˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 3.75 Stars . ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

So, I really loved this one and I'm sure tons of people will - it feels literally impossible to not fall in love with both Bennet and Henry and the New York City magic that was poured into these pages.

Bennet Taylor is stuck in grief after the death of her first love. Hoping to rediscover herself and honor Sam’s dreams, she moves to New York—but all it brings is a sense of rejection and lingering depression.

In an effort to improve her mental health, her friend encourages her to go on a date with a guy from a dating app. But the closer Bennet gets to the meeting place, the stronger the panic becomes. She runs into a restaurant across the street—unaware that she’ll run into him there later.

Right from the first page I was pulled into the story - Bennet just popped off the page for me and I could really relate to all the mishaps she had going on so early on it the story lol. I myself have lost a significant other and could totally relate to how she was feeling and how her life seemed so unmanageable and depressing.

Once Bennet and Henry start hanging out though to do their little Passion Project oh my god the chemistry and the banter just came to life. I found myself laughing so often and to the point where I was tearing up. I absolutely loved everything between these two.

The writing is beautiful and I thought the pace was great as well.. The author really brings the heart of NYC to you in these pages with such vivid detail. If you love the city and need a quick mental get away, London Sperry will get you there in this novel, lol I promise you that. I was truly transported into the concrete jungle of cement with this one.

After around the 60% mark there's a couple of conflicts that I didn't really like or think were necessary. This really would have been a 5-star book for me but I'm team Henry forever and I just didn't like the way he was treated.

I don't often round my ratings up, but for this one I will after chatting with my reading partner I've decided not to round. I was just too disappointed with Bennet's behavior in the last few chapters.

(cont from the edit) ...because I did love the majority of the book, but I loathed two scenarios. The last conflict didn't leave me with the warmest or fuzziest feeling and instead of loving Bennet as I did for the entire book up until this point, I started to see her in a less favorable light.

This is an absolutely beautiful exploration of love after loss and healing during the grieving process. The romance is sweet and fun, it's tender and heartwarming and I just know these two will steal many readers hearts.

If you loved Promise Me Sunshine - I think you'll love this one. Highly recommend.

💜Cinnamon Roll MMC
💜NYC Setting
💜Overcoming Grief
💜Love After Loss
💜Slow Burn
💜Grumpy x Sunshine
💜Friends to Lovers
💜Only One Bed

Expected Pub Date - 04/08/25

Buddy read with my girlie pop bestie Maria - Please be sure to check out her thoughts as well! 💛💐

⋆✴︎˚｡⋆ Connect with me on Instagram ˗ˏˋ★‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

Many thanks to Penguin Group for the advanced digital copy. I’ll do my best to read this fast and give my honest thoughts and opinions which are my very own. 😅❤️

There were parts of this book I enjoyed and parts where it felt very YA. Bennet needed more than just a Passion Project to help her mentally, or maybe she was just very immature. It did wrap up nicely at the end!

Tropes:
— NYC setting
— strangers to friends to lovers
— love after loss
— he falls first
— cinnamon roll MMC
— slow burn
— grumpy & sunshine
— only one bed
— mental health representation

Beautiful. Bittersweet. Unmissable.

Bennet Taylor is stuck in grief after the death of her first love. Hoping to rediscover herself and honor Sam’s dreams, she moves to New York—but all it brings is a sense of rejection and lingering depression.

In an effort to improve her mental health, her friend encourages her to go on a date with a guy from a dating app. But the closer Bennet gets to the meeting place, the stronger the panic becomes. She runs into a restaurant across the street—unaware that she’ll run into him there later.

Passion Project is so much more than a novel—it’s a deeply moving exploration of grief, healing, and rediscovery. Somehow, it balances emotional depth with laugh-out-loud moments and sparkling chemistry that practically jumps off the page.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone—you’re very likely to fall in love with this one too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Passion Project is a debut rom-com by author London Sperry, and a solid mix of romance and women's fiction. I kept hearing and seeing this book everywhere, so I wanted to give it a try.

Book Summary: Bennet (FMC) is a 25 year old living in NYC and floundering in every way. She is still dealing with grief and depression from the sudden death of her boyfriend. Her friends set her up with Henry (MMC), who is a golden retriever beta male and works to help her overcome her sadness. What starts as a friendship, turns into more, but not without bumps along the road where Bennet has to face the demons of her grief. Will she be strong enough to love again?

My Impressions: I enjoyed the NYC setting and all the unique places the author took the characters throughout the novel. It felt like a tour of the most under-rated and special parts of NYC and made me want to visit there again. The two main characters go on a lot of unique dates in NYC too, and I appreciated the creativity of the author to break away from boring over-used date ideas. I also appreciated that this book didn't follow any particular trope and felt fresh in that aspect. It was a quick read and the pacing was well done. I was impressed that this novel was written by a debut author, as the flow of the writing and the plot layout felt really polished. The first half had more simplistic, choppy writing, but that improved in the second half.

I personally think the genre of this book would be more accurately described as new adult. It has a lot of references and content that I think people from Gen Z will "get" and relate to, but since I'm an elder millennial, and I just didn't connect with some of the verbiage and perspectives of the characters. The characters are mid-20s, but they acted like 18-20 year olds to me. I really felt like Bennet was immature and somewhat narcissistic. I would have liked more of Henry's story, as this book felt self-centered on Bennet. The book touches on some hardships Henry is encountering in his personal life, but never really does much with those. Bennet doesn't start therapy until the very end of the book, but she could have definitely used a real therapist earlier on.

I ultimately feel like my rating is a reflection of a wrong book paired for the reader issue. The content listed below bothered me to the extent that I didn't enjoy reading this book. I could see how some readers who aren't bothered by the content below, and are younger than me by 10 years or more, would enjoy this book.

Content Considerations: Heavy strong language (many f-- and Biblical swears), lesbian side characters that kiss, panic attacks that occur on the page, mild sexual harassment, some innuendoes, crude joking, explicit references, one longer and more explicit open door sex scene at about 75% and another brief scene soon thereafter.

Thank you to Penguin Group Viking and NetGalley for the complementary copy of this book. My review is my own opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

I truly enjoyed Bennet and Henry’s story. I can’t believe this is a debut novel. I found myself crying at times, kicking my feet, smiling and laughing out load. Such a beautiful heartwarming story! I can not wait to read more from London Sperry!!

I really enjoyed Bennet and Henry’s story. Henry is sweet and lovable and helped Bennet find her Passion in life. Bennet learned to open herself to love again. 4.5 stars and I definitely recommend this one!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a heartwarming book full of sweet moments, character growth and great chemistry between all of the characters. This was a fun NYC setting. I really loved how her friends and love interest pushed her to grow throughout the book. I was quite frustrated toward the end but the very ending was satisfying. Unique story!

After losing her first love, Bennet Taylor feels stuck and uninspired. When she reconnects with Henry Adams, he proposes a weekly “passion project” to help her find joy again. As they tackle new adventures together, their bond deepens- and Bennet must choose between holding on to the past or embracing a new beginning.

I absolutely loved this book. Bennet was hilarious and so messy. I was really rooting for her, and loved seeing her come into her own throughout the book. Also Henry my king can do no wrong. Such a heartfelt, slowburn romance.

5⭐️ THIS BOOK IS IMPORTANT. A MUST READ.

Thank you to Net Galley & Penguin Books for this Arc! I first heard about this book from a friend and how it had themes of grief. As a sad girl, I needed to see what it was all about.

This book touches on so many different aspects of grief, and while my grief is different it felt deeply personal to me. It felt validating to see and feel someone else deep in their grief.

Watching someone experience new things and find their passion was so refreshing. As an adult it often feels like we have to have everything figured out, and we feel inadequate and insecure when we don’t. But I love this quote from the book “Having your shit together is not a prerequisite for love.”

This is a book that I can see as a movie, it has humor and romance and can really make you feel something. I was very impressed as this is London’s debut novel, but look out, I think she’s going to do big things!!

𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙗𝙮 𝙇𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙣 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙮 – 𝘼 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙇𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙉𝙔𝘾, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙃𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩!

♾️🌟

“𝘽𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙪𝙥 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙩”

To my book lovers who crave a slow burn that makes your heart ache in the best way, friends to lovers that feels like destiny, NYC vibes so authentic they transport you, and a story about healing, passion, and finding your way back to yourself—this is the one. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙊𝙉𝙀.

From page one, the banter had me hooked. The flirtiness? Top-tier. The kind of back-and-forth that makes you laugh out loud, giggle uncontrollably, and yes—kick your feet in the air like you’re in a rom-com. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.

As a New Yorker, I have to say—London Sperry NAILED IT. Every mention of a place, every street, every little NYC moment had me nodding like, “𝙊𝙝 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙝, 𝙄 𝙆𝙉𝙊𝙒 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙩.” It felt so real, so immersive, and I LOVED how the city was woven into the story like a character of its own.

But beyond the swoony romance and city lights, this book is about grief. And let me tell you, it was handled so beautifully, so thoughtfully, that it cracked me open in ways I wasn’t expecting. London Sperry doesn’t just tell you about grief—𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙞𝙩. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪. I sobbed. I SOBBED. But I also felt seen, understood, and comforted in a way only the best books can provide.

𝙃𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙮 𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘼𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙨. This man. THIS. MAN. He is gentle, patient, extroverted, and the ultimate cinnamon roll with a heart of gold. Funny, kind, supportive—he’s the kind of book boyfriend you immediately add to your favorites list. No notes. Just pure perfection.

Then there’s Bennet. Sweet, strong, resilient Bennet, who is navigating unimaginable grief and instability. Her growth moved me to my core. Watching her find her strength, her voice, her passions was so inspiring—I just wanted to hug her and never let go. I saw parts of myself in her, and by the end, I was just so unbelievably proud of her journey.

This book will stay with me forever. The way I laughed, cried, swooned, and even got chills—it was a rollercoaster of emotions in the best possible way. And the fact that this is a 𝘿𝙀𝘽𝙐𝙏 𝙉𝙊𝙑𝙀𝙇??? 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚, 𝙀𝙓𝘾𝙐𝙎𝙀 𝙈𝙀?! 𝙇𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙤𝙣 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙮, 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙤𝙛?? 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚.

A massive thank you to Penguin Books & NetGalley for the eARC. 𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙟𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝘼𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙡 8𝙩𝙝, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙚, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮. Grab tissues. Prepare to ✨FEEL.✨ And get ready to fall head over heels in love.

I am obsessed. 💞🙌🏼

Passion Project follows Bennett who is grieving an important loss in her life. She is depressed and aimless, doesn't really know how to keep on going and living. She alienates those closest to her and can really only function on a low level. She gets set up on a first date, only to ghost the guy, and run into him later. The guy, Henry, suggests they be friends and he will help her figure out what she might be passionate about in life. So they go on adventures around New York to help Bennett figure out what she likes to do most (and get her to start really living again).

My thoughts: I call "dibs" on Henry as my book boyfriend. He is literally the most perfectly written human being (written by a woman, naturally!). For real though, he is perhaps too willing to forgive the people that hurt or mistreat him. Bennett has her less attractive qualities, but she has a ton of character development over the course of the book and I was rooting for them at the end.

This book made me smile, it made me cry (a lot). This is a great debut from London Sperry. I'll be looking forward to her future work!

Passion Project
4.5 ⭐️

This book was definitely a last minute grab for me on @netgalley, but I’m SO glad I picked it up! It was the most beautiful and fun love story.

Bennet is in the middle of grieving for her boyfriend that past when she’s forced on a blind date. When she admits to not being ready, they agree to do a project where they just have fun and explore new hobbies each week.

Henry is seriously one of the sweetest people, and I loved him so much. The grief in this story felt so real and raw, have some tissues ready!

Wow, I can't believe this is a debut novel!

Bennett lost her boyfriend two years ago and has been struggling with depression ever since. She moved to New York because that's where he wanted to live, but she still hasn't found her place there. She doesn't have a steady job or a social life yet.

Her friend encourages her to go on a date with a guy from a dating app, but she realizes she’s not ready and runs away, only to later meet him in a restaurant across the street. Henry decides to help her find a passion, and they start meeting every Saturday.

Henry is just amazing! I adore him! He’s patient, kind, and funny, and the way he supported the heroine was so heartwarming! Also, he wears glasses (my weakness) and has a collection of rocks.

This book is about dealing with loss and finding yourself in this world. Even though it touches on heavy topics, the story gives such warm feelings, and there’s a lot of humor in it as well. New York is described so vividly that I felt like I was experiencing all the highs and lows with the characters!

I highly recommend this book. If you like Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone, you’ll definitely love this one too!

Now I’ll be reading everything London Sperry writes!

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
✓love after loss
✓cinnamon roll MMC
✓slow burn
✓grumpy / sunshine
✓friends to lovers
✓only one bed
✓NYC setting

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

4.5 ⭐

I need to take a quick moment to admire the beautiful cover. 😍 I mean, I can’t get over it! Every time I look at it, I get giddy and want to read the book again.

Okay, the moment’s over. 😆 Now, back to the book…

The Plot: Four words: This book is great. I am a sucker for stories where a character helps the main character learn to live again, so this book was right up my alley. I feel like using this theme can be overdone, but London Sperry did a fantastic job at making the story unique and engaging. Gosh, I felt so bad for Bennet. I wanted to hug her and tell her that it’s okay to feel, it’s okay to be broken, and it’s okay not to be broken. Losing a loved one is one of the hardest things in the world, and living with guilt and depression because of it is painful. ❤️‍🩹 But, lo and behold, Henry enters the scene and Bennet is definitely not ready for the ride he takes her on. Their “Passion Project” was so fun and I felt like I was right alongside them as they navigated life together. The storyline is so movie-worthy, especially with the bustling streets of New York as the backdrop, it’s absolutely incredible that this is Sperry’s debut novel.

The Characters: Bennet Taylor made me laugh, cringe, and angry all at the same time. That’s probably because I’m so similar to her. 😂 Sarcastic, melancholic, and with a caring heart, Bennet was a great FMC. It did bother me how she would dwell on the past and dwell so heavily on her faults and weaknesses, but that’s because I literally do the same thing. So it’s just a me problem at this point. 😉 And Henry? Let me put it this way. Henry is the type of character that you wonder if there are people like him in this world (spoiler alert: there are!) and you wish you had someone like him in your life. He was the yang to Bennet’s yin. That is the best way I can describe Henry and I think he’s also great. The side characters in this book were also amazing and I loved the sense of community Bennet and Henry had with their friends and family.

The Writing: Fantastic. Wonderful. Readable. Engaging. Funny. Relatable. The list of words could go on! London Sperry is talented and I am so, so glad she has shared her work with the world so I can keep an eye out for more of her books. It was so fun to read this book and I enjoyed every minute. ♥️

Overall Thoughts: What more can I say? I’m not going to lie, I was a bit wary to read this since contemporary romance books and I have a complicated relationship. But I’m glad I got over myself and read it anyway. I did skip the bits with spice, but that’s just because I prefer not to read it. Other than that, I highly recommend this book if you love friends-to-lovers romances, funny and cute banter that brings a smile to your face, and a series of ups and downs that are realistic and, in some cases, relatable.

Content warnings: death, grief, sexual assault

I received a free digital arc from Penguin Group Viking via NetGalley. All opinions and statements are my own.

#PassionProject #NetGalley

I enjoyed this and was very glad that there wasn't really any super graphic/explicit smutty scenes (yay for my girlies that like the cleaner romance novels! but be warned, there are a couple more intense romance scenes!!) I think that if it weren't for some of Bennet's reactions and thought processes, I would have rated this 4 stars. But I was simply too frustrated with her to do that (sorry!)

AHHHHHHH I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!! This book felt real and raw and honest. I feel like I can’t put into words what this book means to me. I thought about halfway through that I should have taken a selfie every time I cried while reading this book. Spoiler alert, it was SO MANY TIMES. Like this book is devastating but funny and charming. I laughed. I cried. I wanted to hit some of the characters upside the head. It was beautifully written and easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. It will probably be one of the best books of the year for me. Perfection doesn’t even begin to describe this book. And then I found out it’s the author's debut?????? This book is so special to me and I will be auto buying anything else from London.

PLEASE if you are interested in stories in NYC, romance, deep reads, sweet amazing and going through it MMCs, messy real beautiful well-rounded FMCs, PLEASE run to your nearest bookstore and get this!! I will def be getting a physical copy on release day

Thank you to NetGalley, Viking Books, Penguin Books, and the author for an ARC :) This book is expected to be released on April 8, 2025

Bennett is living someone else's dream in NYC- she had planned on moving there after college with her boyfriend, but he died. So now she is there, working temp jobs like catering and events at the public library. She is not ready to get on with her life and doesn't know what she wants to do. Her roommate forces her to go on a date with Henry. Although their meeting is disastrous, Henry agrees to meet Bennett around the city to do things as friends in order for Bennett to find her passion. This friendship and the interesting things they do becomes more for the two friends, but will Bennett be able to come back to life and find something she loves again?

This is being sold as a rom com, but the tone of this book is not comedic at all. I'm not sure how I would categorize this- grief fiction? I liked this one much more than a strangely similar book I also recently read- Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone- and I wish I had just read this one as it is the far better (but less buzzy) book. However, a book about someone who is heavy with grief that has consumed their lives turning into a romance is not what I would label an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Passion Project follows grief-stricken Bennet Taylor as she attempts to navigate her life in New York City after the death of her (ex-)boyfriend. After a failed attempt at going on a first date, Bennet runs into the man she ghosted, and he convinces her that he can help her discover her passion.

The two make their way through the city, trying new things and pushing boundaries--both with their fear and their relationship. The third-act break-up hits us at the wedding of Bennet's dead boyfriend's sister, and with a handful of grand gestures, we find our ending, with Bennet and Henry moving in together.

I gave this book a three-star rating, because I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't recommend it to a friend or read it again. There were definitely moments that shone through, like when Henry and Bennet are atop the building, harnessed up and looking down, but I felt that a lot of this book was going through the motions. Bennet's work struggles in particular felt a bit canned, with the supervillain boss and the straightforward struggles. I would have liked to see a bit more complexity or realism there.

This is less a criticism of the book and more just about my personal preferences, but I felt severity of Bennet's mental illness and her grief were a bit depressing to me. Not the book's fault, as people obviously struggle with these things in real life, and still manage to find love. But when I'm reading a romance (especially right now, with the state of the world) I usually want to move away from those feelings for a while, not toward them.

3.5(?)⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

I went into this super excited, as I had heard so many good things, and seen so much love for it. I will say, this was a good debut, but I did struggle a bit at times. I found the writing to be witty, and easy to read, plus, this did make me laugh out loud! I love a good NYC setting, and this takes place during the summer, so it really gave all the good NYC summer vibes.

I was fairly intrigued from the start, however, this book is a little heavy at times with our MFC grieving the loss of her late-boyfriend. I think Bennett should have been in therapy from the start because, whew, girly really needed it! It was hard to read at times with how much she self-sabotaged. I really loved our MMC, Henry; he’s described as a cinnamon roll, and truly, he is. He was so sweet and patient with Bennett, but I also feel like maybe a little too so. I almost wished we would have seen a little push back from him at times, because the way Bennett treated him had me furious.

This book definitely made me laugh at times, and I honestly really enjoyed the ending, and I’m glad Bennett was finally able to accept everything that happened, and made the choice to keep going. I will definitely be looking forward to more of London Sperry’s books in the future!
🗽📸📖🐾🍆

3.75
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!
This is a very strong debut romcom. It had me laughing and had me in the feels.
There are some spicy scenes but they add no plot and are easily skipped, I just scrolled on by 👍🏻
I would have rated this higher if it wasn’t for the third act conflict being a little flimsy and frustrating to me. However, I really cared for the characters and enjoyed seeing their friendship and relationship develop. This is definitely a new author to keep an eye on!