5 stars
Content warning: side character suffering from cancer, subsequent trauma to main character, historical toxic parenting and abandonment
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

The way that I felt comforted by this novel is next level, it's truly like the warmest hug you can find. Both Aiden and Lucie offer so much relatable content by being flawed characters, that it doesn't take long for the reader to want them to thrive in every way possible. From the beginning, you get a real sense of them being two people who have settled for what they think is their lot in life, and when they start to venture out of that compartment, things get messy, and beautiful, and just so overwhelmingly real. Lucie and Aiden, by far, are BK Borison's most realistic characters yet, and I love them so much.

The writing is raw and full of the daily mundane, which actually makes for a fantastic read. There's chaos (especially wherever Grayson goes), and it's wholesome, and then the spice... Borison created something that feels effortless to sink into. The romance is a slow burn, which I really appreciated, and the tension is built to perfection. The intimate moments, when they arrive, are well-suited to the pair, and the way *slight spoiler* that I wanted an Aiden of my own to build the shittiest fort there ever did exist too. Much like the callers of the show, I was invested in them getting their happy ever after, and I'm beyond satisfied with the journey to get it.

This is a cosy and refreshing take on Sleepless in Seattle with a great cast of supporting characters, some of which I hope get their own stories too. The chemistry between the main characters is gorgeous, community and family connections are still a valued point as I came to adore in this author's previous series, and the whole world felt rich in imagery. I felt like I was in the coastal city with these characters, and I cannot wait to delve back into this book again because the re-readability factor is definitely there. Borison also tackles some darker themes within this novel with grace, especially the situation around Aiden and his parents and his mother's struggle with cancer. I strongly urge those who are jaded with romance and life and want something to pick you back up to give this book a try. I really cannot speak highly enough of it.

Love
Love
Love this old-school romance - two wonderful main characters, and plenty of nuance make it a favorite for me. Lucie is a mechanic and single mother with a precocious 11 year old daughter in a blended found-family arrangement. Her daughter calls a late night radio show about Lucie's dating life and this sets off all the events where Lucie meets Aidan Valentine – host of the show. He is really locked down, with low level depression and is struggling to find the optimism needed to run a romance radio program.

This just works so well - there’s layers around their personal history and nuances in the ways that they interact together. Lucie joins Aiden's program and when they are in the recording studio it's magic ✨💖 The studio is a tiny and intimate space and at the same time they are broadcasting to all of Baltimore – and maybe the world. It’s dual POV which gives us a direct insight into the pining and yearning of these two. Lucie is much more in tune with her feelings than Aiden and she's also emotionally wise – so she’s graceful with Aiden.

Even with little drama, there’s plenty of momentum. It’s muted in the way that life can be with depression, which made it both authentic and emotional. It’s a slow burn but when they get there, it’s all go 🌶🌶 I adored how much intimacy was from Aiden's point of view. This goes straight to my favorites and comfort reads.

Thank you BK Borison, Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Headlines:
Radio show
Uncertain and hopeful
Audio heaven

This was a joy of an audio that was definitely accentuated by the fact that the setting was a radio show and so the scenes from that felt so authentic narrated back and forth. This was a fun set up with a romance radio show host (MMC) who had lost any kind of belief in love had a daughter call in for her mom. What ensued was the FMC becoming a regular co-host on the show trying to find love.

I liked the step outside of stereotypes for this story. Lucie was a mechanic and Aiden was the romance show host. Those differences weren't laboured but this something I appreciated in the plot and characterisation.

Over time, Lucie and Aiden slowly built a tentative chemisty but it was full of uncertainty. All the while, the search was supposed to be on for Lucie's big love with dating being reported back on the show. I loved their hopeful and gentle flirting that developed from a strong friendship and how that played out into their eventual intimacy; it was a sweet story with humps in the road.

The narration was dual POV with duet dialogue and it worked so well. The characters were truly brought to life.

Thank you Panmacmillan for the review copy.

thank you netgalley and b.k. borison for letting me read an early copy of this book!

I love b.k. borisons writing style. i am obsessed with every character and all the witty one liners or comments that get made throughout.

I fell in love with this story, dating lessons has always been such a fun trope to read about and this was a different kind of dating lessons as it was all done live on air.

Lucie was such a relatable character and her thoughts on love felt so real and i’ve never related to something more than when i read about how she wanted to be treated. She was such a good mum and friend, this is also one of the only books where co-parenting is seen as positive instead of negative and it was so refreshing to read about their entire family dynamic.

Aidan was such a softie but tried to hide behind a hard exterior. you could tell he had been through a lot and at such a young age, I understood his reasonings for distancing himself from everyone as he thought it would help him but really he was still hurting and still vulnerable.

Seeing the two of them form a friendship from a weird situation was hilarious to read about, but you could see how quickly the lines started to blur and how Aidan would be there to catch Lucie at every fall. Even though they agreed to ‘fun’ it was far from that when you could see the pair of them falling in love with each other but both terrified to voice these feelings as they have both suffered a loss before.

The way Lucie says she will wait for him instead of giving up is what I loved about their story. She was so confident in what she wanted and who, that she was not going to give up on him and I’m so glad that Aidan figured it out and finally let down his walls just enough to let Lucie (and Maya) in.

The side characters featured in this story played such vital roles as well and I hope we get to see more of them if and when this is continued as a series.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I was not disappointed at all and I’m now not so patiently waiting for my next fix of b.k. borison and her writing.

This was my second time reading a book from the amazing author BK Borinson and omg i loved it sm!!! First Time Caller is the perfect read for this season, as it is adorable, cozy and super romantic 🤭 I can’t wait for everyone else to read this (cause i desperatly need someone to talk to about it) and fall in love with Lucie and Aiden like i did 🥹

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an ARC of the eBook.

Finally, a proper rom-com. This book had me giggling away to myself and loving the slow burn romance.

Aiden and Lucie were brilliant main characters and I loved watching them fall for each other.

The side characters though, fantastic and hilarious. I loved every single one of them.

This is the first book by Borison I've read and I will absolutely be going back to read the Lovelight series. This book is definitely worth a read!

BK Borison has been a favourite author since I read Lovelight Farms and she just keeps getting better and better
This new series is everything I would need from a Nora Ephron inspired romance! It's a rich setting, wonderfully witty characters, loving and sexy romance, a mix of angst and love...
I adored this for everything it was and I'm so excited for the rest of this series!

Well, as a first-time reader of this author's words, I can definitively say I'm a huge fan of First-Time Caller. I loved the narrative voice - really sparky and warm and funny, like a Nora Ephron film in book form, and its own thing at the same time. I think what I most enjoyed was Borison's characterisation: the dialogue was naturalistic and believable, and there were so many little bits of precise detail in the narrative that managed to paint a vibrant and well-rounded sense of each character, within a wider story-world (the Baltimore setting, the radio station, the garage, the cafe, the friends and family) that felt real and lived-in. It was a great example of show, not tell, with no lazy exposition, and the breaks in between chapters a stylish way of adding pace, interest and wider context.

As for the characters - I fell in love with Lucie and Aiden, and couldn't help but root for them. They leapt from the page, and I felt a bit like I was one of the many listeners to Heartstrings, tuning in to follow along with the show and delighting at the subtext and guessing at how things would pan out. I'm really pleased that this seems to be the first in a new series from Borison, and I'll definitely be picking up the follow up, in addition to circling back to her previous work.

A love-letter to romantic comedy, highly recommended!

Wow I wholeheartedly adore this book. It gave me everything I was looking for. The slow burn, chemistry and spice was so well done!!

3 / 5 ⭐

Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

What I loved most was Lucie, her daughter, and the dynamic with her ex. Their little family brought plenty of smiles and laughter, and I really enjoyed reading about them. The garage crew was also adorable, adding heart-warming moments that made the story feel cosy.

The setting was cute, and I liked the scenes in the radio booth, but that felt like all we really got. I wished for more variety—perhaps more interactions with Lucie’s daughter to make it feel like a true single-parent romance. Small spoiler: Aiden met her once and never interacted with her again, which felt like a missed opportunity.

I also wanted more depth in Lucie’s past—why did she and her ex fall out of love? Their backstory was intriguing, but it wasn’t explored enough.

The pacing dragged at times, and by the end, I felt Lucie deserved better. The book was quite long, and I think either tightening the story or expanding other subplots would have made it more engaging.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

First-Time Caller" by B.K. Borison seems to blend a lot of the key elements that make for a great contemporary romance: witty banter, heartfelt moments, and characters with real emotional depth.

The chemistry between Aiden and Lucie sounds natural, with a slow-burn romance that keeps you invested as their connection deepens. I like that it’s not just about the romance; there’s also a focus on Lucie’s journey as a mother, which adds an extra layer of relatability and warmth. Plus, the inclusion of quirky supporting characters seems to add to the overall fun and light-hearted tone of the book.

It's the perfect read if you're in the mood for something sweet, funny, and a little heart-tugging. It feels like one of those books where you’re rooting for the characters from start to finish, and the feel-good ending would be more than earned.

THIS BOOK! I laughed, I cried, I squealed in delight and quite clearly discovered one of my top romance books.

Aidan’s story struck more than a few chords with me as I’ve been in a similar situation and like him it took some time to realise why and work through it. Luckily for him he found an excellent reason to figure out it in Lucie through his radio show.

The slow burn and banter set each page alight and I’m so glad we skipped the typical third act miscommunication. Lucie is such a strong character, taking her vulnerabilities and trying to change the life she had settled into. And Aiden for taking action when he realised the life he didn’t want might actually the life he needed. I just.. I love them, as individuals, as a couple. They are so very real and I think they’re going to nestle into a lot of romance readers hearts 💕

4.5 stars ✨

Ahh Becs never disappoints! I just know I will love her books way before I pick them up. No, scratch that. You know all the books that BK still hasn't written? I love them already—that's how much I love her storytelling. Prepare to swoon with this book! ☎️

Aiden is the cutest. He has this absolutely adorable shyness in him, and I adore the way he talks and the things he says. He says he doesn't believe in love, and yet his actions speak the purest form of it. It's all in the little—but massive,—things. The way he pays attention to all the details and memorizes them, the way he cares without even noticing. It comes as a second nature to him, and it's so sweet and beautiful to see.
I love this man, his personality, and everything about him.

Lucie believes in love. In magic. She knows she deserves it, and she isn't afraid to voice it—which, honestly, makes me adore her even more.
She's very kind, brave, tough, and very loving. She's definitely someone worth admiring.

Both characters' development is incredible! The attraction is there from the start, yes, absolutely. But the highlight is the way they grew together, and opened up to each other. Gah, I have no words.
Their story feels real. It's sweet and romantic. It's them—I don't know how to put this in better wording.

The side characters gave even more life to this book. And I'm already hoping for a certain someone's story next. Pretty please. 👀

I said it before and I'll never tire of saying this, multiple times even, actually: BK Borison's writing is so beautiful, so poetic, so real. She has this magical way with words that both make me swoon and hit me hard in all the feels. I think I would recognize it anywhere, and each time my love for it grows more.

I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!

4.5 stars ✨

Ahh Becs never disappoints! I just know I will love her books way before I pick them up. No, scratch that. You know all the books that BK still hasn't written? I love them already—that's how much I love her storytelling. Prepare to swoon with this book! ☎️

Aiden is the cutest. He has this absolutely adorable shyness in him, and I adore the way he talks and the things he says. He says he doesn't believe in love, and yet his actions speak the purest form of it. It's all in the little—but massive,—things. The way he pays attention to all the details and memorizes them, the way he cares without even noticing. It comes as a second nature to him, and it's so sweet and beautiful to see.
I love this man, his personality, and everything about him.

Lucie believes in love. In magic. She knows she deserves it, and she isn't afraid to voice it—which, honestly, makes me adore her even more.
She's very kind, brave, tough, and very loving. She's definitely someone worth admiring.

Both characters' development is incredible! The attraction is there from the start, yes, absolutely. But the highlight is the way they grew together, and opened up to each other. Gah, I have no words.
Their story feels real. It's sweet and romantic. It's them—I don't know how to put this in better wording.

The side characters gave even more life to this book. And I'm already hoping for a certain someone's story next. Pretty please. 👀

I said it before and I'll never tire of saying this, multiple times even, actually: BK Borison's writing is so beautiful, so poetic, so real. She has this magical way with words that both make me swoon and hit me hard in all the feels. I think I would recognize it anywhere, and each time my love for it grows more.

I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!

This was so good and has become my favourite B.K. Borison book!

This was such a cute, sweet romance. As soon as Lucie and Aiden met, their chemistry was amazing and it only got better as the story progressed. They were so good together and their banter and dynamic were incredibly entertaining!

It was empowering to see Lucie fight for her happiness. Once she knew what she wanted, she fought for it and always communicated quite clearly with Aiden, which I loved. And Aiden, oh sweet Aidan, he’d been through so much and his coping mechanisms certainly weren’t the best but even before he realised it, he was so in love with Lucie - he was down bad!! I mean obsessed, would die for her. I loved it! I lost count of how many times I found myself giggling at my kindle - it was THAT good!

It was bit of a slow burn, which I sometimes struggle with but that wasn’t the case here, mostly, I think, because even if they didn’t get together that quickly, they were still spending so much time together and it was clear that they were falling in love with each other.

I think the only downside for me was that although Maya played a huge role in bringing Lucie and Aiden together and I loved her relationship with Lucie, I feel like she wasn’t in the book that much and I would have loved to see her interact more with Aiden.

Overall, this was an amazing romance, perfect for fans of a good slow burn with a strong female main character and a man who’s low-key obsessed with his girl.

I can’t want to see where this series goes!!

I am so glad that I got approved for B.K. Borison's latest novel--The First Time Caller. This is the first book of the Heartstrings series and I am so excited to try out this book.

Adrien Valentine is a radio host and he hosts a show called Heartstrings, that talks about love in general. When he gets an unexpected call from a girl named Maya, telling Adrien that her mother Lucie Stone has not dated anyone, Lucie then join the show, telling her the reasons why she wasn't dating. Soon her talk was publicized and everyone now wants Lucie to have a happy ever after. Lucie agrees to a series of dates arranged by Adrien although she realizes that she is now falling in love with the radio host...

This was a cheesy romantic story. The story is told in the POVs of Lucie and Adrien so you know what each of them think of each other. I like Borison's style of writing and so the whole story was engaging and thrilling. This has a sense of 90's and 2000's romcom feeling in it. The characters Lucie and Adrien are likable characters and I especially like Lucie's character in the story--she is funny, smart and friendly--someone you want to hang out with. Of course, the chemistry between Lucie and Adrien were sizzling and we all know that in the end, Lucie and Adrien will be together.

I enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read the second book of the series--worth five stars.

I've fell so in love with this book. I've been quite busy this week so haven't had much time to read, but whenever I picked this back by up I just fell right back into it. It had me laughing out loud in places and I related to the characters so much. B. K. Borison really made me feel with this one. Some of the quotes are just perfection. 👌🏼

It really did feel like a 90s rom com & had me living my best life. It really had a well rounded cast of characters & there wasn't one character I didn't like. Honestly, I have nothing negative to say about this.

"Long-time listeners, first time caller" had me screaming, giggling, kicking my feet, throwing up. The tension & banter between the characters had me swooning. Honestly, I am totally obsessed with this book. My favourite B. K. Borison book so far & I'm so excited for the next one in the series.

4.5 stars rounded up✨ Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for very kindly sending me an e-arc of First-Time Caller - and yes I did in fact squeal out loud when I saw it had dropped into my inbox 😭. Oh this book! What can I say?! It was pulling on my heartstrings (pardon the pun 😏) from beginning to end! Inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, full of that 90s Rom-com charm - like an actual Nora Ephron style film playing out on the pages (but with added spice 🌶️) - and some favourite tropes added to the mix, (enter grumpy x sunshine and forced proximity 😏). This book had me laughing, welling up, swooning and kicking my lil legs throughout! An absolute must read for contemporary romance readers💘

The ✨vibes✨:
- Sleepless in Seattle vibes/inspired
- Like an actual Nora Ephron style film playing out from the pages - but with added spice 🌶️
- Grumpy, doesn’t know if he believes in love any longer, host of a radio podcast called ‘Heartstrings’ where he gives love advice, MMC
- Hopeless romantic, doesn’t want to have to TRY to find love and just hopes that one day that person will find her and until then she’s content being alone every evening with her 12 year old daughter who has a bigger social life than she does, FMC
- Full of that 90s Rom-com charm
- Grumpy x sunshine
- Single parent
- Forced proximity
- Slow burn
- Warm fuzzy cosy vibes
- Kicking your lil legs and wiggling your lil toes moments
- Healthy and positive family dynamics
- Some sadder familial relationships
- Working through trauma
- Spicy moments 🌶️ done really well 😮‍💨
- Emotionally vulnerable characters that have you laughing, welling up and swooning all at the same time

I have no words to describe how much I loved this book and how it altered my brain chemistry. This book is absolute perfect and I’m forever obsessed with everything B K Borison writes.
The characters, the plot, the vibes, the writing!!! Everything is perfection.
Aiden and Lucie have the cutest relationship and the most amazing relationship. The flirting!!! The banter!! I love them I love them I love them!! Aiden is 100% on my little (not so little) list of fav book boyfriends. Because that man!!!
The writing is phenomenal and both characters are incredibly written and developed. I just can’t wait for my physical copy to get here to reread it immediately!!!

Thank you to B K Borison and Pan MacMillan for the arc

Thank you Netgalley for gifting this book in exchange for an honest review

Ok so this is my 2nd contemporary romance and I don't think they're for me, I gave it a go and I think I'm a fantasy/paranormal girlie.

Having said that, the banter between these two is 😚🤌🏻 and the spice was such a good time!

It was well written and I enjoyed that our main characters were over 25!