first of all, thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for granting me an eARC in exchange for a honest review.

unfortunately, however... perhaps this just wasn’t for me. :')

the book started out with an interesting premise: a little girl called in to a radio romance program named Heartstrings to seek advice on her mom's lovelife. Lucie, the little girl’s mother, agreed to talk to Aiden Valentine, the host of Heartstrings, and shared on live radio that the reason why she hasn’t been dating is because she secretly still wishes for the magical kind of love to find her.

long story short, snippets of the conversation later went viral, and that led the radio management to invite her as a special guest on their new segment — in which Aiden will help her find love.

although the book was mostly comprised of dialogues (since it is centered around the radio show), i actually enjoyed reading the exchanges between Aiden & Lucie. i also loved the dual POV concept, since it gives readers a deeper insight to Aiden & Lucie’s lives & what made them the person they are. Lucie’s POV is especially endearing to me, because despite her unlikely situation, all the people in her life are just super lovely, you can’t not love them.

i pretty much enjoyed it until the part where Aiden rushes to the restaurant to accompany Lucie who just got stood up by a date — then the book gets frustrating for me. i understand that Aiden has a past, which causes him to have issues with attachment... but the moment he gets possessive of Lucie even when he knows he's not ready for a relationship, i think it just somehow stopped being romantic for me. she does like him & consents to everything they do, but i feel like he's kinda taking advantage of her while leaving her hanging — waiting for Aiden to make up his mind truly felt like an eternity.

thankfully, he redeemed himself (not sure he would if lucie didn't snap at him tho 🙂) by the end of this book, which led to a satisfactory ending.

those aside, i do think the platonic & familial relationships in this book are worth staying for <3

This book was everything I needed, I adored the characters, and the story was just perfectly written.

This book is really sweet. Lucie and Aiden are both great characters and they learn something from each other throughout the course of the story.

Lucie is a single mum to Maya, who phones into a late night romantic advice radio show to try and get some advice for her mum. She wants her mum to find love but she doesn't know how to go about it. Lucie catches her on the phone to the host, Aiden, and after confirming he's not some sort of child predator, she opens up to him about her love life and her feelings around that. It proves popular and the radio station invites her on the air with Aiden to help her find love.

Lucie and Aiden click from the beginning and it's clear there is something more between them. They have great banter and Aiden is in awe of Lucie's ability to try - she's stepping out of her comfort zone and putting herself out there just to try and find something. It's a wonder to him because he's completely shut himself off from having any kind of emotions at all, just to protect himself from ever getting hurt. He's notoriously grumpy but once Lucie comes into his life, he starts to realise he may be missing out on something.

I like that they're both adults and rather than trying to guess what the other person is thinking, they're open with each other about the fact they're each crushing on the other. Because Aiden is so cautious, he's not willing to let himself fall in love with Lucie so he tries to keep her at arms length while getting to spend as much time with her as possible.

I loved all the side characters as well, especially Maya and Grayson (Maya's father). They're so protective of Lucie and they want the absolute best for her.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

I love the Lovelight Farms series and was very excited for the author‘s next book, but it didn’t quite live up to the charms of Lovelight. Maybe the setting and premise just weren‘t quite for me (which of course isn’t the author‘s fault), but I just didn’t get the same tingly feelings I got from all Lovelight books.

Of course, it was still charming and I did enjoy it overall, but it just didn’t quite hit as much. I also felt like it was a bit too long, some parts felt a bit dragged out.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

One of my favourite BK Borison’s!!!! It was so fun, flirty, entertaining and all round perfect for the hopeless romantics! I loved how it dealt with real world aspects that may affect someone’s life and relationships and not just only remaining on the protagonist’s growing relationship. I will forever think about this book and it’s definitely one to love and remember!

BK Borison, thank you so much for the butterflies this gave me, I really feel like I needed them!

While I will admit that Aiden's whole reason for not wanting to get something started with Lucie didn't really feel... realistic? Enough? Fitting?
The REST OF IT THO, I'm in love. It was all a wonderful mix of yearning, silliness, tension, close proximity issues, "we shouldn't do this", "I've been flirting with you", magic, etc. etc.

Super excited to be reading about Jackson (if I'm not mistaken) in the sequel as well, when it's out at some point. I'll be preparing for the nervous rants in that one 😌

4.5⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Borison’s newest novel promises all the feel-good charm fans have come to expect. Set in a cozy small-town backdrop, it features heartwarming characters, witty banter, and a romance that builds with delightful tension. With a gentle exploration of vulnerability and second chances, First Time Caller is a breezy, comforting read that feels like a hug in book form.

BK Borison has always given the romcoms which I treasure for a long time and again she did the same❤️ this one was emotional yet very fascinating in terms of how fast and quickly I ate it up!! Yes, I literally gobbled it up as it bring back that old good 1900s romcom vibe with amazing characters who simply loots away your heart and an amazing plotline which melts your heart into a giant puddle ❤️
I enjoyed reading this one and each chapter was getting better and better for me.

This book is the first book in a new series by BK Borison. Aiden Valentine is dreamy as a radio host who doesn’t quite believe in love anymore. I loved the banter, wit and feels of this book. It’s also very cozy and hopeful. I can’t wait for book 2!

I was so incredibly excited to read this as Lovelight Farms is one of my favourite book series of all time. This is so adorable and quirky, with the characters falling in love through a radio show. They were both incredibly well written, and whilst there were aspects I wasn't too keen on, overall it was so enjoyable, romantic and a fantastic read!

I loved the storyline of this book, the idea of using a radio show to find romance seems outdated but it almost made me feel a little bit nostalgic.

Lucie is a single mum living with her daughter and desperate to find love, so much so her daughter takes it in to her hands to find the one. Aiden is a radio show host who helps people find love, while being single himself.

I enjoyed the progression of Lucie and Aiden’s relationship, I wasn’t keen on some of the things Aiden was doing and the way he was acting but all in all I enjoyed this book.

3.5 stars ⭑.ᐟ

the premise of this book was super interesting to me and it started out really strong. but a few things didn’t really sit well with me.

aiden was just not it for me for many reasons.

he had absolutely no problem leading on, flirting, & sleeping with lucie but couldn’t commit to actually being with her 🤢

say what you will “he was going through some things!” okay that still doesn’t make it okay. he knew what she wanted in a relationship.

it also took lucie standing up for herself & leaving the show to make him realise he wanted her? and starts reaching out to his friend jackson and family (in what is supposed to be a sweet way but the conversations with both ended with him trying to get their advice about lucie, like aiden give it a break)

don’t even get me started on the colin call-in situation, aiden when i catch you.

i loved all the characters so much and i love when characters are so realistic while also having their one quirky trait that sets them aside from everyone else and this book definitely has that, but aiden was just not for me.

I adored this book. My heart feels full.

This is the first I've read by this author and I am NOT disappointed in the slightest. It was wholesome, it was funny, it was sad - it had me all over the face and I'm here for it.

Did we know how it was going to end? Yes. Do I care? Absolutely not.

Give me more please. Asap.

If you haven’t read this book go do it now. It’s amazing, as is everything B. K. Borison writes. It’s simply (hehe) magic.

Lovely, cozy, funny and hot -- everything I ask in a romance.

Also, if Jackson doesn’t get his own book I will revolt. I need to see inside this beautiful man’s head.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

As a teenager, I loved listening to soothing sounds and romantic music in the quiet of the night, when the whole world is sleeping and we are alone with our worries put to a rest and out minds are fairly calm. This book brought back all those nostalgic memories when I sort the comfort of FM radio channels and the serenity of ASMR like voices.
To say I loved it will be putting it mildly, it felt like a warm blanket on the balcony in the night with the view of a thousand city lights and twinkling stars above and romantic music in the background.
I am obsessed with the side characters as much as I love Aiden and Lucie.
I was sceptical about the whole radio dating program, but it was much more than that. It didn't feel awkward at all as I thought
I couldn't stop smiling most of the time. I love that Lucie's world is full of love and she seemed to emanate the same love to others too. I loved the chemistry between Lucie and Aiden from the very first "encounter" - the one who is seeking magic in relationships and the one who is sure there is no such magic left in the world.
Aiden, with the grumpy disposition outside of the radio program was so caring and loving towards Lucie, and I felt she needed it as she felt like the one who is constantly alert of the needs of people surrounding her.
The flirting and tension from the beginning was so fun and made me smile everytime they are together. I love their small quirks and flaws that made them Them.

Strangers to friends/ colleagues to lovers
Opposites attract
Flirty banter
Amazing funny and adorable side characters
Slow burn
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

This was just like 'Sleepless in Seattle' and I freaking loved it!

The characters were perfect, the romance itself was told beautifully and the story overall was just incredible! B.K Borison is such an amazing writer and I look forward to future books she will write!

Thank you Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for a free review.

The idea of this book to me was much more appealing than the execution of it. Don't get me wrong I still enjoyed this, but I've found myself skipping over a lot because it felt waaaay too long and had many unnecessary scenes. The parts where they're on air and the little quotes from the show after every chapter was my absolute favourite part! Overall I would give this a 3.5 stars I still recommend if you're looking for a cute, fluffy, slow burn romance!

I didn’t expect to fall this hard, but wow, this book had me smiling, blushing, and a little emotional in the best way. It’s cozy, swoony, and full of heart with that signature small-town charm that Borison does so well.

The banter? Impeccable. The chemistry? Off the charts. And the late-night radio show setup? Adorable. It added such a fun twist and made their connection feel really intimate and slow-burny in the best way. I loved how the story explored vulnerability, emotional intimacy, and what it means to really be seen by someone.

Both leads felt real and layered, and the way their relationship unfolded just made my heart so happy. Also—can we talk about how good Borison is at writing supportive, lovable side characters? The whole Lovelight world continues to be a warm hug.

This is the kind of romance that makes you want to curl up with a blanket, a snack, and zero interruptions. If you’ve loved any of the previous books, you’ll absolutely adore this one.

Oh my god this book is everything. The perfect summer rom com! And my favourite book of hers! Love love love x

A sweet story that makes you smile

"First-Time Caller" is the latest romance novel by B.K. Borison and tells a sweet story of a young mother and a radio host.

With "First-Time Caller" B.K. Borison has almost knocked "Lovelight Farms" off its throne and is now one of my favorite books by her.

Maya, Lucie’s daughter, made me smile all the time and I really loved the relationship between her and her mother Lucie. In general, I think the whole patchwork family is great because they are so warm and funny and you can see how much they love each other in every interaction.

The banter between Aiden and Lucie is top-tier! And that was definitely my favorite part of the whole book. That was definitely my favorite part of the whole book, along with the nostalgic feelings it brought up while reading.

Lucie is a pretty cool mom who is raising their daughter together with her best friend. But what I probably liked the most is that Lucie is a mechanic and you don’t see that very often in books!

Aiden is the host of Baltimore's romance hotline and isn't exactly known for his cuddly nature. He doesn't believe in love, which is pretty ironic considering he works on a radio show that’s all about romance. But hand on heart. I think Aiden is great! He can be protective, funny and thoughtful. He and Lucie are made for each other.

I give "First-Time Caller" 4 out of 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.