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First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

This book was so lovely! I am a fan of the Lovelight series and have been looking forward to this ever since I learned she'd be writing her next series inspired by 90s romcoms. This one is Sleepless in Seattle with the roles switches and pulling in the radio show host instead of another listener. Lucie is a single mom to a twelve year old girl who calls in to Aiden's romance show trying to find her mom love. He's been struggling with whether he believes in love at all, which makes his job harder until their conversation sparks something in him. Then the clip of Lucie explaining that she wants the magic of an easy relationship where she doesn't have to try so hard to feel valued and loved goes viral. She ends up coming to co-host the show for a while as they try to find her love, but they fall in love with each other instead. They are bantery and sweet, push each other's buttons, have an instant attraction (that they eventually give in to), and their chemistry is clear to everyone in Baltimore who listens, even if they don't see it themselves at first. But my favorite part is that Lucie is content in her life before this all starts because of all the other types of love she's surrounded by. She has her wise beyond her years kid; her kid's dad who is her platonic soulmate and lives next door with his lovely husband; her best friend who runs a bookstore and cafe across the street; and a family-like camaraderie with the guys she works with at the autoshop. Then her kid points out that just because you're not alone doesn't mean you can't get lonely, and I think that's a beautifully true statement. You can be happy, not feel like you're necessarily missing something or incomplete without a partner, but still wish for that companionship and love. This story felt soft and swoony, with comedy and heart, like the best romcoms in the 90s that they just don't make anymore, and now I want to watch Sleepless for the first time in years while I wait for the next book about the station's weatherman and Aiden's best friend, Jackson, to come out a year from now.