A review by illstoptheworldandreadwithyou
Let's Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan

4.0

 

Following her husband’s unexpected death, single mom Juliana Ryan returns to the workforce after years of staying home with their two kids in this workplace, enemies-to-lovers romance from Amy Buchanan. Although Juliana and coworker Ben Thomas have an adorable meet-cute, their feelings for each other quickly sour. 

 

Fast forward two years, and Juliana and Ben are forced to spend time working together on a project. On top of that, their personal lives outside of work begin to intersect more and more. As it turns out, they have more in common than Juliana originally thought. 

 

What I liked: 

• The lip-print meet-cute
• The verbal sparring
• Main characters in their 30s
• Mental health rep (grief and anxiety)
• The supportive friendships
• The smoking hot chemistry between Juliana and Ben
• The exploration of love after loss
• Seeing Juliana’s confidence grow

The main things I didn’t love:
 

• I understand why this is written in single POV, but I wish we had gotten glimpses into Ben’s perspective.
• Due to emotions running high, Juliana makes a snap judgment about Ben based on one encounter and clings to that opinion despite evidence to the contrary for years. I didn’t love how she is so myopic when it comes to him.
• The tone of the book shifts about halfway through, so in some ways, it felt like I was reading two separate books.
• Some side characters come across as one-dimensional and are more plot devices than characters in their own right.

The audiobook is narrated by Charlotte North. North captures the strength, determination, and frustration of Juliana. North also captures the children’s voices well, but I didn’t love her voice for Ben.
 
I received an advance copy of the ebook from St. Martin’s Press and an advance copy of the audiobook from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.