My friend Dana texted me last spring to tell me she'd finished Promise Me Sunshine in one sitting and cried so hard her husband thought something had happened. I told her that was either a glowing review or a cautionary tale. She said both. I immediately added it to my list. Then I read it over a weekend when Matthew took the kids to his parents' place, and I found myself texting Dana at 11pm just to say: I get it now. This book is a quiet gut-punch wrapped in the softest, most hopeful story I've read in years. I can't stop recommending it to people who love emotional, character-driven romance that takes grief seriously.
Plot Summary
Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone is a deeply emotional contemporary romance and part of the Dial Delights series. Lenny is barely keeping herself together after the death of her best friend Lou—a loss that has hollowed out her sense of purpose and direction. She takes on a temporary nanny position for a little girl named Ainsley, whose single mother Reese is overwhelmed and overworked. The problem? Ainsley's uncle Miles seems to always be around, and he's prickly, guarded, and not exactly welcoming. But Miles is also a man carrying his own grief and a complicated relationship with his family. He sees through Lenny's pretense of being fine, and in a surprising turn, offers her a deal: he'll help her work through her "live again" list if she helps him reconnect with Ainsley and her mom. What unfolds is one of the most tender, unhurried love stories I've ever read.
Why I Love This Book
I love how Promise Me Sunshine treats grief not as a plot device but as an actual living, breathing state of being. Lenny's loss feels real and textured and messy in the best way. Miles is a grumpy hero done exactly right—not cold for no reason, but guarded because he's been carrying enormous weight in silence. The way their friendship develops before anything romantic happens is so beautifully patient. Cara Bastone writes with this quiet precision that makes every small scene feel loaded with meaning. Ainsley is an absolute delight. The banter is warm and real, not performative. And the emotional payoff at the end had me genuinely misty-eyed in the best way possible.
Who Will Like This Book
If you love slow burn, deeply emotional romance, grumpy heroes with hidden depths, or stories about healing and grief, Promise Me Sunshine is exactly what you need. This is a quiet book. It's not fast-paced or action-packed. It breathes. If you prefer your romance with minimal steam and maximum heart, this is your book. Fans of Mariana Zapata or debut-era Talia Hibbert will feel right at home. This is a book for readers who want to feel things deeply.
⚠️ Trigger warning: grief (death of a close friend), loss, family estrangement, complicated family relationships, mild anxiety, low-steam content.
Tagged As
contemporary romance, Dial Delights series, Cara Bastone, grief romance, slow burn, grumpy sunshine, found family, nanny romance, friends to lovers, emotionally driven, quiet romance, low steam, character-driven, HEA, healing romance
Steam Level
🌶️🌶️ Mild
Promise Me Sunshine is on the low end of the steam scale. The romance is almost entirely emotional rather than physical. There is a modest intimate moment, but the focus throughout is on connection, healing, and the slow unraveling of two people who have been protecting themselves for too long. If you're looking for a sweet, emotionally rich romance rather than a spicy one, this is a perfect choice.
