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Member Reviews
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Amazing!!! This book had me laughing and crying and reflecting on life all the same time. Lenny and Miles' story both individually and together show themes of love in all different forms and it was just so beautiful seeing their interactions with everyone. I feel like this book just encapsulated what it means to be a human and go through life and feel things so deeply all the time.
I enjoyed the side characters just as much as the two leads and felt they were so important to the storyline. In this book, Seeing the way Lenny experiences grief and how to she handles it was frustrating and not pretty at times but it felt real and made you root for her each day. Miles is one of my favorite characters ever he was so kind and patient and truly wanted to be there. Their relationship reminds me a bit of Alex and Poppy from Emily Henry's People We Meet on Vacation if you enjoyed that type of dynamic.
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I am so incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to read this ARC. I havenโt shut up about this book since I started reading it, I ate it up so quickly and I think my friends are waiting for release of this book simply so they understand what Iโm yapping about 24/7 ๐. The writing is beautiful, the plot is beautiful, the cover is beautiful, the characters are beautiful. This book is beautiful. The grief felt raw and so real, and while that hurt to bring up my own grief while reading it was comforting knowing I wasnโt alone in my thoughts and feelings. The slow burn mixed with raw emotions was everything to me. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this one. Iโm forever grateful
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This is a beautiful and heartfelt story about navigating grief. Lenny has lost her best friend, Lou, to cancer and is struggling to live a normal life without her sidekick. She is a nanny by trade and starts to care for a young girl named Ainsley. Ainsleyโs uncle, Miles, comes into the picture and starts spending a lot of time with Lenny and Ainsley. Miles has also been through a lot of loss and can relate to Lenny in many ways. Lenny and Miles embark on a journey of completing Lenny and Louโs bucket list and are there to offer support in each otherโs weak moments.
If you need to read a love letter to those grieving, look no further. โจ๐ซถ๐ป
This book was funny -
โจโIโve had girlfriends, Lenny. Part of having a girlfriend is that she makes you watch The Notebook.โ ๐คฃ FACTS
โจ โBreaking: a man can resist the bend and snap. I know this because I performed one in front of Miles and he only expressed mild concern that Iโd just slipped a disc.โ
This book offers great advice -
โจโWhen everything is going dark and you canโt understand why โฆ when the grief catches up to you again โฆ Just remember. Something good for you, something bad for you, and a change of scenery. Thatโs the winning formula.โ
And this book has the sweetest romance (everyone deserves a Miles!!!) -
โจ โIf I run up this hill โฆ I want โฆ an afternoon beer. And โฆ sunshine. And โฆ a basket of fried shrimp. And โฆ a view of the ocean.โ He blinks at me. And then at the cloudy sky. Itโs been a full day since my trip to the Met and the clouds havenโt let up yet. โWell, I canโt promise the sunshine. But I can do everything else.โ
โจ He closes his eyes, opens them and thereโs his brilliant love. โThereโs only you, Lenny. Every time โฆ itโs just you,โ he says, muffled as he kisses me. โAnd you.โ He kisses me again. โAnd you.โ
๐งก This one comes out in March and I definitely recommend it!
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Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Cara Bastone takes readers through a grief journey that highlights the strength it takes to continue. Although this book has a heavy topic (grief after loss), itโs also inspiring to see Lenny evolve and find herself, or a newish self again. Miles, oh Miles. 10 stars for that man, what a MMC. His ability to care for and support Lenny was unmatched. Navigating grief after loss looks different for everyone, and Caraโs way of showcasing Lennyโs rock bottom made it retable, but also inspiring as she kept going through the end of the book.
This is a slow slow-burn romance on top. I want more though, when is part 2 coming out?
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*+:๏ฝก.๏ฝกโ๐๐ฎ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ธ๐ป ๐ท๐ธ๐ฝ, ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ช๐ผ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐ฝ๐ช๐ต๐ด ๐ช๐ซ๐ธ๐พ๐ฝ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ช ๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ต๐ฎ. ๐ ๐ต๐ธ๐ท๐ฐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ต๐ฎ. ๐๐พ๐ฝ ๐โ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฎ๐ท ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ, ๐๐ฎ๐ท๐ท๐. ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฝ ๐๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ ๐๐ธ๐พ ๐ช๐ป๐ฎ. ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ ๐๐ธ๐พ ๐ต๐ธ๐ผ๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐ธ๐ท๐ฝ๐ป๐ธ๐ต ๐ธ๐ฏ ๐๐ธ๐พ๐ป ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฏ๐ฎ ๐ช๐ท๐ญ ๐ท๐ธ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ ๐ถ๐ช๐ด๐ฎ๐ผ ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ท๐ผ๐ฎ ๐ช๐ท๐๐ถ๐ธ๐ป๐ฎ. ๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ท ๐๐ธ๐พ ๐ฌ๐ช๐ทโ๐ฝ ๐ป๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ธ๐ ๐ซ๐ช๐ผ๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ๐ผ ๐ฏ๐พ๐ท๐ฌ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ธ๐ท. ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ ๐๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ท ๐ฝ๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ช๐ฝ ๐ธ๐ป ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ธ๐๐ฎ๐ป. ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฏ โฆ ๐ฒ๐ฝโ๐ผ ๐ท๐ธ๐ฝ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ด๐ฎ ๐ช๐ท๐ ๐ธ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ธ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ธ๐ท. ๐๐ฝ ๐ฒ๐ผ ๐พ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ต๐ ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฌ๐ธ๐ถ๐ซ๐ธ๐ซ๐พ๐ต๐ช๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ. ๐๐ถ๐ธ๐ท๐ฐ ๐ถ๐ช๐ท๐ ๐ธ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ท๐ฐ๐ผ.โ๏ฝก.๏ฝก:+*
๐โ๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ผ'๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐
๐โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐ก ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฆ โ๐๐๐๐กโ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐ผ'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ผ'๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ
โ ห๏ฝกโเญจเญงห๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐หเญจเญงโ๏ฝกห โ
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐ฆ (๐๐ฟ): he is the embodiment of a green flag, he's caring, he's patient, he feeds her, he literally left his life behind so he can care for his dying dad and his niece
๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ฆ (๐น๐ฟ): she's so witty and funny and really hilarious. She is in a kinda rough patch. I relate to her a lot her grief, her energy she can do no wrong in my eyes
๐ด๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ (๐๐๐๐๐): god she's so cute ๐ฅฐ kids in books are swoon-worthy
โ ห๏ฝกโเญจเญงห๐ถ ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐หเญจเญงโ๏ฝกห โ
Chapter 32
โ ห๏ฝกโเญจเญงห๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐หเญจเญงโ๏ฝกห โ
๐ธ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐ข ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ธ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฑ๐๐๐
๐ธ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐
๐ธ ๐ถ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐ฒ๐
โ ห๏ฝกโเญจเญงห๐ฑ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐หเญจเญงโ๏ฝกห โ
"But the thing about losing the person you love the most on earth isโ somehowโ you still have to do mundane things like tie your shoes and make enough money to continue to exist in this punishing world."
โYeah, thatโs right. You need strong. You need someone who can stop you from fighting large men on the street. You need someone who can wade in and pull you out of the swamp if you need me to. And I can be that person.โ
โHome is where the heart is. My heart died in a cancer ward six months ago.โ
I โm convinced some people have all the luck because thereโs not really a better explanation for why I donโt have any of it.
โConsider 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 youโve got this new heart. And youโre 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.โ
โI donโt want you to be healthy for me. I want you to be healthy for you. Soโฆ if you need to do something youโll regretโฆ letโs do it. Iโm in. Just not your hair.โ
โGrief is a relationship,โ he continues. โItโs the way we figure out how to keep loving them even though theyโre gone. And in order to do that we have to keep on going. And going and going.โ
โIf you push him,โ I explain patiently, holding my hands out as an example. โThen he pushes back. But if you take him by the hand, he follows you anywhere.โ
Itโs wild to me how someone who makes me feel more safe than anyone else in the world can also make me so unbelievably nervous.
โ ห๏ฝกโเญจเญงห๐ป๐๐-๐๐๐๐หเญจเญงโ๏ฝกห โ
Guys, guys, guys, guys, I got approved for one of my most anticipated books of the next year. I'm so happy ๐ฅ *Happy little dance* Thank you, Netgally. Thank you Random House Publishing Group ๐
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This book did not disappoint, and there is no better feeling than that for a reader. Miles, the man that you are...they way he cared for everyone is his life, but especially for Lenny. While this book is a slow slow burn, I didn't mind it at all, and I didn't find myself wanting the pacing of their love story to speed up. I think that has to do with the way it was written in a true friends to lovers fashion. Seeing their connection develop, how much they cared for each other, how loyal and protective they were to one another, was really beautiful. Lenny is going through an immense period of grief and it sort of stuck not knowing how she'll move on with her life and be ok without her best friend in her world. And while initially she and Miles don't hit it off, they make a deal to help each other with their current struggles. For Lenny, as mentioned, is learning how to live again after the the death of the love of her life (her best friend), and for Miles it's to connect and build a relationship with his niece (whom Lenny nannys) and sister. Speaking of nieces, I absolutely loved Ainsley! She was such a fun character, who also had her own struggles/feelings towards her moms busy schedule. That time spent with Ainsley is what helps Miles form a relationship with her, with the help and support of Lenny of course. And that time spend with each other is what helps Lenny and Miles see one another in a different light, discovering that there is more to the other person than they originally thought there was. While this book does have sad and painful moments that might be difficult for some readers...it also has beautiful cathartic moments that help the main characters heal. They make new friends along the way, make new memories, have fun adventures, and ultimately fall madly and deeply in love with each other. I loved this book, and would 10 out 10 recommend, 5 stars.
P.S: There is a 'Ready of Not' cameo.
Thank you Random House Publishing Group, Cara Bastone and NetGalley for the advance readers copy!
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I really enjoyed this! Nearly want to say absolutely loved it! My rating is probably closer to 4.5 stars. It felt like two different stories. An intertwined story of grief which I absolutely LOVED. And then the romance...which I wanted more of! I could absolutely feel Lenny and Lou's relationship through the pages and was eating up Lenny's character development as she learned to start living again after the loss of her best friend. When it came to Miles, I wish he cracked just a little bit more! That hard exterior just persevered, but his and Lenny's relationship was believable. Overall, another win from Cara Bastone and I will for sure be continuing to read whatever she writes!
Thank you Netgalley and Random House for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
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This is an emotional, heartwarming read that differs from my first read by this author โready or notโ. Both center around family relationships but this book was definitely heavier. The romance is very slow burn as the emphasis is more on the two main characters building a genuine and trusting friendship. Based on this, I would more characterize this as womenโs fiction.
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If I could give this 10 stars I would. Heavy trigger warning for death of a loved one. This is one of those books that really reaches out to me and touches me. I sobbed and laughed so much reading this book. It was so amazing to hear Lenny's inner monolog and to really feel all her emotions along side her. And Miles! What a soft and sweet friends to lovers book boyfriend. He was perfect in all the right ways. If you love books set in New York you will especially love all the spots these characters end up and I really hope everyone else can enjoy it with me. I want to shout from the rooftops just how amazing Cara Bastones writing is. And I have to say this is my first time crying while ready the acknowledgements. Cara you truly are a mastor of your craft
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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 Ainsleyโs mother, Reese, travels for work. Lenny also meets Ainsleyโs uncle, Miles, who lives in the same building as Ainsley and Reese. Despite their physical proximity, Reese and Miles are not close. Miles is Reeseโs half-brotherโwhose existence she was not even aware of until just prior to her fatherโs 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 Lennyโs 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, heโs 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 sheโs betraying Louโs 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 doesnโt 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 Bastoneโs โReady or Notโ: 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 canโt 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 donโt 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 doesnโt really kick in until the last third of the book, but there were subtle hints here and there. It didnโt bother me too much because I loved reading about Lenny and Milesโ 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 authorโs 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 wasnโt going to be the MMC. In the end, I was in love. ๐ญ The relationship between Lenny and Miles was definitely a slow burn, but it wasnโt excruciating like some are, it actually felt very natural. Even if this book was just about friendship and not romance, I wouldโve 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 Lennyโs 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 โfirst kissโ 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."
4.5โญ
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 Iโm 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. Itโs one of those stories that makes you think about the people in your life and what youโre 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. Iโm no stranger to swooning over a book boyfriend but Miles really was so so good. He is the literal definition of โlet me take care of youโ. We would all be so lucky to have a Miles in our corner. Iโm 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 itโs a must read!
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cara has now become an author iโll fully support in the sense of โif cara wrote it, i will be buying it.โ because this is my second arc by her (former arc was for ready or not) & her writing is one of the most entertaining that iโve 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.
lennyโs 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 dnfโing 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! ๐
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!