Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - First-Time Caller

Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

15 reviews

dhrutibc's review against another edition

2.5

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I think Lucie and Aiden have banter and flirting, but there really wasn't anything in there that made me feel like there was anything special between them. It's disappointing because the book was so hyped, but it just didn't all connect for me.

Content Warnings

moonriver55's review against another edition

4.25

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

"Make room for me" 🥵🥵🥵

Content Warnings

brookeostrom's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

This was a quick read with a fun premise and likeable side/family characters. It had a really solid, funny start. All of the characters had good banter throughout the book. The on-air snippets between chapters added an extra enjoyment layer to the reading experience. I liked that the characters were closer to their 30s, but sometimes the descriptions of the emotions of Lucie (pouty, grumpy) made her feel younger/more juvenile. Aiden was a tiny bit too insta-lovey for me. I thought that there were interesting choices that the author chose to make, like

not having Lucie go on any successful dates/creating any jealousy from Aiden in that regard. She never actually had any other viable dating options.

I liked that the female main character was a car mechanic, but

I wished the one scene that felt like she was actually in the shop doing her job had come earlier in the book. This was an interesting job for the character to have that never really had time to shine

. The ending with

the nod to the name of the book was a cute way to wrap up the story

Content Warnings

lunep's review against another edition

2.75

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

My experience with this book was a rollercoaster. At first I wasnt suuper interested just from the synopsis alone, but decided to give it a try bc I want to read the second one. Then, up to like the 50% mark I was surprisingly having a great time, but after that mark I...stopped enjoying it?? I kind of got the ick from Aiden and didn't enjoy the way the author developped the romance and once I lost the hype I kind of had to hype myself up to finish it.
I'll just do a list of some thoughts I had about it:

I get why people say this was too long, but that was not my problem with it. I also didn't mind that they caught feelings quickly, I was actually pleasantly surprised to find myself really enjoying their banter from the first call, the back and forth was witty and funny and I really liked it.
But then they confess at around the half-way mark, but dont get together, they start having "fun" together and idk, in this case it didn't work for me, I didn't like it and it kind of burst my bubble of enjoyment, and after that it was not the same.
I was really liking Aiden, the way he ran to Duck Duck Goose after Lucie was stood up and their date after?? I loved it, it was sooo fun and cute!! But then when they start having sex he gets all dark and posessive and it felt...a little cringe?? I love when the sex is a little rough and there's manhandling and everything but idk, I guess Aiden is supposed to be "grumpy" in the "grumpy/sunshine" trope but I didnt feel it that way throughout the first half tbh?? He just felt sarcastic and burnt out to me (bc when he's with Lucie he's always bantering!! He's only actually grumpy with Jackson in the first chapter, and then with Maggie when he's worried she's gonna take advantage of Lucie), so for me it felt a little out of nowhere, kind of trying to force him to be "darker" in a way??
I also felt a little disappointed with Lucie at the third-act conflict. She had talked about magic and not settling at the beginning and then she's willing to ignore all that bc she caught feelings for Aiden, who told her he can't be what she's looking for, to the point where she begs him kinda to give her a reason to stay and-- maybe I'm too jaded from my only serious relationship but I dont enjoy begging to someone.
On that note, I'm not actually mad at Aiden for being emotionally unavailable (tho his logic around it is very flawed but anyway), because he was upfront with Lucie about it. She knew what she was getting into!! I still felt bad for her ofc, but I cant be mad at Aiden bc every step of the way he told her "We shouldnt/I shouldnt/I cant make you happy" and she played the "Only I can decide that" card (which I usually dont love bc if someone is telling you they're not enough for you, believe them!! Save yourself the trouble).
I DO think he was an idiot for the way he reacted during the third-act conflict. Babygirl heard "I'd like things to stay the way they are", took it the wrong way possible (kinda valid tbf), and then IMPLODED his relationship like an idiot bc he couldn't ask her "what do you mean about that?". C'mon man, you're an adult. It was spectacular considering a little earlier Lucie did have the emotional maturity to not let herself get into a frenzy over a miscommunication issue and instantly tried to clear it up.
I did really like the writing, the banter and the humor. I really enjoyed the secondary characters and their relationships to Lucie and Aiden, and how they not only had great banter with each other but also with the other people in their lives (Lucie calling Mateo "Judas" was hilarious, and I loved Aiden and Jackson's friendship so much)
I felt like sometimes the book had continuation errors. Like the author forgot she had already stablished something (
Lucie saying she and Aiden only had sex once in the morning for example
) and then a changing it later (
Lucie referencing having sex on the table after she already had said they had sex on the bathroom in the morning
), or times like when Aiden grabs Lucie and it says "my thumb edging over the curve of her ass" which makes no sense bc they're standing face to face and he has his hands on her hips, which means his thumbs point upwards, not downwards

Content Warnings

cairn_tkd's review against another edition

3.25

funny hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

amandam71's review against another edition

3.5

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Charming, trope-y, & fun with characters I couldn’t help but root for

Content Warnings

patriciamae123's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

🎀I love this book just like I loved The Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry, and they would totally have the same vibes! I love the slow-burn romance, grumpy and sunshine trope, etc. It was like I love reading romances and how the FMC and MMC develop feelings slowly for each other, and I would giggle. I love the cover of the book, and they are so perfect for each other! The description is also interesting to read, and I like the scenes in the book, like the radio station and headphones stuff.

Content Warnings

adarose's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

_thebookishintrovert_'s review against another edition

5.0

funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Okay this book was so freaking cute and just what I’ve been needing lately!! It was so well written and the audiobook delivered. Aiden and Lucie made me stupid giddy and I just couldn’t get enough of them.

Gah, I’m going to be thinking about this one for a long while (and about Aiden’s slutty little chain because apparently I now have a thing for those).

Content Warnings

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I selected this as one of my Book of the Month selections.

“First-Time Caller” follows two characters who are struggling to find love and connection. Aiden is a cynic who hosts a romance talk show on the radio. Despite his job, he has all but given up on the idea of true love. One evening he gets an interesting caller on his show: a young girl who wants him to help her mom find love. When Lucie’s daughter outs her love life to all of Baltimore, she does not initially think much of it. But all of Baltimore seems to have heard her confession that she wants real love and now she is the talk of the city. When Lucie is asked to join Aiden’s show, sparks really start flying.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is Lucie’s family dynamic. Lucie had a baby with her best friend, who is now married to another man. They live as neighbors and coparent together almost seamlessly. I love that they still have love for one another in a friendship sort of way AND they are showing such an amazing example for their daughter.

Lucie is a really fun perspective to read from because I feel like she is unlike any character I have read before. She is so multifaceted and interesting without falling into the trap of “not being one of those girls”. She is a mechanic who puts her daughter first and she wholeheartedly believes in love and passion.

Aiden was a little more of the cliche grumpy man that is guarding his heart. His story had some heartbreak, and I really wished he could see that love is real and life is beautiful, earlier in the story.

Lucie and Aiden really complement each other well and I felt like they had perfect chemistry. They really bring out the best in one another and they both meet each other exactly where they are in life. Neither one expects more or less from the other, and that is a beautiful thing to see.

This is more of a slow burn story and the spice does not come until later in the book. I enjoyed this delayed satisfaction because it made their love story all the more sweeter and authentic for them.

Overall, this was a very sweet romance and I look forward to reading more from B.K. Borison in the future.

Content Warnings

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