This was everything to me. It wrecked me but healed me at the same time.

As someone going through grief, this is one of the most honest, accurate depictions of grief I think I've ever seen. I cried so many times, not only over Lenny's grief but over the sheer understanding of grief that this book explores and how beautiful that was.

This is a romance, and it is deliciously slow burn, with Lenny and Miles slowly becoming friends before ever realising their feelings for each other. They were literally perfect together, and the love that Miles showed Lenny, unflinchingly, made me very emotional. How they get each other through their darkest days was beautiful, and I just felt like this story was incredibly powerful. Despite how much I cried, this book also made me laugh, and that's exactly what I wanted from it.

Without a doubt my favourite read of the year so far.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 4.85 stars ⭐️

⤿ 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 april 15
⤿ 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 april 25

⁀➴ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬
🧡 strangers to friends to lovers
☀️ slow burn
🧡 grief
☀️ found family
🧡 grumpy x sunshine
☀️ healing

this book was such a beautiful portrayal of grief and depression. cara's writing is so genuine and everything felt so natural. like i could connect to lenny on such a deep level it was so insane. her feeling's of hopelessness and sadness just overpowering everything in her life.

she's frozen in time where here best friend died and never left. she hasn't been able to live after the funeral, barely surviving. miles is the one to bring her from the darkness and realize how important the small things are in life.

i can't believe i put off reading this one for so long because it's truly amazing and i need to buy my own copy asap.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

𝜗𝜚 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲
i just related to her on such a deep, huge level. her feelings and mental state for the first 30% of the book? it was like reading about my inner thoughts... so crazy. i think the reason i put off reading this one faster than i usually do is bc of that. like how in your face it is about important topics- mental health. she's so strong and i loved how we saw snippets of her life with lou. life sucks and sometimes takes away people who mean the most to you. i didn't relate to her on a grief level but everything else.

her realizing she needed to take care of herself before she could be in a relationship was such a mature and healing thing for me. like that does not happen usually in romance books- needs to be normalized. people should be in a healthy mental state before jumping into a relationship bc it's not just 'being in love' that's important.

literally the first 60% was not even about romance. i love that bc you need time to grow and restore your mental being before anything else. it's the priority and i loved that miles didn't like rush that.


𝜗𝜚 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬
oh my gosh. everybody need a miles (at least i do) like the person who checks up on you when you can't check up on yourself.

guys i can't even write this review properly without tears falling bc of the acknowledgements the author left:

finally, one of lenny’s hardest lessons: the phone call. no one can be your miles if you don’t call them when you need them.

okay back to miles. so he's the guy who's always there for lenny whenever she needs someone to talk to. ugh he just makes me cry bc of how precious he is. like how many people can say that they have a miles in their life? not much for sure.

this book made me realize how important it is to actually live your life and not just go through the motions. like take a walk outside and enjoy the fresh air or the sunset. look for the small good things.

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

ᝰ.ᐟ 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥
this book was so good + anyone who's on the fence about this: go pick it up!! the first 30% might be kind of hard but PUSH THROUGH. so SO worth it, i literally binged 70% today lol

the spice is only like 1-2 scenes and not descriptive and it's at the very end so it's not important.


thank you to headline and netgalley for an e-arc

This book broke my heart and put it back together. Cara Bastone’s tale of love after loss is a must read for 2025

“𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞.“

Tropes:
-Grief & Healing
-Very Slow Burn
-He Falls First
-Friends To Lovers

This is my first book by Cara but it absolutely won’t be my last. Promise Me Sunshine was an emotional journey of loss, healing and how hard it can be dragging yourself out of the depth of grief.
I think books about grief are particular favourites of mine, it’s such a raw emotion & Cara conveyed this beautifully.

Lenny was such a fun character & I felt connected to her even in her vast grief…but star of the show was Miles I don’t think you can get a MMC more perfect. The sentences coming out of his mouth actually melted my heart. He is everything, prepare to make way for a new book boyfriend!

This book is a stark reminder that life can be awful, but with the right people helping you and quite literally dragging you back from hell, the sun will shine again. You will feel the joy of life again.

A massive thank you to @headlineeternal for my e-arc.

This novel is written extremely well because the emotions really hit you as you read. Predominantly, the depression and grief is evident throughout which actually made it hard for me to read because there was so much of it present. Definitely not a lighthearted read but thought provoking and inspiring to follow the characters' journeys together and see how they support each other too.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with the eARC.

This book completely stole my heart. It’s one of those books that makes you feel everything—grief, healing, hope, and love—so vividly that I had to pause just to breathe sometimes. Lenny’s pain was so raw and real, and watching her slowly come back to life through the “Live Again” list was just... wow. It hit deep.

Miles? I adored him. Their relationship felt so genuine and tender. it wasn’t rushed, it wasn’t perfect, but it was exactly what both of them needed. I cried, I laughed, and by the end, I just wanted to hug this book and the characters.

This was my first read by Cara Bastone, and I’m already adding Ready or Not to my list. Her writing is emotional in the best way, and this story will stick with me for a long time. One of my favorites of the year for sure.

A million thanks to netgalley & @headlineeternal for the arc in exchange of an honest review!

6 ☆
if you’re in search of a cute, light & fluffy romance, let this be your warning.. this book is not that. it is riddled with grief, loss & healing.

‘promise me sunshine’ follows lenny & miles. lenny has recently lost the person she loved the most in this world, her twin flame, one half of her heart & her soulmate.. her bestfriend, lou. miles promises to help her complete her ‘live again’ list if she helps him better his relationship with his sister & niece..

lenny’s character is a heartbreakingly accurate portrayal of what life after loss looks like and how grief can turn your world upside down. how even the most mundane of tasks seem like they carry the weight of the world with them. this story is laced with sadness & the raw, heart breaking emotion of loneliness.

miles is the most selfless character i have ever read about. whilst dealing with his own loss of his parents and cousin, he helps lenny deal with her grief. he has the biggest, most purest heart. his emotional intelligence spoke to my heart. he is easily one of my favourite book boyfriends of all time 🥹

their love story is one of my most favourite love story i’ve read about in a long time. there were no big gestures, no over the top scenes. they have the kind of love that settles deep in your soul. the kind of love that grows so quietly. the kind of love that captivates you. the kind of love that anchors you.

in such a gentle & simple way, cara bastone crafted a story with characters that are unforgettable, a story of love that lives on & a story of grief. she shows how grief can be messy, raw & deeply gut wrenching while simultaneously reminding us that healing is possible and it will come.

this is a six star book simply because each page resonated with me & i know it will beckon me to return to its pages. it’s engraved into my heart. i would recommend this book to absolutely everyone 🧡

Promise me sunshine
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

I've seen a lot of people praising this book and I can certainly understand why since it was a really sweet and heartwarming story.
The first thing that caught my attention upon reading was that this is not a romance book at all, or not primarily. It's more of a novel about overcoming grief and trying to find our footsteps again after losing someone we loved. In this sense, I believe that the author did an amazing job representing the topic in a way that felt realistic and not to overbearing with sadness, focusing on the ups and downs of the daily life.

The characters were really cute! I do love myself a gentle MMC who is present and stable. The friendship that's slowly forming between both of the main characters, for me, was the biggest ace on the book. It's set on daily small moments, on being there for each other and listen despite their differences.

However, even tho, in overall, I had a good time with the reading I also felt the plot lacking in several aspects. I would have loved to have the MMC's pov too. Miles had a very interesting story to tell, with his own losses and his family dinamic and I feel that all of this topics were pretty much brushed over, they had no real depth.
Also, the autor did, like I said, a really good job portraying the friendship but not so much the romance honestly. Except for a few small moments, it was almost as if the FMC suddenly start developing romantic feelings in the last 20% of the book and from that point on everything related to this felt rushed. Cause, I understand and love a good slow burn + friends to lovers but they were only giving friendship vibes nothing else, I missed a prior attraction on both ends and a also a bit of tension. For all I felt, they could've just stayed friends and not a couple, due to this some of their finale romantic scenes were kinda weird for me to read.

This said, I still recommend the book! It's hopeful, if not entirely a light read, heartwarming and in general a good experience.

I love Cara Bastone and I loved this book. I have read a lot of her books and this one did not disappoint!

Such a heartwarming beautiful story that goes much deeper than a simple romance book. It was a whirlwind of emotions making you feel a whole range of emotions with a special focus on friendship, loss and healing. The author did a really good job on the subject of grief and everything that comes with it which is what truly makes this book so special. I really liked the characters, even though i didn’t immediately love Lenny it’s impossible not to end up liking and connecting with her. And Miles? Miles is the standard. I love him with my whole heart.

Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone is a story about love, loss, and finding the courage to move forward, set against the vibrant yet isolating backdrop of New York City. Ready or Not was one of my favorite reads of 2024, so needless to say, this was a highly anticipated release for me—and it did not disappoint.

Lenny and Miles have the kind of connection that feels raw and real. Lenny is struggling—grappling with grief, trying to rebuild, and doing her best to stay afloat. Miles, steady and patient, helps her through her grief, and in return, she helps him forge a relationship with his sister and niece.

“He treats you well?”
“Mom, he walked into hell and dragged me back out.”

Do not get me started on Miles—this man has officially raised the bar for all book boyfriends going forward!

It was sad, it was sweet, it was funny (I laughed out loud multiple times)… I just adore Cara’s writing. I can’t wait to get a physical copy to annotate.

I can already tell this is going to be one of my favorite reads of the year!

4.5⭐️ rounded up to 5⭐️

Promise Me Sunshine is my second Cara Bastone book, and it definitely won’t be my last! I’m officially Cara’s number one fan, completely devoted to her beautifully devastating stories filled with love, hope, heartbreak, and incredibly soft romance.
Promise Me Sunshine broke me and then brought me back to life. I cried multiple times! Cara handles grief with such a tender touch, reminding us that life goes on and love never dies. This story will forever stay in my heart, and I know I’ll be coming back to it again and again.

"He treats you well?"
"Mom, he walked into hell and dragged me back out"

Lenny was such a well-written character. Over the course of the story, I related to her on so many levels. I can't even begin to fathom the grief she was going through, and my heart broke every time she mentioned her best friend. Even though we only meet her through Lenny’s stories, it felt like we knew her, her friendship and love for best friend so well.

This book is so much more than just a romance. It’s about surviving unimaginable loss and learning how to move forward while carrying that grief with you. It teaches us that even in the depths of sorrow, we can still carry on, and that even if you’ve lost all your purpose, there’s still so much more worth living for.
Lenny starts in such a dark place at the beginning of the book, barely surviving each day. She works as a nanny for a lively 7 year old girl, always being professional and cheerful on the outside while hurting deeply on the inside, until she meets Miles. Miles who day by day slowly brings her back to life. Miles is the kind of person who would do almost anything for the people he loves. His and Lenny’s characters couldn’t be more different, yet despite that, they balanced each other so beautifully. Their chemistry was perfect, and I lived for their banter and every small, tender moment they shared.

If you're looking for a fluffy, smutty romance this isn’t the book for you. While the story is filled with humour, banter and countless cute, romantic, and tender moments, it leans more heavily on the emotional side. If you're a fan of Emily Henry or Jessica Joyce, you’ll definitely love this book as well!

If you haven't already, please add Cara Bastone to your author auto-buy list! She stole my heart with Ready or Not last year, and now with Promise Me Sunshine! I’m hooked. I’ll read anything she writes! The book was just published, but I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, the audiobook is AMAZING! Narrator Alex Finke does a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. I can’t recommend it enough!

I absolutely LOVED this book! It was perfection, and the chemistry between the two was so realistic and refreshing. Emotional, funny and with banter that kept me turning the pages. Ive even asked my kids for a physical copy for Mother’s Day!!

Wow, this book was special. Yes, it's a romance story, but it is so much more than that: it's firstly a story about grief and everything that comes with it; it's about friendship and family; it's about moving on and life after loss; and it's about love, both self-love and romantic.

I immediately loved Lenny and felt for her and what she was going through. The author did a really good job in writing her grief and how she is being affected by it, and I felt Lenny's anguish and heartbreak. She was very relatable and it made me so happy to see her slowly move on and start taking care of herself. Miles was a really great MMC, he was awkward, sweet, and reliable, and so swoon-worthy. His backstory was sad but I loved that he made a big effort to connect with Ainsley and Reese. His relationship with Lenny was so honest, loving and understanding, and it was a pleasure to read. I actually loved that it was awkward and funny when they first get together, because it was just so fitting to their relationship and personalities!

The pace of the story was good, and although there are a lot of heavy and emotional moments, there were lots of heart-warming, light-hearted and funny scenes as well, so while you may tear up, you will be laughing too!

Thank you to NetGalley, Headline Eternal, and Cara Bastone for the opportunity to read an eARC!

Let me start by saying that this is my second book by Cara Bastone and it was absolutely beautiful. This is SO much more than a romance book. This is a story about grief, about moving on and about friendships we find along the way.
This book is just beautifully written and so raw and emotional. If you ever lost someone I think you'll find a lot of comfort in this book but also you'll feel seen.
The romance is a slow burn but absolutely beautiful. It's heartwarming and I just can't stop thinking about it.
Can't wait to get a physical copy to reread and so pretty annotations. There are so many beautiful quotes!!

Thank you Headline Eternal for the arc for this book!!

“Lenny, when I look at your face, I feel like I’m finally home after a really long day at work.”

Ever since cancer stole away her best friend, Lenny has been completely lost. Having just landed a temporary babysitting job, she meets Miles, a grumpy guy who seems to know a lot about grief. He offers to help her through it as she helps him to connect with his little niece Ainsley and her mother Reese.

I couldn't help falling in love with this from the beginning. Lenny was quite the character with her quirky humour and love-at-first-sight fantasies. The brokenness within her was so raw but it never scared Miles away. Even as they grew closer while he helped her, I loved that he put her first before anything else.

I loved watching Miles connect with Ainsley. Reese had no choice but to soften up from all the cuteness overload. I also loved Ethan's cameo (from Ready Or Not). I wonder if he'll ever get a story 🤭

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5⭐
Steam level: 3.5🌶️ One moderate open door scene

An emotional read. Lenny is struggling after losing her best friend to cancer. When she meets Miles they do not get along, but as she starts to get to know him, and finds out that he understands grief more than most, they start to spend more time together. he is her rock, but will he become more? A fab read.

I really felt like the grief representation and conversation around it was done so well here! I really liked the characters and the build up of the relationship between Miles & Lenny. I did feel like it lost me a bit in the middle but I did get back into it towards the last 25% I appreciated that there was no third act breakup and I loved the way it wrapped up!

I don’t think I can put into words how much I loved this book. What a heartfelt and emotional ride that was. Lenny and Miles are just adorable and the support they showed each other was everything. I always devours everything Cara writes but this one was just perfection for me. Honestly, just read it.

Taking such a thoughtful approach to its heavy subject matter, this was a poignant yet hopeful read. The story leant compassion to its characters and easily had me rooting for them.

Would I recommend?... Yes! But be forewarned that this book doesn't shrink away from the messiness, rawness and complexities of grief.

Read for:
- sensitive discussion of grief
- tender romance
- kind-hearted characters who go above and beyond
- repairing of family bonds
- gentle pace