Loved this book, the raw emotions, the characters and the reality of grief. - without sugarcoating. Another amazing book by this amazing author. Can’t wait for the next one!

After Ready or Not i knew i had to read Bastones next book and it honestly blew me away. I wish i had the words to describe how much i loved this book but I just don’t.

"Promise Me Sunshine" by Cara Bastone is a touching story of grief and healing. Lenny, a young women who is struggling with the loss of her best friend takes on babysitting jobs to cope, She meets Ainsley's grumpy uncle, Miles, who helps her complete her "live again" list.

The characters were beautifully developed and so well written! I loved Lenny's resilience and the slow burn romance was so heartfelt and genuine!

I usually don't like to read books that deal with loss due to health as it's a very difficult subject for me having lost loved ones to cancer - but Cara Bastone wrote this book with such care that I was able to read it and I felt like it helped me with my grief journey as well!

This was an emotional read but still left me feeling hopeful by then end! I really enjoyed it!

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House/ The Dial Press for sending me this eARC and a physical copy as well!!

I truly don’t even know where to begin with this review except to say that Cara Bastone really outdid herself with this one. It was so intense and emotional and perfectly written. It’s absolutely an exploration of grief in the rawest form. It’s heavy and light at the same time, hard to read but so full of goodness.

Lenny, was the shining gem of this book. Her journey through grief, seeing how she coped with the greatest loss of her life, and how strong she was throughout it all. She was such a relatable character - a trend I’m noticing with Bastone’s female leads.

Miles was an absolute sweetheart and exactly what Lenny needed. I couldn’t even believe how insightful he was.

Both of the characters were complex and their growth throughout the book was well done. It’s about so much more than the romance, but that too was perfect.

Promise Me Sunshine was truly just so beautifully done. I don’t know what else to say without entering spoiler territory. It’s earned all the praise it has (and will continue to) received. I highly recommend you pick this one up!!

First off thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group for letting me read this stunning eARC.

5⭐️ beautiful well deserved stars.
First of all I loved this book, I really enjoyed the characters and the travel through grieving those you’ve lost. I did even cry a few times reading which for me, who loves a good laugh or cry, this did it for me. I loved Lenny and Miles truly. They were both great characters and I love that they aren’t perfect people but it’s believable and real. Lenny finding herself again and making friends, the will to go on was lovely. Also I’m pointing BEAUTIFUL SLOW BURN! Ugh I love a good fleshed out slow burn. This reminded me a bit of The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston, which was arguably my favorite book I read last year so this at the moment is my big 2025 romance love. I truly have relatively no complaints this was just beautiful and I recommend it to all who love a good slow burn with imperfect people. This better be a well loved romance of the year or I’ll start rioting (lovingly). Cara Bastone knocked this outta the park <3


Review published to Goodreads!

This was cute and I really liked the concept. Miles was a great male main character. Our female main character was a little cringey but I found her endearing most of the time. But I hated how long it took for the romance to start. I felt like I barely got to see them together.

It's official! I love Cara Bastone's books! Last year I read and loved Ready or Not, so I was super excited to get an ARC of Promise Me Sunshine. Although I would definitely place this in the romance category, she also includes so much more. In Promise Me Sunshine, Lenny, the main character is dealing with intense grief after the loss of her best friend. She takes a temporary nannying job for the adorable Ainsley and suddenly Ainsley's grumpy uncle Miles is always hanging around. He offers to help Lenny complete the tasks on her "live again" checklist and in return she helps him build a relationship with Ainsley and her mom. One piece of advice Mile's offers that I'm planning to put into practice when things are tough is "Something good for you, something bad for you, and a change of scenery." I loved the characters, and I love that Cara Bastone can make me both laugh and can write about serious topics so well. This is a slow burn romance with a big focus on dealing with grief, so know that going in. 4+ stars. Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.

I just completed an arc of Cara Bastone's "Promise Me Sunshine" through Random House Publishing Group.

I started reading this book late at night, and only put it down to get a few hours of sleep. After finishing, I'm emotionally gutted, which, could be attributable to the few hours of sleep, but is more likely caused by the journey through Lenny's grief that Bastone takes us through.

I have previously read several Cara Bastone books and found them fun and entertaining, but they didn't have the same emotional weight that this book carries. I should have known going in, given the premise of this title is the FMC working through the grief of losing her best friend/soul mate. I say "working through", but during the first third of this book, that really isn't the case. Lenny is absolutely wrecked by her grief in a way that someone could only understand if they've lost someone close to them. She is able to compartmentalize in long enough increments to work as a nanny PRN. Through this gig work, she meets Miles, who is intimately familiar with grief and recognizes Lenny's suffering. He essentially becomes Lenny's grief guide and as the MMC, a relationship develops. This is a true romance book with a HEA and some spice, but I think the primary plot is Lenny's voyage from being broken to someone who can again experience hope and joy. While most romance novels leave me feeling like I've just had a glass of champagne, this one leaves me feeling like I'm under a weighted blanket.

As a character, and despite her grief, Lenny is a chaotic ray of sunshine. Bastone makes you feel like you know Lenny as that one eccentric friend and have and love if she could only wade through her depression and emerge on the other side. Miles is broody, misunderstood, but a slow and steady sure bet. He is the perfect ying to Lenny's yang.

I think this is Cara Bastone's best work yet, despite really enjoying "Ready or Not." I appreciate the chance to read the arc and look forward to others' reactions.

Romance of the year, book of the year, my entire personality. Inhaled this sucker in less than 48 hours and I loved EVERY MINUTE. This journey through the darkest corners of grief was the most beautiful and lovely trip I’ve been on. I hesitate with the “boy saves girl” trope but this book DID IT RIGHT. Miles was exactly what a friend should be and I hope I can be that for my people for ever more.

This book releases March 4, and you all are about to be SO BLESSED when it does. 💗💗💗💗💗💗

3 ⭐️ Cute story and written well but the romance didn’t feel special or anything. An easy & sad read about grief.


Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the arc in exchange for an honest review!!

Perfect no notes!

The story follows Lenny, who’s reeling from the loss of her best friend Lou. She’s barely holding it together until she starts babysitting for Reese and her adorable daughter, Ainsley. Ainsley’s got a grumpy uncle Miles who’s got an eye on Leny and her ways.

The way Cara Bastone captures grief and healing is both touching and authentic. Lenny’s journey from barely surviving to slowly rediscovering herself was beautifully paced.

The slow-burn romance felt so natural and real, with just the right amount of angst and sweetness.

Miles and Lenny’s interactions are filled with banter, tension, and eventually, tenderness. Watching them help each other grow was incredibly satisfying. Plus, Ainsley is such a charming addition—I loved every scene she was in!

This is my second book from Cara, and I’m officially a fan. She has this amazing way of finding romance in the small, everyday moments, making her stories feel grounded and deeply relatable. I’m definitely diving into her back catalog next!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc! Highly recommend it to everyone. On my way to purchase a physical copy (trophy) !

From the start, I was rooting for Lenny—and then for her and Miles together. Having lost a family member myself, I really appreciated how this book captured the way grief sneaks up on you when you least expect it. But it wasn’t all heavy—the humor balanced it out perfectly! I laughed, I cried, and I cheered them on the whole way. Cara Bastone is quickly becoming a must-read author for me!

Grieving the loss of her best friend, Lenny is completely lost—avoiding her parents, her old apartment, and the “live again” list she promised her best friend that she’d complete. Taking a temporary babysitting job seems like a safe distraction, until she meets Miles, the grumpy uncle who sees right through her facade. Miles, no stranger to grief himself, proposes Lenny a deal: he’ll help her tackle her list if she helps him connect with his niece. Between late-night ferry rides, matching tattoos, and unexpected moments of support, Lenny begins to realize that sometimes, the end of one chapter is just the beginning of another.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Cara Bastone for granting me access to this book. All opinions are my own.

Promise Me Sunshine is a beautiful book by Cara Bastone. Lenny’s a mess after the death of her best friend and is hopping from one place to another, refusing to to back to her shared apartment as she tries to figure out what to do with her life now that her rock is gone. She is taking temporary babysitting gigs and lands one helping an overworked single mom named Reese with an awesome daughter named Ainsley. Ainsley’s uncle Miles lives in the same apartment complex and is overbearing, but when Lenny connects with him, he makes an offer to help her deal with her grief and complete everything on her “live again” list. As they work through the list, can Lenny find herself and the ability to love again?

I loved this book. The characters were so well developed. I couldn’t put it down! The plot captured my attention right away and I was completely invested in the story. I would definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for access to an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved Cara Bastone’s book, Ready or Not, so I knew this one was going to be good! I underestimated.

After losing her best friend to cancer, Lenny doesn’t know how to move on. She can’t go back to their shared apartment and she avoids her concerned parents, so Lenny takes temporary babysitting gigs to get by. Her most recent job leads her to the doorstep of a single-mother, Reese, and her daughter, Ainsley. This setup seems perfect. However, it’s not. Ainsley has a grumpy uncle, Miles, who always seems to be around. Lenny tries to portray herself as being put together, but Miles sees right through her. He makes Lenny an offer that benefits the both of them- Lenny gets to fulfill her “live again” list and Miles works to connect better with his niece and Reese.

Cara is so poetic in the way she describes scenes. I was laughing when they were laughing, sad when they were sad, and I thought my heart broke in chapter 14 but it really did in chapter 26. I love Lenny’s quirk of making up stories about people in public. She’s also so good at dealing with kids, although she doesn’t have any herself. The lucky cupcake idea might be one I tweak and try with my own children. I also respect a woman who will turn the toilet paper to how it’s supposed to be (over, not under )

I cannot wait to read Cara’s next book!

Thank you NetGalley and Dial Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Promise Me Sunshine breaks your heart to only put it back together again.
Lenny is deeply grieving the loss of her best friend. She is actively avoiding her family and barely holding on by working as a temporary babysitter. Her latest gig has her looking after a young girl. The only problem? Her grumpy uncle, Miles, keeps showing up, and he can see right through her facade. Together they make a deal. Miles will help her with her grief if she helps him to connect with his niece. What ensues is a beautiful story of someone learning to live again amidst the pain of losing your Person.

4.5 rounded up.

Thank you to Random House Publishing/Dial and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Cara Bastone's latest novel is a beautiful story of love in the face of grief. This slow burn romance is about Lenny, who recently lost her best friend to cancer. Her reaction to this loss is so realistic and raw. When Lenny meets Miles through the family she babysits for, she learns that he knows what it is like to lose someone close to you. The way they navigate their relationship as they grieve was so touching.

Lenny is such a weirdo in the best possible way. Bastone posted a clip from the movie "Garden State" to describe the vibe of this book. It was so spot-on. I love how Lenny never pretended to be polished, even as she got her life together.

This is a 4.5 rounded up. This won't be the last Cara Bastone book I read!

To say I loved Promise Me Sunshine would be an understatement. I laughed, I cried and I was completely swooned by the romance.
I read Ready or Not last year and, after reading the synopsis of Cara Bastone's new work, I couldn't wait to read it. I'm glad to say it was everything I expected and better. I'm definitely adding it to my top romance books.
Promise Me Sunshine follows Lenny as she navigates grief and learns to live in a world without her best friend and Miles, as he tries to connect with his family. They make a pact to help each other and...the rest is history.
It's a beautiful, heart-braking and utterly hopeful story. Miles is simply wonderful, even though he seems like a complete idiot at first.
Cara Bastone has really perfected the technique of golden retrievers male main characters.
I read the book in two sittings in less than 24 hours and as soon as I finished it I texted my friends to recommend it.
So take my word for it, read it, you won't regret it!

I don’t know if I have words to describe just how much I loved reading this book. I can already tell it’s going to become a comfort read for me. Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone follows Lenny as she struggles with overwhelming grief after losing the most important person in her life. During this time she meets Miles, the uncle of a young girl she babysits, who has also experienced intense loss in his life and offers to help Lenny in exchange for her helping him develop a closer relationship with his niece. The story is a slow-burn romance (no insta love here), but it heavily explores grief and the importance of platonic relationships and the support of friends and family as well. This book balances these deeper themes with a cast of lovable characters, a sweet romance, and lots of humor.

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of this new novel from Cara Bastone! I really enjoyed Ready or Not last year and was thrilled to get a chance to read Promise Me Sunshine early.

This book follows Lenny, who has recently had a significant loss when her best friend passes away. When we meet her, Lenny is starting off at a new babysitting job, while still overwhelmed by the grief of this loss. Although she is full of humor and fun, Lenny is obviously still overwhelmingly struggling with what it means to exist in the world without her best friend. One of the only people who sees this clearly is Miles, the uncle of the girl Lenny is taking care of. This book is a candid exploration of how grief can impact us and how disorienting it can be to try and move on. It also demonstrates the importance of transparently being yourself and asking for help when you need to, even when it might be hard to do so.

Bastone uses humor well but also isn't afraid to shy away from hard conversations around grief and loss. Overall, I found this to be really enjoyable and relatable. I wish we had learned a bit more about Lenny's relationship with her best friend (I think it would have made the grief hit a little harder), but otherwise I really did find this to be very heartwarming.

Second book I’ve read by Cara Bastone that I’ve absolutely loved. I’m not sure if it’s how she writes her characters and their dialogue but whatever it is, it’s working. Also, the fact that this was not only a cute love story but also about how to come back from grief made it so much better.