Promise Me Sunshine is a warm, funny, and heartfelt romance that perfectly balances emotional depth with swoony charm. Cara Bastone delivers lovable, layered characters and a story that feels both refreshingly real and delightfully hopeful.

Thank you to dial press for sending me the gifted ARC a few months ago, I've been so excited to read it & I was not disappointed!

Lenny has lost her best friend, her soulmate, and is barely functioning, but somehow still manages to hold down a job as a nanny while she's grieving. Miles is the uncle of the little girl (Ainsley is adorable!!) she's been tasked to take care of & he seems a bit grumpy & doesn't really trust Lenny ... he also doesn't seem to have a good relationship with Ainsley & her mother even though he always is around ... soon Lenny is asked to spend more time with little Ainsley & finds that is what's best for both of them. As Lenny & Miles get to know each other better they find they're both struggling & decide to help each other out.

This book is heavy with grief at times but there's so much love & healing in the end. And Lenny is not the only one that's hurting & struggling to find her place in life. Lenny & Miles ... I loved them both so much. The romance part of their relationship is an extremely slow burn, but that's okay because you get to watch these two learn to trust each other & help each other & it's so beautiful. Miles is there for Lenny always. Whenever she needs him. And he's so patient & lovely. Lenny had me laughing out loud so much, she's messy, but not a mess, okay? I loved the found family with Miles, Ainsley, Reese & their new friends they make along the way. What a great cast of characters! I really loved Lenny's journey & watching her learn to live again. So beautifully written & with so much care ... this was the first book i've read from Cara Bastone & it won't be the last. I highly recommend it

Promise me sunshine by Cara Bastone. This book was phenomenal. Cara Bastone is my auto-buy author. I absolutely loved Ready or not and this release did not disappoint. Such a beautiful book that touches on grief, friendship. I really loved this. It’s a slow burn romance that makes sense. It can heal the soul.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Ready or Not. It was my first book by Cara and I knew I needed more. Promise Me Sunshine was a beautiful story that mixed love and loss. It made me giggle and feel my feels. I enjoyed the journey all of these characters went on. I loved Miles, Reese and Ainsley so much! Sometimes Lenny’s positivity was too much but guess what, my positivity is sometimes too much as well. I could read every characters spinoffs and I hope they’ll all get one. I have to say that Cara has set the bar for her audios. They are 5⭐️ listens. The narration is fantastic! I will recommend these audios always!!! I will impatiently be waiting for the next book!

This is a beautifully written, slow-burn romance. It’s an emotional delight from start to finish. Lenny’s grief is palpable and real, yet the story never feels too heavy thanks to its tender moments, witty dialogue, and the gradual heartwarming connection she forms with the prickly yet endearing Miles. The characters are flawed and deeply human, and their shared journey of healing feels both authentic and uplifting. It has a nice blend of humor, heartbreak, and hope, This story reminds us that even in the darkest times, love can find a way back in. For fans of emotional, character-driven romance.

Thank you to Random House Publishing/Dial Press for the eARC.

I don’t have the words to adequately describe this book. It feels like being held in comforting arms as you navigate grief and self-discovery, so have the tissues at the ready. Cara’s writing has hints of some of my favorite authors – Abby Jimenez and Emily Henry – in her ability to poignantly deliver on the hard topics we don’t often talk about but need to.

I loved it so much I’ve not only read the physical arc, but also the audio as well! It’s quirky, hilarious, and made me weep like a baby. The way Cara portrayed grief was so honest and palpable. Bravo Cara, you did it again!

received the arc for this but just got around to reading it😭

this is such a beautiful story about grief, love, family, self-discovery, and friendship. i’ve really come to love cara bastone’s writing, it’s such a breath of fresh air!!

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc!

Last year I read Ready or Not by Cara Bastone and it easily made my top 3 books of the year. (Maybe I will finally post my top 24 of 2024, but don't hold your breath. 😂)

Anyway, this month I read Cara Bastone's newest release, Promise Me Sunshine, and it solidified that Cara is my new go to author. Her writing reminds me of a mix of Emily Henry and Abby Jimenez - hard hitting topics mashed up with pure comedic joy.

I absolutely adored Lenny, Miles, and little Ainsley. This book had me crying one second and laughing the next! Also, the audiobook narrator did an amazing job!

This one is definitely making my top list in 2025 as well.

I received a digital ARC of Promise Me Sunshine (thank you Netgalley, Dial Press, and Cara Bastone), but of course I had to purchase a physical copy for my shelves. 🏆

Words cannot express the immense love I have for this story. WOW.

As a fan of Bastone’s first release, I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of her sophomore novel Promise Me Sunshine. Just like her debut, this novel deals with some hard themes: grief, depression, mental illness, and navigating platonic relationships. The love story that’s intwined within the pages was so beautiful, and read like a slow blooming flower. Bastone’s writing feels like a warm hug, and while the story might be a “slow burn,” it’s definitely worth the wait.

This was a beautiful story about love, loss, and healing. Lenny and her journey through her grief was written so well. Miles was the ultimate MMC as he helped Lenny through her grief while also working through his own grief. I have thought of this story many times since reading it, thank you so much for the opportunity.

Beautiful story that felt like much more than just a romance novel. This tackled grief beautifully, and I loved the found family sort of aspect as well. I will definitely be reading more from this author moving forward!

Cara Bastone has done it again! A beautiful exploration of grief and healing. I especially love that we fall in love with Lenny and Miles as friends before their romantic relationship grows. A perfect balance of lighthearted humor and deeper moments. Highly recommend!

This is the second book I have read by Cara Bastone, the first being Ready or Not. I devoured Promise Me Sunshine in a day. A day. I started it because I was behind on reading and needed to get something checked off quickly and WOW I am so glad that I read it when I did.

This book is the emotional tale of Lenny’s grief journey after her best friend, Lou, dies. Along the way, she meets Miles, who changes her life and how she looks at sadness. I loved their relationship and how Miles never took advantage of Lenny during her bad and even good days. He obviously had feelings for her, but always put her emotional and physical state first before any “selfish” wants/needs that either of them had.

It was amazing to see Miles grow throughout the book as well. He had completed his grief journey, but had his own familial and personal problems (like being the most socially awkward person in the world). Lenny helped him overcome his problems as well, resulting in a mutually beneficial relationship. They were great for each other.

I think we could’ve done with a few more scenes with Lou, the best friend, in them. There were a few after some chapters, but I think it could have been an even more emotional read if we learned more about Lou. The book was mainly about Lenny learning to live with the grief of her passing, but I think it would’ve been beneficial to see first-hand the impact that Lou had on Lenny’s life while she was still alive.

Other than that, I absolutely loved this book. It is the definition of Adult Fiction, and I ate up every word.

Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced copy! Having lost many people over the past 5 years, so much of this book hit home. I could FEEL Lenny’s emotions. I cried with her and laughted out loud with her. Miles is the person we all hope to have, to get us through our hard (and happy) days. To be a part of their budding relationship, it was an honor. Loved this book so much!!!

This book was emotionally, funny, and so romantic. I loved the slow burn romance. The characters were charming yet grounded and felt so real. I loved the relationship between the main characters and felt so emotional by the end. This book made me laugh, cry, and smile from ear to ear. I whole-heartedly loved this book and will absolutely be recommending to anyone that will listen. 5 stars for me!

Emotional and sweet, I loved this book. Lenny’s journey was beautiful and the slow burn of the romance was perfect and meaningful. This is my second Cara Bastone book and she has cemented herself as a favorite.

4.5 🌟
A sweet slow burn romance. Genuinely charming while exploring two characters struggling with grief on their journey to each other. The way Miles held Lenny’s hand through it all until she was ready to take care of herself was so beautiful that it brought me to tears more than once. ❤️

Cara Bastone is becoming a new favorite, autobuy author. I do think that I loved Ready Or Not more, but this one is still 5 stars. This book is about grief. It has some romance in it, but the main character is really just trying to get her life back together after losing her best friend. Miles and Lenny really connect over their grief, and I fell in love with their friendship before falling in love with them together. I loved reading about Ainsley, and Reese and how they are just trying to get themselves in this new life they have.

You know that moment when you pick up a book based off the stunning cover? You think you're about to read something light? A feel-good romance? Well, that's how it started off for me, but I was completely unprepared for the emotional journey I was about to take. What I thought would be sweet and swoony based purely off the cover, turned out to be much deeper - more tender, gut-wrenching, and honestly, more rewarding than I would have imagined.

This book was a raw, beautiful exploration of grief, healing, and second chances. It's about what happens after the worst thing imaginable. About how love can anchor us when we are feeling lost, and how we can pick up the pieces, find ourselves again, even during the greatest pain.

Lenny (short for Helena Elena) is coping with the death of her best friend Lou. She is an emotional wreck, she hasn't been taking care of herself, she's been sleeping on the ferry and completely avoiding her pain & grief as much as possible. Her life takes a turn when she's hired to babysit Ainsley, whose mom Reese lives in Upper West Side - with one overprotective, obnoxious brother, Miles.

From the start, Miles & Lenny butt heads. He's skeptical of her skills, constantly on her case, and far from friendly. But over time, their dynamic evolves from enemies to a blossoming friendship. What makes their relationship compelling is how real it feels - it's not rushed - this is a slow burn! Their connection takes time to build, Miles and Lenny bond over grief, slowly working through a “Living Again” checklist Lou left behind: camping, concerts, trying new food, all the little joys that feel impossible when your heart is broken. Everyone deserves a Miles in their life - someone steady, compassionate, and patient.

What I loved most about this book is how it balanced heartbreak & hope. It's emotional and painful, but also filled with warmth, humor, and moments of pure joy. The writing is gorgeous, the pacing felt right, and the characters are incredibly relatable. If you've ever loved and lost, this will hit home for you. It's a reminder that it's okay to fall apart, and it's also okay to find joy again, even if it feels unimaginable and undeserving.