not enough sleepless in seattle vibes based on the marketing!

definitely lulled in some parts; 50-100 pages could’ve easily been cut to make this more engaging.

I did enjoy the relationship development and writing! I just think this could’ve been edited better.

thanks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Oh my gosh this was super cute!!!

Finding love on the radio?! Ugh gush Lucie and Aiden the best!

I think Aiden is my new book boyfriend!

I love the radio aspect. It was so nostalgic to me. It reminded me of listening to the radio late at night with the lights on.

My only issue with this one was it was a tad too slow burn for me. I also felt like it was a tad too long as well.

Overall, super cute!

4/5 stars

Lucie’s daughter, Maya, calls into a radio show about romance, hoping to help her mom find a date. The radio host, Aiden Valentine, listens as Lucie describes how she wants dating to feel easy. Days pass before their conversation goes viral, with Baltimore wanting to help Lucie find love. Lucie is invited to do a weekly segment on the Heartstrings radio show where she will hopefully find the one for her.

Wow, I loved this! I read the first half and after hearing how great the audio was, I added it in tandem while reading. The narrators were fantastic and really elevated the experience of this book. This story had enjoyable and relatable characters. I love how Lucie is strong, independent, but still has doubts. I loved how the potential miscommunication was handled. And Aiden? Loved. All the supporting characters? Iconic. I really enjoyed the concept of dating via a radio show. This was my first book by this author, and I will definitely be looking for another from them!

What an amazing book! Lucie and Aiden had the best chemistry. I couldn’t get enough of their story. The concept of the radio show was so fun. Truly an amazing romance!


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

This book was such a delight to read. It was a warm blanket on a cold day. I couldn’t stop reading. The character development was great and the way the story unfolded was perfect. I fell in love with the characters, even the background characters. I need each one of them to have their own story! I’m sad I finished the book, but I’m so glad I read it. I can’t wait to recommend it!

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was my first from B.K Borison, but it won't be my last. This was a very slow burn romance, but not too tension filled. It did slightly bother me that as Aiden and Lucy's friendship grew, they didn't really communicate (specifically Aiden) that his feelings on a relationship were changing, and so there was a fair amount of misunderstanding between the two of them. Overall, very enjoyable.

A solid Valentines Day romance book. I really enjoyed this book. Having read BK Borrison’s Lovelight Farms series you can really tell how much she has evolved as a writer. The romance between our main characters flowed so beautifully and it was like being in the booth with them from flirting to falling in love and dealing with the strong emotions that comes with being human. Another thing i absolutely enjoyed was the family dynamics and the relationship with Maya, her daughter’s dad. Everyone being loving and realizing that she has all the love she needs, but her family wants her to have the love she deserves. So cute. Aiden was definitely giving golden retriever boyfriend and I’m not mad about it. He had some hang ups that are really hard to deal with. Overall good love story.

a jaded romance radio host, a mechanic with a preteen daughter, and a late night call to said radio host for love advice for her mother….what could possibly go wrong? the question you should be asking is - what could go absolutely stinking right?

after Lucie’s daughter calls in to Aiden’s dying romance radio show for advice for her mom, it turns into something more: a viral hit that plunges Lucie and Aiden into the spotlight.

Lucie agrees to join the show as a cohost to find love with the help of Aiden…who doesn’t really believe in love anymore. (Now is when you can ask: what could go wrong?)

It turns out a lot - like the realities of dating in the spotlight and pineapple on pizza (nobody can romanticize this for me, even these two beautiful characters). But so much more can go absolutely right - facing trauma, believing in love again, the hards realties of dating in the spotlight, thong song, skee-ball, Andes chocolates, gold necklaces, family, and ultimately finding the love you didn’t even know was right under your nose the whole time.

This is a beautifully written Sleepless in Seattle inspired romance that will absolutely steal your heart. I know it stole mine from the very first chapter.

It was sweet, sincere, flirtatious, a lil spicy, and so SO good. seriously y’all, mark your calendars for February 11th because you don’t want to miss this one! 🥹

thank you so much @berkleyromance + @netgalley for the gifted eARC! 💕

Thank you @berkleyromance #berkleyromancepartner for my free copy and @prhaudio for my free alc 💖

✨What it is about:
A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this Sleepless in Seattle style love story.✨

💭My thoughts:
B.K. Borison is one of my favorite writers, and she did not disappoint with this super sweet romance! AHHH you must read it! I absolutely loved everything about it. It was relatable, full of great banter and a slow burn that delivered! I loved the modern twist of the radio show call “gone viral” meet cute, I enjoyed how strong and kind Lucie’s character was, how even though Aiden did not believe in love, he’s was willing to help Lucie find hers. I love how their chemistry and attraction changed both of them, and eventually brought them together. The depths of the characters and their relationship was refreshing, and their whole coming together story was beautiful.
🎧This book was narrated by E.J. Bingham and Hathaway Lee and I feel they both did an amazing job with the narration, as it felt like I was just listening to friends sharing a story with me. It felt natural, not over-performed and really authentic to the coziness of this story. Bravo.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Read if you like:
☎️Sleepless in Seattle
☎️Dual POV
☎️Grumpy sunshine
☎️Slow burn
☎️Forced proximity
☎️Workplace romance
☎️Single mom

⚠️CW: Cancer, grief, sexual content.

first-time caller is such a cute romance story (based on sleepless in Seattle !!) about aiden valen who runs a romance hotline show for the local radio station and Lucie is a single mom of 12 year old maya who's basically given up on looking for love when her daughter calls in to Aiden's show on her behalf and the whole city falls in love with Lucie's story and she joins Aiden's show to find love. but these characters stories are so real and it was so good 🥹 i enjoyed every minute of this book and B.K Borison you are one of my new favourite authors!!!

thank you Berkley and NetGalley for an eArc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

A huge thank you NetGalley and Berkley Romance for a copy of this book for an honest review!

First-Time Caller is as endearing as the cover. I really needed this sweet uplifting rom com after such a rough week (iykyk) and this was the perfect pick me up I needed.

The story follows Lucie, a single mom of a teen (WHO WANTS TO BE AN ARCHAEOLOGIST BY THE WAY) and is roped into being a radio caller looking for love. Aiden, one of the hosts is your typical cynic- skeptical about love due to previous events with his parents. That being said, I was relieved to discover that Aiden is probably one of the few MMC that have good relationships with both of his parents as some romcoms of late usually have some sort of parental issues.

I overall loved the relationship with Lucie and Aiden and their sweet banter. I did feel like the romance was a smidge feral (and I mean a BIG smidge feral) that was a bit off tone for the book (in my opinion). But I really did enjoy it and will definitely be recommending me this one!

Content: open door, language

This was everything I wanted in a romance novel. Characters I could cheer for, great banter, and a story that had just enough Sleepless in Seattle nostalgia to feel charming. Lucy and Aiden played beautifully amidst the romance hot line radio show backdrop, and it was such a fun and engaging premise that I was totally invested. A great recommendation for readers dipping their toe in the Romance genre and seasoned fans who like it fun and just spicy enough. A fabulous, fun read! I will certainly read more by this author and stocking my bookstore shelves with them.

This was my first book by B.K. Borison, and I can totally see why she’s so beloved. I really, really enjoyed the classic romcom feel of this story. The setup was so much fun! When Lucie’s daughter calls into Baltimore’s romance hotline looking for help for her mom, Lucie ends up connecting with host Aiden Valentine. What follows is a radio-sponsored dating mission!

I absolutely adored Lucie and the relationships she’s built around her—the bond with her daughter, her coworkers (she's a mechanic!), and the unique dynamic with her ex and his husband. It was all so wonderful. But beneath it all, Lucie is lonely. She’s spent so long burying her own wants and needs, and seeing her navigate the uncertainty of putting herself first made her so easy to root for.

And then there’s Aiden! He’s smitten with Lucie from the start, adorably gatekeeping every caller who comes her way. I loved how attuned he was to her. What made her nervous. What made her blush. It was precious! I do wish there had been more relationship development outside of the actual radio show, but my biggest issue was the conflict ...

Aiden is terrified of love and commitment, and while I sympathized with his heartbreaking reasoning, it didn’t entirely make sense to me. For a 400+ page romance, this being the only obstacle keeping them apart started to wear thin. By the end, I was just over his nonsense and ready for him to get it together.

Despite being the host of a romance advice radio show called Heartstrings, Aiden Valentine doesn’t believe in love and his grumpy attitude on the subject is causing the show’s ratings to drop. That is, until Aiden receives an unexpected call on-air from Maya, who is secretly seeking dating advice for her single mom Lucie. When Lucie discovers what Maya has done on her behalf, Lucie begrudgingly spills her romantic hopes to Aiden. Lucie’s story ends up resonating with a lot of listeners and the show goes viral. As such, Aiden’s boss insists that Lucie become Aiden’s cohost so that she can search for love live on-air.

First-Time Caller is the first book in B.K. Borison’s new Heartstrings series. The book features the grumpy with sunshine, workplace romance or forced proximity, and single parent tropes. First-Time Caller deals with themes and topics like love and heartbreak, romance, single parenting and coparenting, parental abandonment, cancer and ill parents, self worth, loneliness and isolation, match making, and mental health. First-Time Caller is perfect for fans of books like The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon, Next of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young, Change of Plans by Dylan Newton, Happily Never After by Lynn Painter, and Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams. First-Time Caller also has some Bachelorette and matchmaking vibes, so if you’re a fan of dating shows, this would be an ideal read!

Even though I thought that First-Time Caller was good, I didn’t think it was as good as B.K. Borison’s Lovelight series, which are some of my all-time favourite books, particularly as I enjoyed the cosy smalltown setting in the Lovelight series more than the bigger city and radio station settings in First-Time Caller. Whilst reading, I had trouble getting into the plot and thought that it was a little slow to start. I definitely got the Sleepless in Seattle vibe (the story in which First-Time Caller is inspired) at the beginning of the book but since I’m not super familiar with the movie, I probably missed some of the Sleepless in Seattle references (which I’m sure would have enhanced my reading experience).

First-Time Caller definitely has a strong Valentines and match-making vibe, especially since the male main character’s name is even Valentine, so I think that this book would be absolutely perfect to read or gift around Valentine’s (or Galentine’s) Day! I really enjoyed the chapters where Lucie and Aiden were just chatting with callers on-air, as I thought that these were really entertaining and fast-paced. The comic relief that Lucie’s meddling and spunky daughter Maya provided was very enjoyable. Even though Aiden starts out grumpy, we find out that he is actually super sweet and creates some real swoon-worthy moments for Lucie, which I adored. Lastly, without spoiling anything, I thought that the ending of the book was perfection.

Even though I had trouble getting into this book, I think fellow romance readers will love this swoony (and spicy) rom-com, especially since it comes out just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Thank you to the publisher for the arc of First-Time Caller! This book had a different approach to romance that I found refreshing to read. The radio show dating segment was very entertaining and overall I enjoyed the plot in this book. I felt the characters came across a little two-dimensional and could have been developed a little more. We got more of the author telling us what we were supposed to think the characters felt for each other rather than us feeling it through their actions.

Still enjoyed this romance perfect for a fun read!

INCREDIBLE. This is one of my new favorite books. I haven’t felt this way since I read Beach Read in 2020.

Something about Aiden and Lucy really struck a chord with me, and honestly don’t know how to express it, but I’ll try.

I’m not a therapist. BUT. There was something so raw and vulnerable about Lucy’s character, who I can only imagine is a secure attachment style, that balanced Aiden’s avoidant attachment style, and watching him reluctantly (but fondly) develop feelings for her, was so genuine. And he tries his hardest not to. He is so adept at pushing his feelings down and isolating himself, but Lucy sees right through all of it. Even when shes unsure, feeling vulnerable and scared, she doesn’t let him get away with it. Even in his self sabotaging moments, Lucy never lets him get away with it.

This felt like a true love story. Accepting someone for who they are and where they are at, but giving them the chance to grow.

Will read any book this author writes.

• you will want first-time caller, and arc review •
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First-Time Caller is a gift for romance reading lovers out there and I recommend this book to everyone who has been thinking about it. BK Borison has a gift for writing stories that the hopeless romantic cannot put down, and this book proved no different. 
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Aiden Valentine is the host on Baltimore’s romance hotline Heartstrings that’s in trouble, and so is Valentine… he’s having a hard time believing in love. This is until receives a late night call from a daughter that wants to help her mom, Lucie Stone, find love. Lucie’s words go viral and she’s invited on Heartstrings to help her reach her soulmate. BUT like us all, she will have a hard time not falling for Valentine, as Valentine’s cold cold heart starts to flutter again.  
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Why read this book:
✨️Aiden Valentine, oh Aiden Valentine - you are welcome.
🥰 Dual POV (my fav)
🔥Something in Chapter 31 will light your romantic heart on fire. 
🫶🏻I also enjoyed that this book balances hard topics with the romance making it all the more real. 
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I read a lot of romance last year and this book ranked #2 for romance for 2025. Don’t walk, run to the store on February 11, 2025 to pick up your copy. 
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Thank you so much to Berkeley Publishing Group and Netgalley for allowing me to share my thoughts on this incredible book. And most of all to @authorbkborison
for writing this work of art.
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#firsttimecaller #bkborison #romance #netgalley #berkleypublishinggroup
#5starreview #booksbooksbooks #greatbook
#readthis #mustread

Thank you @berkleyromance for the free book! #BerkleyBookstagram #BerkleyIG #berkley #berkleyromance #FirstTimeCaller #BKBorison

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐁.𝐊. 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟏𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

𝟓★

This book was EVERYTHING! As soon as I saw that B.K. Borison was writing a Sleepless in Seattle inspired love story, I knew this one was going to be good! This book exceeded my expectations. Everything about this book was just perfect. The entire premise of this book just felt so right. I laughed. I stayed up way too late reading. I read this book so fast because I just had to know how it was all going to end. I’ve never loved two characters more than I’ve loved Aiden and Lucie. I don’t listen to the radio anymore, but this book just reminded me of when I was younger and would listen to people call into the radio, and I loved it. I loved the side characters too, and felt like they added so much to the plot and to Lucie and Aiden’s story. I literally cannot wait until the next book in the series comes out! I could not have loved this book more! I’ll be recommending this one for a long time!

📞Sleepless In Seattle Vibes
📞Single Mom
📞Found Family
📞Dual POV
📞Grumpy x Sunshine
📞Slow Burn
📞Set In Baltimore (Berger Cookie References IYKYK)
📞Book 1 in the Heartstring Series

Posted on Goodreads on February 6, 2025: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around February 6, 2025: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on February 11, 2025
**-will post on designated date

First Time Caller by B.K. Borison is my very first arc review goes and oh my goodness was it a great one!!! I am truly still thinking about it. Aiden being the radio show host of a romance hotline who is ironically becoming more and more cynical by the day. Maya, Lucie’s daughter, calls into the hotline to help out her mom’s love life. Lucie and Aiden end up having a conversation and everything else ensues. WOW this was incredible. There was so much chemistry between Aiden and Lucie, you could really tell how much they liked each other. I also loved to see Aiden’s character growth because I related to him a lot. This story was filled with everything a romance lover would want. It was full of banter, love, funny moments, swoon worthy moments, and hard moments that are hard to overcome but so good to read when done right and it was done RIGHT!
I am so thankful this is my first arc, I ended up enjoying it SO much!

This book is like a love letter or voicemail to all romantics. I adore all the characters, especially Lucie and Aiden.
This is one of the best romance books I've ever read!
You will fall in love with Lucie or maybe even relate to her, like how I did. This book will tug at your heartstrings..