DNF 15%-ish. I'm so disappointed. Ready or Not was one of my favourite books last year. The beginning was messy and the characters were unlikeable. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC in exchange for my review.

I didn’t expect this to be sooooo good. Honestly the plot was like a “meh” for me and I requested for an ARC because I loved “Ready or Not” so I was like oh yay a new book by the same author. But yeah, this book was so good. It talks about healing, grief, and of course love. I saw myself a lot in Lenny even though I couldn’t even imagine what she was going through in the book. And that’s what makes this book so good for me, in my opinion. She’s so lucky to have met Miles, and vice versa. They really belong to each other. Not gonna lie, I didn’t like Miles at first. Which made me worry because I wanted to enjoy this book so I was like how the heck am I going to enjoy a book when the MMC is a jerk? Like not even the brooding type jerk. But now I love him. Miles and Lenny were both written so well. Their character development was well done. This book was heart wrenching in a way I didn’t expect. Miles and Lenny were SLOOOOWWW burn. I love a good slow burn and even if it’s this slow, it just made everything well worth it. I wish I could read this for the first time again.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an absolute gem of a novel. This is a story of redefining life after loss and discovering love along the way. The characters are messy and real. It was a perfect mix of humor and romance while never glossing over the reality of losing someone. Seriously, this novel had no right to be this funny.

The romance itself was devastatingly gorgeous. They were allowed to grow together in a way that never felt forced or trite.

I ignored phone calls to finish this book. I failed to get anything done today because I could not put it down. It has been a long time since I’ve been left staring at a wall after finishing a novel and here I am.

Just beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rabdom House Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review. Now to go buy a physical copy.

I think this book is a perfect complement book to Ready or Not; it has the grief, the humor, and a writing style that I loved! Cara’s writing is some of my favorite just because of her tone and casual language, I will eat everything she publishes up!!!

Lenny and Miles are some of my favorite main characters I’ve had the honor of reading, and I loved how Miles never pressured Lenny into anything or kept his first judgement in mind after learning more about her.

The subject matter of the book was heavy, and I think if I was in any more unsteady of a state of mind, this book would have destroyed me, but I am grateful I read it when I did so I could absorb all emotions—grief felt with Lenny over losing her person, humor once Miles started to hang out with Lenny and Ainsley more, and love towards the latter quarter.

I definitely felt this book was more of a lit fic than a romance book, and the path of Lenny’s healing was the main focus with romance on the side, but I loved it nonetheless!

Thank you to The Dial Press, Random House, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This book absolutely broke me and that is the highest compliment. The care with which grief is handled and discussed, the swoony love story, and the healing journey of both characters was just absolute perfection. Cara Bastone is a master of the genre.

This is a slow-burn, enemies(ish, more like mildly annoyed by each other) to friends to lovers. I love how much time the author spent building the friendship between the two characters before they cross the line to lovers and I also loved getting to learn about each of them as individuals. There is so much depth to this story surrounding grief and navigating life after loss and the way Lenny and Miles show up for each other during hard times made their connection feel so genuine. Lenny especially is so charming and might be one of my favorite protagonists of all time!

I laughed out loud, I got teary eyed, and I loved every second of this heartfelt story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy!

3.75 stars

This was a beautiful story of two people helping each other heal from life-altering losses. i really liked the portrayal of grief in this book and the way miles helped lenny cope with it was the most wholesome thing!
i thought there was a great message about what it means to live again after you feel like a part of you died along with the person. there won’t always be sunshine, but the beauty of life is to learn to embrace every part of it and find happiness in the midst of tough times.

i enjoyed our characters too. eventually, lenny and her quirky and outgoing personality grew on me! she was so relatable, raw, funny, and honestly such a mood. miles was the most sweet, introverted, and caring man once you get to know him more and his intentions are always good ones. the way he was constantly there for lenny because he knew what it’s like to grieve was everything. he would be wherever she needed him within a heartbeat! and omg the way he waited to start anything more with lenny until he thought she was ready>> also, him wanting to and making an effort to get to know his niece, ainsley, more was so heartwarming!

i think our two mcs complimented each other well and they helped better each other which was sweet. and along with helping her complete her ‘live again’ list, he created another one that had things that would take care of her <3

overall, i enjoyed this one and thought the topic of grief was handled well. i would definitely recommend!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

*Thank you NetGalley, Random Publishing House and Cara for the e-ARC! Per usual, my review and opinions are 100% my own*

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️

I honestly thought I would love this more! The storyline itself was beautiful, following the FMC Lenny, through her path of grieving the death of her best friend. This is a friends to lovers and the ultimate SLOW burn. I really loved Miles, the MMC. He’s gruff on the outside, only because he’s kind of socially awkward and says the wrong things even know he means well, but is actually the most kind patient man who would do anything for those that he cares for.

This had the setup of a beautiful story, but something about it just didn’t hit for me. I think most of us have been through grief, more than once, with varying levels of struggle so Lenny’s struggle with grief should have been very relatable. What I personally found though, was a lack of connection to Lenny that made it pretty difficult to really get sucked in to her story. Cara’s writing is beautiful though and I will definitely be picking up one of her other books 🤎.

Promise Me Sunshine!
I’m definitely a sappy romance book girl at my core, but this book has a piece of my heart. There is something so healing and cathartic about reading stories that explore grief. I wholeheartedly identify with where Lenny, the main character, has been. This book beautifully portrays the journey of mourning someone you loved so deeply, and it highlights how special it is to have the people in your life lift you up during the toughest times. Grief is messy, complicated, and it changes the very fabric of your heart. I love how this book doesn’t sugarcoat the hard stuff, yet also emphasizes the importance of having your community around you.

This book was lovely and completely precious. I cried... a lot. My heart is happy to have read it!

This was my second book by Cara Bastone, and yet again I was smiling like a fool, tearing up, and kicking my feet while reading.

This book was interesting in that it was a romance, but it was also about grief - heavy, messy, painful, confusing, and consuming grief. I think the balance between these two themes was done tremendously well, and felt very realistic and raw without being over dramatic.

I absolutely loved the dynamic between Lenny and Miles. Seeing their friendship bloom and how Miles helped Lenny out of the grief pit she found herself in, to them growing closer and learning to be there for one another equally - no notes, I couldn’t get enough of it. Their banter had me laughing out loud and swooning one minute, to thoughtfully rereading a moving moment the next. There being no third act breakup was just the cherry on top.

All of the side characters felt special and important to the story in their own ways. Lenny and Ainsley’s bond was so sweet and funny, and I also loved seeing Lenny branch out to new friends. The inclusion of her parents and their role in her grief was great to see as well.

Overall, there was not a single thing I’d change about this story. I loved every second of reading it.

I loved this book from the beginning. Both main characters are so endearing. The real look into grief was so refreshing and raw. This was my favorite from Cara yet!

My gratitude to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the opportunity to review this digital ARC. This novel immediately pulls you into a world of raw emotion, introducing us to Lenny, a character grappling with devastating loss. The author paints a vivid picture of her isolation, her inability to anchor herself to anything permanent. Miles, equally burdened by grief, offers a counterpoint, a quieter, more subdued sorrow.

The strength of this book lies in its delicate portrayal of human connection. The gradual evolution of Lenny and Miles' relationship felt authentic and deeply moving. Their shared vulnerability created a space for genuine healing, and I found myself cheering for them every step of the way. The author's prose is both sensitive and evocative, capturing the subtle shifts in emotion with remarkable clarity. This isn't just a story about grief; it's about the power of human connection to mend fractured souls and the courage it takes to rebuild a life after loss. A truly touching and uplifting read.

Love love love love loved. I can’t even say enough good things. I’ve been desperate to get my hands on this one ever since it was announced because I read Ready or Not while I was pregnant and it resonated so much with me. Reading about the profound experience with grief Lenny dealt with in this book hit my heart in the best way. Miles was so sweet and tender and thoughtful with her that I just could not have felt warmer towards him and anyone who loves someone experiencing such a bone deep grief. I will CONSUME anything Cara reads. She writes characters and relationships in such a fresh, real way where I just feel the care these characters have for each other bleeding out of the pages. I just loved this one and everything about it.

I have been a fan of Cara Bastone since reading ‘Ready or Not’ earlier this year. Her writing and storytelling portray romance in a very down-to-earth way. ‘Promise Me Sunshine’ was everything that I expected it to be.

The yearning in this book from both sides was absolutely amazing. Not only do you see the characters fall in love but you also see them navigate real world issues. Grief is a hard topic to write about in a wholesome way but this book really hits the nail on the head.

One of my favorite things about Bastone’s writing is that the romance is not the main plot line. She effortlessly integrates romance into the real world with characters who have real problems other than falling in love.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves romance books but also loves emotional fiction with a dash of humor. This was a 5/5 for me!

Wow!!! I had high expectations, and this still blew me away. I loved it! The characters all felt so real, which is truly a gift Cara Bastone has. I adored Lenny. Her story broke my heart and then slowly mended it over the course of the book. I loved the platonic love showcased between Lenny and Lou. Seeing Lenny rebuild herself, with Miles’ help, was just so special and heartwarming. And Miles, ugh I loved him! Using his pain and traumatic past to help Lenny, just so many emotions. I really liked that they didn’t jump into a romantic relationship and that he focused on helping her before their relationship went anywhere more than close friends. I loved how Lenny embraced her awkwardness and just spread so much love without even realizing it. The side characters made the story a million times better, and I adored all of them. I can’t say enough amazing things about this book, and I highly encourage everyone to read it. This one will definitely forever hold a special place in my heart.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book to be a little tedious and long. It had good character development, but I wasn't that invested in the plot that much.

Promise Me Sunshine is a stunningly beautiful portrayal of coming back to life after grieving a lost loved one. Cara Bastone took such care to write grief in a way that accesses empathy and avoids triggering your own experiences with grief.

Lenny is moving through New York adrift, not letting anyone in after losing her best friend. Meanwhile, she reports for a babysitting gig and instantly reveals that she is the world’s best babysitter. I wish I could pull her out of this book and hire her myself! If only the kid’s gorgeous, grumpy uncle would give Lenny some space. Uncle Miles and Lenny end up making a pact to help each other with their struggles and manage to help bring each other back to life. This is the perfect book for anyone who chooses books to correlate to the season. While the story takes place in the fall, the journey is reminiscent of spring blooms!

Thank you to Random House publishing & NetGalley for the ARC. I cannot wait to see more & more people fall in love with this book!

3.75 ⭐️. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for an honest review 😊
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Overall, this book was good and was pretty sweet. It felt like the major focus of this book was on Lenny and her journey grieving her best friend, much more than the romance that was growing between Lenny and Miles. I would have liked to see more tension and build-up in a romantic sense between them, but I also understand that Lenny wasn't in the right headspace to have those feelings yet.
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I did really like how Lenny and Miles went from strangers, to friends, and then to lovers. Their friendship felt really natural, and I really loved how patient, supportive, and understanding Miles was with her 🥺. But, I still think I would've liked to see their romance start a bit earlier (and again- more tension, because honestly they felt more like best friends to me). I wanted to know more about Miles too, and I think the story could've been better if we had his POV too.
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I think Cara Bastone did a good job capturing the waves of grief as well. The flashbacks with Lou and Lenny were really helpful in showing us who Lou was to Lenny, and how much Lenny loved her.
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I can see why some people really liked this, but I think the lack of tension/romance between the mmc & fmc and REALLY slow burn made it a bit more boring. BUT if you're looking for a story with grief and low stakes, this could be a good option!

I adored this book! Such a heartfelt and emotional experience. At first it started off a little slow and I didnt know how I felt about Miles. But then he get on me and by the end I absolutely loved him. The way he took care of Lenny and helped her through her grief and was there for her was amazing. The FMC was so strong and didn’t hold anything back. Only thing they gave me the ick was she called his you know what “his pal”😩 otherwise really enjoyed this one! 4⭐️

I absolutely loved Ready or Not by Cara Bastone, so I was thrilled to get my hands on this book, and it did not disappoint! This is a beautifully crafted strangers-to-friends-to-lovers slow burn romance, and I adored watching Lenny and Miles’ friendship deepen over time.

Miles helps Lenny navigate the overwhelming grief of losing her best friend soulmate, while Lenny, in turn, helps Miles connect with his niece. They just get each other in a way that feels effortless and deeply meaningful. The slow burn pacing was perfect, allowing their friendship to blossom before anything romantic developed. I especially appreciated how Miles respected Lenny’s need for time to grieve. His patience and thoughtfulness were so moving that they often brought me to tears.

This book made me laugh, cry, giggle, and kick my feet in delight. I loved every moment of it and cannot wait for Cara Bastone’s next book!