i loved the characters but the last third of the book almost seemed predictable and drawn out for no reason other than to lengthen the book.

Love love love this book! Adore how the characters went from strangers, to friends, to lovers.

Wonderful writing and some really evocative ways of describing things, feelings and situations.

Can’t wait until it’s published so I can own a copy!

This was my second B.K. Borison book after Lovelight Farms and I liked it just as much, maybe even more?

I loved how, although Lucie was a single mum, it wasn't made her whole personality like some books have done in the past in my opinion. Her relationship with her daughter, her baby daddy and his partner were all so wholesome and healthy and added bonus points for me. That on top of how the radio aspect was introduced just made this extra special too. I loved the chemistry between our MMC Aiden and Lucie and their spicy scenes were so hot! My only criticism is that once they had a spicy scene the connection between them from the radio scenes and date scene wasn't represented on page as much as before and I would have liked it to have continued in the same way as it dampened my believability in their romance and relationship by the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. This book releases on the 13th of February!

4 ☆
I'm so grateful to have read this early - its definitely been an anticipated read for 2025 and it absolutely delivered.

I also know the age old saying 'you shouldn't judge a book by its cover', but I also wanted to add a side note to say whoever designed the cover of this book did a fantastic job!

After loving the Lovelight Farms series I had high hopes for this and I knew I could count on B.K. Borison to bring us another brilliant read . The book is clearly based upon Sleepless in Seattle (Which if you haven't watched it, what are you doing - go watch!). If you want a cute rom-com with characters that are down to earth and relatable then I'd pick this book up.

I loved the way the MMC AND MFC met, and Aiden is by no means perfect, but certainly relatable, and his growth during the book was heart-warming to read. Overall if you want a cute, heart-warming read with great tension and chemistry please pick this up :)
I can't wait to read what she releases next.

TW: for discussion of parent who had cancer

o m g, this book was just *kicks feet and squeals into pillow* My first by this author and I so appreciate that I got approved for this ARC. The moment i read a small excerpt I was hooked and needed to know more about these characters. Aiden and Lucie just leapt off the page and their chemistry was so palpable from the get go and the way it grows with each interaction.

Can you tell I loved it? The tension, the romance, the cozy cuteness! Just perfection.

And the secondary characters are just fabulous and add a perfect balance of funny as we get to learn more about our MCs and unravel their inner conflict and emotiooooons. Also hello the build up was so deliciously good when Lucie and Aiden finally kiss it was magic!

Now I must go devour everything else from this author!

✨4.5 stars✨

This was such an adorable romance! I loved all the characters, including the side characters who all felt real. This couple in this book were so cute together and I especially loved how Aiden remembered all the little things about Lucie.

I will definitely be reading the next book in this interconnected series!

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I'm honestly so sad because I really enjoyed the Lovelight farms series and this sounded so cute! Unfortunately, I'm just finding this to be so boring! It feels long when I'm reading it and I don't really like any of the characters! Really gutted about this one!

It's not a bad book, by any means, it's just not for me!

If BK Borison has no fans, I am dead. She is honestly one of the best writers of modern romance and it was an honour to be sent an early copy of this to read. After devouring the Inglewild series (which I have read more than once), I was SO excited to dive into her new book and it did not disappoint.

Aiden and Lucie were both so loveable and, as always, the side characters were also perfect. I loved this loose retelling of Sleepless in Seattle and all the rom com vibes had me swooning. Lucie was such an amazing character with so much depth and I loved the journey she went on.

Aiden was a wonderful book boyfriend and I loved his character growth. He deserves the world and his journey to find love was so special. Him and Lucie made the perfect pair and I fell for them and their romance SO hard.

I highly recommend this book and everything BK Borison has written. I’m a true BK Fangirl! Thanks to Netgalley and Pan macmillan for this e-arc.

B.K. Borison’s First Time Caller is a delightful and heartwarming romantic comedy that plays with themes of love, self-discovery, and second chances. Drawing inspiration from the beloved Sleepless in Seattle, the novel takes us into the world of Aiden Valentine, a disillusioned radio host, and Lucie Stone, a woman who thought she had everything figured out—until her love life suddenly becomes a matter of public scrutiny.

At the core of First Time Caller is the relationship between Aiden and Lucie, two characters who, at first glance, seem to be at opposite ends of the romantic spectrum. Aiden, the host of a Baltimore-based romance hotline, is a man who has fallen out of love with love itself. Once an idealistic romantic, he’s now a cynic who hides his disillusionment behind the microphone. For Aiden, romance is no longer something to be cherished, but rather something to be criticized—an unfortunate side effect of years of giving dating advice that he himself no longer believes in.

Lucie, on the other hand, appears to have it all together. She’s got a solid job, a loving family, and a brilliant, slightly mischievous daughter. On the surface, she’s content—except when it comes to her love life. Having been out of the dating game for years, Lucie’s romantic life is practically non-existent. When her young daughter calls into Aiden’s show to ask for advice on her mother’s love life, the innocent query sets off a chain of events that propels Lucie into the spotlight and forces her to re-evaluate her own feelings about love and romance.

The charming twist in this story is the viral interview that catapults both Aiden and Lucie into public attention. As Aiden’s cynical views on love meet Lucie’s need for a little more romance in her life, their interactions become the heart of the book. What begins as an awkward, media-driven connection between a radio host and a woman who is suddenly thrust into the limelight, turns into something far more complicated—and much more compelling.

Borison’s writing is light and breezy, filled with humor, tenderness, and relatable moments. Lucie’s character is particularly easy to root for—she’s grounded, intelligent, and refreshingly realistic about her life. Her journey of self-discovery, as she contemplates whether or not she truly wants to reignite the romantic spark in her life, is a nuanced one. She’s not just figuring out whether or not to find love, but also whether she can allow herself to be vulnerable again after years of putting romance on the backburner.

Aiden, with his complex and guarded heart, is a perfect foil to Lucie’s more open-hearted and hopeful nature. His struggles with his own emotional baggage give the romance a more thoughtful and realistic edge. His slow unraveling as he begins to care again—whether for Lucie or for the idea of love itself—forms a moving narrative arc that will resonate with readers who’ve ever struggled to trust love after it’s let them down.

But where First Time Caller truly excels is in its portrayal of the interplay between love and public perception. Lucie’s romance, which she thought was private and under control, suddenly becomes a spectacle for all of Baltimore to scrutinize. As a result, she has to confront her own vulnerabilities in front of a public audience, which adds an extra layer of tension to the narrative. This idea of a love story becoming a media event is both funny and poignant, highlighting the unrealistic expectations that can be placed on people’s relationships, especially when they’re placed in the spotlight.

I loved the ‘Lovelight farms’ series, but this is by far Borison’s best yet!

It has everything a romance book needs: love, hope, yearning, emotionally repressed men. It was so beautifully written with many quotes that will stick with me. It’s definitely a book that resonates with life and I think I’ll be thinking about this book for a very long time.

Thank you NetGalley & Pan MacMillan for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley, Pan Macmillan, and the author for granting my request to read this e-ARC and provide my honest opinions.

Honestly, I would have absolutely loved this book if it had been shorter, say 300-ish pages, but no, this book had to be long 😩.

Aiden and Lucie have one of the best meet-cutes I've ever read, and it is so nice what Maya did for her mom. But due to the long pages of this book and due to the fact that this is a slow-burn romance, the banter between our two MCs stretches for so long that I had to do some begging for something, anything, to happen 😅.

Also, since this is a grumpy/sunshine romance, Aiden is one of the grumpiest fictional characters I've ever read; he stressed me so bad!

Overall, this was a very cute love story, and I absolutely adore the radio aspect of this novel.

4.75

I loved this so much, I cannot tell you how happy I was to be back with BK Borisons writing. The set up of this series was perfect, she always manages to make you fall in love not just with the main characters but all the side characters too, and I could see the set up for other stories and I am already screeching with excitement at the thought of them.

But back to Lucie and Aiden. Tears. This was so beautifully done, I loved the focus not just on romantic love, but family love, friendship love and all of the in between. I giggled, I swooned, I cried. I already know this is a book I will reread over and over. Oh and now I need to go watch sleepless in Seattle because if that’s what inspired this book I must watch it immediately.

I love B K Borisons books, they are the perfect cozy romance books and get me every time. Lucie’s wonderfilully chaotic family dynamics will make you laugh and you just wanna hold Aiden’s hand while he figures out that Lucie is actually his magic.

the slowest burn of slow burns to slow burn. these two were a labour of love, a delicate yet flirty and hilarious balance. they suited each other perfectly and I couldn’t have been more inlove with the way this ended. everything ended the way it started and i loved the meddling family members. this whole trope as an idea is awesome and I need to watch the movie it’s based off of. a romance hotline with a guy who hates love and a woman who needs her love life back?! and then they fall inlove with each other. this book made me love love, but the real love, the one where you make your own magic.

This is my favourite type of romance book - pure delight from stary to finish, with just enough tension, pining, a little low stakes drama, chemistry, and so much love.

I devoured this and absolutely loved all the characters, the humour, the emotion, the intimate spice.

I haven't seen Sleepless in Seattle, and this book makes me want to remedy that, stat.

B. K. Borison remains my favourite romance author, and I cannot wait to read whatever she releases next.

"The part that doesn't want to get too close because the idea of getting attached to someone scared the sh*t out of me" I really enjoyed this book, from the start of Maya making the first call and the mum and daughter squabbling. The chemistry between Aiden and Lucie, how he fell so deeply with out realising at all. The realisation he kept a list to ensure he didn't forget, the fort it was all so adorable I was kicking my feet through a lot of this book. There were smiles, there were tears, I love the fact he realised what he wanted and knew he wanted to make changes so asked for help and stopped pushing people away. Lucie realised she can stop putting her needs last and actually ask for what she wants. I was rooting for these two from their first dental meeting and especially when they ended up in the booth together.

"But Lucie snuck in through the cracks when I wasn't looking and made herself at home in the corners of my heart. She ruined all the plans I made for myself with a smile on her face."

First Time Caller
Pub Date: Feb 13
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Aiden Valentine has been hosting Heartstrings Baltimore's Romance Hotline for 6 years now. You might think it's an easy and joyful job however, Aiden has fallen out of love with love, doesn't know how to be a hopeful person anymore and stopped believing in himself too. With that being said, Heartstrings is struggling and the show isn't attracting people like it used too. Until, a teenage daughter called in for help with her mother's non-exsistent dating life.
Lucie, is a 29 years old single mom and mechanic. She hasn't dated since she gave birth and doesn't really like the idea of dating coz she always dreamt of romance, magic, sparks, and soulmates when it comes to love. So, when she goes viral on the internet the radio calles her to co-host with Aiden on the journey to find her love match.
Little did Aiden and Lucie know that this phone call will change their lives forever.
Bk Borrison did it again!!! What an amazing story 😍 👏🏼 loved every min of it.
It was funny, romantic,sexy, emotional, and full of hope. The chemistry btw Aiden and Lucie was off the charts 🫠🫠🫠.
The whole story was new and engaging and the idea that LOVE&SPARKS are not dead if you just believe was so beautiful.
Im 100% sure this book will be the talk of 2025 so buckle up and get ready 🎊.

Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #FirstTimeCaller in exchange for my honest review.

Xoxo😘

Loved this! Both main characters (Aiden and Lucie) had great development and learned to communicate as the radio show went along, after a bit of miscommunication to begin with. Loved Maya, Grayson and Mateo and how they all cared for and cheered along Lucie. Their family dynamic was perfect. Some really nice romantic gestures and moments too (e.g. when Lucie gets stood up).

With thanks to Pan MacMillan and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was unfortunately a disappointment to me. I had high expectations and the book certainly started off strong. I wanted a rom-com in a book and it seemed like I was getting that. It was funny and sweet, but unfortunately it went downhill from there.

I loved Lucie. I really disliked Aiden. I think the author was going for one of those rom-com type men who have the emotional depth of a teaspoon but it did not translate well on page. Aiden was unprofessional and had zero motiviation. There's a scene towards the end where he has some sort of revelation but in my opinion, it was too little too late. He was touching Lucie's legs before the halfway mark. When they slept together for the first time, he immediately started finding another man for her to date. There was so much emotional hangups that it made me lose interest.

I also think the grand gesture at the end was cringe-worthy and awful. It put Lucie in a really awkward spot.

Also absolutely everyone in this book is entirely too invested in Lucie's love life. I get the premise of the book and I understand that apparently their show is so popular, but EVERYONE in Lucie's life cannot stop talking about it. Even her twelve year old daughter seems to be invested which is a little weird.

I think Aiden ruined this book for me. He needed to have his revelation a lot sooner than at 95% or whatever. He needed to apologise to Lucie, because he's the one that held out and was rude to everyone who expressed one bit of interest in Lucie.

And frankly, Lucie could do better.

I also think this book should be at least 100 pages shorter. It's far too long. It dragged on and on and I started skimming because I had lost all interest completely.

I think people who love older rom-coms would love this. I prefer more recent stuff where the male main character isn't afraid to be vulnerable or show emotional depth. But sadly this one is a miss for me.

BK Borison’s First-Time Caller is everything a romcom should be and more,a heartwarming, laugh out loud, and tear inducing masterpiece that will make you believe in love all over again. The story follows Aiden Valentine, a grumpy radio host who doesn’t believe in love, and Lucie Stone, a hopeless romantic single mom who’s lost her spark. When Lucie’s daughter Maya calls into Aiden’s romance hotline to nudge her mom back into the dating pool, it sets off a chain of events neither of them could have predicted.

Baltimore’s bustling cityscape is the perfect backdrop for this fate driven romance, giving the story that “out of all the people here, we found each other” vibe. Aiden and Lucie’s chemistry is *chef’s kiss*—sweet, authentic, and refreshingly drama-free. Their honesty and emotional vulnerability make their connection feel so real, and THE TENSION. Oh my word, the *tension*. There’s a “tell me to stop” moment that had me screaming into a pillow and questioning if it was leg day from all the kicks and jumps I did in bed.

This book masterfully balances humor, heart, and heat while weaving in themes of family, self discovery, and second chances. Lucie’s relatability, Aiden’s swoon worthy grumpiness, and the undeniable charm of Maya make this story unforgettable. By the end, I was ugly crying both from joy and the emotional rollercoaster and already itching to reread it. The ending? Perfection. Nothing feels overdone or rushed; it’s just the exact payoff you hope for.

This book is a love letter to romance, fate, and the power of putting yourself out there. If you’re a fan of *Sleepless in Seattle* or just want a romcom that hits all the emotions this book is for you. It will steal your heart and never give it back.