“Passion Project” by London Sperry was a fun book experience. For a romance, it had some depth to it with complexities of grief and emotional recovery. It reminded me of Cara Bastone’s Promise me Sunshine which was is one of my favorite books. Fans of that book will enjoy this book. This was my first introduction to Sperry’s writing, and I am eager to explore more of her work in the future. Now I need a physical copy as a shelf trophy because that cover is really pretty.
Thank you to NetGallery and PENGUIN GROUP Viking for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Passion Project grabbed me from the very first page. London Sperry's voice is pitch-perfect. The character work drew me in, made me curious, and made me invested in her journey. I loved the juxtaposition of Bennett's black cat energy and Henry's golden retriever vibe, as well as how New York became a character in its own right. New York is the backdrop to so many novels and movies, but I rarely feel transported there. But I was walking beside them, inhaling the thick scent of Manhattan, crackling with the electricity of the city, and feeling the anonymity in the crowd. It takes skill to invite the reader into a journey that begins in such an emotionally dark place, but the author did it expertly. I felt Bennett's pain without being put off by it. I was rooting for her along the way.

4.75 ⭐️
I loved this book so much! I am unbelievably obsessed with Henry omg & Bennet was also such a good character poor girl had so much going on her choices STRESSED me out sometimes but i can also see where she was coming from. I really connected with Bennet which made this story just that much more deep for me. I had so much fun with this i cried and giggled and kicked my feet. One of my favorite arc’s so far!

Wow what a surprise this book was to me! I went in expecting a fluffy and fun romantic comedy and what it actually was is a heartfelt story with romance, trauma recovery, and many funny moments. Bennett is depressed after losing her boyfriend in a car accident (to which she thinks is her fault). She moves to NYC to fulfill his dream for them but she can’t seem to make anything there work for her. When her roommate sets her up on a blind date, she bails and gets drunk at the restaurant across the street, only to end up meeting her blind date anyways in an embarrassing set of events. Henry is kind and sweet and a little nerdy and sees Bennett for what she is. Together they decide to be just friends and find Bennetts true passion so she can stay in New York and create the life she dreamt of. I loved their banter, and that their relationship was built on a friendship. The cast of side characters is charming as well. Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a feel good book.

Thank you to @netgalley and Penguin Group Viking for providing me the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

Passion Project is a love letter to NYC that is told around the story of Bennet, who is trying to find her way without the love of her life. Worried about her, her friends encourage her to go on a blind date. Unfortunately the date doesn't go as planned. But as fate would have it, she runs into Henry, our golden retriever MMC. They travel around NYC looking for their passion when in reality their passion may be each other!

This was such a great book! Topics such as heartbreak and loss are written beautifully. I would recommend this book to everyone!

#NetGalley #PassionProject

First thank you to penguin Vikings boom and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars

Synopsis: Bennett is grieving for your boyfriend and stuck. Her friends set her up on a date and she stands him up. She ends up going to his restaurant and they become friends when he encourages her to find her passion. Will she find passion with him too?

What I liked: this is a good portrayal of grief and what it is like. I also read promise me sunshine which is very similar to this so it felt too similar to me.

The Passion Project by London Sperry is a heartfelt and engaging story about grief, healing, and rediscovering joy.

Bennet Taylor’s journey feels very real—she’s stuck, overwhelmed by grief, and just trying to find her footing again. At times, the story felt heavy, but given the themes of loss and growth, it made sense and added emotional depth to her character. I appreciated that the author didn’t rush Bennet’s healing process; it felt honest and relatable.

Henry was such a bright spot. His patience, humor, and the friendship-first dynamic he built with Bennet were refreshing and charming. Their adventures around New York City brought some lightness to the story, and I loved seeing Bennet slowly come back to life through each new experience. There’s a good balance of sparkling banter and heartfelt moments that kept me invested throughout.

The Passion Project is a flirty, fun, yet thoughtful read perfect for anyone who loves stories about finding happiness after heartache. I look forward to reading more from London Sperry!

This book was seriously so phenomenal. I’m obsessed with everything about it, especially Henry and how sweet and understanding he was. I loved how well he treated Bennett. I also really loved Bennett’s character, and despite not going through grief like her, I could relate to her some of her overactive thoughts and moments of panic. This book really really spoke to me, it’s definitely one of my new all time favorites!

I was going to give this five stars up until the 80% mark now it’s a 3.5.

I think the author did really well writing this and it was actually very enjoyable. I lovedddd Henry but Bennett made me pretty annoyed at times. I didn’t like how she constantly pushed everyone away and hurting them in the process. Although I do understand why she did it it still annoyed me. Especially during the wedding between her and Henry I couldn’t. Henry didn’t deserve any of that at all.

I think that if Bennett had been better at communicating with him and even her friends this would’ve stayed at five stars. I will say that Bennett was relatable at times.

I am kinda sad that this could’ve been a perfect book had the miscommunication not happened 😔😔😔 but I still think it was good. I mean it had me excited to pick it up whenever I could and then once we hit 80% it seemed like everything just fell apart.

I LOVED this book! The main characters, Bennet and Henry were so well written, and I connected with each of their individual stories. I loved following Bennet and Henry navigate grief while learning how to live and love in NYC! The Passion Project touched my heart and soul, and was exactly what I needed to spark the pursuit of passion in my own life. Everyone needs to read this book!

I really enjoyed this book! The narrator did an incredible job on the audio. This book captures so much wittiness and banter while also struggling with overwhelming depression, grief and anxiety. Both heartfelt and humorous!

This book is the debut novel by London Sperry and that's hard to believe. It's so good. I guess the informal theme for this book should be "Having your shit together is not a prerequisite for love." It's also my favorite quote from this book. This is a romantic story about a girl named Bennet who is still in love with her late boyfriend from college. She has tried to move on but just hasn't. Then she meets Henry. Henry talks her into doing Passion Projects to try to find out how to get her passion for life back. Of course, over the summer of projects they fall for each other. Will Henry's love for Bennet be enough to help her get past her grief for Sam? Read the book, you'll love it! Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I loved it! I'm sure this won't be my last book by London Speery!

“Having your shit together isn’t a prerequisite for love.” This was such an emotionally devastating book but so so good! I loved how Bennet’s grief journey is portrayed and it reminds that healing isn’t linear and that you don’t need to be perfect for love to find you. It’s okay to be a work in progress.

10/10 no notes. Thank you to Viking Penguin Publishing & Netgalley for an ARC of Passion Project.

Wow. I didn’t know I would end up reading this book at the perfect time, but somehow it just ended up that way. I didn’t know this book would touch on grief and mental health, but it did so in such a beautiful, real way. It just so happened I needed this story when I did, and I couldn’t be more glad to have been able to read this story. I adored Bennett & Henry so much, and I loved following along their passion project journey. I can’t wait to recommend this book to everyone at work and to all the customers who come into Barnes & Noble!!

Read this IMMEDIATELY. I didn't expect to enjoy this one as much as I did. What a beautiful exploration of true love, lasting friendships, forgiving oneself, following one's passions, and overcoming grief. This hooked me from the very first page with it's witty writing and lovable characters. Bennet and Henry, I miss you already. Thank you NetGalley for my early reader copy of the book!

“Having your shit together is not a prerequisite for love.”
LOVED this quote from the book!

To start off, I thought London Sperry did such a good job capturing the New York City energy!! The cover is also stunning and bright, perfect for a spring or summer read. 
As someone who grew up watching a lot of early 2000’s rom com movies, this book reminded me SO much of the movies I used to watch. 


It was an easy and enjoyable read and watching the relationship grow between the main characters was cute. However, this book also covers some heavier topics like grief, guilt, depression, and the loss of a loved one. These aren’t light themes, but London Sperry did a great job working in these topics while still keeping the story light.



Giving this book a 3.5 stars because towards the end, I just didn’t like Bennet’s attitude towards Henry before the ending. Overall, it was a decent debut novel and worth reading if you want an easy fluffy read!

This was so different from any type of romance I’ve ever read. Reading about someone who’s struggling through grief, depression, self doubt and anxiety is such a tough topic but I think this author did an incredible job of articulating it. I gave it a four stars because I thought Bennet and Henry were such flawed yet likable characters. Bennet shows an important lesson of how at times you need to put yourself first. I really loved this book and would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to Penguin books and Net Galley for this ARC.

Solid 3.75 star read that I'm rounding to a 4. I actually really liked this book! I wasn't sure about it in the beginning, but it was a pretty quick read, which is always nice. I will say that I loved how the characters were pretty relatable - especially with the dialogue surrounding the topic of grief. I love a good friends-to-lovers trope, so I was in it from the beginning based on that alone. It was really easy to fall in love with these characters and to root for them, even though I did find Bennet annoying at times. I could have done with a little less self sabotage, but it kind of speaks to the way grief takes over sometimes. I know other reviewers are saying this, but it's hard to believe this is a debut!! I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you so much to Viking for the gifted ARC!

I was beyond excited for this one and LOVE that it was a debut!

Overall, the whole premise of "finding your passion" with different challenges was so fun and unique! I really enjoyed that part of the plot line!

On the other hand, the past trauma wasn't my favorite as it felt very similar to many recent romance books I've read lately.

I do feel like there was enough uniqueness to set this one apart though and think it will be a big hit for many!

3.5 stars rounded up

This is out now!

What a fun summer book! FMC is anxious and relatable to us millennials! MMC is everything you could want in a lead role. The ups and downs make this book irresistible to put down.