I am BEGGING someone to make this into a movie - it's the kind of story that you can visualize in your head, making the characters come to life in the most visceral and smile-inducing way. It's absolutely a love letter to the rom com movies I grew up with, the ones that shaped my love of the genre. And it's also so fresh, fun, SEXY, and one-of-a-kind. There's chemistry between these characters from that first phone call, which grows and expands along the way. They're opposites in their views on love, but they fit together perfectly in all the ways that count. I loved watching our jaded hero fall head over heels for his girl before he even knew what was happening; he is swoony in his actions, even though he'd deny that with words. I also loved that our heroine was strong enough to know her worth and hold out for a love that felt right. Their love story comes together over a short period of time, but we spend so many extended moments with the characters that I felt like I was falling right alongside them. I binged this SO FAST, and loved it the whole way through. I think it might be my new favorite from the author, and the bar was already sky high.
The story follows Lucie, a single mom who is mortified to discover that her 12-year-old daughter called into the city's romance hotline on her behalf. Sure, Lucie rarely dates, but that's because she doesn't want dating to become just another chore - she's holding out for that magic kind of love, the one that happens without trying to force it. After arguing with the hotline's host, Aiden, for a while, Lucy thinks that's the end of it. Until their conversation goes viral, and suddenly the city is rooting for Lucie to find love. Somehow, she finds herself agreeing to co-host the radio show for a few weeks while looking for love amongst a mountain of potential suitors - all while sharing the airwaves with a man who openly admits that he's fallen out of love with love. As Lucie and Aiden search for her perfect match, they stumble onto something unexpected.
I devoured this in one sitting, because it felt like I was watching a movie play out before my eyes and I was wholeheartedly invested in seeing these two get together. It's a delicate balance to have Lucie actively seeking out other guys while slowly falling for our hero, but Borison handled the situation with ease. It was really refreshing to have a single mom heroine who has such a rock solid relationship with her co-parent. They're lifelong best friends who happened to have a baby together as teenagers, and he is her biggest cheerleader. The cast of characters adds plenty of comedic relief whenever the story starts to veer into emotional territory (strong "parent with cancer" energy with this one), deftly navigating between the heartfelt moments and the humorous ones. And the spice! It's the kind of slow burn that SIZZLES once it kicks into high gear, with spice that's intimate, revealing, and smokin' hot. The story made me smile and swoon in equal measure, stealing my full attention from start to finish. I definitely loved it! I was lucky enough to receive an early copy, and am voluntarily leaving a review of this charming romance.
First-Time Caller: Heartstrings, Book 1
4.4 | 2,542 ratings
Price: 17.72
Last update: 03-04-2025
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