Review by Ronny

Series Name: Dearly Beloathed, # 1 

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is a quirky, witty, enemies to lovers romantasy that is sure to put a smile on your face.

Favourite Quote:

It hadn’t been love at first sight, but at last sight– gods, at last sight– 

Book Synopsis: 

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.

Review: 

Like most bookworms, I love a good enemies-to-lovers romance. There is just something about that angry, sharp banter and that delicious tension between the two MCs that puts a smile on my face every time. If you’re a fan of India Holton’s books, then you’ll enjoy this one. This book’s dialogue and unique world-building are very similar to India’s books. I will say, however, that this book may not be for everyone. Like India’s books, you have to like your romances to be on the different side of things to enjoy them. The dialogue is very rich and at times edging toward the proper Victorian style. The conversations in this book are witty, sharp, and bursting with dry, sarcastic humour. The heroine is brilliant, and she doesn’t hide her brilliance, which means that when she speaks in the book, you know this woman is well-educated. Lol, there were some words that I had never even heard of. 

The pacing is on the slower side of things. Time passes quickly in the book, but there are very few moments that are bursting with heart-pounding action. It’s a softer, quieter romance that is more character-driven. Yes, there are bigger moving parts happening in the book, but the main focus is Aurienne and Osric’s unconventional partnership and their quest to find a cure for Osric’s illness. There is a part of me that wishes there were a bit more movement (literally) in this book. I love romances for their heart-pounding moments, and this book doesn’t have that. I loved the world that the author has built and thought the magical system she created is clever and interesting. 

Aurienne is a no-nonsense heroine who really comes across as this prickly person. I liked her. It’s great when a heroine doesn’t have to hide her talents from the world. Everyone around her knows she is the best and acknowledges all the hard work she does in saving lives. I will admit she is a bit hard to connect with. She is very rigid, and those walls she puts up around herself are strong, to the point where they don’t really come down in this book. There is a slight, and I mean slight, crack in that protective wall she has built, but we truly don’t get to know her on a deep level, which is a disappointment. Osric is a hoot. Even though he is the “villain” in this book, his personality is more light-hearted and fun. He is the ying to Aurienne’s yang. I do adore a cocky, peacock of a villain and he fits that bill to a tee. 

The romance is slow, and I mean slooooow burn. For those who like their romantasies spicy, be warned, there is no spice in this book. The author has taken both enemies-to-lovers and slow-burn tropes and has stretched them to their max. The two main characters don’t move from that enemies relationship until the very end of the book, and they didn’t jump to lovers, no, they are now friends of sorts. There are a couple of moments that are romantic, but both characters spend those moments mentally denying any attraction to the other. I did thoroughly enjoy these two characters when they were together on the page. You can see that chemistry and how good it’s going to be between them when they finally fall in love with each other. 

The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is a smart, witty romance that is hard to put down. 

Thank you, Penguin Random House Canada, for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review.