The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy: Book 1 of the Dearly Beloathed Duology by Knightley, Brigitte

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Loyalties are tested in this slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy following an assassin and a healer forced to work together to cure a fatal disease, all while resisting the urge to kill each other--or, worse, fall in love.

This stunning hardcover features a cover with foil, beautifully designed endpapers, and a black-and-white interior map!

When Osric Mordaunt, member of the Fyren Order of assassins, falls ill, he realizes he needs the expertise of a very specific healer. As fate would have it, that healer belongs to an enemy faction, the Haelan Order.

Aurienne Fairhrim and her fellow Haelan are inundated by sick children suffering from an outbreak of a long-forgotten Pox. Unable to get the funding needed to launch an immunization program, the Haelan Order is desperate for money - so desperate that when Osric breaks into their headquarters to bribe Aurienne to heal him, she is forced to accept.

As Osric and Aurienne work together to solve not only his illness but the mysterious reoccurrence of the Pox, they find themselves ardently denying their attraction which only fuels the tension between them.

Author: Brigitte Knightley
Publisher: Ace Books
Published: 07/08/2025
Pages: 384
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.35lbs
Size: 9.13h x 6.06w x 1.26d
ISBN: 9780593819456

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 05/01/2025 pg. 7
Publishers Weekly 04/28/2025
Booklist 06/01/2025 pg. 48
BookPage 07/01/2025
Shelf Awareness 07/19/2025

About the Author
Brigitte Knightley's modus operandi is to write what she wants to read: enemies-to-lovers romances that put the unresolved back in "unresolved sexual tension." Her work is enjoyed by fans of slow burns, tongue-in-cheek rom-coms, and suffering. The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy is her debut novel.