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

I received this book via the publisher Berkley, Penguin Audio. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison
Narrator: E.J. Bingham, Hathaway Lee
Series: Heartstrings #1
Published by Berkley, Penguin Audio on 2025-02-11
Length: 448 pages
Length: 11 hours and 54 minutes
Listening Speed: 2x
Reviewing Advanced Listening Copy, eARC from the publisher Berkley, Penguin Audio
Rating:
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2025, 2025 Audiobook Challenge, 2025 New Release Challenge

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

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

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

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

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison is a contemporary romance about a single mom looking for love and a talk-radio host burned out by love. The story opens with Lucie Stone’s daughter calling in to Heartstrings, a romance hotline, with the idea of setting her mom up on a date. Lucie overhears the call late in the evening, and through a series of hilarious moments, she winds up talking to Aiden Valentine, the host, until the show is off the air. When their talk goes viral, the radio manager comes up with a way to bring Heartstrings back to life: bring Lucie on the show to cohost with Aiden while she is finding her true love.

The story alternates between Lucie and Aiden’s POV, which I loved. Lucie is a fun character. She’s a single mom who has a healthy relationship with ex. She’s given up on finding her true love and accepted it doesn’t exist for her. Her daughter has other ideas though, recognizing that Lucie is lonely. Because of her daughter, she agrees to do the show on the condition that she has final say on who she accepts dates from.

Aiden is more complicated. He’s the host of a romance hotline who doesn’t believe in love. He’s watched his father’s heartbreak over and over again with his mom’s cancer diagnosis and treatments. As a result, he’s closed himself off from all relationships, afraid of that kind of hurt. But there’s something about Lucie that wakes him up.

The plot is inspired by Sleepless in Seattle, and the author does a wonderful job of creating her own story with similar themes. It honestly felt like I was reading a Nora Ephron book. Seriously, well done! The romance is slow to build, but the friendship is quickly established and gives us some laugh out loud moments.

Overall, I really enjoyed First-Time Caller. Lucie and Aiden are easy to root for. The whole cast of characters are fully fleshed out and complement the main characters. It felt true to life without being over-the-top or too cheesy. If you are looking for a sweet rom-com, this is it.

Audiobook Note: I also received an ALC from the publisher so I did mostly listen to this one. There are two narrators, one for each of our main characters. Both did a great job fleshing out the characters and bringing them to life. If you are a fan of audio format, this one is a good listen.

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