Heartstrings, Book 1
From the publisher:
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.“A wonderfully tender and sexy story full of swoon-worthy lines and perfect moments that will elicit smiles, sighs, and tears and keep readers thoroughly invested in the happily-ever-after.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“Lucie and Aiden are perfectly imperfect together and will have eager readers rooting for their romance. Quirky supporting characters… add depth, while Borison’s skillful plotting keeps the pages flying. This first-rate tale will resonate with true romantics.”—Publishers Weekly“Warm-hearted and thoroughly delightful, Borison’s winning latest will likely expand the fan base that fell for her Lovelight series.”—Booklist
Downloaded this so fast when I saw the comparison to “Sleepless in Seattle,” one of my favorite romcoms that I re-watch regularly, and I may have liked this book even more than the movie!
Lucie is a single mom who got pregnant the first time she had sex. Her baby daddy is married to his own husband, and they live next door. It’s an ideal situation, especially for their daughter, Maya, and everyone is great friends. One night, Lucie is lying in bed and hears voices. It turns out to be Maya on the phone with the local Baltimore radio station. Aidan Valentine is the host of the late-night romance talk show Heartstrings. Maya has never seen her mom go on a date, and she’s all of twelve years old. She calls in to get advice for her mom. Once Lucie realizes what is happening, she gets on the phone with Aidan and spills her guts, talking long after Maya has fallen asleep.
Within days, the broadcast, which is also a podcast, went viral, and the station manager seized it as an opportunity to save the station, which was being threatened with a hostile takeover. Lucie is invited to join Aidan in the studio a few nights a week, and all of Baltimore is now invested in finding her a date.
Aidan is quite cynical about love and romance, which Lucie finds odd as he hosts a romance podcast. But he has his reasons, most of which are based on his childhood growing up with a mother who has cancer, which returns time and again. Aidan is afraid to love anyone for fear of losing them. He has distanced himself from his parents, too, for the same reasons. But something is happening between Aidan and Lucie, and he fights it as hard as he can.
Unlike “Sleepless in Seattle”, this story is pretty much contained within the Baltimore city limits, making it much more intimate. People who know Lucie are listening, including her co-workers in the garage where she is a mechanic, her ex and his husband, and her daughter. A sponsor takes on the show, increasing revenue for the station, and Lucie even gets a couple of dates out of it. Those dates cause her to realize her feelings for Aidan, and eventually,y he can’t fight it his attraction to Lucie anymore. But he soon panics, pushing her away.
I could not put this book down. I know Borison has tons of fans from the Lovelight Farms series, and I’m one of them, but I loved this book so much more than those. I was so invested in these characters that I hated to leave them. Luckily, this is the first book of a new series, and I’m all in.
2/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
FIRST-TIME CALLER by B.K. Borison. Berkley (February 11, 2025). ISBN: 978-0593641194. 448p.
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