A delightful and heart-warming romance. First Time Caller was the perfect read between lovable characters, great humour and moments that pull on your heart for a few tears it was everything and more.

Aiden and Lucie had chemistry from the moment they met, and everything going forth simply kept getting more and more entertaining. You truly feel as if you are one of the many listeners getting to hear their love story through the radio.

This book was simply amazing and truly pulled at your Heartstrings.

🎙️ Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Do you know the feeling of being in a room with fairy lights on, drinking a cup of tea or coffee and watching your favorite romcom? Just being happy in this little moment and enjoying your time? That’s what this book feels like! ✨
I love my 90s romcoms (and I have them on repeat with monthly movie nights with my cousin) and this book feels exactly like that! Lucie with her patchwork family full of love and Aiden the radio host of a romance show just stole my heart. This book feels like a movie night with best friends and just being happy and cozy. 🎧📼
I don’t want to talk more about this book because you HAVE to read it. This book can’t be described with words … this book is a feeling!💕 (and I am feeling right at home)
Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the first five star read of 2025!
 
✨Tropes: ✨
🎙️Jaded lover boy x hopeless romantic
🎙️Radio show romance
🎙️„I think you’re the magic“
🎙️Inspired by sleepless in Seattle
🎙️Single mom
🎙️Grumpy x sunshine
🎙️Opposides attract

Oh my gosh! I was kicking my feet and squealing as ALL good romances should do. Lucie and Aiden are the most REAL feeling couples I’ve come across in a while.
Both of their backstories made for such a complex and HUMAN love story. The chemistry from the start literally jumped off the page. B.K. Borison is yet to fail me on a believable romance with extra loveable characters! Also we need more wholesome single moms with a good relationship with the baby daddy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley and B.K. Borison for the ARC! Did I get it 3–4 months ago and only read it now? Maybe. I’m so sorry 😅. But this was such a cute, easy romance—I completely ate it up. The delay? A mix of procrastination and waiting for the audiobook because I knew it would be a good one. And I was right. I loved the outtakes of some of the radio shows, they were done in duet and it was perfect. While the rest of the audiobook could have benefited from this style, I liked how it slowed well in the radio/interview format. This book is the perfect blend of a hopeless romantic and a jaded radio host, wrapped in a Sleepless in Seattle-esque love story. Aiden Valentine, host of Baltimore’s romance hotline, has a problem—he’s fallen out of love with love. But when a young girl calls in asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, throwing Aiden and Heartstrings into the spotlight. Enter Lucie Stone, who thought she was doing just fine. She has a great job, an incredible family, and a smart (slightly devious) 12-year-old daughter, Maya. But suddenly, all of Baltimore is scrutinizing her love life, making her wonder—maybe a little romance wouldn’t be so bad. Everyone seems to want Lucie to find her happy ending… including the grumpy, guarded man behind the mic. This book was beautifully executed. Aiden and Lucie’s slow-burn romance felt natural, never forced. You see him fall for her—the way he orders her favorite pizza so he can love it too, keeps a list of the little things she likes in his glove box, and completely adores Maya. It all just fits. I also loved that Lucie works in a male-dominated field where she’s respected, that her co-parenting relationship with her ex, Grayson, is strong, and that the story is filled with so much love in every form. There’s no big third-act conflict—just two adults recognizing they need to work on themselves first. Aiden, carrying years of trauma from his mother’s illness, finally starts letting his parents in. His love declaration at the end? Stunning. And the epilogue, tying back to the coffee shop from the beginning, wrapped it all up perfectly. A truly heartwarming Valentine’s read.

B.K. Borison has produced a masterpiece about a single mother who makes a radio host believe in love again, inspired by Sleepless in Seattle. 🩷📞 This slowburn, opposites attract contemporary romance contains forced proximity, exquisite spice and great humour, with such heartfelt moments I ended up crying like Meg Ryan reading this. You could say that this pulled at my heartstrings hehe!

This is the second book I’ve read of hers and she has become my new favourite author. It was a lot of fun, predictable as a rom-com can be, and had a beautiful message of embracing each other’s mess.

I knew I would love this the moment it began with the quirky shop that celebrates anti-Valentine’s Day. Such a unique concept! I knew this was a 5 star when Maya says “No one at school has quite lived up to Aragorn yet.” – Lucie, you are raising her right m’gal!!! Anything with a Lord of the Rings reference and I am sold! But Maya does really speak facts, Aragorn is the best book boyfriend!

This is inspired by the 90s film called Sleepless in Seattle starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan who play architect Sam Baldwin and journalist Annie Reed respectively. I rewatched it just before reading this so everything was fresh in my mind. I can’t believe I forgot how much I liked that movie! This is your incentive to watch it again, by the way, folks! Especially seeing as it’s Valentine’s week.

This contained plenty of references to the film , such as:
• Both have single parents, though for different reasons: Lucie’s relationship with Grayson simply did not work out due to how young everything happened to them; Sam’s wife Maggie passed away so he is a widow.
• Both have a tween: Lucie’s daughter Maya is 12 in the book; Sam’s son Jonah is 8 in the film. Tweens are around 8-12 years old. Funnily enough, 12 is the age that Jonah says he is in the film when he lies to get on a flight!
• Both explore the impact cancer has on a male main character’s life: Aiden has been affected deeply by the highs and lows of his mother getting cancer three times; Sam’s wife Maggie passed away from cancer and now he is depressed.
• Lucie from her speech about magic on the radio helps a lot of people see that things are missing from their relationship, just like in the film Sam does from his speech on the radio which makes Annie see that her fiancé Walter isn’t the man for her.
• This book is set in Baltimore, Maryland, just like where Annie lives in the film.
• Lucie in this book uses a copy of the Baltimore Sun to shield herself (unsuccessfully) from the rain, the same newspaper company that Annie works for in the film.
• Valentine’s Day, the day when Sam and Annie finally meet at the end of the film, is where this story begins. This feels like the story has come full circle.
• Gregory Peck is mentioned in this book, a parallel to Cary Grant in the film. Both were iconic Hollywood actors on the go at the same time who looked very similar to each other.
• Maggie is the name of Heartstring’s manager in this book and Sam’s wife in the film.
• It could be argued Colin in the book is equivalent to Walter in the film: an ideal man but not the one the main female character falls for.

While it would have been nice to have had more direct parallels to the film, it is important to remember this is merely inspiration, not a remake . Both are excellent stories in their own rights, though I personally find First-Time Caller is much better than Sleepless in Seattle simply because the relationship takes more centre stage and the characters felt like they had more depth here.

There are things in here that would be considered not so stereotypical, particularly of Lucie, which I love to see. She is a mechanic which stereotypically is more of a male-dominated industry. Female characters in romances are usually described as short, whereas here Lucie is a tall woman, a rare concept. The last book I read with a tall woman in it was Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood. As a short girlie, I’m glad tall women are getting covered more in literature because they deserve representation too.

These days, a woman is immediately considered weak if she wants a man/romance, with more and more films being released where the woman doesn’t need to be saved by the prince. I have been especially tired of this narrative because there is nothing wrong with having both. Being a strong independent woman able to save yourself with a man at your side who wants to save you anyway is so beautiful! I am glad this is being emphasised by Lucie.

Aiden is a lot more of your stereotypical dominant handsome man, I grant, but he has very beautiful vulnerable moments that quell the stereotype that it is weak for men to be emotional and open. The thing that got me the most was the way he opens up to his father and how as men they both talk about delicate topics concerning the past torments, their feelings and love. Things that men ordinarily don’t talk about. It was so heartwarming!

Another thing is: their ages. Most books are about people aged 18-24; these two are in their late 20s, early 30s and act their age and communicate effectively even if it’s difficult to (Aiden does, of course, struggle at this but does his best). Thank you! We need more books like this.

Some negatives:
🠚We never get the aftermath/reaction from the listeners/fans when they reunite at the end.
🠚A few cringy moments like Aiden’s innuendos
🠚I thought would have been more conflict from the fact Aiden hadn’t told Lucie about her
🠚There should have been more scenes between Lucie and Maya. They don’t spend enough time together.
🠚I think it would have been nice if there could have been some sort of scene with Lucie’s parents, hopefully some sort of reconciliation. Even if it didn’t end on good terms, it would have still been something.

Wow wow wowwww!!! this was absolutely phenomenal, not that I expected less from the incredible BK Borison.

If you love Sleepless in Seattle, trust when I say that you will LOVE First Time Caller even more!!! This was such a wonderful romance. I loved every single aspect of this story, from Maya (the fmc’s daughter, to her co-parenting dynamics, to her work friends and to the romance between our two main characters.

The romance burned at the perfect pace for, somewhat between a slow and medium burn, and felt incredibly believable. I loved seeing their relationship blossom from a nervous friendship to a beautiful loving relationship.

10/10 no notes. Simply perfection!!!!!!

"Longtime listener, first time caller."

This book ticked every box I had. I highlighted a huge number of quotes, and I adored the dual POV and the little text snippets between Lucie and Aiden.

Their relationship is built slowly, teasingly and softly, drawing the reader in with an amazing balance of sweetness, steam, pulled heartstrings and hilarious moments.

I cannot wait for the next installment in this series, and I will now be devouring every other book written by Borison that I can find.

After absolutely loving the Lovelight series, I couldn't wait to read more from this author and this book definitely delivered.
I adored the storyline of the book and it instantly had my attention right from the beginning. Aiden & Lucie were the perfect characters and I really loved the friends to lovers relationship between them. The sexual chemistry was so evident throughout and I loved the witty banter between them. Lucie was just so heartwarming and I loved the fact that she was a mechanic. Her vulnerability was so evident, but you could see the strength and confidence she gained as the story progressed. Aiden was so perfect and the way he ran in the rain to meet her 🥹.
The relationships in the book were so perfect, from the mother daughter bond between Lucie and Maya to the relationship she has with her ex and his husband (which sounded like the perfect blended family), these were so beautiful to read and I adored the support her co workers showed her.
The ending for the book was just so divine and the story really came around full circle, it was everything I was hoping for and more. This is the ideal romance read and I recommend it to everyone.

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: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Absolutely stunning, B.K. Borison can do no wrong! I absolutely loved Lucie and Aiden, I loved both their meet cutes and adored Grayson and Mateo too. This book had me hooked from the get go, couldn’t put it down!

First Time Caller is a Sleepless in Seattle inspired romance, following hopeless romantic Lucie Stone whose daughter calls into a station asking for dating advice for her mom. Enter Aiden Valentine, the host of Baltimore's romance hotline, who has fallen out of love. When then the interview goes viral, Lucie is thrust into the limelight, joining Aiden to find her a date. Sparks fly behind the scenes but is Lucie brave enough to grab her happily ever after that sits right beside her? Or will she go on keep going on dates that get her no where?

I am obsessed with Lucie and Aiden! Their banter? Their chemistry? Give it all to me. Like cmon, Aiden literally keeps a list of her favourite things in his glove compartment so he doesn't forget and goes running to her when she gets stood up at the restaurant, it's so freaking cute. What's not to love about these two?

The story and pacing flowed so well, this is easily my favourite book from B.K Borison and I do hope we get more in this series because I need more. This book is absolutely worth the hype, I didn't expect to love it as much as I did. It deserves all the stars and more, I was hooked from the first chapter. This is one for those who loves late 90s / early 2000s romcoms but it gave off all the vibes, which is exactly what I wanted. I couldn't put this book now, it was so addictive. The next book better be about Jackson!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

B.K. Borison is one of my favourite authors of all time and quickly became one of my go to authors for romance after I read her Lovelight Farms series. I knew I was going to absolutely love this cozy, sweet romance. This was everything I wanted and I knew B.K. Borison would deliver. Lucie and Aiden stole my entire heart. They were romantic and lovely and sweet and SO endearing, expected from a Borison romance. The banter between Aiden and Lucie comes before everything else and I loved the progression of their relationship between then and when it became so much more. I really loved this and can’t wait to continue reading her books when they come out. 5/5 stars

This book made me giddy. Kick my feet, smiling like crazy, giggling. Gah! Seriously in love with this whole vibe the story brought! I completely devoured this one.

I am obsessed with the banter between these Lucie and Aiden! And their chemistry?! 😮‍💨 The touches, the looks, just all of it and Aiden, Aiden, Aiden. Hot damn. It’s a bit of a slow burn, which I love because the tension just grows and grows until it’s pulled so tight it snaps! It was amazing. They were amazing. I ate up every single interaction between them.

Then there is literally every single other character! I fell in love with them all. I loved how the story flowed and built and it was just seriously beautiful. I don’t know what else to say, but how incredible this book was and I definitely think anyone who loves romance, loved Sleepless in Seattle, grumpy/ sunshine, forced proximity and more will love this one too.

This was absolutely amazing! Lovelight Farms was the first book I read from this author, and while I found it perfectly sweet and cozy, I immediately fell in love with First Time Caller! The premise, the execution, the characters - everything was just perfect! The chemistry between the characters was off the charts!

I’m impatiently waiting to get my hands on the audiobook since I’ve heard it’s incredible, and I need to experience this story again as soon as possible. And in the meantime, I think it’s finally time to go and watch Sleepless in Seattle!

It’s official, I’m in love, everything about this book had me absolutely hooked. I haven’t had such a huge emotional response to a contemporary love story in a long time, but I found myself crying at points during the story and kicking my feet with a smile on my face at others. Reading this beautiful story as Lucie and Aiden fall for each other is everything my heart never knew it needed. Honestly, this book deserves all the hype it is getting, I thoroughly enjoyed every second and would not have changed anything. If you’re looking for a cozy romance set in Baltimore between a jaded radio host and a hopeless romance then this is the perfect book for you.

We meet Lucie and Aiden very early on in the story and get an introduction to them both as characters individually, before one phone call to Aiden’s relationship advice radio show my Lucie’s daughter has Aiden, Lucie and the Heartstrings radio show going viral. After their success Lucie agrees to do-host Heartstrings with Aiden in order to try and find the elusive magic and spark that she’s been trying to find in a relationship for years. However, as time goes on and Aiden and Lucie spend more and more time together, something becomes clear is the happily ever after Lucie is looking for right in front of her, and will she be brave enough to grab it with both hands?

Lucie and Aiden are polar opposites and the contrast between their characters is definitely one of the aspects that makes this story truly spectacular. Lucie is a hopeless romantic, and really who can blame her, with a glass half full attitude and wanting to seize the opportunity her viral fame affords her we get to journey along on her road to romance. Aiden on the other hand is a bucket full of cynicism and having fallen out of love with love, he at the beginning thinks that the radio dateline idea is absolute nonsense but as the book goes on his edges begin to soften. These two have such great banter and flirt relentlessly throughout the book which is such a joy and heart warming to read. I did find it incredibly frustrating when Aiden just would not get out of his own way, and there were some tender moments there where tears were shed and my heart was aching. I could talk about these two amazing main characters for ages, but that would be doing a disservice to the other incredible characters we meet throughout this book, who all have such a big impact on the story and the characters.

The pacing in this book was perfect, the story ebbed and flowed, taking time to fully explore the more sensitive and emotional topics while blending this with the daily lives of the characters. I almost finished the book in one sitting, it was that addictive and hard to put down which is a testament to great writing. Being set in Baltimore and focused around a radio show just felt perfectly fitting for the style of story and the the situation that fostered the romance. I am so excited to see what story we get treated to next in this series, as if this is anything to go by then we are in for an absolutely wild and emotional ride.

This was such a heartwarming romance!

First-Time Caller is a Sleepless in Seattle-esque story where there's a late-night radio show about love, a sort of romance hotline, run by Aiden Valentine. He's lost faith in love and is, therefore, having trouble connecting with the callers, until one night when a girl calls him on the show to ask for help for her mother, Lucie. Lucie is taken by surprise when she comes across her daughter calling a romance hotline on her behalf. It's true she hasn't had much luck with romantic love, but she feels content with the love she gets from the people around her, or so she tells herself most of the time. Lucie's interaction with Aiden, once she takes the phone away from her daughter, goes viral and she then gets invited as a guest for a few weeks on the show, when she meets Aiden in person.

This was my first B.K. Borison book, after hearing such good things about the author's work, and it was such a good one! Lucie and Aiden had a lot of chemistry, and I loved Lucie's family dynamic and friends. Overall, I found it a very enjoyable read and I'll definitely continue reading this series, but I will admit the book felt a bit formulaic at times.

Thank you very much to Pan MacMillan for the proof and also NetGalley for the e-ARC!

This novel delivers a tender and emotional love story that lingers in your heart long after you’ve turned the last page. The characters are crafted with incredible depth, each carrying their own burdens, dreams, and vulnerabilities that make their journey toward love all the more compelling.

A beautiful romance that although doesn’t reinvent the wheel, is a delight to read. When Lucie’s daughter calls the grumpy radio host of ‘Heartstrings’ for advice on helping her mum find a date and the conversation goes viral, Lucie finds herself the centre of attention! All the characters in this small town are instantly loveable. There is endless yearning and tension, and it is also incredibly humorous and heartfelt. If you loved the Dream Harbor series this is definitely for you!

Sometimes, you come across a story so sweet, heartwarming, and authentic that it simply steals your heart. First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison was exactly that for me.

Aiden Valentine, a disillusioned radio host with a love-cynical attitude, meets Lucie Stone, a car mechanic and single mom. It all starts with a call from her daughter—a scene so touching and wholesome that it immediately tugged at my heartstrings. From that moment on, I was completely hooked.

Why I loved this book:
The characters stole the show for me. Each one felt so real, with flaws, quirks, and endless charm. Lucie and Aiden are absolutely adorable together, and the tension between them is palpable. I couldn’t help but smile constantly while reading. Their conversations—especially those during the radio show—made me feel like I was right there in the studio with them.

I also resonated deeply with the themes about dating and understanding what you truly want in love. The story captures so much truth about standing firm on what matters to you, especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

What touched me the most:
The emotional depth of this story floored me, particularly Lucie’s speech to Aiden. She hits him—and me as a reader—straight in the heart. Those moments of vulnerability and honesty, where Aiden’s fear of getting hurt and building walls to protect himself comes to light, brought me to tears. I saw myself in both Lucie and Aiden, but perhaps even more in Aiden.

What I loved:

• The unique and atmospheric radio show setting.
• The dual POVs, which brought so much life to the story.
• The effortless representation of Grayson, Lucie’s baby daddy, and his relationship. It’s exactly the kind of casual, normalized portrayal I love to see.
• And as a bonus: Lucie’s daughter cosplaying Indiana Jones! Such a lovely detail that made me smile so big.

By the end, I closed this book with a happy sigh—and yes, a few tears—because it was just so beautiful.

Conclusion:
First-Time Caller is a wonderfully written love story filled with humor, heart, and magnetic characters. For me, it’s a solid 5-star read that I’d recommend to anyone looking for a heartfelt and honest romance.

I cannot tell you how much I adored this book. I think it might be my fav of hers. I devoured it. The romance was just the cutest. Its a sleepless in seattle inspired slow burn, but the tension is perfect, the banter is amazing. I loved the idea of it all, Lucie calling Aidens romance hotline to find a date. Hes trying to help her but as they get closer, what possibly could happen?

It was flawless. I love Aiden and Lucie so much and them together was divine. Its such an easy, feel good read and is so sweet with a little spice mixed in there too.