Cara Bastone has once again captivated me with a gorgeous love story with depth! I love that she doesn’t follow the typical contemporary romance formula that I’ve come to expect—no third-act breakups, no plots you’ve read a million times before, and no reliance on tropes. Just a wholesome story about a girl named Lenny who is absolutely in the trenches of grief, fighting for her life to deal with the pain in her heart after her best friend passes away. At the beginning, it gave me unhinged Uptown Girls vibes, but there was so much more going on beneath the surface.

Then, enter Miles—skeptical, perceptive, and brooding Miles. 💕 He’s the uncle of the little girl Lenny is a nanny for, and he “brings her back to life.” You’ll see what I mean if you read this one. I swooned, I laughed, I cried… and I cringed… a lot. Lenny is a very unique character, to the point that she felt too quirky, and that’s something I really don’t enjoy in romances. Not to spoil anything, but I tolerated her “quirks” as much as I could… until the sex scene. I knocked it down a star for that reason. It’s one of those moments where you just make this face 😬😬😬 and then want to cover your eyes. I listened to this part on audio, so luckily, I could cover my eyes because good grief, wtf.

ANYWAY. As a former Brooklynite, I love that Cara’s books take place in Brooklyn, and I always feel so much nostalgia and giddiness reading her books. This was so much fun, unpredictable, and just flooded my body with some much-needed serotonin.

Thank you so much, NetGalley and The Dial Press, for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

"Promise Me Sunshine" by Cara Bastone is a poignant exploration of grief, healing, and unexpected connections.

While the novel delves deep into themes of loss, it balances the somber tones with moments of warmth and humor, ensuring an uplifting reading experience. "Promise Me Sunshine" is a testament to resilience, the importance of support systems, and the unexpected paths to healing.

I love everything Cara Bastone writes, and this book is my new favorite. I don't know how else to say that it has so much heart. It cracked me wide open. And the beauty of Cara's writing is that it will take you apart, but it also puts you back together.

Lenny's best friend's death has destroyed her. She doesn't even go back to her apartment to sleep anymore because that's where she used to live with her soulmate Lou. Lenny can't even take care of herself: her hair's a mess, she barely eats, she's so so sleepy. She makes ends meet when she gets a job nannying for Ainsley. On the job, she meets Ainsley's uncle Miles.

Miles is the best Grumpy in a Romance I have ever read. He's curt, suspicious of others, he pushes back. But he's also just so good and dependable down to his core. Impossible not to fall in love with. From the very beginning, you know he's never going to hurt Lenny. I just feel so taken care of in a Cara Bastone novel. It is simply the best.

Miles offers Lenny a deal: he will be her person for her as she goes through the stages of grief. He will show up for her and feed her and help her learn to live again. She will help him figure out how to be a good uncle to Ainsley. It was honestly an honor to watch these two fall in love. I know that seems like an over the top description of two fictional characters, but I just have the most tender feelings for these two. Thank you for this gem of a book, Cara Bastone.

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

once I can see through the river of my tears I will write a review

A huge massive thanks to my friends at The Dial Press and Random House for giving me the life-changing experience of reading this book early. I am forever changed. All thoughts are my own!!!

Promise Me Sunshine is one of those books where I highlight basically everything because it all resonates so deeply within me. From the dedication of this book to the acknowledgments at the end, I was intensely connected to this book. I have never read a book that encapsulates the complexities of grief the way Promise Me Sunshine does.

We follow Lenny, who is struggling, in more ways than one, after her friend Lou passes away. Lou and Lenny are soulmates, sisters, and best friends. Lenny is adrift in her emotions, desperate to not feel the grief anymore, but also feeling guilty for the grief fading. She’s a nanny off and on, and we watch her meet Ainsley, Reece, and Miles. Miles calls himself an expert at grief, and he offers to help Lenny get through this period of her life in exchange for Lenny coaching him on how to interact with his niece and sister, Ainsley and Reece.

Lenny is a little ridiculous and silly (in a good way) at times, which she has every right to be all things considered. But she feels everything so deeply and completely. She speaks her mind, even when it’s a little embarrassing, and she cares so strongly for her loved ones. Grief is a bitch. It digs its’ claws into you and never truly lets go. You just learn to coexist with it. It moves to the back burner, and you just change the way you interact with it. Lenny’s journey through this book to accepting that she is allowed to feel joy, love, and happiness again even though Lou isn’t anymore was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever read. I love Lenny so so much. There is no end to my love for her.

While this is also a romance, it’s definitely more complex than that. For instance, Miles is the love interest, but he’s so much more than that. He goes through his own process with grief in this book, although it’s more subtle. His care for Lenny in the big and small ways made my eyes stay constantly full of tears. Everything he did in this book was intentional: every touch, every look, and every word. His support was a strong, steady comfort. I adore the way they interacted with each other. The bond that they built was so deep and loving, and I loved how well they knew each other. They read each other so well, and they weren’t shy with their affection even before they were romantically involved.

There are so many little things in this book that I love so much, but I’d rather you just read it yourself to see. Basically, the entire last third of this book left me in pieces that I still haven’t been able to pick up. Cara Bastone has written a masterpiece that I fear I will never be able to fully process. This book is entrenched in my heart, and I will never stop thinking about it. My vocabulary is simply not big enough to ever fully express how life-changing this book is.

Some highlights since I can’t help myself:
The ferry
The lists
The haircut
The waiting
The committing things to memory
The LOCKET
Get over it, loser.

I’m trying not to quote too much because I really think you shouldn’t have any spoilers at all and just go into it not knowing anything, but I will share two of my favorites.

“If you push him, then he pushes back. But if you take him by the hand, he follows you anywhere.”

“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.”

I cannot wait to read literally anything and everything that Cara Bastone ever writes.

Miles and Lenny were the cutest! I really appreciated a good story about grief and how it effects your life. I found the characters to be very likeable, but did find Lenny to be a little immature in some parts. Idk if that was part of her process or done on purpose? It was a tad annoying. I thought Miles was pretty strange in the beginning, but oh did how I grow to love his character by the end. This book felt like a warm hug. Absolutely adored it!

Lenny has been completely lost since her best friend died of cancer. She’s avoiding both her parents and the apartment where she and her friend lived. She carries with her a laminated card filled with a “live again” list which her grief keeps her from checking off. She takes what’s to be a short term job as a nanny for a single mom and her daughter Ainsley. She’s counting on those days to distract her from her sadness, but what she doesn’t figure in is the grumpy uncle who shows up determined to be a part of Ainsley’s life and ends up becoming Lenny’s rock.

I am used to Cara Bastone’s novels making me laugh and even shedding a tear or two, but this one struck my heart. Grumpy Miles recognizes Lenny’s grief because he too has had to overcome his fears and feelings. Once he’s figured her out, he shows up everywhere for her, becomes her friend, and helps her get through that “live again” list. This novel was one of those great slow burn novels that allow you to get to know the main characters and really come to love them before they actually love each other.

The secondary plot of this book is Miles’ own story about how he’s trying to connect and build a relationship with his half sister Reese and his niece Ainsley. This too is a slow build of discovery and romance, albeit between a small family who learns to lean on each other. I loved this story as much as the main love story, it held just as much weight.

Cara Bastone’s novels, for me, are almost always perfect. This one is a great example of some exceptional writing. Enjoy!

An absolute return to old Bastone form. I loved everything about this book! It dealt with grief so well and the romance was awesome. I heartily recommend and can't wait to read the next.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC

♾️⭐️

This book is the definition of smashing your heart in a million little pieces and slowly putting it back together in the most loving and beautiful ways. This is another book that will stay with me forever. 🤍

This book isn’t just any romance book. Yes, there is a definite slow burn that happens. And while it is so magical to read about and is so swoon worthy the best of ways. This book is about grief, healing, self discovery, & navigating relationships. The way Cara writes in about grief in this book is truly phenomenal. It’s so raw. And so real.

Lenny and Miles were both 2 grieving souls who truly helped each other in the best of ways. Miles helped Lenny heal, grow and find herself again. MILES WAS THAT MAN. 😍“Mom, he walked into hell and dragged me back out” I mean..this man was a man of his word and always showed up. No matter what! Lenny helped Miles with his own grief while also navigating new relationships with his family. She was everything he didn’t know he needed. The way she was always there for everyone but yet waited u til she was alone to grieve again. I just wanted to give her a big hug through the whole book. 🥹

Seeing the growth in these 2 even without the romance was remarkable. Add in the slow burn of their romance and this book was pure perfection.

Listen, just go read this book asap!

Thank you so much Dial Press, Net Galley and Cara for the arc!

Pub date: Mar 04 2025 (Goodreads /Instagram)

Cara Bastone is my personal discovery of the year. Her books are so cozy, emotional, captivating, and lifelike. There are no wealthy millionaires or Instagram models here — just stories about ordinary people who love, lose, and find the strength to rise and live on.

This book is about loss and overcoming grief. It makes you laugh one moment and cry the next. This story makes you fall in love with itself and its characters. I was deeply engaged watching the characters interact and grow as individuals.

Tropes:
- grumpy & sunshine
- slow burn
- strangers to friends to lovers

Triggers:
- loss of a loved one (off-page).

4.5 ⭐️
The audio narrator, Alex Finke, brings this story and its characters to life x10! I highly suggest listening along while you read.
This turned out to be such a sweet slow burn romance. Lenny is grieving over the recent loss of her soul sister when she meets Miles who will stop at nothing to help her through it. He has gone through grief himself in the past so he recognizes it. The process of healing after a loss is not a straight path but more like a roller coaster with its ups and downs and the author portrayed it in her character’s perfectly.
I love the connection and banter between the two MCs. Lenny doesn’t even really question why Miles is so socially awkward which is GOLD. She just accepts him for who he is and when he asks for help she gives him advice and nudges him in the right direction. & Miles is such a sweet protective golden retriever. I love that for them. 💕
Sometimes it felt like Lenny was in her early adult years instead of 28 but I loved her all the same. Her personality is so lively and wild and carefree. Cara really knows how to write likable characters. The side characters were the perfect cherry on top.

“You call this swimming? This is called slowly perishing”

This book was lovely and I really appreciate how/what Cara Bastone writes and how she explores more serious topics within a more classic romcom book. Miles was so kind and I can appreciate how someone demolished and made helpless for a time by grief would then want to step up when he sees it happening to someone else. Lenny stuck a little bit less for me - she had one habit/quirk that, while I understand in hindsight was a way of coping with grief, really took me out of the story every time I read it. And, obviously, trigger warning for loss of a best friend to cancer. Liked it!

WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW

This book was....amazing. I am forever changed by Lenny and Miles. While the book is a romance, it is about grief and I think Cara navigated this sensitive topic which such ease, grace, wit, humor, aka all the adjectives.
I'll admit I was a bit hesitant going into this book because I didn't LOVE Ready or Not, but I had heard such great things about Promise Me Sunshine so I was like ok let's give it a spin. AND BOY AM I GLAD I DID.

Starting off strong, Lenny is literally just like me fr, and I think I love books even more when I relate so strongly to the characters that I'm like: was the author in my brain when writing this. Because same. Lenny was just so damn relatable and funny and- I could go on but you just have to read for yourself and see :)

Anyways, to conclude I thoroughly enjoyed myself and can't wait to see what Ms. Bastone cooks up next:)))

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

After being invited to read this in (9/24), I finally decided to read this - 2/26/25. It sounded so depressing and I did lose a best friend in 2003 and didn’t want to brought down to the level I feared this book might take me to.

But I loved this, I loved Lenny, Ainsley, Miles, Reese, Lenny’s new friends, Lenny’s parents ❤️. This was beautiful and poignant, showcasing raw grief, as well as lasting love.

Full recommendation from me.


**Everytime I read the name “Jeffy”, I was transported back to the 80’s, reading the comics in my parents’ daily newspaper subscription, The Family Circus, to be precise.



Thank you to Dial Press Trade Paperback and NetGalley for the DRC

4.5⭐️

What a beautiful, heartbreaking story, in the BEST way possible. I remember reading Ready Or Not last year and being so peacefully consumed by Cara’s writing. She is able to write deep, meaningful stories that feel like healing. You can’t help but plant your feet next to these characters and embark alongside them on their journeys. And this book does it so perfectly.

Grief is such a universal feeling, yet different for everyone. I found it so strikingly beautiful how these characters, Lenny & Miles, balance each other out and showcase all sides of grief, the good, the bad and the in-between.

“Grief is a relationship. 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 going and going.”

I wish I could articulate in more words how impactful stories like these are and how IMPORTANT it is as well. Not only because of the romance but because of the relatability of it all.

If you love slow-burn, friends-to-lovers, and the occasional, out of pocket one-liners, this is an amazing love story and I highly recommend. Note: this book contains grief involving the death of a best friend but is also about the love between these friends and how that carries on even after death.

I’d like to thank NetGalley & Dial Press trade back for the ARC in exchange of my honest review.

RUNNING to the bookstore literally right now (because it’s finally out) and because it’s just too beautiful of a cover to not have displayed on my bookshelf.

📖 Title: Promise Me Sunshine-a standalone

✍🏾 Author: Cara Bastone- I read Ready or Not and gave it 5 ⭐

📅Publication date: 3/4/25 | Read 3/4/25

📃 Format: eBook 416 pgs.

Genre:
*Contemporary Romance
*Adult Fic

Tropes:
*a pact-"live again" list & connect w/ sister and niece
*friends to lovers
*found family
*family drama
*forced proximity
*slow burn romance
*grumpy H
*mental health

👆🏾POV: 1st person-Lenny

⚠️TW: grief, death of loved ones, ovarian cancer-not h/H

🌎 Setting: New York

Summary: Lenny is just existing after her BFF's death six months ago. She works as a nanny and takes on short term jobs to keep herself afloat. At her new assignment, Reese-a single mother with a daughter Ainsley, she meets Reese's half-brother Miles. He quickly identifies her hurt and grieving and becomes her support system while he gets to know his sister and niece.

👩🏾 Heroine: Helen "Lenny" Bellamy, 28

👨🏾 Hero: Miles Honey

🎭 Other Characters:
* Lou Merritt-Lenny's BFF (deceased)
* Reese-Miles half-sister-they have the same father
* Ainsley-Miles's niece
*Carp Hollis-Miles and Reese's famous musician father

🤔 My Thoughts: This was a highly emotional story that hit close to home. I am a cancer survivor who still struggles 4 years after my diagnosis. I went through all the emotions, listened to my family and friends concerns, and battled getting out of bed every day. I wish I had a Miles in my life like Lenny to bring me back from the edge. Even though sad, I enjoyed this book, 5⭐ for sure!

Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group- Random House| Dial Press, and Cara Bastone for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

5 shining stars for this perfect book! I am absolutely obsessed. The portrayal of grief was so good- and from a different viewpoint from what I have typically read. The best friend connection was a great change from a romantic connection. Lennie and Miles— I adored them both! Especially Miles. The way he scared for her— swoon worthy. 10/10 read this one!

Whew. I had a time reading this book. There was just so much emotion packed into it. While it's a little whimsical and romantic like the other Cara books I'd read this one dealt with a much harder topic as well. Grief.

Grieving the loss of her best friend, sweetheart Lenny takes a small babysitting job. It's perfect, Lenny doesn't have to totally commit to. Because committing to something so big right now is just too hard. Going back to the life they shared? Incomprehensible.

With this new job also comes the uncle, Miles. Who's immediately wondering where Lenny came from and if she's even right for the job... since Lenny is by all accounts looking like a mess.

Before he knows it though, Miles sees the real Lenny. And offers to help her out. Can he though, when Lenny's heart is gone?

As someone who's also suffered some grief this book is spot on. I felt as Lenny felt. I hurt when she hurt and I cheered when she started feeling some light. Cara grasped what it means to feel loss really well. Too well, I felt so emotional reading it!

But while this is a book about overcoming loss, there's also a lot of levity too. Lenny is a free spirt sweetheart who flips straight laced Miles on his head. I enjoyed the closeness, the banter and the falling.

I hope to read more in this tiny universe she's created!

Wow, I wasn't expecting to love this book as much as I did. Cara Bastone strikes the perfect balance in romance for me: there's humor and romcom vibes, but also deeply personal growth with both heavy and heartwarming moments. I love a romance that can make me laugh and cry in the same chapter.

The main character in this book is unique, quirky, and funny, but also emotionally intelligent and aware. I loved her journey through grief with Miles’s help. I think their relationship developed realistically with not instantly falling for each other, but instead relying on each other through their friendship and becoming closer and closer. We don't all need (or have resources for) a therapist to help us through grief. Sometimes the most important, impactful people in our lives are friends and loved ones. This book is truly a new favorite for me because it felt so meaningful and realistic.

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Thank you, Random House, for the arc!

Content: open door (one detailed and the rest vague)

if you are looking to experience grief, love, and healing while learning to find the meaning in life then this is the book for you

the journey that Bastone takes us on is not for the faint of heart but what I enjoy about her writing is her ability to take the mundane, most human moments in life and make them a song

this story was grief and love and healing all wrapped up in one

and when I say Cara Bastone is one of the great poets of our generation I hope you know I mean it with my whole heart

Obsessed. I LOVED EVERY PAGE. Truly, this book was so good. The quirkiness of Lenny paired with the dry seriousness of Miles worked perfectly. The grief representation was so well done and it's one of those books you read and feel like you have a better understanding of people around you who may be having a hard time and a reminder to stay patient and to just be there. The growth we see from Lenny's character is so special and being able to watch the two of them go from strangers to friends to maybe more than friends to falling in love...it was one of the more fun reading journies I have ever been on. Cara Bastone has absolutely, 1000% become an auto-buy author for me.