Bennett Taylor is living in New York City working as a temp. She is stuck in a rut after her first love died and she can’t find her passion in life. Her best friend talks her into a date and when she ghosts she still ends up running into the guy, Henry. He talks her into finding her passion with his help and every Saturday they do something new in NYC. As friends. Her grief finally starts to slowly fall away and they start to develop a connection.

I really enjoyed the NYC setting and all the fun things Bennet and Henry did together. Henry is so sweet, fun, patient and kind. He’s the perfect book boyfriend:) I appreciated the look at loss and grief but honestly I found Bennet was insufferable. I was rooting for her until last few chapters and the way she behaved at the wedding was cringe. I kind of wanted better for Henry.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc copy of this book!

Love the New York setting! Very reminiscent of Cara Bastone, who I love her writing. Hope this author continues more.

I love this book so much! I loved the adventure, the personal growth, and the banter. The way Bennet overcomes her grief and finds happiness in her life again is such a relatable story written in the most delightful way possible. I rated this 4.5 stars!

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the how focal the romance aspect was, while still incorporating themes of grief and Bennet finding her passion! I think being lost in what you’re passionate in early adult years is so common, yet not talked about enough and I loved seeing the characters navigate through this.

I absolutely loved Passion Project — I couldn’t put it down! The banter between Bennet and Henry was top-tier, making me laugh and swoon at the same time. The emotions hit so deep and felt incredibly real, I genuinely felt them in my soul. Such great writing, such a beautiful, unpredictable love story — I already want to read it again.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House, and London Sperry and her team for the ARC!

This was a great book. I felt like I was enjoying a summer in New York right along with Bennet and Henry. A good love story! There was some depth to it with the element of grief but I like that they learned to embrace it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this one! The NYC setting, dealing with grief, and finding love

I CRIED. I never cry. Usually that will catapult my rating to five stars but I’m blaming hormones. I loved this book. Bennet’s narration is witty, fresh, and depicts depression perfectly. I don’t want to spoil anything so you’ll have to find out the cause of her grief on your own but it’s truly heartbreaking. Henry is so sweet to her, giving her both space and encouragement when she needs it 🥺. There’s major character development in this one and I really enjoyed Bennet’s transformation. I could totally relate to her shy demeanor loved that she learned to put herself out there more because of Henry.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 rounded up for this debut! The story sucked me in right from the start. However, I got frequently annoyed with the FMC and she almost made me DNF due to her overreactions to seemingly small events. I tried to remember that she was dealing with grief, though, and we all handle it differently, which is possibly part of what the author was trying to demonstrate. Overall, I loved the setting and the “passion project” storyline!

“Passion Project” by London Sperry hits all the right notes of your typical romance novel. The couple get together and break up and it all ends happily. There is an interesting theme of grief that makes the novel stand out. It has a fairly low level of spice if that is a concern.

This was the perfect feel good read. I struggled to put it down and you've myself wanting to get back to it as soon as I could. I am so hopeful this is only the beginning for London Sperry because this book was one of the best thing I've read this year..

It’s crazy sometimes how a book can say exactly what you need to hear.
“You showed me love doesn’t care about whether or not you have your shit together, or if you’re a grieving mess. Love doesn’t care if you’re anxious or depressed or drowning in every day life. Love just loves.”

Passion Project follows Bennet as she attempts to navigate crippling depression and guilt in a city she should be living in with her boyfriend. After her friends swipe on a dating app and convince her to go out with the ever charming Henry, we find ourselves on their adventure with them as they go on different adventures throughout New York City trying to find what Bennet’s passion is. Eventually she does find it, but on the way she starts to address the guilt over the death of her boyfriend and the depression that accompanies it as she grows close with Henry.

Death is, well, death. And it sucks. And carrying the guilt of thinking maybe it’s your fault that person is gone makes it so much worse. I lost my dad 15 years ago while he was home alone. I was out with my nana, and he was alone. I was 12 and sometimes I still think about what would’ve happened had I been there. The grief comes in waves, and I’m only now as an adult getting to the point where I’m actually trying to handle it the right way instead of bottling it up and existing. The way this book hit just really resonated with me. Love comes in different forms—romantic, familial, platonic. And love doesn’t care if you have your shit together. Watching Bennet learn to lean on the people around her, the ones that love and care about her, just hit me. Her friends didn’t care that she was so depressed she could barely get out of bed some days, they loved her anyway. Henry didn’t care that she was still grieving Sam, he loved her anyway and helped her as she worked through it. He was patient and kind. Bennet learned you don’t have to be perfect to be worthy of love. And sometimes, we all need that reminder. I know I did.

Passion Project is captivating and beautiful. Bennet is relatable, and grows throughout the months we are with her. So does Henry, and so do all the friends around her. They’re all learning to deal with their own shit in their own way, just trying to figure out how to be an adult in NYC. The characters are incredibly well written, and even ones that don’t play a ~major~ role evoke such strong imagery and feelings that they are just as memorable as Bennet and Henry. The way the setting is described can really make you feel like you’re standing on the top of a skyscraper with Bennet and Henry, or tanning on the rooftop oasis with Jamie and Sonya.

London Sperry addresses really tough issues in a way that is still compassionate. There’s never a point where I felt that the topics were not addressed with careful thought and consideration. The writing was not simple per se, but it was written in a way that everything is easily understood, while still delivering an amazing story from the characters to the scenery to the message. I cant wait to read more of her work.

I really cannot recommend this book enough. It was easily a five star read for me. I laughed and cried. I felt connected with the characters. I want to go live in their New York and be their friend.

I did receive a review copy of Passion Project, and am leaving this review honestly and voluntarily.

I loved this book for the first 75%, like really loved it. But then Bennet changed and I was not here for it. It felt like a total 180 from the beginning and I just had whiplash. Henry deserved more and we deserved more for this ending. I’m bummed.

Passion Project follows Bennet, a woman struggling to work her way through some deep grief, and Henry, a man she meets who offers to help her find her passion. I was immediately pulled in to Bennet and Henry’s world – their connection, their adventures, and the evolution of their friendship into maybe something more. The writing is excellent and I flew through this book. I really appreciate how the author explores and handles Bennet’s grief, as well as how Henry’s character is developed over time. For a debut, I found this to be an exceptional read and one that surpassed my expectations. My only significant criticism is one that I’ve seen other reviewers mention – there is a specific trope that romance novels often include and I really disliked it here. In general, I felt like Bennet made some questionable decisions and treated people fairly poorly, to the point where she was straight up unlikable at certain points. The ending felt a bit rushed but, overall, an entertaining read and one that will be a great fit for the beach this summer.

“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.