Member Reviews

There is so much love about Cara Bastone's Promise Me Sunshine.

Lenny recently lost her best friend to cancer and is deeply impacted by grief when she meets Miles. Miles is the grumpy neighbor and uncle of a girl Lenny inconsistently nannies. When the two meet Miles recognizes how deeply Lenny is grieving and agrees to help her. In return, she must help him build a relationship with his nephew and half sister.

My favorite thing about this book was how Cara Bastone builds the characters in each section. She takes her time with them as they gradually let their guards down throughout the book and allow readers to see their true hearts. Miles starts out as a grumpy tough guy but he takes care of Lenny with extreme tenderness. Lenny is fun loving at heart but it is hard to see because of how lost she is after. losing her friend.

This is a very slow burn where the emphasis is less on the romance and more on these two characters building a genuine and deep trusting friendship. I'd put it more in the women's fiction category than in the romance category. Overall I would absolutely recommend this book!

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4.5, rounded up to 5

This is an emotional, heartwarming story about grieving and what comes after. Each of the main characters in the story has suffered the loss of a loved one(s). Despite the heavy subject matter, there is also humor and happiness in #PromiseMeSunshine.

Lenny (Helen) has recently lost her best friend to cancer; a friend who was also her roommate and whom Lenny had known since she was five years old. She is overwhelmed with grief, avoiding her parents, not eating, not sleeping well and basically not taking care of herself while she tries to find a way to do more than exist.

Formerly a full-time nanny, she is now only able to handle temporary babysitting jobs. One of her short-term assignments has her spending a weekend taking care of seven-year-old Ainsley Hollis, while Ainsley’s mother, Reese, travels for work. Lenny also meets Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, who lives in the same building as Ainsley and Reese. Despite their physical proximity, Reese and Miles are not close. Miles is Reese’s half-brother—whose existence she was not even aware of until just prior to her father’s death. Miles is nine months younger than Reese and although he knew of her existence, he was raised by mother and understood that his father wanted to keep Miles a secret.

Miles turns out to be Lenny’s guardian angel/lifeline. Once he understands her situation, he offers to help show her how to live again. Miles has learned the hard way how to make it through to the other side and start healing. He lost his mother and cousin in a car accident; and more recently lost his father, whom he was just starting to get to know.

In exchange, Lenny will help Miles (not the most communicative person) understand how to interact better with Ainsley and Reese so that he can build a relationship with his niece and his sister, the only family he has left.

Lenny takes Miles up on his offer, and she begins to reach out to him when she needs someone, and Miles is always there for her. No matter where or when, he’s utterly dependable, providing support and assistance when she needs it. Slowly, Lenny learns how to take care of herself again and open up to life, without feeling like she’s betraying Lou’s memory. Lenny and Miles become friends and then fall in love; and even then, Miles is looking out for her, and wanting to make sure that he gets this right and doesn’t rush things before Lenny is ready.

With a fully realized cast of characters, wonderful dialogue and an important message about living after a crushing loss, this touching, slow-burn romance is something special! Bonus for those who have read Bastone’s “Ready or Not”: Ethan makes a cameo appearance as a friend of Miles.

Thanks to #NetGalley and @RandomHouse for the ARC.

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5 stars. No notes. I loved every minute of this one and can’t wait for everyone to meet Lenny and Miles! Now I have to go read everything else this author has ever written.

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I loved Ready or Not when I read it earlier this year and was so excited to receive an eARC of Promise Me Sunshine. This book was a gut punch from page 1, just like Ready or Not, but this time with a story of grief and friendship and how to keep going. I was astounded again by the care with which Cara Bastone handled her character's loss and love and the beautiful way the main characters stitched each other back up, not unchanged, but whole again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC of this book which releases in Spring 2025. Further reviews can be found on @alexaisreading__ on Instagram.

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Wow, this book really deserves all the hype it has been getting so far!
It was beautifully written and I was completely moved by the story. I thought the author did an amazing job of balancing the heavy topic of grief with the lighthearted moments. The book kept me interested from beginning to end.

As for the characters, I adored the protagonist Lenny. She puts on this sunshiny persona, but in reality, she is drowning in grief after the loss of her best friend. Her healing journey was depicted realistically. It was not linear and we got to see her experience good days and bad days after her loss. Every day she was trying her best and, little by little, she starts learning how to live again. And Miles! He reminded me so much of Jacob from Yours Truly. He was the sweetest and has the best intentions, but sometimes his actions and his words don’t come off that way because of his gruff exterior. He cares deeply for others and just needed some help in showcasing it better.

The romance was a slow burn for sure. It doesn’t really kick in until the last third of the book, but there were subtle hints here and there. It didn’t bother me too much because I loved reading about Lenny and Miles’ friendship. They understood and complemented each other so well.

All in all, this was a great read and I will definitely keep an eye out for the author’s next release.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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The journey of healing was such a beautiful read, watching it all unfold. I also loved how Miles expressed that he cared but wanted to wait. Highly recommend this novel!

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There were so many elements about this book that I liked. In the beginning, Miles annoyed the heck out of me, and I had high hopes he wasn’t going to be the MMC. In the end, I was in love. 😭 The relationship between Lenny and Miles was definitely a slow burn, but it wasn’t excruciating like some are, it actually felt very natural. Even if this book was just about friendship and not romance, I would’ve loved it the same. Their friendship was so loyal, pure, and heart-warming, and I loved how they were able to build a little friend-family throughout the book & find community together. They each have their own baggage and trauma, but they are each such strong, emotionally intelligent characters, and I loved watching them grow and support one another. I also really enjoyed Lenny’s dynamic with Ainsley & Reese. I thought it was so sweet how she was able to build such a strong bond with them. She deserves a job she loves with a boss as amazing as Reese. Throughout the story, I thought the author did a very good job of illustrating a realistic portrayal of grief & the highs and lows that come with healing after such a drastic loss. Despite all of the grief in the book, the story still felt light-hearted and comforting. Definitely adding Cara Bastone to my list of authors to watch.

One thing that annoyed me about this book was how big of a deal they made the “first kiss” out to be. I understand Miles was trying to be cautious with her heart, but I think it was too focused on that for a period of time.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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"Just remember. Something good for you, something bad for you, and a change of scenery. That's the winning formula."

4.5⭐

This book is supposed to be a romance between Lenny and Miles while Lenny grieves the loss of her best friend, but honestly it's so much more than that. Yes, this is still a heartwarming slow-burn romance. However, the journey of healing and growth you witness both of these characters experience in this story is so much more.

This is the story of Lenny, a temporary nanny for Ainsley, who is falling apart after her best friend, soulmate, and comrade Lou dies. She gets absolutely lost in her grief and has trouble completing her list of activities to help her live after losing Lou. When Miles notices this he strikes a deal with her that he will be her grief guide and list buddy in return she is to teach him how to have a relationship with his niece, Ainsley.

Miles is the perfect partner for Lenny. The way he pushes her to do the hard things when she needs it, is there to hold her for however long is needed when she completely falls apart, and goes to her whenever she calls absolutely no questions asked.



Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

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Nobody talk to me I’m still recovering. A really fucking beautiful love story about friendship, about finding your soulmate in a best friend and almost not being able to survive the grief if the unthinkable happens. I love how much of an emphasis this book puts on friendship. It’s one of those stories that makes you think about the people in your life and what you’re doing to cherish the moments with them. Watching Lenny grieve Lou was fucking heartbreaking. Like, some moments were so painful and written so well that it was truly too much to handle. Overall, it just explored grief really well and the true rollercoaster of emotions that come along with it. I’m no stranger to swooning over a book boyfriend but Miles really was so so good. He is the literal definition of ‘let me take care of you’. We would all be so lucky to have a Miles in our corner. I’m so happy that he and Lenny found each other, that they were able to carve out a space to help the other live and love again. Comes out in March and it’s a must read!

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cara has now become an author i’ll fully support in the sense of “if cara wrote it, i will be buying it.” because this is my second arc by her (former arc was for ready or not) & her writing is one of the most entertaining that i’ve encountered this year within the romance genre.

i fully despised miles in the beginning because he was just kind of annoying like..hello why are u there just standing. however, his character grew on me the more i read the book and once i found out his intentions were with lenny.

lenny’s story on grieving was well written and raw however it felt a bit overdone at times. i love that this book not only focuses on the character development aspects but also touches on the subject of depression, grief & anxiety in a way.

however, i can definitely see how people can have a different opinion on it & want to dnf it because i was also close to dnf’ing it. the start was just a bit choppy & kind of slow up until i think it was chapter 10? not too sure but i had to read almost 50% of the book for it to get really good.

overall, it was a good read & i recommend it & again thank you for the arc i will be purchasing when released :)

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Lenny is dealing with the immense grief of losing her best friend and her life has fallen apart. To keep herself afloat, she nannies for a little girl, Ainsley. Ainsley comes with an uncle, Miles, who's kind of a jerk and doubting her every move. Little does Lenny know, he's about to help her through the hardest time of her life.

This novel started a little slow for me, but then I realized, if I were to lose anyone so close to me, I would completely shut down, too. And it would take a lot of work to come back. I just hope if I'm ever in such a painful situation, I have a Miles to get me through it! 💞

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

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Promise Me Sunshine is a romance story that focuses heavily on learning to live through grief. Our protagonist, Lenny, is very much struggling with life after the loss of her best friend to cancer, to the point where she won't even go home. While at a babysitting job, she meets Miles, who can be a bit rough around the edges but recognizes that Lenny is struggling. Miles has had to deal with grief himself, so he offers to help Lenny. I really enjoyed reading this story and thought it dealt with some very heavy topics well. I liked both of the main characters and thought that their different personalities complimented each other in a way that brought out the best in each other. Lenny and the grief she was dealing with felt very real but also left me with a feeling of hope. The romance is very slow burn, but I really had to respect how Miles navigated Lenny's grief with her. This was a book that was hard to put down, and I would love to read more by the author!

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Dial Press Trade Paperback, and NetGalley for the advance review copy of Promise Me Sunshine! All opinions expressed are completely my own.

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This book was beautiful, and so so sad. Lenny was so believable, the trauma she was going through and the ways in which she reacted to it felt so real. Miles is a perfect foil to Lenny - grumpy and kind. It made breaking his shell incredibly enticing to Lenny, but also rewarding (ultimately). I absolutely loved watching them incorporate the other into a shared existence. And I cried so much. Gorgeous. Another excellent addition to Cara Bastone's catalogue.

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I am completely WRECKED by this book. I love the premise, truly how emotional it makes me feel, and the love story Cara Bastone weaves in this book. I can't wait to shout it out from the rooftops when it comes out. This book will definitely make a positive impact on readers everywhere when it releases.

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This was an enjoyable ready but neither character felt particularly complex. I also think, in this case, it may have been a more powerful message if this book did not have romance. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review!

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I recently listened to Ready or Not and immediately needed more Cara Bastone. Promise me sunshine filled that void so well. Its thoughtful and beautiful look at grief was so powerful. I enjoyed following Lenny’s journey to live again and how it brought her and Miles together. This funny and sweet book is a must-read.

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My sincere thanks to Dial Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone. I give my unbiased opinion of it in the following review.

After reading and loving Ready or Not by Cara, I was SO happy I got to dive into Promise Me Sunshine not long after. I absolutely love this book! It is about Lenny and Miles who meet when Lenny nannies for Miles' niece Ainsley. Miles is trying to develop a relationship with his niece and finds himself floundering. When he learns that Lenny is also not only floundering but actually drowning in grief following the death of her best friend Lou, he explains to her that he is personally acquainted with grief after losing his mom and cousin in an accident. Miles convinces Lenny that he can help her work through her grief if she will in turn help him relate to Ainsley. What follows is the most beautiful story of two people forging ahead through the things that scare them to emerge on the other side truly energized and ready to take on life.

Cara Bastone's writing in this is absolutely beautiful. I can't tell you how many times I had to read sections over again and sigh with all the feels I was experiencing. We all need a Miles in our lives. The way he just got Lenny... and the way she also got him... I can't even put it into words. Oh, and if you loved Ready or Not, Miles is friends with Ethan, and we get a little peek into how things are going for him. It is so good!

Promise Me Sunshine is set to release on March 4, 2025.

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As a huge, HUGE fan of READY OR NOT I was so thrilled to get PROMISE ME SUNSHINE by Cara Bastone. And while the vibe was super different, it really delivered! This was a beautiful portrayal of learning to live again through grief.

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Thanks to Random House & Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I found this book to be like a warm hug after a long day. Or after a good cry. It was really beautiful to read about Lenny’s journey. It felt so raw and real, and then so lovely and fulfilling to watch her start to heal. I also loved the slow romantic build of this book. It was refreshing and sweet. The way Miles understood Lenny in a way no one could (after the initial grumpiness of course) was so lovely. And the way he took care of her and had a vested interest in her just simply because he had gone through the same thing just made everything all the sweeter.

Although this book was a journey of grief, it didn’t feel overly sad. I felt like it really highlighted the ways that sometimes we hold on to grief simply because it keeps us closer to the one we lost. But then showed the wonderful ways that we can heal & still remember and love that person all the same.

Overall I recommend this book! 4/5 stars.

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I fell in love with these characters more than I thought I was going to. Cara wrote a unique spin on grief that also tied in classic NYC rom-com. Lou and Lenny forever <3

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