Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice rating: 🌶️/5

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me early access in exchange for my honest review.

Let me just say, I love Cara Bastone. Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me. The slow burn was very very slow. Like didn’t happen til almost the end slow. I found myself often getting bored or having the ICK about the storyline which sucks, because like I said, I love this author. I just think this one wasn’t not for me. It still was a very cute story and the parts about grief were written so well. So, I still would recommend but maybe in audiobook version.

"Lenny, when I look at your face, I feel like I'm finally home after a really long day at work."

FMC: Helen "Lenny" (28yrs)
MMC: Miles Honey

I loved everything about this book, and it's the book of the year for me. I know the year just started, but this is a book that I would hold dear to my heart for the rest of the year and possibly forever. It's a beautiful raw journey and I recommend to everyone, and I hope that at the end of this book you come out looking at the sunshine like I did. I can't promise you that you will love this book as much as I did (I really loved it so I hope you do too), but I can promise you that it's a beautiful book.

This is the first book I read by the author and I'm sold to read the rest of her book. I read the blurb, and I immediately knew I had to read it. From the blurb, I wanted to meet Lenny. I fell in love with Lenny from the first chapter. I felt like the author did a phenomenal job in writing Lenny and helping readers connect with her. The book is through Lenny's POV, and from the very first chapter you want to know more about her, and we are rooting for her. Miles comes along really early on the book, and I loved everything about their very first meeting and it just goes from there. I felt like I was living these adventures with Lenny and Miles as I was reading. I have so many moments I would love to talk about because I truly loved everything about them, but I'll leave it to you. Life is chaos and at times pain, and I hope that in life we find ourselves a Miles.

Cara Bastone writes about grief so well. I wasn't sure if be able to handle it, but it was lovely and so sweet. There were some great tips for living with grief, too. Given that I refuse to read nonfiction books about it, it's nice to get some sneaky advice. I'll be trying "something good for me, something bad for me, and a change of scenery."

I feel close to Miles and Lenny and will carry them with me. I said the same about Bastone's book last year and can't believe there was already a preview of 2026's book in this one. Can't wait to read it!

(I will note that both Ready or Not and this book were slow starters, so you might want to give them a good 25-30% to find the magic.)

Lenny is deeply grieving her best friend (basically sister) who recently died of cancer. She picks up a babysitting job for a single mom and finds meets the family's "neighbor," Miles, who takes an interest in her wellbeing. Miles helps Lenny dig out from the worst of her grief by helping her complete a bucket list meant to help her live again, and of course, the two fall in love. While I liked the characters of Lenny and Miles a lot (they were genuinely good people), some of the rest of the story was distractingly improbable. A depressed, nearly suicidal woman who isn't caring for her appearance or hygiene is hired to care for the child of a rich, Upper West Side family? She never goes back to her Brooklyn apartment, never takes another babysitting job (or other job) throughout the book, and doesn't go broke? A man with no other family keeps dropping in on a single woman and her daughter and no one has any red flags raised about this? I mean...

Not quite as well done as Bastone's previous work, Ready or Not, but readers who enjoyed that one will most likely enjoy this, too.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! I enjoyed every page, every tear, and slowly but surely - pure love. Lenny lost her best friend to cancer and fell into a deep depression. She meets Miles, a man going through his own transition in life and they become friends.
Do not miss your chance to read this book that will hit all of your feelings!
Thank you for the ARC!

ੈ♡˳ rating: four of five stars

ੈ♡˳ thoughts:

<i>thank you to net galley & the publisher for the arc in exchange for my honest review. </i>

finally a slow burn book, and it was done right. slow burn as in they’re admitting feelings 70%+ into the book, even though all know the truth.

i think this book perfectly portrays how grieving isn’t linear. some days are good, some days are bad, some days seems like the world is going to end, and some days seems like it’s just the beginning. my only issue with the grieving that was maybe a little bit unrealistic is how lucky the fmc (lenny) had it. she was able to not have a stable job, sleep on a ferry boat instead of have an apartment, etc. when in my experience with grieving, you have to learn how to still move around in the world when it seems as though your world is gone.

my only reasoning behind giving this a 4 instead of a 5, is at the end of the day i really did feel like miles and lenny were great best friends instead of being lovers.

ੈ♡˳ tropes
ꕥ friends to lovers
ꕥ he falls first
ꕥ slow burn

ੈ♡˳ fave quotes
ೃ⁀➷ “yeah, that’s right. you need strong. you need someone who can stop you from fighting large men on the street. you need someone who can wade in and pull you out of the swamp if you need me to. and i can be that person.”

ೃ⁀➷ “i’m never sleeping when i close my eyes like this with you.” “then what are you doing?” he pauses and i think he might not answer. but then he says, “i’m committing the moment to memory.”

◡̈ ◡̈ ◡̈

This was one of the best friends to lovers romance i have ever read because it was real and it was raw and it dealt head on with grief and Lenny dealing with the tragic loss of her best friend to cancer. While the pacing might have been quite slow I treasured it as I, myself, am quite familiar with grief. I enjoyed that their love story wasn't rushed but that they truly did become friends first and that Lenny didn't not have room in her heart for anything besides that or truly maybe not even friendship in the beginning because of the magnitude of her grief. I look forward to reading everything that Cara Bastone produces and publishes in the future. Thank you for this masterpiece! I can't wait to share it and recommend it to friends!

I loved Cara's first book so was thrilled to read this. This one lived up to the hype I had set in my mind. It was full of warm feelings but also deeper meaning and connection. I can't wait to read more of Cara's books in the future.

This book was BEAUTIFUL. I’m not a crier but this got me multiple times. I have already recommended this to several friends. Lenny and Miles are just amazing

Promise Me Sunshine was chock full of delight, tears, and the whole range of human emotion. It's been a long time since a romance novel has gripped me the way Promise Me Sunshine did. It kept me hooked the entire time, and I simply could not put it down.

An enjoyable read about grief and moving on after a devastating loss with a grump-sunshine romance sprinkled in. Lenny is the classic quirky sunshine female lead and Miles is our grumpy with a (not so secret) heart of gold male lead. They have a slow burn romance and really focus on Lenny's healing. You really root for the characters and feel connected to them.

With a perfect blend of grief, romance, and the subtle complexities of life after loss, Promise Me Sunshine lingers in your heart long after you've finished reading.

At the core of this book is Lenny, a young woman grieving the death of her best friend, Lou, from cancer. Lenny's journey through grief is depicted with such honesty and nuance that it feels like you're walking beside her, experiencing the ups and downs of her healing process. The author does an incredible job of showing how Lenny’s healing isn’t linear, but instead a messy, imperfect process that feels so real and relatable. It's impossible not to want to wrap Lenny in a hug as she navigates her grief, even as she starts to find joy again.

Enter Miles, the grumpy, awkward uncle of a kid Lenny is babysitting. Miles initially seems like an unlikely hero, but his slow burn connection with Lenny is nothing short of heartwarming. The way their friendship evolves into something deeper is beautifully done—there’s no rushing or forcing of the romance, just two people who begin to heal together. As the story unfolds, their banter, loyalty, and undeniable chemistry made me fall in love with them both. Miles is the kind of hero who is deeply caring, even if his tough exterior doesn’t always show it, and watching him grow alongside Lenny was such a rewarding experience.

The relationship between Lenny and Miles is definitely the heart of the book, and it's a slow-burn romance that builds beautifully over time. But what really sets this book apart is the way Cara Bastone handles grief. The portrayal of Lenny’s emotional journey is so nuanced and authentic. It’s not just about mourning but also about learning to live again—taking small, deliberate steps forward, with plenty of setbacks along the way. And while grief is the dominant theme, there’s also plenty of lightness in the story. The humor and banter between the characters provide the perfect balance—I definitely laughed out loud on a number of occasions.

Promise Me Sunshine is the kind of book that makes you feel, laugh, cry, and ultimately leaves you with a sense of hope. It was my first from Bastone, and I think I might just have to go back and read her others now, too.

The journey of grief that Lenny takes in this book is incredibly heart wrenching. The fact that she has Miles there to walk with her and pull her through some of the hardest moments was beautiful. I’m not sure I’ve read a book that has so accurately captured what it’s like to experience prolific sadness and the steps it takes to walk through the other side and continue living.

4.25 stars

Promise Me Sunshine is not a romance, it's a book about grief. We follow our main character Lenny, whose best friend Lou has died. Lenny befriends the kid she's nannying's uncle, Miles, who promises to help her with her grief, as he's experienced some on his own. I appreciated the stark emotional and physical descriptions of grief- how it makes you cry every day, and how you can see it in your hair and your skin. The book understands that grief can often feel ugly and uncomfortable, and I liked that it didn't shy away from it. The romance between Lenny and Miles is slow but I loved it so much. It's mostly dialogue-driven, and their grumpy sunshine banter was entertaining and funny. They are SO sweet to each other and they really understand each other in a way that feels unique to their relationship. While it did take a long time for their relationship to develop, I thought it was worth it and didn't mind- it is a book about Lenny's journey with grief after all. Promise Me Sunshine gave me the kind of escapism I look for in books, and I really liked it!

This was a great read, though slightly heavy, but not unbearable in the least. I was excited to read another book by Cara Bastone so I was so glad to get this opportunity. I feel that Bastone thoughtfully, thoroughly, tenderly, and accurately wrote about grieving and showing that while grief might not be something one can get past, but rather go through. Grief can be neverending, but I saw how the grief that the FMC and MMC experienced was a marker of how much love they had for what they lost.

Another amazing book from Cara Bastone. I LOVED Ready or Not, so I was so excited to get an advanced copy of this one. Lenny is dealing with the grief of losing her best friend when she meets Miles, the uncle of the child she is nannying. The two bond over living (or not) through grief and become close friends. I loved Lenny and Miles together but I also loved Lenny just by herself as the FMC. She’s funny and quirky and lovable, even when she is overwhelmed with absolute grief. I found myself giggling over her dialogue with Miles and the things she got him to do despite his grumpiness. What an interesting way to give us a grumpy/sunshine.

Absolutely loved this book!! It has such a positive message and a realistic outlook of experiencing grief. I loved Miles and Lenny’s friendship, and the way they take care of each other is so genuine and sweet.

A poignant, albeit heavy for the genre, homage to the impacts of loss and the process of grieving while still finding love in dark times. Arguably more enjoyable than her debut Bastone has cemented herself as a force in the romance genre, offering layered characters for readers to see themselves in.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and Dial Press Trade for providing this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Publishing March 4, 2025.

A friend recommended this book, and I thank her as well.

I ate my tears...

The theme of losing a loved one is very painful for me, but I continue to read such books, watch movies, cry, and embrace the pain.

It reminded me of a movie I watched long ago, Then Came You, which I liked.

This book is atmospheric, comforting, and heavy at the same time.

I liked the characters; Lenny is a wonderful friend, a true sunshine for everyone, but at the same time, she cries into her pillow (sorry, I’m crying).

I didn't want to write a review because I knew it would lead to another burst of tears; yes, I am an emotional person.

Why did you make me read this? Now I need Miles.

I’ll just say that this is a good romance for the evening where you can cry and laugh.

• How to cope with the loss of a loved one
• Sunshine and Grumpy
• Babysitter
• Friends to lovers
• Learning to love life
• Slow burn romance
• Bucket list
• Depression
• 1 POV

Review on Goodreads @Nika, on Fabel @Nikole

This book broke my heart but stitched it right back up again in the best way.

Promise Me Sunshine follows Lenny, our FMC who is left reeling after her best friend's death. Having lost what she considers to be her other half, she's barely holding on, and definitely not anywhere close to completing the "live-again" list that the two made to help her move past her grief. However, when she meets Miles, a near-stranger who is all-too-familiar with the feelings she's experiencing, they strike a deal: if she helps him bond with his niece that she's been babysitting, he'll help her complete her list and finally move forward.

Cara Bastone beautifully portrays that healing doesn't always happen in a straight line. This story does an amazing job of detailing the ways in which people show up for one another, even if we're feeling broken ourselves. Writing this deeply about grief is not an easy task; it's easy to write that someone 'lives on in' someone else, but it's hard to have someone walking away feeling like it's true. And in this case, I 100% believed in the journey of Lenny, Lou, and Miles. The ending felt like pure magic; Bastone masterfully inspired renewed hope and happiness for life after loss.

And let me just say, Miles was perfect. As a (fictional) human and as a romantic lead. One of my favorites. Acts of service men always get me <3

However, even though I loved it, it definitely wasn't what I was expecting genre-wise. While it does have a lot of the necessary trademarks of a romance novel, it didn't feel like one while reading it, especially since it was only treated as a romance within the last third of the book. Maybe, though I knew it would be heavy, the title and general vibe made it seem like there would be more lightness and romance than there was? Don't get me wrong, I still really resonated with it and loved the fully comprehensive healing journey, but I feel like it would be easy for a reader to mistake this book for something it's not. To me, it's more about Lenny's development than the love story between her and Miles.

4.5 stars rounded up! Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Dial Press Trade for providing this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads review posted, and Instagram posted on @recsbyallisonpaige!