5 ⭐️

I absolutely LOVED LENNY AND MILES!!!!!🩷 their story was so beautiful, raw, heartbreaking and the perfect depiction of how it is when you lose a loved one 😢
Miles was literally the biggest sweetheart and the way he cared for Lenny was everything!!😭 He knew exactly what Lenny was going through and while he was also still in pain, did all he could to make sure she was okay and ugh I ADORED HIM SO MUCH!!!🩷
And Lenny…I would hug her so hard if I could. I completely understood her pain and anger, and I loved her character growth throughout the story.

They were the perfect friends to lovers also 🥹🥹🥹

I’ve loved Cara’s writing since Ready or Not, and I can’t wait to see what else she releases in the future!!🩷

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!🩷

This book was such a wonderful depiction of grief after loss and dealing with the fallout while everyone else moves on, but also of falling in love and making new friendships despite your brokenheart. There were funny moments, heartbreaking real moments, and everything in between! Plus a perfect man who knows exactly what you need, even if that means the romance moves at a glacial pace to ensure she is ready. While yes this is a romance, it is so much more than that.

I received a free early copy of this book for review. This is my own opinion.

<b>Genre:</b> Romance, women’s fiction
<b>Tropes:</b> hurt comfort, friends to lovers
<b>Spice Level:</b> on page, non-descriptive
<b>Content Warning:</b> grief: death of a friend to cancer, off page but a central theme.

When I tell you this book put me on the floor… I have been put through an emotional wringer after reading all but the first 3 pages of this in one day. I couldn’t put it down. I cried outside a restaurant waiting for a table.

Cara Bastone has the unique ability to create such real, relatable relationships, both romantic and otherwise, even when they’re <i>nothing </i>like my lived experiences. I feel like I lived Lenny’s life with her, growing to love Ainsley and Miles, her connection with Jericho. The way she grieved and grew. I’m crying again just thinking about it. (I cried probably a dozen times while reading.)

This book is so soft. It’s gentle. It’s not in your face. It is, to paraphrase John Green, slow and then all at once. Lenny and Miles’s story is so freaking lovely.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and The Dial Press for this one. It’s going in my favorites list for sure.

“Promise Me Sunshine” was such a well-done romance. Lenny is trying to navigate life after the death of her best friend since childhood. Since they were more like sisters, she is obviously not taking it well at all, but she’s trying to get by with short-term nannying gigs. Miles, the uncle of the girl she is nannying for, is concerned for her grief (having experienced similar grief in his own life) and strikes up a bargain: he will help her to navigate her grief and healing, and in return she will help him connect with his niece.

This book was a pure 6⭐️ feeling since the start! I was absolutely hooked on Lenny, the FMC right away, and Miles grew on me so subtly but deeply that they are now one of my favorite book couples of all time. They are not your traditional romance couple, though. In a lineup, Miles would never be picked first, but he grows on you and you never want him to leave. Lenny’s sense of humor and quirkiness are so wholesome and fun, it immediately draws you to her, and I laughed out loud multiple times.

This is not a romance in the traditional sense, but the romance still filled my soul with bubbles. It’s about loving someone steadfastly and sometimes thanklessly, about being there for them no matter what, loving and helping them because you’ve been there and know what it’s like.

Grief and loss undercurrent the entire story but the story itself is not depressing and somber. It’s funny and real and heartwarming and heartbreaking and memorable. No notes. I am still thinking about it every day.

Thank you to Random House Press and NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for letting me read this great ARC.

I really liked this book. It was a slow burn romance and just really made you get to know and love the characters in the book. It takes you through Lenny’s griefing process. I feel like Cara Barstone done such a great job at explaining the griefing process and how it looks for people. Thank you for such a heartwarming book! This is my second book by Cara Barstone and I’ve really liked both!

This book comes out March 4th so make sure you put you put it in your TBR list.

It’s hard to tackle a topic like grief and sadness and make it inspiring and meaningful to a reader who hasn’t experienced a loss like Lenny, let alone incorporate this topic into a romance book, but this author did a spectacular job in balancing all the emotions that go into both falling in love and mourning a loss.

Though this book is first and foremost about grief and managing daily struggles after a major loss. You felt Lenny’s sadness through these pages, but not once did it feel as her sorrow swallowed the story. Her progression through this book felt natural and the storyline with Miles helped enhance Lenny’s journey. Though the way Miles and Lenny connected was heartwarming and heartbreaking, how they mended each other through little actions and encouragement really showed the heart of the book and the depth of their character.

I truly enjoyed this book from start to finish and it felt like a little sunshine after a rainy day. It’s a well written book that you can easily get lost in with characters charming and likeable. I would 100% recommend reading this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback

*Thank you to Net Galley and PRH Audio for access to the advance reader's copy and free audiobook for this book!

Every once in a while you stumble upon an author that you instantly fall in love with. That's how I felt reading Ready or Not by Cara Bastone. Picking up another novel by this author, I was nervous her writing wouldn't hold the magic I had felt it possessed. Fortunately, Promise Me Sunshine proved that fear to be unwarranted!
I had such a wonderful time reading/listening to this story. I absolutely adored the narrator of Ready or Not, Alex Finke, and was so excited that she was narrating the audiobook for Promise Me Sunshine. Her narration really brings Bastone's words to life and allows the reader to fully embrace their humor and their heartbreak.
Bastone created such rich characters in Promise Me Sunshine, which is even more impressive when you consider that this story only provides one perspective. Bastone's writing is so good that the reader is still given a full, complete, and depth-filled male main character even though we're never in his head. As impressive as our male main character's characterization is, there is absolute magic in the female main character that Bastone brings to life. She's complex, challenging, relatable, and so utterly lovable.
This story is difficult to read at times. Bastone does not shy away from the ugly side of grief and grieving. It is front and center in this story and readers should be prepared for that. Fortunately, Bastone handles this topic with the care and nuance it deserves.
I enjoyed this book so completely and urge everyone to add Promise Me Sunshine to their TBR!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC. A story of grief, family and navigating life after loss. Lenny’s loss of her best friend pushes her to find her meaning in nannying Ainsley. While searching for normalcy, Lenny befriends Ainsley’s uncle Miles who is desperate to be helpful in Ainsley’s life while supporting Lenny’s grief journey through his own familiarity with it. Heart wrenching and beautiful and the tears were absolutely worth it.

I loved this book so much!!! The characters were so well rounded and perfect!
It had me laughing and crying the whole time!
This story hit home so hard and Cara did a beautiful job of navigating loss and continuing to live and learn to love again!
Thank you for the arc!

5 stars

I absolutely loved this book. Before reading, be aware that this book does tackle a very heavy theme of grief and loss of loved ones. I thought this story was so beautifully and tastefully done. The depiction of grief was raw and how moving forward from loss is a team effort. You need people to help you move forward and pull you out of the depths of the dark places where grief leads you. Lenny and Miles had such a beautiful friends to lovers theme and they were both the person that each other needed at the perfect time. They filled a void in each other's lives. The side characters were a hoot and honestly made the story. I loved watching the relationship between Ainsley and Miles blossom. I would definitely recommend this book.

I cannot wait to read Cara Bastone's other books.

4.5 Stars. This book was so heartwarming and a great story about finding yourself through the grief journey. The writing was beautiful, raw, and realistic to bring to life Lenny’s story of getting back to herself after the loss of her best friend. Her connection with Miles was slow and endearing, and really hit the heartstrings. I highly recommend grabbing this when it comes out March 4th!

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review.

this story follows lenny, who has recently lost her best friend to cancer and she is in other words drowning, she goes to a new nanny job and runs into miles, the uncle of the girl she is nannying for. they strike up a deal, lenny teaches miles how to connect with his niece and he helps lenny learn how to love life and live again.

wow this book was incredible! this was my first book by care bastone and it definitely won't be my last! this book is very grief heavy so be sure to have those tissues near! i loved lenny's journey and how she navigated this new era of life without the person who knows her better than anyone. if i lost my best friend i would be in shambles. the romance in this was a slow burn and i ate up every second. miles being there and showing lenny how to navigate through life was truly incredible and i highlighted SO. MUCH. will be going on release day to get my physical copy so i can annotate this bad boy.

read this if you love:
☀️ strangers to friends to lovers
☀️ grumpy (who's actually a cinnamon roll) x sunshine
☀️ found family
☀️ slow burn
☀️ healing through love

promise me sunshine by cara bastone will be available everywhere on march 4th!

Absolutely delightful. This book manages to deal with grief and be heavy yet hopeful.

Lenny's best friend recently died and she's a bit of a mess. She can't bring herself to go home to the apartment they shared and she's working temporary nannying jobs to stay busy. At her newest gig, she meets Miles, who has been through grief himself and offers to help Lenny through it in exchange for her teaching him how to relate to his niece.

There were some absolutely hilarious moments throughout the book as well as plenty of sadness. It was truly an emotional rollercoaster. Definitely the best romance novel I've read so far this year. Highly recommend.

You can’t go wrong with. a Bastone book! Another slow burn romance that pays off with no third act breakup.

Slight spoilers below!

We meet Lenny at the beginning of her journey of grief after losing her best friend and soul sister, Lou. Desperate to avoid feeling the pain of this loss, she accepts a nanny job that is originally just supposed to last the weekend. Here she meets Miles, the surly half brother of Reese, and uncle to Ainsley. Miles is struggling to figure out his place in the last remnants of family he has, and so far it is not going well. This unlikely pair form a bond that starts out as necessity, but quickly morphs into friendship while sneakily morphing into more than friendship.

I have never read a book that puts words to the internal turmoil of navigating grief like this one does. Promise Me Sunshine is an anchor in the storm of grief that life tends to throw our way. Cara weaves a story that makes you laugh, cry sad tears, cry happy tears, sit in contemplative thought, and imprints on your heart long after the book is done.

"But maybe it won't bring everyone down with me. Maybe instead it'll be the other way around. Maybe they'll bring me up, where the light is."- Lenny

✨ eARC Book Review ✨

☀️ Promise Me Sunshine - Cara Bastone ☀️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Promise me Sunshine follows the story of Lenny who is in the trenches of grief after losing her best friend Lou to cancer. Lenny has been avoiding her apartment, her parents and generally anything that could potentially remind her of Lou. It is not until she starts a new job as a Nanny that she happens to meet Miles. Miles has also experienced loss and agrees to become Lenny’s grief buddy, helping her to come out of the trenches and finish a list her best friend made her promise to finish.

So let me start by saying this is not your fluffy insta-love romance. It’s a book filled with grief, losing your best friend and trying to move forward in life. It was sad, messy, raw, yet real and quite wholesome. It took me a while to get into the book as I felt distracted. But once I got into the thick of it, I couldn’t put it down. Lenny & Miles friendship was so sweet. I loved their banter together and I loved how when Lenny called, Miles was there with her immediately. But more than that I just loved that they were just great friends before anything. I was pining the whole book waiting for something more to happen between them, because it just seemed so obvious to me. But this was a SLOW BURN, but in the best way. The pacing of their relationship felt very realistic and in tune with what Lenny was going through at the time. It didn’t feel like insta love. It felt real, and messy at times and I just really appreciated that and enjoyed this story.

I definitely recommend this one if you’re looking for more than just a romance book, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

✨Promise Me Sunshine comes out 3/4/25 so be sure to mark your calendars! ✨

A huge thanks for @netgalley, Random House Publishing and of course @carabastone for allowing me to read an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adored this book. Cara Bastone made me feel all the feels with this book. As someone who lost their best friend to death as well, I felt like I could relate. Our grief was different as she actually cared for her best friend durning her sickness, but either way, this book healed parts of me I didn’t know needed heal. And then finding the love of her life in between this grief and rediscovering of herself? It was like the cherry on top. This will go on my favorites list for sure.

“Mom, he walked into hell and dragged me back out.”

This book wrecked me and then put me back together again. A true real life romance. When grief leaves Lenny paralyzed, Miles her grief co-pilot steps in to help her navigate her “new normal”. Miles is the definition of golden retriever. This is a beautiful love story of how to navigate loss and finding joy and the feeling of being alive after. This romance is not over the top unbelievable. Real life situations occur leaving Miles and Lenny better people along the way!

Lenny has been trapped in limbo after her best friend, Lou, passed away after losing her battle to cancer. Lenny and Lou were friends since childhood, connected at the hip, best-friend-soulmates, and Lenny is understandably in anguish. She spends her time avoiding her loved ones, dodging calls from her parents, and even avoiding her apartment, which she shared with Lou; she does, however, keep up with short-term nannying gigs. When she begins a new job for single mom, Reese, watching her daughter, Ainsley, she doesn't expect a hovering presence to keep watch: Ainsley's uncle Miles, who lives in the apartment upstairs, and is clearly protective and suspicious of anyone new coming into Reese and Ainsley's lives. Lenny and Miles don't get off on the right foot, but when Miles realizes that Lenny and Ainsley have an incredible rapport, and that Lenny seems to be coping with something intense, he begs her to keep working for Reese and stay in their lives.

It turns out that Miles is the perfect person to help Lenny work through her own crippling grief, because he has been through his fair share of loss, himself. Miles soon becomes available to Lenny night and day, making sure that she is safe and fed; making sure that she has a partner to cross off each item on the bucket list of sorts that Lou left behind for Lenny; and making sure that Lenny has someone to walk her through the healing process of grief.

I absolutely loved this book - I received an early digital copy, but have already pre-ordered a hard copy because it was so meaningful to me! Several tears were spilled throughout my reading journey. For anyone who has grieved a loss of any kind, this book will speak to you. For me, Cara Bastone was able to put the feelings and emotions of grief into words I haven't been able to express before, which was a beautiful and powerful gift to be able to read. The connection between Miles and Lenny was also beautiful and powerful to read, made even more powerful by the understanding they have for one another based on their shared pain.

In particular, I loved when Miles helped Lenny realize that she was experiencing "guilt" as a result of feeling joy for the first time since Lou passed away; Miles then explains that this does not mean that Lenny is "getting over" the death of Lou or "forgetting" her, but that Lenny is healing and creating a new relationship that will allow Lenny to figure out how to keep on loving Lou even though she is gone. Another beautiful moment for me was at the tail end of the book when Lenny brings Miles to a special spot - one of Lou's favorite places in NYC (which also happens to be one of mine, and a place I have shared with someone I am grieving) - and Lenny "introduces" Miles and Lou to one another.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dial Press for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Steam Level: 🔥🔥🔥 (mildly descriptive open door scenes)
Trigger Warning: death of a loved one

Lenny hasn't been the same since her best friend died from cancer. She's supposed to go on living, but just getting through each day is a struggle. That's when she meets Miles. He knows exactly what Lenny is going through and decides to help her learn to live again. Can Lenny find a way to remember her friend and make room in her heart for Miles?

Requesting this book from Netgalley was a no-brainer after I loved Ready or Not by Cara Bastone last year. This was another great read with a SLOW burn that fans of Mariana Zapata will adore. As noted in my synopsis and trigger warning, the plot focuses on Lenny healing from the death of her best friend. Definitely something to keep in mind if you're sensitive to this or going through a recent loss. I felt like Lenny's grief was portrayed really well and showed how hard it could be to move forward. Miles swept right in and became Lenny's friend, protector, therapist, and more. He was a bit of a grump in the beginning but just needed someone like Lenny to help him open up and enjoy life. The romance was such a seamless transition from strangers to friends to lovers. There wasn't even a third act breakup! Instead we got to see these two heal each other and move forward together. I did think the end was a bit fast, and there were two pretty big moments that I wanted to see Lenny experience. That being said, I still really liked where the characters were at the end. I'll definitely be picking up whatever Cara Bastone writes next!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.