Petition to be B. K. Borison’s Best Friend

“First-Time Caller”, first of three books in the “Heartstrings” stand alone series, is everything I could have asked for in a romance novel. From B. K. herself, she says that this trio of love stories are going to be inspired by those 90’s romance movies we love: “Sleepless in Seattle”, “When Harry Met Sally”, and my personal favorite, “You’ve Got Mail”.

B. K. Borison could publish her thoughts on how laundry lint could be relevant in this day and age, and I would devour every single page.

Aiden and Lucie have such a beautiful chemistry together that it’s absurd to think anyone but the other would be a good match for them. Their banter, their casual intimacy, and ultimately their care for one another is so palpable it practically jumps off the page.

“After six years of hosting Heartstrings, Baltimore’s Romance Hotline, I’ve discovered people don’t want to be told how to fix their lives or be held accountable. They just want to hear themselves talk and validate their own narcissism.”
Aiden is jaded AF. Home boy needs a break.

Call it burn out, call it compassion fatigue, or just call it tired, Aiden has spent so much time listening to people unlucky in love that he’s lost his hope. He’s lost the magic.

“I think it’s possible I’ve fallen out of love with love, burned by one too many lackluster calls. Burned by the sh*tty circumstances my family’s been handed too. It feels like every time I get my hopes up for something good, reality comes out swinging. I don’t know how to be a hopeful person anymore. It’s easier not to be.”

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison
Lucie has also lost the magic, or maybe she never had it to begin with. After being blindsided by her daughter’s devious plot to help mom find love, though, Lucie bravely decides to publicly open herself up to the possibility of finding love.

Perfection. Having these two broken souls heal each other was just perfection.

I wish I could really listen to Heartstrings on the radio

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I can’t freakin’ wait for everyone to fall in love with Aiden and Lucie. Their connection, attraction, and chemistry just feels so organic, and it comes so easily on the page. B.K. is an expert at her craft, and with every book she writes she continues to show her prowess. She makes readers fall in love with love at every page turn.

If anyone needs me, I’ll be kicking my feet re-reading First-Time Caller and falling in love with love again.

We start off with Lucie’s 12-year-old daughter secretly calling Aiden’s romance hotline because she wants her mom to start dating again. And somehow, this leads to a conversation between Aiden and Lucie that goes viral. People absolutely love how real and open Lucie is, so Aiden and his team decide to bring her on the show. This, of course, creates the perfect forced proximity situation, This was a great RomCom and had Sleepless in Seattle vibes however, I think only those of the older generation will probably recognize it. I enjoyed this book and think those who enjoy the romcom style romance will enjoy it as well. Thanks to NetGalley for the ebook to preview.

3.5 Stars
This was a cute read, and it started off strong—but surprisingly, it took me a while to finish. My interest started to dip around the middle, and I found myself getting frustrated with the characters. There was a bit too much back-and-forth for grown adults, and parts of it started to feel more like Sleepy in Seattle than the emotional drama I expected.

I did enjoy the cheeky banter between the mom and daughter—it added a nice touch of warmth and humour. But overall, it felt like the story took a bit too long to get where it was going, and some of the tropes felt a little forced.

Still, not a bad read by any means—and I’d definitely consider picking up the second one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Love this one!! Cutest relationship & I love the daughter. I usually don’t like kids in books but I really enjoyed the relationship between mom and daughter in this one!

This book is a beautiful story. It’s funny, sweet, sexy and romantic. I loved the background of the radio show and the meet cute of the main characters. It’s a genuine passion and connection written so wonderfully.

I think that B.K. Borison can do no wrong when it comes to romance. I loved that this was inspired by Sleepless in Seattle and the premise was so unique - a romance hotline radio host hates romance but when a young girl calls in asking for dating advice for her mom, a series of events occurs that are so wholesome and lovely. This was swoony and funny and just the most perfect rom com I could have asked for. It was a little too cheesy for my cold heart but I still highly recommend it for the romance lovers out there!

3.5, rounded up. I've heard great things about B.K. Borison, so I was excited to read this. I appreciated the sense of place Borison creates--made me want to visit Baltimore--and enjoyed Lucie's family unit and their interactions. Aiden was reasonably fleshed out, though I definitely rolled my eyes at his sense of commitment and a few of the communication issues. Overall, though, this is very cute and feels like a realistic romance with solid chemistry.

This sweet story gave me "Sleepless in Seattle" vibes for those of you who remember that classic love story. This one was super sweet and had me hooked from the start.

I’ll preface this by saying I am extremely picky and critical when it comes to romance novels, so the fact that I’m giving this five stars really says something. I LOVE Sleepless in Seattle so obviously the premise got me, but the way the author tweaks the plot feels original enough that I wasn’t basically reading the movie. Loved the characters, even the friends and side characters really made the book for me. That final scheme was everything! Loved this book because it made me feel all the butterflies without also feeling cheesy, which is sometimes hard to do. Definitely recommend this to all romance lovers!

beautiful. stunning. a fun and funny read, but also very emotional and at times sad (in a good way). the characters are complex and realistic, and I LOVED the banter between Aiden and Lucie.
I listened to the audio book and it was so wonderfully narrated!

Add this to your TBR right now! This was such a sweet and lovely romance. Perfectly written and a wonderful romp to read.

This was soooooo cute, a nice little take on a classic rom com. I can't wait to see what else this author comes up wiht!

Aiden was rather a jerk for part of the book.
Maya was annoying a great deal.
I had empathy for Lucie but I wasn’t convinced of the chemistry between she and Aiden.
Predictable ending.

I’m so impressed by B.K. Borison, First-Time Caller was utter mushy romance magic. To quote the great 1995 film It Takes Two…”It’s that can’t eat, can’t sleep, reach for the stars, over the fence, World Series kind of love.” 💖

If you heard me absolutely spiraling about this on my podcast "Fifty Percent"… no you didn’t. Just kidding. You absolutely did because this book had me kicking my little feet. First Time Caller is swoony, soft, and quietly devastating in the best way. Aiden and Lucy have the kind of slow-burn chemistry that makes you want to scream into a pillow. The pining! The emotional repression! The radio show! I loved how grounded Lucy’s character was, but also deeply yearning for something more. And Aiden? A walking emotional wall. I was yelling at him and rooting for him. His vulnerability felt earned, and when he lets go, the payoff is so satisfying.

This was my first B.K. Borison book, but it won’t be my last!

There is so much to love about this book! I absolutely loved the radio show element and the lovely relationship between Lucie and her daughter. It had great chemistry, a story that was easy to get invested in, and the charm of a 2000s rom-com.

If you, like me, left this book on your TBR for too long, let this be your sign to pick it up ASAP!

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

This was such a fun read. I loved both characters, and loved the side characters as well. The immersive read with the audiobook made this book a dive star for me

B.K. Borison never fails to write love stories that feel like a giant hug! I fell in love with this Sleepless in Seattle inspired story from page one! This was my second time giving this author a chance and I'm so glad I did. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this!

I loved how realistic both characters felt with their own personal problems, yet were able to help each other through them at the end of the day. The talk show added a unique element to the characters communication. I only wish we got to see more of Lucie's daughter!

I'm already look forward to the second installment in this romance series!

This is the truest depiction of love in modern times. The loneliness we all feel while being more connected than ever, feeling guilty or indulgent for craving romantic love when there is so much other love in your life, not even really sure that you need anything more than you have. Lucie is all of us. And on the flip side Aiden is all of us; afraid to put his heart on the line because you can’t lose if you don’t play. And d yet they build something so magical by opening themselves up to the scariness of hope and intimacy. It’s perfect. This book is perfect.

B.K. Borison had me in an absolute chokehold from the first page to the very last. This book is one of the many reasons why I am so happy I joined the booksta community since it got me into reading romance.

Aiden and Lucie are such a power couple. Even as a standalone, they are just two amazing people. Lucie is a single mom with a great job, an amazing support system, and a pretty cool kid. She believes she is happy until she is thrown onto a radio show where Baltimore is judging her love life, so now she isn't so sure if she is as happy as she thought.

Aiden is the radio host of Baltimore's romance hotline. He has fallen out of love with love and keeps his feelings closeted. He doesn't want to let himself get hurt again, but once he gets thrown into a conversation with Lucie, he and the hotline get thrown into the limelight. Maybe talking to Lucie isn't so bad at all?

Together, they are perfect. For me, this is the way an actual couple should be. They bicker, they flirt, they end up just existing together in a radio booth where they realize that maybe they are perfect for each other. Aiden cares for Lucie so much, in a "Who hurt you and made you cry?" type of way that made me kick my feet while reading the book.

I also LOVE the family aspect of this book. Yeah, Lucie is a single mom, but she and Grayson are one of the most perfect co-parenting relationships I have ever seen. Grayson and Lucie have an amazing friendship, and they're raising such a cool kid. Aiden and Grayson together would do anything to make sure Lucie is happy and cared for, and even in real life, you don't see that happen often.

Overall, this is one of my favorite romance books to date. I'm so excited for the second Heartstrings book!