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Heartstrings #1
First-Time Caller
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Romance (2025)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.
A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.
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.
A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.
448 pages, Paperback
First published February 11, 2025
14040 people are currently reading
294364 people want to read
About the author
B.K. Borison
9 books16.8k followersNew York Times, Sunday Times, and USA Today Bestselling author B.K. Borison is the author of cozy, contemporary romances featuring emotionally vulnerable characters and swoon-worthy settings. When she’s not daydreaming about fictional characters doing fictional things, she’s at home with her family, more than likely buying books she doesn’t have room for.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42,229 reviews
February 7, 2025
IDK I appear to be in the minority with this one. It started really sweet but it was also kinda cheesy. I didn't really connect with the characters and it was way too long for a contemporary romance imo.
I'm just gonna keep this one short and to the point. It didn't give enough Sleepless in Seattle for me. It felt very heavily over troped and thus very predictable and unexciting for me.
The MMC having the last name Valentine, in a valentine's day themed story, while being the grumpy in this grumpy sunshine duo, while hosting a radio talk show based on love and romance, while not believing in love annoyed me on an irrational level.
Overall the writing is really well done, the pacing is okay... few lulls here and there. It did feel a little dragged out due to the amount of pages. It could have easily been 300-350 pages.
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
I'm such a sucker for a Sleepless in Seattle inspired story. Here we go! Please be good! 💗🤞
╰⪼ 💗Forced Proximity
╰⪼ 💛Grumpy ✘ Sunshine
╰⪼ 💗Chosen/found family
╰⪼ 💛Single Mom
╰⪼ 💗Yearning
╰⪼ 💛Finding Excuses to Touch Them
╰⪼ 💗Who did this to you
╰⪼ 💛Slow Burn
╰⪼ 💗Public Declarations of Love
╰⪼ 💛Witty Banter
╰⪼ 💗Dual POV
╰⪼ 💛Spice
Anticipated Release Date - 02/11/25
🌸 A huge thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the advanced digital copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 🌸
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
I'm just gonna keep this one short and to the point. It didn't give enough Sleepless in Seattle for me. It felt very heavily over troped and thus very predictable and unexciting for me.
The MMC having the last name Valentine, in a valentine's day themed story, while being the grumpy in this grumpy sunshine duo, while hosting a radio talk show based on love and romance, while not believing in love annoyed me on an irrational level.
Overall the writing is really well done, the pacing is okay... few lulls here and there. It did feel a little dragged out due to the amount of pages. It could have easily been 300-350 pages.
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
I'm such a sucker for a Sleepless in Seattle inspired story. Here we go! Please be good! 💗🤞
╰⪼ 💗Forced Proximity
╰⪼ 💛Grumpy ✘ Sunshine
╰⪼ 💗Chosen/found family
╰⪼ 💛Single Mom
╰⪼ 💗Yearning
╰⪼ 💛Finding Excuses to Touch Them
╰⪼ 💗Who did this to you
╰⪼ 💛Slow Burn
╰⪼ 💗Public Declarations of Love
╰⪼ 💛Witty Banter
╰⪼ 💗Dual POV
╰⪼ 💛Spice
Anticipated Release Date - 02/11/25
🌸 A huge thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the advanced digital copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 🌸
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
March 2, 2025
HE KEEPS A LIST OF HER FAVORITE THINGS IN HIS GLOVE COMPARTMENT SO HE DOESNT FORGET
you can pry that one scene at the restaurant out of my cold dead hands!!!! (it’s a romance genre staple and i’m not letting it go!!)
aiden and grayson on the lucie defense squad🤝
Read my full review
berkley romance i love youuuu (thank you for the arc)
Bookstagram | Blog
you can pry that one scene at the restaurant out of my cold dead hands!!!! (it’s a romance genre staple and i’m not letting it go!!)
aiden and grayson on the lucie defense squad🤝
Read my full review
berkley romance i love youuuu (thank you for the arc)
Bookstagram | Blog
February 16, 2025
I really loved the premise and set up for this one! It was fun, flirty, entertaining & perfect for hopeless romantics (like me and lucie)
But around maybe 45-50% I unfortunately got the ick from Aiden (LOL) and there was no coming back from it. He was so emotionally unavailable and lacking so much confidence, I truly think lucie deserved so much more/better. Their chemistry & compatibility lacked for me, BUT I will say I loved the side characters & there were definitely some sweet moments
(This book also felt a tad too long)
But around maybe 45-50% I unfortunately got the ick from Aiden (LOL) and there was no coming back from it. He was so emotionally unavailable and lacking so much confidence, I truly think lucie deserved so much more/better. Their chemistry & compatibility lacked for me, BUT I will say I loved the side characters & there were definitely some sweet moments
(This book also felt a tad too long)
October 12, 2025
Long time listener, first time caller 😭❤️ I love them!!!!!
December 16, 2025
3.25 stars. I love B K Borison’s writing. The chemistry was immaculate, both physically and verbally. And the premise was SO cute and fun being set at a radio station with a romance advice radio show.
My main issue was the third act conflict. I was really empathetic for everything Aiden needed to work through personally but I hated that it hurt Lucie. And overall I think this book felt a classic romance book - nothing super new plot wise but I had fun reading it
My main issue was the third act conflict. I was really empathetic for everything Aiden needed to work through personally but I hated that it hurt Lucie. And overall I think this book felt a classic romance book - nothing super new plot wise but I had fun reading it
May 6, 2025
REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOD
December 4, 2024
this book was pure romance. i honestly don’t think i have words to say how much i adored this - aiden is ‘if he wanted to he would’/‘boy obsessed’ PERSONIFIED. b. k. borison has smashed it out of the park yet again🙂↕️🙂↕️
March 1, 2025
જ⁀➴ 3 ✰
First-time caller follows Aiden who is a radio host for a romance hotline, but he no longer believes in love. And Lucie who is a single mother and an auto mechanic whose daughter calls into the show, hoping to find her mom a chance at happiness. Aiden and Lucie start talking, the people of Boston fall in love with her, and she’s eventually invited on the show to help her find love. Naturally, Aiden and Lucie end up falling for each other.
At first glance, the idea of a hopeless romantic and an anti-romantic falling in love together seems like a recipe for an unforgettable, love story. It should be the kind of narrative that explores the intricacies of human relationships—how opposites can sometimes attract and heal one another. Unfortunately, despite the intriguing setup, the story ultimately falls flat. The chemistry between Aiden and Lucie is underdeveloped, and what should have been a deep emotional connection instead feels superficial and rushed.
➸ I knew I was taking a gamble with this book, considering my mixed experience with B.K. Borison’s books—I enjoyed two books from the Lovelight Farms series but really hated the other two. Still, I was excited to read this. Maybe my lack of familiarity with Sleepless in Seattle (which this book is inspired by) made it harder for me to fully connect with the story. I have to admit, I was enjoying the first half—my reading updates prove it.🤚🏻 But lately, I’ve found that books are struggling to hold my interest in the second half, and this one was no exception. The writing also felt quite superficial, which made it even harder to stay invested.
One of my biggest issues with this book is its length. It felt unnecessarily stretched out, and I think some people are confusing that with it being a slow burn. But in reality, the main characters developed feelings for each other in a month or so —so calling this a slow burn feels like an exaggeration. Instead of a well-paced romance, the book relied on excessive descriptions and drawn-out moments that made the story drag. After a certain point, I found myself questioning why they even liked each other. Their connection never felt fully developed, which made their growing feelings hard to believe.
➸ As for the characters… they were just meh. I didn’t hate them, but I didn’t love them either. They had some sweet moments together, but since their relationship lacked a solid foundation, those scenes didn’t really hit the way they should have. I had mixed feelings about Aiden. There were moments when he was a sweetheart, but overall, his character didn’t entirely make sense. He’s emotionally unavailable because his mom had cancer three times (though she’s still alive), and that fear of loss made him avoid attachment. But instead of growing from that experience, he takes it to an extreme—he’s actively avoiding his own mother, the one who survived cancer, simply because he’s afraid of watching someone he loves suffer. And this is a grown man in his thirties.😭 Honestly, he just needed therapy. His entire reasoning felt frustrating and weak, and instead of making him a complex character, it just made him seem emotionally immature. For Lucie I really loved her character at the beginning, I saw a little of myself on her with how much she want magic in love but I was a little mad at the end when she was willing to let that magic go and she was almost choosing a situationship with Aiden, like why are you going to accept the bare minimum after all the things you said you wanted in a relationship😔
I also didn’t care that much for any of the side characters. There was an overwhelming amount of unnecessary information about them, and none of them added much to the story. It felt like they were just there to fill space rather than contribute meaningfully to the plot. On top of that, despite most of these characters being in their thirties, they acted like teenagers. Their behavior often felt unrealistic for their age, making it even harder to take the story seriously.
Another thing that really bothers me is how this book is marketed as a single mom romance, yet the male main character barely develops a connection with the FMC’s child. When I pick up a single-parent romance, I expect to see a genuine relationship develop between the kid and the love interest throughout the story—not just as an afterthought. But here, that connection is practically nonexistent until the very end, which felt like a huge missed opportunity.
➸ Now, onto my biggest issue with this book—the smut. I cannot stand B.K. Borison’s writing when it comes to steamy scenes. I hated every single one in the Lovelight Farms series, and this book was no different. The closet scene is something I’ve vaguely mentioned a few times, but let me just lay it all out. That’s basically their first sexual interaction and it’s when she literally rides his thigh in the radio station building—because, apparently, that’s just a normal thing to do. It was so random and out of place, like we went from 5% to 100% on the lust scale with no real buildup. One moment, they’re having a normal conversation, and the next, it’s full-blown desperation out of nowhere.
And the actual sex scenes? Full of lines like "You can take it," "Look how good we fit,"—which, at this point, just feel overused and cringeworthy. I got so fed up that I had to skim through the last 100 pages because I physically couldn’t keep reading about them. The romance itself was already lacking, but the way their intimacy was written just made it worse. It felt forced, unearned, and more focused on instant gratification than any meaningful connection.
I could give you some example of how cringe and awkward the smut was but I’m a good person.
JOKING, we all going to suffer together.🤗
Exhibit A
who in their right mind writes the words pizza and orgasmic in the same sentence?😭😭
Exhibit B
➸ This might seem like just normal smut, and I realize I’m probably in the minority for feeling this way because all over TikTok, I see people absolutely losing their minds over these scenes. Everyone seems to find them hot and intense, but for me, they just didn’t work at all.
Anyways, I wasn’t thinking of writing a full review but it looks like I had a lot of things to say hahah. overall: I know my review sounds like I hate everything of this book but this was a cute book specifically in the beginning but it’s nothing out of this world. if you have liked previous books by B.K. and found the smut good then you’re probably going to like this book, since that was my biggest problem.
_________
ᝰ.ᐟ pre-read: ᯓᡣ𐭩୭˚.
I FOUND AN EARLY COPY AT MY WALMART 🤸🏻♂️🤸🏻♂️ B.K is a hit or miss for me, so let’s see with this one🫣
⋆𐙚₊˚⊹”Do you think I’ll get my magic?”
“Nah, Lucie. I think you’re the magic”⋆𐙚₊˚⊹
First-time caller follows Aiden who is a radio host for a romance hotline, but he no longer believes in love. And Lucie who is a single mother and an auto mechanic whose daughter calls into the show, hoping to find her mom a chance at happiness. Aiden and Lucie start talking, the people of Boston fall in love with her, and she’s eventually invited on the show to help her find love. Naturally, Aiden and Lucie end up falling for each other.
At first glance, the idea of a hopeless romantic and an anti-romantic falling in love together seems like a recipe for an unforgettable, love story. It should be the kind of narrative that explores the intricacies of human relationships—how opposites can sometimes attract and heal one another. Unfortunately, despite the intriguing setup, the story ultimately falls flat. The chemistry between Aiden and Lucie is underdeveloped, and what should have been a deep emotional connection instead feels superficial and rushed.
➸ I knew I was taking a gamble with this book, considering my mixed experience with B.K. Borison’s books—I enjoyed two books from the Lovelight Farms series but really hated the other two. Still, I was excited to read this. Maybe my lack of familiarity with Sleepless in Seattle (which this book is inspired by) made it harder for me to fully connect with the story. I have to admit, I was enjoying the first half—my reading updates prove it.🤚🏻 But lately, I’ve found that books are struggling to hold my interest in the second half, and this one was no exception. The writing also felt quite superficial, which made it even harder to stay invested.
One of my biggest issues with this book is its length. It felt unnecessarily stretched out, and I think some people are confusing that with it being a slow burn. But in reality, the main characters developed feelings for each other in a month or so —so calling this a slow burn feels like an exaggeration. Instead of a well-paced romance, the book relied on excessive descriptions and drawn-out moments that made the story drag. After a certain point, I found myself questioning why they even liked each other. Their connection never felt fully developed, which made their growing feelings hard to believe.
➸ As for the characters… they were just meh. I didn’t hate them, but I didn’t love them either. They had some sweet moments together, but since their relationship lacked a solid foundation, those scenes didn’t really hit the way they should have. I had mixed feelings about Aiden. There were moments when he was a sweetheart, but overall, his character didn’t entirely make sense. He’s emotionally unavailable because his mom had cancer three times (though she’s still alive), and that fear of loss made him avoid attachment. But instead of growing from that experience, he takes it to an extreme—he’s actively avoiding his own mother, the one who survived cancer, simply because he’s afraid of watching someone he loves suffer. And this is a grown man in his thirties.😭 Honestly, he just needed therapy. His entire reasoning felt frustrating and weak, and instead of making him a complex character, it just made him seem emotionally immature. For Lucie I really loved her character at the beginning, I saw a little of myself on her with how much she want magic in love but I was a little mad at the end when she was willing to let that magic go and she was almost choosing a situationship with Aiden, like why are you going to accept the bare minimum after all the things you said you wanted in a relationship😔
I also didn’t care that much for any of the side characters. There was an overwhelming amount of unnecessary information about them, and none of them added much to the story. It felt like they were just there to fill space rather than contribute meaningfully to the plot. On top of that, despite most of these characters being in their thirties, they acted like teenagers. Their behavior often felt unrealistic for their age, making it even harder to take the story seriously.
Another thing that really bothers me is how this book is marketed as a single mom romance, yet the male main character barely develops a connection with the FMC’s child. When I pick up a single-parent romance, I expect to see a genuine relationship develop between the kid and the love interest throughout the story—not just as an afterthought. But here, that connection is practically nonexistent until the very end, which felt like a huge missed opportunity.
➸ Now, onto my biggest issue with this book—the smut. I cannot stand B.K. Borison’s writing when it comes to steamy scenes. I hated every single one in the Lovelight Farms series, and this book was no different. The closet scene is something I’ve vaguely mentioned a few times, but let me just lay it all out. That’s basically their first sexual interaction and it’s when she literally rides his thigh in the radio station building—because, apparently, that’s just a normal thing to do. It was so random and out of place, like we went from 5% to 100% on the lust scale with no real buildup. One moment, they’re having a normal conversation, and the next, it’s full-blown desperation out of nowhere.
And the actual sex scenes? Full of lines like "You can take it," "Look how good we fit,"—which, at this point, just feel overused and cringeworthy. I got so fed up that I had to skim through the last 100 pages because I physically couldn’t keep reading about them. The romance itself was already lacking, but the way their intimacy was written just made it worse. It felt forced, unearned, and more focused on instant gratification than any meaningful connection.
I could give you some example of how cringe and awkward the smut was but I’m a good person.
JOKING, we all going to suffer together.🤗
Exhibit A
⤷ "Why did riding my thigh make you think of pizza?"
"Well." She shrugs, and her arm shifts against mine. We're back to being plastered together on this uncomfortable seat."Pineapple pizza is borderline orgasmic."
I cup my hand around the back of her head. My thumb traces the long line of her neck. "Is that so?"
"Yeah," she breathes. "It's really good."
who in their right mind writes the words pizza and orgasmic in the same sentence?😭😭
Exhibit B
⤷ "Condom," I grind out from between clenched teeth. "Get a condom. Please."
"So polite," she says, fumbling with the box.
My hands squeeze. "I'm about to be really rude, to be honest." She tears the wrapper with her teeth and rolls the condom
over me.
"I can take it," she whispers, and I have to think through the starting roster of the Orioles spring training team to keep myself from mindlessly rutting against her.
➸ This might seem like just normal smut, and I realize I’m probably in the minority for feeling this way because all over TikTok, I see people absolutely losing their minds over these scenes. Everyone seems to find them hot and intense, but for me, they just didn’t work at all.
Anyways, I wasn’t thinking of writing a full review but it looks like I had a lot of things to say hahah. overall: I know my review sounds like I hate everything of this book but this was a cute book specifically in the beginning but it’s nothing out of this world. if you have liked previous books by B.K. and found the smut good then you’re probably going to like this book, since that was my biggest problem.
_________
ᝰ.ᐟ pre-read: ᯓᡣ𐭩୭˚.
I FOUND AN EARLY COPY AT MY WALMART 🤸🏻♂️🤸🏻♂️ B.K is a hit or miss for me, so let’s see with this one🫣
November 6, 2025
ive never seen “sleepless in seattle,” but its not necessary in order to recognize this story oozes all the charm and delightfulness of classic 90s romcoms.
for me, i just really enjoyed seeing two characters have crushes on each other. theres something so wholesome about crushes - they make romance stories feel so sweet and the moment when they blossom into something more is beyond satisfying. so im really quite pleased with the pacing and development of lucie and aidens relationship. not to mention, aidens dirty talk is the gold standard for bedroom communication. lol.
so i really enjoyed this one. its just one of those stories that does a great job at hitting all of the right spots.
↠ 4.5 stars
for me, i just really enjoyed seeing two characters have crushes on each other. theres something so wholesome about crushes - they make romance stories feel so sweet and the moment when they blossom into something more is beyond satisfying. so im really quite pleased with the pacing and development of lucie and aidens relationship. not to mention, aidens dirty talk is the gold standard for bedroom communication. lol.
so i really enjoyed this one. its just one of those stories that does a great job at hitting all of the right spots.
↠ 4.5 stars
December 15, 2025
I fell in love with this book! I cursed myself for reading it so quickly! Several things made me swoon and sigh, starting with the delightful banter between Aiden and Lucie during their radio show, where they shared a tiny booth without a single complaint. I absolutely adored the moment when Lucie found the list of her favorite things in Aiden’s car glove compartment, and her being stood up by her date turns into the most entertaining and memorable night—reminiscent of a scene from New Girl's pilot episode. (I’m trying not to give too many spoilers, but I can’t help sharing some moments that made me truly adore this book!)
I have a confession to make, and I hope Nora Ephron fans won’t boo me for it, but this book’s plot is even better than Sleepless in Seattle! The similarities begin with 12-year-old Maya’s call to Heartstrings, Aiden Valentine’s Baltimore romance hotline (which unfortunately only a dozen people listen to), asking for dating advice for her 29-year-old single mom, Lucie Stone. But that’s where the similarities end. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait until the end for the characters to meet at the Empire State Building (because, let’s face it, I’m not that patient).
When their conversations go viral, bringing back ratings and sponsors to the struggling station (thanks to Aiden’s brooding tone and existential crisis), the intimidating station manager Maggie Lin decides on a solution: to include Lucie in the show. So many lonely listeners connect with her and her journey to finding the real love she deserves.
Aiden agrees to help Lucie in her quest for love, sending her on dates connected through a separate phone line provided by the station. But there’s one big problem: if there were a Grinch who stole Valentine’s Day, it would be Aiden. He fell out of love with love a long time ago due to family tragedies, keeping people at arm’s length and avoiding any intimacy in his life.
How can Aiden, who doesn’t believe in love, help Lucie find her perfect match when he’s starting to develop feelings for her himself? He tries to restrain himself, believing he can’t offer her the magic she deserves. But the sparks between them are undeniable, and Lucie has feelings for him too. Can he do the honorable thing and send her to a man who can give her what she wants, or will he tear down the walls he’s built around his heart and take a chance on becoming a better man?
I loved Aiden and Lucie’s story. Their attraction and sizzling chemistry are off the charts. Lucie is brave, kind-hearted, and tough, always putting her loved ones first—and she’s also a kickass mechanic. Aiden, on the other hand, is incredibly sweet, a true romantic hiding behind his cold, sarcastic, and depressed exterior.
Grayson, the gay dad next door who’s fiercely protective of Lucie, and his husband form a big, eccentric family that had me laughing so much. And Maya is smart, sweet, and absolutely adorable.
If I had the talent to write and compose a love song for this book, I would do it in a heartbeat!
I have a feeling we’re going to read Jackson Clark (Aiden’s best friend with a cruffin addiction I can’t blame him for—those things are amazing!) and Delilah Stewart’s enemies-to-lovers story in the second book of the series. (At least, that’s what I’m guessing based on the hints the author dropped!) I can’t wait to read more of this series. It’s off to an even better start than the Lovelight Farms series (which I also adore). Aiden and Lucie’s story will tug on your heartstrings, bringing you joy, entertainment, and hope—the perfect recipe for a great romance!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sharing this perfect romance’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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I have a confession to make, and I hope Nora Ephron fans won’t boo me for it, but this book’s plot is even better than Sleepless in Seattle! The similarities begin with 12-year-old Maya’s call to Heartstrings, Aiden Valentine’s Baltimore romance hotline (which unfortunately only a dozen people listen to), asking for dating advice for her 29-year-old single mom, Lucie Stone. But that’s where the similarities end. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait until the end for the characters to meet at the Empire State Building (because, let’s face it, I’m not that patient).
When their conversations go viral, bringing back ratings and sponsors to the struggling station (thanks to Aiden’s brooding tone and existential crisis), the intimidating station manager Maggie Lin decides on a solution: to include Lucie in the show. So many lonely listeners connect with her and her journey to finding the real love she deserves.
Aiden agrees to help Lucie in her quest for love, sending her on dates connected through a separate phone line provided by the station. But there’s one big problem: if there were a Grinch who stole Valentine’s Day, it would be Aiden. He fell out of love with love a long time ago due to family tragedies, keeping people at arm’s length and avoiding any intimacy in his life.
How can Aiden, who doesn’t believe in love, help Lucie find her perfect match when he’s starting to develop feelings for her himself? He tries to restrain himself, believing he can’t offer her the magic she deserves. But the sparks between them are undeniable, and Lucie has feelings for him too. Can he do the honorable thing and send her to a man who can give her what she wants, or will he tear down the walls he’s built around his heart and take a chance on becoming a better man?
I loved Aiden and Lucie’s story. Their attraction and sizzling chemistry are off the charts. Lucie is brave, kind-hearted, and tough, always putting her loved ones first—and she’s also a kickass mechanic. Aiden, on the other hand, is incredibly sweet, a true romantic hiding behind his cold, sarcastic, and depressed exterior.
Grayson, the gay dad next door who’s fiercely protective of Lucie, and his husband form a big, eccentric family that had me laughing so much. And Maya is smart, sweet, and absolutely adorable.
If I had the talent to write and compose a love song for this book, I would do it in a heartbeat!
I have a feeling we’re going to read Jackson Clark (Aiden’s best friend with a cruffin addiction I can’t blame him for—those things are amazing!) and Delilah Stewart’s enemies-to-lovers story in the second book of the series. (At least, that’s what I’m guessing based on the hints the author dropped!) I can’t wait to read more of this series. It’s off to an even better start than the Lovelight Farms series (which I also adore). Aiden and Lucie’s story will tug on your heartstrings, bringing you joy, entertainment, and hope—the perfect recipe for a great romance!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sharing this perfect romance’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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August 24, 2025
My first SIX-STAR read of the year! ❤️⭐️
This book was just so heartwarming and enjoyable. I kept falling more and more in love with the characters and their growth, it just made my heart so full. One of my favorite parts was that there wasn’t really a third-act breakup. Instead, it was about two mature adults giving each other space to figure out their feelings, rather than unnecessary drama.
Lucie is an amazing FMC! She is funny, lovable, and easy to root for. Watching her grow and truly believe that she deserves to be loved was amazing. I also loved how she broke gender stereotypes with her job and had such strong support from her coworkers. Maya was full of sass and admiration for Lucie, and the bond between them was one I wish everyone could have with their mom 🥹 And let’s not forget Grayson and Mateo.. the sass, the found family vibes, the unconditional love? Chef’s kiss 😙
Aiden was a great MMC as well! He wasn’t perfect, but he owned his mistakes, learned from them, and showed so much growth. His friendship with Maggie and Jackson added so much humor to the book, and I seriously cannot wait for Jackson’s book!
This book was pure perfection!! 💓 I wish I could read it again for the first time. It’s the kind of story that wraps around your heart and leaves you smiling from ear to ear! Highly recommend to all romance and romcom lovers! 💕
This book was just so heartwarming and enjoyable. I kept falling more and more in love with the characters and their growth, it just made my heart so full. One of my favorite parts was that there wasn’t really a third-act breakup. Instead, it was about two mature adults giving each other space to figure out their feelings, rather than unnecessary drama.
Lucie is an amazing FMC! She is funny, lovable, and easy to root for. Watching her grow and truly believe that she deserves to be loved was amazing. I also loved how she broke gender stereotypes with her job and had such strong support from her coworkers. Maya was full of sass and admiration for Lucie, and the bond between them was one I wish everyone could have with their mom 🥹 And let’s not forget Grayson and Mateo.. the sass, the found family vibes, the unconditional love? Chef’s kiss 😙
Aiden was a great MMC as well! He wasn’t perfect, but he owned his mistakes, learned from them, and showed so much growth. His friendship with Maggie and Jackson added so much humor to the book, and I seriously cannot wait for Jackson’s book!
This book was pure perfection!! 💓 I wish I could read it again for the first time. It’s the kind of story that wraps around your heart and leaves you smiling from ear to ear! Highly recommend to all romance and romcom lovers! 💕
January 9, 2026
starting my year right 🙂↔️
__
First read of 2026!! The cover is so cute, I hope the book is as good<3.
__
First read of 2026!! The cover is so cute, I hope the book is as good<3.
March 17, 2025
This is hands down the best contemporary romance I have ever read. The characters are so believable and likable! A divorced mother to a 12 year old daughter that not only gets along with her ex but lives next door?! I wanted to reread this book immediately after finishing because I had a smile plastered to my face the ENTIRE TIME I was reading it. I laughed so hard the whole way through. The banter is 10 out of 10! This love story made me feel all the warm fuzzy feelings I got watching old romcoms back in the day when they were still good. I actually have zero notes. Perfection!
March 24, 2025
2.5 ⭐️ I can see why people like this story but it wasn’t for me.
“I wasn’t—I wasn’t expecting you.”
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ contemporary romance
✨ Baltimore setting
✨ auto mechanic x radio host
✨ romantic x cynic
✨ single mom
✨ insta lust
✨ friends to lovers
✨ 2/5 🌶️
✨ miscommunication
✨ third act breakup
✨ blended family
✨ LGBTQ rep
✨ dual POV
✨ TW: parent with cancer, estranged family
My Thoughts:
The premise is cute. Aiden is a radio host for a romance hotline but he no longer believes in love. Lucie is an auto mechanic and a single mother whose daughter calls into the show because she wants her mom to be happy / date. Aiden and Lucie talk. The people of Baltimore love her. She's invited on the show to help her find love. And, of course, Aiden and Lucie end up falling for each other.
There's a few lines that had me chuckling. The spice shows up at 60% and pops off. There's a tense third act breakup but Aiden wins her back in the end. The story checks all the rom-com boxes. However, this story was just so bland. It felt very formulaic and without any real soul.
At 30%, I started to really have issues. Once Lucie joins the radio show, we skip ahead two weeks, missing out on interactions between her and Aiden, which is important for showing how they develop a connection. Instead, it goes from them just meeting and talking once to Aiden having intense emotional reactions to Lucie. For example, Lucie has a bad date and throughout this scene, Aiden thinks, "I would have punched myself in the face too if I thought I made Lucie cry" and "I'm going to kill that slimy piece of shit." I just didn't understand why he was so emotional and protective over Lucie in such a short amount of time. But again, if we had some scene between them during the two week period leading up to this date, maybe we would have seen some feelings grow.
After this failed date, they have quite a few small touches and forehead kisses here and there, yet somehow, neither Aiden or Lucie are aware that this might signal they are into each other. People who only know each other for three weeks in a semi-professional environment don't do those things unless there is attraction or feelings. 🙄 They were being purposefully obtuse to fit the narrative of this story.
I'm also SO over characters that CLEARLY need therapy but refuse to seek it, only letting their unresolved issues fester and dictate their lives. What do you mean this 30 year old man has been distancing himself from his parents because he can't handle his mom possibly going through another cancer scare again??? She beat cancer three times and he avoids her?! What a fucking dick. I could understand Aiden doing this in his early 20s but continuing this into your 30s, when he's completely aware of this behavior and does absolutely nothing to be better? No. There are times when a grumpy asshole MC is sexy, but this was not one of them.
The spice was open door and explicit, but it just felt like the scenes and dialogue where following a romance playbook. It didn't feel original. First kiss happens at exactly 60%; the next time they kiss he makes her cum and refuses any reciprocation because . . . no real reason; and then the next intimate scene is a sex scene where he says all the right things. I've read so many male main characters say "I fucked my fist" or "You can take it" that I no longer get excited reading these sentences. I realize most romances have similar dialogue, so I'm aware my issue with it in this book might just be because I didn't connect with the characters. But still, can authors please give us something new? I'm jaded over here and want to feel hot and bothered gain when reading these spicy scenes.
But really, my biggest issue is the writing. I’ve read three books from the Lovelight Farms series and didn’t quite connect but I was hoping this series would be a little different. Unfortunately, it wasn't. I think it's because I don’t like how BK Borison writes, regardless of the story, tropes, or characters. In my opinion, Borison overwrites and includes a lot of unimportant information. And any new info introduced feels like an info dump, that could easily be condensed or excluded. I ended up skimming a lot of the non-dialogue and I didn't miss anything. BK Borison books and I just don't vibe, so this will officially be the last one I read.
Favorite Quotes:
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.
_______
“I don’t want to be with someone if they’re not giving me something I don’t already have. I don’t want to waste my time on things that don’t feel like everything I’ve always wanted for myself. . . I want goose bumps. I want to be wanted. All this time and I—I haven’t given up. I guess I’m just waiting for it to find me.”
_______
“I like that. Thinking that I’m worth paying attention to. Something ordinary made extraordinary by the person you’re sharing it with.”
_______
“You’re gonna make me work for it, aren’t you?” he murmurs.
“You like it when I make you work for it,” I fire back.
_______
“Ah, Lucie.” Aiden smiles, his fingers fanning out wide against my back. “I’d know you anywhere.”
_______
“I like a woman who can toss me around.”
_______
“You might not be what I’m looking for, but you’re what I want. And that’s enough for me.”
_______
Kissing her won’t lead to anything good. But I’ve never claimed to be all that good to begin with, and I’ve been on my best behavior for weeks.
_______
“You have a pineapple pizza?”
I nod, annoyed with myself. “I do.”
“You said pineapple on pizza is disgusting.” “
It is.”
“Then why do you have it?”
“Because you said it was your favorite,” I admit. “And I want your favorite to be my favorite.”
_______
Maybe Lucie doesn’t make me stupid. Maybe she just makes me honest.
_______
“I can be brave enough for the both of us. I can make my own magic. You just have to give me a reason to.”
_______
Love isn’t”—he sighs, a deep, rumbling sound—“love isn’t always sunshine and daisies. Sometimes it’s hospital beds and shaved heads. But I wouldn’t trade any of it. Because all of it is with her.”
_______
“I wasn’t—I wasn’t expecting you.”
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ contemporary romance
✨ Baltimore setting
✨ auto mechanic x radio host
✨ romantic x cynic
✨ single mom
✨ insta lust
✨ friends to lovers
✨ 2/5 🌶️
✨ miscommunication
✨ third act breakup
✨ blended family
✨ LGBTQ rep
✨ dual POV
✨ TW: parent with cancer, estranged family
My Thoughts:
The premise is cute. Aiden is a radio host for a romance hotline but he no longer believes in love. Lucie is an auto mechanic and a single mother whose daughter calls into the show because she wants her mom to be happy / date. Aiden and Lucie talk. The people of Baltimore love her. She's invited on the show to help her find love. And, of course, Aiden and Lucie end up falling for each other.
There's a few lines that had me chuckling. The spice shows up at 60% and pops off. There's a tense third act breakup but Aiden wins her back in the end. The story checks all the rom-com boxes. However, this story was just so bland. It felt very formulaic and without any real soul.
At 30%, I started to really have issues. Once Lucie joins the radio show, we skip ahead two weeks, missing out on interactions between her and Aiden, which is important for showing how they develop a connection. Instead, it goes from them just meeting and talking once to Aiden having intense emotional reactions to Lucie. For example, Lucie has a bad date and throughout this scene, Aiden thinks, "I would have punched myself in the face too if I thought I made Lucie cry" and "I'm going to kill that slimy piece of shit." I just didn't understand why he was so emotional and protective over Lucie in such a short amount of time. But again, if we had some scene between them during the two week period leading up to this date, maybe we would have seen some feelings grow.
After this failed date, they have quite a few small touches and forehead kisses here and there, yet somehow, neither Aiden or Lucie are aware that this might signal they are into each other. People who only know each other for three weeks in a semi-professional environment don't do those things unless there is attraction or feelings. 🙄 They were being purposefully obtuse to fit the narrative of this story.
I'm also SO over characters that CLEARLY need therapy but refuse to seek it, only letting their unresolved issues fester and dictate their lives. What do you mean this 30 year old man has been distancing himself from his parents because he can't handle his mom possibly going through another cancer scare again??? She beat cancer three times and he avoids her?! What a fucking dick. I could understand Aiden doing this in his early 20s but continuing this into your 30s, when he's completely aware of this behavior and does absolutely nothing to be better? No. There are times when a grumpy asshole MC is sexy, but this was not one of them.
The spice was open door and explicit, but it just felt like the scenes and dialogue where following a romance playbook. It didn't feel original. First kiss happens at exactly 60%; the next time they kiss he makes her cum and refuses any reciprocation because . . . no real reason; and then the next intimate scene is a sex scene where he says all the right things. I've read so many male main characters say "I fucked my fist" or "You can take it" that I no longer get excited reading these sentences. I realize most romances have similar dialogue, so I'm aware my issue with it in this book might just be because I didn't connect with the characters. But still, can authors please give us something new? I'm jaded over here and want to feel hot and bothered gain when reading these spicy scenes.
But really, my biggest issue is the writing. I’ve read three books from the Lovelight Farms series and didn’t quite connect but I was hoping this series would be a little different. Unfortunately, it wasn't. I think it's because I don’t like how BK Borison writes, regardless of the story, tropes, or characters. In my opinion, Borison overwrites and includes a lot of unimportant information. And any new info introduced feels like an info dump, that could easily be condensed or excluded. I ended up skimming a lot of the non-dialogue and I didn't miss anything. BK Borison books and I just don't vibe, so this will officially be the last one I read.
Favorite Quotes:
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.
_______
“I don’t want to be with someone if they’re not giving me something I don’t already have. I don’t want to waste my time on things that don’t feel like everything I’ve always wanted for myself. . . I want goose bumps. I want to be wanted. All this time and I—I haven’t given up. I guess I’m just waiting for it to find me.”
_______
“I like that. Thinking that I’m worth paying attention to. Something ordinary made extraordinary by the person you’re sharing it with.”
_______
“You’re gonna make me work for it, aren’t you?” he murmurs.
“You like it when I make you work for it,” I fire back.
_______
“Ah, Lucie.” Aiden smiles, his fingers fanning out wide against my back. “I’d know you anywhere.”
_______
“I like a woman who can toss me around.”
_______
“You might not be what I’m looking for, but you’re what I want. And that’s enough for me.”
_______
Kissing her won’t lead to anything good. But I’ve never claimed to be all that good to begin with, and I’ve been on my best behavior for weeks.
_______
“You have a pineapple pizza?”
I nod, annoyed with myself. “I do.”
“You said pineapple on pizza is disgusting.” “
It is.”
“Then why do you have it?”
“Because you said it was your favorite,” I admit. “And I want your favorite to be my favorite.”
_______
Maybe Lucie doesn’t make me stupid. Maybe she just makes me honest.
_______
“I can be brave enough for the both of us. I can make my own magic. You just have to give me a reason to.”
_______
Love isn’t”—he sighs, a deep, rumbling sound—“love isn’t always sunshine and daisies. Sometimes it’s hospital beds and shaved heads. But I wouldn’t trade any of it. Because all of it is with her.”
_______
May 25, 2025
4.5 ⭐
Oh wow... The hype was real, I loved the book 😍
Aiden and Lucie are so adorable, I wanted to hug them both 💗
I couldn't give it a perfect 5 because I felt like Aiden was playing with Lucie's feelings in some parts. I understand because of everything he's been through as a teenager, but if you're not clear about things, don't play with the other person's feelings. I'm just saying 🤷🏼♀️
Even so, I loved the book, its main characters, and even the supporting characters. I can't wait to read Jackson's book 💗
Oh wow... The hype was real, I loved the book 😍
Aiden and Lucie are so adorable, I wanted to hug them both 💗
I couldn't give it a perfect 5 because I felt like Aiden was playing with Lucie's feelings in some parts. I understand because of everything he's been through as a teenager, but if you're not clear about things, don't play with the other person's feelings. I'm just saying 🤷🏼♀️
Even so, I loved the book, its main characters, and even the supporting characters. I can't wait to read Jackson's book 💗
February 6, 2025
my favorite book of 2024.
First-Time Caller is a marvelous Sleepless in Seattle inspired romance. With slow burn, banter, tension, connection and so much more, you can’t help but fall in love with Aidan and Lucie. Not only do you fall for them on their own but as a couple as well.
Lucie goes on a romance hotline (hosted by Aidan) to try and find a date, she’s looking for love. But where she finds love is unexpected.
If you were to watch a late 90s, early 2000s romcom, this book gives you that same exact feeling that those movies do. It’s a feel good, butterflies in your tummy, chest palpations type of romance. And I fell head over heels in love.
There is not a single flaw in this book (in my opinion) and it was perfection is written form. Honestly, BK Borison can do no wrong. And FTC just solidified that.
If you’re in need of a romance for the ages that will make you feel all the good feelings while reading it, First-Time Caller is a must read. Trust me, you’ll fall in love just as hard as I did.
First-Time Caller is a marvelous Sleepless in Seattle inspired romance. With slow burn, banter, tension, connection and so much more, you can’t help but fall in love with Aidan and Lucie. Not only do you fall for them on their own but as a couple as well.
Lucie goes on a romance hotline (hosted by Aidan) to try and find a date, she’s looking for love. But where she finds love is unexpected.
If you were to watch a late 90s, early 2000s romcom, this book gives you that same exact feeling that those movies do. It’s a feel good, butterflies in your tummy, chest palpations type of romance. And I fell head over heels in love.
There is not a single flaw in this book (in my opinion) and it was perfection is written form. Honestly, BK Borison can do no wrong. And FTC just solidified that.
If you’re in need of a romance for the ages that will make you feel all the good feelings while reading it, First-Time Caller is a must read. Trust me, you’ll fall in love just as hard as I did.
Want to read
July 18, 2025being brave (trying a new romance)
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January 19, 2026
⤿ rating: 4.5 stars
⤿ age: 18+
⤿ spice: 2/5
₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ Review will contain quotes.
➜ Buddy read with the beautiful Thea. Thank you so much for reading this with me!
⤷ Will link her review once it's posted.
𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:
📞🩷 Rom-com
🧡🎧 Grumpy x Sunshine
📞🩷 Single Mom
🧡🎧 Slow burn romance
📞🩷Workplace romance
🧡🎧Forced proximity
══⋆⋅☆⋅⋆══╡ Overview: ╞══⋆⋅☆⋅⋆══
I adored the heck out of this book. It’s been a while since a book has made me feel this way. This book was so beautifully written, it’s the kind of book that resonates with you, too. It’s the kind of book that fills you with nostalgia, and you could almost see them falling in love in front of you. The way the author conveyed the emotions made it feel so raw and relatable to read about. I kept annotating as I went through the book, because of how relatable it was—It also had me smiling like an idiot. It made my heart feel warm and fuzzy—that it’s okay to feel like this and not be embarrassed about what you ask for in a relationship. I don’t know if this will sound dumb, but it makes you believe in love, you know?
I loved the setting of this book, because I’ve never read anything quite it. It truly makes you feel like you are either in the studio or listening to their banter and flirtatious moments. The book was also really funny at times—the way a rom-com should be. I loved reading the transcripts—they were hilarious. The dynamic between the characters and the found family in this book was captivating.
I’m struggling with the rating of this one. At first, it was a 4.5 because it had very long chapters, and it was bugging me. But then it kept dragging on, and the lack of communication was bothering me too—there was no change happening, as in, some scenes were repetitive. I loved the beginning and middle so much, but I almost got slightly bored towards the end.
Then the third-act conflict came along, and it made me so mad—I considered dropping my rating to four, but then changed my mind because I loved this book so much. I knew there was a third-act breakup going into the book, but this was worse than I thought. I didn’t like this chapter at all, nor was I a fan of Aiden in that scene. However, I still adored the ending, nonetheless.
This book was too long for 33 chapters—I feel like it could have been a little shorter. I needed to see more of them as a couple and more communication between them. However, the tension between the characters was so perfectly done that you could cut it with a knife.
══⋆⋅☆⋅⋆══╡ Characters: ╞══⋆⋅☆⋅⋆══
જ⁀➴ Aiden: Was he a grumpy asshole? Yes. Was he a bit of a manchild? Also, yes. However, those didn’t upset me as much as I expected to—excluding the third-act breakup. I loved his way with words AND actions towards Lucie. I honestly loved him a lot, but I suppose I needed more from him as a book boyfriend? He was way too emotionally unavailable for my liking, and his actions towards the end pissed me off. I get where he’s coming from, and his backstory was heartbreaking—but like, go get your girl. That being said, I did relate to him as well, and I also teared up during the phone call with his dad. His friendship with Jackson added lots of humour to the plotline.
「✦ “Nah, Lucie.” In my dream, he brushes a kiss against my forehead. “I think you’re the magic.” ✦」
「✦ “I prefer leggy brunettes who steal my coffee.” ✦」
「✦ “I just like looking at you.” ✦」
「✦ “Who the fuck made you cry?” ✦」
「✦ “I don’t want Lucie to slip through my fingers. It doesn’t matter that she’s never been mine to hold. I can’t stop myself from wanting her.” ✦」
「✦ “Because I’ve spent the last decade telling myself not to want anything at all, and Lucie is the first thing I’ve let myself reach for” ✦」
「✦ “Fuck, Lucie. I think I could let myself love you too.” ✦」
「✦ “Long-time listener, first-time caller,” he says over the line. There’s a reluctant grin in his voice. It twists his words up at the edges, just like his smile. “I was hoping you could give me some advice.” ✦」
જ⁀➴ Lucie: I loved her a lot. She was remarkably relatable in her discussions about her feelings towards relationships, and I found myself agreeing with most of what she said. I loved watching her grow and be more in tune with her emotions. She was such a good mom to her daughter, and I loved seeing their relationship together. She’s also so independent and just a badass, overall—she’s literally a mechanic. Seeing her character development from being afraid to ask for what she wants to growing the confidence to do just that was very inspiring. I also loved her relationship with her co-workers at the garage—they were so cute and funny.
「✦ “I want to feel something when I connect with someone. I want sparks. The good kind, you know? I want to laugh and mean it. I want goose bumps. I want to wonder what my date is thinking about and hope it might be me. I want…I want the magic.” ✦」
「✦ “I like that. Thinking that I’m worth paying attention to. Something ordinary made extraordinary by the person you’re sharing it with.” ✦」
「✦ “How often have I felt like I’m just drifting from one thing to the next? How hard has it been for me to muster enthusiasm for . . . anything? I’ve been caught in a fog and I can’t tug myself out of it.” ✦」
「✦ “I think we’re all a little lonely” ✦」
「✦ “When the whole world tells you you’re silly for wanting the things you want, you start to believe them. You start to think you’re not worth it. That if the things you’re waiting for do exist, they’re not for someone like you.” She sighs, a small, hopeless sound that twists through my headphones. “But what’s wrong with being a romantic? I can be a confident, independent woman and still want someone to hold my hand. To ask about my day. It’s a good thing to want passion and excitement and care. Attention and affection.” ✦」
「✦ “No, that’s not what I mean. I don’t want to try . All I do is try. All day long, I’m trying and I’m so tired. Why can’t this be the one thing I don’t have to try at? Why can’t it be a thing that just . . . happens?” ✦」
「✦ “I’m excellent at getting my hopes up only to be handed a heavy dose of disappointment down the line.” ✦」
「✦ “I could let myself love you so easily, Aiden.” ✦」
જ⁀➴ Maya: She’s so adorable and mature for her age, thankfully. Hands down, the best matchmaker for her mom.
⋮ ⌗ ┆𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
જ⁀➴ Jackson: He’s so adorable and funny. He kind of reminds me of Dorian—if he were on crack. I can’t wait for his book.
જ⁀➴ Grayson and Mateo: I loved them so much. They’re so cute together, just wish we got their backstory. And I’m so happy to see healthy co-parenting between Grayson and Lu. I loved their friendship a lot, and it was refreshing to see healthy exes. Grayson did piss me off at a certain scene, though, and so did Patty. I wish we knew more about Grayson and Lu’s backstory, as well, though, cause I did find their story slightly confusing.
જ⁀➴ Maggie: I honestly have mixed feelings about her. I don’t know if I like her or not. I mean, most times, I don’t like her at all. The same goes for Patty.
── .✦ 𝓕𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓵 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼: This book was totally worth the hype. It was my first book by this author, and it didn’t disappoint. I’ll continue to read more from her, but I’ll space them out to avoid a slump. I would totally recommend you read this book; however, be patient with the long chapters—don’t be like me 😂.
«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»
*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺ Pre-read: ༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
My second buddy read of the year with the lovely Thea 🫶🏻. This is my first book by this author, so I really hope it's as good as people say.
⤿ age: 18+
⤿ spice: 2/5
₊· ͟͟͞͞➳ Review will contain quotes.
➜ Buddy read with the beautiful Thea. Thank you so much for reading this with me!
⤷ Will link her review once it's posted.
𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:
📞🩷 Rom-com
🧡🎧 Grumpy x Sunshine
📞🩷 Single Mom
🧡🎧 Slow burn romance
📞🩷Workplace romance
🧡🎧Forced proximity
══⋆⋅☆⋅⋆══╡ Overview: ╞══⋆⋅☆⋅⋆══
I adored the heck out of this book. It’s been a while since a book has made me feel this way. This book was so beautifully written, it’s the kind of book that resonates with you, too. It’s the kind of book that fills you with nostalgia, and you could almost see them falling in love in front of you. The way the author conveyed the emotions made it feel so raw and relatable to read about. I kept annotating as I went through the book, because of how relatable it was—It also had me smiling like an idiot. It made my heart feel warm and fuzzy—that it’s okay to feel like this and not be embarrassed about what you ask for in a relationship. I don’t know if this will sound dumb, but it makes you believe in love, you know?
I loved the setting of this book, because I’ve never read anything quite it. It truly makes you feel like you are either in the studio or listening to their banter and flirtatious moments. The book was also really funny at times—the way a rom-com should be. I loved reading the transcripts—they were hilarious. The dynamic between the characters and the found family in this book was captivating.
I’m struggling with the rating of this one. At first, it was a 4.5 because it had very long chapters, and it was bugging me. But then it kept dragging on, and the lack of communication was bothering me too—there was no change happening, as in, some scenes were repetitive. I loved the beginning and middle so much, but I almost got slightly bored towards the end.
Then the third-act conflict came along, and it made me so mad—I considered dropping my rating to four, but then changed my mind because I loved this book so much. I knew there was a third-act breakup going into the book, but this was worse than I thought. I didn’t like this chapter at all, nor was I a fan of Aiden in that scene. However, I still adored the ending, nonetheless.
This book was too long for 33 chapters—I feel like it could have been a little shorter. I needed to see more of them as a couple and more communication between them. However, the tension between the characters was so perfectly done that you could cut it with a knife.
══⋆⋅☆⋅⋆══╡ Characters: ╞══⋆⋅☆⋅⋆══
જ⁀➴ Aiden: Was he a grumpy asshole? Yes. Was he a bit of a manchild? Also, yes. However, those didn’t upset me as much as I expected to—excluding the third-act breakup. I loved his way with words AND actions towards Lucie. I honestly loved him a lot, but I suppose I needed more from him as a book boyfriend? He was way too emotionally unavailable for my liking, and his actions towards the end pissed me off. I get where he’s coming from, and his backstory was heartbreaking—but like, go get your girl. That being said, I did relate to him as well, and I also teared up during the phone call with his dad. His friendship with Jackson added lots of humour to the plotline.
「✦ “Nah, Lucie.” In my dream, he brushes a kiss against my forehead. “I think you’re the magic.” ✦」
「✦ “I prefer leggy brunettes who steal my coffee.” ✦」
「✦ “I just like looking at you.” ✦」
「✦ “Who the fuck made you cry?” ✦」
「✦ “I don’t want Lucie to slip through my fingers. It doesn’t matter that she’s never been mine to hold. I can’t stop myself from wanting her.” ✦」
「✦ “Because I’ve spent the last decade telling myself not to want anything at all, and Lucie is the first thing I’ve let myself reach for” ✦」
「✦ “Fuck, Lucie. I think I could let myself love you too.” ✦」
「✦ “Long-time listener, first-time caller,” he says over the line. There’s a reluctant grin in his voice. It twists his words up at the edges, just like his smile. “I was hoping you could give me some advice.” ✦」
જ⁀➴ Lucie: I loved her a lot. She was remarkably relatable in her discussions about her feelings towards relationships, and I found myself agreeing with most of what she said. I loved watching her grow and be more in tune with her emotions. She was such a good mom to her daughter, and I loved seeing their relationship together. She’s also so independent and just a badass, overall—she’s literally a mechanic. Seeing her character development from being afraid to ask for what she wants to growing the confidence to do just that was very inspiring. I also loved her relationship with her co-workers at the garage—they were so cute and funny.
「✦ “I want to feel something when I connect with someone. I want sparks. The good kind, you know? I want to laugh and mean it. I want goose bumps. I want to wonder what my date is thinking about and hope it might be me. I want…I want the magic.” ✦」
「✦ “I like that. Thinking that I’m worth paying attention to. Something ordinary made extraordinary by the person you’re sharing it with.” ✦」
「✦ “How often have I felt like I’m just drifting from one thing to the next? How hard has it been for me to muster enthusiasm for . . . anything? I’ve been caught in a fog and I can’t tug myself out of it.” ✦」
「✦ “I think we’re all a little lonely” ✦」
「✦ “When the whole world tells you you’re silly for wanting the things you want, you start to believe them. You start to think you’re not worth it. That if the things you’re waiting for do exist, they’re not for someone like you.” She sighs, a small, hopeless sound that twists through my headphones. “But what’s wrong with being a romantic? I can be a confident, independent woman and still want someone to hold my hand. To ask about my day. It’s a good thing to want passion and excitement and care. Attention and affection.” ✦」
「✦ “No, that’s not what I mean. I don’t want to try . All I do is try. All day long, I’m trying and I’m so tired. Why can’t this be the one thing I don’t have to try at? Why can’t it be a thing that just . . . happens?” ✦」
「✦ “I’m excellent at getting my hopes up only to be handed a heavy dose of disappointment down the line.” ✦」
「✦ “I could let myself love you so easily, Aiden.” ✦」
જ⁀➴ Maya: She’s so adorable and mature for her age, thankfully. Hands down, the best matchmaker for her mom.
⋮ ⌗ ┆𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
જ⁀➴ Jackson: He’s so adorable and funny. He kind of reminds me of Dorian—if he were on crack. I can’t wait for his book.
જ⁀➴ Grayson and Mateo: I loved them so much. They’re so cute together, just wish we got their backstory. And I’m so happy to see healthy co-parenting between Grayson and Lu. I loved their friendship a lot, and it was refreshing to see healthy exes. Grayson did piss me off at a certain scene, though, and so did Patty. I wish we knew more about Grayson and Lu’s backstory, as well, though, cause I did find their story slightly confusing.
જ⁀➴ Maggie: I honestly have mixed feelings about her. I don’t know if I like her or not. I mean, most times, I don’t like her at all. The same goes for Patty.
── .✦ 𝓕𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓵 𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼: This book was totally worth the hype. It was my first book by this author, and it didn’t disappoint. I’ll continue to read more from her, but I’ll space them out to avoid a slump. I would totally recommend you read this book; however, be patient with the long chapters—don’t be like me 😂.
«────── « ⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅ » ──────»
*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺ Pre-read: ༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
My second buddy read of the year with the lovely Thea 🫶🏻. This is my first book by this author, so I really hope it's as good as people say.
March 1, 2025
RATING BREAKDOWN
Characters: 4⭐️
Setting: 5⭐️
Plot: 4⭐️
Themes: 4⭐️
Emotional Impact: 4⭐️
Personal Enjoyment: 5⭐️
Total Rounded Average: 4.5⭐️
What a freaking breath of fresh air! As someone who doesn't usually have a good time with a contemporary romance, I read this in one delicious sitting and had a blast. This one stands out from the crowd because Lucie, the main character, is a grown-ass woman with healthy self-esteem, functional friendships, a wholesome co-parent relationship, a fulfilling job with supportive co-workers, and the cutest living situation. She's literally someone I would be friends with, and she feels deserving as hell. So it actually makes sense that she would be the object of someone's love and desire!
The setting of this one is so fun as it takes place in Baltimore mostly in a radio booth (a fun spin on forced proximity), or at Lucie's house which is right next door to her kid's dad (swoon).
Thematically this one is also solid as it doesn't rely on tired miscommunication tropes or overly dramatic trauma, but very believable emotional unavailability, and the characters have a lot of self-awareness. The characters grow. The characters communicate. The characters make believable choices and I bought their reactions. The spice is earned and well-written. The humor hits, and the ending is super satisfying.
This one does what others in the genre strive for, and nails it. If First-Time Caller has one fan, I'm her. If it has no fans, I'm dead. Loved it.
Characters: 4⭐️
Setting: 5⭐️
Plot: 4⭐️
Themes: 4⭐️
Emotional Impact: 4⭐️
Personal Enjoyment: 5⭐️
Total Rounded Average: 4.5⭐️
What a freaking breath of fresh air! As someone who doesn't usually have a good time with a contemporary romance, I read this in one delicious sitting and had a blast. This one stands out from the crowd because Lucie, the main character, is a grown-ass woman with healthy self-esteem, functional friendships, a wholesome co-parent relationship, a fulfilling job with supportive co-workers, and the cutest living situation. She's literally someone I would be friends with, and she feels deserving as hell. So it actually makes sense that she would be the object of someone's love and desire!
The setting of this one is so fun as it takes place in Baltimore mostly in a radio booth (a fun spin on forced proximity), or at Lucie's house which is right next door to her kid's dad (swoon).
Thematically this one is also solid as it doesn't rely on tired miscommunication tropes or overly dramatic trauma, but very believable emotional unavailability, and the characters have a lot of self-awareness. The characters grow. The characters communicate. The characters make believable choices and I bought their reactions. The spice is earned and well-written. The humor hits, and the ending is super satisfying.
This one does what others in the genre strive for, and nails it. If First-Time Caller has one fan, I'm her. If it has no fans, I'm dead. Loved it.
December 25, 2024
this was fun, everything happened the way i expected it to but omg did this book feel like it just went on forever and ever
![Profile Image for Brooke 𝜗𝜚 [comments restricted].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1767046154i%2F138265236._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 23, 2025
—— 𝟓 ☆ 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬. ☎️
📖┆𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐁.𝐊. 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧
🏷️┆𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕣𝕪 ℝ𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖
📆┆𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 𝟝/𝟙𝟚/𝟚𝟝 - 𝟝/𝟙𝟜/𝟚𝟝
📋┆𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
「 ”Aiden Valentine has 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, Lucie Stone, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight. When all of Baltimore start suddenly scrutinizing Lucie’s love life, or lack thereof, she begins to question if she's as happy as she thought. 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.”」
♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡
ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ★★★★★
ɢᴏᴏᴅʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 𝟺.𝟶𝟼 ☆ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ
ꜱᴘɪᴄᴇ: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ:💘❄️
ᴘᴀɪʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ: ᴘɪɴᴇᴀᴘᴘʟᴇ ᴘɪᴢᴢᴀ 🍕
ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ?: ʏᴇꜱ!
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: [ᴀ ᴋɪꜱꜱ ᴛᴏ ʙᴜɪʟᴅ ᴀ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ᴏɴ ♪ ʟᴏɪꜱ ᴀʀᴍꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢ]
1:02 ———♡——— 3:01
‧₊˚♪𝄞࿐₊˚⊹ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐼'𝑚 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑠, 𝐼'𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠, 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦'𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑜ℎ, 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒. 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒; 𝑎 𝑘𝑖𝑠𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑜𝑛.
ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
☎️ “ꜰᴜᴄᴋ ɪᴛ”
🎙️ ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠ
☎️ ʀᴏᴍ ᴄᴏᴍꜱ
🎙️ ꜱʟᴏᴡ ʙᴜʀɴ
☎️ ꜱɪɴɢʟᴇ ᴍᴏᴍ
🎙️ ꜰᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ
☎️ ɢʀᴜᴍᴘʏ x ꜱᴜɴꜱʜɪɴᴇ
🎙️ ꜱʟᴇᴇᴘʟᴇꜱꜱ ɪɴ ꜱᴇᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ
♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡
💬┆𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
• I’ve never seen Sleepless in Seattle, but I’m guess I’m going to have to now. The rumors are true. This book is worthy of all the hype.
• First Time Caller had me feeling giddy & swooning every time I went to pick it up; it felt like I was the one experiencing the crush on my grumpy, tall, dark haired co worker (I pictured him as Adam Driver as I do for a lot of mmcs described like this). 🤭 on that topic, does anyone else have a celebrity crush they picture when they read about certain mmcs?
• “Who the fuck made you cry?” 🫠
• As someone who went through a parent who was diagnosed with cancer, I related to Aiden a lot & felt for him so hard. I couldn’t even get mad at the “third act breakup” because of why he was holding back on loving Lucie. 💔 His might have been the only acceptable excuse.
• I loved the cozy setting the author created, despite it taking place in a big city, & I especially loved all the characters. I wonder who the next book is going to be about.
• The list Aidan made of all of Lucie’s favorite things had me squealing.
• This book did something to my heart that a romance novel hasn’t been able to do to me in a long time. First Time Caller gave me the same warmth in my chest that I would get from hot coffee on a cold day, rainy nights, clean bed sheets after a shower, string lights all lit up at night. I think that’s why I’m so picky with what romance books I choose to read. I wish they could all feel as magical & heartwarming as this one did for me.
• TLDR; Read this. It will pull at your heartstrings. 😉
♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*
♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡.:* ･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*
❝whᥲt if this is whᥲt ყoυ’vᥱ bᥱᥱᥒ wᥲitiᥒg for? whᥲt if it’s ᥲᥣᥣ ᥲ striᥒg of ᥴhoiᥴᥱs ᥲᥒd momᥱᥒts ᥲᥒd ᥱvᥱᥒts ᥲᥒd dᥱᥴisioᥒs thᥲt hᥲvᥱ ᥣᥱd ყoυ to ᥱxᥲᥴtᥣყ right hᥱrᥱ? ᥲᥒd whᥲt if whᥲt hᥲρρᥱᥒs ᥒᥱxt—whᥲt if whᥲt hᥲρρᥱᥒs ᥒᥱxt is thᥱ good ρᥲrt? thᥱ ρᥲrt ყoυ’vᥱ bᥱᥱᥒ wᥲitiᥒg for.❞
📖┆𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐲 𝐁.𝐊. 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧
🏷️┆𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕡𝕠𝕣𝕒𝕣𝕪 ℝ𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖
📆┆𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝: 𝟝/𝟙𝟚/𝟚𝟝 - 𝟝/𝟙𝟜/𝟚𝟝
📋┆𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬
「 ”Aiden Valentine has 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, Lucie Stone, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight. When all of Baltimore start suddenly scrutinizing Lucie’s love life, or lack thereof, she begins to question if she's as happy as she thought. 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.”」
❝”do ყoυ thiᥒk i’ᥣᥣ gᥱt mყ mᥲgiᥴ?”
“ᥒᥲh, ᥣυᥴiᥱ.”
iᥒ mყ drᥱᥲm, hᥱ brυshᥱs ᥲ kiss ᥲgᥲiᥒst mყ forᥱhᥱᥲd.
“i thiᥒk ყoυ’rᥱ thᥱ mᥲgiᥴ.”❞
♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡
ᴍʏ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ★★★★★
ɢᴏᴏᴅʀᴇᴀᴅꜱ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 𝟺.𝟶𝟼 ☆ ꜱᴛᴀʀꜱ
ꜱᴘɪᴄᴇ: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ:💘❄️
ᴘᴀɪʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ: ᴘɪɴᴇᴀᴘᴘʟᴇ ᴘɪᴢᴢᴀ 🍕
ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ?: ʏᴇꜱ!
lıllılı.ıllı.ılılıılıı.lllııılı.
ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: [ᴀ ᴋɪꜱꜱ ᴛᴏ ʙᴜɪʟᴅ ᴀ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ᴏɴ ♪ ʟᴏɪꜱ ᴀʀᴍꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢ]
1:02 ———♡——— 3:01
◁◁ ▐ ▌ ▷▷
‧₊˚♪𝄞࿐₊˚⊹ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐼'𝑚 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑠, 𝐼'𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠, 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦'𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑒 𝑜ℎ, 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒. 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒; 𝑎 𝑘𝑖𝑠𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑜𝑛.
ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
☎️ “ꜰᴜᴄᴋ ɪᴛ”
🎙️ ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠ
☎️ ʀᴏᴍ ᴄᴏᴍꜱ
🎙️ ꜱʟᴏᴡ ʙᴜʀɴ
☎️ ꜱɪɴɢʟᴇ ᴍᴏᴍ
🎙️ ꜰᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ
☎️ ɢʀᴜᴍᴘʏ x ꜱᴜɴꜱʜɪɴᴇ
🎙️ ꜱʟᴇᴇᴘʟᴇꜱꜱ ɪɴ ꜱᴇᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ
❝”how’d ყoυ kᥒow it wᥲs mᥱ? thᥱrᥱ ᥲrᥱ ρᥣᥱᥒtყ
of sᥲd girᥣs iᥒ bᥲᥣtimorᥱ.”
“ᥲh, ᥣυᥴiᥱ.” ᥲidᥱᥒ smiᥣᥱs, his fiᥒgᥱrs fᥲᥒᥒiᥒg oυt
widᥱ ᥲgᥲiᥒst mყ bᥲᥴk.
“i’d kᥒow ყoυ ᥲᥒყwhᥱrᥱ.”❞
♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡
💬┆𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬
• I’ve never seen Sleepless in Seattle, but I’m guess I’m going to have to now. The rumors are true. This book is worthy of all the hype.
• First Time Caller had me feeling giddy & swooning every time I went to pick it up; it felt like I was the one experiencing the crush on my grumpy, tall, dark haired co worker (I pictured him as Adam Driver as I do for a lot of mmcs described like this). 🤭 on that topic, does anyone else have a celebrity crush they picture when they read about certain mmcs?
• “Who the fuck made you cry?” 🫠
• As someone who went through a parent who was diagnosed with cancer, I related to Aiden a lot & felt for him so hard. I couldn’t even get mad at the “third act breakup” because of why he was holding back on loving Lucie. 💔 His might have been the only acceptable excuse.
• I loved the cozy setting the author created, despite it taking place in a big city, & I especially loved all the characters. I wonder who the next book is going to be about.
• The list Aidan made of all of Lucie’s favorite things had me squealing.
• This book did something to my heart that a romance novel hasn’t been able to do to me in a long time. First Time Caller gave me the same warmth in my chest that I would get from hot coffee on a cold day, rainy nights, clean bed sheets after a shower, string lights all lit up at night. I think that’s why I’m so picky with what romance books I choose to read. I wish they could all feel as magical & heartwarming as this one did for me.
• TLDR; Read this. It will pull at your heartstrings. 😉
♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*
❝how ᥣoᥒg hᥲvᥱ ᥣυᥴiᥱ ᥲᥒd i bᥱᥱᥒ orbitiᥒg ᥱᥲᥴh othᥱr? how mᥲᥒყ ᥴhᥲᥒᥴᥱs did i miss bᥱforᥱ i ρiᥴkᥱd υρ thᥲt ρhoᥒᥱ ᥴᥲᥣᥣ iᥒ thᥱ middᥣᥱ of thᥱ ᥒight? shᥱ sᥲid shᥱ wᥲᥒtᥱd mᥲgiᥴ ᥲᥒd i thoυght wᥱ foυᥒd somᥱthiᥒg bᥱttᥱr. somᥱthiᥒg rᥱᥲᥣ. bυt ᥲρρᥲrᥱᥒtᥣყ thᥱrᥱ wᥲs ᥲ ᥣittᥣᥱ mᥲgiᥴ, ᥲftᥱr ᥲᥣᥣ.❞
♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡.:* ･ﾟ♡･ﾟ:*｡.:*
February 11, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
I’m a bit superstitious about my first read of the year-(hoping to start the year out strong) so I went with this “Sleepless in Seattle” inspired love story- the first in B.K. Borison’s newest series-(Heartstrings, #1) and it proved to be a wise choice! ❤️
Aiden Valentine is the host of Baltimore's late night romance hotline, “Heartstrings” but he is not sure if he still believes in love. It seems to bring more heartache than joy-if you were to judge love by the majority of the calls he takes.
But then 12 year old, Maya calls in asking for dating advice for her mom. When Lucie Stone hears her daughter on the phone when she is supposed to be asleep, she enters the bedroom interrupting the call-and her conversation with Aiden goes viral.
Lucie considers herself happy!
She has a fulfilling job as an auto mechanic, and a great relationship with Maya and both of her daughter’s TWO Dads-who live right next door and are helping to raise her. Maya’s father, Grayson would end up being the platonic love of Lucie’s life-but the romantic love of Grayson’s life would end up being Mateo. Fortunately, all three are mature people doing right by Maya, and each other and the three are now the BEST of friends.
But with all of Baltimore now scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—Lucie begins to wonder if Maya is right, so when the radio station invites her to co-host “Heartstrings” and look for love over the air waves-she steps out of her comfort zone to give it a try.
ALL of Baltimore begins to fall in love with Lucie, rooting for her to find love-but Aiden starts to realize that he ISN'T rooting for her along with the rest of the city-as he as fallen for her right along with all of their listeners.
But, will he find the courage to tell her so—before it’s too late? ⏰
The book- dedicated by the author to “hopeless romantics and the reluctant ones too”- unfolds from the alternating POV’s of both Lucie and Aiden-with snippets of their radio show interspersed throughout.
This unique, captivating story stole my heart IMMEDIATELY!
The characters are likable and the witty banter develops the red hot chemistry between Lucie and Aiden long before their physical relationship begins. It was definitely a book that I couldn’t wait to get back to-whenever I could-and a series that I actually look forward to continuing! (Hurry please!)
Because of personal preference, I wavered between a 4 and 5 star rating. I prefer a more “closed door” 🚪 romance, as opposed to a “play by play” of the SPICY 🌶️ scenes that uses the three “C” words-as those words aren’t romantic or sexy to me, AND there is a LOT of frustrating miscommunication!
But, despite those two very minor issues, I really enjoyed the time I spent with these characters so I can HIGHLY RECOMMEND this one!
AVAILABLE NOW!
Thank You to Berkley for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley! As always, I have offered my candid thoughts!
I’m a bit superstitious about my first read of the year-(hoping to start the year out strong) so I went with this “Sleepless in Seattle” inspired love story- the first in B.K. Borison’s newest series-(Heartstrings, #1) and it proved to be a wise choice! ❤️
Aiden Valentine is the host of Baltimore's late night romance hotline, “Heartstrings” but he is not sure if he still believes in love. It seems to bring more heartache than joy-if you were to judge love by the majority of the calls he takes.
But then 12 year old, Maya calls in asking for dating advice for her mom. When Lucie Stone hears her daughter on the phone when she is supposed to be asleep, she enters the bedroom interrupting the call-and her conversation with Aiden goes viral.
Lucie considers herself happy!
She has a fulfilling job as an auto mechanic, and a great relationship with Maya and both of her daughter’s TWO Dads-who live right next door and are helping to raise her. Maya’s father, Grayson would end up being the platonic love of Lucie’s life-but the romantic love of Grayson’s life would end up being Mateo. Fortunately, all three are mature people doing right by Maya, and each other and the three are now the BEST of friends.
But with all of Baltimore now scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—Lucie begins to wonder if Maya is right, so when the radio station invites her to co-host “Heartstrings” and look for love over the air waves-she steps out of her comfort zone to give it a try.
ALL of Baltimore begins to fall in love with Lucie, rooting for her to find love-but Aiden starts to realize that he ISN'T rooting for her along with the rest of the city-as he as fallen for her right along with all of their listeners.
But, will he find the courage to tell her so—before it’s too late? ⏰
The book- dedicated by the author to “hopeless romantics and the reluctant ones too”- unfolds from the alternating POV’s of both Lucie and Aiden-with snippets of their radio show interspersed throughout.
This unique, captivating story stole my heart IMMEDIATELY!
The characters are likable and the witty banter develops the red hot chemistry between Lucie and Aiden long before their physical relationship begins. It was definitely a book that I couldn’t wait to get back to-whenever I could-and a series that I actually look forward to continuing! (Hurry please!)
Because of personal preference, I wavered between a 4 and 5 star rating. I prefer a more “closed door” 🚪 romance, as opposed to a “play by play” of the SPICY 🌶️ scenes that uses the three “C” words-as those words aren’t romantic or sexy to me, AND there is a LOT of frustrating miscommunication!
But, despite those two very minor issues, I really enjoyed the time I spent with these characters so I can HIGHLY RECOMMEND this one!
AVAILABLE NOW!
Thank You to Berkley for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley! As always, I have offered my candid thoughts!
April 26, 2025
3 stars . ⊹ ･ﾟ𖥔 ₊ ˑ
⤷ First-Time Caller had such a fun premise. I understand why so many people love it. I really enjoyed the family dynamics. I LOVED Lucie and I was really invested for the first 40% of the book. The sweet moments and banter between Lucie and Aiden were enjoyable to read.
But why is there a man who doesn't believe in love running a romance hotline? Also I hated the fact that this was a single-parent romance but Lucie's daughter Maya had like next to no interactions with Aiden apart from the phone calls to his radio show. I'm not even sure that man is fit to take on someone’s child. This was still a cute and fun read overall.
___________
Preread
Picked this one up purely for its pretty cover
⤷ First-Time Caller had such a fun premise. I understand why so many people love it. I really enjoyed the family dynamics. I LOVED Lucie and I was really invested for the first 40% of the book. The sweet moments and banter between Lucie and Aiden were enjoyable to read.
But why is there a man who doesn't believe in love running a romance hotline? Also I hated the fact that this was a single-parent romance but Lucie's daughter Maya had like next to no interactions with Aiden apart from the phone calls to his radio show. I'm not even sure that man is fit to take on someone’s child. This was still a cute and fun read overall.
___________
Preread
Picked this one up purely for its pretty cover
June 20, 2025
“I think you’re the magic.”
December 3, 2025
2.75, cute but basic and kind of irritating at times? RTC.
⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹
ᝰ ⋆ ── preread ✶
i saw my bestie laura jane loved this book and this is on my december tbr so here we go 🤭🩷
♪⁺࿓ december tbr: #2
⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹
ᝰ ⋆ ── preread ✶
i saw my bestie laura jane loved this book and this is on my december tbr so here we go 🤭🩷
♪⁺࿓ december tbr: #2
May 20, 2025
AidenLucie made me fall back in love with love. This was so everything. Everyone in the world NEEDS to know how everything this book is.
Life is worth living again!!
I was in the most DISGUSTING slump and this book saved me. It gripped me from the pits of this slump and flung me so high I’m still floating in space never to return. I’ve peaked so hard idk what I’m gna do now that it’s over 🤚
Since I finished marriage for one by Ella maise i’ve been actively searching for something that will give me the same feeling and I’ve not had anything that even came close. I’ve been chasing the high since but as soon as I got to chapter two of this book??? It felt like I finally found home again 🧸💗
The writing is so masterful so emotionally inclined it’s genuinely hard not to get swept away by their love story. The metaphors, the softness and the small moments-GOD THE SMALL MOMENTS 😫🙏 I’m on my knees begging. The not so subtle half touches and sneaky glances at each other and noting all the tiny data points of what makes them who they are.
AND THE WAY BOTH THEIR POVS WERE SO UNIQUE TO THEIR PERSON PLSSSS-
It sounds like the most obvious bare minimum thing, but I’m telling u it’s not. The way I always read dual pov and I can TELL the guys pov is off. It’s always usually very similar in thoughts and structure to the fmc. I notice these things and it genuinely gives me the biggest sense of satisfaction when it’s done right. And my god was this book perfect. Their inner voices fit them to the T. Aiden’s inner monologue felt so real and vulnerable but also the grump in him was written in such a way it wasn’t overwhelming but just right.
I feel like Goldilocks with baby bears toys and porridge lol but it’s true! That’s the embodiment of how I feel about this book as a whole.
AidenLucie are REAL to me. They’re probably in the coffee shop right now eating their cruffins and laughing about how Maya’s got paint on the back of her shirt. When I tell you I’m obsessed I mean it in every sense of the word. They’re home family security. They’re warmth and sunshine and all the colours of the ocean when the light hits it just right.
I wanna tattoo a heart around their names on my forehead so everyone knows they belong to me. Someone tell me u understand my obsession too and I’m not alone 😫💗🧸
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
I neeeeeed Jackson’s book like rfn
𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
JACOB LATIMORE - AGAIN
Johnny Orlando - Temptation
Joe Kay - Frontin & Crushin (feat. Arin Ray & Blackway)
Ray J - Quit Actin' (ft. R. Kelly & Shorty Mack)
My Family - Michael Hakim
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Lucie laughs, bold and bright. I want to yank out the headphone jack and fill the studio with it.”
“Lucie.”
“Aiden.”
“Fuck it.”
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
If u see me adding a tonne of books to my cr mind ur business 😝
Book Club Pick of the Month ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆
Life is worth living again!!
I was in the most DISGUSTING slump and this book saved me. It gripped me from the pits of this slump and flung me so high I’m still floating in space never to return. I’ve peaked so hard idk what I’m gna do now that it’s over 🤚
Since I finished marriage for one by Ella maise i’ve been actively searching for something that will give me the same feeling and I’ve not had anything that even came close. I’ve been chasing the high since but as soon as I got to chapter two of this book??? It felt like I finally found home again 🧸💗
The writing is so masterful so emotionally inclined it’s genuinely hard not to get swept away by their love story. The metaphors, the softness and the small moments-GOD THE SMALL MOMENTS 😫🙏 I’m on my knees begging. The not so subtle half touches and sneaky glances at each other and noting all the tiny data points of what makes them who they are.
AND THE WAY BOTH THEIR POVS WERE SO UNIQUE TO THEIR PERSON PLSSSS-
It sounds like the most obvious bare minimum thing, but I’m telling u it’s not. The way I always read dual pov and I can TELL the guys pov is off. It’s always usually very similar in thoughts and structure to the fmc. I notice these things and it genuinely gives me the biggest sense of satisfaction when it’s done right. And my god was this book perfect. Their inner voices fit them to the T. Aiden’s inner monologue felt so real and vulnerable but also the grump in him was written in such a way it wasn’t overwhelming but just right.
I feel like Goldilocks with baby bears toys and porridge lol but it’s true! That’s the embodiment of how I feel about this book as a whole.
AidenLucie are REAL to me. They’re probably in the coffee shop right now eating their cruffins and laughing about how Maya’s got paint on the back of her shirt. When I tell you I’m obsessed I mean it in every sense of the word. They’re home family security. They’re warmth and sunshine and all the colours of the ocean when the light hits it just right.
I wanna tattoo a heart around their names on my forehead so everyone knows they belong to me. Someone tell me u understand my obsession too and I’m not alone 😫💗🧸
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
I neeeeeed Jackson’s book like rfn
𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
JACOB LATIMORE - AGAIN
Johnny Orlando - Temptation
Joe Kay - Frontin & Crushin (feat. Arin Ray & Blackway)
Ray J - Quit Actin' (ft. R. Kelly & Shorty Mack)
My Family - Michael Hakim
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Lucie laughs, bold and bright. I want to yank out the headphone jack and fill the studio with it.”
“Lucie.”
“Aiden.”
“Fuck it.”
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
If u see me adding a tonne of books to my cr mind ur business 😝
Book Club Pick of the Month ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆
March 8, 2025
✩ 5 stars ✩
What to Expect:
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Workplace Romance
➼ Opposites Attract
➼ Grumpy x Sunshine
➼ Single Mom
➼ Radio Cohosts
➼ Romantic x Commitment Phobe
➼ Sleepless in Seattle Inspired
➼ Duet Narration
➼ Dual First Person POV
Now this is a romance for the romantics! 🥰 Someone please buy the film rights immediately, I need to see Lucie and Aiden come to life!
I absolutely adored this book! The writing was so witty and funny and pulled many genuine laughs out of me. I’ve read lots of books where an author wanted me to believe that an FMC is almost universally beloved, but this was one of the first times I’ve actually believed it. Both characters felt so authentic and likable. These were two people I would genuinely love to meet in real life!
For a lot of the book the MMC is closed to finding love, essentially because he fears losing that person, but he was still very honest with her about his feelings which was so refreshing! I’ve read so many books where both characters are afraid to tell the other how they feel which is somewhat relatable, but also kind of cowardly and immature. The way he so willingly shared that he was developing feelings for her without embarrassment was such a sexy deviation from the norm.
He was also very in tune with her needs and insecurities and never hesitated to step in and make himself vulnerable when the moment presented itself. This felt extra meaningful since being vunlnerable was arguably what he feared the most. I think it’s accurate to label this book with the grumpy x sunshine trope, but he’s not grumpy for long because he was almost instantly changed by her light. 💛 Such a healthy depiction of two people who are very clearly better together! ☺️
I’m sure there are people out there who will disagree, but I just can’t imagine anyone not loving this. Not only was this a 5 star read, but it’s one I’ll likely read again in future. Literally can’t think of anything I would change about this book! 🫶🏻 It’s that good! Highly recommend the audio too!
Already dreaming about book two! 💭
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: My Afterlight SE arrived this week and it’s so cute! I’m really excited to finally be starting this! I better hurry up and read it before I see any more less than glowing reviews. 😅
☎️💗
Loving the Sleepless In Seattle vibes! Excited to read something by this author outside the world of Lovelight Farms.
What to Expect:
➼ Slow Burn
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Workplace Romance
➼ Opposites Attract
➼ Grumpy x Sunshine
➼ Single Mom
➼ Radio Cohosts
➼ Romantic x Commitment Phobe
➼ Sleepless in Seattle Inspired
➼ Duet Narration
➼ Dual First Person POV
Now this is a romance for the romantics! 🥰 Someone please buy the film rights immediately, I need to see Lucie and Aiden come to life!
I absolutely adored this book! The writing was so witty and funny and pulled many genuine laughs out of me. I’ve read lots of books where an author wanted me to believe that an FMC is almost universally beloved, but this was one of the first times I’ve actually believed it. Both characters felt so authentic and likable. These were two people I would genuinely love to meet in real life!
For a lot of the book the MMC is closed to finding love, essentially because he fears losing that person, but he was still very honest with her about his feelings which was so refreshing! I’ve read so many books where both characters are afraid to tell the other how they feel which is somewhat relatable, but also kind of cowardly and immature. The way he so willingly shared that he was developing feelings for her without embarrassment was such a sexy deviation from the norm.
He was also very in tune with her needs and insecurities and never hesitated to step in and make himself vulnerable when the moment presented itself. This felt extra meaningful since being vunlnerable was arguably what he feared the most. I think it’s accurate to label this book with the grumpy x sunshine trope, but he’s not grumpy for long because he was almost instantly changed by her light. 💛 Such a healthy depiction of two people who are very clearly better together! ☺️
I’m sure there are people out there who will disagree, but I just can’t imagine anyone not loving this. Not only was this a 5 star read, but it’s one I’ll likely read again in future. Literally can’t think of anything I would change about this book! 🫶🏻 It’s that good! Highly recommend the audio too!
Already dreaming about book two! 💭
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼
Pre-read: My Afterlight SE arrived this week and it’s so cute! I’m really excited to finally be starting this! I better hurry up and read it before I see any more less than glowing reviews. 😅
☎️💗
Loving the Sleepless In Seattle vibes! Excited to read something by this author outside the world of Lovelight Farms.
March 29, 2025
“𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄?”
“𝑵𝒂𝒉, 𝑳𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒆.” 𝑰𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎, 𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅. “𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄.”
This book has been living rent-free in my mind for days, even as I sit here writing this review 🫠 As the first book of the Heartstrings series this definitely fits the name of the series because my heart was literally PULLED by its strings with how emotionally invested I became ❤️ The author gave us not only two wonderful characters but also that slow-burn buildup I devoured with every page 🔥
𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅, 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆.
Lucien Stone, a single mom and badass mechanic who hasn’t had the best luck in love, finds herself in the spotlight when her daughter calls the Heartstrings Romance Hotline radio show for advice 🎙️ Enters Aiden Valentine, the charming host who listens to her opinion about dating and love itself. Just one phone call and Baltimore couldn't get enough of Lucien's story. Weekly shows turn into heartfelt conversations that slowly chip away at Aiden's walls, while Lucien's perspective about love blossoms into something truly beautiful 🥹🥹🥹
“𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕?”
“𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒈, 𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒓𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒚 𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆.”
“𝑰 𝒅𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕.”
“𝒀𝒆𝒔, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐.”
The plot is simple and easy to read which helped my experience as a reader. Sometimes a good book is the simplicity of just knowing that HEA will come no matter what. We obviously can't forget about the delicious banter between Lucien and Aiden had me hookeddddd 😍 Watching Aiden realize that no man truly measures up for Lucien while knowing he can't cross that line because of his own issues was so ugh heartbreakingly sweet 😭 He genuinely cares for her, and it shows in every action he takes.
“𝑯𝒐𝒘’𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒆?” “𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒂𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑩𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆.”
“𝑨𝒉, 𝑳𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒆.” “𝑰’𝒅 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆.”
Also special shoutout to the empowering depiction of Lucien as a woman thriving in a male-dominated field. It’s refreshing and adds depth to her character, just as the message of never settling for less than you deserve is ✨beautifully woven✨ throughout the book.
“𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄? 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅...”
Reading about two ordinary people navigating their messy love lives but finding something extraordinary together made this slow burn 100% worth it 💖.
𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 °˖➴
- 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘯𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸
- 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘰𝘷
- 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯'𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘦
- "𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘳𝘺?"
- 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘈𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬
- 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 (𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦)
Tropes
☎️ grumpy x sunshine
☎️ radio show romance
☎️ single mom
☎️ forced proximity
☎️ slow burn
Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest review
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅screaming, crying and throwing up 😭😭😭 i am so READY to read this book, anyone else?!?
“𝑵𝒂𝒉, 𝑳𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒆.” 𝑰𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎, 𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅. “𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄.”
This book has been living rent-free in my mind for days, even as I sit here writing this review 🫠 As the first book of the Heartstrings series this definitely fits the name of the series because my heart was literally PULLED by its strings with how emotionally invested I became ❤️ The author gave us not only two wonderful characters but also that slow-burn buildup I devoured with every page 🔥
𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒅, 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆.
Lucien Stone, a single mom and badass mechanic who hasn’t had the best luck in love, finds herself in the spotlight when her daughter calls the Heartstrings Romance Hotline radio show for advice 🎙️ Enters Aiden Valentine, the charming host who listens to her opinion about dating and love itself. Just one phone call and Baltimore couldn't get enough of Lucien's story. Weekly shows turn into heartfelt conversations that slowly chip away at Aiden's walls, while Lucien's perspective about love blossoms into something truly beautiful 🥹🥹🥹
“𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕?”
“𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒈, 𝒔𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒓𝒖𝒎𝒑𝒚 𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆.”
“𝑰 𝒅𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕.”
“𝒀𝒆𝒔, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐.”
The plot is simple and easy to read which helped my experience as a reader. Sometimes a good book is the simplicity of just knowing that HEA will come no matter what. We obviously can't forget about the delicious banter between Lucien and Aiden had me hookeddddd 😍 Watching Aiden realize that no man truly measures up for Lucien while knowing he can't cross that line because of his own issues was so ugh heartbreakingly sweet 😭 He genuinely cares for her, and it shows in every action he takes.
“𝑯𝒐𝒘’𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒆?” “𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒂𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑩𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆.”
“𝑨𝒉, 𝑳𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒆.” “𝑰’𝒅 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆.”
Also special shoutout to the empowering depiction of Lucien as a woman thriving in a male-dominated field. It’s refreshing and adds depth to her character, just as the message of never settling for less than you deserve is ✨beautifully woven✨ throughout the book.
“𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄? 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅...”
Reading about two ordinary people navigating their messy love lives but finding something extraordinary together made this slow burn 100% worth it 💖.
𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘪 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 °˖➴
- 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘯𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸
- 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘰𝘷
- 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯'𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘷𝘪𝘣𝘦
- "𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘳𝘺?"
- 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘈𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬
- 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 (𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦)
Tropes
☎️ grumpy x sunshine
☎️ radio show romance
☎️ single mom
☎️ forced proximity
☎️ slow burn
Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest review
⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅screaming, crying and throwing up 😭😭😭 i am so READY to read this book, anyone else?!?
August 24, 2025
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 1.75/5
This is my fault and I take full accountability for the rating.
I didn't vibe with the writing and I think that's where my biggest problem was. The book on an overall level was good for a while and then it got boring, but the biggest thing was that I couldn't get past the writing.
Also, I usually don't prefer to read single parent books. The rating is not because of that though because I truly think the book did the trope justice. I, however, just didn't vibe with the book in a general sense because my entertainment levels weren't as high as I had hoped. Maybe I went in with too many expectations since everyone raved about this book and it just didn't quite leave me with the same feeling.
I listened to the audiobook for this one and I have to say that audiobooks are going to be my lifesaver because I get so much more "reading" done this way. Every free minute of the day when I used to listen to music, I now listen to an audiobook. It took me a while to get into it because I have the memory of a goldfish and the attention span of a toddler, but I've come to enjoy them so much more than when I first tried to listen to one (it was BTTM if you remember, which quite literally feels like a lifetime ago now that I think about it 🤭)
Aiden Valentine. I'm sorry, but I didn't really like him. I think he was supposed to be a form of "tall, dark and handsome" but I couldn't see the appeal to him. His character felt underdeveloped and maybe there was something more I was searching for in regard to him as a character?
Also, he was a little asshole-ish in places. I was low-key more interested in Jackson than Aiden. I'll be reading that next book when it comes out for sure.
Lucie Stone. She was literally just there for a while. Funny story, but I read the blurb and I for real thought that Lucie was asking for HER mother. I was so out of it that I didn't think it was Lucie's daughter asking for Lucie.
Yes, mistakes have been made, but so have retributions. Here's my lesson to read the blurb more carefully next time so I don't accidentally overlook things like this again. Delilah Stewart has me so intrigued though and the next book is about her. Sign me up asap, please.
The plot. This has a very interesting plot line, especially because it is something that hasn't been done before when it comes to the books that I've read. It's just like I said above that the writing style wasn't my vibe and that took away from the experience. It was a little too slow in places which made it lag. I think it also got really cheesy and corny at one point and not in the way that I like which made me want to finish it before I got an ick. The "smut" was also kind of cringey and I had to skip over it.
I mean, it helped bingo, so there's that. Totally forgot that was one of the squares anyways, so I guess it worked out in the end.
Leave it to me to pick up a book and completely reinvent the reason behind it. 🤡
square 8: main character is a single parent ✔︎
| o | ⨯ | ⨯ | ⨯ | ⨯ |
| ⨯ | o | ⨯ | ⨯ | ⨯ |
| ⨯ | ⨯ | ⨯ | o | ⨯ |
| ⨯ | o | ⨯ | ⨯ | ⨯ |
| ⨯ | ⨯ | ⨯ | ⨯ | ⨯ |
-------
pre-read: I've been meaning to read for a long time and I kept putting it off all summer so I might as well read it now. 🌚
This is my fault and I take full accountability for the rating.
I didn't vibe with the writing and I think that's where my biggest problem was. The book on an overall level was good for a while and then it got boring, but the biggest thing was that I couldn't get past the writing.
Also, I usually don't prefer to read single parent books. The rating is not because of that though because I truly think the book did the trope justice. I, however, just didn't vibe with the book in a general sense because my entertainment levels weren't as high as I had hoped. Maybe I went in with too many expectations since everyone raved about this book and it just didn't quite leave me with the same feeling.
I listened to the audiobook for this one and I have to say that audiobooks are going to be my lifesaver because I get so much more "reading" done this way. Every free minute of the day when I used to listen to music, I now listen to an audiobook. It took me a while to get into it because I have the memory of a goldfish and the attention span of a toddler, but I've come to enjoy them so much more than when I first tried to listen to one (it was BTTM if you remember, which quite literally feels like a lifetime ago now that I think about it 🤭)
Aiden Valentine. I'm sorry, but I didn't really like him. I think he was supposed to be a form of "tall, dark and handsome" but I couldn't see the appeal to him. His character felt underdeveloped and maybe there was something more I was searching for in regard to him as a character?
Also, he was a little asshole-ish in places. I was low-key more interested in Jackson than Aiden. I'll be reading that next book when it comes out for sure.
Lucie Stone. She was literally just there for a while. Funny story, but I read the blurb and I for real thought that Lucie was asking for HER mother. I was so out of it that I didn't think it was Lucie's daughter asking for Lucie.
Yes, mistakes have been made, but so have retributions. Here's my lesson to read the blurb more carefully next time so I don't accidentally overlook things like this again. Delilah Stewart has me so intrigued though and the next book is about her. Sign me up asap, please.
The plot. This has a very interesting plot line, especially because it is something that hasn't been done before when it comes to the books that I've read. It's just like I said above that the writing style wasn't my vibe and that took away from the experience. It was a little too slow in places which made it lag. I think it also got really cheesy and corny at one point and not in the way that I like which made me want to finish it before I got an ick. The "smut" was also kind of cringey and I had to skip over it.
I mean, it helped bingo, so there's that. Totally forgot that was one of the squares anyways, so I guess it worked out in the end.
Leave it to me to pick up a book and completely reinvent the reason behind it. 🤡
square 8: main character is a single parent ✔︎
| o | ⨯ | ⨯ | ⨯ | ⨯ |
| ⨯ | o | ⨯ | ⨯ | ⨯ |
| ⨯ | ⨯ | ⨯ | o | ⨯ |
| ⨯ | o | ⨯ | ⨯ | ⨯ |
| ⨯ | ⨯ | ⨯ | ⨯ | ⨯ |
-------
pre-read: I've been meaning to read for a long time and I kept putting it off all summer so I might as well read it now. 🌚
January 14, 2026
5⭐️
I genuinely want to know what B. K. Borison puts in her books because this is my second five star book of hers in a row. This book gave me so many feelings and all of them were good. I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love. This book is so precious to me, I can't put it in words just how full my heart feels and how much these characters impacted me.
I don't know what improved from the Lovelight series to this, but my goodness her characters were written so much better and had so much more personality. The chemistry between these two characters was incredible and their story was so raw and unfiltered. You could feel the love and care dripping from these pages. Going into this, I wasn't sure what I was expecting; I didn't exact have a loving relationship with this author's books. But it is safe to say that I am a changed woman.
This book made me feel that I could believe in love. I don't mean in like a, "woe me I'll never find someone cause everyone sucks," but more in a, "the care and love and attention these characters have is something I really wish to have one day." I am well aware that this is a piece of fiction, but the connection just felt so genuine and you could feel the love and devotion of these characters from a mile away. The banter and witty comebacks and feelings between not just the main characters, but the side characters as well, it made this book flow beautifully.
I can officially say that I am a B. K. Borison fan now, PROUDLY!! I'm glad that so many of you and so many of my friends told me to try another one of her books, the newer ones, because I would have missed out on this gem of a book. While I don't know if I'll be continuing the last couple from Lovelight, I do know that I will be picking up the next book in this series and the next in the Good Spirits because these are some of my all time favorite romances. What a lovely day to be a reader. 🩷
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: 🩷📞
While I wasn't a fan of the Lovelight series, I adored Good Spirits so I'm hoping this one is a hit for me too!
I genuinely want to know what B. K. Borison puts in her books because this is my second five star book of hers in a row. This book gave me so many feelings and all of them were good. I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love. This book is so precious to me, I can't put it in words just how full my heart feels and how much these characters impacted me.
I don't know what improved from the Lovelight series to this, but my goodness her characters were written so much better and had so much more personality. The chemistry between these two characters was incredible and their story was so raw and unfiltered. You could feel the love and care dripping from these pages. Going into this, I wasn't sure what I was expecting; I didn't exact have a loving relationship with this author's books. But it is safe to say that I am a changed woman.
This book made me feel that I could believe in love. I don't mean in like a, "woe me I'll never find someone cause everyone sucks," but more in a, "the care and love and attention these characters have is something I really wish to have one day." I am well aware that this is a piece of fiction, but the connection just felt so genuine and you could feel the love and devotion of these characters from a mile away. The banter and witty comebacks and feelings between not just the main characters, but the side characters as well, it made this book flow beautifully.
I can officially say that I am a B. K. Borison fan now, PROUDLY!! I'm glad that so many of you and so many of my friends told me to try another one of her books, the newer ones, because I would have missed out on this gem of a book. While I don't know if I'll be continuing the last couple from Lovelight, I do know that I will be picking up the next book in this series and the next in the Good Spirits because these are some of my all time favorite romances. What a lovely day to be a reader. 🩷
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓡𝓮𝓪𝓭: 🩷📞
While I wasn't a fan of the Lovelight series, I adored Good Spirits so I'm hoping this one is a hit for me too!
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