Brigitte Knightley: Always Have Your Notes App Handy
In this interview, author Brigitte Knightley discusses finishing her duality with her new romantasy, The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy.
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. Follow her on Instagram.
In this interview, Brigitte discusses finishing her duality with her new romantasy, The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy, her hope for readers, and more.
Name: Brigitte Knightley
Literary agent: Thao Le
Book title: The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy
Publisher: Ace
Release date: July 2026
Genre/category: Fantasy, Romantasy
Previous titles: The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy
Elevator pitch: Osric Mordaunt, an assassin, and Aurienne Fairhrim, a healer, are forced to work together to cure Osric’s illness. P.S. They hate each other.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I was reminded, as I wrote, of the importance of outlining, but also of letting characters make their own decisions. At several points during drafting, I had to loosen my grip on the steering wheel and let Osric and Aurienne take hold of it. (NB: Neither of them has got a license; I was alarmed.)
Osric’s redemption was something I went back and forth on throughout the writing process: To what extent should he be redeemed, to what point should he become good? It was a tension I wrestled with throughout the writing. My outlines were bifurcated by it: If Osric becomes good, then do X. If Osric remains bad, then do Y. But as I wrote, I found that Aurienne had grown enough to accept him, murderous profession and all. He could not be entirely stripped of his powers and identity—he needed to remain as he was, the darkness to her light.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
Several hours of entertainment; an appreciation for the beauty of the natural world; a few laughs if our senses of humor align!
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Always have your notes app handy. You will think of a brilliant line of dialogue or a witty chapter closer at the most inopportune time and tell yourself you’ll remember it and promptly, inescapably, tragically forget it within five minutes. I’ve lost more good lines to the ether than I’ve written down.
