ARC Review: "First-Time Caller" by B.K. Borison (Heartstrings #1) ★★★★★

ARC Review: First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison (Heartstrings #1)

B.K. Borison has produced a masterpiece about a single mother who makes a radio host believe in love again, inspired by Sleepless in Seattle. 🩷📞 This slowburn, opposites attract contemporary romance contains forced proximity, exquisite spice and great humour, with such heartfelt moments I ended up crying like Meg Ryan reading this. You could say that this pulled at my heartstrings hehe!

I’m thinking about her, about us, about this. About this tiny café across from her house and all the places we almost met. About the right time, the right place, the right moment. I’m thinking about the way her hand fits in mine, and the way my heart drums out a beat that matches her name. Lu-cie. Lu-cie. Lu-cie.

[Contains some spoilers]

PLOT SUMMARY
29-year-old Lucille “Lucie” Stone is an auto mechanic and a single mother to 12-year-old daughter Maya. Her ex (“platonic soulmate”), the child’s father, Grayson lives next door with his husband Mateo. Life seems to be running smoothly enough. But one night, Maya makes a phone call to the live radio show Heartstrings, Baltimore’s romance hotline, hosted by Aiden Valentine. She asks if he can help her mum Lucie find romance.

Aiden Valentine has been working on Heartstrings for six years and absolutely loathes the show. His hotline went from a place where people call in for dating advice to narcissists complaining about love. He ironically no longer believes in love, due to the fact he has experienced his mother beat cancer three times over the past 20 years and every time he has witnessed the stress and anguish it caused his father.

But when Lucie talks on the phone about wanting a relationship with magic, everything changes. The show goes viral on the internet, reaching around 6M views. Lucie is then sponsored to come onto the show to chat with Aiden a few days a week as they try to find her a date.

But as they spend time in that booth together, sparks fly. Lucie feels she can’t look for anyone else when the right man is right in front of her but Aiden feels she deserves someone better, who can give her the magic he can’t. Lines are crossed (and I don’t only mean the phone) – will hearts be broken too?

“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 is told from the first-person present-tense POV of Lucie and Aiden.

OVERALL OPINIONS
B.K. Borison has done it again! This is the second book I’ve read of hers and she has become my new favourite author. It was a lot of fun, predictable as a rom-com can be, and had a beautiful message of embracing each other’s mess.

I knew I would love this the moment it began with the quirky shop that celebrates anti-Valentine’s Day. Such a unique concept! I knew this was a 5 star when Maya says “No one at school has quite lived up to Aragorn yet.” – Lucie, you are raising her right m’gal!!! Anything with a Lord of the Rings reference and I am sold! But Maya does really speak facts, Aragorn is the best book boyfriend!

The other thing that made this for me is I haven’t cried reading a book in ages and this was the one that did it. For those who want to know, it was the scene where Aiden calls his dad and opens up to him. Gosh! I might sniffle all over again just writing this.

ㅤ ☎️Sleepless in Seattle
This is inspired by the 90s film called Sleepless in Seattle starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan who play architect Sam Baldwin and journalist Annie Reed respectively. I rewatched it just before reading this so everything was fresh in my mind. I can’t believe I forgot how much I liked that movie! This is your incentive to watch it again, by the way, folks! Especially seeing as it’s Valentine’s week.

This contained plenty of references to the film, such as:
• Both have single parents, though for different reasons: Lucie’s relationship with Grayson simply did not work out due to how young everything happened to them; Sam’s wife Maggie passed away so he is a widow.
• Both have a tween: Lucie’s daughter Maya is 12 in the book; Sam’s son Jonah is 8 in the film. Tweens are around 8-12 years old. Funnily enough, 12 is the age that Jonah says he is in the film when he lies to get on a flight!
• Both explore the impact cancer has on a male main character’s life: Aiden has been affected deeply by the highs and lows of his mother getting cancer three times; Sam’s wife Maggie passed away from cancer and now he is depressed.
• Lucie from her speech about magic on the radio helps a lot of people see that things are missing from their relationship, just like in the film Sam does from his speech on the radio which makes Annie see that her fiancé Walter isn’t the man for her.
• This book is set in Baltimore, Maryland, just like where Annie lives in the film.
• Lucie in this book uses a copy of the Baltimore Sun to shield herself (unsuccessfully) from the rain, the same newspaper company that Annie works for in the film.
• Valentine’s Day, the day when Sam and Annie finally meet at the end of the film, is where this story begins. This feels like the story has come full circle. • Gregory Peck is mentioned in this book, a parallel to Cary Grant in the film. Both were iconic Hollywood actors on the go at the same time who looked very similar to each other.
• Maggie is the name of Heartstring’s manager in this book and Sam’s wife in the film.
• It could be argued Colin in the book is equivalent to Walter in the film: an ideal man but not the one the main female character falls for.

While it would have been nice to have had more direct parallels to the film, it is important to remember this is merely inspiration, not a remake. Both are excellent stories in their own rights, though I personally find First-Time Caller is much better than Sleepless in Seattle simply because the relationship takes more centre stage and the characters felt like they had more depth here.

ㅤ ☎️love and loneliness
In the Acknowledgements section of the book, Borison says:

Sleepless in Seattle isn’t just about romantic love. It’s about lost love, first love, best friend love. The love between a parent and their child, and self-love. It’s about realizing you deserve better and being strong and brave enough to figure out what that looks like.
That was my goal with writing this book. A love letter to love.

What a beautiful thing! And I think Borison covers these a lot of these points spectacularly.

Lost love: could be Aiden and his general falling out of love. First love: Aiden with Lucie, Lucie and Grayson who are still in each other’s lives in a supportive parent way. Best friend love: what Lucie and Grayson’s love turns into, but also Lucie and Patty, and especially Aiden and Jackson. Love between a parent and child: both Lucie and Maya, but also Aiden and his parents.

Loneliness is a relatable thing and is handled well in this story. You can be surrounded by all the people you care about and who care about you but still feel so alone:

“You don’t have to be alone to be lonely.”

That one hit me hawd, judge! The gasp that escaped me when I read that part – from a 12-year-old girl! What I love about this book is that the radio show, particularly Lucie’s words, brings people together so they don’t feel so alone anymore like in real life: a fandom or a video on the internet gathers all sorts of people to bond over a topic. And that helps people feel less lonely, knowing people like the same things or share the same opinion.

ㅤ ☎️breaking the mould of stereotypes
There are things in here that would be considered not so stereotypical, particularly of Lucie, which I love to see. She is a mechanic which stereotypically is more of a male-dominated industry. Female characters in romances are usually described as short, whereas here Lucie is a tall woman, a rare concept. The last book I read with a tall woman in it was Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood. As a short girlie, I’m glad tall women are getting covered more in literature because they deserve representation too.

These days, a woman is immediately considered weak if she wants a man/romance, with more and more films being released where the woman doesn’t need to be saved by the prince. I have been especially tired of this narrative because there is nothing wrong with having both. Being a strong independent woman able to save yourself with a man at your side who wants to save you anyway is so beautiful! I am glad this is being emphasised. Lucie really spoke to me when she made this comment:

“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. I don’t want to settle for anything less than that.”

Aiden is a lot more of your stereotypical dominant handsome man, I grant, but he has very beautiful vulnerable moments that quell the stereotype that it is weak for men to be emotional and open. The thing that got me the most was the way he opens up to his father and how as men they both talk about delicate topics concerning the past torments, their feelings and love. Things that men ordinarily don’t talk about. It was so heartwarming!

Another thing is: their ages. Most books are about people aged 18-24; these two are in their late 20s, early 30s and act their age and communicate effectively even if it’s difficult to (Aiden does, of course, struggle at this but does his best). Thank you! We need more books like this.

<< Positives >>
🠚The cover is so, so pretty!
🠚The layout of the book is very fitting: chapters have a picture of a microphone next to the names, with the end of each chapter ending with a segment of Heartstrings: a part sectioned off with headphones and formatted like the transcript of a radio show.
🠚The main characters challenge/don’t really fit into any typical stereotypes
🠚The spice (when I tell you I blushed)
🠚The banter and chemistry between Aiden and Lucie. I couldn’t wait to read what was next!
🠚Favourite secondary character! Jackson!
🠚Portraying all sorts of relationships with families: toxic via both Lucie’s and Grayson’s parents; healthy through Lucie with Maya; and (sort of) estrangement via Aiden avoiding seeing and being with his parents.
🠚The media references – Pride and Prejudice and Lord of the Rings in the same book is like heaven to me.

<< Negatives >>
🠚We never get the aftermath/reaction from the listeners/fans when they reunite at the end.
🠚The moment where Aiden uses a dental innuendo really did make me cringe – like I don’t mind cheesy or silly things happening in books but that one really was a mood killer for me haha. I don’t know how Aiden recovered because I sure didn’t.
🠚Another cringy moment (thank yew) was at the end when everyone was in on Aiden’s call to the radio station. I don’t know, the fact everyone was there put me off. 🠚I thought would have been more conflict from the fact Aiden hadn’t told Lucie about her.
🠚There should have been more scenes between Lucie and Maya. They don’t spend enough time together.
🠚I think it would have been nice if there could have been some sort of scene with Lucie’s parents, hopefully some sort of reconciliation. Even if it didn’t end on good terms, it would have still been something.
🠚It felt a tad long.
CHARACTERS
-ˋˏ ꒰ Lucie꒱ ˎˊ-
↳ I love the symbolism of her job: she can fix anything but her loneliness!
🠚Poor Lucie, She of Wrotten Luck!
🠚It is nice that she has an amicable co-parenting with Grayson worked out.

“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.”

-ˋˏ ꒰ Aiden꒱ ˎˊ-
↳ Aiden freaking Valentine, the man that you are! He is so obsessed with her, so protective! And so sexy too like dayum, that closet was sturdier than my future, sir!
🠚Best of all though, he is so romantic: he remembers everything about her, and ensures he does by making a list of her favourite things – which she finds in his glove compartment! I screamed, I cried! He also makes a picnic just for her. He makes himself a better person who she deserves. Like ahhh! Where do I find this man? What radio station do I need to call into??
🠚I have to say I wasn’t sure about his name to begin with, like it felt too cliché but it was better when he revealed his surname is actually Valen. I do like the irony of his name and the fact he is hosting a romance hotline but doesn’t believe in romance.

“I know what falling in love feels like, because I’ve been falling for you.”

-ˋˏ ꒰ Other characters꒱ ˎˊ-
↳ Jackson has to be one of the best and funniest secondary characters ever! I loved every moment he was on. I love that he is a horoscopes guy, cracks jokes, is adorably goofy and when he’s nervous he rambles on and on about the weather. Can’t believe he is a morning person haha I hate mornings so much. I have a feeling the next book will be about him and Delilah Stewart the weather girl he loathes.
🠚Maya is so wholesome, I adore her so much. She is so selfless the way she wants her mother to be happy and so calls the radio in the first place. Very amusing as well in the way that kids are, like when she first speaks to Aiden and he remarks she is younger than their usual caller and she says their usual caller is the “lady named Charlene who thinks you’re a Chinese restaurant.”!

FAV QUOTES
• I think it’s possible I’ve fallen out of love with love, burned by one too many lackluster calls. Burned by the shitty circumstances my family’s been handed too. It feels like every time I get my hopes up for something good, reality comes out swinging. I don’t know how to be a hopeful person anymore.
• I want to keep Lucie on the line. I want something different.
• There was something vaguely cathartic about sharing some of my deepest secrets to a stranger on the phone in the middle of the night.
• “You seemed happier earlier this week in the booth.” | I scratch roughly at the back of my head. “When?” | I know exactly when. When a woman got on the line and said she believed in magic and I thought maybe I could believe in it too.
• Every day isn’t a fairy tale. We’ve worked hard for our relationship. To build it. To maintain it. I’ve become so many versions of myself and so has he, but we’ve found a way to fall in love with one another over and over again. Every time. But there’s magic too. In between the hard work there are perfect moments where everything lines up exactly right. What else is that, if not the universe telling me I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be?
• I watch as she scrapes together her bravery. It might be the most incredible thing about her. How she’s always willing to try.
• I wonder what it’s like to walk around with your heart on your sleeve. Mine is buried so deep in my chest I’m not sure I could find it if I wanted to.
• “How’d you know it was me?” I ask. “Ah, Lucie.” Aiden smiles, his fingers fanning out wide against my back. “I’d know you anywhere.”
• Sometimes I think I hear her voice twisting through my dreams. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning, I feel like she should be in the space next to me, her laugh ringing in my ears.
• One of the best parts of this show and the decision to put myself out there is discovering I’m not alone in my loneliness. Not by a long shot.
• I love when we do this. When he says my name and then I say his. Fond exasperation and gentle amusement in every syllable. A call and response. The chorus to the song I can’t get out of my head.
• “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. Everything sits right at the surface with her, waiting to bubble over. It’s . . . good. Strange. But good.
• I might not know a lot of the details about Aiden, but I know the broad strokes. The parts that shine the brightest through the armor he wraps himself in. Despite his protests to the contrary, he is kind. He’s thoughtful and disarmingly funny. In a dry, gruff way. He wouldn’t have started a romance hotline if he didn’t want to hand out hope and comfort. He’s rough at the edges sometimes, but he cares. He cares deeply.
• I don’t need to restrict myself with Aiden. Because with Aiden, I’m safe. He told me so, the very first night we talked to each other.
• The long line of her neck arches back and she looks like something from a painting. Like something in the stars.
• I never thought I’d be wanted the way Aiden wants me. Never thought I’d be seen and appreciated and adored. But he does. He sees me. He wants me. He *loves* me.
• I squeeze my eyes shut tight, hoping I can hold on to this moment forever. It’s not perfect. Not even close. But it’s mine. Even in its flaws, this moment is mine.
• How long have Lucie and I been orbiting each other? How many chances did I miss before I picked up that phone call in the middle of the night? She said she wanted magic and I thought we found something better. Something real. But apparently there was a little magic, after all. A bunch of breadcrumbs dropped like pennies in a fountain, leading me right to her.

══════════ ⋆★⋆ ══════════

I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review and I’d like to thank B.K. Borison, Pan Macmillan, and NetGalley for the opportunity. This has not affected my opinion in any way.

“First-Time Caller” is out Febrary 12th!