This book broke my heart and put it back together. I loved they way both mcs were 100% there for each other. Through everything. The way they became friends and got each other through hard times while also experiencing happy moments with each other was so heartwarming. I laughed and cried with them and I‘ll definitely will be rereading this book next year! Also the sneak peek at the end? Can‘t wait for whats to come!!!

The characters, the setting, the friendships, the love and grief and absolutely everything about this was utterly perfect!

“Promise Me Sunshine” by Cara Bastone
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🤓🤓🤓🤓

THIS BOOK!!! This is not hyperbole: I laughed out loud. I cried actual tears. I think my heart grew 2 sizes? Okay, that last part was hyperbole, but I loved this so so so much. It comes out 3/5/25 and if you need something to read before then, try “Ready or Not” by @carabastone to keep you satisfied until then. Her writing is witty, heartfelt, and she writes men who are kind and thoughtful and safe…just what we all need right now! Bravissima!!! (I’m not Italian, but it seems like something the FMC would say, so here we are).

I absolutely loved this book! I couldn’t put it down. I laughed, I cried and I never wanted it to end. The way she was able to weave this beauty story with grief and hope felt so real and relatable. I loved Lenny and he wit even though she felt half alive. Miles was just the perfect person to help Lenny through her healing, while also continuing to heal from his. Reese and Ainsley just added to the story in such a delightful way. Thank you for the opportunity to read this and it will be with me for a lot time!

I really really loved this book. So close to five stars for me. Obviously cried at the end. Such a great dynamic between the main characters and loved no third act breakup.

It’s raining from my swollen eyes! Sad tears, happy tears, tears of laughter…..you’ll get them all from this wonderful, heartwarming story. Twenty-eight year old Lenny is drowning in grief, following the death of her best friend since childhood Lou, from ovarian cancer. Unable to return to their shared Brooklyn apartment, Lenny spends nights sleeping on the benches of the Staten Island ferry as it travels back and forth between Staten Island and Manhattan. By day, she has taken a nanny job to care for seven-year old Ainsley while her single mother Reese works . On her first day of work, Lenny meets Uncle Miles as they’re both entering Reese’s apartment and while the initial encounter is anything but friendly, Miles rushes to Lenny’s side after her workday has ended, when she engages in a street confrontation with a strange man who has caused an accident. As the two get to know one another, Miles who himself has suffered great loss, decides to help Lenny tackle her “Living Again” list to deal with her grief and find joy again in living. Every single character in this story is likeable and lovable and will enrich your life with lessons on friendship, grief, family and love. Kudos to Ms. Bastone for giving voice to the dialogue between Lenny and Miles that is very original and hilariously funny.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Random House/Dial Press Trade Paperback for giving me the exquisite experience of being an early digital reader in exchange for my honest opinion.

Cara Bastone does an incredible job on character development and Lenny and Miles did not disappoint. I loved their flaws and quirks. She seems to come up with unique ways to speak about ordinary experiences that are relatable to many. I could feel Lenny's loss here just like I could feel Eve's struggle with navigating pregnancy single in READY OR NOT. She honours the depth and investment many make into the friendships closest to them.

In PROMISE ME SUNSHINE, it felt like the middle dragged and the ending could have been just fine cut around the Chapter 31 mark. At times it felt repetitive like the author wasn't sure the reader got it the clue the first time she mentioned it - like the importance of Lou or losses felt by Miles. We got it.

Overall, I enjoyed the read and the characters and they are worth spending some time with. Thanks for the ARC.

This book changed me as a person. I was crying through the whole thing and felt Lenny's journey so deeply. The focus of the book being her grief and recovery from grief really hit home for me. I have felt how she felt in many parts of the book which really helped me connect to her. The way that Miles was so sweet and gentle and safe for her was everything to me. It really felt like they made each other better, and will be together forever in my mind. I don't know if I will be able to stop thinking about this book anytime soon.

This is one of those books you read that completely change your outlook on life. I don’t even have words to describe how much this book meant to me. Such an amazing book about grief and heartbreak but also love and finding joy in life after loss again. I related so much to Lenny it hurt at times but she healed a part of me genuinely. Miles was also just perfect and literally noticed every single thing about Lenny and it made me melt. I’m so glad I had the privilege of reading this book early.

I REALLY loved this book. After loving Bastone’s last novel, Ready or Not, I was so excited for this one. This really explored how horrible grief can be but how having someone who understands how you’re feeling. I loved the slow burn romance but I loved that it wasn’t the main story. One of my favorite reads of the year so far!

4.25 I thoroughly enjoyed this! The book did a great job depicting the journey of grieving a friend and making a prevalent point about how loss intertwines with every aspect of life. It was so tender to see Miles meeting Lenny where she was in her grief. At the same time, it was a funny and hopeful read that I highly recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC!

Promise me Sunshine is a beautiful story about trying to live life again after loss. With stepping out of your comfort zone and trying to connect again. Slow burn and tension fill the pages while Bastone’s creates such witty imagery. I felt like I was on the journey with Lenny and Miles cheering them on and rooting for their happiness. You slip into the story with ease you’ll want to make camp and get cozy.

After losing her best friend Lou, Lenny is struggling to stay afloat. When she starts a new temporary babysitting gig, she meets the kid’s uncle Miles, who sees and understands her grief. They end up making a deal: Miles will help Lenny tackle Lou’s bucket list if she helps him connect to his niece. This unexpected friendship may be what Lenny needs to find happiness again.

Ready or Not was one of my favourite books in 2024, so I was ecstatic to read Promise Me Sunshine. This book was so beautiful. Cara is a masterclass at writing emotional stories with such relatable characters. I loved the flashbacks of Lenny’s friendship with Lou. Their bond was so strong and you could feel the love through the pages. Miles was such a sweetheart and it was amazing to see how he helped Lenny find herself again. The slow burn, friends-to-lovers relationship was so special and I really enjoyed this book.

What to expect:
☀️ Romantic Comedy
☀️ Forced Proximity
☀️ Friends-to-Lovers
☀️ Slow Burn
☀️ Grief

Thank you to Cara Bastone, Dial Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

☀️ ARC review: Promise Me Sunshine

This was such a sweet story! 🥹 Lenny is grieving the loss of her best friend, Lou, and takes a temporary babysitting gig with Reese and her daughter Ainsley. She meets Miles, Ainsley’s uncle, and the two strike up a deal - Lenny will help Miles learn how to develop a relationship with his niece, and Miles will help Lenny learn to live life again while grieving such a monumental loss.

This was a slow burn, enemies to friends to lovers story with hilarious side characters and I really enjoyed it! I feel like it did justice to describing how complex navigating grief really is while still seamlessly allowing their relationship to slowly develop. I would say it was just a touch too long for my liking as a romance, but overall I highly recommend! 💕

Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! ☀️

I adore Cara Bastone’s writing style and ability to create unique and beautiful characters. She does it again with a heartfelt grumpy-sunshine story that goes deeper than your typical romance.

Throughout the book, the characters deal with loss and grief, so if you’re experiencing these things, too, read with care. You may find something to relate to or help along the way, and it may not be the right time to approach this book for everyone.

I was provided a complimentary e-galley on NetGalley by Random House Publishing - Dial Press.

Promise Me Sunshine ARC Review
✨4.25/5
Pub date: March 4, 2025

This was such a lovely book! Promise Me Sunshine follows Lenny as she navigates her life following the loss of her best friend. This book doesn’t shy away from the topic of grief and how nuanced and all encompassing it can be. Lenny has such a big, bold personality, and watching her find the balance between feeling the grief of loss and continuing to take care of herself and get used to this new reality with the help of Miles, the uncle of the kid she takes care of and someone who has also dealt with loss, I felt was very thoughtfully done.

The relationship between Lenny and Miles was also such a breath of fresh air. Their friendship is what builds first and it was so nice to watch that develop and grow into something more so naturally. I also kind of loved how awkward Lenny was with him and well they communicated with each other.

Overall, this was a solid read and I definitely recommend it if it sounds like it’s for you! Thank you to @netgalley @thedialpress for the ARC!

Another absolute stunner by Bastone. Somehow I ended up reading two books back to back that tackled the subject of grief, yet both have a completely different and unique feel. The person who Lenny grieves in this story is her best friend since childhood and she starts the book lost, broken and ambling through life in the wake of Lou's death with little in the way of direction, avoiding both her family as well as the apartment where they lived together. Enter Miles, who arrives into her life via her job as babysitter to his niece Ainsley and strikes a deal with Lenny to help her complete her "live again" list in exchange for assistance in how to connect with young Ainsley and mend fences with her mother, with whom he currently has a strained relationship. This arrangement turns Lenny and Miles from acquaintances crossing paths into friends who slowly slide into love by the very end once enough healing has taken place for Lenny to emerge from her pain anew as a whole person. Bastone does a wonderful job of describing the specific look and feel of New York City, making me feel like I was there alongside the characters, and the humor she frequently employs helps the story not feel oppressive while it covers very serious topics. The writing here is beautiful, tender and rather thoughtful with evocative phrases and moments scattered throughout that stuck with me long afterward; I really like the notion of someone being more willing to do something if they are led into it rather than pushing them as well as taking a moment to commit something special to memory. The lovely cast of secondary characters each add a distinct ingredient to the mix while filling out this world, and I loved there is even room for one from Ready or Not to appear in a fun cameo. Bastone has quickly become one of my favorite authors, with this latest entry sure to be one of my top reads of 2025.

I loved Miles. He was a good man who showed up and was kind, gentle and thoughtful. He’s the type of guy women want when they feel like their world is flipped upside down. He was truly the best part of this book, and I can see many people loving him

There were MANY quotes that were well done, and I appreciated their complexity and sensitive messages. (these are mostly from Miles)

“I want something that feels… natural, even if it's not always sexy.”

“...he’s the wall between me and the world and it's so lovely I could cry.”

“This journey through grief… it's what we do for the great loves of our lives.”

“You are not betraying her by healing.”

The plot premise was wonderful and so much of this had potential. I adore books about grief, so I appreciated the vulnerability of Lenny and Miles. I also loved the tattoo scene, the dance number and Lenny’s parents.

OVERALL: for the right reader, this will be loved and adored. I’m just not that girl.

THOUGHTS:
for a romance book, I was not romanced. The grief took over any good tension and I felt zero chemistry until maybe the last 15%. It could have been done in a way to make them coexist, but Lenny (The FMC) was so self-absorbed that nothing else had room to breathe. I get it, she’s grieving, and we all move through loss differently. As someone who’s lost many loved ones, I understand the grief, but she needed therapy. Not a wise guy friend. This girl is one headache away from doing drugs or worse and she needed real professional help. Instead, Miles swoops in like some type of savior. Just because he has lost loved ones, doesn’t make him equipped to fix her. Help, support and love? Yes.

I didn’t understand the purpose of many middle scenes, other than to reiterate that Lenny is miserable, and Miles is the best thing that’s happened to her.

When the romance finally showed up at 85%, it was cringey and weird. She sees him naked and... “I explode into laughter.” (What the hell woman?) He immediately pauses their love making and then she says, “He thinks he’s the boss of me? No. I’m the boss of him. And I’m going to take charge and do the sex!”

Her dialogue and actions (regardless of her grieving) felt like a juvenile, and she’s supposed to be in her 30s? Lenny was a brat. Sorry, someone has to say it. Even after she is healing and seems to be doing better, she’s "a mess" and she lets her friends make fun of Miles:

“No offense, but there’s an obvious lack of effort here” (pointing at Miles)

“So I should have worn a sweater?”

“oh, God bless him for trying,” and the group bursts out laughing”

She is doing weird things like, “I turn and collapse onto him and throw his book as far as I can.”

The writing didn’t allow me to visualize them at all. Lenny has long brown hair and she’s a wreck for 90% of the book. Miles is “not good-looking, really. Low-grade sexy.” and “You’ve got a face like a bulldog.”
Later she call’s him hot after comparing him to "a gravel road" but I don’t know what it even means.

OVERALL, II: I can see where people will love this book. Its bingeable, Miles is the sweetest human and there’s some cute and funny parts. I’m genuinely happy for the people who loved it.

This book blew me away. I picked it up, and from the first chapter I literally could not put it down. The characters are so dimensional, and so relatable. Even the side characters are really well flushed out- you’re immediately pulled into the world.

This is a story of grief, but also of finding yourself while you work through it. There’s a romance, but it’s no way the central point of the book. Despite being grief-centric, the book itself isn’t too heavy hearted - as the characters are able to find moments to pull themselves out of it, you are too.

I have so much to say about this book, but really - just pick it up for yourself.

Promise Me Sunshine
•
“There’s never anything we can do to keep someone alive, Lenny. There’s no bargain you can make. It’s an illusion. A terrible illusion. The only thing you ever could have done is what you’re doing right now. Sending her off.”
•
Oh my gosh, this book 🥹 I don’t know if I can properly put it into words how absolutely amazing this book is. If you have ever lost anyone close to you, you will feel this book in your veins. It’s about a great loss, the ugliness and beauty in grief, your life after, unconditional love, healing and understanding that there is not one way to heal and even if you are crawling you are still making it through. I seriously cannot say enough great things, I didn’t want it to end! There were so many simple moments throughout this book that left a beautiful ache in my heart.

“Instead of panicked sadness, I simply feel that I might be briefly living inside a wonderful moment.”

There was such a spectrum of emotions while reading this one. There were moments I thought I was reading about myself, moments I laughed, times I had to put it down and reflect, but immediately wanting to pick it back up. I was also a nanny way back when and so I found a lot of comfort in reading about that part of Lenny’s life. There are a lot of lessons to be learned here and I hope ya’ll love it as much as I did! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
•
“Something good for you, something bad for you, and a change of scenery. That’s the winning formula.”
•
Thank you @carabastone @thedialpress and @netgalley for this e-arc, Promise Me Sunshine comes out March 4th!

4.5 stars!

Promise Me Sunshine was such a great book!

It follows. a woman named Lenny who is grieving the recent loss of her best friend. When she takes a job nannying for a young girl named Ainsley, she meets Ainsley's uncle, Miles, who has been through grief of his own and who steps in to help Lenny complete a list of activities to help her live again.

I really liked both Lenny and Miles. Lenny was funny enough to make me laugh out loud several time and Miles was incredibly thoughtful. The romance between these two was so beautiful. I loved watching them build a foundation of strong friendship before slowly falling in love with each other. They communicated honestly throughout the whole book, went out of their way to be there for each other., and had really fun banter too. If you like Luke and Lorelai as a couple in Gilmore girls, I think you'd love this couple as they have a similar dynamic of an upbeat quirky woman with a more stoic, slightly exasperated man.

Outside of the romance, there was an interesting side plot involving Miles trying to become closer with Ainsley and her mother (his sister). This storyline definitely took a backseat to the romance and the grief which made it a little lackluster in comparison. It was resolved in a nice way but that would have been more satisfying if we'd spent more time working towards it.

This book was also more serious than a regular romcom, since it dealt heavily with the topic of grief but it was handled in a way that felt realistic and emotional without bringing the overall mood of the book down.

There's something about Cara Bastone's writing that's so addictive. The pacing of both the romance and the plot were perfect and kept me flying through the pages, much like I did with her last release, Ready or Not. If you're looking for a romance with a strong female lead, a sweet and kind love interest, a slowburn romance, and a heartwarming story, I would highly recommend this book!