B.K. Borison Talks Paying Homage to Nora Ephron In Rom-Com First-Time Caller

In romance, perhaps more than any other genre, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. These stories speak to readers precisely because they’re so comfortable and familiar. This isn’t to say that romance is boring, however. Quite the opposite. Instead, it’s a space where writers can have fun and feel free to take risks with their stories, all because they know that no matter how far from the conventional narrative path their characters might stray, they’ll always ultimately revert to a series of predictable beats. The structure is somehow strangely freeing, and it’s why it’s still so much fun to read. Such is the case with First-Time Caller, the first installment in author B.K. Borison’s new Heartstrings series, which uses the familiar blueprint of the beloved Nora Ephron film Sleepless in Seattle to ground its story of love, personal growth, and a late-night radio romance call-in show.

The story follows Aiden, the host of a Baltimore call-in radio program, whose station goes viral after a girl calls in, hoping to help her mom, Lucie, find love. The clip becomes so popular Lucie becomes a co-host on Heartstrings, as everyone from sponsors to the folks calling in seem to suddenly become super invested in whether she can finally get her happily ever after. Even the jaded man in the headphones next to her, who’d loudly sworn off romance….

We had the chance to chat with Borison about the inspiration behind First-Time Caller, what’s next for the Heartstrings universe, favorite romance tropes, and lots more. 

Paste Magazine: Tell me a bit about where the idea for First-Time Caller and the larger Heartstrings universe came from. 

B.K. Borison: I am a long-time lover of Nora Ephron, and I knew I wanted to write a book that gave me those same, early 90’s rom-com feelings. I wanted to create something that was fun but heartfelt, and I knew I wanted it to feel a little nostalgic.

 Sleepless in Seattle has been my comfort movie forever, and I knew I wanted to look at it from a different angle; what if our caller fell in love with the host instead? So, I said bye to Marcia Fieldstone and wrote Aiden Valentine instead.

Paste: So, I’m also a huge sucker for the movie Sleepless in Seattle, and this book is an excellent homage to so many elements of that story. What do you think it is about that movie—or its radio show hook—that everyone loves so much? 

Borison: I watched an interview with Nora Ephron where she said Sleepless in Seattle isn’t so much a story about love as it is a story about loneliness. I think that’s why it resonates with so many people. I think, at one point or another, we’ve all felt that crushing press of being lonely—whether it’s because we’re with the wrong person, we haven’t found the right person, or we’ve lost something magical.

I also think Nora Ephron does an incredible job of tying an invisible string around her characters. It makes everything feel connected in a really beautiful way. And I think that’s what we’re all hoping for in this big, wide world. Connection.

Paste: Related, when are you going to do a You’ve Got Mail homage? The Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks shared universe clearly demands it! 

Borison: I think you will be very pleased with book three in the Heartstrings series.

Paste: I was kicking my feet in glee at so many of the tropes at work in this story—what do you think readers find so comforting about these familiar plot beats?

Borison: Romance is such a popular genre because readers can always count on the happily ever after. What a comfort it is to go into a book and know that you might go through it, but all will be well in the end. I think we have enough emotional upheaval in our day-to-day lives. I like that my books are a place to retreat and escape.

Paste: What are some of your favorite tropes to read in romance yourself?

Borison: I am a sucker for a best friend’s brother trope. I also love a forbidden romance. And if you combine both? A chef’s kiss from me. There’s something about the desperate yearning in those situations that gets me every time.

Paste: What was your favorite thing about your two leads?

Borison: I love how they’ve been circling each other for a while, but they don’t meet until they’re both ready to. 

I really tried to tie that same invisible string around them that Nora Ephron puts into all her work. They’ve visited the same bakeries, and gone to the same outdoor festivals. They’ve been two ships passing in the night until the exact right moment for them to meet. I like the magic of that.

Paste: Whose perspective was easier for you to sort of get your head into — Aidan’s jadedness or Lucie’s determination to believe romantic magic is possible?

Borison: Probably Aiden. Despite being a happily married woman, I think it’s easy to feel jaded by the world. Especially lately. So it was a delight for me to go into his grumpy brain and watch how Lucie slowly enchanted him.

Paste: If you could fan-cast Aidan and Lucie, who would you pick and why? 

Borison: I am absolutely terrible at fan-casting. I rarely do it. But if I had to pick, I’d choose Dakota Johnson for Lucie. I don’t think my brain can settle on an Aiden. He’s just so distinct in my mind.

Paste: I  loved that this wasn’t just a story about Aidan and Lucie, but that you included so many other relationships that were important to each of them on the page as well. Who did you enjoy writing the most from the supporting cast?

Borison: Grayson, absolutely. He had such a loud presence in my mind. It was fun to write his relationship with Lucie and their unique platonic love story. He’s outspoken and a bit of a wild card. Those characters are always fun to bring to life.

Paste: I was thrilled to learn that the Heartstrings universe will continue — and with my baby Jackson as the new leading man! What can you tell us about this next book and the kind of story it will tell?

Borison: Jackson is such a baby boy!! I just wrapped the first draft of his story and it was the hardest book I’ve ever written. Jackson really put me through it, but I think his story might be my favorite because of it. 

Each book in the Heartstrings series is based on a different Nora Ephron work. Jackson’s book is a light twist on When Harry Met Sally. And after you read First-Time Caller, I think you’ll realize that Jackson is very Sally-coded. I loved getting to know him better.

Paste: And my favorite question always: what are you reading right now? Anything special our readers should be keeping an eye out for in the next few months?

Borison: Hannah Bonam-Young’s Out of the Woods is phenomenal. Rose in Chains by Julie Soto changed the trajectory of my life. Ellen O’Clover is making her adult debut this fall with The Heartbreak Hotel and some days I just stare at the wall thinking about it. It really feels like 2025 is a year of abundance for romance.

First-Time Caller is available now wherever books are sold. 

Lacy Baugher Milas is the Books Editor at Paste Magazine, but loves nerding out about all sorts of pop culture. You can find her on Twitter and Bluesky at @LacyMB