Aiden Valentine hosts a popular call-in radio show in Baltimore focused on romance. When Lucie Stone discovers that her 12-year-old daughter Maya has called into the show, fittingly named Heartstrings, she is initially mortified but agrees to go on the show. The audience loves the banter between Aiden and Lucie so the station, hoping to boost ratings, decides to keep Lucie on the show until they find the single mother a love match. Aiden, who has soured on love, starts to dislike his role as a matchmaker. Is it possible that he'd rather be the one dating Lucie?  

If B.K. Borison's First-Time Caller reminds you of Sleepless in Seattle, it's no accident as the film inspired this cute, feel-good story. It's a sweet, romantic comedy with moments that will make you laugh, touch your heart, and add a bit of spice. The characters are endearing including Maya's dad Grayson, who is happily married to Mateo. Although Grayson was not Lucie's forever love, he is now her best friend. Lucie, by the way, is a talented mechanic. Loved that! The book is the first in a new series titled Heartstrings.

What a nice break from all the heavy reads.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Piblishing for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love everything BK Borison writes, but this is an absolute favorite. The TENSION! I love a single mom, I love a tortured man, I love an emotional story. This book gave me all of that. An easy 5 star rating based on how satisfying the story ended after significant buildup!

I’m excited to add this to my library’s collection and make every romantic read it, and yell about how it’s great for fans of Nora Ephron movies. Not only that but I’m going to need multiple copies for my personal collection.

“𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘?”
“𝙉𝙖𝙝, 𝙇𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙚. 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘.”

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗:
Aiden, a host for the late night radio show Heartstrings, has given up on love. Lucie feels like she’ll never find the magic of love. When her daughter calls into the station & the conversation goes viral, Lucie & Aiden become partners in the booth in an effort to find her love.

𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎:
This book is truly everything you want in a romance - beautifully written and swoony with a man who is down bad for his girl.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱:

💕The found family. This group had me🥹The support, the love and the amount of times I laughed at all of them was my favorite part of the book.

💕I absolutely LOVED Lucie’s character. The way she stands up for herself at the end of the book? No notes. Absolutely loved that for her.

💕The radio transcripts. What a perfect touch to the end of each chapter!

💕The slow burn. The tension. The way the relationship builds from friendship to more.

This book was the absolute perfect way to start the year & truly encompasses everything a romance book should be. It comes out February 11, just in time for Love Day!



𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁:

☎️ grumpy x sunshine 

☎️sleepless in Seattle inspired
☎️he doesn’t do love, she wants to find it

☎️romance hotline

☎️single mom 

☎️workplace romance 

☎️forced proximity

☎️slow burn 

☎️found family 


Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for this eARC for my honest review!!

FIRST READ OF 2025..🤩🍕🎙️🩷 I know it’s only January, but I know this is going to be one of my favourite romance books of the year.

When Aiden Valentine, a disillusioned romance hotline host, and single mom Lucie Stone are thrust into the spotlight by a viral radio interview, their lives collide in unexpected ways. As Baltimore obsesses over Lucie’s love life, she starts to wonder if she’s ready to open her heart again. With sparks flying behind the scenes, Lucie must decide between a scripted happily-ever-after or the unexpected connection with the man behind the mic.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝:
THIS WAS SO GOOD! 🩷 The storyline of a 12 year old calling into a radio station to help get advice on love for her mom, was super cute. I loved Lucie & Aiden’s banter, the friendship, the honesty and the overall maturity of these two.The chemistry was top notch. One thing that really stood out to me was that everyone was rooting for Lucie, even her co-parenting trible! 🙌🏼 I admired the family dynamics in this one!

🛠️An honourable mention for the “garage guys” - Lucie’s banter with her co-workers and how supportive they were of her love life. It was refreshing to see a female character in a male-dominated role..with no ickyness invloved.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫:
✔️ jaded radio host X female mechanic
✔️ single mom
✔️ piggyback rides
✔️ slow dancing in bars
✔️ pineapple on pizza (it’s a yes for me)
✔️ lots of coffee
✔️ Sleepless in Seattle-inspired

Thank you @netgalley & @berkleyromance for the ARC!

First Time Caller put me into a reading slump and I am NOT mad about it!

Aiden, a radio station host for late night Heartstrings, has given up on love. With the rest of the Baltimore area not tuning in, the station needs listeners and they may get what they asked for when a young girl wanting love for her Mom calls in.

Lucie feels that love is something that she is not good enough for. When her daughter calls Heartstrings and puts her in the spotlight, her love life (or lack therof) goes viral. Agreeing to go on the radio station as a guest host with Aiden for the time being to find love, she quickly realizes that love may be right in front of her, just waiting for the right moment.

First Time Caller is a book that left me giddy and with swoony feelings, believing that Lucie and Aiden would truly make it in the real world. I love love love that Lucie was a mechanic and her coworkers had me laughing and rooting for them all as they rooted for their girl. I really hope that some young women pick up this book someday and realize that they can have that kind of career too. Aiden was DOWN BAD for Lucie and I loved every moment of it. As I was reading, I tabbed a lot of swoony moments and down bad quotes, especially as he tried to hide his feelings but delivered lines that would have anyone believing in his love story. There wasn't a minute of First Time Caller that I wanted to stop reading, eating up every moment that Maya was on the page and Lucie's ex husband and his partner. The pacing was fantastic, the between chapter Heartstrings calls LOL and every single character on the page had me screaming with delight. If you love Sarah Adams, Jessica Joyce or Emily Henry, this is the book for YOU!

I am officially obsessed with Aiden Valentine! I loved this book so much. Aiden and Lucie had such great chemistry with each other. I loved the radio dating show aspect too. This book was filled with funny and sweet moments that had me grinning the entire time.

⭐️: 4.5/5

What a great first read of the new year!! I was so sad to read the last of the Lovelight Farms series, because it was just the cutest series with the cutest small town vibes, but when I heard B.K. Borison was starting this new series set in Baltimore, I couldn’t wait! I live in Baltimore, and I feel like so few books are set here, compared to other big East Coast cities, so this was such a fun read!

Admittedly, I’ve never seen Sleepless in Seattle, but I think I have to watch it now. I loved the slow burn between the two characters, and the picture of Baltimore that is painted as a background is perfectly romanticized. One of my absolute favorite parts of this book was the adorable found co-parenting family that Lucie has with the father of her daughter. Reading about a healthy co-parenting relationship is just so healing.

I loved the story and getting to know this new set of characters. I did find the lack of honest communication and the stunted emotions of the MMC to be a little bit…a lot…but I think it did make for a pretty emotionally impactful ending. I can’t wait to keep reading this series!!

As a side note, Duck Duck Goose is one of my favorite brunch restaurants because of their duck confit and waffles.

Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for this eARC for my honest review!!

This was sooooo cute!! I enjoyed the premise and the whole radio vibes. The romance was believable and the characters completely loveable!

“I’m thinking about the way her hand fits in mine, and the way my heart drums out a beat that matches her name.”

Lucie and Aiden. She’s a hopeless romantic and he has fallen out of love with love. Aiden is the radio host of the romance hotline and when a young girl calls in the station for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral which results in Lucie joining the station so she can find love.

FIVE STARS!! This book is everything! Romantic, beautiful, swoonworthy! He keeps a list of all of her favorite things!! The radio transcripts at the end of each chapter was a good touch to add!

☎️READ IF YOU LIKE☎️:
- dual POV
- grumpy x sunshine
- sleepless in seattle inspired
- romance hotline
- single mom
- workplace romance
- forced proximity
- slow burn
- opposites attract
- radio host x auto mechanic
- found family
- he doesn’t do love, she wants love

cw: mention of cancer, emotionally unavailable, threatening messages

Thank you @berkleyromance for the advanced copy! First-Time Caller is available on February 11, 2025!

This was truly JOY.

I'm such a fan of Bek's work and this absolutely delivered. Aidan and Lucie were so freaking hot and I LOVED their dynamic!!! Their banter was so funny and their chemistry was so immediate, I was kicking my feet and giggling from the beginning.

Lucie's journey to find love and her struggles with modern dating were TOO RELATABLE. I felt way too called out hahaha. I loved her relationship with her blended family!!! They made my heart so so happy.

I fear I need Aidan like I need water. That man was so fine and I personally need his Heartstrings sweatshirt.

This is such a beautiful ode to Nancy Meyers, Sleepless in Seattle, and the city of Baltimore.

I was laughing the entire time and it's the perfect rom com to start out your new year!!

Thank you PRH Audio, B.K Borison, Berkley Publishing, and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

OKAY BECS BORISON. I SEE YOU!

First, thank you so much to Berkley Romance #partner for the gifted eARC and to PRH Audio for the gifted ALC of this title. These are on my honest thoughts!

For the first time, we're reading a book that isn't a Lovelight book from B.K. Borison, and yet it still had all the magic. This book solidifies B.K. in my book as one of the great romantic novelists of this period. She writes poetic and deeply personal tales of characters who are flawed and hopeful in the same breath, and I can't help but obsess over everything she does.

Lucie and Aiden meet because Lucie's daughter calls into the radio station hoping to get advice for her mom (SINGLE PARENT TROPE IS ONE OF MY FAVES!!). Lucie's got this found family that she adores and loves with her whole heart, but her daughter wants her to have a little bit more. The guy on the other end of the line? The radio host from a radio show called Heartstrings. Lucie's clip goes viral, and Lucie finds herself the star of a new segment, trying to help her find love. Only problem is that Aiden Valentine, her co-host, isn't so sure that he believes in love anymore because he's been burned before.

This story was SO GOOD. I adored the plot, characters, backstory, dreams, adventures, and romance. I loved the found family and the little nods to Baltimore. I loved that Lucie is a mechanic and her life seems full... because that's reality for a lot of us. Our lives are full, busy, focused on the things in front of us, and yet, Lucie finds a way to invite more love and connection in... and that helps Aiden realize he's put up so many barriers after his own trauma.

These two are in a forced proximity situation where they have to work together, and soon that turns to friendship and then more. When they spend time together outside the station (and even inside the station..... wooooo-eeeeee), their friendship at the foundation makes their crushes seem.... risky. First, it becomes, "just this once," and then just one more time, and then hearts on the line...

It's beautiful. It was such a good book to read on January 1st. This one is out on February 11, just in time for Valentine's Day... SO good. 5 stars.

I think this is my first listen with E.J. Bingham and Hathaway Lee, and I loved both performances! They both have a little more gritty of a sound, and I especially enjoyed the raspy portrayal of Lucie. There was a rawness to this audiobook that made this story feel like I was listening to friends. Perfect for audiobook lovers!

A big thank you to Berkley Publishing and Berkley Romance for the ARC of this book!

I’ve been a fan of B.K. Borison since Lovelight Farms graced my kindle in in early 2022 - so you best believe I jumped at the opportunity to read the first book in her new Heartstrings series!

B.K. Borison is an author that I’ve lovingly referred to as the queen of slow burn romance & First Time Caller took the slow burn to the next level 🔥😍

Inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, First Time Caller follows the story of Aiden - the host of Baltimore’s romance hotline, who has fallen out of love but it’s definitely a secret. Things change when a young girl calls in to the radio station asking for dating advice for her mom, Lucie. I’ll leave it at that to avoid any spoilers, but lI’ll be the first to tell you that Lucie, Aiden & the whole cast of characters in this one are TOP NOTCH! 🙌🏼

Featuring slow burn, grumpy sunshine & found family tropes, First Time Caller is a beautiful cocktail of all three, bursting with sentimentality and profound messages about the power of & importance of love in many different forms. I could not get enough of this book & honestly didn’t want it to end - it was that good! I’d highly recommend reading any of B.K’s books, but I’ll encourage you even more to NOT sleep on First Time Caller!

Thoroughly enjoyed! BK never disappoints- this book is packed with humor and heart. I had such a blast reading this one. Bonus points that it was based in Baltimore, I felt even more connected to the characters and setting. Read this if you’re looking for a sweet and cozy romance.

4.5/5 stars!

THIS IS WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY I WANT A TRUE ROMANCE BOOKS! I loved this book so much, we can all collectively say thank you to B.K Borison. This will definetly be a reread come Valentine's Day because it is so sweet it will give you a toothache.

Love love love!

I am absolutely crawling up the walls waiting to talk to my friends about this one. That pub date can't come soon enough! First-Time Caller was an absolute joy and treat to read. B.K. Borison writes such fun, funny, relatable, and relatably flawed characters that I feel like I'd get sucked in regardless, but the premise of First-Time Caller added a layer of jazz that was too good to resist.

I absolutely loved listening to the audiobook for this one and Hathaway Lee does such a fantastic job with the comedic timing and vulnerability for Lucie. I adored her slow burn romance with Aiden and the development of their characters. The guys at Lucie's place of employment are hilarious as is her baby daddy and I especially enjoyed her relationship with her daughter. Such a fun read and I enjoyed every minute of it.

4.5 Stars! Cute story about Lucie, whose daughter calls into a nighttime radio show for people looking for love because she wants her mom to be happy. Aiden is the host, generally unhappy with everything in his life, and is taken by her honesty in the difficulty surrounding finding love. She comes into the show to document her quest for love. It's a bumpy ride for her, but Aiden is there the whole way!

Loved the tension between Lucie and Aiden, and their journey was so sweet, I couldn't wait to get back to my Kindle. Secondary characters were chef's kiss! Can't wait for future installments in this new series!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my thoughts!

This was an interesting contemporary romance featuring Lucie, a female mechanic, and Aiden, a male radio show host.

Lucie is a single mom of a precocious 12-year-old daughter, and has a solid co-parenting relationship with her lifelong BFF and next-door neighbor, who is married to the love of his life. They all make up a truly enviable blended/found family and the dynamic there is great.

Aiden is the cynical host of "Heartstrings", the local radio show on love & romance - except, Aiden doesn't believe in love anymore, hasn't for a long time. His cynicism is getting so bad that listeners have stopped tuning in and the radio station is on the brink of having to sell.

So it's a good thing Lucie's daughter, Maya, calls in one night to ask for help with her mother's abysmal love life. As Lucie and Aiden speak over the phone, they both feel a spark of... something, and that spark is enough to light up the interest of millions of listeners along the eastern seaboard (via podcast recordings). Suddenly, Lucie is Aiden's co-host, and he's charged with helping her to find love.

The novel takes turns between Lucie and Aiden's POVs, with some cute flirting, disastrous dates, fun banter, and steamy interactions. And while all that was good, I didn't find myself super invested in their story. Writing was solid, but not compelling. Character development was decent for the protagonists and few important supporting roles, but not great overall. And the setting was not my jam. The coffee shop and the row houses sounded cool, but in general Baltimore just doesn't do it for me.

This was the first book I've read by Borison, and while it was overall an enjoyable read, I don't think I'll continue with any future books in this series. I may try one of their other series, though (so long as it's not set in Baltimore. Sorry, not sorry.)

Aiden is the host of Baltimore’s romance hotline and a young girl calls into the station asking for dating advice for her mom when the interview goes viral. Will Lucie decide to put her happiness first for once and give into some romance in her life?

This was such a cute premise and the uniqueness of the plot drew me in immediately. Lucie was so kind and really took care of her people, but she was putting herself and her happiness after everyone else. I really enjoyed the banter and chemistry between her and Aiden and I thought they were perfect for each other! I loved the heartfelt moments and always enjoy a good slow burn romance.

I would loved to have seen some more scenes of them outside the talk show booth and more scenes with her daughter. The middle slowed down for me and got a bit repetitive, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying the story overall.

I really, really enjoyed this one! All of the characters felt so real and I loved he dynamics between everyone, especially Lucie and her family. Lucie and Aiden were SUCH great protagonists. This was the perfect balance between light and serious, romantic and steamy. Aiden might be one of my favorite romance MMC's I've read in a looooong time. I think fans of Emily Henry will also enjoy this one. Really great!!