Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan is a charming enemies-to-lovers romance that skillfully blends humor with emotional depth. Juliana Ryan, a widow with two kids, is trying to rebuild her life and career after her husband's sudden death. When she overhears her new colleague, Ben Thomas, dismissing her as a liability, their rivalry ignites in a hilarious and tense first encounter. The chemistry between them is undeniable, even if their relationship starts on the wrong foot.

The two-year time jump added an interesting layer, with their feud still going strong, but there was undeniable tension beneath it. Watching them navigate their careers and personal lives while forced to work together was compelling. Their banter, arguments, and eventually, their intimate moments were perfectly paced, making their relationship feel authentic.

What I appreciated most about the story is how the romance develops slowly. Ben and Juliana don’t just fall into each other’s arms, there are bumps along the way that make their journey to love all the more satisfying. The push-and-pull dynamic between them kept me hooked, even though at times it was frustrating to see them almost get it right, only to face more obstacles.

The emotional stakes rise as Ben’s past complicates their future, and I appreciated how the story dealt with second chances, not just in love, but in personal growth. Buchanan has a knack for building tension and chemistry, and while the journey was at times frustrating, it was ultimately rewarding.

This book was super cute! I love an office romance and one that is super slow burn (2 years in the making!). These two characters were adorable together and I really enjoyed their chemistry.

I really enjoyed this book. After the main characters husband passed she has to go back to work and she meets a coworker who seems like a “jerk” to her but as time goes on they start to get to know one another.

I loved this. the tension, the banter, the SPICE!! oh wow this was just wonderful.

I enjoyed the evolving dynamic between Juliana and Ben. I liked that we got to spend time with them as rivals and learned why they "didn't like each other" at first. I put that in quotations because it's obvious they wanted to bang each other the moment they met and even after their rivalry began. I appreciated the representation of grief and love after loss. I thought it was done really well considering all of Julianna's struggles and her hesitancy about starting anything with Ben. I think she is a strong resilient character and I enjoyed seeing her grow into an even better version of herself by the end of the book.

Ben also has great character development especially when we see him with April. He is also so in love with Juliana and I couldn't get enough of him just being obsessed with her. I think they are a great pairing and if they were a real couple I think they would last.

The only thing I didn't like was how their arguments felt repetitive and inconclusive for a large portion of the book. Other than that, I really loved it.

Special thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book. I actually know of the author as we went to the same college and was excited to read this story. Overall, it blew me away that this was a debut novel! The writing was great, the story engaging, and the character development was fantastic. Juliana's story was heartwrenching at the beginning, but I loved getting to see her find herself after her immense loss, gain confidence, and establish a career. That was just as engaging to me as the romance. I truly loved the relationship development between her and Ben. The banter was superb.
I will say the misunderstanding/third act break-up felt unnecessary. One of my least favorite tropes and I don't feel like it contributed to the story.
I will continue to read Amy's books!
4.5/5 stars

This was a cute little enemies to lovers romcom. While I didn’t feel a ton of chemistry between the main characters, I did like that they were older. I also loved their daughters and the relationships between them. It was somewhat predictable but overall a fun, quick read!

Juliana is a single mom who is balancing raising her children and needing to go back to work after tragedy struck their family. Juliana meets her colleague Ben and they immediately annoy each other and their banter begins.

I love an office romance and enemies-to-lovers was a great trope pairing! That being said, there almost wasn't enough tension? At some points it felt very "insta-lovey" which is not my favorite trope and always leaves me wanting more. Additionally, it gets messy and while some of it made their story feel very real, some of it felt unnecessary and had me rolling my eyes.

I truly enjoyed this book and love the relationship between Juliana and Ben - I was rooting for them the whole time. It felt like a very heartfelt read and I loved Juliana's journey and the interaction with her and her kids.

**thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC and a chance to read and review. All opinions expressed are my own**

3.5/5 stars
This story follows a single mom who finds a second chance at love. This book had a great storyline where the FMC is grieving but needs to be strong for her daughters. I enjoyed the Orlando setting and the worldplace environment. The book was not only cute but also had a lot of heartfelt moments. I do have to say that the bantering was getting overdone at times throughout the book. The pacing was also a bit all over the place where at especially towards the ending. This book is only told from Juliana’s pov.

Juliana is a single mother who is making it through. I loved seeing her development as she is such a strong woman. Then we have Ben who is the male lead and the love interest. I loved his storyline but I do have to say that the surprise person he brought into the book was just so random. Why did we find out in the middle of the book. There are many side characters in the book and I loved those who supported Juliana through her hard times. The romance is mostly cute with the second chance, workplace romance and enemies to lovers with a low steamy scenes. I do have to say that when Ben claimed he never hated Juliana, it just didn’t make sense with all the enemeis to lovers. Sometimes I questioned their relationship.

The ending was rushed but I loved how it was a HEA. This was a great overall read with relatable characters, However, there were some parts of the book that could be changed. I have mix feelings between 3 and 4 stars which puts it in the middle.

*this book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

This was a solid debut from Amy Buchanan, and I’m excited to see what comes next for her. Let’s Call a Truce is full of tender, honest moments as the leads navigate love and parenting through grief and loss while also being an enemies to lovers office romance at its core. The narration for this was solid, and I easily lost myself in the story while folding laundry and running errands.

Summary:
After Juliana’s husband dies unexpectedly, she finds herself back in the workforce and navigating single parenting. On her first day back in the office, she hears a co-worker (Ben) make a comment about her that stings. Turns out, Juliana can hold a grudge with the best of them. She spends the next two years proving him wrong and taking him down a peg with every chance she gets. That all slowly dissolves, though, after she and Ben are paired up for a work project, and a promotion is on the line. Forced proximity does its job well.

Could half of this novel have been solved with a grown-up up conversation? 

Yes. 

Was I mad I got banter and sexual tension instead? 

Naur.

TW includes the de death of a spouse, grief, and abandonment.

This is perfect for readers who loved The Hating Game by Sally Thorne or Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren.

I really loved this book! One of the cutest reads. After this read i cannot wait to read more of Amy Buchanan in the future. Will definitely recommend!

Let’s Call A Truce by Amy Buchanan is an office romance and the story of Juliana and Ben.
 
Juliana recently became a widow and she’s now a single mother and being strong for her daughters. I really liked how this book dealt with grief and finding happiness again after a loss and it showed these emotions very real and raw. Juliana is such a lovely person who you want to have as a friend and she’s very inspiring. She gets a new job at an office and immediately clashes with Ben.
 
Ben is an architect, and he loves his work and is very popular in the office. The only one who withstands his charms is Juliana and he wants to find out why and always initiates some interactions. And their banter is absolutely amazing and they’re truly office nemesis. I really liked how Ben falls first and wants to win Juliana over.
 
The story spans over several years and can be seen as a second chance romance and only when they must work together on a project, they slowly turn their hate to love. Juliana deserves all the happiness and I really liked how Ben fit in effortlessly. They are so cute together and at the same time it’s bittersweet and I felt so many emotions while reading this book and it gets perfectly brightened up with heartfelt and spicy scenes.
 
Let’s Call A Truce is so much more than just an office romance and I loved the depth this story had and I just adore Juliana and Ben together. 4,5 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

There are a lot of great things in this book that feel very relatable for readers, especially the FMC’s situation. I do love the workplace romance as well, so this hooked me in fairly quickly.

Let's Call a Truce was easily a 5-star read for me! Amy Buchanan beautifully crafted a story that was both quick to devour and rich in emotional depth, capturing my heart from start to finish.

What stood out most for me was the authentic portrayal of the main characters, Juliana and Ben. There were moments where I found myself annoyed with their decisions—but in the best possible way. Their choices, driven by complicated emotions and the responsibilities that come with having children, felt incredibly real. Buchanan expertly illustrated how emotions and the complexities of parenting often lead us to decisions that might not seem perfect at first glance, but are deeply human and relatable.

The banter between Juliana and Ben was a definite highlight. Watching their relationship transition seamlessly from feuding coworkers to romantic partners was delightful. Buchanan captured their evolving dynamic beautifully, keeping the humor and charm alive throughout their journey. Another element I adored was how seamlessly Ben and Juliana embraced each other's children, making them feel seen, valued, and loved, even as they navigated their relationship privately.

The friendships and community dynamics added another layer of warmth to the story. Juliana’s support system provided both comfort and occasional forced proximity, especially since her community overlapped with Ben’s. This setup created enjoyable and humorous interactions, enhancing the book's charm.

Overall, Let's Call a Truce is a perfect blend of emotional depth, lovable characters, and engaging banter. I highly recommend this heartfelt romance to anyone seeking a meaningful yet thoroughly enjoyable read.

Let's Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan is an enemies-to=lovers/workplace romantic comedy. I will admit that enemies-to-lovers is not usually one of my favorite romance tropes, but the animosity between the two main characters is actually really well plotted and explained. The workplace as the setting is integral to the storyline, which had some really interesting plot points, especially later in the story in reference to the divide between faculty and staff in higher education settings.

The widowed mother angle was also really well written, especially in relation to her struggles as a grieving single parent. I felt the FMC's emotional roller-coaster was possibly a bit overdone, but overall I really enjoyed the plot and characters, especially the female friendships.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this e-galley.

DNF’d at 35 percent. I don’t buy the reason for the fighting. It seemed really one-sided and dramatic?

I didn’t feel the tension or care enough about the characters.

This book is everything!!!! I absolutely loved Juliana and Ben, their relationship arc, their character growth, their story itself. Everything about this book was incredible. I was hooked from page one and finished within twenty-four hours because I could not put this one down.

This one is enemies to lovers, yearning, he falls first, with real grief and communication.

*Minor spoiler* This one does have a third act breakup but it didn't feel pointless at all, it was two people working through their emotions and the needs of their children, which felt especially important.

I just really loved everything about this book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! One of the cutest reads, and i cant believe i forgot to leave feedback when i read it a few months ago. Wonderful read and i cannot wait to read more of Amy Buchanan in the future

I enjoyed the friendships in the story more than I enjoyed the romance. Juliana loses her husband unexpectedly and has to return to the workforce, leaving her to balance single parenthood, grief, and feeling unsure of herself. She meets Ben at work, kicking off a two-year feud, entering into the enemies-to-lovers trope.

I struggled with both Juliana’s and Ben’s behavior at work. They acted like two seven-year-olds on the playground being mean to each other to cover up the “like,” which I guess was the point. I enjoyed Juliana’s circle of friends and how they helped out. Ben ends up more likable as the story goes on. Both main characters do some idiotic things that make me question their ability to adult.
The book had cute moments and some humor and ended with a HEA.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | St. Martin's Griffin, and Amy Buchanan for the eARC.

Enemies to lovers trope is one of my favorites!!! What a great debut! Lots of fun banter, a little steam and a lot of fun!!!

The plot: After Juliana’s husband dies unexpectedly, she heads back to work to support her two kids. When she hears her new colleague Ben saying her status as a single parent is going to impact her work performance, it sets off a feud between them. Two years later, the pair has to work on a project together, and Juliana realizes that Ben may understand her more than she first gave him credit for.

This was such a delightful read. It has a classic enemies-to-lovers, workplace rivals set-up but feels fresh thanks to the focus on Juliana’s grief after her husband passes and her complex emotions about falling in love again. I haven’t read many single parent romances, but this one was incredibly thoughtful; Juliana’s emotions were so clear to me, her daughters were adorable but realistic, and Ben is a very, very swoony MMC (emotionally and physically 🔥).

TL;DR is that this has what I always crave in a romance: a balance between sexy romcom fun and real, complex topics full of emotional depth.