This is a beautiful and heartfelt story about navigating grief. Lenny has lost her best friend, Lou, to cancer and is struggling to live a normal life without her sidekick. She is a nanny by trade and starts to care for a young girl named Ainsley. Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, comes into the picture and starts spending a lot of time with Lenny and Ainsley. Miles has also been through a lot of loss and can relate to Lenny in many ways. Lenny and Miles embark on a journey of completing Lenny and Lou’s bucket list and are there to offer support in each other’s weak moments.

If you need to read a love letter to those grieving, look no further. ✨🫶🏻

This book was funny -
✨”I’ve had girlfriends, Lenny. Part of having a girlfriend is that she makes you watch The Notebook.” 🤣 FACTS

✨ “Breaking: a man can resist the bend and snap. I know this because I performed one in front of Miles and he only expressed mild concern that I’d just slipped a disc.”

This book offers great advice -
✨”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.”

And this book has the sweetest romance (everyone deserves a Miles!!!) -
✨ “If I run up this hill … I want … an afternoon beer. And … sunshine. And … a basket of fried shrimp. And … a view of the ocean.” He blinks at me. And then at the cloudy sky. It’s been a full day since my trip to the Met and the clouds haven’t let up yet. “Well, I can’t promise the sunshine. But I can do everything else.”

✨ He closes his eyes, opens them and there’s his brilliant love. “There’s only you, Lenny. Every time … it’s just you,” he says, muffled as he kisses me. “And you.” He kisses me again. “And you.”

🧡 This one comes out in March and I definitely recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Cara Bastone takes readers through a grief journey that highlights the strength it takes to continue. Although this book has a heavy topic (grief after loss), it’s also inspiring to see Lenny evolve and find herself, or a newish self again. Miles, oh Miles. 10 stars for that man, what a MMC. His ability to care for and support Lenny was unmatched. Navigating grief after loss looks different for everyone, and Cara’s way of showcasing Lenny’s rock bottom made it retable, but also inspiring as she kept going through the end of the book.

This is a slow slow-burn romance on top. I want more though, when is part 2 coming out?

*+:｡.｡“𝓑𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓿𝓮 𝓲𝓽 𝓸𝓻 𝓷𝓸𝓽, 𝓲𝓽 𝓰𝓮𝓽𝓼 𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓲𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓪𝓵𝓴 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓪𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓪 𝔀𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓮. 𝓐 𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝔀𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓮. 𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓘’𝓿𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮, 𝓛𝓮𝓷𝓷𝔂. 𝓡𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮. 𝓦𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓮 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓵 𝓸𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓵𝓲𝓯𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓷𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮𝓼 𝓼𝓮𝓷𝓼𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝔂𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮. 𝓦𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓷’𝓽 𝓻𝓮𝓶𝓮𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓫𝓪𝓼𝓲𝓬 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝓯𝓾𝓷𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷. 𝓛𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓸𝓻 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻. 𝓖𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓯 … 𝓲𝓽’𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝔂 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓮𝓶𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷. 𝓘𝓽 𝓲𝓼 𝓾𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓵𝔂 𝓭𝓲𝓼𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓫𝓸𝓫𝓾𝓵𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰. 𝓐𝓶𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓶𝓪𝓷𝔂 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼.”｡.｡:+*


𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑟𝑜𝑚-𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼'𝑣𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟
𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑎 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑡ℎ𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑝 𝐼'𝑚 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑜 𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼'𝑣𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑖𝑡 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆


𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑦 (𝑀𝐿): he is the embodiment of a green flag, he's caring, he's patient, he feeds her, he literally left his life behind so he can care for his dying dad and his niece

𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑛𝑦 (𝐹𝐿): she's so witty and funny and really hilarious. She is in a kinda rough patch. I relate to her a lot her grief, her energy she can do no wrong in my eyes

𝐴𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦 (𝑛𝑖𝑒𝑐𝑒): god she's so cute 🥰 kids in books are swoon-worthy

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚🌶 𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆


Chapter 32

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕿𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

🌸 𝙶𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚢 𝚇 𝚂𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎
🌸 𝚂𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝙱𝚞𝚛𝚗
🌸 𝚂𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜
🌸 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙼𝙲𝚜

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕱𝖆𝖛 𝕼𝖚𝖔𝖙𝖊𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆


"But the thing about losing the person you love the most on earth is— somehow— you still have to do mundane things like tie your shoes and make enough money to continue to exist in this punishing world."


“Yeah, that’s right. You need strong. You need someone who can stop you from fighting large men on the street. You need someone who can wade in and pull you out of the swamp if you need me to. And I can be that person.”


“Home is where the heart is. My heart died in a cancer ward six months ago.”


I ’m convinced some people have all the luck because there’s not really a better explanation for why I don’t have any of it.


“Consider it like you just had a heart transplant. When Lou died, your entire heart went with her. But you have to live, right? So now you’ve got this new heart. And you’re getting used to it. No one would expect you to run up a hill right after a heart transplant. Go slow. Go easy on yourself.”


“I don’t want you to be healthy for me. I want you to be healthy for you. So… if you need to do something you’ll regret… let’s do it. I’m in. Just not your hair.”


“Grief is a relationship,” he continues. “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.”


“If you push him,” I explain patiently, holding my hands out as an example. “Then he pushes back. But if you take him by the hand, he follows you anywhere.”


It’s wild to me how someone who makes me feel more safe than anyone else in the world can also make me so unbelievably nervous.


⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆



Guys, guys, guys, guys, I got approved for one of my most anticipated books of the next year. I'm so happy 🔥 *Happy little dance* Thank you, Netgally. Thank you Random House Publishing Group 💕

This book did not disappoint, and there is no better feeling than that for a reader. Miles, the man that you are...they way he cared for everyone is his life, but especially for Lenny. While this book is a slow slow burn, I didn't mind it at all, and I didn't find myself wanting the pacing of their love story to speed up. I think that has to do with the way it was written in a true friends to lovers fashion. Seeing their connection develop, how much they cared for each other, how loyal and protective they were to one another, was really beautiful. Lenny is going through an immense period of grief and it sort of stuck not knowing how she'll move on with her life and be ok without her best friend in her world. And while initially she and Miles don't hit it off, they make a deal to help each other with their current struggles. For Lenny, as mentioned, is learning how to live again after the the death of the love of her life (her best friend), and for Miles it's to connect and build a relationship with his niece (whom Lenny nannys) and sister. Speaking of nieces, I absolutely loved Ainsley! She was such a fun character, who also had her own struggles/feelings towards her moms busy schedule. That time spent with Ainsley is what helps Miles form a relationship with her, with the help and support of Lenny of course. And that time spend with each other is what helps Lenny and Miles see one another in a different light, discovering that there is more to the other person than they originally thought there was. While this book does have sad and painful moments that might be difficult for some readers...it also has beautiful cathartic moments that help the main characters heal. They make new friends along the way, make new memories, have fun adventures, and ultimately fall madly and deeply in love with each other. I loved this book, and would 10 out 10 recommend, 5 stars.

P.S: There is a 'Ready of Not' cameo.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group, Cara Bastone and NetGalley for the advance readers copy!

I really enjoyed this! Nearly want to say absolutely loved it! My rating is probably closer to 4.5 stars. It felt like two different stories. An intertwined story of grief which I absolutely LOVED. And then the romance...which I wanted more of! I could absolutely feel Lenny and Lou's relationship through the pages and was eating up Lenny's character development as she learned to start living again after the loss of her best friend. When it came to Miles, I wish he cracked just a little bit more! That hard exterior just persevered, but his and Lenny's relationship was believable. Overall, another win from Cara Bastone and I will for sure be continuing to read whatever she writes!


Thank you Netgalley and Random House for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is an emotional, heartwarming read that differs from my first read by this author “ready or not”. Both center around family relationships but this book was definitely heavier. The romance is very slow burn as the emphasis is more on the two main characters building a genuine and trusting friendship. Based on this, I would more characterize this as women’s fiction.

If I could give this 10 stars I would. Heavy trigger warning for death of a loved one. This is one of those books that really reaches out to me and touches me. I sobbed and laughed so much reading this book. It was so amazing to hear Lenny's inner monolog and to really feel all her emotions along side her. And Miles! What a soft and sweet friends to lovers book boyfriend. He was perfect in all the right ways. If you love books set in New York you will especially love all the spots these characters end up and I really hope everyone else can enjoy it with me. I want to shout from the rooftops just how amazing Cara Bastones writing is. And I have to say this is my first time crying while ready the acknowledgements. Cara you truly are a mastor of your craft

There is so much love about Cara Bastone's Promise Me Sunshine.

Lenny recently lost her best friend to cancer and is deeply impacted by grief when she meets Miles. Miles is the grumpy neighbor and uncle of a girl Lenny inconsistently nannies. When the two meet Miles recognizes how deeply Lenny is grieving and agrees to help her. In return, she must help him build a relationship with his nephew and half sister.

My favorite thing about this book was how Cara Bastone builds the characters in each section. She takes her time with them as they gradually let their guards down throughout the book and allow readers to see their true hearts. Miles starts out as a grumpy tough guy but he takes care of Lenny with extreme tenderness. Lenny is fun loving at heart but it is hard to see because of how lost she is after. losing her friend.

This is a very slow burn where the emphasis is less on the romance and more on these two characters building a genuine and deep trusting friendship. I'd put it more in the women's fiction category than in the romance category. Overall I would absolutely recommend this book!

4.5, rounded up to 5

This is an emotional, heartwarming story about grieving and what comes after. Each of the main characters in the story has suffered the loss of a loved one(s). Despite the heavy subject matter, there is also humor and happiness in #PromiseMeSunshine.

Lenny (Helen) has recently lost her best friend to cancer; a friend who was also her roommate and whom Lenny had known since she was five years old. She is overwhelmed with grief, avoiding her parents, not eating, not sleeping well and basically not taking care of herself while she tries to find a way to do more than exist.

Formerly a full-time nanny, she is now only able to handle temporary babysitting jobs. One of her short-term assignments has her spending a weekend taking care of seven-year-old Ainsley Hollis, while Ainsley’s mother, Reese, travels for work. Lenny also meets Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, who lives in the same building as Ainsley and Reese. Despite their physical proximity, Reese and Miles are not close. Miles is Reese’s half-brother—whose existence she was not even aware of until just prior to her father’s death. Miles is nine months younger than Reese and although he knew of her existence, he was raised by mother and understood that his father wanted to keep Miles a secret.

Miles turns out to be Lenny’s guardian angel/lifeline. Once he understands her situation, he offers to help show her how to live again. Miles has learned the hard way how to make it through to the other side and start healing. He lost his mother and cousin in a car accident; and more recently lost his father, whom he was just starting to get to know.

In exchange, Lenny will help Miles (not the most communicative person) understand how to interact better with Ainsley and Reese so that he can build a relationship with his niece and his sister, the only family he has left.

Lenny takes Miles up on his offer, and she begins to reach out to him when she needs someone, and Miles is always there for her. No matter where or when, he’s utterly dependable, providing support and assistance when she needs it. Slowly, Lenny learns how to take care of herself again and open up to life, without feeling like she’s betraying Lou’s memory. Lenny and Miles become friends and then fall in love; and even then, Miles is looking out for her, and wanting to make sure that he gets this right and doesn’t rush things before Lenny is ready.

With a fully realized cast of characters, wonderful dialogue and an important message about living after a crushing loss, this touching, slow-burn romance is something special! Bonus for those who have read Bastone’s “Ready or Not”: Ethan makes a cameo appearance as a friend of Miles.

Thanks to #NetGalley and @RandomHouse for the ARC.

5 stars. No notes. I loved every minute of this one and can’t wait for everyone to meet Lenny and Miles! Now I have to go read everything else this author has ever written.

I loved Ready or Not when I read it earlier this year and was so excited to receive an eARC of Promise Me Sunshine. This book was a gut punch from page 1, just like Ready or Not, but this time with a story of grief and friendship and how to keep going. I was astounded again by the care with which Cara Bastone handled her character's loss and love and the beautiful way the main characters stitched each other back up, not unchanged, but whole again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC of this book which releases in Spring 2025. Further reviews can be found on @alexaisreading__ on Instagram.

Wow, this book really deserves all the hype it has been getting so far!
It was beautifully written and I was completely moved by the story. I thought the author did an amazing job of balancing the heavy topic of grief with the lighthearted moments. The book kept me interested from beginning to end.

As for the characters, I adored the protagonist Lenny. She puts on this sunshiny persona, but in reality, she is drowning in grief after the loss of her best friend. Her healing journey was depicted realistically. It was not linear and we got to see her experience good days and bad days after her loss. Every day she was trying her best and, little by little, she starts learning how to live again. And Miles! He reminded me so much of Jacob from Yours Truly. He was the sweetest and has the best intentions, but sometimes his actions and his words don’t come off that way because of his gruff exterior. He cares deeply for others and just needed some help in showcasing it better.

The romance was a slow burn for sure. It doesn’t really kick in until the last third of the book, but there were subtle hints here and there. It didn’t bother me too much because I loved reading about Lenny and Miles’ friendship. They understood and complemented each other so well.

All in all, this was a great read and I will definitely keep an eye out for the author’s next release.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The journey of healing was such a beautiful read, watching it all unfold. I also loved how Miles expressed that he cared but wanted to wait. Highly recommend this novel!

There were so many elements about this book that I liked. In the beginning, Miles annoyed the heck out of me, and I had high hopes he wasn’t going to be the MMC. In the end, I was in love. 😭 The relationship between Lenny and Miles was definitely a slow burn, but it wasn’t excruciating like some are, it actually felt very natural. Even if this book was just about friendship and not romance, I would’ve loved it the same. Their friendship was so loyal, pure, and heart-warming, and I loved how they were able to build a little friend-family throughout the book & find community together. They each have their own baggage and trauma, but they are each such strong, emotionally intelligent characters, and I loved watching them grow and support one another. I also really enjoyed Lenny’s dynamic with Ainsley & Reese. I thought it was so sweet how she was able to build such a strong bond with them. She deserves a job she loves with a boss as amazing as Reese. Throughout the story, I thought the author did a very good job of illustrating a realistic portrayal of grief & the highs and lows that come with healing after such a drastic loss. Despite all of the grief in the book, the story still felt light-hearted and comforting. Definitely adding Cara Bastone to my list of authors to watch.

One thing that annoyed me about this book was how big of a deal they made the “first kiss” out to be. I understand Miles was trying to be cautious with her heart, but I think it was too focused on that for a period of time.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"Just remember. Something good for you, something bad for you, and a change of scenery. That's the winning formula."

4.5⭐

This book is supposed to be a romance between Lenny and Miles while Lenny grieves the loss of her best friend, but honestly it's so much more than that. Yes, this is still a heartwarming slow-burn romance. However, the journey of healing and growth you witness both of these characters experience in this story is so much more.

This is the story of Lenny, a temporary nanny for Ainsley, who is falling apart after her best friend, soulmate, and comrade Lou dies. She gets absolutely lost in her grief and has trouble completing her list of activities to help her live after losing Lou. When Miles notices this he strikes a deal with her that he will be her grief guide and list buddy in return she is to teach him how to have a relationship with his niece, Ainsley.

Miles is the perfect partner for Lenny. The way he pushes her to do the hard things when she needs it, is there to hold her for however long is needed when she completely falls apart, and goes to her whenever she calls absolutely no questions asked.



Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Nobody talk to me I’m still recovering. A really fucking beautiful love story about friendship, about finding your soulmate in a best friend and almost not being able to survive the grief if the unthinkable happens. I love how much of an emphasis this book puts on friendship. It’s one of those stories that makes you think about the people in your life and what you’re doing to cherish the moments with them. Watching Lenny grieve Lou was fucking heartbreaking. Like, some moments were so painful and written so well that it was truly too much to handle. Overall, it just explored grief really well and the true rollercoaster of emotions that come along with it. I’m no stranger to swooning over a book boyfriend but Miles really was so so good. He is the literal definition of ‘let me take care of you’. We would all be so lucky to have a Miles in our corner. I’m so happy that he and Lenny found each other, that they were able to carve out a space to help the other live and love again. Comes out in March and it’s a must read!

cara has now become an author i’ll fully support in the sense of “if cara wrote it, i will be buying it.” because this is my second arc by her (former arc was for ready or not) & her writing is one of the most entertaining that i’ve encountered this year within the romance genre.

i fully despised miles in the beginning because he was just kind of annoying like..hello why are u there just standing. however, his character grew on me the more i read the book and once i found out his intentions were with lenny.

lenny’s story on grieving was well written and raw however it felt a bit overdone at times. i love that this book not only focuses on the character development aspects but also touches on the subject of depression, grief & anxiety in a way.

however, i can definitely see how people can have a different opinion on it & want to dnf it because i was also close to dnf’ing it. the start was just a bit choppy & kind of slow up until i think it was chapter 10? not too sure but i had to read almost 50% of the book for it to get really good.

overall, it was a good read & i recommend it & again thank you for the arc i will be purchasing when released :)

Lenny is dealing with the immense grief of losing her best friend and her life has fallen apart. To keep herself afloat, she nannies for a little girl, Ainsley. Ainsley comes with an uncle, Miles, who's kind of a jerk and doubting her every move. Little does Lenny know, he's about to help her through the hardest time of her life.

This novel started a little slow for me, but then I realized, if I were to lose anyone so close to me, I would completely shut down, too. And it would take a lot of work to come back. I just hope if I'm ever in such a painful situation, I have a Miles to get me through it! 💞

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Promise Me Sunshine is a romance story that focuses heavily on learning to live through grief. Our protagonist, Lenny, is very much struggling with life after the loss of her best friend to cancer, to the point where she won't even go home. While at a babysitting job, she meets Miles, who can be a bit rough around the edges but recognizes that Lenny is struggling. Miles has had to deal with grief himself, so he offers to help Lenny. I really enjoyed reading this story and thought it dealt with some very heavy topics well. I liked both of the main characters and thought that their different personalities complimented each other in a way that brought out the best in each other. Lenny and the grief she was dealing with felt very real but also left me with a feeling of hope. The romance is very slow burn, but I really had to respect how Miles navigated Lenny's grief with her. This was a book that was hard to put down, and I would love to read more by the author!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Dial Press Trade Paperback, and NetGalley for the advance review copy of Promise Me Sunshine! All opinions expressed are completely my own.

This book was beautiful, and so so sad. Lenny was so believable, the trauma she was going through and the ways in which she reacted to it felt so real. Miles is a perfect foil to Lenny - grumpy and kind. It made breaking his shell incredibly enticing to Lenny, but also rewarding (ultimately). I absolutely loved watching them incorporate the other into a shared existence. And I cried so much. Gorgeous. Another excellent addition to Cara Bastone's catalogue.