This was a fun and cozy read but I felt like something was missing that I can't quite put my finger on? This was actually my first book by B.K Borison and I really enjoyed her writing- there was tons of chemistry between the main characters, and I loved the banter. I enjoyed the cozy vibes and the "Sleepless in Seattle" spin. I would say the pacing was a little slow and it took me a while to get into it, and I also felt the conflict towards the end was a little bit of a letdown. Overall, I think this might be more of a "me" problem as there was plenty to like about this book and I can see this being well-loved by many romance readers.

If I could build a shrine to B.K. Borrison I would! The way that these two interact and they find love is absolute perfection. Plus with a last name of Valentine you know it's going to be good.

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!!

Borison just keeps getting better. This was very sweet and swoony and felt like how two adults would handle a relationship. There wasn't miscommunications, there weren't hijinks. But it was fun and romantic. It really did feel like a Nora Ephron movie, so Borison did capture that magic and I can't wait to read the others in this series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this adorable "Sleepless in Seattle" romcom. The main characters and side characters were all well developed and fun to get to know. Banter was great. The vulnerabilities of the main characters were relatable and honest.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the advanced digital copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved every single page of this. This was my first B.K. Borison book, and it's safe to say I'm now hooked (yep, I bought her entire backlist because of this book). I am an absolute sucker for authors that can blend feel-good romance with deeper real-world issues, and Borison has done that and so much more. There's also a touch of nostalgia here for those that grew up watching (and re-watching) Sleepless in Seattle. Start to finish perfection.

Thank you so much to the publisher and netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

I have so many highlighted quotes from this! For someone who doesn't believe in love, Aiden really showed up! Such a cute romance book that was just so easy to read. I was literally blushing at Alden putting headphones on Lucie!!! The TENSION!.

Lucie and her unique family were absolutely perfect. Lucie is "single mom" but her baby daddy and his husband are very involved. They are great friends and co-parents. I love that Lucie is a car mechanic!

This was a really exciting start to BK's new series! Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read early!

Aiden and Lucie were such fun characters to meet, and Heartstrings was one of best workplace-worlds I have lived in as a reader.

My only critique is that I think the book lost a bit of momentum around the 60% mark, as it just felt really long. I can't wait for the next few books in the series!

“and a part of me, a teeny-tiny sliver of myself, is still waiting. to jump into someone on the street or pick up the wrong coffee order. for the right person at the right time at exactly the right place. to not have to try so damn hard at any of it. it’s the romantic in me that aiden laughed at. and maybe it’s childish, or naive or whatever, but it’s me. i’m allowed to want soft, special things.”

ohhh lucie. my sweet girl. and aiden UGH! bk has done it again. i loved this book so much. aiden is so so boyfriend!!!!!! i loved this so much and that quote sums up how i feel so perfectly and just ugh!!!!! soooo good!!!!

Your honor I love them!
I made it through 80% and thought I’d escaped the third act break up. And then the next chapter broke my heart. I have trust issues after that. I read it in public and just had to keep myself together. Thankfully he righted that wrong. And the groveling was perfect. But the heartache was strong.
I cannot wait for this book to be released. I’m sure the audiobook will also be out of this world.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for this ARC

Absolutely loved this beyond words.
This was not what I was expecting at all.

I really enjoyed both of these characters and how they came together.
The story line was so cute and it’s making me want to watch sleepless in Seattle to understand where the inspiration came from.

Definitely a book I can’t wait to sell.

This was my first book by B.K. Borison and will. not be the last! I think she. just made it into my favorite author's list!

As a romance reader I LOVED that the main character is a hopeless romantic despite everything she's been through. This is a love story but is also so much more than that. This is a story about womanhood, motherhood, family, grief, self-love, courage, and healing. The pacing was perfect in my opinion but it definitely is a little bit of a slow burn. If you don't like slow burns you have been warned! I thought the amount of spice was perfect and if you're not into that it's super easy to skip those scenes without missing out on anything.

Overall, I loved this story and all the characters. I found myself smiling at my kindle the whole time and I think that tells you all you need to know. I definitely need all my friends to read it so we can yap about it!!

Thanks Berkley and Netgalley for the advance copy!

Having never seen Sleepless in Seattle nor read a B.K. Borison novel, First-Time Caller was a fantastic introduction to both. Overall, I really liked Borison's writing and the central plot of the book. <SPOILER>E.g. Lucie could have easily had a very believable romance with Colin, but I appreciated the internal third-act break-up between her and Aiden more than if Lucie were torn between two guys.</SPOILER> The secondary characters* all had believable motivations for going along with "Lucie's Road to Love," which made everything feel more grounded with realistic stakes. Peacefully co-parenting? Completely doable. Feeling burned out at your job? Been there. Having little to no social life because you're a parent? Seems about right.

Although I think Lucie could have been in her early to mid-30s and still realistically had little to no experience with relationships (imo anyone becoming a parent before 25 feels young 😁), I still enjoyed reading about two people who are both figuring out what they want romantically and how a potential partner fits into their existing lives. (Even if I kind of enjoyed Lucie's POV more 🙈)

* I love knowing that a book is going to be part of a series before it's published because then I try to suss out who the future couples are going to be. For all of his whining, I really hope Jackson is thrust into an enemies-to-lovers situation with Delilah 😍

If you've read the Lovelight Farms books, you know Borison is really good at crafting the closed-set world of a cozy romance. It looks sort of like reality, but it's more of a snowglobe version, a realistic fantasy where everyone knows everyone and everyone has adorable quirks and everyone is looking out for everyone else. That's a nice place to hang out -- it's half the reason to read romance -- and she's done it again here, with what is obviously the start to another series. (I enjoyed trying to spot the seeds for the follow-up books. My money is on Jackson next.)

Borison's writing is improving; her banter & swoon, already solid, is even better here.

I see the complaints from other reviews about the slow plot and lack of conflict. Fair points, but honestly, who cares? This is an homage to Sleepless in Seattle, a love letter to all of us who want to believe in love and magic -- or at least hang out in a world where everything works out -- and it hits all the right notes.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

I love this author's writing. She evokes feelings and wakens all the senses. I feel like I'm there. Her 🌶️ scenes work.

BUT...

She seems to struggle with plot. She often tries to insert tension in nonsensical ways.

In this case, Aiden doesn't believe in love and has turned his emotions off because his parents loved each other too much and when his mom went through cancer, it hurt his dad. 🙄

Uh.

This results in so much "I'm not right for you, Lucie" all the way through the book... until past 90% of the book.

They are about to have sex for the first time and he's still thinking "she's meant for someone who isn't me". 🙄

After they have sex, he is still trying to set her up with another man.

At the end, he pushes her away and she tells him "I'm interested but the ball is in your court". And he goes a WEEK without talking to her until everyone around her pushes her towards his orbit again. I was so livid that his "grand gesture" puts her in an uncomfortable situation. It makes me feel like he's a coward and couldn't pursue her and make himself vulnerable without making her more vulnerable than she already was.

So, the hero gets to have this "romantic" setup to tell her he's gone for her. The author (and hero) puts her in the position for her to be the first one to say she loves him even tho he's been the holdout.

I needed him to be vulnerable in a way that didn't strip her of her dignity and feeling of safety.

Also, I find it frustrating that I don't understand her baby daddy's story and why they had sex together when they were younger. He's married to a man and there's no explanation whether they were in love as teens or just fooling around, whether he's bi or discovered his interest for men later. I appreciated that they're like family to each other, especially as co-parents, but it was bizarre to have this backstory that was never explained.

This book was incredibly frustrating.

Safety deets
- It's unclear if she's been with anyone since getting pregnant by her best friend during their first time having sex as teenagers.
- He's had casual sex and the last time is a few months before.
- He's trying to set her up so she's going out with a few guys during the book but doesn't click with any of them.
- He doesn't go out with anyone during the book.
- The dude has negative motivation so much and it drives me crazy.
- There is an epilogue but no point where we know they have made a commitment so it kind of feels happy for now rather than happily ever after.

This book was a love letter to all romcoms, but specifically Sleepless in Seattle. All of the characters in this book - not just the main characters - were lovely and entertaining.

This story was captivating, laugh out loud funny, sad, empowering, sexy, and so so good! While inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, it had so many wonderful and unique pieces that make it really stand on it’s own.

Easy 5 star read for me and one that I will reread again when seeking the same joy and comfort I get from rewatching my favorite Nora Ephron movie ❤️

Thank you Net Galley for the preview of this book!
I adored it for many reasons but here’s a few.

- a woman being seen as appealing in a man’s profession.
- so many chances for a third act breakup that didn’t happen (collective whew)
- the slow burn banter
- the spiceeeeee once they get together

As someone who used to call into radio station and chat with the late night DJs this story really appealed to me and showed how real the people behind the voice are.

Would recommend!

love love LOVED this!!!!!! This was my first B.K. Borison and I am very excited to pick up her previously published romances. The set up in this was very fun and Aiden and Lucie had really great banter and chemistry which is VERY important to me. I unexpectedly got very EMOSH when Aiden was talking to his dad on the phone at the end.

For me, I definitely preferred the second half of the novel and I wish the burn was a LITTLE bit slower. Which is funny because I saw on other reviews that some people thought this was too slow but I personally love when an author takes their time with setting up the characters and making the reader really anticipate their relationship.

This was great! Looking forward to Borison's other books even more now.

This had a SLOWW start. I almost gave up a few times because there was just no real story happening. Ultimately I enjoyed the second half, and I appreciated that the (eventual) plot didn't rely on misunderstandings or miscommunication. However, there really isn't a believable romantic conflict, despite the author's repeated attempts to assure the reader that there is, in fact, a reason the leads can't be together. Aiden's reasoning for being "bad" for Lucie is totally underdeveloped and nonsensical. There really isn't much else going on in the book besides their back-and-forth, so the absence of that tension is glaring.

B.K.!!! This was adorable. I read it in literally ONE day. The author somehow continues to get better and yet keep me nostalgic for her early works at the same time. Excited to have another to recommend.

4.5/5.0