This is a touching story about coping with the loss of loved ones and rediscovering the joy of living along with some great humor through out the book. The main characters are easily relatable, while the supporting cast adds warmth and charm. Time waits for no one, and as she learns to navigate the grief of losing her best friend, she isolates herself from her life and family, wandering the streets of Brooklyn because she can't return to the apartment she once shared with her friend. While working part-time as a nanny, she encounters a stranger who will change her life, guiding her on a journey to find herself and discover true love. I would highly recommend

3.5 stars

I absolutely loved Ready or Not by Cara Bastone when I read it last year. So I had to read her newest, Promise Me Sunshine.

I wasn't sure what I expected when picking it up, but a novel about a depressed FMC after her best friend died of cancer who babysits for work was not what I expected. It was heart breaking and also do sweet.

I loved Myles & his patience. Helping Lenny work through his grief & getting her back out in the world. Lenny helping Myles develop a relationship with his niece & sister.

It was a super cute read, while also touching on the tough topic of grief, but it also felt like not much happened throughout the book? I also didn't realize I was at the end of the book until I turned the page & realized it was the acknowledgements....

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Publishing House for an advance copy 🫶🏻

Lenny has lost her best friend, her comrade, a piece of her soul. After her death, Lenny just feels so lost. She distances herself from her parents and only takes short term nannying gigs to get by. It's during one of these jobs, babysitting seven year old Ainsley, that Lenny meets Miles. He's Ainsley's uncle, and he's a total grump. After a terrible first impression, Miles reveals that he actually is a bit of a grief expert from experience, and offers to help Lenny complete the "live again" that Lou left behind. I exchange, he hopes she can help him build a relationship with Ainsley her mom. Miles becomes Lenny's lifeboat and slowly she starts to pick up the pieces, caring for herself again and opening up. She discovers new friends, tries new things, and learns that there is life after loss.

While this is a romance, it definitely focuses on Lenny's walk through a deeply emotional loss. There are heart wrenching, and heartwarming moments. I loved that Miles didn't try to "fix" Lenny, but rather came alongside her and cared for her so well. The writing through a difficult topic was honest and raw, and I thought carefully navigated the grieving process. I loved Lenny's hilarious ability to imagine ridiculous love lifes with men she encountered, and I thought the book was perfectly balanced with funny banter, silly moments with Ainsley, and just a little spice. The burn is slow though folks! And worth it. I will take to heart the advice given by Miles for when you're feeling down- to do something bad for you, something good for you, and try a change of scenery.

Promise Me Sunshine is a beautiful story of grief and healing. When Lenny takes a part time nanny job after losing her best friend to cancer, she meets Miles, her client's brother. While to her, he seems distant and strange, Miles recongnizes Lenny's struggles as grief, something he too is very familiar with. In his own awkward way, he reaches out to Lenny in order to help her, but also because he needs help himself in connecting to his half sister and his niece. What follows is a warm, deeply emotional story about the process of letting go and living on when all you want to do is hold onto the person taken by holding onto the pain. This story is full of catharses and raw emotion, and is a true friends to lovers without all of the silliness of miscommunication and third act breakups. As Lenny and Miles share their vulnerabilities and pain, they also share their joy in the little victories that come a long the way. I highly recommend this romance for anyone who enjoys love stories the show character growth and connection amidst real heartbreaking realities of life.

This is one of those rare cases where a book moves me so deeply that I find myself speechless. I really don't think I will be blessed to read another book as beautiful as Promise Me Sunshine. For this being a heartbreaking book dealing with grief after the loss of a loved one, it somehow felt like the warmest, longest, tightest hug. The way the author handles grief is both incredible and raw. I loved how, even while grieving, Lenny still managed to have witty banter with Miles. His patience and tenderness toward her were so touching. I honestly don’t know how to fully express my profound love for this book other than shouting about it to everyone who will listen.

One billion stars.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me an early copy to read and review.

When people say romance isn't real literature, Promise Me Sunshine proves them wrong. If I could give more than five stars, I would.

I went into this book knowing only one thing, that the marvelous Cara Bastone wrote it. I did not read the blurb, I did not look at reviews. I went in blind, and let me tell you, I was blown away! I have read a lot of wonderful books that have talked about grief, but Cara SHOWED grief in a way I have only ever witnessed and experienced in real life. Not just what it feels like to have your heart ripped apart but what it looks like, how it plays out in the day-to-day. It was heart-wrenching but also such a relief to know I am not the only one.

Grief is not just a side note in this book. It is basically the impetus for every interaction Lenny and Miles have, at least to start, and what that did was create one of the most touching relationships in literature. To call Miles a favorite book boyfriend doesn't begin to cover it. It is wholly inadequate for the character he is and what he does for Lenny. Lenny, for her part, is so painfully, beautifully real I could be reading a memoir.

The relationship between Lenny and Miles is undoubtedly my new favorite. No one could ever accuse their relationship of instalove or being based only on physical affection. Lenny and Miles care for each other deeply and wholly. Miles meets Lenny where she is and takes loving, gentle care of her heart, and Lenny sees Miles for who he is beyond his stoic exterior. There is so much heart packed into this book.

Cara does all this in her incomparable writing voice that melds heart and humor flawlessly. Her dialogue is my absolute favorite, and I can't wait to see what she gives us next!

“This is a love story, I swear. This is what happens when you’ve promised someone you’ll live again.”

When Lou dies, Lenny’s heart goes with her. She was her best friend, her rock, her soulmate. Months later, Lenny is floating through NYC with no purpose and no connections. That is, until she starts a new temporary nanny position and meets Reese, her 7 year old daughter Ainsley, and Ainsley’s uncle, Miles. When Miles decides to be her grief coach, Lenny has no choice but to let it happen.

Ready or Not was one my favorite books last (possibly my #1 favorite?) and I’m going to say the say thing about this one: this is so so much more than a romance. More than anything, it’s a book about grief. It’s raw and painful and so very human. Grief is not linear and Lenny proves that perfectly. She never knows when will hit the hardest but Miles is always there when she needs him.

Miles Miles Miles. He’s no stranger to grief and he wants to feel like he can help someone else through it. He’s a little awkward and uncomfortable in social situations but he’s the biggest sweetheart ever. Everyone needs a Miles in their life.

I cried so many times while reading this book, sometimes at times that it didn’t even make sense to be crying. I loved watching Lenny find herself again while subtly growing closer to Miles. This could’ve easily been an insta love situation but instead Miles allowed Lenny to lean on him while giving her the space to find herself among the living again.

This book is messy and chaotic and quirky and sad and just everything to me.

Read this for
-grief
-found family
-friends to lovers
-NYC
-open door (one scene with mild details but it so very very Lenny and Miles)

I adored this one! Lenny is a mess after losing her best friend and soul mate to cancer and is barely functioning. She takes on a short-term nannying gig for a little girl, and her grumpy uncle, Miles, keeps hovering over her every move. Miles recognizes the familiar look of grief (he’s well-acquainted) and offers to help Lenny learn to live again if she helps him connect with his niece. I was hooked, engaged and devoured this beautifully-written novel about love and less. Honestly, Lenny was super annoying at times, but this was a really accurate display of grief and how messy it can be. This friends to lovers romance was the ultimate slow burn and it was so beautiful to see how the two characters showed up for each other in the most important ways. Be prepared to laugh and cry.

X ♾️

Lenny is grieving her bestest friend who recently died from cancer. She is slowly drowning in grief. She nanny's Ainsley and meets her Uncle Miles. Miles becomes Lenny's life preserver and help bring Lenny back to life. There are so many great insights about grief and living life. Lenny is hilarious and lives out loud. I want to be Lenny's friend.

This book is a big warm hug. I loved it so much. I'm kicking myself for not adding it to my BOTM box. I definitely need a copy for my bookshelf. To highlight and annotate and hug. The author is becoming an auto read and auto buy.

Cara Bastone really knows how to take you through the wringer. Promise Me Sunshine was full of quirky characters and found family. We follow Lenny’s life in the aftermath of the death of her best friend and (non-romantic) soulmate. Miles previously endured what it means to survive after the sudden death of loved ones and offers to help Lenny get through this time of her life and learn to survive. 

It took me a little bit to warm up to Miles, which fit his character and was just how people reacted to him. He seems to immediately see something in Lenny and quickly realizes she needs someone on her side and to help her learn to live and thrive again. She’s pushed everyone away in her grief, including her parents, and survived by taking on short term nanny gigs (not wanting to commit considering her mental state at this time). Miles convinces her to let him in and be there for her at any time of day. He also convinces her to take on a full time nanny role with his niece. I loved seeing how Lenny talked about her best friend that she lost to cancer. She also helps Miles build a relationship with his sister and niece.

It’s a very emotional book with many ups and downs but I love how Bastone constructs a story and really brings you into it!

4⭐️ This is a really sweet, slow-burn love story that offers an incredibly honest and powerful look at grief! I thought the main characters, Lenny and Miles, were very compelling, and their connection developed beautifully. Anyone who has personally dealt with loss will certainly resonate with this book. Some of the humor/banter did not quite land for me, but I think it might come across better on the audiobook.

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group for providing a digital Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review!

♾ stars

“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.”

There are some books that you devour in just one sitting, but then there is Promise Me Sunshine. Books like this are written to be savoured, to be read word by word, sentence by sentence, because every single word packs a punch to the heart. It’s relatable, poignant, profound, emotional, exceptionally beautiful, and above all, life-changing in an irrevocable way. I have read my fair share of books on grief, but this one is a masterpiece.

“You need someone who can wade in and pull you out of the swamp if you need me to. And I can be that person.”

Promise Me Sunshine is a beautiful story that focuses on grief and healing. Cara Bastone crafted this book beautifully, delivering an engaging and heartfelt story with exceptional skill. Her narrative has a quiet tenderness, an affectionate tone that balances the brutal and heartbreaking reality of this story. She did a phenomenal job writing Lenny and Miles, both protagonists have emotional depth and vulnerability that add heartfelt authenticity to their story. The story is filled with grief-stricken moments and sadness, but Lenny’s quiet healing journey with Miles’ help, their beautiful friends-to-lovers story, the found family arc, and the promise of a better future add a delicate happiness and a gentle quality to the narrative.

Lenny, my beautiful, precious, and beloved girl. After losing her best friend, her soulmate, Lou, Lenny is just going through the motions of life—existing without Lou, feeling guilty for being alive. She has isolated herself from her family, from everything that reminds her of Lou. She has a Start Living Again list that gives her a semblance of hope, So when Miles offers her a lifeline as her grief coach and list partner, she grabs it eagerly. Lenny is a charming and free-spirited woman with a personality that sparkles and radiates sunshine through the pages. Even in her saddest moments, she manages to find glimpses of happiness without even trying. The way she sees the world is just so beautiful. Lenny is so thoughtful, empathetic, and kind. And she’s so funny that I love her humour as much as I love her. Lenny’s grief and heartbreak felt like my own. She never hides her grief from the real world. She lets herself be vulnerable and emotionally unguarded, even in her darkest moments. Lenny’s healing and development evolve throughout the story. It’s slow and steady, sometimes unsuccessful, but mostly filled with effort and courage.

Miles is such a perfect man. He is a grump, but one I instantly fell in love with—because how could I not when he is this thoughtful, loyal, honest, selfless, kind, and wonderful? He is like an anchor in turbulent waters—strong and steady enough to take on everything and work through it. Miles hides a multilayered persona behind his unapproachable exterior. He’s also dealing with his grief, but he knows how to help someone like Lenny, and he wants to help her because he understands the pain of going through it all. Miles is also navigating a complicated relationship with his sister and his niece. He seeks Lenny’s help to understand everything about kids and to strengthen his sibling bond with Reese. He is so patient, attentive, and incredibly insightful. The way he sees the world, his perception of things—it always makes me admire him more. I love how he helped Lenny, how tenacious he was but also patient and tender with her, letting her work through things on her own while always guiding her in a better direction. way he would do anything to make them happy and safe is so precious. Everyone needs a Miles in their life.

Lenny and Miles have the most beautiful love. It’s soul-stirring, unyielding, compassionate, and devoted. Their relationship gracefully transitions from the allure of strangers to the warmth of friendship, eventually blossoming into a profound love. It’s simple and pure, but it’s the selflessness, unwavering commitment, and enduring hardships together that make it even more beautiful. Miles and Lenny fit so effortlessly into each other’s lives, both as friends and lovers.

“So you’ll come with me if I ask?”
His eyes pierce me in the shadows of the kitchen. “Lenny, I’ll do anything you ask me to.”

They formed a strong companionship through helping each other, and it was beautiful to see how they nurtured it with trust, care, and effort. Their love story is an aching slow burn of knowing each other and delicate feelings that feel too much like love. They are different, their experiences with grief and life are different, but I have never seen two people who belong to each other the way they do. I love the way they understand each other, how they let their vulnerability flow through them when they are together, how they trust each other enough to ask for help and lean on one another, how they help each other and just exist for each other when they need it.

Lou and Lenny had such a beautiful friendship, and it was nice to know Lou through Lenny—through her love and memories of her. Cara did an amazing job by not romanticising grief, Lenny’s depression, or her challenges. She portrayed the different facets of grief, the reality of it—the all-consuming, obliterating, and devastating nature of loss. This book leans more towards women’s fiction than romance, but the romance is still a crucial part of Lenny and Miles’ story. It adds a comforting element and warmth to their grief-stricken journey.

Promise Me Sunshine is already my most favourite book of 2025, and dare I say—Miles is in my top book boyfriends list, because how can he not be? This is a masterpiece, indeed—one I will possibly reread multiple times in the future, because I just love love love love Miles and Lenny.

3 out of 5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Dial Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a positive review

It was alright?

I definitely expected this book to be 5 stars and I just didn’t vibe with it. The pacing was entirely too slow and I felt some dialogue was completely unnecessary and made the book drag even more.

I think anyone that expects this to be a romance book should run far away. The romance takes a back burner and the book js more focused on telling a story about grief. There’s nothing wrong with this whatsoever, but this is NOT primarily romance.

It is a VERY character driven story and there isn’t really a solid plot.

I do appreciate the book’s approach to grief and the conversation it continues about how each person grieves differently, whether it’s by shutting down or continuing to act like everything’s okay.

However, it falls flat in what would make it a good romance. It feels like Lenny’s codependence to her best friend carries on over to Miles. It was like frieeeeeends and then- WOAH ROMANCE out of nowhere.

Lenny is a bit “too quirky” and to an extent, I understand this character choice because this is how she is masking her grief. But her thoughts and actions are so juvenile and it’s hard to make that connection to a woman who’s supposed to be 28. Miles as a character also lacked personality.

I think a book like this could have actually benefited from Lenny seeking professional help as well.

Overall, meh. I can see why some people would like this book, but it just wasn’t for me :/

Grief isn't linear and neither is falling in love. You cope and you struggle and you delude until you begin a new normal. Everyone deserves someone who would walk into hell just to pull you back out.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had read Cara's book "Ready or Not" and loved her writing so I knew I wanted to try this book as well. Promise me Sunshine follows Lenny after her best friend passes away due to cancer. In this story we follow Lenny as she drives the loss of her friend and learns how to live again without her other half. Along comes Miles, who has had experience with grieving and decides to help Lenny get through this dark time in her life by helping her with her "live again" list.

This was such a unique book following someone's grieving journey. This book reminded me of the movie "New Years Eve" with completing a check list and "The Nanny Diaries". I really enjoyed seeing the growth Lenny had the first half of the book. I feel like towards the end I was frustrated with her motivation, but was still intrigued enough to keep reading. I loved the 'live again' list and seeing what things were on it.

The last 20% or so of the book I started losing interest because I felt like things could have been wrapped up and they dragged on a little too long for my liking.

Overall this book covers heavy topics in a tasteful way. It was a unique way to portray the process of grieving. I really like Cara Bastone's writing. It is very easy to pick up and immediately jump into one of her world's. While this book wasn't my favorite, I will definitely be picking up her future books to read.

This is sweet, romantic, sad, and funny.
This book is about grief, but mostly it’s about love. When we lose someone we love, life isn’t over, but things shift, expand, change.
This is a beautiful story about grief and love. Well done. Minimal spice. Emotional parts. Great writing.
4.5 stars.

5/5⭐️ 1/5🌶️ 4/5😢

Once again, Cara Bastone knocks it out of the park! NO ONE develops intense emotional relationships like she does. This book is probably the slowest burn EVERRRR but it’s so worth it and I literally could not get enough.

Absolute perfection, no notes ✅

themes & tropes:
→ NYC setting
→ grief bonding
→ strangers to friends to lovers
→ messy/chaotic FMC
→ grumpy but steady MMC
→ BRING YOUR TISSUES BABES 😭

I started crying like 20 pages into this book & just didn’t stop. It is incredible how Cara was able to perfect encapsulate and write grief in a way that was natural, messy, and real. I thought this book was truly so well written and I loved going on this journey along with our characters. I loved watching them love, fall in love, and grieve love that they’ve lost. This book is a must read (if you want to bawl your eyes out & wake up the next morning with puffy eyes & a killer headache) worth all of the suffering that Cara put me through for how much I adore these people & how much I believe in their love story.

Thanks NetGalley & the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 stars. I think Cara Bastone's books may not just be it for me. Because like with Ready or Not I can see the appeal of this story and why people could fall in love with it but for me personally it just was okay.

This story is extremely emotional and raw and I would consider it more of a woman's fiction story than a true romance, since the love and friendship of Lenny and Lou is the star of the book. As much as Miles and Lenny are able to be positive impacts in each others lives, all I could think of while reading is how much they both need true professional help to navigate everything they've gone through.

Thank you NetGalley and The Dial Press for an ARC of Promise Me Sunshine.

It's always difficult to tackle the concept of love and grief, but this author did so beautifully. This is my first book by this author, but won't be the last.