In London Sperry's debut novel, Passion Project, readers are thrust into the both/and messy nature of living a full, authentic life.

Our book opens with main character, Bennet Taylor, being set up on a date via "dating app" by her roommate and long-term bestie, Sonya. Although the first date with photographer/bartender, Henry Adams, doesn't go as planned, it does force Bennet out of a rough patch through a series of Saturday pursuits of passion with new friend, Henry -- coined their passion project.

Although the pacing felt wobbly at times, I still found this debut charming in its exploration of how to live and love despite grief and fear.

4.5 stars rounded up 💫

“I spent so much energy worrying that I was behind, or that the world was moving on without me, or that having a passion would fix me, but I realized that I'm the only one that can fix me.”

What a great read!!! While it primarily focuses on healing, it also feels like something every young person should read. The romance in this is SO enjoyable, but Passion Project also has some amazing moments on grief, anxiety, feeling stuck, etc. It reminded me a bit of Jessica Joyce’s writing in the best way. This is perfect for the summer!!!!!

“If you asked me in middle school, I would've said my passion was journalism. If you asked me in high school, I would've said my passion was acting. If you asked me in college, I would've said my passion was poetry, or, more accurately, the embarrassing poetry I wrote about Sam. Now the only thing I'm passionate about is making it from one moment to the next.”

Thank you to Penguin Books for the arc!!

If this is London Perry’s debut novel, I think it’s safe to say that I am absolutely going to love her future books.

Passion Project is a story of working through grief and trying to find yourself. I absolutely loved how London wrote the characters - both the side characters and the main characters. I loved their chemistry and their banter. I loved the character and relationship development - it felt so natural and seamless. I loved their adventures and the plot development. But most of all, I absolutely adored Bennett and Henry - I loved how they tugged at my heart and made me swoon, smile, cry…. Ugh. The amount of emotions I felt with this book was overwhelming, in all the best ways. Huge thanks to Penguin Books and NetGalley. This was a tandem read while I listened to the audiobook from PRHAudio.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: ❤️Romance
Recommend:✅

Uh, guys, I sobbed, like alot, in front of my kids on an airplane. 😂 I absolutely loved “The Passion Project”; it was so full of honesty and heart and gave me all the butterflies in all the best ways. I don’t think k I’ve ever read a romance where was truly rooting for the couple more than I was rooting for Bennet and Henry.

Bennet is struggling through depression and anxiety stemming from a tragedy in her life when she meets, Henry, a bartender who just moved to NYC and is looking for friends and fun. He somehow convinces Bennet to let him help her find her passion by going on a series of “passion project” activities. They, very obviously, fall in love. But really, they fall in love in the very sweetest, cutest, banterish way possible.

I loved every single page of this one.

(The only negative about this one is it is EXTREMELY similar to “Promise Me Sunshine” which I read early this year. They were clearly written at the same time so just a coincidence. But both are GREAT, just spread them out if you’re reading both.)

You’ll love this book if you love:
✅Cinnamon Roll Boyfriends
✅NYC
✅Overcoming Grief

Passion Project is the kind of book that quietly carves out space in your chest and lingers long after the final page. I was instantly drawn in by the gorgeous cover and title—but what held me was the story’s quiet power.

It’s a beautifully introspective, swoony, romcom-meets-real-life kind of story—equal parts heartwarming and heartrending. The writing is lyrical and raw, with a deeply personal tone that never feels overwhelming. It holds space for the harder parts of being human, but threads everything with tenderness and hope.

There were moments that felt like someone had put unspoken thoughts into words. It’s rare to find a story that makes you feel both seen and soothed. The emotional honesty here is some of the best I’ve ever read, and it left me feeling cracked open in the gentlest way.

Passion Project made me feel everything—love, ache, joy, longing. It’s the kind of book that lingers in your thoughts, quietly reminding you that you are lovable—mess and all.

If you enjoy character-driven romances with real emotional stakes and just the right amount of humor and heart, this one’s for you. It’s a soft, stunning reminder that we’re all worthy of being seen, and loved.

Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books / Penguin for the ARC—I’m so grateful I got to read this early.

With its raw, unflinching look at unresolved grief and depression, Passion Project is full of moments that will touch your heart.

Bennet is still floundering several years after the death of her first love. She should be living it up in NYC, but instead she is rushing from temp job to temp job, unsure of what she wants to do and pushing away her family and friends. Enter Henry, a blind date that turns into a person to share city adventures with along the way to finding Bennet's passion.

The notes of grief and depression overlying all of Bennet's choices were heartbreaking at times, particularly when we finally got there full story of what happened in the past. Henry is the perfect one to hold her hand through the grief, to understand her emotions, and to try to help her move forward. He is full of anticipatory grief himself as he watches his father slowly slip away, and I do wish we had gotten a bit more about both of their grieving vs only focusing on Bennet's.

The book reads like a love letter to the big apple, as the duo explore the city and do activities I would never have known were an option. Seems you can truly do anything in NYC!

Beware of not one, but two dreaded third act conflicts. Bennet's actions grew tiresome for me somewhere along the way at the end there, dropping my rating.

The audio is brilliantly and exuberantly narrated by one of my favorites, Alex Finke. Her animated narration always makes me enjoy a book even more!

Thank you to Penguin Viking for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

A true delight! The writing style is so fun and witty. It did a great job of holding my attention (hard for my ADHD brain) while also being ridiculously charming. I saw a lot of myself in the main character Bennet, sometimes to the point that I would be highlighting a sentence before I even finished it because I knew it would hit home. The way her depression manifested in isolating and pushing away good things in her life struck a chord for sure!! Henry captivated me from the first page he appeared. I found myself getting butterflies from how smooth and charismatic he was. The love story felt really natural and the slow reveal of the context for why Bennet was resisting falling in love again was really compelling (if very tragic). These characters were made for each other in a way that wasn't forced or unrealistically paced. The spicy scenes felt a little vague and left more to be desired but that's really my only critique of this book. Sperry has a flourishing career ahead of them if they knocked it out of the park with this debut. Can't wait to read more from them! Thank you Penguin Random House and NetGalley for this ARC!

This book took me by surprise. Sure, I had skimmed the synopsis but I was not ready for the amount of grief and heartfelt moments of this book. What a debut novel!! Not only was it all those incredible things, but it also had its fun moments with fantastic dialogue. Perfection.

Bennet stirred self-reflection because, WOW, she put in the work on herself. She was such a real character, and I love her deeply for it. And her banter was hilarious. When she said, “I have this impulse to overthink everything all the time, and it’s a bit exhausting,” girl SAME.

Henry 🥺 gosh, he felt like an Emily Henry-inspired dream in the best way. Protect him at all costs!

Tears were shed (lol more like torrential downpour from my eyes, but whatever), and I 10/10 recommend.

4.25 ⭐️
An exceptionally sweet, captivating debut romance that will put you in your FEELS.

Bennet is grieving the loss of her late boyfriend, Sam, and lives in New York City to honor him. She has been there for two years and still feels as if she is floundering, working temp jobs and struggling to truly let anyone in. Her roommate, Sonya, encourages her to “get back out there,” and sets her up on a date with Henry.

Lo and behold, the date fails, but what transpires is an utterly delightful and emotional friends-to-lovers adventure that will have you falling in love with every character and continuing to grieve along the way.

I thought the writing was absolutely enchanting, and I never felt bored while reading. There are *two* “third act” conflicts in this book which is where my rating struggles. On one hand, I felt a bit annoyed that there was ANOTHER conflict after the first HEA, but on the other, that’s how grief goes and it’s push and pull and it’s hard and it’s real life and I think that will resonate with a lot of people.

Overall, I would recommend this one to anyone looking for a summer romance with that “something extra.”

Thank you to Penguin Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

Huge thanks to NetGalley, PRH Audio, and Penguin Books for the #gifted ARC. Passion Project by London Sperry is an absolute five-star read—funny, heartfelt, and brimming with emotional depth.

Bennet’s journey is a realistic, messy, and deeply moving portrayal of grief—I truly appreciated how the book handled mental health with care and authenticity. Watching her slowly open herself up to life (and love) again was such a rewarding experience. And Henry? One of my new favorite book boyfriends, hands down! His patience, kindness, and adventurous spirit made him impossible not to adore.

Their “passion project” dates were filled with laugh-out-loud moments, but what really made this book shine was the way it paired humor with raw, heartfelt emotion. The balance was perfection.

I listened to half on audio and read half—both experiences were fantastic, and I highly recommend either format!

London Sperry really blew me away with Passion Project and the quality of her writing and storytelling. I never would have guessed this was her debut novel!

This was such a heartfelt story, where you couldn't help but be invested in Bennet as she struggled to figure out life after the loss of someone important to her and letting herself be happy. I'm a sucker for a GOOD friends-to-lovers situation (especially if it also includes a grumpy sunshine trope), and this fully delivered. You couldn't not root for Bennet and Henry as a couple as they both came out of their shells and fell in love.

Thank you to Viking Penguin and NetGalley for the eARC!

Passion Project was stunning, emotional, five star perfection. I can’t believe this is London Sperry’s debut. I sobbed for easily the last 10% of the book.

This novel follows Bennet’s and Henry’s summer-long efforts to help Bennet find her passion after years of grieving Sam have left her listless in New York City. Bennet is raw and honest and painful to read in a beautiful way. Henry is also beautifully written, layered and complicated. There is so much pain, contrition, forgiveness, and love in this book. It was painful and cathartic to read.

As an NYC resident, I loved reading about my city through London Sperry’s words and Bennet’s perspective. I can’t wait to force literally every person I know to read this.

After finishing this one I can officially say I’m extremely passionate about Passion Project🥹 I was crying by the end of it which means I can personally deem it worthy of a 5 star rating. Genuinely cannot fathom that this is a debut because it’s written with a seasoned professionalism that reminds me of Em Hen or Abby Jimenez.

I pushed this one off for a while because I had read another book with a similar premise and deeply regret doing so. For whatever reason I have a personal soft spot for books where the main character has lost the love of their life and always get overly emotional in reading them. I honestly think it’s because I feel so blessed and couldn’t imagine my life without the love of mine.

Bennet has tragically lost her long term boyfriend and is drowning in both grief and the city of New York. She chose to move to NYC to honor her late boyfriend and the life he had envisioned for them but instead feels lost. In comes sweet, swoon-worthy Henry who helps Bennet find herself and her passion. We get to know Bennet and Henry as they go on a new adventure every week for their appropriately named “Passion Project”. In their search for Bennet’s passion, they end up finding MUCH more.

This book was amazingly well written, I was hooked from the very beginning and only became more invested as it went on. The main characters are so real and relatable with raw emotions that just tug at you. I appreciated how the author handled the ever delicate emotion of grief and mental health. It can be difficult to capture how all-consuming it is and then arrive at a happy ending by the end of 300 some odd pages. However, she did it and it was beautiful. This is without a doubt one of my favorite romances of the year and I want to thank Net Galley, the publisher and the author for a copy of this ARC🩷 Out 4/8–if you’re looking for an emotionally dazzling rom-com, trust me when I say you’re going to want to read this one.

London Sperry’s debut novel is a relatable exploration of grief, depression, and the pursuit of passion, emphasizing that life doesn’t wait for the “right time.” Despite my dislike for the miscommunication trope, I appreciated how Bennett’s journey toward emotional openness ultimately strengthened her relationships.

I knew from the beginning that I was going to love this story. The fmc, Bennett, struggles with her anxiety and grief. She’s also trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life, and it hit too close to home.
The mmc, Henry, is so freaking wholesome. He’s such a good guy who loves to chat with strangers, keeps a positive attitude, and volunteers to help Bennett try to find her passion.
This story definitely had me tearing up a few times. It touches on heavy topics, and seeing the characters navigate through things together was heartwarming.
I loved everything about this book, except the wedding scene. I wasn’t a fan of how she treated my guy Henry during that whole ordeal, and thought he deserved better!!

I didn’t even realize this was a debut novel, and I highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley for the Arc!

Okay, I’m sobbing!! This was such a heartwarming read about dealing with grief, finding yourself, and accepting the love you deserve. Bennet is coping with the loss of her college boyfriend who passed away a few years prior. Living for his memory, she moves to NYC and is set up on a date with Henry. When their date doesn’t exactly work out, Bennet and Henry begin a friendship to find Bennet’s passion in life, and for Henry to do more things in the city.

The portrayal of depression and anxiety, as well as grief in the Bennet was so masterfully done 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 please pick this up as soon as possible! This tore my heart out and shoved it back in my chest!

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

First of all, congratulations to London Sperry for absolutely knocking it out of the park with such a beautifully written debut novel. It was relatable and moving, and I am so impressed that this was her first book.

Following the loss of her first love, Bennet is struggling with depression and anxiety so severe that she has stopped being an active participant in her own life. In a failed attempt to “get back out there,” she tries to go on a blind date and winds up standing Henry up - only to run into him later that night. Rather than write her off, Henry decides to help her discover a new passion. Thus, the Passion Project - a series of “just friends” adventures begins.

May we all find someone as patient and gentle with us as Henry was with Bennet. He is the ultimate cinnamon roll. At first, he seems like her total opposite. He’s charming and likable while she is standoffish and pushes everyone away. He’s happy go lucky while she is drowning in pain. However, the author did such a great job of creating these well rounded characters, and we soon learn there is more to both of their stories.

I thought the depiction of Bennet’s grief and mental health struggles was very well done. The way that her anxiety and depression was described felt very relatable to me. At times, it is so frustrating to read, because you just want to scream at her not to make the choices she’s making - and to go to therapy, for goodness sake. However, not being able to do the things that, from the outside, seem so obvious and easy is unfortunately part of the struggle.

While this book deals with heavy topics, they are balanced out with a lot of humor and heart. There is a lot of great banter between the characters, covering everything from FMK with Star Wars characters to Mamma Mia 2 to Pride and Prejudice (2005, obviously). The Passion Project introduced a lot of great side characters and heart warming stories, and I especially loved meeting Sal and Fred.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think London Sperry is an author to watch, and I can’t wait to check out what she writes next. Everyone go read the Passion Project, out April 8th!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc for free in exchange for my review!

Wow! I laughed, I cried, I demanded more from this author immediately. Passion Project was such a beautiful rumination of grief, living life, and learning to love again. The depth of the story took me by surprise (listen, we're not supposed to judge books by their cover but this one looked so...happy!) - but in the best ways.

But besides the deep well of emotion this story brings up there is some top tier banter making this such a fun romantic comedy. Sperry has a new fan and i'll be auto-buying whatever she writes!

This book was heavier than I thought, not just a fluffy romance. It concentrates on grief, depression and guilt. The trope is stranger to friends to lovers and the MMC is kinda like a knight because she is a mess. There were times I really started to lose my patience with Bennet when she would self sabotage. I liked how even though we don’t have Henry’s POV, we get good description of his reactions and I loved getting to know him even from this limited POV. The writing was good and the story was engaging. A really wonderful debut.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own

Hands-down a 5⭐️ read! I can’t stop talking about this delightful book—a swoon-worthy debut!!

What I loved:

✨ Dynamic, multi-layered characters who are relatable and likable

✨ Friends to lovers

✨ Henry 😍😍😍

✨ Strong female friendships

✨ A beautiful (and accurate) depiction of life in NYC as a 20-something trying to figure it all out


What I didn’t:

✖️That it’s over 🙃


Thank you to Penguin Books and NetGalley for this ARC!