B.K. can do no wrong in my eyes! First Time Caller was the same swoony, sweet, cozy vibes of the Lovelight series in a fresh new setting with new characters to fall head over heels in love with and it delivered on all fronts!

Aiden Valentine is the host of a romance radio show in Baltimore. But he's not so sure he believes in it all after one too many callers complaining about silly things. He's a tad grumpy on the outside but a gold chain wearing, swoony sweetheart under those layers of past hurt.

Lucie is a single mom who has focused on her daughter for the last 12 years. She's a mechanic with a small found family that lives next door in the form of her best friend/baby daddy and his partner, all raising their daughter, Maya, together. At 29, she skipped most of the having fun years and doesn't have the energy to try to make dating work.

Maya calls into the radio show one night which results in Lucie word vomiting her feelings to all of Baltimore and Aiden feels a spark of fun that he hasn't felt on the show in a long time. From there the most adorable, angsty romance develops and I ate up every single second.

B.K.'s writing is so wonderful and cozy. She crafts characters that are fun and have depth and you will not be able to resist falling for them.

First Time Caller truly is a love letter to love with Sleepless in Seattle vibes, a single parent and a bit of grumpy sunshine with a radio host that is swoony and fun cast of side characters and so much more!

The way I absolutely loved this book. This was so cute, so sweet, so lovely. One thing I loved was the family dynamics. Our main character Lucie has a 12 year old daughter and the relationship between them and her daughter’s father was so wonderful. And I loved that Lucie didn’t have a “typical” job for a woman. Definitely not something you get to see in romance books very often. Aiden was so gone for her immediately and if there’s one thing I like in a romance book, it’s when he falls first. The radio show aspect was fun to read about but I did wish we got a little bit more of it. I can definitely see how this book was also setting up subsequent books for side characters and I loved them so much so I can’t wait to hear more about that hopefully! Overall this was awesome, and B.K. Borison continues to be one of my faves. 4.5 ⭐️

I absolutely loved this book! I love reading books that are different from anything that I have read before and this is definitely one of them. The connection between the characters is so great. The banter that they have with each other I love. The fact that she has a manly job and usually men don’t like that about a woman, but Aiden doesn’t care. Perfection. This is definitely a book that I think every romance reader needs to pick up.

I'm turning into quite the BK Borison fan! This is a sweet book and would be a good suggestion for fans of Emily Henry. Here's hoping it's the first in another series (I love her Lovelight Farm series).

4.5 stars!
My first B.K. Borison book & now I'm addicted. The story is inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, and it really captured the magic & romance of those classic rom-coms we just don't get anymore. I loved all of the characters so much and all of their banter with each other. This is the perfect Valentine's read!

Words are not enough. This book is a forehead kiss after a hard day, a squeeze of the knee when your leg is shaking, a hug when you're feeling down. BK' s voice comes through so powerfully in First Time Caller. This book could have ended at 50% and I would have felt (almost) just as happy as when I finished the book. This book had a lot to live up to for this Nora Ephron fan, it did not disappoint. I laughed, I teared up, the whole gamut

Pure simple magic. Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this eARC - I'll be thinking about this book for days.

LOVE! MAGIC! Lucie and Aiden are so cute and I am in love with them. I also love a new take on a classic, this one is a rework of Sleepless in Seattle that takes place in Baltimore. There was not one character that I wasn't completely enamored with and wanted to know more about (when's the next book out? who is it about? I need more of these characters NOW!).

This was truly a sweet story about finding love where you aren't looking for it, but mostly accepting that love. There were moments that made my heart swell (the fort scene, the napkin in the car, the pizza) and once I found my footing I could not put this book down. My first B.K. Borison and a full five stars for me!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkely for this E-ARC!

First Time Caller is such a feel good romance. It kept a huge smile on my face and I loved Lucie and Aiden. BK Borison’s writing is addictive and even though this took me a bit to get through, it was because I was busy- I didn’t want to put it down!

Lucie has been single for such a long time. Her twelve-year-old daughter calls into a radio show/romance hotline for advice. She reaches Aiden Valentine. Aiden is a cynic when it comes to love, but with his job, you would think otherwise.

This was the cutest meet cute. I loved Aiden’s grumpy nature and Lucie’s fun and carefree side. They were a great couple. Inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, this is a fantastic romance I can’t recommend enough.

Rave reviews and a comparison to Sleepless in Seattle had me requesting this one immediately. Such a strong start and then I just found myself waiting. And waiting. And waiting. More than halfway in before any romance is initiated? Too much of a slow burn for me. Found myself skimming the last 30% of so. Bummed!

Oh. My. Heart! I absolutely loved this book. If you are a skeptic, this book will make you believe in love again.

This book is so funny, I absolutely loved the meet cute when Lucie finds Maya on the phone with Aiden. Truly hysterical.

It's also very tender, the people in Lucie's life are all so amazing. Her bestie reminded me of a young version of Liz from Shrinking (such a great show if you haven't seen it yet.) the character development is superb.

It's also a little spicy, but not too spicy
🌶️🌶️/5

I believe there is one short and one long spicy scene.

This is my first book by B. K. Borison and I'm completely wowed!

First-Time Caller is a masterpiece, carefully and lovingly crafted. FTC is a love letter to Nora Ephron movies, but more than that, it is a wonderful contemporary and feminist take. Lucie and Aiden and the cast of supporting characters are beautifully fleshed out. (Heart)strings run through the prose and offer hints at the future novels in the Heartstrings series. Until next time, good night, Baltimore.

I had never read a book by B.K. Borison before and clearly I have been missing out. It has been a long time since I’ve been so gripped by a book. I just loved this story so much that I couldn’t put it down. I laughed, I cried, I swooned!

Aiden and Lucie’s story was so real and raw and I had no problems believing in the romance. Both of their characters were so well developed, I felt like I really knew them.

While the story was fun, this book is definitely more character driven but the radio station environment was unique and was the perfect setting for this story.

I also loved all of the side characters! They all had such memorable personalities and added so much depth to the story.

I adored this book and highly recommend you picking it up!

This was so so cute and so swoony and I loved how this ended. The romance was sweet and I definitely got the sleepless in Seattle vibes but it was seriously dragging in some areas. It could’ve definitely been 100-150 pages shorter. The banter was amazing and I found myself laughing at loud multiple times. I loved the family dynamic with Lucie and her daughter and the dads so maybe I wanted more of that? Regardless this was a fun little romance read. Also the cover is amazing!!!

Aiden Valentine is the host of Heartstrings, a Baltimore radio show where he doles out romantic advice. But years of listening to other people’s romantic drama has left him cynical about love. Is it really that great if so many couples are having problems? His bitterness has started leaking into the show, and ratings are tanking.

Enter Lucie Stone. The 29-year-old single mom is disturbed to find her preteen daughter talking on the phone late at night, and even more upset when she hears an adult man’s voice on the other end. Seizing the phone from her daughter, she learns her kid has called Heartstrings…to talk about her. OK, so Lucie hasn’t really dated since becoming a mom. But she still believes in love! When she describes the kind of relationship she wants, Aiden is charmed…and he’s not the only one falling for her. Her episode goes viral, and suitors begin calling the station, desperate to date her.

Aiden’s boss proposes a plan to capitalize on the interest: Lucie will cohost episodes where they try to find her a boyfriend. But what if her real soulmate is sitting next to her in the studio?

I’m obsessed with this book! It has a great found family and fully fleshed out side characters who genuinely enriched the story. The humour was genuinely funny and not at all cringe like rom-coms sometimes can be. Aiden and Lucie were both extremely likeable and their love story was totally believable.

This was my first book by this author and I’m looking forward to checking out more!

WHAT this book! Most likely my favorite romance book of 2025…I am calling it NOW in January. This was such a unique and fun story. I honestly get lost in B.K. Borison’s stories. She writes such fantastic characters that are so relatable and the LOVE STORY?! Epic. I love the tension and the character development in First-Time Caller as well. Just overall incredible and I already need to reread.

BK Borison creates magic. Three years ago, I randomly decided to read a little romance book about a Christmas tree farm, and that was Magic in and of itself. I loved Lucie and Aiden and how they loved each other. I love how real the falling in love was, from the fun and exciting to the “oh sh*t this is terrifying.”

The author’s love for Baltimore was tangible. Like so many romcoms where New York is a character itself, Baltimore shine in its own way. I know I read a love letter to Baltimore, and it made me love it a little more, too.

Congratulations on another masterpiece, Becs, and thank you for letting us mortals experience your magic, too. ✨✨✨

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkeley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own!

I was really excited to jump into this book and thought it would be perfect heading into February/Valentines season! The premise was super cute, and I was intrigued from the start. Unfortunately I did feel a little let down, and it seemed that the further in I got, the less interested I became. I didn't feel enough depth in the story or attachment to the characters. By the end I was somewhat indifferent about how it would all work out. I do think this is a lighthearted romance with little angst or tension, and some readers will really love. But for me there was just a little bit missing.

Ready to find love, via the airwaves!
Lucie has put her hopes of finding love aside. It doesn’t really exists. And if she can’t have the magic… well then, she’s just not willing to settle. And besides, raising her 12 year old daughter Maya keeps her plenty busy. So really, who has time for love?

But Maya recognizes loneliness in her mom and calls into a radio romance show known as Heartstrings to enlist the host, Aiden Valentine for help in finding love for her mom.

Soon all of Baltimore is rooting for dear mom! But maybe love for Lucie is closer than she thinks.

This was a very tender rom-com. I found myself smiling on several occasions, even misting up once. The radio snippets between the chapters were pure gold!

I loved Lucie, the wonderful family she constructed, her best friend and coworkers. Lucie’s life was already filled with so much love, she just needed the romance to make it complete.

Will Lucie find love? You'll just need to tune in!🎙️

Thank you Berkley Publishing via NetGalley

I was so excited to receive an ARC copy for this book. I’ve heard many good things about this from my friends in the book community. This is not typically a book that I would pick up, the tech/radio world is not my forte. Our book follows Lucie, a single mom of a teenager who is hoping to help her mom find love. On a whim, her teen daughter calls into a romance radio show to try and get advice for her mom. Little does she know, the radio world will fall in love with Lucie & her story forcing the radio show to make Lucie a permanent show about looking for love. The radio show host Aiden had given up on love. After being dealt a hard hand in life, he believes that luck is not in his cards. Until he stumbles across Lucie as he helps her look for love.
This book was so sweet and heartfelt. There was none of the annoying tropes that we see often in romance books like miscommunication or third act break up. This was simply a cute, mature, romance story that I will be recommending to all my friends!

Thank you to B.K. Borison & Berkeley Publishing Group for allowing me to be an ARC reader for this book!

I wanted this to work so badly, but I just could not buy into the romance. I've heard the absolute best reviews for this book, and I had such high hopes, but I just never got invested. I felt like it was too insta-love. Like, Aiden was the grumpy, cynical man and then immediately changed as soon as he heard Lucie's voice? It didn't feel believable to me. I'm so disappointed because I feel like so many people love this one and I wanted to love it too!