The writing was so good, bubbly and warm. It felt like reading a 90s romcom and it was perfect. I loved that the side characters were flushed out and hilarious. Just a really well written story that had me kicking my feet.

Such a great book! Strong, like able characters!
I love the Sleepless in Seattle esque storyline. I love how the author portrays each of the characters’ shortcomings, they both steal your heart.
This is a charming, well written, heartfelt story! Cannot wait to read more from Borison.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Did I drop everything I was doing when this ARC came in with the promise of swooning and getting overly attached to these characters because it's written by B.K. Borison? Absolutely.

This Sleepless in Seattle inspired story starts when Lucie's daughter calls into a romance hotline to help her mom find love. Little did they know Aiden, the host of the show, had secretly become pessimistic about love. The radio sponsored journey to find her love forces them to work together to get her perfect match.

Lucie and Aiden omgggggg. Their chemistry and banter is off the charts. Truly if they had a podcast or radio show, I would listen to it.

In true fashion similar to Lovelight farms, there's found family and side characters who you just love and hope that you see more of!

Overall, I really liked this one! There's humor, romance, and just great vibes. I'll miss the Lovelight farms setting but can't wait to see what more this series has in store for Heartstrings!

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC 🖤

This book was truly amazing! The characters have so much life to them and this is one of the best written pre-teens I’ve read about. Not too cringey and very funny! I loved the humor and the lighthearted nature of the book, but also the more meaningful and sweet moments. One of the best contemporary romances I’ve read to date!

well that was freaking delightful. literally no notes.

- loved lucie, loved aidan, loved the side characters
- the banter and the chemistry and the spice were all A+ (and the spice/tension was balanced well with real emotional connection)
- even the third act conflict was good (not unnecessary miscommunication, but actual valid feelings that felt real and natural)

i already can't wait for the next heartstrings book!

First Time Caller by B.K. Borison
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Heartstrings series, book one

Pub date: February 11, 2025

I devoured this one. 🔥 B.K. Borison has slowly but surely become a favorite for happy romances for me!

Inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, this has all of my favorite vibes. The writing creates realistic chemistry and the dialogue + scenes were top tier.

I loved the way that the FMC slowly gave the MMC back the hope that he had lost, without even realizing it. 🥹💞

Perfect for you if you like:
Single mom + healthy coparenting
Inspired by Sleepless in Seattle
Just a kiss to get it out of our systems
Bad idea romance
Grumpy MMC
Easy to skip 🌶️

Such a cute story. Both Aiden and Lucie were so likable in their journey. I typically don’t like single parent tropes, but I enjoyed that Lucie was still friends with Maya’s father and it wasn’t like Aiden was applying to become her new father. I’ve only read one other book by this author and enjoyed this one so much more!

I am new to this author, and honestly the genre as a whole. I am trying to expand my reading list and was hoping this would be a good introduction. Turns out I was right- this book is thoroughly enjoyable and fills the gap left behind from the lack of rom-com films being produced right now. I found the dialogue really humorous at times (my inner voice read most of it at a dead pan monotone which might have helped a little). It had about the perfect amount of spice, really focusing on the build up. I would absolutely recommend this for someone trying to dip their toes into the genre without wanting to be overwhelmed.

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison was a cute read. I will always pick up anything that is remotely Nora Ephron coded and this was very much a Sleeping in Seattle retelling. I felt like it might have been a little too close to the original source material, though. It was still an enjoyable read, though. The female main character was delightful for the most party. I loved that she was a mechanic and really enjoyed the family dynamics. The male main character felt a little flat and I was just frustrated by him. It was still an enjoyable read and most romance readers will definitely enjoy this.

I loved this book so much! I love the Sleepless in Seattle type story, I really enjoyed Lucie and Grayson's family dynamic. I think it was really powerful how neither of them had a relationship with their family of origin but it wasn't this painful thing that needed to be fixed, they had their own found family which was really beautiful. I enjoyed Aiden's closed off-ness and watching him grow. The dialogue in the book was fun and quick and funny. I never wanted this book to end. I'd read a million books in this world. I also love the radio show aspect of it. Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC!

First Time Caller
Rating: 👍🏼 liked it
Spice: 🌶️

Lucie has everything in her life that she needs; a job as a boss lady mechanic, a baby daddy who she adores, his husband who she also adores (and who happens to live next door, making split custody so much easier) her 12 year old daughter and her best friend who owns the bakery down the street. The one thing she doesn’t have is love. And it turns out she’s not looking because dating sucks. men suck. romance is a fairytale and you shouldn’t have to “try” to be in love, it should just happen. Right? Lucies daughter Ava, doesn’t agree. After calling into a late night radio romance show and exposing her mom’s lack of love, to all of Baltimore, Lucie gets talked into being on the radio show. Lucies Road to Love with Aiden Valentine. Baltimores grumpiest romance radio host. On her road to romance, Aiden realizes that Lucie is way better than the losers calling in to have a chance with her. This show will either end with Lucies Heartstrings being held together with a new beau, or radio silence.

I wanted to love this so badly. But for me it fell flat in so many areas. This was a slow burn… the slowest of burns. The beginning was fun and quirky getting to know the characters and their roles in each others lives, then lost me with the same situations over and over until Lucie and Aiden realize that they’ve been flirting on air for all of Baltimore since night one. I love Aiden and Lucie together, their banter is fun and light but it took forever for them to realize it. Then the show just ended and it felt like it took the story with it.

This book had me hooked immediately. Although I do not normally read romance, I love myself a good 80s and 90s RomCom and this book made me feel all of those feelings and more. Not only are the two characters we follow so charming, but the supporting character are positively delightful.

The dynamics in this story seem to flow so naturally that all of the relationships seemed so simple and easy and believable in the best way. I absolutely adored all of the personalities mixed in and coming together to make us love these two characters in Aiden and Lucie.

A Sleepless in Seattle inspired romcom?! Say no more. I’m there.
This was everything I wanted in a romance novel. I loved it. 5 stars!!!!

Arc review: 5 ⭐️
I just feel so warm and fuzzy. I read this on a sleepless red eye to Rome. It felt like falling in love. It was warm and rich and while I may be starting this vacation sleep deprived, I feel zero ounce of regret. This book is a pizza shared in a blanket fort. My favorite BK book to date!

Thank you Berkley for the arc!

This book was laugh-out-loud adorable!

Maya is the sweetest preteen you could have ever imagined and Lucie is the perfect parent for her. Her and Grayon's co-parenting relationship is literally goals. I mean, who wants to be next door neighbors with their ex and his husband?!

I love how Maya was the one that got the ball rolling on Lucie finding love. I love how she had the guts and the no care attitude to call the radio station. It was really a down to earth moment that was my favorite part of my whole book.

This book was a must read for anyone who loves romance, Sleepless in Seattle, and all kinds of love.

I *adored* this book! I loved the SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE inspiration; it's easy to recognize the genesis of this story, but the characters and plot are entirely original and unlike any romance I've read before. Aiden and Lucie are two of my new favorite romance characters, and I hope we meet this cast of characters again in a future book!

I wanted to love this one more than I did because I so thoroughly enjoyed her previous series. This one just did not work as well as I thought it was going to because of the inspiration. The lack of her kid being in it once the romance picked up seemed so unrealistic to me. Looking forward to the rest of the series though.

I was incredibly lucky to be approved for an ARC of First-Time Caller on NetGalley! I finished it a couple days ago and I am still swooning!

Based off of the timeless classic, Sleepless in Seattle, First-Time Caller is a romance novel that will have you kicking your feet giddy the entire time! Set in Baltimore, we meet our FMC Lucie when she walks in on her daughter calling a radio station, talking to the host of the romance segment, Aiden Valentine, trying to get help for her mom’s love life… or lack of a love life.

If you love
•grumpy x sunshine
•slow burn
•incredible banter
•single mom (finalllly)
•forced proximity

Then this one is going to be for you!! I am beyond excited for the Heartstrings series that BK Borison is releasing over the next couple of years! You’re in for a treat with this one everybody!

A huge thank you to netgalley, berkley and bk borison for the ARC!

I haven’t smiled this much while reading a book in a very, very long time.
B.K. Borison is becoming one of my favorite authors, fast. The depth of characters is one thing, but the chemistry she molds out of words is actually insane. I loved following Lucie and Aidan as they traveled through this story. They were oh so relatable and I loved that everyone around them (reader included) could see what they couldn’t. I’ve always been a sucker for radio, behind the curtain, romances, and this one did not disappoint.

First-Time Caller is the first book in B.K. Borison’s new Heartstrings series. This was very much inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, and while I haven’t seen the movie, this is definitely motivating me to have a movie night! This story follows Aiden, a romance radio host who has fallen out of love with love, and Lucie, who happened to be one of his late-night callers (All thanks to her daughter for calling in to get some dating advice for her mom). Their conversation ended up going viral, and with the whole town rooting for her, she ends up as a co-host on the show as she searches for her “magic.”

I really loved how this book encompasses the reality of what dating is like in this day and age. I know myself included, struggled in the dating scene for a while because I was also looking for that same magic as Lucie, so it was really nice being able to relate to this story so well. This book was so fun, cute, and cozy, it had all of the things I wanted out of a new BK book/series! It felt like I was in a hallmark movie the entire time, and I never wanted it to end.

I LOVED Lucie and Aiden together the moment they went on air. Their banter was so fun and lighthearted that I caught myself cheesing and giggling almost the entire time. It was really heartwarming watching Aiden let Lucie discover the things she wanted out of a relationship and the way they were able to communicate and openly discuss their feelings was so refreshing to see. This was definitely a slower burn book for me, but it made it all the more worth it!

I can’t wait for this book to make it into readers hands!

Favorites Quotes:

“You don’t have to be alone to be lonely.”

“What if it’s all a string of choices and moments and events and decisions that have led you to exactly right here? And what if what happens next…What if what happens next is the good part? The part you’ve been waiting for.”

“Filling the air between us until it feels like I’m underwater. Sand in my bones. Lightning under my skin”

Tropes:
💗Forced Proximity
💗Single Parent
💗Slow Burn