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A review by booksandmeforevermore13
First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Narration: 5⭐️
Book: 4.75⭐️
Spice: 2.5🌶
Audiobook Review: E.J. Bingham and Hathaway Lee were both new narrators to me, and I loved them in this dual narration. I enjoyed this story a lot more in the audiobook format because it made me feel the feelings of these characters so much better. It made the moments between the MCs that much more effective for me.
Aiden's character had a lot going on. Feeling like he was in a rut at his job, with nothing to spark his interest lately, and making a conscious effort to keep everyone in his life at an arm's length. Feeling like he'd lost his faith in love because of what that ultimately brings—pain and suffering. His skepticism about love and keeping his distance from everyone stemmed from his own experience of watching his mother battle cancer all his life and the toll that took on his father. It broke my heart to see him close up the way he did, not wanting to feel more pain by subjecting himself to developing feelings for someone. The way he had put up so many walls to protect himself from being hurt or the constant fear of losing said person.
Lucie hadn't realized that she was lonely until the night she spoke to Aiden on the romance hotline, courtesy of her daughter meddling in her love life. But once the thought took root, she realized that she had in fact been feeling lonely and wanted to try again despite how much it scared her. She wanted the magic when it came to romance and didn't want to simply settle. Getting on the radio show was her way of putting herself out of her comfort zone and taking a chance on herself too. The more dates she goes on, the more she realizes what she truly wants and how she'd been making up excuses out of her own fears. I loved her bond with everyone in her life—her baby daddy and his husband, her best friend, her coworkers, her daughter, and Aiden.
Aiden and Lucie's relationship grew very naturally as they slowly went from strangers to friends to lovers. The way Aiden paid such attention to everything Lucie said and did, and how he slowly started letting loose with her was all so sweet. The cute banter between them, how the snippets from their show gave glimpses of the way they started flirting with each other more and more as time went by. The way Aiden was at every failed date, turning it into such a heartfelt moment between them without either of them realizing it. It all felt so seamless between them, which I truly loved, and it made me smile a lot.
Both Aiden and Lucie had tremendous character growth as the story progressed. They both had to come to terms with the things holding them back in their lives in order to truly give each other a chance, which was a journey they both had to take on their own. Aiden had to finally have some difficult conversations with that he'd been putting off for so long, and I loved how mature he was about owning up to his mistakes. The part where the title of the book finally made sense made me pause what I was doing and just place a hand on my heart because damn!!!
Definitely loveddddd the spice after all that tension building between the two. All that jealousy from Aiden, the banter, the flirty texting, sitting pressed up for hours at the radio station. The almost snapping of his restraint. Aiden reached his breaking point multiple times, and that was honestly so sexy. He was just so fucking gone for Lucie and had to struggle to keep from fucking her senseless in public places. GOOD LORDDDD!!!
The side characters were all so amazing, and I loved each one of them. Maya, Grayson, and Mateo, who were Lucie's family. Maya was the sweetest kid who had the best intentions for her mother and was so honest and open about her feelings and communicated them as such. Patty was just the best friend Lucie needed by her side through the chaos that was her life. Her coworkers—Dan, Harvey, and Angelo—were so supportive and cared so deeply for her, and I loved all the fun banter between them. Jackson was absolutely hilarious, and I couldn't get enough of him. I NEED his book, and I WANT it to be with Delilah. Those two already have a lot going on, and we haven't even seen her yet in the book.
The -0.25 star is because I wish that there had been more face-to-face interactions between Maya and Aiden. I get that she wanted the best for her mom and she liked Aiden, but I just wish we'd seen a bit more of them forming some bond than the one conversation we see during breakfast.
Book: 4.75⭐️
Spice: 2.5🌶
Audiobook Review: E.J. Bingham and Hathaway Lee were both new narrators to me, and I loved them in this dual narration. I enjoyed this story a lot more in the audiobook format because it made me feel the feelings of these characters so much better. It made the moments between the MCs that much more effective for me.
Aiden's character had a lot going on. Feeling like he was in a rut at his job, with nothing to spark his interest lately, and making a conscious effort to keep everyone in his life at an arm's length. Feeling like he'd lost his faith in love because of what that ultimately brings—pain and suffering. His skepticism about love and keeping his distance from everyone stemmed from his own experience of watching his mother battle cancer all his life and the toll that took on his father. It broke my heart to see him close up the way he did, not wanting to feel more pain by subjecting himself to developing feelings for someone. The way he had put up so many walls to protect himself from being hurt or the constant fear of losing said person.
Lucie hadn't realized that she was lonely until the night she spoke to Aiden on the romance hotline, courtesy of her daughter meddling in her love life. But once the thought took root, she realized that she had in fact been feeling lonely and wanted to try again despite how much it scared her. She wanted the magic when it came to romance and didn't want to simply settle. Getting on the radio show was her way of putting herself out of her comfort zone and taking a chance on herself too. The more dates she goes on, the more she realizes what she truly wants and how she'd been making up excuses out of her own fears. I loved her bond with everyone in her life—her baby daddy and his husband, her best friend, her coworkers, her daughter, and Aiden.
Aiden and Lucie's relationship grew very naturally as they slowly went from strangers to friends to lovers. The way Aiden paid such attention to everything Lucie said and did, and how he slowly started letting loose with her was all so sweet. The cute banter between them, how the snippets from their show gave glimpses of the way they started flirting with each other more and more as time went by. The way Aiden was at every failed date, turning it into such a heartfelt moment between them without either of them realizing it. It all felt so seamless between them, which I truly loved, and it made me smile a lot.
Both Aiden and Lucie had tremendous character growth as the story progressed. They both had to come to terms with the things holding them back in their lives in order to truly give each other a chance, which was a journey they both had to take on their own. Aiden had to finally have some difficult conversations with that he'd been putting off for so long, and I loved how mature he was about owning up to his mistakes. The part where the title of the book finally made sense made me pause what I was doing and just place a hand on my heart because damn!!!
Definitely loveddddd the spice after all that tension building between the two. All that jealousy from Aiden, the banter, the flirty texting, sitting pressed up for hours at the radio station. The almost snapping of his restraint. Aiden reached his breaking point multiple times, and that was honestly so sexy. He was just so fucking gone for Lucie and had to struggle to keep from fucking her senseless in public places. GOOD LORDDDD!!!
The side characters were all so amazing, and I loved each one of them. Maya, Grayson, and Mateo, who were Lucie's family. Maya was the sweetest kid who had the best intentions for her mother and was so honest and open about her feelings and communicated them as such. Patty was just the best friend Lucie needed by her side through the chaos that was her life. Her coworkers—Dan, Harvey, and Angelo—were so supportive and cared so deeply for her, and I loved all the fun banter between them. Jackson was absolutely hilarious, and I couldn't get enough of him. I NEED his book, and I WANT it to be with Delilah. Those two already have a lot going on, and we haven't even seen her yet in the book.
The -0.25 star is because I wish that there had been more face-to-face interactions between Maya and Aiden. I get that she wanted the best for her mom and she liked Aiden, but I just wish we'd seen a bit more of them forming some bond than the one conversation we see during breakfast.