After seeing this cover—like a serene painting you'd happily hang in your living room to feel peaceful and genuinely happy—and reading this beautifully written, heartfelt story of grief, friendship, and slow-burn romance featuring the most huggable book boyfriend, Miles, I had no choice but to give this book five-plus Staten Island Ferry stars!

I enjoyed the author’s Ready or Not, but I absolutely loved this book even more. It has already secured a guaranteed spot in my top five highly recommended romance reads of the year. The blossoming friendship between Miles and Lenny (a.k.a. Helena Elena—blame her family for their eccentric naming choices, and thank Lou for nicknaming her Lenny) as they bond over grief and work through the "Living Again" checklist will embrace your heart with sweetness and stir your emotions deeply. Anyone who has lost a loved one will resonate with these characters, and I found it easy to connect with their journey. The story’s honest, bittersweet, and heartbreakingly realistic approach is powerful enough to bring tears to your eyes and confront the repressed emotions bottled up inside.

The story follows 28-year-old Lenny, who is reeling from the loss of her best friend Lou to ovarian cancer. Barely holding herself together, Lenny avoids returning to the apartment she shared with Lou and instead sleeps on benches aboard the Staten Island Ferry. Her latest gig as a babysitter for seven-year-old Ainsley forces her to step out of her grief bubble. Ainsley lives with her single mother, Reese, in their Upper West Side apartment, where Lenny must contend with Reese’s protective older brother, Miles. Miles, in his 30s, is initially suspicious of Lenny and constantly complains about her to his sister.

Lenny and Miles’ early interactions are far from meet-cute territory and instead fall squarely into enemies-to-grieving-friends territory. One night, Miles follows Lenny and intervenes during a confrontation she’s having with a reckless driver who hit a cyclist. He even joins her on her nighttime ferry adventure. Over time, he convinces her to take a permanent job at Reese’s house, offering her grief counseling and encouraging her to tackle the "Living Again" list—a series of activities including camping, exploring new foods, and attending concerts.

Miles, too, is grappling with his own losses. Ten years ago, he lost his cousin and mother in a tragic car accident, leaving him without the only family he’d ever known. Only later did he reconnect with his estranged, dying father and learn about Reese, his stepsister, for the first time. His complex relationship with Reese and Ainsley highlights his struggles with opening up and trusting others. He urgently needs Lenny’s help to navigate his emotions and heal.

As they spend more time together, Lenny becomes increasingly attached to Miles. He is always by her side during her most emotionally vulnerable moments, helping her confront her pain and grow stronger. But, in turn, Miles begins to change as well. With Lenny’s influence, he learns to open his heart to his newfound family and new friendships.

Can Lenny’s suffering ever truly end, or will she remain trapped in her grief with the unhealed wounds Lou left behind? And, most importantly, do her growing feelings for Miles risk betraying the memory of her best friend?

Overall: This book is like the most comforting, soothing blanket you’ll want to wrap around yourself and never let go. It’s heartwarming yet emotionally triggering at times, gently pushing you out of your comfort zone to confront your feelings with honesty. I believe everyone needs their own "Miles"—someone they can trust wholeheartedly.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Dial Press Trade Paperback for providing me with a digital review copy of this brilliant book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Since her best friend died of cancer six months ago, Lenny has been taking temporary nanny jobs–a weekend here or there because that’s the limit to how long she can “hold it together.” Lenny watches Ainsley for a weekend and somehow the gruff and grumpy uncle, Miles, convinces her to continue working for the family. He promises to be her grief coach while she promises to be his “kid coach” and help him connect with his niece. Over the course of months, Lenny and Miles develop a deep friendship that eventually turns into something more.

Read this if you like strangers to friends to lovers, books featuring parent-figures and kids, the exploration of grief and loss, playful and volleying conversation, and romances that are more contemporary fiction than romance.

I loved this. It was an emotional ride. I laughed out loud. I cried multiple times (a deceased best friend is GUARANTEED to finish me emotionally every time). The banter between Miles and Lenny, the relationship with Ainsley, the grief-work as Lenny mourns Lou (although, Lenny could definitely have used some certified therapy as well, imho), and the family dynamics with Lenny’s parents and between Miles and Ainsley’s mom, Reese, were all highlights for me.

The bottom line: Cara Bastone’s work continues to prove to have the perfect mixture of romance and “women’s” fiction AND humor and emotion for my taste.

I just knew Cara would do it for me again! This book had me giggling and weeping throughout the entire thing!! The depiction of grief here is heavy, but Cara writes it in such a beautiful and relatable way. If you have ever lost someone close to you, you will remember this book for a long time because of its ability to put words to your grief. I would caution someone from reading it if you’re really fresh in a grieving process 🫶🏻

NOW- let’s talk about the cuteness Miles and Lenny! These two showed exactly what it looks like to fight yourself back to life together. I swooned over them!!! They were really relatable/raw but also so funny and enjoyable. I couldn’t put this book down and I really think you should read it ;)

Thank you NetGalley, Cara and the Dial Press for this gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3 ⭐️ A sweet story that dives into navigating grief

"You are learning to love her exactly as she is. As someone who isn't here anymore ... That's who she is now. And this journey through grief ... It's what we do for the great loves of our lives."

WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ contemporary romance
✨ nyc setting
✨ she's the new nanny consumed by grief
✨ he's the uncle who wants a closer relationship with his sister and niece
✨ grumpy x sunshine who has lost her spark
✨ strangers to friends to lovers
✨ SLOW burn
✨ 1.5/5 🌶️ (open door but not explicit)
✨ exploration of grief
✨ MMC takes care of her 🫶
✨ FMC makes funny, out of pocket comments
✨ found family
✨ low stakes
✨ HEA
✨ TW: death of loved one, grief, survivor's guilt


My Thoughts:

Ready or Not by Cara Bastone was one of my favorite books from 2024, so I was really excited to receive an ARC of Promise Me Sunshine. While it was a heartfelt story that made me feel an array of emotions, it wasn't quite for me. However, I can understand why others loved it.

What I enjoyed:

Lenny and Miles are truly likable MCs. Lenny is grieving her best friend, and while she's struggled to really take care of herself, I admire that she is still a kind person and shows up for others. I think Cara Bastone did an amazing job conveying her pain and what it's like to truly grieve someone you love once they are gone. Miles was a hard nut to crack at first. He comes across as grumpy and standoffish, but really he is just someone who is more quiet, reserved, and observant. This man has a heart of gold, and I appreciated that he went out of his way to help Lenny live again. I appreciated that Lenny and Miles feel like real people instead of characters on a page where we can see a piece of ourselves within them and relate, even if we haven't gone through the same experiences.

One of my favorite things about this book was Lenny's unexpected humor and her hilariously bold, out-of-pocket comments. Despite being a character who was clearly struggling with deep grief, she still found moments to laugh, to dream, and to inject levity into even the darkest moments. Whether she was fantasizing a happily ever after with random men or heckling/flirting with Miles, Lenny's sharp, no-filter remarks were such a breath of fresh air compared to the heaviness of her grief.

Where the story fell short for me:

This story definitely focuses more on grief than romance, and as someone who hasn’t experienced that kind of loss, I found it challenging to stay fully engaged at times. I have mixed feelings about this, though. After reading so many glowing reviews, it’s clear that many readers who’ve faced deep loss really connect with the story, and I respect that. But for me, it didn’t hit the same way. I’ve read other books that explore grief and found myself more emotionally invested, which made me think about how some stories just seem to click with certain readers in ways others don’t. I'm glad this book resonates with so many, but sad it didn’t manage to draw me in the same way.

I feel like the grief totally overshadowed the romance in this story, which left me unsatisfied with both. Grief is obviously a major theme, but I really wish both it and the romance had been given more equal focus. I get that grief is a heavy, complex topic that needs to be explored, but I think a little more romance would’ve added a lighter, more hopeful balance. Instead, I found myself waiting forever for the romance to kick in. It didn’t really start to develop until about 80% of the way through, which made it tough to get fully invested in their romantic relationship. If the grief and romance had been better balanced, the story would’ve felt more well-rounded and engaging.

I also found the entire premise of Miles deciding to take on the responsibility of helping Lenny come back to life extremely hard to believe. He's essentially a stranger to her, and it just felt unrealistic that someone would be that selfless, especially when there was no real personal connection between them at the start. Even his reasoning (wanting Lenny to teach him how to connect with her family better) felt pretty flimsy. It didn’t seem like a strong enough justification for him to step in and take on the weight of her grief. While I get that the idea was probably meant to show his growth as a character, it just didn’t feel believable to me. It felt more like a plot device than a genuinely earned decision. In real life, people don’t usually take on that kind of emotional responsibility for someone they don’t know well, no matter how noble the cause.

To add to this point, what Lenny really needed was a therapist. Grief is a complex, deeply personal journey that requires professional support, and relying on a complete stranger to carry that emotional burden just isn’t realistic or healthy. Expecting Miles to be her savior felt unfair to both of them and made the situation feel forced.

Also, the end was so abrupt. I honestly thought there would be at least a few other chapters of Lenny going back to her old apartment or just being with Miles, but there wasn't. I guess I wasn't ready for it to be over, so I'm left a bit unsatisfied.

Overall, Promise Me Sunshine is a well-written book with lovely characters and moments of genuine emotion. However, for me, the overwhelming focus on grief overshadowed the romance, and some of the decisions made by the characters felt a bit unrealistic. While I can see why many readers connect with this story, it ultimately wasn’t the right fit for me. I’m still glad I read it because Cara Bastone is such a great author, and I would recommend it to others because clearly I'm in the minority here.

Grief is such a complicated thing, and Cara writes it so beautifully. Lenny lost her best friend, her 'sister' and is muddling through life, and not doing a great job. She takes a temp babysitting job for Reece, a single mum, and her daughter Ainsley. Upon arriving for the babysitting gig she meets Miles. After a cold start, they then strike up a friendship - two lonely, grief stricken people looking for a reason to live life again. This book is brilliant, and touching and I highly recommend! Thank you for the arc!

thank you SO much random house publishing group and net galley for this exciting e-arc that comes out TOMORROW!

I adored this. a book about learning to live after loss. this is the story of helen, who loses her best friend to cancer, and how miles, this perfectly flawed, serious and compassionate man, who once dealt with his own grief, teaches her to live again.

some favorite quotes of mine:

“Do you ever get used to not being able to give updates on your life?”… “I mean… that is the woman who used to ask me what I’d had for lunch that day because she was genuinely curious. She loved knowing the details of my life. Every little boring nothing, she wanted to know. And now… literally every aspect of my life is different and I can’t tell her.”

“Grieving her… it’s the only connection… it’s how I hold on to her.”

“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.”

“Grief becomes your companion, Lenny. As awful as it is, it’s your constant. And so when it starts to leave… when you start to heal—“

“Companionship… it’s incredible if done right. It’s satisfying. And isn’t that ultimately what everyone wants? To feel fulfilled.”
“Known.”
“Of course.”

“Say if you’re a bird, I’m a bird.”
“That’s not even from the right movie!” “Just say it!”

“Every time I fall in love with you there’s lightening.” He closes his eyes, opens them, and there’s his brilliant love. “There’s only you, Lenny. Every time… it’s just you,” he says, muffled as he kisses me. “And you.” He kisses me again. “And you.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Cara Bastone for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.

Lenny is 6 months deep into grief, and is barely holding on to normalcy. When she takes a job babysitting a young girl she meets Miles, the grumpy uncle who surprisingly has common ground with Lenny. He offers to help her through her grief while Lenny in exchange teachers him how to better connect with his niece.

This book was so heavy and cathartic in all the best ways. Trigger warnings for death of a loved one. I really enjoyed the banter and interactions between Lenny and Miles. This story left me feeling uplifted and excited to read more of Cara's work.

There are some books that will stick with you forever, Promise me Sunshine is one of those books. Lenny’s story is so raw and real. I love Miles and everything he becomes for Lenny. Everything about this is just so heavy, real and perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial press for this ARC!

Promise Me Sunshine
By: Cara Bastone
4.5 stars

Thank you so much @dialpress for the eARC & @prhaudio for the audiobook!

Cara you did it AGAIN!

I was absolutely screaming when this book was announced and when I got approved for it, OMG! Total meltdown! I buddy read this one with my babes & that made it even more special!

Ready or Not was one of my favorite reads of 2024 so I knew Promise Me Sunshine was going to be emotional. In this story we meet Lenny who recently loss her best friend Lou to cancer and is in the midst of trying to survive. She takes nannying jobs here and there while ignoring the apartment she once shared with Lou to instead sleep on a bench of the Staten Island Ferry. During her recent Nannying job for a single woman named Reese and her daughter seven year old Ainsley, Lenny meets Reese’s estranged but protective brother, Miles. Miles is initially suspicious of Lenny and she catches him complaining about her to Reese but after seeing a book about grief fall out of her backpack one day, Miles tone changes completely.

Miles decides to help Lenny overcome her grief by being her person that helps her cross off items on her “Live Again” list that Lou left for Lenny before her passing. Lenny agrees to become Ainsley’s nanny full time and over the months of interactions, Miles helps Lenny confront her pain through simple things like eating, showering, having a new place to sleep, to the more complex issues. As they spend more time together Miles becomes everything to Lenny and there are so many vulnerable moments shared between the two. They really were a great balance of one another and their growing romance felt perfect to me.

This is definitely a book you cannot go into lightly. It is emotionally charged dealing with the grief of losing a loved one. It was heartwarming, funny, and ultimately a great example that grief is complex and healing takes time.

Oh, this book! This book has my whole heart, this book is EVERYTHING. What an incredible exploration of grief, loss, friendship, and love. Lenny is such an endearing, dynamic character, and I felt the depths of her grief like an ache inside my own heart. She’s so beautifully written that even while she’s hurting, she’s so funny, quirky, and loves fiercely with her whole heart. I felt ALL THE FEELINGS as Lenny struggles through her days, works through her “Live Again” list, and goes from friendship to something more with Miles.

And Miles! Dear, sweet, grumpy Miles is my new book boyfriend (Miles from Funny Story, you’re in second place now, sorry). I adored how protective and patient and kind Miles was with Lenny, and although their romance is a very slow burn, it’s actually *exactly right* given everything that Lenny is going through. I also loved the secondary plot of Miles putting in the work to build a relationship with Ainsley and Reese. He’s a real one!

While the print book is outstanding all on its own (and you should get one so you can highlight/annotate it if that’s your thing), if you love audiobooks, then I’m begging you to listen to this one on audio. This is officially my new favorite audiobook. Just so, so, SO good! Alex Finke is sheer perfection as Lenny. Her narration is so vibrant that Lenny’s grief and tears are palpable, and her joy is radiant in moments of happiness.

WOW! I absolutely love this book. I love the way that Lenny’s grief is portrayed as it is so real and raw. And then when Miles jumps in to help and slowly they start to fall for each other and we can see that they are but they don’t see it yet, is just amazing. Lenny and Miles have gone through hell and back in their personal lives and seeing that even experiencing such terrible things doesn’t take away joy is just a great viewpoint for this story.

Un libro de romance contemporáneo que trata sobre el duelo, temas con los que generalmente suelo conectar de manera fácil, desafortunadamente en esta ocasión no resultó ser así. De igual forma puedo entender que a muchas personas les guste la novela y logren conectar con ella.

Oh. My. God. THIS BOOK!

I CAN'T EVEN. INFINITE STARS.

I'm trying to find the words to describe this book. Heartbreakingly sad. Beautiful. Emotional. The slowest burn. PERFECT.

I was violently sobbing almost 50% of the book. The other 50%, though, was so full of love, friendship, healing and hope that the tears were so worth it.

MILES. I loved him so much! He was just perfect, awkward at first, but then so kind and calm and EVERYTHING.

I loved Lenny's progress through her journey with grief. I loved her growth, I loved how she accepted Miles' help and I loved the place she's at at the end of the book.

I loved all the secondary characters too: Ainsley, Reese, Jericho, Rica, Jeffy, Lenny's parents, and Lou, in flashbacks.

This is a romance, yes, but it's also about love and grief and living after loss. It definitely gave me The Seven-Year Slip vibes, without the magic and time travel, as both books deal with loss and healing.

Honestly, if there's any book you would read this year because I recommended it, it has to be this one, 100%.

This book was beautiful. I loved it so much. I thought this would be your typical romance book, but it was so much more than that. It was Lenny’s journey through grief and adjusting to her new reality without her best friend.

It had been a while since a book drew my in from the first few pages. Lenny was likable and so obviously having a tough time coping with her loss. Miles was an exceptional character. He was exactly what Lenny needed and he was so patient, kind, and dreamy. Although we didn’t get his POV, you could also tell his growth throughout the book. My favorite Miles moment was when he told Lenny that he was never sleeping, he was closing his eyes and committing the moment to memory 😭😍whenever there were special moments with her. Perfection.

The side characters added a different layer and depth to the story and I’m glad we got to see different interactions and support systems. And these also brought up lots of laughs and fun times.

The only thing I hope happens at some point is that characters do go to therapy to process both of their losses and not just rely on each other for that 🙃.

Wow! Just like Lenny, you will feel a deep ache heal while reading this beautiful book. Lenny is working on finding her way back to herself. Until she finds Miles, she is lost in the woods of grief. Even with her grief, Lenny is like a vibrant box of crayons. The friendship they build is beautiful, so supportive. They just understand each other and what they need- even if they can’t figure it out for themselves. And I just have to say it Miles is hot af. A caring, doting, and patient man?? Hot. I was all in on their love story- mildly impatient just like our Lenny. This book is truly fantastic- a perfect mix of romance and personal growth.

It’s a story that lingers in your mind long after you’ve finished it.
The heroine is dealing with a heavy loss and works as a nanny, while the hero is trying to connect with his niece and half-sister. They decide to help each other.

When I read Ready or Not, I fell in love with Shep, and now I’ve fallen for Miles—Cara Bastone creates perfect men! Miles feels like a warm blanket you just want to wrap yourself in. I was delighted by how he helped Lenny heal and how patiently he waited for her. And, in turn, how Lenny always stood by him. Oh, how I loved the scenes with little Ainsley! It was so touching to see how Miles found his way into her heart.

The story unfolds slowly, but you don’t even notice how quickly you’re turning the pages. By the end, you feel so close to the characters that you don’t want to say goodbye. Definitely one of my favorite books of 2024! I can’t wait for the author’s next release.

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓slow burn
✓grumpy/sunshine
✓hurt/comfort
✓exploration of grief
✓cinnamon roll mmc
✓friends to lovers

Thank you to Random House (Dial Press) and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my heart, this book easily will be in my top reads for 2025. This was the most beautiful and approachable description/explanation/exploration of grief I have read, and I truly have not been able to stop thinking about it since I read it. This was my first book by Cara Bastone and CERTAINLY will not be my last.

I loved absolutely everything about the relationship between Lenny and Miles, from friendship to something more. They were there for each other when they could be, and really wanted to help one another through their grief and current challenges. The way that they were so connected to one another while struggling so deeply was so special. Their personal journeys of navigating such immense and tragic losses were so real and raw and struck a chord with me - as grief truly is never linear! As someone who lost 3 grandparents in 4 years, even a decade later I still deal with random waves of grief that were so perfectly described in this book, and it really tugged on my heart. They were perfectly interwoven in every aspect of this book, and it made me laugh and cry and feel like a big warm hug. From them helping each other live the way they want to, to being there to support when a bump in the road was hit, to their sweet friendship that becomes love... truly there was nothing about it that I did not love and feel so tenderhearted about.

My most favorite quote: "Grief is a relationship... It's the way we figure out how to keep loving them even though they're gone". This really hit hard for me because it is so true!! Grief is a symbol of how much love we had for someone, and it's an opportunity (even though it makes us sad) to remember how special they were in our lives and continue that love. It doesn't go away just because they aren't physically with us!

What an absolutely beautiful portrait of living through grief. I am so thankful for the chance to read an advanced copy of this book, and I cannot wait to read it over and over again. Thank you to NetGalley, Dial Press and Random House for this eARC!

I just… loved this book so much 🥹 Lenny & Miles are everything.
all the feels & all the stars ♾️

💭 overall thoughts:
I fell in love with Lenny instantly, and Miles very soon after (I loved that they met in chapter 1).

❤️‍🩹 Though she’s heavily dealing with her grief (and it was so sad/difficult at times to watch her spiral), Lenny is also hilarious, and had me laughing along with the tears.
She’s one of my favorite fmcs I’ve ever read, and I loved being in her head.

💙 Miles is the ultimate protector, always looking out for Lenny from the start. He’s got his own baggage, and finds his way through by helping her live again.

💜 They both give each other purpose, and feel like the definition of two halves of a whole.

As someone who has experienced the loss of a best friend, I feel that Cara handled this incredibly well.
I found so many of Lenny’s behaviours & internal thoughts to be relatable, and so many pieces of Miles’ advice to have me reflecting on how I’ve processed my own grief.

read if you love:
💛 strangers to friends to lovers
❤️‍🩹 healing through grief
🌦 grumpy sunshine
🏙 NYC setting
💙 protective mmc
🫶🏼 family + found family
🐢 very slow burn (but very worth it!)
💖 single 1st person pov

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group (The Dial Press) & NetGalley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

A heartfelt and beautifully crafted romance, Promise Me Sunshine shines with warmth, wit, and emotional depth. Cara Bastone’s writing is engaging, her characters are wonderfully relatable, and the story is both uplifting and deeply moving. A perfect feel-good read for romance lovers!

Promise Me Sunshine is a whirlwind journey through grief. Cara Bastone takes us along as Lenny Bellamy tries to move on after the untimely death of her bestie Lou. Her pain could be felt with every turn of the page and although at times it was hard to imagine what she might be going through, losing the true love of her life thus far, her actions felt real and appropriate. And that's to say, even when they were met with the kind of compassion and empathy only another survivor could understand. And when that's in the form of the broody, mysterious and handsome Miles Honey, so starts the beginning of each finding not only their footing again, but their unexpected forever.

This lengthy book dives deep into the unsettled mind of Lenny and the threads she is barely holding onto as she navigates the world without Lou by her side. I was impressed by her courage to carry on even when she didn't want to, always a light to those she met, yet always feeling like a dark cloud nonetheless. But Miles saw her spark, though currently dulled, and I loved how he never gave up on her no matter what. He saved her in more ways than one and rescued her from her dire thoughts when the world wouldn't stop turning. They simply have this connection that only a person left behind could understand.

Her new gig as a nanny to the adorable Ainsley becomes her new lifeline of sorts, as she is confronted with the stoic Miles, and his own difficulties in fitting in with his role as her long-lost uncle. Their first encounters are awkward at best but thankfully Lenny is honest and curious to a fault, yet always knowing when not to push, as they begin to spend some time together. But it's those silent pleas that no one else can hear that endears Miles to Lenny, as he somehow saves her over and over again when the walls start to close in on her heart. I, too, was amazed at his intuition when Lenny needed him most, even as closed off and mysterious as he seemed to be.

Lenny's persistence and her selflessness in allowing Miles to get closer to his new family in Ainsley and his half-sister Reese was a true high point of the book for me. I loved how she pushed him even when he balked and how satisfying it felt for Lenny to see Miles's own light start to shine once more.

This isn't an easy book to digest, especially for those hurting from unbearable loss. But I feel as if Bastone did a great job in portraying grief and how in the end, it didn't take Lenny away from the world. Instead, she showed that the fight to carry on, although never easy, is possible when you allow yourself to fall apart when needed and to maybe allow someone else to bear your burdens when they simply are too much.

Thankfully, there are some lighter moments, especially with Ainsley, that offer a respite from all the sadness. And there are a few times where the focus is on Miles' grief at the loss of his mother and 'brother' and that helped Lenny immensely come to grips with losing Lou the way that she did and truly start to move on and live again.

Overall, it's a good book and although I thought it was a bit too long, I honestly don't know where Bastone could've shortened it. In the end, it's an honest look at grief and offers up a chance to understand what it means to lose someone beyond close to you. And how to somehow find that sliver of hope together with an abundance of unexpected love, that you'll be okay without them. To that point, Promise Me Sunshine succeeds tenfold.

4 stars.