Promise Me Sunshine really got me in my feels. For anyone who has ever experienced profound grief, where you've lost your person, this is one you will be able to relate to. Though we all don't grieve the same, Lenny's journey was emotional and relatable.

All aboard the hot mess express ferry that is Lenny's life. Or the Staten Island ferry, whichever. Lenny lost her best friend and is trying to live again. With minimal success. She meets Miles at a nannying job she's taking. He's the little girl's uncle. And he changes everything.

This book was a romance, but it was a journey as well. Miles and Lenny's story was so much more. It was healing, a slow burn, and beautiful. I love Cara Bastone's writing and this was a winner for me!

This was very good. I had heard great things about Ready Or Not but don’t love a pregnancy story so never picked it up. But after reading this one I’m definitely willing to give that one a try too.
This is a story about loss that manages to really convey the weight and emotion of grief while never losing the underlying message of hope and love. Lenny is a hilarious character and seeing her slowly become more and more herself again is truly a masterclass in a different kind of character development.
There are well done side characters, but this is definitely Lenny and Miles story. And Miles manages to deliver a well-rounded character who is in touch with his feelings. Admittedly the premise of him being willing to commit to this “project” with Lenny is a little unrealistic, but I rarely fault a book for that.
I honestly can’t put my finger on what made this a 4 star vs a 5 star read for me. Maybe a little bit more of Lou and Lenny at the start of the book so I emotionally connect just a tad bit more with the loss Lenny is feeling at the start?
Regardless, will definitely check out any future novels by Cara.

Thank you so much for the chance to give this book an early read. This book is definitely a slowwwwwww burn romance but the payoff at the end was well worth it. I loved how the MCs supported one another in their grief and learning to find joy in life again.

Thank you NetGalley & Publishers for this ARC!

This was my first book by Cara Bastone and wow, what a beautiful love letter to life, to second chances.

The people we meet, the places we go, the food we eat are all part of who we are. Losing someone you love often causes you to lose yourself in the process and finding new ways to be happy even when you’re grieving is hard.

Cara beautifully takes us on this journey of loss and love. We get to follow Lenny and Miles’ journey and it’s definitely one of my favorite love stories.

When she says that we all need a Miles in our lives, she wasn’t kidding. He does pull Lenny out of hell, but she also helps him heal in ways that I wasn’t ready.

This book is a solid 5 ⭐️. It makes you appreciate life more, it makes you want to enjoy life more. To love more, to eat good food, and laugh and be intentional. But to also know that it can sometimes get dark, but having the right person next to you can be life saving.

Can’t wait for this book to be out in the world and everyone get to read and fall in love with this story! ❤️

WOW. Just wow. I absolutely adored this book, from the first page I already got the vibes of “yes, this is gonna be a 5 star read for me” and it definitely was. Now, that being said I do have some bones to pick. The ending? I felt like I needed more, maybe that’s me being selfish and not wanting the story to end but I do feel like we needed more, like I would’ve loved to see Lenny and Miles actually go to Lou’s gravestone but I know that’s why they went to the Met but still I felt like that was something Lenny should’ve done, I don’t know. ALSO, I would’ve just loved an epilogue but I absolutely love and adore these two characters, and I would’ve just loved to see where they ended up. Enough of me being picky though because this book WILL live rent free in my head. I loved the premise of it, I loved how real and raw it all was, how accurate it painted grief because grief is such a weird thing.. like you can go about your day and then BAM something reminds you and you’re spiraling again. I didn’t lose a friend by them dying but I recently did lose my closest friend from a falling out and I’ve been grieving the friendship and a lot of what Lenny was going through and actions she took, I noticed I was repeating so I heavily related to her and her journey of grief because it’s such a weird thing to have your person and then all of a sudden have to learn to live without them, like what’s the purpose of doing life without the one person you thought you were gonna have forever with? Onto Miles.. oh god, he’s easily one of my favorite MMCs now. He’s so caring, so patient, so willing to be there for people and make sure they’re okay, like his devotion to making sure Lenny was okay was astounding to me. It was love in the simplest way, the way he would just tell her to call him in the middle of the night, whatever time, the way he would meet her at the ferry knowing she was going though it again.. pushing her to make friends and being uncomfortable because he wanted her to grow and just be okay. I LOVE miles, I love love love him so much. I loved their friendship, I loved the friendships they made, all of their interactions, and I loved their romantic relationship.. I do really wish we got more of that but again I know this book mainly focused on Lenny’s journey with grief but still I NEED MORE OF MILES AND LENNY. Anyways, this book is absolutely incredible.

Ready Or Not was one of my top books of 2024, so I had ‘Promise Me Sunshine’ up very high on my list of anticipated releases for 2025. I will say I was also a little nervous because it’s rare that an author can get two five star ratings from me back to back.

Well, Cara Bastone beat the odds because I absolutely devoured this story. How she can write about such hard things in such a human way and just freaking nail it is beyond me.

I adored it. It is in my favorites of the year so far list for sure and she gained being a must read, preorder everything she writes author from me.

Once again, Cara Bastone can do no wrong.

In her latest release Cara tackles the subject of grief after losing a best friend. The story follows Lenny who is a nanny in New York City after her best friend and roommate dies from cancer. Although the premise sounds extremely grimm, I promise you this book is full of all the charm, humor, and witty banter that Bastone is known for.

When starting her new nanny job, Lenny meets the uncle of her newest charge, Miles. Miles is also dealing with grief and befriends Lenny.

The book follows the ups and downs of Lenny as she navigates to the world without her soulmate/best friend, Lou, while still trying to fulfill her dying wish that she completes a series of tasks. Miles is there at every step to help her along her journey.

I love this book just as much as I loved Ready or Not. I was worried the premise would be sad but Cara has a way of bringing levity to serious situations in her stories. You will fall in love with Lenny just as you have with all of Cara's past FMCs. Miles is a sweet and endearing character after Lenny breaks through his shell. This book made my heart feel all warm and fuzzy.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and netgalley for the advanced reader copy.

How do I even begin?! My goodness - all the feels with this book. The heaviness, the levity, the laughs, wholesome loving, and the tight squeeze of my heart - the push and pull of this book was thoroughly enjoyable.

I loved their love story. The tenacity and fronted grumpiness of Miles and the hilarity and outrageousness of Lenny just captured me. Lou was so loved, Ainsley was so fun and the band of new friends was so beautifully written.

All that to say, wow - the topic of grief can be so heavy when reading but I have to give Cara Bastone her flowers. She continues to capture a precarious topic in an eloquent way that made you root for Lenny every step of the way - in a real, raw way. Well done!

I love a good Cara Bastone storyline. I first read Ready or Not and instantly connected to her writing story and that was also the case with Promise Me Sunshine too. This one was a more heavy somber read but done so well that I was in my sad girl feels while reading this book.

his was more than just romance. It was about healing and friendship and family and grief! Cara Bastone handles grief with a tender touch that feels like a warm cozy blanket, she reminds us of precious moments and the ability to move forward, even in hard times. The exploration of coming back into the new version of yourself post loss. I was honestly loving the way the hard stuff was handled because it felt very authentic and like how you'd see it happening in real life with other who may be going through similar situations.

A slowly built friendship that evolved into love. It was so beautifully done in the simplest of actions from Miles and Lenny. I honestly didn't think I could love the slow burn to the extent that this one was but it worked. The way Miles had his own list for their next steps over her list of must dos was heartwarming to say the least. These two needed each other more than life itself and they leaned on each other in the darkest of times and the way they made it through with one another was insane! When you are in the mood for an emotional, character driven, beautiful romance that will leave you feeling truly grateful for life's smallest moments....then read this, it won't disappoint.

i have an announcement!!!! this is my favorite book of the year and i'm in PIECES over it!!!! i'm a puddle of a person surrounded by my own tears!!!!! i'm "HELP I'M STILL AT THE RESTAURANT" because of this book!!!!!

i fear i will never be the same and it's cara bastone's fault because she has penned the perfect book and i am a sobbing mess because of it.

i'm bereft now that i finished this book because even though it was a perfect ending to a perfect book, i could have read 1000 more pages about lenny and miles and never be bored or fully satisfied. trust me it IS that serious, i'm actually distraught over how much i love this devastatingly beautiful book.

and this is a love story, but it's also a story about grief and healing and learning to live again without your person. it's a story about friendship and companionship and the resilience that people possess in the face of losing everything. lenny and miles both face grief in this book and they help each other heal and help find meaning back into their lives. and i could cry just thinking about it!

lenny and miles. miles and lenny. oh gosh i love them so much!!! ugh i am such a friends to lovers girlie because to me the best part of this book was the slow burn friendship that turned into this deep and understanding love. like those two GET each other and it's my dream to be known like lenny and miles know each other.

also, on a lighter note: this book was so funny??? when i wasn't crying, i was laughing because of the WIT that cara bastone writes her banter and dialogue.

this is a what i call a "soul book," a perfect, perfect book, and i'm so happy to be alive at the same time as cara bastone and getting to read her books.

thank you Dial Press and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. it's out everywhere on 3/4 <3

Thank you Cara Bastone, NetGalley, and Random House Publishing for letting me read an arc copy of Promise Me Sunshine. I have one word to describe this book: Beautiful. It was so absolutely beautiful. A raw and honest story about grief, and the toll it takes on a person. But also, how to keep going, even when it seems impossible, and endure. Lenny and Miles were exactly what each other needed. They made each other happy and whole. This book had me laughing, crying, and swooning. This was such a joy to read, and I am so grateful I got to read it.

I just didn’t love this one. I don’t think I’m in a good headspace for grief right now (pregnancy hormones and emotions are wild) but it also felt weirdly cheesy and immature?? I didn't love the main female character - she seemed that like she needed more development throughout the course of the book and I don't feel like we got that.

I also wanted more of the love story & character development of them healing each other, but felt like it fell flat. I do understand that the book was focused on the grief and healing of the female main character, but I also got the impression that the love story would take a front seat. However, it felt like it took a major backseat and never came fully to fruition,

Additionally, it was also pretty slow and I never really felt inclined to pick it up which I think affected my overall vibe, too. I really liked a different book by this author so I’m bummed! I did, however, like the "Uptown Girls" nostalgia that it gave!

Thank you to the publishers & NetGalley for my ARC!

Such a wonderful book about starting to live your life again after the loss of someone significant. Lenny lost her best friend due to cancer. Since the loss she has been avoiding her apartment that they shared at all costs. Lenny had been sleeping on the ferry to avoid going home. She took a temporary job babysitting and met Miles. In the beginning Lenny and Miles pretend that they don’t care for each other. Miles sees it as his job to teach Lenny to live again. Lenny’s job is to teach Miles how to relate to his niece and his half-sister. Miles literally goes to hell with Lenny and brought her back. Lenny has a list of things to do to be able to live again. Miles takes it upon himself to make sure she completes everything on the list. In the end it was revealed the list wasn’t for Lenny, it was for Lou to learn how to live after her first cancer diagnosis. Miles noticed there was one more thing on the list for Lenny. It was a special message from Lou for Lenny to “Get over it loser”. In the end, they fall in love with each other. The story of Lenny and Miles was very touching. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced e-copy.

THANK YOU NetGalley and Dial Press for the ARC!

WELL. This book smacked me in the mouth and for that I say THANK YOU! I lost my grandpa almost two years ago and I’ve never read something or encountered anything that explains my grief as perfectly as this book did.

Beautiful and painful all at once. I’m sad it’s over but happy I’ve found some words to put towards my own complicated feelings and experiences.

The way I cried, I did not want this book to end. I loved EVERYTHING, even though Lenny was all over the place, I loved her, I loved her love for her best friend who she just lost a few months ago, this woman was grieving and it took a man that she meets by chance to help her “live again.”

She decided to take on a babysitting gig, and she is in love with Ainsley and her mom, they are awesome, and Ainsley’s grumpy uncle Miles. Off the bat this man was huge grump, but he saw right through Lenny and when he finds out that she is not only dealing with grief from losing someone she also doesn’t even go home. Where she stays and has been staying since she lost her best friend was the saddest thing ever. But this book is not only about that, he offers her an opportunity to help her with her Live again list that she created with her best friend Lou, and also she will help him get closer to his family.

Miles has his own baggage, but the way he helps Lenny he is also helping himself, their relationship is amazing, and even though Lou is no longer with Lenny she lives in everything they do, she’s all over this book, I CRIEDDDDDDD. And then I also laughed because Lenny is funny, she has this funny imagination and she creates these story lines with every man she meets its hilarious, but oh goodness she’s everything, they are everything, this book was so much fun to read as well. And this is the first time EVER that a slow burn romance was GREAT, because I hate romance novels that are slow burn, that’s not my thing lol.

Despite the fact that I spent the second half of the book trying not to cry, I absolutely loved this book. This is my first from Cara Bastone and I’m going to add all of her others to my TBR list now.

This book circled around the lives of Lenny and Miles, both of whom have suffered incredible losses. Through her newest nannying gig, Ainsley, Lenny meets Uncle Miles and the two begin their slow burn romance. It’s a delicate dance with the two of them as there’s the overwhelming feeling of grief hanging between them but it’s so raw and emotional and beautifully written.

Since Lenny’s loss of her best friend is more recent and Miles tragically lost his mom and cousin years prior, he offers to help in exchange for some tips to being good with his newly introduced niece. Lenny and Miles bond over Ainsley and also the list Lenny is determined to complete in honor of her friend.

I loved how tender Miles was with Lenny. I loved Lenny’s quirky personality. I loved how they made each other better. And I fell in love with the two of them and how seamlessly they fit. I’ll be swooning over them and this book for the foreseeable future.

If you’ve been looking for an incredibly written romance that’s both heartwarming and heartbreaking, you’ve found it.

I loved so much of this book!! I loved the way grief was written in this book. This book made me cry but also made me laugh. Miles is everything!! Read this when it comes out!!

This book was so good and I loved how the author took something so heavy but made it lighthearted and fun. I have so many highlights. Miles is so so so sweet
I loved the writing


Content : couple of fbombs , skip chapter 32 for more closed door. One open door low explicit scene , grief

4.5 ⭐-Promise Me Sunshine is a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance with a lot of heart. Lenny is grieving the loss of her best friend, Lou. Lenny and Lou’s friendship is truly special, and Lenny is struggling to live without her. She takes a weekend babysitting job where she meets the child’s grumpy uncle, Miles. However, a connection is found and Miles offers to be Lenny’s grief counselor, so to speak. The sections of this book focusing on grief are truly powerful and realistic. The romance is beautiful, thoughtful, and timely (something you will understand when you read it). Lenny and Miles are wonderful, likable characters. I received this book as an advanced reader copy, and I suspect it will be a big seller! I highly recommend it!

I was initially drawn to this book because of Cara Bastone’s other book, Ready or Not, and I’m so glad I decided to read this one. I was hooked from the first page, which is rare for me. It usually takes me a while to get to know the characters and want to read more about them, but I wanted to read more about Lenny from the start.

While most of the story focuses on Lenny navigating grief, the romance subplot was so well done and intertwined with Lenny trying to find her life again.

Also loved the subtle nod to Ready or Not with Ethan’s appearance.

5/5, will definitely be reading more of her books in the near future.