This was such a knock out of the park for me!
I honestly feel like there nothing I didn’t love this this book. The pacing was very well done - It felt like we were moving, but not flying so fast you can’t enjoy it. The writing was so bingable and enjoyable. You have top tier banter where you’re laughing out loud, but also extremely deep and sentimental moments where you’re on the verge of tears.

It gave everything it needed to give for enemies to lovers in the workplace. Enemies is a tough word to fit, so I would say this is more rivals. You have three kids that just add to the story for me - imo kiddos in books can either add or take away from a story and in this case they were sweet, funny and real and I loved that.

Single mom / single dad is such a refreshing take as well because you constantly see single dad/nanny and i just love seeing new takes on it!

There is a third act conflict, but I didn’t hate it. I feel like it was semi predictable but it ended up adding to the story in my opinion. It allowed our FMC to grow in ways I don’t feel like she would have without it.

LASTLY - the author did a phenomenal job at writing grief in a very beautiful way. She got the bad of it, but also the good in it and having a partner like our MC to hold your hand through the other side of grief was beautiful. It’s a tough topic to touch and she did so great with it!

All in all, i loved this. I will absolutely be reading whatever this author puts out next! For a debut novel, this was very well done and I can only see her getting better from here!

Let's Call a Truce is a delicious, spicy, and luscious love story between Juliana Ryan, a single mother of two after being widowed while the children were very young, and Ben Thomas, her sexy and infuriating workplace nemesis with a sweet candy center. Buchanan's story shines not only in the love story (and believe me, it shines in the love story, I mean can we TALK about the desk scene!????!!!!) but also in the portrayals of single motherhood, balancing work and childcare, and growing through a big grief. I loved this book beginning to end, and any fans of Sally Thorne, Christina Lauren, and Tessa Bailey should take note!

Let’s Call A Truce
Amy Buchanan
Pub: 1/14/25
4☆

I am always here for enemies to lovers even more so when it’s workplace romance. Juliana and Ben’s story was not only lighthearted and entertaining, it was also a realistic and relatable look at grief and second chances both in life and love. I laughed, I swooned, and I enjoyed the journey these two took both individually and together. I probably could have done without the third act breakup, but all in all I enjoyed this one. A solid debut and I look forward to more from Buchanan.

What I enjoyed
✨Workplace Romance
✨Enemies To Lovers
✨Single Parent
✨Second Chance
✨Character Growth

I alternated between digital and audio copies (mostly listening) and enjoyed the mix. The narration of Charlotte North was so well done and fun to listen to so I kept gravitating back to the audio.

Thank you so much St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copies.

"Let’s Call a Truce" by Amy Buchanan is a steamy, trope-packed contemporary romance with plenty of heart, humor, and a dash of angst. This enemies-to-lovers, single-parent, workplace romance delivers sparks, banter, and second chances in a way that pulls you in from page one.

Juliana is a relatable heroine—grieving, resilient, and fiercely dedicated to her kids—who has no patience for Ben, her frustratingly attractive coworker with a knack for making things complicated. Their slow-burn chemistry simmers as they’re forced to work together, turning tension-filled arguments into scorching desk-clearing moments. Buchanan does a fantastic job portraying Juliana’s struggles to balance career, motherhood, and the vulnerability of opening her heart again.

While the romance and banter shine, the last third of the story introduces unnecessary melodrama that undercut Ben’s earlier charm. A subplot teetering toward a love triangle and some miscommunication tropes left me craving a smoother resolution. Still, the moments of emotional healing and the adorably realistic portrayal of Juliana’s daughters kept me fully invested.

For fans of enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and second-chance love, this one is well worth the read. Thank you to Amy Buchanan, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

Five stars, no notes. I absolutely loved this book. Juliana’s husband dies unexpectedly and she finds herself back at work after several years as a stay-at-home mom. While she’s working for a former boss she loves who can give her the flexibility she needs, she has a coworker who she clashes with from day one, Ben. Doesn’t hurt that Ben is insanely attractive and she’s immediately drawn to him while also perpetually annoyed, annoyed enough to keep a log of every encounter they have and who wins each one, for over two years. When they’re forced to work together on a project, some of the walls come down and they realize just how much they actually have in common but right when things are getting to a perfect point, Ben’s life is thrown into an upheaval again and they have to figure out if and how they can move forward.

The chemistry between the two main characters is amazing, the banter is killer, but the underlying emotions and things they need to work through brings a lot of depth to the book. I truly can’t say enough good things about it and can’t wait to read more from this author.

Juliana Ryan goes back to work after 7 years of being a SAHM after her husband tragically died. She is trying to adjust to her new new job while also coping with the grief of losing her husband. Her insecurities are front and center and she encounters the handsome and charming Ben Thomas on her first day. When she gets a call from school that she needs to pick up her daughter earlier after an incident, she abruptly leaves and cancels her meetings for the day. The next day, she overhears Ben making some rude comments about how she isn't cut out for work and how her kids are not his issue. She decides right then and there that Ben is not worth her time and thus begins a feud between the two.

Two years later, both are up for separate promotions within their company and must work together on a project to prove they are the best candidates for the job. As they spend more time together, Juliana realizes that Ben is not the jerk she has built him up to be in her head. Can they work together or will their verbal jabs turn into passionate kisses?

With quick wit and sharp banter, this was a workplace enemies to lovers done to perfection.
Juliana was stubborn and impulsive but she did soften when she was able to put aside her prejudice and learn about Ben instead of always assuming the worst. Ben clearly regretted his words from 2 years ago and was insanely attracted to her but she pushed him away to not only protect her pride but her heart because then tension between them was not always hate but attraction as well.

I did feel that there were a little too many miscommunications, besides the initial one, that could have been avoided if Juliana just listened to Ben and had a civil conversation with him. He wanted and tried to get to know her and she was having none of it, then she got upset when she found out something personal about him but she clearly wasn’t interested in getting to know him at all so how could she be upset?

I really liked their mutual friend Asia. She did a good job of being good friends to both of them while also respecting their boundaries and supporting them. I also liked how she called Juliana out on her double standard. She was a good voice of reason and helped bridge the gap at times between the two main characters.

The third act was a bit of a let down. I would have expected her to be the one who made the immature decision and instead he totally mishandled the entire situation. It seemed out of character for him and made him seem weak when he had been nothing but a strong support for her throughout the entire second act.

The chemistry between these two was sizzling. All the back and forth led to a buildup of tension that gave me the anticipation tingles! Even though there was a lot of baggage to unpack, these two figured it out and in the end I found this book very satisfying.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this book’s digital advanced review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book through a digital ARC from NetGalley
Author: Amy Buchanan
Troupe: Enemies to Lovers

This was a delightful blend of humor, angst, and heartfelt romance. Juliana Ryan’s journey as a widowed mom navigating grief, career struggles, and an infuriatingly attractive colleague, Ben Thomas, is both relatable and captivating. Their fiery enemies-to-lovers dynamic brings plenty of sharp banter and undeniable chemistry.

The balance between laugh-out-loud moments and emotional depth is well done, though some parts—particularly Ben’s backstory—felt slightly underexplored. Still, the story’s themes of healing, resilience, and finding love again shine through beautifully.

This is a fantastic debut from Amy Buchanan, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from her!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to receive the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC access!

I really enjoyed this office, hard-to-get romance. The tension & banter were top tier and at times I found myself literally giggling out loud. Ben is a single dad raising an adorable little girl on her own and trying his best to make a career for himself. Julianna is a single mom to two girls that tragically lost her husband and is trying to put her life back together including getting back in the working world. The worklationship starts rocky and continues on that path BUT the tension builds like a volcano about to blow. Once it finally does, it's a dream.

The only thing that kept this from being a five star read for me was the consistent hesitation from Julianna. It got to be too much at some parts BUT I do feel like it was justifiable at some parts as well.

Totally recommend this to anyone who wants a office setting, found family, banter-filled romance.

A second chance for love, rivals to lovers workplace romance, Juliana is struggling with the untimely death of her husband and being a single mom and she's disturbed when she hears Ben mock her for leaving work for her kid's school. This sets up two years of animosity on her part until a promotion hinges on the two of them working together. Turns out there's more to Ben than she knew and wow do things change. AND that includes a third act that might not sit well with you (I wasn't a fan either). That said Buchanan is a good storyteller and the pages will fly by. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc. No spoilers.

Down-to-earth but saucy romance that highlights second chance love, single parenting in the workplace, and the tragicomedy of judging people based on their worst days. As a fantasy reader, I’m used to higher stakes than backyard bbq’s and business trips, but this quick read doesn’t overstay its welcome. Recommend for a heroine who overcomes some of the worst in life and proves that maybe the true villain is her own self-sabotage.

I savored this book reading it when I could give it my undivided attention (ie right before bed). And it did not disappoint. I was completely immersed in Juliana’s and Ben’s love story. The banter! The vulnerability in the inferiority!!! The spice!!!!! I giggled, I cried. I swooned. I can’t wait til this is in the works so I can have a physical copy to tab up.

3.5 stars.

"Let's Call a Truce" by Amy Buchanan is a solid debut romance with a lot of sexiness and a compelling exploration of grief and life after the death of a spouse. It is a slow-burning enemies/rivals-to-lovers workplace romance with a lot of in-office shenanigans *waggles eyebrows up and down.* There is an instant spark between Juliana and Ben when she begins working 9 months after her husband's untimely passing. Unfortunately, it is a crackling spark of disdain, and the two begin a years-long rivalry based on something Ben said. That's my main complaint. Juliana clearly knows how to hold a grudge and does so with reckless abandon. Ben said one bad thing to her on a bad day, and she continued punishing him for it for years. While the story does take a few turns to make this all ok, and while there is a lot of good chemistry and banter between the two of them, the initial premise of how they met rubbed me the wrong way a bit. Juliana repeatedly makes it a habit of shutting Ben out and down. I am surprised he didn't just tell her to eff off at one point. I understand that she has been grieving, and no one should tell another person how to grieve, but it felt a little too convenient to me. A lot of readers might interpret this as tension between the two of them, and if you do, more power to you, but I certainly did not. I do appreciate that Juliana always tells it like it is and doesn't shrink or nerf her opinions and thoughts. Luckily, this turned out to be a good book overall. There is enough good here to offset my complaints. I liked the family dynamic between Juliana and her two young girls. She seems to have fostered a wonderful relationship with her kids post-death of their father, allowing them a safe space to process their grief with her and in therapy. The exploration of life after the death of a spouse felt realistic to me. I liked the moments when Juliana and Ben got out of their own way and started to admit their real feelings for one another. I have to admit, I hated the ending. I hated Ben's attitude and the choices he made at the end of the book! He made me want to pull my hair out! Charlotte North's audiobook narration was good, but I think her "Ben" voice needed a little work. Still, I had a mostly good time reading this book and think it is worth your time, too.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amy Buchanan, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Let's Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan was a sexy, swoony romance that shows love after loss is not only possible but also worth the risk.

After her husband dies unexpectedly, Juliana Ryan finds her back in the workplace, and she immediately butts heads with Ben Thomas after she overhears him calling her a liability. Two years later, their feud is still going strong--but then she realizes that he's also a single parent and their girls become friends--so they're forced even further into each other's orbits. The tension bubbling under the surface is the sexy kind, and when they finally give in, it's so worth the wait. The third act break up was frustrating--not because it didn't need to happen but because Ben was an absolute idiot--but I persevered and they eventually got their happily ever after. Also, I don't remember how Ben was described in the book, but I kept picturing him as a younger Benjamin Bratt.

If you like single parent romances (in this case, both of them are single parents!) and books that deal gently with themes of grief and loss, Let's Call a Truce is one not to be missed. Thank you to St Martins for my advance review copy.

First off, I love an enemies to lover tale — it's probably my favorite trope. But even so, I found this book to be just ok for me. The original tension is based on a misunderstanding, which again, I know is how the genre operates and I know Juliana is a widow and needs to but her kids first, but she was often immature and petty. I liked Ben much more as a character.

And I won't get into spoiler territory, but obviously there needs to be a third act complication to keep them apart, but Juliana's reaction to it was again immature and largely lacked the sympathy you'd expect from a single parent.

So overall, this book was fine but did not overwhelm me.

4.5 hot workplace romance stars

This is at least the second workplace romance I’ve read this year and, so far, this trope works for me. I am impressed by this debut author, Amy Buchanan.

Juliana is back in the workforce after years of caring for her children. After the tragic loss of her husband, she needs the income. She’s an HR professional juggling working and being a good mom. Luckily, she has a great friend and family support system.

On her first day back at work, she feels a spark with the tall, handsome architect Ben. She’s got meetings set up with everyone when she gets a call from her daughter’s school. She’s worried about first impressions when she has to dash over to the school. She later overhears Ben complaining to a friend about how she canceled their first meeting, complaining about her family commitments. This starts the workplace feud!

Juliana and Ben constantly feud and trade insults (witty banter!) while maybe fighting off their attraction to each other. Juliana feels like she had her one shot at love with her husband and isn’t eager to start anything. Plus, she has her daughters to think about.

A new work project that could advance their careers revolves around an internship program and a work trip to Boston. Can they call a truce to collaborate on the project? I loved the descriptions of Boston, one of my favorite cities!

They might give this relationship a whirl! There are some steamy scenes for sure! Until Ben’s ex-wife returns and wants to reclaim her part of his life.

This author took time to develop realistic and authentic relationships with the main characters, their friend groups, and their families. I fell in love with these characters and rooted for them to find a second chance at love. I also thought the book portrayed the struggles to succeed at work and home well. The concept of combined families is also explored.

I had a few surprise tears at the end of this one—always a good sign when I read a book, it definitely shows I was invested! I can’t wait to read what this author writes next.

If you’re looking for a book that serves up humor, heart, and some chaos, Let’s Call a Truce is your new best friend!

The story kicks off with the fiery clash between Ben and Juliana, reminiscent of a rom-com where the enemies excel at being, well, enemies. Ben, the self-proclaimed supervillain of Juliana’s life, disapproves of her existence with a killer smirk. Meanwhile, Juliana is navigating her return to work after seven years as a stay-at-home mom and coping with the loss of her husband—all while battling her new mortal enemy. Will they fall in love or combust like a supernova? Spoiler: it’s a wild ride!

Juliana’s journey is relatable and raw, filled with bittersweet reminders of what was. Yet, she forges ahead, determined to build a new life for herself and her two daughters.

Her level of pettiness is both inspiring and hilarious—her snippy banter with Ben is top-tier entertainment!

Her besties—Asia, Dani, and Gabriela—bring essential support, reminding us how vital friendship is during tough times.

What I loved most was the transformation from enemies to an office crush filled with teasing, flirting, and swoon-worthy kisses. Ben isn’t just a smirk; he’s genuinely attentive to Juliana and her kids. Their relationship exemplifies understanding can coexist with boundaries.

This book beautifully explores whether someone can have two great loves. For Juliana, the answer is a resounding yes. Her journey with Ben shows that love can be complicated and scary but oh-so-sweet when everything falls into place.

In short, Let’s Call a Truce is a touching debut that had me smiling and laughing. If you’re ready for a story rich in emotional depth and humor, grab this book—you won’t regret it!

This is a fun, entertaining read. Ben and Juliana are interesting, relatable, intriguing, wounded, caring, complex, strong, entertaining characters. I enjoyed spending time with them and their romance. There were many times during the first half of the book when I wanted to shake Juliana, even though I understood what was motivating her actions and decisions. The secondary characters – especially the little girls – added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The book is easy to read and get into.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Juliana chooses to return to work after her husband’s passing. She walks into *literally* Ben. Throughout her career she is plagued by this child hating man. Then they are both given an ultimatum to get along for the sake of Juliana being eligible for a promotion in addition to both being assigned to a major project. This book was heart breaking over and over again in all the best ways. I’m grateful for the digital arc I received in exchange for an honest review.

A sweet workplace romance with all the feels and tropes: grumpy sunshine, enemies to lovers, single parent.

Juliana meet Ben on her first day of a new job, and there is instant tension after she overhears a comment he makes about her before a meeting. Fast forward a couple of years and their paths continue to cross while the heat/tension builds.

***potentially huge trigger as the FMC is a widow and talk of her deceased spouse is HIGH throughout the book.***

I enjoyed the story, enjoyed the pace of it, and it was a well written debut. The narrator did fantastic and kept me engaged through the story. Would recommend!

3.5⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press for my ARC and Macmillan Audio for my ALC.

Love enemies to lovers trope. You could see the love they had for each other throughout the book. I liked the honesty about the complications in their lives mixed in with the sexy banter, it felt like sometimes too many hiccups but still enjoyed it.