Sneak Peek: No Matter What by Cara Bastone

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No Matter What

by Cara Bastone

A pre-release sneak peek of your next favorite book by our favorite author.

Prepare yourself for a love story that’ll make you squeeze your loved ones extra tight. Roz and Vin have a love story for the ages. The intensity and magnitude of their love for each other is heartbreaking. While I was unsure of the relationship to start by the end of the book I was 100000% behind them.

I’m grateful to have received an advanced reader’s copy of No Matter What via NetGalley!

The Sneak Peek

Roz and Vin just make sense together. At first pass, they may seem like polar opposites — he’s on time while she’s may be a little frazzled as she rushes from place to place, Roz has a way with words and Vin is a man of few words… But when you get to know them, you’ll quickly realize that they’re more similar than meets the eye. At their core, they’re built the same: they prioritize those they love and their community. They're constantly thinking of others, how they can help ease their burdens, how they can share what little they have, how they can lend a hand or their time.

Roz is eager to feed as many people as possible through as the recipe developer at NYC Harvest. She’s always sharing her tips and tricks for maximizing what’s in your pantry and delivering extra food to her friends and family. Meanwhile, Vin has bent over backward to provide for his brother, Raff, since he was a young boy himself. He’s taken care of him emotionally, mentally and physically, serving as the brother/father combo and as the filter through which Raff has vetted his own relationships — friends and lovers. The only person to ever pass his scrutiny is the person he fell in love with.

Their chemistry is electric, attraction has never been their issue. From the first day they met, they’ve just clicked. But eight years later, in the wake of a terrible accident, their relationship has fractured. The ease of their relationship is gone and each day that passes seems to only enhance the fissure that’s splitting their lives in half. And as Roz scrambles to understand how they’ve diverged so far in the past year, she finds that in the process of losing her husband, she’s also lost herself.

So, she embarks on a journey to rediscover her spark… and hopefully, it shines a light on her relationship with VIn.

What Victoria Loved

VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.75/5

As someone who turned to art when I struggled to express my feelings, this book hit home. Roz’s exploration of art to understand herself and her perspective is overwhelming. I found myself back in the studio, experiencing the same frustration, insecurity, and vulnerability when I picked up that first piece of charcoal. Roz’s journey in the studio, in learning to embrace the imperfections of her art connects beautifully to the year she’s had— her fear of messing up a blank page is a reflection of the distance and lack of communication between her and Vin, her gravitating toward organic shapes and rhythms is symbolic of the undeniable chemistry with Vin… a steady pulse that has temporarily changed in tempo to which they will eventually adjust until their inherent nature repeats. In short, Roz and Vin are always meant to come back together, it’s just a matter of making a bit of a mess as they learn to express themselves.

The supporting cast does exactly that — they support! And they provide much needed comedic relief and sparkle. At times I felt the heavy weight of the trauma, pain and darkness that overwhelmed Roz and Vin… and it was hard to shoulder through. It felt as though we were all wading through molasses as flashbacks and panic attacks brought them under. But as the events of the past year come to light and the love of their found family pulls the characters towards something brighter, we land in a safe space to express themselves and there’s an immediate sense of relief. I unknowingly cried multiple times. I read on without realizing the tears were running down my cheeks.

Roz and Vin have a love story for the ages. The intensity and magnitude of their love for each other is heartbreaking. While I was unsure of the relationship to start by the end of the book I was 100000% behind them.

The writing style and mechanisms took a while for me to understand. 1) Cara jumps between first and second POV, in which the MFC addresses the reader directly and breaks that wall to acknowledge how we may think/feel/experience something in comparison to her experience. And 2) there are snippets interwoven throughout the book in which the POV shifts without context… and it threw me for a loop for the majority of the book. But it all comes together beautifully in the end. All loose ends were tied to answer ALL the questions introduced.

Pre-order your copy of No Matter What (Amazon) and read with me!

Favorite Scene

“The chemistry here… you drawing this model… it makes me think of infinity.”

- NO MATTER WHAT by Cara Bastone

Similar Reads & Recommendations

• SIBLING SET-UP / INSTA-LOVE: Love in Plane Sight by Lauren Connolly (Amazon)

  In No Matter What, Raff is clearly Roz and Vin’s #1 fan. In Love in Plane Sight, the honor belongs to Beth’s brother (and George’s best friend), Shawn. It’s clear from the get-go that Shawn has pulled strings to bring his two favorite people together and as the reader, you’ll both 1) enjoy Shawn and his antics, and 2) understand why he’d want to bring them together in the first place. Lauren has a way of writing sibling dynamics that hit true — and in this instance, brother does know best!

  VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5

• MARRIAGE IN CRISIS: Left of Forever (Spunes #2) by Tarah DeWitt (Amazon)

  An HoH Book Club pick! If you want a book that captures what it feels like to find your life’s big love and describes in painful accuracy that desire to be together and a love worth risking everything just for a chance to fight for each other, the fire of that want… this is it. All of that comes across crystal clear with Wren and Ellis. Even when they’re not together, they’re connected. They belong. And I think their story also underlines the importance of communicating dreams, fears and desires. Especially when life gets hard.

  VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5

• ANOTHER CRAZY NYC APARTMENT: It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard (Amazon)

  A beautiful love letter to autumn in NYC. As unrealistic as the brownstone situation may be, I can’t deny that the way the West Village, SoHo, Brooklyn, UWS and Central Park are described actually made the city sound homey. This second chance friends-to-lovers (with a loooooooong separation) had me on the edge of my seat, it was such a slow burn, high tension read.

  VICTORIA’S RATING: 3.75/5

• AN ACCIDENT TO START: Crash Test by Amy James (Amazon)

  This might be my favorite F1 romance yet! As someone who has grown up watching the sport, I’ve always been drawn to the adrenaline rush that comes with high speeds and unfortunately that means being familiar with the unpredictable and terrifying aspects of the sport as well. You could feel the exhaustion, the helplessness, the heartbreak, the weight of everything on the line. The drama is intoxicating and addicting, the heartbreak is brutally frustrating.

  VICTORIA’S RATING: 4.25/5

• BY THE AUTHOR: Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone (Amazon)

  A heartwarming, slow-burn romance you’ll revisit through life’s milestones. I feel like this is a book I’m going to pick up when I need quick childcare tips, when i feel down and dejected and need-a-breakthrough tips, or when I need reminders on how to show up for friends. You’ll love the strong foundation of friendship between the MCs and then you’ll fall for their sweet love story. Cara balances humor and lightness against the darkness of loss and grief — a reminder that the two can coexist. Read my Sneak Peek.

  VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5

Until the next chapter!

xo, Victoria

P.S. Craving more books featuring these sub-genres, tropes, and themes? Tap the links below.