I truly loved this book, and felt drawn in to the world of love and grief in such a powerful way, it was just very well written, the characters were well developed, real and not perfect in any way. Things were messy but for so many important reasons. It’s hard to describe really how much this book touched me. Essentially it is a story about love and grief but truly love. Lenny loses her best friend and platonic love of her life Lou to cancer before the age of thirty. They were inseparable and now she doesn’t know how to live and go on living without her. What happens next is amazing. Lenny meets Miles who decides that it is his mission to help her through the grief because he has been through it before and has made it out alive. They make a deal that Lenny will help him get to know his estranged niece (who doesn’t seem to like him very much), who she is occasionally nannying for. What seems like a simple deal turns into so much more. Deep and lasting relationships are formed along the way and both (amazing, deep, funny and sad) main characters truly learn from one another how to live again. Please read this amazing novel by Cara Bastone - I know I will be finding more of her books to enjoy as an absolutely loved Promise Me Sunshine.

My absolute favorite book so far this year! I love the FMC and MMC dynamic and the way their relationship grew together as the FMC worked through her grief. This story was raw and real and I loved being able to see the way both main characters struggled with their grief, worked through it but didn’t forget it, and became stronger as a result. I cried so many times and loved the NYC imagery in all the pages as well. No notes - loved every minute!

This book is exactly my vibe! It’s the perfect mix of romance, humor, and banter, with deeper themes that truly resonated with me—particularly the way grief is processed. What starts off as a way to get through a “Live Again List” unfolds into a beautiful friendship and a tender romance. The slowburn, which I don’t always love, was done so well here that I honestly couldn’t get enough! Cara Bastone has an incredible ability to make me fall in love with tropes I usually don’t go for! Miles is a bit rough around the edges, but also gentle, patient, and steady. There’s a quiet strength in him that I couldn’t help but adore. Then there’s Lenny, shaped by grief but still full of life. She’s witty, charming, and never afraid to speak her mind or be herself. She loves deeply and cares for others in a way that feels incredibly real and raw. The two of them together made for such great banter and even better quiet moments. It’s definitely a “you can hear it in the silence” kind of love.And I can’t say enough about ©finkeboutit's narration—it's hands down the best. She brought every moment to life, making the story even more unforgettable. I loved every second of this book, and I will absolutely be shouting from the rooftops about it!

What a beautifully written story about grief, healing, friendship, and love. I loved every single one of the characters, I loved that Cara could infuse laugh out loud moments in between the sad, and I just loved the genuine representation of all of the above through the book. It was raw, it was real, and man, Miles was just written to perfection.

"Grief is a relationship. It’s the way we figure out how to keep loving them even though they’re gone. And in order to do that we have to keep on going. And going and going. You’re not betraying her by healing, you are honoring her. You are learning to love her exactly as she is. As someone who isn’t here anymore… that’s who she is now. And this journey through grief.. it’s what we do for great loves of our lives"

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for my ARC in exchange for my honest feedback!

This was not your ordinary romance read. This book tackled a lot of tough topics,. the biggest one being grief. Promise Me Sunshine is a beautifully written, heartfelt story of grief, friendship, and slow-burn romance, The story is of a blossoming friendship between Lenny and Miles, as they bond over grief and work through a "Living Again" checklist, embraces your heart and stirs deep emotions. With its honest and bittersweet approach to loss and healing, this story is a must-read, securing a spot in my top five romance reads of the year.

4.5 ⭐️
This story broke my heart and then put it back together in the best way. It's a heartwarming story of learning to live again after great loss. It was raw and authentic and I loved every minute of the emotional roller coaster ride it took me on!

I felt so connected to the FMC, Lenny. I’ve been through a loss that shatters your world and leaves you shaken to the core. Her character and story was so well written and her journey felt so realistic.

"Grief is a relationship. It’s the way we figure out how to keep loving them even though they’re gone. And in order to do that we have to keep on going. And going and going. You’re not betraying her by healing, you are honoring her. You are learning to love her exactly as she is. As someone who isn’t here anymore… that’s who she is now. And this journey through grief.. it’s what we do for great loves of our lives"

Miles, the MMC, was exactly what Lenny needed. He was loyal, strong and maybe a little quirky, but even though he was dealing with his own heartbreak and family issues- he unapologetically loved Lenny. They slowly pieced together the broken parts that they couldn’t fix alone.

"He treats you well?"
"Mom, he walked into hell and dragged me back out"

Cara Bastone captured the unfiltered reality of grief- it's messy, unpredictable, it's not linear- it’s a mix of ups and downs and she did an amazing job portraying such a heavy topic while weaving in so many funny and uplifting moments. Promise Me Sunshine is a story that shows how even in the depths of sorrow and pain there can also be beauty and joy. I loved this book and can’t recommend it enough!

I loved the audiobook of this story. The narrators did an amazing job of bringing the story to life!

I loved this book! I enjoyed the characters and how much they grew throughout the book. It made me smile. Cara is becoming a go-to read author!

I loved everything about this book. I knew from the beginning that it was gonna rip my heart out (in a good way!) and it certainly did!! I loved little Ainsley and her uncle, Miles of course.

If you’re looking for a slow burn done right, look no further!! After losing her best friend, Lenny comes to nanny Ainsley and it was the best decision ever because it brought Miles into Lenny’s life and that was everything she needed and more.

I knew I was done for right in the very beginning when I read this line. “But the thing about losing the person you love the most on this earth is- somehow- you still have to do the mundane things like tie your shoes and make enough money to continue to exist in this punishing world. So I pad on.”

5 stars! I would love to give it 6 stars. I love the way that grief was approached in this book and the way that the characters bonded through it to learn to manage it. There was so much growth with these characters that they had you emotionally attached. This is a book that I will want to reread every spring.

I loved Ready or Not last year and was very excited to have a chance to read an ARC of Promise Me Sunshine. While I liked this book I found that it was more of a story about friendship and grief around friendships that end (in this case because of death). While there was a love story that was very sweet it definitely took a back seat to the grief that really propels all of the characters forward. Definitely a more bittersweet love story. Many thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC.

Thank you for the arc!
I was completely bowled over by how much I loved this. I liked Cara Bastone’s Ready or Not, and everything I loved about that book was maximized here. I caught myself giggling out loud so often, the humor was excellent. Miles and Lenny were fantastic together. Several times Miles did something so incredibly thoughtful and kind I had to take a few laps to recover. Ainsley was a delightful, well written kid and I loved her relationship to Miles and Lenny. The story about Lenny’s grief was so moving, I laughed and I cried with her. I can’t properly verbalize how much I adored this book.

Cara Bastone's books are always a must read for me, and this one did not disappoint! "Promise me Sunshine" had me both in tears and smiling! I loved this unlikely friendship and romance, during such a challenging time.

These authors need to quit making me fall in love with hot, fictional men named Miles🧎🏼‍♀️😩

This was the perfect blend of sweet and serious. Navigating through grief after a loss is a confusing time, for lack of better words. In my personal opinion, I don't think you'll ever feel so many emotions in such a short period. It's overwhelming- there is no finish line, no moment where you finally say "Oh, I'm healed!" - you just keep going, and going, and going... and if you're lucky, you have people like Miles to help you along the way.

Miles moves to the city when his father's health starts deteriorating; after his passing, he moves to the same apartment building as his sister Reese and niece Ainsley. They have a complicated dynamic and history, which they're both having trouble working through. In walks Lenny, Ainsley's new nanny, and she sees an opportunity to help Miles mend this relationship, as he sees an equal opportunity to help her as well...

After his personal experiences with grief, Miles deems himself a bit of an "expert" - the way that he helps Lenny walk through the aftermath of her loss of Lou, her best friend, is just so heartwarming. My heart hurt, I got choked up multiple times and just wanted to hug them both, but their banter had me cackling through tears for most of the book. I adored their relationship, how there was basically never any awkwardness (yet they were very awkward lmao idk how to make that make sense), and they were very straight forward once they acknowledged their feelings. These two were not playin' about each other and we love to see that!!!

Little Ainsley is an obvious favorite, her and Lenny's relationship was just the cutest thing- they made me laugh so hard. I kept picturing Molly & Ray from "Uptown Girls".

This book was great. Obviously some heavy topics, a little emotional, but it was so sweet. Thank you Random House & NetGalley for the eARC!

. . . ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑
I would like to formally welcome Cara Bastone to my list of favorite romance authors. The list is short because I’m a little hard to please in this genre, but this is the second book by this author that I’ve loved. And if that’s not convincing you, maybe this line from her GoodReads bio: “(𝙄) 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣'𝙩 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮.” Sign me up.

I think what I really love about her books ( aside from her truly swoon-worthy MMCs ), is that there is so much more than romance within these pages. This is really a book about living with grief, with some romance on the side. Lenny as a character is entirely relatable, hilarious, lovable, and flawed. The portrayal of her juxtaposing emotions and her struggle to cope with them felt honest and real.

Also, the ability of this book to evoke #alltheemotions from me is also a plus on my end. If I can get whiplash from crying to laughing while reading, I’m a happy lil’ reader. The banter in this was excellent, which is an essential piece of a great romance book for me. Also, Miles? I’ll take two please. We all need a Miles.

I cried, I laughed, I thought, I related, I loved. Check this one out.

~ 👩🏻‍🦰

A heartfelt journey through grieving that manages to be both depressingly sad and laugh-out-loud funny. I wasn't too sure about the narrative style at first (which is very direct, sometimes speaking to the reader) but it grew on me. I was also surprised by how much I enjoyed the single point of view. Usually not my favorite, but it crafted the perfect amount of tension while focusing on the patience of healing. With such intense topics, there were moments I found myself overwhelmed, but the story was handled with care.

My only complaint is that it felt like the instant the story came together, it ended! I guess it's about the journey, not the destination. This was my first book by Cara Bastone, and I am looking forward to reading more.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

3⭐️
I wanted to love this, especially after loving Ready or Not by Cara, but I just couldn't connect to this as much! This book deals with grief and how it can affect our daily life. We see it in Miles as he deals with his parents & cousin's deaths and Lenny as she grieves her best friend's death. I can appreciate all the lessons and profound quotes on grief in this book but there was just something missing for me. This is a slow-burn romance (which is one of my favorite tropes) and I did enjoy Lenny and Miles's friendship and them completing Lenny's list together. I am conflicted because the pacing of the book just felt slow & choppy but the writing on grief was really beautiful. On the plus, the scenes with Ainsley, Miles's niece, were really cute and Lenny's flashback scenes with Lou were really heartwarming. It took me a while to finish this book, originally DNF'ing at 60% but it has been on my mind recently so I decided to restart it and enjoyed it more the second time around! I still recommend this book because Cara's writing is very beautiful!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and Dial Press for providing the e-ARC!

Lenny is struggling with the grief of losing her best friend, Lou, to cancer. While avoiding her own pain, she lands a babysitting gig for Reese, a single mother, and her daughter, Ainsley. Reese’s grumpy brother, Miles, offers to help Lenny move forward if she helps him repair his relationships with his sister and niece. As they spend more time together, Lenny learns that sometimes losing everything is just the first step to finding love and herself again.

Five Star Review:

Promise Me Sunshine was an absolute gem. I found myself completely captivated by Lenny and Miles, and I couldn’t stop smiling throughout the whole book. The way this story tackled grief was so deeply resonant—I’ve never felt a book capture that feeling so authentically. Lenny’s emotional journey, struggling with the pain of losing Lou, was something I could truly feel in my heart. The author did such a beautiful job of portraying how messy and complicated grief can be. It was raw, real, and incredibly moving.

The chemistry between Lenny and Miles was just perfect—slow-building and filled with moments of vulnerability and connection. What I loved most about their relationship was how it wasn’t rushed or forced. Their moments together felt earned, and the gradual shift from two people who don’t really like each other to two people who care deeply for one another was so rewarding. Miles, in all his grumpiness, was such a surprising character. He was the perfect match for Lenny’s brokenness, and I adored watching them both grow.

The heart of this book lies not just in the romance, but in Lenny’s personal growth. Her journey of learning to live again, without forgetting her past, was both touching and inspiring. This book stayed with me long after I turned the last page. It was the kind of read that made me think about the characters long after the story ended. Lenny and Miles have truly earned a special place in my heart.

If you’re looking for a romance that’s not just sweet but also meaningful, filled with real emotion and growth, Promise Me Sunshine is definitely for you. This book had me laughing, crying, and feeling all the feels. It’s a five-star read, no question!

This was super cute - I'm 2/2 with this author, I appreciate how she writes unique romance novels, and I have found both of her books refreshing & unique, without a lot of overdone tropes. I would definitely read another book by her! 4.5 stars rounded up

From the very beginning of the book I was hooked with Lenny griefing the loss of her best friend and Miles helping her through the griefing process. Definitely relatable if you have ever lost anyone. I wish there was an epilogue to get a glimpse of Lenny and Miles in the future.

Some of my favorite quotes:
“He treats you well?”
“Mom, he walked into hell and dragged me back out’

“But the thing about losing the person you love the most on earth is—somehow—you still have to do mundane things like tie your shoes and make enough money to continue to exist in this punishing world.”

“Do you ever get used to not being able to give updates on your life?”
“I mean … this is the woman who used to ask me what I’d had for lunch that day because she was genuinely curious. She loved knowing the details of my life. Every little boring nothing, she wanted to know. And now … literally every aspect of my life is different and I can’t tell her.”

How do you find yourself after you lose the one you loved the most?

Grieving the loss of her best friend, a young woman’s life is turned upside down when she meets a grumpy stranger who swears he can help her live again, in this heartwarming, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or Not.

Lenny’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Ever since cancer stole away her best friend, she has been completely lost. She’s avoiding her concerned parents, the apartment she shared with her best friend, and the ever-laminated “live again” list of things she’s promised to do to survive her grief. But maybe if she acts like she has it all together, no one will notice she’s falling apart.

The only gigs she can handle right now are temporary babysitting jobs, and she just landed a great one, helping overworked, single mom Reese and her precocious daughter, Ainsley. The only catch: Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, always seems to be around, and is kind of. . . a walking version of the grumpy cat meme. Worse–he seems to be able to see right through her.

Surprisingly, Miles knows a lot about grief and he offers Lenny a proposition. He’ll help her complete everything on her “live again” list if she’ll help him connect with Ainsley and overcome his complicated relationship with Reese. Lenny doubts anything can fill the void her best friend has left behind, but between late night ferry rides, midnight ramen, and a well-placed shoulder whenever she needs it, Miles just won’t stop showing up for her. Turns out, sometimes your life has to end to find your new beginning.

I was so excited for this book after reading "Ready or Not" last year, and I'm happy to say I loved it! It started off a little slow and heavier as we see Lenny in the more raw parts of her grief journey. It was a little hard to read at times because I identified with the feelings, but that also speaks to Bastone's ability to capture the experience so well. It picked up though, and we got to see her relationships develop with Ainsley, Reese and Miles, and how they all hep each other heal and grow. Of course the focus is on Lenny and how Miles helps her navigate the early stages of grief, but we get to see how she helps Miles through some issues from his past and developing trust and relationships with Reese and Ainsley. It was beautiful to see how they understood and supported each other.

I loved the book and will definitely be revisiting it, likely buying a copy to add to my library. 4.5/5

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

CW: cancer, grief, complicated/estranged family relationships, death of a parent, death of a friend.