Promise Me Sunshine

March 6, 2026 /

Promise Me Sunshine ~ Cara Bastone

Lenny is in deep mourning for her best friend, Lou, who recently died. She can’t bear to go to the empty Brooklyn apartment they shared, so she sleeps in public places like the Staton Island Ferry. She can’t eat, doesn’t bathe much, hasn’t cut her hair in two years, and surely smells kind of funky, but somehow manages to get occasional jobs babysitting. We meet her as she starts a job babysitting 7 year old Ainsley, whose single mom, Reese, travels a lot for work. Despite her overwhelming pain and grief, she is an amazing babysitter, knows what keeps kids happy, how to help them with big feelings, how to keep them busy and entertained. The problem is that Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, lives right upstairs and does not trust Lenny (perhaps due to her clothing and hair) so he insists on being present whenever Lenny is babysitting Ainsley.

After Miles gets to know Lenny a bit more, he realizes she’s not a druggy or whatever she is presenting as, even though he catches her sleeping on the Ferry. She is in grief. This is an emotion he knows well, and he says he can help her come back to life. She agrees, and they work through a ‘Live Again’ list that Lou left behind.

Lenny has serious Lorelie Gilmore vibes, Lorelie at her most manic. So many characters in novels are introverts, it was fun to read a book about an obvious extrovert. Miles is grumpy and judgmental, but he cares deeply about his niece, and needs a bit of a personality makeover to help him connect with her. So Lenny and Miles make a deal, she will teach him how to be around kids, and he will help her learn to function in the world again.

Both Stephany and Engie loved this book, and I had just finished Hamnet and The Age of Innocence, and was ready for something lighter. There was no wait for the audiobook, so I went for it. I’m glad I did, because I was all in. Highly recommended if you like romance novels.

Side note: My ears perked up yesterday when I heard the author, Cara Bastone, interviewed on NPR about her (brand) new book, No Matter What.

14 Comments

    • J

      March 6, 2026 at 8:11 am

      You’re right, I guess I just think of romance books as being light. The subject matter is not light at all, though there is a lot of humor in it. It’s just more romance novel than literature I guess, whereas Hamnet felt like literature in all of the best ways.

    • J

      March 6, 2026 at 9:54 am

      It’s not a genre I am drawn to, I never go to that section of the bookstore. But when my blog friends rave about one, I’m up for reading it, especially if it’s a free library download!

  • NGS

    March 6, 2026 at 2:23 pm

    I did call this a romance novel on my blog, but I also filed it under “genre mishmash” because I felt like the romance element was secondary. I thought this book was great and I’m glad you enjoyed it, too.

    • J

      March 6, 2026 at 5:27 pm

      I loved how the romance was so back burner on this one. It was probably still too soon for her to get involved, but at the same time, they really took their time. I liked that about him especially.

  • Jenny

    March 7, 2026 at 5:09 am

    Well, it sounds like this is “romance plus.” Like there’s more going on than just a romance, and it sounds interesting. I’m putting it on my TBR for if I need a lighter read at some point.

    • J

      March 7, 2026 at 6:48 am

      Romance plus is perfect. There is definitely a lot more than a plain romance, but there’s enough humor to keep it from being too difficult.