Passion Project is a tender, emotionally resonant story that gently explores grief, healing, and the unexpected comfort of finding someone who truly sees you. Our FMC is raw and real—grappling with her mental health in the wake of deep loss—while the MMC is a warm, steady light, the kind of sunshine character who doesn’t try to fix her, but chooses to stand beside her.

Their slow-burn dynamic is beautifully done—polar opposites on paper, but their connection grows organically through quiet moments, shared pain, and vulnerability. There’s no magical fix, no sweeping gestures—just two people learning how to breathe again, together.

The writing is thoughtful and tender without being heavy-handed. It respects the weight of grief and mental health struggles, while still delivering moments of hope, humor, and heart.

If you love character-driven stories with emotional depth, subtle romance, and a focus on healing, Passion Project is worth picking up. It doesn’t rush the journey—and that’s exactly what makes it feel real.

Bennett stands up her blind date because she just can't. Life has turned inside out and upside down and she just doesn't have the desire to do anything besides go through the paces. But she runs into Henry, the guy she intentionally avoided, and he does the unexpected: convinces her to be friends and find anything that will motivate Bennett's interest.
Bennett and Henry are incredibly lovable. I adore a book that deals with grief in this manner, where the character is allowed to experience it in the way they need to but also find the joy and light to bring them out of constant heartache. Bennett's highs and lows with Henry alongside made this a book I'll carry with me and want to re-read in the future.
Thank you Penguin Books and Netgalley fort the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

I genuinely loved reading this book. It was fast-paced and well-written. I know this is listed as a romantic comedy but it was so much deeper. There was romance but it was so much more about Bennet learning to live again after loss. To let herself live and love and be loved. I enjoyed the characters as they were quirky and funny. I only did not enjoy this story near the end, where Bennet's behavior towards Henry felt a little selfish. Overall I really loved this story.

First off thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Passion Project is such a beautiful debut by London Sperry! It dives into grief in a really heartfelt way, and the friends-to-lovers, slow-burn got me. This is a sad girl romance— one of my favorite genres—and it had me tearing up more than once. The banter between Bennet and Henry had me kicking my feet and grinning like an idiot. I seriously can’t wait to see what London Sperry writes next!
Tropes:
One bed
Grumpy Sunshine
Friends to lovers
Love after loss
Spice: 2/5

4.5 stars rounded up! :)

Be still, my heart. Wow. This book was wonderful. In several ways, it reminded me of Cara Bastone's PROMISE ME SUNSHINE and Lauren Connolly's PS: I HATE YOU. In all three novels, the female protagonist is grieving, and then she goes on a series of adventures with a guy whom she ends up falling in love with.

Although this was a romance book, there was an incredible amount of depth, similar to Abby Jimenez's books. Bennet suffers from grief, a depressive episode, panic attacks, feelings of low self-worth, avoidant attachment, and more very explicitly in these pages. Despite the heavy subject matter, however, there were also a lot of light-hearted moments. And if I was someone who annotated my books, there would be SO MANY annotations. For a debut author, London Sperry has an incredible way with words (I'm specifically thinking about the match analogy right now... iykyk... but honestly I could open up to any page and find something to swoon over).

This book was soaring towards the five-star category... and then Andy's wedding happened (iykyk). It's hard for me to say this because I understand how Bennet was feeling and why she did what she did, but UGH, it also frustrated me at the same time because I felt that there were already so many bumps and obstacles in the road, and I just wanted Bennet and Henry to live happily ever after already. Anyway, that part knocked this down to 4.5 stars because, for me, a five-star read has to be perfection. This book was almost that.

Overall, I really really enjoyed this book. Henry is absolutely charming and definitely a cinnamon roll boyfriend. The way he supports Bennet, sits with her in her grief, and never pressures her... UGH! And Bennet's growth throughout the novel was awesome to see, too, although I might have liked for it to happen a little sooner (and for that scene at the wedding to never have happened...)

P.S.: Can we take a second to admire the cover?! They say to never judge a book by its cover but, I mean, come ON. It's gorgeous!

This is a fast paced romance that also deals with heavier themes of grief and mental health. Bennet is grieving the loss of her first love and in a dark place in her life when she meets Henry. They embark on a sweet journey to uncover her passion by exploring new adventures in NY once a week together. I absolutely loved Henry, their friendship, and the ode to NY in this book. I could empathize with Bennet and her struggles, and loved her at the beginning and middle of the book. Towards the end she started to annoy me but ultimately I was satisfied with her character growth by the end. I enjoyed the overarching themes in this book of discovering your passion and holding a lost loved one in your heart but still being able to move forward. I loved all the female relationships as well. This was a quick, heartwarming romance, with some emotional themes that really worked for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

HENRY IS A SWEET ANGEL BABY AND MUST BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS. 🥹

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin books for the eArc!

And we have another book added to the tear tracker!

Okay let’s dive in:

The deets:
Bennet is trying to get back out there after a big loss in her life. But she finds herself at the restaurant across the street from where her first date ( in about two years) was supposed to take place, puking in the men’s restroom. 😅 Enter Henry, the man she stood up. When Henry and Bennet cross paths again a deal is made and the passion project begins! Bennet has the summer to find her passion. Will Henry be the one to make her push the boundaries of what she has accepted in her life? Or will the grief and baggage she is still carrying be the thing that holds her back from living again?

My thoughts:
I think I have a thing for men in glasses. 👀
(But also tattoos… maybe I can convince my husband to try a temporary tattoo just to see if it holds up off page 😈).

I will ALWAYS be a sucker for a book that recognizes the masterpiece that is the 2005 Pride and Prejudice

The adventures around NYC and the banter between Henry and Bennet is so good. Made me want to write down their journey, move to NYC for the summer, and copy everything they did. London did an excellent job of portraying Bennet dealing with her grief and overthinking everything.

Bennet being weird (affectionate) is so relatable cause I too find myself to be weird quite often and truly see it as a term of endearment. Side note: when I was dating my now husband one of my friends were grilling him and asked him his favorite thing about me and he said how goofy I was and I think that was when I fell in love with him.

Overall an enjoyable read, if you like real characters that are imperfect and make mistakes and have to learn through trial and error this book is for you. If you want your characters to be perfect and have no miscommunication then you might struggle with portions of the book.

BUT I LIKE MY CHARACTERS TO HAVE ISSUES AND GROW FROM IT 😘.




SPOILER ALERT:



I did get frustrated with Bennet after it felt like she had so much growth toward the end of the book, but healing from grief is a process and Bennet needed to go through it.

Passion Project was so funny, heartfelt, and surprisingly emotional! Bennet is grieving and unsure of what’s next and sets out on a journey to rediscover passion. She’s guided by the charming and endlessly patient Henry. Their banter and chemistry were soo good! This is a story about healing, growing, and giving yourself permission to want more. I finished it smiling, wishing I could sign up for my own Saturday adventures in the city!

I loved reading about Bennet’s journey through grief, finding herself after loss, and of course falling in love with Henry.

This story touched on friendship, death, romantic relationships, and navigating your twenties in a relatable and entertaining way. Traveling through NYC with Bennet and Henry during all of their passion project adventures was such a treat. It’s is a story that reminds you no matter what happens or what you’re going through the most important person in your life will always be you and it needs to be prioritized.

Unfortunately, many aspects of this story did not work well for me. First of all, the act of completing items on a list/going on adventures to break out of grief or depression is a trope that has been used many times in other books, so it felt unoriginal.

Secondly, I found the primary relationship and characters to be somewhat immature and lacking in depth. This made it hard to connect with these characters.

I can see this book working well for younger readers, but it didn't resonate at all with me.

This was so hard to review!
There are so many things I LOVED about this. I’m shocked this is the author’s debut and I would have never guessed they didn’t have 5+ titles in their backlog, this was such a solid story with an awesome premise.
Henry is a picture perfect main male character to me, he was kind, funny, sexy and thoughtful without being alpha or grumpy. 10/10 on him, no notes.
Bennet however was extremely frustrating. While I empathize with her on her grief and depression, as the story progressed, I just couldn’t root for someone who continually hurts people on purpose.
The setting itself was magical, this whole story is a love letter to New York City and I LOVED that.

Squeeeee!!!! This was an absolutely delightful rom-com filled with adorable banter, a heartfelt message, and just the right amount of GET TOGETHER ALREADY energy. To say I devoured this book would be an understatement. For lovers of perfect book boyfriends, NYC, and just the right amount of quirkiness, this is the one for you. There's loads of sexual tension and chemistry without it being spicy, and I just really felt the warm and fuzzies with this one. Thank you NetGalley & London Sperry for an advanced copy of this ebook. I can't wait to read more from this author!

Passion Project was an okay read. I thought the writing was solid and the plot was decent. The main characters, Bennet and Henry, were alright. I empathized with Bennet and her situation. I understand she was going through a lot; however, I wasn't a fan of how she treated those around her. Bennet was a crappy friend at points. It was rewarding to see her make amends and heal those relationships throughout the book. For the most part, I enjoyed Bennet's character growth. I thought Henry was a great match for her. I liked how patient he was with Bennet. All of the passion project dates he chose for her were fun. The side characters were up to par and important to the overall story. Sal was my favorite side character. I liked the scenes in New Jersey with him. I didn't care for the last 20% of the book. I did not like how Bennet treated Henry near the end. Her behavior at the end knocked this book down a star for me. I felt like with every step forward, Bennet would go back three more steps. It was frustrating to see her progress diminish at the end. I wasn't as captivated as I should have been with Bennet and Henry's relationship. The chemistry wasn't fully there for me. I would give this author another chance. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! In this story we meet Bennett who is dealing with grief after the death of her first love. She has depression, and we meet her at this point in her life where she is lost and aimlessly drifting. Her childhood friend roommate is trying to be supportive and encouraging her to start her life again, so she helps her find a date through a dating app. Bennett does not show up for the date, but ends up running into Henry later. This sparks their 'passion project' of trying to find anything that Bennett is passionate about. It leads to such a lovely friendship and to a lot of growth for Bennett who has been stuck for years. Henry is the most perfect cinnamon roll MMC you ever did meet, and honestly the only reason this wasn't a 5 star read for me was because I didn't love how Bennett treated him towards the end of the book. I understand she was on her own journey, but it felt disingenuous and only inserted to create that third act conflict. I think the book would have been strong enough on its own just focusing on Bennett managing her grief and path forward.

Overall I really did love the story and Henry is 5 stars, while the overall story is 4.5 stars. Fantastic debut and I'm looking forward to reading more books from London Sperry in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

this was honestly so so good i’m in awe that it’s a debut!!! i am a sucker for a good romance x grief story and i just think that love is such a powerful and beautiful vessel for
navigating loss and all the emotions that come with it and this book does it SO well!! bennet was so deeply relatable to me and it was so comforting to see a character go through life with such similar thought processes to my own. and sweet my sweet boy henry deserves the world and then some for that big and loving heart if his. i loved every second of this!!

thank you so much to NetGalley & Penguin for the eARC!!

I’m actually so surprised this was a debut novel! The writing is GOOD for a first timer!

The story is about a girl, who has been in deep depression since her boyfriend died 2 years earlier, who is set up on a first date by her roommate to try to cheer her up. The date does not happen but girl and guy still meet & end up becoming friends. And then fall in love.

Set in NYC, their outings were very fun to read about.

Sometimes the depression and grief were hard to read about and as someone who has not experienced depression as described in this book, I found myself annoyed with the FMC at times.

But the MMC is pretty great. I love their banter and the sense of humor in the book. There are also SUCH good, honest conversations between characters. Well done!

4.25 🌟

Team Harry forever.

I loved this book.
I loved the passion project.
I loved Harry.
I.... got frustrated with Bennet

There was so much good in this book - so much was done right. But towards the end I wanted to grab Bennet and shake her. I can't fully understand her grief but I can understand not intentionally hurting people.. especially those that have gone out of their way to be kind to you. Does that mean I didn't love this book? Absolutely not.

🚕Book Review🚕
*
Thank you so much @prhaudio for the advanced copy of Passion Project! This one really took me by surprise. Book of the month put this on my radar and I was super excited to check it out but I ended up LOVING this! It was just such a wonderful depiction of grief and new love. The romance, the story, the characters, I just really fell in love with it all! If you’re looking for a great romance this month (and there are tons coming so you’re in luck) I highly recommend this one! Bennet and Henry are just kind of perfect, I hope you fall in love with them just like I did! 😍
*
Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
*
Summary- If your twenties are supposed to be the best years of your life, Bennet Taylor is failing miserably . . . with a big emphasis on the miserable. Where’s that zest she keeps hearing about? She’s a temp worker in New York City with no direction, no future, and no social life. And at the painful center of this listlessness is grief over the death of her first love.

When Bennet runs into Henry Adams just hours after standing him up for a first date, she makes an alcohol-fueled confession: She’s not ready to date. In fact, it’s been years since she felt passion for something. Not even pottery, or organized sports—not anything. Rather than leaving her to ruminate, Henry jumps at the opportunity for adventure: Bennet needs to find a passion for life, and Henry will help her find it. Every Saturday, they’ll try something new in New York City. As friends, of course.  
*
QOTD- what’s a new skill or passion you would love to learn?! I’d love to be good at running long distances or know how to communicate through sign language !

London Sperry’s Passion Project is an absolute standout—an emotional, electric debut that blends grief, healing, and slow-burn romance into a story that will have readers swooning one minute and wiping away tears the next. Set against the vivid, ever-moving backdrop of New York City, this novel isn’t just a love story—it’s a journey of rediscovery and rekindled passion.

Bennet Taylor is stuck in a life she didn’t choose and barely surviving under the weight of loss. Her world is quiet and gray until a failed first date with the charming and disarmingly kind Henry Adams flips the script. After a few too many drinks and one vulnerable confession—she hasn’t felt passionate about anything in years—Henry makes her a deal: every Saturday, they’ll try something new together, from pottery to rappelling, in hopes of helping her find her spark again.

What begins as a series of innocent adventures quickly turns into something deeper. Their connection is immediate, their banter sharp and warm, and their chemistry undeniable. But this isn’t a rushed romance—it’s a slow, deliberate unfolding of trust, joy, and emotional rebirth. Sperry handles grief with tenderness and truth, illustrating that healing doesn’t mean forgetting, and that love can be both a balm and a beginning.

What elevates this novel is its effortless blend of heart and humor. The dialogue is electric, the emotional beats hit hard, and Henry Adams? Quite possibly the sweetest fictional man to grace the rom-com scene in years. A patient, soft-spoken rock collector (yes, really) with a knack for showing up exactly when Bennet needs him, he’s the kind of character you’ll wish existed in real life.

It’s hard to believe this is a debut—Sperry’s writing is confident, fresh, and emotionally grounded. Fans of Lynn Painter will feel right at home here, but Passion Project holds its own as something special, something unforgettable.

Expect to see this one everywhere when it drops April 8, 2025. From bookstagram to beach bags, Bennet and Henry are about to steal hearts across the board. Don’t be surprised when it becomes the romance everyone’s talking about—and don’t wait to fall in love with it yourself.

This has such a good premise not to give it a try.

You can gather that this is a debut book, but it was overall good, probably not the best piece of literature you’ll read, but it is just that, nice and cute.

I will probably read something else by this writer, I think she’s just getting started.

Thank you NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the e-arc.