My luck with trying different authors lately has been not so great, but this one I really liked. I'll definitely read more by her. The banter between the main characters, as well as side characters, is great and made me laugh several times. I also cried a few times...something about an MMC crying just gets me every time.

The MMC is very likable, and I was rooting for him the whole time. The FMC has some reservations, for good reasons, that she must overcome. I very much enjoyed the book and couldn't put it down. I only wish the FMC could have given the MMC more grace at times. Also, I think it could have been a bit shorter and still gotten the same story across, but that's a personal preference.

4.5 stars. I believe this is another debut romance, and if that is correct, 2025 is going to be a debut class to remember. This book put me THROUGH IT.

I feel like I went through every emotion under the sun thanks to both main characters and additional contributions by the secondary characters. I wanted to shake them, strangle them, hug them, comfort them, shake them some more, and then hug them again.

Juliana = my girl. She’d been through the wringer and come out the other side as such a good mom, but also as such a strong person. Strong-willed, and also strong-minded. A solid coat of armor around her heart that made her behavior toward Ben frustrating at times, but it did make sense. It truly made even more sense as the book went on and really dove deep into her thoughts, feelings, and responses to the trauma of losing her husband. I was SO proud of her in the last third of the book for the way she stood her ground and handled things with Ben.

Ben. Ben Ben Ben. Endearing one moment (most of the first half/two-thirdsish of the book), infuriating the next. He was so sweet with Juliana’s girls and so earnest in his affection for Juliana when they called their truce. I believed the lens he viewed their past interactions with. I was so enamored by him. And then I wanted to knock some sense into him. On the one hand, I suppose I understood his choice *to an extent* but also no. I know I’m talking about Ben here, but I’m going to say again how proud I was of Juliana. It must be said though, the man did give good grovel to get that genre-promised HEA.

As always, I must note when there are secondary characters who are vital to a book and there were SO MANY here, kids and adults alike. They were all used so well in so many different ways with the various relationships they had to the main characters. I loved the depth they all added.

This was a tension-filled, heartfelt, introspective story and I devoured it. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/St. Martin’s Griffin for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Equal parts funny, sexy and emotional!

Juliana & Ben's tension filled interactions were brimming with chemistry, whether they were fighting, flirting, or a bit of both. I ate up their every interaction!

The author weaved a story of grief into a romance filled with humor, angst and so much heart. This was first and foremost a romance, but I loved getting to see Juliana's strength and resilience when it came to taking care of her daughters after losing her husband. Juliana & Ben both have so much going on in their personal lives, but seeing them slowly work through grief and past hurts was lovely, and honestly at times quite funny.

Ben is so pathetic for her and I lived for it!! I love a man who WANTS. Oh, and the spice was great!

Such a solid read that had me hooked from the first chapter.

This was a solid 4 for me until the final 20% happened and I could not make rhyme or reason why the MMC made the decisions he made. I felt gaslit by his reasoning. So I’ll stick with 3.5 stars. But honestly this was a sweet romance and I really loved Juliana and Ben’s relationship growth. Ben was so patient with her and Juliana, while sometimes childish, really was doing her best considering all that she had been through. She was definitely cautious for a reason! Ben went way off course but I was ultimately happy with the ending! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC and in exchange for an honest review!

What a great concept to a book that was relatable and a great enemies to lovers trope. Single parents Juliana and Ben are each others frenemies at work. You can feel their attraction towards each other just lurking in their hate and eventually they can’t hide it from each other. The banter between the two was comical and I enjoyed the steaminess at times. The most enduring relationships in this book were Juliana and her kids and Ben with the kids, it was nice to see relationships develop for older, established characters. It was a quick read that kept my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed so much about this debut novel! I enjoyed the authors style and voice and felt that she did a wonderful job with balancing humor and heartfelt emotion. Juliana’s character explores working, single motherhood and the challenges that brings for women in the workplace. I loved Ben’s character as a single father and his devotion to his daughter. The banter between Juliana and Ben and the will they won’t they component of their flirty, sexually charged dislike of each other had me flipping the pages to continue reading. I did find frustration in the hot and cold of their relationship once they started to explore their feelings. For mature characters, with families, some of their actions were not always what I felt to be realistic and I was frustrated by decisions made. However, Buchanan tackles many tough subjects such as love after loss, second chances, parental abandonment and grief with great care. All in all it’s a strong debut and I look forward to what Amy writes next!

This debut novel is an absolute must-read! After losing her husband, Juliana returns to work, only to overhear a cutting remark from her coworker, Ben. What follows is an all-out office feud that lasts for two years, with neither backing down—until they’re forced to collaborate on a project, and suddenly, sparks fly.

This story had me laughing, crying, and then laughing all over again. The humor and heart in this novel are unmatched. The found family aspect was exceptional, and I didn’t just fall for the main characters, Juliana and Ben—I adored their whole circle of friends and family. Well, everyone except for you, Stephanie!

The slow-burn romance is packed with angst and undeniable chemistry. Ben’s unwavering support for Juliana was so touching, and you could feel just how much he cared for her. Juliana’s journey, as a grieving widow juggling single motherhood and rediscovering love, was beautifully portrayed. The playful office banter and heated arguments between her and Ben kept me hooked, and I devoured the entire book in one sitting!

If you’re a fan of Abby Jimenez or Emily Henry, you’ll love Amy’s debut. Preorder it now!

There was so much to love about Amy Buchanan’s debut! The instant tension between Juliana and Ben, the complex feelings of parenting your children while also dealing with your own grief, single parent and blended family dynamics. The spice jumped off the page and it was the driving factor for me to keep reading.

I can’t wait to see what else Amy comes up with in the future! Thanks to SMP and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

I was really excited to read this book because who doesn't like a steamy workplace romance with an enemies to lovers trope. I really connected with single mom Juliana as she tries to recreate a life with her two daughters after losing the love of her life at a young age. Ben is an apart and attractive MMC that is easy to swoon over.

However, I found Juliana and Ben to be immature and having the same fight over and over throughout this novel that by 60% I really didn't care if they pulled their heads out of their a** and figure it out 🤦‍♀️ Not to mention it was not believable at all that someone would not mentioned their child for 2 YEARS at work 🤯 It was a great idea just not great execution

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Finished Let's Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan, and initially it gave me major The Hating Game vibes! Then it veered ina different direction, so it had its own unique storyline. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic was sharp and witty, with plenty of tension between Juliana and Ben. While I enjoyed the banter and chemistry, some parts felt a bit predictable and dragged on, which held it back from being a top-tier favorite for me. As much as I enjoyed Ben's character, as the story progressed, Juliana wore on me a little. Still, if you love office romances with that delicious push-pull dynamic, this one is worth picking up!
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and of course the author for the ARC of this novel.

Love, love, loved this. The commentary on what it’s like to be a single mom in the workplace— the study of a SAHM having to slot herself back into work— the ROMANCE! I loved Ben and his filthy mouth. The spice was spicing and the emotions were emotioning.

This book was so cute! I really enjoyed the main characters and I really enjoyed that both appeared to be thoughtful and very real. They both messed up from time to time, which is refreshing in this genre since I feel often one is made to be perfect. I didn’t love the conflict being “evil ex shows back up again” but other than that, very enjoyable.

uliana lost her husband to an accident and has been home with her girls, 7 and 9. Now back at work she is nervous and concerned about the girls. Ben, one of her co-workers, has had a bad day and when they are set up for a meeting, they fight rather than work together. Ben finds Juliana attractive, and he lives for bantering back and forth with her. They will be doing a mentoring program together at a college in Boston. Spending time together brings them close together and she is not ready for a relationship. I really liked this book, particularly the characters. Juliana’s girls were so different but united when it came to their mother. There is a lot of humor as Juliana and Ben try to keep their relationship secret. Great story about what we do for family and how love can flourish even after a loss.

Masterfully crafted, wickedly fun debut! Can't wait to read more books by this author in the future.

I wish I had better news but unfortunately this book did not work for me. The drama felt forced and unnecessary. The main character felt childish and the “enemies” part of this trope went too far and felt too ridiculous. Pair that with a conflict late in the book that took away from the story & I just didn’t enjoy this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

“Let’s Call a Truce” is such a sassy workplace/enemies-to-lovers romance! I absolutely loved Juliana’s strength throughout the book but also was able to show her vulnerability given her situation! This book highlights that there is never a timeline when it comes to grief and time may not heal all wounds but it can strengthen you! There is just something about the forbidden aspect of an office romance that revs up the reading experience! The rollercoaster you are about to embark on will leave you wanting to tell the attendant: AGAIN!

There was a plot twist pretty early on that I was not anticipating but I was absolutely kicking and screaming like a schoolgirl when I read it! The twist really gives you a great perspective into the main character’s personalities and where they come from dynamic-wise.

Let me tell you! When the spice hits, it hits hard! Their chemistry is absolutely electric! The way Ben anticipates and delivers on Juliana’s needs is so satisfying!

Okay okay okay. So, first of all I very much enjoyed this book. It was funny, sweet, and occasionally spicy. All great things.

Juliana is a recently widowed mother of two young girls. When she starts her new corporate job, she and Ben almost immediately become enemies due to her overhearing him complain about her to his friend/colleague. For two years they bicker and prank and honestly act incredibly immature for two people in leadership positions. But set that aside.

We’re two years in and now they have to work closely on a big project. The forced proximity is going to allow them to get to know each other in a way all the years of animosity haven’t. She’s going to learn a few things about him that she didn’t know. Let me just say that this is super unbelievable to me, because I know literally everything about my coworkers. Things I don’t necessarily want to know. Bathroom habits, marital problems, financial concerns, parental obligations, and much much more. How she went two years not knowing a couple huge things is beyond the realm of probability. Again, set that aside.

Ben has his sights on her romantically and he’s doing everything he can to coax her into seeing him as an option. She has a lot to consider. Obviously she’s terrified to love again since her college sweetheart husband was killed when a car hit him. She doesn’t know if she can love like that again. Also, I love love love that this author didn’t write Ben as being better than her dead husband. Juliana doesn’t even compare them in her mind. ❤️❤️❤️

So yeah, they have obstacles to overcome. I love that Juliana stands up for herself and doesn’t accept less than she deserves. She also admits when she’s wrong. It’s hard for her, of course. She’s a great character.

The one thing that I absolutely cannot get past though: At one point, they’re going to cross a busy street and Juliana, the woman whose husband was killed by being hit by a car, MAKES A JOKE ABOUT BEN THROWING HER IN FRONT OF A CAR. Did no one reading this think that is the worst?!

Bottom line: this is a good book and it’s worth reading, but you might want to throw it at the wall once or twice. Full disclosure: I read this on my iPad, so I did not even think about throwing it at the wall.

I received this eARC via #netgalley and @stmartinspress. All thoughts are mine alone.

#romance #contemporaryromance #enemiestolovers #officeromance #workplaceromance #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram #letscallatruce

This was such a cute book! Enemies to lovers is one of favorite tropes. I loved the bickering between Ben and Julianna. Loved all the characters. Highly recommend this one!

Listen, I am a real sucker for enemies to lovers. It's one of my favorite tropes, but it's not always done well. This book was an example of it being done well. Each character was fully fleshed out on their own, and despite the tension and bickering, the way they came together made total sense. Definitely a fun one worth a read!

After losing her husband in a horrific car accident, Juliana Ryan is trying to survive and pick up the pieces of her life. Being a single mom, she is forced back into the workforce in order to care for her children. Juliana meets Ben in a less than ideal way and immediately feels sometimes towards him. However, those feelings are quickly replaced with anger when she overhears him making comments about her children being a distraction to the company. This starts a 2 year feud that is challenged once they are forced to work more closely together.

I mostly enjoyed the characters, with the side characters actually being the highlight for me. Asia was by far my favorite and I thought there were several instances that she was a better person than me for putting up with the bs she did. I found Juliana to be mean and self-centered in several scenes which was a big turn off for me. I appreciated her realness and her struggles and how those were portrayed, but when it came to Ben she was unnecessarily rude to him and those around him. This is partially why I rated this lower. I would have loved to have seen chapters that included Ben's POV because I think it would have helped balance Juliana's negativity towards him. He isn't without faults either though. When the third act "situation" came up, i loathed how he handled it.

Overall, there were some shining moments with some shining characters and but would have loved to have seen a few things changed. However, I think most die hard romance fans will enjoy this one.

Big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC opportunity!