First-Time Caller

The host of a romance radio show, Aiden begins the work cynical and embittered, unable to connect with callers and struggling to maintain his show’s audience. Aiden cannot even admit to his best friend that he is “struggling and [… has] no idea how to fix it” (7). He is in a precarious position with his boss after yelling at a caller on air and considers abandoning his career.

Fear and Cynicism as Obstacles to Growth are thus key to Aiden’s character arc, which Maya’s unexpected call catalyzes, as he realizes, “for the first time in a long time, I want to see what happens next” (24). After their conversation goes viral, Aiden becomes protective of Lucie, fearful that her time on the radio show will prioritize the station’s need for ratings over Lucie’s well-being. Nevertheless, Aiden continually fights his attraction to Lucie, even as he becomes jealous when she goes on dates with callers. Aiden struggles to accept his feelings and insists he is unworthy of Lucie because of his cynicism regarding romance, initially rejecting her profession of love by insisting, “I’m not good for you” (379).

The chapters from his point of view establish that Aiden’s isolation stems from his childhood—specifically, his experiences with his mother’s cancer treatments and the emotional devastation this caused his father. Indeed, Aiden avoids contact with his parents as assiduously as he tries to avoid his feelings for Lucie, fearful that strong emotion will make him vulnerable. He eventually confesses part of his history to Lucie in a demonstration of their growing bond. He also comes to realize that Lucie is right: that his fears of rejection and pain are holding him back from connection with others. Aiden’s choice to confide in his father is a recognition of his trauma and a sign that loving Lucie has made him braver. His final grand gesture, a confession of love for both Lucie and her chosen family, is the novel’s core demonstration of love as a source of security and basis for transformation. In the Epilogue, Aiden is happily part of Lucie’s family and openly celebrates his love for her, demonstrating that he has truly internalized his commitment to emotional honesty.

Grayson and Lucie’s daughter, Maya, is 12 years old when the work opens. She precipitates much of the plot when she calls into the Heartstrings radio show without Lucie’s knowledge, seeking Aiden’s help with her mother’s loneliness and search for romance. Maya tells Lucie, “[Y]ou don’t have to be alone to be lonely” (41), and routinely reminds her that she deserves connection beyond their family. Lucie chooses to do the radio show partly to quell her anxieties that she is somehow inadequate as a parent. This brings her closer to Aiden, making Maya key to their eventual romance. Though Lucie worries about her daughter, their connection is also a deep source of joy for her, bringing out the theme of parenthood as both challenge and reward. Aiden admires and respects this close bond and includes Maya in his grand gesture for Lucie, confirming that he is the partner she deserves.

Maya is fond of dressing up as fictional characters and is an avid reader, assuring Lucie that “no one at school has quite lived up to Aragorn yet” (143)—an allusion to her crush on a character from The Lord of the Rings. Maya’s loving concern for Lucie and slightly bossy nature confirm that Lucie has raised her daughter to be confident and self-assured, even if Lucie lacks these qualities herself. Maya at one point tells Lucie she hopes she can “have the love [she] deserve[s], too” (370), signaling that she recognizes and appreciates all her mother has done for her.

Grayson and Mateo co-parent Maya with Lucie and are loving fixtures in both of their lives. Grayson, like Maya, has a flair for the dramatic. Initially hurt when Lucie’s confessions to Aiden reveal emotional pain she has not shared with Grayson, he turns this disappointment into enthusiasm for the radio show, even as he and Mateo tease Lucie about signs that she is attracted to Aiden. When Lucie’s first date ends badly, Grayson charges to the radio station and nearly hits Aiden, holding him responsible. He soon realizes that Aiden is just as protective as he is, telling him, “Apologies for almost punching you in the face” (169).

Grayson is indirectly key to bringing Aiden and Lucie together since his effort to find her a second date ends with her being stood up, leading her to spend a flirtatious evening with Aiden instead. Mateo is similarly supportive, as when he tells Lucie that Maya will be fine if she takes time to have a romantic life of her own, assuring her that she is a good mother. Both men work to provide Lucie with emotional security and love so that she can pursue romance while knowing her value.

Patty, as Lucie’s best friend, serves a similar role as her sounding board, gently encouraging her to consider the radio show. Patty’s coffee shop itself serves as an emotional center for Lucie and Maya, and Aiden nearly meets Lucie there before Maya even calls the radio station—a detail that hints at Patty’s role in facilitating the relationship. In the novel’s final act, Grayson and Mateo celebrate Lucie’s reunion with Aiden, who has become a fixture at Patty’s shop. All three characters weave together to demonstrate the importance of found family in Lucie and Aiden’s love story.

The novel also establishes that Patty is single and somewhat cynical about romance, as she decorates her coffee shop in opposition to Valentine’s Day. These details are not relevant to the plot of First-Time Caller but suggest that Patty could feature as the protagonist in a future installment in the series, finding love in spite of her cynicism.

Aiden’s boss at the radio station, Maggie is fierce, determined, and outspoken. Maggie is blunt about the station’s financial troubles and Aiden’s failure to revive the radio show on his own. When Lucie has doubts about the radio show and her ability to draw an audience, Maggie tells her, simply, “I’m never wrong” (88). However, Maggie does not allow her commitment to the show’s success to compromise concerns about Lucie’s well-being; for instance, she offers Lucie a separate phone for contacting callers and reacts quickly to signs that some listeners are threatening. In the novel’s third act, Maggie tells Aiden that she is “team Lucie” and softens toward him when he tells her he returns the sentiment. She helps Jackson get Lucie to the radio station so that Aiden can confess his love, making her another facilitator of their happy ending.

That Maggie is driven and ambitious yet also sentimental in her own right, as evidenced by her interest in helping Lucie find romance, suggests that she is another candidate for protagonist in future Heartstrings novels. Moreover, Maggie briefly alludes to having a professional nemesis who runs a satellite radio empire; she calls this man, Cooper West, “the most arrogant and self-serving man [she’s] ever met” (286). This suggests a potential setup for a rivals-to-lovers storyline.