Loved this heartbreaking and hilarious book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy!
I loved Ready Or Not by Cara Bastone, and this one was just as wonderful and unique.
The story centers around grief and is one of the most honest and spot-on portraits of it. You can tell the author knows deep loss and wrote it poetically.
The main character, Lenny, is hilarious and so unapologetically herself. She goes back and forth in being funny and drowning in grief, which is extremely relatable. There were so many profound quotes on life and loss. It was so well-written.
Miles, the main male character, was exactly what you want in a partner and friend. I loved the other characters, Ainsley, Reese, and Lenny and Miles' new friends.
I loved the short glimpses of Lenny and her best friend Lou. It added to the depth.
The story is a friends-to-lovers story and a slow burn. It has swoonworthy moments, moments where you could feel Lenny's pain, and also moments of happiness and possibilities.
I absolutely adored this book, and I can't recommend it enough! I'm excited to read more by Cara Bastone!

It’s been a while since I’ve been genuinely shocked by a book but this one definitely did just that. I read ready or not a few months ago and didn’t really like it so I was worried about this one, but I loved everything about it. The exploration of grief in this book was so well done and the slow burn friends to lovers had me waiting in anticipation. Miles is definitely being added to the list of book boyfriends, because the way this man cares for the people he loves had me tearing up.

4.5⭐️ I really enjoyed this book. It had me smiling, laughing,
and sad. I've learned so much about grief. I loved Lenny's character and her funny make believe stories (reminds me of something | would do) The story line was dragged out a bit and the ending felt a little rushed but overall enjoyed it. I love the lessons taught in the book and the Live Again List at the end was the cherry on top!
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read my first ARC!

This book was incredible! It is so important, especially for those grieving a loved one. This book followed Lenny, devastated by the loss of her person. She meets a lovely family,Ainsley and Reese, and their neighbor-- Ainsley's uncle Miles. It turns out Miles was exactly what Lenny needed-- especially having him as someone who has experienced grief before. Lenny was powerful and SO funny. Miles was there for her every step of the way, and this included ways that were just for Lenny. Seeing him love her was really well-written.

Overall, I loved this book-- how it navigated grief, self-care, and included a love story! Thank you for the advanced copy!

This was such a great story. A novel about grief and friendship. I loved Lenny and Miles relationship and rhe banter they had. Also love how they had a slow build of sexual tension.

This was a pretty good book! To me it felt a little bit like the television show New Girl. It had the quirky main character with the grumpy guy she falls for. It was definitely a bit cheesy at times, maybe even too cheesy, but other than that it was a sweet book and I enjoyed reading it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Cara Bastone for the ARC! Set to release in May 2025!

5 stars! ⭐️

It was such a beautiful story showing the journey of grief! As someone who has gone through some hard time as far as grief goes I sometimes have an hard time with books that address it; but not this one! It’s a beautiful story of how you can find healing through immense pain and still end up happy. Miles and Lenny who are both drowning in an ocean of grief find a way to help each other; and it’s seriously just beautiful!

I will be will buying this book come May as a trophy for my shelf!

I want to get my primary complaint over with out the gate because it has nothing to do with the story itself: I found this book extremely hard to read due to grammatical errors. There were so many fragments, comma splices, and ellipses, and the sentences were often so short that it lacked continuity and readability. Cara Bastone has a no-frills writing style which is perfectly okay, but there needs to be more thorough editing to avoid being taken out of the story due to choppy writing. For example:

“He reminds me of gravel road. At night. With nothing but headlights to show you what comes next.”

“But…in reality. In the world that doesn’t have an actual plan... I still haven’t been to Lou’s grave.”

As for the storyline itself, I have mixed feelings. There is so much nuance when it comes to the grieving process, and to me Lenny’s experience felt like an overdramatized caricature of grief. Maybe I’m just jealous of the way she had the option to spiral her life out of control and somehow still stay afloat, but nothing about her situation seemed plausible. When you lose someone, life goes on, and for our main character her life simply doesn’t. She hasn’t been home to her apartment in months, works odd babysitting jobs for income, and sleeps on the ferry most nights while thrifting new clothes when she needs to change. Most people don’t have that luxury to untether themselves to any responsibility; they have to find a new normal while the world keeps turning around them. Furthermore, there was a complete lack of self-awareness which often made her character seem very self-absorbed to me. I just couldn’t find myself rooting for her, as much as I hate to say it.

I also had a really hard time buying into the romance because any character development we saw in Miles seems to be conveniently placed in order to help Lenny work through her feelings. His character felt very posed as a result, and this was on ongoing theme of the character’s development feeling like plot devices to progress Lenny’s storyline. I also found the sudden jump in the lack of romantic tension in part one, to the constant butterflies in part two, and the immediate “take me home and do me” (that’s an actual quote) mentality of part 3 to be incredibly jarring. I felt like the storyline moved from her living in intense grief to a sudden infatuation with Miles in a transition that was not very natural.

I am interested to go back and read Ready or Not, as this seems like a narrative where Bastone’s writing and characters might work better for my reading tastes, but this book fell completely flat to the point where I was dragging my way through it by the end. However, if the summary of Promise Me Sunshine sounds like something that might interest you, then I do urge you to give it a try as it may resonate with you more than it did me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

this book ripped my heart out in the best way possible. it was such a beautiful depiction of grief, I don’t think I’ll ever get over it.

I loved LOVED THIS BOOK. PERFECT COZY CUDDLY WARM. A FOREHEAD KISS. A SNUGGLE WITH A PUPPY. PERFECTION. THANK YOU CARA BASTONE.

I am truly honored to have received an advanced reader copy of this book, set to be released in May 2025. From the moment I learned that Cara Bastone was publishing a new book, I was filled with anticipation. I dove into the story blindly, unaware that one of the main themes would be grief.
As someone who is all too familiar with loss, I can say that the topic is handled with sensitivity and grace.
I could totally relate to Lenny; Miles' character was absolutely surprising—he was so gentle and wise. As usual, NYC plays its own role, and I really enjoyed how it’s described because it feels very real.
Even if you are going through a difficult grief process, I would absolutely recommend this book. I both laughed and cried, finding moments of joy and sorrow.
Beautiful book!

5 beautiful 🌟. I thought this was a beautiful story showing the journey of grief and finding out you can heal through immense pain and be happy on the other side. Miles and Lenny both were dealing with their own grief journey but their friendship was so sweet. Miles is the definition of a grumpy teddy bear and I was here for it. Lenny is quirky in her own way but breaks Miles down bit by bit. One of my favorite lines from this book was:
"Because making someone believe they're home is so much better than being told I'm pretty" ugh stoppp
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC.

Hmm. I’m not sure on this one. It is a pretty sad set up. Lenny is deep in the throes of grief over the passing of her best friend. She is taking short term nanny jobs to stay afloat. She is nannying for Mile’s niece. Miles is grumpy and somewhat estranged from his sister and niece and trying to get to know them. Miles agrees to help Lenny with her list of things to live if she can teach him how to be around his niece. The story drags along as Lenny tries to be human again. I think my main concern is Miles. It almost comes off as a savior complex and the whole story feels unnatural. By the time the hope and joy section came around, you’ve been trudging in the depression and misery of the story for so long, it was hard to appreciate. At best this is a library rental if you don’t mind being sad.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars rounded up. I HIGHLY preferred this to Bastone’s previous book, Ready Or Not. This one felt
more like an actual romance, and the kid in this— while older, which is usually not my favorite— was great! This was just… so good. As someone who has gone through an insurmountable amount of grief this year, there’s something so special about reading books that have characters who get you. Grief is a part of love, and those who grieve deserve to have love. I loved this book and I can’t wait to get a physical copy ❤️

I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that made me cry and laugh in equal measure. What a punch in the gut with such realistic displays of moving forward after grief, alongside fun chemistry and hilarious banter. I loved everything about this book and, while I read an e-ARC, I intend to purchase a copy for my “favorites” shelf.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advance reader copy.

I absolutely adored this novel. It does have romance but it's focused on the FMC, Lenny, going through grief after losing her best friend to cancer. It was painfully real and I was wrought with emotion while reading it. Though it was heavy at times, it was a really good book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this!
This story follows Lenny, who is trying to navigate after losing her best friend and soulmate to the terrible C. She's taken on a babysitting job that puts her front and center with Miles, a seemingly grumpy (but completely not) Uncle trying to connect with his niece. We follow them as they work to cross of the 'live life' list left for Lenny and help pull her from her deepest stages of grief.
This is, in its heart, a romance, but gosh it is SO much more. This is a moving, gut punching view into grief, trauma, friendship, love, and the power of the people we consider our soulmates. First Lenny: she is conflicted, messy, heartfelt, and just so well rounded. I loved the flashbacks to her friendship with Lou, and I thought the portrayal of her heartbreak was so completely genuine. I also loved that many many times, Lenny used humor or sarcasm to mask her emotions: this is me to an absolute T. It was like seeing myself on the pages if I ever lost my Lou
Miles comes off at first as grumpy but he is just a breath of genuine care and attention. He goes above and beyond for his sister, niece, and Lenny because he wants people to succeed to the depths of his soul, and it never once felt contrite. I LOVE how slow burn their romance was (it needed to play second fiddle to the rest of the story) and I particularly like how he pushed her to make friends without any amount of jealousy or animosity. The lack of a third act breakup was also excellent.
There are books every year that knock my socks off with the emotional truth bombs they bring to romance and this is easily my pick for 2024: brilliant.

thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

i was really charmed by cara bastone's 2023 release, ready or not, and was excited to see what she did next and this did not disappoint! promise me sunshine is about lenny navigating her grief after losing her best friend to cancer and forging a connection with miles, the uncle of the ainsley, the little girl that lenny nannies for. while the barebones of the plot sounds pretty heavy this story is still told with so much light and joy and it strikes a really impressive balance between being highly emotionally impactful but still really fun to read. i loved both leads and found the supporting characters we had in ainsley and reese really endearing too.

don't miss this one when it comes out in march!

This story is interesting because the main topic, grief, is so universal yet so unique to each individual that experiences it. Lenny enters the novel drowning in the grief of losing her lifelong best friend to cancer, and she is absolutely unable to crawl her way out of the pain for more than a day or two at a time. This is a level of grief that I felt very uncomfortable with at first because it felt so foreign to me and it actually made me feel guilty - why didn’t I feel this level of pain when I lost my parent for example? I had to pause in my reading a few times to think about this a lot and realize that it’s about the support system that you have in place before and after the incident takes place that can really shape how you wade your way out of the darkness. Also, I thought a lot about the idea of “measuring” grief and how unfair that really is because it looks and feels so different to each person.

That takes me to Miles. He is a fascinating counter to Lenny in that he has also lost people close to him, but he has come out on the other side of it and is not ready to be the rock for another person. I just love how Bastone writes her male MCs because they are so steadfast and kind and what you hope that a partner will be for you in real life (props to my real life hubby for sure).

I loved this book even though I really do not like reading about grief. I liked seeing how Lenny took the helping hand that Miles offered and worked her way out of the pain that she was feeling. I think that the message that we don’t “get over grief” but learn to let it live with us is a powerful thing and something that is so true. This book is going to sit with me for awhile, and I’m really happy about that.

There was a lot of ATA (Attention to Arm) in this book and for that, I must give it a 5 star.

I had read Ready or Not earlier this year and really enjoyed it! So when I received the arc for Promise Me Sunshine I knew I was hoping I was going to like it. This book felt leveled up from Bastone's first with the topics of grief, character development, and the plot of the book. The writing was so funny in a way that I find most romance novels cringey and I can always appreciate a good slow burn from our MC's.

I highly recommend adding to your TBR when it comes out in March 2025, but in the meantime, would suggest reading Ready or Not.

thank you random house publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review