Let's Call A Truce by Amy Buchanan is a delightful workplace enemies-to-lovers romance that delivers plenty of laughs, spice, and heart. Juliana, a widowed mother of two, is thrust back into the workplace after a period of grief, only to immediately clash with her colleague Ben. The tension between them ignites after Juliana overhears Ben making dismissive comments about her ability to juggle her job and motherhood, setting the stage for two years of hilarious banter, pranks, and simmering animosity.

What makes this book stand out is the chemistry between Juliana and Ben. Their witty back-and-forth is nothing short of entertaining, and their growing attraction, hidden beneath their rivalry, keeps you eagerly turning the pages (or listening in my case). The tension between them builds to a boiling point during a night out, revealing that their mutual dislike masks something much deeper—and much more steamy.

If you're looking for a rom-com that balances laugh-out-loud moments with sizzling chemistry and heartwarming growth, Let's Call A Truce is an absolute must-read.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an advanced copy

I voluntarily listened to and reviewed an advanced copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley!

After the death of her husband, Juliana launches herself back into the workforce. While most of her colleagues are understanding and accommodating as she adjusts her home/work balance, one of her coworkers, Ben, thinks she’s in way over her head. They end up paired together on a project after two years of somewhat silent loathing and have to find a way to move on past their rivalry.

Let’s Call a Truce is a stand-alone, workplace romance. The book does contain open-door content. TW/CW: The FMC is a widow so there is a lot of talk about her husband’s death. The author does well portraying both the grief from the point of a widow and the children. Grief and “moving on” are such an individual thing and I had no problem with the pace of the MCs relationship.

What a great debut novel! The author balances what can be a more difficult topic with progression of starting over. The storyline has a good mix of sweet and swoony moments and we see a lot of personal growth from both of the MCs.

Charlotte North does a wonderful job with the solo narration of the audiobook. She always does well keeping the different characters distinct enough and her male voices don't come across as forced.

I listened to Let’s Call a Truce on my morning commutes to work this week, and every day I got a little bummed when I had to turn it off and start interacting with other humans. Thanks to Macmillan Audio, St Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for early access in exchange for my honest opinion.
Fair warning, I shed some tears reading/listening to this one, so I wouldn’t plan to go in expecting a completely light read. Juliana’s husband recently passed away in a sudden accident, and she is left with their two young girls, needing to reenter the workforce after being a stay-at-home-mom. She is anxious, having a rough first day, when she meets her gorgeous coworker - who she then overhears bad mouthing her and her commitment to the job, wrecking her confidence and defining their roles as rivals. After two years working together, things have not improved, but the two are forced to collaborate on an account that includes traveling to Boston together. Her rival is originally from Boston, and I loved how he helped her explore the city.
If you’re a fan of workplace rivals-to-lovers, I definitely recommend Let’s Call a Truce! It comes out Tuesday 1/14.

You know I love a good enemies to
lovers/work romance type of vibe. And this book hit the
mark.


Loss Love
Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
₹ Workplace Romance
Single Mom/Single Dad
Banter For Days
And So Much Spice


This is a very emotional, bittersweet, and so real! I love
Juliana's journey. She's learning to balance the loss of her
husband, balancing her work life, kids, being a friend and
possibly finding love.. again! I loved Ben but there was a
moment where I wanted to see him outside. This was a
great listen and 1 really appreciate the opportunity to
review this alc of Let's Call A Truce by
@amybuchananbooks and thank you @netgalley for the
opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

This was a cute workplace romance with some heavy topics and emotions. I felt myself really feeling for the tragic events in both of the main characters’ lives and just rooting for their love story. The narrators were phenomenal! They kept me interested and did a great job with the character voice’s and personalities. Absolutely love it!

Publication: January 14th, 2025

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this story, the characters, and everything in between. Ben and Juliana experience significant growth and change throughout the book, making their journeys compelling. The story felt like a TV show, with realistic characters facing real-world problems.
• Workplace romance
• Single parents
• Plenty of banter
• And so much more

The narrator for the audiobook was fantastic and perfectly suited to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to be able to listen to it early

I love that the MCs are older (in their mid to late thirties) and this is their second chance at love. FMC lost her husband (the love of her life two plus years ago) and her office antagonist is the MMC. I was not expecting that spice - it was great. The twist was not unpredictable but it was irritating
The book is near and dear to my heart as I currently live in Boston and spent five years in Florida. My husband went to school in Gainesville.

Tropes: Enemies to lovers, Forced Proximity, Its Always Been You, Single Dad, Single Mom

Charlotte North did a great job with the narration in this audiobook. She had to voice a number of different characters, and I was able to distinguish them from other characters. Her narration is what led me to finish this book when I wanted to DNF.

This is a story that I should have loved, but it fell short for me. It was not enjoyable, and I didn't root for any of the characters.

This was so cute and real! Enemies to lovers, second chances, and all the things that can happen in a real life relationship. This was adorable.

This enemies to lovers romance is for those who are willing to be patient. Juliana finds herself back to work after her husband dies and meets Ben on her first day at the office. That same day she overhears him disparaging her to someone over the phone. She decides it is war and holds a grudge for two years until they are forced to work closely together on a project.

The tension is high and the romance is steamy. Charlotte North’s narration added to the enjoyment of the novel. Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance copy. All opinions are my own

I adore this book, super sad but sweet story of finding romance after losing your spouse.

Publisher's summary
After Juliana Ryan's husband dies unexpectedly, leaving her with two grieving kids and a stunted career from years as a stay-at-home mom, she has no choice but to make it work all on her own. But her confidence crashes around her when she overhears her condescending but infuriatingly attractive new colleague, Ben Thomas, talking about how her kids and inexperience are a liability the company can’t afford. This sets off a feud between the two, as Juliana vows to prove him wrong.
Two years later, their feud rages on, but it may be charged with something they aren't willing to admit. When they are forced onto a career-making project together, Juliana has no choice but to call a truce. As their lives become more intertwined in and out of the office, Juliana finds it hard to ignore Ben’s perpetual smile and charming determination. What started as a truce grows into more, as boardroom-clearing arguments turn to desk-clearing kisses. Could the man she deemed her nemesis understand her life–her stress and responsibilities–better than anyone?
But just when Juliana decides to open her heart again, Ben’s past threatens their newfound bliss, and she has to figure out whether this second chance at love is worth it after all.

Thanks to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the ALC of this audiobook!

Let's Call a Truce
By: Amy Buchanan
Narrated by: Charlotte North
Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
Release date: 01-14-25
Publisher: Macmillan Audio

I can't believe that Let's Call a Truce was Amy Buchanan's debut novel! It was an absolute wild ride. Packed with humor ( loved the tally sheet Juliana was keeping), heartfelt moments, and just the right touch of sexual tension, this second chance at life romance kept me hooked from the start. Juliana and Ben's chemistry and complex journey really made it impossible to stop listening. I can't wait to see what Buchanan writes next!

Juliana is back in the workforce again after the sudden loss of her husband. On her first day, she literally runs into Ben. They seem to hit it off and Juliana leaves the situation feeling good until she later overhears Ben complaining about her and her choice of her daughters over work obligations. The story then picks up 2 years later. Ben and Juliana are still at odds but the interactions lean more towards banter than meanness. A common friend and their working relationship keeps them in one another's circle. They constantly find themselves fighting their attraction for one another as the tension builds.

I enjoyed this story. The author's dealing with the passing of the husband is handled well. Ben has his own troubled past that comes up and really comes to a head at the end of the book. While I didn't love the way he dealt with the situation, I enjoyed these two together overall. They felt like a good match and I enjoyed how they supported one another in the end. The children are present without being too much or annoying. The audiobook was narrated well and kept me entertained. This was a fast, enjoyable read for an afternoon of puzzling.

I am completely blown away by this book. I laughed, I cried and I even yelled! A book that makes you feel the emotions that the characters are feeling is truly something special. This narrator has such an incredible voice and I’m blown away by her talent. She brought the story to life. Thank you for writing this Amy. Thank you for letting me listing to such a beautiful book. We will be purchasing this book for our patrons to enjoy at our library. Thank you!

This is my first book by this author. I was completely surprised in the best way by this book. I listened to this one all in one day, and I did not want to stop listening. This book was very well written with GREAT conflict. I thought maybe this book would be like a lot of other surface level enemies to lovers stories. This was not. Again, I was pleasantly surprised at how much wonderful emotion there was in this organic love story. The back stories of both the female and male main characters were deep and believable. Juliana's single motherhood struggles were believable and hit me in all the feels. I usually pass at work place romances, but I even loved the story line and what the characters were trying to accomplish. The steam in this book was just icing on the cake. I only wished we got Ben's POV in this story. Charlotte North is one of my favorite narrators. She did a fantastic job of bringing this book to life. Huge thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen and review this book.

3+ stars

“'It is not my job to accommodate her kids.' The memory shot through me like a physical blow. He’d made his stance perfectly clear and I wouldn’t open myself up because of one kind look.”

On her first day back to work since her husband’s death, Julianna overhears Ben’s complaint to a mutual colleague - it’s the last thing she needs as she balances worries about her young daughters and concerns about proving herself in a new job she might be under qualified for.
We fast forward past 2 years of cat and mouse petty fighting between Julianna and Ben as they begin to settle into a more civilized relationship in the workplace and perhaps a more steamy relationship outside of the office.

Debut author Amy Buchanan takes great care with the single parent themes and albeit predictable, they add an authenticity to the novel. I felt there was 1 or 2 too many “oh, this is going to be the end of them” segments, as the final outcome was apparent. Clocking in at just over 10 hours on audio, some editing would have moved the plot forward in a more seamless manner without creating plot holes.

I rarely read romances but after taking a chance on a new Christina Lauren book last year I decided to give this a try. The workplace environment, along with a Boston interlude (loved) from the Orlando, Florida setting prompted me to pick this up.

Charlotte North’s narration was excellent, particularly in her range from young girl voices to mid 30s male and female characters. Spice meter was in the red zone with multiple scenes ramping up 1/3 of the way in, so be aware that if you normally skip through these types of scenes, you will be doing a lot of skimming.

I really liked this book. I loved the different twists it took on the common romance novels. It was great to see a rom com about a single parent that is struggling with her ability to manage work life balance, her love life and her role as a parent. I found the FMC relatable and the story even brought unexpected tears to my eyes on several occasions. Definitely recommend!

I genuinely liked this rom-com. Typically the story is very blah, and you're only reading it for the spice, but this one actually had a story with some substance. I liked the single mom widow angle. I feel like that's not a typical character in the contemporary romance genre. The spice level was also good. I really, it was enjoyable if you like the genre.

I really enjoyed this one. I enjoyed the single parenting aspect, trying to move on after a spouse passes and learning what it means to forgive yourself. It was refreshing and fun and a great read.

Emotional. Great character development. Good narrator.. trigger warnings for death of a spouse, grief, and absentee parent.