Skip to main content

Member Reviews

This is a great debut novel! Even though I despise third act break ups, I thought this was done fairly well. It also has some of my most favorite tropes so that helped a lot.

Was this review helpful?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Juliana Ryan is trying to find her footing in life after her husband tragically dies. Her first step? Jump back into her career. Balancing mom duties and falling in love weren’t on her anticipated bucket list. As Juliana continues to work through her grief, she opens herself up to new possibilities, friendships, and yes - love.

Ben Thomas is the co-worker sent by the devil. He’s charming and lovely to everyone but Juliana. As they get to know each other, sparks fly.

I really enjoyed this book! I was in a reading slump and this pulled me out of it. The banter is great, the chemistry is explosive, and the family aspect was comforting. This book highlights love in your mid-30s, which was refreshing.

Things to look for:
✅ Enemies to lovers
✅ Love after loss
✅ Found family
✅ Love in 30s
✅ Office romance

*Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

Was this review helpful?

Let’s Call A Truce is the book I’ve been waiting for ever since I finished the Hating Game.
Julianna is a new widow, and a single mom of two re-entering the workforce, Ben is the sexy coworker she has banter with until she overhears him casting doubt on her abilities at work because she’s a mother.

Julianna vows to prove him wrong and the two have a constant push and pull dynamic, with a layer of mutual attraction simmering underneath that only amplifies in the two years they work together. Reading, I couldn’t wait for the two to get together and finally give in to the tension that’s been brewing.

Both Ben and Julianna are well-developed and dealing with their own pasts, and their respective responsibilities. This book sensitively deals with heavy topics such as widowhood, divorce, single parenthood and these elements of the story only serve to enrich the characters and amp up the stakes for the plot. Truly a slam dunk rom-com!

Let’s Call A Truce is a sexy rollercoaster of emotions and I loved every up and down. I can’t wait for my preorder to arrive and have this book on my shelves and am eagerly anticipating Amy Buchanan’s next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the St Martin’s Press for the arc!

Was this review helpful?

This book, y'all. I am absolutely smitten with Ben, and when I think of strong heroines, Julianna is exactly what I'm talking about. Buchanan balances grief, workplace dynamics, parenthood, humor, and sexiness without leaving the reader wanting. I love love love seeing a book set in Flooo-ri-duhhhh (Taylor's version). Orlando deserves more love and I can tell the author did her research or lives there.

Ben, the man that you are. Whoo boy.

Thank you for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Was this review helpful?

I love a food enemies to lovers trope. I loved Juliana’s sass and how she was unwilling to let anyone make her feel like less. I also love when a mmc loves when the fmc is a little mean to them. Although their war was more prank and playful you could tell it was to hide their true feelings. I felt like I spent most of the time wanting to shake Juliana for not going for the hot coworker I could understand her hesitation. At first I wasn’t totally on board with the conflict between Ben and Juliana but in the end they both has to fight to be true to themselves. I’m looking forward to more books from this author.

Was this review helpful?

Enemies to Lovers in this wild ride. Juliana and Ben have an ongoing war for 2 years before they finally find a way to make it work between the 2 of them.
This was a sweet, fun story, but I feel like it could have been a little shorter. Felt like there was some fluff just to make it longer. We understood there was drama between the 2 characters, but didn't need to see it in almost every chapter.

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a DRC of this title.

I was so excited by the prospect of a forbidden office romance in Let’s Call a Truce, but the end result felt a little disjointed to me— Juliana ran hot-and-cold for most of the book, and Ben made out-of-character decisions in the beginning and end of the story that felt like contrivances to move the plot along. Though it may not have 100% worked for me, I could see this being a big hit for other readers, and I would definitely still recommend it to my patrons looking for a contemporary office romance. 3.5 stars/5.

Was this review helpful?

I really loved this book! I find that some books that start off with rivals/enemies are just *too* mean spirited for me, and Buchanan nails the dynamic, in my opinion. I also really appreciated the portrayal of parenthood and conversations about what is best for you, your kids, and your family as a whole. Plus it was sweet and swoony and lovely!

Was this review helpful?

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book to read!

So I DNFd at 50%.. we started off with strong banter between the 2 main characters which I loved. But than suddenly right away literally, they started falling for each other and banter got less and less between the first couple of chapters.. I DIDNT really like that tbh.. it got really boring really fast.. plus I really wanted to know more of the back story on Jason and how he passed.. we find out how but I would of liked to know more about him.. in other words, just not for me!

Was this review helpful?

3.8/5 stars

Julianna is a recently widowed mom of 2, rejoining the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom for 7 years. After crashing into (literally) her co-worker Ben, she spends the next two years tallying up her wins as they battle it out in a storm of snarky remarks. When they are forced together to work on a project, their feud changes into something more. Not the typical enemies to lovers, more miscommunication than anything. The storyline was great and hit on topics surrounding grief, being a single parent, and navigating that while undergoing a major life change. I also loved getting insight into what they were working on, especially the diversity initiatives. They hit on what we see happening in workplaces today.

The book was a bit long in my opinion, especially with the plot, but overall a good story with complex characters.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I was surprised by how much I loved this book.

Let's Call a Truce follows the life of Juliana Ryan, a mother of two spirited girls who is newly widowed. She transitions from a life of being in love with her husband and staying at home with her girls to navigating life alone and re-entering the workforce. The challenge is compounded by a judgmental coworker.

As a fan of romance books, what stood out to me in this one was its maturity. It addresses real-world problems that many can relate to, including grief, parenting struggles, healing, and communication.

The MMC, Ben, is an absolute dreamboat. I won’t delve into too many details to avoid spoilers, but he’s so endearing that I forgave him for things I thought I couldn’t.

This book is packed with goodness. The side characters are fully fleshed out and integral to the story, making you fall in love with them just as much as with the main characters. Amy Buchanan brought to life not only a compelling romance but also a supportive network of friends and family that tugged at my heartstrings. While I wouldn’t want to be in Juliana’s situation, I would love to have the kind of friends, family, and support system she does. The attention to detail makes each character memorable and impactful.

Let's Call a Truce evokes a range of emotions—happiness, anxiety, laughter, and even tears. It feels like the perfect romance, with lovable characters, witty banter, relatable real-life problems, and a strong emphasis on communication and positive relationships. The representation and diversity are seamlessly integrated into the story.

I’m officially a fan of Amy Buchanan after this book! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read it.

Was this review helpful?

Juliana has gone through an extreme loss, her husband dies suddenly leaving her with their two young daughters. She returns to work and overhears a new colleague complaining about her commitment to being at work vs being a single mother. From that moment on, they are enemies. But when they're forced to work together on a project, they realize that there's a very thin line between love and hate.
This book is good for fans of enemies to lovers and love after loss.
I mostly enjoyed myself while reading it, although I did find the enemies part lasted slightly too long for my taste, and Juliana's journey, whilst realistic in terms of getting over the loss of a spouse, sometimes felt like it dragged for me. I also found that the outside players in their relationship added extra distraction that felt unnecessary.
However, this book did break the reading slump I've been in for the past two months so I did enjoy the writing style and characters. The kids were well written and I loved the chemistry between Juliana and Ben.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you for the arc! This was a joy to read! The office rivals to lovers trope was nicely done here. Can’t wait to see what Amy writes next!

Was this review helpful?

I didn’t like it that much, unfortunately..

The dynamic between Juliana and Ben didn’t really work for me. Their initial dislike, or really Juliana’s dislike of Ben, stems from something stupid and insensitive she overheard him say two years ago. And yes, that wasn’t okay, I wouldn’t have just let that go either. But she takes this to another level, like I’m sorry, but you’re an adult and this is your place of work? Have you never encountered someone you didn’t like before? Just ignore them, be civil when you have to interact with them, and move on..

There was OW drama in this, which I hated. I didn’t like Ben that much to begin with, but the whole thing with the OW was kind of terrible.

This story also deals with themes of grief and single parenthood, which I thought were nicely done.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This was a great debut romance novel! Juliana and Ben are so full of life and easy to love. They come with baggage and I often found myself sitting on the edge of my seat (figuratively) waiting to see what it was and how/if it would get resolved. I love feel good romances with drama full of laughter, anger, frustration and tears and this book was right up that alley. I highly recommend this book!

Was this review helpful?

A cute enemies to lovers story with a dash of second chance for Juliana and Ben after unexpected tragedy and a divorce. I enjoyed the banter and the one upping on their little war between them. And when they finally gave into the what they were feeling, so good! Their girls were amazing, the friendships Juliana made were nice and to see her take a leap with Ben but also be cautious with her heart and that of her little girls was both awe moments and moments that made me want to say get it together. An enjoyable read!

Was this review helpful?

3.5 ⭐️

I TRIED to like Ben, I really truly did. I also TRIED to forgive him but frankly, despite all the wonderful components of this book, I wanted to scream when they reunited after the 3rd act breakup. What on EARTH !!!! If Ben were one of my friends’ boyfriends, that is not how this story would have ended.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC - in general, I find it a good thing when a good book gets this much of an emotional reaction from me!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What sets this book apart is how it balances witty banter and steamy encounters with heartfelt moments. Juliana’s struggle with grief and her role as a single mom adds layers to her character, making her journey all the more compelling. Ben’s charm and determination bring out the best and sometimes the worst in their interactions, keeping readers hooked.

The chemistry between Juliana and Ben is palpable, and their journey from antagonists to lovers is both satisfying and realistic. While the plot follows familiar romance tropes, Buchanan’s sharp writing and character development keep it fresh and engaging. The tension and eventual resolution between the leads are handled with care, making for a delightful read that fans of contemporary romance will thoroughly enjoy.

Was this review helpful?

Ahhh this was fun, predictable, and sexy! It gave The Hating Game Vibes and honestly it's what I want in an enemies to lovers romance! Overall worth the read.

Was this review helpful?

Juliana is a widow reentering the workforce after the untimely death of her husband. Trying to juggle two kids, a career and her grief means she doesn’t have time for much else least of all a new coworker who, although super hot, is a jerk. The war won’t stop their feelings for each other and it might just be what they both need.

This book is a quick read, light with some lol moments but also a couple of tears. Just me? I tend to be a crybaby, so maybe?

I really liked the diverse cast of characters and I’m hoping *fingers crossed* that Asia gets her own story. (I loved her sm!)

If you like modern, enemies to lovers, hot workplace romance, grab this one, you’ll love it. For the booktok crew, I give is a 🌶️ 🌶️/5. The tension was 🤌🏻 though.

Was this review helpful?