This is the first ARC I got from NetGalley, and I was so happy! Now, I’m even happier because I absolutely loved this book.

I could try saying a lot about it, but the phrase “to be loved is to be known” keeps coming back to me as the perfect way to describe it. That’s exactly how it feels while reading the dynamic unfold. This is my favorite type of book: when you have two people who understand each other on such a deep level. It’s beautiful.

If I had to pick a song that reminds me of this book, it would be “You Are in Love” by Taylor Swift because:

“You can hear it in the silence, silence, you
You can feel it on the way home, way home.”

Now, about the book: Lenny has just lost her best friend, her soulmate, and she’s struggling to simply exist. She’s not committing to jobs or anything at all, so she starts babysitting. Through this job, she meets Miles—the grumpy uncle. He wants to make sure she’s a good person to have around his niece, but as he gets to know her, they embark on a journey of grief and healing together. And all the romance book stuff that is 😘🤌🏻 (chefs kiss).

And trust me, they will make you fall in love. You’ll get teary-eyed. It’s beautiful, it’s sad, and it will leave you feeling hopeful.

A quick PSA: At first, I thought it was going to be an insta-love trope, but I was wrong. So, if you feel like giving up, just stick with it.

Lastly, thank you so much, NetGalley and Random House, for giving me the absolute honor of reading this one. I adored it.

As the author says at the end of the book, reading is intensely personal but I would say that romance is entirely personal.

At least it is for me.

And maybe it’s why I’m so picky with my romance reads… I’ve got my favourites for sure but most of them end up being “likes” . Nothing wrong with likes, just not the ones I’ll love or keep on my self.

Until I open up one like this.
A subgenre I like to describe as ‘emotional romance’, they’re the books that hold my heart. And it’s not the thumping or insta love story that only happens in dreams, but the forever love that comes with a rawness of life.

It’s the best friend to lovers sub genre which mimics my own.
The tension and spice that don’t need the door open to keep it hot.
The grief that cripples and a friendship love that heals.

A lot of sophomore books seem to be flat, esp after one as highly loved as ‘Ready or Not’. But @cara nailed this one in a way that it crushed her debut for me.

It was raw romance mixed with witty commentary. The fictional fantasy stories of HEA Lenny creates in her head with every man she meets that don’t hold a candle to the guy standing right beside her.

“Home” is my life story. My love story.
And this one feels like perfection.

5 ⭐️

I don't think I've ever felt quite so in love with every page, every line of a book. It manages to deal with grief in such a real and raw, yet beautiful way. All of the relationships in the novel start and grow organically, navigating such complex feelings in such natural ways. You can't help but to root for every single character you encounter.

I devoured this story while still never wanting it to end. "Promise Me Sunshine" definitely altered the way I see previous 5 star reads, and changed how I will review books in the future. This quite possibly may be the best book I've ever read and one that I'll return to time and again.

What a beautiful book, Cara Bastone has become an auto buy author for me. Some of the scenes are a bit cheesy but I loved them so sue me. Grief looks different to everyone and this book was a sweet and tender take on navigating life after loss.

This was such a good book on dealing with grief and the waves that come with it. Lenny was lucky to have Miles show up in her life right when she needed him. He was a constant for her and just let the grief of losing her best friend flow how she needed it without pushing her. We all definitely need someone like Miles to help us through this life.

Is "achingly steady" a thing? If it's not, Promise Me Sunshine will be your introduction to that. A truly beautiful story, with characters you'll root for.
Miles is the backbone of this story, a constant force, a grumpy softie. Lenny, on the other hand, on surface-level, has some quirkiness to her, but is so much more - she's stronger than she thinks, even when grief takes her apart. She contains multitudes.
Everyone deals with grief differently, and it's always eye-opening to get insights about how others deal with it. Sometimes it's a life-long hum in the background, sometimes it comes out of nowhere and bashes you in the face, and sometimes it's a mix of the two. And while grief is the main theme of this story, it also has representations of different relationship dynamics, a reminder that life goes on, and that it's meant to be lived.
Promise Me Sunshine is equally devastating, healing, and swoony. From the very first page, this story grabbed my attention, and took me on a journey. Whatever I say will not do it justice, and is meant to be experienced by all of you.

Thank you Dial Press for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

5 stars

This was my first experience reading a book by this author, and I can confidently say it won't be my last. I went into it without knowing anything about it , and that it was just a romance, but it turned out to be so much more. It explored themes of healing, grief, and the dynamics of relationships with family and friends. As someone who lost a close friend a few years back, this story resonated deeply with me. I found parts of myself reflected in Lenny. Normally, I don't get emotional while reading sad books, but this one really brought out the tears. It was heartbreaking yet beautiful and heartwarming overall. I appreciated the main female character for her authenticity and how she didn't care about her appearance. Watching Miles accompany Lenny on her healing journey was wonderful. The way their friendship evolved into a romance felt genuine, rooted in deep care rather than mere lust. This book was perfect from start to finish.

First off, thank you to NetGalley, Cara Bastone, and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

Cara’s books always blend humor and emotion and this book was definitely emotional. Her depiction of Lenny’s grief was really moving. The book really was us as the readers walking this grief journey with Lenny. I adored the relationship between Lenny and Ainsley. It was such a sweet relationship and I loved how Lenny was not only there for Ainsley for Reese as well.

I love a good slow burn romance. However, at times Lenny and Miles relationship was too slow and not enough chemistry. I did like the two of them together and the hair washing scene almost had me in tears, but then there were moments when I wasn’t sure if they were ever going to get together.

Overall, I did enjoy the book and I think Cara told this story of grief in a really beautiful way. Thank you again to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read it.

🎧Song Pairing: Cover Me In Sunshine - P!nk

💭What I thought would happen:

Ready or Not was in my top 15 books of 2024 so I absolutely had zero chill. Requested and blew off my tbr 😂. I think it’ll be sad. Update - It was indeed sad.

📖What actually happens:

😭Loss of a best friend/platonic soulmate
❤️‍🩹Trying to live after loss
😴Lack of sleep
🩷Nannying a sweet girl
🤬Grumpy hot neighbour
📋Bucket list

🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:

This book took me a solid 2+ weeks to read. I don’t want to say it was anything to do with the book but also didn’t want to rush through it.

Be prepared for a lot of discussion on grief. The loss of a lifetime best friend is one of those topics in books that just destroys me. It was clear their friendship was special.

I love a “must be completed list” and this one was written for the MC by her best friend to help her move on. Then the hottie neighbour helps…like someone excuse my hormones…

I found the MC to be annoying and a bit much at times. I just don’t know if she’s someone I really loved. I hate that 😢 and the MMC was just sooo moody then became almost too unrealistic as a male character which seems impossible 😂

Anywho, can’t wait for people’s thoughts!

Thank you to Dial and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-grief friends
-friends to lovers
-opposites attract
-slow burn

Cara Bastone is just writing my favorite friends to lovers. I adored this one. A story of grief, loneliness, and living your life for yourself while dealing with loss. This is such a beautiful story, that had me laughing and tearing up. Miles was just the sweetest and just watching these two become friends, falling in love so gently and softly and just being there for each other. Just an incredibly beautifuly written book.

This book is just what I needed right now.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!
What a beautiful writing style and an overall beautifully messy story of grief, loss, love, and life after losing someone.
I sometimes get turned off by an overly “quirky” fmc, but the writing made her come across as so authentic so I actually really loved her so much.
Ugh; we all need a Miles!

I am utterly speechless! I feel like no words can justify how absolutely AMAZING this book was. I knew 15% in that this was going to be one of my favorite books of 2025. It was ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! It's again a story about learning to overcome grief and how to live but it filled with SO much hope and love. My heart felt like it was being squeezed SO TIGHT!🫶🏼

The male main character in this is truly one of a kind. The way he's so gently protective and takes care of our main character Lenny is just heartwrenchly beautiful! This is the type of book that has you crying and laughing at the same time. It's emotional and heartfelt. The romance is definitely not the main plot line but the slowburn is one of the best I've read lately. You feel their connection DEEPLY! Their friendship and banter was EVERYTHING!!! 🙌

If you like Emily Henry & Abby Jimenez books, I think you'll love this one. I am legit just speechless. I feel upset that I can even describe how much this book meant to me. 😭😭🙌

my goodness. this was absolutely beautiful 😭 i laughed, i cried, i laughed while crying. miles honey the man that you are! and lenny, you strong, hilarious, FEELING woman. i absolutely adored this and am sad it’s over. this gave very slight “uptown girls” vibes (RIP brittany murphy)

I laughed, I cried, I rode an emotional roller coaster with this book!! I love the banter between our MCs and they are truly the best pairing I’ve read in a while. Will need to buy a physical copy once it releases in March and share it with all my friends. Full 5 stars.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a gorgeous journey of walking through grief, real depictions of the physical tolls of depression, friend love and heartbreak, and learning how to live again. This love story was so rich with characters you just totally fall for. Somehow, through the serious themes, the moments of personality and humor made me literally LOL because the dry playful sarcasm could have been born from my own thoughts and conversations. If you’re tired of silly contemporary romances or want something that feels more mature, this delivers in a big way. One of my coziest reads ever that I have a feeling will be one of my top books of 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to review this ARC.

Reading Promise Me Sunshine is like when it’s raining and sunny at the same time. It’s simultaneously heartbreaking and joyous, and I devoured it.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️ 2 out of 5 (details at the bottom)
⚠️ content/trigger warning at the bottom

Promise Me Sunshine will make you laugh, cry, gasp, dance, and shiver. ALL the emotions. It’s about living after the loss of a loved one and unexpectedly falling in love in the process. I’d classify it as a mix of rom-com and contemporary fiction because it serves up love and grief in equal measures. I wanted to savor every page (and found myself rereading beautiful lines over and over) but I also couldn’t put it down so I read it in two days. Needless to say, I adored every page. For fans of Abby Jimenez and The Last Love Note by Emma Grey (or just anyone who loves a great love story).

Lenny describes her relationship with Miles as being like Frankenstein’s monster and Dr. Frankenstein. Miles is trying to bring her back to life after she lost her best friend/comrade/soulmate. Turns out, Miles is a Grief Expert because he’s gone through it all. In exchange, Lenny helps Miles learn to communicate with his niece Ainsley, an elementary school kid that Lenny nannies.

The characters in this book are top notch. At first, Lenny comes across as your typical quirky rom-com heroine, but she has so much more depth than that. She’s a wizard at childcare and has so much love and empathy for Ainsley (Ainsley was an incredible character too! I always have a soft spot for kids in books!) and she wears her heart on her sleeve. The fantasy scenarios she dreams up in her head are hilarious and so many of her lines had me laughing out loud! “I like his armpit hair, but that’s not really something you mention aloud.” And Miles. Oh man, where to start. He is also more than your typical cinnamon roll hero. He has so much selfless love to give. He’s so flawed yet perfect. And his patience. The way he wouldn’t let things go farther with Lenny until she was able to take care of herself better. And the dance performance with Ainsley was *chef’s kiss*. Lenny and Miles’s chemistry was electric and their banter was top tier.

The prose is also just so gorgeous. It’s art.
“How to live a perfect existence: just embrace it all, every lovely/excruciating color.”
“I’m falling but for the first time I’m not terrified of the concrete. Maybe there’s just all this brilliant color in messy strokes.”

By the cover, you’d think this would be a summer read, but there is a great quote about ice at the end (it’s a spoiler so I won’t share it, sorry) so I think this book would honestly be great in any season.

Do yourself a favor and pick this up if you want an incredible love story and a good cry!





🌶️ Spice details: one open door scene with a moderate amount of detail. Several mentions of sex. The spice didn’t detract from the plot in my opinion. If you prefer a closed door read, skip the second half of chapter 32. You won’t miss any important plot.

⚠️ content/trigger warnings: in-depth descriptions about grief over death of loved ones (parent, cousin, and best friend). Mention of a fatal car accident but not described in detail. Descriptions of caring for a loved one with cancer that leads to death.

This book is amazing. I've read Cara Bastone's other book: Ready or Not, and I thought this book far surpassed it.

This book follows our FMC: Lenny, who is dealing with the death of her best friend/soulmate/sister, Lou who passed away after an intense battle with cancer. Lou's death has led Lenny to feel completely lost, buried in her grief, and barely able to function - she can't even return to their shared apartment to sleep or change clothes. The only thing Lenny can manage is temporary babysitting gigs (she doesn't want to commit to anything because then she becomes attached and she can't bear at this moment to lose anything else). Luckily she just landed a good job helping single mom Reese, and her cute daughter Ainsley. However, it isn't that easy because Ainsley's Uncle Miles is always around lurking and comes off as a big asshole.

After Lenny drops a grief book from her bag, Miles decides they can help each other. How can this jerk help the grieving FMC? Well, he is an apparent master of grief after losing his mother and cousin in a car crash. He will help her get through her grief by being someone to call and getting her through her "Live List" left by Lou if Lenny helps Miles connect with Ainsley. As Lenny spends more time with Miles, she learns that he isn't such a jerk as he appears.

This book had such great romance in a subtle, non-overpowering way. The things Miles would say to Lenny had me melting along with Lenny into a mushy pile of goop. I think the best part of the book though that it wasn't heavily about romance, it really dove deep into dealing with grief and how it takes a lot to come out of that, and that grief will always be a part of you. Another excellent part of the book is about the power of friendships and how it important it is to have people in your life to help keep you going.

Posted on my goodreads (linked below), posted on my IG story (linked below) and saved to ARCs highlight. I will be posting on my IG, but closer to release date of the book.

Cara Bastone has done it again! If you loved Ready or Not, prepare to fall head over heels for Promise Me Sunshine. This heartwarming, slow burn romance is a masterclass in balancing grief, healing, and unexpected love.

Lenny’s journey is raw, emotional, and utterly relatable. Grief has left her adrift, and her struggle to navigate life after the devastating loss of her best friend is portrayed with such authenticity that you can’t help but root for her. Bastone captures the complexities of mourning and survival beautifully, reminding us that it’s okay to not be okay.

And then there’s Miles—grumpy, guarded, and oh so lovable. I absolutely LOVE him! Beneath his prickly exterior is a man who understands loss in a way few people do. His dynamic with Lenny is equal parts frustrating, tender, and deeply moving. Their connection is built on late night ferry rides, unspoken truths, and moments so poignant they’ll have you clutching the pages of this book. Miles is more than just a love interest; he’s the steady force Lenny didn’t know she needed, and their chemistry is electric.

Reese and Ainsley add so much heart and charm to the story. Ainsley’s precociousness and Reese’s struggles as a single mom bring layers of warmth and realism. The balance of family, friendship, and romance creates a rich, vibrant world you won’t want to leave.

The “live again” list is the perfect framework for this story of growth and second chances. Watching Lenny and Miles help each other tackle their emotional hurdles is as cathartic as it is uplifting. Bastone’s writing is filled with humor, heartache, and hope, making Promise Me Sunshine an unforgettable read.

If you’re a fan of slow burn romance that doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff but still leaves you feeling light and hopeful, this book is for you. Lenny and Miles’ journey is one you’ll want to revisit again and again. Five stars aren’t enough to capture how much I adored this book!

Promise Me Sunshine is everything I hoped for and more, and Miles is officially one of my favorite grumpy book men ever!

Thank you to NetGalley, Cara Bastone, and The Dial Press for the eARC of this book.

Wowza. The first 6 star read of 2025. This book captures grief, both old and new, in what feels like a perfect way. The grief of losing someone, but also the grief of living a life that’s different than what you would ever hope for or expect. I am undeniably OBSESSED with Miles, and loved being able to watch the character growth throughout the book with main and side characters. Cara’s writing drew me in from the beginning, and I felt like I was living in the book and experiencing life through Lenny’s eyes. Unreal and truly SOO good.

I can easily see Cara Bastone becoming one of my comfort fave authors like Abby Jimenez + Emily Henry when I am craving that! This is my second book of hers, and just like the 1st, it was such a heartwarming read. Miles was a great character. To have someone like that to walk you through the stages of grief (even if it doesn’t develop into a relationship) is so important, so I think this book will resonate with a lot of people. Lenny was a great character too, she was a fun character and was equally strong, all while falling apart. Will be looking forward to more books from this author!!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, The Dial Press + the author for the DRC. Publish date March 4, 2025