Despite being the host of a romance advice radio show called Heartstrings, Aiden Valentine doesn’t believe in love and his grumpy attitude on the subject is causing the show’s ratings to drop. That is, until Aiden receives an unexpected call on-air from Maya, who is secretly seeking dating advice for her single mom Lucie. When Lucie discovers what Maya has done on her behalf, Lucie begrudgingly spills her romantic hopes to Aiden. Lucie’s story ends up resonating with a lot of listeners and the show goes viral. As such, Aiden’s boss insists that Lucie become Aiden’s cohost so that she can search for love live on-air.
First-Time Caller is the first book in B.K. Borison’s new Heartstrings series. The book features the grumpy with sunshine, workplace romance or forced proximity, and single parent tropes. First-Time Caller deals with themes and topics like love and heartbreak, romance, single parenting and coparenting, parental abandonment, cancer and ill parents, self worth, loneliness and isolation, match making, and mental health. First-Time Caller is perfect for fans of books like The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon, Next of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young, Change of Plans by Dylan Newton, Happily Never After by Lynn Painter, and Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams. First-Time Caller also has some Bachelorette and matchmaking vibes, so if you’re a fan of dating shows, this would be an ideal read!
Even though I thought that First-Time Caller was good, I didn’t think it was as good as B.K. Borison’s Lovelight series, which are some of my all-time favourite books, particularly as I enjoyed the cosy smalltown setting in the Lovelight series more than the bigger city and radio station settings in First-Time Caller. Whilst reading, I had trouble getting into the plot and thought that it was a little slow to start. I definitely got the Sleepless in Seattle vibe (the story in which First-Time Caller is inspired) at the beginning of the book but since I’m not super familiar with the movie, I probably missed some of the Sleepless in Seattle references (which I’m sure would have enhanced my reading experience).
First-Time Caller definitely has a strong Valentines and match-making vibe, especially since the male main character’s name is even Valentine, so I think that this book would be absolutely perfect to read or gift around Valentine’s (or Galentine’s) Day! I really enjoyed the chapters where Lucie and Aiden were just chatting with callers on-air, as I thought that these were really entertaining and fast-paced. The comic relief that Lucie’s meddling and spunky daughter Maya provided was very enjoyable. Even though Aiden starts out grumpy, we find out that he is actually super sweet and creates some real swoon-worthy moments for Lucie, which I adored. Lastly, without spoiling anything, I thought that the ending of the book was perfection.
Even though I had trouble getting into this book, I think fellow romance readers will love this swoony (and spicy) rom-com, especially since it comes out just in time for Valentine’s Day!
First-Time Caller is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of February 11th 2025.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.
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.
