Couldn't put this book down. Love love loved. I am a sucker for an emotional story. And this was it! This was only my second book from Cara and I am a FAN!

I want to share the things I loved most but they would be spoilers so I will contain myself.

Grief is a heavy theme but done really well and seeing one go through the healing journey was wonderful.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was an empathetic and unvarnished account of Lenny's journey through grief. I felt a strong sense of connection with her as she navigated this difficult process. Her story of finding the strength to rebuild her life is truly inspiring.

Nobody does friends to lovers better than Cara Bastone! This book touched on tough topics in such a deep way, but did so with incredible humor and levity. I loved her last book, Ready or Not, and Promise Me Sunshine was such a great follow-up. I was rooting for the main characters the whole time!

This book was VERY millennial. Too millennial for this Gen Zer, even though I tried so hard to get into it. I got further than I thought I would, and there was definitely some promise, but I just could not get over the cringiness that seeped on to every page.

Will post on Instagram on 9/29/24
I love Lenny! She is struggling with the loss of her best friend, while also trying to work. But she is also very funny with endless banter. Then there’s Miles who just wants to be accepted by Reese and Ainsley. He is also struggling with losing a loved one. Lastly, there’s Ainsley that really just wants to spend more time with her career-driven mom. Everyone is struggling, but they are all trying.
Cara’s ability to make you feel the grief is phenomenal. I was crying for Lenny. She was lost without her friend, and at the same time pushing her family away. I wanted Miles to not only be accepted, but to be loved by his family and maybe even Lenny. The friendship between Lenny and Miles took some time but it was worth it. They helped each other, while learning about one another and it led to a beautiful connection. You could almost say they saved each other.
“He treats you well?”
“He walked into hell and dragged me back out.”

So someone needs to put in a request right this second for this book to be made into a show or movie! It was absolutely DARLING! I could not get over how the characters felt like family, the setting felt like the most special place, and the storyline pulled every heartstring. Just beautifully written.

Thank you to Random House, The Dial Press, NetGalley, and Cara Bastone for the eARC of this lovely book! I recently read Ready or Not and absolutely adored it. So I was thrilled when I was gifted this advanced copy!

When we first meet Lenny she is dealing with grief from the loss of her best friend, Lou, that is so intense she isn’t sleeping, eating, or even going home. The only thing that is allowing her any respite from her grief are the short term nannying jobs she takes on. That’s where she meets Reece, her adorable 7 year old daughter, Ainsley, and Miles. Miles is Ainsley’s uncle but there’s definitely some family drama there. Miles recognizes that Lenny needs help navigating her grief and they embark on a journey of strangers to friends to eventual lovers. With the help of her new found family, Lenny learns to live again and to fall in love for the first time.

I absolutely adored Lenny and Miles! The way Cara handles complicated and serious subjects such as grief is beautiful. This was an easy 5⭐️read as was Ready or Not! I’m ready to dive into her backlist for sure.

Promise Me Sunshine is out March 4, 2025 and I highly recommend you preorder this gorgeous baby right now!

I wasn’t expecting to love this book as much as I did. The way these characters were there for each other really moved me. Highly recommend!

Okay where do I even start with how much I loved this book? Once I started it, I didn’t want to put it down, so I stayed up way too late finishing it.

At the beginning, Miles definitely rubbed me the wrong way, but figuring he was the main love interest, I of course held out. Once you really get into the story, he’s impossible not to fall in love with. Lenny and her grief is so real and raw, and as someone who has never experienced loss like that, my heart truly ached for her. The character development was amazing, and I loved seeing the characters progress in their day to day life, as well as their love life.

This book will definitely go down as one of my favorites reads for the year.

I DEVOURED this book!

This is a story of grief and coming "back to life", of friendship and family, of personal growth and acceptance. It's beautiful.

I was pulled in to the story right away. The characters are well written and while not totally likeable, at first, they aren't unlikeable for no reason. The stories are complex, the side characters are meaningful and add depth to the story.

There is a bit of spice, which doesn't distract from the main story of continuing on after the death of a loved one.

If you have lost a loved one, this may hit hard, but in a sensitive, "seen" way. If you don't know that pain, you will still love the growth and relationships.

I don't read many books twice, but this will be one of them.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group and Cara Bastone for this eARC.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for this ARC. In return, I am offering my genuine and honest opinion of this book.

This book made my heart so happy, and I smiled from ear to ear. I wanted more and was heartbroken when I made it to the end. The thought of this story being brought to life on the big screen excites me. I will be so disappointed if they don't make this into a movie. I loved the characters. I loved how Cara Bastone, the author, writes. I want more from her and might even read this book again one day. I loved it so much.

The characters, friendships, love and grief, and storyline made my heart so happy. This book is uplifting, honest, and just like a huge blanket of joy! Don't miss out on this one.

Thank you Cara Bastone for writing this gem of a book, thanks #netgalley for the ARC copy!!! For those reading this review, my words will not adequately describe how I loved this book. It just hit all the right notes from page 1 to the very end for me and I was wonderfully surprised and enraptured. There were perhaps two or three sentences that should be edited out because they read as intrusive thoughts that the author wrote and are a distraction but perfection is overrated anyway.

This is one of those books that will make you feel so much you'll want to cancel all your plans, hide in your bed and not come back out until you've finished it. Maybe that doesn't sound good to you, but I LIVE for books that pull me in like that and hijack all my emotions.

And this is truly a book to obsess over. It's such a beautiful story about learning to live again after a major loss, learning to grieve, and (re)connecting with the people around you. This book showed me why friends to lovers is my favourite trope, because they became such amazing friends first, which made me see exactly why they should be together. It also means that, even though this is kind of a slow burn, you see them spend so much time together.

If I could give this 6 stars, I would. And I think I'll have to work my way through Cara Bastone's backlist.

"Well, I can't promise the sunshine. But I can do everything else."
...And damn right did Miles Honey (not "huh-nee" more like "ho-nee") mean it.

I want to take a second to thank Net Galley and Dial Press for letting me review another early copy of Cara Bastone's latest release. This book is such a great treasure to the romance community. I've been in a bit of a depressive slump these past few months (like gets hectic, you know?) and I haven't really had many eye-catching experiences with romance books this year...until this. damn. book.

First of all, I have to commend Cara Bastone for being bold enough to create a book that doesn't really take the path of marketing off of tropes. Like, she wrote a book instead of a book about tropes. Does that make sense? She wrote something so unique and heart-warming and inspiring and sad and funny. It just blows all the romance books in 2024 (so far) out of the water for me and I've read a lot of romance books this year. I truly have not read anything like this before and I think that says something in the market of romance books right now.

This book follows such a beautiful journey for our two main characters Lenny and Miles who are just absolute gems of people and make me have a sliver of hope that nice people might actually live in New York City. They're entangled together on this journey to support Lenny after the loss of her best friend and they develop this beautiful friendship that blooms into a soul-crushing romance. They have banter like your favorite characters from Gilmore Girls and a love that will leave a blueprint for perfection in your brain for the rest of your life. Will it make dating real men harder? Yes, but Miles is worth that kind of risk.

I can't even really pack into a short few paragraphs what this book has done for me in the 48 hours it took me to absorb it and permanently attach it to my soul. I just feel a soulmate level connection to this book. Like it's the kind of book that you pick up expecting something light-hearted and simple then walk away considering whether you ever valued life and love as much as you should be. These characters, this plot, the intimate connection between Lenny and Miles just makes me want and want and want.

I think that's probably the one message Cara Bastone wanted to implement the most to her readers: Keep on wanting. There's something waiting for you out there. Keep on going.

Absolutely breathtaking.

I loved this book so much. It was so sad but also a huge warm hug at the same time. I think I was smiling the entire time I was reading.

I absolutely loved this. Although it felt different and heavier( in a good way) compared to Cara Bastones last novel, this one made you feel all the feels. Although a romance I felt like this book really hit so many emotions. It felt deeper than a typically romcom. I loved Miles and Lenny's chemistry and banter. Lenny was written so funny and also such a mess, which honestly made her feel so realistic. I can see this becoming a movie and would LOVE for that to happen. Total tearjerker great piece of fiction!

this was a sweet story about overcoming grief. i liked how miles was there for lenny & accepted her and allowed her to feel her feelings and express them. the fmc did tend to get on my nerves and i found myself getting bored throughout. overall this one was just okay, it wasn't my favorite.

thank you random house & netgalley for the arc!

Cara Bastone's "Promise Me Sunshine" is a poignant and beautifully written exploration of grief, love, and resilience. From the very beginning, I was captivated by the raw emotion and authenticity of the narrative. I never thought I liked a slow burn, but I guess I do when Cara Bastone writes one!

The novel follows a protagonist who is grappling with the loss of a loved one. The plot is both heartbreaking and uplifting, offering a nuanced portrayal of the grieving process.

One of the most striking aspects of this book is the depth and complexity of the characters. Bastone has a remarkable ability to create characters who feel incredibly real and relatable. Each character is nuanced and flawed, making their journeys all the more compelling. I’ve never been so invested in a doorman who only appears a handful of times before!

Another strength of the novel is its exploration of grief. Bastone handles this sensitive subject matter with great care and sensitivity, offering a honest and compassionate portrayal of the grieving process. The novel is not afraid to delve into the darker aspects of grief, while also offering moments of hope and healing.

While the novel is undoubtedly powerful, it is also a challenging read due to its themes of loss. The emotional intensity of the story may be difficult for some readers to handle.

"Promise Me Sunshine" is a poignant and thought-provoking novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading. Bastone's writing is both beautiful and heartbreaking, and the characters are unforgettable. While the novel is not for everyone, those who are willing to embrace its emotional intensity will be rewarded with a truly unforgettable reading experience. Cara Bastone will forever be an auto-buy for me and I cannot wait for her next one.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House for sharing a digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

4.25 stars!- First off, I am obsessed with the beautiful cover! This book wrecked me in all the best ways. I felt like I was constantly holding back tears and feeling all the feels. I couldn't put the book down- reading about Len's journey dealing with her grief and Miles helping her along the way. I also liked how Len helped Miles to connect with his family. I liked the cute moments with Ainsley. I really loved how their relationship progressed into friends and then lovers.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

One of the best books I've read in a long time. Although it's a romance book, it focuses more on grief and healing with a love story ingrained. This book had me laughing but mostly crying. Cara's writing is authentic and vulnerable. Lenny has lost her best friend/soulmate to cancer and is just trying to survive but isn't living, not until she meets Miles. Miles is no stranger to grief, and his story is tragic. It's not the greatest start when he meets Lenny, but he knows she's grieving, and as he's been there before, he agrees to be the person she can go to any time and day. She also has a list that needs to be completed, and he decides to do that for her. As the book progresses, their acquaintance becomes a friendship that turns into love. This book is a love letter to grieving people and shows that surviving is not living. It's not about moving on but moving through. The ending felt more "happy for now," with no epilogue. I usually hate that with books; however, this story had the best possible ending.

This book was heartfelt and heartbreaking. It demonstrates how complex grief is. You won't get it unless you've been there, but this book will help you understand it.