Aiden Valen(tine) has given up on believing in love, which is weird because he hosts a radio show that's known as Baltimore's romance hotline. One night he gets a call from a preteen wanting her mother, Lucie, to start dating because she thinks her mother is lonely. Since this call is on the live radio, when Lucy figures out what her daughter is up to, she takes the phone away from her only to end up talking to Aiden about her love life and convincing him she isn't lonely. And before hanging up, she agrees to meet him in person and go on air with him.

This book was so fun and I loved the radio show in it. I really liked that it was a ratio show and not a podcast. I feel like that made it more unique and original. Aiden and Lucie make an adorable couple! I also loved the dads in this book. They were hilarious. I also loved that Lucy was a mechanic and was basically forced to come to Aiden's rescue. This book definitely has a ton of cute moments in it!

This is my third BK Borison book and I'm loving her work more and more each time I read her! A big thank you to Berkeley Romance and the author for an advanced copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU IF: You're looking for something fun, cute, lighter on the spice and still full of love.

I really enjoyed this book and got through it really quickly. The MC's were very likeable and their banter was A+. My only thoughts were I would have liked to have seen a bit more dating hijinx via the call-ins on the radio show before Lucie and Aidan got together romantically. Other than that, I really found the story to be believable and it was a quick, fun, cute, read.

Heartstrings by B.K. Borison is a charming, heartfelt romance that brings together a cynical radio host and a woman who’s unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight. Aiden Valentine, the disillusioned host of a romance hotline, finds his world turned upside down when his viral interview with Lucie Stone, a woman who never considered romance a priority, leads to sparks flying between them. Full of witty banter, emotional depth, and a touch of magic, Borison weaves a cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-esque tale where love is both a challenge and a possibility. With delightful characters and an irresistible slow-burn romance, this book is a perfect feel-good read for anyone craving a heartwarming love story.

Thank you for the arc!
I loved this book! I blasted through it, and the whole time I was picturing an incredible early 2000s romcom. Aiden's emotional arc and baggage punched me right in the throat. My only gripe is the pacing was a bit off, I think they fell for each other a bit too quickly. Otherwise, an addictive, fast paced romance.

4.5/5 stars
3/5 spice
Would reread? Maybe
Would recommend? Absolutely.
Vibes: 🍍🍕☕️🥣🤠🏙️🍻💓☎️🛻📻

It’s no surprise that I love loved BK’s writing. I swear she gets better and better with every book too. This one was a Sleepless in Seattle retelling - I didn’t really care for the premise but I enjoyed 80% of it and still swooned at every love scene.

This one was full of LOVE : Self love, family love, romantic love, parent love, found family love.

Themes & tropes:
☎️Forced proximity
☎️Workplace romance
☎️Grumpy x later sunshine
☎️One drunken night
☎️Grand romantic gestures
☎️Found family
☎️Hopeless romantic x scared to love

🌹
-Maya. Maya is a shining star throughout this whole book
-the writing
-the setting and concept were very well executed
-the found family and representation with Maya’s parents. Loved that and all their chats.
-that phone call between Aiden and his dad omg

🥀
-waaayy too many side characters that weren’t developed enough. Patty, the best friend, seemed like a drunk? Every scene she was completely plastered. Idk drinking does not a best friend make. Loved the dads. But all the guys from her mechanic shop? Couldn’t tell you how many, what their names were or anything about them.
-Aiden was not for me personally. He wasnt just a grump. He was like actually an utter ass. Which is addressed in the book. But I wasn’t feeling it, so that definitely took away for me.

Cw: mentions and trauma surrounding cancer

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Berkley publishing for the eARC! I love BK BORISON!!

Aiden and Lucie are my new favorite BK couple. Everything about this book is amazing! The pull these two have will sweep you along. You won’t even realize you’re done with the book and be begging for more!

3.25 stars

As a book inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, First-Time Caller will appeal to fans of the nineties' rom-com movies. I myself am a fan of the nineties rom-coms, so I had high expectations for this book. I enjoyed it but didn't love it as much as everyone else. I didn't like the love interest, Aiden. He was emotionally unavailable, and there was very little character growth. I did like the main heroine, Lucie, and I loved her relationship with her daughter, Maya. I also really liked Lucie's all-male co-workers, who were funny and protective of her. I think they were my favorite characters.

I love everything about this book omg 🥹 reading two five star stories back to back simultaneously revived me from my previous book slump and sent me careening back into another one…

aiden and lucie need to be protected at all costs 😌 they are so pure and real and relatable to the world surrounding them, and it’s so rare to find that in a fictional character without the pressure to be “perfect” - even when they’re perfect for each other!!!

while lucie needed the reminder from her dating horror stories that she doesn’t need to be perfect all the time, aiden needed the push to see the world through rose-colored glasses again after his trauma. and seeing them work through it without miscommunication and third act breakups was just 🤌🏼 I love them forever

and don’t get me started on the best supporting cast I’ve seen in a romance!! grayson and mateo could have their own spinoff story (they are that great, along with maya), and I wanted more from the radio station dynamics with jackson and maggie! I cannot wait to see where bk borrison takes this new world because I’m obsessed thanks

this gave all of the true love experiment vibes with less comedy and more open feelings 🥹🥹🥹 no I will never shut up about this book thanks

thank you to netgalley and berkley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!

rating: 5 stars
wine pairing: banfi rosa regale sparkling wine

First Time Caller by B.K. Borison ☎️

So much to love about this one! I'll forever be a fan of B.K. Borison's books because I get so attached to every single story and character she writes. This being the start of a new universe has me so excited.

Aiden is the host of a late night romance hotline but he's also someone who isn't sure he believes in love anymore after hearing so many complaints and unfortunate stories from callers. One night he receives a call from a girl who is calling in hopes to help her mom find a boyfriend. Lucie thinks she has all the love in her life that she needs and despite hoping for romantic love, is content with it how things are. So when she catches her daughter calling Aiden she's surprised. Lucie opens up to Aiden on air about her feelings then hangs up expecting nothing more to come from it. When their conversation ends up going viral the radio station proposes Lucie join the show with Aiden to help her find love. The instant connection between Aiden and Lucie isn't expected though. While they might be trying to ignore it, it's pretty obvious to all listeners that something is there with all their flirting.

You know when your pet is just too adorable and some cuteness aggression comes out? That's how I felt about Aiden and Lucie. They were both so stinking cute I wanted to give them the biggest squeeze and shake (lovingly). She's a hopeless romantic and he's someone who is afraid to let himself get too close to someone so he doesn't have to know the pain of losing them. They both in their own ways fulfill and breakthrough the fantasies they had about love and loving someone. No matter how you feel about love I guarantee that you'll relate to either Lucie or Aiden.

I loved the radio show aspect of the story and the snippets of the show between chapters. It moved along Aiden and Lucie getting to know each other so well. So many little moments and touches happen in the booth. The whole book had me feeling all warm and gooey. I loved their story so much.

🤍 single mom
🤭 strangers to lovers
📻 radio show co-host
👥 close proximity
❤️‍🔥 slow burn

dual POV
5/5 stars ⭐️
2/5 spice level 🌶️

Love love loved. Five stars, BK can do no wrong. It was a slower start than I expected and more slow burn, but this is ROMANCE my goodness. What a beautiful love letter to the genre.

If i could give this book a 10 star rating I would. First Time Caller is everything I never knew I was needing.
The unique relationships explored in the varying capacities warmed my heart
The MMC and FMC's chemistry were so swoony
The setting was so warm and cozy it had me ready to move to Baltimore,
BK you outdid yourself with this one bestie!!

Quick, fun, heartwarming read that was just what the doctor ordered for Valentine’s Day weekend. I liked that the usual romance tropes were a little different here—Lucy is a mechanic and her backstory with her daughter and daughter’s dad is different in a refreshing way. The on-air exchanges were a delight.

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison is the kind of book that feels like a warm hug. The writing is effortlessly engaging, the characters are charming and real, and the romance is both sweet and deeply satisfying. There's a wonderful balance of humor, emotion, and chemistry that makes the story impossible to put down. Borison has a knack for creating a world you want to live in, with relationships that feel authentic and dialogue that sparkles. Whether you’re looking for a feel-good read or just love a well-written romance, this book is a perfect pick. Highly recommend!

Lucie has a good life, but her daughter believes she needs more. So, 12-year-old Maya calls Heartstrings, Baltimore's call in radio show. When the host, Aiden, starts talking to Lucie, all of Baltimore listens to her describe the kind of love she wants to find. This book is part Sleepless in Seattle (which it is a nod to) and part Gilmore Girls and I am here for it. The story is fantastic and the characters feel like old friends. I'm a sucker for found family and this has all of it. This book felt like a warm hug and I can't wait to read more!

This book didn’t completely live up to the major hype for me but it was still a good book!!! I unfortunately think I’m just still riding the high of lovelight farms. I loved the premise and the set up. Lucie and Aiden’s meet cute was absolutely iconic. And as a hopeless romantics who wants magic and butterflies buts wants it to find her, I deeply resonated with Lucie but at some point this story just fell a little flat for me. I don’t know if I just wasn’t feeling the chemistry between Lucie and Aiden deeply or if the book just didn’t captivate me like I expected. Idk. Again it was a good book!! I think I was just expecting a little more

This is an adorable book, inspired by Sleepless in Seattle. Totally gave classic romcom vibes and I enjoyed the chemistry between these two. More of a slow burn romance but full of swoony moments.

Thank you Berekely for the free copy!

I am a BK Borison stan and fully expected to love this one. I will say, I loved how cute this romance was and I adore a hero who falls hard and Aiden falls HARD. I guess I was just missing the small town quirk and amazing characters that BK Borison normally writes. I did really enjoy these characters, but I feel like we just didn't see enough of them? And since this revolves around Aiden and Lucie meeting when Lucie's daughter calls into Aiden's show for her mom, Aiden and Lucie start doing the show together. This means a looooooot of this plot is just them talking in the booth. I would have liked a little bit more outside the booth, which in turn would have given more development with the other characters and those relationships.

But, like I mentioned, this romance was adorable and they were just SO CUTE together. This did go on a little long too (about 450 page), which might be why I wanted a bit more to the plot.

Still a really solid romance!

I adored the Sleepless in Seattle theme and loved both main characters. The spice level was a tiny bit out of my comfort zone but, overall, the story of these two finally surrendering to their feelings was awesome and very well written.

She’s done it again y’all, another wonderful charming book from the mastermind that is B.K. Borison! I loved Lucie & Aiden’s story so so much and I spent the entire book cheering them on, smiling and even shed some tears. The more time I spent reading this book the more I didn’t want it to end because I was just so charmed by both Aiden & Lucie but also their people and I just adored them all. In the book Lucie is trying to find her magic and I just want to say that if you read this book, you’ll experience some of the ✨magic✨ that Lucie is after because my gosh this book is everything and reading it honestly felt like a gift. I highly recommend y’all check this one out, it was an easy five star read for me!

5⭐️ 2.5🌶️

I AM GOING TO NEED BK BORISON TO TELL ME WHERE TF SHE HID THE CAMERAS. I NEED COMPENSATION AFTER SHE WROTE A BOOK ABOUT ME!!!

Ok, now that we have calmed down and taken half a breath... let me absolutely get riled up and scream again because this is hands down one of the best books of the year. YES, YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT, I know it's not even March and this just came out but it hit all the best seller lists for a reason!!!

Lucie is me, I am her. I think it will never not be jarring when an author who does not know me like this puts my feelings and worries into words and gives them to a fictional character. It is even more jarring that said fictional character can figure her shit out and I still cannot, but that's a problem for another day when my therapist is free lol The thing is, Lucie's character was so well done, so well developed and she still managed to make me tear up and laugh a minute after.

Aiden is so baby boy, so golden retriever core, so daddy dom, so did not have any business making my knees so damn week like he did!! The attention to detail this man had throughout the entire book? SWOONING, SWOONING HARD I tell you.

This book is everything I crave for in movies, and sure.. it may be based on one and whatnot (one I have not seen) but I need THIS specific book turned into a movie ASAP. It was so easy to read/listen to, so lighthearted, it was absolutely hilarious, with the kind of banter that you only dream of experiencing because men now a days could absolutely NEVER deliver like Aiden. This book is what staying in on a cold, rainy fall day, wrapped in a blanket with a spiked hot cocoa feels like. It's like coming home to your favorite comfort meal after having a bad day. Like getting wrapped in a very warm towel after a shower; except the towel is likely to spank you, tell you to look at the mirror and call you a good girl... which... I mean... no complaints here ok.

This is the first review I've sat down to write immediately after finishing a book in a long while. But I really needed to put my thoughts and feelings into words because this was amazing. I regret not having had time to read it before it came out so I could be one of the first people to scream praises to it but I think it came to me at just the perfect time.

Thank you PRH Audio for the free listen, this was everything I wanted and then some ♥️