‘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.