I started this book a while ago but given the description I just knew it was too close to the plot of Promise Me Sunshine so I waited a bit to try to read it again.

This book had all the banter and adorable flirtation that you want from a romance. Henry makes quite the cinnamon roll/golden retriever book boyfriend or even friend as he was for much of the book.

The concept of the book was not exactly new, one character is experiencing an overwhelming grief and the other character swoops into to pull them from the depths of despair. Unfortunately, I had problems with the way this one was executed. I loved the idea of finding your passion with little “friend dates” to try new experiences all over NYC. And honestly I think anyone could benefit from this setup, whether experiencing grief or not. You really get to see these characters challenge themselves and watch their relationship blossom.

However, there are two plot points that I didn’t love and that’s why it’s hard for me to rate this one a 5⭐️. Without giving too much away. The way in which their initial date was setup was a bit of a let down and the entire wedding scene was problematic for me.

London Sperry definitely knows how to create amazing chemistry and angst through dialogue and I can’t wait to see what she writes next. Unfortunately, this book was too similar to Promise Me Sunshine and it didn’t stand a chance going up against one of my favorite books of the year.

I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others for the banter and flirtation!

This was a spectacular debut oh my goodness! The writing is amazing and flowed so well. The trigger warnings and heavy content was done with lots of care.

This is a very well written debut. I had trouble loving Bennett's character but adored Henry. This book reminded me too much of another book that I kept finding myself thinking of the similarities to really enjoy it. Overall, the writing was well done and I can't wait to see what this author writes next.

Outstanding! If you've ever lost someone this one will hit you in your feelings! It takes you on the journey of hurt and healing. Grief is difficult and you're not the same person you were before.
Sometimes you get in your own way. This story shows you how you can stand in your own way and when you open yourself up, life can be beautiful again.

Such a cute read! This is a debut, but that really surprised me. I loved the writing and the author did a great job making you laugh even while dealing with the topic of grief.

Taking place in NYC, we follow the MC, Bennet, after the death of her first love. She's grieving hard, and has isolated herself. She just doesn't have a passion for anything anymore. She runs into Henry, a guy she stiffed one day because she wasn't ready to date. They decide to be friends only, and to do something different together every week, so Henry can help Bennet find herself again.

This author really did such a great job describing how grief feels. The depression and lack of motivation is like no other. I truly felt all the emotions while reading this.
I loved the descriptions of the places they went to in NYC. Sometimes it did make me frustrated with the way Bennet treated Henry. I felt really bad for him at times. That really is my only complaint. But I like watching Bennet’s journey of healing and growth so much. I just loved this one.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Oh man. I really loved this book. The BANTER, the love, the growth of the characters, just everything. It felt real and raw and messy and wonderful. It really was just a story about finding yourself through the grief and the confusion and the muddle of everyday life, and realizing that the only really important thing is love and the people you share it with.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was immediately sucked into this book from the first chapter. Bennet was easy to relate to. It’s easy to get stuck in your head about new situations and let it take over. I feel like Henry was the perfect person for her “first date” since her college boyfriend died. Henry was such a green flag almost to his own detriment at times. Even though Bennet ghosted Henry on their first date, he still wanted to help her find the passion that had been missing in her life. You got glimpses of the person Bennet was before Sam died when she was with Henry. It was easy to see she really wanted to get back to that place or at least a place she wasn’t so crippled by her grief, depression, and anxiety but Bennet was her biggest obstacle. She would let one thought push her friend Sonya and Andy away. She felt like she wasn’t worthy because she was “broken”. I do have to say there were a couple of times, I’m not sure I would have been so quick to forgive Bennet if I was Henry. She really used the guilt and grief as an excuse to stay in a miserable place. I’m glad she finally took the step to go to therapy and get in a better place for all the relationships in her life. I have to say I am shocked that this is London Sperry’s debut novel. This book read like it was from an author with several books under her belt. I am super excited to read anything she puts out in the future.

When I was 22, I followed my husband to London after finishing college. I was lucky - I had a place in a graduate programme and my best friend (now the godmother of my son) from college was also living there. Unlike our main character, Bennet, I loved attending theatre and art films and going to museums. But this book is about how lonely and isolating it can be to be starting your life in the city, particularly as someone who has experienced the loneliness of trauma. And I think it's something every 20 something who tried their hand at the big city understands.

At one point in the book, Bennet's best friend described feeling passionate about something as light up a match inside of you - and notes that it makes all of the other things light up too. It's a sentiment I haven't seen in a book before, but it's so true - when you are happy in yourself, what you are doing, and passionate about something, it extends into the other aspects of your life.

Passion Project taps into a real vulnerability and an understanding of why having someone who really gets you at age matters so much. I'd really recommend to Ali Hazelwood fans.

This was really cute!! I loved the representation of grief--I feel like it adds so much depth to the characters and their conflicts. Henry was such a sweetheart and so patient with Bennet. She could be frustrating at times, especially during both breakups, but I do feel like her backslides were necessary to her development. The wedding scenes were hard to read, but that's a testament to Sperry's writing: I felt like I was in the story, and was viscerally experiencing what the characters were. Bennet and Henry had fabulous chemistry from the beginning, which I loved. I admired him for being respectful of her healing journey. The side characters added a lot to the story as well: I think they held a mirror up to Bennet and her behavior, helping her see areas where she needed to be better to those in her life. Overall this was a great read!

Firstly, I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was truly exceptional—everything about it was perfect. I haven't felt this way about a book in a long time. The main character, Bennett, was my favorite aspect of the entire story.

Throughout the narrative, we follow Bennett on her journey to rediscover her passion, as she hasn't felt it in quite some time. She embarks on this journey with the help of another character, Henry.

This story resonated with me deeply. I felt a strong connection to the main character throughout the entire narrative; she reminded me a lot of myself, reflecting my feelings and actions. Her experiences felt personal and authentic. I loved the way she was written, and her relationship with Henry was simply amazing. Their character growth and the slow burn of their romance were beautifully crafted. I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading more works by this author.

Thank you again to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review!

What a stunningly beautiful debut from London Sperry.

The writing is gut punch that stitches your heart back together in the end. It's a beautiful and realistic depiction of grief. I truly loved every second getting to know these characters. I was cheering alongside Bennet and Henry the entire time. I loved their subtle friends to lovers romance and I truly adored how they leant on one another to heal.

Their meet cute was one to remember and I loved the parallels at the end of the book.

Overall, this was such a special read and I cannot wait to read what London writes next!!!!

Thank you Putnam Publishing, London Sperry, and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoy Passion Project. I will be recommending it to all my romance reading friends.

It's a bit heavy and times and Bennet did make me want to shake her, but overall it was a great read with a satisfying ending. I will be looking forward to more books my London Sperry.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book.

The writing felt reminiscent of some fan fave authors (think Emily Henry,) but also really stood out as its own! This definitely read more like women’s fiction than romance, but I’m here for it and finding those are some of my favorites.

I loved Bennet, and I found it so easy to both root for her and identify with her. Her journey is filled with a lot of grief and sadness, but also a lot of hope and healing. Despite this being much more than just a romance novel, there were still plenty of swoony moments and some amazing banter. Throw in the ultimate golden retriever love interest and a friends-to-lovers plot line and I was sold.

I also really enjoyed the New York setting and I truly felt like I was experiencing a New York summer right along with the characters.

The only reason I dropped a star was because there was a smidge of miscommunication that I just didn’t jive with, but overall this is absolutely one to have on your radar this summer! You’ll laugh and you’ll cry, maybe all at once.

Bennet is attempting to take the first step back into dating after the loss of her first love. After being stood up, Henry decides to embark on the challenge of helping her find her passion anyway.

This book has tons of comparisons to Promise Me Sunshine due to the similar storylines. I read and enjoyed both in their own ways! Bennet’s raw, real emotions have you cheering her on at every turn. Henry’s patience and gentleness are evident in every interaction. It was a beautiful story watching the slow burn romance play out against the backdrop of NYC. I look forward to reading more from this debut author!

Thank you Penguin Books for providing a free ARC for review via NetGalley.

One of my favorite books I've read this year!! If I could rate it 6 stars I would! Passion Project is a beautiful, emotional, and heartwarming story about dealing with grief and loss and finding the good and love around you. Bennet is dealing with the loss of her previous boyfriend and has just been existing since his death. When she meets Henry after a not so cute meet-cute, they get to talking and he proposes he helps her to find her passion.

Henry is such a soft, sweet man and the ultimate book boyfriend! He is vulnerable and reliable and passionate.
Bennet's growth from the beginning of this story to the end is so uplifting. We see her at her lowest of lows and get to see her at her highest of highs. Her and Henry's relationship from friendship to lovers was everything to me.

I seriously cannot recommend this enough!!

4.25
Passion Project reminded me so much of Promised Me Sunshine by Cara (which is one of my favorite books of
2025) both are full of heart, hope, and the quiet bravery it takes to put yourself back together after loss.
Bennet's story resonated with me. Her grief, her hesitation, her numbness l've felt that. You don't just get over grief; you carry it with you, and slowly, you learn to live with it. Watching Bennet slowly let life back in, one small adventure at a time, felt like a reflection of my own healing.
And Henry? He's the kind of character that just feels like a warm hug-so gentle, steady, and kind. Their story is flirty and fun, but also tender and emotionally honest.
If you're drawn to stories about rediscovery, soft romance, and finding joy in unexpected places, this one's for you.

Henry is a dream. This was a fantastic debut! I loved the setting, plot, characters…everything! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced digital copy!

Passion Project is a lovely debut from London Sperry, a deft portrait of grief and life after loss. I’ve inadvertently been on this cool kick where I keep picking up books that make me cry (it’s fine, I’m totally fine) and now I get to add Passion Project to that list! Sperry’s debut tugs at the same heartstrings that remind us how alike we are, fumbling through life beside each other. This novel is a testament to the human spirt and a love letter to platonic and romantic relationships. It reminds me of Cara Bastone’s Promise Me Sunshine and I would highly recommend this book to fans of Bastone’s heartfelt contemporaries.

What endeared me so heavily to this novel was the incredible depictions of grief and anxiety. When we find main character Bennet, she is struggling in the aftermath of an unforgettable loss. Some moments are heavier than others and the way she wavers between light and dark felt very relatable for anyone who has felt profound sadness. My one hang up is that despite all her growth, Bennet takes a bit of a back step emotionally, in a moment that felt like it was only there to facilitate a third act breakup. By the book’s conclusion though, Bennet does enough maturing and apologizing to set this plot line right.

Bennet and Henry’s relationship was the highlight of my reading experience. I just adored their grumpy x sunshine dynamic. Henry’s character was full of warmth and even when we uncover his deep-seated struggles, his optimistic attitude left me feeling hopeful rather than pained. He was a wonderful counterpart to Bennet, which proved how capable he was at pulling her out of despair. May we all be so lucky as to have a Henry in our lives.

London Sperry’s New York City is a gritty, vibrant, and believable place. As someone who lives here, I can attest to the conflicting emotions that Bennet has. She feels lost in a sea of people but through Henry, Sonya, and her other friends, she is able to find joy again. It’s always fun to read about places you can picture in real life and I loved all of the insider NYC locales that were incorporated.

If you’re looking for a story that paints an honest, messy picture of grief and relationships, add Passion Project to your list! I was so impressed with London Sperry’s debut and if this is any indication, we are in for some beautiful pieces of fiction from her in the future!

Thank you Penguin Books & NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed this one! It was very fast-paced and I read it quickly.

As a woman in her 40s though, there were parts of it that just felt a bit young to me. Some of the conflict felt obvious and avoidable.

The best parts were the exploration of grief and the passion project itself.

i love that the premise of this book is that you don’t need to have your shit together to find love.

this follows Bennet, who is in a deep grief spiral from losing her college boyfriend, when she meets Henry who helps her find her passion in life. i found bennet to be infuriating at times (namely, the third act conflict - understandable, grief is a bitch) and loved that Henry is the sweetest most patient man to exist on this planet. they are perfect for each other. this hit home in certain aspects and had me sobbing, but was also a really hopeful story too. also - absolutely adore Sal.