This genre isn’t necessarily a go to for me, but I like to dip my toe in from time to time. The change and pace acts like a palate cleanser.
This one fit the bill, in fact, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.
It’s a comfy hug from a friend, it’s a cosy, fun read about opposites attracting and even the cheesy parts add to the vibe.
Thoroughly enjoyable read, I’d absolutely recommend if this is your genre. And if it’s not, definitely worth giving it a go.

First- Time Caller feels like a hug from your favourite person in the entire world.
Comforting, wholesome and refreshing in all its awkward and imperfect moments.
The vibe is totally different from the Lovelight Series, but equally addictive. The story and the characters felt familiar, yet original all thanks to B.K. Borison's expertly crafted cozy and nostalgic writing style that speaks directly to your heart. Can't even tell you the number of lines and paragraphs I've highlighted while reading...but her words deeply resonated with me in this one.
Lucie and Aiden's chemistry was palpable and their banter had me giggling all throughout the book. Their yearning for one another felt so real that I got 'second-hand' butterflies in my stomach watching them fall in love. Prepare yourself for a painfully slow slow-burn...but so so so worth it when they finally get together.
The found family aspect was amazing...I just wish we got a little bit more of Maya and her wholesome teenage sassiness. I truly loved her character!
Do yourself a favour and add this gem of a book to your TBR.

Thank you Pan Macmillan and Pan for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

First-Time Caller by BK Borison introduces an interesting premise—a hopeless romantic meets a grumpy radio host. Aiden, the host of Baltimore’s Romance Hotline, has fallen out of love and become disillusioned with the idea of romance. Lucie, on the other hand, has a stable life with a great job, an incredible family, and a smart kid, but she begins to question if she’s truly happy, especially after her daughter calls the hotline seeking dating advice for her.

I could relate to Lucie’s internal struggle, but unfortunately, her character didn’t feel like it evolved throughout the story. Her arc felt pretty flat, which was disappointing, as I had hoped to see her grow or change in some meaningful way. The same can be said for Aiden—he didn’t quite live up to the swoon-worthy character I anticipated. Instead of being charming, he came off as frustrating with his constant "I’m not good enough for you" mentality. Honestly, I’m so over that trope. It feels tired and overdone in romance novels. It adds unnecessary angst, but not in a way that enhances the relationship—just in a way that stressed me out.

Another major issue for me was the grand gesture at the end. While romantic gestures can be sweet, this one put Lucie in a really uncomfortable position, forcing her to be the first to say "I love you," when Aiden had been the problem all along. It just felt forced, and there was no real yearning between them to make it work. Where’s the build-up, the emotional tension? I wanted more depth, not just a surface-level romantic gesture.

I was enjoying the book at first, but as it went on, I lost interest. The early chapters were engaging, but after that, the story started dragging with little to no excitement. The slow burn I was expecting never really caught fire—it just felt slow and a bit boring. And as for any cute moments between Aiden and Lucie’s daughter? There were none. They barely interacted until the epilogue, which was a missed opportunity, especially given the premise of the book.

Ultimately, while there were some redeeming moments, First-Time Caller didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It had potential, but it didn’t fully deliver on the romance I was hoping for.

O my god, immediate 5 stars!! I absolutely loved every single thing about this book and honestly, I'm still a bit surprised by that. I started reading Lovelight farms by this author but honestly didn't like it at all at the time. After reading this book, I'm definitely giving it another chance. I might have even cried a tiny bit, which honestly never happens!!

This was a really great rom-com!! It was super sweet, very funny and had such a fun plot 🩷. I did find it a little bit long and cheesy at times, but overall I really enjoyed reading it!

This book was such a great read! I loved the little nods to Sleepless in Seattle—such a fun touch. Lucie's relationship with her daughter was so heartwarming; the love between them really stood out. Aiden’s backstory was so compelling, and I loved seeing how he overcame everything. Just adored it!

A cute little romance nothing special. Found myself bored at times and was a bit cheesy. The MMC is called valentine. FMC is a single mom. Grumpy sunshine. Not the best but still fun and sweet

4,25/5

This was adorable. I really enjoyed this book. It might have been slightly too long in same places but I loved it.

I'm not a fan of public love confessions or anything like that so reading about Lucie telling everyone her dreams on a radio show as weird for me, I was waiting for the to hang up. But that's what I would have done. And later when Aiden and Lucie finally talked at the very end - I wouldn't have come to the radio station in the first place, but it felt very in character for both Lucie and Aiden.

I loved them. Both characters were amazing. Maya was a little mastermind. My favourite moment was when she said she hadn't found anyone who would compare to Aragorn. Same, kiddo. Absolutely same here.

I like how observant Aiden was and THE NOTE IN HIS GLOVE COMPARTMENT! The picnic! I loved that so much!

I'm glad that Lucie found him and they both finally accepted what was happening. It took Aidan longer (I hate third act breakups, why did it have to be here too) but they got there in the end.

Thank you, NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for providing me the ARC for my honest opinion.

3.5 Stars

I had seen some amazing reviews for this book so I was very excited to read it but sadly it didn't blow me away.

The concept is very Sleepless in Seattle, in that Aiden our lead male works as a host for a small radio company and runs their romance section where he answers callers questions about love. Our lead female Lucie is a mechanic and shares her daughter Maya with her ex Grayson and his husband Matteo. Maya rings into the station to sneakily get romance help for her mum, Lucie takes over the call and the podcast goes viral...

The story for me was a very obvious one and although it was a fun read, I wished there had been a few twists that were more unique and interesting.
The romance was the ultimate slowburn and at times even felt it was going backwards. I liked the romantic couple but I just needed more, well...romance! There are a few smutty scenes but unfortunately for me, they didn't quite work and I felt their chemistry more from the excellent banter than the sexy scenes.

Lucie is a fab lead female. She is a great mum and a hardworker and really puts herself out there which I thought was brave. She has a great sense of humour and I just generally loved her and her family and friends.
Aiden is the grumpy to Lucie's sunshine. He struggles with opening up and no longer believes in love, or that it is worth the pain it can cause. I found his reasoning a little stupid and wanted to shake him SO many times. The characters were great fun though and often made me laugh.

The writing was good but the book is pretty long and sometimes dragged. It definitely needed editing to speed things up a little. B K Borison is great at humour though and I smiled a lot!

Overall, a funny and cute read but sadly for me, nothing special. It had so much potential though and so I will definitely try this author's future books.

Thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the advance copy of First Time Caller.

Aiden Valentine has a secret: he's stopped believing in love. But as the host of Baltimore's romance hotline, Heartstrings, that's a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight. Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—she begins to question if she's as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn't be such a bad thing. Lucie joins Heartstrings as a guest host on a mission to find love, and everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending... even Aiden. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.

Ugh, this angsty, yearning, cosy novel, where a hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host. It lives up to the hype, or perhaps is even better. Everyone and their mother has been talking about First Time Caller, and I can confidently say now I've finished this book that it is justified that they haven't shut up about it - I haven't either. Aiden and Lucie's story truly pulled on my heartstrings, and your honour: I love them. Every single thing in this book was just pure magic, and I can't find a single fault. BK Borison, please let me into your brain - I need to know how you work this magic!!! I 11/10 recommend picking up First Time Caller when it releases this Valentine's Day.

4.25 ⭐️

If you’re a 90s romcom lover, this is for you!

This is the first book of a new series by BK Borison called Heartstrings. Each book of this series is going to be modern twists of Nora Ephron movies (she was a film director who made romantic comedies). First-Time Caller was inspired by ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ and it follows Aiden and Lucie. He’s the host of a romance hotline and she’s a single mom who suddenly thrusts into the spotlight after an interview in said hotline goes viral.

BK Borison has gone for it all and she did not disappoint. This author’s writing has really evolved since her first book and this is proof of it. The communication between Aiden and Lucie was so good - it’s refreshing to read a book with such a healthy relationship between the main characters.

The solely reason I’m not giving this book 5 whole stars is because sometimes, the storyline gets dragged and I felt like the book could’ve been a bit shorter… But I really loved and enjoyed this book in more ways that I can’t explain. I really can’t wait to read the next two books in this series 💌

Read if you like:
📞 forced proximity.
📞 slow burn.
📞 single mum.
📞 found family.
📞 BANTER!!!!!
📞 grumpy x sunshine.

Thank you to the author, Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. First-Time Caller by BK Borison will be coming out on February 11th.

The bolter by Taylor Swift is Aidan's song through and through.

‘I want you to kiss me until I can't breathe'

What to expect?

🪄He doesn't believe in love, she want's magic
📞Radio Show Setting
🧑‍🧒Single Mum
💪Protective MMC
🏡Found Family
-🌶️
📻Forced Prox (kinda)
💕Yearning, so much yearning.
👩‍❤️‍👨Dual POV

'When it comes to you Lucie, there's not much I don't want'

Both our characters are very much Down Bad for each other. This book is sweet and tender to its core, and reading it felt like getting a warm hug. The chemistry between our two characters is explosive, there aren't many spice scenes which I feel added to the emotional depth of the characters. Borison captures the complexity of human emotions perfectly and the gradual development of Lucie and Aidan's relationship from strangers to friends to eventual lovers felt real and pure.
This book was also very well written, it's a joy to see how B.K's writing style has grown since her first novel Lovelight Farms - she just keeps getting better.

Huge thankyou to NetGalley and Panmac for an e-arc and audio arc in exchange for an honest review

3.5 ⭐️
This was a sweet story and it does have some lovely heart warming moments. For me it started off pretty slow and it took me a while to get into it. I just couldn’t warm to Aiden, but later in the story he did do a couple of pretty swoony things. It didn’t quite feel in keeping with his personality though.

I really liked the originality of the idea and was rooting for Lucie to get her happy ending, but I wanted to feel a stronger chemistry between her and Aiden.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

The fairytale romance and the fairytale queen when it comes to contemporary romance
Every time i think if BK Borison’s new book will surpass her last one. And the answer is yes, always yes.
Since i got the arc i knew that i have to watch Sleepless in Seattle to understand the vibe and what this book feels like. The book was definitely better but that’s just a personal opinion. It is so beautifully written you guys, i have been giggling and smiling and kicking my feet for the majority of the book. Every meaning of this book is so deeply touching, a reminder that if you think you will never find the love that you deserve, you are so wrong. You are not wrong for knowing your worth and you can wait as long as you need for the right person

I am writing this review after reading FTC for the second time, and let me tell you - the magic of the first time read has not diluted any. On the contrary, it felt comfy and warm and cozy, while also giving me all the butterflies for at least 50% of the story.
Aiden is secret, swoony boy¹ personified, afraid to get hurt, so has built walls up - all of which crumbled when Lucie came into the picture.
Lucie is so many of us - jaded by what romance means in this day and age, but then holding on to hope and being brave by reaching out for what she wants, to the very end.
I genuinely could read more of Lucie and Aiden, but also of Maya and Grayson and Mateo, and the whole radio-show crew. This whole story was absolutely beautiful. I need more romances like this! Give me the cozy feels of a 90s movie, light me up with undeniable chemistry, make me wail at myself for not being this good at banter!
With First Time Caller, B.K.Borison takes us from Lovelight Farms to Baltimore city, and keeps weaving the same magic that she does with her words.
I can't wait to read more Heartstrings books (and anything BKB tbh).

¹“Secret, swoony boy” - Lucie.

Thank you Panmac! Love you forever!

I've been a fan of B K Borison since I read Lovelight Farms.
I enjoyed Lucy and Aidens love story. I love sleepless in seattle and this definitely gave those vibes. Lucy daughter playing cupid was a perfect meet cute. I also really appreciated the coparenting story line. I looooooooove and slow burn and this was done so well.
Im not a big spice reader so I did skip over those parts. I did feel the characters lost some chemistry after but I still enjoyed.

Thank you for the advanced eARC

Perfection, this book was made for my rom com loving heart 💕

I loved everything about this book, B.K has captured my heart with this Sleepless in Seattle inspired story. It was the dreamiest rom-com. I laughed, I cried, I kicked my feet and giggled.

The chemistry between Aidan and Lucie was SO GOOD, I was invested in their story from the first page. I loved the friends and family around them. I wanted to know them.

I’m not normally a slow burn girlie, but let me tell you this was the best slow burn I’ve read. I was invested, I couldn’t wait for the burn to happen but I loved the journey getting there.

The concept of this book was so different, the little moments at the end of each chapter added such a gorgeous pov.

The easiest 5 stars ✨

Thanks to Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for the arc 💕

A really cute and lovable story as I've come to expect from BK Borison. I loved it! All the characters have great distinct personalities and I love how funny they are. It was a bit of a different meet cute and family situation to my usual romances and I loved that about it. The romance and flirty banter between the two was the best and I was fully invested the whole time.

4.5/5 stars

First-Time Caller is a Sleepless in Seattle-inspired contemporary romance by BK Borison. Aiden is the jaded host of a romance radio show when a young girl calls in for some advice for her lonely single mom. Lucie thought she was happy with her life when she suddenly finds her daughter on the phone with the radio hotline. When their on-air interview goes viral, the struggling radio show hosts a segment to help Lucie find a match. But of course, Aiden and Lucie’s chemistry isn’t just confined on air and everyone listening can totally tell.

I really loved this book. I thought it was such a cute book with a classic romantic comedy feel to it. From the Sleepless in Seattle set up, I was already entirely on board. I could not stop smiling throughout it. While it does hit the typical romcom story beats, it manages to play with the gender conventions of the genre, making it feel fresh and distinct.

I appreciated that this was told in dual perspectives (an element that really should be a requirement in romances). The chemistry between Aiden and Lucie was just perfection and every interaction of theirs just made me giddy. Then the sexual tension was just really intense and had going “just kiss/f*ck already”. And one thing I really loved was that they were always honest with each other but not necessarily honest to themselves.

First-Time Caller delivers everything you would want from a romcom.

*Thank you to Pan Macmillan for the eARC via NetGalley

The way I enjoyed this book after a very stressful work week!!!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in advance 🫶🏻