“Uggh! Even when they’re not here, kids are the biggest cock blocks.”

🤍 Genre: Fiction
🤍 Steamy rating: Spicy
🤍 Profanity: Moderate

Julianna and Ben are office rivals until they catch feelings. I could write two completely different reviews for this book. I hated the workplace storyline but grew to love the characters and their romance. The depiction of corporate life, especially HR and leadership, was ridiculously flawed. If the author has experience in HR, shame on you for trying too hard; if not, you should have done far better research. It was so cheesy and over-the-top, I almost couldn’t handle it… that wasn’t even counting the steamy office scenes.

That said, the two main characters had real struggles and emotional depth, which made me root for them. The plot itself wasn’t bad, and I found the non-work-related parts super enjoyable.

Thank you @macmillan.audio and @netgalley for the gifted copy.

Triggers: Death of a spouse, child abandonment, and weird workplace dynamics

When I started this book, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the description of one of the characters of color. At first, I was a little concerned, but as the story unfolded, I realized it worked and added to the narrative. Her role, while supporting, made sense in the context of the story and its themes.

I really enjoyed the focus on widowhood, divorce, and the blending of families—it felt heartfelt and relatable, while still keeping things fun. It was an entertaining read, and the audiobook made it even better.

I’m a total rom-com fan, and this one hit the spot! It had everything I love: humor, heart, and characters you actually root for. It didn’t disappoint at all—I devoured it!

A perfect enemies to Lovers tale. Coworkers who constantly go at each other are thrust together on a project. Both satisfying and infuriating it isn’t a happily ever after tale. Great characters. The Author did an excellent job bringing you into the story. It was a quick read only because I could not put it down.

Bring on a drama filled enemies/rivals to lovers workplace romance with some single parent sweetness and you know I’m picking this book up!

The part that pulled at my heartstrings the most were those sweet moments that showed how both parents had wonderful relationships with their children. I also really found myself drawn into the parts where Julia works through the grief surrounding the loss of her husband as she found her way as a single mom in the working world.

What to expect:

Enemies to Lovers
Single Parents
Workplace Romance/Forced Proximity
Love after loss
Tons of banter
He falls first

Steam level: A bit of open door

I really enjoyed the audio, and how Charlotte North brought the story to life with tons of emotion.

If you are all about the enemies to lovers trope, humorous moments, with some seriously adorable kids, then check this one out!

Thank you MacMillan Audio for this gifted audiobook.

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.
I truly enjoyed joyed Charlotte North’s narration. Both female and male characters had such distinct voices and were handled masterfully.

A great HEA Enemies to Lovers Romance. Juliana is a single mom after her husband died. She had been a stay at home mom with two kids but after her husband is gone she must downsize her home and return to the workforce. She gets a good job with a great company and finds the handsomest man by spilling coffee all over him on her first day! She is so embarrassed but also hopeful. She thought Ben was cute and is very aware of him and thinks he is interested as well until she has to leave work due to a call she receives from her daughters school and ,must cancel a meeting with Ben. Before she leaves, she overhears him complaining to her boss about her inexperience and the possible issue with her kids! This starts a war! She is hurt and mad and determined to make him sorry for his unkind words and opinions of her.

Some ironic and funny circumstances occur with her keeping score - and winning the war! Then things begin to change. He is friendly and brings her coffee. She's so puzzled then very surprised when she finds out he has a daughter named Paris who is in her daughter class! Paris and her daughter are besties. Life is ironic. How can Ben think so little of Juliana as a parent when he is a single parent also!

Ben begins to pursue her but she still has feelings from her former marriage. They finally call a truce and have a pretty exciting romance going on. Everything looks great and she finally decides to give him her heart but of course that is the exact moment his ex-wife returns and blows up everything.

They attend a work conference and she receives a job offer in another state. Should she take it? Should she stay at her current job and see if she can reconcile with Ben? It is a very stormy time for them both. Can she offer her heart twice and take the chance?

Join Juliana on her journey to find happiness for herself , her kids, friends, family, her company and Ben.!

Let’s Call a Truce had the enemies-to-lovers down pat. The secret and not-so-secret glances, the office politics and a great cast of characters made this book so enjoyable. There is a decision that was made in the third act that really annoyed me and made me lessen my liking of Ben a bit. However, he does redeem himself a bit when more of a background story is revealed and the grand gesture was sweet enough to grant him a chance to be listened to. Props needs to be given to Juliana, as her character endured a lot and I loved her strength and willingness to be honest with herself and to others about her concerns and what she wants.

Narration by Charlotte North kept me hooked on the story and her character’s voice differentiation was great.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥🔥

Quick Breakdown

Grumpy x Sunshine
Workplace Rivals
Single Mom
Widowed Heroine
He Falls First
Single POV
Open Door - Moderate

Juliana first meets Ben on her first day back in the workforce after her husband unexpectedly passed away months prior. Then she accidentally hears him venting about her inexperience & scheduling conflicts with her kids. For the next two years the pair butt heads, constantly needling each other. But now she’s up for a well deserved and much needed promotion & a large joint project with Ben is her ticket to showing the higher ups that she’s ready for the responsibility. Can they come to a truce?

Overall, this was a really solid debut. The rivals to lovers aspect was done very well. All the playground vibes I love. The banter and sparing as föreplay worked for me. While this is written in a single POV, you can easily tell that it’s Ben who falls first & I was 100% here for it. Given her recent tragedy & continual work to keep her head above water it makes sense that she was hesitant to starting over again romantically. It was almost like he was romancing / dating her on the sly. The kids in this one were written incredibly realistic and helped our MCs with their growth throughout the story. I just loved their blended family so much.

Then, the conflict hit. I understood it. I understood the logic, but then it felt like too much of a downer with all the grief already suffered in the beginning. I was forced to face my emotions too much & for too long. If you are prepared going in & can appreciate some sad, you’re going to love this one.

I am really excited for what comes next from Amy! Thank you to @smpromance for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Giving Let's Call A Truce 5 stars was an easy decision for me! Debut author Amy Buchanan hit it out of the park with this modern day romance. This book features second chances at life and love, grief and the family dynamics related to it, a workplace romance, a spin on enemies to lovers, spicy romance and hilarious and witty banter. Juliana is a widowed mother who is re-entering the workforce and wading through life as the sole earner and caregiver for her young daughters. When she begins working she meets a handsome coworker named Ben but they have a rough start and quickly become sworn enemies. As the story unfolds the complex history of both Juliana and Bens pasts will have you laughing, crying, and a few times wanting to shake each of them to wake up and see the obvious things that they are missing. The supporting characters of friends and family are so well developed and loveable, especially their sweet daughters.
I listened to the audiobook version and I want to especially praise the amazing narrator, Charlotte North. The emotions she conveyed with her reading were incredible and I felt like I was a fly on the wall throughout the story... Especially during the steamy parts!
A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of Let’s Call A Truce!

4.5 stars

Let’s Call A Truce is Amy Buchanan’s Debut Novel & it did not disappoint!! It has everything I want in romance novels. Enemies to lovers, second chance romance, love after loss, office romance, humor, angst, heartfelt moments, and so much chemistry!

The story is centered around Juliana Ryan, a mother and a newly widowed wife trying to juggle the everyday challenges of single parenting and a demanding career. The last thing she needed was to be judged by her office nemesis, Ben Thomas😒

This would have been a great read, but I’m so glad I listened became the narrator truly brought Juliana & Ben’s story to life. She gave it so much love and depth. You could really feel the emotions coming through her voice. Juliana & Ben’s story is beautiful. It’s one that you could see being 100% real. You cannot help but to root for them for their HEA💖

Absolutely amazing !
So thoughtful and emotional in all the emotions she feels in grief and navigating the children’s emotions with all the changes. But still keeps the hopeful tone that keeps the listeners at the edge of their seats and to when they will finally just commit to each other.

This book started off with your typical enemies to lovers trope throw in a workplace with lots of witty banter? Love it! This book was everything I expected it to be. Single Mom Juliana is a widow and has 2 young girls. Forced to get back to working after losing her husband, first day back and anxiety ridden she runs into Ben, the gorgeous grump. Sparks are flying and she's not ready to move on, yet work brings them back together over and over. This book had more depth to it that your typical steamy grumpy boss tropes. Emotional at times and witty, I very much enjoyed this advanced copy audiobook. Narration was spot on, thanks NetGalley!

This romance follows a widower jumping back into the workplace and juggling her two daughters, their activities, and her new schedule. She meets a male coworker and overhears him frustrated about how well she can perform her job since she has kids to divide her attention. What follows is a two year enemies to lovers romance that has plenty of ups and downs. There is a LOT of spice, mainly in that sex/sexual attraction is constantly alluded to, not that the door is wide open on the actual sex scenes. What worked for me: older MCs who have gone through rough times and trying to balance parenthood with a romantic relationship, the very real difficulties of parenting after losing a spouse, the friendships, the narrator, and the female MC killing it in her job. What didn't work for me was the spicy content and the conflict between the two MCs towards the end of the book. What he chose to do "for his daughter" was soooo stupid and devastating to the romance that I was actively rooting against him and not cheering for their happily ever after. For that reason alone, I didn't love it and wouldn't recommend it.

Amy Buchanan does a great job of revealing the heart of this story layer by gradual layer. At the beginning, all we know is the harried, distraught life of a recently widowed single mom, trying to make it in a competitive workplace while maintaining a close bond with her kids, whose lives have been turned upside down by their father's unexpected death. At work, Juliana is often forced to work too closely to the annoying Ben, who seems to think parental problems and responsibilities have no business crossing the company threshold. The key word in that sentence is "seems," and over time, both Juliana and the reader get to know a different Ben, himself pulled in different directions while trying to achieve professional success. This is a lovely book on many levels, and my only criticism is of the somewhat overblown crisis not long before the end. My overall sense at the conclusion, however, was complete satisfaction and a desire to read more by this talented author. Round up to an enthusiastic 4.5 stars.

(3.5 stars)

This was so different from many romances I read - it focused on grief and second chances and was touching and beautiful!

Both single parents Juliana and Ben had a rough start in their relationship when Juliana overhears something he says at work. After two years of being sworn enemies, they might put the past aside and admit their feelings while working on the future together.

I will say that while I enjoyed this audiobook and story, I had a very hard time staying engaged in the middle of the book. I thought at times that Juliana was childish and behaved - honestly - not the best. I was ready to rip my hair out anytime she spoke to Ben.

What redeemed this story for me was the 3rd act breakup - crazy! I know! But I thought that it was such a unique situation that didn't leave me upset, and I thought it was a realistic issue they had to work through.

ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ || LET’S CALL A TRUCE [thank you to @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for my #gifted ARC & ALC!]

Title: Let’s Call a Truce
Genre: Romance
Format: Audio
Star Rating: ★★★★☆
Narrator: Charlotte North
Narration: ★★★★☆

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ:
Widowed and rebuilding her life, Juliana Ryan battles her dismissive coworker-turned-nemesis, Ben Thomas, until a career-defining project forces a truce. As fiery arguments evolve into undeniable chemistry, Juliana faces a choice: risk her heart for love again or protect herself from the shadows of Ben’s past.

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
I absolutely love a good older MC, second chance at love romance story. As a mom myself, it’s always a treat to see issues and problems that I run into shown in romance novels (needing a babysitter to do anything? Check. Feeling like you’re always behind or doing it wrong? Check).

My only true complaint with this book was the third act breakup. Something about it felt kind of off and weird…but also understandable? I don’t know, I just wish it had come about a different way maybe. But I still loved it!

Can’t wait to see what Amy comes out with next!

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Widowed FMC
Second Chance at Love
Adorable Children
Catch & Keep
Workplace Romance
Enemies-to-Lovers

ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ:
GR: 4.00 ⭐️
# of Hours: 10 hours, 45 Minutes
Pub Date: January 14, 2025

This was a really fun read! I listened to it in two days, and it kept me interested the whole time. I love a good happy ending :)

Widowed and struggling to restart her career, Juliana clashes with her condescending but attractive colleague, Ben. Their intense feud unexpectedly blossoms into romance, but Ben’s past threatens their fragile happiness.

This book has a strong voice that drew me in right away. It’s the best kind of enemies-to-lovers: bad first impression, strong attraction, and annoyance until they really get to know each other. The banter is delicious. Juliana is a strong character and a good mom—playful but never malicious. She and Ben have a ton of chemistry, and the little girls are adorable. The audio narration is a perfect match to the book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

3.5 stars. I liked it but didn't love it. Amy has a great voice and I enjoyed reading it but the impact of grief on both Juliana and her daughters felt incomplete. We would see Juliana refer to her grief but never really working through it. Amy created an A+ MMC in Ben...up until the conflict and then it felt, despite everything we've been led to believe about Ben, poof- gone.

Excellent choice on narrator!

I'll absolutely be on the lookout for what Amy does next. Thank you to SMP for the opportunity. All thoughts are my own.

4.0⭐️ 2025 will be my audiobook year mark my words… 🖊️

workplace romance? check. single mom x single dad? check. super cutesy romantic gestures? checkcheckcheck ✅✅✅ this book was such a fun workplace rivals to lovers and the banter and tension was top tier AND THE KIDS WERE ADORABLE (paris my queen💕💕)

juliana was such a dynamic character and i loved her relationship with her friends and her kids. her development through this story is so perfect for her and bens relationship and i loved how career driven she was. she was so funny and real and i loved the narrator. my only problem with her was how indecisive and back and forth she was LIKE GIRL PLEASE 🙏 (alexa play hot n cold by katy perry)

ben was such a perfect book guy and such a good father (HIM AND PARIS HAVE MY HEARTTT❤️💗💝) his little teasing and quips with juliana made the banter so so entertaining and funny. his kindness towards juliana and his SAINTLY patience as he waited for her to make up her mind was so so adorable like this man was really obsessed you could not pry him away from her. i wish this book was dual pov so i could get his thoughts especially since i listened to the audio book #justiceforben😔😔

overall such a cute workplace romance and if you like good family dynamics between single parents then read this!! thank you to netgalley for the audio ARC!💖💖