As someone who absolutely loves ‘Sleepless In Seattle’ this book was an absolute dream. The vibes were on POINT. I now need to rewatch it asap.

Aiden and Lucies love story was unconventional but wow does it work. That man was pining and she was so in love she couldn’t see it.

The best part of a single parent romance is the children and Maya was no exception to this rule. Her falling into the radio show was hilarious to me.

I love the dynamic between Grayson and Lucie. They are the example of platonic love.

This is a First-Time Book from B.K. Borison for me and I’ll have to admit, I’m in love with it and B.K.
The main characters but also the side characters feel so real, they are charmingly imperfect and lifelike. The (slow burn) romance between Lucie and Aiden makes me sigh a lot whilst reading the book. You can’t deny the sizzling tension between them and they are cute as hell. B.K. Borison gives us a unique radio station setting with alternating dual pov’s. I can’t wait to read more of this series. And for that I would love to do an re-read via audiobook because I think, it will match the vibe of the book.
This story was like a cozy blanket, fairy lights on my bookshelf and hot chocolate on my couch at the same time.

Within 30 pages of starting this book, I knew it was going to be a 5-star read and bought a physical copy within a few hours.

The witty dialogue and swoony moments made me fall in love with Aiden and Lucie. And I absolutely adored the relationships - not only between our main characters, but between themselves and their friends and family. So much love all around.

"She believed in magic and I thought maybe I could believe in it too.”

Was this book made... for me? probably because if I wasn't already known for being a massive hopeless romantic then this book made sure to highlight and underline it 💘

This book talks about bringing magic into romance but this book was absolutely magical to me. there is such a soft romantic undertone throughout the story that I find so hard to describe when discussing it and the only solution is for you all to go and read it. I loved the main characters, I loved their romance and I loved the development and tension. The pining and build up was p e r f e c t, their scenes together just totally enraptured me and I knew from very early on that I was hooked. The humour, romance and the chemistry between the character made for a book that was very difficult to put down.

Whilst the romance and the main characters are absolutely gorgeous and I loved following them, one of the other aspects that I also adored about the book was that there was so much love and hope that was sprinkled into these small moments in the chapters. from the callers and listeners, to the side characters, the book just screamed love. if you are wanting a romance book that showcases a true romance then this is one you will need to pick up asap!

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy, I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Just the romance I was looking for!! The balance of plot, character development and romance were all pretty well balanced. I have read a couple of the authors books before and I think this is probably my favourite. I flew through this and look forward to more from the author.

Thank you to Netgalley for this arc. all thoughts are my own.

If you love B.K Borison's Lovelight Farms Series, then this one will be no different!
This woman can write anything and I will consume it with glee.
First Time Caller is the first book in her new Heartstrings series and we have the main characters Aidan and Lucie.
This story is Sleepless In Seattle inspired and is about a radio host who hosts the loveline but he has fallen out of love with love.
Lucie is thrown into the radio spotlight, as her daughter rings to get her some dating advice, and then she is now co-hosting the radio show with Aidan.
Sparks fly, tension builds and banter galore. This book has everything you expect from Borison's books and more. Its safe to say this has become my favorite of hers that I have read so far.
Please don't sleep on this book. read it asap!

One of my favorite things about this book is l how it expresses knowing what you want when it comes to romance and holding unto it. It shows how loving is being bold and we saw that with the character Lucie. She knew being in love needed her to be open and she did it boldly. Lucie and Aiden were everything. They understood each other and they cared deeply for each other. Aiden was ready to do anything for Lucie. Always fighting for her and making sure was the best. I loved the pace of this story. It was not fast and was not slow, just perfect. The side characters were so interesting. Lucie’s daughter Maya was such an angel.

I enjoyed reading this. Will rate it 3.8/5. Thank you NetGalley and the Publishers for a copy.

I absolutely adored this one!

Amazing romance with well-rounded fleshed out characters and a a relationship that will leave begging for one of your own.

Eagerly awaiting the next installment.

« I could let myself love you so easily, Aiden. »

First Time Caller is the kind of book that makes your heart squeeze, your cheeks hurt from grinning, and your emotions spiral into a full-on pillow-screaming session. Aiden and Lucie have the perfect mix of banter, chemistry, and that slow-burn tension that makes every glance, every touch, and every unspoken feeling hit just right.

Aiden, the hopeless romantic turned cynic, and Lucie, the woman who didn’t even realize she wanted romance, are an absolute delight. Their dynamic is the good kind of cheesy—the kind that makes your stomach flutter and your soul warm. Every scene between them is laced with electricity, and the way their relationship unfolds feels so effortless yet so deeply felt. And let’s not forget Lucie’s daughter, who single-handedly kickstarts the chaos in the best way possible.

This book had me smiling like an idiot, kicking my feet, and absolutely melting over Aiden’s quiet vulnerability and Lucie’s realization that maybe, just maybe, love is worth the risk 💕

Thank you @panmacmillan for the arc 🫶🏽

A great read, with Sleepless in Seattle vibes. The story of Aiden and Lucie, who meet via the radio waves when Lucie's daughter phones in to Aiden's show. She only wants her mum to be happy but sets in progress a train of events that chance both Lucie and Aiden. Highly recommended read.

B.K. Borinson's books are always an absolute joy, and 'First Time Caller' was no exception. Borinson's ability to capture the complete disdain fuelled hopelessness that comes with online dating, felt like she was a fly on the wall in my room. But taking that emotion and paring it with such a comforting and loveable character like Aiden was excellent. Aiden is the personification of 'if they wanted to they would' and having a book start with that kind of plateaued frustration to be met with a character like Aiden is something I will read again and again.

B.K. Borison's First Time Caller did not disappoint. The Sleepless in Seattle vibes, but set in Baltimore were absolutely charming and wonderful. Also, Aiden's love of Lucie's mechanic outfit was definitely very original, and fun to read about. The best part of this story is most definitely the witty banter between Aiden and Lucie. I do feel like the book is probably even better enjoyed via audiobook due to the radio host setting. In my mind, Lucie felt older and wiser than 29.

A delightful and heart-warming romance. First Time Caller was the perfect read between lovable characters, great humour and moments that pull on your heart for a few tears it was everything and more.

Aiden and Lucie had chemistry from the moment they met, and everything going forth simply kept getting more and more entertaining. You truly feel as if you are one of the many listeners getting to hear their love story through the radio.

This book was simply amazing and truly pulled at your Heartstrings.

🎙️ Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Do you know the feeling of being in a room with fairy lights on, drinking a cup of tea or coffee and watching your favorite romcom? Just being happy in this little moment and enjoying your time? That’s what this book feels like! ✨
I love my 90s romcoms (and I have them on repeat with monthly movie nights with my cousin) and this book feels exactly like that! Lucie with her patchwork family full of love and Aiden the radio host of a romance show just stole my heart. This book feels like a movie night with best friends and just being happy and cozy. 🎧📼
I don’t want to talk more about this book because you HAVE to read it. This book can’t be described with words … this book is a feeling!💕 (and I am feeling right at home)
Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the first five star read of 2025!
 
✨Tropes: ✨
🎙️Jaded lover boy x hopeless romantic
🎙️Radio show romance
🎙️„I think you’re the magic“
🎙️Inspired by sleepless in Seattle
🎙️Single mom
🎙️Grumpy x sunshine
🎙️Opposides attract

Oh my gosh! I was kicking my feet and squealing as ALL good romances should do. Lucie and Aiden are the most REAL feeling couples I’ve come across in a while.
Both of their backstories made for such a complex and HUMAN love story. The chemistry from the start literally jumped off the page. B.K. Borison is yet to fail me on a believable romance with extra loveable characters! Also we need more wholesome single moms with a good relationship with the baby daddy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley and B.K. Borison for the ARC! Did I get it 3–4 months ago and only read it now? Maybe. I’m so sorry 😅. But this was such a cute, easy romance—I completely ate it up. The delay? A mix of procrastination and waiting for the audiobook because I knew it would be a good one. And I was right. I loved the outtakes of some of the radio shows, they were done in duet and it was perfect. While the rest of the audiobook could have benefited from this style, I liked how it slowed well in the radio/interview format. This book is the perfect blend of a hopeless romantic and a jaded radio host, wrapped in a Sleepless in Seattle-esque love story. Aiden Valentine, host of Baltimore’s romance hotline, has a problem—he’s fallen out of love with love. But when a young girl calls in asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, throwing Aiden and Heartstrings into the spotlight. Enter Lucie Stone, who thought she was doing just fine. She has a great job, an incredible family, and a smart (slightly devious) 12-year-old daughter, Maya. But suddenly, all of Baltimore is scrutinizing her love life, making her wonder—maybe a little romance wouldn’t be so bad. Everyone seems to want Lucie to find her happy ending… including the grumpy, guarded man behind the mic. This book was beautifully executed. Aiden and Lucie’s slow-burn romance felt natural, never forced. You see him fall for her—the way he orders her favorite pizza so he can love it too, keeps a list of the little things she likes in his glove box, and completely adores Maya. It all just fits. I also loved that Lucie works in a male-dominated field where she’s respected, that her co-parenting relationship with her ex, Grayson, is strong, and that the story is filled with so much love in every form. There’s no big third-act conflict—just two adults recognizing they need to work on themselves first. Aiden, carrying years of trauma from his mother’s illness, finally starts letting his parents in. His love declaration at the end? Stunning. And the epilogue, tying back to the coffee shop from the beginning, wrapped it all up perfectly. A truly heartwarming Valentine’s read.

B.K. Borison has produced a masterpiece about a single mother who makes a radio host believe in love again, inspired by Sleepless in Seattle. 🩷📞 This slowburn, opposites attract contemporary romance contains forced proximity, exquisite spice and great humour, with such heartfelt moments I ended up crying like Meg Ryan reading this. You could say that this pulled at my heartstrings hehe!

This is the second book I’ve read of hers and she has become my new favourite author. It was a lot of fun, predictable as a rom-com can be, and had a beautiful message of embracing each other’s mess.

I knew I would love this the moment it began with the quirky shop that celebrates anti-Valentine’s Day. Such a unique concept! I knew this was a 5 star when Maya says “No one at school has quite lived up to Aragorn yet.” – Lucie, you are raising her right m’gal!!! Anything with a Lord of the Rings reference and I am sold! But Maya does really speak facts, Aragorn is the best book boyfriend!

This is inspired by the 90s film called Sleepless in Seattle starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan who play architect Sam Baldwin and journalist Annie Reed respectively. I rewatched it just before reading this so everything was fresh in my mind. I can’t believe I forgot how much I liked that movie! This is your incentive to watch it again, by the way, folks! Especially seeing as it’s Valentine’s week.

This contained plenty of references to the film , such as:
• Both have single parents, though for different reasons: Lucie’s relationship with Grayson simply did not work out due to how young everything happened to them; Sam’s wife Maggie passed away so he is a widow.
• Both have a tween: Lucie’s daughter Maya is 12 in the book; Sam’s son Jonah is 8 in the film. Tweens are around 8-12 years old. Funnily enough, 12 is the age that Jonah says he is in the film when he lies to get on a flight!
• Both explore the impact cancer has on a male main character’s life: Aiden has been affected deeply by the highs and lows of his mother getting cancer three times; Sam’s wife Maggie passed away from cancer and now he is depressed.
• Lucie from her speech about magic on the radio helps a lot of people see that things are missing from their relationship, just like in the film Sam does from his speech on the radio which makes Annie see that her fiancé Walter isn’t the man for her.
• This book is set in Baltimore, Maryland, just like where Annie lives in the film.
• Lucie in this book uses a copy of the Baltimore Sun to shield herself (unsuccessfully) from the rain, the same newspaper company that Annie works for in the film.
• Valentine’s Day, the day when Sam and Annie finally meet at the end of the film, is where this story begins. This feels like the story has come full circle.
• Gregory Peck is mentioned in this book, a parallel to Cary Grant in the film. Both were iconic Hollywood actors on the go at the same time who looked very similar to each other.
• Maggie is the name of Heartstring’s manager in this book and Sam’s wife in the film.
• It could be argued Colin in the book is equivalent to Walter in the film: an ideal man but not the one the main female character falls for.

While it would have been nice to have had more direct parallels to the film, it is important to remember this is merely inspiration, not a remake . Both are excellent stories in their own rights, though I personally find First-Time Caller is much better than Sleepless in Seattle simply because the relationship takes more centre stage and the characters felt like they had more depth here.

There are things in here that would be considered not so stereotypical, particularly of Lucie, which I love to see. She is a mechanic which stereotypically is more of a male-dominated industry. Female characters in romances are usually described as short, whereas here Lucie is a tall woman, a rare concept. The last book I read with a tall woman in it was Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood. As a short girlie, I’m glad tall women are getting covered more in literature because they deserve representation too.

These days, a woman is immediately considered weak if she wants a man/romance, with more and more films being released where the woman doesn’t need to be saved by the prince. I have been especially tired of this narrative because there is nothing wrong with having both. Being a strong independent woman able to save yourself with a man at your side who wants to save you anyway is so beautiful! I am glad this is being emphasised by Lucie.

Aiden is a lot more of your stereotypical dominant handsome man, I grant, but he has very beautiful vulnerable moments that quell the stereotype that it is weak for men to be emotional and open. The thing that got me the most was the way he opens up to his father and how as men they both talk about delicate topics concerning the past torments, their feelings and love. Things that men ordinarily don’t talk about. It was so heartwarming!

Another thing is: their ages. Most books are about people aged 18-24; these two are in their late 20s, early 30s and act their age and communicate effectively even if it’s difficult to (Aiden does, of course, struggle at this but does his best). Thank you! We need more books like this.

Some negatives:
🠚We never get the aftermath/reaction from the listeners/fans when they reunite at the end.
🠚A few cringy moments like Aiden’s innuendos
🠚I thought would have been more conflict from the fact Aiden hadn’t told Lucie about her
🠚There should have been more scenes between Lucie and Maya. They don’t spend enough time together.
🠚I think it would have been nice if there could have been some sort of scene with Lucie’s parents, hopefully some sort of reconciliation. Even if it didn’t end on good terms, it would have still been something.

Wow wow wowwww!!! this was absolutely phenomenal, not that I expected less from the incredible BK Borison.

If you love Sleepless in Seattle, trust when I say that you will LOVE First Time Caller even more!!! This was such a wonderful romance. I loved every single aspect of this story, from Maya (the fmc’s daughter, to her co-parenting dynamics, to her work friends and to the romance between our two main characters.

The romance burned at the perfect pace for, somewhat between a slow and medium burn, and felt incredibly believable. I loved seeing their relationship blossom from a nervous friendship to a beautiful loving relationship.

10/10 no notes. Simply perfection!!!!!!

"Longtime listener, first time caller."

This book ticked every box I had. I highlighted a huge number of quotes, and I adored the dual POV and the little text snippets between Lucie and Aiden.

Their relationship is built slowly, teasingly and softly, drawing the reader in with an amazing balance of sweetness, steam, pulled heartstrings and hilarious moments.

I cannot wait for the next installment in this series, and I will now be devouring every other book written by Borison that I can find.

After absolutely loving the Lovelight series, I couldn't wait to read more from this author and this book definitely delivered.
I adored the storyline of the book and it instantly had my attention right from the beginning. Aiden & Lucie were the perfect characters and I really loved the friends to lovers relationship between them. The sexual chemistry was so evident throughout and I loved the witty banter between them. Lucie was just so heartwarming and I loved the fact that she was a mechanic. Her vulnerability was so evident, but you could see the strength and confidence she gained as the story progressed. Aiden was so perfect and the way he ran in the rain to meet her 🥹.
The relationships in the book were so perfect, from the mother daughter bond between Lucie and Maya to the relationship she has with her ex and his husband (which sounded like the perfect blended family), these were so beautiful to read and I adored the support her co workers showed her.
The ending for the book was just so divine and the story really came around full circle, it was everything I was hoping for and more. This is the ideal romance read and I recommend it to everyone.