Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lenny lost her best friend, Lou, and she’s having a hard time grieving the loss. She’s barely getting by and rides the Staten Island ferry at night to avoid going home to their apartment. In between nannying gigs, she agrees to nanny a young girl for the weekend while her mom is away for work. It’s there she meets Miles, Ainsley’s surly uncle with an overprotective streak. The two butt heads at first, but when he discovers her book on coping with grief, he decides to help her accomplish the tasks on the live again list Lou created for her. The two grow closer as they run around NYC marking off tasks on her list leaving Lenny to wonder if she can find herself and love again.

This book destroyed me in the best possible way! It’s a beautiful love letter to those we’ve lost. Lou is very much an important character in the novel, and we get to see her through a series of flashbacks as well as through Lenny’s eyes. It’s heart wrenching, raw, and beautiful to see the impact she had on Lenny’s life. While our loved ones may be gone, they are never forgotten and Ms. Bastone does a lovely job of honoring Lou’s memory.

I loved the slow burn and felt that Ms. Bastone handled the subject of grief with care and sensitivity. Despite the heaviness of grief, there were so many moments of levity and she did a great job of balancing the two.

Miles. Oh boy, Miles! When we first meet Miles he’s a bit of a grump. Having just met his half sister, Reese, two years prior he’s trying his best to be a part of her and her daughter’s life, but he doesn’t quite know how to fit in. Reese’s father was a musician who had an extra marital affair that resulted in Miles, so their relationship is rocky to say the least. Underneath the grumpy exterior, he’s a sensitive guy who’s experienced grief himself, and when he discovers that Lenny has been grappling with the loss of her friend he volunteers himself to be her companion.

The more tasks they complete, the more the intimacy between them builds. Their relationship develops organically. He’s her rock, and he doesn’t shy away from the ugliness of her grief. He embraces it and gently supports Lenny without telling her how she should behave or trying to fix her. He accepts her as she is. He guides her gently through it, never judging her.

“Look,” he says low. “Consider it like you just had a heart transplant. When Lou died, your entire heart went with her. But you have to live, right? So now you’ve got this new heart. And you’re getting used to it. No one would expect you to run up a hill right after a heart transplant. Go slow. Go easy on yourself.”

“Talk about her incessantly. Let’s say … two hours? That should be enough to get us started at least. If you need more time, we can add some. Tell me anything you want, in as much detail as you want. And you don’t have to worry about pleasantries or asking about my life or checking to see if I’m bored. For two hours, I’ll listen. No strings.”

“When a wolf is howling at the moon, it’s not actually because it’s lonely.” “Really?”“Yeah.” He nods. “It’s sort of a location technique, for when members of the pack get separated and they need to find one another.” “Oh.” I brush the happy tears away. “So when you hear a wolf call, and then in the distance, you hear another wolf call back, do you know what that can be roughly translated as?” “What’s that?” “The first one saying, I’m here! I’m here! And then the other one says, Me too! Me too!”

Though this story deals with grief, it’s also full of hope, laughter, and love. I was moved to tears by this novel. It was absolutely stunning.

I absolutely enjoyed this book! I feel like it is so hard to talk about grief and how losing someone you love makes you lose yourself. What a great theme. The writing was enjoyable. The banter between the two main characters was entertaining and kept me rooting for them, as well as the FMC to take charge of her life and become independent once again. In terms of romance, the slow burn was slow-burrrnnniinnnggg (which I greatly appreciated) and showed how mature the characters were. 5/5!! I would recommend this book to my friends :)

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

This book was great! I did have a hard time getting in to it but about 20-25% in to it I couldn’t stop reading. I loved the writing style and I loved the characters and their chemistry. I loved Lenny and how silly she is. Grumpy X sunshine is one of my favorite tropes!

Cara Bastone’s Promise Me Sunshine is a heartfelt journey that captivates from the very first page.

In this beautifully honest book, Lenny is navigating the grieving process after losing her best friend. Enter Miles—a brooding grouch with a big heart beneath his tough exterior. Their unexpected friendship unfolds in the most delightful way, blending humor and poignancy as they explore life, loss, and the messy territory of love.

Lenny is a refreshingly quirky character whose antics had me laughing out loud—she's unlike any character I've encountered before. The chemistry between her and Miles perfectly captures the grumpy x sunshine dynamic, and Miles, with his sweet, genuine nature, has completely stolen my heart. This book is a must-read for anyone craving a story that’s uplifting and real!