Cara Bastone

Just a Heartbeat Away by Cara Bastone will be available Feb 11, 2027. Preorder your copy today!

Could her seatmate be her soulmate? A discount bus ride turns into a race against the clock (and some serious yearning) in this edge-of-your-seat romance from the bestselling author of Ready or Not and Promise Me Sunshine—first time in print in the U. S.! Gwen has exactly 5 hours and 10 minutes to get from Boston to New York City for the professional opportunity of a lifetime disappears. Her only travel option? The second-to-last seat on a discount bus. Across from the bathroom. Wearing last night's clothes (don't ask). All worth it if she can make it in time. Her nerves almost get the best of her, but then there he is, sitting down in the seat next to her. Tall. Friendly smile. Bright indigo streak in his brown hair. The perfect distraction. Turns out he's on his way to reconnect with an old flame. The one that got away. They can both make it on time—just barely—if the traffic keeps flowing. Playing road-trip games, avoiding calls from his mother, and effortless conversation keep them from clockwatching . . . until the bus breaks down. And Gwen's seatmate turns into her copilot as they wrangle a ride in a car three decades old. And hit all the traffic. And oh, Lord, the detours. And somehow she ended up careening cross-town on the handlebars of a Citi Bike carrying a box of kittens. (Yeah, don't ask.) He's her hero every step of the way . . . and she might be falling for him. But what happens when they reach their final destinations?

A booty call gone wrong turns into the most amazing conversation ever. Now can she tell him who she really is? A charming romance from the bestselling author of Ready or Not and Promise Me Sunshine—first time in print in the U. S.! It's officially booty o'clock and Jessie is alone again in her kitchen, choking down a slice of terrible chocolate cake...and she's pretty sure she just got drunk texted by the man she has a ginormous crush on. She's been daydreaming about Eliot Hoffman's dimples for two months, and even though she's sure this was a mistake on his end, it doesn't mean it's not an opportunity on hers. It's the middle of the night, and she just wants to talk to him. So she texted him back. And then somehow they keep talking . . . ALL NIGHT. They're both insomniacs, so talking all night soon turns into talking EVERY night. And talking about nothing soon turns into talking about something. And here they go from in-depth analysis of reality TV to her relationship with her family, to his amazing artwork. There's no topic they don't cover . . . Except for who she really is. It's the only question of his she won't answer. As Jessie's crush turns into an avalanche of Eliot, she thinks of him all the time now. But if he knew who she was, the entire house of cards they've built this relationship on would come toppling down. She wants him to be hers, but they might never be more than just a sweet dream . . .

The longest customer service hold in history leads to a love connection that no one could have called in this laugh-out-loud romance from the bestselling author of Ready or Not and Promise Me Sunshine—first time in print in the U. S.! Paints her toes. Picks up the wrong coffee and bagel order. Drives from Brooklyn to Jersey in traffic so slow she want to tear her hair out. It's amazing all the useless things Vera can accomplish while on hold for three hours with customer service. Three hours when she should be getting the Date-in-a-Box website ready to launch at the big business expo in a few days. Except her shiny new website is glitching, and her inner rage-monster is ready to scorch some earth...when he finally picks up. Not the robot voice she expected but a real live human named Cal. He's surprisingly helpful and really knows his stuff, even if he's a little awkward...in an adorable way. And suddenly she's flirting with him? And it seems like he's flirting back. And suddenly it's been hours, and they're still on the phone talking and ordering each other takeout while he troubleshoots her website. And suddenly they're exchanging numbers and sending texts and DMs every day, leaving voice mails (who even does that anymore?!). And suddenly Vera's wondering if it's possible for two people to fall in love at first talk. Because she's falling…hard.

Can love draw them together . . . again? After a traumatic accident, a young couple tries to find their way back to each other - and themselves - in this tender, slow-burn romance by the bestselling 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 that they can fix things . . . until she discovers that Vin has signed a new lease. So she does what any soon-to-be-divorced Manhattanite would do: she signs up for figure drawing class. Ignoring Vin's impending move-out date would be a lot easier if he wasn't her best-friends brother - and if he hadn't just offered to let her draw him. After all, that's known 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've spent avoiding each other, it feels good to see and be seen by one another again. As Roz works to 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? ____________________________ Readers can't get enough of Cara Bastone ? ? ? ? ? 'Beautifully devastating' ? ? ? ? ? 'Astonishingly warm, funny, reassuring, and soul-satisfying' ? ? ? ? ? 'I always devours everything Cara writes' ? ? ? ? ? 'This story and these characters showed up right when I needed them most. They are stamped on my heart, mind, and soul-forever' ? ? ? ? ? 'This story. These characters. Perfection.'

'Cara Bastone is one of the most talented writers in the romance genre today. With her signature blend of heart, humor, and honesty, Cara's books remind you that the best stories begin and end with hope' LYSSA KAY ADAMS The audio bestseller, available for the first time in ebook! True love is on the line in Audie Award nominee Cara Bastone's charming, laugh-out-loud rom-com, perfect for fans of Netflix's Love is Blind, Jo Watson, Lauren Layne and Hannah Orenstein! 'The thing I love most about Cara Bastone's books is her ability to find the romance in ordinary lives, the swoon in simple places . . . just normal folks falling in love. I ADORE it' 5* reader review for Call Me Maybe ....................................................... I have exactly 5 hours and 10 minutes to get from Boston to New York City or the professional opportunity of a lifetime disappears. My only travel option? The second to last seat on a discount bus. Across from the bathroom. Wearing last night's clothes (don't ask). All worth it if I can make it in time. My nerves almost get the best of me, but then there he is, sitting down in the seat next to me. Tall. Friendly smile. Bright indigo streak in his brown hair. The perfect distraction. Turns out he's on his way to reconnect with an old flame. The one that got away. We can both make it on time - just barely - if the traffic keeps flowing. Playing road-trip games, avoiding calls from his mother, and effortless conversation keeps us from clockwatching . . . until the bus breaks down. And my seatmate turns into my copilot as we wrangle a ride in a car three decades old. And hit all the traffic. And oh, Lord, the detours. And somehow I end up careening cross-town on the handlebars of a Citi Bike carrying a box of kittens. (Yeah, don't ask.) He's my hero every step of the way . . . and I might be falling for him. But what happens when we reach our final destination? Could my seatmate really be my soulmate? ....................................................... Look out for more Love Lines from Cara Bastone! Call Me Maybe and Sweet Talk are out now! And readers LOVE them! 'An adorable and thoroughly enjoyable read . . . I didn't want it to end' 'This is a short, sweet romance that I really enjoyed. Both Cal and Vera were great characters and I loved how this book starts with their conversation which was so much fun to read! . . . I was rooting for them so much' 'I love the concept of this book . . . I felt it captured it perfectly in ebook form. I've never read anything like it and for that I loved it!' 'A short fun read. I loved both of the main characters . . . Looking forward to reading more from this author'

'Cara Bastone is one of the most talented writers in the romance genre today. With her signature blend of heart, humor, and honesty, Cara's books remind you that the best stories begin and end with hope' LYSSA KAY ADAMS The audio bestseller, available for the first time in print! True love is on the line in Audie Award nominee Cara Bastone's charming, laugh-out-loud rom-com, perfect for fans of Netflix's Love is Blind, Jo Watson, Lauren Layne and Hannah Orenstein! 'The thing I love most about Cara Bastone's books is her ability to find the romance in ordinary lives, the swoon in simple places . . . just normal folks falling in love. I ADORE it' ? ? ? ? ? reader review for Call Me Maybe ............................................................................................. It's officially booty o'clock, I'm alone again in my kitchen choking down a slice of terrible chocolate cake...and I'm pretty sure I just got drunk texted by the man I have a ginormous crush on. I've been daydreaming about Eliot Hoffman's dimples for two months, and even though I'm sure this was a mistake on his end, it doesn't mean it's not an opportunity on mine. It's the middle of the night, and I just wanna talk to him. So I text him back. And then somehow we keep talking . . . ALL NIGHT. We're both insomniacs, so talking all night soon turns into talking EVERY night. And talking about nothing soon turns into talking about something. And here we go from in-depth analysis of reality TV to my relationship with my family, to his amazing artwork. There's no topic we don't cover . . . Except for who I really am. It's the only question of his I won't answer. As my crush turns into an avalanche of Eliot, I think of him all the time now. But if he knew who I was, the entire house of cards we've built this relationship on would come toppling down. I want him to be mine, but we might never be more than just a sweet dream . . . ............................................................................................. Look out for more Love Lines from Cara Bastone - Call Me Maybe - out now! Readers LOVE it! 'An adorable and thoroughly enjoyable read . . . I didn't want it to end' 'This is a short, sweet romance that I really enjoyed. Both Cal and Vera were great characters and I loved how this book starts with their conversation which was so much fun to read! . . . I was rooting for them so much' 'I love the concept of this book . . . I felt it captured it perfectly in ebook form. I've never read anything like it and for that I loved it!' 'A short fun read. I loved both of the main characters . . . Looking forward to reading more from this author'

'Cara Bastone is one of the most talented writers in the romance genre today. With her signature blend of heart, humor, and honesty, Cara's books remind you that the best stories begin and end with hope' Lyssa Kay Adams The audio bestseller, available for the first time in print! True love is on the line in Cara Bastone's charming, laugh-out-loud rom-com, perfect for fans of Netflix's Love is Blind, Jo Watson, Lauren Layne and Hannah Orenstein! 'The thing I love most about Cara Bastone's books is her ability to find the romance in ordinary lives, the swoon in simple places...just normal folks falling in love. I ADORE it' 5* reader review Paint your toes. Pick up the wrong coffee and bagel order. Drive from Brooklyn to Jersey in traffic so slow you want to tear your hair out. It's amazing all the useless things I can accomplish while on hold for three hours with customer service. Three hours when I should be getting the Date-in-a-Box website ready to launch at the big business expo in a few days. Except my shiny new website is glitching, and my inner rage-monster is ready to scorch some earth...when he finally picks up. Not the robot voice I expected but a real live human named Cal. He's surprisingly helpful and really knows his stuff, even if he's a little awkward...in an adorable way. And suddenly I'm flirting with him? And I think he's flirting back. And suddenly it's been hours, and we're still on the phone talking and ordering each other takeout while he troubleshoots my website. And suddenly we're exchanging numbers and sending texts and DMs every day, leaving voice mails (who even does that anymore?!). And suddenly I'm wondering if it's possible for two people to fall in love at first talk. Because I'm falling...hard. Readers are loving Call Me Maybe! 'An adorable and thoroughly enjoyable read... I didn't want it to end' 'This is a short, sweet romance that I really enjoyed. Both Cal and Vera were great characters and I loved how this book starts with their conversation which was so much fun to read!... I was rooting for them so much' 'I love the concept of this book ... I felt it captured it perfectly in ebook form. I've never read anything like it and for that I loved it!' 'A short fun read. I loved both of the main characters... Looking forward to reading more from this author'

? ? ? ? ? 'Beautifully devastating'? ? ? ? ? 'Astonishingly warm, funny, reassuring, and soul-satisfying'? ? ? ? ? 'Oh my heartstrings!'How do you find yourself after you lose the one you loved the most? Lenny has been a bit of a mess since her best friend, Lou, passed away. She's avoiding her concerned parents, her apartment and the list of things she's supposed to do to enjoy life again. The only thing she can handle right now is babysitting a precocious seven-year-old, Ainsley. And if Lenny acts like she's fine, maybe no one will notice she's falling apart. The only issue: Ainsley's uncle, Miles, is always there and is kind of . . . a huge jerk. But Miles sees right through her. He knows a lot about grief and offers her a deal: he'll help her complete her "live again" list if she'll help him re-connect with Ainsley and his sister. Lenny doubts anything can help, but as she begins to spend more time with Miles, she begins to see that, sometimes, losing everything can be the first step to finding yourself again._______________?? Your favourite authors have fallen in love with Cara Bastone's slowburn romances and emotional tales ??'Bastone delivers on this truly heartwarming, funny, and real story' Abby Jimenez'The perfect slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance. Cara Bastone's voice is wholly unique and sparkles with effervescence and joy' KJ Dell'Antonia'One of the most emotionally satisfying romances I've read in years' Joanna Lowell'A delightfully romantic story that celebrates modern love and the excitement of the unexpected' Amy Poeppel'Cara Bastone is one of the most talented writers in the romance genre today. With her signature blend of heart, humor, and honesty, Cara's books remind you that the best stories begin and end with hope' Lysssa Kay Adams_______________?? Readers can't get enough of Promise me Sunshine ??'I want my own Miles. Why are fictional men always the best?' ? ? ? ? ?'What a delightfully sad / funny / tender / warm / romantic / charming book this is!' ? ? ? ? ?'I always devours everything Cara writes' ? ? ? ? ?'This story and these characters showed up right when I needed them most. They are stamped on my heart, mind, and soul-forever' ? ? ? ? ?'This story. These characters. Perfection.' ? ? ? ? ?

How do you find yourself after you lose the one you loved the most? NATIONAL BESTSELLER - Grieving the loss of her best friend, a young woman's life is turned upside down when she meets a grumpy stranger who swears he can help her live again, in this heartwarming, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or Not. Lenny's a bit of a mess at the moment. Ever since cancer stole away her best friend, she has been completely lost. She's avoiding her concerned parents, the apartment she shared with her best friend, and the ever-laminated "live again" list of things she's promised to do to survive her grief. But maybe if she acts like she has it all together, no one will notice she's falling apart. The only gigs she can handle right now are temporary babysitting jobs, and she just landed a great one, helping overworked, single mom Reese and her precocious daughter, Ainsley. The only catch: Ainsley's uncle, Miles, always seems to be around, and is kind of. . . a walking version of the grumpy cat meme. Worse - he seems to be able to see right through her. Surprisingly, Miles knows a lot about grief and he offers Lenny a proposition. 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 void her best friend has left behind, but between late night ferry rides, midnight ramen, and a well-placed shoulder whenever she needs it, Miles just won't stop showing up for her. Turns out, sometimes your life has to end to find your new beginning.

?? A surprise pregnancy leads to even more life-changing revelations in this heartfelt, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance of found family and unexpected love ??'Bastone delivers on this truly heartwarming, funny, and real story' Abby Jimenez_______________Eve Hatch has always been content to coast through her life, with a steady, if uninspiring, job and a cozy apartment in Brooklyn, close to her childhood best friend Willa and far from the midwestern, traditional family who never really understood her. But when she finds herself pregnant after an uncharacteristic one-night stand, her comfy life is suddenly up in the air. Eve's loyal friendship with Willa is feeling tense, right when she needs her the most, and it's actually Willa's steadfast big brother, Shep, who steps up with the most support and he's . . . suddenly kinda hot? As if she needs one more complication, there's also the baby's father, who is technically supportive, but majorly conflicted. But as Eve struggles to figure out the next step in her expanding reality, she begins to realize that family and love, in all forms, can sneak up on you when you least expect it._______________?? friends to lovers?? surprise pregnancy?? found family?? immersive Brooklyn setting?? best friend's brother who readers call 'the GOODEST boy' and 'a wonderfully dorky, pining book boyfriend'_______________?? Readers can't get enough of Ready or Not! ??'A massive warm hug in book form' ? ? ? ? ?'Everything you want in a romcom, it made me laugh, cry . . . just ALL the emotions!' ? ? ? ? ?'Utterly gorgeous' ? ? ? ? ?'It made me like the accidental pregnancy trope (which I didn't think could be done!)' ? ? ? ? ?'Honest, funny, and moving' ? ? ? ? ?_______________?? Your favourite authors have fallen in love with Cara Bastone's slowburn romances and emotional tales ??'The perfect slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance. Cara Bastone's voice is wholly unique and sparkles with effervescence and joy' KJ Dell'Antonia'One of the most emotionally satisfying romances I've read in years' Joanna Lowell'A delightfully romantic story that celebrates modern love and the excitement of the unexpected' Amy Poeppel'Cara Bastone is one of the most talented writers in the romance genre today. With her signature blend of heart, humor, and honesty, Cara's books remind you that the best stories begin and end with hope' Lyssa Kay Adams

A surprise pregnancy leads to even more life-changing revelations in this "absolutely buoyant read" (Elle). "Bastone delivers on this truly heartwarming, funny, and real story. Come for the dog bar, stay for the special, slow-burn romcom."--Abby Jimenez, New York Times bestselling author A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, NPR, Elle Eve Hatch lives for surprises Just kidding. She expects every tomorrow to be pretty much the same as today. She loves her cozy apartment in Brooklyn that's close to her childhood best friend Willa, and far from her midwestern, traditional family who has never really understood her. While her job is only dream-adjacent, it's comfortable and steady. She always knows what to expect from her life . . . until she finds herself expecting after an uncharacteristic one-night stand. The unplanned pregnancy cracks open all the relationships in her life. Eve's loyal friendship with Willa is feeling tense, right when she needs her the most. And it's actually Willa's steadfast older brother, Shep, who steps up to help Eve. He has always been friendly, but now he's checking in, ordering her surprise lunches, listening to all her complaints, and is . . . suddenly kinda hot? Then, as if she needs one more complication, there's the baby's father, who is (technically) supportive but (majorly) conflicted. Up until this point, Eve's been content to coast through life. Now, though--maybe it's the hormones, maybe it's the way Shep's shoulders look in a T-shirt--Eve starts to wonder if she has been secretly desiring more from every aspect of her life. Over the course of nine months, as Eve struggles to figure out the next right step in her expanding reality, she begins to realize that family and love, in all forms, can sneak up on you when you least expect it.

Sometimes you get a second chance at a first impression Mary Trace is bright, bubbly and back in the dating pool in her midthirties. All of her closest friends are in love, and she refuses to miss out on romance. So when a regular customer at her trendy Brooklyn boutique wants to set Mary up on a blind date with her son, she gives a hesitant yes. John Modesto-Whitford is gorgeous and well-groomed, so maybe dinner won't be a total bust--until he drops a less-than-flattering comment about Mary's age. Desperate to be nothing like his snake of a politician father, public defender John Modesto-Whitford prides himself on his honesty and candor. But his social awkwardness and lack of filter just blew it with the most beautiful woman he's ever dated. Luckily, Mom's machinations keep Mary and John running into each other all summer long, and soon they resort to fake dating to get her to back off. When their pretense turns to real friendship--and some surprisingly hot chemistry--can these two stubborn individuals see past their rocky start to a rock-solid future together?

Don't miss Flirting with Forever, the third book in Cara Bastone's charming, heartfelt and irresistibly romantic Forever Yours series, coming soon from HQN Books Mary Trace is bright, bubbly and suddenly dunked back into the dating pool in her mid-thirties. She owns a successful boutique in a trendy Brooklyn neighborhood. But all of her closest friends are falling in love (with each other), and Mary refuses to feel like she's missing out on romance. So she starts saying yes to opportunities--and to dates. When Mary goes on a blind date set up by a friend, her heart drops when she meets the perfectly gorgeous, and extremely well-groomed John Modesto-Whitford. There's not a hair out of place, and he's got the judgmental expression to match. When he drops a less-than-flattering comment about Mary's age, she's out of there. John, desperate not to be anything like his lying snake of a father, prides himself on being honest to a fault. Though he always tells the truth, he has learned that sometimes it's best just to keep his trap shut. So why oh why does he tell the most gorgeous woman he's ever had the honor of having dinner with that she's...old? After such a rocky start, will these two stubborn individuals decide to give each other a second chance?

The more you resist, the deeper you'll fallSerafine St. Romain doesn't need her psychic powers to know she's no longer in Tyler Leshuski's good graces. True, she did tear him to pieces when he asked her out, accusing him of being shallow and selfish. Despite the energy crackling between them, the gorgeous sports writer is a no-strings, no-kids kind of guy. And Serafine, raised in the foster system, intends to be a foster parent herself. She won't compromise that dream, even for a man as annoyingly appealing as Tyler. In a simpler world, Tyler would already have gotten Serafine out of his system. For him, women equal fun. Not this kind of bone-deep, disconcerting desire. Life gets even more complicated when he becomes the guardian of his much younger sister. Suddenly, he's way out of his depth. Serafine's the only person who can connect with Kylie. He can't jeopardize that for a fling. But maybe...just maybe...he's finally ready to risk everything on forever.

Some people change your life Others change your heartNewly widowed dad Sebastian Dorner was unraveling at the edges--until his son's teacher, Via DeRosa, threw him a lifeline. Now, two years later, they reconnect at Matty's new school, and an inconvenient but unmistakable jolt of attraction crackles between them. But why does the first person to spark with Sebastian in years have to be a millennial? Is twentysomething Via really too young for him or does fortysomething Sebastian just feel too damn old? A former foster kid, Via's finally forged the stable life she's always dreamed of--new job, steady income, no drama. The last thing she needs are rumors about her and a single dad at school. But why does she keep being drawn into his capable, worn-flannel orbit? And why does being around Sebastian, Matty and even their dog, Crabby, seem to spark so much want? They're trying to ignore the tension threatening their friendship. But sometimes what'll heal you is just a touch--and a heartbeat--away...