Widowed mom Juliana is juggling her kids, going back to work, and feuding with her annoyingly hot coworker, Ben, who she overhears him talk about how her kids and inexperience are a liability to the company. Their feud is ongoing for several years before they are forced to work together on a project that will determine the rest of their career. What starts are fiery arguments turn into sparks that cannot be contained. Their temporary truces start to look more and more like a permanent truce. There are many laughs and many tension-filled moments throughout the book. This is the perfect read for someone looking for an enemies to lovers slow burn. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free eARC and ALC. All opinions in this review are my own.

Instagram review will go live 13-Jan-2024.

I love a workplace enemies to lovers, and Let's Call a Truce was a really great debut! I thought Amy Buchanan did a great job of combining the tension and laughable moments I love in this type of contemporary romance with the depth of second chance love and family dynamics. CHarlotte North's narration was well done and really brought me into Juliana's character. The banter was great, and some of the moments had my jaw dropping, The coffee! Wow! The tension and spice was well done. All of this didn't take away from the exploration of the deeper topics of second chance love after loss, grief and navigating relationships with children. I did sometimes wish for Ben's perspective, but I thought Juliana still had a great character arc where she was navigating her own grief, being a working mother, and trying to see Ben's point of view as well. This book felt honest and messy and real. Overall, I really enjoyed this and would recommend to those that love a workplace contemporary rom-com.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This was a fun enemies to lovers romcom. It was a pretty familiar trope, but one that is like comfort food to me and will never get old. I rooted for Julianna and Ben and their girls. I especially loved the relationship between Julianna and Paris, it was very heart touching.

I haven't read much in the office romance genre, so I was really intrigued by this one, especially with the tension between the characters. It reminded me of reading "The Hating Game." I enjoyed the beginning, but then there was a moment when Ben, the male main character, says something that Juliana, the female main character, catches, and it was pretty awful. We don’t get any explanation or closure on that until much later in the book, which made me feel indifferent about him. Honestly, it just didn’t sit right with me, and I lost interest in Ben after that.

There are some great scenes between them, and Ben does have some redeeming qualities, but then we hit the third act breakup, and I really didn’t like it. I understand the situation was complicated, but I think Ben handled it poorly, and there wasn’t enough groveling afterward. I liked Juliana's character; she was dealing with a tough time after her husband's death but was still doing a fantastic job with her daughters and working hard. I felt like she deserved so much more from Ben. He knew what she was going through and kept saying he would be patient, but then he got angry with her for being scared. Overall, it was just an okay read for me. The narration was fine.

Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes. Add in that it’s an office based romance and I was sold. Reminiscent of The Hating Game. The author brought in grief and families which created a lot of depth to the book. A great debut!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook.

With excellent narration by Charlotte North, "Let's Call A Truce" is a contemporary romance with a great story, likeable characters, sexiness and hilarious banter between the two primary characters - Juliana Ryan and Ben Thomas.

After several years of being a stay-at-home mom, Juliana heads back to work. On the first day, a feud starts between herself and her handsome yet rude co-worker, Ben. Two years later, the feud still exists but when they are forced to work together on a work project, they decide to call a truce. Hilarity continues to ensue but so does romance. But when Ben's past resurfaces, Juliana begins to second guess herself.

I was drawn into the story right from the beginning and quickly got to know Juliana and her two daughters - Clara and Sophie.

Debut author Amy Buchanan has written a hilarious, steamy, friends-to-lovers romance that fans of the genre of sure to enjoy!

Let's Call a Truce is perfect for fans of The Hating Game. It has enemies to lovers + workplace romance but everything else is different! This story has two main characters who are both single parents (due to different reasons) and the main reason they hate each other is not really due to a misunderstanding (like in The Hating Game). Let's Call a Truce starts at the very beginning and lets us see when the female main character and the male main character meet, when the hate starts, AND what happens from there! And I'm SO glad that we get all three of those different times because that is one of my pet peeves is when we don't get to see when the chemistry starts, why the enemies are enemies, etc. and this felt so well developed and I was so glad!
This audiobook was very entertaining and the story was very good! Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook to review!💖

Narrator Charlotte North does an incredible job with this story. Her young children voices aren’t too whiny and annoying, and her male voices genuinely sound as if from a totally different person. Bravo!

I absolutely loved this book. It was like watching a workplace romcom that I just didn’t want to end with Julianna’s struggles of being a widowed single parent, handling challenges in the workplace, and a long lasting rivalry with the office hottie. It was heartwarming and tear jerking all at the same time with dynamic characters all around. Even if you aren’t a single mother or mother at all Julianna gave you a character you could relate with the struggles and emotions she faced throughout the book as well as her snarky quips and inner thoughts. The whole cast of this book was beautifully human. They all had fears, talents, flaws, and strengths that made them real people. The drama that unfolded had you eating it up to see what happens next. I listened to this book while driving and probably looked crazy to those around me with how expressive this book caused me to be as I gasped, laughed out loud, and actually shadow boxed during verbal knock outs. .The story was a wonderful binge worthy read and has cemented itself in my favorites.

Thank you Amy Buchanan, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio. I really enjoyed this conflict filled romance - an enemies to lovers vibe complicated by single parent struggles. I found myself invested in the happily ever after not only for the adult MCs but for their children who had respectively all been through so much. @macmillan.audio @netgalley @amybuchananbooks #macaudio2024

What a great story! Juliana is reentering the workforce after the death of her husband and having raised her children at home. When entering the workforce she is faced with one coworker who just does not understand the balance that being a single parent takes. As their rivalry grows they are thrown into working closer together on a project and she starts to see a different side of him.

This was a sweet and easy read. I genuinely love when the main characters are aged up a little bit because the disagreements and hurdles holding them back seem a little more grounded and a little less on a whim. But the beauty of these characters is there are still moments that you are kicking your feet thinking how cute they are while still feeling like they are real. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

I recommend this book to anyone who loved The Hating Game but wants more mature main characters. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobooks ARC. I am in no way affiliated with or compensated for my thoughts.

Juliana is a single widowed mom with two girls. She had been a stay at home mom before her husband passed away, she has no choice but to enter the working world again. She lands a job being a recruiter for an architectural firm. She runs into a man named Ben on her way into work on her first day. The first day doesn’t go as planned as she needs to leave to resolve a situation at the school with one of her girls. That event sets off a lot of tension with Ben & misunderstanding. She ends up catching feelings for Ben but feels guilty because she’s a widow.

This was a great book & I won’t say more! It’s a great read

A young widow with two young kids is thrust back into her career after years of being a stay-at-home mom, and immediately makes a nemesis at the new job. For two years, they feud and fight their burgeoning attraction… and when they give in, there’s no going back.

I enjoyed many aspects of this book! It was emotional, spicy, and so cute with the kids involved in the story. I didn’t buy her grief 100% but it was very tenderly done. I did hate the reason for the third act breakup though!! The whole work enemies to lovers thing has been done before, and perhaps done better? But I still enjoyed it!

In Let's Call a Truce, the premise of Juliana navigating single parenthood while dealing with a problematic colleague held immense promise. The potential for a poignant blend of romance and the complexities of grief and resilience was not just clear, but it sparked a sense of hope and intrigue. However, the execution fell short, primarily due to character development and pacing challenges.
Juliana's journey through grief, a path many of us have walked, and her unwavering determination to rebuild her life, resonate deeply. Her strength as a working mom is not just compelling, but a mirror to many of our own lives. However, her prolonged rivalry with Ben, her colleague, often overshadowed her personal growth. Their two-year feud, while meant to add tension, felt repetitive and petty at times, making their eventual truce and romantic shift feel rushed and unconvincing. Ben's charm often leaned into arrogance, with some of his comments about Juliana's children and her experiences coming across as insensitive, hindering his appeal as a romantic lead.
The story occasionally touched on moments of depth, particularly in Juliana's struggles to balance motherhood and a demanding career. These glimpses of vulnerability hinted at a richer narrative that wasn't fully realized. However, they were enough to keep us engaged and invested. Instead, much of the focus remained on their verbal sparring, leaving little room for authentic emotional connection or a more profound exploration of their journeys.
Charlotte North's narration, however, elevates the experience. Her voice captures the nuances of Juliana's resilience and vulnerability, infusing the story with a warmth and empathy that might otherwise have been lost. Her ability to convey tension and emotion adds a layer of engagement, making the audiobook a standout way to experience this story. For instance, her tone and pacing during the more emotional scenes bring out the depth of the characters' feelings, enhancing the reader's connection to the story.
While Let's Call a Truce had flashes of potential, it ultimately struggled to deliver the depth and chemistry needed to fully realize its compelling premise. However, if you're a fan of contemporary romance with a strong focus on character dynamics, you might still find elements to enjoy in this book.

Let's Call a Truce
A Novel
by Amy Buchanan
Narrated by Charlotte North

I received an ARC of this audiobook through Netgalley

Narration: *****
World Building: *****
Characters: *****
Secondary Characters: *****
Romance: *****
Character Chemistry: *****
Scenery: *****

I loved this book! It isn’t really an enemies-to-lovers story. It is more of a I won’t let anyone close enough to hurt me even though I really want to -to- lovers story

The workplace, friends, children, parents - it all felt so real. It felt like someone’s real life story and romance.

I am certain this book could be made into a successful rom-com movie.

I highly recommend this romance!

Solid 3.5 ⭐️! Enemies to lovers in a workplace setting is classic. I love the supportive group of besties, that add extra humour to this rom-com type read.

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook through NetGalley. The narrator was not my favourite, the impression of a man’s voice for Ben was off putting. I was hoping for a from Ben’s perspective chapter at the end. Having said that, I still really enjoyed it.

This is the perfect audio book for readers who liked The Hating Game. it seems like a more mature version with more of life's issues piled into it. The characters are very well developed, and each has their own back story that intrigues the reader. The narrator is smooth and colorful.

I received an advanced copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this enemies to lovers workplace romance. The audio version was done pretty well, though I think the narrator’s male voice could have been better. I appreciated how her deceased husband had been a great husband and father. Sometimes I feel like the widow feels relief because things were bad before the husband dies, but I think that is the exception. Parenthood and what we do to ensure our children’s happiness was a strong theme. There is great banter but also depth. You may need tissues.

Let's Call a Truce is a rivals-to-lovers workplace romance with all of the banter and spice you could possibly want. This is Amy Buchanan's debut and I can't wait to see what else she does! Charlotte North is one of my favorite narrators and she does a fantastic job as Juliana. Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan audio for the advanced copy!

I was surprised by this audiobook. The story showed a maturity of characters that isn't usually seen in these kids of books. I love the merging of the blended families and the way that this book tackled those topics. Lovely story. 3.75 stars.