Skip to main content

Member Reviews

5!! Cara Bastone has done it once again, matching the excellence of Ready or Not with this incredible sophomore novel. This book was an emotional rollercoaster—I laughed, I cried, and I felt everything in between. There’s just something about Bastone’s characters that will irrefutably stick with you.

Lenny is going through a rough time after losing her best friend to cancer. She’s dealing with it completely alone and sees no way out—until she meets Miles. Their first meeting isn’t exactly great, but as it turns out, Miles is the only one who truly sees her pain. They make a deal: Miles will help Lenny complete her “Live Again” list, and in return, she’ll help him connect with his niece.

This was a true slow-burn romance, and for good reason. Lenny and Miles build a friendship that feels raw and real because of how much trust they put in each other. To hold up their end of the bargain, they have to let their guards down and be vulnerable. And even with everything they’re going through, it’s so heartwarming to see how they still bring each other joy and laughter. They are also lovable characters on their own,

I can’t express enough how beautifully written this story is. No matter where you are in life, this book has a message that will resonate with you. Please read!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Was this review helpful?

I’m not sure that I accurately have the words to describe how much I loved this book, but I’m going to give it my best shot!

Grieving the loss of her best friend, Lenny doesn’t stop moving from place to place (literally, she sleeps on a Ferry). She takes short term nanny jobs because the commitment of getting close to anyone else is overwhelming. When she takes one of those short term jobs, she meets Miles. He’s the grumpy uncle of a seven year old that Lenny’s taking care of. When he finds Lenny in a bind and again on the ferry, he begins to recognize her grief and takes Lenny under his wing to help her begin to live again.

Lenny’s charm and wit had me crying with laughter, and Miles’ sentiment had me swooning through tears. Miles is more than boyfriend material, he’s husband material!

Read this one if you like grumpy/sunshine, strangers to lovers, rom-coms, healing from grief, matching tattoos, found family, and he takes care of her.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Random House and the author Cara Bastone for the gifted e-arc. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This was one of the best books I've read in a really long time. I was laughing one second and crying the next. Lenny is trying to learn to live without her best friend that died and she's a mess. She starts nannying for Reese and her brother Miles is always there. Miles has his own thoughts about her and thinks that she isn't good for Reese's daughter. He appeared to be a bit of a grump when Lenny first meets him. Miles quickly discovers what Lenny is going through and takes her under his wing. He also went through his own grief and helps her start to live again. He is kind, patient, and has the best responses for things. I loved everything about this and if I didn't have to work I would have read it in one sitting. This book does great at showing how people grieve and how they feel that they can't go on. I loved Lenny and her quirkiness. She has this thing that she does with every guy she sees that she makes up a scenario of how they end up together. I got quite the chuckle out of that every time she did it. There was so much packed into this book. I'm sad it's over but it was definitely one of my favorite reads this year so far.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this ebook for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

This book tells a story of grief and finding yourself after losing someone so important and finding love. I LOOOOVED this book. Cara Bastone can do no wrong in my eyes. I have suffered loss in my own life and reading this book has opened my eyes completely in a different way on grief.

Was this review helpful?

I put off reading this ARC for a while because I was worried about the content, but I should have known that Bastone wouldn't write this book without the care and love she has shown in all of her other books. I thought Lenny's journey and growth was really well done - not too saccharine, not too over the top, And the love story as lovely.

Was this review helpful?

EASIEST 5 STARS of the year! I know it will be on my 2025 Top 5 Books of the Year. I absolutely adored Lenny and Miles' friends-to-lovers journey. They each had something to teach the other on their personal journeys. Their connection was so genuine, and their growth was truly inspiring. Miles being completely DOWN BAD for Lenny was just chef's kiss.

I highly recommend this slow-burn romance book. Please be aware it does touch on some heavy themes, including grief and loss. Lenny's best friend recently lost her battle to cancer, so she is learning to live again with a list she created with her best friend Lou.

The character development is superb, and the relationship between Lenny and Miles is incredibly heartwarming and realistic. Cara Bastone has crafted a beautiful story that will resonate with readers long after they finish the final page.

Would Recommend: Yes
Date Reviewed: 03Mar2025

Thank you to @netgalley @randomhouse @thedialpress for an early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

After Lenny's best friend passes away from cancer, she's left feeling completely lost. Then she meets Miles, and he decides to help her find herself again using the list Lenny's best friend left her. As they make their way through the "learn to live again" list, Lenny and Miles become close friends and slowly fall in love.

This is an emotional, hopeful book about learning to live again after losing someone you love. It's about finding yourself and love. I absolutely loved this story, but as someone who also lost my best friend to cancer, it was hard to read at times, but so worth it!

♡ friends to lovers
♡ grief exploration
♡ found family
♡ slow burn

Thank you to Cara Bastone, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing Group for gifting me the ebook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to @prhaudio for the free audiobook and to @thedialpress and @netgalley for my free digital copy!

This one deserves allllll the hype! I literally cannot imagine someone NOT loving this book. I recently listened to Cara’s debut, Ready or Not, on audio, and this sophomore effort may be even better! It’s hard to choose because they are both SO good.

This one deals very heavily with themes of grief and loss, and the romance in my opinion took a backseat to them. I was completely okay with this. Much of the suuuuper slow burn here is due to Lenny and Miles developing such a SOLID base of friendship and trust. Miles helps Lenny through some dark days, and is the only person in her life who truly knows and can empathize with what she is going through.

I genuinely loved both of the main characters, but the patience Miles has for Lenny is just next level. 🥹 Both of them are incredibly well written—REAL in a way I’m not sure I’ve experienced in another book. The banter and dialogue literally reminded of conversations I have in my life, and Lenny especially is WEIRD—in the best way. 🤣 She’s super relatable.

I’d grab the tissues for this one! It is touching, believable, and overall just such a lovely story.

🎧Alex Finke narrated this one and she also narrated Ready or Not. She’s a fantastic fit for Cara’s characters and honestly makes you BELIEVE she IS the character. Her voices, inflections, vocal mannerisms, etc. are unlike any others I’ve heard! A fabulous listen.

Was this review helpful?

What a beautiful, emotional, and sweet book! I adored Lenny and Miles and the way they leaned on each other throughout the book. They had such a wonderful dynamic. You could really feel their growing friendship (and feelings) through the pages. I was clinging to every romantic moment — especially when she’d look at him, only to find that he was already looking at her 🥹

Len and Miles complemented each other so well and I loved how they supported each other and helped each other wade through their feelings. Also, the little things that Miles would do??? I melted every time 😭 and don’t get me started on the locket 😭😭😭

Also Ainsley is quite possibly my favorite fictional kid EVER. She’s so cool and I want to be her when I grow up. On that note, I’d love a book on Reese! I think she was such an interesting character and I loved seeing Miles slowly fit into their family.

Promise Me Sunshine gives such an accurate portray of the waves of grief and learning to navigate life after loss. I loved the flashbacks we got that showed us Len and Lou’s friendship. I also loved how Promise Me Sunshine showed us two types of soulmates— the romantic type and the friend type.

I loved the found family in this book 🥹 Jericho was such a fun character and I would’ve loved more scenes with Len and Miles’ new friend group! I also would’ve loved an epilogue that showed us a glimpse into the future!

This book pulled at my heartstrings and made me laugh out loud. It made me cry and made me swoon. And it was such a slow burn that had me screaming at my kindle waiting for them to realize their feelings! 😅

Overall, this was such a pleasant read and I can’t wait to read more by Cara! Thank you so much for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

Last year I was lucky enough to review Cara Bastone’s book Ready or Not and it WRECKED me. I’ve thought about that book for the last year. I’ve been basing my 5-star reviews off of that novel! So when her latest book, Promise Me Sunshine became available to review, I was all the emotions. Excited but nervous that her latest novel wouldn’t live up to Ready or Not. Well it did, and I am not well. Every chance I had, I read this book. During my lunch break, while I was exercising. I woke up early on the weekend to read before my kids got up! If you have the chance, you must pick this book up. It was emotional, it was laugh-out-loud funny. The slow burn between main characters Lenny and Miles was something else. Read it - it’s out today! Thank you Cara, for the opportunity to read your latest book. I loved it.

Was this review helpful?

Wow, I loved this so much. I was a bit hesitant at first wondering how a book about a person coping with the loss of her best friend could also be a romance and let me tell you, Cara Bastone wrote this perfectly. I loved that grief and grieving was such a huge part of this story, but it was written in such a beautiful way. This is a friends to lovers slow burn. And by slow burn I mean, slooooow. This is such a different friends to lovers considering the friends don’t even know each other until the first pages of the book but Cara was able to get me invested in these characters and their stories. I adored the main characters as well as all the supporting characters, I can’t pick my favorite. Cara made me laugh, cry, swoon and have all the feelings with this one. I recommend this to anyone looking for a romance with real life substance, grief but so much love and character growth. 5 stars! Thank you to Random House Publishing for this NetGalley eARC. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Lenny is a hot mess express at the moment. She lost her best friend and platonic soulmate, Lou 6 months ago. She is still deep in grief and struggling to live day to day. She avoids the apartment that she shared with Lou like the plague by sleeping on the Staten Island Ferry, going to all night dance parties and any other place she can to avoid going home and seeing all of Lou's things. She has worked as a nanny for over a decade but has only been taking short term gigs to live. She gets recommended to Reese a single mother who needs a babysitter for a weekend for her daughter Ainsley.

She takes the job, and with it comes the looming presence of Ainsley uncle Miles who questions everything Lenny does. She gets through the weekend, and Reese offers her a more permanent job, but Lenny declines. Miles catches up to her and begs her to take the job and also help him learn to connect with his niece. In exchange he will help her through her grief and learning to live again after loss. Something he has lived and conquered in his life.

This book was the slowest burn, but the payoff and the journey was spectacular. This love felt so quiet, steady, and calm but packed such a punch. I have been fortunate to not experience much loss in my life, but that did not stop me from loving and connecting with Lenny on a very deep level. Miles was honestly a dream partner, he was misunderstood at first, and his growth throughout the novel was chef's kiss, he was the constant for Lenny in the most beautiful way. This novel felt powerful in so many ways and I am honestly so blessed to have read this one, it was a masterpiece.

Was this review helpful?

Cara Bastone has done it again!! Last year I read Ready or Not, and it was hands down a 6 star read for me. Promise me Sunshine was no exception!! This book was beautiful and gave such a good picture of grief and the struggle of getting through it. The romance between Miles and Lenny had me kicking my feet like a child lol. The progression of their relationship was perfect! Friends to lovers is not one of my fav tropes, but I’m very much rethinking that after this book.

Lenny is struggling through intense grief after her best friend passed away from cancer. She takes a nannying job for a workaholic mom and her adorable daughter, Ainsley, and meets Miles. Miles is Ainsley’s seemingly prickly uncle, and they start off on the wrong foot. Soon Miles recognizes that Lenny is in the worst throes of grief and endeavors to help her. In doing so, they develop a friendship that turns into much more.

I’m already thinking about rereading it! It’s THAT good! 🥹

Was this review helpful?

I don’t know what was in this book but wow… This book will stay with me for a very very long time. There’s just so many things I loved about this book that it’s hard to put into words, but let me try:

☀️ The grief representation was incredible in this book. It was such a huge plot point as Lenny has just lost the one she loves most in the world and is just trying to keep afloat. The conversations and theme around grief really touched my heart and I feel like it was handled with so much love and care and truth.

☀️ The love story in this book! ❤️ The romance between Lenny and Miles was perfect to me! The slow burn romance, the strangers to friends to lovers, and just how simple and real their love felt was perfect. 🥹 I felt butterflies in my stomach, and I just love their connection so much. I also love that they helped each other be better and were always there for one another, making each other better in big and little ways. They were so sweet together and I couldn’t get enough!

☀️ LENNY! She was going through so much, but she always tried her best. Her character growth was so great to see, and she just felt so real to me; she was such a well written character! I love that she loves with her whole heart and how she’s a little strange, but I absolutely loved her.

☀️ MILES. What a perfect MMC. It took me a little bit to warm up to him, but once I did, I fell HARD! He was so cute and sweet and has the biggest heart and I also loved his growth and his journey. I love that he cared so much for his family and for Lenny and all the big and little things he did for them.

☀️ I also really loved the overall feel of this book. It had great banter between Lenny and Miles that gave this book a lighter feel despite how much grief was mentioned. With the slow burn romance soooo well done, It was a great balance and made this such a great read that I didn’t want to end.



This was just such a beautiful read full of so much character growth and love, and I feel like everyone should read this book at least once in their life. This book consumed me in a way that no book had done in a while, and I know this book willl always have a special place in my heart.



5⭐️

Was this review helpful?

If you like a romance where the romance is second to tackling some heavy topics, Cara Bastone is the author for you!

Promise Me Sunshine focuses on Lenny who is grieving the death of her best friend and the majority of the book is focused on her journey through grief. I absolutely love that Bastone’s books don’t follow the typical romance formula and have a lot of substance to them.

I felt completely immersed in the story and even though it is over 400 pages, I felt like it flew by! I honestly didn’t want to put it down. I love all the side characters as well. Everyone felt very real and I became attached to them.

This book made me tear up a few times and was just so beautifully done. Can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

Was this review helpful?

☀️✨ Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone ✨☀️
5-stars!!!!!
Looking for a read that feels like a warm hug and a ray of sunshine all at once? Promise Me Sunshine delivers all the heart, hope, and charm you could ask for! ❤️This story beautifully blends romance, second chances, and those feel-good vibes that keep you smiling long after the last page. With endearing characters and a journey full of hope and healing, it’s the perfect pick-me-up for your TBR! 📚✨If you’re craving a book that wraps you in its glow and leaves you believing in love and new beginnings, this one’s for you. 🌻

📖: Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
💛: Heartwarming, Emotional, Romantic
🌈: Perfect for fans of feel-good romance and uplifting stories

Thank you to Dial Press and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review. I absolutely LOVED this read.

Was this review helpful?

I wish I had the words to describe every emotion this book elicited from me. I was a goner from the first chapter of this book. I laughed and I cried while following Lenny as she navigated grief, love, friendships, and family. I'm genuinely concerned that no other book will compare to this one for me.

Was this review helpful?

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Lenny is grieving and when I first started the book, I thought it was her partner but it’s her best friend and that detail alone made me fall for this book. This is a story about learning to live after incredible loss.

Yes it’s a love story but for me it was learning to love life and yourself- the romance is beautiful and well done. The best slow burn. I could have read a thousand more pages detailing Lenny and Miles day to day and it still wouldn’t be enough.

I cried. I laughed. This book brought out all the emotions! A definite recommendation and five star read!

Was this review helpful?

4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Random House for an advanced copy of Promise Me Sunshine.

Lenny has lost her best friend to cancer and she is barely getting through life. She takes a short term babysitting gig and meets Reese and her daughter Ainsley and Ainsley’s grumpy uncle Miles. Miles is concerned that Lenny is not qualified to take care of his niece but See’s how great she is with her. One day when a book about grief falls out of her bag he sees it and tells her that he has been through that loss and wants to help her in exchange for her helping him get closer to his niece. He helps Lenny start to live again and they both realize that they would be lost without the other.

I really enjoyed this book! I love that it was a true look at grief and how it manifests itself at different times. The story was absolutely fabulous and I loved the two main characters and how their relationship developed gradually over time. This is a must read!

Was this review helpful?

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up because it deserves it.
Wow did this book hit me right in the chest. This story did a beautiful job of weaving together the difficulties of handling grief and the joy of falling in love. I really loved so much about this book including all of the characters and all of the important conversations. This story was so beautifully crafted and there was never a point that I wanted to put it down. Miles and Lenny create such a meaningful connection with each other and it really allows them both the opportunity to heal.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House for the early copy!

Was this review helpful?