I am a weepy mess trying to convey how much I adored this book. I think it’s my favorite I’ve read since spring 2024. Seriously, I wanted to read it because I enjoyed Ready or Not and the cover is beautiful so I knew I’d like it, but I wasn’t prepared to fall head over heels for this story.

The characters were so enjoyable. Funny, engaging, full of wit and heart. They felt like real people who struggled and loved. Lenny is one of my favorite main female characters of all time. She was so endearing and relatable, it was hard not to root for her and want to be her friend. I loved that even though we never really “met” Lou, we did and she was a pivotal character in this story. Ainsley and Reese? Adorable. Loved their little family and all of the fun it added to Lenny’s life.

The writing was great; easy to follow and understand with lines that were like a gut punch at how absolutely beautifully they were written. I can’t wait to get my own copy to highlight and revisit. Nothing ever felt forced or rushed, the pacing was perfect which was imperative to this story because Lenny was healing on her own timeline. Grief isn’t linear, and that was portrayed really well here.

Which leads me to my favorite thing about this book which was the depiction of grief. Lenny’s healing journey had a lot of ups and downs. It was messy. It was hard. My heart broke for her at certain points. Anyone who has dealt with grief (which I’m assuming is the overwhelming majority of people) will find her story relatable. There were little glimmers in the everyday that kept her going which is really how life works.

There was a really sweet and tender slow burn but this book was about SO MUCH more than the romance. Friends to lovers like I’ve never read before. It was almost secondary to everything else and I think that made it all the more special. The themes of friendship, family, love, and loss were all important.

This is one of those books that sticks with you. I’m not sure I’ll ever be over it. Cara Bastone has written a true masterpiece on love, friendship, grief, life. All of it. Please, please don’t skip this one!

Thank you beyond words to NetGalley and Random House- Dial Press Trade for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is so phenomenal. It was a five star read for me! Cara bastone's prose is so beautiful. I will be recommending this book to my community for sure. This book tackles grief in such a raw and real way while making sure the reader is not drowning in it. The book made me cry and also laugh. I fell in love with all of the characters. They all felt so 3D .I flew through this book and could not get enough of the characters. I love lenny and miles together. Everything about this book was just scrumptious!!!

This was a really sweet and fun read. While there is a lot of talk about grief and the grieving process the tone is kept comfortable for the reader. Easy to digest. Lenny was a great lead character. Entertaining to read about all of her quick crushes. This book has shades of Uptown Girls without the sheets of Egyptian cotton.

Honestly the title kind of ruins it though. Surely there were better options here?

Loved this. I wanted to savor every minute. Loved Miles. Felt Lenny was a bit insufferable at times, but I have never been in her shoes, so maybe that is just grief. Definitely recommend it if you like a slow burn and a sweet story.

Lenny's best friend and roommate had cancer and died and Lenny's grief is so deep that she shuts herself out from her previous life. She takes temporary work, refuses to go back to the apartment they shared and stops taking calls from her rightfully concerned mom. When Lenny takes a weekend babysitting job, she meets Miles, the grumpy neighbor/uncle. Miles has an awful first impression of Lenny, but when her bag spills and he sees a book on grief, his perspective is reframed.

He chooses to makes sure she's safe and barters with her to help him develop a solid relationship with his niece, Ainsley, in exchange for her relying on him when she's struggling in her grief. As part of her healing, she's also been stuck on the list she made with Lou, so Miles helps her start living again. The list is so significant for Lenny because it was a list she made for Lou after her first fight with cancer and Lou gave it back to her when she was close to the end of her life.

Grief is so complicated and manifests differently for everyone. Bastone didn't shy away from the uglier parts, showing how out of control Lenny was to insensitive commentary from family friends. Miles could help Lenny because has also lost loved ones, but I wish we had received some specific stories about his grief and memories with his cousin.

Overall, this isn't a joyful love story. It's complicated and challenging, but it's healing.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I have received an ARC so things are looking up for me. This was amazing. A cute and fun romcom that's layered with grief and healing. PSA - read with tissues.

Promise Me Sunshine was honestly one of the best books I have read so far. The story, characters, and premise were beautifully written and filled with so much love.

It’s in the heroine, Lenny’s POV only, which I would have loved to have had the hero, Miles’ POV as well. There are some great tropes though like, friends to lovers, grumpy-sunshine, found family, he falls first, and a slow burn romance.

The overall premise was heartbreakingly beautiful. Lenny’s journey with completing the “list” was filled with heartbreak, acceptance, hope and love. Her grief and pain were written so realistic that I teared up several times.

All the snippets of her best friend and her were funny, heartwarming and just beautiful. I loved how deep their love and friendship went.

Miles was an absolutely incredible hero. His patience, understanding, support and care for Lenny was written perfectly. He gave her the helping hand she needed but still let her fight and support herself.

I loved their agreement with helping each other out; her with her list and him connecting with his niece. There were some laugh out loud, heartfelt, and charming moments. All the side characters were great as well.

One of my favorite aspects was Lenny’s romantic fantasies of all the men she would meet. They were cheesy, ridiculous and just funny.

The romance between them was very much a slow burn, which I actually loved. They were able to form a deep and true connection before things started to changed between them. There is open door spice but it doesn’t happen until the last two chapters.

Overall, just a beautifully written story that will have you smiling, crying, and laughing throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow. Just wow. I don't think anything could have prepared me for the emotional journey this book took me on, over the last what, 2-3 days??? I laughed, I cried, I smiled, I giggled like a child. I stayed up late, woke up early. I was completely engrossed in this story.

Promise Me Sunshine is a story about grief, healing, and the complex beauty of relationships—romantic, platonic, and familial.

I’ll be honest—at first, I wasn’t sure where the story was headed. This is not a light rom-com. There’s heaviness here. It's more than just romance. Once I adjusted my mindset and embraced the depth of the story, I was able to appreciate it for everything it is.

This book is a stunning portrayal of friendship, heartbreak, and healing—the weight of loss, the uncertainty of what comes after, the fear of moving on. It doesn’t just depict grief—it feels it, in all its raw, aching beauty. And at the heart of it all is friendship. Bastone writes this so beautifully.

Lenny was such a beautiful, quirky, and strong FMC. My heart broke for her and I wanted to hug her so many times. I rooted for her through every page. And Miles, MMC, is strong, loyal, funny, kind—so, so kind. The kind of person everyone deserves in their life. His grief is just as significant as Lenny’s, and I loved that the book gave space to his emotions as well. Lenny’s bond with Miles is everything. Their connection is built on honesty, understanding, and the kind of support that doesn’t demand but simply is.

The side characters were just as impactful, and while I don’t want to spoil anything, I have to mention how much I loved the inclusion of Lenny’s parents. As a mom myself, I deeply sympathized with and related to Lenny’s mom. There was a certain scene between them where I bawled my eyes out. Bastone captures the love, worry, and quiet strength of a mother watching her child in pain so incredibly well.

And the romance? A slow, slow, I mean slowwww burn— it was raw, real, and absolutely beautiful. Not very spicy, but just right.

Every character felt real, every emotion hit deep, and I know I’ll be thinking about this book for a long, long time.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author Cara Bastone for the ARC.

Firstly, thank you so much Dial Press for yet another Cara Bastone arc.🥹 I was first introduced to Bastone's writing with "Ready or Not" and loved it. I couldn't wait to see if her follow up would be just as good or better. I think this one definitely leaned more towards the women's fiction genre rather than romance. I do think Lenny and Miles' friendship/relationship was one of the most natural progressions I've ever read (the slow burn was indeed burning. by 90% was crazyyy work!). In most books I read, I tend to focus on if the characters or the plot are the main driving force of the story. For "Promise Me Sunshine", personally I think it was both. Lenny's character made me laugh so hard, her humor was so witty and charming and I loved watching her character evolve. MILES is every book boyfriend on crack. I loved his (short-lived) grumpiness but also how his friendship with Lenny was so pure. He was "you came."/"you called." personified and I loved how he met Lenny exactly where she was at. He rode the waves of grief with her and never forcibly tried to captain her ship.

Most importantly, I think Bastone's overall message about the magnitudes of grief was so profound. "Grief is a relationship, it's the way we figure out how to keep loving them even though they're gone. And in order to do that we have to keep on going. And going and going."

Wow. How to put this book into words?

Lenny takes a short term gig for Reese, nannying 7 year old Ainsley, while still navigating the loss of her lifelong best friend, Lou.
Which is where she meets Reese’s brother, Miles who is working through an odd family dynamic and how he fits into their life. Miles offers to help Lenny through a list she and Lou developed together that’s supposed to “bring her back to life” and Lenny offers to help him gain traction in his relationships with his family. They both go on an epic journey of healing together.

Miles and Lenny are giving me life!

*Queue* cathartic crying*

Cara also presents an excellent depiction of deep grief. If you’ve yet to experience it, it’s the eyes into the soul of your friend who has. It’s a guide to how to walk alongside someone else who needs you. On top of all that it’s funny- a phenomenal story of deep friendship, deliciously precious love and finding yourself again, especially after loss.

WOW. I loved every single second about this book. It perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to lose someone and not know how to go on living. When my mom was diagnosed with stage four cancer, I was forced to imagine my life without her in it and it was a life I did not want to live. I am so grateful that she was able to beat it but there's always that constant fear in the back of my mind that it'll come back. This book is like a how-to guide for navigating grief, wrapped in a giant bow of LOVE. An absolute masterpiece.

When your literal best friend for life loses her battle with cancer, how do you keep living? Lenny is overwhelmed by grief and is no longer living, just surviving the day to day. She accepts a new part time nanny gig for single mother Reese and her spunky daughter Ainsley, and meets the unexpected and stoic uncle Miles, who happens to give the worst first impression. They form a pact, he will help get her back to the living by completing the “live again” list and she will help him connect with his niece.

This is a beautifully written book about overcoming grief and life’s unexpected little moments. It was funny and endearing and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher Dial Press Trade Paperback, and author Cara Bastone for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy of this book.

This is a beautiful story about grief and what it takes to move on.
Nothing in life is easy, especially moving on after such a great loss. Lenny is just floating through life when she meets Miles and it changes her life for the better.
Cara Bastone has such a unique and beautiful writing style that was on full display here. She wrote about grief and loss in such a lovely way that had me laughing and crying at the same time.
This is not for the light hearted, so do not expect rom com vibes. There are touching moments of rawness interspersed with funny moments that will have you full body laughing. I throughly enjoyed this story and am so grateful I got to enjoy Lenny and Miles' story.

Wow. It’s been a while since a book has left me crying happy tears like this.

I am truly baffled at Cara Bastone’s talent for weaving such a touching and relatable journey through grief within such a stunningly sweet love story.

I saw myself in Lenny’s pain and sadness from the start. I wanted her to get better, even if I knew all too well that you cannot escape the scary swirl of negative emotions that follow the loss of someone you love. Thankfully, Miles was just the push Lenny needed to dig herself out of her black hole and start living again. They complimented and brought the best out of each other in the best way possible, and that’s what a true life partner should do to you.

I left this book grateful to be alive, and so immensely proud of Lenny and everything she accomplished for herself.

This will certainly not be my last Cara Bastone book.

Our main character Lenny recently lost her best friend to a battle of cancer and she is learning to move on in uncharted territory. A life without her other half. Through some events and a not so great first impression, she meets Miles. Miles and Lenny become a team gaining mutual benefit from one another. As they navigate through their hardships they go through found family, new friends, refinding them selves, and love?

Cara pat your self on the back girl this was 5 stars for me. The main characters show such complex emotions and show that even when grieving that there will be moments of happiness as well. This book truly defines the term slow burn but I think Cara captures the perfect blend of what its like to fall in love even when you might not at first notice it happening. I am going to be thinking about this book for a while! Also I didnt know I could cry over a scene about Guacamole!

Tropes: Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, LaCroix Spice, Found Family

Promise me sunshine comes out March 4th!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Cara Bastone for an advanced copy of this book.

This author knows how to write a beautiful book. I am always drawn into her characters and their world.
However, this book did not feel like a romance to me.
Yes, there is a couple who fall in love but the story focuses more on grief and how hard it can be to move forward when you lose an important part of your life.
The level of grief the FMC is experiencing felt like she needed professional help. The MMC was fantastic but he was not qualified to bring her out.
There are some beautiful scenes and amazing quotes in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. Promise Me Sunshine is not as happy as the cover suggests. Lenny , our FMC, is struggling with her life after the loss of her best friend Lou. Lenny was left a list of things to do to help her live again, but Lenny is struggling to complete the tasks. She meets Miles, the grumpy uncle of one of Lenny’s babysitting jobs. Miles agrees to help Lenny with her list in exchange for Lenny’s help with his relationship with his family. Promise me Sunshine is a friends to lovers romance. I really enjoyed seeing Lenny’s journey and the ways that Miles was able to help her. I liked that wasn’t a typical romance. I did have a tough time getting into the story at the beginning, but once I reached around 30% I was good.

"Promise Me Sunshine" by Cara Bastone is a touching story about grief, healing, and finding connection in unexpected places. It follows Lenny as she tries to cope with losing her best friend, Lou, to cancer. The way Bastone writes about Lenny’s pain and journey toward healing feels raw and real.

I’ll be honest—I haven’t gone through that kind of deep loss myself, so I found it a little hard to fully connect with Lenny’s character at times. But even though I couldn’t completely relate, I could still feel the depth of her emotions through Bastone’s writing.

What I really enjoyed were the moments between Lenny and Miles. Their back-and-forth banter was fun and gave a much-needed break from the heavier parts of the story. Miles’ grumpy charm was a great contrast to Lenny’s vulnerability, and their conversations added a warmth to the book that balanced out the sadder moments.

Overall, "Promise Me Sunshine" is a beautifully written story about moving through grief and finding hope in unexpected connections. Even if you haven’t been through that kind of loss, there’s still a lot to appreciate in Lenny’s journey and her evolving relationship with Miles. If you’re looking for a heartfelt read with a mix of tears and laughter, this one’s worth picking up.

4.25 stars!
Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Cara Bastone for an advanced copy of this book.

This was SO cute and wholesome. Friends to lovers, healing from loss, overall a very enjoyable read that was easy to connect with.

Miles w as such a sweet, doting, supportive friend to Lenny after she lost her best friend and became a nanny for his niece. In turn, she helped him mend some broken family ties. The friendship in this book was so fun, and their bond felt so genuine and natural.

The friends to lovers journey was quite a slow burn, and there wasn't much spice, but the story was very touching and entertaining. I loved it!

If I’m being honest, I put off reading this book for a while because I wasn’t sure I was in the mood for something sad. And then as time got closer to the release date (March 4th) I decided to start this right when something sad hit my real life which, if I’m being honest, was and wasn’t the best timing for this.

This is a story about grief, yes, but it’s also a story about learning to live again and enjoying it. I don’t know what it is about Cara Bastone, but she writes the best MMCs. They’re always competent and emotionally intelligent and just know how to really take care of another person and I always fall in love with them. I’m usually quick to admit that I can often be a FMC hater but I really liked Lenny. I felt like she was real and relatable and honest. I love that she was a little quirky but sad and raw in such an enjoyable and touching way. Her friendship with Lou really struck a chord with me and I had a hard time even imagining how I would survive such an enormous loss and frequently found myself tearing up or getting emotional.

Even though the burn was definitely slow when it came to her and Miles I loved seeing him continuously show up for her while simultaneously learning how to show up for himself too. The way they held each other up without even knowing it and slowly began building that friendship and that trust was a great time to read even if I’m impatient.

All that to say, I really enjoyed this book. If you’re hesitant to read it because of the themes of grief just know that the climb back to her finding herself has so many beautiful and inspiring lessons woven throughout.

Thank you Random House for a copy of this ARC!