First-Time Caller Book Review

I definitely anticipated more than the book delivered. I was underwhelmed by the execution of the premise. If you’ve seen Sleepless in Seattle, then you know the basic idea: a child calls into a radio show to find love for their parent, the parent is forced to speak to the radio host about their feelings, and the radio host falls in love with the parent just by the sound of their voice. It’s a great premise, and I understand why the author would be inspired to put a fresh twist on it. But the execution? "Just okay."

First-Time Caller has all the ingredients of a charming romance, especially since the story is inspired by a beloved movie. However, it ultimately feels a bit too familiar, even though it had the potential to be fresh and engaging. One part of the story that could have offered a fresh take on the Sleepless in Seattle plot was the radio show’s matchmaking. This could have driven unavoidable conflict for Lucie and Aiden if any of the true matches had gone beyond just dinner and flowers. Unfortunately, instead of giving readers a fresh perspective, it took a path that felt a little too safe and predictable.

Lucie, our protagonist, is a single mom who had her daughter at a young age. I had a tough time fully connecting with her. She’s not exactly unrelatable, but her backstory felt like “need-to-know,” which kept me from fully investing in her character. She goes from being a closed-off woman to someone who takes chances just because her daughter asked her to. But what made her closed off to begin with? She has a great relationship with her daughter’s father to the point where she considers him part of the family, so he’s not the reason for her dating struggles. I had more questions than answers about Lucie, which made her character feel underdeveloped.

Aiden is the jaded host of a romance hotline. Lucie describes him as having big, strong arms and hypnotizing eyes that could be blue or could be gray. While I connected with Aiden more than I did with Lucie and felt his character was more fleshed out, I still had a difficult time finding him irresistible. There were times I was put off by him—particularly by the whiplash I kept getting from him being possessive over Lucie one moment and then profusely asking for her consent when they finally acted on their feelings. He definitely had moments when I understood why Lucie was drawn to him, but overall, I didn’t find him to have the magnetic charm that would make him an instant favorite for me.

The conflict between Aiden and Lucie is almost non-existent until Aiden creates conflict out of fear that things are getting too serious. It felt avoidable, given how upfront Lucie was about what she wanted from Aiden. I think there was a real opportunity to use the matches for Lucie as the conflict—put Lucie in a position where she’s conflicted by one of the guys the radio show set her up with and put Aiden in a position where he needs to step up in a big way if he wants to keep Lucie all to himself. Instead, the matches were glossed over as an afterthought, and Aiden self-sabotaged his relationship with Lucie. This left me without the high-stakes drama needed to keep me on the edge of my seat.

One positive about First-Time Caller was that the meet-cute was pretty memorable. Not only was the way Lucie stumbled upon her daughter speaking to Aiden hilarious, but their in-person meeting was also quite memorable. Aiden’s unexpected connection with Lucie—particularly his interactions with her daughter, who calls into his show—gives the book an endearing touch.

While the romance itself isn't an emotional rollercoaster, the slow burn works well enough, and the ending provides a satisfying conclusion that ties things up neatly. The pacing of the book, however, wasn’t as fast as other romance novels I’ve read. At over 400 pages, the story sometimes dragged on longer than necessary, and there were sections that could have been trimmed down to keep things moving.

Overall, First-Time Caller is a solid, enjoyable read that has its sweet and salacious moments, but it doesn't quite take the risks necessary to stand out in the crowded romance genre. The plot is familiar, the characters are charming yet lack depth, and the overall experience is enjoyable but not groundbreaking. The book doesn’t require a heavy emotional investment, making it a light and fun read, but it lacks that deeper spark that would elevate it into something unforgettable.