Let’s Call A Truce
Amy Buchanan
Pub: 1/14/25
4☆

I am always here for enemies to lovers even more so when it’s workplace romance. Juliana and Ben’s story was not only lighthearted and entertaining, it was also a realistic and relatable look at grief and second chances both in life and love. I laughed, I swooned, and I enjoyed the journey these two took both individually and together. I probably could have done without the third act breakup, but all in all I enjoyed this one. A solid debut and I look forward to more from Buchanan.

What I enjoyed
✨Workplace Romance
✨Enemies To Lovers
✨Single Parent
✨Second Chance
✨Character Growth

The narration of Charlotte North was so well done and fun to listen. If you're an audio fan, give this one a listen.

Thank you so much St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copies.

I loved this book!

It was real, raw and so beautiful.

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and will definitely re-read this in the future.

This book had substance and depth, it was very realistic in what it is like to deal with grief.

It also focuses on love after loss and how you can and should allow yourself to love and be loved even when you're dealing with grief and loss.

I loved how they highlighted the mental health of children.

This was such a heartwarming book and I’ll definitely read more by Amy Buchanan.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Amy Buchanan for giving me an advanced listener’s copy of this book, the narrator did a great job and I enjoyed this book so much!

3.5 stars.

"Let's Call a Truce" by Amy Buchanan is a solid debut romance with a lot of sexiness and a compelling exploration of grief and life after the death of a spouse. It is a slow-burning enemies/rivals-to-lovers workplace romance with a lot of in-office shenanigans *waggles eyebrows up and down.* There is an instant spark between Juliana and Ben when she begins working 9 months after her husband's untimely passing. Unfortunately, it is a crackling spark of disdain, and the two begin a years-long rivalry based on something Ben said. That's my main complaint. Juliana clearly knows how to hold a grudge and does so with reckless abandon. Ben said one bad thing to her on a bad day, and she continued punishing him for it for years. While the story does take a few turns to make this all ok, and while there is a lot of good chemistry and banter between the two of them, the initial premise of how they met rubbed me the wrong way a bit. Juliana repeatedly makes it a habit of shutting Ben out and down. I am surprised he didn't just tell her to eff off at one point. I understand that she has been grieving, and no one should tell another person how to grieve, but it felt a little too convenient to me. A lot of readers might interpret this as tension between the two of them, and if you do, more power to you, but I certainly did not. I do appreciate that Juliana always tells it like it is and doesn't shrink or nerf her opinions and thoughts. Luckily, this turned out to be a good book overall. There is enough good here to offset my complaints. I liked the family dynamic between Juliana and her two young girls. She seems to have fostered a wonderful relationship with her kids post-death of their father, allowing them a safe space to process their grief with her and in therapy. The exploration of life after the death of a spouse felt realistic to me. I liked the moments when Juliana and Ben got out of their own way and started to admit their real feelings for one another. I have to admit, I hated the ending. I hated Ben's attitude and the choices he made at the end of the book! He made me want to pull my hair out! Charlotte North's audiobook narration was good, but I think her "Ben" voice needed a little work. Still, I had a mostly good time reading this book and think it is worth your time, too.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amy Buchanan, and Macmillan Audio for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Let's Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan was a sexy, swoony romance that shows love after loss is not only possible but also worth the risk.

After her husband dies unexpectedly, Juliana Ryan finds her back in the workplace, and she immediately butts heads with Ben Thomas after she overhears him calling her a liability. Two years later, their feud is still going strong--but then she realizes that he's also a single parent and their girls become friends--so they're forced even further into each other's orbits. The tension bubbling under the surface is the sexy kind, and when they finally give in, it's so worth the wait. The third act break up was frustrating--not because it didn't need to happen but because Ben was an absolute idiot--but I persevered and they eventually got their happily ever after. Charlotte North does a fantastic job narrating--her "man" voice isn't annoying or distracting, which I always appreciate, when there's only one narrator for a book. Also, I don't remember how Ben was described in the book, but I kept picturing him as a younger Benjamin Bratt.

If you like single parent romances (in this case, both of them are single parents!) and books that deal gently with themes of grief and loss, Let's Call a Truce is one not to be missed. Thank you to MacMillan Audio for my advance listening copy.

I really enjoyed this once, it getting like a version of the hating game with single parents. It was cute and a quick read

Very enjoyable book with a widowed mom with two kids angle. I haven’t read many books with this as the setup, so I found this one interesting and relatable. I enjoyed all the build up to the relationship (over years) with the MMC. Lots of sexy moments which felt genuine and exciting. I highly recommend this book and will actively be seeking out other books by this (new to me) author.

This is a fun, entertaining read. Ben and Juliana are interesting, relatable, intriguing, wounded, caring, complex, strong, entertaining characters. I enjoyed spending time with them and their romance. There were many times during the first half of the book when I wanted to shake Juliana, even though I understood what was motivating her actions and decisions. The secondary characters – especially the little girls – added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment. The book is easy to read and get into.

I enjoyed the audio version of the book and the narrator.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A fun workplace romance that takes a turn into the personal world too.

I enjoyed this light, quick read. It was interesting to approach the story from the POV of a single mom, who was also experiencing grief. It added depth to the story and made me more invested in a happy ending. The witty banter and the workplace enemies trope lightened the story and brought lots of humor.

This is a classic, feel good romance. There are a few open door scenes but they are easy to skim through and not miss the storyline if you prefer closed door romance.

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

A sweet workplace romance with all the feels and tropes: grumpy sunshine, enemies to lovers, single parent.

Juliana meet Ben on her first day of a new job, and there is instant tension after she overhears a comment he makes about her before a meeting. Fast forward a couple of years and their paths continue to cross while the heat/tension builds.

***potentially huge trigger as the FMC is a widow and talk of her deceased spouse is HIGH throughout the book.***

I enjoyed the story, enjoyed the pace of it, and it was a well written debut. The narrator did fantastic and kept me engaged through the story. Would recommend!

3.5⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press for my ARC and Macmillan Audio for my ALC.

The narration for Let's Call a Truce was fantastic, but even that could not make me like these characters. Overall though, still enjoyable.

well, that first half i loved. the banter. the jokes. fun. then they got together and it went down hill. that third act breakup wasn't needed, lot of it could have been edited out. oh well. i will read more from Buchanan though

This was a good enemies to lovers work place romance. Juliana is back to work after losing her husband two years ago. She is forced to work with her office nemesis, Ben and we see their journey as enemies to lovers.
I enjoyed seeing both of their journey as single parents and how their children was so important to them. Their banter and connection was great and those steamy scenes were hot!
Charlotte North did a great job as the narrator.

Thank you @smpromance @macmillan.audio for a copy of this debut novel.

Such a dazzling and delightful debut!!

I loved how complex and layered this story was and
Amy handled topics of grief, mom guilt, solo parenting, and challenging parenting dynamics so beautifully and with immense tenderness. I loved watching Juliana and Ben’s relationship evolve and having shared experiences allowed them to provide the other with understanding and support where others might not understand.

I also really appreciated how Amy spoke to the pressures on moms and how so many of the tasks we complete and support we offer can often go unnoticed, but we still carry and have to navigate that emotional load.

While this book is tender, it is also so spicy and hot!! Amy knows how to bring the heat and I love how the spice deepened Juliana and Ben’s emotional intimacy as well.

Charlotte North’s narration was wonderful and I really enjoyed getting to hear Juliana, Ben, and the entire cast come to life!

I cannot wait to read what Amy writes next!

4.25⭐
1🌶️
Tropes: starting over, single mom, workplace romance, enemies to lovers
Single POV 1st person
When her husband dies unexpectedly Juliana Ryan needs to find a job to be able to support her and her two daughters. She ends up taking a position as a hiring manager and meeting Ben, the head of the engineering department. She is instantly attracted to him, but when she overhears him speaking badly of her for needing to postpone their meeting due to an emergency with her kids, it sets off a years long feud between them. When they are both pegged to work on a project together, they agree to a truce, and start to realize there might be more than hatred between them.
Definitely enjoyed this story. I love that the MCs are in their upper 30s, and I thought the author did a great job with how she handled the grief the FMC and her daughters experience- it was very well done and didn’t diminish Juliana’s marriage/relationship for the sake of her feelings for/relationship with Ben. I’m also not much of a crier but I definitely got teary in a few parts where Juliana was dealing with her young daughters. My only complaint is I wish it was dual POV because I’d love to know Ben’s thoughts through all of it.
I also thought the narrator did a great job!

What a sweet story!
Workplace romance, well.... ??? Maybe...
Enemies to lovers, again.... maybe ???
Friends like family... ✔️
Children that are loved beyond measure... ✔️
Family and friends that support you through anything that may come? Overwhelming ✔️✔️✔️✔️ !!!!!

Juliana is a young, grieving widow with two young girls. She is now the primary caregiver and breadwinner, and once she is able to pull herself back up and INTO the world, she realizes that she MUST get a job, or she will not be able to survive, and have her girls thrive...

And, just as she lands a job and is thrilled to get back into all the hubbub... on her very first day, she gets a call from her girls' school, and she has to leave work early.
To her surprise, she hears the guy she was supposed to meet up with the day before (but had to cancel because of her girls) bad-mouthing her! She. Is. LIVID!!

And, he is never going to live this one down....

And so, Ben and Juliana have a love/hate relationship at work. They appear to get along when others are around, but when they are alone, they want to kill each other!

UNTIL, they are both being considered for promotions, and so, they MUST work together and appear to be a united front! So, they decide to call a TRUCE...just until they can get through this...

And so it begins!

This one had me LOL, and then tearing up! Happy to be a part of their antics, and then so very sad for all they each had lost....

And as they start to understand each other a little better, they begin to tear down the walls that separate them...

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!!!

#LetsCallATruce by #AmyBuchanan and narrated beautifully by #CharlotteNorth.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which is *****Due To Be Released on January 14, 2025***** So, look 👀 for it then!!!

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
Insta @ #BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

This one was not what I expected, but I definitely ended up appreciating it. I didn't read much of the blurb, so I ended up going in mostly blind.

Read this if you enjoy:
> Workplace romance
> Enemies to lovers
> Single parents (both)
> Witty banter
> Open door spice

There was a lot about this story that really worked for me - I haven't read a ton of romances where both main characters were single parents and I thought the emphasis on the lifestyle of parenting and the things that parents will do for their kids really shone through in spots. There were times where the decisions made by the MCs only made sense in the context of them doing what they thought was best for their children, and that really felt like real life.

There were also parts of the story that really were a bit frustrating. While I understood the narrative in the context of the storyline, I really didn't like how some of the scenarios played out between the two MCs. The return of the ex-wife was a twist that I didn't really enjoy - the way that they interacted between each other while the ex-wife was in the picture bordered on disrespectful and definitely lived in a grey area. Overall, the story was well written and the characters were believable in the circumstances they found themselves in.

The audio narration was very well done and I enjoyed the way that the characters were brought to life through narration. Thank you to Macmillan audio and Netgalley for the ALC of this book.

Let’s Call a Truce the debut novel from Amy Buchanan (out January 14 from Macmillan) (I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Charlotte North). Here we have a ton of things I’ve been BEGGING authors and publishers to do. Non-billionare MMC? Check. A workplace that isn’t high finance or change the world or whatever…just…a workplace like any other? Check. A FMC that isn’t in her 20s and isn’t your standard “Emily in Paris” (for lack of a better descriptor)? CHECK! (she’s in her mid-30s, a widow with 2 kids!). A location that isn’t one of the usual places (New York is so over done)? CHECK!!! (Orlando!).

Julianna, our FMC, has returned to the workforce after the death of her husband. There she interacts with Ben (our MMC) and gets off on the wrong foot on day one – he immediately questions her fitness for the job. There is clear anger and antagonism. And then we jump forward 2 years and the two are at each other’s throats. Seriously…there is sexual tension from the antagonism right off the charts from early on. You can believe that these two people have been at each other’s throats (and also fantasizing about each other’s throats…yes…literally) for years. When work forces them to “call a truce” (heyya!…there’s the title!)…things…develop.

Look…is anything in this book really original? No…not really. I mean, other than the little details I pointed out above. But it is funny. And sexy. And sweet. And emotional. I liked that this was a second chance story but with different people. I liked that Ben’s past is a legitimate thing – both are parents who have been wounded. There’s a moment midway through with Paris and Ben where you truly realize what’s been going on there and it will absolutely fill you with sorrow for that little girl. I enjoyed the complications that would be involved with two single parents (something I have no conception of) of young children. I like that consent was a real thing here and that Ben was not about to do anything until Julianna was ready.

Like I said…there’s nothing really super original here. I spent the middle portion of the book dreading and then hating the inevitable events of the third act (a trope I’m generally sick of – seriously, authors…you can do better). But this was a wonderful first novel and I’m willing to give it the benefit of a doubt on that front. Even if I’m a FSU fan and can’t stand the Hogtown Gators. In spite of the epilogue that was pretty unnecessary (seriously – is this authors who can’t wrap things up with their characters or publishers who demand a neat little bow on the story?) 4 solid stars.

This is a workplace enemies to lovers romance a la The Hating Game. Juliana is restarting her career after her husband died unexpectedly, but when she overhears a colleague complaining about her kids being an inconvenience, it sets off a feud between the pair. Two years into their feud, Juliana and Ben are forced to work together on a special project that will help her get promoted.

I enjoyed this one! The workplace enemies wasn't too aggressive where I questioned how they were both still employed, and I like seeing them slowly thaw and get to know one another. I loved the family elements woven throughout as we see Juliana's daughters just want what's best for their mom, and her heartwarming support system show up for her. Ben was also a great male lead as he was patient and understanding with Juliana's grief and feelings of guilt.

There's a bit of drama towards the end that I didn't love, but overall enjoyed the story.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed Charlotte North's narration throughout. Thanks Macmillan Audio for the gifted copy.

This slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance is a quick and enjoyable read/listen(I received an Audio ARC)! Juliana is a recent widowed mother of 2. She rejoins the workforce, only to overhear some negative comments about her from her co-worker Ben on her second day. This leads to a 2 year long "feud" of subtle digs and sabotage before the animosity turns to attraction.

I love a good office romance and this one was interesting. Juliana slowly learned Ben's side of story as he tried to win her over. There were funny bits and surprises. The narrator did a great job with perfect timing to make me laugh! However there were a couple of things I that I wasn't a fan of. The sabotage of each other's work seems a bit childish. You can not like someone in the office, but that doesn't mean you should ruin their work. I also couldn't understand the reason's behind some of Ben's decisions and actions, particularly in regards to his ex. I get they are in the story to create some tension, but I feel like it could have been done in a better way.

This book was pretty good and I liked a book taht openly deals with grief and fear of abondment. And as with all books, sometimes if folks were ust honest earlier it could have been better.