First Time Caller by B.K. Borison is a heartfelt contemporary romance where a hopeless romantic and a pessimist develop feelings for each other while working together on a romance radio show.
Synopsis
Lucie’s life is full of her being a single mother who co-parents her daughter Maya with her ex and his husband while working as a mechanic at a local car shop. Yet, she’s lonely and struggling in the romance department. Her insightful daughter notices this and one night calls a romance radio show Heartstrings requesting help from the host Aiden Valentine. When Lucie discovers her daughter she engages in a conversation live on the air with Aiden sharing her secret longings for what she’s looking for in love.
To her surprise, the show goes viral and before she knows it the station is requesting her to join Aiden online to start a series designed to help her overcome her romance woes and find the one. She meets the grumpy and brooding Aiden who’s closed off and pessimistic in the romance department. However, he felt a spark of something when talking over the phone with Lucie leading him to believe her radical honesty may be the breath of fresh air their listeners need and possibly even him.
As they spend more time together a rapport develops and sparks fly as they both admit to their mutual crush on each other. But, is there a real possibility for something real to develop between them or will Aiden close himself off to the potential of a happily ever after with Lucie?
Content 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
First Time Caller by B.K. Borison was inspired by Sleepless in Seattle providing a modern twist to this classic romance. It’s full of delicious romance tropes such as forced proximity, and workplace romance. And, it offers a slow-burn romance full of palpable chemistry, angst, and yearning.
This story also explores themes involving love, second chances, family both found and traditional, the importance of communication, and the right to finding happiness and companionship. You get excellent representation for single working mothers, and women working in male-dominated professions. Additionally, there’s LGBTQIA+ representation with Lucie’s ex being married to his husband and how they’ve created a beautiful blended supportive family.
Writing Style🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Borison’s writing style is fun and fresh inviting you to immerse yourself in this story. The mixed media elements showcasing the podcast episodes show the terrific and flirty banter between Aiden and Lucie showcasing their brilliant chemistry. The prose is straightforward with beautiful descriptions of the character’s feelings while also illustrating the physical aspects of their attraction.
Readability🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
The vibes throughout this story are super sweet and romantic. You quickly become invested in the story making for a propulsive read. The chapters are in that sweet spot where they’re the perfect length coming in at an average of twenty minutes which may vary depending on your reading speed. However, they’re fairly quick to get through making this a fast, quick read perfect for a short weekend.
Plot Development🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This plot is a blend of character-driven and plot-driven elements. They are balanced beautifully with the character-driven elements not sacrificing the central plot. And while the book is on the longer side coming in at around four hundred and forty-six pages for the Kindle edition and features a slow-burn romance it manages to maintain a steady pace.
Additionally, the tropes were well-written and explored with fresh and interesting ways to push the two love interests into a situation where they were forced to deal with their growing attraction and feelings for each other. Furthermore, the spice was immaculate. Not only was this used as a way for Lucie and Aiden to explore the intimate aspects of their attraction but to also work on communication, and removing the barriers they’d both erected.
Lastly, the third-act breakup was written wonderfully. It wasn’t based on miscommunication but focused more on the personal growth of the characters with them doing self-reflection regarding whether they can move past their past traumas and hurts to pursue a relationship with each other.
Characters🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Lucie and Aiden felt well-developed for the context and scope of this story. There was enough backstory for them to explain why they were the way they were allowing you to better understand their flaws and ways in which they needed to grow. Both characters undergo a beautiful character arc in this story as they learn more about who they are and what they want from love and each other.
The side characters were also quirky and fun to read about. The found family element was particularly strong in this story as Borison emphasizes the importance of connection and community.
Rating and Recommendation
I had a fabulous time with this novel! I particularly enjoyed the heartfelt elements of this novel. The addition of my favorite romance tropes didn’t hurt either. I loved these characters immensely making this an immersive and propulsive read I didn’t want to put down.
I recommend this for you if you enjoy heartfelt romances that don’t deal with miscommunication to create tension in the plot. Also, if you’re looking for an exploration of an equitable male-female relationship with representation for single working mothers in a male-dominated industry where it is normalized and accepted.
