Hello operator, I would like to request a swoony romance please.
First-Time Caller
Heartstrings
Romance
Berkley
February 11, 2025
Paperback, Ebook, Audiobook
448
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 believed. 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 decision between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.
Petition to be B. K. Borison’s Best Friend
“First-Time Caller”, first of three books in the “Heartstrings” stand alone series, is everything I could have asked for in a romance novel. From B. K. herself, she says that this trio of love stories are going to be inspired by those 90’s romance movies we love: “Sleepless in Seattle”, “When Harry Met Sally”, and my personal favorite, “You’ve Got Mail”.
B. K. Borison could publish her thoughts on how laundry lint could be relevant in this day and age, and I would devour every single page.
Aiden and Lucie have such a beautiful chemistry together that it’s absurd to think anyone but the other would be a good match for them. Their banter, their casual intimacy, and ultimately their care for one another is so palpable it practically jumps off the page.
“After six years of hosting Heartstrings, Baltimore’s Romance Hotline, I’ve discovered people don’t want to be told how to fix their lives or be held accountable. They just want to hear themselves talk and validate their own narcissism.”
Aiden is jaded AF. Home boy needs a break.
Call it burn out, call it compassion fatigue, or just call it tired, Aiden has spent so much time listening to people unlucky in love that he’s lost his hope. He’s lost the magic.
“I think it’s possible I’ve fallen out of love with love, burned by one too many lackluster calls. Burned by the sh*tty circumstances my family’s been handed too. It feels like every time I get my hopes up for something good, reality comes out swinging. I don’t know how to be a hopeful person anymore. It’s easier not to be.”
First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison
Lucie has also lost the magic, or maybe she never had it to begin with. After being blindsided by her daughter’s devious plot to help mom find love, though, Lucie bravely decides to publicly open herself up to the possibility of finding love.
Perfection. Having these two broken souls heal each other was just perfection.
I wish I could really listen to Heartstrings on the radio
I can’t freakin’ wait for everyone to fall in love with Aiden and Lucie. Their connection, attraction, and chemistry just feels so organic, and it comes so easily on the page. B.K. is an expert at her craft, and with every book she writes she continues to show her prowess. She makes readers fall in love with love at every page turn.
If anyone needs me, I’ll be kicking my feet re-reading First-Time Caller and falling in love with love again.
I’m Val, and I’m excited to share my love of books with you! I’m a sassy Sour Patch kid from New Jersey, dog mom to Chance the beagle, and much like the rest of the Hive, I’m a coffee lover (I think it’s a requirement to be here). The first book I remember reading voluntarily involved a boy wizard who lived in the cupboard under the stairs, and I’ve been chasing magic ever since. I love Happily Ever Afters, and I love love. My favorite genres are romance and rom-coms, fantasy, and young adult/new adult. If I’m not reading, I’m probably kayaking, watching the Great British Baking Show, or discovering a new craft beer.
