3.5⭐️
<blockquote>"I'm here, begging for a chance to show you how good our family could be."</blockquote>
A very cute debut from Amy Buchanan! This had a single mom, workplace drama, some forced proximity, enemies to lovers- it really had so much crammed in there. Juliana and Ben had some <i>very</i> good chemistry all the way through here- when they were pestering each other at work, in the angsty stage, and when they finally got together, you could feel the heat and longing between them.

Our story starts with Juliana returning to work after seven years at a stay at home mom- her husband recently died, so she's having an understandably tough time. Her and Ben get off on the wrong foot almost immediately- she overhears him questioning whether she's capable of her job after she cancelled a meeting with him last minute. This sets off two years worth of antagonism. I think a lot of these work shenanigans were meant to be funny and prank-y, but honestly most of them came off as immature, mostly on Juliana's part. Ben for his part came off as both of a rude jerk, stern and to the point, while trying to get a rise out of Juliana. For her part? One time she stole his office chair, another time she literally dumped a piece of cake in his lap. At work. Because he said it was dry? I just couldn't imagine a 35 year-old professional doing this

Some of Juliana's back and forth got a little old as well. She's insisted for two years that she hates Ben and wants nothing to do with him, so knows literally nothing about his personal life. She actually tells him this to his face, even when he's trying to be genuine. Then when she starts to find out things about his life, she acts like he was hiding from her? She also tells him at a wedding that they can't be together, then proceeds to get jealous when he's strong-armed into dancing with the other bridesmaids.

I wish we got to see more of Ben and Juliana actually dating. They had a solid connection going before they got together, and discussed their pasts but then once they <i>actually</i> get together, we never really see them date. It's mostly just them sneaking around to hook up, and then we get right into the third-act drama. I wish we could've seen more domestic moments between them.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An absolutely outstanding debut full of swoon-y banter, characters I would die for, gorgeous prose, and some of the hottest scenes I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. Mark my words, Amy Buchanan is THE romance author to watch right now, so make sure you have her on your radar!

Thank you netgalley for the change to review!
I do enjoy a good workplace romance / enemies-to-lovers story, and this one really delivers. It follows Juliana, a single mom and widower trying to get back into a career in corporate recruitment and Ben, a single dad and architect who have a spark-filled meet cute that is immediately followed by a terrible interaction that makes them enemies. Theres a time jump that helps in the believability factor, and the banter between Juliana/Ben is absolute perfection. I think their attraction / annoyance battle is done really well, and juxtaposed perfectly against Juliana's struggle with grief and being 'enough' to her daughters while also being career driven. I loved how well their parenthood interlaced into this story; the kids never once felt as a 'prop'.
As the story moves along and Ben/Juliana are forced to interact more, you really see the good side to Ben and understand more what drove their initial 'enemies' status. The chemistry is popping right from the get go and the eventual steamy scenes are really intense. Ben's understanding of grief is so beautifully done: dear men, take note! I didn't love the third act "breakup" and could have used some better communication, but it felt incredibly real and I loved that.
Biggest note: Asia is my favorite other character by a large margin. While I loved the other best-friend characters (love women supporting women), having one who is ALSO the male character's best friend is so unique but SO like my own life. Give Asia a story, please!

Ok this was super cute. I'm a suck for a single parents and rivals to lover romance. I'm usually not into work-romances, but this was captivating from start to finish. The FMC was kind of annoying, throughout half the book and I hated her attitude towards the MMC in the beginning, but thankfully her growth and connection made her more understanding. The MMC was totally swoon worthy, but that third act conflict made me worried for a sec. Overall, I absolutely enjoyed this and will be on the lookout when it releases.

This book is like a tea party - sweet, thoughtful, and good for youe heart.. What more could you want?

I loved the premise of this story and I'm here for all single parent romance!! I think it's because you get to watch the parents fall in love but also the kids too. This story spanned several years as Julianna works to move on with her life with her daughters after her husband's untimely demise. Side note: Full disclosure, he dies off page. I couldn't handle it if we had to go through that with her!

Julianna re-enters the work force and on her first day, makes "frenemies" with a very attractive Ben Thomas. They love to push each other's buttons and it's a serious love to hate each other relationship. I actually didn't enjoy this part at all but that's mostly because I never like that dynamic anyway. It was well done and I'm sure the enemies to lovers fans will enjoy it!

The relationships between Juliana and the kiddos and Ben and the kiddos was fantastic and were honestly some of my favorite parts. The steam was steamy and well written! The 3rd act problem was great!! It was totally not predictable and super satisfying (and I think both are hard to do in the 3rd act problem).

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend to friends! Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for an advanced copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan.

After the loss of her husband, Juliana returns to the workforce, resuming her career in recruitment. Not long after starting she ends up in a rift with Ben. Two years later, the rift is still going strong, but their undeniable attraction starts to wear them down.

This book really hooked me initially. I sat down planning to start a chapter and read through several. The story lost some steam for me as the book went on. I thought the reason for the initial rift in the beginning made sense once it was revealed but the third act element really did not make sense to me.

If you enjoy workplace romance, enemies/rivals to lovers, or single parent tropes, this is a book to consider.

Juliana’s husband dies unexpectedly and leaves her widowed with two girls. She must go back to work after being a stay at home mom for a few years. On her first day, she gets off on the wrong foot with her coworker, Ben. After a couple years of antics, she learns Ben is full of surprises.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I really liked Ben and Juliana as characters and I loved all the side characters. I loved the trip to Boston and Ben and Juliana getting to know each other and learning that Ben liked Juliana all along. However, the big conflict in the book felt wrong to me. After getting to know Ben and how protective he is over his daughter, it was so hard for me to believe he would allow that to happen. It felt out of character for him, and really made me like him less when it was happening.

I love a good enemies to lovers office romance and this one was just that. there was lots of tension at first, and also lots of heartbreak with Juliana trying to navigate life after her spouse's death. This was all from her POV and I would have loved to have Ben's POV too because I would have loved to see some of the pining that I am sure he was doing for so long.
This was a messy book, a messy look at real life single parenting and it did make my heart go out to her and her grief. I loved her journey and working through what she thought she deserved and I was so proud of her (and mad at Ben) when the OW drama came up. Protecting her peace, even when it was hard, was the right thing to do. I am glad that in the end they were able to work through things but at some points in this book I honestly wanted to punch him. Some people live for the emotion and the drama so I have a feelign they will love this book! 3.5 stars.
Thanks to St. Martin's, Netgalley and Amy Buchanan for an early copy.

I really enjoyed the setup for this book - I really felt like Juliana and Ben were true work enemies, but I equally could sense the tension between them.

Unfortunately, this book fell apart for me once they got together. The pacing was as frenetic and the third act breakup here was pretty wild. I grew less and less interested in their relationship and by the end I was disappointed.

That said, there’s great banter throughout and the chemistry (before it’s acted on) is through the roof.

3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A true enemies-to-lovers tale in the vein of 'The Hating Game,' and my favorite Glen Powell vehicle, 'Set it Up."
Juliana and Ben serve delicious office-tension as a single mom starting to find life after the death of her husband and a mysterious guy with a secret that is sure to slip at any minute.
I always get a little nervous about workplace romances, especially ones where there is a hierarchical difference between the characters, as there is here (I blame my vehement reaction to "Funny You Should Ask.") The setting is one reason why the first half of the book didn't sweep me away, but the second half of the book, once their romance moves more into "real life," is near perfectly executed.

Graphic sex scenes (not my thing) but otherwise it was an enjoyable time spent with Julia Ryan and Ben Thomas.

Julia Ryan is a recent widow with 2 daughters, Sophie (5) & Clara (7) to raise and support. Thankfully her support network in Orlando FL are there for them. Going back to an HR job she gave up when Clara's was born presents a challenge. Still loving and missing Jack, her emotional tizzy is complicated by Ben Thomas the head of the architectural department, Work & Family complications are a challenge and provide constantly changing emotions for all involved.

A HEA ending made for a perfect reading experience. The adult content is spicy and detailed at times.

I think I’m still a little undecided on how I feel about this one. While I really enjoyed it, I also felt like it was almost too much back and forth and too much leading each other on at different points.

I did really enjoy the premise of this one though! Plus it’s full of banter, which I’m absolutely obsessed with! Ben was so patient with Juliana in the beginning and you couldn’t help but root for him! Juliana was such a strong mom and you wanted her to find her happiness.

This one is out January 14, 2025 and I highly encourage you to put it on your radar! I’ll be excited to see what Amy Buchanan writes next! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This is an incredibly emotional story of love after loss. The adults (the actual adults) in this story genuinely care about the children in their lives, and that is absolutely amazing. The kids are cute but also realistic. I laughed and teared up reading this, and I can confidently say that I want more from this author.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review. I'm calling a truce with romances that don;t give me the swoon and the delicious banter of enemies to lovers. The E2L troop, IMO, needs to be handled with care. And the banter needs to spark from the pages. Let's Call a Truce fails in both regards. The MMC is a jerk in the beginning and doesn't really redeem himself. They both seem to look past their hate because they are both ridiculously attracted to one another. I don't remember either characters names and found myself skimming a lot. Maybe I'm just grouchy today.

Thank you netgalley and st martins press..

I enjoyed this angsty read.... the grief journey and banter... I think tje plot twists added to this enemies to lovers story great job Amy!!!

Such a good read that I enjoyed! I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, but also one of the hardest to get right. Let's Call a Truce did some things well, but struggled at times to balance the tone in a way that ultimately failed for me.

Juliana is struggling with being a newly single parent after her husband dies in an accident. As she returns to the workforce, she worries about balancing her daughters' needs, her own grief, and her new workload. She's instantly sympathetic, especially when her handsome coworker Ben derides her abilities when Juliana has a family emergency. This sets off their rivalry and is a pretty good start, considering it's no miscommunication--he was genuinely being a jerk.

Cut to two years later, and the two are in constant battle. I didn't have a problem with that. What I did have a problem with is how Ben was fairly flirtatious while Juliana seemed to loathe him. She goes out of her way to be petty and mean. There was a real mismatch in the tone of their interactions, which are later reframed as enjoyable flirting. Without Juliana's internal narration to clarify that she enjoys battling with Ben, the sexual tension seems both forced and out of place, especially their first kiss.

The problems, for me, escalated from there. Sure, people can form sexual relationships on chemistry only, but Juliana never entertained that as a possibility--she started talking about dating him yet still seemed to actively hate him. My initial sympathy for her dissipated quickly when she was hot and cold with Ben and continued to be mean to both him and her supportive friends. As an example, she refused to let Ben tell her about himself and his life, then got angry with him for not sharing things--that she specifically asked him not to share.

The dialogue and exposition were at times awkwardly stilted and formal. There is a sex scene that happens at work during the work day, which made me uncomfortable, but might not bother some people.

I enjoyed the middle of the story the most, when Ben and Juliana were working things out. However, I had huge issues with most of the ending, which I'm hiding because of spoilers.

*SPOILER* [When Ben's ex shows back up in his life, she moves into his house and thinks they're dating again. Ben refuses to kick her out for the sake of his daughter, whom his ex abandoned, thus destroying his relationship with Juliana. Perhaps I could have understood his initial reaction of wanting to protect his daughter, but it becomes clear very quickly that his ex is, at best, neglectful of their daughter, if not downright abusive. When Ben FINALLY kicks his ex to the curb after far too long, it's because he can't live without Juliana anymore, NOT because his daughter was being mistreated. That was a step too far for me.] *END SPOILER*

In the end, Ben was an idiot for way too long for Juliana to forgive him so quickly. It felt like he won her over with flowers and the promise of a vacation. His mistakes were far too egregious for me to get over them.

While this book had some high points, particularly in the depiction of grief, single parenthood, and imposter syndrome, the relationship just didn't work for me. For readers looking for a great enemies to lovers romance, I think you might end up disappointed, like I was.

Thanks @netgalley @smpromance and @amybuchananbooks for the chance to read and review Let's Call a Truce. It releases on January 14th, 2025.

You don't want to miss Amy's sparkling, witty, HOT 🔥 debut romance. Her writing is the perfect combination of humor and heart. I had the chance to beta-read this book, and I fell in love with these characters all over again reading it again. Pre-order now!

When Juliana unexpectedly loses her husband, she's forced to return to the workplace after years of staying home with her two kids. It's hard enough navigating her new normal, but then she overhears a colleague named Ben complaining about her, setting off a years-long feud between them. Two years later, they are forced to collaborate on a career-defining project and call a truce. But as they spend more time together, they realize the spark between them might be something else entirely.

Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Tropes: single mom, enemies-to-lovers, work romance, he falls first, found family, recreational use of office furniture

Let's Call a Truce was a happy surprise. It's not often these days that I get to read a brand spanking new author's work and it's rarer that I enjoy it as much as I enjoyed this one. I really enjoyed how much fun it was reading Juliana and Ben's bickering and their ultimate capitulation into the romance fueled, initially, by all of their sexual tension. As we get to know them both, we discover their histories that make it difficult to move forward, which only serves to make us want them together even that much more. I enjoyed how much their lives overlapped and what an obviously good pair they made. I enjoyed their banter, the secondary characters, and even the yucky stuff that had to happen in order for them to realize that they needed to be together. My only complaint, a minor one, was that the build up to their getting together sometimes seemed a little repetitive or maybe I was just impatient for them to get to the good stuff? Ultimately, though, I was very happy with how it all played out and it was a solid 4 star read for me.