First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison
Publisher: Berkley
Pub Date: 2/11/2025

Thank you Berkley Romance and PRH Audio for the free advanced copy. 

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Radio host Aiden Valentine finds himself drawn to Lucie Stone after her daughter’s call for dating advice makes them local celebrities. As sparks fly off-air, Lucie must choose between a staged romance and a genuine connection with Aiden.

I loved the premise of First-Time Caller and appreciated that it was inspired by 90s romcoms. The dual perspectives from Lucie and Aiden were fantastic and the sprinkled radio segments added a nice touch to break up the chapters. The characters’ voices were distinctive which made it easy to connect with both protagonists. The supporting cast was equally well written and I’m excited to see which characters might get their own books! Lucie’s 12-year-old daughter, Maya, was an absolute highlight. She was cute, quirky, and showed a wonderful mix of maturity and childlike innocence. I also appreciated that Aiden’s grumpy attitude was explained rather than just presented as a personality trait. The slow build-up and chemistry between Aiden and Lucie were amazing which created great chemistry. However, I found the book to be a bit too long with some scenes dragging and the pacing occasionally feeling off. While the build-up to their romance was great, the steamy scenes felt abrupt and could have benefited from smoother transitions. I also wished there had been more focus on Aiden building a relationship with Maya as that would have added more depth to their story. Overall, I found that this was a solid start to the series. I can’t wait to see what’s next!