As a Meg Ryan rom-com aficionado, I ate this up and then some. This was my first novel by Borison but it will not be my last as she KNOWS how to write chemistry. The plot had me giggling and all the characters were endearing and loveable. I am so pleased to hear that this is part of an interconnected yet stand-alone series as I can't wait to see sneak peeks of these new favs while falling more in love with Borison's writing.

This was literal perfection! I genuinely loved everything about it. I love both main characters, I loved the coparenting aspect, Grayson and Mateo were amazing characters, and Maya was so sweet and funny.

The plot and storyline were phenomenal and I was hooked right away. I couldn’t put the book down! Aiden, welcome to the favorite book boyfriends club🫶🏼

If BK Borison writes it, I will read it! First-Time Caller is a new take on Sleepless in Seattle and had one of the most unique premises in a romance I have read in some time. Lucie is a single mom who's doing just fine on her own but can't help but want for more romantically. Her teenage daughter calls into Baltimore's romance hotline to get her mom some help romantically. Radio host Aiden and Lucie strike up an unconventional friendships leading to a spunky, tension filled friends to lovers arc. I really loved the way BK introduced Lucie as a single parent and highlighted the love that can come from unconventional families! Lucie and Aiden had amazing chemistry, banter, and I couldn't help but root for them. I felt like the pacing was pretty consistent throughout the whole book. The only thing missing for me was a real personal connection with the characters, but I will absolutely be reading the remainder of the interconnected stand alone series, Heartstrings! Thank you Berkley and BK Borison for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first book I have read by this author, and I was not disappointed. It had a strong start out, and it kept going from there. I will guiltily admit that I love the sleepless in Seattle and undertone of you've got mail vibes in the book. I enjoyed every minute of this one. I am looking forward to more from this author. I will be recommending it to other readers.

Thank you Net Galley ARC

5/5

B.K. Borison calls forth the magic in her series debut, First-Time Caller, a romance that pays homage to Nora Ephron and the romantic comedy classic, Sleepless in Seattle. Featuring her signature banter and sizzling charm, Borison pits a cynical radio host against a dreamy romantic on a late-night radio dating segment to test if love without reservations is truly attainable. Main characters Lucie Stone and Aiden Valentine fight the growing sparks on the air and the fact that the love they've been denying themselves is just one seat away. If it's possible to fall in love with a group of characters in just one book, left hopelessly hanging for more, then B.K. Borison has done that with First-Time Caller. I want to soak in all the workplace gossip at the radio station, hang out with the Heartstrings crew in the studio, and get far too caught up in Jackson's antics and his feud with Delilah. First-Time Caller brings everything into focus for this brand-new romance series encapsulating all the best from classic love stories and it’s left me entirely too excited for what Borison is delivering us next.

A full review is now up on my blog!

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.