This was incredibly profound and moving - absolutely loved every second, will stick with me for a long time.

Here is what I've come to learn about Cara Bastone novels. First and foremost, they are funny. Relatable funny that genuinely make you laugh out loud while exploring a topic that isn't funny at all. I am fortunate enough that I haven't lost someone in my life like Lenny has nor have I had an unplanned pregnancy like Eve had (Ready or Not - so good), for that matter. However I feel as though I went through the roller coaster of emotions with both written in such a careful way. Maybe I couldn't necessarily empathize, but Lenny feels so real and the grace that I want to give her in the story feels genuine. She deserved grace even when she wasn't at her best. I think there's probably a lesson in there somewhere.

Sidenote: If someone can write a green flag man, it's her. She hands them out like Oprah. Every MMC gets a green flag, even if he is a little grumpy at first.

PS: Shep is still my favorite.

I said in another review recently that grief is inescapable. It seems to be a prevalent theme in nearly every book I read and movie/TV show I watch. Grief has always been part of my life, but it’s an all-encompassing one since my mum died, so instead of shying away from it like a normal person might do, I’ve embraced it. Reading books like Promise Me Sunshine makes me glad for my slightly masochistic tendencies.

On a very personal note, this book made me feel seen in a way I haven’t before. The way Lenny felt about Lou touched me deeply. For the most part, when people talk about soulmates and the love of their life, they’re referring to a romantic partner, but Lou was Lenny’s soulmate and the love of her life, and that’s exactly how I felt about my mum. She was my best friend and my whole world and losing her changed me to my very core. I understood the depths of Lenny’s grief, how all-encompassing it was. How part of you can die with someone. I highlighted dozens of passages as I read because they resonated so deeply. It was a beautiful, gutwrenching, heartfelt exploration of grief and what it means to lose your person and have to continue living. I ran the gamut from tearing up to sobbing until I felt sick, but it was ultimately cathartic and also comforting to feel so seen and understood, to see my own grief and love reflected back to me in these pages.

Promise Me Sunshine was a love story in every sense of the word. It was a love story between Lenny and Lou, between Lenny and Miles, between Lenny and her new friends/found family, and a love story between Lenny and herself as she learned to live and love again. I loved every moment of watching Lenny and Miles fall in love. Lenny was so quirky and chaotic and then there was her grief, which was like a separate personality in itself. Miles was serious, gruff, and steady with so many hidden layers. Caretaking was his love language and all the little things he did for Lenny, Reese, and Ainsley warmed my heart (and made me swoon). I’d give anything to have someone like Miles in my life to help me navigate grief and the healing process.

I’m blown away by Cara Bastone’s storytelling abilities and how these characters could have me laughing myself silly one minute and then sobbing the next. There was a whole lot of swooning mixed in with the laughing and crying too. I already know Promise Me Sunshine is going to be one of my top 2025 favourite reads.

Promise Me Sunshine
Cara Bastone
3.5/4

Lenny is grieving the death of her best friend, Lou. Part of her grieving includes taking short-term nannying jobs. When she is hired by Reese to take care of her daughter, Ainsley, she meets Ainsley's uncle, Miles - the grumpy man who lives upstairs. Little does she know that Miles is also suffering his own grief. Together they form an unlikely friendship to help one another through their grieving process.

Bastone did a fantastic job of the grief aspect of this book. There were several times throughout the book when I wanted to squeeze both Lenny and Miles so tightly. I absolutely adored the slow, slow burn of these two characters and loved that they developed a friendship first before a relationship. I do wish we got to see more of Lenny and Lou's friendship in flashbacks but other than that, I think many readers will really resonate with this book.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the arc of this in exchange for my honest review!

*Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Dial Press Trade Paperback for the ARC!*

“Every time I fall in love with you there’s lightning.” He closes his eyes, opens them and there’s his brilliant love. “There’s only you, Lenny. Every time … it’s just you,” he says, muffled as he kisses me. “And you.” He kisses me again. “And you.”

God this book, this novel of a love story. This was not a romance, this book was pure unadulterated love. This book has easily become my favorite book of the year so far and I cannot wait to tell anyone and everyone about this book.

Lenny, oh sweet sweet Lenny. I felt for her on such a deep level. She lost her best friend, comrade, soulmate, all rolled into one and Miles just comes in, like the grumpy little golden retriever he is and breathed life back into Lenny. Lou was 100% watching over Lenny and threw Miles at her and told her to “Suck it up, here is someone you can fantasize about forever, and he isn’t even a firefighter!”

1000000/10

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read, "Promise Me Sunshine", by Cara Bastone. Unfortunately due to some reviews I do not think this book will work for me and I will be moving on to something else.

Honestly this book was so amazing, and I foresee a lot of people loving it.

The way that grief is touched on is very raw and watching Lenny learn to work through this grief with Miles as her guiding light was fantastic. Speaking of Miles — what a man!! Love him. He was such a solid character and I loved getting to know him more throughout the story.

I do feel like Lenny was pretty infantalized throughout the story, even outside of being handled with little kid gloves as she grieved, which is the only thing that kept me from giving this 5 stars.

Also, I loved all of the interactions with the other characters in this book - Ainsley, Reese, Jericho, Jeffy, Rica, Lenny’s parents, all the way down to the doorman and hairdresser.

Overall I think this is a really solid book that I hope people take the chance to read.

I’m extremely fortunate to have been provided with this ARC copy since the author is always a must buy for me. Her books are so bittersweet because they leave me heartbroken while simultaneously making me feel hopeful at the end. Anyone who has read any of her books knows that she has the power to get you so invested in her stories and going on an emotional rollercoaster. She writes every character so vividly and so real that it makes you believe they truly are real people and not ones who only exist in a fictional literary world. This book was absolutely exceptional and completely heart-wrenching and heartfelt. Lately I’ve been reading your typical rom-com books that while are lighthearted and good books they don’t necessarily stick with you even after you finish them. With this book I was so invested in these characters and the story that I’m still left thinking about it. Ultimately this is a book about love, grief and healing from unexpected tragedy. The characters are unique and relatable and you really root for them and sympathize with them all throughout. The romance between the main characters of Lenny and Miles was such a slow-burn one that it was a refreshing break from the usual romance tropes. The romantic relationship between Miles and Lenny never feels rushed since you witness their development through every turn of the page. As someone who personally struggles with depression I connected so much to this story that I was in tears at various points. Beautifully written with a mix of humor and banter that helps balance out the heavy subject matter. There are trigger warnings especially concerning grief, loss and depression but the author does an exceptional job at handling it all with utmost care. I eagerly await for this book to be published on March 4, 2025 and I will definitely be purchasing a copy when it’s released. Once again I feel so extremely fortunate to have been able to read an early ARC copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this in exchange for my honest review and feedback.

I cannot say enough good things about Cara’s books. Every single one of her books just feels like a hug, and this was no exception. Her characters are so insanely relatable, which just makes you want to root for them and their happiness. The relationship feel so natural and the timing was perfect. It genuinely felt like we were getting a peek into real lives versus reading a book. I cannot wait for this to be out and my friends to read it, because I need to shout about it from the rooftops and discuss it with everyone I know.

Promise Me Sunshine breaks your heart at the start but still makes you smile as you read it.

Lenny can't cope with life after the loss of her closest friend/soul mate/sister. All she can manage is short-term nanny work. When Miles, the half-brother of the solo parent she's nannying for, insults her it takes her a while to see how he haunts around the edges of his half-sister's and her daughter's life. He's been through several serious losses himself and remembers the confusion and upheaval of grief that Lenny's experiencing, and volunteers to be her grief coach if she'll teach him how to make friends with his niece.

I fell in love with Lenny immediately. Despite her overwhelming loss she's still charming and amusing and a great nanny. I love how she imagines these complex future lives with every interesting man she meets--it's quirky, but tells us a lot about her. Pointedly, it's the first thing she does when she sees Miles.

Reading a Cara Bastone novel is like falling into a warm embrace, which doesn’t mean that the characters don’t have issues and complicated, vivid, sometimes painful lives. It just means that she know how to believably lead them into growth and love, and how to get readers invested in that growth and love. Cara Bastone’s smart. She knows humans. She knows how to portray smart, caring realistic-feeling humans who are trying to live with human damage. When I read her books, I feel immediately that I’m in good hands and that I can trust her to be real with me and with the characters she’s depicting and with their pains, then their healing, then their joys.

Promise Me Sunshine offers all of that.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

What an absolutely adorable, heartbreaking book! It brings grief to the forefront and shows it for exactly how it is. I truly resonated with how Lenny feels.

Adorable story of being young and having lost so big and finding that someone who will run into the pits of hell to save you from yourself.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest review.

#NetGalley #PromiseMeSunshine #RandomHouse

Oh wow, all the feelings came crashing down reading this book! Lenny was hilarious yet heartbreaking all at once. Miles was just calm, steady and perfect! Needless to say...I loved this book so much! Thanks for giving me this pleasure!

This is a heartfelt, slow-burn romance about love, loss, and healing. Lenny, grieving the loss of her best friend, avoids her old life by taking on babysitting jobs. When she meets Miles, he proposes a deal: she’ll help him reconnect with his family if he helps her complete a “live again” list.

Oh my god. I'm in tears over this book. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this attached to characters, and I already know Lenny and Miles will stay with me for a long time. This story was so beautiful and funny and I never wanted it to end.

“you’re obviously the other half of my locket.”

a beautiful story about grief and learning to livd again. ty netgalley, dial press & cara bradstone for one of the most heart-wrenching stories about love and loss. i cried so many tears and hugged my hearted a little tighter. this book has hit the spot during such a tough time, and being able to find a miles that is so willing to help and never leave lenny's side. this is one of the most beautiful love stories of two people who deserve all of the love in the world.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for providing the ARC for my honest review.

So, this book was a little harder for me to get into. I feel like I wasn’t clicking with the MC’s but I wanted to see where it went once, I hit 30% I started to understand the MFC and come to enjoy her. I really enjoyed how the author's writing style was and how she was able to portray grief and the grief process.

I enjoyed reading the story and am glad I didn’t stop in the beginning when I wasn’t clicking with the MC.

I really like that this author was able to depict real depression and how it can have updates and downs. I like how she showed that it’s important to have some you can call when someone who suffered with depression when they are at a low.

“Just remember. Something good for you, something bad for you, and a change of scenery. That’s the winning formula.”

I am consistently blown away by Cara Bastone’s books. I’ve loved her stories since I first discovered her Audible Originals over a year ago!

Promise Me Sunshine was so. good. It’s a beautifully written story, full of grief and friendship and the ability to continue to live after you’ve had unimaginable loss.

It’s what I would describe as a bittersweet romance, or a romance with substance (with plenty of romcom moments too!).

I felt for Lenny so much! I loved that Miles could be a person she could rely on. He was great at knowing what she needed, when she had no idea.

I could feel the fog Lenny was under, and I thought the author did a fantastic job portraying the experience of grief.

There’s a part where Lenny finally calls her mom. And her mom comes running. I cried.

While this is a book with a character absolutely wrecked by grief, this is also a book with so much humor.

The banter between Lenny and Miles was fantastic! 10/10 funny.

Lenny, despite her sadness, is undoubtedly the sunshine in this grumpy-sunshine combo. 😆

I also loved the way that even though this is a romance, the love story didn’t really escalate until after Miles had pulled Lenny through her grief to a point that she could function again.

I don’t think it would have been realistic for her to fall in love while she was in survival mode, and I appreciated that.

It was friends-to-lovers in the best way!

Just an FYI, minimal swearing and there is one open door scene (pretty easy to skip if you want to).

This book was an easy 5⭐️ for me, and I highly recommend it!!

oh my this book delivers an emotionally powerful story that perfectly balances deep character growth, witty banter, and a surprising sense of lightness despite its core theme of loss. tears everywhere but it was very heartwarming!

the story follows Lenny, a babysitter still reeling from the death of her best friend, and Miles, the clueless but well-meaning uncle of the little girl she’s caring for. as their lives intertwine, Miles helps Lenny navigate her grief, while Lenny teaches Miles how to connect with his niece in a more meaningful way. their relationship builds naturally, from late-night TV marathons and takeout dinners to small, intimate moments that make their bond feel real and earned. the slow burn is worth the wait, and thankfully, there’s no frustrating third-act breakup—just a steady, heartfelt progression of two people finding comfort in each other. Miles is the definition of a cinnamon roll, giving Lenny space to heal while being quietly supportive in ways that hit deep. The book captures the ups and downs of grief beautifully, with past memories woven throughout, though sometimes they appear unexpectedly. The chemistry between Lenny and Miles is effortless—filled with teasing, awkward moments, and genuine vulnerability that make their connection feel authentic. Their dynamic isn’t just about romance; it’s about pushing each other to grow—Miles stepping up as an uncle and embracing his late-in-life family, and Lenny learning how to move forward after loss.

this book is more than just a love story; it’s about healing, finding joy again, and having someone who sticks with you through the hardest moments. if you love slow-burn, low-angst romance with depth, warmth, and incredible character development, this one’s for you.

I absolutely adored Cara's previous book, "Ready or Not", and had high hopes for this rom-com. I'd give it a solid 3 1/2 stars. While I found myself chuckling, swooning, and crying at times, the grief was a little out of my realm. It was heavy in grief and the throughs of finding life after great loss, and I did love how well the author describes the moments when grief arises at random times. The slow-burn love story was so tender--the sweet, yet quite, Miles helping Lenny find that happiness in life that she thought was gone forever. Overall, a good solid read. Much deeper than a typical Rom-Com, but worth it...just make sure you're prepared if grief triggers you. Thanks to #NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of this book.

ead the synopsis before going into reading.

going to the start with the basics of each book - plot/storyline and its development. i actually enjoyed the plot line since it was unique and interesting to follow. main character lenny is working as a babysitter for this young girl; and the other main character, miles, is the uncle who has no idea how to be around kids. later book follows them helping each other. while miles helps lenny with grief and healing, lenny helps miles with the kid and how to be more close and supportive of her. i enjoyed that there is no third act break up or whatever this is called. the book had a slow pace, so be prepared to wait for a long time to see a feeling confession. but at the same time, this book was full of emotions. i was close to crying more then 6 times…

talking more about the plot, i loved seeing miles and lenny going through so much together. it was interesting to follow their relationship and journey of overcoming challenges and realizing feelings. seeing them going on those small dates to reading about them spending almost every night together watching tv and ordering food.

miles was very sweet and careful with lenny. the way he handled her feelings and made sure that she was the one to understand and be in control of their relationship pace. i also, really appreciated how he knew how to support her through the grief. there those small details that were so beautiful and heartbreaking. i can’t talk about them (don’t want to spoil). lenny’s
journey was so well developed in the book. i was a bit confused with past memories that were unexpectedly reappearing throughout the book, but other then that, lenny was a well developed character with unique characteristics.

i wished for more chapters at the end, so we could see how the lives for both of the turned out.

Unique, emotional & inspiring - plus some of the best banter.

Cara Bastone writes an emotionally charged story that is the perfect blend of deep character growth, wonderful banter & a lightheartedness that is surprising with the main plot being one of loss. I don’t always love a solo 1st person POV but this is Lenny’s journey of finding herself after losing her best friend Lou & I absolutely LOVED it. Her relationship with Miles, the newfound uncle to the little girl she's nannying for, is wonderfully playful but also has these moments that just gutted me as she leans on him for comfort & understanding. Miles, having dealt with grief & loss himself, helps to shoulder Lenny’s emotions and as she describes it - dragged her out of hell. Their relationship progresses so naturally & the dialogue between them had me run through the full gambit of emotions.

Miles & Lenny both push each other outside of their comfort zones - really challenging one another to grow beyond their current state (Miles connecting with his late-in-life discovered sister & niece, Lenny moving past the loss of Lou). When they finally push past their friendship boundaries, that scene is relatable & just fits them perfectly. Much of the way their dialogue is written is how I think many relationships are - a little awkward, some fun innuendos & a slice of vulnerability.

This story is a low-spice, slow burn but this is more than romance - it’s about finding your person who will walk with you at your lowest & lift you back up when you're ready. Anyone who has dealt with a significant loss can relate to this story & find a little bit of comfort in Lenny's journey.

💖 Friends to Lovers
❤️‍🩹 Life after Loss & Grief
🫶 Cinnamon Roll MMC
🔥 Slow Burn
🗽 NYC Setting
➶ Uncle x Nanny
🛏️ Forced Proximity
☀️ Grumpy x Sunshine
☝🏻 Single FMC POV