In Cara Bastone’s latest novel, “Promise Me Sunshine,” readers are invited on an emotional journey that masterfully balances the raw pain of profound loss with the tentative hope of new beginnings. This poignant story explores how we rebuild ourselves after losing someone irreplaceable, and how sometimes the most unexpected people help us find our way back to living.
Bastone has established herself as a voice in contemporary romance who isn’t afraid to tackle difficult emotional terrain, as seen in her previous works like “Ready or Not” and her Audible Original series starting with “Call Me Maybe.” With “Promise Me Sunshine,” she reaches new depths, crafting a slow-burn romance that feels both achingly authentic and beautifully cathartic.
Plot: The Slow Dance of Healing
The story centers on Lenny Bellamy, a young woman whose life has been shattered by the death of her best friend and soul mate, Lou. Unable to return to the apartment they shared or face her concerned parents, Lenny has been drifting through life, sleeping on trains and ferries, avoiding anything that feels like moving forward. When she takes a temporary babysitting job for single mom Reese and her precocious daughter Ainsley, she encounters Miles, Ainsley’s grumpy uncle who sees right through Lenny’s façade of functionality.
What unfolds is an unconventional arrangement: Miles will help Lenny complete the “Live Again” list that Lou created for her, while Lenny helps Miles connect with his niece and navigate his complicated relationship with Reese. This quid pro quo evolves into something neither expected as they each become the other’s lifeline through their respective struggles.
The genius of Bastone’s storytelling is in how organically the relationship between Miles and Lenny develops. Their connection isn’t based on instant attraction (though that exists too), but on recognition—two people who understand what it’s like to lose their footing in the world and are trying to find solid ground again.
Characters: Beautifully Flawed and Authentic
Lenny: A Protagonist Worth Rooting For
Lenny is a revelation as a protagonist—messy, funny, often inappropriate, and deeply, deeply wounded. Her grief isn’t neat or cinematic; it’s chaotic and all-consuming. Her tendency to fall into elaborate romantic fantasies about random men she encounters highlights both her desire to escape reality and her innate capacity for hope, even at her lowest. Lenny’s voice carries the narrative with such authenticity that readers will find themselves laughing through tears at her observations.
What makes Lenny particularly compelling is that her relationship with Lou isn’t simplified or sanitized. Their friendship was complex, symbiotic, and occasionally co-dependent—which makes the void left by Lou’s absence all the more devastating. Lenny’s journey isn’t just about finding new love but about learning how to carry Lou with her in a way that honors their bond without preventing her from moving forward.
Miles: The Unexpected Hero
Miles emerges as a romance hero who defies conventional expectations. On the surface, he’s gruff, socially awkward, and perpetually frowning, but Bastone peels back these layers to reveal a man who has built his identity around caring for others after experiencing his own devastating losses. His willingness to wade into Lenny’s grief without trying to “fix” it is what ultimately makes him such a compelling character.
When Miles dances with Ainsley in a talent show or patiently walks Lenny through a panic attack, we see the depth of his capacity for love. His journey parallels Lenny’s in meaningful ways—both are learning to open themselves to vulnerability again after closing themselves off as a means of survival.
Supporting Cast: Rich and Dimensional
The supporting characters in “Promise Me Sunshine” are far more than plot devices. Ainsley is delightfully quirky and three-dimensional. Reese’s struggle as a single mother navigating her complicated family history adds depth to the narrative. Even characters with less page time, like Lenny’s parents or the new friends they make during a camping trip, feel fully realized.
Most importantly, Lou herself becomes a character whose presence is felt throughout the story, even in her absence. Through Lenny’s memories and the impact Lou continues to have on her life, readers understand exactly what has been lost.
Writing Style: Emotional Intelligence with a Side of Humor
Bastone’s writing shines brightest in the emotional moments that feel almost too intimate to witness. Her prose has a conversational quality that makes Lenny’s first-person narration feel like confiding in a close friend. The dialogue crackles with wit and authenticity, particularly in the exchanges between Lenny and Miles.
What sets Bastone apart is her ability to balance heart-wrenching emotion with perfectly timed humor. Just when the grief becomes almost too heavy to bear, she delivers a line so genuinely funny that readers can breathe again. This mirrors the grief experience itself—those unexpected moments of joy that break through the darkness.
Where the Novel Shines
Grief Portrayal: The depiction of grief is unflinchingly honest. Lenny’s experience—from sleeping on ferries to compulsively fantasizing about strangers—captures the disorientation that comes with profound loss.
The Romance Development: The progression from reluctant allies to friends to lovers feels earned at every step. There’s no magical healing through love—instead, Miles and Lenny help create space for each other to heal themselves.
The Little Moments: Some of the most affecting scenes are the quietest ones—Miles crossing items off Lenny’s list, Lenny helping Miles connect with Ainsley, the two of them sharing silence on the Staten Island Ferry.
Found Family: The way the characters gradually form connections and build a support system feels organic and deeply satisfying.
Areas for Improvement
While “Promise Me Sunshine” offers a deeply moving reading experience, there are elements that could have been strengthened:
Pacing: The novel occasionally lingers in Lenny’s grief patterns, creating some repetitive moments in the first third.
Miles’s Professional Journey: The subplot about Miles considering returning to his bricklaying career feels slightly underdeveloped compared to other storylines.
Resolution Speed: Some readers might find that certain emotional breakthroughs happen somewhat quickly in the final chapters, though they remain emotionally satisfying.
Expanded Friend Group: The introduction of new friends (Jericho, Rica, and Jeffy) brings welcome energy to the story, but their development comes relatively late and could have been further explored.
Who Will Love This Book
“Promise Me Sunshine” will particularly resonate with readers who:
Appreciate romance that doesn’t shy away from difficult emotions
Enjoy slow-burn relationships with meaningful emotional development
Have experienced grief or loss and want to see it represented authentically
Favor character-driven stories over plot-heavy narratives
Enjoy contemporary romance with strong found family themes
Fans of authors like Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, and Katherine Center will find much to love in Bastone’s emotional depth and humor.
Final Thoughts: A Triumph of Heart
Ultimately, “Promise Me Sunshine” succeeds brilliantly at what it sets out to do—tell a love story that honors grief while making space for joy. It reminds us that healing isn’t linear and that moving forward doesn’t mean leaving our loved ones behind. Through Lenny and Miles, Bastone shows us that sometimes the bravest thing we can do is allow ourselves to be happy again.
The novel’s title proves perfect—not a promise of constant sunshine, but a promise that sunshine will return, even after the darkest storms. It’s a much-needed message delivered through a romance that feels both believable and transcendent.
In a genre often criticized for providing escapism at the expense of emotional depth, “Promise Me Sunshine” stands out as a romance that doesn’t flinch from life’s hardest realities while still delivering the connection and hope that romance readers crave. Cara Bastone has crafted a story that will linger in readers’ hearts long after they turn the final page—a testament to love in all its forms, and to the resilience of the human spirit when faced with seemingly insurmountable loss.
This isn’t just a romance novel; it’s a beautiful meditation on how we carry those we’ve lost while still making room for new love to enter our lives. Bastone has delivered her most emotionally resonant work yet, cementing her place as a writer who understands the full spectrum of the human heart.