3.5 rounded up to a 4. I give the entire first half of this book 5 solid stars. It started to fall apart for me after the first half when there's the whole "I know what you need better than you do" act but that is my ick so maybe it won't bug other people. Otherwise, chemistry is fun and I thought the romance was realistic.

I loved the Sleepless in Seattle vibes and could totally see this getting adapted as a movie. It basically sells itself to all of us 90's romance fans that wish we could relive our favorite rom coms. This would be adorable as a movie!!

Lucie and her daughter are adorable and I loved the dynamic with her ex too. That was a win for me. Co-parenting at its best and while the daughter was never difficult and seemed too good to be true, this is a ROMANCE and characters can be how they are meant to be! Loved that.

There wasn't any spice and then BLAM! So much spice. It was an interesting addition to the book bc it seemed like it was going to be kind of sweet or closed door romance and then 💥.

This was my first book from this author and I really enjoyed the writing. It was super easy to read and I would definitely read another book by her in the future!

Thank you to netgalley for an ARC to review.

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison is a heartwarming and witty romance. Aiden Valentine, a cynical radio host who has fallen out of love with romance, faces an unexpected challenge when a young girl calls his show asking for dating advice for her mom. The call goes viral, turning Aiden and his radio show, Heartstrings, into a sensation and thrusting Lucie Stone into the public eye. As sparks fly between her and Aiden behind the scenes, Lucie is caught between the fairy tale ending everyone expects and the real and messy connection growing with the man beside her. This is a sweet and cozy love story filled with charm and humor!

A sweet love story with one of the more creative meet-cutes and a sweet homage to Sleepless in Seattle (with a few You've Got Mail references thrown in).

Thank you for the chance to read this book early! I was drawn to this one due to the Sleepless in Seatle vibes! This was such a fun read. Perfect for a cozy evening in bed. The cast of characters were very fun, and I loved Lucie's ex and his boyfriend. They were a great family unit and just a lot of fun. The entire story was really fun and fast paced. I was invested in all the characters and story lines as well as the radio station. I loved that there were little bit and pieces in the story from the beginning that tied in as you read. Lucie's daughter was really fun as well. I've read just one book by this author (Business Casual) and really loved that one too. definitely an author I'll be reading lots more from.

WOW.
5 whole freaking sparkly stars for this B.K. Borison ✨magic✨

The dialogue in this book alone had me foaming at the mouth.

The mother + daughter relationship, the quest for the magic of love, the cutesy radio hotline?!

ALSO might I add that the coparenting situation in this book was nothing like I have EVER read. It was sooo different, & refreshing, & beautiful, & REAL.

This writing was fantastic. I felt like I was with the characters. In the corner of the bakery. In the broom closet of the station. Hanging out with the guys at the auto shop.

All of the side characters added even more magic to the story (a favorite element of mine), but the true stars of the show were well, Lucie & Aiden. I’ll read this book over & over for years to come.

I don’t know what it was about this book but it was just soooo dry that I could not get into it which is so weird because I’m usually such a sucker for the single parent trope. I might just not click with this author’s writing? I’m not sure what happened but it was a pretty early DNF after struggling through it for weeks 😬

The first B.K Borison book I’ve read, and it was so good! I love the writing style.

I loved Aiden! I love the way he found love again and wanted it all with Lucy, and her finding her happy ending. This book was funny and I loved the banter. I love a good friends to lover type of vibe. This book was wholesome and so cute, it was a fun read!

How does B.K. Borison create characters that burrow into your psyche?

In her newest novel "First-Time Caller" she does it with such aplomb that I cried for them and felt joy for them.

First off it mirrors one of my most beloved films, "Sleepless in Seattle" when a young girl calls a radio show to find a date for her mom.

From there it becomes it's own story of closing yourself off to protect yourself, what pushes us out of our comfort zones and being open.

Aiden is the cynic and Lucie is the closed off single mom. Readers can find themselves in either or both characters. Watching them grow and evolve is rewarding and can be a lesson for everyone.

How often are we closing ourselves off from something in an effort to protect our hearts but really we're just preventing ourselves from living?

First of all, THANK YOU FOR THIS ARC.
Thank you BK Borison & Berkeley! 🥺💗
To be honest this is the first book in a while that made me giggle out loud like a little school girl.
The jokes and references were on point, and this book was just.. ADORABLE.

Honestly I cannot wait to tell all my family and friends to read this for Valentine’s Day! I ADORE Aiden and Lucie.

They are the perfect pairing and I felt like the single parent vibes were very accurate compared to other books of its type.

Lucie has a lot of very real thoughts and feelings that most mothers have, which is refreshing.
I just LOVED this book. I seriously can’t wait for MORE from BK!! 💗

P.S. the sleepless and Seattle vibes were on point! 🫶

First time BK Borison reader here and I’m looking forward reading her backlist! This book had the perfect blend of heartfelt moments and comedic elements. I can’t wait for the rest of the series!

This was my first introduction to B.K. Borison, and I am thrilled to have a new "author to watch."

The first word that came to mind when I finished this book was "special." It takes a special kind of book to make you laugh out loud, hold back tears, and swoon while also making the characters dynamic, wholesome, and totally realistic.

There were no frustrating miscommunication tropes that I needed to plow through to get the happy ending: just two adults who know what they want and what it takes to get there.

I can't wait to read more of Borison's books!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

A familiar laugh-out-loud plot with decadent language and a sweet story. I love all of B.K. Borison’s books!

An avid fan of B.K.'s Lovelight series, I went into First Time Caller with high expectations and even higher hopes for that "just right "balance of yearning and hope and love. This book has it all in spades and then some. Seriously, a top favorite book and it makes me SO excited for the Heartstrings series as a whole. Readers will swoon over Aiden's guarded but sexy as hell foray into love and cheer on strong, independent Lucie who deserves all the magic that love can offer. 10/10. This will most certainly be a book I recommend to customers at the bookstore, as well as shout to the rooftops for my friends to read as well.

This book was pure magic! ✨

I loved the Lovelight series by Becca and I was so excited to read new characters and a new world by her. She outdid herself with this book. It literally felt like a movie in my head -- the story was written and told so well.

The plot around the radio station was so unique and engaging. The banter was so funny and I loved all of the characters. I was smiling and laughing and did not want to put the book down! I fell asleep reading it and woke up and immediately continued reading. There is just something about Becca's writing that draws you in. The metaphors and the way she structures sentences I just can't get enough of.

Her characters are also so well fleshed out. I felt this especially in Business Casual and then again in this book. They feel like real people with real struggles that you can easily relate to. I loved Aiden and Lucie so much -- they were so good for each other. Aiden was grumpy but still was so kind and had a soft spot for Lucie which I couldn't get enough of. The way Aiden thought about Lucie made my heart squeeze in my chest 🥲 Lucie was so fun and I loved that she was a mechanic! what a queen! They are just perfect together and I cannot wait to see them in future books in this series.

I also can't wait to read the other characters' stories as we continue the series! This is definitely a new comfort read and one of my favorite romances of all time 🥹

I could not say thank you enough to the publisher for the early copy!!

I wish I could erase this book from my brain so that I could read it again for the first time. It's so earnest and sweet and lovely and hot and ugh, it's the platonic ideal of a book. I couldn't get enough of this "Sleepless in Seattle" inspired romance and if I loved it less, I might be able to talk about it more.

Loved this book! Gave off sleepless in Seattle vibes. Characters were swooney, hopeless romantics. Book had minimal spice but just enough to keep me interested.

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison is an absolute delight! The blend of romance and humor had me smiling from start to finish, and I loved the quirky characters that felt so relatable. It’s a light read that perfectly captures the excitement and awkwardness of falling in love, though I did wish for a bit more depth in some parts. Still, it’s the kind of book that wraps you in a cozy hug, making it perfect for a lazy afternoon. Rating: 4 stars!

3.5/5 ⭐️

If you’re a fan of Sleepless in Seattle, then you will adore this book! A love letter to love….or, in this case, a call to love. 💕

Grumpy meets Sunshine in this novel about discovering love when it feels like a lost cause. The dialogue between characters was believable and well done. Very reminiscent of your favorite 90’ vs s/early 2000’s rom-coms. The side characters will make you LOL with their commentary and personalities.

It was refreshing to read about a late-20s, tall, female main character with a kid, and a blue-collar job. Lucie was amazing – I loved her! I had mixed feelings towards Aiden – sometimes he gave me a Joe from ‘You’ vibe, and other times he had me swooning (like the living room scene).

When Lucie was describing her relationship with her parents, it hurt my heart. I had so much empathy for her. It felt similar to Lorelai from ‘Gilmore Girls’ experience. On the flip side, Aiden’s relationship with his parents hurt my heart in a completely different way – I was tearing up on more than one occasion.

I felt that ‘Chevy Guy’ could have had more of a role. His character felt thrown in last second rather than more developed (like he should have been what Oliver was but more if that makes sense). There was also a couple scenes that had me feeling lost with transitions and backtracking in my reading to make sure I didn’t miss something.

Overall, I felt that this was a cute book and a great palate cleanser in between my fantasy reads. It will be published in February 2025, so keep an eye out for it!

B.K. Borison captured a rare form of magic in this Sleepless in Seattle retelling. First-Time Caller is a love letter to love in all its forms-the familial love, the great platonic love, the friendships, the ROMANCE!!!!- you could just FEEL it in every single moment of the story. This book played out in my head like a movie and I LOVED that, which is why it’s hands down going on my list of all time favorite romances ❤️

The story begins when 12 year old Maya calls into her local radio station’s romantic advice hotline on behalf of her single mom, Lucie. Maya feels that Lucie’s love life is lacking. Despite the fact that she feels an abundance of love in her life in other forms, Maya wants to see Lucie find her happily ever after. Caught off guard by her daughter’s scheming, Lucie decides to voice her hopes and fears on the air, never expecting many people to truly hear her. Enter Aiden Valentine, a romance hotline radio show host losing his ability to believe in love. After one conversation with Lucie, that slowly begins to change. We see them go on a journey to help Lucie find her way on the road to love, in hopes of inspiring others.

Lucie and Aiden served as a reminder of so many things for me. Lucie’s fears about the state of the dating world and what it’s like to want more, the magic, while being cautious in trying to grab it is something we can all truly relate to in some way. The way Aiden’s grief took form is something we don’t see depicted very often, and it really touched my heart seeing a window into what that can look like.

These characters remind us that love is found in the little things: in the moment when you’ve just come inside to warmth after facing the winter cold for far too long, trying to get to your destination. In being handed a warm mug with a smile, melting the frosted feeling that numbed you. In all the moments we take for granted on the day to day, forgetting that great love comes in the quiet comfort too. First-Time Caller was so REAL, nostalgic, and full of heart, and I know it’s going to stick with me forever 🤍

This was so cute! I loved each of the characters and how Borison developed them over the book! I also really loved the fact it was based around a radio show, it was something new to me. Don't even get me started on the ending! I loved this and can't wait for the next one!