First-Time Caller

Borison (Business Casual) enchants in this delightful contemporary that pairs a burned-out radio host and a luckless-in-love single mother. Mechanic Lucie Stone’s precocious 12-year-old, Maya, decides that her mother is lonely and calls Baltimore radio host Aiden Valentine’s dating advice show, Heartstrings, hoping to find her a date. After Maya passes the phone to a blindsided Lucie, she and Aiden have a frank on-air discussion about love that immediately goes viral, leading to a radio cohosting gig for Lucie. Soon, half of the eastern seaboard is rooting for Lucie to find her happily ever after, with many of the show’s callers trying to set her up. After a few disastrous dates, however, Lucie begins to understand that the love she seeks may be right in front of her. Lucie and Aiden are perfectly imperfect together and will have eager readers rooting for their romance. Quirky supporting characters—especially Lucie’s dramatic ex-husband, Grayson, and his new husband, Mateo—add depth, while Borison’s skillful plotting keeps the pages flying. This first-rate tale will resonate with true romantics. (Feb.)