This was my first BK Borison book and, while I wasn't blown away, I did enjoy it as a Sleepless In Seattle style romance. Weirdly I liked the side characters more (Lucie's family and Aiden's workmates) and found myself wanting to read more about them than the two main characters!

This is my first ever B.K. Borison book and I somehow found myself a new comfort read??? Oh my! The reason it took me a while to finish this was mostly because I did not want to tear up everytime I pick this book back up (which still happened anyway, but at least I'm currently working from home as I finished this book, with tears streaming down my face lol) I should've known this book would be doing this to me when the book in question starts with “For the hopeless romantics, and the reluctant ones too”

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison is the first book in the Heartstrings Series. This is Lucie and Aiden‘s story and it’s inspired by Sleepless in Seattle.
 
Lucie is a single-mom, and she is very focused on providing a good life for her daughter. I loved her daughter Maya and I loved how this was a positive example of co-parenting. Lucie is such a real and raw person who is honest and straight to the point and I really appreciated it. I also loved how she’s a mechanic and seeing that job from a feminine perspective was everything. I immediately took her to my heart and she’s just such a breath of fresh air.
 
Aiden is the host of Heartstrings which is Baltimore’s romance hotline and I feel like the radio is more and more forgotten and that alone evoked such a nostalgic feeling. The radio show is slowly dying and even Aiden himself is wary of love but all it took was just a spark and I loved how Lucie‘s daughter gets the ball rolling. Aiden is a bit jaded and closed-off at first, but I totally fell in love with his sweet nature.
 
This story has the perfect romcom vibes with lots of nostalgic and heartwarming moments. It’s perfect for all the hopeless romantics out there. I loved how Lucie is slowly opening up for love and Aiden tries to help her but ends up falling in love himself. I was so invested in this romance hotline and wouldn’t mind listening to it if it were real. This story gets by without any drama or obstacles and you just follow two people who slowly fall in love. And while I enjoyed that I would have loved to get a bit more emotions to fully be head over heels in love.
 
Overall, I just adored these two and their story. First-Time Caller is another amazing story by B.K. Borison and I’m already so excited for more in this series. 4 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

This was a really cute story, and the main characters were a lot of fun and relatable. The side characters also helped make this even more fun, so I just devoured this book.

4,5 stars

The first thing I did after finishing this was to scream. The second thing I did was contacting my favorite bookseller if they could order this for me.

This was such a perfect book. I haven't read a romcom in what feels like forever, so although I was super excited to read this one (I have heard only good things about the author), I was a bit scared that I wouldn't be enjoying it as much as I want to but a chapter in and I already knew this was going to be a 5 star.

I love everything about this book. The premise felt really unique to me, the characters are all fleshed out and it was easy to fall in love with them and to root for them - ESPECIALLY lucie and her little family, the banter was SO good and the romance between Lucie and Aiden felt so well developed and well paced. I just think this book has all the right balance of what makes a romcom good for me - both the romance (right from their meet-cute, their tension, their tender moments AND their not-so-tender moments) and the comedy (the humor between the 2 main characters but also with the rest of the cast).

I will definitely be picking up her other books soon!!! Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!

This book!!!! A perfect romance with swoon, steam, heart and some of the best dialogue and chemistry I’ve ever read?? I loved all the characters and the feel of this story, it felt so cozy. Will absolutely be reading all of queen BK’s books after this.

This was such a cute read! I enjoyed the radio setting a lot. Aiden as a radio host and Lu a guest looking for love was something very sweet - i haven't seen Sleepless in Seattle so I can't comment on any comparisons but I think I'll be watching it now.

I have to say I really liked both MCs. They were juxtaposed against the norm with Aiden being the romantic (albeit one who had stopped believing in romance) and Lu being the mechanic who seems pretty jaded on love after having a daughter at a young age. Speaking of - the family dynamic here was SO good. I loved the inclusion of Greyson (the dad) and his partner, living next door and being totally included. It was perfect.

My only negative was Aidens grumpiness towards love didn't really get fleshed out and explained until close to the end so it didn't really take root for me as an explanation. Considering the size of the book, I think this bit could have been done better but it wasn't a deal breaker more a disappointment because I enjoyed both MCs.

This was such a great read and an excellent start to a new series; hot, tender and funny.
Aiden and Lucie had chemistry in spades, from their first phone conversation on air you can see how they’ll work well together and you are rooting for the 2 of them. Aiden had me swooning as he romanced the shit out of Lucie, even while continuing to deny that’s what he was doing. It also had such a great cast of characters giving us glimpses of so many different types of love, the platonic and familial and also that yearning for the romantic.
Sleepless in Seattle is one of my favourite movies and I loved all of those little nods throughout the book.
I really enjoyed this and I’m looking forward to the next books in this series.
There’s nothing I could say was wrong with it but it just didn’t feel like a 5* so I’m sure it was just my mood when I was reading it so I will be reading again soon to see if that changes. It’s also a good reminder to myself to take people’s ratings with a grain of salt because we all approach books with completely different mindsets and history and day to day lives and all of that affects how we rate the books we read.
4-4.5*

5⭐️ | 2🌶️

This is the kind of book that makes your heart squeeze in the best way! Aiden Valen(tine), a jaded romance radio host, finds himself caught up in the whirlwind of Lucie Stone’s love life—thanks to her 12-year-old daughter’s surprise call to his show, Heartstrings. What starts as an innocent matchmaking attempt turns into a full-blown media frenzy, with Lucie co-hosting a segment to find love… and maybe finding it right under her nose.

I devoured this story in every format possible—switching between ebook and audio—and let me tell you, the experience was nothing short of magical. Hathaway Lee and E.J. Bingham absolutely nailed the narration, bringing Lucie and Aiden’s dynamic to life with charm, wit, and just the right amount of tension. The radio show interludes were chef’s kiss in audio!

B.K. Borison delivers a rom-com that’s both cinematic and deeply heartfelt. Think Sleepless in Seattle meets You’ve Got Mail, but with modern-day banter, a chaotic (and lovable) supporting cast, and just enough angst to keep you hooked.

If you’re craving a feel-good story (and honestly, who isn’t these days?) with the perfect balance of sweetness, spice, and swoon-worthy romance, First Time Caller needs to be on your radar!

I really loved the premise of this book after loving the author's other books. I cannot wait to pick up a copy for myself.

This gave very loose sleepless in seattle vibes, however i wouldnt go into it expecting a strong resemblance if that is what youre after.
Aiden is a worker on a latenight romance hotline, but sadly has been so surrounded by romance he's somewhat fed up with the whole idea of it.
Lucie is a mother to 12year old Maya, and while content at ther job and with her life she does feel a little stuck in life. Maya calls the station with a passionate plea for dating advice for her, and the segment and Lucie's words on wanting romance go viral. Now they must team up and go on a quest to find love for lucie, with a whole new segment on the show dedicated to her story.

This book has all the usual charm, adorable cozy cuteness you'd expect from a Borison novel, and the banter and relationship between the two main characters is wonderful to read and leaves you kicking your feet in joy. And as always, Borison thinks about the whole picute, and has you loving all the side charcaters and wanting desperately to be part of the gang and hear all the gossip with them.
While there is nothing strictly new to the book, it feels familiar in a comforting way. It's taken the bits of romances we love, and given them a fresh look and feel while still keeping that charm and love throughout. It feels like a classic love story already.

The characters are allowed to grow and work together and their chemistry is amazing, and we get this extra added adorable family dynamic thrown in to just seal the deal and tie the whole picture together.

As a connoisseur of Nora Ephron movies, this was a book I knew I had to read once I heard about it. I absolutely loved the nods to Sleepless in Seattle, enough to tie it to the movie but not so strong that this would seem like a carbon copy of the originial.

I loved the updates the story got for this book. Aiden being the host of the radio show Lucie's daughter called into was such a fresh take on the story. I utterly adored the family dynamics between Lucie, Maya, Grayson, and Matteo. Lucie and Grayson are the perfect platonic soulmates.

I loved as well that Lucie worked in a traditionally masculine job, and her work as a car mechanic was great to see.

I also really enjoyed the family dynamics from Aiden. The lasting effects of his mother's cancer diagnosis when he was a teen were written fantastically. The outcome of that storyline was really touching.

The relationship between Aiden and Lucie is completely spellbinding. I loved the slow burn between them, and the yearning was beautiful.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan, NetGalley and author B.K. Borison for this eARC

This was my first BK Borison book and I have to say I'm hooked.
I loved basically everything about First-Time Caller! Our MCs, the colorful side characters, the story, the yearning, the buildup it was all done beautifully and one of the first romances in a long time where I truly believed in the love, not just the lust - even though there was plenty of that too.

This book really did tug on my heartstrings (See what I did there?! Yes, I'll see myself out now)
10/10 recommend

This book is so cute! I adored the dynamic in Lucie's family and how supportive they all are of her. The grumpy x sunshine trope was excellently written and I couldn't help but fall a little more in love with Lucie and Aiden as the story went on. BKB never fails to deliver!

Forgive my lateness in my review. I have so many thoughts about this book and it all amounts to how much I adored and enjoyed it. I read somewhere that the book was the authors version of Sleepless in Seattle and I have to say it exceeded it! I love Nora Ephrons writing and there is something very similar about BKs writing but it surpasses it. She writes the romance without it feeling cheesy and thats what I have been missing some of the other romance books I've read.


The characters are relatable and likeable. Aidan being the grumpy radio host who has given up on love but manages to host a show about it and Lucie is the victim of her daughters plan to get her a date. On that premise alone it could have become a forgettable and predictable tale but B.K wrote a beautiful slow burn romance where the female lead,Lucie, says "I think you tell yourself you don't deserve the things you want so its easier to manage your expectations. It won't hurt if you don't care, right?" well......I felt seen. I dont want to say too much about this book because its a treasure to be discovered. I highly recommend anyone who enjoys romance, slow burn, witty and touching stories to give this a go. I am confident you won't be disappointed.


As always, many thanks to NetGalley, B.K Borison and the publisher for the ARC.

Oh wow why did I wait this long to pick this up! This book has every element that I love and I adored every single page of it. I loved Aiden and Lucie and yes it was obvious what was going to happen but what a wonderful storyline and something I’ve not read before. All the stars and would fully recommend to romance lovers!

I’m so in love with First Time Caller and you should read it asap.

This book had me laughing, giggling and kicking my feet and swooning.

Aiden and Lucie are so perfect for each other and I loved their journey together. This gave me the perfect 2000’s rom com vibes and I LOVED it. Their banter was everything and I felt their chemistry off the page.

Can we also talk about Lucie killing it in a male dominated field? We love to see it.

It’s just so perfect and a great slow burn romance. If this isn’t on your TBR, you NEED to add it too.

Oh my gosh… where to start!
I used to love romance, but I’ve found myself getting a little bit bored of the genre recently. I saw this and was immediately drawn to the cover, but I still wasn’t sure how much I’d love it. But then the rave reviews started to pore in, and my bookseller pals persuaded me…. And now I am completely and utterly in love with this book!

This reminded me why I used to love reading romance and was a breath of fresh air. Aiden and Lucie felt like really characters and I loved the humour. This had one of my absolute favourite tropes in it; found family, and although I loved the central plot of Aiden blending in with Lucie’s life, I really loved his storyline of connecting with his own family that he had slightly strayed from. Despite being such a warm and cosy story, that part really moved me.

But most importantly, the romance was *chef’s kiss*. This last chapter literally had me grinning and bouncing in my seat doing a little happy dance. I am reluctant to call this a ‘slow burn’ as the tension and chemistry is off the charts throughout the book and was definitely worth the wait!

This will definitely be one of my favourite books of the year and I have ordered the author’s backlist!

I really enjoyed this book, I think it is B.K.Borison at her best. This is perfect for anyone who likes a 90s romcom. A lovely romance that has great characters, emotion and laugh out loud moments. There is some spice which personally I didn't think it really needed it but it still brought a great moment to the book. I am looking forward to more from this author.

“I think you’re the magic.”

Aiden Valentine is the jaded radio host of Baltimore’s romance hotline. When a young girl calls in asking for dating advice for her mom Lucie Stone, the interview goes viral. Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final decision between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.

I expected them to meet a little later in the book and in a more serendipitous way or something, but their first meeting was definitely hilarious with Aiden running his mouth. I loved their chemistry on the show and how the little things built up to an explosive level. I also loved how open they were about expectations. At some point, Aiden's reluctance was frustrating but I loved how he finally got to his senses with help.

The side characters were amazing. I loved Grayson's energy and how he's so quick to raze hell if anyone dares to hurt Lucie. Her fellow mechanics with their nosiness were hilarious.

This was my first B. K. Borison and I enjoyed it. Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5⭐
Steam level: 4🌶️ One explicit open door scene