I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
First-Time Caller (Heartstrings, #1) by B.K. Borison Also by this author: Lovelight Farms (Lovelight, #1), In the Weeds (Lovelight, #2), Mixed Signals (Lovelight, #3)
Series: Heartstrings #1
Published by Berkley on February 11, 2025
Genres: Romance
Pages: 448 •Format: E-ARC •Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Goodreads
Aiden Valentine has a secret: he's fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore's romance hotline, that's a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.
Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—she begins to question if she's as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn't be such a bad thing.
Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending... even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.
I was so, so thrilled when I heard that B.K. Borison was starting another romance series! The Lovelight Farms series really took the romance book community by storm, and I was intrigued to see how the author would pivot from a small-town series to a big city one. I’m pleased to report that First-Time Caller has all of the charm and coziness that readers have come to expect from Borison’s stories, cocooned in a romantic radio booth tucked away amongst the hustle and bustle of big-city Baltimore.
Inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, First-Time Caller is a dual POV romance novel following single mom Lucie who is inadvertently introduced to jaded radio host Aiden by her matchmaking daughter, who hopes Aiden can help her mom find love on the airwaves. As Lucie gets roped into “bachelorette” style radio programming to help boost her dating life and save the radio station’s ratings, she inevitably develops a connection with the man who is supposed to be shepherding her on her “road to love” (sponsored by Mr. Tire, iykyk).
Aiden and Lucie’s show soon goes viral, but for as many listeners are trying to woo Lucie, just as many (if not more) are tuning in to hear Aiden and Lucie flirt and banter. Adding to the atmosphere, each chapter begins with either an except from the radio show dialogue or online comments/reviews for the show (I LOVE when novels break things up with fun additions like this, and it really helps add some zest to the storytelling). Their pairing is a bit grumpy/sunshine (although I’d classify it more as jaded/cautiously hopeful romantic) but it’s sweet and organic and they’re of course totally in denial for a while. There is a bit more of the “miscommunication” trope than I’d like and of course the dreaded “third act break-up,” but there’s also a very sweet public declaration of love that does a good job of making it feel worthwhile and very on brand for the characters.
As much as I enjoyed this book for what it was, I actually found that the romance was one of the least interesting things about it for me. I think B.K. Borison’s true knack is in writing a community of characters that make the setting feel alive, and she managed to do that even without a small town setting (which usually are where you get the stand out secondary characters in these types of romances). I loved the quirky team at the radio station (the lovably neurotic weather/traffic man, the terrifyingly efficient station manager, etc), Lucie’s mechanics who all act like fathers to her, and especially Lucie’s next door neighbors who happen to be her ex and his husband and father to her daughter, and how they’ve basically merged their households into one. There was really a focus on found families and unconventional yet amazingly strong relationships that I really loved. I wanted to know more about how the radio station came to be, how Lucie and Grayson survived getting disowned and raising Maya as teenagers who didn’t stay together, how Lucie learned how to be a mechanic with no former experience. I felt so wrapped up in Lucie’s little world she carved out for herself in the big city, and in some ways it felt cozier than the small town setting of Lovelight farms, since it’s such an intimate little community of found family in such a big city setting (though there is a Lovelight Farms easter egg I caught! So I do think the series exist in the same universe).
Overall: First-Time Caller feels like a warm blanket and cup of cocoa on a cold winter night, intimate and cozy with a bustling city rushing all around you. Quiet, contemplative conversations in a busy coffee shop. The type of story that’s made more intimate by the lack of a small town setting, to be completely honest. I’m really excited to see where this series goes, and I can already pinpoint various characters who I can see getting their own books/romances further on down the line (Jackson the weather man, the station manager, Patty, the guy who brings his vintage truck to Lucie to fix, etc). I think this is the start of a really charming new romance series!
*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC for review!
I snagged this one as my BOTM, and am very much looking forward to curling up with it and reading away the end of winter blues 🙂