WOW. This book was phenomenal. Truly such a beautiful story about overcoming grief and finding yourself after losing someone so close to you. It’s raw, it’s emotional, it’s so well written. It’s the best kind of slow burn because we get to see our two main characters, Lenny and Miles, find themselves and grow as individuals before they decide to be together. Through it all, they support each other. I highly recommend this book.

Trigger warnings for death of a best friend (cancer) and death of a parent.

Lenny is floating through life, not really living since her best friend passed away from cancer. When nannying, she meets Miles—the uncle of the child she’s nannying—who sees right through her. He’s lost his mother and cousin and can recognize the signs of someone grieving. He offers to help Lenny process her grief and be there for her as a friend. In exchange, Lenny offers to help Miles bond with his niece.

Thank you so much to Cara Bastone, Dial Press, and NetGalley for the eARC.

I loved this book so much! It was such a realistic portrayal of grief. I loved seeing the evolution of Lenny and Miles' relationship over time. Miles is one of the sweetest, most heartfelt characters i've read in quite some time. Cara Bastone does such a great job of taking real life situations and telling beautiful stories - messy yet true to form.

Lenny meets Miles when she is struggling with grief. He has been there and wants to help her with her list, if she will let him. A great read, looking forward to more from this author.

OK this book was SO sweet. Like Abby Jimenez-level good, dare I say? This is my second book from Cara Bastone and pretty immediately in both, I knew I would love them. Cara writes characters I love. She writes witty banter that is can’t-stop-smiling-funny-and-sweet. Like Abby Jimenez books, Promise Me Sunshine has difficult themes- this one specifically is the main character grieving the loss of her best friend and figuring out how life moves on without her. Even with difficult subject matter, the book has many moments of levity and is really comforting and delightful. Miles and Lenny are my favorite main characters that I’ve read in a long time- complex, real, funny, and perfect for each other too. The secondary characters were well developed and really added great value to the story. Grumpy x Sunshine, Slow-burn romance, and a Cinnamon Roll MMC made for the perfect combination. The only reason why I discount .25 stars is because this man simply does not exist! And the slowest-burn romance I’ve ever read in my life could have been sped up a tiny bit for me! I would have loved an epilogue or a few more chapters of happiness before the end. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC which I only got around to reading the day it was released to the world! If you love Romance, Promise Me Sunshine will not disappoint!

This is a very well written story about grief and finding yourself again after a loved one passes. I found it to be very entertaining and the characters are really loveable.

Wow. This book took me on quite an opinionated ride. The first 50% I was in love with it. The main character, Lenny, has the most amazing sense of humor and I wish I could be as funny as her. The grief that the story deals with feels so unbelievably raw and real and I honestly can’t remember any other book. I’ve read the deals grief quite like this one does. Let’s not forget the main male character, Miles. He has got to be the most cinnamon roll. MMC I’ve ever read. Adorable.

But as the book goes on, you kind of start to think that while it’s sweet that this guy wants to help this girl with her grief journey that also feels like therapy would be a better option. It also became frustrating when you start to get to know Miles a little more and you can’t quite figure out why he’s doing what he’s doing and once you do, it doesn’t feel satisfying.

And finally, how is it that the best part of this book (the main character’s humor) turns out to be one of the worst parts when it gets down to the nitty-gritty? It became pretty cringy at times and I was secondhand embarrassed.

But all that said, I still feel like I really liked it. I think I also felt similarly about the author’s other book too.

I will definitely be thinking about this book for a while. I cried so much but also laughed so much. Reading their grief i felt like I knew these characters and also their banter and just love and care for each other was so special. Truly such a wonderful book I'll be recommending and screaming from the rooftops for people to read it.

I am not usually patient with slow burns but this is the slowest of slow burns and I actually loved that about it and thought it was very fitting for the story.
There is something about Bastone's writing that makes me want to settle in and keep turning the pages for hours and I love her ability to portray the balance in life between heartbreak and joy. I cannot wait to read more from her!

Rating: Loved it (4.5 stars)
Romantic content: open door, medium explicit
Other content: grief/death of loved ones, cancer, car accident

"Promise Me Sunshine" is the first book I picked up by Cara Bastone, although I’ve got her other titles sitting on my TBR list. From the get-go, it seemed like my kind of story: heartbreaking but with a way of healing your soul. And honestly, it was even better than I expected.
This book dives deep into grief and mourning, but it’s so much more than that. It explores the essence of human nature, friendship, family, and love, reminding us what it truly means to live.
Lenny’s journey through the pain of losing Lou was gut-wrenching. I can't even imagine what it would be like to lose my best friend, it hit hard. But then there’s Miles, who brings some much-needed light into Lenny’s life. Seriously, he’s everything. How can you not fall for such a beautifully written character? I loved Lenny too; she was unique and hilarious, even in tough moments. But Miles… I just can't describe how great he is. Can someone please send me a Miles right now?
This isn’t a rom-com, but it has a bit of everything: drama, laughter, and just the right touch of romance. I loved how the romance unfolded—it was subtle and didn’t steal the spotlight from the rest of the story. If you usually don’t go for this type of book, I really urge you to give it a shot anyway. It’s something special! It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it’s one of those reads that’s hard to describe without getting emotional about how fantastic it is. So trust me, you won’t want to miss this one!

Oh. My. GOOD. GOD.

I have never in my LIFE read a romance book like this one. The delicate yet raw and real way Cara was able to talk about grief and intertwine this with finding your soulmate was unbelievable in the best way. I am in awe that this book exists. It was so beautiful and hopeful and just overall romantic and touching. Thank you so much for the arc.

There are some stories that just reach into the depths of your soul...and this is one of them. Promise Me Sunshine is achingly authentic, heartfelt, tender, hopeful journey of learning to live after a devastating loss. So beautifully written...Lenny and Miles will capture your heart and make you believe that the journey to healing is worth the heartache and struggle.
Thank you #NetGalley and #Random House Publishing for the ARC.

In Promise Me Sunshine, author Cara Bastone weaves a heartfelt story about loss, grief, healing, finding unexpected friendship and love.

Lenny Bellamy has lost her best friend Lou Merritt to cancer six months ago, and she finds herself stuck in her grief, unable to move on with her life.

Lenny takes on a temporary nanny position for Reese Hollis, a single mom and her seven-year-old daughter, Ainsley. On the first day of her job, she meets Ainsley's uncle Miles Honey, who has a gruff personality.

As Lenny and Miles get to know each other, Miles makes a proposition to her: he'll help her get through her grief and healing process if she would help him have a better relationship with his half-sister Reese and niece Ainsley. What ensues is an emotional journey of healing and an unexpected friendship and romance between them.

Promise Me Sunshine is a beautifully written story that will tug at your heartstrings. Set in New York City, it's an emotional story about two people who have each lost someone, and how their journey of grieving and healing creates something special between them. I couldn't help but feel for Lenny as her grief has left her stuck and not doing well. But oh my gosh, when she meets Miles who appears to be gruff on the outside but a total teddy bear on the inside, she finds someone who knows what she's going through and he so lovingly helps her learn to deal with her grief, help her heal, be able to take care of herself and move on with her life. I absolutely loved Miles; he was such a wonderful guy who also dealt with loss and grief in his life, I just wanted to hug him. I couldn't help but cry and smile throughout the whole book, their journey to healing and finding each other was simply beautiful.

Promise Me Sunshine is a story wrought with loss and grief, angsty drama, challenges, heartaches, and an emotional healing process through an unexpected bond of friendship that leads to a swoon worthy romance. I loved this story! You can't help but get drawn into Lenny and Miles's story, and how they take the reader on their emotional journey.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that the flashbacks to Lenny and Lou's friendship had me ugly crying, you can't help but feel how wonderful their friendship bond was, and how deeply broken with grief that Lenny became when Lou passed away. But even more special was how Miles became Lenny's support system, and how he taught her how to heal one step at a time. I was taken on one heck of an emotional roller coaster ride, and this breathtaking story left me emotionally spent but wanting so much more. It just doesn't get any better than that.

Promise Me Sunshine is a wonderful tale that will keep the reader engaged from beginning to end!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I also purchased a hardcover copy from my monthly subscription to Book Of The Month.

https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2025/03/promise-me-sunshine-by-cara-bastone.html

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

I didn’t know what to expect going into this and went in blind. It was a bit of a slow start but I was instantly taken with Lenny, Miles and Ainsley. I thought this light just be a simple nanny romance, but oh boy was I wrong. When Miles offers to support Lenny through her grief and help her live again, whilst she teaches him how to have a better relationship with his niece, I knew I was in for something special. It was heartbreakingly beautiful. I feel like not many books deal with the topic of losing a friend, so many focus on the loss of a parent or a partner or a child, but losing a close friend can be just as painful if not more. Death at all is extremely difficult but losing someone so young really affects how you view life. I think the author captured Lenny’s grief and loss so perfectly, all the waves of emotion and how agonising pain can hit you at the most random of moments. Grief is not linear and this book captures that so well. The romance was not the focus of the story which I loved, it burned in the background. I had tears in my eyes during many of the chapters, none more so during the talent show omg!!!! A beautiful moving story.

Promise Me Sunshine is the first book that I’ve read by Cara Bastone. This book in this heartwarming, slow-burn romance that takes place New York City.

After Lenny loses her best friend Lou to cancer, she is having a hard time going on with her life. Everything reminds her of Lou and she can’t seem to shake the heart-wrenching thought that she has to go on without Lou by her side. To try and get herself out her apartment, she takes on a temporary job babysitting a girl named Ainsley, who is the daughter of an overworked single mom named Reese. However, she was not expecting Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, to be hanging around so much.

Miles also dealt with heartbreaking grief and can see right through Lenny. He offers her a proposition - he will help her “live again” if she helps him connect with Ainsley and mend his strained relationship with his sister Reese.

Overall, I thought that this book was very well written! I really liked how patient, attentive, and sweet Miles was with Lenny. I also really liked how they were there for one another through all the ups and downs. However, the only thing I felt was missing was more of a romantic connection. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed. I would have liked to have seen Lenny and Miles date one another for a while longer. That being said, the novel was an enjoyable read with an impactful lesson that people who deal with the loss of a loved would still need to find joy and purpose in life.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review posted to GoodReads on 3/13/25

i LOVED this book!! it made me so happy, the writing, the plot, the MCs - i read it in one sitting and felt
like the sun was on me all throughout reading!

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0

I thought this was a really sweet exploration of friendship, and grief, and how to put yourself back together while continuing to live. The love story was very sweet and I really appreciated how thoughtful the MMC was.

There's just something about Cara Bastone's characters that makes me want to jump into the pages of her books. Lenny and Miles are as opposite as two people can be; Lenny is super quirky, while Miles is rather serious and yet their both equally charming. They have an interesting journey throughout their relationship; from cranky to frenemies to friends to lovers. But the biggest thing that got me was how extremely real the feelings and emotions in the story feel. I grieved, I laughed, I hoped and I healed... I mean, what more can I ask for?

5⭐️
2🔥

Quick Breakdown

Friends to Lovers
Grumpy x Sunshine
Forced Proximity
Cinnamon Roll Hero
He Falls First
Slow Burn
Single POV
Open Door - Mild

After the loss of her soul sister & best friend Lou, Lenny is struggling to adjust to life without her person in it. Once a nanny, she takes a weekend babysitting gig finding she can only handle short term commitments at the moment. It’s there she meets the gruff Uncle Miles. Turns out, he knows quite a lot about grief & offers Lenny a proposition. He’ll help her complete her & Lou’s “live again” list & she’ll help him with his complicated relationship with his sister Reese and niece Ainsley.

I laughed. I cried. I fell in love.

Simply put, this book is beautiful. Equal parts heartbreaking & heartwarming, full of depth & realistic emotions while still bringing all the light & funny moments - I was done for. Both MCs showed so much growth from start to finish, I found myself wishing I could have had more time with Lenny & Miles.

The romance between Lenny & Miles was a slow burn dream. The transition from initial dislike to friends to lovers was perfectly paced for the overlapping themes of grief & loss. Miles was an ultimate cinnamon roll hero. Like recognizes like & he made himself exactly what Lenny needed, pushing her in the right direction without being over bearing. Watching Lenny acknowledge her feelings & use that as a final push to bring herself back to the land of the living made my heart so happy.

Do yourself a favor & read this one as an audiobook. It’s narrated by Alex Finke who’s quickly become a FAVORITE. She brought Lenny to life in a way that had me desperate to become her best friend. I’ll listen to anything she narrates!

Go read this book. You’re welcome.

This was a pleasant surprise of a book. Part rom-com but also a book about grieving. I would recommend this highly to others albeit with a warning for others to consider where their heads pace is at before starting it.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🫑

First off, thank you to NetGalley and Cara Bastone for allowing me to ARC read Promise Me Sunshine in return for an honest review.

Tropes
😢 Grief
💙 Slow Burn
😢 Grumpy x Sunshine
💙 Friends to Lovers
😢 Stand-alone

Blurb
After Lenny loses her best friend Lou to cancer, she is overcome with grief and goes off the rails. She avoids her parents, her shared apartment, and her “list”. In order to continue making money and living to some degree, Lenny takes part-time nannying jobs. This is where she meets our MMC, Miles, who is also dealing with grief and sees right through Lenny’s facade. He offers to help Lenny with her “To Live Again” list if she helps him connect with his niece and sister. As Lenny spends more time with Miles, she starts realizing that the grief will always be there but in smaller doses and that she can live her life again and still miss Lou.

Review
I enjoyed the character development that took place over the course of the book. Lenny had so much growth take place. She went from wild and out of control to understanding her grief with a new found family. For the most part, I liked Lenny as the FMC. She was lovable, quirky, and witty. However, at time she felt a little immature. There were times throughout the story where I felt like she didn’t take the task of dealing with her grief seriously.

I thoroughly enjoyed Miles as our MMC. He was mature, caring, loving, nurturing, attentive - all the things that you want in a golden retriever MMC. However, I felt like at times, he was overly attentive with Lenny and was a little smothering.

This book was the sssslllloooowwweeesssttt of slow burns which was fine. There were times throughout the story that I thought “just kiss her already”, but looking back at it now, it would have taken away from the theme of the story. I liked the relationship between the 2 MC’s and how they helped each other with what life has thrown at them. The scene at the end where they finally got together was super awkward and uncomfortable and I felt myself cringing a little bit at it.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. I thought the humor that Lenny brought to the story helped break up all the heartbreak and serious notes in the book. The writing was well done.

Review posted to GoodReads on 3/10/25
Review posted to IG on 3/13/25
Review submitted to Amazon on 3/10/25 (will update when post is live) - Review went live on 3/13/25