Thanks to Headline Eternal and to Netgalley for this advance copy of Promise Me Sunshine.

Lenny is a mess. Reeling after the death of her best friend, Lou, avoiding her concerned parents, and staying well away from the apartment her and Lou shared. She takes some temp babysitting gigs - most suck - but her current one is good: helping overworked, single mom Reese and her precocious daughter, Ainsley. It’s not perfect: Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, always seems to be around, and is kind of... a huge jerk. But if Lenny acts like she has it all together, maybe no one will notice she’s falling apart. Wrong. Miles notices. Miles is familiar with grief, and offers Lenny a preposition. He’ll help her complete everything on her “live again” list if she’ll help him connect with Ainsley and overcome his complicated relationship with Reese. Lenny doubts anything can fill the Lou has left behind, but she begins to spend more time with Miles, Lenny is surprised to discover that, sometimes, losing everything is only the first step to finding yourself, and love, again.

I have to admit - I wasn't that big of a fan of Bastone's last book: but Promise Me Sunshine surpassed all my expectations and made it stand alone as a glorious romance. Miles and Lenny go from acquaintances, to reluctant friends, to lovers, in a way that was so slow and gorgeous. The yearning!!! Plus, dealing with heavy topics in addition to the romance made this book feel deep in a way that will pull on your heartstrings.

Okay, I’ll be honest, when I first read the synopsis, I wasn’t totally sold. But the cover was so cute, and I thought, Why not? And wow, am I glad I gave it a chance! Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. I wasn’t sure this would be my kind of book, especially since I didn’t finish the author’s last one, but this one? It hit all the right notes for me. It was charming, sweet, adorable, and full of heart, but it also had those moments that just wrecked me in the best way. Honestly, it was perfect.

I fell in love with both Lenny and Miles (seriously, Miles’ growth and his apologies for being judgmental? So good). And Miles’ relationship with his niece and sister? Absolutely heartwarming, though I’ll admit, his sister could be a little harsh at times, but I get where she was coming from.

If you’re looking for a story that’s equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, this is it. I’d totally recommend it to anyone who loves a good emotional rollercoaster. Trust me, you won’t regret it!

*Promise Me Sunshine* by Cara Bastone is a heartfelt and truly enjoyable love story set in New York. Lenny, struggling with the recent loss of a loved one, is barely holding it together, even finding it hard to sleep. She takes on a short-term job caring for Ainsley, a young child, but her peace is constantly disrupted by Ainsley’s Uncle, Miles. The story unfolds as Lenny and Miles, both grappling with grief, begin to slowly connect, supporting each other through their emotional struggles. The tension between them is palpable, and the gradual development of their relationship is both touching and gripping.

The book is well-written, with an excellent balance of heartache and humor that adds a refreshing layer to the emotional depth of the characters. It’s a beautiful exploration of love, healing, and human connection. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a story that blends emotion and humor in the best way possible.

What a gorgeous, gorgeous book. This was such a stunning portrayal of navigating grief and how it can be messy but also sometimes beautiful. Lenny was such a great character and her character arc was portrayed so beautifully, I was really rooting for her to find her way and find some kind of peace, however that would look for her in this new landscape. And Miles was such a perfect counterpart to her. I was also rooting for him in a different kind of way and was so happy with the way everything turned out. It was a perfect slow burn of a friends to lovers with some truly incredible dialogue and just the right amount of humour.

3.75/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for giving me the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for a honest review.

My thoughts about this book are all over the place, so bear with me.

First off, it's a bit of a pet peeve of mine whenever a character is introduced as "quirky" or "edgy", because most of the times it just means that said character is immature and the jokes are not going to land like the author intended to...and this happened to me in Promise Me Sunshine.

Don't get me wrong, Lenny had many qualities (I loved every scene she had with Ainsley and Miles) and you're able to understand her coping mechanisms by the end of the book but still there's certain situations that, in my opinion, she's immature.

What can I say about Miles? He was the best part of this story, the man was just there ready to support her and hear her out everytime she crumbled down.
Lenny and Miles had so many fulfilling and beautiful moments together. They just complete eachothers souls.

The last half of the book was perfect, I really liked the serious tone that the author took while talking about the process of grieving. I wish the whole book had this tone from the beginning, I don't think "mocking" is the right word to characterize what I'm trying to say, but there were scenes in the first pages that didn't feel right to read?!

Even though I was expecting more from Promise Me Sunshine, this is still a book I recommend.

honestly, this book kinda feels like a letdown. the cool idea behind it was wasted because the characters just didn’t have enough depth, and the heavy themes it tried to cover weren’t explored well. sure, it might be a chill read for some, but if you’re after a real, emotional take on grief and healing, you might end up feeling let down. i wouldn’t suggest this book to anyone wanting a story that really hits you in the feels.

Possibly my new favourite read ever?!

Miles was everything and this story brought out all the emotions. It is heavy on grief and healing after loss, however the comedic relief, the raw emotions and the beautiful green flag relationship with open communication made this an absolutely perfect read. Plus a super cute kid!! Need I say more.

This book felt so personal, and I really felt connected to these characters. Lenny is such a relatable character in so many ways, and regardless of if you have experienced loss of a loved one, this book will have you stepping into Lenny’s shoes and laughing and crying along with her. Please be mindful of triggers and if you are in a place in your life where you can read this story as a beautiful work of fiction 🩵

Cara Bastone’s writing is incredible!! I feel like this story is going to stick with me for a long time.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Headline Eternal for this ARC copy.

“But the thing about losing the person you love the most on earth is— somehow— you still have to do mundane things like tie your shoes and make enough money to continue to exist in this punishing world.”

“Home is where the heart is. My heart died in a cancer ward six months ago.”

I absolutely adored this book - it follows Lenny, who is struggling to cope with life and grief following the death of her best friend. When she meets Miles he vows to help her - he’ll help her through her grief if she helps him bond with his niece (she’s her babysitter and good with her). And whilst this is a slow burn love story, it is also a beautifully moving journey of Lenny trying to live with her grief. How she learns to let people in again and live in this ‘new’ world.

I’m obsessed with Lenny and Miles - how they became friends, he recognised she was struggling and wanted to be there for her. How he learned what things she liked and who she was, helped her navigate her grief and provided her support. The friendship their relationship was built upon was such solid foundations and so perfect!

This book is honestly one of the most beautifully written books I’ve ever read. The way it deals with grief, how that feels and what it’s like to live with it, is just perfectly done. It’s so heartbreakingly beautiful - the perfect encapsulation of the struggle to keep living when your ‘heart’ is no longer there.

This is going to be a read that stays with me for a long time, and will definitely be one of my top reads of the year - if not one of my top reads of all time. One I’ll definitely be recommending to everyone and now I need to read the authors entire backlist!

ARC copy provided by Headline & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

You know how you can read a blurb and add it to your tbr, then a while later you forget what it's about, but it's on your list, so it's gotta be good, so you read it. Yeah thats what happened to me. I went in blind. And it was good, like really good. But man did I cry a lot.

This was a really poignant story about grief and moving on from the loss of a loved one, and how you can't really do it by yourself. And finding love after tragedy.
I'd cry and finally stop and focus on the good and the funny bits, then out of nowhere it got sad again and I started bawling all over. It really was like grief in a bottle. If you need a good cry, in a controlled environment, this is for you.

Her writing is wonderful and evocative. Truly such an enjoyable ride. Miles, the MMC, does seem to suffer from the case of being too perfect, but tbh the romance is not the main draw here for me, their friendship and her journey is.

As bitter as it may sound, I wish I was as optimistic as Lenny. Even in her darkest times, she still found ways to laugh and come up with crazy, hopeful, stories.

I am convinced that Cara Bastone doesn’t know how to write a bad book, because one again, she has blown me away with her writing.

Promise me Sunshine is a work of love. This woman has brought these characters from words on a page to flesh and blood life. Lenny and Miles are such beautiful people. Flawed, wonderful, fragile and perfect. It was a joy to read about the adventure they take together. Don’t get me wrong it was also heart breaking, but where this book pulls you apart, it then lovingly and gently mends you back together.

5 starts! FIVE STARS!

5 ⭐️
This. Book.
It’s so well done. It’s quite a skill to write a book that centres around grief and loss which is also funny, but Cara has managed it with flair. Lenny’s journey was relatable and realistic, the progression she makes in understanding, feeling and managing her grief is well well written. Cara does a really good job of showing the heart-wrenching reality of the depths of grief and I especially likes her exploring the guilt which comes when joy breaks through grief, even for a brief moment. The relationship between Miles and Lenny was really well paced, you could feel the tension build through acts of care taking and small touches and looks. The romance felt genuine and I really enjoyed that the story didn’t end with either Miles or Lenny having everything figured out.
Genuinely don’t have any notes on what could be improved, this book both broke my heart and put it back together again.

Thanks to Netgalley, Headline publishers and Cara Bastone for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I think this may have just become one of my all-time favorite romances! The slow burn, the depth of grief, and the process of moving on after the loss of a loved one—it's such a beautiful love story that only a truly talented author could pull off, and Cara does it effortlessly. I need more of her writing, like, right now!

Promise Me Sunshine was both an emotional and romantic read, it was also one I couldn’t put down and I ended up reading it in just over a day. Thoughts 💭
• In this book we follow Lenny, a babysitter who is struggling under the weight of her grief from the loss of her best friend. As you would then expect this is a book that explores grief (and its mental / emotional health) for both main characters; Lenny but also Miles (our MMC). I thought it approached this topic with sensitivity and compassion. It had me crying in first chapter and multiple points throughout.
• Miles helps Lenny learn to live with her grief, but Bastone doesn’t neatly conclude Lenny’s journey with this (which I really liked). There are still things she hasn’t yet done, but I as reader know Lenny will get there eventually.
• The romance was a delightful slow-burn, I loved Miles and how he is eager to learn, supportive, loyal; he is grump with the softest centre.
• I think Bastone is becoming a favourite author of mine. In Promise Me Sunshine she does an excellent job of showing not telling in her writing (I won’t share how in this review because I think it will spoil some of the story). She also writes engaging romances that also discuss the difficulties of everyday life, such as bereavement here or unexpected pregnancy and friendships in Ready or Not.

I suspect Promise Me Sunshine won’t be for everyone, some moments felt heartbreakingly raw, but I’d highly recommend this tender romance.

This book deserves all the stars!!
What a beautiful book with an absolutely heartbreaking but heartwarming story! This deals with Lenny and her grief after losing her best friend aka her soulmate to cancer. When she’s at her absolute worst she meets Miles, who slowly helps her bring herself back to life and they fall in love somewhere along that journey. This book was sad, but also really cute and funny - I adored Lenny and her personality and I was so proud how far she came. I can’t even find words to describe Miles, he was the best!! <3 even though he had been through the worst as well.
I loved all the other side characters as well - Ainsley, Emil, Jericho and the gang - they were the best :)

I know I’ll think about this book for a long time, because it was just soo good and it touch me in so many ways.

Cara Bastone is becoming one of my favorite romance authors. Every book is better than the last.

Lenny lost her best friend to cancer and is in a very dark place. Miles knows grief and offers to help her get back to living if she helps him to improve his relationship with his sister and niece.

This is a book about grief and let’s be honest, it will probably make you cry at some point. However, it’s also a beautiful romance, with wonderful characters, and witty banter, that will make you laugh a lot.

I loved both Lenny and Miles so much. My heart was breaking for Lenny, but she was also hilarious, and her shenanigans added a lot of light and charm to this book. Miles was so sweet and caring! He told her to make friends, to call him in the middle of the night if she needed anything, he made sure she was fed, and even gave her a place to stay so she wouldn’t have to sleep in her empty apartment. In short, a man written by a woman.

I could keep going about how amazing this book is, because believe me, there’s more, but I’ll just say that you have to read it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4.5
“Promise Me Sunshine” is about grief and love. But mainly grief.
It's equally sad as it is funny.

Lenny is grieving her best friend and is, at least emotionally, hanging on for dear life.
Then she finds Miles and he, as Lenny later states, “went to hell and dragged her back out”.

The writing is absolutely exquisite and portrayed the emotions and the sudden change in mood very well.
While this book is about grief, the tone is very much not necessarily sad. It is actually more casual and fits the characters & story really well.

The characters were great too. Loooooooooved Ainsley!!
I love me a good grumpy character and when Miles was first introduced, I was sure he’s THE grumpiest of them all. The fact that he’s not made him only so much better.

Cara Bastone managed to find that sweet, sweet spot between a sad book and romcom, where one is crying in one moment and then laughing the next.

I cannot wait to read more from this author!
Very much recommend this book!

cutesy little fun read but nothing out of this world. i enjoyed the characters but found the plot rather slow.

This was my first Cara Bastone book and i will be reading the rest of her books because I loved it so much!

""we stare into one another's eyes absently, almost the same way that two people hold hands as they stroll along"

This may be a top book of the year for me, i will be thinking about it for a long time.

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


OMG this book was so adorable, I could not get enough. I loved every single bit of this story. This book took my heart and then broke it some many times. The grief aspect is done so beautifully that it broke me so many times. This is such a beautiful written story about heartbreak of grief and slowing opening yourself back up and learning how to live your life again without falling into grief.

The friendship that blossomed between Lenny and Miles as they slowly work their way through Lenny list was done so beautifully. They both helped each other through their own grief. The slow burn between them was keeping me on my toes that it got to the point where I was begging them to kiss.

Lenny grief is honestly done beautifully. It showed that it doesn’t matter how much fun you have, grief will hit at the most random times and that it’s okay. I loved how she wanted to prove to herself that she can live and do things by herself. I related to her so many times that I just need to give her a hug.

The things that Miles had done for his niece had me begging for a video clip of him dancing with her. Like please I need to see that video I beg.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A HUGE thank you to Headline Eternal for approving my NetGalley request and allowing me to read an ARC ahead of [book:Promise Me Sunshine|214269328]’s release date! 💛🧡❤️🩷🩵💙💜

I know it’s not even published yet but can somebody please turn this into a film already!!!!! It’s a want and desperate need. It’s giving strong 00’s Rom-com vibes where NYC is a main character too! From the go I found myself obsessed with Lenny + Miles and I feel like I’ve lived out the entirety of the book with them. I forgot I was reading.

Friends to lovers is so hard to get right but I feel like Promise Me Sunishine got it so so so right, there was no insta love and the slow burn was realistic given the grief Lenny is going through. It was incredibly realistic so much so that you could feel everything both characters was going through. It’s a book that will stay with me forever and I will look back on fondly and look forward to a yearly reread. This is my 6th Cara Bastone book, I don’t know what she puts in her books but I love them all. I recently reread her love lines series and it’s still some of my favourite reads ever. So it will come as no surprise that I’m already counting down the days until I can reread this especially with the audiobook!

Promise Me Sunshine is out on 4th March 2025 and I can’t wait for my hard copy to get here because that cover is ✨everything✨

💛🧡❤️🩷🩵💙💜