4.5⭐️ I am speechless. This book was so emotional for me. I loved every single page of this book. This was a beautifully written story about the different stages of grief and the process of healing. I loved every moment between Lenny and Miles from the very start. Usually I’m not a big fan of slow burn, but with this book it really worked. It gave the characters time to grow and form their relationship, and I enjoyed that. Thank you so much Cara Bastone and Random House Publishing for allowing me the chance to receive and ARC of this book. This was my first book by this author and it will not be my last!

The hardest reviews for me to write are always the ones where I love the book the most, and that is absolutely the case for this ♾️ star read. I read it weeks ago and have just been marinating in my thoughts, and I still don't know how to do it justice!

Lenny's best friend recently died, and Lenny finds herself completely lost. She can't seem to talk to her family or to go back to her apartment or to take a steady job, existing only by taking short-term nanny positions and sleeping on the ferry at night. The uncle of her most recent charge knows a bit about grief himself, and Miles offers to help her make her way through the grief in exchange for some help getting closer to his niece.

Bastone's Ready or Not made me a huge fan, but this book has cemented her as one of my favorite authors. Her characters are fully dimensional and messy, her storylines draw you in and won't let go, and her writing is deeply touching, making you feel all the emotions as you read her books. This book was exquisitely balanced between sadness and joy as Lenny found a way to live again after her greatest loss, and I am absolutely certain you'll be seeing it on my top ten of the year list this December.

Narrator Alex Finke is incredible as always, ejecting so much feeling into Bastone's words and making this my favorite audiobook of the year so far.

Let's end this one with a quote: "This is a love story, I swear. This is what happens when you've promised someone you'll live again."

This is the second book by Cara Bastone I’ve read and I really enjoy her writing. There are so many lines from this book I absolutely love. Such a great read and all the feels. That’s a 5 star read for me. I received this book as an ARC from Net Galley for an honest review.

✨ PUB DAY REVIEW ✨

Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh, what a beautiful roller coaster this book was! 🥹

After the death of her best friend, Lenny is absolutely lost. She is sleeping pretty much anywhere but her own apartment, hasn’t spoken to her parents in months and is making some super questionable life choices! But when she takes on a temporary nannying gig, the unexpected happens… with the help of some very special people, and an important list from her past she starts to heal while learning to live (and love) again. ❤️

UGH! Sometimes, I find it more difficult to write reviews for books that I love because words just don’t seem to do it justice but I’m going to give it my best shot…

I loved so much about this book, it’s a romance that is much more than just romance.

It’s friendship you feel in your soul…
it’s honest discussions about grief…
It’s navigating challenging family dynamics and;
It’s radical self-love even when your life is a complete mess!

I cried (a lot), definitely a mix of happy and sad tears which I think sums up how I felt pretty well!

A truly special book that will stick with me for a long long time.

5/5 stars

I think Cara Bastone is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!

Quick Summary: Follow Miles and Lenny as they go around New York City doing Lenny's list to help her face her grief.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It was so good, and I connected so well with the characters. Lenny loses her best friend after her fight with cancer. Lenny talks about how she feels stuck and is scared to move on and worries that if she moves on, she is going to leave her friend Lou in the past. This results in her riding the ferry at night and refusing to go to the apartment she lived in with Lou. In comes Miles, this grumpy, rigid kind of guy who is the Uncle of the kid that Lenny is nannying. Miles makes a deal with Lenny to help her through her grief if she helps him to understand kids.

This book just felt real. Cara did such a good job of not beating around the bush of grief and showing its ugly head for what it is. Darkness, loss of identity, isolation, and chaotic. The development of both characters was so touching. The fact that they leaned on each other for support and learned how to reach out to each other for help. I was SO sad when this book was over. This was one book where I could read it easily for another 100 pages.

Anyways, if you are someone looking for a slow burn (where the romance doesn't come until later in the book), a grump X Sunshine, raw emotions, feel-good story (it was to me :) ). Look no further! I highly recommend this to everyone who is going through grief, as it made me not feel alone in my feelings.


THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to Cara Bastone, Random House Publishing group, and Netgalley for sending me a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Words cannot express how happy I am that I got the chance to read this book and how it helped me.

4.5🌟 I found myself enjoying this book much more than I anticipated. Our main character Lenny is deeply struggling with grief after losing her best friend to cancer. She’s frequently drowning in her grief throughout the book and then Miles comes along who on the surface seems like a major grump, but ends up being this breath of fresh air. The way he is able to help nudge Lenny in the right direction and give her the tools to work through her grief was lovely to watch unfold. I adored watching their relationship blossom throughout the novel. This is the second Cara Bastone book I’ve read and I find myself pleasantly surprised each time. I’m excited to see what she writes next! Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion 🙂

⭐️ 4.5 | 🌶️ 3

This book was so emotional for me. It was fast yet slow paced at the same time. This was an amazing story about all the different stages of grief & the process of healing. Cara wrote this book beautifully. All the characters stood out, even the friends Lenny made along the way. It was so heartbreaking at times and yet little pockets of sunshine poked through each time Miles was there for her. I loved it and look forward to reading more of her books!

This one releases tomorrow and I have see a lot of PR on it on my social. I really enjoyed this book about loss, picking up the pieces and moving on.

Lenny has lost her best friend to cancer. She meets a broody guy named Miles-who works to bring her back to the living while trying to find happiness himself.

I loved Ready or Not! So I was so excited for a new novel!
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone is a slow-burn, heartfelt, charming, and relatable romantic comedy.
The writing is engaging, entertaining, and refreshing.
Talk about bringing the emotions right out of you?! This book did me in!
A remarkable story of grief, friendship and learning how to live again with loss.
A delightful and heartwarming read, perfect for fans of contemporary romance and women's fiction.
With its irresistible characters, heartfelt moments, and a phenomenal, slow-burn romance, Cara Bastone has crafted a story that will reverberate with anyone who’s ever faced unexpected change.
If you enjoy grumpy x sunshine and strangers to friends to lovers then this is for you.
Probably my most favorite read of 2025 so far!
It did not disappoint!

there is something so beautiful about navigating life after losing someone close to you. i loved every single moment between lenny and miles from the very start.

thank you net galley for providing me with an arc.

I devoured Ready or Not in December and was so excited to get a DRC for Cara Bastone’s latest, Promise Me Sunshine! I loved the unique premise, you don’t often see second chance stories focused on recovering from a lost best friend, and I was hoping for Miles to be one of those MMCs like Shep was. And yes, there were some beautiful moments and profound passages on grief and healing. But beyond that, I just didn’t connect with the characters or story or feel that any of them experienced much real growth. At the end I felt like I still barely knew anyone, and Lenny’s silliness went from feeling kind of weird quirky/maybe cute to irritatingly immature.

I will still check out more from Cara in the future based on how much I loved Ready or Not, but this one was not a hit for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for sending this DRC for review consideration.

Not since Jessica Joyce's You With a View have I loved a grief romance this much. I adored Lenny and Miles from the moment she got him to coyly eat her surprise cupcake (filled with a cocktail onion!), and from the moment he offered to help her navigate her grief-stricken live life list as she is surviving the months after her best friend's death. After all, who would know better than someone who also lost his mother and young cousin in a tragic accident years before? In exchange for his lessons, she'll help him navigate his social awkwardness and strengthen his relationship with his half-sister, Reese, and his niece, Ainsley, whom Lenny is helping nanny.

While this is a major slow burn, I didn't mind at all because I so enjoyed seeing Miles care for Lenny and slowly teach her to come back to herself. They both fall for each carefully and slowly, but also easily and unabashedly, and the no third act breakup made this even better. This one is for the people who love books that wreck them in the best way, and also for those who love friends to lovers, found family, and the belief that chance connection can change the trajectory of our lives. It's also an ode to New York City and the Staten Island Ferry, both of which fleet amidst the background of this book as other characters.

Thank you to Dial Press & Netgalley for the e-ARC. This one is out March 4!

So good!!!!! My first read by Cara Bastone but will certainly not be the last! Such a heartwarming story that deals with sensitive topics such as grief/illness, while still portraying themes of resilience and hopefulness. This book is so much more than your typical rom-com, and while I would recommend it to fans of the romance genre, this book’s just goes so much deeper in my opinion. The characters feel well rounded with a relationship I could actually root for. Overall, I absolutely loved this book and will definitely be recommending!

WOW. When I turned the final page, I was grinning while tears streamed down my face – swooning, elated, and so incredibly moved. I’d heard some good things about this before diving in but had managed to avoid any details about the storyline, so I was able to experience this slow-building, INTENSE love story with fresh eyes. And I’m so glad I did. I’ve been a fan of Bastone’s light and swoony, audio-focused rom coms for years, but this was my first time diving into one of her full-length stories, and it was honestly one of the best romance books I’ve ever read. Our heroine is in such a dark place when the book begins, and watching her slowly come to life again was extremely powerful. You could say that the romance is a slow, S-L-O-W burn, but they start building the foundation of their relationship right away. Their connection is built on trust, support, compassion, and humor, with a dynamic that slowly gets lighter and more overtly funny as things progress. I loved that we got to see them grow closer in such a meaningful way, so the romance was even more impactful once they finally (finally!) crossed that line. I cried, I laughed, I swooned – and I binged it in one sitting. It was so, so good.

The story follows Lenny, a woman who is grieving the loss of her best friend to cancer and struggling to function. Though she’s trapped in her grief, Lenny still has bills to pay, so she takes a temporary job babysitting a little girl. It’s there that Lenny meets Miles, the child’s grumpy, lurking uncle. Miles sees what a mess Lenny is, and he knows what it’s like to be in that kind of headspace. As Miles reluctantly inserts himself into Lenny’s life, he becomes the only thing keeping her afloat… at least until Lenny’s days get a little brighter and she’s able to start living life again.

Having listened to several of Bastone’s rom coms in the past, I knew that she was talented at writing humor and playful chemistry. Those things are very much present in this story as well, but it is also HEAVY. Lenny’s grief is the central focus of the book, though the love story is front and center as well. I loved the little breadcrumbs of romance sprinkled throughout, building into something deep and meaningful. Every interaction is complex, often blending painful, tender, funny, and romantic moments for a one-of-a-kind experience. And, I have to say – I adored Miles. We don’t get his perspective, but his love bled through the page. The slow burn was the right kind of torturous, and it was so fulfilling to see how much Lenny and Miles had grown before they crossed those lines. It’s a powerhouse of a read and one that I won’t soon forget – I loved it.

Thank you Penguin Random House and NetGalley for this ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“There’s only you, Lenny. Every time... it’s just you,” he says, muffled as he kisses me.”

If you’re looking for a tender read full of friendship, humor, grief, romance, healing, and a reminder to savor the little things, then I highly recommend this one! I was completely undone by the end. Cara is a new to me author, and now I want to go read everything she’s written.

✨Mini blurb: Lenny is grieving the loss of her bestfriend. She takes up a babysitting job in hopes of finding a distraction from her grief. She loves watching Ainsley, but her grumpy uncle, Miles, is always around watching everything she does. She can stay busy and hide from her parents, but she cannot hide her inner turmoil from Miles. He seems to be able to see right through her because he surprisingly has his own journey with grief. Miles gives her a proposition in hopes of making her feel alive again.

✨ Lenny’s character arc was beautiful and messy all in one. She tries to live through life while feeling the loss of a piece of her. Despite her grief she is still vibrant and full of humor. I loved that she had a “don’t care” attitude when it came to others. I aspire to be more like her.

“he’s the wall between me and the world and it’s so lovely I could cry.“

✨Everyone needs a Miles. I adore him so much. He is quiet, grumpy, and highly misunderstood. He’s a character that reminds you to savor the little things that life has to offer. He is so patient and sweet with Lenny. The way he took care of her and made sure she was okay was everythinggggg!

Promise Me Sunshine has:
💛 Grumpy sunshine
☕️ Grief & healing
☀️ Cinnamon roll mmc
👟 Slow burn
🌻 Friends to lovers

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC 💗☀️

Promise Me Sunshine is a book about friendship, grief, and learning to live again in a new reality after a huge loss. I love how the characters and their relationship develop throughout the book, and how Miles knows and cares for Lenny so well! I also love how both main characters navigate new/existing relationships with their family and friends.

There's definitely some heavy topics but it's still a good and fun read overall. Will definitely go through Cara Bastone's backlist! 📚

this was adorable 🥹 I giggled, I cried, I grieved, and I had the absolute best time reading about lenny and miles 😮‍💨

this book is about the after that comes when you lose a loved one. a new world you have to learn how to live and navigate without them. this book is raw and honest, it is challenging and heartbreaking, but it is also beautiful and inspiring!!!

miles is the MMC you want in your corner WOW what a guy!!! he is thoughtful, loyal, and encouraging. the kinda guy who drops whatever he’s doing to be there for you whenever you need him!! he cared for lenny, guiding her in her grief and supported her every step of the way! I love that this book exists 😭

there’s only one thing I wanted more exploration of and it’s lenny and lou’s old apartment. I would’ve loved to see lenny work through the emotion of being there and seeing her come out on the other side of it bc it was such an important part of the plot. I was looking forward to finally seeing her able to go back there! I know it’s alluded to, but I was aching for that final resolve.

everything else, I have zero complaint and I absolutely LOVED it! thank you netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 4.5⭐️ (rounded up)

Thanks to The Dial Press, Random House, and NetGalley for early access to Promise Me Sunshine in exchange for my honest opinion. I read this book over the weekend, and I cried 4 times! I suggest you have tissues nearby when you start this one, and I also suggest you have a good chunk of free time because this was one I didn’t want to put down.
I think it’s important to know going into this book that the plot involves a severely grieving main character, and her grief is described quite realistically, as it has pretty much taken over her personality and changed her life. She doesn’t have the same steady job, she doesn’t feel comfortable in her home, and she is struggling to cope and using some unhealthy strategies. Luckily, she meets someone new who has also experienced grief and knows how to give her the exact blend of space and support. The setting of NYC is well incorporated into the book, too.
The FMC is quite messy, but grief is messy, and aren’t we all a little messy when things don’t go according to the plan? I think the friendship which developed between the main characters will stay with me longer than the slow burn romance.
Now, I do hope that readers will agree with me that the FMC could have really benefited from therapy and having her parents being more involved in supporting her grief. I hope no one reads this and takes away that they need one person to go into hell and bring them back, but that journey was beautifully written in this book. I recommend this one, and I absolutely love the cover, too. It will be available everywhere tomorrow!

I really have enjoyed the books I’ve read by Cara Bastone. Promise Me Sunshine was an emotional ride but definitely worth it. It’s a well written story that deals with grief and finding yourself again. The main characters were well developed and likable, the romance seemed to kind of only come in at the end but it makes sense for a book dealing with the us subject matter. 3/3.5 stars would recommend for sure and will continue to look for books from this author. I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I can't believe this is a work of fiction. I feel like this is a movie, I've watched a 100 times and yet it's brand new. It's raw exploration of grief and how you navigate through living in a new normal when you've lost your forever person. Promise Me Sunshine is the most beautiful platonic love story and romanic story I've ever read! The love between Lou and Lenny was so palpable. It made my heart ache and I sobbed reading about their friendship and love for each other. I want to give all my besties a big old squeeze asap. The friendship between Miles and Lenny was incredible!! It was intimate and loving. I wanted to jump through the book and give Miles a hug. This was a book that was written for the 2000's girlies. It was Uptown Girls meets Anna Ferris and Chris Evans in Whats Your Number x Patrick Verona's care for Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You.

I will post a more in depth review closer to the pub date on my instagram account. Will update this with the date when I do so. Thank you so much for this ARC Net Galley and Penguin Random House: The Dial Press. I'm so honored that I was able to read this book and fall head over heals for each character. I can't believe I have to wait until March to get a physical copy.