I enjoyed Ready or Not by Cara Bastone, so I was excited to get my hands on her newest book. And boy am I glad I read this book. I typically don't like books that deal with grief, because to be frank, I don't want to be sad. However, this book proved me wrong. Promise Me Sunshine was heartwarming and powerful. Lenny has lost her best friend to cancer and is deep in the trenches with her grief. When she takes a nannying gig, she meets Miles. Miles has dealt with his own grief and agrees to help her through this season. This very well could be the best depiction of grief that I have read in fiction. Lenny's struggles were relatable and realistic, and boy did I love Miles. I want a Miles. Truly, this book showed me how to walk through grief with the people I love. The characters were lovable and relatable and this will be a top book for me this year.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This book absolutely owns my heart! One of the most poignant, beautiful books on grief and the process of grieving. It is a delicate balance to showcase the emotional depth and darkness when dealing with depression but still give an uplifting narrative of hope. Cara Basone masterfully wrote a book which not only showed the desperation and despair of grief with grace and understanding but somehow leads you to the sunshine...

I adored everything about this book! Miles has moved up to the very top of book boyfriends!! His absolute compassion, patience, and purity of spirit despite his own brokenness was so lovely. He was so unselfish (while awkward) in his actions trying to do what was best for all those around him. His pure intentions of reaching Reese and Ainsley were as heartbreaking as it was heart lifting. And then his genuine care and concern for Lenny after his initial interaction with her. was so powerful.

I laughed. I cried. I swooned and smiled...I reached the sunshine!

5 stars

Lenny is struggling after the death of her lifelong best friend, Lou. She takes on a short-term nanny job and meets Miles. He is the grumpy uncle searching for a way to build a relationship with his sister and niece. Miles agrees to help Lenny with her "Live Again" bucket list if she helps him find a way to connect with his new family. An unexpected friendship develops as they learn from each other.

Cara Bastone does it again. After reading Ready or Not last year, I knew I had to pick this up. The writing is beautiful and heartbreaking while giving you so much hope. The characters were well developed. Even the side characters felt like important parts of the story. I felt like I was exploring NYC with Lenny and Miles. I also loved the snips of Lenny and Lou's past shown throughout. This author is becoming one of my favorites and I can't wait to read more.

Thank you NetGalley and Dial Press Trade Paperback for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley and @ransomhouse for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. And thank you to @prhaudio for a free download of this book.

Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone: A Tender Story of Grief and Unexpected Connection

Cara Bastone's "Promise Me Sunshine" delicately explores grief and healing through Lenny, who takes a temporary babysitting job to cope with her best friend's death. She finds herself drawn to Miles, the ever-present uncle of her charge, Ainsley. Their connection deepens as Miles, sharing his own experience with grief, supports Lenny through her emotional journey, showing her that life, even after loss, continues.

This is a masterfully crafted slow-burn romance. Lenny and Miles begin as wary strangers, but their relationship evolves organically, blossoming into a deep friendship before anything more. Miles's gentle support helps Lenny navigate her grief and discover new joys, while she, in turn, finds a welcoming community that accepts her wholeheartedly.

The audiobook experience is exceptional. Alex Finke's narration is a standout, bringing each character to life with remarkable skill and a touch of screwball comedy. Her performance elevates the story, making it a truly immersive and entertaining listen. Finke's talent has earned her a spot on my favorite narrators list.

"Promise Me Sunshine" is a heartwarming story about finding light after darkness, showcasing the power of friendship and the slow, beautiful process of healing. Highly recommended for fans of tender, character-driven romances, especially in audio format.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #prhaudiopartner #randomhouse #prhaudio #promisemesunshine #carabastone #sponsored

Well if there is something that Cara Bastone is really good at, it's making me softly weep at her books [laudatory].

Miles and Lenny meet under unusual circumstances, but with similar baggage: devastating loss and recovering from grief tie these two sad souls together. Miles' grumpiness and eventual forceful optimism drag Lenny out from the depths of grief after losing her best friend. Through completing a bucket list of sorts, Miles and Lenny find sunshine at the end of the grief tunnel.

Bastone is truly a marvel in writing characters that are dealing with massive choices and changes in their lives. Miles' growth from grumpy brother to Lenny's grief expert and unpacking his relationships with his family are heavy, but presented with such raw honesty that it really feels like Bastone ripped your heart out. And depictions of grief and its ebbs and flows, how Lenny thinks she's getting "better" and something small triggers her grief yet again are painfully beautiful parts of the book. And in the same package, you get a wonderful story of just a kid who is getting to know her uncle better and the fun times she has with her babysitter.

Bastone is an auto-read author for me now, but do wish her books came with a box of Kleenex.

“i’m never sleeping when i close my eyes like this with you.” “then what are you doing?” he pauses and i think he might not answer. but then he says, “i’m committing the moment to memory.”

This book isn’t just about romance, it’s about grief, identity, friendship, and self-discovery. It’s raw, it’s deeply emotional, and it’s absolutely beautiful. I laughed and cried multiple times throughout and when I found out the reason for the ferry rides it broke me. The only reason I did not give it a full 5 stars is because I felt like Miles and Lenny were more friends than lovers. Maybe getting some chapters from his POV would have helped but there was no indication or chemistry before she fell.

wow. WOW. my heart hurts - somehow simultaneously with grief and joy??? (no I’m not okay, thx) 🤭


1) if you tell me a book is set in NYC, I’m immediately interested

2) if you tell me a book is going to make me cry, guess what? I’m immediately interested


I really don’t even know how to begin with fully reviewing this book. It was the most beautifully complex, raw, and REAL journey through the ugliness of grief. It’s somehow heavy and light at exactly the same time - which honestly reflects the journey through loss and towards healing.

Lenny was everything to me. Her willingness to put every single emotion and thought and feeling on display to Miles was honestly inspiring. She has experienced the most monumental loss of her entire life and it’s so messy and painful, but her strength and desire to KEEP LIVING was so beautiful.

And miles??? He’s now the gold standard for book boyfriends. He was exactly what Lenny needed - even when she didn’t realize it - while at the same time being flawed and complex and processing his own journey through multiple losses.

Also, the family relationships (both by blood and found) were incredible! Everyone seemed so tangible and authentic and I loved them all so much!!

I found myself smiling, laughing, crying (and sometimes all three) so many times throughout this book. I cannot recommend it enough (but please check the content warnings - this isn’t for everyone) - it absolutely lived up to the hype!!

This was the first novel I read by Cara Bastogne and I absolutely loved it. HIGHLY recommend if you want an emotional, found family and slow burn romance. I enjoyed every bit of this story.

The characters felt very realistic and their character development was spectacular. This has become one my my new favorite stories and I will be recommending this to many people in the future.

Maybe it's because I read this book right after a close friend was diagnosed with cancer or maybe it's just that good, but this book ripped me apart in the best way. Its insights on grief and soulmate friendships and falling in love were so timely and perfect and I couldn't put it down. I cried several times, but I also laughed just as many. A fantastic read!

I can’t even properly review this book because I loved it too much. It made me laugh and cry and feel so many emotions. It’s an exploration of how messy grief really is and how hard it is to claw your way out of alone. Lenny and Miles are so good together, as friends, as supporters, as more. And the supporting characters are diverse and rich and add so much to the store. I genuinely can’t recommend this book enough.

Promise Me Sunshine should actually be tiled Promise Me you'll read this book because oh my god this was so dang good. I don't even know that I actually have the right words to describe this book because it was that good. The emotional chaos that this book brought out of me was unhinged. One minute I was laughing hysterically the next I was crying my eyes out. Lenny and Miles were honestly so great in my eyes. Each of them flawed in their own ways, trying to work through unimaginable grief while also trying to live their day to day lives. They both felt realistic to me and I felt like I could connect to them on such a deeper level. While there is some romance in this book, it definitely takes a back seat which I think was super appropriate for this story.

I was fortunate enough to listen to this one and I think that Alex Finke made this book a million times better. The way that she was able to take me out of reality and put me in this book setting like I was watching from the sidelines was so amazing.

I tend to shy away from books where grief is a main focal point and I wasn’t a huge fan of Ready or Not. So, those two things right there would have stopped me from reading it.

But when I tell you this book is everything & will be on my list of favorite books for 2025, I mean it.

Both Lenny and Miles were such a breath of fresh air. The support Miles gave Lenny, the banter between the two of them, and the character growth was top tier. Their dynamic was perfect. I mean, perfection. Both heartwarming and hilarious.

Honestly, every single character was so much fun. I love little seven year old Ainsley, Reese, Lenny’s parents, and Lenny & Miles’ friends.

This book is perfect in every way. I need everyone to read it ASAP and then yap with me about it!!!

This book was the definition of happiness. I actually found myself smiling while reading and listening to it. I loved the characters, their banter, their chemistry and their stories. This story was about grief, love, growth and those that support you. This book felt real, the characters were incredibly well developed, flawed, funny, and kind. The romance was a slow burn, but not in an annoying way, but a perfectly well developed and fun to read way. I felt a large range of emotions while reading this and honestly would love to see this made into a movie. It was just perfection. The two main characters support one another to get over grief and heartbreak, which slowly turns into a friendship and then love. A well paced, incredibly well written story.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

What a stunning exploration of early and "lived-in" grief and the power of finding a fellow griever to help you through the tumultuous time that is those early months. Cara has a masterful approach to balancing the heavy with the funny and brings in levity in a careful way in order to not add burden to the reader.

I love Miles. We should all learn from Miles about how to be better grievers. I love Lenny so much. Her honesty and love for Lou is such a testament to their bond.

Thank you to Dial for this eARC and for all the feels, they're all my own.

This book is so beautiful! I teared up multiple times while reading it. Everything about Lenny and miles’ relationship is amazing to watch develop and I had hearts in my eyes for all 300 something pages. Their love is something I aspire to have one day<3 Watching Lenny grieve the death of her best friend was heartbreaking especially because it made me think about how when my best friend dies I’ll be in the exact same boat as Lenny. Her tumultuous journey through grief is something to be studied! The humor in this book also is top tier I actually chuckled a lot! As much as I LOVED Ready or not, I absolutely ADORED PMS!

Special thank to NetGalley for this ARC!

First thank you to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read the ARC for this book.

Promise Me Sunshine is one of those books that just hits you from the get go. You are thrust immediately into Lenny’s grief from the very first page. And Miles, oh what a man you are. One of the best male protagonists that I have read in a long time. This book was simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming.

This one will stick with me for a while.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️

FMC: Lenny, dealing with the loss of her lifelong best friend and nanny to Ainsley
MMC: Miles, Ainsley's uncle, Lenny's unofficial grief counselor

*Dealing with grief & loss
*Slow burn romance
*Friends to lovers
*Grumpy/sunshine

I really liked this book. It is heavy on talk of cancer and loss of a best friend/sister, so although there are parts of this book that will make you laugh, there are definitely parts that will make you cry.

WOW! a true 5 star read for me!!! Cara took us on a journey struggling with grief and acceptance!! She showed us how to not only find our own sunshine but how to help others find their own little ray of sunshine!
MILES!!! We all need a MIles in our life!! MIles is the true picture of what a friend, companion, and lover should be! He is literally there at the drop of a hat, or tear, for Lenny. He " walks through hell for her and carries her back out". He goes above and beyond for those he loves and even a stranger, putting everyone before his own wants and needs.
Lenny ...... struggling with her own grief finds a way to focus her energy into helping MIles with his relationship with his new found sister and niece. Little do they both know that while helping one another they are working through their own pain......... and falling in love!!! This is a true love story!!
FIVE STARS!!!!

I went into this book knowing zero things about the plot or story and I feel like that usually ends up being a good thing for me!
This book has a lot of heart and I really liked it!
Processing grief and the death of a loved one seems to unintentionally be a very common book theme for me so far this year.
I can specifically think of 5 books I’ve read recently that deal with that topic and what I love/find interesting is that they all navigate it so differently & isn’t that just totally the truth in real life?!?

If you read Cara Bastones last book Ready or Not you may be thinking this is a romance similar to that one and it’s not. There is a romance and I actually thought it was really natural and sweet but it’s a secondary storyline.
Lenny is possibly one of the quirkiest main characters I’ve read in quite a while. She has a big personality and wears her heart on her sleeve and possibly she could rub some people wrong but I loved her❤️ Miles is insanely patient and kind and has some issues of his own he’s working through.

There couldn’t be 2 people who need each other more, who fill in the holes for each other and bring sunshine into each other’s lives.

Slightly slower pacing in this book but it didn’t bother me. I really liked this one!

✨ PROMISE ME SUNSHINE ✨
Rating: 4 ⭐️ - I Liked It

❤️ for my LOVERS of a DEEPER themed romance novel, NYC settings, lots character DEVELOPMENT & growth, and amazing side characters!

❤️ I love loved these CHARACTERS - Lenny, Miles, Reese, Ainsley, Lenny’s parents, the friend gang! These side characters made the book IMO!

💔 the PLOT line was tough - most of the novel focuses primarily on the grief of Lenny and some cases Miles - it’s deep and not a light novel in an sense!

❤️ another one for LENNY - she was such a unique & interesting FMC - her banter, her quirkiness, her raw and realness

Huge TY to @dialpress for my e-ARC of Cara’s latest novel!

💭 Are you planning to pick up Cara’s latest novel?