After the death of her husband, Juliana Ryan has returned to the workplace with shaky confidence. So it is devastating when she hears her hot coworker, Ben, complaining about her kids and inexperience being a burden to the company. When they are forced to work on a career changing project, Juliana has no choice but to call a truce.

This spicy enemies to lovers, second chance workplace romance ramps of the tension pretty quickly. I enjoyed the fact that the characters appeared to be very realistic single parents and coworkers. While I typically like witty banter, some of the dialogue seemed to move into the snarky for me and felt that repetitive at times. For a debut, I rated this a 3.5. this was a fun read and will be someone to watch.

*Thank you to SMP Romance, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ARC/ALC in exchange for my honest review*

I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't hit for me. I didn't like Juliana when she was at work, but the whole point of this book is that it's a workplace romance soooo.... I don't know. The petty pranks were funny though!

I was far more interested in her relationship with her kids and her grief over losing her husband. Any scenes that the kids were in really softened Juliana and Ben to me. The side characters were great overall, and Quinn might even get her own book? I dunno, I just got those vibes. But the big twist at the end was infuriating and I didn't understand why Ben would even entertain it. Like... why are we doing this?? This is just a case of avoidance ruining a perfectly good time.

I feel like the chemistry here was great. i do think the conflict worked pretty well for their dislike.


The audio was fantastic. I feel like the narrators really brought the story to life.

first i want to say the narrator did an amazing job. i was abl to receive the ALC for this and seriously she did such a great job and the production of the audiobook was seriously top tier.

ok now that is out of the way....lets talk about the book itself. i think if you are a fan of lucy score or elena armas then you should reach for this one.

for me PERSONALLY, i feel like the fmc julianna was one of the worsts i have ever read about lol i could not STAND HER! she had one of the worst personalities and honestly i think something about her was triggering for me. she just came across as a mean girl and very dismissive of others. she was also soooo pick me. i did like the MMC ben but at a certain point i wasnt vibing with him anymore..it felt like at the end of the day this couple may stay together but it was gonna be HELL for ben.

i would read more from this author bc the flow of the story was good, there was some unneccessary things and parts like the new joob opportunity but other than that it flowed well. i just couldnt stand the fmc.

thank you so much to netgalley and macmillan audio for the alc!

Who doesn't love an office romance? Especially when it begins as an office rivalry, where both parties are attracted to one another, but some random miscommunication lands them in rival territory for two years. What I appreciate is that there isn't any instant love; these characters knew each other for two years before they decided to call a truce and get along. They have a mutual best friend who also works in the office, yet the two are not very familiar with each other.

The romance is sweet, but I dislike the continuous lack of communication and the random obstacles that are thrown at the height of happiness to complicate the relationship. Life already has enough hardships without the addition of unnecessary trauma. Additionally, if I were the female main character, I would have been sick of tulips by the end of this novel, but to each their own.

Overall, the story is charming and contains some spicy moments, but it follows the typical narrative of this genre like a roadmap. There isn't anything particularly new or surprising that makes it stand out. Despite this, I still enjoyed the story.

Charlotte North is a terrific narrator. 🤩
Story is so super cute. 🤩
Really enjoyed this one!
Got to love a hot co-worker, especially when he really puts on the moves.
So many cute things about this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advance audio copy in exchange for my honest review.
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mini Review: I did technically finish it, but there was a lot of skimming in the middle, so I can't really say I "completed" it.

Was I enjoying it initially? Yes and no. I do generally love these tropes and I loved the concept of a widow trying to get back into her career after leaving it to raise children, only to be met with a roadblock in the form of an aggravatingly sexy coworker. I also loved the surprise we get in the middle, though I won't spoil that. Definitely some potential in these concepts, which is why it was so disappointing that I didn't love the story. Every time I would start to get into it, something would pull me right back out again. And then the third act conflict left me with a sour feeling.

Why did I skim? Well, the vibes were off from the beginning, but I loved the premise, so I was hoping things would improve. I began skimming once it was clear that probably wasn't going to happen. The two-year time jump near the beginning throws the pacing off in a big way. I loved the setup, but it wasn't executed all that well. Things improved somewhat in the middle, then the third act conflict kicked in, and it extinguished all those warm and fuzzy feelings. So my thoughts were all over the place with this one.

Who would I recommend this to? Fans of Elena Armas or The Hating Game would be the natural fit, if you're just looking to satisfy that office rivals craving.

Audio note: The audio is fine, nothing special but easy enough to listen to. Charlotte North narrates the whole thing, and she's not a personal favorite of mine, but she is a competent narrator. I find her voice to be a bit snooty sometimes, which works for the enemies to lovers vibes in this, in a way. The runtime (around 10 hours) makes for a full day listen, but the vibes worked well for the format. There's minimal spice - it's certainly not the focus, but it's there. All in all, it's an easygoing listen and not a bad way to experience the story.

A smart, witty, snarky banter filled, enemies to forever, hate to love, second chance romance for two somewhat broken single parents. Juliana is doing all she can to keep things afloat while mourning the loss of her much loved husband. When she goes back to work she meets Ben. He is dealing with some serious fallout in his own life and seems to take out every bit of frustration he is feeling on her. When she hears him talking smack about her behind her back the gloves come off and their hostility is palpable. Be prepared as Ben comes of as a jerk of epic proportions and I had a “seriously, do I really want to finish listening to a story about this blech person?” Keep going. Definitely worth it and so glad I did. It’s a wonderfully narrated listen as they make their way from off the charts hate/attraction bumpy road to a perfect happily next chapters of their lives.

I loved this one! Juliana takes on a new job in HR after being home with her girls for years and after the unexpected death of her beloved husband. The way she constantly learns to balance life with work, kids and self-care is something we moms are always working on. When she has to work with Ben on a project and she overhears him saying something bad about her having to be flexible to be with her kids, she immediately sees him as an enemy. I love the fact that both Juliana and Ben work at the same place and are each older, single parents from different circumstances. Each of them had their own worries and fears when it comes to their own families to overcome. The bickering between the two was brilliant. I love the steamy parts, and it felt appropriate and not too much. The way Buchanan explored grief and a new love at the same time was wonderfully done. I highly recommend this one!

Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan delivers all the hallmarks of a great second-chance romance, with plenty of tension, witty banter, and undeniable chemistry. Ben Thomas and Juliana Ryan’s journey is filled with bumps in the road as they navigate a complicated mix of personal history and professional rivalry.
From the beginning, Ben and Juliana are antagonistic to a fault, often resorting to immature squabbles that leave you wondering how they’ll ever find common ground. Their verbal sparring matches are sharp and frequent, but beneath the bickering lies an undeniable physical chemistry that’s impossible to ignore. It’s no surprise their friends see the connection before they do, adding to the slow-burn nature of their romance.
What ultimately shifts the dynamic between Ben and Juliana is worth the wait. As with any classic romance, the journey to their happily-ever-after is full of twists, misunderstandings, and heartfelt realizations. Amy Buchanan does a great job capturing the push-and-pull of their relationship, making the payoff satisfying for fans of the genre. If you enjoy enemies-to-lovers with a second-chance twist, this one is a fun, engaging read!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 4
🌶️🌶️🌶️/ 3

Wow! This was a heartfelt read. Yes there was laughter and love but I really appreciated the story behind the two single parents overcoming their anxieties and past. What starts off as enemies in the office to a truce eventually turns into love. The journey these MCs take had me flying through this story. It was worth every minute.

Thank you Macmillan audio for the gifted copy.

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, and MacMillan Audio for the gifted audiobook! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this if you like: Coworkers, second chances, enemies to lovers, single parent, steamy 🔥

This is such a great debut. The narrator is perfect. I loved the different voices she did. The romance, spice, and angst in this are 🔥 It's complex and deep, but still lighthearted. I highly recommend it!

This was cute. It wasn’t overly unique but the author did a good job getting me into the characters and wanting to find out what happens. I would read more books by her. I loved the audio narrator, she did an excellent job

4/5 stars

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy!

Initial thoughts: this book is sooooo cute!!

I really enjoyed this one all throughout. The enemies to lovers vibes was really fun and well-done; it didn't take too long or feel too rushed. The spice and romance were believable, sweet and enjoyable to read. While I did find the main romantic conflict pretty frustrating, I think the resolution was well-executed and redeemed the book for me.

It can be really hard to include heavier topics, like grief, into romance novels, but Amy Buchanan nailed this. I think she touched on the grief enough so that we, as the readers, kept it in mind while processing the rest of the story, but not too much that it was overwhelming or frustrating. Both of our main characters were so likeable, and I genuinely appreciated them as both individuals and a couple. Plus, like all my favorite romance novels, the supporting characters -- especially the daughters !! -- added a lot of dimension and joy to this story, all of which kept me hooked from start to finish.

First, I will say that I enjoyed the narrator on this book. She’s easy to listen to. I also enjoyed the story and the characters very much. I do not believe I have read/listened to this author before. I am glad I finally had the opportunity to and I will definitely be looking for more of her books.

This was such a knock out of the park for me!
I honestly feel like there nothing I didn’t love this this book. The pacing was very well done - It felt like we were moving, but not flying so fast you can’t enjoy it. The writing was so bingable and enjoyable. You have top tier banter where you’re laughing out loud, but also extremely deep and sentimental moments where you’re on the verge of tears.

It gave everything it needed to give for enemies to lovers in the workplace. Enemies is a tough word to fit, so I would say this is more rivals. You have three kids that just add to the story for me - imo kiddos in books can either add or take away from a story and in this case they were sweet, funny and real and I loved that.

Single mom / single dad is such a refreshing take as well because you constantly see single dad/nanny and i just love seeing new takes on it!

There is a third act conflict, but I didn’t hate it. I feel like it was semi predictable but it ended up adding to the story in my opinion. It allowed our FMC to grow in ways I don’t feel like she would have without it.

LASTLY - the author did a phenomenal job at writing grief in a very beautiful way. She got the bad of it, but also the good in it and having a partner like our MC to hold your hand through the other side of grief was beautiful. It’s a tough topic to touch and she did so great with it!

All in all, i loved this. I will absolutely be reading whatever this author puts out next! For a debut novel, this was very well done and I can only see her getting better from here!

Let’s Call A Truce
Amy Buchanan
Pub: 1/14/25
4☆

I am always here for enemies to lovers even more so when it’s workplace romance. Juliana and Ben’s story was not only lighthearted and entertaining, it was also a realistic and relatable look at grief and second chances both in life and love. I laughed, I swooned, and I enjoyed the journey these two took both individually and together. I probably could have done without the third act breakup, but all in all I enjoyed this one. A solid debut and I look forward to more from Buchanan.

What I enjoyed
✨Workplace Romance
✨Enemies To Lovers
✨Single Parent
✨Second Chance
✨Character Growth

The narration of Charlotte North was so well done and fun to listen. If you're an audio fan, give this one a listen.

Thank you so much St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copies.

I loved this book!

It was real, raw and so beautiful.

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and will definitely re-read this in the future.

This book had substance and depth, it was very realistic in what it is like to deal with grief.

It also focuses on love after loss and how you can and should allow yourself to love and be loved even when you're dealing with grief and loss.

I loved how they highlighted the mental health of children.

This was such a heartwarming book and I’ll definitely read more by Amy Buchanan.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Amy Buchanan for giving me an advanced listener’s copy of this book, the narrator did a great job and I enjoyed this book so much!

3.5 stars.

"Let's Call a Truce" by Amy Buchanan is a solid debut romance with a lot of sexiness and a compelling exploration of grief and life after the death of a spouse. It is a slow-burning enemies/rivals-to-lovers workplace romance with a lot of in-office shenanigans *waggles eyebrows up and down.* There is an instant spark between Juliana and Ben when she begins working 9 months after her husband's untimely passing. Unfortunately, it is a crackling spark of disdain, and the two begin a years-long rivalry based on something Ben said. That's my main complaint. Juliana clearly knows how to hold a grudge and does so with reckless abandon. Ben said one bad thing to her on a bad day, and she continued punishing him for it for years. While the story does take a few turns to make this all ok, and while there is a lot of good chemistry and banter between the two of them, the initial premise of how they met rubbed me the wrong way a bit. Juliana repeatedly makes it a habit of shutting Ben out and down. I am surprised he didn't just tell her to eff off at one point. I understand that she has been grieving, and no one should tell another person how to grieve, but it felt a little too convenient to me. A lot of readers might interpret this as tension between the two of them, and if you do, more power to you, but I certainly did not. I do appreciate that Juliana always tells it like it is and doesn't shrink or nerf her opinions and thoughts. Luckily, this turned out to be a good book overall. There is enough good here to offset my complaints. I liked the family dynamic between Juliana and her two young girls. She seems to have fostered a wonderful relationship with her kids post-death of their father, allowing them a safe space to process their grief with her and in therapy. The exploration of life after the death of a spouse felt realistic to me. I liked the moments when Juliana and Ben got out of their own way and started to admit their real feelings for one another. I have to admit, I hated the ending. I hated Ben's attitude and the choices he made at the end of the book! He made me want to pull my hair out! Charlotte North's audiobook narration was good, but I think her "Ben" voice needed a little work. Still, I had a mostly good time reading this book and think it is worth your time, too.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amy Buchanan, and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Let's Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan was a sexy, swoony romance that shows love after loss is not only possible but also worth the risk.

After her husband dies unexpectedly, Juliana Ryan finds her back in the workplace, and she immediately butts heads with Ben Thomas after she overhears him calling her a liability. Two years later, their feud is still going strong--but then she realizes that he's also a single parent and their girls become friends--so they're forced even further into each other's orbits. The tension bubbling under the surface is the sexy kind, and when they finally give in, it's so worth the wait. The third act break up was frustrating--not because it didn't need to happen but because Ben was an absolute idiot--but I persevered and they eventually got their happily ever after. Charlotte North does a fantastic job narrating--her "man" voice isn't annoying or distracting, which I always appreciate, when there's only one narrator for a book. Also, I don't remember how Ben was described in the book, but I kept picturing him as a younger Benjamin Bratt.

If you like single parent romances (in this case, both of them are single parents!) and books that deal gently with themes of grief and loss, Let's Call a Truce is one not to be missed. Thank you to MacMillan Audio for my advance listening copy.