Let’s Call A Truce had everything I love in a romance! I’m usually not one for workplace romances but this one was perfect. I felt like this story has two sides or two different tones, the banter and build up of tension and once we hit the midway point, into found family single parent.

After a two year workplace feud between HR recruiter Juliane and architect Ben that sparked from a harsh comment he made about her kids on her first day of work, single parent Juliana is definitely not thrilled of the upcoming project they were assigned to work together on but decide to call a temporary truce.

The office place pranks were clever and hilarious. The tension was off the charts. The questions and conflicts of what you would do or give up for your kids and the tough decisions you’d have to make felt authentic. I didn’t want to put this book down but also wanted ti savor it. This was a well rounded romance that I absolutely loved!

What you can expect:
- Workplace Romance
- Enemies to Lovers
- Boston and Floria settings
- HR Recruiter life
- Adorable children
- Tension tension tension

Thank you so much NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this book!

Anytime I'm reading a romance about combining families - I automatically get excited. It's for some reason a trope that feels so personal and pertinent because it happens so often anymore and isn't talked about enough!!

The added bonus of this read was really that I loved the angst towards the end. I was salivating for it really.. wine, Peanut M&M's ferociously being eaten and all. It took no time at all for me to 10000% tell who the villain was going to be, and like I was being read in on shady gossip!!

LET'S CALL A TRUCE is a sparkling debut -- and one that has be anxious waiting to read what Amy Buchanan writes next! I love a good workplace romance (especially when it features the enemies to lovers trope) but often find that the characters' history doesn't earn their animosity. That is 100% not the case here -- Juliana and Ben's antagonism jumps right off the page to sock you in the face from page one and doesn't let up. I especially appreciated that their back and forth push-pull isn't magically waved away when they become romantically involved, but instead evolves into a new facet of their relationship. Juliana's relationship with her daughters was a stand out for me here and I especially loved the exploration of grief and strong themes of friendship and community.

Absolutely loved this one! Juliana and Ben’s banter was so fun, especially when they “hated” each other at the beginning. I felt like the motherhood rep was fantastic and the grief element tugged my heartstrings in all the best ways. Can’t wait to see what’s next from Amy!

It was cute! It definitely felt like it dragged on A LOT but it wasn’t bad, just not my favorite.

I think overall it wasn’t bad. The characters melded together pretty well but there were times where I did have to give myself a break to actually finish it because it seemed a little redundant.

3.5 stars rounded up
Thank you, St Martin's Press, for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very promising debut! I love workplace romances and enemies to lovers books. If you enjoyed The Hating Game, then I think you would like this one as well. Some of the transitions in the book were a bit clumsy and left me a bit confused at times. The friendships were amazing. I loved Asia. I can't wait to see what else Amy Buchanan writes.

A fun workplace romance fans of The Hating Game will enjoy.

Watching Juliana come back to the workforce and be a Boss Babe was amazing. I sympathized with her a lot, with her having to learn how to balance being a newly single parent (widowed) and finding her stride at work—wanting to prove herself.

And we have Ben… Ben was very sweet and well-intentioned, save for his one comment that set off a 2-year-long feud between him and Juliana. I enjoyed the (slower) unfolding of his character, learning the whys behind his words and actions. Maybe a little bit of the White Knight syndrome? But I forgave him eventually. Lol.

Overall, this was a good time. The enemies to lovers vibes the banter provides was entertaining, and all the kids definitely add a heartwarming aspect to it all.

Thank you for the ARC, SMP!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the eARC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC of Let's Call a Truce!

I really enjoyed this unique debut by Amy Buchanan! This story was fiction, but it felt SO REAL LIFE. I enjoyed both the eBook and the audio of this one, with Charlotte North at the helm, bringing Juliana to life... it's at least a solid 4-star read for me.

I loved this story about widow Juliana as she returns to the workforce after her husband's passing. Returning to work after being a stay-at-home mom was an adjustment, but she has dreams and wants to find that work-life balance we're all chasing. She's competent and smart, ready to take on the HR world. The only thing standing in her way? Her feud with Ben, a VP who brings out the worst in her.

A series of pranks, some bickering at the office, and then forced proximity for a project that could land her the promotion of her dreams forced Juliana to try on a truce with Ben. Which leads to realizing some things that weren't exactly what they seemed, on both sides of this feud.

I loved all the children in this story. They were so important to the growth of the main characters, as was the friend group that Ben and Juliana ended up having in common.

Read this if you low:
- love after loss
- enemies to lovers
- workplace romance
- forced proximity
- bickering & banter
- second chances
- later-in-life love
- messy family lives (real world)
- charming side characters/family/children

I'm very excited to see what comes next for Amy Buchanan! This one is out in January 2025!

⭐️ 5/5
🌶️ 4/5

YOU GUYS!!! THIS. BOOK! 🤩✨🥰

There’s just something about an enemies to lovers, office romance with forced proximity that just HITS! The tension between these two was positively electric and I could not get enough. We get a SUPER steamy office desk scene that I do not think I’ll ever recover from, banter that never quits, and FOREARMS FOR DAYYYS on a man you cannot convince me is not a Henry Cavill doppelganger! This book also had a heartwarming cast of characters and adorably clever kids. I can’t say enough good things about this debut! It is a top five contender for sure and I cannot wait to read what comes next from Amy Buchanan!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy!

Let’s Call A Truce (e-arc)
Rating: 3.5⭐️
Spice: 2🔥

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for a genuine, authentic review!

“With our eyes locked, he closed his hand over mine, giving it a slight squeeze. My heart swelled inside of my chest, and I felt the urge to step into the comfort I didn’t know he could offer.”

“The truth is, Juliana, I want to share everything with you. I want this. I want us. Not a one-night stand or a couple of hookups in my office that we never talk about again. And that means sharing all of my past, even if it’s hard for me. If you are willing to hear it.”

“But every truce forced me to put down my weapons, showed me glimpses of what my life could be if I was willing to lay them down forever. He helped me see that sacrificing happiness for safety wasn’t living at all.”

—

Thoughts:
Wow, this one took for an emotional ride! I personally loved the last half of the book so much! From Juliana losing her husband and being the best mother she can to Clara and Sophie and learning how to open herself up to love again—this was such a beautiful moment! And tell me why, I was so shocked when Ben had a daughter?!!! I didn’t expect this curveball but I just want to love and protect Paris sooo much!! She deserved the whole world! Whenever there are children involved in the story, it just makes it all better. The banter and flirting between Juliana and Ben were so much fun! And there was a good amount of spice; it didn’t take away from the plot and showed how Juliana was able to fully trust another person with her heart. So, if I enjoyed reading this, why did I give it a 3.5? I think the beginning, after the initial enemies-to-lovers banter, and them having a secret relationship, I got a bit bored. Like I said, the spice was good but I think I was expecting a more emotional rollercoaster since it involved both their kids and how to navigate telling them about their secret relationship (or maybe I was just in the mood for an emotional read lol). My favorite part was when Stephanie (Ben’s ex-wife) came back and the heartache between Ben and Juliana. And it broke my heart the way Stephanie treated Paris—and I’m soooo happy Juliana spoke some sense into Ben and told him the importance of protecting Paris from Stephanie. Overall, it was a fun read and was enjoyable! Can’t wait to check out Amy Buchanan’s future releases! Once again, thanks to NetGalley for the e-arc!

Let’s Call a Truce follows Juliana as she returns to the workforce after the death of her husband. On her first day, she clashes with Ben, a coworker, sparking a feud that lasts for years. When they are eventually assigned to work together on a project, their conflict forces them to call a truce. As they navigate the challenges of the project, both Juliana and Ben are forced to confront their pasts. They must decide whether they are willing to let go of the past and open themselves to the possibility of healing, love, and a fresh start.

I read this book in less than and day. I was sucked in from the first chapter and stayed up way too late to finish it. This was a beautiful story about love, loss and grief. It was a little angsty and filled with banter, and that made me love the book even more.

Juliana’s character was so realistic and went through some very hard, and real, circumstances. She felt relatable and my heart truly hurt for her. I loved the friendships she developed and the way that she interacted with her children. And as I got to know Ben more, he became more lovable as well.

This is a great debut novel and I highly recommend it! Thank you St Martin’s Press, Net Galley, and Amy Buchanan for a chance to read this ARC.

Oh but how I loved this. Give me work place rivals any day. I love being introduced to new authors and what a joy this was. All the feels. The tension, the PLOT. Highly recommend!

This was a cute read! If you enjoy a single parent, workplace, or enemies to lovers romance, I'd definitely reconnect you give them a read!

Oh boy I really struggled with this book. There were a lot of things that worked for me. There was a very memorable desk scene so if you're in the mood for workplace shenanigans this could be the book for you. I also loved what a solid communicator Ben was. In a genre rife with miscommunication and immaturity Ben's directness was a breath of fresh air. I love a love interest who doesn't want to play games. Because I loved Ben so much it was very frustrating to watch Juliana respond to Ben putting himself out there with immaturity and conflicting signals. It's not a good sign when the recurring thought is "this love interest deserves better than the main character". The third act conflict also drove me up a wall. I will say I loved that the book was about single parents and I really enjoyed the way the author leaned into telling a story of characters who are a little bit older, have more life experience, and don't have perfect bodies. This genre needs more of that and I'm thrilled to see more books being published with older characters. My difficulty with this book really comes down to my struggle with Juliana. I'm looking forward to reading this author's next book though because I enjoyed many other aspects of this book and I think I'll have a much better time with different characters.

This debut was INCREDIBLE! Amy Buchanan does an impeccable job of balancing a heartfelt love story and a deeper story of the main character discovering herself after returning to work as a single mom. I really enjoyed the realistic grief aspect of this book, and it was nicely sandwiched between lighter moments. Buchanan has cemented herself at the top of my must-watch authors list. I still can't believe this was a debut!

I started this book listening to the audio, but I got so into, I had to finish reading it ASSP. This is so much more than a workplace enemies-to-lovers rom-com. It feels like a real story of love and grief and family and work/life balance. Parts of the MC’s reactions felt over the top, very all-or-nothing reactions. But I enjoyed so many other parts of the story that I’ll forgive them.

Thanks to St. Martin’s for the ARC.

This debut novel by Amy Buchanan was a success! It was a great read and it pulled at the heart strings!

Juliana, after the death of her husband, is a single mom and now needs to rejoin the workforce. She gets hired into an office setting and has an adorable meet-cute with her coworker, Ben. Things quickly sour between the two and for the next few years they have a strong animosity towards each other.

Fast forward a few years and they are forced to spend time together for a project. Due to their forced proximity they start getting to know each other better and realize their worlds collide in more ways than one. Due to one bad encounter Juliana keeps this single minded opinion about Ben despite him showing in many ways how he's no the bad guy she has him in her head. She needed a villain to cope with her grief, and Ben was the perfect candidate.

What I loved:
- ALL THE BANTER
- Fantastic mental health representation (anxiety, grief, depression)
- Characters in their 30s

I Would Change:
- Have it be Dual POV - we NEEDED Ben's POV
- Some second hand characters had absolutely no depth to them

One thing I hated most about this book was the cover. I put off reading this book because I hate how the cover looks.

Thank you to NetGalley and the St Martin’s Press for the arc!

Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan is the enemies to lovers in a workplace setting romance that you need! These characters feel so REAL. I cried and laughed and loved alongside Juliana. I adored the banter, the children have my heart, Orlando as a setting is perfect, and the spicy scenes were immaculate and well-earned.

Quite simply, I loved it. An easy five stars!

Following her husband’s unexpected death, single mom Juliana Ryan returns to the workforce after years of staying home with their two kids in this workplace, enemies-to-lovers romance from Amy Buchanan. Although Juliana and coworker Ben Thomas have an adorable meet-cute, their feelings for each other quickly sour.

Fast forward two years, and Juliana and Ben are forced to spend time working together on a project. On top of that, their personal lives outside of work begin to intersect more and more. As it turns out, they have more in common than Juliana originally thought.

What I liked:
- The lip-print meet-cute
- The verbal sparring
- Main characters in their 30s
- Mental health rep (grief and anxiety)
- The supportive friendships
- The smoking hot chemistry between Juliana and Ben
- The exploration of love after loss
- Seeing Juliana’s confidence grow

The main things I didn’t love:
- I understand why this is written in single POV, but I wish we had gotten glimpses into Ben’s perspective.
- Due to emotions running high, Juliana makes a snap judgment about Ben based on one encounter and clings to that opinion despite evidence to the contrary for years. I didn’t love how she is so myopic when it comes to him.
- The tone of the book shifts about halfway through, so in some ways, it felt like I was reading two separate books.
- Some side characters come across as one-dimensional and are more plot devices than characters in their own right.

I received an advance copy of the book from St. Martin’s Press. All review opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this advanced reader copy. All thoughts are my own!

3.5 stars

I really wanted to like this one as it had some great ingredients for me as a romance reader, but unfortunately, this was not my cup of tea. But I truly think this is a personal preference and I feel like this book will get a lot of love from other readers.

What I loved about this book? I was a big fan of Juliana as a single mother. There was a bit of a surprise in regards to Ben's personal life and I did think that them navigating their experiences while growing closer together was a really interesting read. I don't want to spoil it at all but I did think that their positions in life made for a different kind of drama than I'm used to.

What didn't work was that I feel like this book was a bit misleading in its description as I was expecting a bit more of the office rivalry that this was marketed as. Sure, they are enemies but a lot of their back and forth banter happens in a two year gap that we don't see on the page. There's also quite a bit of miscommunication and back and forth on whether or not they want to pursue their romance, especially towards the end, and that felt a bit like whiplash that led to me feeling frustrated at times.

I do think this is a really strong debut from Amy writing wise, so I'm very excited to see how others feel about it and I do think this book will find a ton of fans. I'm wishing Amy tons of success when this releases next year!