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No Matter What
Not yet published
Expected 3 Mar 26Can love draw them together... again?
After a traumatic accident threatens the foundations of their happy marriage, a young couple tries to rebuild and find their way back to each other, and themselves, in this tender, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or Not and Promise Me Sunshine.
Roz and Vin can’t look each other in the eyes anymore, let alone share a bed. It’s been a year since they survived a traumatic car accident and their marriage hasn’t been the same. But Roz has held out hope they can fix things…until she discovers Vin signed a new lease. So she does what any soon-to-be-divorced-Brooklynite would sign up for figure drawing class.
Between her determined attempts to improve her skills in class every Friday and adventures with her best friend Raffi, she can almost ignore Vin’s impending move out date and his footsteps in their previously unoccupied guest room. But it would all be a lot easier if Vin wasn’t Raffi’s older brother, and she didn’t still find him incredibly, debilitatingly attractive and kind.
So kind, in fact, that he offers to let Roz draw him. What is she supposed to say? It’s probably better than her original plan of finding some random male model online, and she needs all the practice she can get. Plus, that’s sure to make a separation easier right? Focus on every detail of your estranged spouse’s body while drawing them in the nude. But after the year they have spent avoiding each other and their struggles in the aftermath of the accident, it feels good to see and be seen by one another again.
As Roz works to better herself as an artist and capture the wholeness of the person she fell in love with, will they both be able to draw upon the feelings they buried deep inside to finally heal together?
After a traumatic accident threatens the foundations of their happy marriage, a young couple tries to rebuild and find their way back to each other, and themselves, in this tender, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or Not and Promise Me Sunshine.
Roz and Vin can’t look each other in the eyes anymore, let alone share a bed. It’s been a year since they survived a traumatic car accident and their marriage hasn’t been the same. But Roz has held out hope they can fix things…until she discovers Vin signed a new lease. So she does what any soon-to-be-divorced-Brooklynite would sign up for figure drawing class.
Between her determined attempts to improve her skills in class every Friday and adventures with her best friend Raffi, she can almost ignore Vin’s impending move out date and his footsteps in their previously unoccupied guest room. But it would all be a lot easier if Vin wasn’t Raffi’s older brother, and she didn’t still find him incredibly, debilitatingly attractive and kind.
So kind, in fact, that he offers to let Roz draw him. What is she supposed to say? It’s probably better than her original plan of finding some random male model online, and she needs all the practice she can get. Plus, that’s sure to make a separation easier right? Focus on every detail of your estranged spouse’s body while drawing them in the nude. But after the year they have spent avoiding each other and their struggles in the aftermath of the accident, it feels good to see and be seen by one another again.
As Roz works to better herself as an artist and capture the wholeness of the person she fell in love with, will they both be able to draw upon the feelings they buried deep inside to finally heal together?
352 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 3, 2026
19 people are currently reading
18700 people want to read
About the author
Cara Bastone
13 books5,172 followersHi, I’m Cara!
I’m a full time writer living and writing in Brooklyn with my husband, son, and an almost-goldendoodle. My goal with my work is to find the swoon in ordinary love stories.
I’ve been a fan of the romance genre since I found a grocery bag filled with my grandmother’s old Harlequin Romances when I was in high school. I’m a fangirl for pretzel sticks, long walks through Prospect Park, and love stories featuring men who aren’t crippled by their own masculinity.
I’m a full time writer living and writing in Brooklyn with my husband, son, and an almost-goldendoodle. My goal with my work is to find the swoon in ordinary love stories.
I’ve been a fan of the romance genre since I found a grocery bag filled with my grandmother’s old Harlequin Romances when I was in high school. I’m a fangirl for pretzel sticks, long walks through Prospect Park, and love stories featuring men who aren’t crippled by their own masculinity.
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anticipated-books
November 19, 2025If this book doesn't fix me, then nothing will 😔
Want to read
September 18, 2025I GOT THE ARC OMG🕺🏻🕺🏻🕺🏻 can’t wait to read this, I just know it will be my new obsession
___________
IT HAS A COVER NOW!! I’m so confused as to why cara hasn’t posted anything about this book yet😭😭
___________
OH MY GOD WHAT IS THIS??????👀 after reading promise me sunshine I’ll read anything written by Cara.
AND MARRIAGE IN CRISIS? sign me tf up
___________
IT HAS A COVER NOW!! I’m so confused as to why cara hasn’t posted anything about this book yet😭😭
___________
OH MY GOD WHAT IS THIS??????👀 after reading promise me sunshine I’ll read anything written by Cara.
AND MARRIAGE IN CRISIS? sign me tf up
Read
October 31, 2025pre-read:
my first br with my angel zil 💞🌷 we both love cara bastone’s books and i’m genuinely so excited to start reading this e-arc with her! i have a good feeling about this book and i hope we both enjoy it 🤞🏼🫧
・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・
pre-release:
I GOT THE ARC 🥹💖 this is like one of the best birthday gifts ever 💌 thank you to netgalley, random house, and the author for the arc!
my first br with my angel zil 💞🌷 we both love cara bastone’s books and i’m genuinely so excited to start reading this e-arc with her! i have a good feeling about this book and i hope we both enjoy it 🤞🏼🫧
・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・
pre-release:
I GOT THE ARC 🥹💖 this is like one of the best birthday gifts ever 💌 thank you to netgalley, random house, and the author for the arc!
Currently reading
December 29, 2025I have to finish this book before the year ends.... no matter what.
Buddy reading with Hoda
Buddy reading with Hoda
November 26, 2025
Cara Bastone is out here writing the new classics. These are sacred texts.
December 21, 2025
Minor spoilers below.
In the beginning, I wasn’t sure if the author would be able to pull this off, I’ll be honest. Marriage in crisis is a very difficult subject to tackle, imo. And after finishing this book, I know it won’t be for everyone, but it was for me.
Because this wasn’t just an accumulation of random tropes, it was an actual story. Not a cosy, light-hearted one about two people falling in love, mind you. It’s about two people in an established relationship who have been through a traumatic accident and are now struggling to deal with what they experienced and how it changed them and thus their relationship.
It’s heavy and frustrating to read at first. The story explored their relationship in the present and gave some insight on how it started and developed. And especially in the beginning it’s not easy to witness what Roz and Vin are going through, how hard it is on them, and how difficult it now is for them to communicate.
In hindsight, though, I think suffering through all of that was necessary and worth it to really feel how they fight to get back to each other and make it work again. Each in their own way.
Miscommunication was the main theme here. I think it’s important to be clear about that, as I can image that some might not be into that and might want to skip this one because of it.
I also think that quite a few people will read this book and be like “Just talk to each other, it’s not that hard”.
But that’s the thing, right? Sometimes it is that hard, even though it might look like an easy problem to solve from the outside. The author showed this by examining the topic more thoroughly instead of simply using it as a cheap excuse for a third act break up. And I think that was very well done. It was messy and raw, for sure, but it also felt so real to me.
I loved the way Roz’ art helped them connect again and made her see everything in a new light. A big part of them finding their way back to each other is through her art classes and everything she learned about herself because of it, and that fit so beautifully into this story. It kind of made me want to go and take a figure drawing class myself.
Something else that stood out to me was that the conflict was mainly solved around the 60% mark, and after that the book continued to tell their story. We got to see them be happy again, work through minor issues, and enjoy life together.
This was just so good. Like a mindless fun read is perfectly fine and sometimes just what you need. But Cara Bastone’s stories go a little deeper, they’re a bit more real, and I really love that.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
___
Christmas came early and I loved it 🥹
In the beginning, I wasn’t sure if the author would be able to pull this off, I’ll be honest. Marriage in crisis is a very difficult subject to tackle, imo. And after finishing this book, I know it won’t be for everyone, but it was for me.
Because this wasn’t just an accumulation of random tropes, it was an actual story. Not a cosy, light-hearted one about two people falling in love, mind you. It’s about two people in an established relationship who have been through a traumatic accident and are now struggling to deal with what they experienced and how it changed them and thus their relationship.
It’s heavy and frustrating to read at first. The story explored their relationship in the present and gave some insight on how it started and developed. And especially in the beginning it’s not easy to witness what Roz and Vin are going through, how hard it is on them, and how difficult it now is for them to communicate.
In hindsight, though, I think suffering through all of that was necessary and worth it to really feel how they fight to get back to each other and make it work again. Each in their own way.
Miscommunication was the main theme here. I think it’s important to be clear about that, as I can image that some might not be into that and might want to skip this one because of it.
I also think that quite a few people will read this book and be like “Just talk to each other, it’s not that hard”.
But that’s the thing, right? Sometimes it is that hard, even though it might look like an easy problem to solve from the outside. The author showed this by examining the topic more thoroughly instead of simply using it as a cheap excuse for a third act break up. And I think that was very well done. It was messy and raw, for sure, but it also felt so real to me.
I loved the way Roz’ art helped them connect again and made her see everything in a new light. A big part of them finding their way back to each other is through her art classes and everything she learned about herself because of it, and that fit so beautifully into this story. It kind of made me want to go and take a figure drawing class myself.
Something else that stood out to me was that the conflict was mainly solved around the 60% mark, and after that the book continued to tell their story. We got to see them be happy again, work through minor issues, and enjoy life together.
This was just so good. Like a mindless fun read is perfectly fine and sometimes just what you need. But Cara Bastone’s stories go a little deeper, they’re a bit more real, and I really love that.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
___
Christmas came early and I loved it 🥹
September 23, 2025
3.5 ⭐
Roz and Vin have been married for eight years, but a car accident they went through a year ago changed them forever—they don’t even sleep in the same room anymore. Roz was hoping their marriage could still be saved, but then she notices a new lease with Vin’s name on it in the kitchen. She’s completely shattered and accidentally ends up in a figure drawing class, where she finds friends and realizes that drawing has become a necessary form of therapy for her.
I adored Ready or Not and Promise Me Sunshine, so I was eagerly awaiting the author’s new book. And I did enjoy it—the crisis the couple is going through, their feelings and struggles are portrayed very authentically. The second half of the book is wonderful, but I had some issues with the first part. It was hard for me to read, to keep track of all the characters, and to understand what those chapters from Vin’s POV were about. It all felt a bit messy. My impression was that the first half was like a dense forest you have to push through to find what you’re really looking for. So if you find yourself in the same situation, don’t stop—keep reading!
I squealed inside when I realized which Ethan Vin met. Yes, it’s that Ethan from Ready or Not and Miles’s friend from Promise Me Sunshine. I truly hope Cara will write a book about him!
This is a good story in Cara’s style that left me with warm feelings, and I think it will especially resonate with readers who have been married for a long time.
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓marriage in crisis
✓mental health rep
✓slow burn
____________
Pre-read: I’m so happy I can already start reading Cara’s new book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House (Dial Press Trade Paperback) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Roz and Vin have been married for eight years, but a car accident they went through a year ago changed them forever—they don’t even sleep in the same room anymore. Roz was hoping their marriage could still be saved, but then she notices a new lease with Vin’s name on it in the kitchen. She’s completely shattered and accidentally ends up in a figure drawing class, where she finds friends and realizes that drawing has become a necessary form of therapy for her.
I adored Ready or Not and Promise Me Sunshine, so I was eagerly awaiting the author’s new book. And I did enjoy it—the crisis the couple is going through, their feelings and struggles are portrayed very authentically. The second half of the book is wonderful, but I had some issues with the first part. It was hard for me to read, to keep track of all the characters, and to understand what those chapters from Vin’s POV were about. It all felt a bit messy. My impression was that the first half was like a dense forest you have to push through to find what you’re really looking for. So if you find yourself in the same situation, don’t stop—keep reading!
I squealed inside when I realized which Ethan Vin met. Yes, it’s that Ethan from Ready or Not and Miles’s friend from Promise Me Sunshine. I truly hope Cara will write a book about him!
This is a good story in Cara’s style that left me with warm feelings, and I think it will especially resonate with readers who have been married for a long time.
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓marriage in crisis
✓mental health rep
✓slow burn
____________
Pre-read: I’m so happy I can already start reading Cara’s new book!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House (Dial Press Trade Paperback) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Want to read
September 18, 2025so i requested this just for fun and got it?? i have way too many books on my cr but i'm gonna try to get to this asap lol. my first cara bastone!!
October 29, 2025
I’m torn here, because Cara’s writing is an absolute delight to read. Always. I even read the acknowledgments section. So I just can’t give this book less than four stars, because I enjoyed it. In a way.
However.
This was not my favorite book.
The first thing that didn’t work for me was the miscommunication. I just can’t understand how two people who share a native language, and have been happily married for years, can be that bad at communicating. It just doesn’t make any sense to me.
The second thing — but that’s probably on me, since you can tell from the blurb that it wouldn’t be a walk in the park — is that this book was heavy. I didn’t expect to be hit like that. Maybe I was hoping for more of a light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel type of thing. And maybe that was even the general idea behind this story, but I was stuck in that tunnel for too long and haven’t recovered yet.
So yeah, proceed with caution…
Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
However.
This was not my favorite book.
The first thing that didn’t work for me was the miscommunication. I just can’t understand how two people who share a native language, and have been happily married for years, can be that bad at communicating. It just doesn’t make any sense to me.
The second thing — but that’s probably on me, since you can tell from the blurb that it wouldn’t be a walk in the park — is that this book was heavy. I didn’t expect to be hit like that. Maybe I was hoping for more of a light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel type of thing. And maybe that was even the general idea behind this story, but I was stuck in that tunnel for too long and haven’t recovered yet.
So yeah, proceed with caution…
Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Want to read
July 1, 2025MY QUEEN, CARA (NAME TWIN) IS COMING OUT WITH A NEW BOOK, I NEED IT ASAP❤✨!!!!!!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
You can’t delete a chapter and get the same ending. And I no longer want to try. I want all of it. Every tangle. I’ll draw right off the edge of the page. Him and me, we’re shooting for infinity.
5 ⭐️
[Thank you Netgalley and Headline for the e-arc 🫶🏻]
Why does one recover from this book? How can I possibly convey everything this book gave me when there are no words? There are no words! Roz draws because there are no words. I will try my best to express my feelings, but it won't be enough. This isn't a book you read; it's a book you experience. It's a living, beating heart bleeding onto the page. It's raw; it's real; it's life.
This is the most realistic and honest portrayal of a marriage in crisis that I have ever read. And can draw so many parallels between Roz and Vin’s relationship issues and real life, and see things that I’m sure everyone will be able to relate to. After all, these two characters are a couple, but they’re also individuals with their own problems. They’re lost in life; they’re trying to make sense of a tragedy that befell them; they’re trying to find a way to move on, yet they can’t stop replaying the worst day of their lives in their minds. They’re shattered, shouting into the void and crying out for help, but they have no idea how to help themselves or each other. So many parts of their story broke my heart. It was painful. It felt like having my heart ripped from my chest. Not only was it hard to see their marriage going through a tough time, but it was also crushing to see them both feeling so helpless. But from chaos can come peace, and the way they picked up the pieces and worked alone and together to put them back together was extraordinary. Not because it was grandiose, but because it was authentic, genuine, and came from a place of wanting love to win; of wanting life to feel worth living. If there's one thing I've learned from this book, it's that no matter how dark things are, there's always a way to find light again. The only way to move forward is to accept that things happened and let life run its course.
It is heartbreaking to see two people who love each other so much become strangers, but it is incredibly beautiful to watch them find their way back to each other. I felt immense pride for Roz and Vin because they didn’t give up. They fought so hard for their marriage. Their honest, vulnerable conversations were difficult, but necessary. They paved the way for healthy communication, and it made them so much stronger. I strongly believe that this is one of those couples who will be together forever, because after everything they have been through, there is no way that anything will come between them. Nothing will break them now.
I feel like there’s so much I want to express, but it’s so difficult! Some of my favourite scenes were the art class scenes, and Cara's reflection on her own experience with art at the end made it all so much more emotional. When everything else fails, art will always be there. Art connects us and allows us to make sense of the world, our thoughts and our feelings. When the world feels dark, art reminds us that life can be beautiful and worth living.
The last few chapters of this book had me in tears, and a certain plot twist shocked me to my core! I’m still processing it. All I can say is: make sure you read Cara’s other books before this one, you won’t regret it! I hope I’ve done this book justice with my words, and that this review encourages others to give it a chance.
QUOTES:
I saw her and thought, here comes my wife.
I put my heart in her chest and she carries it around. And she’ll put flowers on my grave. And from the moment I realized that I wanted to marry her, I was already thinking about the end. Not the end of our relationship, but the end . . . of it all. Loving her made me think about death. In a good way. It was a gift. It was because I wasn’t scared to go. Not when I had her. So, that’s. Yeah. It’s not a story, really. It’s my thought. She’s my “the end is the beginning.”
“I said that I’m going to keep on living my life. A full life.” I pause, because I realize that I’m not talking about choosing a new life without Vin. What I’m really talking about here is hope in the face of doom. What I���m really talking about here, ultimately, is survival. And so I finish my own sentence with the one thing I most want him to say to me: “No matter what.”
“Do you remember—” I start. “Yes.” I laugh. “You don’t even know what I was going to say!” “Doesn’t matter,” he says gruffly. “I remember it.”
The rarest and most special gift is loving someone the way they want, or need, to be loved.
“We want to draw, because we want to understand.”
What if we never get over it? I’d asked Vin. And I think . . . I think the answer is in that drawing and in that photo. Maybe we never really get over anything. It just becomes . . . a part of your drawing, a part of your story. You adapt, you grow, you think about it less. You form new habits. You meet new people. But getting over it? Making it like it didn’t even happen? I don’t know. If you want it like it never happened . . . that’s just denial, right? We have to learn how to accept it. It happened. It’s real. We’re here on the other side. We’re smiling from the other side. Crying and wailing from the other side. Yes, cooking from the other side. Holding each other and feeling perfectly fine on an awful lot of days.
・・・・・
pre-review: wow 😭😭😭 there are no words 😭😭 the plot twist at the end gave me full body chills. I was sobbing 😭😭 I love you Cara Bastone! rtc
5 ⭐️
[Thank you Netgalley and Headline for the e-arc 🫶🏻]
Why does one recover from this book? How can I possibly convey everything this book gave me when there are no words? There are no words! Roz draws because there are no words. I will try my best to express my feelings, but it won't be enough. This isn't a book you read; it's a book you experience. It's a living, beating heart bleeding onto the page. It's raw; it's real; it's life.
This is the most realistic and honest portrayal of a marriage in crisis that I have ever read. And can draw so many parallels between Roz and Vin’s relationship issues and real life, and see things that I’m sure everyone will be able to relate to. After all, these two characters are a couple, but they’re also individuals with their own problems. They’re lost in life; they’re trying to make sense of a tragedy that befell them; they’re trying to find a way to move on, yet they can’t stop replaying the worst day of their lives in their minds. They’re shattered, shouting into the void and crying out for help, but they have no idea how to help themselves or each other. So many parts of their story broke my heart. It was painful. It felt like having my heart ripped from my chest. Not only was it hard to see their marriage going through a tough time, but it was also crushing to see them both feeling so helpless. But from chaos can come peace, and the way they picked up the pieces and worked alone and together to put them back together was extraordinary. Not because it was grandiose, but because it was authentic, genuine, and came from a place of wanting love to win; of wanting life to feel worth living. If there's one thing I've learned from this book, it's that no matter how dark things are, there's always a way to find light again. The only way to move forward is to accept that things happened and let life run its course.
It is heartbreaking to see two people who love each other so much become strangers, but it is incredibly beautiful to watch them find their way back to each other. I felt immense pride for Roz and Vin because they didn’t give up. They fought so hard for their marriage. Their honest, vulnerable conversations were difficult, but necessary. They paved the way for healthy communication, and it made them so much stronger. I strongly believe that this is one of those couples who will be together forever, because after everything they have been through, there is no way that anything will come between them. Nothing will break them now.
I feel like there’s so much I want to express, but it’s so difficult! Some of my favourite scenes were the art class scenes, and Cara's reflection on her own experience with art at the end made it all so much more emotional. When everything else fails, art will always be there. Art connects us and allows us to make sense of the world, our thoughts and our feelings. When the world feels dark, art reminds us that life can be beautiful and worth living.
The last few chapters of this book had me in tears, and a certain plot twist shocked me to my core! I’m still processing it. All I can say is: make sure you read Cara’s other books before this one, you won’t regret it! I hope I’ve done this book justice with my words, and that this review encourages others to give it a chance.
QUOTES:
I saw her and thought, here comes my wife.
I put my heart in her chest and she carries it around. And she’ll put flowers on my grave. And from the moment I realized that I wanted to marry her, I was already thinking about the end. Not the end of our relationship, but the end . . . of it all. Loving her made me think about death. In a good way. It was a gift. It was because I wasn’t scared to go. Not when I had her. So, that’s. Yeah. It’s not a story, really. It’s my thought. She’s my “the end is the beginning.”
“I said that I’m going to keep on living my life. A full life.” I pause, because I realize that I’m not talking about choosing a new life without Vin. What I’m really talking about here is hope in the face of doom. What I���m really talking about here, ultimately, is survival. And so I finish my own sentence with the one thing I most want him to say to me: “No matter what.”
“Do you remember—” I start. “Yes.” I laugh. “You don’t even know what I was going to say!” “Doesn’t matter,” he says gruffly. “I remember it.”
The rarest and most special gift is loving someone the way they want, or need, to be loved.
“We want to draw, because we want to understand.”
What if we never get over it? I’d asked Vin. And I think . . . I think the answer is in that drawing and in that photo. Maybe we never really get over anything. It just becomes . . . a part of your drawing, a part of your story. You adapt, you grow, you think about it less. You form new habits. You meet new people. But getting over it? Making it like it didn’t even happen? I don’t know. If you want it like it never happened . . . that’s just denial, right? We have to learn how to accept it. It happened. It’s real. We’re here on the other side. We’re smiling from the other side. Crying and wailing from the other side. Yes, cooking from the other side. Holding each other and feeling perfectly fine on an awful lot of days.
・・・・・
pre-review: wow 😭😭😭 there are no words 😭😭 the plot twist at the end gave me full body chills. I was sobbing 😭😭 I love you Cara Bastone! rtc
Want to read
December 20, 2025₊˚⊹ ᰔ 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞:
marriage in trouble?! MY FAVORITE TROPE EVER!! “emotional” “young love” “sweet” “tender” PLEASE GIVE THIS TO ME NOW 🥺🤭!!
i’ve never read anything from this author before—but when this comes out in 2026 i will be reading this asap!
╰┈➤ what to expect!!!
🌆 second chance romance
🌺 marriage in trouble
🌆 trauma healing romance
🌺 forced proximity
🌆 young-love
🌺 best friends brother
🌆 slow burn
marriage in trouble?! MY FAVORITE TROPE EVER!! “emotional” “young love” “sweet” “tender” PLEASE GIVE THIS TO ME NOW 🥺🤭!!
i’ve never read anything from this author before—but when this comes out in 2026 i will be reading this asap!
╰┈➤ what to expect!!!
🌆 second chance romance
🌺 marriage in trouble
🌆 trauma healing romance
🌺 forced proximity
🌆 young-love
🌺 best friends brother
🌆 slow burn
December 16, 2025
[arc review] I so badly wanted to love this book but it just wasn’t for me—and I’m devastated to be saying that because I’m usually a huge fan of cara bastone and her work!
no matter what is a second chance romance that follows roz as her marriage with vin breaks down. the book is primarily in roz’s first pov.
I’m really sad I didn’t enjoy this the way I thought I would, and that’s not to say it isn’t a good story—I truly believe, like plenty of the other reviews, a lot of people will love it when it’s released.
my main bug bare was the miscommunication. I felt like every time there was an opportunity for the characters to have it out, they didn’t. I also felt the book was really hard to follow—the inner monologue of roz felt choppy, all over the place, and erratic.
I wish we got to see more of what pulled roz and vin together in the first place, because with second chance romances you have to establish what made them get together.
I remember being 25% in and not really understanding what was going on, but pushed through because I wanted to see what all the positive reviews were seeing.
ultimately this book wasn’t for me, but I know a lot of people who are big fans of cara bastone will love this—I just wish I was one of them!
thank you headline eternal for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
no matter what is a second chance romance that follows roz as her marriage with vin breaks down. the book is primarily in roz’s first pov.
I’m really sad I didn’t enjoy this the way I thought I would, and that’s not to say it isn’t a good story—I truly believe, like plenty of the other reviews, a lot of people will love it when it’s released.
my main bug bare was the miscommunication. I felt like every time there was an opportunity for the characters to have it out, they didn’t. I also felt the book was really hard to follow—the inner monologue of roz felt choppy, all over the place, and erratic.
I wish we got to see more of what pulled roz and vin together in the first place, because with second chance romances you have to establish what made them get together.
I remember being 25% in and not really understanding what was going on, but pushed through because I wanted to see what all the positive reviews were seeing.
ultimately this book wasn’t for me, but I know a lot of people who are big fans of cara bastone will love this—I just wish I was one of them!
thank you headline eternal for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
December 6, 2025
OH GOD
okay you gotta trust the process with this book. at first i was like “hmm this is kinda meh🧐” and then i was like “omg i love vin and roz. i need their love story🩷” and then it became more “oh this is breaking my heart🥹” and then i was like “WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK😫😫😫😫🫠🫠🫠🫠🫣🫣🫣🫣😔😔😔😭😭😭🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🩷🩷💔💔💔💔” so, yeah.
as someone who almost read all her books i can say that vin&roz is the realest couple she has ever written. it was so raw so heartbreaking so strong, oh god. i cried and cried and cried. vin & roz my favorite couple forever 🔐🤍 they healed something in me i swear
okay you gotta trust the process with this book. at first i was like “hmm this is kinda meh🧐” and then i was like “omg i love vin and roz. i need their love story🩷” and then it became more “oh this is breaking my heart🥹” and then i was like “WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK😫😫😫😫🫠🫠🫠🫠🫣🫣🫣🫣😔😔😔😭😭😭🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻🩷🩷💔💔💔💔” so, yeah.
as someone who almost read all her books i can say that vin&roz is the realest couple she has ever written. it was so raw so heartbreaking so strong, oh god. i cried and cried and cried. vin & roz my favorite couple forever 🔐🤍 they healed something in me i swear
October 11, 2025
3.5 ⭐
To be honest, I'm a little disappointed... I've been a huge fan of Cara Bastone since "Ready or Not," and her books were five stars for me, but this one.. I don't know, it reads more like self-help books and I haven't read one ever. Sometimes I got so confused; some chapters I think we're in Vin's mind without being told explicitly that he is the one talking, and that made me really baffled. This whole story could just be cut in half if the two main characters are locked in a closet for two hours.... JUST COMMUNICATE, YOU PEOPLE.....
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕮𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝕯𝖔𝖔𝖗 𝕸𝖔𝖉𝖎𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
SKIP CHAPTER:19
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
Guess who has one of the most anticipated books of 2026?........ Me 🤭
Thank you so much Netgalley and Random House 🫶🏻🫶🏻
To be honest, I'm a little disappointed... I've been a huge fan of Cara Bastone since "Ready or Not," and her books were five stars for me, but this one.. I don't know, it reads more like self-help books and I haven't read one ever. Sometimes I got so confused; some chapters I think we're in Vin's mind without being told explicitly that he is the one talking, and that made me really baffled. This whole story could just be cut in half if the two main characters are locked in a closet for two hours.... JUST COMMUNICATE, YOU PEOPLE.....
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕮𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝕯𝖔𝖔𝖗 𝕸𝖔𝖉𝖎𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖘˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
SKIP CHAPTER:19
⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚𝕻𝖗𝖊-𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
Guess who has one of the most anticipated books of 2026?........ Me 🤭
Thank you so much Netgalley and Random House 🫶🏻🫶🏻
Want to read
September 11, 2025You had me at "by Cara Bastone." I don't actually need a summary.
I NEEDS THIS BOOK NOW.
I NEEDS THIS BOOK NOW.
December 7, 2025
i genuinely thought i would definitely survive this book, but every word felt like a punch to the gut, i was bleeding on every freaking page and crying my heart out in the last few chapters, because the ending and the plot twist absolutely wrecked me. this book ripped me open, but it also healed something inside me. vin and roz are definitely staying in my heart for a long, long time 🥺❤️🩹
December 24, 2025
WE ARE SO BACK! my friends because cara bastone did it again and made me LIVE and FEELING the story of roz and vin. i truly felt a lot while reading it with my bestie rei!
it's RAW. it’s PAIN. it's LOVE. it's LIFE.
these are the ingredients that make this story so unique and this book makes u experience and genuinely feel everything. trust me because it’s true and ikyk bc u know me :”)
roz and vin… it was such a rollercoaster to read and live their story because it was everything that life’s authentic, painful, raw and extraordinarily beautiful. i’m so proud of them and how their story developed! these two were FIGHTERS and they didn’t give up on their marriage by learning to find each other again and even at the very end of their story they SURPRISED me (especially one of them) and in the best possible way ever!!
but there was another protagonist in the story: ART and its role in connection with people. I had the opportunity to study art during my bachelor's degree and see how it was integrated into the story it was just something else. moreover, the fact that certain scenes were taken from the author's experience made everything even more meaningful than it already was :”)
least but not last A LOT of thanks to headline eternal and netgalley for sending me the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
it's RAW. it’s PAIN. it's LOVE. it's LIFE.
these are the ingredients that make this story so unique and this book makes u experience and genuinely feel everything. trust me because it’s true and ikyk bc u know me :”)
roz and vin… it was such a rollercoaster to read and live their story because it was everything that life’s authentic, painful, raw and extraordinarily beautiful. i’m so proud of them and how their story developed! these two were FIGHTERS and they didn’t give up on their marriage by learning to find each other again and even at the very end of their story they SURPRISED me (especially one of them) and in the best possible way ever!!
but there was another protagonist in the story: ART and its role in connection with people. I had the opportunity to study art during my bachelor's degree and see how it was integrated into the story it was just something else. moreover, the fact that certain scenes were taken from the author's experience made everything even more meaningful than it already was :”)
least but not last A LOT of thanks to headline eternal and netgalley for sending me the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!
Want to read
December 20, 2025₊⊹⁀➴ 𝐩𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞
um marriage in trouble/second chance?!!! SIGN ME UPPPPPP i love this trope so freaking much - only read it twice but i love how emotional her writing is - esp with promise me sunshine.
um marriage in trouble/second chance?!!! SIGN ME UPPPPPP i love this trope so freaking much - only read it twice but i love how emotional her writing is - esp with promise me sunshine.
November 11, 2025
Cara Bastone will leave me feeling emotionally wrung, no matter what.
Roz’s husband has been leaving her in increments following a recent trauma they both shared with his brother (also her best friend). In an effort to make herself feel alive again, she joins (stumbled across) a figure drawing class.
So, bubbly, kind Roz and handsome, quiet Vin. Then, younger brother and best friend Raffi - playboy extreme.
Bastone makes you feel every emotion these characters go through. We get a first person perspective from Roz that doesn’t shy away from her inner turmoil and despair.
I did tear up.
“Once you realized he wouldn’t fit on the page—which you must have, mid-line—you continued to extend on, preferring to keep drawing instead of bailing out. Look here. The lines are strong and constant straight through the edge. This gives the viewer the feeling that the story is not over.”
I found the reason for the breaking away frustrating, especially as it seems clear to the reader all the way through. Whilst there is an explanation given (especially from Vin’s side), I needed Roz to pull her weight.
I also wish we got to see more of Roz working through her trauma and PTSD in therapy etc.
You are either going to vibe with Bastone’s writing style or not. She uses unfiltered thought, millennial language, and acronyms. It read more authentically for me.
The author’s note is a MUST read. It puts the whole book (and Promise Me Sunshine) into perspective and will tug on your heartstrings.
I read to escape the world, but also to learn more. To feel empathy and happiness and love. Yes, I can get that from real life, but reading is something you can do by yourself and always rely on.
P.S there is a Ready or Not crossover.
Arc gifted by Dial Press.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
Roz’s husband has been leaving her in increments following a recent trauma they both shared with his brother (also her best friend). In an effort to make herself feel alive again, she joins (stumbled across) a figure drawing class.
So, bubbly, kind Roz and handsome, quiet Vin. Then, younger brother and best friend Raffi - playboy extreme.
Bastone makes you feel every emotion these characters go through. We get a first person perspective from Roz that doesn’t shy away from her inner turmoil and despair.
I did tear up.
“Once you realized he wouldn’t fit on the page—which you must have, mid-line—you continued to extend on, preferring to keep drawing instead of bailing out. Look here. The lines are strong and constant straight through the edge. This gives the viewer the feeling that the story is not over.”
I found the reason for the breaking away frustrating, especially as it seems clear to the reader all the way through. Whilst there is an explanation given (especially from Vin’s side), I needed Roz to pull her weight.
I also wish we got to see more of Roz working through her trauma and PTSD in therapy etc.
You are either going to vibe with Bastone’s writing style or not. She uses unfiltered thought, millennial language, and acronyms. It read more authentically for me.
The author’s note is a MUST read. It puts the whole book (and Promise Me Sunshine) into perspective and will tug on your heartstrings.
I read to escape the world, but also to learn more. To feel empathy and happiness and love. Yes, I can get that from real life, but reading is something you can do by yourself and always rely on.
P.S there is a Ready or Not crossover.
Arc gifted by Dial Press.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
Read
September 21, 2025i dont wanna talk about it
dnf
dnf
October 21, 2025
This is the third Cara Bastone book I’ve read, and honestly, the first one that didn’t fully click for me. I usually love her heartfelt, slightly quirky style—she has such a gift for writing emotionally rich love stories—but No Matter What felt a little too tangled for me to sink into.
Roz and Vin’s marriage-in-crisis premise had so much potential, and I appreciated how Bastone explored grief and healing after trauma. But the book spends a lot of time inside Roz’s head—so much that it started to feel repetitive and slowed the story down. I found myself wanting more actual connection between the characters instead of pages of internal overthinking.
Bastone’s signature quirkiness is definitely dialed up here, but it crossed into too much for me this time. Roz’s narration often felt scattered and chaotic, which made her harder to relate to. And the miscommunication trope… I get that it’s central to their story, but it’s one of those tropes that can easily frustrate me, and this was no exception. There were moments where one honest conversation could’ve solved a dozen problems and pages of filler.
Still, there’s no denying Bastone’s warmth and emotional insight. Even when a book doesn’t land for me, I admire how deeply she writes about love, pain, and second chances. No Matter What wasn’t a favorite, but I’ll definitely keep picking up whatever she writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Roz and Vin’s marriage-in-crisis premise had so much potential, and I appreciated how Bastone explored grief and healing after trauma. But the book spends a lot of time inside Roz’s head—so much that it started to feel repetitive and slowed the story down. I found myself wanting more actual connection between the characters instead of pages of internal overthinking.
Bastone’s signature quirkiness is definitely dialed up here, but it crossed into too much for me this time. Roz’s narration often felt scattered and chaotic, which made her harder to relate to. And the miscommunication trope… I get that it’s central to their story, but it’s one of those tropes that can easily frustrate me, and this was no exception. There were moments where one honest conversation could’ve solved a dozen problems and pages of filler.
Still, there’s no denying Bastone’s warmth and emotional insight. Even when a book doesn’t land for me, I admire how deeply she writes about love, pain, and second chances. No Matter What wasn’t a favorite, but I’ll definitely keep picking up whatever she writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
they-told-me-to-read-it
November 6, 2025
September 24, 2025
Thank you to Dial Press for the ARC! This was my first Cara Bastone book, so I didn’t really know what to expect. One of my biggest pet-peeves is a heavily reliance on miscommunication. The only reason the two main characters were experiencing conflict is because they wouldn’t talk to each other. I understand that PTSD and traumatic events change relationship dynamics, but to me, it felt more like a plot device than authentic. The first half of the book is very confusing and I had a hard time keeping up with POVs and timelines (but maybe that will be fixed before publish).
Want to read
December 16, 2025i will read any cara bastone book you put in front of me, super excited for this one!
September 21, 2025
3.5 stars!
*Review to be posted following this titles official publication date, as requested by the publisher (Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback).
*Review to be posted following this titles official publication date, as requested by the publisher (Random House | Dial Press Trade Paperback).
Read
November 24, 2025please, netgalley gods, bestow this blessed e-arc upon me
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This is a unique and beautiful book about a couple who has drifted apart after a traumatic accident. Over the course of the novel they find joy in life again outside each other and overcome their PTSD to repair their marriage. After reading so many books about people falling in love for the first time, it's really refreshing to read a book about people falling in love again.
Saying that, this book is miscommunication hell. Our male main character is ultimately redeemed but is, for most of the novel, infuriatingly unable to give his wife straight answers leading to her being convinced that he wants a divorce. I think this can be interpreted as messy people struggling but if I wasn't such a big fan of Bastone's previous novel (Promise me Sunshine - it's amazing), I don't think I would've been able to see it with a sympathetic eye.
Our FMC Roz was a delight. The quick, witty prose gives us such a clear insight into how her brain functions and whats she's thinking that she is instantly endearing. The rest of the cast of characters, including Roz's best friend who is also the MMC's brother, really bring the story itself to life.
No Matter What is going on my 'books-that-treat-new-york-city-as-its-own-character' list. This is definitely a book I would recommend to the people about to go to the city for the first time.
As a 20 something (okay, soon to be a late 20 something) I don't know if this is a book I related to in any sense. But I can see myself coming back to it in the future and feeling differently.
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This is a unique and beautiful book about a couple who has drifted apart after a traumatic accident. Over the course of the novel they find joy in life again outside each other and overcome their PTSD to repair their marriage. After reading so many books about people falling in love for the first time, it's really refreshing to read a book about people falling in love again.
Saying that, this book is miscommunication hell. Our male main character is ultimately redeemed but is, for most of the novel, infuriatingly unable to give his wife straight answers leading to her being convinced that he wants a divorce. I think this can be interpreted as messy people struggling but if I wasn't such a big fan of Bastone's previous novel (Promise me Sunshine - it's amazing), I don't think I would've been able to see it with a sympathetic eye.
Our FMC Roz was a delight. The quick, witty prose gives us such a clear insight into how her brain functions and whats she's thinking that she is instantly endearing. The rest of the cast of characters, including Roz's best friend who is also the MMC's brother, really bring the story itself to life.
No Matter What is going on my 'books-that-treat-new-york-city-as-its-own-character' list. This is definitely a book I would recommend to the people about to go to the city for the first time.
As a 20 something (okay, soon to be a late 20 something) I don't know if this is a book I related to in any sense. But I can see myself coming back to it in the future and feeling differently.
November 18, 2025
Sigh... Cara Bastone, not many people are doing it quite like you! I, for some reason, have always had a soft spot for marriage in crisis books. I just love seeing two people find their way back to each other when they're already made vow.s. Marriage is hard - we all know this, but I think books like this truly show how tough it actually can be. Because yes, people change and grow, but can they do that together? And what happens when they don't? Can they find their way back to each other?
To me, it was so clear how emotionally connected Vin and Roz were, even though they were separated for a large chunk of this book. I loved how they each had their own outlet for working through their trauma and emotions. Roz's was drawing and Vin's was [spoiler spoiler spoiler]. Cara is so ridiculously in tune with her characters and writes them in a way that feels like they're real. Like I could run into them on the street.
I know some people will characterize this book as a big miscommunication trope, but I think that's trivializing waaaay too much. People, feelings, trauma, grief, etc is complicated. There's not always an easy fix. And to me Cara perfectly captures that!
Thank you Netgalley and Dial for this ARC!
To me, it was so clear how emotionally connected Vin and Roz were, even though they were separated for a large chunk of this book. I loved how they each had their own outlet for working through their trauma and emotions. Roz's was drawing and Vin's was [spoiler spoiler spoiler]. Cara is so ridiculously in tune with her characters and writes them in a way that feels like they're real. Like I could run into them on the street.
I know some people will characterize this book as a big miscommunication trope, but I think that's trivializing waaaay too much. People, feelings, trauma, grief, etc is complicated. There's not always an easy fix. And to me Cara perfectly captures that!
Thank you Netgalley and Dial for this ARC!
remind-me-once-out
September 11, 2025Insert here: grabby hands emoji.
Want to read
October 16, 2025she's tryna go 3 for 3 in making me sob. i see and respect the hustle, ms. bastone.
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