Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a DRC of this title.

I was so excited by the prospect of a forbidden office romance in Let’s Call a Truce, but the end result felt a little disjointed to me— Juliana ran hot-and-cold for most of the book, and Ben made out-of-character decisions in the beginning and end of the story that felt like contrivances to move the plot along. Though it may not have 100% worked for me, I could see this being a big hit for other readers, and I would definitely still recommend it to my patrons looking for a contemporary office romance. 3.5 stars/5.

I really loved this book! I find that some books that start off with rivals/enemies are just *too* mean spirited for me, and Buchanan nails the dynamic, in my opinion. I also really appreciated the portrayal of parenthood and conversations about what is best for you, your kids, and your family as a whole. Plus it was sweet and swoony and lovely!

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book to read!

So I DNFd at 50%.. we started off with strong banter between the 2 main characters which I loved. But than suddenly right away literally, they started falling for each other and banter got less and less between the first couple of chapters.. I DIDNT really like that tbh.. it got really boring really fast.. plus I really wanted to know more of the back story on Jason and how he passed.. we find out how but I would of liked to know more about him.. in other words, just not for me!

3.8/5 stars

Julianna is a recently widowed mom of 2, rejoining the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom for 7 years. After crashing into (literally) her co-worker Ben, she spends the next two years tallying up her wins as they battle it out in a storm of snarky remarks. When they are forced together to work on a project, their feud changes into something more. Not the typical enemies to lovers, more miscommunication than anything. The storyline was great and hit on topics surrounding grief, being a single parent, and navigating that while undergoing a major life change. I also loved getting insight into what they were working on, especially the diversity initiatives. They hit on what we see happening in workplaces today.

The book was a bit long in my opinion, especially with the plot, but overall a good story with complex characters.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was surprised by how much I loved this book.

Let's Call a Truce follows the life of Juliana Ryan, a mother of two spirited girls who is newly widowed. She transitions from a life of being in love with her husband and staying at home with her girls to navigating life alone and re-entering the workforce. The challenge is compounded by a judgmental coworker.

As a fan of romance books, what stood out to me in this one was its maturity. It addresses real-world problems that many can relate to, including grief, parenting struggles, healing, and communication.

The MMC, Ben, is an absolute dreamboat. I won’t delve into too many details to avoid spoilers, but he’s so endearing that I forgave him for things I thought I couldn’t.

This book is packed with goodness. The side characters are fully fleshed out and integral to the story, making you fall in love with them just as much as with the main characters. Amy Buchanan brought to life not only a compelling romance but also a supportive network of friends and family that tugged at my heartstrings. While I wouldn’t want to be in Juliana’s situation, I would love to have the kind of friends, family, and support system she does. The attention to detail makes each character memorable and impactful.

Let's Call a Truce evokes a range of emotions—happiness, anxiety, laughter, and even tears. It feels like the perfect romance, with lovable characters, witty banter, relatable real-life problems, and a strong emphasis on communication and positive relationships. The representation and diversity are seamlessly integrated into the story.

I’m officially a fan of Amy Buchanan after this book! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read it.

Juliana has gone through an extreme loss, her husband dies suddenly leaving her with their two young daughters. She returns to work and overhears a new colleague complaining about her commitment to being at work vs being a single mother. From that moment on, they are enemies. But when they're forced to work together on a project, they realize that there's a very thin line between love and hate.
This book is good for fans of enemies to lovers and love after loss.
I mostly enjoyed myself while reading it, although I did find the enemies part lasted slightly too long for my taste, and Juliana's journey, whilst realistic in terms of getting over the loss of a spouse, sometimes felt like it dragged for me. I also found that the outside players in their relationship added extra distraction that felt unnecessary.
However, this book did break the reading slump I've been in for the past two months so I did enjoy the writing style and characters. The kids were well written and I loved the chemistry between Juliana and Ben.

Thank you for the arc! This was a joy to read! The office rivals to lovers trope was nicely done here. Can’t wait to see what Amy writes next!

I didn’t like it that much, unfortunately..

The dynamic between Juliana and Ben didn’t really work for me. Their initial dislike, or really Juliana’s dislike of Ben, stems from something stupid and insensitive she overheard him say two years ago. And yes, that wasn’t okay, I wouldn’t have just let that go either. But she takes this to another level, like I’m sorry, but you’re an adult and this is your place of work? Have you never encountered someone you didn’t like before? Just ignore them, be civil when you have to interact with them, and move on..

There was OW drama in this, which I hated. I didn’t like Ben that much to begin with, but the whole thing with the OW was kind of terrible.

This story also deals with themes of grief and single parenthood, which I thought were nicely done.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great debut romance novel! Juliana and Ben are so full of life and easy to love. They come with baggage and I often found myself sitting on the edge of my seat (figuratively) waiting to see what it was and how/if it would get resolved. I love feel good romances with drama full of laughter, anger, frustration and tears and this book was right up that alley. I highly recommend this book!

A cute enemies to lovers story with a dash of second chance for Juliana and Ben after unexpected tragedy and a divorce. I enjoyed the banter and the one upping on their little war between them. And when they finally gave into the what they were feeling, so good! Their girls were amazing, the friendships Juliana made were nice and to see her take a leap with Ben but also be cautious with her heart and that of her little girls was both awe moments and moments that made me want to say get it together. An enjoyable read!

3.5 ⭐️

I TRIED to like Ben, I really truly did. I also TRIED to forgive him but frankly, despite all the wonderful components of this book, I wanted to scream when they reunited after the 3rd act breakup. What on EARTH !!!! If Ben were one of my friends’ boyfriends, that is not how this story would have ended.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC - in general, I find it a good thing when a good book gets this much of an emotional reaction from me!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What sets this book apart is how it balances witty banter and steamy encounters with heartfelt moments. Juliana’s struggle with grief and her role as a single mom adds layers to her character, making her journey all the more compelling. Ben’s charm and determination bring out the best and sometimes the worst in their interactions, keeping readers hooked.

The chemistry between Juliana and Ben is palpable, and their journey from antagonists to lovers is both satisfying and realistic. While the plot follows familiar romance tropes, Buchanan’s sharp writing and character development keep it fresh and engaging. The tension and eventual resolution between the leads are handled with care, making for a delightful read that fans of contemporary romance will thoroughly enjoy.

Ahhh this was fun, predictable, and sexy! It gave The Hating Game Vibes and honestly it's what I want in an enemies to lovers romance! Overall worth the read.

Juliana is a widow reentering the workforce after the untimely death of her husband. Trying to juggle two kids, a career and her grief means she doesn’t have time for much else least of all a new coworker who, although super hot, is a jerk. The war won’t stop their feelings for each other and it might just be what they both need.

This book is a quick read, light with some lol moments but also a couple of tears. Just me? I tend to be a crybaby, so maybe?

I really liked the diverse cast of characters and I’m hoping *fingers crossed* that Asia gets her own story. (I loved her sm!)

If you like modern, enemies to lovers, hot workplace romance, grab this one, you’ll love it. For the booktok crew, I give is a 🌶️ 🌶️/5. The tension was 🤌🏻 though.

I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was pretty relatable and the drama wasn't TOO too over the top. Typically I'm not a fan of books with kids, but they were pretty integral to the story and I found I didn't mind them as much. The angst and grief described was also quite realistic.

Overall I do recommend and would love to read more from this author!

Let’s call a truce

Juliana is a widowed mother of two who restarts her career. She feels an instant attraction to her coworker Ben that quickly flips to barely contained animosity. After two years of slinging barbed comments, Juliana has to come to terms with the fact that the line between love and hate has blurred between the two of them.

Ben lets his intentions be known throughout the book. He wants to be with Juliana and pushes her to recognize their chemistry and compatibility.

There is something to be said about reading a book that feels like adults are acting like an adults. Both Juliana and Ben worry about what their kids and coworkers will think. They approach their relationship with maturity by talking through their fears and realizing that they can be brave together.

This is a stellar debut. The banter is top notch, the spice feels intimate, and you root for the two characters from start to finish. I can’t wait to read more of Amy’s work.

This book was a cute enemies-to-lovers romance with lots of heart and steam! Juliana was a compelling FMC. She’s a widowed single mom of two little girls making her way in the corporate world while struggling with a growing attraction to her work nemesis. I thought the push and pull of Ben and Juliana’s attraction felt realistic, even though I was surprised at some of Juliana’s behavior given she works in HR. While Ben and Juliana had great banter, the dialogue with other characters was a little stilted and too expositional. But I’ll chalk that up to this being a debut.

I’m looking forward to whatever Amy Buchanan writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

This was cute! I did struggle with the FMC a bit when she was so back and forth with the MMC but I did really love their story. I think it showed the reality of losing a husband and the grief that comes in waves. I thought both characters were really well suited for each other and their love felt genuine.

Fans of second chance romances need to read Let’s Call a Truce. It’s a must read book that will make you feel like you’re in love!

I really enjoyed this story! I loved the character development throughout and it touched on some important topics that happen in todays society. It talks about spouse loss, being a single parent and the struggle of over coming trauma to love again. Even with those topics the story itself still was funny and the banter between the two main characters were my favorite! I honestly kept reading for the banter alone. But there are plenty of sexy scenes along the way! This is definitely an author that I would read from again! Highly recommend this story.