Review of Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone – A Beautiful Story of Grief & Love @CaraBastone @penguinrandom

Promise Me Sunshine is a deeply moving story about love, loss, and healing, following a grieving young woman who unexpectedly finds hope and connection through an unlikely partnership.

Acknowledgments:

Thank you to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Summary:

Grieving the loss of her best friend, Lou, Lenny feels completely adrift, avoiding her parents, her old apartment, and the “live again” list Lou left for her. Her only stability comes from babysitting for Reese, an overworked single mom, and her lively daughter, Ainsley—though Ainsley’s grumpy uncle, Miles, complicates things. Despite his brusque exterior, Miles understands grief and offers Lenny a deal: he’ll help her tackle her “live again” list if she helps him reconnect with Ainsley and mend his strained relationship with Reese. As they spend more time together, Lenny begins to realize that losing everything might just be the first step toward healing—and finding love again.

My Thoughts:

Every once in a while, a book comes along that lingers in your heart long after you turn the last page. Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone is exactly that kind of novel. It’s a deeply moving, beautifully written story about love, loss, and the slow, sometimes painful process of finding joy again.

From the very first page, I was completely invested in Lenny’s journey. She’s a young woman drowning in grief after the loss of her best friend, Lou, and she’s struggling to keep her life from completely unravelling. Avoiding her family, unable to return to the apartment she shared with Lou, and drifting from one temporary nanny job to the next, Lenny is barely surviving rather than living.

Enter Reese, a single mother in need of a babysitter for her daughter, Ainsley. The job seems like the perfect escape, but Lenny doesn’t expect the constant presence of Ainsley’s uncle, Miles—a man who, at first, seems gruff and overly critical. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Miles sees right through Lenny’s carefully constructed façade. He understands grief in a way that most people don’t, and when he offers to help her work through her “live again” list in exchange for her help with Ainsley, an unexpected and profoundly touching connection begins to form between them.

Cara Bastone has quickly become one of my favourite authors, and this book is a perfect example of why. Her characters feel real—flawed, layered, and so emotionally rich that they leap off the page. She masterfully balances the heartache of grief with moments of warmth and humour, making the story feel both deeply poignant and incredibly hopeful.

Lenny and Miles’ relationship unfolds in a way that feels natural and honest, filled with small, quiet moments that gradually build into something beautiful. Their dynamic is raw and tender, and watching them help each other navigate their pain is nothing short of breathtaking.

Final Thoughts:

Promise Me Sunshine is a story that will stay with me for years to come. It’s a book about love in all its forms—romantic love, friendship, family, and, most importantly, learning to love life again after loss. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a romance with real emotional depth, and I can’t wait to see what Cara Bastone writes next.

Other Books I’ve Reviewed Written by Cara Bastone:

Ready or Not

Seat Mate

Sweet Talk

Call Me Maybe