ALL THE FEELS <3
5 stars!
This is a must read for anyone looking for the healing power of an emotional book. Cara Bastone knows how to write about a sad topic while instilling hope and making you laugh.

Grief after death is the primary focus of Promise Me Sunshine. It is written with such care and honesty that you feel like you know the characters personally.

Lenny is quietly grieving the loss of her best friend. She’s functional but not okay. Miles allows her to feel all of her deep emotions while seeing the true person who is hiding inside. He understands grief personally. Their relationship is mutually beneficial as they both navigate difficult life changes. It’s a truly wonderful book about relationships and love. Grab the tissues and prepare to giggle - you will easily laugh and cry while reading the same page!

The cute call out to Ready or Not was a fun surprise!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a breath of fresh air, and a new as well as different take on grief for me. The plot was so much deeper and more emotional than I thought it would be going into it. As a therapist who holds space for those who are grieving and someone who has dealt with complex grief myself, it was interesting to see and read about this different perspective and approach to the healing process. Grief and what is helpful to everyone is not one size fits all, so to see and learn about how the characters in this book approached or often avoided certain things as they went through or described their respective grieving processes was very enlightening for me. This book and approach made me think of certain people I have helped or wanted to help through grief, and it made me consider other ways that we can all try to look at the grieving process. I truly enjoyed this book and recommend that you give this read a try to draw your own conclusions. I also invite you to take what you want from it and leave what you don’t as it really does describe and depict such a personal/unique human process.

As a side note, I think Miles has become a new favorite MMC for me. I definitely felt as though some moments were potentially encouraging a lot of future codependency, but I mainly felt that, given the context of the story/plot, his unwavering and nonjudgmental support was beautiful to witness. Sometimes that is exactly the kind of support a person needs when they are struggling and healing. ❤️‍🩹

Thank you so much to Cara Bastone, Random House Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this beautiful book!

Book Title: Promise Me Sunshine
Anticipated Publication/Release Date: March 4, 2025
Author: Cara Bastone


~Alissa R.

I will start off with saying this book was not at all what I expected, but everything I needed! I am notorious for judging a book by its cover and I did exactly that with this one. I thought this was going to be a light, beach read romance and it certainly wasn't. This story was less about romance and more about Lenny’s journey with grief, friendship and loss. However we still got a very slow burn tale of two friends to lovers. I was initially a bit unsure how I felt about the characters, but as they developed throughout the story I came to really enjoy them, particularly Miles. The characters were well developed and had their own backgrounds and flaws to work through as well. While this one was lighter on romance than I was expecting, the love story still unfolded beautifully and it was not without a bit of spice, which I enjoyed.

Will be posted on Instagram.com/therunaway.readers closer to pub date

I laughed and I cried. Cara Bastone writes such unique romances, and although I didn't think anything would be as good as Ready or Not, I was wrong. I loved this book!

The story was beautifully crafted, and I was deeply moved by it. Cara did an incredible job of striking a delicate balance between the heavy subject of grief and the lighter, more uplifting moments. It held my attention from start to finish. The slow burn was KILLLLINNGGG me, I was screaming "JUST KISS ALREADY!!!"
It did move a bit too sluggishly for me at times, BUT I think others will appreciate the measured pace of this friends to lovers, grumpy x sunshine love story. I'm just an impatient person and wanted to get together already. By the time they got together, I was positively GIDDY watching them collide.
Thank you so much for a delightful and heartfelt story

Thank you to Netgalley and thr Publisher for the ARC

So it took me awhile to finish this book, longer then usual. It took me awhile because it was really a fantastic book with a wonderful plot and I refused to skim through the book. I didn't want to miss any details of the storyline.

This book had some of my favorite tropes
😍 Romantic comedy
😍 Friends to lovers
😍 Cinnamon Roll MC with a heart of gold 💛
😍 Grumpy/Sunshine
😍 Slow burn romance

Lenny meets Miles after she takes a babysitting gig and she's introduced to Uncle Miles, who is single, sweet and lives in the building where she babysits. The mom, Reese is sort of a mess and Miles is around a lot recently adter the liss of their parents to help her out with raising her daughter.

Lenny has just lost her best friend, Lou to can we and is list in life without Lou. Miles, who she instantly starts crushing on befriends her and won't leave her to grieve alone. Slowly with his help she comes out of her shell.

Is true ❤️ love in the cards for Miles and Lenny as they help eachother grow through their losses of loved ones? I highly suggest reading 📚 this book, you won't be sorry.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

I recently read Ready or Not and Cara Bastone quickly became an author for me to keep my eye on. Promise Me Sunshine did not disappoint!! Cara Bastone just became an auto buy author for me.

This one was heavy and broke my heart so many times, and also reminded me there is beauty in healing and finding life after loss again. This book is not just a romance novel, it's a beautiful exploration of grief and healing. Cara Bastone did an amazing job of balancing such a heavy topic in a romance novel. Lenny's grief felt so real and raw. Every page of this book we walked alongside Lenny as she navigates her pain in losing the one she's loved the most. and then there's Miles - he's perfect for Lenny in every way. He honors her feelings and doesn't try to replace the loss in her life. He waits for her and helps her move through her grief in a way that is so so beautiful. To put it simply, I loveeed Lenny and Miles. They were both strong, complex characters that were well written. They were loyal and committed to each other and growth.

Absolutely stunning! Such a beautiful love story. It completely captivated me. I wish I could read it again for the first time!

Oh Cara, I love ya. This author delivers story after story with an epic plot, a journey that resonates, shows growth of character and has a swoony ending. With her stories you start and before you know it, you’ve been reading for hours and devoured it. Just lovely!

An unexpected, unique love story from an author who never disappoints. My only gripe is that we never learned what age the MMC was!?! Thanks for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’m writing this review about 30% in because I already know it’s going to be 5 stars. I love Lenny, I love how real she is and she’s vocal about her struggles to Miles. I cannot imagine losing my friend to cancer but Cara is writing Lenny’s grief journey and how it’s not always easy and how you will have a lot of bad days. Miles is wonderful, he’s the grumpy to her sunshine and I love how he keeps showing up for Lenny and his sister. Ainsley is adorable and such a good light to have in the book. Again I’m not done with the book yet but I already know I’m going to love it and it’s quickly becoming my favorite read of the year. Would 100% recommend!

A beautiful story of grief, love, and finding your sunshine again. Lenny finding her way back to herself was beautiful. Miles is a sweetheart and we all deserve to have a Miles in our life!

This is my 2nd book from Cara Bastone & all I can say is I’m obsessed. The representation of grief was so real, and the balance between grief and more lighthearted moments was perfect. Will definitely be recommending this all around.

what a fantastic read! the grief in this book was written so beautifully, it had me crying in parts. the pining was palpable between the main characters and you could see the love shining through the acts of service the MMC did for the FMC! i love grumpy guys who are secretly a softie for their one girl in books and Miles is exactly that!!!

A beautiful story about grief with a friends to lovers, grumpy x sunshine slow burn romance. Their romance was so tender and full of heart, Miles truly cared so much for Lenny and the things he’d do for her made my chest ache. There’s a hurt/comfort moment in this book that I don’t think I’m ever going to forget. You need to mark your calendars for March 4th 2025 and pick this up on release day, you won’t regret it. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Dial Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cara Bastone is the only author I've read that can have me smiling like an idiot on the couch in my living room.

The story of Miles & Lenny is one that many can relate to, learning to live and love through grief. It showed personal growth as well as a damn cute love story.

I'll gladly read anything Cara writes. Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for this ARC ebook for review.

This was top tier. It was the slowest of burns but in the best way. The main character's journey through grief with help was so well written.

Wow. 4.5 ⭐️

This book was emotional and unlike anything I’ve read before.

I loved that the main focus of the book was living again. The relationship between Lenny and Miles was so well developed but the main focus was their journey through grief together through the complex emotions together. Yes they fell in love but unlike most romances that was not the overwhelming theme in this book.

I took away 1/2 of a star because the ending felt incomplete. I would’ve loved to see an epilogue.

If you loved Shep from Ready or Not you need to read this now.

The way Cara Bastone writes continues to wow me. Can’t wait to see more from her. Adding her to my auto buy list.

Thank you Dial Press, NetGalley and the author Cara Bastone for allowing me to read the eARC.

Cara does it again! And by “it,” I mean convince me that humans are capable of so many different kinds of soul-deep, earth-shattering love. How dare she make me fall head over heels for these imperfect characters who I will never forget and inevitably name my dog after (true story…go ready *Ready or Not* and try not to fall in love with that man)!!!!

Lenny and Miles, even Ainsley and Reese, are a part of me now. I have never read a book that handled grief so perfectly. What a messy, beautiful, touching, emotional story. 5 stars, no doubt will read again and recommend to everyone who has lost someone close to them.

Special thanks to Random House and NetGalley for this highly anticipated ARC! Don’t miss this one; out on March 4, 2025. 🩷

LITERALLY PERFECT! I was so scared reading this book that it wouldn’t recognize Lenny’s grief being replaced with love for Miles and was so please with how it turned out. 5 stars!!