Wow, I absolutely adored this book! The characters were quirky, funny, and full of life, with such incredible chemistry and dynamics that they felt entirely real. Each character was so unique and authentically themselves, which made them deeply relatable and memorable. Lenny’s story was especially captivating—her journey through grief added depth and emotional resonance that elevated the entire book. I found myself rooting for both characters and feeling deeply invested in their happiness. I didn’t want this story to end, it has all the components of a perfect romance book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I adored this book. Cara Bastone’s style of romance suits me perfectly. If you enjoy slow burns and sweet romances, you’ll love this story of life after loss.

This was a beautiful book that explored the deep emotions of grief in a way I’ve never experienced before. I enjoyed this book immensely!

I appreciate this books insight on overcoming grief. I am lucky to have not had to go through that yet in my lifetime - but even while reading it was humbling to realize that I would probably be reacting the same as Lenny if I lost someone that close to me.

I really wish I got the butterfly feeling for Lenny and Miles - but it just wasn't there for me. Maybe because their relationship blossomed over shared experiences with grief. I did think that Miles was a good balance for her with his quiet loyalty. But Lenny's overwhelming anxiety where she would make awkward word vomit kind of ruined a lot of tender moments.

Think there also should have been some discussion of going through some real grief therapy. Miles helped pull her through, but there is still a lot Lenny should work on without him - as well as helping provide readers with multiple resources for helping navigate going through the stages of grief.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Off the heels of her book "Ready or Not", which I loved, I jumped into this book. It started off slow and the characters took me a minute to figure out. Lenny has these fantasies about men and my first impression of her was similar to Molly in Uptown Girls. But then you learn of her best Friend Lou and the ferry, and I couldn't wrap my brain around her not going home and what that life is like. There was a bit too much time spent with Lenny sort of baby sitting and spending a lot of time with Miles and the family and it seemed sudden and forced, and the book moved slowly.
Around 60% in it picked up and I liked the slow burn of Lenny and Miles and their real connection.
It was cute but heavy on death and moving on past a big loss.

This book deals a lot with grief and working through your loss, but in a beautiful way. I thought our main character was very realistic and relatable in her actions, and the MMC was unknowingly funny and a solid rock for her. I loved their relationship, the ending made sense, nothing was rushed, and everything in this book for me had conclusions and thought put behind it.
Also loved the characters humour. Even the child had good one liners, and added to the plot.

4.5 stars. I’m a huge sucker for the “two broken people help each other heal” plot, so I was predisposed to love this book (especially as a Cara Bastone fan).

Lenny is a very broken woman, after the death of her lifelong best friend — she’s avoiding family, other friends, her apartment, and long-term work. After a disastrous first meeting, Miles learns of Lenny’s grief and offers to be her grief coach in exchange for advice on how to connect with his niece, as Lenny is her nanny. What follows is a really tender slow burn, while they both work on their relationships with others. There is not really any 3rd act conflict, just two people learning the right way to communicate with one another. I love Lenny and her growth, I love Miles and his steadfastness. This was just a really lovely read.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for the ARC!!

Cara Bastone once again delivers a truly heart-squeezing romance. The story masterfully explores grief in all its raw, aching honesty, while weaving a tender and deeply emotional love story. The chemistry between the characters is electric, their feelings so tangible it’s as if you’re living them yourself. Bastone’s writing makes Lenny and Mike’s’ love feel achingly real, and by the end, I was left completely undone. I’ll need at least 5-7 business days to recover from the emotional journey this book took me on. Highly recommend for anyone who loves romance that lingers in your soul.

Thank you NetGalley and Dial Press for the advance copy!!

This book is beautiful and absolutely heart-wrenching. Cara’s depiction of grief especially of a close friend is so raw and genuine. Lenny’s journey throughout this story is handled with real love and care.

Miles is going to be the next book boyfriend. At least, he's definitely mine. He has all of the qualities of a perfect book boyfriend - broody, gruff, secret softy, slowly falling heads of heels in love with our FMC. Also, his understanding of grief and need for Lenny to learn to handle parts of her grief alone before pursuing a relationship. This man is swoon-worthy.

I loved this book, I read it in a day. It’s a really beautiful love story and some of that love story is the friendship between Lou and Lenny that we never experience firsthand. I could not recommend this book more.

This one took me a while to get into but wowwwww once I did - it is so worth the read!! I adored Ready or Not and this one is right up there with it - deals with grief & loss in a beautiful way & is the funniest sweetest slow burn romance that I just swooned over!! Put this one on your tbr! Cara Bastone is now an easy auto read author for me!

Yay that book 1 of the year 2025 was a true 5-star read! My introduction to Cara Bastone was through BOTM last year when I read and loved Ready or Not. I was immediately eager for more magic from CB! When I saw this on NetGalley, it was an instant request. This is a story about love, grief, living, new normals, connection, friendships, relationships, and moving forward. The portrayal of depression and mental health is so realistic and well done. Lenny and Lou made me really reflect on how grateful I am for my best friend. Lenny’s connections with Miles, Ainsley, Reese, and her new friends were all so special. It was the perfect way to start my reading year and I absolutely adored every step of the way. Lenny will stay with me forever. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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How do you find yourself after you lose the one you loved the most?

Grieving the loss of her best friend, a young woman’s life is turned upside down when she meets a grumpy stranger who swears he can help her live again, in this heartwarming, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or Not.

Lenny’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Ever since cancer stole away her best friend, she has been completely lost. She’s avoiding her concerned parents, the apartment she shared with her best friend, and the ever-laminated “live again” list of things she’s promised to do to survive her grief. But maybe if she acts like she has it all together, no one will notice she’s falling apart.

The only gigs she can handle right now are temporary babysitting jobs, and she just landed a great one, helping overworked, single mom Reese and her precocious daughter, Ainsley. The only catch: Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, always seems to be around, and is kind of. . . a walking version of the grumpy cat meme. Worse – he seems to be able to see right through her.

Surprisingly, Miles knows a lot about grief and he offers Lenny a proposition. He’ll help her complete everything on her “live again” list if she’ll help him connect with Ainsley and overcome his complicated relationship with Reese. Lenny doubts anything can fill the void her best friend has left behind, but between late night ferry rides, midnight ramen, and a well-placed shoulder whenever she needs it, Miles just won’t stop showing up for her. Turns out, sometimes your life has to end to find your new beginning.
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I heard all the buzz about Cara Bastone's last book Ready or Not on the socials, so when I saw Promise Me Sunshine come up on NetGalley, I was quick to request it. After reading Ready or Not, I was even more excited to read this new offering, and I was looking forward to making it my first read of 2025. No regrets at all.

As in her previous offering, this author has given us characters who are just so likeable. Lenny is so real and flawed and messy, and I just wanted to crawl into the pages of the book and give her a big hug. Miles is everything. The story manages to be both deep and meaningful while also being fun and lighthearted. The subplots are fully developed parts of a beautiful whole, and the entire thing is was just an amazing start to me reading year.

I am excited to see there is a back catalog of books from this writer, and I look forward to adding her to my list of auto-buy authors. Big thanks to social media for sending her my way!

Wow this book was amazing! 4.5 stars! One of the best romance books i have read in a while. Friends to lovers trope.

We follow Lenny who has lost her best friend to cancer and is trying to navigate her new life. She meets Miles who helps her through her grief.

This book had the perfect balance of sad and happy, funny and serious while it covered some pretty emotional topics.

The writing was great and had me hooked right from the start. The dialogue was written perfectly and the build up to the romance was even better. I don't usually highlight quotes to remember from books, but I definitely did from this one! This was my first book by this author but it definitely will not be my last.

And Miles, oh Miles. I could connect with him on so many levels. I thought he was written so beautifully. One of my favourite book boyfriends to date, hands down.

The romance between the two characters was beautiful. The banter was perfect and i found myself rooting for them early on.

The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was there were a few parts that were inconsistent with the storyline. Additionally, there was a big part of the plot that just straight up annoyed me and every time it got brought up I had to roll my eyes. I feel like the book could've been done without it, but I also see what the author was trying to add to the story by including it.

Also, the cover makes it seem like it would be summer vibes and although it is gorgeous, most of the book took place in the fall, even bordering into winter by the end.

Favourite quote:

"When everything is going dark and you can’t understand why … when the grief catches up to you again …. Just remember. Something good for you, something bad for you, and a change of scenery. That’s the winning formula.”


Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. Infinity stars all the way. Cried my eyes out multiple times. So real and honest and satisfyingly, heartbreakingly perfect.

*swoon!*
Head's up for trigger warnings, as I wanted to share this book with so many friends but proceeded with caution for those who recently experienced loss.

This was such a beautifully written love story between Lenny and Miles, offering a deep dive into grief and their evolving relationship. From their initial animosity to becoming friends, best friends, and eventually lovers, they navigate Lenny’s mourning and Miles’ family dynamics with such ease. Fair warning, the story is emotionally intense and heart-wrenching at times, offering an unflinching, realistic portrayal of grief. Lenny’s struggle to rediscover life after the death of her friend is raw and poignant. At the same time, it weaves in a beautiful love story with plenty of humor and uplifting moments. The way the author balanced these two elements was incredibly impressive.
While this is quite a hearty book (400+ pages), I honestly didn't even notice because I was so wrapped up in the plot. The pacing worked perfectly, giving the characters the space they needed to grow and develop their connection instead of rushing through essential aspects of the story that made it so genuine and relatable.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group | Dial Press Trade Paperback for the opportunity to read this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinions!

Beautiful and moving. Miles Honey is my new book boyfriend. An incredibly touching, slow-burn romance which celebrates love in its many forms. The love of a parent to their child, platonic friendship love, sibling love and the love of found friends and community.

Not always uplifting, plenty of dark and painful moments, but a lovely, positive message of moving on and living after a terrible loss. Both MCs have experienced tragedy and through their shared grief, they learn how to live and love and heal themselves and each other. I loved it and will recommend it to everyone!

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Random House / Dial Press for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Final book of 2024! Lenny is recovering from the loss of her best friend, Lou, who passed from cancer. She meets Miles when she’s nannying for his sister/niece. This was a complex romance , friends to lovers, while navigating grief. I truly loved this book. Lenny, I hated and loved; it was clear she needed professional help versus using Miles for her “get back to life list”. I felt she was pretty selfish at times. Miles was just perfection, especially seeing him try to bond with his sister and niece.

I read Ready or Not by over the summer and rated that book 5 stars, so I was thrilled to read another book by Cara Bastone! Another 5 star read for me that I daresay I love even more from Cara Bastone. This book gave me everything I want in a contemporary romance - it was emotional, hopeful, heartwarming, romantic and laugh out-loud funny. While reading this book, I could also easily imagine this story and the dialogue as a movie. I adored Miles and Lenny, their friendship and slow burn love story, and the way they healed and grew with each other. This book was also a thoughtful look at grief without being too heavy. I was rooting for both of them individually and for their relationship and I am sad to not get to spend any more time with these two characters.

Please go and read this book if you are a fan of contemporary romance! I'm looking forward to seeing how readers react to this book when it is officially released.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for the e-ARC and apologies for this review not doing this book justice!

This was a two-day read for me. It was beautiful but had triggering content to be aware of. The story could be seen as more romance adjacent since the romance is secondary to the FMC's introspection, grief, and healing. Lenny was a delight. I loved that Bastone gave you a glimpse into her old personality but didn't shy away from the serious impact of the loss of a loved one. Miles was so endearing. His being such a patient-giving caretaker seems like a fantasy, but his backstory made it a bit more realistic. Lenny and Miles's beautiful friendship made their love story seem like more than trauma bonding. It's a definite slow burn, but it is a delight to watch it unfold.

Read if you like:
•Slow Burn Romance
•Grumpy vs. Sunshine
•Friends to Lovers
•Complex MCs
•Found Family

🌶️🌶️🌶️ Open Door: At least one intimate scene with the reader present, euphemistic language for act and body parts.

I absolutely loved this book. LOVED. The inner dialogue of Lenny was HILARIOUS. And Miles… everyone needs a Miles. It was such a great story about growth, and recovery, and love. I will definitely be reading more of Cara Bastone!

*A sincere thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing the advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.*