4.5 stars rounded up

Bennet Taylor is struggling to cope with her grief and depression years after her boyfriend died in a terrible accident. She feels lost and aimless in New York City until she meets Henry Adams. Henry is the complete opposite of Bennet- focused, energetic, joyful- and he wants to help her find her passion for life again. They embark on a “passion project” of new experiences together so that Bennet can figure out what she’s meant to do and who she wants to be.

Passion Project is an incredible debut novel! The writing was flawless. The premise drew me in immediately, and I found myself relating to both main characters in different ways. Not only is it hard to go through life with mental health challenges, it’s hard to watch someone you love experience this as well. I found myself getting frustrated with Bennet at times, which I think was sort of the point. Depression isn’t something that can just be “overcome.” There are good days and bad days, steps forward and setbacks. The main conflict was particularly hard for me to read, but I still loved this book so much!

CWs: grief and trauma, mental illness

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

જ⁀➴ 3.25 ✰

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹“It feels like I’m returning to him after a long journey, like I’ve met him in a past life, rather than mere months ago. It’s a kind of familiarity that lives below my skin, warming me from the inside out.”⋆𐙚₊˚⊹


Passion Project follows Bennet Taylor, a twenty-something temp worker in New York City who’s stuck in a rut—grieving the loss of her first love and feeling disconnected from everything, including herself. After a chance encounter with Henry Adams, whom she had recently stood up for a date, Bennet makes a tipsy confession: she hasn’t felt passionate about anything in years. Instead of walking away, Henry proposes a plan to help her rediscover excitement in life by trying something new together every Saturday. As their “passion project” unfolds, so does their connection, forcing Bennet to confront her grief, her fears, and the question of whether she’s ready to truly move on.




➳ my thoughts:


This book was going really well, it was 5 stars material until the last 20%. Nonetheless I think this was a really stable debut.

To start, the writing in this book was beautiful. It was effortlessly readable, with the words flowing so smoothly that it felt like I was being carried through the story without even trying. This is the kind of book that doesn’t feel like a chore to read, not until around the 80% mark lol. Up until then, I was completely absorbed.

I loved how vivid the nyc setting is, the mentions of the places, how it describes the city. it was just very pleasant to read about. It made me want to hop on the train and go to where the characters went. The author describes this book as a love letter to the city and it really feels like that.

The dynamic between the characters was enjoyable and entertaining for the most part.

Bennet’s character development was really well done—at least during the phase when she and Henry were still building their friendship. It felt genuine and promising, like she was slowly healing and learning how to open up. But once they started dating, it was as if all of that growth just vanished. It almost felt like everything she had worked through was undone, and she reverted back to square one. Honestly, she clearly wasn’t in a place where she could truly commit to a relationship, and it showed.

At this point, I kind of have personal beef with her—seriously, lmao. There were moments when her actions felt manipulative, especially toward Henry. If he got upset or even just slightly hurt by something she said or did, she would immediately bring up her grief and the difficult years she’s been through. And look, I totally understand that depression and grief are incredibly hard to navigate, and they don’t just disappear—but I didn’t like how she weaponized her pain to make Henry feel guilty. It was like he always ended up being the one to apologize, even when he hadn’t done anything wrong. It just didn’t sit right with me. This girl needed to go to a therapist asap, she should have cared more about it than getting a new boyfriend.

This book is obviously more about Bennet than Henry so we don’t see too much about his character imo, which is sad because he is a really good mmc.


Another major complaint I have about this book is that Henry genuinely deserved so much better than Bennet, and the conflict at the end only solidified that for me. There was this one situation where Bennet basically showed that she had never truly moved on from her late ex. In doing so, she hurt Henry, who had been nothing but patient and supportive throughout their relationship. What frustrated me the most, though, wasn’t just the conflict itself—it was how the entire situation was resolved.

The resolution felt incredibly rushed. Bennet suddenly seemed to “get over” her dead ex overnight, without any real emotional unpacking or growth shown on the page. And the worst part? She didn’t even grovel!!!!😭 Like, not even a proper apology or genuine moment of accountability for the pain she caused Henry—just a quick emotional turnaround in the last chapter, and we’re supposed to believe everything’s fine? I really wish the author had taken more time to explore the aftermath of that moment and given us a resolution that felt more earned and meaningful. Because the way it ended, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Bennet was never going to love Henry the way he deserved to be loved.


The ending was honestly very underwhelming and left me feeling nothing. I wanted to be moved, to feel some sort of emotional payoff but instead, it just fell flat. Bennet’s love confession didn’t hit the way it was probably meant to—it was completely overshadowed by the weight of the previous conflict. By the time she gave her big speech about love, I just couldn’t bring myself to care.

Instead of feeling touched or happy for them, I was still stuck on how poorly she treated Henry. Her words felt empty because they came too late and lacked the emotional groundwork needed to make them believable. I was just sulking through that whole final scene, thinking about how Henry deserved so much more than half-hearted apologies and rushed declarations. It was supposed to be a romantic and satisfying conclusion, but for me, it just didn’t deliver.


overall: I know it sounds like I hated the book but I was really into it and loving it until the third act breakup. I’m sure that a lot of people are going to absolutely love it, and my problems with the book were personal so everyone should give it a shot and read it.

This is very similar to promise me sunshine by Cara bastone which was a plus for me because that is one of my favorites book but the execution at the end in this one failed me.


💌tropes:

ꨄ︎ slow burn
ꨄ︎ nyc setting
ꨄ︎ friends to lovers
ꨄ︎ grief
ꨄ︎ grumpy x sunshine
ꨄ︎ love after loss

This was such a great debut novel I already can't wait to read what comes next from London Sperry! This book perfectly straddles the line between women fiction and rom-com. While it was awfully sad to read what Bennet went through and how she thought about herself it was highly relatable and the odd funny story really helped this book not be too heavy. The writing was great as were the characters and the backdrop of NYC. The epilogue was beautiful. Highly recommend if you're looking for a heartwarming book.

Passion Project by London Sperry will open your heart and help you consider what brings you joy. This debut novel will take you on a journey with two young people that are trying to live their lives and figure out what defines them. London has the perfect combination of romcom, banter and real life experiences. The main character was a bit unnecessarily mean to her boyfriend, in my opinion, for a few parts and this is why I took away a star. Life is tricky enough without your partner tearing you down at a wedding. Will be looking for more books from London in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, I can't believe this is book is a debut! It is so good and it draws you in right away; I finished it in less than 24 hours! There are so many emotions in this book, especially ones dealing with anxiety and severe depression. It's not light and fluffy, but really dives deep into grief, friendships, relationships, and finding your own happiness. I definitely recommend this book and look forward to reading future work by this author!

“Having your shit together is not a prerequisite for love.”

Passion Project by London Sperry is one of those special rom-coms that makes you both laugh with witty banter and cry with deep emotional turmoil. The way London (in her debut novel!!!) writes with such emotion and love and real-ness about grief and depression is so beautiful and heartbreaking. I related so much to Bennet’s feelings and just felt so deeply for her. Henry is such a sweet soul character that you just love them both together so much. ❤️😭🥰

This book is for those of you who love to have a good cry while also laughing.

Also, this needs to be optioned for a movie immediately.

If you did not happen to pick this up yet, please do! It will be published on April 8th!

“All stories are love stories.”

#netgalley #londonsperry #passionproject

I am shocked this is a debut book, it was so so good, adding London Sperry to my must read list immediately.

Bennet Taylor is living in a hole of grief so deep, after the passing of her boyfriend, Sam, a few years prior, she can barely even function. Concerned about her, her roommate sets Bennet up on a date, which she initially agrees to, but then realizing she still isn’t ready, she ghosts him.

Wallowing in her despair across the street in a bar from where her date was suppose to be, she ends up running into her date, Henry. Henry, realizing Bennet needs a friend, offers to give that friendship to her in exchange for being allowed to help her find her “passion” and they embark on a summer of adventures.

I loved this story from start to finish. I did not go into reading this book expecting to finish it the same day, but I couldn’t stop reading it.

I love Henry and Bennett. Overall, it is a story about grief and how easy it is to put up walls, but sometimes good friends, family, adventures and counseling can help knock them down.

Read this book if you love stories about mental health, finding yourself, or love emotional men who are willing to put up with anything.

I highly recommend this book for fans of Katherine Center or Emily Henry.

P.S. Grab all the tissues, you will need them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book has all of my love, definitely in my top books of the year.

Bennet feels as though she is failing miserably at her life. She is currently working as a temp while living in New York City. She has no direction and no love life. She has basically pushed all of her friends away. One night, she stands up a blind date and then runs into him later. Henry, her date, hears her confession that she has not felt passion for anything in years. He jumps at the chance to help her find her passion and this leads them on a journey called their "passion project." They agree that they will remain friends as they continue to spend time together.

This book! I read about 25% of it and stopped for a day or so. Not because it was bad or due to a lack of interest, but because it made me feel so much at the beginning. There is grief, sadness, but so much hope as well. Henry brings so much lightness to this story. Once I came back to it, I could not stop. The banter between Henry and Bennet and how I watched Bennet change in little ways as the book went on kept me hooked. Henry is what every woman who is lost and needs to be found needs in her corner. Whether it is as a friend or as a romantic partner.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for this advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

♾️/⭐️

I received this ARC from NetGalley and I I’m so glad I did because THIS WAS EVERYTHING! This was my first book from this author and it won’t be my last.

The Passion Project is a book about a girl who is grieving and trying to find purpose for her life when she meets Henry who suggest a “passion project” to help her find her true passion in life after losing her beloved Sam. Along the way they find more than friendship even though that’s not what Bennet is looking for at first. This book had me in all of my feels and shedding tears at the end! This will easily be in my top 5 of 2025! 💕🥰

First and foremost, London Sperry's writing felt like a breath of fresh air. This was such a brilliant book for a debut, and I'm looking forward to reading more books from this author in the future.

For the most part, I had such a fun time reading this book. It was funny, tear jerking, and heart warming. I could relate to Bennet, which is what initially drew me into the story. The portrayal of grief and mental health was done very well in this book and it felt so real and raw. The story lost me towards the 75% mark, with the third act breakup conflict being introduced to the plot. The miscommunication between Henry and Bennet felt a little unnecessary and it could've been a perfect time for Bennet to realize she needed to go to therapy, or find a different way to better herself, but instead it was just a conflict that derailed her and Henry's relationship for a while. Overall, I did really like this book, I think I just felt more connected to Bennet's personal story rather than the relationship between her and Henry.

A 5 ⭐️ read for sure!

It was an easy read, but wowie was it a good one! I devoured this over two sittings within two days; I could not put it down. This book will sit rent free in my mind for a while.

There were parts that made me laugh, and parts that made me cry. Overall, this book just made me feel so very seen, because I relate to Bennet on sooo many levels. She’s a little bit sad, can’t get out of her head, and is letting life pass her by. And that’s me. Relating to this character so much was so hard for me to sit with, when she did a few unlikable things. Because I am guilty of doing those things too. But don’t get me wrong - this story is not full of doom and gloom and sadness, but rather one of growth and joy. Henry is that spark, that ignites the match and brings light into her life, and was such sunshiney character to read. Their adventures throughout the book made me realize that I too, can have a passion project.

What a stellar debut for London Sperry! I cannot wait to see what she publishes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I loved it!

Thank you Penguin & Netgalley for the ARC.
Any book set in NYC is one I want to dive into. I went in blind without knowing too much about the storyline so I wasn't sure what to expect.
Bennet is a twentysomething struggling with her grief after losing her first love/college boyfriend and moving to the city he always wanted to live in.
Henry comes along and makes her see things may be able to change for her and wants to help her find her way.
Passion Project explores grief and healing and finally rediscovery and newfound ways to love.
I enjoyed this debut novel and found it to be filled with both humor and sadness with just the right amount of romance!

Bennet is lost, she is in her 20s, living in NYC after dropping out before her last semester of college, temping, depressed and spending most of her time mourning the loss of her boyfriend who died before she graduated. Her roommate and childhood best friend Sonia forces her to go on a date, but she can’t even make it to the restaurant - she ends up next door at an Italian restaurant getting drunk and vomiting in the men’s bathroom. When she emerges from the bathroom her date Henry is outside the door and the further humiliation os that she has to return to the restaurant the next day to retrieve her forgotten wallet. Seeing how she is suffering and understanding it a little himself, Henry proposes that every Saturday the two go on an adventure and in doing so, maybe Bennet can find her passion. As closed off as she is, Henry draws her out and she begins to wonder if there is more to life than grieving her late boyfriend and staying in her room all day.

This is a sweet story about grief, friendship and love. I really enjoyed the audiobook but I did end up reading about half of it because I was not running around that day, but I could have listened to the whole thing the narrator was that good. The story had a light quality to it even though it’s about grief and it felt like the book baby of Summer Fridays and Promise You Sunshine. Throughout the novel Bennet makes some terrible decisions that did make me cringe and I didn’t love her character for much of the book (I much prefer Henry) but it was a quick read that I generally enjoyed.

3.75 stars

Thank you to Penguin Viking and NetGalley for the ARC to review

*3.5 rounded up!

I had a fun time with this one! I love when a setting is so prevalent and the New York backdrop just added so much. The restaurant scenes were my absolute favorite. I think this book is intentionally messy because of the subject matter, but sometimes I just felt there was a bit too much back and forth or that Bennett had a few too many wild decisions.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Viking | Penguin Books for the ARC of Passion Project by London Sperry.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Absolutely delightful read, while still sad and emotional at times. Bennet is struggling hard to find her spark, her meaning after her boyfriend, Sam, dies. Even though she’s trying to live out their dream in NYC. The worst part is she has a falling out with his sister, Andy, who was one of her best friends. And her other best friend, Sonya, who she’s living with is probably not far behind as Bennet keeps pushing her away. But then along he comes Henry, and he seems to help pull Bennet out of her shell. The big question is can she stay out of said shell or will she self sabotage it all.

If you enjoy a bit of a love story, with a pull at the emotions this one’s for you!!

˗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!!