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!

I was absolutely blown away by this novel. I don’t really know what I was expecting, to be honest, but what I got was a beautiful and gritty story about finding love again after loss, and finding it in yourself to rely on others to help hold you up when you need them most. The only thing keeping me from rating this as 5 stars is my frustration with Bennet and her lack of self-awareness, multiple times over. I found myself holding back the shouts of “go to therapy!” and “girl seriously?!” multiple times. That being said, Henry is the example of what everyone should want in a partner, and I’m relieved that the end and epilogue showed major character growth for Bennet. I would rate 4.5 stars, but for Netgalley's purposes I would round up to 5 stars.

!!!!!! 4.5 stars !!!!!!

If you enjoy “women’s fiction” with a little substance to them, and a romance woven throughout - think Annabel Monaghan, Cara Bastone, Abby Jiminez, Emily Henry, this is a book I suggest you add to your TBR!

This book is so much more than just “romance;” it deals with overcoming grief, finding one’s identity, and friendship. In fact some of it is a little heavy.

Taking place in NYC, our main character is depressed, filled with grief and guilt over the loss of her college bf. She is having a hard time finding joy in, well, anything, until a failed first date leads to the now we’re-just-friends pair’s aptly named ‘passion project,’ which is nothing more than trying new activities and experiences in the city. In the process, everyday simple joys begin to override the sadness.

There’s more to it, of course, but you’ll just have to read this one for yourself! I flew through this book and had a hard time putting it down. I would absolutely read this author again!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance edition of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is now published so look for it at your fave bookstore or library!

3.75! give me more like this!
I love a good friends to lovers romance book!
That was so good

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

What an amazing debut! This book perfectly balances grief and humor, and love and friendship. I loved the character development and growth. With the help of her new friend Henry, Bennet is trying to figure out her passions in life, and her place in the world after losing her most important relationships a few years prior. My heart broke for her, and her inability to move forward. Henry is the best kind of friend to her, and I loved how their relationship progressed. I understand why Bennet behaved the way she did at certain points, but I felt really bad for Henry during those times. Grief is such a hard thing to work through and we all handle things differently.
I really enjoyed the writing and I can’t wait to see what London has for us next.

Read/Listen if you like ⇣
•Friends to Lovers
•Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
•Love After Loss
•Only One Bed
•Golden Retriever MMC
•NYC Setting
•Single First Person POV

Thank you to Penguin books, Viking books, NetGalley and the author for my ARC!

I can’t believe Passion Project is London Sperry’s debut! Between the realistic depiction of grief and trauma, the flawless writing, and the character development, Passion Project read like a book from a seasoned writer.

The progression in Bennet and Henry’s relationship from strangers to friends to lovers was well-paced and felt so natural. Henry and Bennet had an effortless chemistry- I loved their banter! They fit together so well, and what I loved most is how Henry made Bennet feel SAFE.

I related so strongly to Bennet in her journey through grief and depression and I absolutely adored Henry and the way he patiently supported her. Their Passion Project was such a fun way not only for us as readers to learn about these characters, but also for them to learn about each other. Both of these characters felt so real, I half expected them to leap off the pages and invite me on their excursions.

The messages in this story really spoke to my heart. Some of the things Bennet needed to hear, I did too. There’s something really beautiful about someone who will not only be there with you when you’re in your darkest moments, but will love you through them too. As one of the characters in this story said, “Having your shit together is not a prerequisite for love.”

This story made me feel like I was in New York City with Bennet and Henry, and I had so much fun living vicariously through them as they ventured through the city trying out different activities. It made me want to try out my own Passion Project!

If you liked Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone, I think you’ll love Passion Project!

Thank you so much, Penguin Books, for a NetGalley of Passion Project! All opinions expressed in this review are my own. London Sperry’s debut is out today.

5 out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️