I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

4.5 stars.

Listen, this book is so effing well written. BK Borison just writes so freaking well and I eat it up every time. But…. That’s not to say that I didn’t have my issues with the story.

Aiden, my bro, my dude, my funky little man… you almost ruined this story for me. You were so goddang possessive, so brooding, and so angry through the whole book and yet, would slowly start to show how sweet and adorable you could be just to be an ass again. I wanted to punch you.

Lucie, girl, you are amazing. No notes. You deserve the world.

I adored the background characters too and I so badly want books based around them. I adored her daughter, Maya, too. usually, I can’t stand FMC’s with kids.

🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5 for spicy scale. Doesn’t really get spicy at all till the second half of the book. Even then, it’s only a few scenes and it’s not constant. Also, easy enough to skim past them if you’re not interested and it doesn’t impact the story.

Anyway, I liked the book but Aiden needed punched in the face.

b.k. borison has never missed. she has written one phenomenal romance after another. as a fan of early 2000s rom-coms and someone who has sorely missed them in media, this book was everything and more. it was heartwarming, emotional and so romantic. oh, to have a love story like Aiden and Lucie - i could only dream!

Paying homage to ‘Sleepless in Seattle,’ B.K. Borison’s ‘First-Time Caller’ is a heartfelt ode to love. This story is filled with romance, laughs and gut punching moments that leave readers rooting for not only Lucie and Aiden to find love with each other but learn how to love themselves as well. B.K. Borison’s Hearstrings series may be a departure from ‘Lovelight Farms’ but the story still embodies the charm and coziness that readers have come to expect from her stories. ‘First-Time Caller’ is sure to make anyone jaded to love an immediate hopeless romantic — and maybe convince readers to actually like pineapple pizza.

I loved the setting of this book, peak radio show time (pre-cellphone TikTok era), where everyone tuned in to their favorite shows and the radio show hosts were their own brand of celebrity.

The chemistry between the two main characters, the pining, the yearning, the banter, and the element of the FMC's daughter were all incredibly heartwarming. This was my 1st BK Borison book, and it won't be my last!

FIND YOURSELF AN AIDEN THAT KEEPS A LIST OF YOUR FAVORITE THINGS !!!! *swoon*

Any book that is inspired by Nora Ephron movies will automatically go into my TBR. Add to it being written by B.K. Borison and this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. This story is such a fun read, with two characters, Lucie and Aiden, who come together with the assistance of Lucie's daughter, Maya. Aiden is the host of a Baltimore late night romance radio show, Heartstrings, and Maya decides it's time for her mom to get back out there in the dating world, so calls in on her behalf. The struggling radio show goes viral and asks Lucie to become a regular guest with Aiden. As you can guess, sparks fly in the recording booth as this Sleepless in Seattle retelling moves forward. The last third did last a little longer than necessary for me, and I was hoping for more time with them talking on the phone before spending time together in person, which is why this is a 4.5 and not a 5, but overall a fantastic start to a new series! I cannot wait for weatherman Jackson's story next!

4.5 stars

3★ - Sweet, Cozy, and Perfect for Valentine’s Season
Such a fun and flirty setup, and I was totally on board from the start. The premise is adorable: a hopeless romantic single mom, a grumpy radio host with a love hotline, and a viral moment that throws them into each other’s orbit? Yes, please!
There were some incredibly sweet moments throughout that had me smiling, and I especially enjoyed the found-family vibes with Aiden’s friends, a definite highlight. Watching Lucie slowly become part of that circle was genuinely touching.
Where the story didn’t quite hit the mark for me was in the romantic development. I’m a big fan of slow burns, and while this book had the setup for it, I wanted more tension, longing, and emotional build-up. The romance felt like it took a backseat to the plot and side dynamics, and by the time it did come into focus, it felt a bit rushed.
And personally, I struggled a bit with Aiden. I understood why he was emotionally closed off, but the level of self-doubt and unavailability made it hard for me to feel fully invested in him as a love interest. Lucie, on the other hand, was open-hearted, grounded, and so deserving of a partner who could meet her halfway.
However, there’s a lot of adorable moments (the list of her favorite things!), strong side characters, and a warm vibe that makes this a great read, especially during Valentine’s Day.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC!

I never would’ve thought that talk of pineapple pizza would make me swoon, yet here I am.

“You have a pineapple pizza?”
I nod, anonoyed with myself. “I do.”
“You said pineapple on pizza is disgusting.”
“It is.”
“Then why do you have it?”
“Because you said it was your favorite,” I admit. “And I want your favorite to be my favorite.”

Aiden and Lucie. Lucie and Aiden. I couldn’t get enough of those two and their nonstop flirtatious bantering. I would’ve read hundreds more pages about them if given the chance. The way he fell first and sooo dang hard. “I remember all the things you’ve said.” The picnic. The note in his glovebox. He was thoughtful and romantic from the very start before he even knew he was falling for her. And Lucie, a mom putting her role as mom first before her happiness. It was totally relatable and I loved that she decided to give love a chance. Maya and Lucie’s extended family and best friend were the perfect supporting characters with their entertaining, hilarious, and perfectly chaotic personalities!

And the spice!! Of course Aiden Valen was a bossy sex God! Lucie didn’t just get the magic… she got the whole dang spellbook and then some!

B.K. Borison does it again! If I wasn’t already a fan of hers, this book would’ve done it. Romantic, steamy, and so much fun. It was like… magic :)

FIRST-TIME CALLER follows single-mom Lucie, whose preteen daughter calls in to the Baltimore romance hotline, “Heartstrings”, hosted by a lovable love-cynic: Aiden Valentine. When their segment goes viral, Lucie is convinced to co-host with Aiden in the hopes of finding a date for herself Bachelorette-style.

This book really does feel like your favorite RomCom movies. It’s similar enough to its Sleepless in Seattle inspiration to be comforting and familiar, but different enough that it feels fresh. From the very beginning, this one pulled me in and it never let up.

Someone get me a Berger cookie STAT!

Big thank you to Berkley for sending me the eARC in exchange for my review!

WOW! this book was so NICE😏! (read the book and you’ll understand) but seriously it took me a little to get into it but once the ball got rolling the tension was THICK! it was a perfectly smooth transition from strangers to friends/coworkers? to lovers. it’s definitely a slow burn and when they finally realize their feelings for each other and they began testing their boundaries and crossing the line of friendship to “messing around” it was SEXYYYY! this might be B.K.s hottest book!?

i REALLY enjoyed how the 3rd act drama was justified and reasonable! i know that sounds silly but sometimes the couples quarrel can be very unnecessary but this one made sense and we got to see Aiden resolve his issues in order to be with Lucie! i loved it!

thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC! i really enjoyed this. everyone BE EXCITED!

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫

| Thank you #PRHPartner @prhaudio & @berkleyromance for the early listening access! |

📕(𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥):
𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 🥣 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 • 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙚𝙨 • 𝙪𝙣𝙧𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 • 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙘 • 𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬 • 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙭𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙮 • 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 • 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 • 𝙇𝙂𝘽𝙏𝙌𝙄𝘼 𝙧𝙚𝙥 • 𝙇𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙚’𝙨 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 • 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 • 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙢 •

🍌 :
Ring ring!

This book was so much fun and enjoyable to read!

📕:
FTC starts off strong, never losing its pace. I was engaged the entire time.

A single mom, Lucie is a mechanic with a fashion style I could relate to. She still believes in the magic of love, but didn’t do anything to change her status.

One fateful night, with the help of her daughter, Lucie and radio host Aiden cross paths.

Lucie’s daughter is the cutest and she is so thoughtful/insightful for her age. I love the concern she had for her mother’s well-being and happiness.

I also loved the family dynamics - Lucie and her ex share custody of their daughter, are best friends and next door neighbours too!

“𝘈𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵: 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦, 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.”

🎧:
The narrators did a fine job portraying their characters and bringing them to life.

When I say I devoured this - no crumbs were left.

Immediately I fell in love with Lucie, and as we spend more time with the people in her life, you get to see what makes her so special. The relationship she shares with her baby daddy/best friend Grayson and his partner Mateo was so loving and warm. I even loved Maya and I’m not usually a kid person! I loved every single character in this book and I’m so glad this is a part of a new series. I can’t wait to see whose book is next.

I tandem read the ebook with the audiobook and had such a great time. The dual narration was wonderful and since so much of the book includes phone calls and radio air time, I think consuming via audiobook just added to my enjoyment.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a review copy. All of the stars!

This book—I loved every second of it! I read it as an immersive experience, and the audio was an absolute delight. E.J. Bingham and Hathaway Lee were meant to voice Aidan and Lucie. The book alone is enough to make anyone swoon over Aidan and his gold chain, but E.J.’s narration made it even better. Hathaway Lee’s smoky, sultry voice fit Lucie perfectly, adding just the right edge to her character. It truly felt like listening to them. The little snippets of the radio were such a fun touch and made the listening experience even better.

This Sleepless in Seattle retelling was so special. That first call set everything in motion, and getting to follow along as Aidan and Lucie slowly fell for each other—alongside the rest of Baltimore—was such a joy. I've only been to Baltimore once, but this book felt like a love letter to the city. The local references and details made it all the more immersive.

Lucie's dynamic with her daughter, Maya, and her two dads, Grayson and Mateo, was a breath of fresh air. They made the absolute best of an unplanned situation, creating a warm and loving environment for Maya to grow up in.

This love story was a journey, and I found myself smiling so many times. Experiencing Aidan and Lucie’s relationship unfold was pure joy. Aidan showed up for Lucie in every way, making sure she was taken care of. Even when his protectiveness and a little jealousy kicked in, it just made me root for them even more. I wanted all the magic for them both.

Five MILLION stars!

First-Time Caller is everything I could ever need and want in a spicy lil romcom.

The characters? Stellar. Their relationships? Beautiful, real. Their growth and support of one another? Incredible. The pace and flow of the story? Like watching a nostalgic romcom movie in my mind. Smiles the whole time.

The audiobook is exceptional, too. I couldn't get enough of the narrators and their vocal chemistry. Their inflection and emotion that conveyed Aiden and Lucie in the way they deserve.

BK Borison is a magician and First-Time Caller is a top romance read of the year!

B.K. Borison is an author I could never be disappointed by! Her books always manage to invoke so many feelings while somehow also bringing in the lighthearted you love to see in romance books, It’s why she’s one of my favourite authors.

From the beginning, you’re instantly drawn to Lucie’s character and her views on life and romance. She’s relatable, fun and if I could I would sign up to be her best friend because of her bubbly personality. Aiden took a little longer to get attached to but as the book progresses, you understand why he is the way he is.

I had so much fun reading this book! It’s not my FAVOURITE of B.K. Borison’s books (Lovelight Farms you’ll always be famous), but it’s one I would definitely recommend to anyone and everyone. I can’t wait for the next books in this new series!

⭐️ 4.5/5
🌶️ 3/5

First Time Caller was an absolute delight! Right from the start, I was instantly hooked, absolutely loving sweet Maya and her heartwarming desire to see her mother happy! The banter was immediate between Aiden and Lucie, and I couldn’t get enough. Obsessed! Countless times I found myself blushing with every look or lingering touch, the chemistry between these two just electric. Also, I definitely have a new kink and it stars our MMC in a gold chain necklace. I need more. TYIA, author friends!

I loved to see the relationship between Aiden and Lucie grow over time. Seeing Aiden’s protectiveness flare up was overall my favorite thing and made me so giddy! A true hero to our heroine.

Aside from Aiden and Lucie, every side character added so much flavor to this story, but honestly wanted some more for them. I loved the dads, and the fact that they lived next door and had the absolute best co-parenting relationship. Not only them, but Lucie’s garage guys - these three men were hilarious and I loved to see their gentle prodding and plotting for team Luden! Lastly, I am so excited to see more of Jackson in Heartstrings book #2! His own HEA is within reach and he deserves everything! I can’t wait to see his feud with the weather girl play out, assuming that’s who it’ll be…

This was the Booked with Babes Book Club March pick! We had a bunch of Baltimore locals in our chat and it was so fun to learn more about the places mentioned in the book. I love it when you can picture the different scenes described, it just adds so much more dimension to the story.

Overall, I loved this romance SO MUCH! I truly cannot wait to read more from B. K. Borison!

Thank you @NetGalley for the ARC. I was so excited to read a book influenced by one of my favorite movies, Sleepless in Seattle. Lucie daughter calls a romance radio host to say her mom is lonely and has given up on falling in love. Aiden, the DJ, has also fallen out of love for his show and sticks to his pact not to fall in love. I enjoyed this book, but really wanted to know more about the supporting characters and more of the shows callers. This is a series and at the time I did not know that. Now it makes sense that the supporting cast will have their own book. A good read.

As a fan of Lovelight Farms, I was thrilled to see this book. Sadly, it lacks the magic of the other series. It dragged on for too long, and Aiden never grew on me. I am curious about the side characters, and would love to see where the series goes.

This is my first book by BK Borison, and it won't be my last! Its been a while since I've felt this invested in a Romance novel. I thought this was really well done. Unique plot, likeable FMC & MMC, and side characters to die for. Absolutely loved the family dynamic here. It was probably my fav part of the book!!!

This Sleepless in Seattle inspired rom-com was perfection!
-single mom
-forced proximity
- great banter
- slow burn
-opposites attract
Aiden Valentine has a radio show where people call in asking for advice. Late one night a 12 year old girl calls in on behalf of her mother.
Lucie is a single mom that has been single for the last 12 years. She's so caught up keeping all of the balls in her life balanced she hadn't really noticed that's she's lonely. When she catches her daughter on the phone with a radio show she's mortified.
She finds herself opening up to Aiden on the phone on how she hopes to find love someday but only if it's magical.
Their segment goes viral and she agrees to be a weekly guest allowing them to help her find love. But will Aiden be able to help her or keep her for himself?
The banter in this book was top tier! I felt so many emotions! Laughter, near tears and so thoroughly entertained. I felt like I was immersed in a movie and a well done one at that!