Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan was so cute!! If you love enemies to lovers, single parents, curvy FMC, and workplace romances then you will love this book.

Buchanan did such a great job with this book. Juliana has just gone back to work after being a stay at home mom for many years, losing her husband and now becoming a single parent to her daughters. Throughout the book you could feel her grief and missing her husband. I think Buchanan did an amazing job showing the struggles of being a single mom and the loss of a spouse. She works with Ben who as it turns out is a single father. I loved their relationship, the way they bickered yet their chemistry was so strong. This story had it all workplace romance, banter, sweet moments, struggles of being single parents, going back to work after losing a spouse, and finding love again. I can’t wait to read more from her!! Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for letting me read this for my very late honest thoughts and very late opinions.

Enemies to lovers is always fun. I really liked Juliana in this book. She felt so relatable. She lost her husband, and now has to raise her two girls on her own and go back to the corporate world. She over hears Ben say something bad about her being a single mom….and she now hates him. What he said wasn’t cool. But also? Holding a feud over that one thing for as long as she did was a bit much. Then something happens with Ben that has me so angry! He needed to stand up and make some decisions in his life. It comes together in the end, but man that conflict made me mad! Overall, I enjoyed this one and would read more from this author.

Bottom Line: Read it.

**I received a copy of Let’s Call a Truce from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.**

I loved the rivals to lovers plot and how the MMC immediately melted and went soft for the FMC once their romance started to bloom. I really really enjoyed this.

This debut novel from Amy Buchanan was definitely one that I enjoyed. I don’t always like the workplace romances (working in HR, it can be incredibly frowned upon!) but I LOVED the chemistry and connection between Juliana and Ben. Juliana may have seemed a bit childish at times with how she reacted to Ben, but I really loved their chemistry and banter.

Amy’s writing was absolutely fantastic and I didn’t want to stop reading. I have read other workplace romances that just did not work out well, but Amy did not disappoint. I really can’t wait for future books from her and I think they will be just as enjoyed, if not more.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

(4.5/5 stars)

Let's Call a Truce is a fun banter-filled contemporary romance from debut author Amy Buchanan.

Juliana's husband passes away unexpectedly, leaving her with two young daughters and a stalled career after being a stay-at-home mom. When she starts her new job, she meets Ben, her hot coworker, whom she overhears speaking condescendingly about her needing to reschedule a meeting due to a childcare issue. This starts a feud between them. Two years later, they are teamed up by the owner of the company to work together on a career-making project.

This is a solid debut! I listened to the audiobook and I really enjoyed the narrator, Charlotte North. She was easy to follow and all of her character voices were very distinct. She also put just a right hint of emotion in her voice during certain scenes.

I don't always go for workplace romances, but this one also featured enemies to lovers and main characters who are both in their late 30s so I was cautiously optimistic when I started to read it. By the time I got about 13% in I immediately went to Pango to buy a finished copy for my shelf. I finished it in one day.

I was a big fan of the curvy representation and the amazing banter and sexual tension between our two leads. I definitely bought their chemistry, and the steamy scenes were great. Our heroine is a grieving widow and this book does a pretty good job at showcasing how grief is not linear.

There's a third-act breakup here that didn't fully make sense to me, but I tend to dislike that trope in general. There's a bit of a miscommunication involved, which is my least-favorite trope of all time. However, I still really enjoyed this book; I'll absolutely be picking up the author's next release!

3.5 stars

This wasn't my favorite, Julianna held a grudge against Ben for 2 years over one comment, despite one of her best friends (also friends with Ben) insisting that he was a lovely person. There also really wasn't any substance behind her hatred for her and she didn't care to ever learn anything about the man after working with him for 2 years. She did eventually grow on me, but I feel like it took a very long time for her to get over herself, honestly.

One thing this book did really well was the sweet family aspect and the blending of families. The girls stole the show whenever they were involved.

Let’s call a truce is a fun read. This book had me kicking my feet and giggling. Absolutely loved the FMC being represented as a normal sized woman. Great characters and a great book!

REVIEW✨
Let’s Call a Truce
By Amy Buchanan
••• ••• ••• ••• ••• ••• •••
Juliana returns back to work after the death of her husband, leaving her to be a single mother to her two girls. When Juliana gets a call that she needs to pick up one of her daughters’ from school and cancel last minute on a meeting with a colleague Ben. Juliana overhears Ben talking about how her lack of professionalism will cost the company and this started a feud between them. Two years later, the feud is still going strong but Juliana and Ben must work together to get promotions at work. This leads to working together all the time, and Juliana can’t help that she is developing feeling for him. They call a truce to work together and it leads to more…

The sexual tension was so steamy and the banter was so good. I love Ben and Juliana a lot, I thought how Juliana worked through her grief was so realistic and real, the support from Ben was also so beautifully done. I love that Juliana is a plus sized female lead that had a very attractive male fall for her. This was just a really well done contemporary romance with heart and romance.

Romance: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Plot points: 💥💥💥💥
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would like to thank Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A lighthearted rom-com, with undercurrents of grief. I found this book started off very well, but didn't end up having a big effect. There were some issues with pacing, rushing through scenes and situations, and I found once Juliana and Ben did get together, their relationship was no longer the focus. The whole book focused mostly on their fued at the beginning, sex, and then their third act breakup.


Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC opportunity.

Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan is a charming enemies-to-lovers romance that skillfully blends humor with emotional depth. Juliana Ryan, a widow with two kids, is trying to rebuild her life and career after her husband's sudden death. When she overhears her new colleague, Ben Thomas, dismissing her as a liability, their rivalry ignites in a hilarious and tense first encounter. The chemistry between them is undeniable, even if their relationship starts on the wrong foot.

The two-year time jump added an interesting layer, with their feud still going strong, but there was undeniable tension beneath it. Watching them navigate their careers and personal lives while forced to work together was compelling. Their banter, arguments, and eventually, their intimate moments were perfectly paced, making their relationship feel authentic.

What I appreciated most about the story is how the romance develops slowly. Ben and Juliana don’t just fall into each other’s arms, there are bumps along the way that make their journey to love all the more satisfying. The push-and-pull dynamic between them kept me hooked, even though at times it was frustrating to see them almost get it right, only to face more obstacles.

The emotional stakes rise as Ben’s past complicates their future, and I appreciated how the story dealt with second chances, not just in love, but in personal growth. Buchanan has a knack for building tension and chemistry, and while the journey was at times frustrating, it was ultimately rewarding.

This book was super cute! I love an office romance and one that is super slow burn (2 years in the making!). These two characters were adorable together and I really enjoyed their chemistry.

I really enjoyed this book. After the main characters husband passed she has to go back to work and she meets a coworker who seems like a “jerk” to her but as time goes on they start to get to know one another.

I loved this. the tension, the banter, the SPICE!! oh wow this was just wonderful.

I enjoyed the evolving dynamic between Juliana and Ben. I liked that we got to spend time with them as rivals and learned why they "didn't like each other" at first. I put that in quotations because it's obvious they wanted to bang each other the moment they met and even after their rivalry began. I appreciated the representation of grief and love after loss. I thought it was done really well considering all of Julianna's struggles and her hesitancy about starting anything with Ben. I think she is a strong resilient character and I enjoyed seeing her grow into an even better version of herself by the end of the book.

Ben also has great character development especially when we see him with April. He is also so in love with Juliana and I couldn't get enough of him just being obsessed with her. I think they are a great pairing and if they were a real couple I think they would last.

The only thing I didn't like was how their arguments felt repetitive and inconclusive for a large portion of the book. Other than that, I really loved it.

Special thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book. I actually know of the author as we went to the same college and was excited to read this story. Overall, it blew me away that this was a debut novel! The writing was great, the story engaging, and the character development was fantastic. Juliana's story was heartwrenching at the beginning, but I loved getting to see her find herself after her immense loss, gain confidence, and establish a career. That was just as engaging to me as the romance. I truly loved the relationship development between her and Ben. The banter was superb.
I will say the misunderstanding/third act break-up felt unnecessary. One of my least favorite tropes and I don't feel like it contributed to the story.
I will continue to read Amy's books!
4.5/5 stars

This was a cute little enemies to lovers romcom. While I didn’t feel a ton of chemistry between the main characters, I did like that they were older. I also loved their daughters and the relationships between them. It was somewhat predictable but overall a fun, quick read!

Juliana is a single mom who is balancing raising her children and needing to go back to work after tragedy struck their family. Juliana meets her colleague Ben and they immediately annoy each other and their banter begins.

I love an office romance and enemies-to-lovers was a great trope pairing! That being said, there almost wasn't enough tension? At some points it felt very "insta-lovey" which is not my favorite trope and always leaves me wanting more. Additionally, it gets messy and while some of it made their story feel very real, some of it felt unnecessary and had me rolling my eyes.

I truly enjoyed this book and love the relationship between Juliana and Ben - I was rooting for them the whole time. It felt like a very heartfelt read and I loved Juliana's journey and the interaction with her and her kids.

**thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC and a chance to read and review. All opinions expressed are my own**

3.5/5 stars
This story follows a single mom who finds a second chance at love. This book had a great storyline where the FMC is grieving but needs to be strong for her daughters. I enjoyed the Orlando setting and the worldplace environment. The book was not only cute but also had a lot of heartfelt moments. I do have to say that the bantering was getting overdone at times throughout the book. The pacing was also a bit all over the place where at especially towards the ending. This book is only told from Juliana’s pov.

Juliana is a single mother who is making it through. I loved seeing her development as she is such a strong woman. Then we have Ben who is the male lead and the love interest. I loved his storyline but I do have to say that the surprise person he brought into the book was just so random. Why did we find out in the middle of the book. There are many side characters in the book and I loved those who supported Juliana through her hard times. The romance is mostly cute with the second chance, workplace romance and enemies to lovers with a low steamy scenes. I do have to say that when Ben claimed he never hated Juliana, it just didn’t make sense with all the enemeis to lovers. Sometimes I questioned their relationship.

The ending was rushed but I loved how it was a HEA. This was a great overall read with relatable characters, However, there were some parts of the book that could be changed. I have mix feelings between 3 and 4 stars which puts it in the middle.

*this book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

This was a solid debut from Amy Buchanan, and I’m excited to see what comes next for her. Let’s Call a Truce is full of tender, honest moments as the leads navigate love and parenting through grief and loss while also being an enemies to lovers office romance at its core. The narration for this was solid, and I easily lost myself in the story while folding laundry and running errands.

Summary:
After Juliana’s husband dies unexpectedly, she finds herself back in the workforce and navigating single parenting. On her first day back in the office, she hears a co-worker (Ben) make a comment about her that stings. Turns out, Juliana can hold a grudge with the best of them. She spends the next two years proving him wrong and taking him down a peg with every chance she gets. That all slowly dissolves, though, after she and Ben are paired up for a work project, and a promotion is on the line. Forced proximity does its job well.

Could half of this novel have been solved with a grown-up up conversation? 

Yes. 

Was I mad I got banter and sexual tension instead? 

Naur.

TW includes the de death of a spouse, grief, and abandonment.

This is perfect for readers who loved The Hating Game by Sally Thorne or Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren.

I really loved this book! One of the cutest reads. After this read i cannot wait to read more of Amy Buchanan in the future. Will definitely recommend!

Let’s Call A Truce by Amy Buchanan is an office romance and the story of Juliana and Ben.
 
Juliana recently became a widow and she’s now a single mother and being strong for her daughters. I really liked how this book dealt with grief and finding happiness again after a loss and it showed these emotions very real and raw. Juliana is such a lovely person who you want to have as a friend and she’s very inspiring. She gets a new job at an office and immediately clashes with Ben.
 
Ben is an architect, and he loves his work and is very popular in the office. The only one who withstands his charms is Juliana and he wants to find out why and always initiates some interactions. And their banter is absolutely amazing and they’re truly office nemesis. I really liked how Ben falls first and wants to win Juliana over.
 
The story spans over several years and can be seen as a second chance romance and only when they must work together on a project, they slowly turn their hate to love. Juliana deserves all the happiness and I really liked how Ben fit in effortlessly. They are so cute together and at the same time it’s bittersweet and I felt so many emotions while reading this book and it gets perfectly brightened up with heartfelt and spicy scenes.
 
Let’s Call A Truce is so much more than just an office romance and I loved the depth this story had and I just adore Juliana and Ben together. 4,5 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)