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

I hate books that make me cry. Like HATE them. So why do I keep letting Cara Bastone do this to me?

The short answer? Because she’s Cara freakin’ Bastone. Ever since I listened to her Love Lines series on audible I’ve been hooked. Can’t stop listening (or reading).

Miles and Lenny are so real. They jump off the page and into your heart before you even realize what’s happening. Miles is literally perfect. He’s ruined me for (book) men.

And Lou is real too. I’ve never experienced loss like that before, but I can only imagine that Promise Me Sunshine is going to give such comfort to people who have been through or are going through a loss like Lenny’s.

So thank you Cara Bastone. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book early.

Wowwwwwww !!!!

I completely loved this book & of course everyone needs their Miles.

Any book that interacts with grief and loss is a hard battle to take on, but I feel like the grief shown is true and raw. I can’t imagine the pain but I felt like it was portrayed well through Lenny.

Miles oh Miles …. there’s not a better MMC. He has everything we love, the grumpy face card but actually a teddy bear. Doing cute things & purposeful things! Meaning what he says. period king

Cara Bastone, once again has wowed me. Absolutely Loved !!

4.5 stars! I knew I’d love this book, having previously thoroughly enjoyed Cara Bastone’s “Love Lines” series on Audible. (Side note: if you have not listened to these duet-narrated little gems yet, stop everything and add them to your TBR. They are adorable.)

That said, I was not prepared for how much I would be comforted by this book, and how invested I would become in Lenny and Miles’ story of finding each other through grief. I absolutely adored how much time the two main characters spent together, and while it was the slowest of slow burns, you truly felt their connection get stronger page by page. Solemn, brooding, caring Miles was the perfect balance to Lenny’s gregarious and “say anything” nature.

One of my biggest gripes with romance novels is when an author introduces toxic side characters in order to explain a main character’s motivation or behavior. Not so, here; Bastone’s supporting cast was perfectly imperfect and was always a joy to read.

At the end of the day, I will always be a true sucker for a story set in Manhattan. It’s no surprise that the author writes about the city that never sleeps in such a tender and authentic way, including reflected scenes where sometimes our main characters are truly up all night. It’s easy to see that this authenticity stems from the author herself living and writing in Brooklyn.

Promise Me Sunshine is a love letter not only to healing and moving forward after loss, but to emerging stronger on the other side.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group for the opportunity to read this wonderful ARC.

I loved Cara’s “Ready or Not” and this one is no different!! She has a way of writing deep rom coms that are witty and engaging but also not too light. I love her writing!

Ready Or Not was one of my favorite books of 2024 so I was beyond excited to receive an advanced copy of Promise Me Sunshine.

This book is tender and beautifully written and handles the grief of losing your best friend in a beautiful way. Lenny is, understandably, a mess after the death of her childhood best friend. Then, she meets Miles who not saves Lenny, but helps her find herself again. Their journey of growth both individually and together was so heartwarming. Miles is the book boyfriend that we all need <3

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An insanely tender, precious, and grounded story that consistently leaves you feeling all the emotions!! The characters feel really real and their struggles really hit. Cara Bastone's work is some of the best contemporary romance has to offer.

I received an advanced copy of Promise Me Sunshine through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and HONESTLY I COULD NOT HAVE LOVED THIS MORE! I already know this will be in my top 3 books of the year.

I first came across Cara Bastone through her Audible Originals Call Me Maybe, Sweet Talk and SeatMate and I was captivated by her vivid storytelling.

I’m so happy Promise Me Sunshine found me. And I truly feel like it found me, too. The other half of my tattoo if you will.
“They’re not lonely, there’s two of them.” Swoon.

I feel like small bits of me that were a little broken were pieced back together again by Miles’ (Cara’s) words. She took something that is so difficult and delicate to talk about, let alone write a story around, and crafted a really beautiful book about love and loss and friendship and living.

It’s quirky, and chaotic, and meaningful, and deep. Filled with layers and development for the main character that I absolutely loved to watch unfold in the pages.

I can only hope that everyone finds their own Miles and holds on to them tight.

4.5/5 ⭐️ My first read of 2025! I loved this book! Such an amazing story about grief, family, friendship and a slow burn romance. Definitely one of the best books I’ve read so far about grief, it was so raw, emotional and beautiful. Absolutely loved Lenny’s and Miles’ character growth and their relationship. This book was everything and so very heartwarming. Definitely check it out when it releases in March! Also the cover is absolutely stunning.

thank you to random house publishing and netgalley for this E-ARC!

this missed the mark for me, unfortunately. while i thought this was well written and the portrayal
of grief was realistic and not over the top, i didn't connect with lenny and miles at all. i didn't sense much chemistry between the two of them and it made it drag on and on. they, in my opinion, would be better friends than lovers. 3 stars feels like the right rating for me.

1.2⭐️DNF(for now) at 25%.I was really excited to know Cara was coming out with another book after finishing Ready Or Not. This book had a lot of potential if Lenny wasn’t so quirky and immature. I tried so hard to connect with her but I honestly couldn’t.

Five bright stars. No notes.👏

Funny, tender, emo, all around lovely. Miles Honey 🍯 is the blueprint, goodnesssss. Lenny, gahhh loved her sm. She made me cackle and broke my heart but the two of them put it back together.


“He treats you well?”
“Mom, he walked into hell and dragged me back out.” 🥹

I absolutely loved reading Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone. This was my first novel I've read of hers, but certainly won't be the last.

This is a book that deals with Big Grief, and that emotional through line was really poignant for me. Miles, the MMC, is the "grief doula" of dreams for Lenny - our FMC - as he has been through a similar loss and gotten through it. I also loved the scenes of Lenny interacting with the child she nannies for - it's lovely to see a woman who is all in all ~not okay~ still be great at something and be there for her charges.

I stayed up too late to finish this but have no regret. I absolutely adored this book and look forward to reading more of Cara's books in the future. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a lovely romance with emotional depth.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Cara Bastone is one of my favorite romance writers and highly underrated in my opinion. I loved everything about this book and will be recommending it to anyone who will listen!

This has become one of my favorite books of all time. Cara Bastone's ability to portray the human experience of grief and life after loss through Lenny was gut-wrenching. As she meets the uncle of the kid she nannies, Miles becomes a support beam for Lenny as she navigates through her grief of an immense loss in her life. Miles has a grumpy personality yet he is so gentle and patient with Lenny while he helps her finish off a checklist Lenny's best friend left her before she died. Miles pledged to always be there for Lenny even during the odd hours of the night and he stays true to his word every single time.

There were many times during the book in which I cried but my heart warmed when Lenny had her lightbulb moment realizing her feelings for Miles, "he walked into hell and dragged me back out". Lenny's feelings for Miles and her reason to be kept "earthbound" are intertwined, sparking a new sense of life for her.

I found this book to be such a beautiful story of friendship and the celebration of life of our loved ones who are no longer with us. This is such a wonderful read but does touch on topics that may be triggering for some audiences such as grief and the death of a best friend so please keep this in mind before reading.

The easter egg of Ethan from Ready or Not was such a fun moment, seeing her two independent stories connect. Cara Bastone has become one of my favorite authors and I am excited to read anything she puts out!

Immense gratitude to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this ebook!

oh wow oh wow oh wow. a truly beautiful love story, and just an overall life story. i loved this book with my whole heart! i loved lenny with my whole heart i just want to wrap her up in a giant hug!!

i was quite worried going into this book that it was going to be so hard and painful and depressing to read but somehow cara found a way to blend this super dark theme with so much light and heart and hope that i never once felt too sad to keep reading. it was genuinely fun and funny!! all while pulling at my heart and making me tear up!!

this is the second book from cara i’ve read and what i’ve really come to love about her love stories is the pacing. i’ve seen a few people say they were bored and/or didn’t love the pacing of this but me? i was hanging on every word!!! i could not wait to pick this up every single day!! it feels wrong to slap a “slow burn” label on this and go about my day because while it was, to me it felt like watching a true genuine connection form and deepen until they inevitably realized™️ it felt honest and genuine and i could not love Lenny and Miles more if i tried.

there were so many more parts of this story that i really loved so i think i’m just going to rapid fire them out to try and keep me from writing 17 paragraphs:
- lenny and lou (obviously) <3
- ainsley!!! i love kids in books!!!
- lenny’s parents ohhhhh i love them!!!
- miles’ relentlessly showing up
- the little ready or not cameo!! oooo!!
- that LOCKET!!
- and finally: the final checklist scene <3 ohhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! broke down in sobs. it’s true.

ps. i loved this book so deeply even with out beloved but of a mess main character wearing strange clothing and having a big bird hoodie for like 80% of the book. that’s when you know.

5 stars!! ⭐️

This book exceeded all of my expectations. First and foremost I love Cara Bastone's writing so I went into Promise Me Sunshine already expecting to enjoy it. BUT, I didn't just enjoy it I devoured it! Miles and Lenny are two souls who have struggled with immense grief in their life. The MC Miles has a heart of gold behind a grumpy exterior and sometimes misconstrued reactions. The FMC Lenny is a woman coping with her grief and attempting to feel alive again by remembering her purpose in an effort to start healing.

You will absolutely love this book if you enjoy, realistic struggles, emotional stories, book boyfriends that put their partner first, and strong character development throughout the book both individually and together!!!

I love Lenny! Lenny lost her best friend from cancer and we see her struggle in her everyday life and how her grief strikes at unexpected times. Anyone who has lost a loved one will connect with this story I can promise that!! There will be key points of this story that will relate to readers and sit with them for a while.

Miles is a male main character written by a woman. BECAUSE WOW! Miles had such a tender heart with such a tough exterior personality! We learn his story throughout the book and how Lenny helps him through his own struggles and purpose. Yet, through his ongoing struggles and past experiences with grief he pushes Lenny to become independent and alive again. I loved seeing them go from strangers to companions to best friends to lovers! The story was so well written I truly believed in their love!

Promise me sunshine is a love story between Miles and Lenny, Lenny and Lou, and life, death, and finding purpose!

🧡"This is a love story, I swear. This is what happens when you’ve promised someone you’ll live again."

Thank you to Cara Bastone, Dial Press & NetGalley for the eARC!

Having read “Ready or Not” and enjoying but not fully loving or connecting, I wanted to give Cara Bastone another chance, and I’m so glad I did!

“Promise Me Sunshine” is told in the viewpoint of Lenny, as she faces life while dealing with the grief of losing her best friend. She takes on a one time gig babysitting, only to stick around after the child’s estranged uncle asks for help connecting to his family. In exchange, Miles offers to help her get through the grieving process and learn to live again.

First of all, I love the characters. Lenny is a chaotic goofball and Miles is a grumpy softie. He’s a pit bull, with a scary exterior but the squishiest most lovable interior. Both are fiercely loyal.

The process Lenny goes through really tugged at the heartstrings. I felt her pain and then the love she felt for Miles every time he showed up for her. Whether it was in a big or small way. Reading about the way they lived up to the list was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed every step of Miles learning to have a relationship with his niece.

There was laughter, there were tears…it was a ride, just like life.

Thank you the NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

Loved! Really moving exploration of grief and love with unique characters and genuinely good character arcs.