I went into this hoping that it would be a cute story about two lovers finding their hobbies and passions in life and this fell kind of short. The first half was promising but I found the second half to be dragging.

This was a great debut! It was heartbreaking and cute and beautiful all around

The FMC frustrated me at times but it shows the real raw emotions and issues that not many books show readers

I recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC copy!

In this book we meet Bennet who is trying to get through life and manage her grief which has become full depression. If you have ever dealt with grief and depression you know how much you may feel like you are drowning. Well meaning friends set Bennet up on a date with Henry. Henry is the most adorable perfect man that has ever landed on book pages, he is beautiful flawed but always wanting to do what is right. How I wish I had a Henry in my life. I laugh, I cried, I almost didn’t want finish this book so that I could keep these characters with me. If you want a real feel good book please please please read this. Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Books, & London Sperry for picking me to be an arc for this book.

What an incredible debut! Loved the flow of the beginning of book; it was a fun, light, and easy read. It was both laugh out loud and emotional too. Henry was a dream and everyone’s book friend/boyfriend. He was kind, passionate and inspiring. Bennett on the other hand was stuck in the depressive phase of grief. It was uplifting reading about their adventures because it truly one takes one person to make a difference in someone’s life and Henry was that for Bennett. However, I disliked the ending and how she treated those most important to her. I also felt like there needed to be more emotion leading up to their relationship and the open door romance seemed rushed. Once it hit this point in the book, the pacing changed and felt drawn out and unrealistic/immature. Overall, I love a romance set in NYC and she truly captured the essence of the city through her words. Curious to see what she writes next!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

*Book publication date: April 8, 2025*
*Reviewed on April 6, 2025*

Over 20 years ago, I lost my husband to cancer. So, Passion Project hit me in the feels right from the very beginning. I identified with Bennet and understood how she was feeling and her behaviors. Henry was wonderful, even though he didn't have to be. This book brought me to tears a few times, and made my heart soar at the end. Beautifully written and just simply...wonderful.

Finished this book in 48 hours because I could not put it down. Thank you for the advance copy in exchange for a fair review.

This was a decent read. I have never dealt with a loss like Bennet has but it was heartbreaking to see her so stagnant in life. She had a lot of guilt along with her grief so it was rough. I did like this book and thought the romance was sweet but Bennet is lucky that Henry is the man that he is. She obviously had some stuff going on but she didn’t treat him well especially near the end.
Overall, this was an emotional and sweet read. Bennet was surrounded by some amazing friends and Henry was the best. I’d be happy to read future books by this author.

Bennett has high anxiety and depression after the death of her boyfriend. She meets Henry on a blind date and ditches him only to run into him later that evening. He starts the passion project with her to take her around NY and help her find her “passion”. He is the perfect guy. Of course they both have secrets but it is a romance book and lives up to the romance genre. Fast read but a little deep and dark at times.

Thank you netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

This book does a good job at showing life with depression and panic attacks. I found the characters connections with each other unbelievable, however. The main character clearly should be in therapy and everyone is far too forgiving of her choices. It’s not so much that she makes mistakes, but she keeps making terrible choices. Would’ve been more believable if she got herself into therapy then met the main male character again years later and had a second chance. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

3-3.5 ⭐️. Rounding down because the FMC was insufferable at times. She was hurting but I don’t think that excuses hurtful and sometimes hypocritical behavior.

𝕋𝕙𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤:
❤️‍🩹 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨
🤭 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴
🛏️ 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘺
🥹 𝘌𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭
❤️‍🔥 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯

𝕄𝕪 𝕋𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 is an emotional story about life after loss of a significant other. The plot is centered around the FMC, Bennet, and her experience with grief and how she evolves and copes with it.

While I loved the premise of the story, and it had many very sweet moments, there were some issues I had with the main character that made it hard for me to fully connect. I feel like I can’t really judge Bennet because I haven’t experienced a loss in the way she did, but the way she treated her friends and Henry was quite off-putting at times. I did enjoy the development of Henry and Bennet’s relationship, but the amount of miscommunication in the last 30% of the book was almost painful.

Of course, this is just my opinion, and this book does have its positives. If the premise intrigues you, it might be the book for you! Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the opportunity to read an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (𝟯/𝟱)

𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘:
🌶️ (𝟭/𝟱)

This is an easy read about a slow burn romance between temp Bennett and aspiring photographer Henry. A first date gone awry results in the two creating the Passion Project. It feels odd to judge grief, but my sense for most of this book was that either the author hadn’t experience real grief or was holding back - making it feel slightly inauthentic. The closing chapters of the book remedy this feeling. That said, if you want to read a slow burn romance set in New York, Promise Me Sunshine is the superior read. Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

I knew that when Mamma Mia was mentioned, I was in good hands. But then she mentioned Criminal Minds, and I absolutely knew this would be a favorite. And then she mentioned lumpia and it was game over. Any time food from my culture is talked about I send a little high five to my ancestors telling them we made it!!

London Sperry captures anxiety, trauma, and grief so well. She doesn’t put it on a pedestal, it just is. Bennet was definitely frustrating at times but I think that’s what makes her so real. We watch as she digs a hole around herself, but coming from experience it’s so hard to see the bigger picture when you’re so deep in your head. It’s consuming and difficult to think straight. Her choices don’t make sense and I appreciated that and was frustrated by it all the same. Sometimes we make decisions that hurt us and we don’t know why. We make mistakes and that’s what makes us human. It really hit me when Bennet said, “I wish I was the kind of person who never knew grief. Who only knew love.” That feeling is so unbearably lonely.

On the other hand, Henry is the quintessential golden retriever but he has a side that not many people see. He has his own grief that he doesn’t share openly. And this to me shows that you never know what people are going through behind their smiles. Henry and Bennet felt real and true and stories like this stay with me forever.

This was a pretty cute read, but found it was a bit too long. Felt a little bit repetitive and like it would never get to the point. I came into this thinking it was light hearted, but it in fact is a bit depressing.

The main character is understandably depressed because of a death, but wow did it just feel heavy for a really long time. It really picked up in the last quarter of the book and the last quarter was def my favorite part.

An excellent debut that seems to pay homage to the classic rom-coms of the ‘90s

There’s a likable love interest, plus a huge misunderstanding and bad communication based on vulnerabilities. It follows the natural rom-com story arc of, say, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or even My Best Friend’s Wedding.

I especially liked the idea of Henry helping Bennet reconnect to the joy found in everyday life, and while there were romantic sparks later on, this kind of friendship-based love was heartwarming, especially after the tragedy that Bennet endured.

It was a fun, summery read with the perfect opening line. I’ll be looking for more from this author.

This is a cute and refreshing love story set with a NYC backdrop which really added to all the vibes of this read. The Passion Project centers around Bennett Taylor, whose twenties have not panned out to what she thought they would, especially after dealing with the loss of her first real love. Bennett is currently living in NYC as a temp worker, attempting to piece her life back together, when she meets Henry, a guy she accidently stood up on a first date. After she admits to him she is not ready to date and that it has been years since she has felt passion for anything, he feels inspired to help her rediscover herself. Together, they begin a passion project, exploring activities in their city and trying something new every weekend. And what starts as a friendship, begins to slowly develop into a potential new passion.

This read very similar to an Abby Jiminez romance where it is extremely layered with both internal and external conflicts. It made it more than just a little love story! I really enjoyed both main characters and the development of their relationship, but I wouldn't have minded a little less of a slow-burn in the romance department! It was nice to see Henry help Bennett out so much as a friend and that side of the relationship develop first, but the middle of the book needed just a little more excitement!

I also loved how the story was both deep and explorative of someone's grieving process, while still brimming with hope and true human emotions.

This would be a great summer read as I found it quick and easy to engage with. It won't be one that will stick with me forever, but it was enjoyable in the moment!

After Bennet's boyfriend dies, she moves to NYC to live out his dreams. She is miserable and depressed and spends most of her time hiding in her room. Her roommate and best friend, Sonya tries to set her up on a date but it does not go well. Insert Henry, her blind date, who coincidentally finds her outside the bathroom at his work after she stands him up. She explains she's not ready to date and hasn't felt passionately about anything in forever. Instead of hating her he ceases the opportunity for adventure and starts the "passion project", a quest to find Bennet's passion. The become fast friends and maybe more?

What a debut!! I really enjoyed this book and quickly read through it. It was fun following Bennet and Henry trying new adventures throughout NYC and slowly watching Henry break Bennet out of her grief.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

Bennet Taylor, in her mid-twenties, has been drifting through life in New York City since her college boyfriend Sam died in a tragic accident. Mired in grief, she works temp jobs, has no friendships, no romantic life, and feels completely disconnected from the excitement everyone says should define your twenties. This all changes when she accidentally stands up a first date—only to run into the same guy hours later. Henry Adams, a charismatic bartender and photographer, offers Bennet a challenge: a “passion project.” Every Saturday, they’ll explore New York together and try something new—pottery, rappelling, tattooing, carpentry—aimed at reigniting Bennet’s spark.
Many readers have called it a love story to New York City, and I couldn’t agree more. Sperry captures the city in all its messy, magical glory—its energy, unpredictability, and the way it both breaks you down and builds you up. The narrative pulses with the rhythms of a city that never sleeps, and it’s clear that the author knows and loves every street corner she writes about.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced copy of Passion Project. I really enjoyed this one.
I just recently read Promise Me Sunshine and while it did remind me of that book, this one had a lot to offer. I loved the characters of Bennet and Henry and you knew they would end up together but there was a lot more to it than that.

I will definitely read more from London Sperry. I think she is a true up and comer worth your time.

Bennet feels lost and grief stricken after the death of her boyfriend and her going nowhere job when she meets Henry after standing him up on their blind date. They then proceed to spend the summer taking on "passion project" of finding Bennet's passion. I loved the way grief was handled and Benet's depression while also balancing that with a lovely heartfelt love story. I loved Bennet and Henry's romance so much. I adored how NYC was its own character and this book felt like a love story to NYC. Fantastic cant wait to read what this author does next!