I found myself reading slower and slower as I read more of the book because I did not want it to end. This is such a tender and loving look into the lives of two characters going through the motions of grief together. They start as friends and slowly, very slowly, become lovers. The journey that Lenny goes through after her best friend passes away is gut-wrenching, raw, and so honest. Lenny's trying to understand how one can get over losing the greatest love of her life and then Miles walks in. Both characters are written authentically and feel real, as if I would meet them in my own life. Cara Bastone has such a knack for writing characters that you care about and want to be friends with as well as a storyline that is realistic, but also propulsive. Within a month, she has become an auto-buy author, and I can't wait to see what she does next.

This was a really sweet book! I really love when characters are seen loving each other at their absolute worst. Miles took care of Lenny, but he wasn't overbearing or patronizing which I really appreciated it. It was really interesting to have a romance novel centered around grief, but I thought it was really well done. I do think it dragged a smidge toward the end, but I really enjoyed it!

4/5 stars


Thank you to Netgalley and the Dial Press for a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I laughed.
I CRIED.
I loved this slow burn, beautiful story of healing, grief, and figuring out how to live again after loss.

Lenny loses her best friend Lou to cancer and is barely surviving through it. She takes temp nanny jobs, refuses to go back to their apartment that they shared together, and basically lives on the Staten Island Ferry out of her backpack. Until she meets Miles, the (sorta kinda) estranged Uncle of the girl she’s nannying for. Miles is no stranger to grief and he starts to befriend Lenny, teaching her how to take care of herself again.

We barely even get to meet Lou, Lenny’s best friend who died of cancer, but I loved her all the same. It was impossible not to because you could just feel the love pouring off the pages for her through Lenny. The loss felt so real, like I’d just lost my soulmate and best friend too.
And I love describing your best friend as a soulmate and the love of your life like Lenny does for Lou. There is no love like that best friend you’ve had forever that is literally the other half of your soul.

And Miles was just the best MMC. He was so patient and supportive and went into hell and pulled her out. They had the most beautiful friendship that turned into lovers and it was absolutely perfect.

The way Cara Bastone wrote the experience of grief and losing yourself after loss to find yourself again. Ugh. It was done so well.

After Ready or Not, I wasn't expecting the mood shift with this one -- totally had me in my feels. Loved the journey this took me on and it cemented the fact that I'm a full-on Cara Bastone fan!

As someone that always wanted a female friendship that felt more like sisterhood, I was immediately drawn to this story just based off how Lenny’s relationship with Lou is described. I’m no stranger to grief and mourning, and I thought Cara wrote Lenny’s heartache with grace and authenticity.
It’s so rare that a romance really shows us friends to lovers at a pace that feels realistic, but Promise Me Sunshine did just that with the slow burn of Lenny and Miles. They’re a couple that I found myself really believing in and rooting for.
I loved every part of this story, and despite the sad undertones, it was written in an uplifting and often hilarious way, which is why I loved this author’s writing so much in Ready Or Not.

I absolutely LOVED Ready or Not so I couldn't wait to devour this book. It made me laugh and cry and I couldn't put it down -- ended up reading it in one day because I just needed to see how it ended. Such a great story about grief and coming back to your life while you grieve. So heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Loved this so much.

I don’t say this often… but when I turned the last page I only had one thought: “this book was perfect”. I almost don’t have any words because I just loved it so, so much!

Lenny and Miles are fantastic characters who jump off the page. They each have complicated and somewhat painful backstories, but this made them feel like real people rather than one dimensional characters. Their romance is a slow burn that takes a backseat to Lenny’s personal journey- but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It makes the romance feel so earned, and I LOVED that Miles and Lenny didn’t take any shortcuts or use lust to gloss over real connection and healing.

Speaking of healing… there are some heavy topics covered in this book. Bastone’s descriptions of grief and the impact it has on Lenny’s life were so heart-wrenchingly accurate, painful, and real. I cried genuine tears multiple times from the depths of emotion I experienced.

This book isn’t all sadness and tears, though! There are some truly funny moments as Lenny helps Miles develop a relationship with his niece, Ainsley. Ainsley is such a spunky, endearingly sweet kid who brings a lot of balance and lightness to the story. I also thought there were some great tidbits about how to talk to and interact with kids!

Overall this is a heartfelt, emotionally impactful contemporary romance with fantastic central characters and an incredibly meaningful journey. I absolutely plan to get myself a finished copy once it publishes to keep on my shelf for a long, long time. I highly recommend this book!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

Wow!! This one kind of took me by surprise but in the best possible way. It takes you through all the emotions as the FMC, Lenny, is navigating her life and grief after losing her best friend that was more like a sister.
It’s been 6 months since Lenny lost her best friend Lou to cancer. She’s trying to get back to living her life but she is in a dark place. Miles is the uncle to the girl Lenny nanny’s for and he has his own experience with grief and loss. He strikes a deal with Lenny that he’ll help her complete her live again list that Lou gave her if Lenny helps him be a better uncle.
This book took me through all the emotions! There’s some heavy topics throughout but also lighthearted times that had me laughing so hard. Miles is the epitome of patient with Lenny as she works through her grief. He also has some unresolved grief so they’re able to lean on each other and it is so beautiful. This is a slow burn but they really build a strong friendship that is really sweet! If you read Ready or Not there is also a tiny cameo you might recognize!

•Other favorite quotes:
✨”He treats you well?”
“Mom, he walked into hell and dragged me back.”

✨”Home is where the heart is. My heart dies in a cancer ward 6 months ago.” 🥹

✨”So you’ll come with me if I ask?”
“Lenny, I’ll do anything you ask me to.”

Thank you the Dial Press and NetGalley for the arc!

3.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an earc of this book in exchange for a honest review 🫶🏼

I really enjoyed this friends to lovers slow burn romance & really appreciated the authors representation of grief throughout the book (it was so realistic and handled with such grace). I think it’s a great story for those going through a similar situation & has wonderful themes of learning to love yourself again, grief is not a linear journey, and finding your people to help you through a rough time.

I struggled a bit at the beginning of the book to really get into it & wasn’t as in love with Lenny’s character as I hoped to be. Although some of the dialogue wasn’t my favorite, I did find myself laughing out loud a lot!

I’m excited to read more books by Cara, she has a bright author future ahead of her!!!

Picking myself up off the floor long enough to write this review (and then it's back to sobbing because this book was the most beautiful thing I have ever read)... Grief is a hard journey to walk through, but Promise Me Sunshine captures the ugly sides and the equally as beautiful sides of learning to live in the after. While this book is a romance, it is, more importantly, a reminder that even in the midst of grief, you can find joy again. There are moments in this book that I will carry with me forever.

Shifting to the romance aspect... Hey! I'm obsessed! It could easily have gone completely different and the romance plot would've overshadowed the healing journey that both characters went on, but instead it was all connected in the most beautiful of ways. I would be giggling one second over Miles and then the next, I'd be sobbing while reading the most poetic portrayal of life after losing the person closest to you. Also I honestly loved the fact that Lenny and Miles didn't even officially get together until about 85% into the book. I really liked that their romance took a backseat until they both became people capable of being in a healthy relationship.

One thing that I loved the most about this book was that even though it was solely in Lenny's point of view, the evident character development of Miles was portrayed so well throughout the book. He never felt one dimensional even though I never actually read a chapter from his point of view. His depth was palpable. I also saw so much of myself in Lenny, which made it really easy to connect with her right away. Her ability to find still find joy in small, little things throughout the book felt like a gentle reminder to keep going even when life feels impossible. Also, I loved all the side characters!! And Ainsley has my whole heart, she is so precious.

I really could talk about this book for forever, and I will 100% be shouting from the rooftops to read this book (!!!). Let's be oil paintings!!!

Thank you to @netgalley & @randomhouse for gifting me an advanced reader copy (ARC) for this gem of a book. 🫶🏼

Promise Me Sunshine comes out March 4th & I couldn’t recommend it more 🧡

& here are all the reasons why I adored this book:
🌙 @carabastone witty and thoughtful writing - I audibly laughed out loud at some parts & loved the way she wrote the FMC. I feel like I knew these characters on such a deep level and that made me feel ALL emotions even more while reading. Cara’s writing helped bring a lot of levity to the story and the characters amidst them going through some pretty heavy situations.

🐺 I ADORE the FMC and MMC - Lenny & Miles 🧡
I love their dynamic and the payoff of their SLOW burn romance. I feel like it timed perfectly and their progression made sense in how they went from being friends to lovers.

🐆 I also loved ALL the side characters!

🖼️ the friendship between Lenny and Lou 🥹😭having the focal point of the book be about grief & how to navigate losing a best friend was really emotional at times but I appreciated the vulnerability of the FMC and MMC. I’m glad it wasn’t just brushed over how grief can and does come in waves and you don’t have to go through it alone.

If you couldn’t tell from my lengthy review, I LOVED this book. 🫶🏼 I’m so happy I read this story 🥹💛

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Promise Me Sunshine
Author: Cara Bastone
Source: Netgalley
Publication Date: March 4, 2025

I was a big fan of the author’s debut novel last year and was looking forward to reading Promise Me Sunshine. But this book was not a romance novel. Instead, the plot relied on the mentally incapacitating and neverending grief of the MFC over the loss of her best friend to cancer. Lenny, the grieving girl, makes countless risky decisions that are unnerving. Yes, romance does arrive near the book’s ending, but mostly, we witness a girl spiral out of control over the loss of her best friend for a very long time. I love the male protagonist, Miles, but I could not ignore all the sadness. I’m looking forward to the author’s next book. Better luck next time. #promiseMeSunshine @netgalley @randomhouse #death #cancer #bestfriends #loss #grief #pain #tears #hope #future
🗽

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.
🗽

#book #books #bookAddict #BooksOfInstagram #bookstagram #bookstagramer #bookshelf #reader#bookreviewer

How do you continue loving life after experiencing loss? Promise Me Sunshine is a must read. The novel has some sad moments, yet many happy ones that will bring a smile to your face. The banter between Lenny and Miles is perfect and I loved the people they meet along their journey. No one should deal with grief alone and it’s a stand out part of this story. As much as someone tries to pull away, there’s always people there to help pick up the pieces. A couple of flashbacks were added, yet I would have enjoyed more moments with Lou. You should add this one to your TBR because Miles Honey will become your new favorite book boyfriend! Who doesn’t love a grumpy man with a heart of gold?

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

I’ve always enjoyed this author’s writing and unique humor/characters, but unfortunately, I couldn’t get into this book. Although the topic of grief is something I relate to deeply, here it left me with a sense of dread almost?, which made it hard for me to connect with the romance and the relationship between the characters. It just didn’t resonate with me as much as I’d hoped.

5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Perfection!!! 👌
Cara never disappoints me!! 🩷
Experienced all the emotions in this one but really enjoyed reading Lenny and Miles story 🥹
I loved every single character in this book 😊 I didn't want it to end!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Netgalley for this arc.

Darn. I really loved Ready Or Not and had really high hopes for this one too. It did not do it for me. I didn't love the two MCs but I think I could have loved Lenny if she'd been written a little bit differently? Maybe to better balance the fun and the sad. Or if we wanted to focus on the grief, make that the FOCUS! Make it a drama maybe? Idk. I'm the end it didn't work for me.

This was such a beautiful story of grief and heartbreak 💔 but also friendship and love. Lenny was such a lovable and real character. I found myself laughing so much at her dry sense of humor and quirkiness. She thought just because she was falling apart that she wasn’t strong but I think she was a very strong character dealing with such a huge loss. Miles! I loved miles! He was grumpy at first but he was such a caring and loving man who just wanted to take care of those he loves. The way he cares for Lenny when she can’t care for herself was beautiful. He was so patient with her. I loved watching their friendship evolve into love. This was a beautiful story that will stick with me for a while.

Well, I waited and waited on this ARC because I just knew it was going to absolutely blow me away, and I never felt quite ready. I was right. I am thoroughly blown away and so in love I don’t know how I’m supposed to just move right along and pick up another book now. Lenny is my favorite kind of main character- a mess, but one who still shows up for people, who doesn’t flake on her job, who is grieving but still human. She’s never cruel to Miles during his quest to help her through her grief. She’s never a burden to her workplace and she ALWAYS shows up for Ainsley even if she’s been up all night riding the ferry and sleeping on her backpack pillow with a rat’s nest for hair and day old clothes stuck to her body. She’s still there. And more alive than she realizes. She’s wrecked but she’s funny and she’s FUN and she’s exactly the person I want to be best friends with. She made me laugh out loud and I just love her so much.
And then there’s Miles. Oh, you sweet sweet Miles. He gave Shep a run for his money, I’m telling you. Cara Bastone can write the swooniest men on planet Earth without blinking and eye and here I am barely recovering. Miles is so supportive and calm and understanding and even when Lenny is giving him crap or acting her goofiest or being absolutely ridiculous, he just rolls with it in such a natural way you can’t help but just KNOW they’re it for each other.
The way the slow burn played out was so SO much fun. I was pleasantly surprised that while Lenny’s grief journey took center stage, she was still able to be there for Miles as he continued to process his own past trauma, and that he allowed her to be there for him as well was just perfection.
I have nothing negative to say about this book. 500 stars, no notes. Read it, love it, then re-read it on audio. Repeat as needed.

5/5 ⭐️s
🌶️ - low spice

LOVES:
- Gosh, I’m so sad for Lenny 😭💔 all of the little flashback insights into the Before are adorable and make me even more sad.
- The way Miles just inserts himself into her life is perfect. 🤩 Their deal is very unique and leaves me anxious to see how it will play out. And JFC I could not be more satisfied by the end.
- So many little details that are just so excellent: the “love fantasies”, the lucky cupcake, the blasé attitude about leg hair, the way the toilet paper sits, the fuglies, the glasses, the games of Hearts…
- The way coming THROUGH and past grief is so well written.
- Miles is just the best human and Lenny is wonderfully quirky, they both deserve endless happiness. They’re also so weird (mostly Lenny 😂) and I love it 🤭
- An absolutely beautiful sex scene 🔥

So funny and so sad. I’m crying and laughing within moments of each other. Over and over again! My heart is so full after this. I can’t recommend it enough.

Thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the eARC 💝

There are not enough words to describe the hope, grief, and growth that Promise me Sunshine by Cara Bastone portrays.
Lenny is navigating a tough loss that abruptly changed her life. Lenny's best friend and soulmate, Lou, passes away after a battle with cancer and leaves Lenny as a mere shell of her free-spirited self. In an attempt to get back to a "normal" life, Lenny accepts a job nannying a little girl named Ainsley. Miles, Ainsley's uncle, always seems to be lurking around. When Lenny eventually befriends him, he agrees to help her live again. Part of that task is completing the "bucketlist" Lou created for Lenny. Together they navigate the ups and downs of grief and healing.
The characters of Lenny and Miles are so well-developed and relatable; I genuinely cared about their journey and rooted for them every step of the way. Both quirky, irritating, and lovable in so many ways.
This isn't just a typical romance; it's a story about healing, second chances, and the power of human connection. And most importantly, a depiction of learning the lesson that "the only way out is through."