This book was a breath of fresh air! So sweet, so smartly written—a very compelling romance. This book has taken off in popularity and I believe will become the reason a lot of readers turn to the author's back catalog. I know I'll be revisiting her earlier works to get a taste of this magic again. Also, so excited to know this will be an ongoing series and we'll get to revisit this world again. In all, a stellar romance.

While this book started off on a high note for me, I came to find the romance tedious and the male love interest a bit toxic.

What I enjoyed:
- The found family dynamic
- The snippets of radio transcript between each chapter
- Jackson, the male love interests best friend
- Lucie’s monologue on the radio call that kicks off the story had me highlighting almost every sentence for its relatability
- True to the Sleepless in Seattle comp, this felt (especially in the beginning) reminiscent of old 90s and early 2000s rom-coms
- Building of pillow forts

What I disliked:
- Aiden’s “grumpy” personality gets old quickly and I didn’t find his temper tantrums endearing. The fact that Lucie was always wondering what she said or did wrong to upset him is not romantic and to me veers a little too close to emotional abuse
- The second half of the book feels tedious and there is a lot of back and forth after they have seemingly already expressed their feelings
- The dialogue felt pretty cliche and a lot of the book just wasn’t interesting
- The sex scenes felt awkward to me in relation to the story beats and where the relationship development was. Perhaps I just didn't feel their chemistry enough

Thank you Berkley, B.K Borison, and Netgalley for a digital copy of First-Time Caller in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me this ARC!

Oh my god.

Oh my GOD.

This is easily one of the best romance books I have read in a long LONG time. First of all, every single character in this book is incredible. Grayson and Mateo and Maya are so SO iconic. Grayson and Lucie’s co-parenting is like modern day Harry and Evelyn.

Also can we get a round of applause for the absolute refusal of this book to have the miscommunication trope??? Like we had to moments where is was edging there? And then it was like NO WE ARE ADULTS!!!!!

Aiden Valen. The man that you are. Who is a simp for Lucie. Who keeps a list of what she wants. WHO CHECKS IN WITH THE FAM FIRST!!!! And asks her over the PHONE.

Lucie. Oh my god. Another iconic woman. AN ASSERTIVE ASS WOMAN WHO IS COMMUNICATIVE AND A BADDIE AND KNOWS SHE CAN MAKE HER OWN MAGIC!!!! YES YES YES!!!

Needless to say. You need to read this. I CANNOT wait for the next one in this series, and I’m hoping that there will be a BOOK BETWEEN MAGGIE AND COOPER!!! IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.

First-Time Caller
B. K. Borison
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟

What an amazing time for this Sleepless in Seattle inspired love story to be released. Fun fact! Sleepless in Seattle is my absolute favorite movie! So when I saw the opportunity to read this beautiful arc and be part of the tour for it, I jumped. All in, head first, arms wide open.

Aiden Valentine, the host of Baltimore’s romance radio hotline, Heartstrings, has fallen out of love… with love. In calls Lucie, well, Lucie’s daughter. Aiden finds himself melting over Lucie’s voice and her brutal honesty and openness in the matter of love. And the need for.. magic. Everyone starts to pick apart the lack of love and happiness in Lucie’s life, so much that she starts to wonder, if she really is happy. With everyone wanting Lucie to find her happy ending after she joins the crew at Heartstrings, love ignites behind the scenes, so which will Lucie choose? The man sitting beside her in the booth, or a caller?

This had to be one of the cutest reads I have read! I enjoyed every aspect that came from the pages. The character development was SO GOOD! I love how Lucie was just this single mom who had a job and didn’t really care how others viewed her and believed herself to be happy, but then was able to see herself through another’s eyes. Aiden was such a sweetie, and I wanted him all to myself. The way he described Lucie’s voice constantly! Ugh. I was in love throughout the whole book.

“Her voice is smooth. Honey in a mug.”

“Her voice is the oddest combination of smoke and sweet. Like the bite of a good whiskey.”

4.5 🌟 this book was literally so FLIRTY!!! The angst + tension were so delicious 🙂‍↕️💗 I loved the family dynamic and healthy co patterning representation!! The setting was PERFect def felt like a love letter to Nora Ephron!! notes love Lucie + Aiden!! A very romantical book 👏🏽

A high three but this romance ultimately was just not it for me. My main issue was that I felt zero chemistry between the two love interests.
The best parts of this book were the mental health talks and the healthy relationships between our fmc and her coparents and also her daughter.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

I love BK Borison's Lovelight Farms series, but I don't like Sleepless in Seattle the film so I was concerned going into this book hearing that it is a Sleepless in Seattle retelling. Thankfully, Ms. Borison delivers on the swoony, tender and sexy moments and doesn't let any of the stuff I don't like about SIS seep through. Lucie and Aiden meet on a radio show call - in much like the set up in SIS but that's where the similarities end. Aiden Valentine is the host for Heartstrings, a radio show in Baltimore (think Loveline but less raunchy) and Lucie's 12 year old daughter calls in trying to find love for her mom. Lucie talks with Aiden for a while when she discovers this call, and actually ends up coming onto the show regularly as she's on the road for love. Listeners quickly begin rooting for Aiden and Lucie and their chemistry, and while there are dates that get set up via the show and dating show competition... after a while Aiden and Lucie can't deny their flirtation and attraction. I loved this because while it is a slower burn, they meet each other so early on (which is not the case in SIS) and so the tension and flirtation builds realistically.

BK Borison continues to create the most interesting characters. Lucie is a mechanic who had her daughter Maya young with her best platonic friend, Grayson - he has his own love with Mateo so Maya gets two dads and they like live next door to each other... it's lovely co-parenting. CW: Lucie's family and Grayson's family cut them off when she got pregnant so - family estrangement.
Aiden is the radio host for a love show but doesn't think he deserves love himself... it is a classic hero issue but also done in a really lovely way. CW: Aiden's mom had cancer throughout his life - she is in remission now but it is his big trauma.
Both Aiden and Lucie have great friends and co-workers, and even the dates and other love interests who are there briefly are interesting. This is a lovely little Baltimore BK Borison-verse and I cannot wait to return here for the next one in this new series.

📻 What’s it about?
Aiden hosts a radio show for love advice. He’s tired and doesn’t believe in love anymore… but when a girl calls in to help her mom, Lucie, find love, it goes viral. Soon Lucie finds herself on the radio show, in pursuit of finding the perfect date. If only she could turn off her attraction to Aiden.

🎙️ My thoughts:
This book was the perfect, sweet, sexy, smart romance. It was relatively low angst, with characters who had a little more life experience. I loved that it was mostly told in dialogue (as one does with a radio program), and the side characters were an absolute delight. From shop mechanics and radio workers, to Lucie’s daughter and the father of her child, the whole crew was a hoot.

🎧 The audiobook was perfectly narrated by E.J. Bingham and Hathaway Lee (seriously, I want Hathaway to narrate my books with her beautiful rasp).

This was a short and sweet read that I was able to read in just a day. I loved Lucie’s little family and Aiden’s dry humor. The radio show was a new plot line for me and I thought it was SO much fun. There were absolutely cheesy parts throughout this, but whatever it’s a rom com what do you expect? I appreciated that we got to watch them ease into the comfort of each other overtime instead of it being an instant relationship so we got those little moments of juicy tension. Both characters had personal growth and worked through various issues and expectations that had held them back. It was great to see them work through that and be able to find their happy endings. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and B.K. Borison for the eACR!!

Say hello to my new favorite book couple — Lucie and Aiden 🙂‍↕️🫶🏻

I loved everything about the dynamic of Lucie and Aiden’s relationship. The banter between them was so funny and their chemistry was IMMEDIATE. And the love between them!!! If you need a book that will make you believe in love, this is the one.

Lucie’s struggle with dating is something that is so relatable for so many people. Following her on her journey to find love and her finding it when/where she least expected it reminded me so much of my own relationship 🥹

The side characters truly added so much to the story and I enjoyed them just as much as I did Lucie and Aiden. The interactions between characters made for some laugh out loud moments.

I can’t review this book without mentioning the spice because it was incredible. The spice took their chemistry to a WHOLE new level 😮‍💨 I’m not kidding when I say this was some of the hottest spice I’ve ever read in romance books. There isn’t a ton of it, but what’s there is top tier!!

This book was everything I wanted it to be and more from the writing to the romance to the humor to the character development.

This was a great little read. I really enjoyed it and had a chance to read the ebook with the audio as well. I recommend the audio! I loved the radio show aspect and the clear Sleepless in Seattle inspiration was there without making the story feel like a copy.

This book was magic. I truly adored everything about this story. The grumpy sunshine trope, the tension, the beautiful found family and just everything made this book an absolute joy to read. I truly am obsessed with Aiden and Lucie. Aiden dealing with his own fears of vulnerability in this story, and Lucie discovering that she was the magic she needed just made me tear up. I haven’t fallen in love with small moments in a story like I did with this one in a while. I still remember the sweater Aiden let Lucie borrow and the dancing around the bar to Thong Song. The small moments and the big ones in this book just all added up to a warm and cozy feeling.

This book was so sweet. I loved the different family
dynamic representations. The book really
captured a modern day couple and modern day dating experiences. I am excited to continue the series!

I’ve been wanting to read a book by B.K. Borison for a while, and I finally set aside some time to read her latest book, First-Time Caller. The synopsis of the book, along with its intriguing setting, is what attracted me to it. The fact that this book is based in Baltimore, Maryland, my home city, and it mentions some of my favorite things about Baltimore makes me nostalgic, and I can’t wait to visit Baltimore this summer while I’m there visiting for my nephew’s wedding.

This book took me back to my favorite 90s romantic comedy movies that I watched with my mom, evoking so many happy memories. It’s a source of joy for me, filled with moments that had me smiling and laughing alongside the characters as I read. I loved both the storyline and the characters. Although the MMC, Aiden, did something questionable toward the end of the book, rest assured, he will make up for it.

The story of how Lucie ends up working alongside Aiden on his radio show to find love is truly charming. It all starts when her daughter calls in for help in finding love for her mom, Lucie. While Lucie is on the show with Aiden, I found myself rooting for her to discover love and help others in the process. The highlight of the book, however, was the interaction between Aiden and Lucie during the radio show. Their chemistry grew stronger the more they worked on the show, and I loved reading their relationship developed gradually. Yes, this is a slow-burn romance, so it will take a bit for the two characters to admit those feelings or do anything finally, but it’s so worth it. I also loved how Lucie changed Aiden’s outlook on love, transforming him from someone who didn’t believe in it to someone who unexpectedly finds it with her.

I can’t believe it took me this long to pick up a book by B.K. Borison. Now that I’ve read First-Time Caller, I’m eager to find more time to read her other books, especially if they all capture the RomCom movie vibes like this one did.

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Single/Dual POV: Dual POV.

Standalone or Part of Series: It’s the first book in B.K. Borison’s Heartstrings series.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you loved watching 1990s/2000s RomComs, then you’ll enjoy reading First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison.

What to Expect:
🩷Sleepless in Seattle Vibes
🩷Forced Proximity
🩷Grumpy/Sunshine
🩷Single Mother Romance
🩷Slow Burn Romance

Name a sweeter and more endearing romcom about a single mom finally getting the love she deserves?! First Time Caller by B.K Borrison serves up the most delicious slow burn between a hopeless romantic and a grumpy radio host who isn’t convinced love is real. The vibes are truly warm and cozy that full on transports you into a 90’s romcom! Expect to laugh, blush and be on the edge of your seat watching Aiden and Lucie from start to finish and expect all the feels.
I adored every second of this and all the pining/yearning had me sat! A must read for any romance lover out there!

I think this was…fine. BK Borrison has lovely prose and I do enjoy that aspect of her writing. But for me, this was kind of boring? Which is essentially how I’ve felt with all of her books. It’s a me problem!

4.75 ⭐️ rounded up.

ugh, I just love BK. her writing just gets me, I love the humor, the banter, the characters she gives us, I love it all.

also i did audiobook + physical books, the narrators were incredible, they added so much to the book!

this was very swoon worthy, the entire time I was thinking to myself, omg, this would be such a cute movie, I would love to watch it! I know it was inspired by sleepless in Seattle and I hate to admit it, I don’t remember if I watched it before, so I think it’s time to watch 😂

I loved Lucie and Aiden so much. The banter, the flirting, the tension, the kissing!!! guys, we got a „fuck it” moment, my favorite micro trope ever 😌 immediate butterflies.

I cringed a tiny bit at some words Aiden used during the spicy scene but that might be a me problem 😂 I just felt like it was a little out of the character. BUT LOVE HIM SO MUCH OTHERWISE. he’s a smooth talker 😏

and thank goddddd Lucie is an actual adult who uses her brain, because there was one moment I thought she was gonna jump to the conclusions and we’ll get a miscommunication trope but she’s smarter than that! ugh I love an emotionally mature fmc who knows her worth and doesn’t settle for less than she deserves.

amazing side characters, especially Maya 🥹 loved her, the little mastermind behind all of it!

can’t wait for the rest of the series and at this point I just can’t wait for anything that BK writes, she’s now one of my favorite writers 🥰

Thank you to Berkley Romance for the free book and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

This was just the book I needed to read. Lucie's daughter calls in to Aiden's romance radio show. One thing leads to another, and Lucie's Road to Romance is a new feature as she and Aiden work to find love for her.

Both characters are fantastic. And B. K. Borison shines in her ability to write many characters. I loved Lucie's coworkers at the autoshop, her daughter, and the radio workers just as much as I loved the main characters. All were detailed and shared funny and heartfelt interactions.

Just like all the radio listeners rooted for Lucie to find love, I think this book can make any reader root for love and demand more of what love really looks like.

4.5 stars rounded up

4.75⭐️

OH MY GOD THIS WAS SO GOOD!!! I literally felt giddy reading this book. the yearning & the tension was off the charts, also the banter and the communication between them?? SOOOO GOOD! I adored Lucie & Aiden, and all the side characters too. Becs’ writing has never done me wrong 🤍

This was a cute romance! it's pretty easy to see where it's going from the start, but I was always rooting for them and liked the radio show aspect