Table of Contents
Preamble
I first heard about First-Time Caller from one of the booktubers I watch – lexi aka newlynova – about a month ago. I have been wanting to read more contemporary romance so I added it to the to-be-read pile. Last week while I was picking up a copy of To Be Taught, If Fortunate from the Kobo ebook store I saw that First-Time Caller was on sale for 99 cents, it felt like a sign from the universe telling me that I should read this book sooner rather than later.
So I picked it up and here we are. Let’s get into it.
The Book
When I read Seven Days in June earlier this year I said this in the conclusion:
it was certainly a good and easy read. I breezed through the book in two days. I don’t know if I would read more by this author but it definitely fleshed out what aspects of romance novels I like and also what I don’t like. That is always a valuable lesson.
Review: Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
I also finished this novel in two days and to be quite upfront about it – I think First-Time Caller is the perfect contemporary romance novel for me. The premise is genuinely interesting. The characters are likeable, complex and well developed. The romance is a slow burn with just the right amount of yearning lathered on. And it is also laugh out loud funny at times without being overbearing with the humour. I even enjoyed the little bit of smut present.
The book switches between POVs between the two main characters – Aiden and Lucie. With bits of “transcripts” from radio and chat conversations to flesh out the story. Both Aiden and Lucie are well developed characters, their interactions made me both laugh out loud and cry at various points in the book. Lucie being a hopeless romantic is hella relatable.
Aiden especially pulled at my heartstrings a lot with his self-deprecation and just general lack of self-confidence. His backstory is a tragic one and the way he acts in a lot of the story can be heart breaking in a way that felt real. That is where the side characters who are his friends come in and make this story feel a lot more..cozy. This is the case with Lucie as well who has a wonderful set of friends and found family to back her up. We love a good found family in this house.
I think the only criticism I can make is a rather minor one in the grand scheme of things – this book like many a romantic-comedy story before it makes use of the “third-act misunderstanding” or the “third-act breakup” trope to heighten the tension and drama in the last quarter of the book. This was rather obvious to me even as someone as who doesn’t read/watch a lot of romantic comedies. However, in this case I thought the trope was executed well and I thought the ending was satisfying and heart warming.
Conclusions
I am slowly starting to warm up to contemporary romance as a genre I enjoy. First-Time Caller has set a new high bar in that genre for me. When I read fantasy I am looking to get lost in a world, when I read a romance I am looking to get lost in a particular feeling – that sense of yearning and the buildup of the romance – this book delivers both in spades. I found this book this to be a balm for the soul in these trying times. I am a hopeless romantic and this book was a nice warm hug for me.
This is my first time reading B.K. Borison’s work and I don’t think it is going to be the last. This book is the first in the “Heartstrings” series and there is a sequel coming out next year that I want to read. In the meantime, I am looking for similar books to read. Will I finally read a Emily Henry book? There has been one sitting unread in my ebook reader since last year. We shall see.
Maybe I should also watch the movie this book is inspired by.
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