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.

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!