At first I thought this was the most depressing book ever. I wasn’t sure if I could stick with it. The protagonist was simply too sad. However, I am so glad I kept reading. Once Henry came into the story, which was very early on, the story got much brighter. This is a great romance but also deals with serious issues like grief and guilt. It is a romance as well and has a lighter tone in spots. It is also about friendship and putting yourself back together after a tragedy. All of the characters are well developed. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a poignant romance.

The Passion Project by London Sperry was so fun. A flirty read that kept me up way past my bedtime. I loved the banter between Bennett and Henry. Bennett was such a fun character to explore and Henry was as swoony as ever. I enjoyed how this author tackled tough subjects like loss and grief but kept it light and lovely. Reading this book gave me all the hope. This is a book I will be recommending to my girlfriends.

4.5 ⭐️

DEVOURED. the pterodactyl screech u let out upon receiving this arc is unrivaled. this was a book that forced me to sit and complete it in one sitting…the writing from page one was witty and engaging. i loved bennett from the get go and the way love was so beautifully woven into this story of grief with making it *too* heavy (although still INCREDIBLY raw) is commendable. i can’t believe this is a debut, i need her next book immediately 🥹❤️‍🩹

This book was such a thoughtful, well-written exploration of grief, self-discovery, and moving forward. If you have read Promise Me Sunshine, it has a similar style of ripping out your heart and putting it back together again.

Bennet is a mess of depression, wrapped up in her own anxiety and grief. She’s dealing with the loss of her first love and has her not really living, just going through the motions of life. After ghosting her attempt at a date, Henry (the man she was supposed to meet) finds her on the floor of a bathroom, drunk, and decides he is going to befriend Bennet. The “Passion Project” is born, a series of “just friends” adventures that push Bennet outside of her comfort zone.

One of the things I loved most about this book was how real Bennet’s struggles felt. Her grief and anxiety weren’t just plot points, they shaped her choices (even the frustrating ones that made me want to yell at her). And Henry? He is a dream. At first glance, he’s Bennet’s total opposite, he is charismatic, easygoing, and open in ways she just can’t be. But as the story unfolds, we see beneath his charm, making him feel real and authenitc.

Let’s talk about the humor. Never has a book had me going from laughing to crying quite as much as this one. The banter was so so good. Star Wars FMK debates, Mamma Mia 2 deep dives, and the necessary appreciation for Pride & Prejudice. The side characters added so much heart, especially Sal the grandpa and Fred the dog.

Passion Project is a touching and uplifting read.

I can't believe this is a debut. So insanely well done!
As a girl in her mid-twenties that often feels lost and passionless like Bennet, going on this journey with her was so cathartic. While my aimlessness is more of a product of gifted-kid burnout, anxiety, and my general disdain for corporate America, Bennet's is the result of being trapped by grief and guilt. Seeing her navigate those emotions as she comes to terms with who she wants to be was so powerful. (Yes I cried, but that's no one's business but my own). I love her and I love Henry. Henry is charming right off the bat, but he is also so much more than just that. He's so easy to fall in love with as a reader. He's tender, kind, and soulful despite his own burdens. A clear reminder that it costs nothing to be kind. I will always adore sunshine mmcs that have some real depth to them.
I will definitely keep my eye out for more from London Sperry. I will definitely reread this once I get my hands on the audiobook.

The idea behind this book really intrigued me—it had so much potential. The premise was rich, and I was excited to dive in. But as I read, the writing often caught me off guard. There were several moments where it felt like the author didn’t quite trust the reader to interpret the subtext, which can be an “ick” for many readers.

In adult fiction, it’s not that backstory or explanation is inherently bad—it’s how it’s delivered. At times, the prose veered into over-explaining, which interrupted the flow and emotional impact. Bennet’s dialogue, in particular, sometimes felt unnatural. There were moments when she spoke more like a character in a YA novel than an adult navigating deep, complex grief.

This story follows Bennett Taylor after the loss of her first love, as she begins the difficult process of grieving and, eventually, dating again. With support from her childhood friend and roommate, Sasha, Bennett is gently nudged into the world of online dating. Sasha creates a profile and encourages her to meet someone new. But when the night of her first date arrives, Bennett is overwhelmed. Rather than cancel, she drinks herself sick in the bathroom of the Italian restaurant where she’s hiding from everything. That’s where she first (accidentally) encounters Henry Adams—the man she stood up. As she stumbles out of the bathroom, mortified and panicked, she runs into Henry and bolts before she can come up with an excuse… or a fake name.

This story wants to say something meaningful about love, loss, and moving on—and I do believe it has the bones for it. But the execution left me wanting: more subtlety, more trust in the reader, and a more consistent, grounded voice.

Grieving the loss of her first love, Bennet is feeling lost and directionless. After her roommate sets her up on a date that Bennet no shows for after her anxiety gets the best of her, she never expects to meet Henry, the man that she stood up. In a twist of fate, Henry offers to help Bennet find her passion. Every Saturday they will meet up for their “Passion Project”. Reluctantly, Bennet begins to trust Henry and their friendship starts to blossom into something more. For the first time in a long time, Bennet begins to feel hopeful again.

Going into this book I truly didn’t expect that I was going to fall head over heels in love with it. There are some books and characters that I feel like were written with me in mind, and this book and Bennet are a perfect example of this. Reading from Bennet’s POV felt like looking in a mirror; I truly felt as though there were moments in which the two of us shared a brain. Bennet’s depression and anxiety so closely mirrored my own. Her low points and her thoughts during these periods throughout the book made me feel so seen. Her realization that the only one capable of fixing her was herself was also something that resonated deeply with me.

Henry is the most perfect cinnamon roll MMC. He is so patient and gentle with Bennet. His compassion and care for her never wavered, and he always had her best interest in mind. He sees Bennet as so much more than her flaws, and believes that she is worthy and capable of whatever she sets her mind two. Watching as their friendship blossomed into a romance made my heart positively ACHE.

NYC was the absolute perfect backdrop to this story. Up until this summer with Henry, Bennet never felt as though she fit into the city. All of the characters and situations that Bennet and Henry meet and find themselves in were some of my favorite parts of the book - I was always wondering what they were going to get up to next! All of the side characters were also so strong and played such important roles in the story.

London Sperry, you have a fan in me! This was an absolutely incredible debut, and I cannot wait to read whatever she writes next. I cannot possibly recommend this book enough, and think it would be the perfect book to add to your spring/summer TBR! Passion Project is one of my new all time favorite books, and Bennet is one of my new soul characters. I am so grateful that this book exists!!

Thank you SO MUCH Penguin Books and Netgalley for this ARC!!

Début author London Sperry’s Passion Project is a love letter to New York, and an intense representation of prolonged grief. With its vibrant setting, agreeable characters and tender moments, there’s much to enjoy about this book – but in the end I wasn’t convinced by the romance.

Bennet Taylor is living in New York, depressed and drowning in grief and guilt after the death of her boyfriend, Sam. She’s dropped out of college and is working casual gigs all over the city but not really making a place for herself. Her well-meaning flatmate Sonya finagles a date for her with photographer Henry Adams but Bennet dips out when she has a panic attack. Henry tracks her down and offers to set up a series of weekly dates to explore New York and find things that Bennet could be passionate about. Bennet reluctantly agrees and these dates are terrific – from practising tattooing (on a rockmelon!), puppy rescues, picnics and ferry rides, to walks in the park - Henry is great at organising them and he’s so patient with Bennet, and I loved the depictions of New York as they move around the city during a hot and steamy summer. Henry is a delight. He’s funny, positive and extroverted and enormously kind; Bennet comes out of her shell, and they fall in love. It’s a slow burn with a little bit of steam when she’s able to open herself to him.

I also loved Bennet’s relationship with her flatmate, Sonya, who gives her space to reflect on her relationships and Henry. Sonya and her girlfriend Jamie add some layers to the plot and make Bennet feel less isolated. They are instrumental in Bennet getting herself together – eventually.

Unfortunately the story lost me when Bennet takes Henry to Sam’s sister’s wedding and she hurts him – and for all Bennet’s character growth, she can’t see that alive-Henry is more important than dead-Sam. As Henry puts it: “You deserve to be happy Bennet, but so do I.” Apparently Henry’s kindness and patience is not enough for Bennet who is still tightly enmeshed in her anguish over Sam.

I really struggled with Bennet at times, even though I wanted to give her a hug. So many grief portrayals overlap with self-absorption, which is what happens here, even though she tries to move on from her depression. Henry is all in, but he knows his own worth and there’s only so much he can take of being second-best. Bennet’s muddled thinking goes on for too long and made it hard for me to believe that she would be a loving and present partner. I only wish Bennet had let go of Sam sooner, and appreciated Henry a bit more. She does get it together in the final chapters, but it’s a bit too late.

For a debut, Passion Project is promising, and I’d recommend it for the New York scenes and the slow burn between the leads, but the third act and Bennet’s too-long indecision took the shine off the book for me.

I loved this book! It was a sweet and charming tribute to grief and the hope that will allow us to share our hearts again. The writing was wonderful and I couldn’t put this book down. Thank you to Penguin and Net Galley for the ARC! 4.25/5 stars.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!
I absolutely devoured it in 2 days.

Bennet is lost in her grief and is moving through the motions while living and working in NYC. She is “set up” with Henry but their first date doesn’t go as planned. When they see each other again, they come up with a plan to find her passion—a plan for activities Henry plans based on Bennet’s interests. I would have liked to see more of the Passion Project dates or maybe to have learned more about Henry and his other passions.

I think Sperry is a beautifully reflective writer who both delved deep into tough topics while also writing a sweet and hopeful novel! Yes, Bennet did things that were frustrating at times BUT THAT WAS THE POINT! She had to make some mistakes to learn and grow from them. Henry is a SWOONWORTHY MMC but again I would have liked to learn more about him and his struggles as we did Bennet.

I loved this book and I hope it gets all of the attention it rightfully deserves! Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book early. I can’t wait to read more from London Sperry!

Read this if you like:
•friends to lovers
•grief
•mental health rep
•finding your passion

Bennet is just trying to survive life while grieving her dead boyfriend and trying to honor his legacy. Deep in grief and pushing people away, she meets Henry. Henry agrees to help Bennet find her passion. They do fun adventures all summer and grow closer and closer until Bennets past catches up with her and she has to confront it.

This book was amazing. It was raw, it was messy and it was so so real. From pushing people away to wanting to find your passion in life, this book is incredibly relatable and well written. Thank you penguin Viking for eARC

I was NOT expecting to love this one as much as I did! Oh my goodness what a sweet and swoony story. I absolutely loved Passion Project by London Sperry. I don't usually love when the characters are complete strangers at the beginning of a romance (meaning they have no backstory connection) because I find it hard to buy into the "falling in love in a short amount of time" element. I despise insta-love. I was worried about that occurring with this book, but I'm happy to report that wasn't the case at all! It felt very realistic throughout the course of the book. The two main characters became friends, and then it developed into something more in a reasonable amount of time. And while the third-act breakup was so frustrating, it was also so incredibly believable due to the circumstances. I could so see this one being a real life scenario, you know? Ugh, it was so good. I LOVE THIS ONE!

For two years, Bennett has been dragging around an unbelievable weight - the grief and guilt she feels about the death of her college boyfriend. It consumes her, the depression overwhelming everything in her life. It is a character in the book, in her life.

But a set up gone wrong with affable, optimistic Henry turns into an offer: as friends, the two will spend a summer in NYC looking for a spark to reignite Bennet’s lust for life.

And so the passion project is born.

And it’s like meet cute after meet cute as the two attend a tattooing class, a dog adoption event, drink milkshakes at the famed Seinfeld diner, take the ferry past the Statue of Liberty.

Then, looking at a child and his mother, Henry says, “All stories are love stories. I took this to mean that even a deep friendship could be their love story.

This is where the book shines. These weekly adventures are pure. The empathy and kindness Henry shows for someone so deeply troubled is lovely to behold. He is patient and thoughtful, never pushy. And for me, that’s all it needed to be. A friendship. Because Bennett was in no place to enter a relationship with anyone.

Which becomes evident over the last third of the book as miscommunication, lies, and poorly handled situations only send Bennett, who was barely grasping the tiniest threads of relief, back into the swirling grief that threatens to drown her.

All I could think the entire time I read it was, why is not one single friend urging her toward a physician for her depression, a therapist for her grief? They are good people, these friends of hers, but it felt unforgivable that they didn’t at least attempt to guide her toward the kind of professional help she so desperately needed.

Henry is a dream, but there is no way these two were in a place to be together. In the waning pages of the book, Bennett seeks therapy and mends all broken fences, returns to get her degree…but it just didn’t work for me.

I think I’m broken. This book is getting a lot of great reviews so make your own decision. If I’m being honest, it just made me miss the beauty and honesty of Miles and Lenny.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. This book started out really strongly and I tore through probably the first 60-70% of it. I enjoyed seeing Bennet and Henry’s relationship develop, but then the book kind of bogged down for the last third. It could have been about 50 pages shorter and would have been a tighter story. I also really wish that scene at Yankee Stadium hadn’t happened. Way too corny for me! I am rounding this up to 4 stars and will likely check out Sperry’s next book.

Deep in depression – Bennet is barely surviving in New York City. After the death of her boyfriend, she though moving to the city he dreamed of living would help her through her grief. But all she’s done since moving there is hide away in her room watching Criminal Minds and avoiding any sort of commitment. After avoiding a blind date, Henry, Bennet happens to run into and befriend him. As their friendship grows

I loved this debut! I felt so much for Bennet and loved getting to know her and Henry. I really enjoyed getting the story strictly from her POV, as I felt it really Sperry the time to dive deep into her character. She makes tons of questionable decisions which made her extremely relatable, and I loved getting to see her grow. Add in that Henry is just an absolute joy of a character, and this book gave me all the warm fuzzies.

While not a closed-door romance, the spice is a 1 out of 5 and I would pick up this book if you just want to be left feeling happy. Fans of Katherine Center and Emily Henry will love this debut and I’m sure it’s going to be a huge summer/vacation reading recommendation.



Passion Project comes out April 8, 2025. Huge thank you to Penguin Books & Viking for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my:
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Reading Passion Project was an absolute pleasure. It has the humorous and joyful elements of a rom-com, with the addition of emotion and depth. Bennett’s journey through her anxiety and grief was so well written. While her choices were frustrating at times, I could always see where she was coming from. I adored Henry’s character. I highly recommend this book!

Though predictable, I enjoyed this novel! I giggled and sniffled. Loved the characters, and the healing adventure.

Thank you Netgalley for the early copy!!

I breezed through this, such a cute romance! i love romance books that have a little bit of depth to them and this delivered. the main character at times drove me crazy but i really love thier story and it was such a pageturner.

4.5⭐️

Nearly perfect. This was actually so good I had already started recommending it at the 25% mark. The dialogue was absolutely out of the park. You could literally pick up the words and drop them directly into a movie script. I will be SHOCKED if we don’t see this as a major motion picture in the next 5-10 years. The complicated grief and life after a lost love gave me major TJR vibes, but the banter is giving 2000s rom com.

Henry, the MMC, was a 5⭐️ walking green flag. Bennet, the FMC, I found relatable at times (sometimes too much where I could feel her anxiety springing to life in my chest) and other times I wanted to literally scream at her to make better choices and get out of her own way.

I absolutely look forward to reading London Sperry again!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book made me cry a lot of tears and that equals 5 stars. I was also mad at the MC for a few chapters but she finally got her shit together and that made me happy. This book deals with grief and trying to find your passion again. The writing for this book was fantastic and hooked me right away. I devoured this book in 24 hours. I loved the characters especially Sal. This is a must read.