our current world).
These two are actually, truly, enemies and it makes the book quite fun if you get used to all the medical jargon and seething hatred at the start of it all.
Do yourself favor though, and read this digitally. Physical copies are beautiful and I’m sure the audiobook is super well done, but you’re going to need that dictionary at least twice on every. Single. Page.
I do love a book pushing me to learn new words and jargon but damn, I read 100+ books a year and have a college degree and I was constantly highlighting and pressing that “define” button. Super witty though! Just takes some getting used to.
These two are actually, truly, enemies and it makes the book quite fun if you get used to all the medical jargon and seething hatred at the start of it all.
Do yourself favor though, and read this digitally. Physical copies are beautiful and I’m sure the audiobook is super well done, but you’re going to need that dictionary at least twice on every. Single. Page.
I do love a book pushing me to learn new words and jargon but damn, I read 100+ books a year and have a college degree and I was constantly highlighting and pressing that “define” button. Super witty though! Just takes some getting used to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Sexual content, Vomit, Sexual harassment