🎧 Book Review 🎧 Is there life…and even love after loss? I have said it more times than I would care to admit how difficult and life changing grief is. Juliana is a young mom of two girls when she unexpectedly loses her husband and her whole life is upended. While she may think she is a hot mess express (though I have yet to find any mom with kids who does not feel that way), she is one impressive lady balancing it all. Amy Buchanan writes one strong yet relatable female lead who handles life almost seamlessly…there’s just one thorn in her side and his name is Ben. Her work life balance would be so much easier without his unwavering pesky attitude and apparent lack of support of her daughters but a new work project has them working closer than ever. And it seems all that tension was actually their chemistry that Juliana and Ben finally get to explore and it is one beautiful and exhilarating ride. Charlotte North does a phenomenal job breathing life into this book, creating an audiobook that covers the whole spectrum of emotions.

Thank you to the author and St Martin's for allowing me to read this one early through her traveling arc program!

Let’s Call a Truce is a workplace, rivals to lovers rom com featuring two broken but healing leads trying to do the best they can for their kids. It’s got all the hallmarks of a great workplace rivalry romcom — banter, tension, forced proximity — with all the heart of a single-parent romance — falling in love with their whole family, tenderly making sure the romance works for the kids, learning to open back up to love again. It’s also so funny, has a super swoony leading man, amazing female friendships, major girl boss moments, an inclusive workplace, and some business trips to Boston (lots of business happens if you know what I mean!).

Overall, I recommend this to all rom com lovers, but especially readers who liked The Hating Games and Sarah Adam’s The Match.

Narration Notes: The audiobook is performed by Charlotte North, who you may have heard from her narration of Tessa Bailey and Chloe Liese books. She's one of my favorites -- her voice is expressive and emotional enough to bring a story to life, but not so distinctive that every book feels like it's from the same POV. Nothing wildly unique about it, but a solid choice if you like audiobooks!

Let’s call a truce was an amazing book with such lovable characters. The chemistry between Ben and Juliana is to die for, both as a couple and as parents. The story is emotional and deals with loss of a spouse/parent. Coworker enemy to lovers, definitely a great read

This is a spicy, workplace enemies to lovers story with the added depth of grief over the unexpected death of the FMC’s husband from a debut author that I expect most readers will really enjoy.

Readers who loved The Hating Game style of workplace archenemies plus the challenges and emotions of grief from The Last Love Note will enjoy this blend. It definitely leans more rom-com than The Last Love Note, but features some similar themes through the FMC’s journey.

The fiery chemistry and banter was on point, but the ENEMIES of the enemies to lovers lasted a bit long for me. You all know I’m more of a friends to lovers girl at heart. EMOJI I also did not enjoy the third act conflict, but such is the nature of complicated fictional stories sometimes!

I listened to this on audio and enjoyed the performance. I’d recommend this format!

Perfect for you if you like:
Workplace archenemies
Bad first impression
Navigating grief and single motherhood
Fiery chemistry and banter
Spicy

Buchanen”s story is charming and delightful to listen to with Charlotte North as the narrator. She has a nice flow and easy pacing of the audio. Her performance for each female character is voiced well and I really felt the emotions especially seeing as the main female character, Juliana, goes through so many with all the conflicts she faces.

Also, I was very entertained when it came to all of the quick wit banter that went back and forth throughout the story. North is very good narrating both the sarcastic and teasing wit of both characters.

The only aspect of the narration that did not feel right was North’s narration of the main male character, Ben. Her narrative performance of the male voice does not really match Ben’s physical description or personality characteristics. I was looking for a deeper, teasing voice that did not really come though in the narration.

I recommend this audio. Since listening to other books narrated by Charlotte North, I know she is a very solid narrator and worth a try if you have never done so before. Happy listening!

I was fortunate enough to read Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan on audiobook thanks to @Macmillan.Audio. All opinions are my own.

Juliana is a recent widow with two young children. She has spent seven years as a stay-at-home mom and I wish I could add some of her relatable quotes on that job! Maybe after it publishes I will come back here and make some additions.

She needs to get a job and is hired by her past boss who is wonderful. Juliana immediately makes a nemesis, and we know how that goes in romance novels! After two years of hate, the love interest (I won’t tell you his name) becomes Mr. Perfect who fluently speaks all the love languages- words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, gifts, and physical touch. He will be considered primo book boyfriend material with how vocal he is with his strong and unrelenting feelings towards her. She is a little more up and down which may be understandable with her situation. I didn’t bond with the main character, and while she was so wise with her career and as a mother, some of her inner thoughts seemed immature to me. I enjoyed the side characters, the side storylines, and Buchanan’s writing style.

Narrator Charlotte North fit the sound of the story nicely. There was cute music involved, and even her kid voices are good which is no easy feat! I really enjoy hearing new-to-me voices along with my new-to-me characters and I’m happy for the introduction to Charlotte North.

This book publishes January 14, 2025 and I look forward to reading more books from this debut author in the future!

3.5 /5 stars
10 hours 3 minutes at 1x on audio
Open door
Locations: Orlando, Florida and Boston, Massachusetts

Enemies to lovers + co-workers who fall + dead husband + surprise!single dad. Juliana and Ben share a workplace and a best friend and a 2-year long rivalry. The description of this one sounded great and I liked Juliana's professional context/adversity and her personal growth and friend group AND the kids were well-written--which is really hard to do! The relationship had some holes in it for me, though, which kept it from being a fave. Still, if any of those tropes are your jam, this was a high-quality romance!

2.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I really wished I enjoyed this book more than I did. This book seemed right up my alley. An office romance with an enemies to lovers theme. However, I felt like this book fell flat. First, the book didn't have very much office romance. Most of the romance took place outside of work. Second, the FMC was very vocal about the fact that she had children and worked in a corporate job. She kept talking about how she reentered the workforce after a long absence. I totally understand that this is a big deal but I felt that it was mentioned too much. Third, I felt like we didn't get enough interactions with the MC's to fully understand their chemistry and why they liked each other. Finally, I felt like the FMC judged the MMC on an unfair metric and the MMC deserved a bit better than what he was given. I did enjoy the narrator. I think she did a good job distinguishing the voices between the characters.

Okay, now for my petty gripe. A rival SEC school was mentioned in this book in the very beginning. The FMC did the "gator chomp" on her first day in a corporate setting and I just can't picture that being appropriate for a work setting. It bothered me to the point that I got second hand embarrassment. I appreciate the SEC representation. However, I believe this book is best enjoyed if you live in Orlando or went to the University of Florida.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

Silly me thinking this was going to be a light read only to dive in and discover just how heavy this book really was.

Juliana is back at work after her husband passed away suddenly and, while at her new job, she overhears one of her coworkers criticizing her for rushing out due to an emergency at her daughter's school. This sets them up for a rivalry/battle that continues over the course of the next two years. When a project comes up that they have to work on together, the two of them find themselves putting aside their issues, which give their feelings a chance to grow.

What killed me about this, and I guess maybe it was just me? Or maybe it's because it's one of my biggest fears as a mom to two young children, but hearing Juliana talk about and seeing her grief as she navigates life as a now widowed mother was rough. There were a lot of emotions here, and as much as I was rooting for her and Ben, I also understood why she was so hesitant to take that next step and be happy. Her emotional turmoil is tough enough, but when things get... complicated later on, it's absolutely gut wrenching.

This was romantic, a little hot, but mostly sweet. The topics are heavy, but the author and the narrator do a fantastic job at keeping things light enough that it doesn't drag you down and keep you from enjoying what essentially is a very sweet romance.

Actual Rating: 4.5 stars

This was a super cute enemies to lovers/office romance. Juliana is a recently widowed mother of two, who resumes her career after being a stay-at-home mom. Everything is going well in the office until she overhears a colleague Ben, complaining about having to work with an unreliable single mom. This leads to a feud that lasts two years. Amidst that feud are sparks.

I really enjoyed this book, I loved the sexual tension between Juliana and Ben. The supporting characters were great too. I was surprised to see that this was a debut novel for Amy Buchanan.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy. The audiobook was great to listen to. Narrator Charlotte North was amazing, I could not stop listening! I highly recommend this audiobook, especially for fans of The Hating Game, it gives off the same fun, flirty vibes. 4.5 stars.

Well of course I was hooked once the author described Ben as a Henry Cavill look-alike. But, I stayed because they didn't make the characters one-demenional. Both Juliana and Ben had gone through tragic events that help you understand the why behind their choices and make you feel and root for both of them. While I picked it up as a quick read to pass the time, I ended up laughing, tearing up, and thoroughly enjoying it. I would recommend this book, thank you NetGalley for the advanced listen.

After the death of her husband, Juliana has returned to work after years away as a stay-at-home mom. On her first day back, mom duty calls, and she overhears co-worker Ben disparage her for putting her family first. Now, 2 years later, their feud is still going strong, and those angry feelings still seem to be mixed with a certain kind of…*tension*. 👀

This was a really cute workplace romance! It’s single POV, which I often have a problem with in romance, but I found I didn’t really mind it here. (But it may have made me take Juliana’s side in most of their disagreements. 😂)

I enjoyed Juliana’s journey, finding her footing after such major life changes. I also really loved all the side characters, especially Juliana’s friends and the little darling daughters.

The third act breakup wasn’t my favorite, but…I understood where it was coming from. (But that doesn’t mean I have to “like” it! 😜) And their makeup was very cute.

Overall, I definitely enjoyed this one!

Audiobook Notes: I always enjoy Charlotte North’s narration, and this one was another job well done!

Thank you to and @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for providing me an early copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

What this book is giving:
✅ Contemporary Romance
✅ Single POV
✅ Workplace Romance
✅ Older MCs (35/38)
✅ Single Mom + Widow
✅ Animosity to Lovers
✅ Dancing in da club

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5

This workplace, enemies-to-lovers romance balances humor, heart, and just the right amount of spice. The chemistry between Juliana and Ben is fantastic, with their witty banter and the hilarious Battle Log adding to the fun. While I enjoyed their journey, the slow burn and hints of miscommunication felt frustrating at times, and the third-act conflict seemed unnecessary. The audiobook narration by Charlotte North brought the story to life, making it an enjoyable experience overall.

Overall I really enjoyed this enemies to lovers, workplace, single parent romance. The banter between Juliana and Ben was well written and the addition of the Battle Log was hilarious! The spice was always just right for you type of book.

While I did enjoy this book, I felt like this book had an incredibly slow slow burn and hints of the miscommunication trope just became really annoying since this is a book and adults. I also thought the third act breakup was a little over the top and came out of nowhere.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the performance by Charlotte North.

Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan

Pub date: January 14, 2025

Narrator: Charlotte North

Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 3/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Juliana is grieving the loss of her husband while trying to raise their two girls on her own. She navigates going back to work after being a stay at home mom for a while. She has to cancel meetings one day because of her kids and later overhears one of her colleagues complaining about her. From that moment, she immediately sees him as an enemy. Then, they're forced to work on a new project together which leads them to realize that some of those feelings might be attraction rather than hatred.

I loved that both Juliana and Ben are both single parents, however their circumstances are much different. Each of them had their own worries to overcome when it comes to their families, which added depth to the story as a whole. The bickering between the two was great and so entertaining. The way that the author explored grief and new love at the same time was wonderfully done.

The narration by Charlotte North was very well done and I enjoyed listening to the book! The pacing was great throughout and it was easy to get lost in the story.

Overall, Let’s Call a Truce is a wonderful second chance, enemies to lovers, workplace romance with witty banter, tension, and incredible chemistry between the MCs. An easy, lighthearted read that touches on some complex topics while still remaining fun. I would recommend this one!

I went into this book blind & it did not disappoint! A story about overcoming grief, forgiveness & a little hate to love workplace romance.

📖: Let's Call a Truce-standalone

✍️ By: Amy Buchanan-debut author

📃 Page Count: 335 eBook

🎧 Narrator: Charlotte North voices all the characters with standouts from characters: Juliana, Ben, and Asia. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.

🏃🏾‍➡️ Run Time: 10:03

🗓️ Publication Date: 1-14-25 | Read 12-27-24

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Amy Buchanan for this ARC and ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions expressed are my own.

🌎Setting: Orlando, FL to Boston, MA

Genre: Adult Fic, Contemporary Romance

Tropes: enemies to lovers, workplace romance, rivals, single parents

☝🏾POV: 1st person, single

⚠️TW: grief-death of spouse, bullying, parental abandonment, therapy

💭Summary: Juliana has her first day back to work at Keller, Munoz, and Griffin Architecture and Interior Design company since her husband's passing nine months ago. The stay-at-home mother of two is still grieving and trying to balance home life when she runs into Ben. She overhears him talking badly about her inexperience and having children, so they become each other's work nemeses. Two years pass and they are still at each other but when both are up for promotion, they must work together on an internship project with Billings College.

🚺Heroine: Juliana Ryan-35

🚹 Hero: Ben Thomas-39

🎭Side cast:

• Sophie and Clara-Juliana's daughters 7 and 9

• Eduardo Munoz-Juliana's boss, CEO of KMG

• Jason-Juliana's deceased husband

• Asia Taylor-Juliana's BFF, co worker

• Christina-Juliana's boss, VP of KMG


🤔My Thoughts: Juliana and Ben unknowingly had a lot in common, but their egos got in the way. Both were career driven and tried to sabotage each other with quips and witty banter. I felt for their mutual friend Asia who knew about their tragedies, but didn't want to be in the middle. There was a 3rd act breakup but ended with a blended family HEA.

Range of emotions: 😬🤔🙄
🌶️: Spice 4/5
😭: Emotion 5/5
❤️: Couple 5/5
⭐:Rating 4.5/5

I don’t usually like workplace romance, but this book had me enthralled. I am completely hooked! The way these characters were so raw and real gave the story a solid foundation while the whirlwind plot completely mesmerized me. The narrator pulled off the different characters so well. If you love a good romance with single parents finding love again after loss, a former SAHM who has to re-enter the workplace, and enemies to lovers vibes with a sprinkle of spice, this one is for you!

This is an excellent debut novel and I look forward to reading more from Amy Buchanan. This is a workplace / enemy to lovers romance. Juliana is a single mom and widow to two girls, Clara and Sophie. She re-enters the workplace as a job recruiter for an engineering firm. She instantly connects with Ben, who works in the architecture department. However, the spell is short-lived after she overhears him complain about her and her children to a mutual colleague. Fast-forward two years later and Juliana is still holding the grudge. Their workplace drama is well-known, but they have to put their differences aside when they are asked to work on a huge project together.

Their lives become intertwined. In addition to work, they have friends in common, and their families also get to know each other. Juliana is still grieving as she tries to sort out her feelings with Ben. Ben on the other hand is patent and sweet. He really puts himself out there and supports Juliana in everyway he knows how. I wish that she was nicer to him and I'm glad when she is forced to accept her own parenting advice. He is an incredible book boyfriend!

They are tested as a couple and Amy Buchanan does a great job of allowing the reader to make the same hard choices that Juliana and Ben have to make. The balance of being a parent and putting your kids first but also balancing what you need for yourself is something many parent struggle with every day.

I enjoyed this book a lot. Thank you for NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a fun romcom, it was a light, easy read with some great feels and thoughts. The novel had humor and heart with a female main character that was easy to root for. Juliana is also a widow and mom trying to do her best. I really enjoyed it but at times, I wanted to tell her to just go with it stop making things so hard. Like a great romcom the banter was witty, the spice was spicy and the whole thing was delightful. The narrator is one of great at bringing things to life in the story and providing the snark. The relationships between the friends were great and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thanks Netgalley for the audio ARC to preview.