I want to thank Net Galley & Penguin for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

IMMEDIATELY 6 STARS

Holy Shit! I haven’t felt this way about a book in a while. Miles is literally the most perfect grumpy man ever and I fell in love with him from the second he was described. It was so fun being inside Lenny’s head and seeing how she was dealing with grief throughout. It was so much fun reading this book but I also cried so many times...

This novel follows Lenny six months after her nest friend dies and she has to pick the pieces of her life back up. She is doing terrible, understandably and picks up a nannying gig. She meets grumpy Miles, who is literally anti her until he learns what she is going through. They embark on a healing journey, where Miles is her “grief wingman” and they take this journey together.

This book had so many important themes about love, friendship, loss, and grief and i loved every second of it. I physically refused to put it down. This is my first from Cara Bastone but will not be my last. I am obsessed with the characters and the way she described New York. I want this book tattooed on my forehead and I need every girl who is going through something to pick this up because this taught me so many lessons and made me feel less alone.

This is a friends to lovers done right!!!! which I feel like is hard to do, and I cannot wait to get a physical copy and annotate the hell out of it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of Promise me Sunshine! After reading Ready or Not by this same author last spring I was really looking forward to this new book. Unfortunately it did not meet the mark for me and was not quite what I was expecting in this book.

This book was much heavier on the grief side than anything else and I found the writing to be choppy and hard to follow. I just never fully felt myself connected to Lenny our FMC or Miles the MMC. I felt like we kind of got thrown into the story and had a hard time getting into it and kept hoping it would grip me. Even by 50% in I was still struggling.

I know everyone walks through grief differently but Lenny seemed to be so in her own head and way that it was hard to see her views fully. I did appreciate Miles when he did open up and we got to see past his awkward misunderstood often exterior. While I think he deeply cared for Lenny she probably needed more therapy and professional help outside of just him and I wish that had been represented. I think the grief and heaviness really took over any chemistry between the two of them that when it did finally get to that point it just didn’t feel natural or as believable. As someone who’s lost close loved ones and walked through my own grief and loss I do like the author trying to write that in, just wasn’t what I was looking for in this book particularly.

I found myself just overall having to trudge through it. I do think it could be a good read for others as long as readers know the depth of the grief process they will walk through with Lenny and the triggers it could bring. Other readers may connect with it better than I did. I think it had a lot of potential but unfortunately just fell flat for me.

Again thank you for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

It took me a bit to wrap my head around how to review this book because under so many other circumstances it would have been a 5 star read for me; and, I KNOW it will be for many of you! So, this is me telling you to read this beautiful story about grief, growth, and the immeasurable ways to be loved and supported through hard times.

The story of Lenny and Miles's loss is kindred in the most special way. The selflessness of Miles to dig deep into this own experience to help Lenny through her own is a heart melting, swoony experience. In turn, the way Lenny teaches Miles to be there for his sister and niece in an unabashed, supportive way made me smile as he found his groove with his own family. Their slow-burn friends to lovers moments were so tender and soft, so special.

You may be thinking, well then, why not five stars?! For me, when an experience such as grief is shared as the main story line in such a visceral way as Lenny's is in this book, I will either lean into the character, having so many of the same feelings that I internally feel the their pain or, it will be hard to relate because it isn't the way I process loss. In this case, Lenny is an emotional flood; whereas, I am an emotional dam. It was hard for me to related to the outward signs of her true brokenness (that were likely much healthier than anything I every did) and therefore, made the connection throughout the book harder. Clearly, this is a ME thing! Which I think is okay! We all take different experiences into our reads and that's what makes reading so special!

So, should you pick up this book?! The writing is amazing and the characters have so much depth and a true growth journey so, if you love that in a book, Yes, absolutely try it!

I adored this book. The way it captures grief is so real and heartbreaking, and as someone who deals with grief myself, I really appreciated how raw and honest it felt.

Lenny is such a relatable character, and her journey of learning to be herself again after her loss, with Miles’ help, is beautiful.

This is a touching story of love, loss, and finding a way to live despite the pain we go through. Highly recommend!

Following the devastating loss of her best friend Lou to cancer, Lenny's life has been at a standstill, and she left feeling lost in the world. She has avoided her parents, her old apartment she shared with Lou, and anything else in her life - outside of her nannying job. But that all changes when Lenny goes to work for Reese to watch her daughter Ainsley. There, she meets Reese's brother Miles. Miles sees straight through her faked happiness and offers her a deal. He will help her begin the process of learning how to live again in exchange for Lenny teaching Miles to be taught how to be more comfortable and interact with Ainsley more. In the process of helping each other, Lenny and Miles relationship also blossoms.

This was a remarkable novel, taking the reader on a journey of grief - the ups, the downs, and everything in between. You really feel for Lenny and what she is experiencing, including the changes and regressions throughout. I also enjoyed how beautifully and slowly the relationship developed between Lenny and Miles. I tend to dislike books where the relationship feels too rushed. This book has a good balance of lightness and seriousness without understating one or the other.

Thank you, Dial Press, NetGalley, and Cara Bastone, for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

“Lenny, when I look at your face, I feel like I’m finally home after a really long day at work.”

This book 😭❤️‍🩹
It is a perfect blend of charming & gut-wrenching. I adored both of the characters and felt every piece of emotion throughout this story. The story follows Lenny after she loses the closest person in her life, her best friend Lou. She meets Miles, someone who is no stranger to grief, and he offers to help her live again.

Everything about this story completely sucked me in and had my absolute attention - the slow-burn romance (my favorite!), navigating grief, learning to live again after the worst has happened, just everything. It was just incredible. Even with the heaviness of the plot, I found myself laughing out loud multiple times (I rarely do this while reading). I loved the banter and side characters as much as the rest of the story!

This was my first Cara Bastone book and, man, how does it get better than that?

I have to somehow review a perfect book. A book that tackled the most heinous experience grief after the death of your soulmate best friend. That was so rooted in real life with hilariously akward oblivious romance. A city that has seen everything and yet each character is relatable and mysterious and cherished. I don't even care if any of that makes sense because Cara Bastone has all the best sentences and you should be busy reading her book and not my review.

Let me get some thoughts out though because I'm in need of somewhere to put them. Lenny's grief and depression is a visceral reading experience. Lack of self care, inability to keep a regular sleep schedule, loss of appetite, fugue-like behavior, and panic attacks are all on page in technicolor.

And yet, this is one of the most tender and gentle stories I've ever read. It's patience and understanding. There's a mug of coffee or tea, or a blanket and fuzzy socks waiting for you after the lows. After the burnout from overconfidence. After trying everything to be better and you're not perfect still. This book says "take your time."

And the romance - the swoony slow burn of love that happens when you least expect it. Miles is the stuff of fantasy while being just "a guy". He's gruff and heavy handed and shy and ticklish and loyal. His own loss informs his compassion for Lenny but it also makes him anxious. He craves reassurance, will sacrifice everything for family, is the opposite of casual. I love how obliviously sexy he is for finishing off Lenny's half eaten egg sandwich. Volunteering for his niece's talent show. A rule follower that takes "no pockets" very seriously. He walked through hell of his own and chose to walk through it again with and for Lenny.

I'm rambling now and I can't bring myself to care. I relate to much of Lenny's depression journey and her daily struggles mirror my own. I will cherish PROMISE ME SUNSHINE for the rest of forever for always.

Thank you Netgalley & Random House Publishing |Dial Press for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Promise me Sunshine by Cara Bastone is a revelation as far as romance novels go. The plot intertwines the lives of two strangers as they navigate grief and the not-so-straightforward journey of healing together. It’s such a unique experience; Bastone has written something all its own but so deeply familiar. The dialogue flows effortlessly, the relationship evolves effortlessly and I know that writing a novel is not an effortless thing. So, this story is particularly magical. While this is not an easy read in theme by any means, the pacing flows beautifully and the love story unfolds in tandem with the main characters personal arcs. We see them fall in love as they do; slowly and then all at once while they weren’t looking.
There is so much humor and so much heart that seems to naturally radiate from the main characters and wraps you up in a giant, cozy hug. These two people go on a whirlwind adventure around NYC while facing pain and despair and fall in love right before our eyes. Like I said, it’s magical.
This story is for every single person whose best friend is their person, their soulmate, the love of their life and their family when all the chips are down. It’s unfathomable to think about what happens if we lose that person; this book beautifully explores that grief and how living again is possible. I think this is going to be a favorite of many readers when it releases. It’s already one of mine.

4.5 ⭐️

Such a beautifully written book about the realities of living with tremendous grief and how healing isn’t linear. Lenny and Miles are deeply flawed and deeply real characters trying to survive in the world. and I loved every single part of them. EVERY. SINGLE. PART!!

Cara Bastone’s writing is unlike any other. equal parts humour, raw reflections of real characters, and deeply emotional monologues. She can have you laughing one page and crying the next. And isn’t that so beautiful?? how someone’s writing can make you feel so deeply???!

Miles is the person who’s there for you when you lose your person in life. the way he stepped up to pull Lenny ‘through hell and back’ knowing exactly how she felt. I absolutely adored the way their relationship developed. It wasn’t a slow burn or a insta-love, but rather a gradual TRUE friendship that began to blossom into more once they kept showing they cared for each other.

While this is a romance book first and foremost, it’s also a book about experiencing life after loss and the grief that accompanies it. SO well written & highly recommend! comes out march 4th <3 Thank you Dial Press, NetGalley & Cara Bastone for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

I literally adore this book🥹 This book hit me right in the feels on all levels. The characters, the story, the journey.. loved it all!!

Promise Me Sunshine follows Lenny after the loss of her best friend Lou. Lenny is really struggling with her grief until she meets Miles, the uncle of the child she’s just started nannying. Miles knows a thing or two about grief & he vows to help Lenny live again, just like her best friend wanted. The journey these two go on together is really sweet & amazing to read!

I really loved Lenny’s personality & just how real this book felt. And as for Miles…. omg he has my heart! The absolute sweetest guy! I really enjoyed their journey & watching Miles guide Lenny through her grief. The lists are everything 😍(iykyk) & the ending had me in tears (in the best way). I have not had to experience this kind of grief in my life, but if I ever do, I will come back to this book because it was amazing! This was my first read by Cara Bastone & I will be reading alllll her books now!❤️

Thank you to NetGalley, Cara Bastone & Random House Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

i am so grateful that i was able to receive an eARC of this book (thank you netgalley and random house publishing!) because let me tell you - this book is god-tier level for me.

lenny recently lost her best friend to cancer, and is trying to figure out how life goes on without her person. while in the depths of her grief, she meets miles through a babysitting gig, and although he appears rude and standoffish, he really just wants to connect with his sister and niece, and also help lenny work through her grief in the process.

there’s not enough praise in the world that i can give to this book. lenny is hilarious (being in her head was an absolute treat) and also feeling every stage of grief, struggling with the idea of moving on in life with not just her best friend, but love of her life. lenny’s relationship with her best friend reminded me of my own family and friendships - many inside jokes, turning something sad into something funny, lots of love and laughter.

miles is the classic grumpy mmc, but that only lasts the first 20% of the book. having lost people close to him as well, he helps lenny push through her grief so she doesn’t face it alone. his main focus was to be there for lenny - i wish every person grieving had a miles to help them through it.

this was funny, raw, emotional, and everything i wanted in a book. cara bastone wrote a masterpiece!

4.5 stars!!! Wowowowwwww. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint. Finished this at 1am and could not stop sobbing through the last 20% of the book. Cara Bastone is such a talented author; the way she is able to convey emotions in a way that is palpable is incredible. This was the most beautiful and heartbreaking story of learning to live with grief after the loss of a loved one (although it was soooooo much more than that!!!). I have never read anything like it (extremely positive connotation).

Every single character has a special place in my heart and I loved getting to see the relationships between all of them develop. Lenny’s experience was so raw and real and Miles was just a sweet baby angel the entire time, I can’t get enough of him.

This book made me want to call everyone I love and remind them how much they mean to me. Hug your friends, family, loved ones, etc. you never know how much time you have left with them <3333 (sobbing again)

Review posted on Goodreads & Fable 3/2!!

*Thank you SO incredibly much to NetGalley for this eARC. I am forever indebted to you!!!!*

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House, and the Dial Press Trade for gifting me this e-book!!

Promise Me Sunshine is such a beautiful written book that had me addicted by the first chapter and crying by the second. Lenny is grieving the loss of one of her best friends that was her other half, her person, her soul. As she deals with this heartbreak, she becomes this shell of herself and has completely turned off the world and everything that she needs to do and is just living the motions of day to day life. Miles comes in and is the uncle of the little girl Lenny is now nannying for and decides that he is going to help Lenny through the moments and give her the support she is desperately needing.

The amount of grief and sadness in this book is made so personally and real you feel so much for Lenny and all that she has been through as well as all that Miles is there to offer her during this time where she is struggling. Dealing with the loss of someone close to you is full of many rollercoasters and this book goes through all of those emotions that Lenny is faced with. Cara does an amazing job of building so much descriptions in her book; the setting, the emotions, the quotes, everything in this book has a reason to be there and is described perfectly.

I personally enjoyed this book and the slow burn romance that I felt took a little bit of a backseat and was slightly sprung up at the end. Non the less, Lenny and Miles worked beautifully together as friends and fit perfectly with the fact that they will be there for each other through all the highs and the lows.

Not your typical romance in that the FMC, Lenny, isn’t immediately attracted to Miles, the MMC. Miles is sort of socially awkward and their quirky relationship is a slow burn overshadowed by similar shared past trauma. I was interested right from the start following Lenny’s messy life as a result of the intense grief of losing her best friend. Lenny and Mikes’ agree to help each other; Miles tries to pull Lenny out of her own personal hell of grief and Lenny tries to help Miles connect socially and emotionally with his half sister and niece. I enjoyed the adventure aspect Lenny & Miles take on as they check off a to do list Lenny’s late friend left her.

Logistically, I kept wondering how Lenny was able to afford to live in a NYC apartment that she doesn’t inhabit and used to share the rent with her best friend on a salary of random babysitting gigs.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was beautiful and heartbreaking and funny as hell, and every time I laughed between bouts of grief, I fell a little more in love with Lenny and Miles. I was on their journey with them the whole time.

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.