I really enjoyed First-Time Caller! This book has Sleepless in Seattle vibes, with a tween girl calling into a radio station’s dating advice show to get advice for her mom, Lucie. When the call goes viral, Lucie is thrust into the spotlight and agrees to appear on the show to find dates. She’s not counting on being more interested in the grumpy host, Aiden, than any of the guys who call in wanting to go out with her.

It’s a super cute setup, but the story started to drag for me in the middle. It takes Aiden and Lucy FOREVER to finally make a move on each other. There aren’t any subplots happening, either, which slowed the pacing. The book starts picking up steam (literally) once they begin exploring their attraction to each other. My frustration with the pacing may just be a me issue, as slow burns aren’t my favorite.

I loved the world B.K. Borison created with the radio station and Baltimore setting. There’s also a great cast of secondary characters. Overall, this is a heartwarming, well-written romance that I’ll be recommending to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

BEYONNDDD cute and fun. i loved every second of this book! the characters … the plot… the chemistry WOOOOW love

before i say anything, i NEED to say this… when you get your hands on this do yourself a solid and think of theo james and olivia cooke for the MCs bc HOT DAMN 😩😂 they were all i could think of and it was so hard for me to get anywhere in the story at first bc i would think about them and then run to google to stare at pictures of how pretty they both are 😂

while i ended up loving this book, it was honestly really hard for me to get invested in. right off the bat i was obsessed with both lucie and aiden and how they came to meet but after they met and the first few radio sessions went by it felt a tad monotonous, then it would pick up for a few and become fun, just for it to kinda slow down again. i felt this stop and go until after the 3rd failed date, after that i was having the best time and didnt want to put this one down. however since that is 61% of the book thats my reasoning for bumping it down to a four star read.

alexa, play the bolter by taylor swift. my dear sweet dumb aiden how i wish you would have pulled your head out of your butt a little faster. this man had been in love with lucie from the very damn start but oof did he let his trauma really get in his way. i would have loved to see more fun life things together post actually declaring their love for one another. i loved how lucie handled the situation and him, however i wish she didnt have to as these two came so easy to eachother when those commitment issues were checked out.

overall i loved them, i loved how unique this book felt to me. the slow burn is delicious and worth it in the end, and i honestly cant wait to see where this series takes us because if its anything like lovelight farm im going to LOVE all of these books bk puts out for it 🩷

Okay, this book was perfection. I'd really fallen into a romance slump and this brought me BACK (bless you B.K. Borison!)

First things first: even though this is a lovingly done tribute to Sleepless in Seattle, it absolutely stands on its own. It feels like settling in to watch what you know is going to be your new favorite romcom.

Secondly, I loooove a slow burn with idiots who don't realize they're falling in love, and Lucie and Aiden are those idiots to a T. Both of them felt so genuine and real, so l rooted for them from the jump. There's no sudden miscommunication out of nowhere or something totally stupid that switches up the story; it's just two people who are finding their way. They're sweet and soft and sexy as hell, in all their magic and messiness. (Also, for my fellow Murphy Brown lovers out there? Aiden feels very Peter Hunt to me, and Jackson is Miles Silverberg but I digress.)

Third, the writing itself is just spot-on! None of it felt off or out of place to me, and I was immersed the entire time. It helped, too, that I seriously loved all of the side characters. I especially appreciate how even though this is, of course, a romance novel, love in all its forms is presented and felt throughout: parental love, platonic love, etc. It created such a sweet bubble to tell the story within.

I was really excited from the cover art and synopsis to read this, and I was NOT disappointed - and now I can't wait to read more in this series.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.)

In B.K. Borison’s *Heartstrings*, a disillusioned radio host and a seemingly content single mother are brought together by a viral advice segment, sparking unexpected romance. This cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired tale blends charm and humor as the characters navigate love’s complications both on and off the airwaves.

This is more of a 3.5 star rather than a 3 star.
The premise of this was very cute, I love when a 12 year old conspires to get one or both of the main characters to fall in love. The romance between Aiden and Lucie was really sweet so this made it a really quick read for me. One thing I struggled with is that Aiden as a character felt really flat to me, his struggles for why he couldn't be with Lucie felt forced and honestly nonexistent? Like it wasn't believable to me that he was emotionally unavailable when he fell for her as soon as they met. Same thing for his breakup with her, it just felt like he was making stuff up and I really didn't see where his standoffishness came from.

5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Aiden Valentine, the jaded host of a romance radio hotline who’s secretly fallen out of love with love, finds himself in an awkward spot when one adorable, unexpected call from a young girl goes viral. That girl? Lucie Stone’s daughter, who’s determined to help her mom find love, much to Lucie’s dismay. Lucie, who thought she was content with her life, suddenly finds herself the center of attention in Baltimore. The pressure to rediscover romance, all while juggling her job and being a single mom, makes her start to question whether she’s truly happy with the status quo. Meanwhile, Aiden, terrified of losing Lucie but even more terrified of loving her, finds himself more untethered by the day.

This book was a delight. The plot was fresh and the chemistry between Aiden and Lucie made it a joy to read, but I think the most valuable addition to this story was the supporting cast. The relationship between Maya and her dads is so wholesome and inclusive and I loved everything about it. Aiden is endearingly broody but so sweet to Lucie and Maya. Just a 10/10 all around.

What you can expect to find in First Time Caller:
-forced proximity
-strangers to friends to lovers
-single mom
-found family/family bond
-tension
-she wants magic and love x he doesn’t believe in that
-she’s a mechanic

Okay hear me out - didn’t realize I was going to love this so much until I read it in First Time Caller…he has a gold chain and plays with it when he’s nervous or anxious - gah!!! (brought me back to Connell and his chain from Normal People). Okay…moving on now

THIS BOOK. This book was so so so good. I read Business Casual earlier this year and didn’t think that BK Borison could top that, but she did. I have not watched Sleepless in Seattle (maybe I need to?) so I’m not sure how to compare this book to that movie, but I will say that I was hooked right from the beginning. I loved the dynamics with all the characters in this book. From Lucie and her ex (also baby daddy) to Aiden and his co-worker/best friend Jackson. Every person in this book had an important role to play and I appreciate that none of them were there just for the sake of it.

And the relationship between Aiden and Lucie 🥹 I loved the banter and tension between these two. Ugh. This is one of those books that I wanted to fly through and at the same time I didn’t want it to end. These two were just so good for one another.

Only gripe with this book - I didn’t want it to end.

Absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series! BK Borison is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

BK Borison is without a doubt one of my favorite romance authors!! “First Time Caller” is a sweet twist on a workplace romance. I’ve never seen the film “Sleepless in Seattle” but now I am curious to watch and see where the inspiration came from. I was immediately pulled into the story by Aiden’s personality and the unique meet cute between Aiden and Lucie.

Overall, this was a solid romance and I enjoyed many aspects of the story, such as Aiden having to set Lucie up on dates and being jealous. My favorite part is when he saves her from a bad date and they have a spontaneous night filled with tension. I liked the slow burn but it did get pretty slow paced for me in the middle. I appreciated Lucie and Aiden’s journeys to opening up to love!

Everything I could’ve ever wanted and more. Such a sweet and cozy book with the perfect amount of spice!

Why have I not read this author before?? This was freaking delightful! With some solid smut and a romance that unleashed a whole field of butterflies in my belly, I had the best time reading this.

When Lucie’s daughter calls into a nighttime love advice radio show, Heartstrings, to seek advice for HER, Lucie gets herself wrapped up in a quest for love…

Aiden is the host of Heartstrings and he is falling out of love with love. Not his head or heart is in the broadcast anymore… until Lucie. There is something about her voice, the way she moves, that he can’t stop thinking about. It started lighthearted when they invited her onto the show to help her find that special someone, but he is getting in deep… fast. They have chemistry, but he is supposed to be helping her find love.

This was adorable. Were there some things that were a little ridiculous? Yes. Of course… I rolled my eyes at the amount of cheese at times, but it was just purely a great time.

This is my first B.K. Borison novel and I had a good time! It won't be my last

What I loved…
- A++ banter
- THE TENSION!
- She’s a mechanic 💗
- Absolutely adorable Sleepless in Seattle inspired story
- 29+ FMC and MMC
- adorable family/found family dynamics
- swoony, hopeless romantic in denial MMC
- the COVER, are you kidding me? It’s perfection
- single mom


What I didn’t love…
- The first 25% is a little slow
- I wanted MORE banter and MORE tension, what we get is really good but there is not nearly enough of it!
- I did not connect with Aiden’s backstory - could be a me problem
- the conflict and reason for keeping them apart was weak

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I am obsessed with this. Not only was it a love story, but it felt like a love letter to Baltimore as well. I’m from Baltimore and I just made me so happy. The story is a sleepless in Seattle retelling and I am
Obsessed.

This is my first book by this author and I was immediately HOOKED! I am sucker for a love story but especially a love story when both MCs seem to think that love no longer exists in the world. This book follows Lucie and Aiden on an unconventional road to love. He's works at a radio station where he hosts a romance hotline and she's a mechanic with a unique family situation with a 12 year old daughter that just wants her mom to be happy. So what does she do? She calls into this romance hotline asking for advice to help her mom out.

I fell in love with both characters instantly. Aiden is s bit of a grump, but he has a good heart. He's just terrified of letting people in because of his own hurt and trauma. But then comes Lucie. A hopeless romantic at heart who takes a chance on herself and goes down the windy road of looking for love while her entire hometown chimes in. I loved that we got dual POV. With each chapter you got to know each character on a deeper level and it felt like I was cheering on my best friends for a happy ending. An absolute must-read!

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley Romance for this eARC!

WOW. Consider me charmed. I absolutely adored this book!!! I love the 90s rom com movie vibes with some adjustments to make it more modern, and so much Sleepless in Seattle vibes! It was perfection. The dialogue, the side characters (esp the men the FMC works with 🥹), and the vibes were just immaculate. Loved loved loved this!

This was a cute Sleepless in Seattle inspired book. It was enjoyable but the third act conflict was pretty obnoxious and made me annoyed with Aiden and I am not sure he redeemed himself.

This was super cute!!! I loved the Sleepless in Seattle vibes, I wish there'd been more steam though. Their chemistry was great but this was very PG and I felt like the romance build-up took too long. Overall, a cute very strong romance.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I was so excited to dive into it because I have loved BK Borison's Lovelight series and had high hopes for this one. I fell in love with Aiden within the first 2 pages, and shortly after fell for Lucie as well. I love the wit and snark those two have together.
BK Borison has a way of writing characters that you can't help but relate to and feel for them. I definitely could relate to both Aiden's emotional walls and Lucie's insecurities in finding love.

This book was disgustingly cute. There was an alarming amount of giggling and feet kicking going on over here. This is the Sleepless in Seatle for our generation and I'm so here for it.

I adored both Aiden and Lucie. Their banter was *chef's kiss.* And just the perfect amount of spice. I also appreciate that I adored Lucie's daughter too. I usually really dislike kids in romance books because they're always written in a way that doesn't match the age they're supposed to be. But Maya was a believable 12 year old and I loved her.

I just wish there were a few more scene of them in the booth together. Those were truly my favorite.

Ugh this book was cute. It is a must read for romance lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for the eArc. All opinions are my own.

What an amazing slow burn romance!! This felt like I was watching a movie in the early 2000s. I loved this romcom and would recommend it to anyone. Aiden and Lucy were the cutest ever!!! The way they met had me squealing. Invisible string coded