I've been CRAVING a 5-star read, and First-Time Caller DELIVERED.

💕 eARC review | pub date: February 11, 2025 💕

I decided to request this book on NetGalley after a handful of my friends ARC read it and loved it, and it lived up to every bit of hype.

If I had to describe this book in three words it would be: cozy, swoon-worthy, and heartwarming.

As a hopeless romantic who was (very) single for 3 years and looking for that "magic" love, I felt seen with this story—especially when the FMC, Lucie felt like people were making fun of her for wanting and waiting for that type of love.

What to expect:
☎️ 1st person, dual POV
☎️ Radio romance
☎️ Grumpy x sunshine
☎️ Found family
☎️ Forced proximity
☎️ BANTER & YEARNING
☎️ Sleepless in Seattle-inspired // homage to Nora Ephron classics
☎️ Book 1 in a series of interconnected standalones

Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️

This is my first B.K. Borison book, and I love her writing style. You KNOW I'm devouring a story when I'm highlighting line after line of (swoon-worthy) dialogue.

I will absolutely be continuing this series with NOW, BACK TO YOU—"a When Harry Met Sally-inspired love story, color coded with a sexy weather man and the woman who shakes his meticulous control" ?? I'm in!!

A sincere thank you to Berkley for the gifted eARC provided through NetGalley ahead of its February 11, 2025 release.

First-Time Caller is one of those books that grew page by page, chapter by chapter, until the characters and their stories slowly worked their way into my depths of my heart. The story of Aiden and Lucie is sweet, tender, funny, emotional, thought-provoking, and so full of love. Lots and lots of LOVE. I wanted to cry for these characters and I said "Oh my gosh I can't believe this is happening" just as often as I laughed.

BK Borison has such a beautiful gift. Every time I finish one of her lovely books, I find that I’m homesick for a fictional place filled with loveable characters.
First-Time Caller was such a lovely read and a beautiful reminder that love is magic.

I loved this book , this was my first book by this author and I am going to definitely recommend her to my friends ! I fell in love with all the characters in the book , especially her little daughter . Iam so happy they got their happily ever after!

Fast pace and entertaining. It's really good and the narration of the audiobook is magical! I highly recommend.

If you’re longing for the kind of romance that feels like a warm hug—think Sleepless in Seattle, early 2000s romcom magic—then First-Time Caller is exactly what you need. BK Borison delivers a heartfelt, slow-burn love story with endearing characters, swoon-worthy banter, and just the right mix of humor and depth.

At the heart of the story is Lucie, a fiercely independent single mom and car mechanic, whose love life takes an unexpected turn when her 12-year-old daughter, Maya, calls into Heartstrings, a late-night dating advice radio show. The host? Aiden Valentine—charming, cynical, and completely uninterested in love… until Lucie stumbles into his world. What starts as an on-air moment gone viral turns into a delightful co-hosting dynamic, simmering tension, and a romance that feels both fated and refreshingly real.

Lucie is a heroine worth rooting for—strong, self-sufficient, and deeply devoted to her daughter. Aiden, on the other hand, is a bit of an enigma, and while his journey to love isn’t always smooth, the chemistry between him and Lucie is undeniable. Their witty banter, the slow build of their connection, and the found family dynamic woven throughout the book make for an engaging read. That said, some readers may find the romance a bit unbalanced, with more focus on Lucie’s perspective and Aiden’s emotional walls taking longer to come down than expected.

With a mix of laugh-out-loud moments, tender family bonds, and just the right amount of spice, First-Time Caller is the perfect book to curl up with when you’re in the mood for something soft, cozy, and full of heart. Fans of slow burns, dual POVs, and classic romcom vibes will absolutely fall in love. Plus, with this being the first in Borison’s Heartstrings series (each book inspired by a Nora Ephron classic), there’s even more to look forward to!

Read if you love:
✨ Slow burn & forced proximity
✨ Found family & single mom heroines
✨ Grumpy x sunshine & “if he wanted to, he would” energy
✨ 90s/early 2000s romcom nostalgia

While the pacing may not be perfect for everyone, First-Time Caller is an undeniably charming read that captures the magic of falling in love—on the airwaves and in real life. Bring on book two!

I've been THRILLED to see all of the excitement over FIRST TIME CALLER, and even more happy that I can now safely say it lives up to the hype.

I'm over the moon with how sweet, romantic, and heartwarming this was. It's stories like this that remind me why romance novels are so important; they're uplifting, hopeful, and vulnerable in the best possible way. I really enjoyed reading Aiden and Lucie's love story, and seeing it play out in such a realistic and wholesome way. I especially loved seeing the two of them connect on such an intimate level; it really felt like I was reading about two people seeing each other honestly, and falling in love because of it. It truly felt like reading the ultimate romcom!

All of this to say, I adored it and am so, so excited for it to be released and to be able to recommend it to everyone! It surpassed all of my expectations for a romance novel.

I’ve been a major fan of BK Borison since my friend @bookologist_phd introduced me to the cozy, swoony love stories of the Lovelight Farms series. When I saw this book announced, I just knew I needed to read it as soon as possible!

First-Time Caller might just be my favorite BK book yet! I’m already patiently awaiting the release of the next two Heartstrings books!

SYNOPSIS: Aiden Valentine has fallen out of love with love, which is a problem since he hosts Baltimore’s romance hotline. When a young girl calls in for advice about her mom’s love life, the interview goes viral, making Aiden and Heartstrings the center of attention.
Lucie Stone has a great job, a supportive family, and a clever daughter—but when Baltimore starts focusing on her non-existent love life, she begins to rethink her happiness. Maybe she’s been missing something.
As everyone pushes Lucie to find her happily ever after, she finds herself torn between a radio-sponsored romance and the sparks flying with Aiden, the man behind the microphone.

REVIEW: What a nice and satisfying nod to Sleepless in Seattle! This book left me with the biggest smile on my face, cheesy grinning from ear to ear. The story had me laughing (and crying once) along with BK Borison’s sharper, witty, and oh so fun prose.

Aiden might just be my favorite BK man. This journey to melancholic to hopeful is so lovely.

The characters surrounding Aiden and Lucie are funny, quirky, and lovable. What an absolutely gorgeous ensemble with so much room for delectable stories to come! I’m so glad we will get more of the Heartstrings team in the next two books.

Overall, I found First-Time Caller to be a bit grittier and evocative than the Lovelight series, in the most heartwarming and gratifying way. I really feel like the author hit her stride with this one, which makes me even more excited for her upcoming release of Good Spirits with @avon in fall 2025.

This book was everything. Lucie is an auto mechanic who feels perfectly content on her own. She has her daughter, her daughter's father and his husband, her job, everything she needs to be happy. Aiden is a radio host who is perfectly not content where he is. When Lucie's daughter calls into Aiden's radio show, life flips upside down. Lucie is so real and raw and relatable that she accidentally goes viral. Enter the deal: Lucie goes on the show with Aiden to help drum up some audience and find Lucie a boyfriend. The chaos that ensues is beautiful. I love how snarky and sassy these two are together. I love how everyone has their big opinions on Lucie's relationships. I love that Aiden is so so so soft for Lucie and her darling kiddo. This book has a love story that is absolute goals and so so REAL. I am obsessed and I cannot wait for more from BK Borison.

I adore how the author’s affection for “Sleepless in Seattle” is so memorable that it inspired her to create this delightful tale. This book explores love and the enchantment within that concept, examining its meaning, its emotions, and its transformative power when least expected. At its center are a cynical radio host named Aiden, disillusioned by love, and Lucie, a resourceful single mom and mechanic, focused solely on her daughter Maya’s well-being. Both have relinquished hope of finding their soulmate or even believing in its possibility, yet secretly yearn for that magical connection. Together, Lucie and Aiden are charming. Maya stands out with her big heart, crucial to Lucie and Aiden’s journey. The story unfolds with Maya calling the radio station’s romantic hotline, Heartstrings, to seek help for her mom’s love life, sparking a viral buzz on social media. Witty, charming, and deeply endearing, the ending evokes the feel of classic romantic comedies of the past.

B.K. can do no wrong in my eyes! First Time Caller was the same swoony, sweet, cozy vibes of the Lovelight series in a fresh new setting with new characters to fall head over heels in love with and it delivered on all fronts!

Aiden Valentine is the host of a romance radio show in Baltimore. But he's not so sure he believes in it all after one too many callers complaining about silly things. He's a tad grumpy on the outside but a gold chain wearing, swoony sweetheart under those layers of past hurt.

Lucie is a single mom who has focused on her daughter for the last 12 years. She's a mechanic with a small found family that lives next door in the form of her best friend/baby daddy and his partner, all raising their daughter, Maya, together. At 29, she skipped most of the having fun years and doesn't have the energy to try to make dating work.

Maya calls into the radio show one night which results in Lucie word vomiting her feelings to all of Baltimore and Aiden feels a spark of fun that he hasn't felt on the show in a long time. From there the most adorable, angsty romance develops and I ate up every single second.

B.K.'s writing is so wonderful and cozy. She crafts characters that are fun and have depth and you will not be able to resist falling for them.

First Time Caller truly is a love letter to love with Sleepless in Seattle vibes, a single parent and a bit of grumpy sunshine with a radio host that is swoony and fun cast of side characters and so much more!

The way I absolutely loved this book. This was so cute, so sweet, so lovely. One thing I loved was the family dynamics. Our main character Lucie has a 12 year old daughter and the relationship between them and her daughter’s father was so wonderful. And I loved that Lucie didn’t have a “typical” job for a woman. Definitely not something you get to see in romance books very often. Aiden was so gone for her immediately and if there’s one thing I like in a romance book, it’s when he falls first. The radio show aspect was fun to read about but I did wish we got a little bit more of it. I can definitely see how this book was also setting up subsequent books for side characters and I loved them so much so I can’t wait to hear more about that hopefully! Overall this was awesome, and B.K. Borison continues to be one of my faves. 4.5 ⭐️

I absolutely loved this book! I love reading books that are different from anything that I have read before and this is definitely one of them. The connection between the characters is so great. The banter that they have with each other I love. The fact that she has a manly job and usually men don’t like that about a woman, but Aiden doesn’t care. Perfection. This is definitely a book that I think every romance reader needs to pick up.

I'm turning into quite the BK Borison fan! This is a sweet book and would be a good suggestion for fans of Emily Henry. Here's hoping it's the first in another series (I love her Lovelight Farm series).

4.5 stars!
My first B.K. Borison book & now I'm addicted. The story is inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, and it really captured the magic & romance of those classic rom-coms we just don't get anymore. I loved all of the characters so much and all of their banter with each other. This is the perfect Valentine's read!

Words are not enough. This book is a forehead kiss after a hard day, a squeeze of the knee when your leg is shaking, a hug when you're feeling down. BK' s voice comes through so powerfully in First Time Caller. This book could have ended at 50% and I would have felt (almost) just as happy as when I finished the book. This book had a lot to live up to for this Nora Ephron fan, it did not disappoint. I laughed, I teared up, the whole gamut

Pure simple magic. Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for this eARC - I'll be thinking about this book for days.

LOVE! MAGIC! Lucie and Aiden are so cute and I am in love with them. I also love a new take on a classic, this one is a rework of Sleepless in Seattle that takes place in Baltimore. There was not one character that I wasn't completely enamored with and wanted to know more about (when's the next book out? who is it about? I need more of these characters NOW!).

This was truly a sweet story about finding love where you aren't looking for it, but mostly accepting that love. There were moments that made my heart swell (the fort scene, the napkin in the car, the pizza) and once I found my footing I could not put this book down. My first B.K. Borison and a full five stars for me!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkely for this E-ARC!

First Time Caller is such a feel good romance. It kept a huge smile on my face and I loved Lucie and Aiden. BK Borison’s writing is addictive and even though this took me a bit to get through, it was because I was busy- I didn’t want to put it down!

Lucie has been single for such a long time. Her twelve-year-old daughter calls into a radio show/romance hotline for advice. She reaches Aiden Valentine. Aiden is a cynic when it comes to love, but with his job, you would think otherwise.

This was the cutest meet cute. I loved Aiden’s grumpy nature and Lucie’s fun and carefree side. They were a great couple. Inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, this is a fantastic romance I can’t recommend enough.

Rave reviews and a comparison to Sleepless in Seattle had me requesting this one immediately. Such a strong start and then I just found myself waiting. And waiting. And waiting. More than halfway in before any romance is initiated? Too much of a slow burn for me. Found myself skimming the last 30% of so. Bummed!

Oh. My. Heart! I absolutely loved this book. If you are a skeptic, this book will make you believe in love again.

This book is so funny, I absolutely loved the meet cute when Lucie finds Maya on the phone with Aiden. Truly hysterical.

It's also very tender, the people in Lucie's life are all so amazing. Her bestie reminded me of a young version of Liz from Shrinking (such a great show if you haven't seen it yet.) the character development is superb.

It's also a little spicy, but not too spicy
🌶️🌶️/5

I believe there is one short and one long spicy scene.

This is my first book by B. K. Borison and I'm completely wowed!