Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group for an advanced Arc. Lighthearted, relatable and fun. This story kept me engaged from start to finish. I loved the characters and the charming storytelling made it an absolute delight to read. What a wonderful debut from an author to know more about.

•Debut
•Slow burn
•Witty banter
•Blind date
•Friends to lovers
•Opposites attract
•One bed
•He falls first
•Third act breakup

4/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️

Thank you to Penguin & NetGalley for a gifted ARC in exchange for my honest review

The Passion Project by London Sperry focuses on Bennett - named for Pride and Prejudice character (which I loved!!) who is weighted down by grief and guilt over the loss of her boyfriend Sam. She floats through NYC by stitching together crappy temp jobs...until she meets Henry. Well, they don't actually meet on purpose - she ghosts him but has to go back after she losses her wallet. Henry offers her something she desperately needs - friendship - and together they form the Passion Project. A once a week meeting where they challenge each other to find their passions in life. As they go from one crazy activity to another (climbing up the side of a building in NYC - WHAT!?) their friendship turns in to love. But Bennett is still not ready to confront her guilty past.

Of course this was a sweet and cute read. I absolutely LOVED Henry - he's like the Holy Grail of men! It was a bit predictable, but a good read nonetheless. It reminded me a lot of Cara Bastone's "Promise Me Sunshine" - although I like Henry a lot more. Many thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read an early copy!

This is a five-star read! Lighthearted, relatable, and fun, this book kept me engaged from start to finish. I loved the characters and the charming storytelling, making it an absolute delight. Thank you to London Sperry and NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5 STARS 🌟📖 Huge thanks to Penguin Books & NetGalley for this eARC! 💌 Passion Project is hitting shelves on April 8, 2025, and trust me—YOU WANT THIS BOOK.

📢 Calling it now: Bookish socials are gonna LOSE THEIR MINDS over this one. This is the kind of book that’s gonna be all over your feed, and you’ll see it in every beach bag this summer. London Sperry just entered the rom-com scene, and she did NOT come to play. She came to steal our hearts, make us laugh, and maybe even break us a little. 😭💖

THE STORY:

Meet Bennet Taylor. 25, lost, stuck in a temp job, and drowning in grief after losing her first love. She’s just trying to exist, but life? Yeah, life has other plans. Enter Henry Adams. Their first date doesn’t happen because… Bennet runs away (literally). But when they keep running into each other (fate?? 👀), she blurts out one very tipsy confession: she hasn’t felt passion for anything in years.

Henry, being the absolute GEM that he is, proposes a challenge. Every Saturday, they’ll try something new—pottery, rappelling, tattooing, who knows?! The mission? Help Bennet find what makes her feel alive again.

Oh, and obviously, it’s totally just friends. HAHAHA. Sure.

WHAT I LOVED:

🔥 The BANTER. The flirty, crackling, top-tier banter had me giggling like a fool. Henry and Bennet’s chemistry? 10/10. They had that natural, effortless vibe that made every conversation feel SO real.

🗽 NYC MAGIC. The city felt ALIVE. The way they explored different parts of New York, tried new things—it gave the whole book this cinematic, big rom-com energy. I need this adapted IMMEDIATELY.

💔 GRIEF & HEALING. The way London Sperry tackled loss was beautiful. It wasn’t just about moving on—it was about learning to live with your grief, instead of letting it consume you. Some scenes HIT HARD, and I absolutely teared up. 😭

👓 HENRY. ADAMS. PERIOD. Cinnamon roll king. Patient, supportive, funny, and he wears glasses. I repeat: HE WEARS GLASSES. And he collects cool rocks. I’m obsessed.

🚀 A DEBUT?? NO WAY. This book reads like it was written by a seasoned pro. The writing is fresh, smart, and emotional in all the right places. If this is what London Sperry is serving on her FIRST book, I am READY for whatever she writes next.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

If you love Emily Henry, or Lynn Painter, you NEED THIS. If you love slow burn, friends-to-lovers, NYC vibes, and a romance that makes you feel EVERYTHING, this is your book.

London Sperry—welcome to my auto-buy list. 🚀💖

TROPES:
✔️ Friends-to-lovers
✔️ Slow burn (SO WORTH IT)
✔️ Cinnamon roll MMC 🥹
✔️ NYC setting
✔️ Love after loss
✔️ "Just friends" (LIES)
✔️ He helps her find happiness again (MY HEART 😭)

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Loss of a loved one, grief, depression, sexual harassment, car accident.

Happy reading!! 📖💖

i am never getting over this book. there are no words to describe how i feel right now. i absolutely love every last thing about this book. thank you london sperry, this is truly such a beautiful story and masterpiece. i’m crying because it’s over but also crying because i am so happy to have gotten to experience it. i know it have said it a million times but please read this. it is truly so amazing. a new forever favorite

Starts strong — the Passion Project adventures of Bennet and Henry are so fun to accompany them on. The characters connect with each other and their community these excursions and it’s the best part of the book.

In the back 1/3 ish, miscommunication sends Bennet spiraling. I understand her grief and depression., but I wonder why no one in her life suggests seeing a therapist or getting other professional help. Overall, a good quick read, but after the first half I wanted more out of the ending.

4.75/5 stars rounded up!! oh WOWWWWW

Just so you know, I wrote this after I got a tissue to wipe my tears. It is almost midnight. I am very lucky that I have tomorrow off bc my eyes will be swollen lol. Having this book as your debut is absolutely insane in the best way possible!

I find myself relating to Bennet so much, not in the sense of someone with a dead boyfriend, but someone whose life was altered (for the worse) by grief almost a decade ago. Reading it feels so validating and therapeutic.

Thank you Net Galley and Penguin Group Viking for the ARC. Bennet is a young woman living in NYC. In an attempt to get her excited, her roommate Sonya sets her up on a date with Henry. It gets off on the wrong foot but then they meet again sparking a friendship of exploring different hobbies. In a story full of grief, depression and overcoming hurdles, I’ve related to Bennett. This book had me laughing and crying.

3.5/5

SPOILER-FREE SYNOPSIS:
Bennett Taylor has hit her rock bottom. Since the death of her first love, she's had no direction, no social life, and no passion. She works temp jobs and has completely pushed away all her loved ones - even her best friend/roommate Sonya. When Sonya sets her up on a dating app and is scheduled to go on a first date, Bennett stands him up. What she doesn't expect is to bump into him hours later. Henry Adams is sweet and outgoing guy who convinces Bennett to let him be her friend and to help her find her passion by hanging out every Saturday and trying a new activity together.

In the past year, I've really gravitated towards novels tackling the theme of grief and I've LOVED them. This one wasn't written poorly; it just wasn't for me. This is marketed as a romantic comedy, but the entire novel is written in Bennett's POV and reads much more like a drama film than a romcom film. Everyone grieves differently and every form of grief is valid, but in my opinion, this book lacked the depth and background needed for me to want to keep rooting for Bennett - especially by the 70% mark. For example, she'd say something along the lines of "I used to be so outgoing and fun" with no examples of her pre-grief to make me better understand her. Henry was such a golden retriever MMC and there were maybe 3 scenes that made me laugh, but it definitely had a much more serious tone than a romcom and I think I would've enjoyed it more had I known that before reading. With that said, I did appreciate the way London wrote Bennett's internal struggles and I enjoyed the ending so I'm glad that I powered through.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for this ARC, releasing April 8th!

Review: ⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5/5)
Genre: "romantic comedy", contemporary romance, women's fiction
Tropes: slow burn, friends to lovers, one bed, reversed grumpy/sunshine
Trigger warnings: grief, death of a loved one (significant other)

*Edit after initially writing this review: After more time processing this novel, I realized that it has a very similar plot to one of my favorite romcom reads (Promise Me Sunshine - my review for that is on my profile) in which the FMC working temp jobs is deeply grieving a loved one and a new male friend helps her navigate her grieving journey and find purpose in her life. Maybe I was subconsciously comparing the 2 stories as I read Passion Project, but unfortunately it didn't impact me in the same way Promise Me Sunshine did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for providing the ARC.

Oh my goodness, this book.

I have nothing but praise for this book. The tender and caring way that Sperry handles grief and depression in this book is nothing short of amazing. Healing is not a linear path. There will be setbacks, small, large, and sometimes so significant that it alters our lives. But the outcome is the same, and that people can learn how to be fully human again, despite everything they have experienced. Bennet is so artfully crafted as a character. Sperry's prose lets you feel the ebbs and flows of her depression, guilt, and shame. She allows you to celebrate the wins and empathize with the losses because Bennet's story becomes your story. And as someone who has also lost someone so important to me, it was extremely rewarding being able to see this play out on the page in an accurate way.

And Henry. Henry is exactly the right person that Bennet needed in her life. Someone who may be outgoing, but never expects that from her. He gives her the space to heal and provides a place to land when she inevitably backtracks. He works to understand her completely, and finds ways to push her out of her comfort zone when he can. He loves her for who she is, even with the weight of the world on her back. He is patient and kind to basically everyone, but especially her, especially when she loathes herself. He is the catalyst she needed to find ways to get better. I don't know if Sperry could have crafted a more perfect counterpart for Bennet.

This book is one for the ages. It made me laugh, it made me ugly cry, and it filled me with so much hope and love for the future. London Sperry is one author that I will be on the lookout for in the future.

4.25 stars. Oh I LOVED this. This was one of those books that I immediately enjoyed from the moment I started it, and London Sperry just has such a strong writing voice. This was funny and beautiful, and I fell in love with Bennet and Henry.

Henry is such a sweet golden retriever boyfriend, and I just adored how he showed up for Bennet.

Did this get overly cheesy in the end? Sure, but it felt warranted. Truly my only complaint is that it felt hard not to compare it to Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone, which is a 6 star book for me and isn't the fault of this book at all that it didn't quite live up to it.

I'll be reading whatever London Sperry writes next for sure.

4.5 rounded up. Unsurprisingly, this book put me through the emotional wringer. It is equal parts poignant and charming, and so well written.

Henry is the sweetest, purest soul. So charming and gentle, but I loved that he had some darker layers of doubt in his own life too. It kept him from straying too far into a golden-retriever caricature.

Bennet was so realistically messy and heartbroken in her grief, but also had an awesome layer of sass to her. I believed that she truly thought no one would love her as she was, but she was written in a way that made it clear why her friends would want to love her through her pain.

Bennet and Henry together were magic. I loved their adventures, how they pushed each other, and the people they met along the way. The way they became a couple also felt very organic.

*Spoilerish*: If you’re wondering why this book isn’t a straight five stars after that glowing review… my poor tender heart just couldn’t take the third-act conflict. Was it absolutely realistic? Yes. But it was the kind of pain/cringe (for me anyway) that will make it hard for me to reread the book, which is always the hallmark for five stars for me. But I don’t want that to take away from how amazing this story is, especially for a debut! Highly recommend you read it!

Thank you to Penguin Book for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Passion Project will be officially published on April 8th, 2025!

I'm calling it right now on a rainy night on March 28th, 2025-this will be one of the top summer beach reads of 2025. Bookish socials will go feral over Passion Project and you bet I'll be recommending this to everyone and their mom. I can see London Sperry joining the ranks of Lynn Painter, Emily Henry, and Katherine Center in the "wholesome, sweet rom-com" subgenre of romance novels. The Emily Henry vibes throughout the book that I mentioned in my pre-read thoughts were indeed vibing! (It also helps that the cover is BEAUTIFUL and gives off all the spring and summer vibes. I literally requested to read it BECAUSE of the cover lol.)

Bennet Taylor, a 25-year-old woman, moves to New York City in search of a fresh start after her last boyfriend passes away. She feels as if she's stuck in a deep depression with no prospects, no goals, and no solid path in life as she temps at different jobs around the city. After she ghosts Henry Adams and continuously runs into him time after time after their failed first date, she confesses to him that she's not ready to date. Instead, Henry takes this as an opportunity to help her find out what makes her feel free, feel alive, and find the things she feels passionate about. The name of the project? The Passion Project.

First off, I want to emphasize that this is a debut novel. This is London Sperry's first-ever novel, and I think she knocked it out of the park. The writing flowed in a way that made it feel as if I was listening to--well, I guess reading, but you get the idea--Bennet talk about everything that was going on as if she was sitting right across from me at a restaurant telling me about it. It was easy to read, the dialogue was relatable, and her voice felt and sounded like a 25-year-old. Usually, I give debut authors a ton of grace when it comes to their first novel since they always have room to improve and grow as a writer (although ALL authors can improve), but my first thought reading this was, "Does London Sperry have any other books?" so I stopped reading, looked up her Goodreads author profile, and when I realized that this was the only novel she's written so far, my jaw dropped.

Going into the actual book itself, I love how Bennet and Henry are my age. I feel like a lot of the rom-coms I read these days are about people who aren't my age; they're either in college or they're in their thirties and there's not really an in-between. Reading about characters in a rom-com who are also part of Gen Z made me relate to them a little more because a lot of the people on the older side of Gen Z now are in my position where we're starting our careers and trying to become financially stable to afford a home, get married, etc. (although a lot of that is growing increasingly impossible in today's day and age, at least in the US) but also trying to navigate the real world now as an adult. I can't always relate to characters who are in their thirties as someone who's in their mid-twenties, and I'm no longer a college student so that feels like a lifetime ago. It was just nice to see a rom-com about two people my age. I think I saw someone say that London Sperry is "Gen Z's Emily Henry" and if she keeps writing and making amazing books like this, I'd have to say that I agree.

I feel like growing up, everyone told us that being in your twenties meant having your life together and knowing exactly what you want and what you need to do at any given time. No one ever tells you that being in your twenties is also a time of learning and growing from your mistakes, celebrating your successes, falling in love, getting your heart broken, sometimes struggling to make ends meet financially, creating new friendships, leaving friendships behind that you no longer align with, and everything else in between. But most importantly, it's the fact that you're on your own timeline and no one else can dictate that for you. I think Passion Project does an amazing job at perfectly encapsulating everything that comes with being in your twenties done with a backdrop of spring and summertime in New York City.

I loved watching Henry and Bennet exploring NYC and discovering and trying new things. I recognized a lot of the landmarks and places they went to and I loved watching Bennet find her passion in life and what makes her happy after a devastating loss. Like, I felt as if I WAS in NYC without actually being there! Every time a landmark or iconic location was mentioned I was like, "YUP I know what you're talking about!" Going into Henry and Bennet more, I think their friends-to-lovers story felt organic and didn't feel forced at any point. I think a huge part of why I loved Passion Project so much was because the ups and downs, the slow burn, and the buildup felt natural and realistic.

Speaking of loss, Bennet's struggle to move on from her first love was a great depiction of loss and handling the grief that comes with losing someone you've come to love and care for so much. I think London Sperry did a fantastic job in showing how her loss and grief affected her relationships with other people AND herself, but also in showing that grief and healing are in no way a linear process. The ending made me cry like a baby. I won't go into it further to avoid spoilers but the ending was probably my favorite part of the entire story.

The ONLY thing I took off half of a star for was because of a specific trope that happens in the book. I feel like saying what it is outright would be a spoiler so I won't say what it is, but it is a common trope found in a lot of romance books and this one happens multiple times throughout the story. All I'll say about it is that although I can see why it was beneficial for character development, I think the way it was brought about was entirely avoidable and I would've rated the book 5 stars if it wasn't present.

Overall, what a stunning debut novel. This was SO refreshing and enjoyable to read, and I can't wait to see what London Sperry has in store next. She just made it onto my auto-buy author list and although I usually don't buy physical copies of ARCs I've read, I think Passion Project will be the first one I get to put on my shelf.

4.5 🌟

After feeling like I could barely finish a book lately and never getting past 20% in so many, this was a breath of fresh air. I fell in love with this story, the writing, HENRY, the true representation of grief/mental health struggles, the rediscovery of life, friendships & self love Bennet had. This book was heartbreaking but beautiful at the same time. Henry is truly the most kind hearted person and I absolutely adore how he became a safe space for Bennet.

A new unexpected favorite that pulled on my heartstrings. Thank you Penguin Books for the arc!

I don’t love romance, but I read this one on a whim. It’s sweet and tender, funny and charming. It’s a quick read, mainly because you need to see it all work out! Highly recommend! Thanks to Penguin Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Passion project was a beautiful debut! I loved the characters and the grief Bennet was dealing with felt real. This book is very similar to another book that came out this spring, but Passion Project tackled grief and love with more hope and optimism. I was rooting for these characters to figure it out and be together. I look forward to reading more from this author!

This was a fantastic debut novel! Reading three grief centered novels back to back was a journey but really helped to reiterate that grief comes in all different forms and it comes in waves.

Bennett is overwhelmed with grief after the death of her boyfriend 2 years ago. She is in a spiral of depression and self-loathing and living every day with regret and profound sadness. She is dealing with the aftermath of cutting off her boyfriend’s family, her own family and the single friend she has left. She then meets Henry, who is also managing a different type of grief. While she spirals, he takes a different approach to make the most of things, meet new people, try new things, make connections. They agree to spend the summer getting Bennett back on track to finding her passion by trying new things and going new places.

I loved Henry. His kindness and the way he interacts with strangers was admirable. He was honest and upstanding. Never tried to force Bennett or grew weary of her feelings. I also really loved the supporting characters. Her roommate, Sonya and her semi-retired coworker waiting on his first grandchild. They really added two completely different storylines that were great additions to this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the advanced copy!

“All stories are love stories.”

This novel is the exact blend of humor, swoon, tenderness, and hope that everybody needs in their lives immediately. A STUNNING debut that highlights the beauty and power of love in many different forms (romantic, platonic, familial). And I really appreciated the time spent curating loveable, interesting side characters. (Yes this is a shout out to Sal).

The way London Sperry managed to write about grief without sacrificing the light, joyful tone of the novel was perfect. I was laughing one moment and crying the next — just the way I like it.

And as someone who is usually resigned to trudge through the very beginning of books until I get invested, I can happily report that this one had me hooked immediately. I binged it in 2 days!

Unfortunately, I was not a huge fan of the third act conflict and the way it played out near the end of the book, but the characters explained themselves and reconciled nicely, and it didn’t take away from my enjoyment from the rest of the story.

Moral of the story - read it!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Passion Project is a debut novel of two grieving young adults and their journey from strangers, to friends, to lovers. Even though they are grieving different situations, he understands what she’s going through so his goal is to help her find her passion again through Passion Projects.

A fictional story that felt so realistic that I quickly connected with its very relatable characters. I found myself having empathy for them as if they were real and not fictional. I was pleasantly surprised that I loved this as much as I did! And I was shocked to learn this was a debut novel. The plot sounds similar to others, but the strong character development that focuses more on the realistic outcomes and raw emotions, the hurt and guilt, that comes after losing a loved one makes this story unique. Not to mention, it has the most lovable, supportive, and diverse side characters and found family/friends. I appreciated the realistic mental health representation and that there was a clear understanding of how the grieving/healing process looks and lasts differently for everyone.

Can we take a minute to appreciate this phenomenal cover? I think it symbolizes that even after the darkest of times, it may not currently feel like it, but it will get better and the sun will shine again.

I am becoming a huge fan of Alex Finke’s work. She’s so bubbly and full of energy at all the right times. Her tone and pacing are spot on as she delivered a flawless performance bringing the emotions of the characters to life.

If you loved PS I Love You and/or Promise Me Sunshine, then you’ll love Passion Project!

Found family
Forgiveness
Self Discovery
Cinnamon roll MC
A love letter to NYC
Debut Novel

Thank you @PRHAudio, @penguinbooks, @vikingbooks, @NetGalley for the #gifted ARC & ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.