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

Promise Me Sunshine is the kind of book that takes you by surprise. The genre is Romance, but I would argue that this book is way more than that. This is a book about love that you discover outside of romantic love. This is a story about discovering that perhaps your greatest love is your best friend. Throughout the book, grief is ever present. It’s the true antagonist in this romance – an unwelcome shadow to our protagonist Lenny’s everyday life. As the book progresses, among these two gut-wrenching topics is a slow burn romantic love between Lenny and Miles, her grief deputy. By the time you finish this story, I think many will feel like I did – that the romance between Miles and Lenny was perhaps expected, but not actually necessary to the story.

By the time I was a ¼ of the way through this ARC, I had a hard time reading because I felt such a connection to the emotional arc of this story. I never wanted the story to end – or I suppose, I was concerned that the end wouldn’t live up to its emotional peak.

To summarize this story – this is a book about a woman who is left adrift after the death of her soulmate and best friend Lou. While taking odd nanny jobs to make ends meet, she meets Miles, a loner with an unexpected connection to the family that Lenny is helping. Lenny has family who loves her, but she is avoiding the emotional ricochet that going to her own apartment or seeing her family may cause. So she rides the Staten Island Ferry or dances at all night rave in order to disconnect from herself for just a little while.
Lenny’s grief is so painful and yet written so beautifully. I believe that even those of you reading who haven’t experienced death in their life should still be able to feel how realistic her grief is. But that is due to the reader’s knowledge of Lenny’s inner voice. On the outside, to Miles, she appears to be white knuckling her way through life. She appears disheveled and exhausted in a way that makes Miles think she is an addict of some sort and his concern for her drives them together.

Miles’ character is interesting. While we develop a love for him, at first he seems to be a weird interloper in his sister and niece’s lives. We learn quickly why his relationship with them is so distant and we root for him to figure out how to be a part of their lives. Because Miles is always there. He is a person that shows up for people, despite everything. He paused his own life to assist his sister and niece. And then when he sees they don’t *need* his help, he latches on to Lenny who isn’t asking for the help but clearly needs the assistance.

Miles devotion to helping Lenny get through her grief is incredible. He discovers a list that Lenny carries with her of things she needs to do now that she lost Lou. Miles ensures Lenny accomplishes it. Over the next few months, she accomplishes these things slowly while developing a relationship with Miles, who seems to never want anything in return but her compliance to the list. He helpfully keeps Lenny on track reminding her that this was something that Lou wanted for her.

I won’t summarize anymore of this story – I think it’s just so difficult to give a review of a story like this without acknowledging the reason it digs a hole in your heart and brain. But I will finish my thoughts on this book as such: If you were unaware of the genre before going into this book, you may be disappointed in the relationship that is developed between Miles and Lenny. Sure, it’s beautiful and EVERYONE loves a happily ever after, but his relationship with Lenny is MORE than the romantic relationship they seek in the end.

"But with you, Len, when I met you..... I sort of feel like I met myself"
The romance is in the shedding of our worst selves and embracing our shadow in order to see to see the sunshine through the grief.

I'd like to thank Random House Publishing Group & Dial Press Trade Paperback, Cara Bastone, and Netgalley for providing me with this arc. This is my honest review.
I have never felt more grateful to have read a book in my life. At this time in my life, I needed this book. Promise me Sunshine is very personal to me, and I would recommend it to everyone I know. As a person healing from grief, I recommend it to other grievers, but also to privileged people who have not had to experience deep grief. This book can change anyone's perspective on grief; it shows the multidimensional effect grief can have on all relationships. If you are watching someone you love go through the process of grieving, I would recommend this story. If you are on your personal journey through grief, I would highly recommend. Of course this book was heavy for me, but it is filled with so much wisdom. The quotes, and advice (given through dialogue) will stick will me for my entire life.
The absolute perfection of balance between romance and mental health/ grief Bastone accomplished is masterful. I related to Lenny and Miles during their struggles and successes. Lenny was such a well-rounded character; she was very flawed while being extremely likeable. I've never read characters that even come close to Miles and Lenny. Bastone shaped Miles into being a perfect partner and a good man while still having him grow throughout the story. Lenny and Miles' connection is incomparable to any other romance.
I have only the highest praises for Cara Bastone. Thank you Cara, for creating this masterpiece for everyone, but especially for people like me and Lenny.

I loved Cara Bastone's Ready or Not last year and was thrilled to receive this ARC from NetGalley. I went in a little blind, expecting a feel-good rom com and am so happy to have been so pleasantly surprised. I'm so used to the BIG beautiful moments in a romance but in this book it was the small moments of reading about Lenny putting herself back together and seeing how much Miles cared for Lenny that hit me. I've been fortunate to have never experienced the soul wrenching grief of losing my own Lou but as someone in their mid- 30s there's an interesting sort of grief one has to process for the life you expected for yourself by this age. I was particularly struck by Miles telling Lenny about lone wolves:

So when you hear a wolf call, and then in the distance, you hear another wolf call back, do you know what that can be roughly translated as?” “What’s that?” “The first one saying, I’m here! I’m here! And then the other one says, Me too! Me too!”

Isn't that what we are all looking for? Someone to acknowledge that we're here too? I'll think of this book often and how it made me sob while also gently putting me back together along with Lenny. Cara Bastone, I'll read anything you put out!

Lenny’s world comes to a giant halt when her best friend dies of Cancer. Suddenly she is stuck in a cycle of sleepless nights and not wanting to go home. She begins taking babysitting jobs to try and get her feet back on the ground - here enters Miles. Miles meets Lenny at her first day babysitting for his niece Ainsley. Miles desperately needs Lenny’s help connecting with both Ainsley, and her mom (Miles’ sister) Reese. Through this connection, Lenny realizes she needs Miles’s help finding her way back to life.

I cried, I laughed, I LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. Lenny said it best - “Giddiness, disbelief, sadness, panic, happiness, fear, excitement, confusion” - all feelings I think I felt while reading 😂 reading this book was like reading a masterclass in grief; grief is not linear but it is relatable and was handled with the upmost care by Bastone. One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. My heart feels like it was stomped on while simultaneously being wrapped in a warm hug.

Bastone knows how to write dependable MMCs (first was Shep in Ready or Not) but I fear Miles takes the cake. I’m still swooning over him days later and think I will forever be in love.

Some would call this a slow burn but its much more than that. It’s two vulnerable people learning how to trust each other while healing and growing, finding safety in each other’s friendship, while navigating the darker parts of life together.

I highlighted too many quotes to share but these were just a few favorites of mine 💌

“Not strung out, just having a debilitating mental health crisis while navigating the most excruciating chapter of my life.”

“I marvel at the fact that anyone, ever, has the strength to get up off the floor.”

"You sound like you're defending me."
"Well, duh. Miles, you're my ..
.. Grief wingman? List doula? Only companion these days? Ace."

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Dial Press Trade Paperback and NetGalley for the ARC 💌

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC of this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🌶️🌶️/5

“It must be truly exhausting to live in your brain.”

🌅Slow Burn

🌅Grief/Healing

🌅Hurt/Comfort

🌅Grumpy/Sunshine

When I read the description I went into this book thinking I’d be crying the whole book, but actually it made me smile and laugh most the book. I also definitely cried and this was a very emotional book. This book follows Miles and Lenny. Lenny lost her bestfriend/soulmate Lou to cancer and she’s not doing well, she meets Miles through one of her babysitting gigs and he decides he needs to help bring her back to life and show her joy.

This felt like a breath of fresh air reading this with how unique the storyline was. Yes grief, friendship, healing, and love are all aspects of life and other books. But the way this storyline was told was captivating, raw, and unique.

Although the slow burn was slow burning, it was so worth it once you got to the *moment*. Honestly although this is a romance book, it’s SO much more. The friendships and family in this book were so written with such care and detail.

“Mom, he walked into hell and dragged me back out.”

& the way grief is handled in this book is so real. It’s not cute, it’s hard and it’s not the same for everyone. Seeing the perspective of how Miles dealt with it vs how Lenny dealt with it shows the complexity of it.

“Can I die first?” He turns a page in his book. “Sure.”

🌅💛🌅

I'm having a hard time putting together a review about how much this book meant to me. The way Bastone writes about grief made me feel incredibly seen, and all the "advice" about learning how to move forward was actionable and honest without being preachy. At no point does this come across like a self-help book because the characters are extremely fleshed out, and I personally liked how long it took to become a romance. I laughed a lot! I cried like 6 times! This one was very special to me.

This book was such a beautiful depiction of grief. Cara Bastone has such an incredible talent to be able to turn dealing with grief into a romance. It was so easy to fall in love with both Miles & Lenny, even while dealing with difficult topics. This book was heartwarming beginning to end!

This may be my top read of 2025... it was so good! The topic of grief was handled so well and left you with a hopeful feeling instead of just being sad throughout the book. I cried, of course, but in a good way haha This book is beautiful from the cover to the story within. Truly a remarkable read. Thank you!

i went into this book blind and was expecting just a fun rom com and IM SO HAPPY I WAS WRONG. this book was perfection from beginning to end.

i usually have such a difficult time reading books about grief because its such a complex emotion to fully wrap your head around, however, this book captured it perfectly. from the crying, to the laughing, to the doing absolutely nothing and just existing but barely. all the small moments in this book made me go feral and it was the simplest things.

miles was everything, he is the friend we all deserve in our lives. lenny, i just wanted to give her the biggest hug but also cry on the couch with her.

there's a quote in this book, "no one can be your miles if you dont call them when you need them" , SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE but in the best way. it was something that resonated deeply with me and i hope everyone picks this book up and knows its okay to not be okay and to ask for company and help.

What a beauiful and emotional story that I think that anyone that has ever experienced loss needs to read.

The pain, the heartbreak, and most importantly grief was portrayed so well in this story. Lenny was such a lovable character even with her not your typical fun happy go lucky FMC which made me appreciate her story and her actions even more.

This was a kick ass 5 STAR book that made me FEEL a range of emotions. I was sobbing on the floor over the loss of Lou. I was also kicking me feel because out MMC Miles was able to give her exactly what she needs, when she needed it the most. Everyone deserves love, if they chose to accept it.

I freaking love this book.

Thank you SO much to Netgalley, Cara and Penguin Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book turned my heart into a puddle of mush. Just a constant dull ache. I laughed. I cried. I laughed while I cried. Moments crushing and bittersweet.

If you’ve ever lost someone you love you’ll see bits of yourself in Lenny. Bits of yourself in Miles.

What makes this book so great is the tenderness and ache of trying to move on when losing a loved one. Wanting to honor their life while still living your own. Feeling both happiness of living again and guilt for doing it alone.

Lenny lost her best friend, her soul mate, and Miles knows all about grief so he helps her to heal. He’s there to listen, to challenge her when he knows she needs it and is ready. The romance between the two is more emotional than physical. More about the friendship and contentment of just being together. Miles looks grumpy and prickly on the outside, but he is softhearted and will do anything for Lenny.

4.5/5

This was a beautiful book about lots, grief, living again and love. Lenny is lost in life and grief after the loss of her best friend. Miles has been there before and offers to help. He's kind of closed off and seems grumpy but he has the biggest heart and is so sweet! Love that's there is no 3rd act breakup. I had all the emotions while reading. Highly recommend!

Wow, this was such a hard to read book…but in a GOOD way. It started out kinda quirky and cute and I wasn’t sure exactly where it was going to go. As the story progresses and the relationship between the two main characters changes it kept getting more intriguing. It was so heart breaking at times but I loved the heartbreaking moments. They made the story appear so real and relatable. I think that’s what stood out to me in the end as well…the characters are very real and I love stories that you just know happened somewhere in reality. 5 stars!

Wow. This might be one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Cara Bastone takes you on such a raw journey through grief and finding happiness and yourself through it. I found myself crying, laughing, smiling, frowning - all of the expressions - throughout this book, and it was such an amazing journey!
I was absolutely obsessed with Lenny and Miles, both as individuals and as a pair. Lenny was clearly this larger than life personality who's bright spirit was dulled by grief from losing her other half and her quick wit & inviting personality was such a joy to read. And Miles! Surly, sweet, patient, Miles. Could he have been more perfect? I don't think so. He was Lenny's lifeline and the anchor she needed to stop drowning in grief. He balanced Lenny's personality and quirkiness perfectly and they were just the perfect pair.
If you are ready to be taken on an amazing, heartfelt journey where you will feel all the feels, this is the perfect book for you!

I really enjoyed 75% of this book i think the end was a bit lackluster but I think it’s mmc is definitely a favorite and the fmc can do no wrong the best girl in my opinion

I don’t even have the right words to describe how much I loved this book. It was beautiful and devastating and so healing. I couldn’t put it down.

When Lenny loses her best friend Lou to cancer, she shuts everyone out and is a shell of herself. Then she meets Miles and honestly I can’t even do it justice how incredible he is. He saves Lenny from herself in a way that only someone who understands grief firsthand can do. Together they tackle her list to continue on living and bring out the best in each other. Through each task, you can truly feel her healing from the inside out, and him too.

Quick shout out for the scene where she calls her mom to meet her at the cemetery 😭 and then the reunion with her parents?! I sobbed. And Miles and Ainsley developing a relationship from the ground up felt so good to read. Honestly every relationship in the book felt so genuine and real.

This book is going to sit with me for a long time. I laughed and I cried and am literally so devastated they’re not real. I loved every single thing about it. Even how quirky Lenny is and especially how Miles loves her even more for it. Ugh perfection. Highly recommend to anyone and everyone!

5/5 ⭐️
1 🌶️

I instantly requested this after reading Ready or Not last year. It was one of my favorite reads of 2024 and I'm always recommending it to others! This book gave me the same sort of vibes. It dealt with some heavy topics like grief and loss, but it was somehow also light and funny. It was the perfect mix. The only thing I wished is that the romance was a bit less of a slow burn. It was almost the end of the book before we finally got to see what we'd been waiting for. I already can't wait for her next book!

Thank you to Netgalley, Cara Bastone and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4 stars!
This book was so, so good. While it does deal with grief and loss, it also had parts where I was laughing out loud. The romance is very slow burn and while I enjoyed that to a point, towards the end I was just ready for more romance. I think that is what kept me from giving it 5 stars. But I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a slow burn romance that is funny but also has depth. It makes a book that is about losing someone not feel so heavy.

Thank you Random House publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Cara Bastone has done it again! This book had me hooked from the beginning. This premise is truly unlike anything I've ever read. Perfect for fans of the grumpy/sunshine trope and enemies to lovers.

I fell in love with this book from the moment I saw the cover, but I definitely didn't expect how emotional it was going to be once I actually got to reading it.

“My mom asked me if you treat me well, Miles. You know what I said to her?”
“What’s that,” he says in a low, husky voice.
“I said that you walked into hell and dragged me back out.”

This book is not your typical romance story, it actually deals with a much heavier topic—grief. And I believe Cara did a wonderful job, because even during the dark times, she was able to incorporate lighter moments, silly jokes, and make this whole journey a safe one.

Lenny lost her best friend to cancer, and her life just stopped making sense. Her best friend, Lou, was her everything, her soulmate. How is she supposed to keep on living, existing, if the most important person of her life is not there with her? Yeah, nothing really makes sense.

Enters Miles. Miles, who also carries some heavy baggage on his shoulders, and who's also dealing with a great loss of his own.

I honestly had a great time spent in Miles and Lenny's presence. I really enjoyed how present and supportive Miles is, he's just genuinely there for Lenny—during her darker times, her emotional and vulnerable moments. No matter what time it is, or what's the weather outside—the minute she calls him and tells him she needs him, he's there.

He was such a strong rock for her, helping Lenny to confront the new reality and face her pain and fears, while also helping her become stronger and showing her how to live again—showing her that she can and will live again.
We also end up seeing changes in Miles—Lenny has an incredible influence on him, and I'd say that her sweet personality, with a bit of funny and honest moments, help Miles to open his heart to new opportunities, new friends, new family.

Cara Bastone's writing is simple, engaging, and beautiful. I will definitely be reading more books from this author.

This book is both absolutely heartbreaking and wholesome at the same time. It will definitely break your heart, and even though I don't think it will put it back together as brand as new, but I know it will heal a greater part of it.