Let's Call A Truce by Amy Buchanan is a super cute romance story with drama, witty banter, & plenty of passion. Two co-workers, Juliana & Ben, both fighting past traumas, just can't seem to get along until a big project forces them to work together. All the tension between them leads to plenty of drama as well as building each other back up after their pasts & helping them grow together as a couple.
Great side characters & I'm selfishly hoping Amy Buchanan's next book might be Asia's story. I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book on #NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own, but overall, Let's Call A Truce is a wonderful enemies to lovers story you should add to your TBR list.

Thank you, Net Galley, St. Martin's Press and Amy Buchanan for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up!

I can't believe this was Amy Buchanan's debut! Where has she been hiding?! This book had everything, a single mom's second chance at romance while climbing the corporate ladder, sweet gestures, banter, and spice.

Juliana is a widowed mother of two who gets back into the workforce after years of being a SAHM. On her first day, she had to leave work early to have a meeting at her kid's school and had to cancel a meeting with Ben, the hunk she literally ran into earlier that day. She overhears him talking to a colleague about how angry he was that she didn't respect his time and makes a comment about her kids that makes her see red.

After this encounter, she keeps her distance. She even keeps a record of who wins and who loses each of their banter-filled competitive interactions.

Then, they get put on a project together and have to call a truce to get through it. It's pretty obvious that he's into her as they start to interact more, but she fights the attraction. Feeling guilty about her late husband and how her kids would react.

There's quite a bit of spice and sass in this book, but it's mixed with tender moments as they find their way to each other.

I would have given this book 5 stars, but I was so frustrated with Juliana for the first part of the book. He told her to ask anything she wanted, and she refused to get to know him. Then got mad when he had secrets she didn't know about!

All in all, excellent debut and definitely recommend!

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Let’s Call a Truce
Author: Amy Buchanan
Romance

Thank you so much Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this ARC! I enjoyed this one. Juliana is a widowed mother raising her two kids on her own. She is just returning to the work place after being a stay at home mom, and her first day back she catches one of her coworkers basically talking about how she a a risk and liability for the company, etc. This sparks a feud between the two of them that continues on for over two years. When forced to work on a project together, do these feelings or irritation and frustration turn to something else? It was a cute office romance, with a splash of enemies to lovers. Definitely not a romcom. A little dash of spice. Nothing crazy. Thank you again for this ARC! Releases 1/2025!

4.5⭐️

i’m in love with this book!!! i flew through this in a weekend and loved every second of it. the banter between the MCs was soooo good and the spice… 👌🏼 i was also IN LOVE with ben.

this book made me realize how much i love the single parent trope and love amy’s writing, it’s highly addictive

i would highly highly recommend this to any romance girlie who loves a bit of enemies to lovers + forced proximity. i ate up every second of it

This book was an absolute joy to immerse myself in! The delightful banter between the main characters had me smiling and cheering them on at every twist and turn. The tension that simmered throughout the pages was exhilarating, pulling me deeper into their world with each unfolding moment. While it may not be bursting with spice, the intimacy that is present is masterfully crafted and profoundly moving. The portrayal of family ties was heartwarming, radiating love and connection that truly touched my soul. I was particularly impressed with how the author navigated the delicate theme of loss; the way the female main character grappled with her grief over her husband's passing resonated deeply.

Let's Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan offers a classic enemies-to-lovers romance with plenty of office drama and slow-burn tension. Juliana Ryan's journey from a grieving widow to a strong, career-driven woman is relatable and heartwarming. The initial tension between Juliana and her colleague, Ben, is fun to watch unfold, with witty banter and undeniable chemistry.

However, the story sometimes feels predictable, and certain plot points, like Ben’s troubled past, are introduced late in the book, leaving less room for development. While the romance is sweet, it can also feel rushed at times, especially after two years of animosity.

Overall, it’s an enjoyable read for fans of workplace romance, but it doesn't break new ground. If you’re looking for a light, feel-good romance, *Let’s Call a Truce* delivers, though it may not leave a lasting impact.

This was such a great debut! Amy Buchanan has written some rounded, well-realized characters, great banter, and an entirely believable (and well-paced!) romance.

Juliana and Ben’s relationship drips with tension from the moment they meet, and it all plays out on the page so well. I think one of the finest parts of this romance is watching Juliana come to terms with moving on from the husband she is still grieving, and learning how to balance that grief with loving someone new. I loved that Ben not only wasn’t intimidated by her dead husband, but that he encouraged her to talk about him and understood that he would always be a part of her.

The friend group in this book was everything (seriously, I was jealous!). They’re supportive, they make each other laugh, and they call each other out. Each one was fully developed, so you weren’t left going “Wait, who was that again?” They were one of my favorite parts of the book!

I devoured this thing in a day, and I can’t wait to see what else comes from this debut author!

Workplace, “enemies” to lovers romance that was both funny and also serious in the best way. I enjoyed the characters and the story!

This workplace enemies to lovers story was so good! When these two characters start acknowledging their feelings for each other, it is swoon worthy! But having both been hurt before, they both bring baggage to the relationship. Will they overcome the struggles that arise?

One of my favorite things is reading debut novels! Amy Buchanan definitely has a a wonderful start to an amazing writing career, and I can't wait to see what else she does-I'll be watching!

This book has excellent character development. They are so well thought out, and you can't not fall in love with them along the way. This is a classic Enemies to Lovers trope with a twist. Everything I'd want in a rom com honestly! It was a fun read that I couldn't put down. I laughed, and also found myself shedding some tears.

Let's Call a Truce is fantastic. I loved this one so much. The banter and bickering between Juliana and Ben is amazing. I love the chemistry build between Juliana and Ben. Your heart goes out to both as the struggle with juggling everything. Juliana is a fantastic single mom. I love her strength as she battles the home life and work life. The chemistry grows hot between Juliana and Ben as they drop their walls and figure out they have a lot in common. This has so many sweet and laugh out loud moments to go with the little heavier ones. I could not put this down. You need to read this today.

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