"Grief is a relationship, It's the way we figure out how to keep loving them even though they're gone. And in order to do that we have to keep on going. And going and going."

My Mom passed away last March. I'm currently very familiar with grief. This book is so beautiful in how it approaches grief and grieving.

Lenny lost her soulmate, her best friend, Lou, to cancer. She is stuck in the quicksands of grief and can't escape. She can't seem to return to their apartment, she rides the Staten Island Ferry all night instead. She's pushing away her parents. She is able to fake being okay for short periods of time so she is taking on short-term nanny jobs to get by. This leads her to Reese and her daughter Ainsley and Ainsley's uncle, Miles. Miles doesn't let Lenny push him away. They develop a beautiful friendship and he helps her navigate the grieving process as it's something he's familiar with. You will love the relationship between these unique people. They are so loveable and broken. They work on healing each other and themselves.

'Promise Me Sunshine" is now one of my favourite books of the year and we're five days in. You will absolutely love this book. Does it deal with serious subjects? Yes. But it's charming and funny at the same time. I was smiling so much while reading this book. Cara Bastone can do no wrong in my eyes. She's my latest one-click author because her books are nuanced, gorgeous and wise.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House and Cara Bastone for my early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was fantastic! The story deals with some serious issues while infusing the dialogue with tons of humor. I loved and would recommend.

This book exceeded my expectations. Grieving someone you love is something I dont wish upon to anyone. I know a lot of us have, including myself and it's not something easy. You could go from laughing to full on sobbing from 0-60 so quick. I love this book so much. Cara wrote something so beautiful and raw and just so heart felt. I felt so truly connected to these characters in a way I haven't felt connected to a book in long time. Thank you netgalley and the author for allowing me this arc I will definitely be buying the physical copy.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Genuinely, this book shot up to the top of my favorites list immediately. This book has truly changed me for the better. Bastone’s writing is flawlessly witty while soaked in tearjerking sentiments, and I couldn’t put it down. The characters are carved with so much love, and the grief woven throughout is so well done. Could not recommend this book enough and will be immediately purchasing when it is out. The pacing is spectacular, the setting fits it perfectly, and the overall story was unforgettable.

It’s hard to find the words for this amazing book. It’s a story about immense grief and those who stand beside us and hold us up when life is at its worst. It’s a slow-burn romance between two of the quirkiest, yet relatable individuals. It’s laugh out loud funny in moments. I also don’t remember the last time a book made me cry this much. It has rich and lovable characters. Miles is my forever book boyfriend.

As I struggle through my own season of grief, I could relate to so much of Lenny’s journey. Bastone did just an incredible job of portraying grief in its rawest form.

This is sure to be one of my top reads of 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and The Dial Press for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. Will post on my bookstagram and Goodreads on publication day.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun, immersive read! I loved the characters and the chemistry.

"Promise Me Sunshine" is a poignant, slow-burn romance. The buildup between Lenny and Miles is expertly developed and feels so well-earned — both for them and us — when it finally happens.

More than that, though, it's raw and honest. Cara Bastone has given us a beautiful example of grief and love and how complicated it can all be.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley and Random House/Dial Trade for the advance copy in exchange for my review.

"Grief is a relationship, It's the way we figure out how to keep loving them even though they're gone. And in order to do that we have to keep on going. And going and going." His hold is tighter and tighter and mine is tighter and tighter and I've slid off the desk and into his lap. "You are not betraying her by healing, you are honoring her. You are learning to love her exactly as she is. As someone who isn't here anymore...
That's who she is now. And this journey through grief... It's what we do for the great loves of our lives."

I think my favorite part about Cara's stories is that even if you can't personally relate to the characters experiences (in this book it’s obviously a very deep level of grief) but you still can feel all of their emotions and it just makes it such a personal experience to read.

"Why should I be scared of kissing you, Miles? I'd just be getting even closer to the safest place in the whole world."

This book is so so sooooo much more than a love story. While there is a great love built between Lenny and Miles, this is a gorgeous friends to lovers story of learning to live after losing your most important person. I fell in love with Lenny and Miles as friends, but honestly I wasn’t desperate for their “transition” to lovers because I was just so engrossed in Lenny’s growth and Miles being the absolute SWEETEST (I mean the list?! Come on!!)

I cried so many times, at the randomest times and was happy every time. The story just made me feel comfortable in my most genuine emotional reactions and it connected me to the characters that much more I think.

🧡Friends to Lovers
💛Slow Burn
❤️Grief
💛She’s his nieces babysitter

"Friends to lovers is not, like, ground-breaking, I know. But I'm having a lot of trouble imagining changing literally anything about my relationship with him. He's seen me unkempt, unwashed, crying on sidewalks, shouting at strangers. He's dragged me off dance floors. I've shamelessly gotten crumbs on his couch."

Final Rating: 4.75⭐️, 2🌶️

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

What a beautiful story, I absolutely LOVED this book! 5 glowing stars!!

This is a story about grief, friendship, family, and love. This book made me feel ALL the feels. I laughed, cried, kicked my feet...The love story was so sweet and tender, an absolute slow burn, but so very good!!

"I'm never sleeping when I close my eyes like this with you."
"Then what are you doing?"
"Committing the moment to memory."

I loved Ready or Not, so I was so excited to see this book on Netgalley. This book gutted me, but I LOVED it. 4.5 stars, half a star off for the first part of the book feeling slow to me.

I really appreciated Cara's attention to Lenny's grief about her best friend passing. It wasn't romanticized, it was raw and gritty and relatable. I found myself crying with Lenny and really rooting for her.

Then there's Miles. There is a huge skill in writing a MMC as quiet confident. Miles has all of that and more on top of being a great book boyfriend. He never tried to mansplain to Lenny, never tried to make it her be anything that she was not, he just accepted her exactly as she was. I liked that he too had been through his own trials and tribulations and we were able to watch both Lenny and Miles grow through this book.

Would definitely recommend to my friends!

5 ⭐️

After Cara Bastone’s “Ready or Not”, I was thrilled to receive this eARC from NetGalley! I sat down to read, and didn’t get back up. Completed in one sitting.

Lennys’ life is a bit of a disaster after the death of her “person”, her best friend. Struggling to cope with the loss, Lenny is afraid of committing to anything, let alone long term jobs. She takes on a short term gig of nannying a precocious young girl named Ainsley… who is closely shadowed by the grumpy and distrusting Uncle Miles. One thing leads to another and Miles, who recognizes something in Lenny - offers to help her with her bucket list, a list of things to help come back to life.

What follows is poignant, moving, silly and feet kicking-ly sweet novel of grief, the unending power of friendship and finding a way forward. I laughed and cried, and wanted more. This was perfect.

Cara Bastone delivers a poignant, slow-burn romance with Promise Me Sunshine, blending heartache and hope into a story that lingers in your mind long after the last page.

Lenny’s grief is raw and palpable, making her journey toward healing both realistic and moving. While I adored her vulnerability and moments of quiet strength, I found her behavior occasionally frustrating—her scatterbrained ways sometimes made her difficult to keep up with. That said, her imperfections made her feel all the more real.

And then there’s Miles. Dreamy, grumpy, and quietly kind, Miles is a standout. His guarded demeanor hides a deeply empathetic heart, and watching him navigate his own grief while helping Lenny tackle her “live again” list was beautiful. Their banter felt natural, sometimes sharp, often tender, and always compelling. The way their relationship evolved—from wary allies to friends, and eventually something more—was a joy to read, even if the romance itself didn’t fully bloom until later in the book.

This story is more about the journey than the destination, and the balance between grief and love is handled with care. While the slow-burn romance won’t be for everyone, I was fully invested in watching these characters heal and grow together.

If you love grumpy-sunshine dynamics, heartfelt banter, and a romance grounded in shared vulnerability, this book is a must-read.

I could not put this book down! I fell in love with the FMC so fast. There was grief in this book but it was touched so delicately and humorously and I loved that. The character growth and depth had me from the get go and I was invested. The romance was a slow burn and I was here for every single step of their friendship and the messages throughout are heartfelt.
And…Miles. Need I say more?
*There is one open door scene near the end of the book

Cara Bastone writes fully fleshed out characters. She tackles hard subjects and gives us a window into grief and losing a love of your life. While Lenny isn't like me at all; I understood her and her friendship with Lou. I wouldn't say I love this book because it feels wrong to use "love" for such a serious topic, but I will say I felt all the feelings and rejoiced to see Lenny learn how to live through the grief. I don't think this is the right book to read when immensely grieving yourself, but it would be if your person is and you needed to know how to gracefully support them. On the writing itself, I wanted a little bit more of the memories of Lou or none at all. I also felt it was a little slow to get into it. Finally, I smiled when I read the line that the title originates from. Well chosen title. Overall, another hard but hopeful book from Cara Bastone.

Lenny feels like her life is over. Her best friend died of cancer, she doesn't want to go home (too many memories), and is currently between jobs. When the part time babysitting gig of a lifetime falls in her lap, Lenny's life gets infinitely more complicated. Reese and Ainsley are awesome, easy, and the pay is good. What's not to love is Miles, the grumpy uncle who has achieved lurker status.

Striking up a simple friendship, Lenny and Miles agree to help each other. Miles will help Lenny find joy and live again after her tragedy and she'll help him repair the relationship between him, Reese and Ainsley. The book is deep but sweet, a good read.

Cara Bastone is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me: Promise Me Sunshine is such a beautiful, heartbreaking look at grief. It’s messy and honest and raw, while managing to be light-hearted and funny in all the right places.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I loved this book so much! I loved Lenny and my heart broke how she struggled so much. I loved how both her and Miles helped each other overcome their struggles. They were so sweet together and I couldn't wait for them to finally get together. I felt impatient like Lenny waiting for Miles to make a move. This book was a sweet and laugh out loud hilarious.

✨𝐁𝗼𝗼𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 | Promise Me Sunshine ☀️
✍️ Cara Bastone
💕 Romance
📖 Releases March 4, 2025 thank you @netgalley and @dialpress for the advanced copy!

TW: grief and loss

✨𝐒𝐲𝐧𝗼𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬 | Lenny must learn how to love life again after the death of her best friend. In the midst of her grief, she meets Miles, who turns out to be her lifeline and helps her navigate life after Lou.

✨𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝗼𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 | This book was really good! It deals with some heavy themes, but I loved the characters and the romantic relationship. There was a lot of character development and plot building. I wouldn’t characterize this book as a “page-turner,” but overall it’s a great book that explores what life is like after losing someone and the milestones to finding oneself again in the aftermath. I would recommend to anyone who likes literary fiction and romance.

✨𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝗼𝐮 𝐥𝗼𝐯𝐞
💕 friends to lovers
🫶🏼 character driven books
💓 slow burn (little spice)

This is my first Cara Bastone book but it definitely won't be the last. I adored this book even though much of it was centered around the ways deep and profound loss, and the resulting grief, can throw a person off their axis and sending them spiraling. Watching Lenny and Miles' relationship evolve and shift over the course of the story was beautiful and heartwarming. Throw in some family drama, a charming niece, and 30 second romantic fantasy, and this was a pretty perfect read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.

Cara Bastone has done it again. First read of 2025 has set the standard high!
4.5 ⭐️
The discussion of grief in this book was done extremely well, it felt raw and real. The exploration of coming back into the new version of yourself post loss was done so well, anyone who’s experienced loss can relate to this aspect of the book. The romance was slow but naturally built, the flirting was honestly top notch and had me smiling to myself while reading. I also enjoyed the take of jumping back into a sexual relationship with nerves and anxiety, it felt more real!