Wow. I haven't felt this conflicted about how to rate a book in so long! On one hand I absolutely loved it. I devoured this book whenever I could and
when I wasn't reading it, I wanted to get back to it ASAP! I loved the writing style, the dialogue, the NYC vibes (which I don't usually like), and of course, Henry.

Henry was such a sweetheart and I think that's why I'm so conflicted. I felt like Bennet treated him so horribly and he deserved better. I understand that grief and anxiety makes you say things and do things that you wouldn't normally do, but I just felt like Bennet self-sabotaged so much that it was difficult to root for her. This would've been a 5 star for me, however, the conflicts towards the end just left me feeling not great. While the last 25% of the book was pretty disappointing, overall it was a fantastic and beautifully written book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

What an utter joy—& I don’t say that lightly. There is nothing I love more in a story than the absolute marriage of love & grief. It’s something that I think gets a lot of traction nowadays, but isn’t always done RIGHT. Cause the way is, in fact, narrow. But this? Well done London Sperry, a perfect love story about the tension of living & loving life in the face of loss & uncertainty.

Bennet Taylor & Henry Adams are the opposing poles of magnets. Not in a way that is simply, “she’s mean & he’s sweet”, but in the way that means they complement—click together cause there was no way that they couldn’t, it’s a scientific fact. Reading their love story felt like watching the most perfect romantic drama comedy. I actually need an indie movie pronto. The growth of their friendship & the way that Bennet begins to see color & goodness again was just SO lovely to experience. Perfect pacing, perfect emotion, perfect characters, just what I love in a book. I think that many people might say this lacks in the romance department in comparison to typical romance novels, but I had no problem with it. Full transparency, but the story felt very much centered around Bennet & her grief, & the love story was the medium in which she learned to navigate it. BUT IT CERTAINLY IS SO PRESENT, JUST WITH A TAD MORE SUBTLETY.

5 whopping stars for this debut. We love her, we need her. Passion Project, London Sperry—you got me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & to Penguin for this eARC!!

The writing in this book absolutely blew me away! I still can’t believe this is a debut—it was fast-paced, completely engaging, and not once did I feel bored. The passion project plot was so fun and heartwarming—it really helped me connect deeply with the characters. I felt such a strong bond with them, especially Bennet. I just wanted to reach into the pages and give her the biggest hug. They were imperfect in the most beautiful way—real, relatable, and so easy to love because of it.

Henry was an absolute sweetheart of a MMC—charming, kind, and genuinely so fun to read. He was everything Bennet needed, and I adored the person he was for her. Their journey from strangers to friends to lovers felt so natural and real, like I was watching two beautifully flawed people find love and joy in each other. The character development by the end? Phenomenal. I know some readers might get frustrated with Bennet, but to me, her choices felt so true to her circumstances, and I appreciated the authenticity so much.

The way this book handled mental health and grief was stunning—so tender and thoughtfully done. Bennet’s journey brought tears to my eyes more than once. I also adored the NYC setting—it added such a fun and vibrant energy to the story. The passion project plot was delightful, the romance made my heart do little somersaults, and I just loved every single second of it.

I’m seriously obsessed with this book—it’s one of those stories I know will stick with me for a long, long time.

I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of Passion Project last week and ADORED it! This is the story of Bennet, a young woman who moved to New York and is struggling to find joy years after the death of her college boyfriend. Her roommate and childhood friend see Bennet unenthusiastically going through the motions of life day to day and decides to set her up on a dating site to try and get her out there and living a little. Enter the lovable Henry Adams, who she ghosts, but then ends up meeting in the most embarrassing way right after ghosting him. They decide to become friends and embark on the Passion Project, for a way for Bennet to get to know both NYC and herself better. Henry starts taking her all over the city for so many random experiences, and Bennet’s heart starts to heal and she’s letting in more and more happiness each day.

This book is a sweet romance, but it’s also a beautiful coming of age story of a young twenty-something finding herself as well as her working through the pain and grief over losing her first love. And Henry? The most perfect book boyfriend and so patient and thoughtful. This book had me crying hard and cheering on Bennet in her journey (and wanting to yell at her at times 😅). I highly recommend this debut romance with depth!

Let me be very upfront before I get into the real bones of this book that this book may not be for everyone. It is, as some would term it, a Sad Girl Romance ™. (I don’t know who coined that phrase, it certainly wasn’t me). It is also a CAPITAL S Slow Burn romance – there is an open door sex scene but the first kiss doesn’t even occur until 70% in so again, if all that is not your jam, then this book is not for you. It’s a single POV first person book (again, I know a lot of people have opinions and are very particular about that, I’m just not one of them). I just want to be clear that even though SPOILER ALERT, I’m giving this book an A, it is very much a “your mileage may vary” type of book and I understand that under current times, a book that deals heavily with grief and depression may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Frankly, I’m shocked it was mine and I don’t mean for that to come out as a backhanded compliment. I’ve just been really leaning into fun and frothy romances lately and did not expect a romance with such heavy themes to grip me the way it did.

The Sad Girl in this book is Bennet Taylor, named by her mom for her favorite Jane Austen heroine. To call her a Sad Girl is really underselling it because there are some major on page depictions of depression. Bennet is living and working as a temp in NYC, fulfilling her late boyfriend’s dream of moving to NYC. Unfortunately, Sam never got the chance to live out his dream so Bennet is essentially living his dream for him even though she herself has no real passion, not for the city or for her dead end jobs or really even her very existence.

Enter Henry Adams, waiter/bartender by day (and night) and also a photographer. When Bennet’s friend and roommate sets her up with Henry, she stands him up for their first date only to run into him at the restaurant he works at in the most awkward way possible. One thing leads to another and Henry offers to be her friend and help her find her passion, leading to various fun adventures, one of which cemented the fact that I am indeed very afraid of heights. (Seriously, props to the author for vividly describing one of their planned activities with such specificity that just reading about it actually made me a little dizzy and I was like “NOPE, NOT DOING THAT EVER”).

Bennet makes it very clear to Henry that she is not looking nor is she ready to date. She is still grieving her first love who passed away a couple of years ago. She is deep in mourning and unable to allow anyone into her life. She has alienated herself from her closest friends, including her roommate, from her parents, has dropped out of college, and finds herself lost and scared that everyone else in her life is just leaving her behind.

Henry, despite his charming affability, also has some baggage of his own, related to his father who has dementia. While Bennet seems perfectly content to wrap herself in her grief and sadness, Henry puts on a facade of delightful exuberance, covering up the inner angst hiding beneath.

The depictions of grief and depression in this book aren’t sugar coated and there’s a particular line about grief that resonated so strongly with me for very personal reasons. In comparing her grief over Sam to Henry’s grief over his father, Bennet has this very astute realization:

“I realize just how different our experiences of grief are. Sam was gone in a second. Before I knew it, he was a memory. But losing someone slowly must be like having the person and the memory of them alive at the same time.”

As the weeks turn to months, the two grow closer and closer despite Bennet’s assertions that she’s not ready, could maybe never be ready to love another as she loved Sam. Adding to the complications are the fact that her alienated best friend Andy, is also Sam’s sister, and things between Bennet and Henry (and Andy) come to an emotional head when Bennet and Henry head to California for Andy’s wedding.

For the longest time Bennet feels unworthy of love, maybe even of life, and part of the reason she pushes everyone away is a form of punishment she’s inflicting on herself. While this is very much a romance, it’s also about Bennet’s emotional journey, about the discoveries she makes, by herself and with Henry, about how resilient and strong she is, about the importance of opening up and surrounding herself with the ones who love her.

This is a book that made me feel and ache and there were parts of it that made me think about my own grief journey. This isn’t a book I can just blanket recommend to all because of the heavy themes but for me, personally, it absolutely worked.

The writing style here is so warm and inviting—it pulled me in right from the start. I really loved how gentle and understanding Henry was as Bennet worked through her grief. Their relationship felt so tender and real, and the emotional depth of the story hit me in all the right ways.
The slow burn was beautiful and I was utterly invested in their fragile, growing connection... though I’ll admit, the third-act conflict tested me. Bennet’s choices left me frustrated and momentarily doubting their relationship.
Still, I enjoyed the ride. If you’re into emotional, character-driven romances with some heavy themes and a sweet, steady love interest, this one is definitely worth checking out.

I'm going to be so real right now and admit I'm not the biggest romance girlie, but despite that lifelong thing about not judging a book by its cover, I was quite sucked in by Passion Project's vibrant cover, and loved the premise, so I happily dove in. I mean, who doesn’t love a little YOLO energy like our main characters?

Bennet is stuck in that twentysomething limbo where nothing feels quite right, still carrying grief she hasn’t fully faced. Then she meets Henry, who somehow turns a missed first date into a mission: try something new every Saturday until Bennet finds her spark again. No pressure, just vibes. Wink, wink.

From rappelling off buildings to awkward improv and quiet moments that sneak up on you, this book is full of heart. The banter is great, the pacing is perfect, and watching Bennet slowly come back to life felt so genuine. It's about grief, growth, and figuring out what actually makes you feel alive.

Absolutely adored this one. Big thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking for the ARC.

The side characters in this book shine. However, several of the conflicts in this book felt unnecessary and are explained away by FMC’s grief and anxiety – but I found this book did a lot of telling rather than showing when it came to the main character’s emotions and journey. In a lot of ways, she did not feel like a fully-baked character struggling with grief and anxiety, but was rather surface level.

While the MMC felt more multi-faceted, it was difficult to understand what his catalyst was for becoming involved and commencing the “Passion Project” premise. Even as the reader learns more about this throughout the course of the book, the lack of “why” was difficult to overcome.

I can’t say enough about London Sperry’s debut, PASSION PROJECT, which I’ve recommended to both romance-obsessed friends and those who are newer to the genre. With wit, charm, and an incredibly thoughtful take on grief, it’s a perfect book for Emily Henry fans. Bennet is such a fun, relatable protagonist, and it’s impossible not to fall in love with Henry the second he appears on the page. Their chemistry feels both real and extra special, and the way they grow together leads to a truly satisfying happily ever after.

Passion Project by London Sperry was a charming debut.
A fun romantic comedy about navigating grief and the hopefulness of opening yourself to new possibilities.
These characters are messy and relatable, and their chemistry is delicious, crackling, and super amazing.
I truly enjoyed Bennet and Henry’s story.

I am not normally a fan of books with grief topics as someone who has anxiety, but I felt like this story was the perfect mix of honoring that grief, with a funny and otherwise lighthearted romance. I am head over heels in love with Henry. He deserves everything. The banter was great, the book did make me cry but also made me laugh out loud a few times!

4.75 stars, rounded to 5. I usually avoid books with grief, especially those set in NYC. They just hit too close to home. But this is a fun, sincere, and sweet story of finding someone who is there to help you find yourself and finding joy again after losing someone you love. Henry’s golden retriever energy had me rooting for Bennet to come out the other side of her grief. Every Passion Project date is a reminder how you need to find new things when you’re rebuilding your life after losing your love. I especially connected with the Yankee Stadium scene as that was where I said I’ll love you and miss you forever,

London Sperry’s debut novel is a quick, cute read - but be prepared for tears! This book does not shy away from heavy topics like grief and depression, but the overall tone is hopeful as the FMC learns to move on and fall in love again.

The characters felt like real, messy humans. A few times I wanted to shake the Bennet when she did frustrating or self-sabotaging things, but it’s still always refreshing to see a truly flawed FMC with a genuine character arc. Henry was such a sweet cinnamon roll MMC but I also loved that he wasn’t afraid to stand up for himself! It’s a slow burn, but I appreciated that it wasn’t “insta-lust” as is so common in romances these days. The female friendships and delightful banter are an added bonus.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

A friends to lovers romance. This one is a sloooooow burn, y’all. And, I have to tell you that the initial chapters describing Bennet’s grief was anxiety producing and not at all cozy. So, for me, always seeking the easy romance, this was a tough start.

Passion Project by London Sperry
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Bennett has lost her passion for life. When her roommate sets her up on a date with Henry, she is not ready and flees. Of course she keeps running into Henry who has an interesting offer for her, he will help her find something that she feels passionate about.
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What I liked:
-Henry was just the sweetest sweetie pie with a good helping of sass. I adored him.
-I am a sucker for good banter in a book, there was good banter spread throughout the story.
-I loved how Bennett adopted an adjusted outlook on life just by being around Henry.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ There was a point in the book where Bennett got on my nerves but she had a good arc and ended the story in a good place. This was a sweet and funny story.

This was a real, raw, and often times messy portrayal of grief and healing. What a gorgeous book. It ripped my heart out and sewed it back together all while sprinkling in moments of joy, witty banter, and romance. If you loved Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone, you will adore this as well.

First of all, I love books set in New York City! Maybe because it makes me nostalgic for the time I spent there while in my 20s, the city itself is more than a backdrop for the story and provides a sense of excitement and hope, which are the exact emotions I felt after reading this novel.
The story follows two strangers who make a deal to do activities together each week that challenge what’s comfortable, and by doing so, rediscover themselves and what inspires them amid incredible stress and grief. What I particularly appreciated about the novel was how it highlighted how personal the process of grieving can be and cannot be measured on any timeline. This is a slow burn romance where a lot of healing needs to take place before they find their way to each other. I really enjoyed and look forward to reading more from the author!
Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for a copy of the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am quite literally going to vomit with how UNWELL this book has made me. 🫠🫠🫠

There are so many things that I loved about this book but also so many things that had me a b s o l u t e l y screaming.

I loved seeing how Bennet and Henry’s relationship formed through these passion projects. I feel like we saw so much growth from Bennet throughout this book even though it was slow. I did think was bizarre when she almost did like a full on 180 towards the end - I actually have so few words for how enraged the 0-44 of the book made me. To the degree that I almost DNFd because it was SO SHOCKING and it literally kept getting worse and worse💀💀

Can we give a shoutout to sexy, sexy Henry with his smutty little glasses? i’m so proud of him. I wanted to give him a standing OVATION when he said he deserved better.

I think the third act breakup was my villain origin story today. To be honest, I don’t know how London was able to turn this around and make me love the book again, but I do I think the redemption arc was everything I needed to feel good about this book again.

ALSO?!???! don’t even get me started on the fact we have another book in the world with a dead love interest named Sam. LITERALLY WHAT DID WE DO TO DESERVE THIS. I am never going to mentally and physically recover from that storyline.

TLDR this book hurt me profoundly and I cried into my chocolate chip cookies because of this.

Thank you Net Galley, London Sperry, and Penguin Books for an E-arc copy of the Passion Project.

This book was amazing. Fast read but it really gets you in the heart. Bennet is recovering from the death of her college boyfriend and navigating live after his passing. She never truly I’d studied her passions in life. Enter Henry, the bartender/photographer who develops a project to help Bennet discover her passion and also rediscover herself after tragedy.

I loved these characters. I love the meaning of this story and how all of the characters worked through some challenging life events while continuing to live their lives. I can’t wait for this author to write more books!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for this ARC! This was a solid friends to lovers romance, we get to know Bennet and Henry as they explore NYC and do a variety of fun activities as part of their “passion project.” I enjoyed the mental health representation, and grief is a main theme, giving this book some real substance. The attraction between the two characters was believable and the author does a great job telling the story of why the characters like each other, which sometimes I find lacking. This was a fun read!