Fans of Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game will definitely enjoy Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan. A workplace enemies-to-lovers classic, the book tells of Juliana, who is a widowed mom to two girls. The book starts by setting the scene nine months after Juliana’s husband is tragically killed, where she meets Ben at work. Although there are immediate sparks between them, a negative interaction instantly turns Juliana against Ben and makes them sworn enemies (in her eyes). Two years later, a work commitment brings them together and forces them to interact. Even though Juliana can’t stand Ben (or so she thinks…) the sparks between them are still there and become too much to resist.

I really loved this book at first! It was perfect - a good amount of longing, angst, and banter. The children weren’t classic rom-com annoying kids which I appreciated. However it felt like the book went on just a touch too long. It felt like it dragged on a bit towards the end. I also didn’t love the classic third act breakup - it’s a bit tired.

Overall it was still pretty good but not an instant classic for me. Thank you to Amy Buchanan, the publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC!

Widowed Juliana is re-entering the workforce after years of being a stay-at-home mom and of course she overhears Ben disparaging her lack of experience and need to accommodate her kids. This sets off a rivalry with lots of bickering and maybe a little workplace sabotage for the next two years. It’s probably more than a little unprofessional, considering Juliana is part of the Human Resources department. But then they get stuck together on a work project and need to learn to work together. Oh, and there’s some simmering attraction along with the bickering and rivalry. The romance here follows fairly typical angry flirting and kissing tropes, and when they finally do get together, Juliana wants to keep things quiet so it doesn’t upset her kids or threaten her standing at work. It’s all sorts of messy and while it wasn’t my favorite combination of trope and setting, the book was funny and steamy.

Spicy: R

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

After the sudden death of her husband, Juliana finds herself the single parent of two little girls and also now the family’s sole breadwinner. After being at home for seven years, she is back in the workforce as a recruiter at an architectural firm. Things with her coworkers are great, with the exception of Ben Thomas, one of the top architects in the firm. They got off to a rocky start and now they live to antagonize each other. But even though Ben exasperates Juliana to no end, she can’t help notice how good his shirts look on his 6’4” frame. When they are put together on a project and find themselves on a work trip out of state, will the animosity give way to something more?

First of all, I love the cover of this book, it is certainly part of what drew me to the story in the first place. Secondly, I am so into a workplace romance, especially when the female lead characters are kicking a** and taking names even when they are scared out of their minds. And finally, when you have a whole cast of characters who are willing to step-up for each other, well I am totally here for that. Amy Buchanan’s Let’s Call a Truce has all of these elements and they produced a heart-warming romance about two people who have a lot going on in their lives but are finding the courage to take a leap of faith on falling in love again.

. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭒
This did the trick for me. I was in the mood for a light romance and a lil spice, and it fit the bill on both accounts. Also, it has #allthetropes - enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, found family, and more, so it’s generally likable by design.

I think my favourite thing about this book was its banter. The back and forth between Ben’s and Juliana was playful and the quips enjoyable. For me, a good romance ( both in print and reality ) needs to have good banter, otherwise there’s always going to be something missing. It also heavily aids in the build-up between characters, creating a fun and flirty vibe.

This book was all about relationships. Romantic, parental, friendship, professional, personal, etc. - they all live here. It was slow burn in some ways, perfectly paced occasionally, and a bit “off” for me in other aspects. From a romance perspective, the pace and spice level was great, but some of the friendships, particularly between Juliana and Quinn, seemed a bit exaggerated in formation to me.

Also, and entirely particular to me, I’m not a huge fan of the pet name/affectionate dubbing of “baby” when taking about a partner; something about it just ( as the kids say ) gives me the ick. Weirdly, “babe” is fine, I think I just take it too literally and find it infantilizing. And also a “me” thing, but I normally don’t love an epilogue, but in a dramatic twist of fate, I actually enjoyed this one.

All in all, this one served its purpose and was a decent read.

~👩🏻‍🦰

Let's Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan was such an unexpectedly delightful surprise of a debut novel! It's a strong rom-com with a deeper emotional core than readers might expect. It's the book fans of The Hating Game have been waiting for.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

And enemies to lovers workplace romance that delivers in the steamy department! If you’re a fan of The Hating Game, do not miss this one! It’s a single mom romance, with found family vibes and some delicious arguing as fireplace. 😏I loved the dynamic this one bought!

I had a hard time connecting with the characters in this book as I couldn't really relate to the type of grief that was being portrayed. I felt like something was missing that wouldv'e made that connection easier. However, the writing and storytelling were very well done.

If you like office romances, you’ll definitely want to read this one. I love a good enemies to lovers as well and this one did not disappoint.
After the death of her husband, Juliana has no choice but to enter the workforce again in order to provide for her two daughters. Her and Ben have an immediate connection, but she accidentally overhears Ben make a negative comment about her and that turns them into enemies for a good two years.
I loved the banter between the two of them and how understanding Ben was with Juliana as she was navigating through her grief and loss and trying to take care of her girls. We learn that Ben also has a bit of a messy past as well and the end got a little messy, but overall, this was a great debut novel. I would definitely want to read more books by Amy.

Who can resist the allure of a steamy workplace romance, especially when it’s brimming with enemies-to-lovers, second chances, and forced proximity, all spiced up with sharp, entertaining banter? Juliana and Ben’s story begins with a classic "meet cute" at work, but their budding connection quickly sours when Juliana overhears Ben making a hurtful remark about her ability to return to work after a long break for motherhood. Unable to forgive his unjust words—especially after the tragic loss of her daughters' father—Juliana is determined to make his life at work difficult. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic and the steamy office romance certainly hooked me, making Juliana and Ben’s second-chance story engrossing. However, the last third of the book took a melodramatic turn. Ben, who initially seemed patient, honest, and committed—despite his hurtful comment—left me feeling let down by the conclusion. The introduction of a somewhat unnecessary love-triangle subplot felt overdone, and Juliana’s stubbornness and impulsive reactions only added to the drama in a way that felt forced.

An absolute gem! I’m in love.

Juliana stole my heart—she’s a powerhouse of a mom just trying to make it through, and my sympathy for her is through the roof. Aside from being a brilliant single mother, she’s also incredibly funny! And Ben? WOW. Swoonworthy doesn’t even begin to cover it. This man is pure, unapologetic manliness. Mix these two together, and BOY are they a sight to behold. The chemistry had me squealing.

The dynamic of found family is everything—plus, the banter between Juliana and Ben? I was cackling out loud at their witty comebacks! It’s the best part of the book, hands down, and I’m not complaining! Sure, at times the romance leaned more towards lust than love, but I got past that because the story’s charm more than made up for it. It’s funny, heartfelt, and has just the right amount of spice. I adore this read!

4.5 ★

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾!

Let’s Call a Truce has Juliana Ryan returning to work after her husband unexpectedly dies. She has a degree in HR and is able through a friend to get a job in her field. I did appreciate that it takes a quick two year time jump so there is time for her to adjust to being a working mom with two youngish daughters. The first half of the book is very much an office romance, enemies to lovers vibes. Ben Thomas, an executive for the company clashes with Juliana from the first after she hears him make unkind comments about how he shouldn’t have to adjust for her and her situation. She’ll treat him professionally with maybe a few pranks here and there. But she won’t go above and beyond for him.

As the title suggests they need to call a truce when they work on a pet project together that is especially important to the owner. That’s when she learns he is also a single father and not only that their daughters go to school together and are fast friends. I actually like getting them out of the office and including children in the storyline. I like the reality of the families being package deals and taking time to know each other’s kids. Didn’t love the third act issue as it was predictable. Overall an enjoyable read. (3.5 Stars)

Let's Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan is a contemporary workplace romance novel. It follows Juliana and Ben who have a rough start at their workplace leading to a lot of frustration between the characters. Now they have to work together on a project at work and that forced proximity turns into some pent-up feelings. When they finally resolve some of their initial annoyances from the past they are faced with the new issue of trusting to bring one another into their respective lives. I had a fun time with this one and I'll be looking out for future books by this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for a review!

While this book didn’t fully work for me, I have no doubt other readers may find it very enjoyable and I think this is definitely a promising debut. The writing itself was very good.

My issues with this were the characters and their behavior. I love a good enemies to lovers but I don’t like it when two co-workers are unprofessionally mean to each other. I just don’t understand how someone could have chemistry with a person they genuinely seem to hate.

Also, I didn’t connect with either character. Once again, this is a personal preference. I felt sympathy towards both of them for their tragic backstories but I didn’t like either of their behaviors towards others or each other throughout the book.

I will definitely tune in for this author’s next book, though. I think maybe this was just a one-off.

Give me a good enemies to lovers book😍! This book roped me in from the first chapter! Juliana trying to learn the ropes of being newly window and trying to get her dream position in the company she worked for. Oh Ben, the snarky, full of himself guy in the office who is too good looking for his own good! Him and Juliana’s battles that they have make you feel the sexual tension between them! I have to say the shock of Ben having a daughter was for sure a WHAT moment! But Juliana’s battle between should she try it with Ben or not is very understandable. This book moved so seamlessly and just kept me interested from the start! I do wish we would have seen more interaction between Ben and his ex Stephanie to see how he was acting towards her. But I definitely recommend this book to others!

This is a wonderful enemies to friends romance that involves workplace rivalry, comical chance encounters, and some fabulous steamy moments. I found I couldn’t put it down. A must have in your beach reading list.

This was such a great workplace romance. Juliana and Ben had so much heart and heat!! And I love the kids as well. Such a great debut and I can't wait for more from Amy!!

Let’s Call a Truce is Amy Buchanan’s debut romance. It’s a workplace romance featuring a widow and a career-minded single father, who have to decide if they want to take a second chance on love. The story takes place in Orlando, Florida, and contains some profanity and sex scenes.

33-year-old Juliana Ryan's life is turned upside down when her beloved husband, Jason is killed in a car accident. She has been a stay-at-home mom for the past seven years, since the birth of her daughter, Clara, and now has five-year-old Sophie, as well. Julianna previously worked in Human Resources and is re-hired by her old boss, Christina, although at a different firm. On her first day, Juliana clashes with a handsome manager, Ben Thomas, and they become workplace enemies.

Fast forward two years and Christina has been promoted, but she still considers Ben Thomas to be the enemy. She’s honest enough to admit that she’s secretly attracted to him, but he still infuriates her. When they are forced to work together on a project, Juliana has to call a truce. As they spend more time together in and out of the office, Juliana and Ben discover each other’s better sides. They argue less and kiss more, until
Ben’s ex shows up. Then Juliana has to decide if Ben is worth fighting for.

Let’s Call a Truce is an excellent workplace romance featuring realistic characters and business situations and authentic dialogue. There are some very hilarious scenes, wonderful dialogue, sizzling chemistry between Juliana, and Ben, and some angst. I highly recommend this story and look forward to more books from this talented author.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I want to start by thanking the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. I really enjoyed this book!

I love great banter and bickering and this one served that up in spades. The immediate attraction + instant rivalry of Juliana & Ben made for delightful sparring. Both characters have shadows of the past haunting them, creating complications. They have to open themselves up in order to find a way forward and I love the reality of that. This is probably one of the more realistic romances I’ve read. Love is rough, it is messy, it hurts, especially on the second time around. Both of these characters have had love and lost love which makes opening up extra hard. I loved the playfulness they were able to create as they found their common ground. The family relationships they created, the love for each others children and always putting the children first. This story was a heap of fun, with some lovely romantic elements.

This book was so precious and I was so pleasantly surprised. Using the word "precious" may be surprising with the amount of tension and banter in this book but Ben really brought the emotion! I will say, the conflict in the last half of the book was so frustrating, especially because it seemed to veer from Ben's character completely. However, the redemption was sweet and, overall, I found the book enjoyable.