Review: First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

Series: Heartstrings #1

Publication date: February 11th, 2025
Pages: 448

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Synopsis:

A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle--inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

Aiden Valentine has a secret: he's fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore's romance hotline, that's a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.

Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She had a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life--or lack thereof--she begins to question if she's as happy as she believed. Maybe a little more romance wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending... even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final decision between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.

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Review:

Aiden was completely and utterly burnt out as the radio host of Heartstrings a romance advice hotline in Baltimore. He was tired of listening to people complain about petty problems and ask the most inane of questions. He had already screamed at a caller and landed himself in hot water with his manager. That was until a little girl called in for her mother who was a hopeless romantic who had seemingly given up on trying to find the ideal partner for herself. Her description of what she wanted in a partner struck such a cord with listeners that her call went viral. This caused Aiden's business-minded manager to come up with a plan, they were going to help Lucie find the forever sort of love that she has always hoped for. What could it hurt, right? But the more time that the grouchy host and the vibrant Disney princess woman looking for love spend together the both of them start to question if what they want (or don't want) when it comes to love and whether they can find either in each other.

I started reading this book for a book club I had joined. I thought it was going to be a simple rom-com that would be borderline cheesy as most of them seemed to be for me. I was delightfully surprised that it wasn't. There is a slow burn happening between Lucie and Aiden that makes it tantalizing to read. As a reader, I kept wondering when were they going to slide past what their heads were telling them and give into their obvious feelings. The comedy wasn't slapstick and it was wonderfully done. The jokes and funny situations were realistic and light. The author wasn't trying too hard to make sure the comedy stood out. It gave the book a warm and cozy feeling in place of the cheese.

Another thing I didn't expect was that there was a little bit of heat thrown in the romance scenes. What I mean is that there were some bits where I was clutching my pearls with a "damn! Is this still a rom-com and not just straight smut?!" Aiden has some moves, I will say that much, and Lucie... she's a closet freak. I'll say it. She's got a little kink in there even if it is only just on the edge of vanilla. I found that to be a delightfully interesting introspection into the characters.

All in all, the story was light and fun but with a little sizzle lining the pages. It was romantic without there being song birds and singing woodland creatures. The author walked the line between light romance and the kind with teeth. I enjoyed it thoroughly and look forward to discussing Aiden's yummy-ness rating with the rest of my book club later this month.