BK Borison is an expert in her craft. She gives us yet another nostalgic and cozy romantic comedy full of so much feeling. Her best yet!

I'd give First-Time Caller endless stars but 5 is the highest I can go. I adored this book. I felt like I was wrapped up in a warm blanket the entire time I read it. I simultaneously wanted to quickly consume and take my time absorbing every word on every page. Like, I just loved it. It's inspired by one of my all-time favorite movies, Sleepless in Seattle, and it paid that movie so much justice.

I was grinning at the page, kicking my feet, swooning to know what was going to happen next. The chemistry between Lucie and Aiden is top tier. I love when characters say each others names in books, sounds weird I know, and there's plenty of name-saying in this book. Like, give me more?!?

When I say this is a book that spoke to me, I mean it's like B.K. Borrison took all the thoughts out of my head and wrote them into a beautiful love story. I am convinced I won't read another book this year that makes me this happy and taken care of. If it isn't my top read of 2025, I'd be surprised.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was throwing my ass in a circle so hard I almost broke a hip.

✰ 5 stars, at the start of 2025 we really said bring back yearning bring back romantic tension and ms borison said say less and delivered on that declaration.

thank you to Berkley for the free book in exchange for an honest review #berkleypartner #berkley

4.5⭐

Okay, so I screamed when I read the acknowledgement and B.K. Borison mentioned Sleepless in Seattle because the entire time I was reading this...I kept feeling like it gave Sleepless in Seattle vibes.

First Time Caller felt like magic. The vibes I got was a quiet snowy night in the city and it's just you and your SO. There's no loud energy. It's all soft and magical and comforting.
That's the vibe I got from this book.
It doesn't matter that they were broadcasting for the entire city of Baltimore to hear. It still felt private and like there was no one else.

My only problem was it felt a tad bit long for me.

First-Time Caller
(Heartstrings #1)
B.K. Borison
Pub: 2/11/25
4.5☆

Another absolute must read by B.K. Borison!

OK I adored everything about this one. Bec’s writes the cutest stories with the most lovable characters and this was another shining example. Lucie and Aiden’s story was heartwarming, funny (so much witty banter), and filled with so much growth. The sweet, slow-burn romance will have you swooning and smiling throughout. And along with the rest of the town, you just can’t help but root so hard for these two to find love. The first in a new series and I am all in and so excited for what’s up next.

What I loved;
✨ Sleepless In Seattle Inspired
✨ Grumpy x Sunshine
✨ Single Mom
✨ Amazing Side Characters
✨ Glove Compartment Lists
✨ Brooks Robinson

It was truly a love letter to love and I definitely feel like a reread with the audio is in my near future.

Thank you Berkley Romance for the free book. #BerkleyPartner #Berkley

Got to read this ARC (thank you NetGalley) & also got to experience this author for the first time. This book had everything I love in a romance novel. Fluffy, tension & spice, emotions & feelings. The issues than the characters faced in this book were extremely realistic. I loved the side characters & truly had such a fun time imagining this book as I read it. The FMC was endearing & likable while the MMC was perfectly conflicted, confused and sexy. I am now a Lucie & Aiden stan.

Truly a novel that makes you want to slow down and enjoy the little things with someone you love.

this sleepless in seattle inspired novel did not disappoint in the slightest! this book follows lucie, a hopeless romantic whose daughter calls in to Heartstrings, a radio show hosted by our broody MMC aiden, trying to get love advice for her mom. this book gives pure romcom, contemporary romance at it's finest. i don't think i've ever read a romance book that had me so giggly and had me squealing so much. this love story felt so magical yet so raw at the same time. lucie is one of the most likeable and unique FMCs i've had the honor of meeting and aiden valen(tine) has a reserved spot near the top of my list for top romance book boyfriends. i guarantee this book will have you feeling so giddy the entire time.

this book was made for anyone who has been scared to let themselves fall in love and there was not a second of this book that i did not love!

5⭐️ I have yet to read a BK Borison I haven’t loved but this is definitely my favorite.

This is a romance at its finest. The MMC is the true definition of “if he wanted to he would”. I thought this book started a little slow but there was a lot of ground work to lay to make this a perfect romance novel.

This was an advanced read copy I received through Netgalley so it’s not going to be officially published until February 11, 2025! But this is my honest review!

Add this book to your to read list, I promise you won’t regret it! & then let me know what you thought!

#books #bookstagram #booktok #bookrating #library #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecs#bookcommunity #booklovers #booksofinstagram #bookish #fivestarbooks #romancebook #kindlebooks
#kindleunlimited

My first 5 star read of 2025!!!!! I don’t know how else to put it other than this is probably the most romantic romance book I’ve ever read. Literally felt like I was transported into a 90s romcom the vibes and romance were so immaculate. Obviously I loved the writing, BK Borison just never misses for me. I thought the plot was super entertaining and fun; I was literally hooked from the first chapter. I love that this book had me laughing and giggling but then also tearing up and relating to the characters. I love a romcom with depth and I think this book balanced that perfectly. I loved the single mom aspect and Lucie’s relationship with her daughter and Maya’s father. I thought their coparenting relationship was so sweet and Grayson made me laugh so much. Aiden and Jackson’s friendship was SO CUTE and so funny and I am feral for Jackson’s book. I loved his character so much. Aiden was literally man obsessed, man in love, would do anything for Lucie. His story and hesitations towards love made me CRYYY. I love how he was a little reserved but not grumpy and mean. And Lucie 💗 ugh my girl. She loves fiercely and puts her loved ones before herself. I loved her outlook on love. But I did love how sassy and outspoken she could be. I loved her character growth. The tension, banter, and chemistry was off the charts!!! I truly just loved every part of this book. The characters, setting, plot, it was the perfect romance book.

I think the romance genre was specifically created because someone knew that Bk Borison would be born one day and that it’d be her calling to write books. I love love. So much. And this is one of those books that just made me LOVE love even more. And also remember why I love reading about love?? Like this book has burned itself into my brain and buried itself into my heart.

Lucie was so deeply relatable to me, and it’s crazy to think a fictional person and words on paper can make someone feel less alone, less silly, and overall really proud to have the feelings they do but that’s exactly what Becs accomplished with this book. My most consistent and inner thoughts are just about everything Lucie felt and talked about in FTC and it was so validating to read it and think…. “Wow other people will read this and feel the same and the fact that someone wrote this means they. KNOW. this feeling and maybe I’m not so alone in it!!!”

I could go on and on about this book, and the mushy gooey insane feelings I have but it actually almost feels tooooooo close to home. This was the best book, I don’t know how anything will match or top it.

The biggest love letter to love lovers everywhere and to the people who just want their own REAL but magic feeling love story. Our time is coming!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don’t say this lightly, but BK Borison might just be Nora Ephron reincarnated. It feels too early in the year to proclaim my favorite romance of 2025, but it might just be true. The banter, the spice, the swoon, the invisible string of it all. It’s all there. I had to take breaks between nearly every chapter because I had such big feelings I couldn’t handle it. If you’ve loved any Nora Ephron movie, this book is for you. I can’t wait to read whatever Borison writes next!

Sometimes, you get weary about Nora Ephron rom-com reimaginings. Not because they're not good---Nora Ephron movies are elite, so it'll be good at its base. But you run into the risk of being just derivative, a repackaged plot that makes you long for the inspiration, instead of the creation. Sleepless in Seattle is one of my ton 10 favorite movies of all time. The cozy hopefullness, the wistfullness and yearning for magic and true love, it's something you don't just find anywhere.
But you find it here. In Aiden, in Lucie, in the little studio booth, you find it there. B.K. Borison has not just given us a Sleepless In Seattle inspired romance. It is not a repackaging of a story we've heard before. It is truly INSPIRED, an entirely new story with it's own soul and it's own desires and it's own magic. It takes off, becomes something all it's own.
Aiden valentine is a romance radio show host that doesn't believe in love. Lucie is a mechanic/single mom that's been longing for love for much longer than she's willing to admit. Throw in her mastermind daughter calling into Aiden's phone line late one night, and you're thrown into the whirlwind of Lucie's adventure. And as far-fetched as a situation like this might seem in real life, it progresses naturally, perfectly, and you don't question a moment of it. Lucie is as lovable as Aiden and everyone else sees her. Aiden thinks he's an asshole, but you see that he's a good guy that's given up a bit. Throughout their story, you see them come alive in each other's company.
I was smiling like an idiot by the end of this. B.K. Borison captures the desperation, the apprehension, the fear and the courage of falling in love when you don't mean to with gorgeous prose, hilarious characters, spicy scenes, and deep emotions.
"You aren't broken. . . I think you're just bruised."
This is a book I will be cuddling up to re-read the same way I click on Sleepless in Seattle when I'm in need of a little reminder that there is magic in every corner, you just have to reach for it.

A great book by bk Borison!! This is the PERFECT book for February/Valentine’s Day 🥰 every book BK releases, the more I love her. She just gets better and better

A truly heartwarming and hit-you-in-the-feels book! I loved the whole crew of characters and Aiden and Lucie's romance was everything I wanted. Her monologue in the first chapter pulled me in and the rest of the book didn't fail to deliver.

I'm officially going to be reading everything B.K. Borison has written and will write. Borison knows how to write banter while also capturing the character's challenges throughout the story.

Aiden Valentine is the host of a failing romance advice radio show called Heartstrings. Between the listener calls and his own doubts about love, the show is barely hanging on. Lucie Stone is a single working mom who is surrounded by love, but not romance. When she is not at work, she is devoted to caring for her 12-year-old daughter, Mia. As much as Mia loves her mother, she can see that Lucie is missing something...or someone. Mia thinks Aiden is just the person to find Lucie's future partner. After exposing her personal life to all of Baltimore on Aiden's show, everyone in Lucie's life is invested in her finding her Prince Charming among the men calling in. However as she and Aiden spend more time together, it becomes clear that the love of her life may be closer than she thinks.

I am so happy there will be 2 more books in this series because I can't get enough! One of my favorite things about the story was how the setting, Baltimore, was a character of its own. I've been there a few times and it was fun to visualize the harbor and Little Italy. I also enjoyed how perfectly flawed Lucie and Aiden were. They were both dealing with some serious issues with their parents and it wasn't wrapped up in a neat bow. The final radio call scene had me internally screaming because of adorable it was. I'm also a sucker for any book with found family and this one didn't disappoint. Highly recommend!

4.25 stars!

"I don't want to settle for something just to say I have it."

Ok Bec's is on a roll because this and Business Casual have been written soooo well and she keeps on upping her game and I have so much respect for her.

I love how this book was paced. I was a little nervous looking at the page length, but I felt this burn was perfectly slow with this one. Whenever I would think
"hey, I would like the plot to develop" it literally would within a couple chapters.

I also love the world building Bec's does. I didn't think she could top the cozy town vibes of the Lovelight series but I somehow loved this setting even more???
The found family and the staff at the radio station I just loved the community here and how RICH it all was. So lived in.

My main issue with this book actually is Aiden, which is probably a hot take (I am so sorry I wanted to love him so bad). I really didn't see much development in him toward the very end and he's just not the kind of guy I get interested in. He has a hard time seeming engaged, doesn't fight for what he wants, is wayward, etc. I know that's a part of his journey and I am there for him, but the way it lasts 95% of the book I kinda gave up hope on him.

Lastly, his actions in the third act breakup were the final straw for me. And this is a common theme in Borison's work for me where I love it but then the third act doesn't stick the landing to me.

Lucie I adored and believed in her and her journey so hard. I loved her creating her own magic

I need books two and three in this series!!!

This book was everything!!! I love Lucie and Aiden so much! I also loved the dynamic and backstory of Lucie and Grayson so much. But also... I loved Maya, Patty and Mateo. So basically, I guess I loved everyone? His way of getting her back by staging her going to do the show alone and HIM calling in to HIS show? Absolute perfection. 10/10. Ate it up. He is perfect and I just want to give him the biggest hug, especially after learning why he is the way that he is. His phone call with his dad had me SOBBING.

10/10 will be buying it physically so I can annotate it.

I’m picky about romances, but I liked this one a lot. It was cute, had good banter, with affectionate relationships with the lovable cast of secondary characters. I’ve never seen Sleepless in Seattle, but the author’s note said this was inspired by it.

This is my second B.K. Borison and I’ve had the same response to both: I’ve found them to be heartwarming and deeply enjoyable aside from the third-act miscommunication / breakup. Those are, unfortunately, pretty standard tropes of the genre, so I’m more resigned than mad about their inclusion.

Also: Goodreads lists this as first in a series. I’ll bet Jackson is next, and I cannot WAIT to hear more of his panicked meteorological monologues.

I’ve now read this twice and somehow it got better. It got more magical. I fell more in love with Becs’ writing and Aiden and Lucie. There is something SO SPECIAL about this book and I am quite honestly crying while writing about it. Lucie was looking for some magic, and let me tell you this book is that and so much more.

I never doubted Becs’ ability to write a good book. From the very first time I read Lovelight Farms I knew she was special. But now after reading her fifth book, and the first in a new series…I am just in awe of her. She has a way with words that just feels like coming home. Even the little things that happen are written like they’re the big things, like they’re just as important (because they are). The first time Lucie’s on the air and the way she wrote Aiden describing it just felt so real, like I could see it, like I could feel it somehow and I literally was tearing up. This book is absolutely perfect and I cannot wait to read it again and for the rest of the series.

Aiden and Lucie were absolute magic. In so many beautiful ways. The tension and their banter and their chemistry came off the page in such a delicious way. They were so soft with each other in a way they both desperately needed. Watching them fall in love with each other without even realizing it was so beautiful.

I love a sad grumpy boy and that is exactly what Aiden was. Seeing how closed off and bruised his heart was HURT. But also seeing him work to start healing, to start loving again was perfect. And Lucie was so different than him, she really believed in the magic of falling in love. And seeing how it’s been such a struggle for her?? She had all but given up, but was still holding on?? Watching the two of them realize they both just want something real…and that they could have it with each other??? Perfection.

I also am in love with all the characters in this new world. Maya, Grayson, Mateo, and Patty are the perfect little family and I love how much they love Lucie. Aiden and his parents!! I love them DEEPLY. I cannot wait to get to know everyone at the station more. Aiden and Jackson’s friendship already makes my heart so happy (and Aiden calls him Jackie and I love that so much).

Thank you so much to Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

This book was a lot of fun but it went on 50 pages longer than it needed to. The writing held up and the characters were likeable, I just feel like it dragged a little in parts. I still finished it in a day and it was super cute. Definitely a contender for my New Romantics Book Club.