Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by bookishlychar
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Lenny lost her best friend and soulmate, Lou, to cancer. She feels stuck in her grief, wandering the city at night. She can’t return to the apartment they shared and rides the Staten Island Ferry all night. She has pushed away everyone who cares about her and knows she is not okay. She fakes being okay, on the short term and takes temporary nannying jobs around the city. She gets a job for the family, Reece and her daughter Ainsley. For some reason, Ainsley’s surly uncle is always hanging around when she is there, watching her. Miles doesn’t let Lenny push him away, like she has everyone else in her life. What develops is a beautiful friendship that helps her navigate her grief, as he has done this before. Through their friendship, they learn to work on themselves and heal, seeing what comes out on the other side of this insurmountable pain.
Wow. This is a beautiful story with a glimpse into the process of grief and grieving. It has moved up to one of my favourite books this year and will be in my top 10 for sure. This book deals with serious subjects, but it adds humour and laughter at the same time. It allows us to sit with the uncomfortable feeling of loss while making us laugh at the same time.
The relationship between Lenny and Miles is beautiful. Miles helps Lenny work through her grief and begin to open herself up to life and living again. In turn, Lenny helps Miles deal with some of his underlying pain from his family history. There are tons of humorous moments, both between Miles and Lenny and with Ainsley, his niece.
Though this is touted as a romance, it is so much more than that. It is a story of grief, loss, and pain and how to move forward after losing your person. Cara Bastone did an excellent job capturing and writing these emotions. Be prepared; this story will make you cry, but when you come out on the other end, you will have smiled and feel like a better person. This book was so good. I cannot recommend it enough. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.
Wow. This is a beautiful story with a glimpse into the process of grief and grieving. It has moved up to one of my favourite books this year and will be in my top 10 for sure. This book deals with serious subjects, but it adds humour and laughter at the same time. It allows us to sit with the uncomfortable feeling of loss while making us laugh at the same time.
The relationship between Lenny and Miles is beautiful. Miles helps Lenny work through her grief and begin to open herself up to life and living again. In turn, Lenny helps Miles deal with some of his underlying pain from his family history. There are tons of humorous moments, both between Miles and Lenny and with Ainsley, his niece.
Though this is touted as a romance, it is so much more than that. It is a story of grief, loss, and pain and how to move forward after losing your person. Cara Bastone did an excellent job capturing and writing these emotions. Be prepared; this story will make you cry, but when you come out on the other end, you will have smiled and feel like a better person. This book was so good. I cannot recommend it enough. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.