First-Time Caller

Heartstrings, Book 1

By: B.K. Borison

Narrated by: E.J. Bingham, Hathaway Lee

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

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.

©2025 B.K. Borison (P)2025 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

One of...

Amazon's Best Romances of February | Apple Books' Best of February | LibraryReads' #1 Pick for February | IndieNext February Pick

“First-Time Caller is a beautiful, steamy, effervescent romance that pours hope and love right into your soul! Absolute magic lives inside these pages.”—Sarah Adams, New York Times bestselling author of Practice Makes Perfect

“First-Time Caller made me feel like I was reading my favorite story for the first time—because I was. Bright, effervescent, and painfully relatable, B.K. Borison’s writing is a masterclass in tender care. I was kicking my heels and smiling through my tears—what a joyful ode to happily ever after!”—Ashley Poston, New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Year Slip

"First-Time Caller is everything: tender, sexy, stuffed with flirty banter that had me screaming into my pillow. Full of characters who feel real, like family. A beautiful love letter to love and the movie that made me believe in it. Infused with the kind of magic I can't properly put into words, because B.K. Borison took all the prettiest ones for this book. It's B.K. at her very best, a reminder that it's her world and we're the lucky readers who get to live in it. Hang this one in the Louvre."—Jessica Joyce, USA Today bestselling author of The Ex Vows

Great book

I loved the story and the narrators did an amazing job! It was really good and worth the credit.

this gave romcom in the best way possible

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book and I would definitely recommend, I felt like the narrators just had a few mess ups that took me out of the story but overall they did pretty good. I felt like one of the spicy scenes was super awkward but that could have been me not imagining it right or something. over all i liked the story and the self growth and discovery for the 2 main characters. and i think their love was very genuine and cute.

Perfection

This is so goddamn cute. The characters are so freaking adorable and loveable and the audiobook narration is absolutely fantastic.

I listened to this over Valentine’s Day and smiled like an idiot the whole time.

It’s one of those few stories that truly reminds me of an early 2000s rom com. Not just because it’s a reimagining of Sleepless in Seattle either. It’s just done so well.

Stories like this make me fall in love with reading over and over again. I wish I could read it for the first time again.

I loved the little radio snips at the start of each chapter!

I loved this book! The narration was so good! Such a sweet story, with some emotional moments. I loved Lucy and Aiden. Definitely recommend listening to this one.

Modern day Sleepless in Seattle

First Time Caller by B.K. Borison was everything I wanted and more—a modern, fresh take on Sleepless in Seattle that completely stole my heart! Aiden and Lucie’s chemistry was off the charts, and I adored every moment of their flirtation, banter, and slow burn romance. Their connection grew so naturally, with Aiden trying to help Lucie find love while unknowingly falling for her himself, and I was hooked from the first page.

The supporting characters—Maya, Grayson, and Maggie—added so much charm and depth to the story, making it feel warm, inviting, and full of heart. But what truly elevated the experience for me was the audiobook! The snippets of Aiden and Lucie’s on-air interactions at the beginning of each chapter were chef’s kiss. Hearing them flirt, challenge each other, and slowly fall in love made it all feel so real and immersive. It completely pulled me into their world and made the story even more engaging.

This book was equal parts swoony, funny, and heartfelt, and I couldn’t put it down. B.K. Borison absolutely nailed the balance of romance, humor, and emotional depth, making First Time Caller an easy five star read for me. Highly recommend, especially in audiobook format! 💕🎧📻

brooks robinson 😭🫶

very adorable story! some characters felt flat but overall enjoyed. voice actors did great, loved their emotion

best romantic couple

The whole story was really cute and well done. I mean I feel like we all knew that Aiden and Lucie were going to get together. when they finally do wow that was amazing 👏 🙌. I do appreciate them keeping Maya in the story but in the best way.

Cute story, needed a different male narrator

While this was cute story and the male narrator has been one I have enjoyed in the past with other books, I feel like we needed someone who matched the authors description.

Romantic take on Sleepless in Seattle.

I am a long time BK Borison fan back to her indie days. This book is an amazing love story based upon Sleepless In Seattle. Along with an ARC & a hard copy, I also read the audiobook which was amazing. The narration flowed well with magical voices.

90s romcom Vibes

I love these characters so much. The story is so easy to get into and it made me kick my feet the entire time.