Author: Brigitte Knightley
Series/Standalone: Dearly Beloathed #1
Publication Date: 8 July 2025
Acquired: E-Arc Thanks to Netgalley & Little Brown UK
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.
Romance tropes
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.
Enemies to lovers
High interaction slow burn
Hypercompetent idiots
He falls first and harder
Evisceration as a love language
Thoughts & Review
This book took me awhile to catch on. I was ready to totally put it down seven chapters in as the writing style was not what I was used to. The world building was totally overwhelming with the difficult world words and difficult for me to try and pronounce them in my head had me taking forever to finish a chapter. They felt long and never ending.
That was until I got to 50% into the book. The world was more understandable, we got to know both Osric and Aurienne more. They had ongoing banter which is what kept me turning pages cause at one point I was laughing with what Osric said. The two worlds they live to come together to help heal or true to heal something that is impossible. Upon reading you can see who softens first, Osric started falling first and Aurienne just wasn't bothered or tried to push it out of her head especially with their so different orders. She's a healer and he's well an assassin - kills for a living and does not phase him.
Without adding any spoilers but still adding a little bit, they are trying to find a cure not the normal way but through old ways. Aurienne manages to kill someone "unintentionally" which makes Osric annoyed as she took his fun of killing from him and it's the banter that makes you laugh at how they bicker together. When he meets her family, sleeps and heals in her old bedroom, the little things that makes him realise that she let him in, took care of him even if she really apparently did not want to.
It might not be a give star rating as I have to add that I did find some difficulty wanting to continue and took me longer to read but overall if you push through the first half of the book, it's totally worth it. three star is my rating for this book and will definitely continue to see what happens to both Osric and Aurienne and if they do manage to heal him in the end.
Character: 🔴🔴🔴⚪️⚪️ Atmosphere: 🟠🟠🟠⚪️⚪️ Writing: 🟡🟡⚪️⚪️⚪️Plot: 🟢🟢🟢⚪️⚪️ Intrigue: 🔵🔵🔵⚪️⚪️ Logic: 🟣🟣🟣⚪️ Enjoyment: 🟤🟤🟤⚪️⚪️
Star Rating: ★★★☆☆
Would I recommend this book?
Yes
Where to purchase?
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