This was a delightful book. I loved both the characters of Bennet and Sam and all of their adventures throughout the city of Harlem and NYC. Bennet is stuck in a rut and her best friend Sonya is trying to get her out ot it by signing her up for a blind dating service. While the actual date flops, her date (Sam) decides to help her get out of her rut and find her passion instead.

Positives:
Extremely likeable main male character
Themes such as overcoming loss and grief, struggling with depression, friends to lovers, finding your passion, friends as family, etc.
I loved the setting and all of their adventures while trying to find Bennet's passion
Beautiful cover

Negatives:
A bit of miscommunication interferring with their relationship but it is not over the top.
The main female character was a bit more unlikeable and immature

Thank you netgalley for the chance to read this

Sometimes romance hooks take a bit to develop and find their footing, but THIS grabbed me from the opening page all the way to the end. I adore stories that are rooted in something much deeper than a blind date gone wrong and this delivered. Bennet is deep in her grief following the death of her significant other but is attempting to date and meets Henry, the glowing definition of golden retriever. While they are the definition of slow burn with insanely palpable chemistry, they instead start "Passion Projects": meet ups to try and find something for Bennet to feel passionate about. It's this adorably beautiful friends to lovers transition that is so deeply rooted in grief, overcoming, and the definition of love.

The language is perfection. The steamy scenes are great. The slow burn is a beautiful payoff. When we do get to the real dramatic tension (going to her significant other's sister's wedding), it's a type of palpable drama that you just believe. Even the third act breakup, which I normally can't stand, really worked.

Pure adoration. I raced through this, felt every emotion humanly possible while reading, and could easily start over.

Bennet meets Henry through an app, then stands him up. But that is not the last we see of him. As the book progresses you start to understand why. An emotional read at times.

Easy comfort read. I didn’t even notice time passing I was so absorbed in the story.

I loved Henry, such a sweet golden retriever MMC. London’s portrayal of grief and guilt through Bennett was interesting. I wished there had been more emotion in the writing, but Bennett couldn’t handle her emotions so I thought London’s writing did a great job of conveying that.

This is one where I wish we had at least a couple chapters from the MMC’s POV. I want to know what kept him around, what did he see in her after such a rough start?

Overall a fun read!

This book was so good! I loved it and will be buying a physical copy for my shelf to reread and share

Passion Project is a truly heartwarming and sweet book. My first from London Sperry and I'm sure will not be my last. Hitting the ground running with Bennet Taylor, it wasn't hard to understand her struggles as she tried to live the life she was supposed to have with her beloved Sam Chase by her side. With the backdrop of New York City, the whirlwind of emotions that drives Bennet to barely make it through the day was at times exhausting. I could feel her despair at not knowing how to simply live without the love of her life. We don't get to know exactly why he is no longer with her until much later in the book as a confession of sorts with the man who would ultimately save her, one wonderful Henry Adams. Once they are in each other's orbits, thus starts the Passion Project wherein Henry tries to get Bennet to find her passion. What she might need and/or want in order to truly live life again. And although they begin this wild journey to discovery as hesitant friends, eventually much more is at stake and I wondered through most of this book whether or not Bennet had what it would take to finally move on.

I must admit there were times when I thought Bennet's lack of enthusiasm for anything outside her bedroom door was simply just too much. But then as the pages flew by (and they really did since the writing is easy and well-paced) I came to realize just how much pain she was in and that although she tried hard to stay engaged with her more than loyal friend and roommate in Sonya, sometimes she just couldn't. I worried that she'd drive away everyone who cared and there were times when that almost happened but thankfully with Henry's help, the darkness started to lift and rays of sun began peeking through.

Henry is a love and a half. His positive nature and the fact that he wanted to be around Bennet when their first date from meeting through an app went belly up almost immediately, was beyond endearing. Helping Bennet find her 'thing' was never easy but the more time they spent together, the more Bennet started to open up and finally see the world around her once more. I loved their Saturdays when Henry would set up the next adventure, bringing out real smiles and a sense of accomplishment even at the smaller stuff. He truly cared about Bennet and even when things became uncomfortably intimate, he stayed the course and remained her Passion Project companion no matter what. He's a keeper of the highest order and we should all be so lucky as to have someone like Henry in our lives.

I will say that when truths leak out (which was a complete surprise to both myself and Bennet) I wasn't sure what her future would actually hold if she couldn't trust those closest to her again. But thankfully Bennet is surrounded by well-meaning and caring friends like Sonya, Jamie, Sal and most importantly, Henry. I was glad to see her finally able to forgive and realize that life doesn't always go to plan. But with love by your side in whatever shape that might be, you can find the will to move forward.

A crucial part of the book has Bennet once again questioning whether or not her decisions wrt Sam are the right thing for everyone involved. There is a world of hurt not only within her but starts to spread to those she cares about most. I wondered how Bennet might fix things to finally find her forever and I was both surprised and very pleased at her grand gestures that came out of her 'come-to-Jesus' moment that shook her to her core. I applaud her courage throughout this well-written book and was thrilled she was able to realize there is so much life to be lived, it may just look a bit differently than what she first imagined.

This book is labeled a rom-com and yes, there are many funny moments in this wild and unforgettable journey. But to me, it's more poignant than that as the albatross that is Sam and his leaving plagued Bennet for the better part of two years. However, her charming inner thoughts and her lack of a filter most of the time did have me chuckling and it made for the understanding of how a man like Henry could fall head over heels for this mess of a woman.

Passion Project made me tear up. It made me laugh a bit but most of all, it made me smile with pride that Bennet realized she's only human with flaws like the rest of us. And, most importantly, that one can have two loves of their lives. You just have to be brave enough to hold on tight and know how lucky you are that two people saw in you what you couldn't.

5 big stars.

Absolutely adored this romance centered around healing from grief and what it is to fall in love a second time! I laughed, I cried, and of course I swooned to no end. Five glowing stars

I really loved this book for the majority of the story; however, it kind of fell apart for me at the end. The transition from the conflict to the resolution felt super rushed (and trust me, I hate a drawn out non-communicative conflict). But something just felt inauthentic about it. I was definitely engaged and I’d read it again, but I didn’t love it. 3.5 stars.

I loved this book SO MUCH! It was such a comforting read. As someone that struggles with grief, depression and anxiety I found this book incredibly relatable and inspiring. It’s hands down one of my favourite books of all time now.

This was just sooo beautiful and I see myself reading this again.

Thank you NetGalley, PENGUIN GROUP Viking, Penguin Books and London Sperry for giving me an ARC of this wonderful book!

4.5 stars! Oh my goodness I loved this! The banter, the tension, the writing, all of it! I loved! The fact that this is a debut too? Incredible. I thought that this handled the topic of grief and loss and mental health so so well and I found myself tearing up multiple times through out the book. If you’re looking for a sweet romance with a little more emotion to it , I highly recommend picking this up!

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

“Passion Project” by London Sperry is a heart-aching romance revolving around grief. Bennet lost her long love / college boyfriend Sam and moved to New York to live out the dream that Sam wanted… Lost in her grief of Sam, Bennet is going through the motions of life and is a pretty closed book shutting out everyone from her past and unable to let anyone in.

Her roommate has her go on a date that she pretty infamously messes up as she ghosts him and gets wasted at the restaurant across the street. But by chance from her mistake she ends up meeting him. He convinces her to meetup as friends and try to experience new things in what they call the “Passion Project.” Through her exploration with her new found friend Henry and the Passion Project, she opens up a tiny bit, but is still consumed by grief.

This books main focus is overcoming grief of a lover… however I feel this book could relate to many people who feel they are just going through the motions of life or are grieving a person or a situation (like a health condition taking an ability away, or moving far from family). I found Bennet’s struggles to be relatable whether or not grief is of a loved one.

As a romance, Bennet’s past and new relationship have some great beauty on the midst of chaos. I found laughter, tears, heartache, and heart-warming moments in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey of this book even when characters regressed at times… it felt very real.

“Having your shit together isn’t a prerequisite for love.”

I’d like to that NetGalley, Penguin Books, and the author London Sperry for providing me with a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an open and honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the book!

Grief-stricken, 20 something year old, struggling to connect with others and find her place in NYC.

I loved how grief, personal identity, mental health, friendship and love are all tied up nearly in this book!

This being a debut for the author is impressive and it's a solid 4 star read to me. I found our main character Bennett's story to be a page turner. The author did a great job at providing a realistic voice to how grief can affect our functioning during such crucial years of life. You'll be appropriately frustrated here and there, but rooting for personal growth in our main character is a bumpy road sometimes.

Glad to have read and recommend this book. I'll definitely be on the lookout for more from London Sperry!

Feeling lots of feels over this new novel by London Sperry! Passion Project is a romance balanced on top of deep grief, New York City vignettes, and the turmoil and confusion of your 20’s! I was blown away by Sperry’s depictions of Bennet’s grief and anxiety- so many times I found myself thinking “wow, that’s relatable” while reading. That fear in your early to mid 20’s that you are the only one that doesn’t have life figured out and everyone around you feels so put together is so real! Bennet’s character development was my favorite part of this book, though. I was so inspired by her making change, communicating, and facing a lot of fears towards the end of the novel! The romance in this was great, too! Bennet and Henry had such a natural chemistry, and their relationship developed so organically. This book gave me big mid 2010s rom-com energy!! So fun and full of heart!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for this ARC!

Such a page turner!
I felt the grief and anxiety Bennet felt in these pages. I loved how patient Henry was with her. I didn’t love her behavior during wedding festivities but she really made up for it in the end.

This was a sweet unexpected surprise that could emerge in the top of my faves when it comes to romance stories. It's always fun to see a debut novel do so well because that means our author will have even more to give with future books! I find that I enjoy romance novels the best when the main characters form a foundational friendship first and then you see their love blossom throughout the story. There were a few too many moments where I felt like I wanted to shake our female main character for just being the absolute worst in situations that she created in her own mind. I gave her a pass through the bulk of the book as she was grieving, but by the end it felt like she was scared that she had something really great right in front of her in Gabe that she was afraid she'd lose a second time. This also felt like a nice dedication to New York City, with thick visuals of local restaurants and other spots that may or may not be attractive to tourists.

a solid four star read!! I cannot believe this is a debut novel. It was done SO WELL. A perfect mix of romance with heavier topics (ie. loss, grief)
I will say, sometimes the writing felt a bit young (although the story did not) but overall I sped through this book and was rooting for the main characters the whole way. They deserve the world 🤍 I also felt connected to side characters which sometimes is hard to do in a book, so I loved it! Thank you to the publisher for the chance to read this!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I will say the beginnings was a little slow for me. but I really loved watching henry & bennetts story come together. I think writing about grief is a tricky thing because everyone experiences it differently but London did an amazing job portraying how grief can be. The overwhelming guilt and thoughts of horrible and cruel things. All & all I really loved watching their friendship develop into something more before bennett even realized. I love the pure confidence from henry & his assurance for her to truly be ready.

This book was so sweet. It is heavy with the MC grieving but I loved the vibes. The way they met and decided to be friends. I loved the NYC vibes. I thought he was a great MC. the two conflicts were a little meh but I loved how gone he was for her and how patient he was.

Thanks NetGalley for giving me access to this new release.

Bennet is living out her 20s in NYC, sharing an apartment with her childhood best friend. Except, she isn’t really living, she’s barely surviving. Since the loss of her college boyfriend, Bennet has lived in the shadows. Gripped by grief and depression, she only surfaces from her dark days to make it to her temp jobs and pay the rent. Before she calls it quits on NYC, a chance encounter with the date she just ghosted sparks something in her. Henry, the nerdy bartender/photographer, offers to help Bennet seek out her passion. Together they explore a range of hobbies and experiences across the city slowly opening Bennet up to the possibility of truly living again, and maybe even a new love.

I honestly did not have super high hopes for this one and I think my expectations were correct. This felt like a story I’ve heard before in a slightly different color. I think that the profoundness of Bennet’s grief and depression were important topics that felt cheapened by the fact that this was a romance after all. I also really hate main characters whose only personality is that they self-sabotage. Bennet lacked any real identity that wasn’t connected to her loss, even when she started to enjoy her outings with Henry. I knew where the story would end up before I got halfway through and I had to push myself to read on, hoping the book would surprise me.. but it didn’t. I think this book will find its audience with some of the romance crowd but it ultimately was not for me. 2.5 stars rounding down.

Excuse me, but this was a DEBUT??? This was a knock-it-out of the park, stellar debut and you better believe that London Sperry, with ONE book, has made it onto my auto-read list. I felt like she handled a tough subject with nuance and care, but also humor. I loved the character arcs of this novel. I did a hybrid listen/read on this novel-- half read on the kindle, and half listened to, and I will 100% listen to ANYTHING Alex Finke reads-- she was the perfect narrator for this novel.

Absolutely no complaints. Add this one to your TBR/listen list. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.