Cara Bastone has done it again. A 5 star read without a doubt. You wouldn’t expect an exploration of grief as its central theme to make you smile, giggle and lol at the same time as you find yourself crying. Fantastic characters with a predictable arc, but predictable doesn’t have to be bad. “The only way out is through.”

Wow Cara Bastone is a wizard! 🧙 I really enjoyed this book and the ending was so beautiful. I love books that make me fall in love with life and that is just what this book did. The grief exploration was so well done. Not to mention it was laugh out loud funny. I LOVED Miles so much.

I liked Ready or Not more than this one but this was a stellar follow-up. I rated this a 4.5 and the following critiques are why it wasn’t a full 5. There was a lull between 30-60% and the pacing could have been a bit better. Some of the middle could have been edited down. But I’m so glad I pushed through to the last third of the book because it was incredible and so beautiful🥲. Additionally Lenny felt like the same character as Eve (from Ready or Not). This was partially fine with me because I love Eve but it was just something I observed. I think my taste in books is starting to lean more into women’s fiction or fiction with romance because I wanted more of a plot than we got.

Still this is one of the best romances I’ve read all year. Cara Bastone is definitely an auto-buy author for me!

Thank you @thedialpress for the ARC, I loved reading this one physically in paperback.

It’s a wonderfully written love story between Lenny and Miles. It's an exploration of grief and their whole relationship from meeting and disliking each other to slowly becoming friends to best friends to lovers while dealing with her grief and his family situation. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It is not my typical reading but the characters are well developed and it is a quick read. I’d recommend.

I went into this book not really knowing what it was about- I loved Ready or Not. I will say, this book is really heavy and deals with grief and loneliness but I really enjoyed it. The characters were great (like ALL of them) - I feel like that rarely happens! The only issue I had with the book was the last 5 percent- the ending felt super rushed and I was disappointed- with such a slow burn (and I do love a slow burn) the end result was lacking. 3.75 but would have been a 5 if the ending wasn’t so rushed.

This book has 419 pages and I loved every single one of them.

It’s a beautifully written love story between Lenny and Miles. It's an in-depth exploration of grief and their whole relationship from meeting and disliking each other to slowly becoming friends to best friends to lovers while dealing with her grief and his family situation. It might also be the only friends to lovers romance I’ve ever enjoyed.

The story is heavy and heartbreaking at times, it doesn't shy away from a very raw and realistic depiction of grief while carefully exploring Lenny’s struggle to live again after her friend’s death. And at the same time, it creates a beautiful love story with so many funny and uplifting moments. The way the author managed to weave these two storylines together was impressive.

Both Lenny and Miles were strong characters, complex and amazingly well written. Once they got over their initial dislike, they were fiercely loyal and committed to each other. Their relationship was just so sweet and soft and real, I loved their dynamic and banter.
As the story progressed, you could literally feel their feelings for each other change and turn into more than friendship, which was truly great storytelling.

It's a long book for a romance and I do think it could've been a bit shorter, but it didn't really bother me because I loved the story so much. It's also a very slow burn, so just keep that in mind. Personally, I think it works here because it gives the characters enough time to really grow and develop this relationship, and I loved that! I often times criticise romances because I find the relationship to be rushed and thus completely unrealistic. But in this story the romance aspect and the friendship aspect before that were developed in such a great way, it felt truly believable and realistic.

I also want to mention the sex scene because while it wasn’t my favourite, I applaud the author for the more realistic portrayal of what having sex for the first time with a new partner is like a lot of the time: not perfect. I think so many romances just gloss over that and have everything be porn star level perfect from the get-go, which frankly annoys me sometimes.

Long story short, I loved this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I, like many others, first became acquainted with Cara Bastone earlier this year with her release, Ready or Not, where I promptly fell in love with Bastone's writing of characters and storytelling. So, when I got an ARC for Promise Me Sunshine, I dove in headfirst without knowing much of what the book was about. What I found was a story that felt like a warm blanket & a cup of tea on a rainy day.

This is a love story, I swear. This is what happens when you've promised someone you'll live again.

At it's core, Promise Me Sunshine is a story of surviving the most heartbreaking grief when you lose a love of your life. The story begins with Lenny deep in the pain of grief after her best friend, Lou, has passed away from a second bout with cancer. Lou comes to take a nannying gig where she meets Miles, uncle of the child Lou is nannying, who has his own rich history navigating grief with the loss many years ago of his mother & cousin, and more recently, the loss of his father. The two strike a deal, Lou will help Miles connect with his niece, and Miles will be her "grief wingman," helping her survive and eventually thrive again, even in the face of such devastating loss.

"Mom, he walked into hell and dragged me back out."

You will love Promise Me Sunshine if you enjoy bad first impressions, friends to lovers, fun banter, and a slow burn. When I say slow burn, I mean it. The first part of the book is entirely platonic, at the 65% mark feelings abruptly emerge, and it takes another 20% after that for either Lou or Miles to act on their new romantic feelings. For me, this is what landed Promise Me Sunshine in 3-star territory - I found the burn just a bit too slow, and frankly I enjoyed Lou and Miles' friendship much more than I did their platonic relationship. Overall, I found this book to be an enjoyable read, but I found the themes of grief and caring for yourself much more compelling than the romance along the way. I'll definitely continue to follow Bastone's future releases and look forward to seeing what she puts forward next.

I would give this book 6 stars if I could.

Lenny is trying to overcome her grief and find a way to live again after losing her best friend. Miles is determined to help her see that things can and will get better.

I don't know if I finished this book, or if it finished me. This book will have you laughing out loud one minute and crying your eyes out the next. I love that it wasn't entirely focused on romance, but also on normal day to day life as well. I admired the way their relationship developed from being complete strangers to becoming friends and eventually, lovers. It felt incredibly realistic and natural. I loved the consistent and open communication and trust that they had with each other, as well as the respected boundaries that they maintained throughout the book. It just felt so healthy and it was such a breath of fresh air. This was a true slow burn with the perfect amount of tension and angst. Such a beautifully written book with lovable characters that I want to cherish forever.

The portrayal of grief was so raw and realistic. It helped me with some unresolved grief that I didn’t even realize I had. I was crying my eyes out by the end of the book, but not because I was sad. Instead, I felt content and happy. I’m convinced that this book found me when I needed it most. I will definitely commit this book to memory and keep this book and its characters close to my heart.

Thank you to Cara Bastone for sharing this beautiful story and to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the arc!!!

I thought this book would be a cutesy fall romance but instead I learned so much about grief. I have so much love for Lenny and Miles and I have a feeling this book will always be tucked in the back of my consciousness. I honestly can’t think of any other words other than pride. Lenny, you delulu girl, I am so proud of you.

This book broke my heart and put it back together! Lenny's best friend died and she is drowning in her grieve. Her life is a mess and when she is asked to babysit Miles's young niece, he assumes she is not up to the challenge. Throughout the story, Miles helps Lenny figure out who she is after Lou's death and how to live after loss. This book was so profound and I will carry it with me for a long time. Life can be so hard and this book does not shy away from it, but highlights joy in the midst of the sadness.
Lenny was so funny and sweet. She was so eager to help and had many mini break-downs that made me laugh out loud! Miles is the dream romantic lead. He prioritizes his family and Lenny, and never EVER takes the easy way out.
This is one of the best books I have read and I cannot wait for a re-read!

I want to throw flowers at Cara Bastone's feet! She is truly so talented and has brought such a beautiful story to life in this book. Lenny's grief is so raw and real and got me right in the chest. She's also funny and charming and such a compelling character, you can't help but root for her. Miles is perfect. They are messy and perfect together. I adored every single page of this book. I already need to re-read it.

I finished this book and immediately wanted to start over. It was so emotional without being manipulative - I cried, I laughed out loud, and wanted to give my best friend a loooong hug. The banter was A++.

As the great poet Kacey Musgraves once said “healing doesn’t happen in a straight line.” And this book embodied that perfectly as Lenny dealt with her grief and guilt of continuing to live without Lou.

Ready or Not was my introduction to Cara Bastone, so I’m not sure if this is just her niche, but the pacing and friends to lovers aspect felt very reminiscent of Ready or Not. Regardless, I think Cara is becoming a must-read author for me.

Promise Me Sunshine is a fantastic look at grief and dealing with the death of a friend. Cara does a great job of showcasing the impact of a tragedy like that and how honor those who have passed while also moving forward with your life. The book is sad, but it also has many great romantic moments that help lighten the subject matter and show how the world does keep spinning after death, even if we feel like it never will again.

I absolutely loved Ready or Not, so I was so excited when I saw that Cara Bastone was coming out with another book. This one did not disappoint. It gave me the same things I loved about Ready or Not but in a different story. The dialogue was fun and smart and quippy, the characters were dynamic and fallible and lovable. There were cute moments and there were sad moments. I loved it all. I will be HIGHLY recommending this to both patrons and friends alike. I think it's a beautiful story about grief, love, and the messiness of life, family and friends. Thank you so much to Dial Press Trade Paperback and NetGalley for this ARC!

I really enjoyed ready or not so I was excited to jump into Cara's newest book. This one is VERY heavy, with grief being the main theme. It did start to feel a little repetative in the first 40% and I wasn't sure how I felt about Miles but THEN the last 50% won me over and then some! I thought Miles was such a great MMC and the way he handled their friendship turning to more was so mature and refreshing. I really loved how this book played out!

Cara Bastone does it again!!!
Absolutely adored this book!
Thank you to Netgalley & Random House Publishing for allowing me to read the ARC of this book!

Lenny is dealing with the loss of her best friend to cancer, trying to navigate life without her. Lenny lands a job babysitting temporary. Miles is struggling to connect with his sister Reese & Daughter Ainsley. Miles has the grand plan to help Lenny deal with the loss of her best friend, while she helps him connect with his sister & niece.

This book was so beautiful, wholesome, and just everything I needed. The grief representation in this book felt so real, and watching Lenny go through the phases was heartbreaking but bittersweet getting towards the end of the book.
Lenny was such an amazing FMC. I loved her energy and how strong she was with everything she went through with her best friend.
I was a little unsure of our MMC, Miles, in the first like 15% of the book. He comes off a little grumpy, rude, stand-off-ish but QUICKLY became one of my fav MMC’s.
Cara Bastone just knows how to write a gold retriever! He had so many layers to him that you find out as you read & I absolutely loved his character. The way Miles wanted to take care of Lenny & just make sure she was happy and taken care of was so PRECIOUS. Their banter together was so sweet, & I loved every single one of their interactions together.

Overall, I absolutely adored this book and all the emotions it had me feeling. It was a beautiful story about two people leaning on each other in a difficult time. Cara Bastone’s writing is amazing & I can’t wait to read everything she writes

Cara Bastone, WOW. Here I am, this tangled mess who's heart feels like it's been shaved against a mandolin, and then sewn up with surgical, MAYO CLINIC precision. I LOVED this book. There are so many quotes that I highlighted, and among my favorites are:

"What an awful word. Like a curse. Next time I want to say fuck you to somebody I'll just shout 'endure it' instead."

"My heart seems to be running up a hill inside my chest. I wonder what's at the top."

""Hey Lou. Miles says when you left, you took my heart with you. He says it was like a heart transplant. Only ..." I lean forward and thump my chest. My hair falls in a tent around me, blocking out the light. "I don't know what this new heart is supposed to be living for."
I hear the paper rustling as he sets it down. My hair gets swept to one side and the light gets in. Miles peeks through the door to the outside world. "That's okay," he says in a quiet voice. "You don't have to know yet."

I adored the relationship between Lenny and Ainsley/Reese. I, myself, nannied professionally for something like a dozen years, and this relationship does not miss! There's also a piece of sadness and heartbreak that yearns to watch something grow, and for me, this is what that was for not only Lenny, but for Miles, too.
Speaking of, let's talk about Miles. Swoon. Okay, I'm done. But seriously, I loved him. The romance element did not feel forced, and it made sense. The two characters were great together, and watching it develop aged in the pages like a fine wine. I loved that Lenny wasn't the only one with baggage, and that they helped one another navigate this grisly part of life.
Cara is a person who profoundly understands grief, and it is handled beautifully. She is able to showcase all the different elements: Humor, the way a simple statement can cause all your senses to stand up on end and make you laugh, or cry, or how a small gift can become a lifeline.
This was my first book by Cara. I had heard amazing things about her novel, Ready or Not, and it has now been added to my TBR, too.

From a critical point of view, the only thing I have to say is that it did feel a little disorienting to find out about the list as we went on, as opposed to having it ahead of time as a reference point on all of these adventures Miles and Lenny went on. For example, I did not get to share the awe and surprise with Lenny when she realized that by bringing her to the sandwich shop, they had just crossed something off of her list. Apart from that, WELL FREAKING DONE.

4.5/5.0

Thank you so very much for the opportunity to read this work, I devoured it and am hungry for more! I truly cannot wait to promote this one across social media, and the many book clubs that I lead. I have a shelf of books in my office which I recommend often, Little Paris Bookshop style. They will love this one, too!
-Emma

I read my first book by the author when it was a book of the month choice and feel in love. Somehow she writes characters you just can’t help but root for and relate too. I loved Lenny and could feel her grief. I wish I could read more of her and Lou together

I really enjoyed this one! I loved Bastone’s last book, and loved this one. Honestly, I feel like neither of her most recent releases should be categorized as romance and rather contemporary fiction. Other than that, I love the care and attention she adds to characters and settings!

I will say the blurb about this book wasn't kidding when it said slow burn, that was a slowwww burn!
I enjoyed this book but it felt like it was just the same thing over and over and really drug on. It had my heart broken 80% of the time, which is amazing to make your readers feel so strongly but by the cover I did expect more happiness, or at least quicker. I loved Miles and wished we could've gotten pov from both him and Lenny!
The story is about Lenny, dealing with the loss of her best friend Lou to cancer. She is a nanny and starts taking care of Ainsley. Ainsley has a grumpy, always-around uncle named Miles. Miles himself is dealing with a great amount of grief after the death of his mom, cousin who was like a brother to him, and recently his father. Miles wants to help out with Ainsley more and asks Lenny to ask him how to get along with kids and he'll help her complete her list, which is essentially a reason to keep going list that she and Lou had.
Bastone did a good job with such a sensitive topic, grief, but it didn't do it for me. I think the chemistry of the two main characters was lacking, they seemed more forced together and/or convenient than having true chemistry.
I recommend anyone who likes a heartbreaking story with a touch of slow-burn romance, to go grab this book when it's released on March 4, 2025.
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Thank you, NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cara Bastone is officially an auto buy author. Ready or Not was pure perfection and now this one?! Amazing.