The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy (Dearly Beloathed)
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
The stakes are high, the love is forbidden, and the slow burn turns steamy in this swoony, witty, and heart-stoppingly romantic sequel to instant New York Times bestseller The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy.
This stunning hardcover features a cover with foil, beautifully designed endpapers, and a black-and-white interior map!
Osric is a member of the Fyren Order, a guild of assassins who gleefully murder for money. Aurienne is a Haelan, a scholar-healer whose Order’s motto is Harm to none. Clear-cut absolutes separate them: good and bad, right and wrong, light and dark . . .
Until they don’t.
When Osric first bribed Aurienne to heal him, he never imagined those lines would begin to blur. But every healing session draws them closer together. He finds himself developing unwanted feelings for Aurienne as her capable hands heal his body—and his heart.
Aurienne’s perfect life has been flung into chaos in the form of a devastatingly handsome assassin. She should be in her research lab, not illicitly healing a Fyren every full moon—nor wrestling an attraction to him that threatens to slip into something else.
Things go superbly sideways when Osric and Aurienne discover more about the deadly Pox deliberately unleashed through the Tīendoms. The plague may be the work of another Order—an Order far nastier than either of them can handle.
As the lines between Osric and Aurienne continue to blur, the balance between peace and war, and love and hate, trembles, shifts, and hinges on a heartbeat.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
Osric and Aurienne already had me completely charmed in The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy, so discovering their romance would continue in The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy felt like a gift. Their banter remains one of my favorite parts of their relationship, but their chemistry has grown on me too. The attraction that simmered through the first book has finally reached its boiling point. I was very happy to be here for it.
Osric is still battling seith rot while Aurienne continues searching for a cure through their secret full moon healing rituals. Knightley pairs their physical chemistry with the vulnerability of Osric allowing Aurienne to care for him. The romance feels stronger because both characters have learned to trust the each other. Their opposing identities continue to make them such an entertaining match. Osric belongs to an Order of assassins. Aurienne has devoted herself to healing and doing no harm. Their ideological differences could easily overwhelm the romance, but their wit keeps their interactions playful . Their growing affection forces both of them to reconsider the rigid beliefs separating them. The banter is still top notch. The sexual tension has graduated into some excellent spice. Those moon rituals certainly found creative uses for healing magic.
The wider political plot left me wanting more resolution. The Pox, tensions between the Orders, and instability across the Tiendoms continue simmering behind Osric and Aurienne's relationship. The political mess surrounding them feels much less settled. These people have stirred up far too much trouble across two books. I am ready to watch the consequences unfold. I would happily return for a third book focused on the Tiendoms and its increasingly complicated politics.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.