Not that long ago I read a rom-com about a young widow falling in love again. I don’t think I would have loved Let’s Call a Truce even if I hadn’t read that book, but it’s recent enough to be a reminder of how the other book did a much better job making me love the characters and the romance between them. Juliana, the protagonist in this story, is definitely one of my least favorite romantic leads in quite some time. I feel like I should like her, as a single mom who lost her husband when someone was driving distracted. But she’s incredibly juvenile and selfish. Despite her own struggles as a single parent she has incredibly little understanding for another single parent trying to do the right thing for his child. The first third of the book is her and love interest (and fellow coworker) Ben engaging in childish and immature antics at work that put their best friend in a horrible position. Then there’s a scene between the two that’s wildly out of place with the rest of the book. Then the two decide to pursue a relationship that’s seems to be entirely contingent on Ben doing everything Juliana’s way before his ex makes a reappearance in his life, and Juliana decides to throw in the towel because his world got complicated and doesn’t completely revolve around her. On top of all this she’s supposed to be HR, and has a completely inappropriate relationship at work, both before and after it turns romantic. There are some moments in the book where I had a good chuckle, but Juliana’s immaturity and self absorption completely turned me off, as did Barber’s occasional strays into weird and formal writing. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As a reader, I’ve experienced so many worlds and places but not often do I get to experience my own. I try to go into my books knowing nothing so it can be as authentic of an experience as possible, with this in mind I had no idea it would take place in the heart of Orlando! The way the author describes scenes, I know exactly where I am or has a pretty good idea which is exhilarating. Juliana is such a strong, brave and competent FMC even if she doesn’t see it sometimes. With the abrupt passing of her husband and adjusting to raising two young girls on her own, I think she’s killing it. THE BATTLE LOG. Her pettiness (when absolutely required) is delicious. The long standing feud between Ben and Juliana is so entertaining. Poor Asia being stuck in the middle of two people who want each other so badly it manifests into hateful passion. Ben puts it well “You may hate me, but you still want me.” like period. Which is where the original truce begins, to play nice for Asia’s birthday night. But don’t worry, several more are required later down the line. The found family aspect of the story is a glorious representation of how it takes a village to raise children. As a kid whose dad is not by blood but by choice, this book worked through somethings with me I didn’t even realize I needed support with.

Pub Date January 14 2025

ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley. Thank you.

review posted to NetGalley & Goodreads

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC! This is my first book on NetGalley and I'm excited to see where this all goes!

The Plot:
After losing her husband in a horrific car accident, Juliana Ryan is trying to survive. She's got two little girls to take care of as she manages the transition back into the workforce. Enter Ben Thomas, Juliana's new work colleague that she immediately takes a liking to. That is, until she overhears him making comments about her kids and how her being distracted could be bad for the company. This starts a feud between them that lasts 2 years until those walls slowly start breaking down.

The Characters:
Juliana Ryan - I think that Juliana was a bit too stubborn. TWO YEARS. Two years she kept up this feud over one tiny comment. There's a scene later on in the book where she has to talk to one of her daughters about grudges and it still doesn't fully sink in to her. I get being overprotective, but this was one of those conflicts that could have been solved with one single adult conversation. Also, she is incredibly rude to Ben. I know the snarky remarks are what makes it enemies to lovers, but was downright mean at times. There were a few things I did admire about this character. She seemed to have a great work ethic and she was a great mom.

Ben Thomas - Another common theme in enemies to lovers, please Ben, get some self-respect. I love a good pining storyline, but as I referenced above, Juliana was very mean at times. Ben was also a very dedicated character and I think a lot of his flaws could get turned around once he figures out how to deal with his past.

Overall:
I got through this book pretty quick. I loved the tension at the beginning; I just wish what started the feud had a little more substance behind it. I also got whiplash from how quick this book went from spicy tension to sappy emotion. This book did great with the blended family theme and they brought up Juliana's challenges about moving on after a spouses' death enough to drive the point home that it did hurt and did lead to a lot of internal conflict about moving on. I wasn't a huge fan of the 3rd act breakup. I'm getting sick of those, but I understood the reasoning behind it this time.

I am excited to see what is next for this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4/5 stars

Let’s Call a Truce is an enemies to lovers workplace romance between a widow and her new colleague. When Juliana’s husband dies tragically, she is forced to become a career woman again after staying at home with her children. She immediately clashes with her colleague, Ben, and their feud lasts for two years. Eventually, the two realize that their feud may be charged with something other than hate.

This was a great second chance at love story. I enjoyed the banter and the chemistry. I feel like fans of Annabel Monaghan romances will love this read.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Amy hit this romance out of the park! If you love enemies to lovers, single dad, and he falls first you will love this story. This story was funny, sexy, and had a few moments of sadness. I loved Juliana and Ben and was really impressed with how their parenting dynamic was written. I will definitely recommend this to my audience and I can't wait for further books from Amy! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

For the most part, this was a pretty good office romance with enemies to lovers, and overall I enjoyed it. However, at points there was too much will they won’t they between the leads (mostly due to the FMC’s past/indecisiveness), and then, all of the conflicts that popped up in the last 25% of the story didn’t jive personally with me. They actually made me kind of not like the MMC much at all, so that definitely pulled my rating down.

This one is kind of a weird one for me. I didn't dislike it, but I didn't love it. There were parts I really enjoyed, but oftentimes I found myself quite frustrated with the FMC and then, towards the end when the "big drama" happened, the MMC. The constant push-pull got to the point of ridiculous for me, but at the same time I kept reading because I wanted to see what was going to happen.

What Ben did though...I tried desperately to understand his reasoning, but no. Just no. If it was me, I would have done exactly what Julianna did. And I would not have trusted him afterwards. No, he did not cheat, but his reasoning for letter his ex back into his life was weak. If his daughter was in a similar situation, would he advise her to do that? Would anyone?!

I really wished we could have had Ben's POV because I found myself really wanting to know what was going on his head the whole time.

I am super sad that I didn't love this! I really need to stop requesting books solely for the pretty covers. The combative rivalry between the leads was a dynamic that I could not get behind. I usually enjoy workplace rivals to lovers, so I am unsure if this book took it too far or if I have outgrown the trope.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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.

Overall ratings
Exact star rating: 4.63
5-pt star rating: 5

Attribute ratings
Characters: 4
Atmosphere/Setting: 4
Writing Style: 4.5
Plot/Pacing: 5
Intrigue: 4.5
Logic: 5
Enjoyment: 5

Not your typical office enemies to something more, this love story doesn’t shy away from the fact that grief and loss are complicated.

That fear can make us act like jerks. (Oops?)

That parenting isn’t just sticky-messy, it can also make our adult relationships messy because of decisions we make for our kids.

And that love is absolutely worth the wait and work.

The build from butting heads to the thrum of attraction between the two coworkers with a lot going on in their personal lives was an interesting and enjoyable ride.

People are complicated, making the fights, spice, humor, heartache, family dynamics and workplace navigations feel real and as integral parts of a satisfying love story.

Looking forward to what’s next for this author.

I was so excited to read my first ARC! 3 ⭐️ I really liked the plot and the conversations about grief. This was so unique as a romance book, but unfortunately I did not like the dialogue. The dialogue and inner monologue was a bit cheesy and unrealistic to me.

I really loved how this book tackled so many difficult themes - single parenting, life after an untimely death of a spouse, dating as a parent, etc - while striking a balance with wit and humor.

4/5 stars

This was a sweet rom-com to help with the dreaded book slump I feel like I've been in for several months.

Juliana, single mother, after her husband passes away, overhears Ben, a coworker, talking bad about her. This creates a bit of a back and forth bickering and a slight feud until they are forced to acknowledge the chemistry between them.

While the author was new to me, I was impressed with the structure and timeline of the book. The author's writing was engaging and easy to follow along with. I'll definitely be following along for future books!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for an ARC!

First, thank you for the eARC of this book.

I requested this arc after a recommendation from a bookstagram friend. After getting the arc, I read the synopsis and was unsure if this would be up my alley. I'm fairly new to contemporary romance and especially one where a MC has children. But I'm glad I gave this book a chance. The story was cute albeit a little slow paced (other than a time jump) but the TENSION?! Chef kiss. I also think the side characters were wonderful and engaging. The little side plots that were revealed and came together were great. Definitely recommend!

*side note: my only real qualm with this book is that the FMC is described as having an "olive complexion" and while I know that this can be considered a lighter skin tone, the cover art depicts her as very fair. It's definitely not what I pictured at all

I thought this would be a simple, coworker/workplace romance but it was so much more and I ate it up! This book touched on enemies to lovers, single parents, grief, forced proximity, and more. The book was the perfect slow burn I needed!
Juliana is a widowed mother of two young girls. She is trying to get her footing for returning to work and finding a balance between being a present mom and a hard worker after the passing of her college sweetheart.
Like any workplace, she has a coworker she doesn't see eye to eye with. Cue Ben... Ben is her cocky coworker who seems to have it all together and appears to be annoyed by Juliana and the flexibility she gets with the company since she has kids. I don't want to give anything away but due to being coworkers and Juliana working on getting a promotion, she and Ben are forced together more frequently to do a big project. Their banter and flirting are top tier, I couldn't get enough of it. I will say I hated it when Stephanie showed up... seemed unnecessary.
The side characters in the book such as Asia, Juliana's mom & others add so much to the story! Normally I don't have strong feelings for background characters but I loved these. Buchanan did a great job giving them a purpose!
I was happily pleased with this book and can't wait to see what Amy Buchanan comes out with in the future. If you love slow burns and enimes to lovers, this book is for you! Check it out when it comes out on January 14, 2025.
———————————————————————
Thank you, NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Juliana and Ben’s story is one filled with achingly human characters and moments. While I did start off on the wrong foot with Juliana, she did start to grow on me with the help of the many characters in this book. She’s multifaceted and a strong soul. After losing her husband so abruptly she takes the time she can to try and attempt to adjust to the world without Jason in it. By starting her new job she also establishes the potential of a community. She was once a stay at home mom, surrounded by other mom’s who were able to make the same decision but had lost that community along with Jason. I found that she knew her own worth, and was able to hold up boundaries when it was needed.

I found it difficult to connect to Ben and understand his reasoning with the lack of his perspective but it worked excellently when sustaining the angst. Stephanie abandoned Paris and Ben suddenly, disappearing for two years before he could track her down to divorce her. If I had to make an educated guess I would say that Stephanie always thrived off of Ben’s attention. When he was describing his and Stephanie’s relationship to Juliana he used the word “addictive” to explain how he felt about his ex. So I think that being a dad to Paris was far more consuming than being a husband to Stephanie. Meaning that their relationship was neglected. Obviously Stephanie also has personal issues, because most people would divorce their husband and get 50/50 custody of their child. She instead went big, and decided to traumatize the both of them. It appeared that she only came back because single life wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. In fact I would say that once Stephanie barged back in to the picture Paris was definitely used as a pawn to get him back. Which is confirmed when it’s revealed that Ben has full custody of Paris, and Stephanie didn’t once try and fight for her during the divorce. Ben’s actions though showed that he hadn’t learnt his lesson from the first experience. I believe in parents having the right to make choices for themselves- whether it be investing in a hobby, having nights out away from the kids, or whichever. It’s essential for them to remain an individual rather than be wholly consumed by being a parent. He was so focused on Paris’ happiness (again) that he had no issue neglecting Juliana’s needs or wants. Which were pretty simple in my opinion. Entertaining emotional blackmail by his ex made me highly reluctant to believe in his personal character, because how did he set a good example to Paris? People should not take back a person who abandoned and traumatized them. It would have been hard on Paris but it also would have shown her how important boundaries are.

This is by no means an instant-love romance. While their sexual chemistry is immediate, it was at some points in the book like observing two brick walls trying to talk to each other. They got along so well once they called their various truces, it made me think of the two years wasted. I even suspected if they would have started out as friends it would have created a stronger foundation for their relationship. By the epilogue of the book I fancied the idea that Jason had sent Ben along to help Juliana continue to live her life instead of just survive it. That he was on the other side cheering her on to find her happily ever after a second time for the person she is now.

Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan was a funny, swoon-worthy, sexy story! Juliana is a widowed mom of two trying to get back into the workforce after taking seven years off to care for her children, while also mourning the loss of her husband. It’s only been one day in her new office and she’s already making enemies. Ben is a beautiful man who also makes Juliana rage every time he talks, thus creating a two year in-office feud. Eventually Juliana and Ben end up having to work together on a project, thus calling a truce to their feud. In this lovely enemies to lover romance we journey with Juliana and Ben in their struggle with learning how to love after loss, and what it means to leave the past behind in order to have a wonderful future.

I give this books a 4/5. It was sweet, funny, and had the right amount of spice! I did feel like Juliana needed a bit more character development. There wasn’t a lot of explanation about why she would get frustrated or angry with Ben, and why she couldn’t just apologize at times when she needed to. I felt like the fight towards the end could have gone differently, but I also get where Ben is coming from in protecting those he loves the most. I also wish there was a little more information on the two years that Ben and Juliana interacted with each other.

I absolutely loved how much the daughters were involved and how deep their characters were. The relationships with their daughters was heart-warming and a beautiful addition to the story. I also loved the relationships with their friends-Asia, Dani, Gabriela, and Christina.

Amy Buchanan’s ability to capture hearts with this story, these characters, and their sweet daughters, was beautiful. Doesn’t hurt that Juliana is a Gator fan!!

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I cannot wait for Amy Buchanan to write more!
I am so thankful to NetGallery for this ARC!

Spice Level: 3.75/5

📚✨Book Review✨📚

Let’s Call a Truce
Author: Amy Buchanan

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫

Notes: I received a copy of this book as an advanced reader, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

What I Liked:
💜 Enemies to lovers in a workplace is basically catnip to me so this was a real treat! Ben was such a delightful surprise. I really didn’t expect much from him in the beginning but I’m so glad with all the twists in the story. It was the ending that much better!

What I Didn’t Like:
💜 Here’s the truth. After the first two chapters I was pretty disinterested. I thought about contacting the author to say I couldn’t review it. I’m not sure why. They just didn’t grasp my attention and I wasn’t into the plot. But I’m glad I read one more. It was worth it!


Final Thoughts:
💜 Amy Buchanan is a new author for me, but one I really enjoyed. This story was heavy at times but also a delightful rom com. Can’t wait to read more from her!


#bookreview #reviewsneedlovetoo #readforeverpub #unpopularopinion #booktok #bookstagram #bookfriend #books #bookish #booklover #instablog #netgalley #romcom

Really good and really sexy!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

OOF. Juliana is ROUGH. What an absolutely unenjoyable character. Anything I did like about this book got totally sidetracked for me because i couldn’t deal with the FMC.