First-Time Caller has a lot of Sleepless in Seattle energy and delivers in many of the same ways. We have a cute kid who calls late night radio and the ballsy best friend who pushes the heroine out of her comfort zone. Aiden Valen(tine) is less perfect and a lot scruffier than Tom Hanks, though, which makes him all the more appealing. Just about everything about this novel is spot-on. Characters are well drawn and appealing, Baltimore shows off at his charming quirky best, and the love story has the just the right mix of realism and magic. Recommended for anyone who loves a good love story with a great parking lot happy ending.

I love rom-coms. We’ve established that.

They’re almost all I buy in the romance genre anymore. I’m not saying that the other subgenres are invalid or “bad” or anything like that – I like a nice romantasy and while the dark romance thing is definitely not my vibe, I can see the appeal with other readers. But after almost a year and a half of reading romance novels I feel like the rom-com is where I like to live.

But it is such a tricky job to pull off. I’ve read plenty of rom-coms where the “rom” was definitely there, but I didn’t laugh, chuckle or even really smile all that much. I’ve also read plenty where the comedy was there, but the romance was extremely “meh” – the sort where I wonder whether or not the couple would still be together in 5 years. And that doesn’t even begin to approach the struggles with balancing characters so that no one is too needy, too strong, too broken, too withdrawn, too grumpy, too bubbly. Too cute. Not cute enough. But that balance is so critical to pulling it off.

This is all a preamble to talking about my first five-star read of 2025 and just a perfect blend of both the rom and com that makes rom-coms so wonderful. Once again…I won’t rehash the plot in my review – the book blurb does a more than adequate job of that. But B.K. Borison has concocted a sort of magical alchemy in this novel that had me laughing loudly at one point, smiling stupidly at others, and tears at the end. She has managed to write a novel that features not one but multiple memorable characters that I wanted more of – not just our mains, but the entire “found family” around both of them. A novel that is so steeped in a city I’ve always held a soft spot for that midway I had to put the book down because I’d never read anything by her before and said to myself, “She HAS to be a Baltimore person – nobody who isn’t from Baltimore would or could write a novel more completely “Baltimore” than this.” A novel that plays with the genre while definitely loving it.

The “Sleepless in Seattle” nods were a delight, though many of them were turned on their heads or changed/modified in little ways. I enjoyed that both the lead characters had issues they needed to get over. I loved that when Lucie realized what she wanted, she didn’t hesitate. I absolutely LOVED that so much of this novel is about people freaking TALKING OUT PROBLEMS (sorry for the all caps, but I just recently listened to a novel where miscommunication was a large part of it and it drove me nuts). I loved that there was no third-act breakup – not really. I loved the ending. I loved the little snippets of the callers/commenters on the radio show and the idea that by the end, the entire city was more or less rooting for them. I loved when Aiden said he needed seven minutes before Lucie came into his home – because I realized exactly WHY he needed that extra time (seriously, folks…real tears there).

I’ve seen people say this is a slow burn. And yeah…it is. But you know what? There is such a build-up of chemistry and feeling that by the time the burn starts heating up, you’re begging them to just kiss already. Begging them to throw caution to the wind and take a chance on each other. And the flirting is so… *chef’s kiss* It works because it is a slow burn. Because they take weeks to get to know one another. It means when it does happen (and boy does it get steamy)…it feels so worth it. The ending feels earned. It all feels so earned.

I’ve said before…I’m a tough grader. My reviews tend to hover between 3 and 4 (as the law of averages says they should) and I’m not above nitpicking a book and pushing it’s rating down. That doesn’t mean I don’t like it – there have been some fantasticly awesome reads I gave only 4 stars to. And I kept looking for a reason to dock this. It got so weird that I wondered… “Should I knock it for the cover? I like the cover…but Lucie is a brunette and the girl on the cover has kind of red hair.” But in the end…I just can’t. I loved it too much.

I needed this book in my life so badly – after so many mediocre reads in the last month or so. With everything that’s about to happen next week. With choosing to do Dry January when THAT is about to happen next week. But I think about all the years I didn’t read rom-coms – didn’t accept that hey…this is what you love! I would have missed out on this beautiful book. So you shouldn’t miss on it either. 5 unreserved stars. Standing O.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. All opinions are my own and uncompensated. First-Time Caller is available from Berkley and all fine retailers on February 11th. You can preorder it here!

This was such a soft, precious hug of a book. The premise is a spin on Sleepless In Seattle, where Lucy’s daughter calls in to the local radio station (it gave me Delilah vibes) to ask for advice concerning her mother’s love life. Lucy manages to get ahold of the phone conversation with the host Aiden, and listeners fall in love with her, to the point where she’s invited to join the show as she searches for love. Little does she know the love she is in search for is what she’s been listening to all along. The vibes of this book were immaculate, and you really just feel for these characters as they have real problems that can be easily understood. Cozy and romantic, I wish that Heartstrings was a real radio show.

I really really enjoyed this book!!! It was a really great, sweet, fluffy romance!! It was my first B.K. Borison book, and I really like how she writes her characters — they’re all so human and individual. Every relationship in this book, whether it’s parent-child, friendship, etc, is written so well and I loved all the different kinds of banter and interactions we got!!

Lucie is a lovely character and I love seeing more single mom representation in books!!! I love that she lets herself be a romantic, that she allows herself to be so open and sweet. I also loved Aiden (of course) and the way he slowly opened up to Lucie, which led him to opening up in general, was so great!!

One thing I noticed was that the line “yeah?” showed up a lot in dialogue, and though that’s a bit nit-picky, it did show up enough that I noticed it and it messed with the flow a bit. Otherwise such a great romance!!

4.5 stars!! B.K. Borison has done it again! I loved First Time Caller so much! It felt like the perfect romance! I loved seeing Aiden and Lucie’s relationship progress and how he was a man obsessed from the start. I also enjoyed seeing Lucie learn what she wanted for herself as the story progressed and her not settling for anything less. Aiden sometimes lacked some communication skills, but I think he made up for it in other ways, especially how attentive he was to everything Lucie (the list!!!). This book also had a great cast of side characters and they really added to the story, but my favorite was probably Lucie’s daughter. Overall, this was such a great read and I can’t wait to see what comes next in this series!

*3.75

A special thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for the e-arc!

This was cute, First-Timer Caller is for the people who enjoy early 2000's romcom's!

Aidan, our radio host to Heartstrings has fallen out of love with love and Lucie, our accidental caller wants to experience it for the first time. This calls for a fun radio host duo!

First-Time Caller reads easily, our characters are lovely and their stories are just as much. But dare I say they felt too easy?

Despite this novel being dual POV, we get to see more of Lucie and her own persona rather than Aidan. A romance novel with dual perspective should find a balance between narratives. Unfortunately, this was not represented as well as it could've been.

I want to touch upon the romance before tackling each character individually. The romance itself fell short. The pacing of the romance simply didn't align with the plot itself. We saw them co-host together at work and obviously the sparks were there at work but in the earlier part of the novel that was pretty much it. We didn't get to see these sparks outside their workplace and by the time we did, I believed it to be too late.

This feels like a friends to lovers romance novel with a weird transition in between statuses. The status from friends to lovers gets lost alongside other parts of the novel and therefore I couldn't connect with the love story.

I was able to love Lucie because of her courageous and loving spirit. It's clear that she has a lot of love to give out to her loved ones and that was great to see in a FMC. Lucie is also a single mom and seeing her relationship with her daughter was so sweet. Healthy mother/daughter duos bring me joy.

I'm gonna unfortunately put on my reality goggles for a second. Maya was such a bundle of sunshine but never in my life have I met a nice 12 yr old. (I'm an older sister to a 13 year old) 12 year olds tend to be more awkward and sassier than Maya. Not to be a party pooper, she felt younger than 12 which I think was an important detail to share.

I really would've wished, we got the same treatment with Aidan. It seems like we got a very brief introduction to who he was and that suddenly began to get lost in the story.

After reading this, I felt a little depressed for Aidan because he simply had nothing going for him other than his relationship with Lucie. It seemed like he truly didn't have passion for his job nor for anything else in his life. I would've liked seeing Aidan have more personality other than just falling in love.

I love B.K. Borison but this book didn't spark the way I wanted it too. It's cute but in the long run, it's not a favorite of mine.

I do hope that others are able to enjoy this as much as I did!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC of this book. The best thing to come out of 2024 for me was my discovery of B.K. Borison. Oh, how I loved escaping into the world of Lovelight Farms. It was always uplifting and charming. When I heard Borison was starting a new series, I was excited to be introduced to more Baltimore fun and fantastic characters. Lucie and Aiden exceeded my hopes and expectations (as did Jackson, Patty, Grayson, and the rest).

When her daughter calls into a romance radio show, Lucie begrudgingly finds herself sharing some of her most vulnerable thoughts on love and her lack of a love-life. Aiden, the grumpy host of the show, can't help feeling drawn to her and her honest. As it turns out, neither can any of the people who listen to the podcast of the show, and it quickly becomes viral. When Lucie is invited to join Aiden in the studio, the listeners can tell something neither Lu nor Aiden can see at first - there's definitely some magic happening at 101.6 Lite FM.

I think I had perma-grin from First-Time Caller for nearly the whole time reading. I connected with the 'Sleepless in Seattle' moments and really enjoyed the spicier moments. I cried happy tears more than once (not going to ruin it for others but there was also a gasp before the tears at one point and it was WONDERFUL!) I can't imagine anyone reading this an not falling for pretty much everyone, including the guys at the garage. They say everyone on the East Coast was charmed by Lucie, and I think anyone who reads B.K. Borison can't help but be charmed by her stories.

Hey, it’s me, calling to tell you how incredible this book is.

Lucie Stone and Aiden Valentine meet in one unexpected radio wave-captured phone call, and what happens next is everything you want in a romance read.

Lucie. The woman who deserves the world and has a cosmic laugh. Ultimate mom. Maybe she makes me want bangs again. I love her magical existence. I love the orbit of people she has around her. I understand how she got all of Baltimore (and the Eastern Seaboard?!) to fall in love with her.

Aiden. This complex, gorgeous man. Secret big softie. Afraid to love & lose. I could hear his smooth radio voice in my head SO easily. I loved getting to know him (and getting another book boyfriend written by BK Borison, thanks girl!!!).

This book is warm and brings you in like a hug from your favorite person. It’s delicious like your favorite snack. And it’s wonderfully written like all of BK’s books are. I’ve got a new comfort read! 1000/10 stars forever and ever.

Pick up the phone and dial in to First-Time Caller, pub date 2.11.25. You’ll be so glad you pulled on your heartstrings for this one. Thank you to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for my free copy of this eARC! #BerkleyPartner

If you thought you loved B..K. Borison before, get ready to fall even harder.

The premise of this book, the nostalgia of it really, made it one of my most anticipated reads for 2025. But the real magic was what was between the pages. Lucie is like so many of us just phoning it in. There’s nothing inherently terrible about her life, but there’s no spark. Just going through the motions and being content with “enough.” That is until her daughter makes a secret call to Baltimore’s love hotline and she is introduced to Aiden Valentine.

What follows is a kicking my feet and make me giggle kind of story, flawlessly woven into heart wrenching self reflection. Maybe we all deserve a little magic, but also maybe we shouldn’t be waiting on someone else to give it to us. I loved the healing journey of watching Aiden open his heart to more and of Lucie allowing herself to believe she is deserving of more even when she felt she had enough.

First time caller promises the nostalgia but also brings the magic’.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this earc.

Thank you so, so, so much to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC. I have no idea how I got this lucky but I am so grateful.

Going into this book, I was worried. Lovelight Farms is so perfect. What could B.K. Borison do this time that could possibly take over my heart in the way that that series did? How could she write characters that I think about so endlessly and want to know everything about?

Well, happy to report that Lovelight Farms was not a one (/four) time magic, she really is just that good. I adored every single one of these characters and I am already so excited for the rest of the series. I love the magic of starting a new book of hers and picking out who the other couples are and which side characters are going to be your favorites, and she delivered on it yet again.

I truly would lay my life on the line for Aiden Valentine right now. I would jump in front of a car for that man. I loved him so much and I was absolutely invested in his journey through this book of believing in love again and understanding his worries and fears. This man is easy top 5 book boyfriends of all time. He is GONE for this girl and I love him so much for it. Definitely one of my favorite MMCs from Borison.

I said with Lovelight Farms that Borison really shines with the side characters, and she did it again here. The characters that will obviously become the main characters of the next two books get their time to shine, of course. But the side characters in this book are so wonderful. Lucie’s entire circle brought so much heart to this book - Grayson, Mateo, Maya, and the gang at the garage completely won me over. I want more on all of them. Give me little stories about the garage and what they’re up to. I need more from them please.

This book had all the love and joy and friendship that I’ve come to love from Borison. I loved every second of it and I cannot wait for everyone to read it. I hope you all love Lucie, Aiden, and all their friends as much as I do.

Tropes: workplace romance, he falls first and harder, found family
TWs: Cancer (in remission), memories of cancer treatment, parental abandonment

A very sweet and heartwarming romance about two people finding love after losing hope. I greatly enjoyed the premise of a radio show host falling for a caller who helps him rediscover his love for love. A very sweet story would definitely recommend!

An emotional, quick-paced, and vibrant start to a new series, First-Time Caller is an absolute win!

This book is based on/inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, and despite that being one of my mother's favorite movies, I've never seen it. However, I don't think that affected my reading of the book aside from perhaps missing a few Easter eggs. Nonetheless, Borison has graced us with another amazing read. The premise is unique and incredibly fun, the banter is top-notch, the spice is spicing without being overwhelming, and the secondary cast is a blast. And the main characters had my heart from the start. Lucie and Aiden are funny, sweet, heartbreaking, and authentic to their very core, even when that causes problems. They checked the boxes for many of my favorite romantic tropes (grumpy-sunshine, "forced proximity, who did this to you?", everyone else sees is first) and their relationship felt so natural. They have their highs and lows, but they try their best and are willing to work towards becoming their best selves to become who the other deserves. Lucie and Aiden are really just amazing leads, and I can't wait to see them pop up in the rest of the series. As for book 2, I have an inkling as to who it will feature, but I'm going to love it no matter who the leads are.

If you loved the Lovelight series or you're looking for a unique contemporary adult romance with lots of emotion and fun, First-Time Caller is the book you're looking for.

This was my first BK Borison book and it did not disappoint! The synopsis drew me into this book and I’m pleased with the result. This book was funny and charming but also had a lot of heart. These are my favorite types of romance novels! I can’t wait to read more of her work and I suspect this will be a hit once released 💗💗

-THIS BOOK-

This was my first read of 2025 and I couldn’t have possibly made a better decision. My only regret was that I read this in one single sitting and now I can’t read it for the first time again.

After reading the entire Lovelight Farms series and enjoying it overall, I was already so excited for this book- pair that with a Sleepless in Seattle style premise, and I was SOLD. But N O T H I N G could have prepared me for how very much I loved this book. The characters. THE BANTER. The side characters that felt like they were my friends/family too. Lucie, my sweet idiot, Aiden had/has it so bad for u. Aiden, you princely moron, YOU LOVE HER.

The only thing better than this book was finding out it’s a series and I’ll get to see these characters again.

THIS WAS INCREDIBLE?!

this is the cutest sleepless in seattle retelling ever! i loved every second of this book. aiden & lucie will be ingrained in my mind for the rest of my life, this is 100% a book i will find myself randomly thinking about for years to come. i literally adored every character, every twist & turn!! just everything!! this was so witty & the banter was top tier. this had the perfect amount of bread crumbs to lead to the most satisfying slow burn ever. i seriously can’t recommend this book enough. this is so cute and perfect and heartwarming. there’s nothing i love more than seeing a grump who doesn’t believe in love turn into the biggest simp ever

So many Sleepless in Seattle references! From referencing specific songs and movies, to Brooks Robinson, to having the story set in Baltimore; this was more than just a nod to Nora Ephron movies. Lucie’s favourite flower was even a daisy, like Meg Ryan’s character in You’ve got Mail.
The modern adaptation was well executed and I liked that the magic was sprinkled in the story, along the way, without either Aiden or Lucie noticing it. To be loved is to be seen, and when he ordered her favourite pizza and made an impromptu picnic for her, he was showing how much he actually saw her.
I felt like the best friend character and ex could have been more well developed characters, but they were fun all the same.
The pacing at times was a bit slow for me, with their first kiss being more than 3/4 of the way through the book…and the final act breakup felt super immature and unnecessary. However, I did appreciate that part of Aiden’s healing journey involved him finally communicating with his father about why he doesn’t allow himself to love fully.

“I can be brave enough for the both of us. I can make my own magic. You just have to give me a reason to.”

The audacity of B.K. Borison to keep writing books like this. It’s astounding to me that her books keep getting better and better. She is able to create such an immersive experience where you feel like you're friends with the main characters and as a reader you're invested in the romance.

This book is a love letter to Sleepless in Seattle, and boy does it deliver. From the minute Aiden and Lucie speak on the phone during his radio show, they have undeniable chemistry. I love how cool Lucie is as a mechanic and I gasped out loud when I found out we have the same old man crush in Alan Alda. She also has such a great relationship with her daughter’s father and his husband, so I appreciated that this wasn’t strained. I feel like too many stories rely on bad co-parenting relationships to create drama. Her development from wanting this magic romance to realizing what she wants is so much simpler feels inspiring. It's almost like she has been waiting for something extraordinary, but finds that the ordinary is what is extraordinary. The grand gestures and over-the-top confessions aren't what makes a relationship, it's the mundane details,

I’m beginning to think no one writes a book boyfriend like B.K. Borison because Aiden is the epitome of a man written by a woman. This man keeps a list of her favorite things in his glove box so he doesn’t forget. He’s this beautiful personification of if he wanted to, he would. It’s so obvious he cares so much for both Lucie and her daughter, but keeps getting in his own way. It’s honestly so satisfying when he finally realizes it. I also loved seeing him start in a place from being jaded by love to fully believing in it again.

I particularly loved that this book is dual POV, but also includes these interludes of them speaking on the radio. I thought that addition worked so well here. We really get to see Lucie and Aiden's relationship develop in what feels like an organic, realistic way despite the funny way in which they meet. They get to know each other and their lives, and are able to envision their futures.

This is a knockout and I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

Although much hyped, this is my first book from B.K. Borison (she is my favorite authors' favorite author) and I will say this book went above and beyond my expectations. The cozy warm hearted feeling I was left with when I finished this book is a rare thing, and I am in awe to find a new writer that has that magic.

I highlighted I swear 80% of this book because it felt like it was from my own head relatable, hilarious banter/sidetalk, or just beautifully written. I loved Aiden and Lucy from the first page and grew to love them even more with each subsequent page as we see the baggage, layers, and detail that has made these into two fully realized people. As solidly childless, I typically don't read books with parents (typically I don't find children or parenting in books charming), but Borison did this so well I forgot why I would ever care. The part I loved the most - and Borison talks about this in the epilogue- is the many different kinds of love we see (parent-child, best friends, found family, co-workers) that often get overlooked, especially in romance and romcoms.

Words can't accurately express how much I enjoyed this book. I am a full Borison convert and forever fan now and I will be happily reading the backlog and any future publications. No blurb required, just send me anything Borison wants to write. (But please let there be more books on all the radio employees - I need to know more about Jackson and his feud!!).

Aiden and Lucie are perfection! When Lucie's daughter calls in to a radio station to try to get her mom a date, she ends up talking to the host for hours. That turns into an offer to join the host Aiden in the booth on the radio show, in an effort to find her a date. But sparks fly between them threatening to ignite their hearts and the radio booth!

BK Borison is absolute magic. She always writes the BEST books!

Borison’s writing is so stunningly beautiful in this story. She had me smiling and tearing up all with the happy gooey feelings. Lucie and Aiden’s character arcs were so spectacularly well thought out and crafted. I loved Lucie’s family who were lovely and sweet that I wanted to be adopted by them, and Lucie’s sunny disposition was that chipped away at Aiden’s grumpiness, little by little was refreshing. There were so many memorable moments but one in particular was when Aiden caught up to Lucie in the rainy street after she was stood up, was mic dropping. My melting heart could not take it anymore.