I couldn't put First-Time Caller down. The concept of this story was fun. I loved the radio show plotline. I liked that Borison sprinkled in clips from the show. Lucie and Aiden were fantastic main characters. They had all the traits you want to see in your main characters. Lucie was funny, vulnerable, and tough. Aiden was charming, sweet, and protective. The chemistry and banter were done perfectly. The back and forth between Aiden and Lucie had me swooning and laughing. I liked how Aiden was around Lucie. Their scenes together were sweet and romantic. The skee-ball scene with them was creative and cute! The side characters added a comedic and supportive layer to the story. I enjoyed Grayson and Jackson's characters. I also adored Maya and her shenanigans. I thought Lucie's co-workers could have been featured a little bit more. The story takes place in Baltimore and there are a lot of references to the city. Baltimoreans will read this book as a love letter to their city. I liked the little coincidences between Aiden and Lucie before they met in person. This was a fun little nod to the invisible string theory. I'd give the writing a four out of five stars. There were some instances where the writing felt too long. I also thought the metaphors were a little too heavy. Some of the metaphors felt unnatural to the characters voices. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

Great banter and I loved the way it reminded me of Sleepless in Seattle! I love the grump sunshine trope and think fans of rom coms an Borison's other series will love it too!

I thought this was a really cute and warm read. I was in a major reading slump and this pulled me out of it. It was so good! I really enjoy how relatable B.K Borison's writing is especially when it comes to the current dating scene. I loved it and I hope we can hear more about what happens next in Aiden and Lucie's life! I can't wait to see what comes next in the Heartstrings series! :)

You know when a book leaves you speechless and how you just feel restless because how did you even exist before reading it? This book gave me that feeling! I finishes this book about a week ago and it's still in my heart! i can't stop thinking about it gaah!!

It was such a beautiful spin on the iconic movie, and it just really pulled at my heartstrings (you see what i did there ;,)) This is my favorite book so far from B.K., and I can't wait to pick up the physical book on release day!!!

Aiden was just perfection. i saw so many parts of myself in him. He was so human in a nutshell. I feel like so many people wait for the other shoe to drop, and the author did such a good job displaying the complexities of dealing with this perspective.

lucie! what a woman! I just resonated with her dejection of all things romantic but at the same time still whole heartedly wanting it! It gave me so much comfort and a feeling of community in the fact i am a hopeless romantic, but I am also done with romance!

The friendship and building of their relationship was so beautiful! I could talk on and on about this book! Please pick it up on release day you won't regret it!! and Maya what a sweetheart! She was the cutest ever!!! <3

I love how the author navigated these complex characters and their stories with such grace and sympathy! I love lovelight, but this one knocked me off my feet! I am so excited to see what is store for us !! <3

When i finished Business Casual, Borison’s most recent release I remember thinking to myself, ‘each book seems to get more and more better than the last. I can’t wait to see what she does with her next one considering how good this one was.’

BK. Becs. BABE. OH MY FUCKING LORD.

This book was the warmest hug a rom com could provide. It was not only entertaining and fun to read, but i cried (not just damp in the eyes, i mean CRIEDDDDD) for both sad and happy moments.

AND THE TENSION!?! I’m GAGGED!!! Borison really hit me with the “we shouldn’t do this. Tell me to stop” while they were rubbing noses. CALL A NURSE I’M GOING TO TO FAINT!

I fear BK might be writing too close to the sun at this point. Will my soul leave my body in her next work? Will she ascend to godhood, thus missing out on a US Tour? Will the Illuminati claim her for themselves? I guess only time will tell 🤷🏼‍♀️

This was adorable quirky rom com. This will forever be a top pick and I will forever recommend it. I will definitely get a physical copy once it’s released.

This was my first Bk borison Book. And I loved every minute of it. It felt like I was watching a movie - i was fully immersed into the world she had created for Lucie and Aiden. I was so invested in their story and the dual pov made me feel truly connected to them. I knew 20% in that this was going to be one of my favorite reads of all time. It is everything I want a romance book to be. Bitter sweet, beautiful, spicy and unforgettable.
I cannot wait to put this book in my store and tell everyone of my customers to read it.

This is my first book by this author and will definitely look for more. Enjoyable spin on the Sleepless in Seattle storyline. Thank you Netgalley!

Thank you to Berkeley and NetGalley for this advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I think this might be one of the best books I have read in a while.

I love the Lovelight Farms quartet, so naturally, I was looking forward to anything B.K. Borison put out after. I requested this as soon as I saw it and absolutely loved it.

The characters felt so real and their relationship and struggles were so captivating to read about. I have found myself thinking about this book so often after I finished it, wanting to reread it again and again. I am so looking forward to this series and more from B.K. Borison.

Smooth like thunder. Crackles like a toasty fire. Rough at the end, like his short stubble. Aiden Valentine’s voice is an inspiration just like his call-in radio show, Baltimore’s Heartstrings! Just as his belief in romance is dwindling, a preteen calls in seeking advice for her mom. What ensues is an absolute delight of a rom-com featuring a radio show host and a young mom mechanic.

This Sleepless in Seattle-inspired story wooed me with its lovelorn talk show host and love-starved mechanic. I’m going to wrap myself in the pages and spend cozy days with Lucie and Aiden— my new favorite couple!

Thank you so much for Berkley Romance/Berkley for a galley of this one. I loved it SO, so much. B.K. Borison is an auto-buy author for me after her incredible Lovelight series and this new series is off to a STELLAR start! Everything B.K. writes, I am there:)

Will B.K. Ever miss? I don’t think so.

I am a huge fan of B.K.’s Lovelight Farms series and was so excited when she announced this new romcom based on Sleepless in Seattle.

A romance radio host that feels like romance has died & a single mom who is finally letting herself want more? SWOON, YOUR HONOR.

I adored both characters perspectives in this book & could not get enough of Aiden. I fell in love with him instantly.

Even if you didn’t know this was a nod to Sleepless in Seattle, you could FEEL the Meg Ryan romance of it all. (Personally, my favorite kind of romance.) Sweet and nostalgic in a way that feels magical.

So excited for everyone to get to read this. Will absolutely be THE book of Valentine’s Day.

Reading B.K. Borison's books always feels like coming home. First-Time Caller has a sense of nostalgia and makes me long for the days I was excited to turn on the radio--but also feels super current. If Sleepless in Seattle took place in the 2020's this is what it would be. Main Male Character didn't feel like Tom Hanks which I actually really appreciated. Also a mechanic female lead? Swoon.

a romance book that gave me all of the hopeful, swoony, soft, and comforting vibes of my favorite romcom movies.

First-Time Caller is a romance novel inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, and it is a romance lover’s dream. “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer was playing in my mind the entire time, especially at the end with a certain romantic gesture scene.

Lucie is a single mom (with a great relationship with her daughter’s dad—loved the coparenting), and a hopeless romantic. But she’s pushed down those pieces of the that long for that magical romance. Aiden is the host of ‘Heartstrings’, the city’s romance hotline radio show. When Lucie’s daughter calls in on behalf of her mom, Baltimore falls in love with Lucie and her story, and wants to follow her journey to love.

I love love love when romance books center around the MMC “helping” the FMC date as they slowly fall in love with each other but don’t want to admit it. And we got so many incredible scenes with that trope in this book. A “You came? You called.” moment, realizations of their feelings, some jealousy!! It was perfection.

Aiden had such a hard exterior when it came to love but he was such a softie. He cared about Lucie and her happiness and her search for this magic. He paid attention to the little things and did anything he could to make her smile.

Throughout the book, Lucie started letting herself want more, and stop pushing down pieces of herself. I loved that journey for her and I especially loved that she wasn’t going along with any miscommunication. She heard something, she acknowledged it and asked about it, she didn’t just let it go.

Overall, I just adored this book. It was a love letter to classic romances, to Baltimore, and to the hopeless romantics.


I shared a post on Instagram with pictures of my kindle at different locations mentioned in the book. I plan on resharing my review on there, and sharing it on Amazon, Barnes and noble, tiktok, and goodreads 1 week before pub date!! (and many many times after that because I just loved it so much)

Drawing loosely on the “lonely hearts meeting over the airwaves” plot of Sleepless in Seattle, First Time Caller is about a late-night DJ with a romance advice call-in show who is having trouble hiding the fact he doesn’t really believe in love–until he encounters a pre-teen caller phoning in for her single mom, a cute red-headed car mechanic. When Lucie takes over the call and sends her meddlesome daughter back to bed, Aiden and Lucie’s vulnerable, honest, live on the air conversation about Lucie looking for ease and magic and Aiden’s cynical view that he’d like to believe it but doesn’t think it actually exists goes viral via their podcast (with all of 14 subscribers).

Quick to jump on a scheme that could increase audience and draw in sponsors to keep the show–and station afloat, Aiden’s boss Maggie offers Lucie a guest spot on Heartstrings while host Aiden tries to help her find her dream match. Only, as time goes on, no one is good enough. Everyone around them sees their attraction and chemistry, and waits patiently for them to figure it out. Meanwhile, Aiden is also coming to terms with his parent’s mortality–they are traveling the world in celebration of her third cancer remission.

Instead of being widowed with a child, like Sam in Sleepless in Seattle, it’s Lucie who has the child–Maya is an unexpected result from the first time Lucie and Grayson had sex, and Lucie hasn’t dated since, to everyone’s concern. Gray is now an artist who lives next door with his husband Mateo; the blending of family and co-parenting here is top notch #goals. In fact, all of the relationships are really amazing. Found family / family of choice and community-building is something that Borison seems to write from the heart. In First Time Caller, there’s Harvey, Angelo and Dan, the sweet guys at the auto-shop where Lucie works, who treat her like one of the girls and are still respectful and woke, and the rag tag bunch at the radio station, including Aiden’s buddy Jackson the weather guy, who has some sort of ongoing feud with the weather girl at the news station (I hope we’re going to see that romance bloom sometime soon!)

Borison excels at detailed slice of life background that fleshes out the characters, such as Maya’s anxious cereal box stacking as she waits to see how much trouble she’s in, and Mateo and Lucie surreptitiously adjusting the dinner Grayson (a terrible cook) is putting together, to comic effect. The book is also a love letter (I think that word is overused, but it fits!) to Baltimore, a city that also figures prominently in Sleepless in Seattle, with topical references, icons, and scenery.

This gave me Weather Girl vibes, for it’s production crew feel, vulnerabilities, sexual tension, and challenging relationships with parents that prevent us from moving forward in our romantic relationships. Other readalikes include The Ex Talk (also by Rachel Lynn Solomon!) about two former lovers who team up to deliver relationship advice via a radio show, and Landline by Rainbow Rowell, in which an old telephone connects a wife to the husband of her past; their intimate conversations may save their tenuous marriage.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #FirstTimeCaller via #NetGalley, courtesy of Berkley. This review will post to HLBB on 2/12/2025.

First Time Caller by B.K. Borison is a delightful love letter to romance that had me captivated from the very first page. With a premise reminiscent of Sleepless in Seattle, this enchanting story beautifully weaves together the lives of Aiden Valentine, a jaded romance hotline host, and Lucie Stone, a single mother navigating the complexities of love in the spotlight.

Aiden, who has fallen out of love with love, finds himself unexpectedly thrust into the limelight when a heartfelt call from Lucie's daughter goes viral. Lucie, who seems to have it all—a great job, a loving family, and a clever daughter—begins to question her happiness when Baltimore starts scrutinizing her love life. As the pressure mounts, Lucie's journey towards self-discovery and romance is both touching and relatable.

The chemistry between Aiden and Lucie is nothing short of magical. Their evolution from reluctant acquaintances to something deeper is a beautifully crafted friends-to-lovers story that showcases the power of connection. The forced proximity adds an extra layer of tension and charm, making their interactions all the more captivating.

Borison’s writing is warm and inviting, making this a perfect read for anyone who believes in the magic of love stories. The acknowledgments at the end resonate with the reader’s heart, reminding us of the beauty of love and the joy of being part of this literary community.

First Time Caller is a must-read for fans of romantic comedies and heartfelt narratives. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a story that will make your heart melt and leave you longing for your own happily ever after. I can't wait to see what B.K. Borison has in store for us next!

Anyone who read Lovelight series knows that, B K Borison can do cozy! She set idyllic setting of love and acceptance that I wanted to transport myself into the book. I loved the characters and their stories but it is bit skimpy in romance. I didn’t feel there was chemistry between main characters, could be just me too. Overall entertaining read.

Everything BK Borison writes is *magical* and First-Time Caller is no exception.

From beautiful prose to heart stopping chemistry to an iconic setting, First-Time Caller is an instant hit. Loosely inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, FTC will appeal to fans of the classics! A timeless love story with an eccentric and lovable cast. I can't wait to read the rest of this series!

I got this as an arc from NetGalley. This was my first book by BK and I was clearly missing out. If you enjoyed Sleepless in Seattle this will make you just as happy. I love the growth of Aiden in this story and the absolute way he is so down bad for Lucie that you along with the rest of Baltimore are cheering them on. Lucie is such a strong woman for everyone else in her life and this isn't the type of woman who doesn't stand strong for herself. She is so confident in the love that she deserves and who she loves that it is really refreshing. This book had me giggling and kicking my feet so much. The supporting characters too were so fantastic and are full, realized characters and not just props for the main characters and they are all fantastic. I really hope they will get their own stories.

I read the Lovelight Farms series as soon as they were published, so seeing more by BK was so exciting! This book... it's good. Like, really good. A perfect twist on Sleepless in Seattle that makes much more sense for today's world. The characters are charming, funny, flawed in real ways, and you can't help but love them. Even the side characters are done so well you can't wait to see who the next book will be about. (My money is on Jackson and the weather girl.)

One small, almost tiny nitpick... what happened on the episodes of Heartstrings that Lucie missed?? Everyone kept asking her if she'd heard it, but no one ever told her what was said! I would just really love to know how Aiden filled that time, even if it was just moping.

Sigh...Can a book make your heart melt and grow all at the same time? Well if it's written by B.K. Borison it definitely can. I have been eager to devour First-time caller ever since the cover reveal. Hyped as a love letter to love, Sleepless in Seattle and Nora Ephron, honestly how could anything go wrong??

Lucie and Aiden were magic! As a single mom and co-parent to precocious tween, Maya, mechanic Lucie has gotten tired of endless bad dates and never finding her happily ever after. So her daughter takes it into her own hands and calls up a late night radio show where the host, grumpy, cynical Aiden Valentine (Valen), first meets the unsuspecting Lucie.

What follows is a beautifully tender friends to lovers, forced proximity, small town romance that is the absolute perfect gender-swapped ode to Sleepless in Seattle. Aiden has been afraid to put his heart on the line and Lucie has just been waiting to find that magic and together they truly are magic!

Highly recommended for fans of Rachel Lynn Solomon's Ex-talk and Weather girl. The acknowledgements at the very end of the book truly encapsulated all the reasons why I will be a forever fan of this author:

"[To my readers] For believing in love and love stories and the magic they hold. Isn't it a beautiful thing to exist in this community? To slip into love stories over and over again. To believe in the unfailing magic and power of love."

And while she "can't wait to keep sharing stories" with us, I can't wait to keep reading them! Especially the next book in this new Heartstrings series which I hope will feature Aiden's best friend, Jackson! Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!