here’s to the best book about grief i’ve read!!🥁

now, i might be biased because if i’m being honest, i didn’t read about grief a lot but this…it was so raw, so tender, so beautiful…

my sweet, precious <b>lenny</b>. i wanna give her the biggest hug in the world🤍 she made me feel too much, i cried when she cried, i laughed when she laughed. i never wanted to be friends with a character like i want with her. she was so real like you know the feeling of seeing something so random and remembering a person you lost then you just start crying because the person isn’t there with you anymore?? yeah she had that feeling a lot💔

when lenny lost her best friend, <i>her soulmate</i> she lost a part of herself too. when you’re friends with someone a very long time your personalities melt in together and you don’t know which part is you and which part is your friend. reading about her grief was so hard because i kept imagining what would i do if i lost my best friend and i can’t even think how hard it could be. me and my best friend are living in different cities right now but <b>lenny and lou</b> were not only best friends but also roommates. seeing her struggle to go home because everything there was reminding her of lou, not being able to talk to people because she’s not the same lenny without lou…it was so real and relatable.

<b>lenny</b> had a <b>“start living again list”</b> which was the essential point of this book because miles helped her get through that list and it was so sad to see her trying to heal from the sadness she carried everywhere but also beautiful because she did heal at the end🥹🫂

i feel like if i had a <b>miles</b>, all my problems would be solved.

he was like a rock against the sea, so strong so reliable. whenever <b>lenny</b> was feeling down he was there to pick her up. the way he brought her back to life and did it in such a beautiful way that she could survive without him too. he taught her how to lean on people without depending on them. he taught her how to live again and it was the most beautiful thing.

he knew how devastating it was to lose someone since he lost almost all of his family. the only people he had left was his sister and niece but he didn’t know how to connect with them. ugh seeing him struggle made my heart break😭he wanted to be there for them but didn’t know how to so he needed lenny’s help which was so cute because he would look at lenny for approval after saying something and i meltttttt🫠 he just wanted to look after the people he has left🥹

i want, no i <b>need</b> whatever they had. <b>lenny</b> has a colorful personality. even when she’s drowning in her grief she has such a sparkly personality that it’s impossible to not fall for her. i just loved seeing how <b>miles</b> was supportive of whatever lenny does. she would say the craziest thing and he would listen to her with a small smile on his face.

in a way, they saved each other. both were so lonely after losing their loved ones and seeing them heal each other, patch their broken hearts was so beautiful. miles was the solid person lenny needed to lean on and lenny was like the light in the lonely house miles was sitting alone. which is something incredible because if you ask lenny she would probably say she doesn’t feel like a light🥹

4.25⭐️. The absolute star of this show was Miles - I love him so much! Without a doubt one of the best book boyfriends out there 😍 He starts off appearing to be the stereotypical grump but, as you get to know him, you realise that it’s a protective front driven largely by his insecurities and he’s actually one of the loveliest, kindest people.

He and Lenny develop the sweetest friendship:
“Lenny, the stakes are low with you because you’re the most loyal person I’ve ever met. You’re fully on my team. Now that you’re here, I think there’s very little I could do to kick you out…I don’t have to worry about losing you. I can just…relax.”

That starts to morph into romance in true slow burn style:
“My heart seems to be running up a hill inside my chest. I wonder what’s at the top.”

“Why should I be scared of kissing you, Miles? I’d just be getting even closer to the safest place in the whole world.”

The only thing that didn’t quite hit for me as hard as it should, and I can’t really put my finger on why, was the grief aspect of this story (although I thought this quote was beautiful: “Grief is a relationship…It’s the way we figure out how to keep loving them even thought they’re gone.”) Even though we were given a few flashbacks and were told that Lou (Lenny’s best friend who has recently passed away from cancer) was the love of Lenny’s life, I didn’t connect to their relationship and feel the pain of Lenny’s grief in the way I have with other books that have dealt with similar topics.

BUT I still absolutely loved this book. My first by this author and definitely not my last! Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book.

i love this author so much!! the slow burn was slow burning it this and it was so much deeper than just the romance!

3.75 rounded up to 4⭐️
This was my first time reading a Cara Bastone book, and if I had to describe the experience in one word, it would be: warmth.

I loved Lenny and Miles’s personalities. You can truly feel the author’s research and commitment to exploring grief woven throughout the pages.

The beginning is captivating, though I had some trouble connecting with the story in the middle. However, the third act is the strongest part of the book. The ending is realistic, beautiful, and perfect—a warm hug to the heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely beautiful!

From beginning to end, it was a total joy to read.

Seriously, I want all of you to do yourself the favor and run to your nearest bookstore on March 4th, grab a copy of this book and enjoy it. This is already a top read of mine for this year, and I can confidently say that even though it’s February.



Lenny has recently lost her best friend and soulmate, Lou. Struggling with grief, she can’t seem to find her way out of it, letting it consume her. Her only distraction being the nannying gigs she picks up here and there. Enter Miles, the grumpy uncle of Lenny’s recent babysitting kid, and who himself is no stranger to grief. He sees himself in Lenny. Like calls to like, after all. And so they strike a deal. Miles helps Lenny navigate her grief and Lenny helps Miles to connect with Ainsley. A recipe for success!



This book is an exploration of grief, love and friendship. It manages to be heartbreaking, funny, charming, sweet and sexy at the same time.
Miles and Lenny’s relationship evolves from strangers to friends to lov-ahs in such a heart-warming way. We have two fiercely loyal characters, who constantly show up for each other, who see and understand each other thoroughly. The small gestures that show true friendship, attentiveness and love. No unnecessary drama, the sweetness of it all. I ADORE them. And Miles. Oh, Miles! He easily made it to the top 5 of my book-boyfriends list. I genuinely had tears in my eyes from time to time, simply because he was too sweet. Everyone needs a Miles in their life.



I also want to highlight how well grief was described and how much I loved the message of this book. How important it is to simply show up, to be there for someone but also how important it is to be vulnerable, open yourself up to help and most importantly, show up for yourself!



I will not shut up about this book for the foreseeable future.



„Promise Me Sunshine“ is out March 4th 2025!



Eternally grateful to NetGalley and Headline for providing me with an earc of this book in exchange for an honest review! This won’t be my last Cara Bastone book.

Promise Me Sunshine follows Lenny, who has been struggling since her best friend passed away. While babysitting seven-year-old Ainsley, she meets Ainsley’s uncle, Miles. The two strike up a deal - Miles will help her create a “live again” list, and Lenny will help him reconnect with Ainsley and his sister.

Despite loving the premise, I sadly didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would.

I found the writing to be repetitive and choppy, and the pacing was inconsistent. Some scenes were really dragged out, whereas others didn’t have enough time dedicated to them. The plot was very slow, and I found myself bored for most of the book. I also found the portrayal of grief to be underwhelming, and it felt quite shallow.

I also couldn’t connect to the characters. I felt like I didn’t really know Miles as a character, and he didn’t have much substance to him. Lenny acted and spoke more like a teenager than an almost thirty year old. I found her incredibly annoying, and it felt like the author was trying to make her overly quirky,

I enjoyed the friendship between Lenny and Miles, but sadly I didn’t buy their romance. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them, which made their romance feel unnatural and forced. I think I would have preferred it if they had stayed as friends.

Overall, this was unfortunately not a book for me. Thank you to Headline Eternal and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC.

‘Promise Me Sunshine’ by Cara Bastone is a beautifully emotional story of bereavement, recovery and falling in love. Lenny has been living in hell since her best friend Lou died, feeling directionless and overflowing with grief, barely living with loneliness and housing instability. She takes a short-term job as a nanny to Ainsley, whose mother Reese has a busy career as well as adoration for her daughter, and meets Miles - the guy upstairs who might just change her life…

This book made me cry so much, but while it sometimes felt relentlessly depressing, the moments of sunshine shone through and knitted together like a tentative sunrise over New York Harbour, leaving a sky full of hope. Both lead characters were intriguing and vividly described - by the end I felt like I knew them as well as close friends, and watching Miles support Lenny was incredibly heartwarming. I also enjoyed the developing relationship between Miles and his niece Ainsley, with the complex family dynamics between half-siblings Miles and Reese adding another layer to the masterfully told story.

This novel could be characterised as a slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance, but it honestly felt like so much more! While the characters’ blossoming love was highly anticipated (and Cara writes tender and real love scenes so well!), Lenny learning to live again was so captivating that I didn’t find myself racing to the end chasing long-awaited spice, but instead savoured every imperfection, pivotal moment along the way.

This gets five stars from me, as I will be thinking about it for a very long time, especially when I visit New York and ride the Staten Island Ferry!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Headline Eternal via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Loved this - there's so much warmth and humour but it's also a proper tear-jerker. Lenny's voice is extremely vibrant and Miles is an amazing love interest, the way they march from strangers to friends to lovers makes for a very satisfying read. This title will work well for fans of Mhairi McFarlane - and in particular her book Last Night, which also covers similar themes. A top-tier contemporary romcom that I'll be enthusiastically recommending to everyone.

I had heard good things about this book going in to it and I was not wrong to believe the hype.

This book is full of grief (I cried a lot), sadness and you can truly read Lenny's pain. It really is the kind of book that makes you sad but builds you up as you go through it!.
If you need a cry pick this book up! If you don't, pick this book up.... Just read it!

Miles is a grumpy MMC ( who secretly has a heart of gold). The relationship between Mile and Ainsley is delightful.

I will be reading all of Cara's books from now! Just you stop me!

Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone is a delightful romantic comedy that offers a perfect balance of heartwarming moments and a bit of humor. The story revolves around Lenny and Miles, two characters who, on the surface, couldn’t seem more different but, as the story unfolds, are revealed to have much more in common than expected.

What really stands out in Promise Me Sunshine is the emotional depth of the characters. While the book has all the charm and wit you'd expect from a romantic comedy, it also doesn’t shy away from exploring more serious themes, such as love, loss, and finding yourself again. The author does an excellent job of weaving these emotions into the narrative without it feeling forced or overly dramatic.

If you’re looking for a feel-good romance with a little more substance than just surface-level chemistry, Promise Me Sunshine is a great pick. It’ll leave you with a smile on your face and warmth in your heart. Fans of slow-burn romances with relatable characters and genuine emotional growth will find this book particularly satisfying.

Wow! What can I say. Promise Me Sunshine was such a profound reading experience. Lenny and Miles’ story was beautiful and heartbreaking. Their grief journey was so inspiring and flawlessly written that I was so invested in them getting a HEA.

Promise Me Sunshine is a romance but it’s so much more. It’s a study in character development. What growth they both had. A slowly built friendship that evolved into love. It was so beautifully done in the simplest of actions from Miles and Lenny. I fell so hard for both of them.
The side characters Ainsley, Reese and Jericho to were amazing. Adding another layer to this magnificent and impactful story.
Promise Me Sunshine took my breath away.


I requested this book on Netgalley. Thank you to Headline Publishing for sending me this ARC. The thoughts are my own.

This broke my heart and then put it back together again. It’s a beautiful, raw, and emotional portrayal of grief. This book solidified Cara Bastone as a must-buy author for me. After Ready or Not made me like the pregnancy trope, Promise Me Sunshine has now done the same with friends to lovers. Bastone’s writing is just so good. Her prose is thoughtful, sharp, and full of warmth. There were so many quotes I wanted to save.

Grieving the loss of her best friend Lou, Lenny feels completely lost and disconnected from her life. When she takes a babysitting job, she crosses paths with Miles, her grumpy employer’s brother, who surprisingly sees right through her facade. Miles, dealing with his own struggles, offers Lenny a deal: he’ll help her complete her “live again” list if she helps him reconnect with his family.

Lenny is a charmingly kooky protagonist, funny and quirky without falling into the "not like other girls" trap, which can sometimes happen with this type of character. She’s vibrant and messy in an most endearing way.

Miles is surly on the outside but with a heart of absolute gold, his quiet generosity and patience are what really stole my heart. The way he recognises Lenny’s grief having lived it himself, and his determination to help her through it, was deeply moving. Wanting to help a complete stranger showed such a generous soul. I loved how he encouraged her to widen her circle, make friends, and find her footing again.

The banter between Lenny and Miles was excellent. Their dynamic was fun, especially with Miles’ long-suffering exasperation at Lenny’s antics. Bastone does a brilliant job of balancing the emotional weight of grief with genuinely funny moments..

This book will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for this arc. I am so beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book.
Cara Bastone's writing is phenomenal, reading this book was the closest I have gotten to feeling magic in real life. I am so beyond in love with Lenny and MIles. I was entranced by their story and the journey they went on. THIS BOOK IS SERIOUSLY SO SO GOOD I LOVED IT MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY.
FIVE STARS ARE NOT ENOUGH TO DESCRIBE WHAT THIS BOOK MADE ME FEEL.

Plot🤔🙈😱:
At first, I was so confused🤔—how does she just know🤓 he’s going to be her everything? But then I realised, oh😯, it’s a habit. She does this with everyone👥. And honestly? It became a lil frustrating😤. Even 3/4 into the book, when the romance was finally🤭 picking up, she was still doing it. Like, girl😬, this is not the time 😭.

That being said, the story was really amusing😆. I almost laughed out loud at some parts - that lucky cupcake🎂 part 😂. I also loved that it wasn’t just about romance. It focused a lot on friendships🤝🏽 and supporting each other, which I love cuz sometimes? The romance isn't the only thing I want.🤷🏽‍♀️

Characters👥🤩🤸🏽‍♀️:
I really liked💙 the characters as a whole, but I had some thoughts about Lenny. You can really tell that Miles loves her,  but for Lenny? By the end, I felt like she was just trying to get him into bed 🛏️, and it kind of took away from what made their relationship sweet🍡 in the first place. I like them together, but I prefer how their dynamic💭 was before the romance actually started.

Romance😘💘💋:
The romance took a while🌚 to start, but somehow, it didn’t feel like it dragged👣. The chemistry was there, the banter🗣️ was fun, and when things finally started happening, it felt natural💐. Until the end I guess, it felt a lil rushed🏃🏽‍♀️— like it stopped 🛑 being about their emotional connection 🤝🏽and support and more about just the romance💋.

One thing to note: it’s open door 🚪 but not explicit🔞. I don’t😵 read smut, but it didn't effect my rating.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!!🤭🤩🎂

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for this ARC.

Lenny has lost her best friend and flatmate Lou to cancer. She works as a nanny so when she starts a short-term job for single Mum Reese and her 7 year old daughter Ainsley, she meets grumpy Miles who seems to just hang around the flat observing her.

I have to say, at that point I was very confused about who he was and why he was always there, with Reese being reluctant to have him around. It turns out he is her half-brother who she knew nothing about for years. Miles has come to make amends and spend more time with her and Ainsley, who he is very protective about.

Lenny and Miles make a pact - she will show him how to connect with Ainsley and he will be there for her when her grief takes over. This means that they spend a lot of time together, whether on the Staten Island ferry, clubbing, cooking for each other, getting matching tattoos or camping with new-found friends, with the help of a "learn to live again" list from Lou.

This is both a heartwarming story about the friendship between two people damaged by grief, helping each other through it and also a very slow-burn romance. Grief is a heavy topic but it is interspersed with gentle humour. By the end I was a huge fan of Miles and very happy that Lenny had finally stopped crying. Plus, the cover is gorgeous.

Is "achingly steady" a thing? If it's not, Promise Me Sunshine will be your introduction to that. A truly beautiful story, with characters you'll root for.
Miles is the backbone of this story, a constant force, a grumpy softie. Lenny, on the other hand, on surface-level, has some quirkiness to her, but is so much more - she's stronger than she thinks, even when grief takes her apart. She contains multitudes.
Everyone deals with grief differently, and it's always eye-opening to get insights about how others deal with it. Sometimes it's a life-long hum in the background, sometimes it comes out of nowhere and bashes you in the face, and sometimes it's a mix of the two. And while grief is the main theme of this story, it also has representations of different relationship dynamics, a reminder that life goes on, and that it's meant to be lived.
Promise Me Sunshine is equally devastating, healing, and swoony. From the very first page, this story grabbed my attention, and took me on a journey. Whatever I say will not do it justice, and is meant to be experienced by all of you.

Thank you Headline Eternal for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.