Thank you to Dial Press for providing this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
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Wow, wow, wow. How can I manage to sum up how much I loved and needed this book? As someone who’s recently started learning a lot about grief (unfortunately and fortunately), I’ve come to realize how little grief is discussed openly and even when it is, it’s used as a minor subplot in a story — never the main focal point. Lucky for us, Promise Me Sunshine has now arrived to bring that conversation front and center and help readers witness a story of a woman learning how to function and live after the person most important to her dies. I absolutely loved how we got to see the main character, Lenny, at her highest highs and lowest lows. We were also able to see multiple characters handle their own grief and losses in different ways since there isn’t one specific way to grieve.

Miles is absolutely being added to my list of book boyfriend faves because the way he was so open, attentive, caring, and dedicated to showing up for Lenny had me in a chokehold. Their personalities were so starkly different and yet they balance each out perfectly.

I enjoyed every character in this book (especially Ainsley! and I must shamelessly request for a book centered on Reese because she needs her own Miles!) and Cara Bastone truly, truly is skilled with words. I felt like I was highlighting passages every other page. Some sentences were simple yet breathtaking and other sentences were honestly just hilarious. I’ll definitely be locked in for the press tour of this book to learn more about Cara and what it took to write this book. I’m also excited to read through her backlist and any future novels.

All in all, I strongly, strongly recommend this book. Even if it doesn’t turn out to be your favorite love story, the discussion of grief alone is enough to warrant reading this story so that when you or someone you love endures a devastating loss, you'll have at least one thing — major or minor — from Lenny and Miles’ journey that could help you get through to the next day.

I have been meaning to read Ready or Not by Cara Bastone but I got to this one first and now I will need to move that book up my TBR list for sure! This was a story about grief told in such a compassionate and funny way that I just loved this one!

In this book we meet Lenny and Miles. Lenny has fallen apart after her best friend since childhood passed away from cancer. And that is putting it mildly. They lived together and she can't even go back to her apartment to stay. She rides the Ferry and sleeps there when she can get sleep. She isn't able to hold down any long term jobs. She is a nanny so she only takes temporary jobs so that she doesn't have to commit to anyone or get close to anyone.

That is until she meet Ainsley and Reese.....and Miles. Ainsley is a cute kid whose uncle lives in the same building. Reese is his half sister and their family dynamic is complicated. But she ends up talking to prickly Miles. At first they don't really care for each other but Miles has to make sure this homeless looking girl is properly taking care of his niece and one of his only family members so he follows them and tries to hang with them. Then as they start talking more, Miles figures out what has happened to Lenny and he starts to soften.

Miles knows first hand about loss so he tries to help Lenny with her grieving process. Once Lenny finds out that Miles lost his mother and cousin in a tragic accident, she decides not to resist his plan. She realizes that the accident is what lead Miles to discover his half-sister and niece and want to have some connection to family. Lenny lets her vulnerable side show more and Miles becomes her support person.

This book just contains so many emotions! I was laughing and crying and laughing and crying again!! For anyone who has had to deal with grief, this will touch a nerve. I thought the author did an excellent job handling such a complicated subject matter. I felt that near the end, Lenny's grief was going to be never ending, but then things did take a turn. This is one of those books that is comforting but emotionally jarring all in one. This author has such a gift to handle this subject to carefully. If this sounds at all interesting to you, I would recommend this book.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Dial Press Trade Paperback for providing me with a digital review copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was a cute book. I think it is important for us to realize that even if we have been through different hard things, we can still understand some of the same feelings that others are feeling when they are hurting. I have not had a close family member or best friend pass away, but I do understand loss, loneliness, and depression. We all need each other whether we need someone to lift us up, or we are the person lifting them up.

I plan to share this story on my instagram on Monday, March 3rd at www.instagram.com/robinashleyreads

Unfortunately I had to soft DNF this book. There was nothing wrong with it and I will be coming back to finish it, but I have been in such a fantasy book kick. I could not get into a romance at this period of time and I have been in a bit of a reading slump.

Lenny is reeling from the death of her best friend Lou when she takes a short-term babysitting gig for single mom Reese and her daughter Ainsley. What she doesn't bank on when accepting the job is Ainsley's grumpy uncle Miles insisting on spending every second lurking around while Lenny watches Ainsley. His stoic and judgy demeanor rubs Lenny the wrong way, but she'll be gone soon enough, since she's been hesitant to accept anything long term while she is still thick in the throes of grief. After Miles shows Lenny unexpected warmth and understanding and reveals his own struggle with grief, he offers to help her accomplish the list of things she needs to do to live again after her best friend's passing. The two become companions and soon their bond grows into something more.

Cara Bastone has quickly become one of my absolute favorite authors. She has such range! Her audio-only series with Audible was fun and quirky, but this and her last novel Ready or Not are so deeply moving and beautifully written. This story is a new favorite! Lenny is in the trenches of her grief journey, and anyone who has ever dealt with the loss of someone close to them can relate to her feelings and struggles. Miles became such a pillar of strength for Lenny and I loved how their friendship and companionship grew. Miles really took care of Lenny and wanted nothing in return - may we all be so lucky to have someone like this in our lives while we are dealing with the unimaginable. While reading this warm-hug of a book, I laughed, smiled, and cried along with Lenny and Miles. Lenny's growth throughout the book, along with the same support and care she was able to give Miles, was so beautiful to witness. I can't wait to read more from this author!

TW: Grief, death of a loved one, depression

This book was the perfect emotional rollercoaster of navigating grief and loss. This book cleverly navigates all stages of grief.

Lenny has just lost her absolute best friend ever after her second round of cancer. She is struggling with moving forward and most of the time spends her nights on the Ferry transporting back and forth until it's time to move on with her day. She takes a short-term nanny position for Reece to help with her daughter Ainsley and she quickly befriends Miles, Reece's half-brother, whom she has only known for a short while.

Lenny navigates her grief with the loss of her best friend/sister, Lou. Miles is also navigating grief from the loss of his mother and cousin. Together they help each other face grief and conquer thier fears surrounding those deaths. Ultimately, this becomes a slow burn for Miles and Lenny's romance.

This story is absolutely heart breaking and emotional. This could be a tough read if you've newly experienced a loss, but this book is absolutely worth the read. This is definitely one I won't forget any time soon and I will always have a place in my heart for Lenny and Miles.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this! Such a sweet heartwarming story of friendship, grief and learning to live again after loss.

Lenny is barely surviving after losing her best friend to cancer. Afraid to go home to the apartment they once shared, she gets by doing short term nanny gigs and sleeping on the Staten Island Ferry. Until she meets Miles, the grumpy uncle of her newest charge. When he learns of her loss he strikes a deal with her, he will help her accomplish everything on her “live again” list is she teaches him how to become likable and helpful to his young niece.

They soon forge a friendship like no other. Helping each other through the hard and ugly parts of life. We get to see so many sweet moments as they journey through life together. Moving forward, making new friends, admitting raw feelings of pain, and accepting what the new normal looks like.

I don’t think I can truly express how much I loved this book. It was so tender and emotional, and shows the best side of humanity.

Thank you #NetGalley for the Arc <3

This book deserves more than five stars. I laughed, I cried. What a ride.
I love that the story focused mainly on working through grief and the love just seemed to happen along the way.

Some of the things I loved most:

-When she took him to the Met to meet Lou I couldn't even take it.
-When she went to the hair salon where they got their heads shaved and realized she could donate her hair to locks of love. SOBBED.
-WHEN HE GAVE HER THAT MF LOCKET I SWEAR I COULD HAVE MELTED ONTO MY KITCHEN FLOOR.
-When she puts his picture on the other side of the locket ughhh

I just love this book so damn much.

I took my time with this book because I never wanted it to end, but I also couldn’t stop thinking about it. It made me laugh, cry, and feel everything in between. The portrayal of grief is raw and real—no sugarcoating, just the messy, heartbreaking truth of learning to live with loss. Lenny felt so genuine, facing one of my worst fears, and her growth was beautiful. And Miles? Absolute perfection, another addition to my book boyfriend list.

Highly recommend. 4.5 stars. Cara Bastone does it again!

4.5!

I truly love Cara Bastone’s writing. The relationship between Miles and Lenny was so beautiful to see and grow while he helped her get through the toughest time of her life. Watching them become friends to lovers was so palpable and felt so real.

Lenny dealing with grief was heartbreaking and seeing her grow through that and with someone who understands her was so touching to read and very visceral at those tender moments.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this eARC!

Another wildly charming read from Bastone, with incredible writing that feels breezy in its pace but is packed with sharp humour, endless warmth, insight, vulnerability, complexity, and deep emotional resonance. As with Ready or Not, we get a woman in crisis (there an unexpected pregnancy, here the profound grief of losing one’s best friend to cancer) and a man who cares for her with every fibre of his being, picking up the pieces she can’t pick up for herself as she gradually finds ways to move through the hardest stages of what life's thrown at her, also with the help of loving friends and family members. While so many romances focus on physical desire, I love that Bastone builds her romantic relationships around consistent, tenacious care. She sets the bar high for her love interests, but they meet the bar, every time. Ultimately, this is as much a portrait of grief as it is a love story, but it’s both, and so beautifully written, the joys and sorrows meet, melt together, and transform one another the way they do in real life, never as simple or as pure as we’d like them. I wish I could live in Bastone’s imagined worlds, where friends are easy to make, families are always there when you need them, and relentlessly supportive lovers are only ever a text away, never doing or saying anything selfish or hurtful. It’s a nice way to balance out the challenges Bastone throws her heroines, and it makes for a warm, joyful read, even when the story dives deep into the throes of impossible loss.

the premise of the book really caught my attention and i was so happy to have the opportunity to read the arc! there were so many moments that tugged my heart, especially when talking about Lou and just the process of grief. i loved the idea of miles helping her to live again and feel alive. unfortunately this book was not for me. it was entirely too slow and it wasn’t clicking for me. it was dragging on far too much. it missed the mark for me.

again thank you netgalley for the arc!

3.5⭐️

Promise Me Sunshine had some really touching moments, especially when it came to portraying grief in a raw and realistic way. Although I enjoyed the nonlinear grief process, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. The romance was super slow, and I didn’t really feel any chemistry between Lenny and Miles.

The writing style was super casual, almost like reading someone’s inner monologue, which made it tough to stay engaged. That said, the ending was sweet. I just wish I’d connected with the story sooner!

No one is more surprised than me that this book ended up being 5 stars.
If I could perfectly put into words what this book made me feel, I would. But unfortunately I really don’t think I’ll do it justice, and that’s why I’m not the writer.

This book is sad, not just a little, but a lot. This book is full of grief, extremely dark, real, and raw grief. So please do not read this if you are not ready for something with those topics.
I really didn’t know how I felt about this book, in fact I was upset with it for half the book because it was so sad. Then somehow I get to this moment and I’m not exactly sure when it happened when I realized, wow, I think I actually will end up 5 starring this book. Because it’s beautiful.
Is it sad, yes? At times too much? Yes. That’s probably the point isn’t it though? That’s probably how it would feel in real life. I’ve been blessed thus far in my life to not have lost someone close, but I imagine this would be a pretty good depiction of what it could feel like for some.
Miles and Lenny’s relationship is nothing short of real, raw, beautiful, and inspirational.
So thank you for surprising me Cara Bastone. You made me question my own self at being able to judge a book after 40%. Hats off to you. Well done.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for my honest review.

4.5⭐️
Promise Me Sunshine is a beautifully written love story between Lenny and Miles. Lenny is struggling after the death of her best friend and must learn how to love life again. In the midst of her grief she meets Miles who turns out to be her lifeline and helps her navigate her grief and learn that life is worth living.

𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝗼𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 | I really loved this book! Miles and Lenny built this friendship that was easy and genuine and it shown through in the writing. I loved the witty banter that Bastone is known for and there were quite a few laugh out loud moments. While the topic of loss and grief is tied throughout the book, it is handled with care and hope and explores what life is like after losing someone and the milestones to finding oneself again. This is a slow-burn romance but the pay-off is worth it in the end.

4.5 stars (rounded up)

Promise Me Sunshine follows the story of Lenny, a young woman who recently lost her best friend (aka the light of her life, platonic soulmate, anything and everything, etc). Unable to handle anything more than she can give, Lenny takes up a part-time nannying gig for single mother Reese and her precocious, pop-culture history icon seven-year-old daughter, Ainsley.

Her first day on the job, Lenny meets Miles. He is Ainsley’s overprotective uncle, who immediately calls Lenny out on her bullshit (after insulting her first, obviously). Desperate to form a bond with his niece, he strikes a deal with Lenny: he’ll teach her how to live again and complete the list Lou left behind if Lenny helps bridge the chasm between Miles and the only family he has left.

A beautiful friendship and exploration of grief ensues. She is bright, bubbly, scattered, warm, and working her way through the greatest loss of her life. He is quiet, stoic, and as loyal as bricks are stable (that is to say, very. Immovable, even). And the romance? The slow-burn development? So well interwoven throughout the plot. Miles' relationship with Ainsley? What I would give to have seen their dance routine.

Lenny’s grief was palpable and reminded me so much of myself over the past year. It felt REAL. Sometimes, writers miss the mark on their portrayal of grief. Let me tell you, Bastone absolutely did not.

Healing does not mean forgetting. Crying is not the only way to honor or remember someone you’ve lost. Every day is an anniversary until it’s not, every task on Lenny’s list is a reminder of loss until it becomes a pursuit of life.

My one comment is the pacing felt a little off at times, particularly during the second half. (That is literally the only critique I have, hence the 4.5 stars.)

Thank you so so much to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC. I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

This was the second book I've read from Cara Bastone and I have to say, I'm a fan! I loved both Ready or Not and Promise Me Sunshine. This author just has a way of writing internal and external dialogue almost like it's being taken directly from my brain. I love the characters she develops and how well the story flows.
This story was a beautiful guide on grief - how to help someone through it when you don't know what to do, and what to do for yourself when you're going through it. It was so nice to see the growth for both main characters throughout the book. It was also nice to see the "relapses" in the grieving process - it truly showed that healing isn't linear and there will be times when you feel like you've moved past it almost and times when you feel like you are stuck in the mud. The story was easy to read and follow along with and had me lol'ing at a few points and almost crying at others. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book! I couldn't wait to read it!
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone is a heartwarming and emotional contemporary romance that explores themes of grief, healing, and second chances. This story is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it. It's a story about love, loss, and the power of human connection, and it's sure to leave you feeling hopeful and uplifted. I'd totally recommend this for someone who wants to read another incredible contemporary romance. This was my first book of Bastone's and definitely won't be my last.
Thanks to Random House and the author again for this opportunity!

In Promise Me Sunshine, we follow Lenny. Lenny is having a hard time dealing with the death of her best friend Lou, who has passed away from cancer. Lenny’s having a hard time functioning in day to day life. She can’t go back to her apartment and she bides her days by taking short term babysitting jobs…and avoiding her list of things she’s supposed to do to start living again. She’s booked a wonderful job watching Ainsley, the daughter of an overworked single mother. With Reese and Ainsley comes Miles, Ainsley’s uncle who is always around, hovering, and he’s a jerk. It seems he knows a thing or two about grief, so he makes a proposal: Lenny helps him connect with Ainsley and he’ll help her complete the items on her list. Lenny is reluctant at first, but the more time she spends with Miles, the more she realizes that maybe you need to lose something to learn how to rediscover yourself.

I really loved Cara Bastone’s Ready or Not and was eager to dig into this one. Bastone does a great job developing these characters and I really loved Lenny’s dynamics with the characters around her, especially Ainsley. She was adorable. This story is a fantastic way of telling a love story with a bit more heft to it. This isn’t always a light hearted story and I appreciated where it went. I don’t know if it fully hit for me in the way that her previous novel did, but overall I enjoyed myself.

When Lenny loses the love of her life, her soulmate & very best friend, she is absolutely devastated. She meets Miles, who she finds to be a little gruff and rough around the edges, and he vows to help her get through her grief, as he himself has also experienced great loss and knows what she is going through. They end up actually helping each other out along the way. While the book felt a little long at times, I did enjoy the main characters, as well as the supporting cast. I could definitely feel all the mess of emotions that Lenny was going through trying to live her life without her best friend.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House for the opportunity to read an early eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.